Til We Meet Again - Scarlet Witch

Be Mindful

It was almost dawn and Wanda still had no idea where to go. She was far too distant from home at this point, if she went back, she'd risk them finding her. And that wasn't something she could deal with. Not right now. Wandering around in an open field was not the brightest idea either, especially now that the FBI were aware that Hayward was missing. What if they spot me using one of those satellites Stark created? Then again, would he really let people like them use his stuff? Think Wanda. Think. And that's when it hit her. Clint. He'd help her, and Missouri was close enough for her to be there by morning, though she wasn't sure that's where he'd still be. Whatever, he owed her this much.

With no other option available, she made her way to O'Hare Airport changing her look to something unnoticeable and got on an outbound flight to Missouri. Glancing around to make sure she wasn't followed, she placed the order for her ticket and waited until it was time to board. It was only a few minutes before the following announcement was made over the PA system;

Good afternoon passengers. This is the pre-boarding announcement for flight AA 1062 to St.Louis, Missouri. We are now inviting those passengers with small children, and any passengers requiring special assistance, to begin boarding at this time. Please have your boarding pass and identification ready. Regular boarding will begin in approximately ten minutes time.
Thank you.

A sigh of relief escaped her lungs. Perhaps too soon as the next announcement was made:

Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for choosing to travel via Chicago O'Hare Airport. Our employees do the best they can to ensure the safety and security of our passengers-

And before she could finish, Wanda noticed the Airport Security Officer speaking to the very woman who handled her transaction. Shit, she thought. She got up abruptly from her seat, quickly adjusted her cap and lifted her hoodie. She walked out of the lounge reading the signs above, the officer tailing her whilst maintaining his distance. Wanda turned left towards her gate, picking up the pace, and as she did, so did the officer. How do I lose him? she thought. At that moment, right ahead, she saw a mother with an unattended stroller conversing with another young man, the kid obviously playing right beside her. She quickly made her way past and flicked her wrist, causing the stroller to ride in-front of the officer, delaying his tail. She smiled smugly as she joined a crowd of passengers who were held back because of a delayed flight finally losing him.

She handed her ticket to the flight attendant, smiling so as not to seem suspicious,

"Thank you and welcome aboard to Flight AA 1602." she said.

Wanda lowered her head and boarded the plane, sitting in the window seat. It was okay. She was okay.

The pilot made his announcements, safety precautions were shown and then, finally, she was in the air.

Two hours passed and she landed in Missouri, after what happened in Chicago she was expecting to be greeted by a bunch of FBI agents ready to arrest her but to her surprise...there weren't any. In fact, her exit couldn't have been smoother. She thought maybe they're just out-waiting her, thinking she'd do something awful. Something they could bring her in for, i mean, they have protocol. Protocol.

She never went through security.

That's when she noticed. She was never in Chicago.

"Wanda, why are you doing this again?" said a familiar voice over the PA system. A voice she's heard before. "Wanda, stop."

And just like that... her last moments were rewinded back into reality.

How did I get here?

She looked around at what seemed like a cage made of two way mirrors. Lifting a finger, she tilted her head in awe, and began tapping ever so slightly at the reflective glass.

"You took my home from me." she said, a feeling of betrayal present in her tone. "You took everything from me."

A burst of red emerged from her hands, shattering the glass around her revealing Hayward and a series of agents behind it.

"I've killed you once, i'll do it again." she said, walking towards Agent Hayward.

She twirled her fingers and thrusted her hands to the side, pushing all of the agents beside him against the walls where they were immobilised. Then, using her anger, her hatred, she lifted her hand against him, and within seconds he began choking on his very own blood. His entire body shaking as he placed his hand on his throat, pleading for her to stop, though he couldn't get the words out. His body once again, became lifeless.

All of a sudden, a series of applause could be heard from what seemed like an entertained crowd. Wanda turned around to a stadium full of people, cheering her on and whistling for her so-called victory. Confused, she turned back to face Hayward only to find herself...back home. And not the hideout by the lake, she was home. In Westview.

"Hello my dear," she heard. Her nostrils flared and her eyes began collecting tears, slowly, she turned around.

"Vision?" she asked.

"I guess here we are, saying hello sooner than you thought" he replied.

No. No no no no. Wanda began hyperventilating, What is happening? She hastily ran out of the door, Vision watching her, seemingly unfazed by her puzzling behaviour. The door opened and once again, her location changed. She was back at the hideout, surrounded by serenity and peace. However, at this point, Wanda was getting frustrated, her powers going into overdrive and her patience running low.

"Where am I!" she yelled, into empty space. Birds flying above, cawing at her voice. Trees rustling in the soft wind.

"Who is doing this!" she cried, falling to her knees. Moments passed and all she could hear was the beating of her own heart and the rhythm of the lake. She sobbed for what seemed like an eternity, pleading for answers repeatedly until finally she heard a voice from behind,

"It's called the Imprisonment of the Mind. It's what we use to teach our protégés how to deal with their emotions"

Wanda sniffled and wiped away her tears, recollecting herself in the process. She stood up and turned around to find Stephen Strange standing only a few feet away.

"I'm not really here so..don't try to zap me or whatever it is that you do" he said waving his hands around in a mimicking way, "We've never officially met. I'm Dr.Strange" he said smugly, placing his hand in front of her.

"I know who you are." she replied. "Why am I here?"

"You don't remember?" he asked. "Well let me refresh your memory." Within a millisecond, he placed two fingers at the sides of her temples setting Wanda off into some sort of trance, his voice guiding her as she travelled through the memories of her own life. From childhood to the Avengers, from the Avengers to the battle of Thanos, from the battle to Westview and from Westview-

Wanda you have to focus. Remember how you came to me. Remember the pain, the grief. All of it. Remember.

- to here.