Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

The Witch and the Widows

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 18:

The Red Widows had gathered in the main living area for a team meeting called by Wanda. The area contained many mats and chairs of various sizes and shapes including bean bag chairs. There were now twenty three widows among them, counting the most recent two that had been rescued a week ago. Rowan and Amanda were adjusting admirably. Oksana and Antonia were also in the room, standing in the back.

Wanda and Yelena sat in chairs in front of the television, facing the group.

“How long is this meeting going to take?” Stannic asked. “We are about to start the Goblet of Fire.”

Wanda smirked, while Yelena rolled her eyes in annoyance. They had finally settled on movies all of them could enjoy in the main living room or the big TV room, as it was more often called. They had started last week going through the Lord of the Rings trilogy every night and then moved into the Harry Potter movies. Next would be Star Wars.

The vote had been nearly unanimous which was a miracle. As efficient as the widows worked as a team on missions, having this many people under one roof made it difficult to come to a decision on basic things such as what to watch on television. They each had similar workout and training routines but in everyday life, it was a challenge.

Soon they would have to decide on a cooking rotation. Yelena and Wanda had listened to many arguments about snacks being hoarded, not having enough kitchen space to cook their own meals despite the sizable kitchen and most of the girls who had no idea how to cook, relying on those that did for meals. Oksana spent almost as much time in the kitchen, as she did in the med bay, but she wasn’t a full time chef. She made the antidote. She treated wounds from training and field missions and she made medicine for them all.

The issues would only get worse as more girls joined them. They figured they could house one hundred girls in the main house with each girl sharing a room with another. The rest would have to go in bunks underground. Yelena did not want anyone sleeping underground all the time. The widows had spent enough time in the closed walls of the Red Room growing up. Wanda had suggested they build an addition to the mansion, despite none of them having the carpentry skills needed.

Housing a secret, paramilitary organization that fought evil was no easy task. It was better than the situation in Sokovia but still had its inevitable challenges.

The television had been taken care of, for the next few weeks at least, considering Star Wars wealth of content. Though the girls had their own televisions in their rooms, they enjoyed watching shows together. It was good to know that they found comfort in each other’s presence, no matter how much they bickered.

“The Goblet of Fire can wait, Stannic.” Wanda told her. “We have an important issue to discuss. You all know what happened last week during our trip to New York. We have not spoken of it since, but it can no longer be put off.”

“What is to discuss?” Naomi asked. “The great bald one and Ava’s boyfriend tempted you with a black magic book and you told them no. You met a demon and turned him away. You get a witch teacher named Agatha. You start learning magic. Seems cut and dry.”

“We need to decide where I should go learn.” Wanda told the group. “I realize you all do not need me for every widow retrieval, but I would prefer no one go after an A.I.M. base without my presence. This is simply because it is an unknown and we need to bring all our firepower to bear when we take one down.”

“Like you and Yelena waited for us?” Helen asked.

Yelena spoke up. “Yes, we made a mistake that could have gotten us killed. As usual, Wanda would have been shot if I hadn’t saved her. We won’t make the same mistake again. When we go, we go together. That means Wanda needs to train near us, but we need to decide what near us means. Are we talking a hundred miles away, two hundred, or another country?”

“She trains here.” Ava said immediately.

The other’s all seemed to agree.

“You all want a legitimate witch to come into our home?” Wanda asked, disbelieving and not crazy about the idea. Yelena had wanted her to train here as well but Wanda refused, not trusting an unknown into their midst.

“How else can we watch your back?” Staci asked. “Without us you would be on your own. She has much more experience with magic. She could trick you. If you are here, we can shoot her in head if she tries to defeat you. Then we cut her head off and burn her body. It’s the only way to be sure to kill witches, zombies and vampires.”

Wanda cleared her throat. “It’s good to know you have a solid plan for killing witches. Thank you all.”

“You know what we mean.” Kristina said. “We need to know these things to help you.”

“I told you, they would want this Agatha here.” Yelena reminded Wanda. “It is decided. You train here.”

Wanda shook her head. “It is not decided. This is our home. The only person who knows this place exists is Eleanor Bishop and she will never tell. Do we want to risk exposing our location to another?”

To everyone’s surprise, Antonia spoke up. She rarely spoke during group meetings other than to cast a vote.

“You think she doesn’t know where we are? The Ancient One watched you talk to Ross. She knew exactly where you were in New York City. She likely knows where you are. She can probably sense your magic. It could be a spell, or perhaps every time your name is said, she pinpoints your location.”

All widows looked at her curiously.

“I’ve also been watching Harry Potter. I have not missed a movie and watched the Lord of the Rings carefully. I uploaded Aragon and Legolas fighting style and skills but found Gandalf to be the most interesting character. I do not claim to be an expert in magic, but I know if this Agatha is focused on fighting Wanda, she cannot stop us from sending hundreds of round through her body. The Ancient One knows where we are and she has likely told this witch. I nearly killed Wanda in the Red Room. We know witches can be shot and die. If she is here and tries to hurt Wanda, we can kill her. A shot to her abdomen nearly killed Wanda. A chest or head shot to the witch should do the job instantly.”

