𝙼𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚙𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 ~ Steve Rogers

The Sociopath ~ 25

Evangeline discovers a neatly folded guest robe in one of the dresser drawers in her temporary room at the Avengers compound. Still agitated from her confrontation with Steve Rogers, she absentmindedly tugs at the device still adorning her neck, a visible sign of the tension that lingers. Sitting back on the edge of the bed with a huff, she falls back, the mattress responding with a light bounce.

As she contemplates the mysterious voicemail, Eva grabs her phone from the bed and replays it, listening intently. Twice, thrice, she replays the unsettling message. In the midst of this, a knock on the door interrupts her thoughts. Expecting, perhaps even hoping, it to be Steve, she rises and goes to answer the door, her hand grasping the handle.

To her surprise, Wanda stands on the other side, holding a small pile of fresh clothes for Eva. The tension momentarily eases, replaced by a glimmer of gratitude.

"So, the Captain's delegated you to be my errand runner?" Eva scoffs, leaving the door ajar as she saunters back toward the bed, ushering Wanda inside. She dismisses the offered clothes, prompting Wanda to hesitantly place the pile atop the dresser.

"No, Steve didn't assign me any running around for you. He just mentioned your wardrobe situation, and I figured a bit of hospitality wouldn't hurt," Wanda retorts, scrutinizing Eva as she makes her way to the clothes pile, absentmindedly unraveling it to assess her options.

"Oh, the agony of letting me borrow your garments, Wanda," Eva teases, sarcasm dripping from her drawl. Her gaze flickers over to her counterpart, a teasing glint dancing in her eyes.

"Steve also mentioned you weren't aware of the voicemail," Wanda persists, brushing off Eva's sarcasm, her arms folding across her chest.

"Seems like I'm the last one to know about this voicemail saga," Eva sighs, a subtle roll of her eyes as she selects a top to don. Unfazed, Wanda nods, gracefully turning around to grant Eva some privacy as she changes. Eva remains oblivious, disrobing from her robe with nonchalance.

"Did he also share that he doesn't exactly trust a word I say?" Eva continues, a palpable bitterness coloring her tone, capturing Wanda's full attention, curiosity evident.

"And that gets under your skin," Wanda observes, still gazing in the opposite direction, hearing the rustle as Eva slips into a pair of jeans. Eva offers no response, only rolling her eyes once more at Wanda's observation.

"You know, I could delve into your mind, see if you're being truthful... It'd save us all the trouble of second-guessing you constantly," the Sokovian suggests, a reminder of the formidable powers at her disposal. Eva laughs.

"And you know, Wanda, if you attempted it, I'd tear this collar off and have a field day."

This time, Wanda laughs, anticipating Eva's sharp retort. She turns around, noting the lack of movement from Evangeline, suggesting she's fully dressed. "I don't doubt it... but I do believe you, Eva," Wanda confesses, catching Eva off guard.

"And why is that?" Evangeline inquires, tilting her head as Wanda smiles knowingly.

"Because you'd go to any length to avoid upsetting Steve any more than you already have. You crave his trust more than the rest of us do. If you knew who sent that voicemail, you would've told him," Wanda deduces, a hint of smugness in her expression as Eva's face shifts from a frown to a small smirk and a quiet sigh.

"And you didn't even need to rifle through my mind to figure that out," Eva concedes, confirming the accuracy of Wanda's insight.

Wanda nods, sensing that the conversation has run its course, and makes a move to leave, Eva letting her be. Just as she reaches the door, a question niggles within Wanda's mind, causing her to pause. "Eva, how did you get your powers?"