Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

The Witch and the Widows

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 25:

Avengers Compound

Pepper walked into Tony’s personal lounge finding what she expected and feared. Tony was relaxed in a recliner with a drink in hand watching the news, likely intoxicated.

He gave her a brief glance then tuned back to the television.

The Accords that were so sure to pass a few days ago were now dead. After Ross’s arrest and the suspicion that the Accords were his attempt to take over the Avengers, the overwhelming support for the Sokovia Accords faltered. A debate was reopened in the council chambers. Many countries still wanted it but other countries refused to sign or enforce them within their borders. Because a U.N. resolution cannot be forced onto a member country, over half the world would not care about the Accords. The idea had been for the Avengers to be governed by a committee that would give them legal authorization to act in member countries but no more. The Accords would only work if all countries agreed.

Sokovia refused to vote for the resolution that bared its name. The president of the country had asked that the Avengers remain out of the country and proclaimed he had full faith that if the country needed a hero, Wanda Maximoff would save them.

For the final nail in the coffin, Russia now saw the Accords as the United States and General Ross’ attempt at taking control of the Avengers, using the United Nations as a smoke screen. Even if the resolution somehow got the fifty one percent required, Russia would use its veto power as one of the five permanent members to kill the Accords and prevent even a token resolution to pass.

Everything he had given up, compromised and lost to give the Avengers a chance to become a legitimate legal planetary defense force was for nothing. He had placed all his chips on General Ross, betting on Rhode’s high opinion of the man and he had lost. Rhodey had tried to apologize, claimed he had no idea but Tony wasn’t in the mood to hear it. He only wanted to drink.

“You don’t look so good.” Pepper told him.

Tony raised his glass. “I have always appreciated your observational skills and honesty. What do I owe the pleasure of a personal visit? Has the company gone under already? I thought it would take a few days.”

She took the drink from Tony’s hand, walked to the sink, poured it out then started a pot of coffee.

Once it was done she poured a very large mug and brought it to him.

“You still have a company. Stocks are crashing but we have weathered worse. Okay, we have never seen worse. Public opinion of Stark Industries is at an all-time low but we are still the only name in clean energy. Until someone makes a cheaper energy source Stark Industries will be fine.”

“What about our other products?” Tony asked, already knowing the answer.

“I told you stocks are falling. Things will be tight for a long time. There will be layoffs in some of our technology manufacturing plants. The Department of Damage Control is locked into a contract so they cannot take their business away without proof we colluded in war crimes with General Ross. Sam Wilson didn’t help.”

Tony snorted. He always suspected Wilson hated him but would never say so. An Associated Press reporter tracked him to his home and asked Wilson if the Sokovian Accords were an attempt by Tony Stark and General Ross to take control of the Avengers. Wilson had shaken his head and said no comment. A no comment was the same as saying yes and Wilson knew it.

“Maybe you can contact Steve and ask him to speak out on your behalf.”

Tony shook his head. “I doubt he would. I tried to call but he isn’t answering. He has always had a soft spot for Wanda Maximoff and a hatred for General Ross. Finding out the guy I defended killed Maximoff’s parents and a lot of other people in the name of the United States is not going to make him my biggest fan. Wherever he is, Steve won’t be talking unless it is to condemn Ross. I wouldn’t count on Nat either.”

Pepper raised an eyebrow. “Any reason? Did you two have a falling out?”

Tony smiled tiredly. “Pep, Nat is trying to get in the good graces of her sister’s team. You think she is going to publicly comment on anything, much less defending me? Those girls put a lot of work into taking him down. If Nat speaks out her membership application to the Red Widows is denied. She said she quit the Avengers because she didn’t believe in us anymore. That was true but there was more to it. She hasn’t been the same since she realized her little sister would rather follow Maximoff around the world than hang out in the Avengers Compound.”

Pepper was disappointed to hear that. After all the work Nat had done to change her life, she was ready to throw it away. Pepper and Nat had many talks in the past. They were the only females in a male dominated social circle. Nat had told her many times of her wish to balance her ledger as she often called it. She worked to do good with SHIELD and then the Avengers.

In Pepper’s mind she was throwing it away. Her sister was a traumatized sixteen year old girl who was leading other traumatized teenagers who all took their lead from a nineteen year old traumatized girl with tremendous power. Nat needed to help them, not join them. She didn’t think very highly of the Red Widows and their brutal brand of vigilante justice. The idea that Nat would do anything to be near her sister, even turn into a vigilante who tortures enemies made her ill.

“I’ve been asked to be address the U.N. before the vote.” Tony told her. “Some countries like Wakanda want me to turn the tide, deny that the Accords were any attempt at a hostile takeover and explain what the intent behind them is.”