Wanda shivered. “Thank you for bringing up that painful reminder. We have no idea if we can kill her if she gets out of line. She could curse you all.”

“What kind of curse?” Rowan asked. Rowan was a red headed, Irish girl complete with pale skin and freckles. Ironically she had been on a mission in sunny Argentina when the widows rescued her last week. “I saw a movie on undercover mission once. It was about a witch in woods and some people were lost and there were some dolls that could be made out of sticks. I’m not sure if the witch made the stick figures or what they meant but if we could find information we could make our own stick symbols and hang them around the house. Sort of like an anti-curse device. There must be information on this somewhere.”

“Stick dolls do not sound like good decorating etiquette.” Yelena told the group. “Not very Chung Foo.”

“Feng shui.” Oksana corrected.

“Does it matter?” Rowan stopped them. “Wanda, tell us what curses and we can prepare stick figure dolls. Maria can find pictures on Google images. Does anyone have string or yarn?”

“I do not know what kind of curses. I am no expert in magic.” Wanda reminded them.

“Which is why you need us. Bring her here. She is a witch, so it isn’t like she is going to report our location to intelligence services. If we need help to handle her, we call this Ancient One.” Maria told her. “The bald lady had many chances to kill you, yet has not attempted. Bring the witch here. You can train and then she can take her leave when you know what you need to know.”

Wanda looked over the group. All of them seemed confident. There was no doubt in any of their faces that she could see. The Red Widows believed that they and Wanda could take this witch out if needed. They believed in themselves and in her. It gave her a warm feeling inside. Since her parents died, only Pietro and Yelena had shown this amount of protectiveness. Now she was in a room surrounded by women ready to fight a supernatural threat for her, if needed.

“Okay.” Wanda gave in. “It is decided. I will contact the Ancient One when our meeting is over. Before we get to the movie, does anyone have any other issues?”

Ava raised her hand. “The small grocery store in the nearest village cannot meet our food needs. The rough roads have been known to break eggs and the milk is nearly warm by the time we return.”

“So, buy a cushioned cooler.” Yelena said.

Ava shook her head. “That doesn’t change the store’s limited inventory. The store supplies the village. If we are constantly taking their inventory, more questions will be asked. They think we are a small commune. If we buy their entire stock, they will have an idea of our numbers and assume we are a cult.

“I was thinking I could take one of the jets to a smuggling LZ outside of Paris and gather supplies for us. I could run into the city, rent a van and buy enough for all of our needs and return to the jet. Even better, I could be dropped off by one of our pilots, buy a van then drive back here with supplies. We should probably get more road vehicles. The old truck may be on its last leg.”

Yelena nodded. “That sounds like solid plan. Who wants to go with her? We need a pilot to drop them off and someone to gather supplies with her.”

Ava shook her head. “I was actually thinking someone can just drop me off in an LZ and I can procure supplies myself, then drive back. It’s only a day’s drive. I’ll spend the night in Paris and start back early the next morning.”

No one said a word as Ava smiled innocently and Yelena tensed and scowled before calming herself.

“The freedom to make choices is important to all of us. None of us are bound to our family. However, while you are a Red Widow, you must follow the very few rules we live by. Can someone remind Ava of what those rules are?” Yelena asked.

“Don’t shoot, stab or electrocute other widows.” Stannic said.

“Don’t leave unwashed dishes in the sink.” Charlize added.

“Shower at assigned times, so the water heater does not run out of hot water.” Helen said.

Yelena sighed and looked to Wanda for help.

“The big one?” Wanda asked the group.

“Don’t drink straight from carton and don’t put empty milk cartoons back in the refrigerator.”

“Don’t eat cookies for more than one meal.”

“Clean the mats after sparring. Nobody likes to train on a mat with blood and sweat already on it.” Mika remembered. It had been her and Anastasia’s fault that rule had been instituted in the first place.

“No fighting off the mat.” Madison added. “That goes with the no shooting, stabbing or electrocuting rule.”

“Do not watch a horror movie if you cannot stop yourself from screaming loudly at every jump scare. We are looking at you, Zarola.” Naomi told her accusingly.

“Widows do not travel alone.” Sasha answered.

Yelena jumped up and pointed at Sasha. “Yes! Finally! Widows do not travel alone! It is our number one rule!”

“I thought that was to not take each other’s clothes and shoes without permission.” Sonia commented.

“It is our number two rule then.” Wanda clarified. “We do not travel alone.”

Ava crossed her arms, not happy with this. “We may not travel alone but we certainly are alone when we get there. Yelena spent the night with Kate Bishop in a separate hotel from us in New York. It was very fancy hotel, that allowed Fanny in more ways than one, apparently.”

