Pyromancy

Chapter 11 - A New Start

[Aboard the SHIELD Helicarrier, Several hours later...]

Darren and Wanda had spent a lot of their time on the flight back talking to each other. They discussed some basic things about one another, what had been going through their minds over the last week that they'd been repeatedly interacting before she and Pietro had defected to the better side, and what they thought of the potential future for both of them.

The young man felt the strangely natural connection he felt towards the Sokovian girl had grown stronger in this time they'd spent getting to know each other.

He had nodded attentively, listening and hanging onto her every word. He found it very interesting, even though he couldn't quite explain it. They kept walking, just making small talk back and forth, for a good while.

As they sat on an idle crate containing who knows what in the hangar area of the aircraft, he turned to her again, deciding to ask about something he'd been wondering about.

"So...", he said, "I'm also curious. I know that our abilities came from the same place, but how do yours work?", he asked, sounding genuinely curious. At the question, Wanda glanced over with a raised eyebrow. "I can warp reality, I suppose, to put it simply.", she replied with a shrug.

She moved her hand in front of her as they sat together, the red mist-like magic dancing above her hand. "Though it took me a while to control it, I'm still not fully there.", Wanda added. He nodded in acknowledgment. "Okay... I think I get it.", he said, watching the mesmerizing patterns of her energy swirling around as she showed it off to him.

"It's actually kinda beautiful in a way.", he admitted, smiling slightly embarrassed. She smiled and got an idea. Turning more towards him, the girl directed her magic to his arm to lift it.

Darren watched her turn her attention to him, and felt his arm raise, without his making it do so. "Whoah, what the-?", he started, pausing when he saw the red wisps curling along his arm, holding it up without his decision to do that himself. "Nice, Wanda... very nice.", he said with a cheerful smirk on his face.

Wanda smiled slightly proudly as she let the red disappear. "It's definitely fun to mess around with.", she said in agreement. "But also useful in situations.", she mostly just meant missions or battles, like the battle they'd just gone through. When she had saved numerous innocent lives with them.

She had once thought her powers were some kind of curse, but it was becoming clearer that she could use them for good. Darren smiled a little wider seeing her positive reaction to what he'd said. Though the look on his face dropped slightly after a couple seconds.

"At least yours has a lot more utility to help people directly.", he said softly, raising his hand, and igniting his fire, the bright flames burning along his whole forearm and hand.

"Mine is nothing but destruction. If I'm not careful, I end up damaging a lot of things, or hurting a lot of people.", he said quietly, his mind flashing back to something in his past. After a second or two of staring into space, he shook his head, snapping out of it.

Wanda watched him in slight confusion. His powers intrigued her, leaving her curious, and she was confused by his words. He could surely help a lot of people with the powers he possessed. "Don't think badly about them." The girl said encouragingly to him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go off like that." He nodded in response to her words of encouragement, his expression lightening up a little. "Thanks, Wanda. That's good to hear, I suppose.", he said appreciatively. "Back to you; what all can you do with your 'magic'?", he asked, forcing a smile.

When the conversation changed directions, she allowed it, deciding she'd press the issue again later if Darren was seemingly thinking badly of himself like that again. "A lot." She laughed softly in response to his question. "I would show you, but how?", she mumbled the last part to herself.