“Are you planning on speaking?” Pepper asked cautiously. The company was in a tailspin and historically Tony never made things better when he spoke in public.

“I have to even if it’s pointless. If I could sway ten additional countries, Russia would still veto it. At this point, the President is undecided if the U.S. should vote in favor. He is a lame duck now but he has to be concerned for his party’s future. The Justice Department is investigating every conversation he ever had with Ross. If he tells his U.N. Representative to vote in favor of the Accords he could be seen as supporting Ross.”

“Then why do you have to go if it’s pointless?” Pepper asked.

Tony had wrestled with the decision. “I need to give my side of the story and doing it in a room full of reporters out for blood isn’t going to allow that. I need to explain the intent of the Accords and what I meant for them to be. If everything good I have done goes down with Ross, I at least want to get my side of the story out there.”

Pepper sighed, understanding him and hating the situation he was in.

Nobody appreciated what Tony had done.

“Wanda Maximoff.” Pepper grumbled. She had never met the girl but that Sokovian HYDRA experiment had a huge impact on everyone who had met her. Steve and Clint thought she could do no wrong. Rhodey saw her for the dangerous overpowered kid she was. Pepper hadn’t spoken much to Vision lately but she knew he seemed to be infatuated with her. Tony thought it might be the shared power of the Mind Stone but Pepper wasn’t sure. Vision was as taken with her as everyone else, including the deadly young girls that saw her as a savior.

“She wasn’t targeting me, Pep. She told me in Russia that she didn’t blame me.”

“She has a funny way of showing it.” Pepper said bitterly.

Tony walked to the bar and placed the mug on the counter then poured himself another drink.

“White paint.”

Pepper was confused. Tony could go off on tangents when drinking heavily but he didn’t seem that intoxicated.

“It was Obie of all people. That asshole warned me.”

“Warned you of what?”

“White paint. You see when I first joined the company as more or less an adult, he asked why I had ordered white paint and spray paint machines for assembly lines in the missile factories. I told him it was to stamp the missiles with one word. STARK. He told me it was a waste of money and only served my ego.”

Tony shook his head. “I told him that I wanted the world to know where those missiles came from. I wanted the world to know who made them.”

“Two kids found out up close and personal. My name taunted them for days. My name was stuck in their minds while they waited to die. The name I just had to put on that weapon because I was proud of what it could do, tortured them! That’s the kind of asshole I was. I was a horrible person before Iron Man. My ego put my name in front of two innocent kids waiting to die. If I were in their position I would have wanted to kill me too!”

Pepper closed her eyes and sighed. She could understand what Tony was saying but once again when things were going bad, he was blaming himself for everything whether it was his fault or not. Yes if his name wasn’t on that bomb the Maximoff twins wouldn’t have developed a fixation on him. They would have still hated the United States but the name Stark would not mean much.

Tony saw himself as the bad guy and when he needed his friends the most, no one was around. Albeit he had told Rhodey and Vision to stay away from him but Steve and Natasha should be here. Rhodey may have been his best friend but at times like this only Steve could get through to him. Steve and Nat had no idea what he had gone through over the past year to help them. They didn’t know the sacrifices he had to make, the compromises he took to protect them as best he could. Only a few weeks ago the world hated the Avengers. Tony was the one who had a plan to legitimize them and turn them into heroes again.

“I’ll come to Vienna with you.”

Tony shook his head. “I don’t need you.”

“I still want…”

“I don’t want you to be there.” he told her coldly. “You told me I couldn’t have Iron Man and us. I tried to give up on Iron Man and when I failed, you gave up on us. I changed into the person I thought you would approve of. Where has it gotten me? I had two things that made me feel good about myself in my entire life. You and being Iron Man. I’ve got neither now. I have no team. I have no family and I don’t need you to pity me. Go back to saving the company. I can handle Vienna myself.”

Tony walked out of his lounge leaving Pepper standing alone, not certain what to say. After a few moments she realized there was nothing to say and left the Compound, her heart hurting for him.

New York City Mt. Sinai Hospital the next night

Wanda and Yelena sat on chairs that felt like they had become a part of them while watching the news. Kate was asleep one again and Eleanor had gone home for the night at their insistence. She had been organizing her home office into a medical room with every medical device one could think of. Tomorrow the hospital could no longer keep Eleanor from taking Kate home, provided she could prove she had satisfactory equipment and medical care. Oksana had told her what she needed and was helping with the set up.

Agatha had gotten very good at a spell to disintegrate the pins and wires in Kate’s bodies as Wanda healed her. They would work in conjunction with each other and the process was tricky but Agatha had enough confidence for both of them as usual.

