Where your loyalties lie (Two New Bartons book 2) (completed)

Rescuing Wanda - Pietro

When Clint gets the call, I'm ready. 

"We need to go," he whispers.

"Great," I say, with a sigh of relief. I can't wait to see my sister again.

"We can't tell the kids."

That's a surprise. "Why not?"

"Because we'll be breaking the law."

"Been there, done that."

"We'll be breaking international law. If we do this and we're caught, we'll be wanted in 117 countries." Clint hesitates, and I can tell he's deciding whether or not to say something.

"Clint," I say slowly, "What aren't you telling me? Is it something to do with Wanda?"

"Kind of." He sighs. "There are these Accords. The, uh, the Sokovia Accords."

The name hits me like a round of bullets. "So- Sokovia?"

"After Lagos, there was concern that the Avengers have too much freedom. That they need to be watched over."

"Maybe that's not a bad idea!"

"What?!" He glances around the kitchen. Laura and the kids are no where to be seen, but he still lowers his voice to a hiss. "Are you kidding? Have you seen some of the things those governments have done? Compare that to the 'damage' they claim we've done. They were going to nuke New York!"

"Wanda told me about Charles Spencer, the kid who died in Sokovia. He wasn't the only one, he's just the only one we have a name for. How many others died because of your mistakes?"

"Pietro, that's not fair!"

"And let's not pretend that everyone's hands are clean from before the Avengers. Stark's tech killed hundreds. You and Natasha killed tons. Wanda and I were with Hydra. Maybe a bit of restraint will be a good thing."

"How can you say that? Lose our ability to choose? Lose the option to go where we need to? How will that be a good thing?"

"We lose the chance of unnecessary civilian deaths!" A thought hits me, and I ask, "Why am I only hearing about these now?"

"I assumed you'd see what a ridiculous idea this would be. I told Tony we were both retired."

"That wasn't your decision to make for me!"

"I know, I'm sorry. But I was worried you'd want to go see Wanda, to try influence her decision."

My heart stops. "What did she choose?"

"She didn't. Although, now, I think she'll be against."

"And why's that?"

"Because Tony won't let her leave the compound."

Fury races through me. Screw the Accords. Stark just messed directly with my sister. Accords or no, I don't think we'll ever see eye to eye. 

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"The compound."

*~*

"You ready?" Clint says into the comms.

"Ready," I reply.

"Then do it."

I pull the pin out of the grenade and run. When I'm about two-hundred metres from the compound walls, I drop it and run to the other side of the compound, before speeding time up again. I'm far enough that I don't even feel a shock wave from the explosion. Just hear the boom and see the smoke. I won't have destroyed much, just enough to get the Vision's attention. 

After about two minutes of silence, the wait becomes unbearable, and I run inside. I find the others in the living room. Clint is fighting Vision, and very clearly losing. This isn't good. The explosion was supposed to keep Vision occupied for much longer. 

I speed time up again, but none of them notice me.

Wanda! I call in my head, hoping she hears me. It's been a while since we've communicated like this.

My sister looks up. Pietro? I hear her voice in my mind, and I feel like some missing part of me has been restored. 

You can stop this, Wanda. You can come back to me.

She nods.

"Clint, you can't overpower me," Vision says, holding Clint in a headlock. 

"I know I can't," Clint replies. He nods at Wanda. "But she can."

Wanda has red energy dancing between her hands. "Vision, that's enough. Let him go." Her eyes hold just as much emotion as always. This time, it's anger, fear, sorrow. She knows what she has to do, and isn't happy about it. "I'm leaving," she goes on. 

"I can't let you," Vision says, and I feel the anger again.

I run forward, pull Clint from his grasp and knock him to his knees. Wanda reacts immediately. The ground under Vision begins to crack as she says, "I'm sorry."

I move to stand behind my sister. My hand goes to her shoulder, pulling her hair back. Her head tilts slightly into my palm. 

"If you do this," Vision grunts, "They will never stop being afraid of you."

Clint looks up, and I notice he's dangerously close to the cracks in the ground. I run froward and pull him behind my sister and myself.

"I can't control their fear," Wanda says, "Only my own."

And we're not afraid anymore, I think.

No, we're not, she replies.

And she forces Vision through the floor. There are tears in her eyes, and I know it hurts her to do this to him. I know how close they were. 

Slowly, the energy in her hands dies, and she falls back into my arms, exhausted.

"Pietro," she whispers.

"I'm here." I turn her around in my grasp so she can wrap her arms around me. I kiss her temple and say, "I missed you."

"I'm never leaving you again."

I smile at her. "You can't stay tethered to me forever."

"You kids done?" Clint says, reminding us of the reason we're here. "Come one, we've got one last stop."

Word count: 887