She's Got a Temper || Wanda Maximoff || Natasha Romanoff ||

Chapter 9

2024- Avengers Compound

"I can't really breathe." I said, stopping dead in my tracks just outside the main doors of the compound.

I had let go of Wanda's hand and the worried look on her face just made the panic in my chest rise. I thought I could handle this; maybe I couldn't, maybe I couldn't do this, I wasn't the same person who died 8 months ago, I'm nowhere near that woman. I'm just a broken shell of what was.

"Hey, stop, you're okay." Wanda said, coming up to me.

Wanda immediately placed her hands on each side of my face and I could feel her energy soothing me. I took a deep breath and managed to even out my breathing, thank god for Wanda because I sure as hell wouldn't be able to do this without her. I lifted one of her hands off of my face and kissed her palm in gratitude which made her smile. I loved that smile so much, it could truly calm even the biggest storms raging in my mind.

"Thank you." I whispered and placed a sweet kiss on her lips.

"Anything for you."

I nodded and interlocked our fingers so that we could continue the walk into the compound. Sam had paused at the door to wait for us and as we walked through the doors I felt him put his hand on my back to give me some sort of support.

"Julia, you got this." Sam whispered and I appreciated the comforting words.

I nodded again not being able to really form words, everytime I tried I seemed to have come up empty. I couldn't even utter a thank you so I just held onto Wanda's hand and stood behind Sam as we walked through the compound.

There wasn't anybody around, it was actually pretty empty and I was convinced no one was here but I knew Yelena was and when I saw a light coming from the lab I knew Tony or Bruce was in there and for some reason I hoped for the latter.

I felt like I was walking to my trial as I climbed the steps to the lab and I found myself holding my breath. Wanda squeezed my hand as Sam swiped his I.D card to enter the lab and as I stepped through I looked around but no one was in my immediate sight. When we all turned the corner though we saw a hunched over Tony working on something with his back facing us. I felt the oxygen leave my body.

"Tony." Sam called but Tony didn't look up. I took a closer look and saw that he had earphones in. This man and his rock music.

"His ears." I said, looking at Sam and he nodded.

Sam walked up to Tony and put his hand on his shoulder to get his attention. Tony gave Sam a curious look and took his earphones off after Sam gestured for him too.

"What do you need, Wilson, I'm in the middle of something." Tony gestured to the contraption he seemed to be fiddling with.

"You need to see something." Sam pointed in mine and Wanda's direction and I really couldn't grasp what was happening.

Tony saw Wanda first and he looked almost angry but when his gaze shifted to me I took the hood and baseball hat off to indicate it was me. Tony's face just got angrier as he shot out of his chair and all of a sudden his suits blaster was clamped onto his arm and pointing at Wanda. I instinctively moved in front of her and extracted my claws. I didn't know why Tony's reaction was violent but it didn't sit right with me.

"Enough with this magic act witchy, get rid of the illusion!" Tony yelled and I could hear the break in his voice. Tears began welling up in his eyes too. He didn't think I was real.

"There's no illusion Tony! It's actually Julia, now stand down before I make you." Wanda retaliated and in my peripheral vision I could see Wanda's red energy building around her hands.