Winter's Sister

8

I was sitting at the table, working on the geometry papers Wanda had printed out for me. Stark and Rhodey had left, so I had soft music playing in the background, trying to ignore Vision as he attempted to cook something I could hardly pronounce.

"A pinch of paprika," he was muttering. "A pinch?" He dropped a little bit of red stuff into the pot and stirred.

"Is that paprikash?" Wanda asked as she entered the room.

"I thought it might lift your spirits," Vision explained.

"I helped him find the recipe, but I take no credit for whatever ended up in that pot," I said.

Wanda chuckled and tasted the stuff Vision had concocted. "Spirits lifted," she smiled.

"In my defense," Vision began, glancing at me, "I haven't actually ever eaten anything before, so..."

"May I?" Wanda asked.

"Please," Vision requested, watching her. "Wanda? No one dislikes you, Wanda."

I tried not to laugh. Was he flirting?

"Thanks," Wanda said awkwardly.

"Oh, you're welcome," Vision continued, seeming a little more confident. "No, it's an involuntary response in their amygdala. They can't help but be afraid of you."

I raised my hand, and waited until Vision gestured for me to speak. "One, that was rude, Vis. Two, what's the amygdala?"

"It's the part of your brain that controls emotion," Wanda answered flatly, still looking at Vision. "Are you? Afraid of me?"

"Sorry. My amygdala is synthetic, so..." Vision trailed off. Wanda laughed.

"I used to think of myself one way," she said. "But, after this, " she displayed a little power around her fingertips, "I am something else. I'm still me, I think, but... that's not what everyone else sees."

"Do you know, I don't know what this is," Vision answered, gesturing to the stone in his forehead. He had told me it had created him, in a way. "Not really. I know it's not of this world, that it powered Loki's staff, gave you your abilities, but its true nature is a mystery. And yet, it is part of me."

"Are you afraid of it?" Wanda questioned.

"I wish to understand it," Vision corrected. "The more I do, the less it controls me. One day... who knows? I may even control it."

Changing the subject, Wanda pointed at Vision's cooking. "I don't know what's in this, but it's not paprika. I'm gonna go to the store. I'll be back in twenty minutes."

"I'll go with you," I offered, bored of my homework.

Suddenly, Vision was blocking our path. "Alternatively," he suggested, "we could order a pizza?"

"Vision, are you not letting us leave?" she asked.

"It is a question of safety," Vision answered, looking at the ground.

"I can protect myself. And so can Ree," Wanda assured in irritation.

She went to move past him, but he held up an arm. "Not yours," he said, confirming my suspicions. "Mr. Stark would like to avoid the possibility of another public accident. Until the Accords are on a more secure foundation. Until then, he also would like to keep Ms. Barnes, and her abilities, away from public eye."

"And what do you want?" Wanda questioned. She was angry, and so was I.

"For people to see you as I do," Vision explained, looking only at Wanda.