Agony (Wanda Maximoff)

Chapter 18

||"She was hurt, and she didn't know where she belonged."||

"You know, when Tony asked me to travel over here to see you, I was a bit concerned. Usually my patients depart from their homes to seclude themselves from society and their responsibilities, but...it seems like you coming here was the best decision. Don't you think?"

"Yes, I feel relaxed and...good." Wanda fell back and rested her head against the rich grass. The therapist she had been seeing had traveled down to talk to her on Tony's request. Wanda didn't mind, she liked her.

"Anyone in particular helping you with that?" The therapist looked up, over towards where Steve was playing with the kids. Wanda followed her gaze and watched him smile and laugh. For the past week, Steve had managed to keep Wanda from thinking of Pietro, and about her arm, and about her questions. How? She didn't really know, but he did, and it meant the world to her.

"You could say that," Wanda answered, and the therapist frowned down at her and placed her notebook down on the blanket.

"I support you in whatever makes you feel whole, but you can't find solitude in a man. Strength comes from within your own heart, not from someone else's. Do you understand that, Wanda? Can you find happiness on your own?"

"What?" Wanda looked away from Steve and peered up to the therapist, furrowing her brows in confusion. "Why do I need to find happiness? Why is that my responsibility? My brother is dead, how can I possibly find happiness anywhere? There is not anything left for me, and I am fine with that. I will live my life but there is not going to be another Pietro in my life ever. If I find peace with a man, then so be it, but that is not your concern."

Wanda stormed off and left the therapist gaping. It wasn't like Wanda to get angry like that, but the therapists's question was absurd.

Without thinking, Wanda wandered into the woods. Her heart was beating at an extreme rate, she could feel it in her chest, begging to explode. The shouting of Steve's voice echoed behind her, but she just kept moving. Why had she gotten so angry so suddenly? It wasn't like her at all, and the feeling of her blood boiling inside of her made Wanda nauseous.

The red glow of Wanda's hex traveled up her arms, and she kept running, afraid that if she was too close to the farmhouse that she'd tear it to shreds.

"Stay back!" she called out to Steve, who was trailing behind her. Wanda's vision turned red, and everything began to blur as the seconds ticked by. What was happening to her?

"Wanda!" Steve was slowing down his pace, but he was still too close to her. Wanda ran into a tree, her face hitting the hard bark painfully. She fell back and her body began to quiver. Through her blurry red vision, Wanda saw Steve above her, and his arms pulled her up. "Deep breaths," he said to her, but his words sounded slurred.

"Pietro..." was all Wanda could say. When Wanda turned her head, she saw her brother, jogging through the trees. He stopped suddenly, catching his breath. He looked so alive, so healthy. "Pietro." He looked up, pushing his hair aside, then started walking towards Wanda.

Wanda's arm reached up, but the second Pietro came close enough to grab, he was gone.

"Listen to me, come on Wanda, listen to my voice. He's not there, look at me," Steve grabbed Wanda's chin and forced her to look up at him. Wanda eyes began spilling tears, but all she did was stare up at Steve with red eyes. "He's not there, okay? I'm the only one here, it's just me." He ran his hands down Wanda's face and then brought her up to his warm chest.

Slowly, Wanda's red hex diminished into her skin, and her eyes returned to their normal color. She was sweating profusely, but her body stopped shaking after a few minutes of rest.