Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

The Witch and the Widows

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 34:

Ingrid watched Sonia sparring with Yasmine with interest. The girl had skill but it was obvious she was like Antha, trained for infiltration and silent assassination rather than back ops military tactics. Antha was coming along and she had no doubt Yasmine would as well. It was becoming obvious that those who had been rescued from the Red Room were kept there because they could be sent as a unit while those out in the wild were infiltrators. Antha had the strength and speed needed to become a very dangerous well rounded fighter.

She was also watching because she was agitated and needed something to focus on. She had dropped Ava’s team in New York including Natasha Romanoff. She knew Wanda and Agatha had a plan to find Osborn. She had watched the teams’ video of their takedown of Madame Hydra.

She had heard what that bitch said to Yelena.

Ingrid wanted to be in New York.

So did Sonia.

Judging by the moping, so did Fanny.

Yet they could not all be there. They attacked as one in Germany but that was a special occasion. Now it made sense to have some here and some there now. The base should never be left empty if possible. They also needed to be ready if another Widow was spotted. They needed to be prepared for any action that might be needed.

It was still frustrating to be here. She felt as if the action were going on without her.

The newest widow, Rachel, had spent the morning with Charlize, Naomi and Bea. The trio were giving her the tour of the Mansion and the short history of the Red Widows. Rachel was having flashbacks constantly during the day making it difficult for her to concentrate but she seemed to be grasping what had happened to her over the years. She woke several times during the night though she did not cry out. Angelica had slept in Rachel’s room to be there for her when she woke.

Ingrid wished this A.I.M. thing was over. Despite her wanting to be there, she wanted Wanda and Yelena back more. Those two were the best at dealing with newly awakened widows and many of the girls sometimes slept in Wanda’s room in her bed, just to relax under the comfort she radiated. Ingrid had Kristina to comfort her in the night. Were it not for her she would seek that comfort Wanda radiated when she was asleep.

The two newest additions were also throwing her vibe off. Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes had been spending time in the back looking over the land and drawing what she thought were floor plans. Steve Rogers was unflinching cheery and it annoyed her. Every time Rogers saw any of them through windows he smiled widely and waved. She had shot the finger at him twice yet he continued to smile and wave when he saw her.

Barnes was more difficult to read. He was a touchy subject. Of course everyone knew what had happened between him and Wanda after she freed him but Wanda did not take to it with her usual humor and after Yelena had talked to her, the blonde said nothing else about to them about it. Something more had happened than just an accidental kiss after a Maximoff mind meld.

Barnes was not acting as unaffected as he should have been either. Several times he had wandered into the bunker and asked Mika for Wanda’s number. When she told him she would pass on a message he sighed and walked away. He didn’t argue but he seemed to give up and hope next time she would just agree.

“Ingrid.” Kristina caught her attention, kissing her on the cheek. “Rachel wants to talk to you.”

Ingrid wanted to cringe. Talking to newly awakened widows was not her strong point.

“Did she say what about?”

Kristina shook her head. “No and it shouldn’t matter. She is in her new room. I was helping her decorate it and picking her out a wardrobe. She became quiet and asked to speak to you.

Ingrid nodded.

“You are great with the girls, Love.” Kristina told her, reading Ingrid’s expression.

Ingrid smiled at Kristina reading her mind once again and made the trek to the second floor and knocked. Rather than being told to enter, Rachel opened the door.

“Hi.” She said shyly.

Ingrid smiled gently. “Kristina said you wanted to speak to me alone?”

Rachel nodded and stepped aside so Ingrid could enter. After looking around she sat down on the floor and Rachel did the same across from her.

“Yelena and Wanda are our leaders.” Rachel said as if stating a fact.

Ingrid nodded. “You will meet them soon. You will love them. Yelena is very funny and Wanda is very Sokovian but also very warm.”

“What do you mean she is very Sokovian?”

“Dark makeup, many rings and necklaces, tight clothes and stilettos, penchant for jackets even when warm. She has a dry sense of humor and can appear brooding at times but is not a very dark person at all. No darker than the rest of us. She is very dedicated to our happiness. She will love you.”

Rachel nodded, but still seemed unsure of something.

“Rachel, are you nervous about meeting them? I promise they are so glad you are here. We hope to free every mind controlled widow one day. We won’t stop trying until we have. You being with us is a victory.”

Rachel let out a deep breath. “I haven’t killed anyone in over two years. I’ve been going to these schools and was told to join cheerleading teams and integrate myself into their society. I got diplomats and federal station heads sons to want me and their daughters to want to be my friend. I have killed though. My first year is still hazy but I know I killed at least ten people before I was old enough to go to high school.”

Ingrid nodded. “We all have. It wasn’t your fault. We were trained to be killers and then sent after targets. Now we go after the targets that continue to hurt people like we were hurt.”

Rachel nodded. “I am cool with that. Sorry, but living in California so long means the accent is hard to break. I want to be here. It is so cool to be around others like me and I am into what you are all doing.”

“I am glad.” Ingrid said. “But something is wrong.”

