Light At the End of the Tunnel

day xvii

Dr. Cooper met with the four three times, and she believed she was getting through to them. Wanda let Clint near her. Peter was slowly letting his guard down. Steve and Tony were coming to terms with their guilt.

Five days after the first session, Dr. Cooper gave the okay to let Peter go home. The boy was excited. But Wanda was not.

Wanda stood off in the side, watching as Peter hugged Tony. His aunt standing next to him, a smile on his face.

"You know the rules, right?"

Peter sighed and nodded. "I have to come back for therapy on and call every day."

"You are forbidden to use your powers until you are healed or you have to use them," Tony told the kid, and Peter nodded. The younger teenage turned to Steve.

"Protect yourself out there. We're a call away."

Peter gave him a nod, before walking to Wanda. The girl watched him, feeling her heart rate pick up.

"I'll be fine," Peter whispered, giving her a smile.

"We can't protect you if you're not here. Stay, until we find the doctor," Wanda pleaded, feeling her hands tremble.

Peter shook his head. "I can't let him control my life. What they did, if I stop my life, they win."

Wanda shook her head. "They are going to kill you."

Everyone turned to her alert. Steve and Tony knew a panic attack was coming.

"Y-you can't leave!"

Peter wrapped his arms around the older girl.

Wanda shook he rhead. She couldn't lose anyone else. She couldn't lose another brother.

"I'm going to be okay," Peter whispered, rubbing her back.

Wanda tried to breath, but oxygen didn't want to enter her system. "Y-you can't. You can't. Stay."

"Wanda," Tony whispered, "he'll have to go home at some point."

Wanda shook her head. Steve wrapped his arms around the young girl, kissing the side of her head. "She's going to be okay," he whispered, rubbing her shoulders.

"They are going to kill him," Wanda breathed out, closing her eyes.

"I'll be back," Peter whispered, moving away from her. Wanda opened her own eyes and watched as Peter walked away.

"N-no. Stop him. He can't leave, They are going to get him," Wanda told the two men, but neither moved. Wanda extended her broken hand and created a door with her magic. Wanda whimpered at the pain.

Peter turned and looked at her. "Wanda."

The female teenager let out a whimper and dropped her hand. Tony walked to her and gently took her hand in his. She let out a small cry. "Let's get you fixed up, yeah?"

Wanda felt the exhaustion hit her. She just gave him a nod and let the two men lead her away.

x

Peter looked at his room. He hadn't been there in fifteen days. He felt like a completely different person. He dropped his backpack on the ground. He felt someone walk towards him and flinched.

"It's just me," his aunt May told him. Peter gave her a nod. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Peter shook his head. "No. Not really. I'm getting help though."

"I'm really sorry I didn't protect you," May told him, walking to wrap her arms around him.

Peter looked away.