The Other Symbiote

The Mind Has Mysterious Ways

HEAVY TW!

Wanda stood in front of a thick brick wall inside Raiva's mind. She tried to push against it, but it wouldn't budge, not a single brick. 

She sighed and a new idea popped into her head, waving her glowing hand over the brick in front of her eyes and it shimmered to transparency.

She saw Raiva's memory looping over and over, the sharp inhale of the spike jabbing into her whilst the guards stripped themselves and used her senselessly. 

Their batons slapped against her skin, the sounds echoing down the hall whilst Raiva's cracking screams were muffled through the mask that dug into her chin. 

"Shut up!" A guard yelled, smacking the baton into her face and driving the small blades on the mask further into her jawline, small droplets of blood dripping down her side. 

"Go! Finish her!" The guards around the two yelled and the guard did so, only for the memory to restart. 

----

Wanda pulled herself out of Raiva's mind and shuffled away from her, her heart shattering into a million pieces. Even through all of that torture, all of that rape, Raiva still held onto the one good memory she had. 

Wanda. 

"Wanda, what did you see?" Nat asked, the witch's head shaking intensely. 

"I saw Raiva being... taken advantage of. Over and over and over." She couldn't bring the words to her mouth, instead stifling sobs. 

Nat was silent, moving slowly towards Raiva as she developed a pool of sweat and shook her awake. Raiva's left arm latched onto Nat's fiercely, blinking slowly as her eyes came into focus and released her. 

"Oh my Rao, I'm so sorry, Nat." She saw the small crescent marks from her nails on Nat's bare arm and reached to heal it, only for Nat to brush her off. 

"Trust me, Rai. Steve's relapses are much worse than yours." Raiva sat up and pulled the blanket around her waist off, only now noticing Wanda sobbing by her feet. 

"Wanda, are you okay-" The witch attacked her with a hug, Nat nodding to Raiva whilst she walked through the bathroom. 

Raiva wrapped her arm around Wanda and stayed on the ground, letting her sob into her shoulder. 

"I'm so sorry that you went through that, Raivina. I didn't know." 

"I know you didn't know. It's not exactly something I can bring up in conversation, now can I?" Raiva chuckled lightly, trying to subdue her emotions and keep up the shaking wall in her mind. 

"You can always talk to me." Wanda pulled away, holding Raiva by her cheeks and seeing the thin scars on her jawline.

"My God..." Wanda began to cry again, Raiva taking her hands away with both arms.

"Calm down, Wanda. I'm okay." 

"You are clearly not, Raivina." 

"You can still call me Raiva. I shouldn't have lashed out at you like that." Raiva smiled softly, the two falling into silence. 

"Do you want to come and have breakfast? It's almost 7 am." Wanda looked at the clock from across the room. 

"Yeah, sure. Let me just... fix myself up." Raiva gestured to her sweaty self and Wanda got up from the floor. 

"I should go check on Vision, he might be wondering where I am." 

"You taught the robot how to sleep?" 

"Yes." Wanda chuckled softly whilst closing the door behind her. Raiva stood and changed her clothes quickly before heading to the kitchen. 

*You know, we have to tell someone sooner or later.* Nemesis grumbled inside her mind.

*I prefer later.* Raiva spoke softly back, not wanting the news to get out.

*Raiva, a miscarriage is a serious gesture to your health.* 

*It's really not, Nem. It makes perfect sense - I was holed up in that hell, I was taken advantage of and the baby didn't survive. Plus, I'm not ready to have a child.* 

*I know. But you have to at least tell one person. Probably Nat or Lena.*

*Yeah. Probably.* Raiva snapped back to reality as she entered the kitchen full of laughter, smiling at Nat and Steve as they softened their laughs and looked at her carefully. 

"I'm fine, Nat." 

"Mhmm. We will talk later. For now, eat your breakfast." Wanda placed a plateful of pancakes and whipped cream on top, smiling softly before Vision came up behind her. 

"These smell good." 

*I find that hard to believe. How does a robot have a sense of smell?*

*How do you have an arm when he chopped it off?*

*That's... a good point.*

Wanda looked up at Raiva and her eyes twinkled with mischief, letting her know she heard her mind. Raiva instantly put up the walls she had grown accustomed to putting up in her mind and the smile wiped off of Wanda's face. 

"So... is someone going to tell me why we brought these two back?" Raiva wiggled her fork at the two of them, Nat tapping the utensil with her own. 

"Don't be rude." 

"Lo siento. (I'm sorry.)" Raiva nudged her back and Nat grinned. 

"Eres vale. (You're okay.)" 

"Someone wanna tell me what they are saying?" Steve chuckled before Vision translated. 

"Ms. Brock apologized and Ms. Romanoff accepted the apology." 

"You know, we are going to have to result to KSL around him." Raiva whispered to Nat, who simply smiled. 

"Whatever you want, Rai. Come on, eat the last pancake." 

"Nah. You can have it." Raiva stood silently and moved towards the door, only for a small, soft hand to grab her wrist. 

"Stay. Watch some of The Office with me. That always puts you in a good mood." Wanda chuckled dryly, hope in her eyes that Raiva would stay. 

She saw it. 

"Of course, Wanda." Raiva muttered, the others seeing their interaction as a breakthrough. 

Raiva was always holed up in her room or in the gym, trying her hardest to stay away from Wanda and Vision. She closed herself off to everyone but Nat, who even with their close connection, couldn't get anything out of her. 

Whilst Wanda wanted nothing more than to have her back. She'd search high and low in the compound every day until she did, trying desperately to stop her and have a conversation. But nothing worked until now. 

"I'll get the red frogs and the popcorn." Raiva muttered, reaching for the snacks whilst Wanda moved to the movie room without Vision. 

"Would you like some assistance, Ms. Brock?" Vision offered politely, Raiva seeing the sincerity in his eyes which could only mean one thing to Raiva. 

She'd never have Wanda back.

A/N - This was a bit of fluff before Infinity War starts. I can't believe I'm already this far in. Damn. I'm going to cry when this is finished.