A Haunting Past: an Avengers/x-men fanfiction

Paprikash

"Again." Wanda tells me as we tirelessly work together trying to improve on our powers.  I forgot about leaving the compound and I started to get really close to her.  My powers, however, were no match for hers and after an hour of drilling, I collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.

"What are you two doing?" Nat asks as she walks in.  I was sprawled on the ground as I tried to stop the massive headache from coming on.  

"Dying." I reply.  "What does it look like we're doing?" I ask picking my head up to glance at her.

"We are training together."  Wanda helps me off the floor and a wave of dizziness takes over.  I sit back down on the ground as I close my eyes and try to imagine my headache slowly washing away.  "Ally?"  The nickname Wanda gave me is kind of cute and the way she says it almost makes it sound like she's calling me her ally in seat of Alli which is what she is going for.

"I'm fine just give me a minute." I tell her and Nat kneels down in front of me.

"Fury has a mission for you."  My ears perk up and I open my eyes to study her face.   I lean my head to the side curiously and she laughs.

"How dangerous is it this time?" I ask thinking back to my mission that definitely could have ended better and me not being in so much pain.  "And do not sugar coat it." I tell her and she looks at me worriedly.

"It's a infiltration mission at one of the HYDRA bases...."  Nat tells me and I shake my head no.  I couldn't do another mission with the possibility of HYDRA getting ahold of me before SHIELD can stop the torture.

"No, not happening.  I will not put myself through that again." I tell her as I stand up.  My head pounds as I walk over to the door leading towards the bedrooms.  "Tell Fury he can find another girl to do the mission.  I'm tired of being tortured for other people's gain."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"What are you making?" I ask Wanda as I wander into the main kitchen in the compound.  It smells a lot like paprika but I found my stomach growling in response to the foreign smelling dish.

"Paprikash."  Wanda replies and I sit at the bar stool to watch her.  "It's from my home of Sokovia."  She tastes the dish and a small smile appears.  "Where are you from?" She asks me.

"The U.S., I guess.  I spent a lot of my childhood in Canada but I was a prisoner there.  So I really don't have a home." I tell her as she grabs two bowls from the cabinet.  I watch her serve us both some dinner and then she hands it to me.  I was kind of weary to try it but it was really good when I took my first bite.  It reminded me of my time with a couple of old soviet spies.

"Do you like it?" Wanda asks and I offer up my praises.  We sit there in silence for a couple minutes eating until Natasha finds us.  Thankfully, I was almost done so I quickly finished and put my bowl in the dishwasher.

"I have homework to finish.  Thank you for dinner." I tell Wanda as I race off down the halls.  I hear Nat call after me but I didn't want to stop.  I make it to my bedroom and I shut the door.   I couldn't deal with Nat right now even though it wasn't her fault, Fury offered me the mission.

"I thought you were smarter than this."  A voice from the corner of my room says.  I look up and I see Victor smiling.  I open the door and I run out.  I feel Victor grab the back of my shirt and he yanks me back.

"HELP PLEASE!" I call out as Victor clamps his hand over my mouth.  My powers start to swell up but I can't even dream of controlling them in this state.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Victor whispers into my hair and I release them against his warning.  His claws scratch my arm and face as the blast sends him shooting into a wall.  The ceiling collapses and I close my eyes anticipating the pain.