Rachel nodded. “I don’t wanna kill people. I don’t want to kill anyone else. I want to stay and I want to be a part of the mission but I just… I know it shouldn’t matter because I have done it before but the idea bothers me right now. I want to be here and I hate that there are people out there doing this but I do not want to kill anyone myself.”

Ingrid was surprised. She honestly wasn’t sure how to respond. She had never met a widow that didn’t want to kill a target.

She examined Rachel more closely. She really did look like a California girl, a cheerleader. She was short, but fully developed, easily able to make high school boys want her and girls want to be her. She had beautiful green eyes and light brown wavy hair. She was the perfect All American spy.

But there was also a gentleness in her. She had gone through Red Room training as a girl but was then sent on long term missions of six months or more. Some were assassination mission and others were strictly intelligence gathering. It appeared the last two years were dedicated to infiltration.

She hadn’t developed the instinct to kill that was part of most of the Red Widow’s nature. She hadn’t gone through the trials Wanda had lived through. She hadn’t been sent on assassination after assassination mission or trained against others to the point that sometimes they killed their own opponents to weed out the weak and survive like she and the others had.

“This isn’t the Red Room. We brought you here so you can have a home, not because we needed another fighter. If you don’t want to kill that is fine. That is more than fine. It’s a good thing.”

“But I want to help. Is there some way I can help?”

Ingrid thought for a moment and an idea occurred to her. “How are you with computers and communication equipment?”

“I’m a very good hacker.”

Ingrid took her hand and led her to the underground bunker. Maria was hacking traffic cams and using Bishop Security facial recognition software for hints of Osborn or missing children that had been abducted as of late. Mika was watching the Widows’ trackers as they moved about in New York in pairs.

“Maria, you have met Rachel.”

“We haven’t had a chance to speak much but I look forward to more conversations. How are you adjusting?”

Rachel smiled shyly. “Good, thank you.”

“Maria, Rachel wants to help our cause, but she is more interested in the technical support aspects than the combat aspects. She doesn’t want to kill again. Rachel, Maria has been complaining about being left behind on missions so often because she is so good at what she does. Maria very much likes to kill. Maria, the sooner you can train her, the sooner you can be back in the field.”

Maria patted Rachel on the back. “You have made my day, Rachel. Let’s get started. You are going to love our set up.”

“Can she learn the coms too? I like to kill people.” Mika pointed out but Ingrid ignored her. As she turned to leave, Bucky Barnes was exiting the elevator. Ingrid rolled her eyes.

“Mika, give me a phone for Barnes.”

Mika reached into a drawer and tossed the phone to her.

Ingrid handed the phone to Barnes.

“If you start making obsessive calls or any heavy breathing followed by silence occurs I am taking it back. The numbers to the team are programmed in. Wanda is Sabrina, Yelena is… Yelena and if you want to speak with Nat her new number is listed under Poser. Have fun.”

Bucky grinned. “Thanks.”

Ingrid shook her head and made it to the elevator to join Kristina.

New York City

Natasha and Stannic entered a very nice hotel. Nat wore a baseball cap to hide her face and her flaming red hair that made her recognizable. Stannic wore a cap as well because she didn’t want her face to be associated with an Avenger.

Once inside the elevator, Nat opened the elevator control panel and crossed wires to bypass the code requirement and send them straight to the Penthouse suite. Nat had her contacts looking for Harry Osborn and one had come through, giving her a positive confirmed sighting at the Dominik Hotel bar.

Maria did a check and found Harry Osborn in the Landmark Sunset Penthouse under an assumed alias with a card connected to his personal account. Despite Oscorp’s holdings being frozen and most of Norman Osborn’s personal wealth stolen by Maria, Harry had quite a bit of money in his own right.

When the elevator reached the top, they stepped into a small hallway that had only one door.

Stannic pulled her gun from inside her denim jacket.

“You don’t need that.” Nat told her. “I’ll talk to him. I believe he wants his father caught and will come with us.”

“I guarantee he is coming with us. You found him. Now let me handle this.”

“I said…”

Stannic turned on her. “You said when you joined us that you would follow orders. Now follow my orders!” she said angrily.

Stannic moved towards the door when her ear was grabbed and she was pulled around to face Nat.

“Ow! Ow! Ow! Let go! Stop it! That hurts!”

Nat had Stannic’s gun in one hand and her ear in the other, making the girl look at her. “I will follow your orders when you can give orders like an adult and not a hotheaded fourteen year old brat. Follow my lead and don’t talk.”

Nat let her ear go and Stannic began rubbing it.

“I’m going to… I’m…”

Nat raised an eyebrow and smirked. “What? You are going to tell on me? Are you going to run to Yelena and Wanda every time something happens you don’t like? That will make them respect you. Now behave.”

Stannic whispered something and turned away.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing.”

“Yes you did. What did you call me?”

Stannic crossed her arms and turned to her. “I called you an old lady.”

“I’m not old.”

“Poser.”

“I’m not a poser. You girls are one to talk about posing. Half of you wear dark makeup, leather, multiple rings and bracelets and have multiple piercings. The other half of you dress like Hipsters. It’s a bit obvious that you girls are trying to be Yelena or Wanda. You personally seem to dress as some mixture of the two.”

“And you dress like a middle aged housewife who thinks she is hotter than she is. Give me back my gun.”

