Rising From The Ashes (Book Five of the Bad Wolf Chronicles)

A Scarlet Future

A small vision of the future from someone who will be very important to Jessie in the future, even if she's not the kindest of people at first look.

***

She kept her head low, focusing on the blocks in front of her. She heard one of the men approach their leader and say, "It's over. Fury has released everything to the public."

"Everything he knows about," their leader countered.

"Herr Strucker, if they get word of our work here, if they find out we serve HYDRA - "

"HYDRA," he sniffed. "SHIELD. Two sides of a coin that's no longer currency. What we have is worth more than any of them ever knew. We've only scratched the surface, and already there are other facilities doing HYDRA's good work around the world. We'll feed them to Captain America and his colorful friends, keep them off our scent."

"What about the volunteers?"

"The dead will be buried so deep, their own ghosts won't be able to find them."

"And the survivors?"

"The twins." She didn't give any notice as the two men approached her cell, her twin brother on the other side. "Sooner or later, they will meet the twins. It's not a world of spies anymore. Not even a world of heroes. This is the age of miracles, doctor. There is nothing more horrifying than a miracle."

Wanda Maximoff smiled slightly and levitated the blocks she held in front of her, when her smile froze, something flashing through her mind . . .

 . . . "I've been running, faster than I've ever run, and I've been running my whole life. Now it's time for me to stop. And tonight, I'm going to need you all with me." . . .

 . . . "I'm sorry . . . " . . .

 . . . "NO!" . . .

 . . . "You think he isn't? If that man is finally collecting on his debts, on debts they all owe him and his wife, God help you, and God help their debtors." . . .

 . . . "Good men don't need rules. Today is not the day to find out why I have so many!" . . .

 . . . "Hope. Hope in this endless, bitter war." . . .

 . . . "What war? Against who?" . . .

 . . . "Against your wife, Doctor." . . .

Wanda stiffened, then smirked and let out a bark of laughter.

Strucker stiffened, hearing her laugh, but Wanda just basked in the future she had just seen, even as the cubes she played with exploded with the energy she unleased.

Oh, God help them.

God help them all!

***

This was the mid credits scene of "The Winter Soldier," which introduced Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver and his twin sister, Wanda/Scarlet Witch. Wanda is definitely going to be important come "Age of Ultron," and she will be very important by the end of Season 6.

So far, the plan is for "Age of Ultron" to be in between "A Good Man Goes To War" and "Let's Kill Hitler." Hopefully, after summer, I'll be able to find a transcript, so I can write for that soon.

Just the epilogue left, and trust me, I know people will want to kill me by then. I'd better prepare for it.