“You should go to hotel and get sleep tonight.” Yelena told Wanda.

Wanda shook her head. “Ride or die remember? I’m not leaving my good deed. If you are here, I’m here.”

Yelena shook her head at her stubbornness but was glad. She didn’t want to be alone in this room while Kate slept. She hated hospitals. She appreciated that they had saved Kate’s life but now they were hindering her recovery. They also remined her of the Red Room medical procedures. Kate was constantly on morphine and taking Agatha’s special blend of pain killer. She was clear headed at times but mostly high.

Kate’s eyes fluttered open and Yelena rushed to stand by the bed.

“Hello love. Did you sleep well?”

Kate wiggled her fingers and Yelena held her phone under her palm. Kate used the limited movement of her fingers to text.

Mom?

“She has gone home for the night. She has been preparing a room at home to fool hospital and child services. Tomorrow you go home and will be healed. No more pain, Kate Bishop.”

Kate typed again.

No

“What do you mean? You want to stay in hospital? We cannot heal you here.”

No healing

Yelena was confused. No healing? Of course Kate would be healed. It had been the plan all along and Kate had been aware of it. She had been on morphine too long.

“Of course we are going to heal you. You will be good as new.”

Do it on my own

“No Kate. Wanda will heal you.”

She won’t without my consent

Yelena laughed quietly. “This is no time to be joking. I will get your shake and feed you. You are hungry, yes? You are not thinking straight.”

I have been thinking. Its all I think about. I have to do this on my ow n.

Yelena sighed. “We will talk about when we get you home in morning.”

Yelena walked outside wanting to get away and hoping the idea was Kate’s drug addled brain.

Her Kate Bishop wanted to recover on her own. She wanted to go through hell. Kate didn’t understand what she was getting into. She had no idea how painful the physical therapy would be.

She was also hardheaded like Natasha. Nat had gone to London yesterday to be with Steve Rogers. His girlfriend from the war had died and Nat didn’t want him to be alone. Perhaps when she came back she could scare Kate into sense.

Not knowing what to do at the moment, she walked to the nurses station so Kate’s shake could be prepared.

In the hospital room, Wanda had took the phone to read and then placed it back under Kate’s fingers.

“You are an idiot.” she told Kate.

He won’t beat me

Wanda shook her head. “He only beats you if you let him ruin your life. Not letting me heal you is going to ruin your life. Do you know how this will affect you? You have cracked bones in your neck and back. Your arms and legs are held together with the medical equivalent of duct tape. You will never hold a bow without shaking because of ligament and nerve damage that can’t be fixed. Your bones will heal but you will always walk with a limp. You won’t be able to run, you won’t be able to do those gymnastic flips you love so much. No more karate tournaments for you either.”

Wanda put a finger on her forehead. “You will always have horrible headaches because of the damage to your skull. Your rehab will take years just to get you to a place you can take care of yourself. Your mother and Yelena will have to take care of you, all because you won’t let me do what I can do to make this go away. You want to stop him from beating you? Find a therapist and get over the panic attacks that are to come.

“You have nightmares every time you sleep. Since I have been in your mind I can feel your terror without trying. You can beat that but this? I will heal you even without your consent. If you don’t like it, you can jump off a building and rebreak all your bones! I will crack your skull again if you ask nicely!”

Kate’s eyes locked with Wanda’s in a staring contest.

Then her fingers moved on the phone.

You’re a real bitch

Wanda smirked. “You should be careful how you speak to nexus beings.”

Kate typed again. Is nexus being Sokovian for bitch??

“I should have kept drinking vodka and let Tolliver have you.” Wanda grumbled.

Yelena walked back in with a meal replacement shake.

“Guess what? Kate had a case of momentary insanity. She does want me to heal her tomorrow.”

Yelena let out a relieved breath.

“Thank you, Мое сердце. I don’t like seeing you in pain. It breaks me.”

Kate glared at Wanda then concentrated on drinking when Yelena worked the straw between her lips.

The next morning Kate was transported home. Child Services and the head of the hospital had checked the room that morning and spoken to Dr. Oksana Chen. After admitting the area was adequate they left them alone. Oksana prepared Kate for her transition and stepped back to allow Wanda and Agatha to approach.

Agatha had a steaming pot of something that smelt fowl but swore it was necessary. Eleanor and Yelena stayed back at a distance.

“Let’s get started. There is a band in town I want to have sex with tonight. I’m going to need a nap when I am done with this.” Agatha told the gathered.

Eleanor shook her head slightly. She understood Wanda needed this woman but she hated to think of Agatha as a role model for the girls.

“Relax Mama Bishop, I’m only joking. I just plan to bang the drummer. Now, Kate, don’t move. I mean don’t move your one body part that isn’t in a cast.”