“Take it.” Natasha her, enjoying annoying the young girl despite being on a mission.

“Wow, who is the mature one now?” Stannic countered.

“The old lady apparently. I’m going to knock on the door and when he answers I will introduce myself. I will explain what is going on and why we need him. He will come along with us. Do not speak. We need him calm and cooperative.”

Stannic rolled her eyes but stayed quiet.

They both stood by the door on either side so they weren’t in front and Nat knocked.

“I didn’t order room service.”

“Mr. Osborn, my name is Natasha Romanoff. I need to speak to you about your father. We need your help to find him. Could I speak with you?”

Nat heard a shotgun chamber and her and Stannic moved even farther away from the sides of the door. They covered their ears and waited for the blast. It didn’t take long. A loud explosion and a hole blew through the door the size of a basketball.

“Yep, he seems very cooperative. Good call, sexy housewife.” Stannic mumbled.

Nat rolled her eyes and tossed Stannic’s handgun back to her. She then bent in front of the door and shot a widow bite through the hole, electrocuting Harry who dropped to the floor.

Stannic shot the lock and kicked the door in.

“He is not going to get his deposit back.” Stannic said as she and Nat entered. Nat took the shotgun from the floor next to Harry’s hand where he lay, unloaded it and took it apart.

Stannic began rifling through the penthouse looking for any information that would link Harry to his father’s actions while Nat waited for him to come to his senses.

It was ten minutes before Harry stopped twitching and opened his eyes. When he came too he saw Nat looking down on him and his eyes widened.

“You aren’t them. You are that Avenger.”

“I’m Natasha Romanoff, like I told you.”

“You never said you were the Black Widow. You are the hot red head in black tights that backs up Captain America.”

Nat rolled her eyes when Stannic began giggling at his description. She grabbed his arm and forced him up then shoved him onto a sofa.

“You always greet people with a shotgun, Harry?” Nat asked.

He shook his head. “I thought you might be one of them. The Red Widow girls. The news said they busted up a sex trafficking ring in Boston yesterday. I heard they skinned and gutted the slavers. They have said more than once they are coming after my father. I thought it might be a matter of time before they come for me.”

“Nice hiding spot you picked. You are really roughing it.” Stannic said.

Harry looked at her as if just noticing she was there. “Who are you? Are you an Avenger?”

Stannic shook her head. “I’m a Red Widow.”

Harry paled while Nat rubbed her forehead.

“By the way,” Stannic carried on, ”the Avengers are done. She is a probationary member of the Red Widows. Very probationary. She is also our cook.”

“Chef.” Nat corrected.

Stannic snorted. “Somebody thinks her skills are better than they actually are.”

Nat scowled at her then gave her full attention to Harry.

“Harry, we have a way of finding your father. Wanda Maximoff has something she can do… a spell… that can find your father. We need you to make it work. You won’t be hurt. It is painless.”

Harry looked between the two of them doubtfully. “When you find my father, what are you going to do to him?”

“Arrest him.”

“Skin him.”

Natasha glared at Stannic. “We are going to arrest him.”

“After we skin him.” Stannic added. “Do you care what we do to him?”

“Of course I do! He may be a bastard but he is my father! He wasn’t always like this!”

Stannic stepped closer. “He didn’t always experiment on kidnapped girls, inject them with experimental serums and put them in electrified cages then gas them with cyanide when he was done? Do you know how many innocents he has killed? At least the people we kill are not innocent! Now you can help us put an end to this or be considered a party to it! What is it going to be, rich boy?!”

Nat shook her head. “What part of do not talk did you not understand?”

She then turned her attention to Harry. “The C.I.A. wants him to stand trial. We have been working with an agent in the C.I.A. who is dedicated to taking down A.I.M. I have looked into your life. You are a good kid and you didn’t know your father was doing this but I know you want it to stop. Help us bring him in and he has a chance at prison for the rest of his life, maybe even keeping his skin on his body. If you don’t help us, I can’t help you when a lot more like her come for you and won’t be as polite.”

Harry tried to swallow but his mouth was dry. “Can I get a glass of water?” he asked.

Stannic walked to the bar and poured a glass, When she returned she threw the water in his face. “Every second we waste with your indecision, another girl could be dying. Man up or lose what supposedly makes you a man. What is it going to be Osborn?”

Harry slowly stood up and nodded his head. “Where are we going?”

Stannic smiled. “The Empire State Building. I hope you are afraid of heights.”

Empire State Building

Not many were ever allowed to see the one hundredth and four and a half floor of the Empire State Building. Wanda could understand why. If she couldn’t fly she would be petrified, standing in the open with no barrier and nothing tethering her to the building.

“Beautiful view, isn’t it?” Agatha asked. “I remember when this building was being built. Its amazing that only five died. So are you ready for this?”

Wanda took a deep breath and nodded.

“You are just going to unlock a few boxes in your mind. Let a little more of your magic flow.”

“I’ve thought of just wiping him from existence.” Wanda admitted. “Those are the kind of thoughts I can’t afford.”

Agatha nodded. “He would get of too easy. Those he killed would still be dead and no killer would ever be found. Torture him, drive him more insane but don’t let him off that easy. You got this. It’s a simple spell.”

