I Thought You Were Different: Part 3

Run

You weren't sure if you would ever find a way to repay Wanda and Vision for all that they had done for your trio and all of the things that they had already taught them in such a short time, but you couldn't help but watch them in action, standing back and out of the way as to not interfere. Anthony was still looking at you with a strange expression, almost as if it pained him to see you after the scene in the kitchen only a few hours ago. You worried that he would be the one to give you away to the others, knowing that he was too young to be able to control what he felt and said around you yet. You would never choose one of your children as your favorite, but you and Anthony seemed to already have a special bond between you; it was a bond that you feared would now become your downfall.

Grant had set the compound's fire alarms off so many times that Tony had set up this room so that it wouldn't sound unless FRIDAY activated it herself; teaching a toddler how to control fire didn't bode well for the use of the local fire department and no friends were being made there. Even just as you had been watching him for the past few minutes, Vision had to extinguish flames that enveloped Brooklyn's wood blocks, causing her to send them across the room and onto one of the couches, creating quite the dramatic scene for his teachers.

Brooklyn seemed to need the least amount of help, easily learning her telekinetic powers and their uses with the help of Wanda; having a teacher with the same abilities made learning just that much easier for her. When you weren't looking her way, the little one giggled and sent one of her soft toys towards you, smacking you in the head to get your attention, much to the squealed delight of all three children.

"I should have warned you," Wanda laughed along, "she's getting quite skilled with her aim."

"I see that. I was just thinking how remarkable it is that you've come so far with them, both of you. I don't know what we would do without you guys."

"Well, it's easy when we speak the same language," she nodded, holding out a hand for Vision to take his place next to her. "There are ways to communicate beyond words, but in actions and feelings that we can share amongst each other. It's a very unique situation."

"Viz," you asked nervously, lowering your voice, "can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Of course, please excuse me," he nodded to Wanda, releasing her hand. She walked away and left the two of you alone at the door, with Vision waiting until she was fully out of earshot before turning back to you. "How might I be of assistance?"

"Okay," you sighed, wringing your hands together, "please don't judge me." You paused, turning slightly to be sure that Wanda was keeping her distance. "But I need to know if there's a way to stop them."

"I'm sorry, I don't follow?"

"Is there a way to take their powers away from them?"

~~~

After the debacle in the kitchen, and after letting a few hours pass before trying to approach Steve again, Tony made his way to the hangar bay where his teammate was taking ammunition inventory on the quinjet. He took purposeful steps towards him, but with each one he could feel his own resolve begin to waver; he couldn't shake the feeling that something was going on that he wasn't going to like, but at the same time he couldn't believe that Steve would be a part of anything that could put you at risk. Steve isn't that guy. He's not, he thought, pushing forward with as open of a mind as he could manage. It wasn't much.

"Cap? Can we talk?"

"Sure, Tony, come on in," Steve welcomed him, though he didn't look his way. His focus was on the tablet in his hands; Steve knew that he was at the most risk of breaking his resolve to stay quiet if he looked back. He was fine holding this secret on his own, but having to bring you into it now too was almost too much to hold in.