Only You

Chapter Ten

Clint is told by Bruce, Tony, and Steve to not pass on the information to Wanda. "It's her brother. She should have been the first to know." Looking troubled, Steve glances at Clint. He looks extraordinarily protective of Wanda and unwilling to back down.

"Think about what you're doing," Tony advises Clint.

"Either we tell her or Wanda finds him on her own. She's not going to just sit back with all this commotion."

"Clint's probably right," Bruce speaks up. Tony looks entirely against the idea but Steve looks on the fence. He trusts Clint's instincts and knows he's doing what he thinks is best, but Wanda's under a lot of stress as it is. He doesn't know whether to let it dwindle before adding to it again, or if she should know everything.

"We have to consider the consequences," Steve says rationally.

"We don't have time," Bruce replies, shutting down the idea as kindly as he can. The room couldn't fit more tension as it is. "Wanda's going to want answers."

"She does want answers," Clint clarifies. "She knows it has to do with Pietro."

Tony narrows his eyes at the bold claim. "I'm calling bullshit, Barton."

He shakes his head. "The outbursts of her magic? Last time that happened, it was when Pietro died. They had a connection and she lost it. She can put two and two together. Wanda's identified what she's feeling. She knows her brother is back."

Tony doesn't have time to retort or try to reason further. "Boys, we have a problem," Natasha interrupts, standing in the broken doorway to the lab. She doesn't give the door, off his hinges, a second glance. "Wanda's out."

"Called it," Clint mutters.

Swirls of dark red magic, like spirals in a galaxy, circle around Wanda's fingers and tickle her palms. The witch stalks down the abandoned hallway, unease growing across her back like someone's watching her.

The building feels strangely dangerous; it's the first time she's ever felt anything less than safe inside headquarters. The feeling in her chest crushes against her ribs, swelling inside her and ready to burst, as if her lungs were pressurized cans being kept on the verge of explosion. At the same time, it's a warm and pleasurable filling of her chest. After Pietro had died, it'd felt hollow and empty. It'd scared her — but the way her chest was now scared her just as much. The only thing that scared her more was turning each corner, not knowing if she'd see him.

Wanda knew he was here. Her brother was somewhere in this impossibly large building and she was going to search every hallway and room until there was nothing new for her to search. Wanda wasn't resting until she found him.

Somewhere on another level of the building, Pietro clutches his chest. His mission to escape the building takes a detour.

He wasn't resting until he found her, either.

The door of Wanda's room is opened. It looks like she had required no force to open the door. Natasha figures she'd used her magic, finding the inside of the lock and, after figuring out the shape the key would be if she had it, made her magic the same shape. Clever. The radio Steve had provided her was still on the table. Contacting her would be impossible, unless they wanted to use the intercoms — but that would expose the issue to the entire population of headquarters.

"Bruce and Tony are in the security room with radios to contact us. If they see either Wanda or Pietro on the security camera feeds, they'll tell us. Steve is already searching the upper floors. I'll take down here and you can get the middle levels," Natasha says. Though it's a basic plan, Clint admires her ability to organize and execute a plan in mere minutes.

She looks as if she'll move to leave, but stutters in her step. She glances around the room and pulls out a small chip from beneath a table. She drops it to the floor and steps on it. The sensitive, tiny microphone breaks under her sneaker. Clint looks at her quizzically. "You going to be okay?"

Clint chuckles, ducking his head. "He's Pietro, not Loki or Ultron. I think I'll be okay." A half-truth. If Pietro were aggressive for any reason, he could handle himself. The only thing he doubts is how he'll

Natasha punches him on the arm. "You know what I meant."

"I'll be fine," he assures her, giving her a small and quick smile before moving to the stairs, moving up them two at a time. He's out of Natasha's sight in seconds. Shaking her head, she takes a few steps backwards and turns on her heels, setting off at a light jog down a hallway.