Kate narrowed her eyes.

“Too soon?” Agatha asked.

“Agatha.” Wanda chided her.

Wanda placed her hand on Kate’s forehead and let her power begin to surround Kate. Agatha began chanting and the fumes from the liquid went straight to Kate’s nose and she began inhaling it. Her eyes immediately rolled up in her head.

Agatha’s chanting grew louder and more intense as Wanda poured more of her power into Kate. Yelena and Eleanor stepped back when Kate began to rise from the bed, glowing so brightly it was difficult to see her. Wanda’s eyes were glowing red and Agatha’s were glowing purple.

Yelena and Eleanor barely covered their eyes when the casts exploded away from Kate’s body. Then Wanda began to chant with Agatha. Judging by their faces the two witches were in pain but their hands remained raised and power continued to flow into Kate. Eleanor and Yelena heard several cracks and winced, suspecting they were Kate’s misaligned bones popping back into place.

Then Kate was lowered to the bed. The power was gone and Agatha and Wanda both collapsed.

Yelena and Eleanor were unmoving, watching the scene unfold.

Kate sat up first, twisting her arms, flexing her legs and stretching her back. She opened and closed her mouth a few times then realized what was happening. She jumped off the bed to kneel by Wanda and Agatha.

“We are fine.” Agatha told her. “Go give Short Stack a big kiss.”

Yelena laid a hand on Kate’s face and Eleanor hugged her while Yelena knelt between the two witches. “Are you alright?” Yelena asked the two.

Wanda nodded. “It just took a lot of concentration. It didn’t hurt. Slight headache and a bit dizzy. Right Agatha?”

“Walk in the park, kid.” Agatha told her.

Wanda grinned and then grunted when Yelena pulled her into a bone crushing hug.

Agatha stood first and offered a hand to Wanda, pulling her up. “Let’s have a private chat, Elphaba. I want to give you a magical checkup.”

“Is everything alright?” Yelena asked.

“Everything is fine.” Agatha ensured her. “Check on your girl. She has been through a lot.”

Agatha walked out onto the balcony with Wanda following. They both looked out over the New York skyline.

“You didn’t follow the plan.” Agatha told her. “The smoke made the metal go away, my spell drew her pain away and you concentrated on healing.”

Wanda shrugged. “I could do both.”

“We weren’t supposed to share her pain. That was my job, kid. I absorbed the pain, you healed.”

“I wasn’t going to let you feel that much pain. What can I say? I’m bad at following directions. Ask Ingrid.”

Agatha smirked and reached over to take Wanda’s hand. “I know I’m not that great of a mentor. I’m not sure why the Ancient One trusted me of all people to oversee your training. It’s a good thing you are such a good student and don’t really need me. I’m glad I found my way into your life, Wanda. You, Yelena, the girls, this is the first real family I have ever had. You didn’t have to share that pain. You are too good for me.”

Wanda moved closer to Agatha until their shoulders touched.

“You are wrong. You are a great mentor. You push me constantly, you give me confidence, you won’t let me be afraid of my own power. I don’t know where I would be without you, Agatha.”

“You would figure it out.”

Wanda shook her head. “You bring more to us than just a teacher. After my brother died I came so close at times to ending my life. I thought I had no one. I had no family, no one to love or to love me. I only lived to make amends for my actions. Then I found a family. It started out as me and Yelena against the world but it is more. It’s the girls, that pain in the ass brat and her mother and it’s you. I need you for more than a mentor, Agatha. I love you. You are family and we aren’t complete without you. You are stuck with us.”

Agatha wiped a tear from her eye and pulled Wanda into a hug. “Damn it girl. Go back to being my brooding, sarcastic, dark teenage witch. Are you alright? No lingering pain?”

Wanda shook her head. “I’m fine. Are you really going to have sex with a drummer tonight?”

Agatha grinned. “I like getting Miss CEO riled up. I’m going to tell the girls that everything is okay and try to talk them into seeing a movie. I doubt any of them have been in a theater unless they were mind controlled and there to kill someone.”

Agatha turned to walk back inside but stopped. “I love you too.” she told Wanda quietly then left her alone on the balcony.

Despite being healed, the exhaustion of the afternoon had taken its toll on Kate. She was in her bed by eight thirty and Yelena and Wanda had fallen asleep in the guest room at nine.

At two AM, Kate’s terror woke Wanda up. Wanda made her way to Kate’s room and spent the rest of the night sending waves of comfort and love to her, just as she did to the widows who came to her room at night. It was only a temporary fix. Kate would be living with these nightmares for years. She may live with them for the rest of her life. For tonight, Wanda could make them go away.

