static | BUCKY BARNES

9

Sparrow doesn't know what's going on. She isn't sure what she sees and hears or if they're real, and she doesn't really know if she wants it to stop or not. She can't understand the voices and she can't make out any clear images.

She's lost in her own mind.

There will be instances where Sparrow is eating cereal in the kitchen or something and she'll hear unfamiliar people talking as if they were in the room with her, or even a room over. She'll look up and see no one, or just a stray Peter Parker eating a pop-tart or another Avenger fueling up on a hearty breakfast. She'll pop her head out of the doorway into the hall or the living room and won't see anyone to match the voices to.

Sometimes it's a flash of light, but sometimes she's taken somewhere else for a few seconds and then have it all flicker back to normal with a blink of an eye. The longest, most vivid time Sparrow has experienced such visual flashes is when Vision is preparing a dish for all the Avengers as an Independence Day meal. Wanda Maximoff, also known as Scarlett Witch, is also in the kitchen when Sparrow starts to hear the voices again.

Most times it's the same voices, but every now and then she'll get a new one bouncing around in her brain. Now, as she's leaning against the counter laughing with Wanda about Vision's poor cooking skills, she hears a very familiar voice. It's the deep, gruff voice from the dream that woke her up last week. The voice sounds so crisp in her ears that she turns, expecting to see the owner of the voice right behind her. As always, no one's there. She just stares at the window overlooking a lit city.

Wanda notices Sparrow's sudden distractedness and glances behind the raven-haired girl's shoulder. She sees the city as Sparrow does and looks back at her new friend.

When Sparrow turns back around, she meets Wandas's suspicious and curious gaze. She tucks a lock of her hair behind her ear and says, "The city's pretty at night."

Wanda smiles. Her suspicion drops as she steps to stand at Sparrow's side. "It is pretty, isn't it?" Wanda marvels as she gazes out at the buzzing city below them. One of her hands rests against the glass. "Especially from way up here."

"ya gazma yibn ig-gazma!"

Sparrow flinches and turns away from the large window. Wanda watches as the girl's metal hands clench and her face twists.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Sparrow lies.

"alwuquf , 'ant jaban."

The harsh voice rings in her ears as if the man was standing right next to her, shouting in her face.

Sparrow presses a hand to her forehead and mutters, "My head hurts" when Wanda looks at her with concern. Sparrow brushes past the other girl and exits the kitchen. As soon as she steps out of the room she expects to be in the hallway, but when she looks up, she freezes in her steps. The walls are no longer spotless, the floors are no longer smooth tile, and the long hall is gone.

Her eyes dart around the space. There's something so familiar about it, yet she can't remember seeing this place before.

Dusty air fills her lungs as she inhales, taking in her surroundings. Concrete floors, concrete walls—where is she?

Sparrow leans back, starting to head back into the kitchen, but her back backs into a solid wall. She spins on her heel and her eyes widen. The doorway to the kitchen is gone.