Disappeared- {Pietro Maximoff}

Chapter 24

Alex collapsed onto the floor next to Pietro, shaking him roughly and screaming his name, over and over again.

Red overwhelmed the square and Alex hurriedly turned to see Wanda using her magic to strangle the porcupine-like boy. Stray strands of her magic pulled at the spines in his back, slowly ripping them out as he screamed in agony.

Was that how—

Thinking quickly, she ran her hands across Pietro's body, feeling and looking for a spine.

"Don't!" Kore stumbled as she ran over, "It's poisonous, let me help."

"What can you do?"

That was answered very quickly, as a flame sparked on Kore's thumb and she used it to keep light on Pietro's body even as she cast a shadow over it.

"Found it." She carefully pulled a spike, no bigger than a pen lid, out of his side, "He's still poisoned, there's a chance he might—"

"Leave it to me." Alex shook her hand and focused intently, trying to pull the poison from Pietro's body the same way she had done with the bullets in Sokovia, "Protect me."

|| We are not doing this again ||

The thrum of power she always felt stilled.

"Theundruk, let me."

|| I said he had to die ||

"And I say otherwise," she tried again, forcing the stone to obey her.

She felt nothing.

|| Leave him ||

"No."

|| It's his time ||

"Not yet!" It was a shout, voice cracking. The ground shook slightly.

|| Don't make me hurt you too ||

"I don't care, just let him live. No one deserves to die, not like this." At the last word, she tried again, snapping her fingers to teleport the poison into her. Theundruk let out a gasp and when they spoke, their voice was laced with anger.

|| He's just a boy ||

"He's my friend," her hands reached towards Pietro, not to help but to hold him. Her prosthetic hand laid carefully across his chest while her right hand gripped his shirt, as though she could hold him away from death, "Please, Theundruk, please."

|| I cannot help ||

Another wave of red rippled and Alex let it engulf her, combing Wanda's pain with her own in one desperate attempt to fight against Theundruk.

|| You can try but ||

Alex let go, ignoring the rest of what the Stone said. She rested her forehead against Pietro's cold one, "You should have trusted me."

"I thought you were just pushing me away again."

Alex sat upright, glaring at Pietro as he smirked at her. His hand slowly lifted to cup her cheek.

|| How is he still alive ||

"How are..." she didn't, couldn't finish it.

"Superfast healing, part of my powers," he rolled his eyes, finger stroking Alex's cheek, "Of course you forgot. Everyone always—" Pietro was silenced by a kiss.

"You asshole." Alex muttered against his lips before properly pulling away, "You're in danger, just stay away for now."

"Kiss me like that again and I'll do anything."

Alex snorted and stood, offering Pietro a hand. He accepted it and she pulled him up,

"Please go. I'll find you later."

|| Behind you ||

Alex teleported forwards, as a gun went off.

The boy Alex had been fighting before— who had cheerfully announced himself as Sors, was running towards Wanda. He pulled a gun out and shot it at her, only the bullet suddenly veered left and hit the ground harmlessly.

Kore was standing, eyes a cold grey with streaks of brown as the ground trembled and a wall of stone and dirt rose from the ground, getting in between the young boy and Wanda.

Alex teleported into it and tried to grab Wanda but she shook her off.

"Stop it!" Wanda's magic began to tear through the protective wall Kore had made and Alex knew the destruction from Wanda's emotions would not be easily fixed, "Wanda, Pietro's alive. We need them alive too."

There was another gunshot and Wanda crumbled. Porcupine-boy dropped from the sky and Alex turned away to see Alastair stood there— the real Alastair rather than the mask he wore as Alessandro. He shifted the gun over to Alex,

"Hey, sorellina."

Alex didn't hesitate, throwing one of her old Stark-style knives at him. Alastair's hand snapped out, catching it by the handle inches away from his face.

"Pretty little thing." He said, voice devoid of emotion, "You want it back?"

Alex summoned and threw another knife, making Alastair laugh. He easily dodged it, and that was when Alex struck, teleporting forwards and driving a third knife into his leg before teleporting straight back.

He didn't take his eyes- or gun- off her, just leaving the knife sticking out of his thigh.

"Was that you trying to kill me?"

Alex didn't bother to distract, she just teleported and managed to rip her knife across his back. Fabric tore and blood bloomed as she carved a single 'A' on his back and held the gun to his throat before he was even aware she was there.

"That was the plan for today, yes. Unfortunately, you hurt someone really important to me, so it's going to have to wait."