When two worlds collide

Chapter 3

The chaos hadn't settled yet.

The collapsed scaffolding had turned the set into a whirlwind of activity. Crew members rushed around like ants, trying to figure out what had gone wrong, and producers were already on the phone with lawyers, agents, and probably a few insurance companies. Y/N found themselves caught up in it too—briefly grilled by the safety coordinator about what they had seen, what they had heard, if they had noticed anything wrong before the explosion.

Standard stuff. They answered calmly, offering reassurances that everything would be fine, though inside, something nagged at them. Something about the whole situation didn't sit right. The rig shouldn't have failed like that. Not with all the checks they had done.

Still, they played it cool, signing off on the necessary paperwork before ducking away from the endless questioning.

As they slipped away from the main set, Y/N could feel a slight tension building in their chest. It was that after-the-fact realization, the weight of what had just happened starting to sink in. They weren't a stranger to danger, but that had been close—too close. The kind of close that sticks with you.

Finding a quiet spot behind one of the trailers, Y/N leaned against the side, letting out a long breath. The adrenaline had worn off, leaving a faint tremor in their hands. They flexed their fingers, willing the feeling away. Get it together, they told themselves. This is what you signed up for.

But as they stood there, alone with their thoughts, the quiet didn't last long.

"Y/N."

Wanda's voice came from behind them again, softer this time, but there was an edge to it that hadn't been there before. Y/N turned to face her, seeing that same mix of concern and intensity in her eyes, except now, it was amplified.

"Hey," Y/N greeted her, trying to keep their tone light despite the heaviness settling in their chest. "Back for another round of psychoanalyzing?"

She didn't smile. Instead, she stepped closer, her gaze searching their face like she was trying to see through whatever mask they were putting on. "I just finished talking to the director," she said, crossing her arms. "He said they have no idea how the rig malfunctioned. They checked everything before the scene—it should have been fine."

Y/N shrugged, shoving their hands into their pockets. "Equipment fails sometimes. Could've been a loose wire, bad timing. I don't know. These things happen."

"Not like this," Wanda countered, her voice a little sharper than before. "That wasn't a random accident, Y/N."

Y/N paused, looking at her more closely. There was something behind her eyes—something they hadn't seen before. It wasn't just concern; it was suspicion. And that made the knot in Y/N's chest tighten.

"You think it was intentional?" they asked, keeping their voice neutral.

"I don't know what to think," Wanda admitted, her frustration clear. "But I know enough about magic—and about people—to know when something feels off. This wasn't just bad luck."

Y/N tilted their head, considering her words. "So what, you think someone sabotaged the set?"

"I'm not saying that," Wanda replied, shaking her head. "But... I've seen things go wrong on sets before, and this doesn't feel like an accident. And you—" She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You didn't hesitate for a second, did you?"

Y/N raised an eyebrow. "What, you think I was supposed to let the guy fall?"

"That's not what I mean." Wanda stepped closer, her gaze sharp. "You didn't hesitate because you knew something was going to happen, didn't you?"

Y/N's heart skipped a beat, but they kept their expression carefully neutral. "I just reacted to the situation. Same as I always do."

Wanda didn't look convinced. She studied them in silence for a moment, and Y/N could feel the weight of her gaze like a pressure on their skin. It wasn't a bad feeling—just intense, like she was peeling back the layers they kept so carefully guarded.

And then, finally, she sighed, the tension in her shoulders easing just a bit. "Look," she said, softer now. "I'm not accusing you of anything. But there's more going on here than just stunts and special effects. I can feel it."

Y/N didn't say anything at first. They just watched her, their mind racing through possibilities. The truth was, they had noticed something—felt something—just before the explosion. A strange sensation, like the air had shifted in an unnatural way. But they hadn't had time to process it before everything went sideways.

And now, here was Wanda, picking up on the same weird vibe. Y/N wasn't sure whether to be relieved or concerned by that.

"Okay," Y/N said finally, their voice low. "I'll bite. What do you think is going on?"

Wanda hesitated for a second, as if she wasn't sure how much to say. But then she took a breath and stepped closer, lowering her voice so only Y/N could hear. "I've seen magic like this before—small, subtle disruptions. Just enough to throw things off without being obvious. It could be anything—someone testing a spell, or a hex gone wrong. I don't know yet. But it's dangerous, and if someone's messing with the set, we need to find out who."

Y/N felt a shiver run down their spine. Magic? This was starting to get into territory they weren't used to dealing with. But if Wanda was right, and this wasn't just a freak accident...

"You think I'm the target?" Y/N asked, their tone half-joking, though the question was deadly serious.

Wanda's eyes softened slightly. "I don't know. But you're in the middle of it now, whether you like it or not. And if someone—or something—is targeting you, we need to figure out why."

Y/N chuckled, though there was no humor in it. "Great. Just what I needed—magic sabotage. Really keeping things interesting."

Wanda didn't smile. Instead, she reached out and placed a hand on Y/N's arm. The touch was light, but there was a warmth to it that Y/N hadn't expected.

"Just promise me you'll be careful," Wanda said quietly. "I've seen too many people get hurt because they didn't take things like this seriously."

Y/N looked down at her hand for a second before meeting her gaze. There was something in her eyes—a kind of fierce protectiveness that caught Y/N off guard. They'd always been the one taking care of themselves, the one diving headfirst into danger without a second thought. But this—this was different.

"Alright," Y/N said finally, their voice softening. "I'll be careful. But don't expect me to sit on the sidelines while things go down. That's not my style."

Wanda smiled—just a small one, but it was there. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

Before either of them could say anything more, one of the producers rounded the corner, looking frazzled and out of breath. "Hey, Y/N! We need you back on set. They're clearing the area and resetting for another scene. You good to go?"

Y/N nodded, already shifting back into work mode. "Yeah, I'm good."

The producer gave them a quick nod and disappeared again, leaving Y/N and Wanda standing in the fading quiet.

Y/N glanced back at Wanda, their usual playful smirk returning. "Guess it's back to the grind. Try not to miss me while I'm off jumping through explosions again."

Wanda rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the small smile. "Just try not to get blown up this time."

"No promises."

With that, Y/N gave her a quick salute and turned to head back toward the set. But as they walked away, they couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of something much bigger—and much more dangerous.