The room erupted in several catcalls, whistles and applause.

“I thought you were going to wait until she was eighteen.” Oksana reminded Yelena, sounding a bit disappointed.

“Nothing happened. We ate pizza, watched reality shows and slept.”

“Together.” Sonia clarified. “Same bed.”

“Yes.” Yelena confirmed. “Nothing happened.”

“Nothing happened?” Charlize asked doubtfully.

“No! We kissed good night and maybe kissed before we went to sleep but that was it. This is none of your business. We were close to other widows. That was a different situation. We were all in city together.”

“So, were the two of you wearing shorts or pajama pants?” Bea asked.

“What difference does it make?”

“It can make a huge difference along with your definition of what something happening is. How much skin to skin contact was there? Were legs intertwined? Were hands roaming in sleep?”

“That is none of your business! My Kate Bishop, my business! Let us return to scolding Ava. It is more fun.”

“So if someone goes with me, they can stay at different hotel?” Ava asked, frustrated at the return of attention to her.

Helena shrugged. “Why do you care if someone is with you?”

Mika’s eyes widened. “She wants to meet Buddha!”

“Don’t call him Buddha or rule number four and six are going to be broken!” Ava told her.

“I’ll go with her! I want to see the round man. Can I rub his tummy for luck?” Mika asked.

“I am not going with her!” Ava yelled, pointing at Mika. “He is not a Buddhist. He is a cute, funny sorcerer. Yes, I want to meet him. Yes, he probably does know where we are if the Ancient One does but I won’t tell him, and I don’t want him around any of you, especially Mika.”

“Why not?” Mika asked.

“You call him Buddha!”

“Buddha is a widely respected and historically important person, who was very wise.” Antonia responded. “It could be considered a compliment, along the lines of calling a very intelligent person, Einstein.”

Wanda stood up and raised her hands, needing to take control. “Stop this. Sonia, could you go with Ava? I am sure you two could stay in the same hotel for the night and sleep in separate bedrooms. It would be a good idea to get provisions from Paris, as many nonperishables as possible. The only solution to constant milk shortage is buying as many gallons as we can, storing them in coolers with dry ice for transport and keeping them in our big freezer until needed. Other issues?”

Dani and Naomi stood. “One of our jets is going to need maintenance soon. The power batteries have been strong but the recent trips to the U.S. and other countries are draining them faster than expected. Without the Red Room’s main power source recharging them, they could be dead within six months, if not inoperable sooner, because of defective parts. We need better jets with longer power supplies.”

Yelena groaned. “Why am I just hearing of this?”

“You have been in a good mood since we got back. We thought we would give you a few days to enjoy afterglow of sex with Kate, before giving you bad news. They are not in immediate need of replacement, but it is something to think about. As we continue to grow, we will need more than three.” Naomi explained.

“Do any of you have ideas?” Wanda asked.

The two looked at each other and then turned to Maria.

Maria cleared her throat. “Since Natasha Romanoff told you about the Damage Control Department, I have done research. It is a very nice set up. Stark uses his company to sell the type of quinjets the Avengers use to the department. An order of six brand new ones will be complete in a week and ready for pick up by the Damage Control Department. Each jet is weaponized and has arc reactor technology that gives it unlimited renewable energy. They are faster than ours, the stealth mode is more impressive and from what I have learned from the aeronautic plant computers, no systems have been put in place for tracking yet. The Department and the Avengers, prefer to add their own tracking systems. The arc reactor energy is masked so other nations or potential alien invaders cannot find them.”

The room was quiet, waiting for Yelena and Wanda to say something. Yelena was more cautious, but Wanda was smiling.

“Why would they make it so easy for someone to steal and hide away from them?” Yelena asked.

“Because no one would be stupid enough to steal from the facility. It is protected by U.S. Airforce Security and Stark Security. The only electronic security systems in the world that are stronger are the ones made by Bishop Security. Taking the jets without a huge fight, would be difficult for most people.”

“Not hard for a group of widows and our badass Witch though.” Sonia added.

“All in favor of stealing brand new Avengers jets from Tony Stark?” Yelena asked.

Every hand in the room went up.

“Begin planning the strike. We will strike the night before the scheduled pickup. We will need a place to hide the jets for a week, to ensure they aren’t tracked.” Yelena said. “Ingrid, please work with these three, on at least four different scenarios and we can review as soon as possible.”

“Anybody else?” Wanda asked. No one made a move to speak. “I will contact the Ancient One and ask her…”

The doorbell rang. The widows were on their feet, half with knives in hands and half running for the armory. Antonia stepped up beside Wanda and Yelena, as Yelena prepared to open the door.

Wanda gathered up power in her hands and Yelena put a hand on the door handle and nodded, pulling it open as Wanda prepared to strike.

“Hello Ladies!”