Wanda nodded. “I still wish I had the Book of Vishanti on hand. Why didn’t you tell me you gave it back to the Ancient One?”

Agatha smiled. “When you unlocked your true potential the spells of the book became a part of you. The Book of Vishanti serves the entire multiverse and was pulled by the Ancient One from a waypoint just for you. Every universe has a Darkhold. There is only one Book of Vishanti. Some other Wanda Maximoff in another universe may need that book. We can’t hog it to ourselves. You don’t need it. I’ll be here to guide you. Are the girls ready?”

Wanda nodded. “They are in SUVs loaded and ready to respond. As soon as we find him, we will all attack.”

At that moment they heard the access panel open and Harry Osborn squeaked. Nat pushed him up from underneath him and emerged behind him. She snapped a line from her built into the metal of the building.

“Relax Osborn.” Wanda told him. “If the window blows you off I will bring you back. I need you. Shuffle over here.”

Harry pressed himself onto the building and slid to her side, not once looking down.

“What… what do you need me to do?”

“Just stand there.” Wanda told him.

Harry took a good look at her and his eyes widened. He had seen photos of her before and never saw her as less than sexy. Now she was intimidating. Beautiful but frightening. Her clothes were more like a red queen of from a fairy tale than the cleavage baring teen he had seen on the news.

“Okay,” Agatha said. “You need no incantation but it won’t hurt. The last time I pulled this spell, we were looking for the one who harmed our girl and used a close talisman of hers. Now we are using him as a talisman to find the man who loves him.

“Call on the elements.” Agatha instructed. “You are the Scarlet Witch. You do not ask them to heed your call like other witches. You command them.”

Wanda’s eyes turned red and she raised her arms to the sky. Clouds began gathering over her. Harry stiffened and his body seized, surrounded by Wanda’s magic.

“I call on the elements of creation that are my servants. Wind, water, fire, earth, find the one I look for. Find me the one who loves this boy. Search the world and show my prey. I command you, mark the one who loves this boy with my wrath!”

The entire top of the building glowed a bright red. Wanda watched the city closely, enjoying the feeling of creation doing as she commanded, flowing through her body, her mind its only master.

She tilted her head up and watched a ball of energy flow from her hands and off into the city. The ball flew for miles and miles before stopping and zig zagging down into the city streets. She felt it. She had struck Norman Osborn with her magic and he was glowing red in her vision. He didn’t realize it, he wouldn’t see it but he was marked for eternity. Wherever he went, the red light towering into the sky would tell Wanda where he was. She pointed in the general direction for Agatha.

“Widows, converge on Queens.” Agatha said into the com. “We will give address when we are closer.”

Wanda used her magic to move Harry back near the open hatch.

“You want to fly?” she asked Nat.

Nat smiled. “I’m not going to walk back down.”

Wanda wrapped Natasha up close in her magic and took off, flying as quickly as possible towards the red light that marked Norman Osborn.

As they converged, Wanda flew with more accuracy as Agatha gave the Widows their positions.

When they arrived, they landed two blocks away and waited for the teams to show up. They didn’t wait long. Yelena was the first out, assault rifle ready.

“Have you called Ross?” Wanda asked Yelena.

Yelena frowned. “I told Carter to be ready to make the arrest. Madison is giving her the address now. Ross is still on assignment.”

Wanda rolled her eyes. “This is his assignment.”

Wanda changed her clothes with a thought into a Widow combat suit. The teams spread out with Agatha staying back. Ava took a team to flank the building and Yelena and Wanda led their team quietly around the front. When they had reached the front from the shadows of an alley, they watched for a moment, studying the old rundown building that had seen better days. The windows were covered by boards and no light escaped the inside. There was only a door in front and a door in back.

“According to this spell, he is in there. What do you think?” she asked Yelena.

Yelena nodded. “Multiple floors, large building, more secure than it appears on first glance. It is a good safe house that could hide a laboratory. Ava, what do you have?”

Ava answered from the other side of the building. “I have power surge going into the building. Mika is sending me power records from the utility department. It is using a surprising amount of wattage for an abandoned building. I see a steel door, windows boarded but I see steel bars in some areas. Nobody is breaking into this building without serious firepower.”

“He’s moving.” Wanda whispered. “Quickly.”

The roof exploded and a man flew out the top. He stood in the air looking down on them.

No one knew exactly what to say. The man who must have been Osborn was wearing some sort of green metal suit and a helmet that had the face of a smiling goblin it. He was balanced on some sort of green sled, that had rockets in the back and gun barrels at the end of small wings.

“That is something you don’t see every day.” Yelena admitted.

The man launched a missile at the team while they stared at him. Wanda placed a shield around them and the explosion didn’t bother them. Seeing this, Osborn flew away.

“No. He is not getting away.” Wanda said. “Take the building and see if he has captives.”

“Ava, you are in command. Madison you take this team. Take me with you, Wanda.”

Wanda didn’t argue, lifting Yelena up and bringing her along.

They didn’t have to go far.

Norman Osborn was waiting for them over a busy street among the skyscrapers.