Vienna, United Nations Headquarters

Tony Stark stood alone backstage in a suit and tie. No one had tried to speak to him yet which he appreciated. Being left alone was the one good thing about his worldwide cancellation. He once hated loneliness but now reveled in it.

Since he had arrived, he had learned that the Sokovian Accords would not pass with four countries abstaining, including the United States of America and fifty four percent of countries voting against. He also learned that even if he could sway the votes, Russia, France and Germany would be vetoing the Accords.

He had no notes prepared. He had no idea what was going to happen or even what he was going to say. It seemed to be the story of his life. All he could do was talk about his ideas behind the Accords and hope the world understood it was not his intention to tear apart the Avengers. He thought he was saving the Avengers from the world tearing them apart. He had been wrong. They were doomed no matter what happened.

“Are you alright, Mr. Stark?”

The question snapped him out of his thoughts. Standing before him was Prince T’Challa of Wakanda.

“Hello, Prince T’Challa.” Tony greeted him, shaking the man’s hand.

“Please, just T’Challa.”

“Please call me Tony. You may not want to be seen around me right now.”

T’Challa smiled. “I don’t care what the world says about me and I don’t take the words of others to determine the worth of a person. I have great respect for you, Mr. Stark. As a boy I watched your exploits as Iron Man. My father was never a fan of your adventures in other countries to attack terrorists without legal authorization but he has to worry about politics. I just wanted my own Iron Man suit.”

Stark laughed. “I will see what I can do about that. I hope your father isn’t too disappointed about the Accords not passing.”

T’Challa frowned. “He is. He has great respect for the Avengers even if he disagreed with their tactics. He had believed after Lagos, that Captain Rogers and Miss Romanoff would see the wisdom of the Accords and stand by you. He was disappointed that they instead quit and after General Ross’s arrest and confession, the Accords are unlikely to ever happen in the future. He wanted a world where the Avengers could work with the every nation and now we find ourselves in a world where there are no Avengers. Do you plan to rebuild the team, Tony?”

Tony had expected this question from a reporter but he had managed to steer clear of them so far. He only sensed genuine curiosity from the Prince.

“I’m not sure who would want to join me. I’m not sure who I would even ask. There are not many people in the world who can step into the shoes of Captain America and the Black Widow.”

“What of this mysterious Wanda Maximoff the world is so enamored with? Have you thought of finding her and offering her a spot on a new team? She sounds very powerful.”

Tony almost broke down in a fit of laughter but maintained decorum.

“I have met Wanda Maximoff a couple times. I can promise you she would not be interested in working with me. She was offered a spot on the Avengers once and turned it down. You know General Ross was responsible for the death of her parents but I don’t think she is a big fan of anyone involved with him. If Captain America couldn’t get her to join the Avengers, I can’t.”

T’Challa studied Tony’s face and tone of voice. There was more to it than Maximoff not liking anyone associated with Ross. Perhaps it wasn’t his business.

“That is a shame. I still have faith in you, Tony. Give it time, do not give up and the world will remember the kind of man you are.”

T’Challa and Tony shook hands once again and the prince left. Tony knew his father planned to speak after him but had no idea what the man hoped to accomplish.

He was told he had one minute until he spoke. When he began walking to the stage a massive explosion from the direction T’Challa left threw him to the ground.

New York City

Yelena, Wanda, Kate and Eleanor paid close attention to the video that was being replayed over and over.

James Bucky Barnes had been named the main suspect in the bombing of the U.N. building. Video showed him parking the news van, exiting and looking back several times directly at cameras.

“This is ridiculous.” Yelena muttered. “That is not Зимний солдат.”

“It looks like Bucky Barnes.” Kate pointed out.

Yelena grinned at her naivete. “How many faces did you see Wanda and I wear when we stayed with you? Changing faces is easy. The Winter Soldier would not look at the camera. He would have checked the area out before the bombing, knowing exactly where the cameras are and avoid or disable them. Whoever that is wants the world to think its Bucky Barnes.”

“When do you have to leave?” Kate asked, resignation in her voice.

“Leave? We are in no hurry. Maria and Mika are at base and will tell us if any leads come in on Osborn or widows that require action.”

“Yes, but you are going to become involved in this, aren’t you?”

Wanda and Yelena looked at each other and shook their heads. It wasn’t their problem.

“We are defintely not getting involved.” Wanda told her. “This is not our problem. We have our own mission.”

“But Steve Rogers will be involved.” Kate pointed out. “Yelena, didn’t you say Nat is in England with him for that funeral? He will want find Bucky and help prove his innocence. Natasha is probably going to help him.”

Wanda and Yelena looked at each other with wide eyes, realizing she may be right.