The woman who walked in carefree, was a remarkable sight. She had long, dark, thick, wavy hair, and dressed like a fortune teller in an exotic purple dress. The tips of her fingers were black, a contrast to her pale skin.

Wanda stepped back but remained ready to strike.

“Look at you, hot stuff.” she said to Wanda, impressed by the power in her hands. “You are a baby, aren’t you? I like the goth punk style. Very on brand for today’s brooding teenage witches. I hear you have racked up quite the body count. I’m getting a contact high just being near you and that untapped potential.”

“It’s not as untapped as you think. Who are you?” Wanda asked, her eyes beginning to glow red and her head tilting to the side, taking in her opponent.

“Explain yourself.” Yelena ordered. “When my sister tilts her head like that, usually heads get blown up.”

“Or driven insane.” Wanda added.

The woman rolled her eyes. “Slow your roll, Sabrina. I’m Agatha Harkness, your teacher. I’ve been going through lesson plans with the great and powerful Oz or the Ancient One, as she likes to be called. She keeps an eye on you and we heard your agreement, so she offered to portal me here. I thought I would listen to the rest of your meeting from outside, before I announced myself. I don’t blame you, Ava honey, I would give Mr. Wong a test drive myself. You should keep lying about the age. Also you are all planning to steal jets from Tony Stark meant for the United States Government? You girls are so bad and I love it!”

Wanda’s tension released and her power drew back into her. She stepped aside and Agatha walked further in, taking the place in then looked at the girls ready to strike.

“Wow, this is like the island Wonder Woman came from, only instead of armored togas, we have combat leather and spandex. Momma likes. This is going to be more fun than when I burnt that Witchfinder General in Germany back in 1772. You should have seen his face when he realized he had finally found an actual witch! Oh good times. I wish smart phones had been around back then. I could have taken a selfie with him, before the flames turned him into a screaming lump of charcoal.”

The widows surrounded her, knives put away, but widow bites charged up. One sent a call to the others with an updated status to stand down but be prepared.

“This is very nice. How did you girls afford a place like this? Did you steal it from Tony Stark as well? It would be great if you did. My bags are on the porch, so if someone could grab them and show me to my suite, that would be great.”

Yelena huffed. “We aren’t your servants and you can carry your own damn bags. What happened to your fingers?”

Agatha looked at her hands and the blackness went away. “Is that better? Dark fingers are what happens when you mess with black magic like the Darkhold possesses. You made a good choice, kid. The black fingers would take the focus from your exquisite hand and wrist accessories. Why don’t you have little deadly shock bracelets like the rest? Aren’t you all one big cult, family, coven, sorority?”

“We are a family and I don’t need Widow bracelets.” Wanda told her defensively.

Agatha smirked. “How many times did you shock yourself?”

“Too many.” Yelena said.

“You are staying with me.” Wanda said, ignoring Yelena’s remark. “We have much work to do and I want to learn as much as possible, as quickly as possible. My room has a second bed and we can work late into the night. We will continue working, unless there is a lead on an A.I.M. base. After we destroy it, I will return and we can continue.”

Agatha nodded. “Straight to business. Relax, Hot Stuff. What we are about to embark on, requires trust from both sides. As far as my bags, I will be glad to get them. One of them holds the Book of Vishanti, so I should handle them.”

Agatha snapped her fingers.

“I believe we will find them already unpacked when we reach your room.”

“Great, another flexer.” Yelena grumbled. “You should know, if anything happens to my puppy, I will assume you did it and kill you.”

Agatha kindly smiled at her. “Sweetie, I would never hurt a puppy or a kitten. Once they are grown, all bets are off. Show me to our suite, Scarlett Roomie. I’ll be taking a bath and then we can start with the basics. I no longer practice black magic but would love to accompany you on missions. Black magic and killing assholes who kidnap little children are two very different things. See you all at dinner.”

Agatha stepped up the stairs, then turned back to the group of women, silently watching her. She bit her lip.

“Black leather and spandex. I’m going to love it here. Much cooler than Kamar Taj.”

Agatha continued up the stairs. Wanda looked at Yelena and shrugged, then followed.

Yelena watched them go and closed her eyes.

“Rowan?”

“Yes?”

“Please research what movie that was you saw. The rest of us need to gather sticks and rope. Fanny, stay close to me. I’m not sure how old she considers a puppy to be a dog.”

Upstairs, Wanda showed Agatha to her room. There were two twin beds inside against one wall, with a nightstand separating them.

“Much open space. You didn’t even put the beds on separate sides of the room. But you are the only one who lives in here. Why two beds, Hun?”

Wanda looked around the space. She hadn’t done much with it. There were a couple pillow chairs for the floor, where she and Yelena watched television at the end of the night or just relaxed and talked. There was a small fridge and a dresser with a mirror with a bottle of Vodka, normal glasses and shot glasses. Her rings and bracelets also adorned the top of the dresser. She kept her clothes and shoes in the closet, never leaving anything on the floor.