Wanda launched Yelena to the top of a nearby building where she rolled then set up a shot, having him in her sights.

Wanda floated in front of him, now wearing the garb of the Scarlet Witch.

“I won’t tell you to give up. You have obviously gone insane. I will tell you that if you injure one person you will know what it feels like to have your skin melted from your body.”

Osborn tilted his head. “Not much of a hero speech, Wanda Maximoff.”

“I’m a witch, not a hero. Park your sled thing on top of a building and maybe I won’t hurt you.”

Osborn began laughing manically. “Not much of an incentive. You wouldn’t make it in business with those negotiating skills, sweetheart.”

“One more chance. Park your sled thing and I won’t kill your son. I left him at the Empire State Building. I can feel his presence. I can stop his heart even from here.”

Osborn stood up straight and then shrugged. “But can you stop the bombs from killing everyone on the street while you are doing that?”

Twenty tiny spheres dropped from the sled. Wanda’s eyes widened and she reached out, wrapping her power around each grenade and containing the explosions inside her red bubbles.

Wanda threw the bubbles high in the sky and released them, giving Queens a spectacular fireworks show. While she was concentrating on this, Wanda never heard him coming quickly, ready to spear her with his sled. A shot rang out and Osborn yelled. Wanda turned just in time to see his destroyed sled falling to the earth in a burning heap and Osborn falling with it. She decided to grab the sled first, suspending it in the air.

She then caught him eight feet from the sidewalk and let him safely drop when no one was under him.

“Nice fireworks show. Watch your back.” Yelena told her. “I saved you from being shot… again. Is there a spell to make you bullet proof or stupid proof?”

Wanda landed on the ground but Osborn was gone. She saw his red glow moving though and grinned. He wasn’t getting away from her.

“Come down. He is running but I have him.”

Yelena planted a line into the roof and ran down the building, then crossed the street to Wanda’s side.

She didn’t care that hundreds were out of their cars, taking pictures of the two. Yelena wore her mask and Wanda was a well-known vigilante or hero depending on what country you were in.

“Did you see how he moved on that sled?” Yelena asked. “He has taken the serum.”

“Let Carter know she is going to need very big handcuffs. I promised Everett that Osborn would go down for A.I.M. alive but I am beginning to rethink that idea. He was willing to kill all these people just to get away. He may be too far gone.”

Wanda took Yelena into the air and they continued the chase.

Back at the base, Ava and Madison’s team moved in very slowly.

“Madison, this doesn’t feel right. He could have come out the door and attacked us head on instead of taking damage going through the roof.” Ava told her.

“The building is rigged.” Madison agreed. “Agatha can you feel any life inside?”

Agatha reached out and felt nothing. “I can’t feel anything but that isn’t certain. Seeking out life is more Wanda’s thing than mine. If I can find a half decent clear puddle I can try scrying into the building to have a look.”

Ava disagreed. “That would take too long. It could be a timebomb of a trip wire. My bet is a trip wire. It’s too dangerous to enter but we have to make sure there isn’t anyone in there. I don’t want to risk any of you. Romanoff, go inside and check it out.”

Natasha huffed but stood up until Madison put a hand on her. “Joke, Natasha, just a joke. Stay. If you blow up you will never learn how to make a beef stew that isn’t eaten with a fork.”

“We can’t stay here forever. Yelena and Wanda are kicking ass and we are staring at a building.” Ava pointed out. “But we can’t walk into a trap. Wait, Sharon Carter just arrived.”

Madison didn’t really care. “Oh good. We are saved.”

Ava wasn’t very excited either.

“Wanda and Yelena are fighting Osborn. Wanda saved a bunch of civilians and Yelena shot his sled. What are you doing here?” Carter asked.

“We think the building is rigged, but we have no way of knowing. We aren’t sure if there is a captive girl inside. We are facing a bit of a dilemma. Why don’t you check it out for us?”

Carter ran to her car and came back with a briefcase. When she opened it, Ava was slightly impressed.

“Is that a very tiny drone?”

“Yes. I can break that glass that is showing between the boards and squeeze it through the bars. It will show us everything inside.”

The widows waited while Carter expertly guided the drone through the dark building.

On the fifth floor they found the lab. They also found a room of metal walls and no window inside.

“That is what Sarkissian said he kept the girls in after he injected them.” Ava said.

Carter backed the drone up and examined the room carefully. It was at the bottom of the drawer that she found the trap.

“Trip wire. If the door opens I am betting there is a ton of C-4 behind it.”

Madison moved her team around the back and sent Staci to steal anything of use in Carter’s car like more drones while she wasn’t watching. She then walked up to Ava and Carter.

“We have no way of knowing if someone is behind it or not.” Ava told her.

Agatha sat down on the ground. She didn’t exactly look comfortable in her Red Widow gear and she did not like crossing her legs in the tight pants but did so anyway.

“I hate doing this.” she grumbled. “I’m going to astral project inside.”

Ava was impressed. “I thought only Wanda could do that.”

Agatha shook her head. “I taught her to control it. But she is the Scarlet Witch, not me. That means this is going to hurt. If I pass out, don’t let me fall back and hit my head on the ground.”

