Retribution ★ Avengers

Don't Patronize Me, Director

June 2, 2027

★ ★ ★

Marlena pulled to a stop behind a slick black Tahoe she could only assume belonged to the two men standing at the border of Westview, New Jersey. She got out of her vehicle and walked down the abandoned street, making her way over to FBI Agent Jimmy Woo and Director Hayward of SWORD. She looked around at her surroundings, taking notice of just how abandoned things appeared to be. There was no one around apart from her and the three men, but Marlena couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't alone. There were others around—she could sense it—but their minds seemed so far away. From what she'd been told, Wanda was the reason behind it, and she was determined to figure out why.

"Agent Woo, Director Hayward," Marlena acknowledged the two men as she closed in on them.

Agent Woo met her with a smile, while Director Hayward watched her with cautious eyes. He was aware someone had been coming to assist them in locating Monica Rambeau and dealing with Wanda's anomaly, but he wasn't aware that person would be Marlena Claire. His distaste toward enhanced individuals was at an all-time high due to Wanda's stunt, and Marlena standing in front of him didn't ease those feelings, regardless of whether or not she was there to help. In his eyes, she was just like the rest of them.

"Doctor Claire," Agent Woo greeted her, holding a hand out for her to shake.

"Please, call me Marlena," she replied, a smile on her face. She turned to look at Hayward, her senses alerting her he didn't particularly want her there, but she wouldn't be leaving until she knew Wanda, as well as SWORD's missing personnel, was okay. "Care to inform me what's going on here?"

"I'm going to assume you're familiar with Wanda Maximoff," Woo started, and Marlena nodded her head. "We don't have too many details just yet, but we do believe she's responsible for the current anomaly surrounding Westview. One of our agents—Captain Monica Rambeau—was investigating the anomaly and disappeared inside of it. There's been no contact since. We're unaware of her status, both physically and mentally. I was hoping you'd be able to help us."

"What makes you think she can help us, Agent?" Hayward replied, his tone slightly off-putting.

"And what makes you think I can't, Director?" Marlena remarked, her hazel irises flashing a deep sapphire color once she looked over at him. She didn't even give him the time to respond before making her way over to the strange energy shield surrounding the perimeter of the missing town. She could feel something inside her telling her to turn around—telling her she wasn't supposed to be there—but she fought it and continued forward.

"What are you doing, Doctor?" Hayward called to Marlena, who was now holding her glowing blue hands against the barrier. He was expecting to see her disappear inside as well, but what he didn't know was the strength of Marlena's power kept her from becoming victim to it.

Marlena didn't answer the Director. Instead, she concentrated on the flashes of images she began to receive from her contact with the barrier. She could see Wanda. She could see just how broken her younger cousin was, and she could feel it as well. It was a feeling Marlena had felt herself once before—after the devastating loss of her family at the hands of Thanos. Wanda was empty, broken, and utterly alone. She still grieved the life of the love she'd lost, leaving her grip on reality so thin Marlena was sure it was bound to break. It was exactly what Doctor Strange had warned her about only months ago, and the revelation of it left such an excruciating pain inside Marlena.

With a quiet gasp, Marlena pulled her hands away from the barrier, allowing the bright blue of her energy to dissipate until nothing was left. She turned to look at the two men, a lone tear falling from her eye. She wisked it away quickly and walked back over to them, her demeanor completely changed from what it'd been before. It was obvious what she saw affected her, but the two men weren't aware of why or to what extent.

"What'd you see?" Agent Woo asked Marlena.

"She's grieving," Marlena answered simply. "And this—this anomaly—it's a result of that grief."

"Did you see Captain Rambeau?" Hayward asked.

Marlena shook her head. "I only saw Wanda, but I know there are others. I can feel them."

"How do we get them back?" Hayward asked. "How do we stop her?"

"I really don't know," Marlena answered, her tone almost that of defeat. She wasn't ready to give up, however. She had a plan, and she wasn't sure how either one of them were going to feel about it. "But I need to get inside."

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Marlena," Agent Woo informed her, taking a cautious step toward her. "We have no idea what's happening inside this anomaly. We have no idea on the status of those inside it either. We don't know what Wanda's doing to these people or this town. We can't risk you going in and not coming out."

"I understand your apprehension, but I can handle this," Marlena told him.

"What?" Hayward scoffed. "You think just because you and Maximoff worked together she'll automatically listen to you?"

Marlena tilted her head at the man, her eyes narrowing. She was very unappreciative of his tone. "Wanda Maximoff is more to me than just a teammate, Director. I don't know what information you've managed to procure regarding her familial background, but she's my family—my younger cousin—and I'm not going to stand here and do nothing knowing she's hurting and allowing that hurt to affect thousands of innocent civilians. Believe me, you'll have a better chance stopping her with me than you will on your own."

The two men exchanged glances but otherwise remained silent. Marlena started walking back over to the barrier, leaving Agent Woo to follow behind her.

"Once I get inside, Wanda won't be able to control me the way she's controlling the rest of the residents," Marlena informed Woo.

"Why do you think that?"

"It's not what I think—it's what I know," Marlena answered. "She can't manipulate my mind unless I allow her to, and I don't intend on letting her."

"So, what happens then?" Hayward spoke up. "You really think a family reunion and some nice words are going to fix the situation?"

"Don't patronize me, Director," Marlena remarked, taking a few steps closer to the barrier. "I'm not here for you—I'm here for Wanda and Monica and the rest of Westview's residents. I'm here to do my job, so maybe take a step back and focus on yours."

Before either of them had the chance to respond, Marlena was disappearing inside the Westview anomaly, unsure of what to expect once she was inside.