“Sometimes one of the girls likes to sleep in here. Sometimes more than one.”

“Because they feel safer near you. When they have traumatic flashbacks, or the nightmares are too much to sleep, they seek you out.”

Wanda was surprised by the tone of her voice. The jovial attitude she had shown the others downstairs, was gone. She sounded concerned and caring.

“Yes.”

“You are also afraid of using too much of your power to comfort them. You are used to using your power to punish, not to comfort. You are scared if you push too much, you might control their minds and you would rather die than do that to them. Am I getting any of this right?”

Wanda sat on the bed and nodded.

“You are a child but hardened in fire. This power you have is more than I can completely understand. I can feel the chaos magic surrounding you. It is harder every day to keep it under control, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Wanda admitted quietly.

Agatha sat next to her and took her hand.

“Let me tell you a bit about myself. I’m around 377 years old.”

Wanda nodded. “The Ancient One told me you were immortal. I’m not, am I?”

“Do you want to be?” Agatha asked.

Wanda shook her head fiercely. “My greatest fear is everyone dying and being…”

“Alone?”

Wanda nodded.

“Well, I went searching for this and I learned to be careful what you wish for. A long life can turn you into many things. I have been a healer, a warrior, a murderer, a sadist and a lover. I have done things I am proud of and things of which I am deeply ashamed. Immortality is a curse. You shouldn’t worry about it. You are powerful but it takes a very concentrated, dark magic to become immortal and even that only stops aging. With the lifestyle you lead and the company you keep, you will likely be dead before you are forty at this rate.”

Wanda snorted and grinned.

“I grew up in a coven.” Agatha continued. “My mother was the high priestess of our coven. You see, witches are strong but a Coven sharing power is more powerful. Except for you. The Scarlett Witch needs no spell book and no coven. We will get to you later. My mother wasn’t my biggest fan. I was born with the ability to absorb other witches magical energy. So when I worked with the coven and absorbed their energy can you guess what Mommy dearest did?”

“She kicked you out?”

Agatha laughed. “I wish. She and the coven tried to kill me. They failed and I killed them. I get it, kid. I know what it’s like to have great anger in your heart. Be thankful you had parents and a brother and still have a family downstairs that loves you. I was on my own for a long time. I have always been on my own. Despite that, I have no desire to die one day. That’s why I need you to save my ass. Between me and you, I think Oz is full of it most of the time, but she does have a gift for seeing possible futures. She says you are the key to every one of them. I believe her.

“The key to what?” Wanda asked. “I don’t understand.”

Agatha shrugged. “That’s the question isn’t it? Two powerful spell books talk about you and none can seem to agree on what your purpose is. Maybe it’s up to you to decide what you are going to be. Maybe they are both wrong. The only one who truly can say what you are, is yourself.”

Wanda was quiet, thinking of those words and not feeling any better.

“Back to me. So, I lived through the centuries, getting up to as much trouble as I could. I found the secret to immortality, picked fights with sorcerers and other witches, stirred up trouble and, at times, put down trouble. I always wanted more though. Like I said, the curse of immortality. Then, I found the Darkhold. Maybe I should say it found me.”

Wanda shivered, thinking of the book that she had wanted to take badly.

“Yeah, I know. I never thought a book could turn me on as much as that one did. The secrets I learned, the power I had at my fingertips, was a high like no other. Then I began losing time. I stopped sleeping, read day and night, found myself at different locations with no idea how I had gotten there. Every location had something in common. They were all burning, full of dead and smoldering bodies. I even tried to change reality. That was when I caught the attention of the Ancient One.”

“You fought her?”

Agatha nodded. “I nearly killed her. She took me down after a while. She separated the Darkhold from my control and then had a choice.”

“She had to decide if she would kill you.” Wanda said, understanding.

Agatha nodded. “She let me live. She did something that angered many of her followers. She took me to Kamar Taj and healed me. She worked day and night to pull as much of the Darkhold’s corruption from my body.

“She was the only person in my very long life who gave a damn about me.”

Agatha sighed, lost in the past for a moment. “When I was as healed as I could be, she gave me a choice. I could stay with her people or leave. I thought she might imprison me, considering what I had done, but she told me my future was what I would make it. Whatever path I chose, would be the path for which I was meant. I left but decided to chill out. No more massacres for this girl. She visited me often and we spent time together and talked. Then, she tells me she found the Scarlett Witch, some scrap of a kid who was probably in Sokovia, but she couldn’t be sure. Her vision just showed her a bad place. She eventually found you. Half her people are still terrified of you, but they are more terrified of her if they make a move against you. She believes in you. Meeting you, so do I.”

Wanda’s eyes widened. “You don’t know me.”

“I know enough. I know that you were offered the Darkhold and you turned away from it. I also know that you have twenty five women down there who would kill and die for you. Traumatized, formerly mind controlled, black widows who would fight monsters by your side. An evil person may gather followers but will never have that kind of loyalty from others. The most paranoid women in the world just insisted a witch live among them, so they could keep you safe.”