Antonia walked behind her and placed arms around her to steady her. Agatha smiled gratefully then put her fingers to her temples. She tensed up then screamed before her face went blank and her body sagged into Antonia’s chest.

“Please tell me we didn’t kill Aunt Agatha.” Stannic whispered frantically.

“She is alive. Wanda’s body goes slack sometimes as well. It is why she always lies down when she does it.” Ava explained.

A few minutes went by and a few more before Agatha woke with a gasp, her eyes wide and sitting straight up.

“Whoa. Head rush.” Agatha shook her head. “Sorry kids. There is a dead girl in the metal room. My suggestion is to call the bomb squad. There is no point in risking ourselves deactivating it. There is enough inside to blow the entire building. I didn’t see anything the drone didn’t pick up.”

Carter shook her head then pulled the drone back the group.

“I need to go. Wanda and Yelena have probably taken down Osborn by now. I need to be the one to arrest him before NYPD does something stupid like try to take him into custody.”

“Give me your cuffs.” Agatha told her.

Sharon thought of asking why but decided to do as asked. She reached into her jacket pocket and handed them to Agatha.

Agatha began whispering in a language Sharon had never heard and the cuffs glowed purple. The witch handed them back to her.

“They could hold that hottie Norse god if you needed to. If you haven’t guessed by now, Osborn is hopped up on steroid juice he was testing on the girls. If you make the arrest you are going to need these and a very strong cage.”

Carter was surprised, listening to the woman talk. Everett told her Agatha rarely took things seriously from what little contact he had with her. The woman was all business now though and none of the widows seemed surprised.

In Queens, police drove and down the streets trying to find where Osborn, Yelena and Wanda had gone to. No one knew it was Osborn in the suit but considering Wanda and the Red Widows named him their number one target, it wasn’t hard to guess.

Yelena and Wanda walked into an alley that was pitch black.

Wanda released a bright red sphere that lit up the entire alley. At the end was the green armored freak himself.

“He looks like Tony Stark at Halloween.” Yelena mentioned. “Very, very strange. Osborn it is time to go to jail. When you tried to shoot her from behind I ruined your little hoverboard. She took out your bombs and you didn’t get to hurt nobody. You are going in now. How many bones do you want broken when you get there?”

Osborn laughed and sprinted towards them, green metal spikes coming from his forearms.

“I don’t think he understands your power.” Yelena said.

Wanda sighed. “Yes, I am getting that feeling as well.”

Before he could reach them, some sort of webbing wrapped around him and hauled him back.

“Что за?” Yelena mumbled, seeing the brightly colored costumed man at the end of the alley. He had Osborn wrapped up tightly.

“I’ve got this under control, ladies… whoa! You are Wanda Maximoff?! You must be a Red Widow! This is so cool. I don’t believe what the press says about you. I know there is no way you would do to those criminals what the press claims you did.”

“We did.” Yelena said. “Shoo. Go away. We have this. Bye bye.”

The boy, because by his voice and height he most likely was, stood staring at them.

“You really skinned them? Maybe I should stay with this guy until the police get here.” Spider-Man said, standing in front of Osborn.

Osborn cut from the webbing and stood up quickly. Spider-Man ducked in time to not get sliced. Osborn hit him in the chest, slamming him against the wall and knocked him out.

“Poor kid.” Yelena said. “I think he is that guy from YouTube. Upgraded costume. Very outlandish. I approve of bold color choices but this is bit much for even me.”

Osborn turned back to the girls. “Enough! You have hunted me, destroyed my work, hindered human evolution, destroyed my business, killed my associates and ruined my life! This ends now, Maximoff. I’m going to kill you and your widows and…”

Wanda flicked a ball of energy into his forehead knocking him off his feet, rendering him unconscious before he hit the ground.

The two walked over to him and looked down. Wanda snapped her fingers and the armor turned to dust.

“A bit anticlimactic, no?”

Wanda nodded. “The trick was finding him, not fighting him.”

“This is very true. Sometimes your powers take the fun out of things. Though destroying that sled before he could shoot you because you cannot multitask was fun.”

Wanda turned into her normal clothes, her rings and bracelets reappearing and her long red coat brushing the ground like a cloak.

“You think he is okay?” Wanda asked, looking at the colorful kid.

Yelena walked over to him and lifted his mask off. “Ohhh! How cute! He is a baby! He has never been in a fight in his life. He has no combat training and no idea how to read a situation. Where did he get fancy costume?”

The girls heard a familiar sound above them. Neither Yelena nor Wanda had to look up already very familiar with the sound of repulsor boots landing.

“Stark.” Wanda greeted him. “Does this belong to you?” she asked, motioning towards the unconscious boy.

“Yeah… it’s a long story. I’m trying to help him out and well… he has a lot to learn. So you caught Osborn. Congratulations. Somebody coming to pick him up?”

Wanda nodded. “C.I.A. Sharon Carter. I just texted her while your boy was valiantly trying to protect him from the evil Red Widows taking him. Stark, if you are helping the kid you should teach him not to mess with people out of his league. If it had been some of our more volatile members, he would have many holes in him.”

Tony sighed. “Yeah. I’ll have a talk with him. So how has it been? The new guests settling in wherever the hell you guys are?”