Yelena took her phone and dialed Natasha.

Natasha answered on the first ring.

“Please tell me you are on a plane back to the states. The funeral is over and you are on a plane to New York, yes?”

Yelena heard nothing and it gave her the answer she needed.

“Do not go to Vienna, Natasha.” Yelena growled.

“I have to.”

“No you don’t! Why? Why do you have to? это чушь собачья! Вы не занимаетесь сексом со Стивом Роджерсом! Вы ему ничего не должны!”

Natasha groaned, listening to Yelena quickly losing her temper and giving up any pretext of cursing in English.

“I know I’m not sleeping with him and owe him nothing. But he is my friend.”

Yelena took a deep breath. “If you come home I will tell you where our base is. You can meet all the widows again and I will make sure they like you. You can get voted in and see our home. It is very cool. It is very big and fancy, not like the shit cave in Sokovia. You would have very big fancy room. Wanda can almost make us live on island. At least until she sneezes.”

“Yelena, Bucky is his best friend and I am… the two of us have been through a lot together. I want to be with you but I have to do this. If it were Wanda you would do the same.”

“No, because Wanda would not be stupid enough to go after him with no plan! I have trained her better than that. He needs to learn not everything can be fixed by throwing big frisbee. What is your plan? You find Barnes and you hide him? Do you have a plan to clear his name? Do you have any idea except going to Vienna and walking around until you find man with metal arm?”

“Yes, I have a plan!” Nat said, irritated.

“What is it?”

Yelena heard nothing.

“тупая сука.” Yelena grumbled. “You don’t have a clue, do you?”

“No, I guess I don’t. Sometimes you have to figure it out as you go along. Don’t worry about me. This won’t last long, I will be back and we can do all the things we talked about. A Disney trip sounds fun. It should be easy since your base is only few hours’ drive from Paris. We could make it a day trip.”

Yelena was silent for a moment.

“How in hell do you know where base is?”

Natasha chuckled. “В конце концов, я не такая тупая сука, little sister. I can still teach you a few things. I will keep you updated. Once we find Barnes and prove his innocence I will be back in New York or I can meet you in Paris. We are about to land. I love you.”

Nat hung up the phone.

“Мне придется спасать ее” Yelena grumbled.

“I am assuming Natasha is not about to land in New York?” Wanda asked.

“Natasha and Steve Rogers are about to land in Vienna.”

Wanda groaned then walked away to Kate’s bedroom.

“Where are you going?”

“I saw Everett in the crowd. Judging by the look of him he was in the U.N. when the bomb went off. Call and tell him to find a locked room we can speak in private.”

“We don’t have his personal number.”

“You really think he threw away his phone?” Wanda asked. “I’m going to need quiet. In other words, keep Kate out of her room for the next half hour.”

Vienna, Austria United Nations Counterterrorism Task Force Center Branch office.

Everett Ross shook his head at the latest casualty reports.

Now over seventy were injured and at least twelve were dead, including three ambassadors and the king of Wakanda. Countries around the world would want to know how a building hosting important diplomats and leaders from around the world, which was only three blocks away from the United Nations Counterterrorism Task Force Center could be struck by a terrorist.

They did catch one break. They had video of the culprit. Bucky Barnes, last seen in Washington D.C. fighting for HYDRA, was caught on camera leaving the truck and disappearing into the city.

It was easy.

It was too easy. Someone was playing them and Everett Ross did not like being played.

The phone he had not gotten rid despite Wanda’s instructions rang.

It was Yelena’s thick accented voice telling him to find a place alone so he could talk to Wanda. Everett immediately went to his temporary office, closed the blinds and locked the door.

He told Yelena he was alone and she hung up on him.

“That girl has got to work on her phone manners.” he said to himself.

“Hello Everett.”

Everett literally jumped. Only Wanda Maximoff had made him do that multiple times in his life. He was in a locked office with the shades down and only one door in and out yet here she was.

“Damn it! Okay… you shouldn’t be here. I thought you wanted to talk on the phone. Why are you here?”

“Why not?” she asked. “I told you I could see you whenever I needed to. My body isn’t here if it makes you feel better. You won’t be discovered in a locked office during a crisis with a nineteen year old girl.”

“You… you mean that astronomy projector thing? You are doing it now?”

He knew she had told him she would contact him with some magical stuff but this was on another level. She looked as if she were actually standing in front of him. He had never seen a hologram so real in his life and this was not technology.

“You were serious about… I thought you would look like a fuzzy ghost or something.”

He reached out slowly to pat her shoulder and his hand went through her body.

Everett tried to touch her face with wide eyes, fascinated when his fingers didn’t pick up the slightest sensation. He began patting her down, searching for something, some buzz of energy but found nothing.

