One | Steve Rogers

43

" Why are you in my head?"

The Scarlet Witch lets out a deep and heavy sigh.

" We want the same thing."

" And what's that?"

" The multiverse... you want to travel through it, I want to travel through it. We both want something we no longer have... We could help each other."

" What makes you think I need help?"

" Have you left this universe yet? Have you found one that has what you desire?"

" Not yet."

" Exactly. And I can help with that."

" How?"

" The Dark Hold."

At her words, Lauren pauses. Never has she mentioned the book of the damned to anyone else, but when she looked through Stephen's mind and saw the book... she saw Wanda as well.

" You have it?"

" Yes... It has shown me things I never thought were possible... It's shown me my boys... and it can show you Steve."

" And what would you like in return?"

" I need your help finding the means to travel the multiverse."

" How do we do that?"

" A girl... who goes by the name of America Chavez."

" Consider it done."

Lauren opens her eyes and flushes the witch out of her mind with ease. She walks herself out of her hall of mirrors. She walks through her underground hide out, but senses she's not alone.

She stops in the middle of the dark hall, eyes and ears scanning over every possible location of an intruder. She doesn't even use her powers, she doesn't need to. Her history and training makes her deadly, all without magic.

Her feet continue to take her forward in complete silence as she hones in on whoever is invading her space. She knows there's somebody out there, but doesn't know who.

Her eyes fall down to the floor and find a rock roughly the size of her palm, so she grabs it and throws it in front of her, only it doesn't clash with skin, but with metal. It pings against a metal hand as it's grabbed with ease, telling her exactly who the intruder is.

Bucky walks out from the shadows, his face dimly lit by the light sneaking in from the small cracks above, casting him in a cool light. He makes eye contact with the woman in front of him, and is met with eyes that don't resemble hers. It's not Lauren he sees. It's Mage.

" I don't remember inviting you in," She utters, voice void of any emotions.

" Yeah, well, I couldn't find the doorbell," Bucky quips.