Agatha paused a moment. “You have no idea how rare that is, do you?”

Wanda shook her head. “I… I’ve never thought about it I guess. I’m just glad I have them. They make me feel…”

“Safe? Loved? That is what a coven is supposed to make a witch feel like. It’s what a family is supposed to make someone feel like. The Scarlett Witch needs neither but having them will only make you better.”

Wanda thought of the thousands of questions she had thought of asking if she ever did meet someone like her. The questions only grew stronger after she had met the Ancient One, despite her reservations.

Having listened to Agatha, the suspicious part of her, the voice that always sounded like Yelena in her mind, asked the most important question.

“How do I know you won’t try to absorb my power?”

Agatha sighed and closed her eyes. “I couldn’t handle the Darkhold. Your power would likely drive me mad. I don’t have your natural power or the powers that were amplified by the rock you absorbed energy from. I can teach you to absorb power. I will teach you, but I have no desire to be you. Someone with your power has so much responsibility. You have been told what you are capable of but have no true idea. If you are not careful, you could end life on this planet. You must remain in control for the rest of your life. That is a lot of pressure for someone. Read my mind.”

Wanda shook her head.

“I’m serious. I’m giving you permission. Its nice that you don’t read minds without permission, unless they belong to your enemies. I’m giving you permission. Look into my mind and watch. Its not going to be pleasant but it is necessary.”

Wanda reached out with her mind and when she connected, she felt it, saw it, heard it all. She absorbed all the information about the Scarlett Witch that had ever been written, she knew the discussions the Ancient One and Agatha had about her power, her potential and danger. Agatha knew the responsibility that was in her hands and the thoughts of what Wanda was capable of terrified her.

Changing reality with a thought. She heard them speak of placing hexes over the entire planet, spontaneous creation, necromancy, power absorption and manipulation and so much more. She heard terms she didn’t understand and those she thought were only legend.

Then her mind ran away from them and she was in her own world. She watched herself from afar. She was a blazing sun on fire, as she stood in the air but rather than burning, she was inviting more in, absorbing more energy and watched her clothes change to a familiar outfit with a crown. She was seeing the future. She saw the birth of the Scarlett Witch. She knew it wasn’t far in the future. Her mind raced ahead and she saw so much more. She saw children, a man with unkept dark hair whose face she could not see, Yelena and Kate were living in a cabin in the woods with Fanny and a golden retriever running around them.

Then she saw more war.

The entire universe wanted her. Dead.

Was this her universe? Some of it was but others were only possibility. No, this wasn’t her. She was seeing through eyes that weren’t hers but also were. She had no idea what was going on.

She was in front of a castle, she could feel the Red Widows behind her and Yelena was at her side.

They were faced with thousands of enemies. Human, but not human. Superhuman.

Yelena told them to leave or die, but they screamed and charged despite her warning.

She heard herself whisper three words. “No more mutants .”

The thousands of enemies were gone with a simple short sentence. Only a few remained dazed on unsteady feet and they were shot by her sisters.

“You did what you had to do.” Yelena told her. “They gave you no choice.”

Wanda’s eyes opened and she jumped back, shuffling away from a concerned Agatha, sliding off the other side of the bed and hitting the wall.

Her door was kicked in and Yelena entered, gun in front and a murderous look on her face.

“Stop!” Wanda shouted. “She didn’t do anything. I did.”

Yelena looked at Wanda, then back at Agatha who stared at Wanda with wide eyes, not even bothering to look at the widows who had filled the room.

“What was that?” Wanda asked, her voice hoarse from the cry she had let loose.

Agatha inched closer but stopped when Yelena raised her gun once more. Wanda helped herself up by sliding up the wall.

“I saw… can you see the future like the Ancient One?” Wanda asked.

Agatha shook her head.

“I read your mind but then…”

“Then you left my mind.” Agatha told her. “Something triggered you. You saw the future, didn’t you? More than likely you saw many possible futures. You probably saw images of the multiverse. You might have seen nightmares your own mind conjured up when learning what you are capable of in my mind.

Wanda rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes. “The multi what? The multiverse? What is that?”

“Nothing you are even close to understanding. Seeing it is very dangerous. This is why we must control your powers. You will only grow stronger and without training, those types of visions could make you insane. We do not need an insane Scarlett Witch.”

Agatha looked at the fifteen widows that had poured into the room and she knew the rest were outside the door. One very tall one, wore battle scarred red and blue armor and a terrifying helmet along with a bow in one hand.

“Do you all see? You may not trust me and I don’t blame you. You would be naive if you did. She needs me though and since you are one family, that means you all need me. The days ahead will be difficult. We will both need your help at times. Just be there for her. Learning to control her magic is not fun and games. She is a Nexus Being. Her power is only limited by those limits she sets on herself. You are her only family. You are all more important to the universe than you will ever understand. Give us some time please. If you hear her scream, please ask if she is okay before shooting me.”