“They have their uses. Bucky is free.” Wanda told him.

Osborn began to wake and Yelena electrocuted him in the neck, sending him into unconsciousness once again.

“That’s good.” Tony wasn’t quite sure what to say next and they stood awkwardly for a minute, while Spider-Man and Osborn lay on the ground.

“I saw footage of him flying on some sort of sled.” he finally said. “What happened to it?”

“I destroyed it.” Yelena told him.

“He must have had incredible balance. Was it the suit?”

Wanda shrugged. “He took a super soldier serum. That’s what he was experimenting on the girls with. It made them insane and he would kill them then start over with fresh girls. How have things been with you?”

Tony nodded and leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed. “Good. Thanks for the, you know, vote of confidence. People aren’t looking at me like I’m scum of the Earth. Just regular scum. Pepper and I have been having some long talks. We may be… there may be something there. I’m not going to rush into anything.”

“A good idea. She dumped you already. She is probably high maintenance and I would guess you are.” Yelena agreed. “How is the solo avenging thing going? You going to build a new team so you have friends?”

Tony shook his head. “Nope. Not me anymore. I’m just trying to keep this one out of trouble. I had a talk with him after Germany when I got back. He isn’t going to stop so I thought I should do my part. Give him some tech to keep him safe. I haven’t had the talk with him about not challenging the woman who dusted Vision. He won’t be a problem. He saw the small shootout in Queens and got excited.”

Police cars pulled up right behind Sharon Carter. Dozens of officers rushed in with weapons drawn.

Wanda lifted a hand and all their eyes glowed red. They stopped moving and lowered their weapons.

Sharon looked behind her and back at Wanda with wide eyes.

“I was going to tell them to drop their weapons.” she said.

“I saved you the trouble. I hope you have something stronger than a police car to take him in.”

I’ve got my teammates bringing in the heaviest prison truck we have. It was designed for the Winter Soldier or someone of his strength if he was ever back in the United States. Looks like it will finally come in handy.”

Wanda knelt down by the man and pressed her finger to his skull.

“There. He will sleep for a couple days. Now, where the hell is Everett?”

Sharon winced, hoping Wanda wouldn’t have brought that up. “I don’t know.”

Wanda raised an eyebrow. “You don’t know? He is the leader of the United Nations task force assigned to investigate A.I.M. We have given him everything he needed including keeping this bastard alive and you do not know where he is? Have you called him?”

Tony cleared his throat. The woman hadn’t noticed he was knelt next to the kid on the ground. He replaced the boys mask over his face and picked him up. “Not to interrupt but I thought I would get him out of here before you release the cops. Good seeing you both. Nice catching up. Say hi to the old Avengers for me. Tell them I still expect us all to be in the fantasy football league this fall. Same buy in as last year.”

Wanda turned back to Sharon after Tony flew off. “Where is he?”

“I told you he was after an arms dealer. He caught him but the Wakandans were there too. T’Challa was there. Everett took the dealer for interrogation. T’Challa and his female bodyguards sat in. While the interrogation was taking place the station was attacked. Everett took a bullet for one of the Wakandans. They took Everett with them. T’Challa said they would get him help.”

The two women stared at her.

“What?”

“That’s it?” Yelena asked. “He gets shot and Panther man takes him not to hospital but to… where? Wakanda?”

Sharon nodded. “We think so. We have been trying to reach the palace but something is going on. We have been unable to contact anyone in the country. Their U.N. ambassador hasn’t been seen either.”

Wanda frowned, not liking this. What the hell was T’Challa thinking, taking Everett to Wakanda? Yelena had the same thought but shrugged. Short of invading Wakanda, the C.I.A. had a better chance of getting Ross back.

“I’ll give you three days.” Wanda said.

“Three days?”

“Three days. If I don’t hear Ross’s voice myself I will go to Wakanda and find out what happened.”

Sharon took a breath. She had no idea how that could happen. She didn’t even know if Everett was alive. If he wasn’t, then what would that mean for Wakanda? T’Challa and the Red Widows fought side by side in Germany. As far as she knew there was no hostility between them.

She also knew the number of people the widows trusted was small and he was high on that list.

“I’ll let you know what I know.” Sharon offered.

An SUV parked on the street and then another. Red Widows emerged along with the very big one named Taskmaster, the witch named Agatha and Natasha Romanoff.

The girls surrounded Osborn.

“I had to put him to sleep for a few days until they can get him somewhere secure. No matter what we do to him now, he will not feel it. We have time. He can’t hide anymore. I have marked him.” Wanda told the girls.

Sharon looked curious. “Marked him?”

“A witch thing. Wiggly woo magic and all. Is Harry Osborn still on top of Empire State Building?” Yelena asked.

No one seemed to have an answer so they left the question hanging.

“We should go. This isn’t over just because he has been caught. The human traffickers providing him with girls were also selling girls. Human trafficking is happening. We are still going to stop it.” Wanda said. “Tell Boston PD if they don’t want mutilated bodies in their cities they should do a better job arresting criminals than complaining about our methods.”

The Red Widows walked away without another word.

