The Witch's Shadow (Wanda Maximoff x Girl)

Three

I followed Natalia through a lot of hallways and to an elevator that we rode up to 34th floor. When the doors opened I expected to see other people, not an apartment. Nat stepped out and tossed her jacket into the couch before going to the kitchen and getting a drink from the fridge. I followed slowly and looked around.

One wall was completely glass and let in an obnoxious amount of light. In front of it was a sectional and mounted on the wall was the biggest television I had ever seen. Across from the living area was the kitchen where Nat stood watching me. Across from the elevator was a hall that had several doors leading off it.

"Want a drink?" She offered. I shook my head and continued to look around. There was some weird art on the walls and bookshelves everywhere overflowing with books. Natalia didn't say anything else until I finished looking around and eventually came to stand across from her in the kitchen.

"So Tony just let's you live here?" I ask her, counting the exits.

"Yeah we all do. He built these apartments for us when he converted the tower," she tells me.

"Must be nice to have rich friends," I said sarcastically.

"It is. Especially when he gives you your own credit card." She laughed at my expression and started to walk down the hall, motioning me to follow her. "Guest room," she said as we stopped at a door. "With it's own bathroom. You'll stay with me until the others trust you. My room is at the end of the hall. Enjoy your shower." She turned to go and stopped when I grabbed her arm.

Of course I immediately dropped it, "sorry, I didn't mean to assume I still had your permission."

"You're still doing that?" She asks, slightly surprised.

"Always," I grinned. "So about this." I put my hand on the collar, "I don't really have to wear this right?"

She sighed and suddenly looked exhausted, "yes Ray, unfortunately you do. It's just until Tony trusts you."

"So for the rest of my life," I groan, giving it another yank before dropping my hand as the damn thing shocks me.

"Ray, I really don't want to argue right now. I just got back from a mission and I'm exhausted. So can we please do this later?" She half begs. The desperation in her voice caught me off guard, the Natalia I knew would never beg.

I suddenly realize that this Natasha is not the same person I grew up with. "Yeah, sure. Goodnight Natalia."

"Thank you. Help yourself to whatever you want, I'm going to take a nap." She turned and before she disappeared into her room she says, "and it's Natasha now, Ray."

"Ok. Goodnight, Natasha." I opened the door to what was now my room and stepped inside, not really taking it in until the door was closed behind me.

The thing was huge, if this was the guest room I could only imagine what the master looked like.

A giant four poster bed with a canopy was against one wall with matching nightstands and a wardrobe. Who still used wardrobes? Across from the bed was another huge television with every Gaming console you could imagine and a ton of games for each. Not to mention a DVD player and movies. And Another floor to ceiling window. What was with this Tony guy and such large windows? A desk was in front of the window and a door lead off to one side, probably the bathroom.

As I stepped onto the plush carpet a voice range out, "greetings, I am Jarvis. How may I assist you today?"

"Who's there?" I looked around and I was completely alone.

"My name is Jarvis. I am an interactive artificial intelligence that Mr. Stark has installed in the entire tower."

"Great so he can spy on me," I sighed as I walked further into the room.

"On the contrary, Mr. Stark values privacy above all else and has a privacy setting so that nobody, not even himself, can access what is going on in peoples rooms."

"Well that's a plus i suppose." I thought a moment, "Jarvis was it?"

"Yes Miss."

"Call me Ray. Now, tell me about the tower and those who live here." So while I showered in the ridiculously extravagant marble bathroom, and for several hours after, Jarvis told me everything there was to know about the tower and it's inhabitants. Jarvis answered all my questions and finally, when night had long since fallen, I finally ran out of questions. "Thank you Jarvis, you've been extremely helpful. That'll be all."

"You're welcome Miss Ray."

The past few hours had been filled with the sound of Jarvis talking and without it, the room seemed bigger. Almost too big. My nerves started to go into overdrive and my adrenaline spiked. The room was too vulnerable. I grabbed all the blankets and took them into the bathroom. I tossed one over the glass shower wall and put the other one inside. Taking a breath I went back out and got a pillow and raced back into the bathroom. I closed the door and went to the shower, sitting down in the blanket nest.

Trying to calm my breathing I closed my eyes and tried to think about something, anything else. Thankfully my mind cooperated for once and my thoughts drifted to the Witch.

To Wanda.

I still couldn't believe she had powers like mine. Not exactly like mine obviously, but still, I had never met someone who had come close to matching mine. The way she got into my head, saw my memories, was impressive.

Thinking about that turned out to be a mistake. Flashes of the Red Room forced their way into my mind and my breathing quickened at them.

NO! Think about Wanda.

Her red hair.

Flash! Blood on my hands.

Her soft smile.

The cruel sneer of Dreykov.

Dreykov. The person who made me into this.

No no, focus.

Wanda.
Wanda.
Wanda.

I was so focused on trying to focus that it took a moment for me to realize that someone was saying my name.

"Ray? Ray are you ok?" Wanda's worried voice flowed through my head.

"Hey witchy," hopefully she couldn't hear the strain in my voice.

"What's wrong? You were calling for me. You sounded... scared."

"Oh just a mild panic attack. I'm fine." I was far from fine, but she didn't need to know that.

"Ray I can feel everything that you're feeling. You're not fine. I'll have Jarvis get Natasha, you shouldn't be alone."

"NO! Don't! Please.." I begged. Me, Shadow, begged. "I'm not alone, you're with me."

"I don't know..." she said unsure.

"I'll be ok Witchy, it'll be over soon." And it would be, it was already starting to fade. As my heart slowed down and my breathing returned to normal, a wave of exhaustion came crashing down over me. "Thank you," I told the girl.

"For what?"

"Just for being here." The last of my strength was fading and I laid back and curled up. Just as sleep took me, the last thought I had was of Wanda.