“Can we talk or are you going to spend your time feeling me up? This isn’t easy to do.”

Everett’s eyes widened and he threw his hands up. “Sorry! I am so sorry. It’s just… this is crazy.”

Wanda laughed it off. “No problem. First question, are you okay?”

“Yeah. I wasn’t on the side of the building that got the worst of it. What’s up? You think Osborn had something to do with this?”

“According to the news it was Bucky Barnes.”

Everett sat down at his desk. “Yeah and we both know Bucky Barnes would never be stupid enough to be caught on camera. This is bad. The world wants blood and no one is going to investigate to find out what happened before they hunt him down. They will be given orders to shoot on sight. Judging by his performance in Washington, I estimate Barnes will kill over a dozen officers until someone gets a lucky shot and takes him out.”

Wanda had thought the same. This was a bad situation for everyone involved and now Steve and Natasha were running headfirst into it.

“Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff are probably in Vienna already.”

Everett groaned. “I was going to ask you how to make a bad situation worse. Thanks for the answer to that question.”

“If they become a problem let me know. There are already two Red Widows nearby that can lead them on a false trail if you keep me informed. They have been there monitoring the Accords situation.”

“You’ll know what I know. Glad to see we are still in business.”

“Just be careful. You have grown on some of the others. They don’t want to see you dead.”

“What about you?” he asked.

Wanda shrugged. “For an American, you are not so bad. Defintely on my list of favorite Americans.”

“How many are on the list?”

“Not many.” Wanda smiled then disappeared in the blink of an eye.

“I may never get used to that.” he said, finally smiling after a horrible day. The teenage witch had that effect on him.

New York City

Wanda had left the Bishop Building to join the other widows at their hotel to watch the developing news story. This didn’t make Yelena feel better. It wasn’t that she couldn’t get along without Wanda. She was just nervous.

Because Kate had asked to speak to her and Eleanor in a tone that made it clear she didn’t want to talk about what to have for breakfast.

Now Yelena sat in an armchair across from the couch where Kate sat on one end and Eleanor sat on the other.

“How long have you two known each other?” Kate asked. “I don’t want any secrets anymore. You both tell me I don’t need to worry about certain things but I almost died and if I had there would have been a lot going on around me that I didn’t know about. I want to know what is going on.”

Yelena and Eleanor looked at each other for a moment. Yelena shrugged and Eleanor began speaking.

“When you came back, I knew you were still in touch with the two. It must have been a few months later when they came to New York to watch your archery competition. She met you when you pretended to be with a friend, remember?”

Kate blushed and nodded.

“Yelena and Wanda visited me the night before. They told me they needed help and knowing the kind of person you were, they hoped I was the same. The network they were using was inadequate to their needs. They needed more power, more access to security systems, cameras around the world and criminal databases. I agreed to help them.”

“That’s it? You just agreed, like that?” Kate asked.

Eleanor glance at Yelena. Kate was not looking at her and Yelena slightly shook her head. Eleanor got the message and was relieved though she kept her face stoic.

While on one hand it would have been a good time to tell Kate about Eleanor being entangled with Fisk, on the other, the information would destroy Kate’s image of her dad. Both Eleanor and Yelena knew this. Kate had gone through something horrible and didn’t need to question everything she thought she knew about her beloved father.

“They told me everything about the Red Room and the ones that were still under control out in the world. They told me about the children who had been trafficked to the Red Room and how the pipelines were still operating. I had already known that you meant more than a girl they occasionally checked on. You smiled every time you received a text and ran out of the room when you received a call.

“Regardless, I had to help them. I could not stand by knowing what I had learned and do nothing.”

Kate stared at her mother as if looking at her for the first time. In a way she was. She had always thought of her mother as all business, playing by the rules and living in a world of black and white. Now she was seeing her as someone else.

“You…” Kate started, looking for the right words.

“You’re mother also provide us with our new base.” Yelena said. “We can function as well as we do because of the risks she takes for us. We could not have discovered A.I.M. without her. Everyone we have saved, she has had a hand in. We have the technology we need and the roof over our heads because of her.”

Kate shook her head and smiled widely. “That’s… that’s incredible. Mom, isn’t it illegal to help them? You could get in a lot of trouble.”

“Only if we are caught.” Eleanor said, smirking.

Kate shook her head in disbelief at her Mom’s tone. “That is so cool. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Yelena cleared her throat. “The more secrets a person keeps, the heavier the burden becomes. You have very little weight to carry, Kate. Some of us have to carry heavy secrets to protect the ones we love the most. The less secrets you have the better. Now you have this one. It is your biggest secret. Your mother is a hero yet you cannot speak of it to anyone. That will be difficult.”