The widows filed out except for Yelena. She walked to the corner and sat in the chair.

“I stay.”

Agatha nodded. “Have a seat, Short Stack. Now that she experienced the trip of a lifetime, we can talk about hexes. You sit too, Hot Stuff. It won’t happen again unless you mean for it to happen.”

Wanda shakily nodded and had a seat back on the bed.

“Okay. Hexes. The most dangerous gift you have but also the most fun. Yelena make yourself useful. Please pour us all Vodka, straight. Some of this knowledge is better learned with alcohol.”

2 nights later, Paris France

Ava stood on the highest level of the Eifel Tower, well after closing time, next to Wong, holding hands. She had bought a new dress for the occasion, a dark red, strapless number from a boutique that morning. She had then bought a van and checked into the Peninsula Hotel. She had her room and Sonia had another. Though Sonia promised to do her own thing, Ava suspected she was on the ground somewhere. The widows were never without a tracker and Sonia was tracking her now and staying close, just as Ava had stayed in a car outside the hotel Yelena and Kate had spent the night. Yelena would have known too, if she had bothered looking at her phone. Her mind had been on someone else though, just as Ava’s was on Wong tonight.

Wong also was dressed differently. He had a nice suit on, with a red silk tie.

“I worked at a Target in Nepal before I took a job at Kamar Taj. I was a janitor until she realized I had potential and began training me. Now I’m mostly the Ancient One’s assistant. I have a way to go in my training, but my goal is to become the librarian at the temple. It does not sound exciting but it will mean I am responsible for the most powerful books ever collected under one roof.”

“That’s cool. I worked at a department store once in Madrid. I worked at the perfume counter. I had to spray the Spanish Prime Minister’s secretary with a gas that made her very sick, so she couldn’t go to work the next day. Then, I took her place as a temporary worker for the day, to get access to the safe in his office. Being a secretary was not fun but spraying perfume on other women was the worst. My eyes burned for days, and I smelt like a brothel. What was Target like?”

“Not very different.” Wong laughed. “Have you ever… do you remember… never mind.”

Ava decided to have mercy on him since he did sling ring her to the top of the Eifel Tower. “I don’t remember my life before the Red Room. I was assigned to different agents as part of a cover family when I was young. I have hazy memories of different people I called mommy and daddy, but I don’t think the ops lasted that long. Yelena is the only one of us who was on a three year op before the Red Room. She is the only one who is close to knowing what it was like to have a mother and father and a big sister.”

Wong kept his face neutral but his heart broke. He already knew the widows had rough lives. The Ancient One had told him about the mind control Wanda had saved Yelena from. It was one of the acts that gave her hope the Scarlett Witch would not destroy the universe and the reason she tempted her with the Darkhold, knowing she would turn it down.

What broke his heart, was the acceptance Ava spoke with, as if her life were ordinary and not tragic.

“So… Yelena… her big sister… is Natasha Romanoff. Has she ever found those parents she was with for three years?”

“Yes. She shot her pretend father in the kneecaps and savagely beat her pretend mother to near death and then left her in an old Siberian farm house. Do you really want to talk about Yelena?”

Ava squeezed his hand and Wong grinned. “No, sorry. I guess I’m afraid to say or ask anything that you may not want to talk about, like your childhood… or your entire life.”

Ava chuckled, enjoying his shyness and consideration. “You can ask me anything. I didn’t ask you out and expect us not to get to know each other.”

Wong raised an eyebrow. “Anything?”

“Anything.” Ava assured him.

He sighed. “What you do now… is it hard?”

Ava shrugged. “Depends. We do a lot of things now. We free widows, take out human traffickers, track A.I.M. movements, keep an eye out for former Red Room handlers and older widows who were true believers. I don’t believe any of it is easy, even with Wanda’s powers. She tends to attract bullets.”

“Is it…”

“Is it hard to kill someone?” Ava said, putting him out of his misery.

“Now that you aren’t mind controlled, is it hard?”

Once again, Ava shrugged. “It depends. Are they running or standing in one spot? Am I killing up close or from a distance? How much cover do they have? How difficult will it be to remain stealthy? What direction is the wind blowing? Does the target have potential collateral damage around it? There are many factors that go into determining if it is hard to kill someone.”

Wong’s eyes widened but he wouldn’t look at her. Ava laughed. “I’m joking, Wong. Okay everything I said is true but if you ever find yourself needing to kill someone, get me. I can handle it. You shouldn’t try.”

Ava took a breath.

“Even when you are mind controlled, you don’t know which part of you is the drug and which part is you. Many of us still don’t know. I don’t enjoy killing, but it doesn’t bother me either. I could happily go the rest of my life without killing someone but if someone is my enemy, I do what the mission requires.”

Wong smiled slightly.

