The Eternal Avenger

Chapter Twenty-One: Truths

(Wanda's POV)

Natasha and I met Bridgit in front of the compound as the quinjet landed nearby. Steve climbed out from behind the controls, raising his eyebrows at us as the woman approached. I rushed forward, smiling, and she gently pulled me into a hug. "Wanda!" She exclaimed. I glanced behind my shoulder at Natasha, who slowly approached. "And Natasha," Bridgit smiled, pulling the redhead into an unexpected hug as well. Natasha smiled at her.

"It's nice to meet you," she said politely. She seemed uneasy, almost like she was nervous. I had to admit that although Bridgit and I spoke regularly, she wasn't what I expected. Claray said that she had known the woman for decades, but she didn't look any older than either of us. And to be the leader of a coven that young didn't seem normal. She took my elbow, almost as if she could hear my thoughts.

"You'll understand soon," she whispered in my ear. I looked at her in shock.

"You can hear me too," I reached out in my mind. She smiled beside me.

"Seems like," I smiled. Natasha glanced between the two of us before rolling her eyes.

"You two can do it too," she groaned, sending Bridgit and me into a giggling fit. "That's so unfair," she muttered. Bridgit leaned in close.

"I like her," she whispered. I smiled at her wide.

"Me too," I acknowledged.

"I can hear you now, you know," Natasha smirked at us.

"Just keeping you in the loop," I teased. We all started walking into the compound, and I led Bridgit towards the conference room where the others were waiting. They rose to their feet as we entered the room, unsure of where to start. Bridgit raised her hands and stepped to the center of the room before clearing her throat.

"I get that you all have some questions," she began.

An hour later, we all sprawled in our seats around the table, taking in the information that we had been told. Hearing about Havoc vampires is one thing. Understanding exactly what that meant was another.

"So, what can we do?" Steve finally broke the silence. Natasha and I glanced at each other. We had both been too afraid to ask the question ourselves.

"There are a few options," Bridgit explained. She glanced in Natasha and my direction before continuing. "It's possible that seeing me at all could snap her out of it." Steve's brow furrowed, and Rhodes leaned forward in his chair.

"How's that?" Bridgit sighed, glancing over at Natasha and me again.

"Claray is not just a vampire who tried to help a village of Scottish witches five hundred years ago to me," her voice was soft, and there was moisture in her eyes. "She's also..well, she created me." Natasha frowned, leaning forward in her chair, her feet – for the first time I'd ever seen – settled firmly on the floor.

"Created you?" She asked. Bridgit nodded.

"Claray turned me," she explained, turning to the two of us. "I'm a vampire because of her." My breath caught in my throat. Natasha sank back into her chair, eyes wide in shock. Tony, who was leaning against the wall, looked like he was going to fall over, and if Steve's mouth hung open any wider, it would be on the ground. Bridgit sank into the chair behind her.

"I'm not just the leader of the Scottish coven now." She stared at the table in front of her, folding her hands. "I was a member of the coven then, as well." A tear threatened the corner of her eye, and I scooted my chair closer, resting a hand on her shoulder. "After they took us, must of the group refused to confess, and they burned them quickly." Her breath caught in her throat, and the tear finally made its way down her cheek.

"You don't have to explain," Steve started, but Bridgit lifted her head and shook it slightly.

"It's okay, it was a long time ago," she sighed. Steve sat back and nodded at her to continue. "Because I was younger, they thought they had a better chance getting me to confess, so they separated me from the others and tortured me. Claray found me." She squeezed her eyes shut momentarily, and the entire room took a collective deep breath. This was heavy, but it made some of the questions in my head far clearer. "I was too weak and too broken to feed from her right, and my throat had been damaged, so they only way to get me to heal was to transform me." She smiled. "She saved my life, and gave me a new one. And I owe her everything." I caught a tear threatening to fall from my eye, and Natasha's eyes were glistening. Tony cleared his throat.

"And if seeing you doesn't work?" Bridgit's eyes snapped back to the present, glancing over at him.

"There's always magic," she said simply. "I am a witch – and you have a powerful one right here as well." She smiled, and squeezed my shoulder.

"But my magic doesn't work on her," I started. Bridgit smiled and stopped me.

"Your mind control doesn't work on her," she smiled. "That is far from the extent of your magic." I thought back to the first time Claray and I saw each other – I had been able to push her back. I nodded.

"Let's do this," I said, far more assertively than I felt, my accent reasserting its presence. Natasha nodded, and was quickly followed by the rest of the team. As we filed out of the room, Bridgit grabbed Natasha's arm and held her back. I frowned curiously, but was sure one of them would fill me in later.

(Natasha's POV)

Bridgit stared into my eyes as the room slowly emptied until we were alone. "Natasha, have you not told her?" I frowned, staring back.

"Told who what?" I got the sense that the vampire in front of me was staring right through me, and I shuffled uncomfortably.

"Your memories, Natasha." My frown deepened.

"My memories?" I wasn't following.

"I saw them, while we were talking. Does Claray know that her compulsion doesn't work on you?  That it has never worked on you?  That you remember everything?" My mouth widened in shock, and Bridgit's expression softened.

"You feel the same way," she whispered. I stared into her eyes – green with flecks of brown – and could feel my cheeks starting to flush.

"Please, I don't..." Bridgit cut me off with a small flash of a smile.

"It's not my secret to tell, Natasha," she whispered kindly. "But you should tell Claray." I nodded. "And you should tell Wanda," She added. I looked at her hesitantly.

"Wanda?" I asked. She nodded.

"She cares very much for you both, and she will understand more about what it means. She may be able to help." Bridgit went to leave the room before I caught her hand.

"What it means?" I was confused again. She smiled wide and nodded.

"What it means if you want it to." I dropped her hand and watched her walk away. I leaned against the wall slightly, taking a few deep breaths and trying to take it all in. We had processed a lot of information in the last few days, and my head was swimming in it. I pushed myself away from the wall, following the group. If there was going to be a showdown, I was going to watch it happen. I was determined to get our hybrid back. At the very least, we owed each other a long talk.