“Good working with you too!” Carter shouted. “Good job all around! Very empowering! Don’t mention the drone. Also I don’t mind all the crap you stole from my car you thought I wouldn’t notice! Please fell free to keep it!”

Wanda turned back to the scene and snapped her fingers. The cops unfroze and began to get their bearings while Sharon shook her head and smiled.

The Widows returned the hotels and Yelena, Natasha and Wanda went to the Bishops.

When Yelena walked inside, Kate was curled up on the couch asleep with Lucky curled around her. Eleanor was seated with a drink in hand watching her daughter sleep.

Wanda motioned for Eleanor to walk onto the balcony.

“It’s over.”

“I thought so. You were on the news. You and Yelena fighting what the social media outlets are already dubbing the Green Goblin who most suspect is Norman Osborn. Very nice pictures of you in your Scarlet Witch wardrobe.”

Wanda cringed but Eleanor patted her leg. “I’m serious. You all did good tonight. Nobody got hurt, nothing got destroyed and you caught Norman Osborn. Be proud.”

“We have much more work to do.”

Eleanor nodded. “We always will, Wanda. Take the win.”

“Everett Ross is missing.”

“You will find him.”

Wanda smirked. “You believe in me too much.”

“And you don’t believe in yourself enough.” Eleanor told her. “Kate slept better. She actually took a nap and didn’t wake up for a few hours. She even missed your escapades on television. I suppose Yelena was right about the puppy.”

Wanda smiled, watching Yelena seated across from Kate, watching her silently breathing.

“You know Yelena would never do anything improper to Kate.”

Eleanor nodded. “I wouldn’t let her around Kate if I thought any differently.”

Wanda looked at Eleanor for a long minute, neither saying anything. Eleanor finally looked away out over the city.

“She is cooped up here. She has no confidence. You think it would help?”

Wanda nodded. “She needs to be built up again. Who better to build her up than women who have been building themselves up from the bottom? Let her come with us for a while. Let us build her. It is what we do. We turn victims into warriors.”

“The Winter Soldier?”

“Bucky is safe to be around. I have taken care of that.”

Eleanor nodded trusting Wanda’s word. “How long do you think?”

“Come with us.” Wanda asked, not knowing an exact time frame.

Eleanor had thought of this but she also knew the risks. “I am working from home but there are still documents I have to sign. I have to meet my assistant in the lobby. She could fax them but the more I work from your base the bigger the digital trail leads back to you. I don’t want that.”

Wanda thought for a moment. “The Ancient One. I will ask her for a favor. If I can talk her into portaling you to our headquarters on weekends this would be good, right? I am sure she wouldn’t mind the Scarlet Witch owing her a favor.”

Eleanor nodded. “Yes, that would be good. I’ve never stepped into a mystical portal and stepped out in Europe. It should be an adventure. Let’s give Kate tomorrow, and then we can all do the portal thing on Saturday. Would that be okay?”

Wanda leaned over and hugged the woman. “Perfect. We have new widows. One I haven’t met yet. I have heard she is a sweetheart. Ingrid told me she doesn’t want to kill. She only wants to work on technical stuff I do not understand.”

Eleanor smiled. “How wonderful. This will be good for the future. As more girls are found and freed, your team will grow, your family will grow and so can the scope of your mission. As this happens you will need more girls who specialize in areas. Think about it, Wanda. How many girls could you send to medical school or finance or computer operating systems? You and Yelena have started something special and it can only grow.”

Wanda squeezed her hand. “We would still be in cave in Sokovia using thirty year old computers if not for you. You are a part of this too.”

“You better believe it, kid.”

Inside the living room, Yelena sat in an armchair across from Kate. Natasha sat next to her in a similar chair.

“She will be okay.” Nat whispered. “She is tough if she loves you.”

Yelena smiled sadly.

“I thought you would be happier. Kate is sleeping, Osborn is caught, there is another freed widow at the Mansion, but you don’t seem happy. You can talk to me if you wish, младшая сестра. If not now. whenever.”

Yelena bent her head down and leaned forward with her arms on her knees.

She turned to Natasha and smiled. Natasha was surprised to see tears falling down her cheeks.

“My mother’s name is Anya and my father’s name is Dima. Last week I turned 17.”

Nat stilled. “You opened your file.”

Yelena shook her head and took a deep breath.

“The woman who stole the girls, the one I killed yesterday, she was the one who took me. She stole me from my parents, Natalia. What am I… they might still be alive. They might still be looking for me. Belova is my true name… I didn’t want to know but she told me and then I did want to know. Now I don’t know what I want. I thought as long as we had Osborn to worry about between finding him and taking care of Kate… but now Osborn is done and… I asked Wanda to read her mind. She knows and all I have to do is ask but I am too afraid. Deadly Yelena Belova, the greatest assassin in the world, the one other Widows look to for leadership and strength and I am afraid to face myself.”

Yelena stood up then knelt next to Nat’s chair and laid her head on her leg. Natasha began running her fingers through her hair, soothing her as she did when she was a little girl while Yelena cried.

“You are so brave, Yelena. No matter what you decide, you know I am going to be with you, right?”

Yelena hummed. “Я тебя люблю.”

Nat smiled. “I love you too, baby sister.”