“Who decides what the mission requires?”

“In the field? Yelena. We talk about it beforehand. Wanda and Yelena usually set the tone. But in the field if things change and Yelena decides we need to kill, then we kill our enemies. We also have designated team leaders, like me. If Yelena or Wanda aren’t there or incapacitated, any of our team leaders can decide when a situation changes from shocking a person unconscious, to using lethal methods.”

Won shook his head. “That’s it? You just trust them to make the call? What if you disagree with the call as team leader? Can you order your team not to follow her orders?”

Ava never thought about it, because she didn’t have to. Choice was big among the Red Widows. They chose to be there. They chose to take part in these missions, knowing what could be involved. No one was controlling their minds. No one forced them to be there. That meant, choosing to follow orders during a mission. If you didn’t, your team could die. You put your trust in your leaders.

“A mission is no time for a group debate. We follow orders.

“I like you, Wong. I think you are the most interesting man I have ever met in my life. That said, I want you to know who and what I am. I’m a killer. I’m an assassin and I am a soldier. I am dedicated to my sisters and our mission and always will be. Killing, for me, is as easy as breathing. I know that probably isn’t what you wanted to hear but it is the truth.”

Wong nodded. “I only wanted to hear the truth and I am glad you have told me. I want to know you. I even understand. If the Ancient One told us we were under attack, I would kill to defend my home and colleagues. If we went on a mission with the intent to kill… I’m not sure what I would do. I believe in her but I’m not sure I have what it takes.”

Ava took in his kind face and understood. Wong was no killer. She loved that about him. He was a fighter though. She could tell in his countenance. She could read people quickly and accurately. She was trained to. Wong was a good man. Too good for her, but that wasn’t her decision to make. She had been honest and it was his decision.

“You have what it takes to protect the innocent. That is all that matters. As lovely as this view is, I thought we could go to my hotel and swim in this amazing indoor pool there.”

Wong began to feel warm and knew he would be sweating soon.

“I… I didn’t bring my suit.”

“Too bad. I bought a new bikini this morning and wanted your opinion. I don’t suppose you could pop home and pop back into my room, could you? We can take some towels downstairs.”

Thirty minutes later, Sonia sent a group text to everyone but Ava.

They are swimming. She actually wore the tiny bikini. His tongue can barely stay in his mouth. I am embarrassed for them both. Someone else is chaperoning next time. We may switch hotels before night is over. High possibility of being kicked out of this one.

Four days later, Stark Aeronautics Facility

Ironman and War Machine landed on the asphalt next to the giant hangar. The Avengers Quinjet landed behind him. The area was surrounded by F.B.I. and Damage Control agents.

He walked to Happy, who had been yelling at the head of security for the plant, despite the security for special projects being in the Air Force’s purview.

Steve and Natasha walked beside him as he approached Happy. Happy noticed and began loosening his collar nervously.

“Sir.”

“What happened, Happy? We lost a jet?”

Happy cleared his throat. “We… lost six jets last night. They were the six jets Damage Control was scheduled to pick up this morning. They are fully armed and the trackers had not been put on. Damage Control wanted their own tracking system and had engineers here ready to install them this morning.”

“Six jets were taken. How many injured? Please tell me there weren’t fatalities.”

Happy shook his head. “No sir. That is what is strange. The alarms were disabled, the cameras were placed on loops without our guards noticing and no one knew we had been breached, until the six jets lifted off and were gone from sight in less than ten seconds.”

“Does the Air Force have an idea of who could have done this?” Steve asked.

“We know who did it.” Happy said and walked away, Tony’s metallic steps following. The group reached the spot where the jets had been and on the ground was a six foot long Black Widow symbol, painted with red spray paint.

Tony sighed.

Steve and Natasha held back a laugh, their faces turning red.

“They were like ghosts. Did any of them have any hazy memories? Can Wanda Maximoff, control dozens of people now?” Tony asked.

Happy shook his head. “No one had symptoms. Everyone was clear headed. Those reports that you showed me on Maximoff’s victims, this isn’t that. If it were, they wouldn’t have bothered to tamper with security systems.”

“I guess they needed new jets.” Steve said, barely holding it together.

Tony looked him sharply and touched the communicator in his ear. “Yeah and now they have fully armored stealth jets, with arc reactor technology! Friday, put me in touch with Agent Everett Ross!”

A few moments later Ross’ voice was in all their ears.

“Good morning, Mr. Stark. How can I help you?”

“I’d like to report a burglary. Some of my jets were stolen. The F.B.I. and Air Force are here. Where is the C.I.A.?

“I haven’t been assigned the case. I wasn’t aware of anything happening.” he replied innocently.

“Tell your Witch I want my jets back!” Tony shouted.

Everett began laughing loudly and hung up on him. That was the final straw for Steve, Natasha and Sam who had been listening in. To Tony’s great annoyance, they laughed so hard they had tears in their eyes.