Displaced

chapter eighteen

This is the last part! Well, there will be an epilogue but other than that this story is basically over.

"Wanda?" Zatanna all but whispered her girlfriend's name when she reached her cell door, a soft smile making its way onto her face when said girl turned around at her voice. She breathed out, placing a hand on the bars. "Hey."

Wanda shyly returned the smile with some hesitation, bowing her head and tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. "You heard, didn't you?"

"I was watching through the window, yeah."

"Oh." Wanda winced. "I'm sorry, Z, but this is something that I have to do."

"I know." Zatanna sighed. "I know...doesn't mean I have to like it though. I mean, can't we talk about this?"

Wanda glanced up at the magician, taking a small step towards her. "Zatanna, I...I have done awful, horrible things in my life. Unforgivable things. I don't know why you are here, trying to talk 'reason' into me. I mean, I imagined killing you for goodness' sakes!"

Zatanna smiled at Wanda, pressing herself gently against the bars to get closer to Wanda. "Wanda, you were simply trying to protect and save your brother-"

"-who doesn't actually exist!" Wanda grunted.

"He did to you and that's what matters. Do you really want to forget all of that? Do you really want to forget Pietro?"

Wanda blinked rapidly, letting the tears fall from her eyes. "It hurts so much, Z, knowing it was all a lie. I just want the pain to go away."

"Then let us help you, let me help you." Zatanna pleaded with her. "Dinah is a certified therapist, she can help you and I bet she is more than willing to."

"Why?"

Zatanna blinked, thrown off by the question. "Why what?"

"Why do you want to help me so much? I am a monster."

Zatanna muttered a spell, opening the cell and walking inside. She wrapped Wanda in her arms, only a little surprised when Wanda accepted the hug. "Wanda, you are not a monster. You are far from it. You are a little misguided, lost. And that is perfectly okay. We all lose our way once in awhile and need a little help from our friends to find it again."

"I faked killing you and Jason! How does that not make me a monster?" Wanda sobbed.

"Key word, faked. You went out of your way to find an out, to find a way to save us and Pietro, because that is who you are. You are a hero Wanda, through and through, whether you believe it or not." Zatanna kissed the top of Wanda's head. "I am beyond proud of you Wanda, you have been through so much shit and have still managed to keep it together. Well, I'm letting you know its okay to let go now. You don't have to keep it together anymore. You can let it all out now. You have been strong for long enough. Its okay."

Wanda sniffled, squeezing tight onto Zatanna as her sobs became heavier. She began to mumble incoherently, the words that Zatanna could make out sounded like broken apologies. Zatanna just shushed her, petting her hair and muttering words of comfort. She sank them to the ground, pulling Wanda onto her lap as the girl cried in her arms for her losses. The loss of her brother, her place on the team, and quite possibly her sanity.

It seemed like an hour had passed but was really five minutes before Wanda's sobs slowed down to a steady stream of tears and she composed herself enough to talk coherently. She pulled herself a little out of Zatanna's arms, enough to face her girlfriend. "Z?"

"Yeah, Wanda?"

"I...I don't think I want my mind wiped anymore."

"Are you sure? That's a really big decision-"

"I know. And I may change my mind later, but for now I want to fight. I want to fight for my life, for my sanity, for this. Its what...its what Pietro would want me to do." Wanda whispered the last part, a small sob escaping her throat.

Zatanna pulled Wanda tight against her, kissing her temple. "I am proud of you, Wanda, and I will be by your side every step of the way. If you want me to be, of course."

Wanda kissed her cheek. "Of course I do. I wouldn't want it any other way."

Three Hours Later...

Wanda found herself sitting in front of the entire team for the first time since the incident on Santa Prisca and she felt incredibly nervous and guilty. Her head was bowed, her hands wringed in her lap.

Batman and Black Canary were talking in whispers off to the side, discussing what Wanda had just told them, that she had changed her mind since she had asked for the mind wipe. They had assigned the team to watch her, make sure she didn't pull anything. Needless to say, things were a little awkward.

"I truly am sorry." Wanda whispered, knowing the team would hear it anyway.

"Sorry for doing it or sorry we found out?"

Wanda winced, shrinking in on herself.

"Hey, lay off her! She was psychologically and emotionally abused and manipulated! Plus, she had to watch her brother die." Surprisingly, it wasn't Zatanna who said this, but Artemis.

"He wasn't real!"

"He was to her." Zatanna growled. "And that's what matters."

Everyone fell silent after that, having nothing left to say. It stayed quiet until the two Justice Leaguers came back over from their side discussion with their verdict on what to do with Wanda. Everyone sat up a little straighter and at attention, looking eager for the information.

Dinah cleared her throat. "We have come to a decision. I will treat Wanda indefinitely for the psychological and emotional damage that the Light has inflicted upon her."

"What?!" All eyes turned to Jason. "She tries to take down our team and she gets counseling for it? What the hell?!"

"She is a victim here, Jason."

"So are we! What about a punishment for her crimes?"

"She will not walk away unpunished, Jason." Batman spoke up. Everyone turned to look at him. "To ensure the safety of the team, Wanda's mind will be erased of only the team's identity. This will not impact her therapy with Dinah at all and will protect the team should Wanda fall into the wrong hands again."

Everyone pondered his words for a beat. "Are you letting her go free? Or will she be held in a cell?"

Dinah spoke up. "We thought we would let you guys decide that since you were impacted the most by her actions. Call it to a vote. Those in favor of letting Wanda be held in a cell, raise your hand." A pause. "And those in favor of letting Wanda free, raise your hand." Another pause. "Alright it is settled. Wanda, it looks like your future is settled. I will see you tomorrow at three for our first session."

Dinah left, leaving Batman with the team and Wanda. He turned to M'gann. "If you will."

"Wait!" Zatanna ran up to Wanda and hugged her closely, peppering her face with kisses. "I am going to miss you so much."

Wanda chuckled sadly. "I'm not going anywhere, Z."

"But you are forgetting me." Zatanna pouted.

"Please, think of this as an opportunity for us to get to know each other again." Wanda smirked, kissing Zatanna long and sweet. "Don't go falling for anyone else now."

"Never."

Wanda squeezed her hand before nodding at M'gann. "I'm ready. But before you erase all of your identities from my mind, just know that I truly am really sorry for everything I have put you through."

M'gann nodded sadly. "And I am sorry for this, Wanda, but it must be done."

Wanda smiled. "I know."

M'gann's eyes glowed as she entered Wanda's mind and wiped it clean of their identities, exiting a moment later before turning to Batman and the team. "It is done."