Two of a Kind | Wanda Maximoff

Chapter 18: Criminals

Wanda and Claire sat on the runway for a little while longer. Claire watched Wanda with concern as the brunette sat up and laid her head on her knees, eyes shut tight. Wanda's breathing was slower, but still came out in small pants. Claire became uncomfortable and shifted, unsure of what she could do to help. Despite helping Bucky with his nightmares and other various things, she wasn't very good at comforting people. In fact, Claire often thought that she really did nothing for Bucky, and that he was just being nice as to not hurt her feelings. She looked at Wanda from the corner of her purple eyes, her red hair blocking her vision.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Claire couldn't help the need to look after and protect Wanda. It was like there was something about her that attracted her; pulling them close to each other like a magnet. Wanda didn't move from her position.

"I'm fine," her Sokovian accented voice said, muffled by the fabric of her pants.

"You don't look okay," Claire said, trying to get the Sokovian to talk, hoping that it might do her some good. Wanda lifted her head from her knees and opened her eyes, looking at Claire. She winced and hissed in pain as her eyes connected with the sunlight. "Wanda, seriously, are you sure you're okay? And be honest."

"I am fine. Just have a headache." She stood up and Claire followed after her. They were pretty much alone, with a few other familiar people scattered across the runway, but there wasn't much else, except for the broken pieces of airport property.

"What do we do now?" Claire asked as she looked around, surveying the damage. Wanda shrugged her shoulders looking in the direction that Vision flew off in. He had yet to return.

"I don't know," she admitted. Then, raising her finger and pointing in the direction that she was looking in continued. "What's that over there?" Claire followed Wanda's finger and watched as something flew closer to the airport.

"I don't know what that is," she said starting to get uneasy.

"Hello? Does anyone copy?" Sam said through the comms. Claire placed a finger on her communication device, still staring at the flying figure.

"Sam? We copy. What's happening?"

"Rhodey's been hit. Black vans are on their way to the airport; armed men. Looks like Stark called us in. Get the team, we need to go. I'm on my way back."

"Roger that," Claire said before turning back to Wanda. "We need to go."

"How? Steve took the Quinjet."

"I don't know, but we can't be here. Stark tipped us off and Ross is coming for us. We need to leave."

The two women ran across the runway, gathering fugitives as they went. Wanda's heart pounded as she pushed herself to run faster. She didn't want to get caught, she didn't want to be arrested, she didn't want to be locked up; not again. The black vans started pulling onto the runway, gaining on the ex-Avengers.

Armed men dressed in full black body armor stepped out from the vans, running after the small team. Clint watched as the men started raising their weapons, ready to fire at them, and moved to block Wanda from their sights. Claire stood beside her, looking around frantically for an escape, her eyes glowing brighter. Her wolf pushed against its mental cage, begging her to let it out, but Claire kept her grip.

"Get down on your knees! Get down now!" the men started screaming at them as they closed in. One by one, each member of Team Cap lowered themselves to the concrete of the runway. Clint grabbed Wanda's hand holding up his empty one, signaling to the men not to fire, and lowered her down with him. Wanda shook with fear, and Claire grabbed her other hand to calm her. The men ran over to them and roughly started to apprehend them, forcefully pushing them closer to the ground and pinning their arms behind their backs.