Kate became a bit irritated. She wasn’t naïve as everyone seemed to think she was. She was young and hadn’t gone through the hell Yelena had but she was no innocent lamb either. Her girlfriend was an assassin!

“I keep your secrets.” she told Yelena.

Yelena nodded. “Yes, you do. Now you have one more. Then another and another and one day you will feel like you can’t talk to anyone. You won’t want to meet new people because they could potentially learn something from you. Your social circle shrinks to those who you can only absolutely trust. You may think this is no big deal, but it is. You think any of us can go to a bar and make new friends? Do you think we can ever have normal social interactions outside of ourselves? Think of the secrets your mother must keep as a CEO. She has an entire empire to protect. She has our secret to keep. She has so many people she interacts with but how many are your friends, Eleanor?”

Elanor smiled sadly. “She is right, Kate. The more secrets you carry, the lonelier your life becomes.”

Kate supposed she understood. It made sense, but she wanted to know more. She felt she had missed so much. The mother she thought never liked her had stayed by her side for days praying she would live. Her mother knew she was gay and never said a word or cared.

Her mother was kind of a superhero who helped the Red Widows save children.

“How long have you known I was… I mean… that me and Yelena… that I was…”

“Gay?” Eleanor finished for her. “Its okay to say it, Kate.”

“How long have you know I was gay?”

Eleanor sighed. “I’m not sure there was an exact moment. I honestly gave it little thought until I noticed you were holding onto that phone like a safety line and were always on it. I wasn’t sure if it was Wanda or Yelena but I knew you were taken with one of them. Your face is an open book. When I first met Yelena and Wanda, I asked if they still kept in touch with you. They were fast, but I caught Wanda glancing at Yelena and Yelena’s eyes widening just a bit. They had a silent conversation with their eyes but I caught enough to know it was her. Then you started staying with friends a few times when they were in the city. I’m not as dense as teenagers think their mothers are.”

“It doesn’t bother you?”

Eleanor shook her head and wiped her eyes. “Kate, you are the most important thing in this world to me. Everything I do is to make sure you are happy. If Yelena makes you happy, then I am happy. I also know she can protect you when she is with you like no other in the world. Unfortunately I can’t give her the shovel talk because I am certain she carries no less than six weapons on her at all times.”

“Not in the shower.” Yelena told her. “Only two weapons in the shower. I am not that paranoid.”

Kate laughed, happy to see their playfulness. She also felt tremendous relief. She could talk to her Mom about Yelena. She felt like crying.

Then she was crying but it was not in joy. She was starkly reminded of what had brought this about. She was healed but parts of her still felt broken even though she felt no pain. Her mother was holding her as she let all her emotions out.

“The man who did it to me? He jumped off a building?” Kate asked.

Eleanor held her tighter.

“Yelena, Wanda, the girls made him wish he was never born and I killed him. The body that was found on the sidewalk was an unclaimed one. The monster that did this to you has literally been wiped off the earth.” Eleanor assured her.

“When I first saw you in the hospital I vowed to you that I would hurt him worse than I had ever hurt anyone. I was successful.” Yelena said as she knelt in front of Kate and held her hand.

Kate smiled and sat straighter. “So, any more big secrets?”

Eleanor almost cracked but Yelena saved her.

“There will always be secrets, Kate. There are secrets we keep to protect the ones we love and there are even secrets we keep from ourselves. At the base there is a program we retrieved from Dreykov’s personal server. On it are the names of our true parents. They tell us our true birth dates and they tell us if we were taken or sold. None of us have looked.”

Kate’s mouth dropped open and even Eleanor was taken by surprise.

“Why don’t you look?” Kate asked. “Don’t you want to know?”

Yelena shook her head. “I cannot speak for the others but I have my reasons. It doesn’t matter who I was when I was taken or sold. I’m not the girl my parents may have lost or given away. My name may not be Yelena Belova. It doesn’t matter. I am who I make myself. Maybe I am protecting myself too. What if I look and find out that my parents are alive and they sold me? I have already been betrayed by one set of parents. What if I were to find out it wasn’t the first time? I don’t know if I could take another betrayal so I keep that secret from myself. I suspect it is the same for the others.”

Kate reached out to Yelena and placed a hand on her cheek.

“Do not pity me, Kate. As I said, we all carry secrets to protect our loved ones or protect ourselves.”

Kate, Eleanor and Yelena’s phones rang at the same time with news alerts. The three grabbed their phones knowing this could not be good news.

Kate’ eyes widened as she read and quickly turned the television on.

Yelena sat back and took a deep breath to calm herself while she watched the car chase.

“Я собираюсь убить эту суку.”