One Last Chance |6| The Ascension

Chapter Twenty-Eight: A Vision of the Future

The view from the rooftop was spectacular. From where they were sitting, they could see well into the city of New York, where the grassy fields gave way to the lively metropolis. Wanda liked to look at the city. It reminded her what she was fighting for. The others didn't remember what had happened in the few minutes Thanos had erased with the time stone, but she did. She knew what Vision had sacrificed for these people, even if Thanos had taken that away from him. He would have died a thousand times over to keep them safe. It still gave her strength. Being up here, it was almost like he was there with her.

And of course, the other man she was closest to was there too, although she didn't remember inviting him. Pietro was like that, though. He could tell when she needed him to shut up and when she needed him to talk nonsense and when she needed him to make her laugh. He always did.

"She's cute," he was saying, taking a swig from a bottle of beer. "Clara, I mean."

Wanda rolled her eyes. "I noticed."

"You know, I think she likes me."

"A miracle."

"Don't worry, сестра, I won't steal her from you."

At that, Wanda scoffed. "What? First of all, you're married."

"What?" Pietro asked innocently, giving that wide-eyed expression that she'd seen work so well on shop owners and bartenders and the occasional government official. "Zoë thinks she's cute too!"

"Second, I really don't think you're her type," Wanda pointed out.

"I didn't think toasters were your type, but..." Pietro faltered, wincing. "Sorry."

Wanda sighed. "You don't have to keep apologising every time you mention him."

He hesitated. "The toaster bit was fine too?"

"He thought it was funny," she confessed, smiling. "He used to refer to you as fast food."

"He did not!" Pietro exclaimed, his eyes wide. "If he was here now I'd..." He shook his head, biting his lip. "I don't know. I really miss him... I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Wanda told him, putting her arm around him. "He loved you too."

***

"Sorry," Clara said, her cheeks flushing. "It's just... You're so famous." 

Zosia smiled. "I suppose so. Makes a change from being a fugitive, so I'll take it." 

"God, yeah," Clara nodded. "I remember that. Must've been scary." 

"Terrifying," Zosia admitted. "I was locked up in an underwater prison, my children were several thousand miles away in the care of a woman I'd only met once, my husband was in Siberia fighting a crazed revolutionist, my parents' marriage was falling apart, and my mother was so badly injured we genuinely thought she might not make it. Not exactly a walk in the park." 

Clara made a noise of sympathy. "Wanda was in prison with you, wasn't she?" 

"Oh, yeah. It was not fun watching her stuck in that shock collar." Zosia shook her head. "I thought Pietro was going to kill someone." 

"Why would they do such a thing? Wanda wouldn't hurt anyone." Clara hesitated, thinking back to all the battles they'd faced. "Well, not unless she had to." 

"Exactly," Zosia pointed out. "They're afraid of her. Nobody really knows the extent of what she can do. And when people get scared, they get violent. They attack, she's forced to defend, her abilities scare them even more, and on and on the cycle goes. It's not an easy way to live. That's why it's so important that she has Zoë and Pietro and Mom and Dad. Love conquers fear, after all." 

They looked down at the Doctor and McKenzie, who were playing with, and losing against, the kids at no powers baseball. Clara smiled. "I don't think anyone could fear her if they knew her like I do." 

~~~