Home

Ponder

Wanda ran out of the shed, angry and appalled. She shouldn't have done that; not to Clint. God, she's such a mess! Literal chaos. Right now, she didn't understand herself, and needed the support of someone, anyone, who did.

Erik was a loner; he didn't know many people around town beyond necessity. So, she started her search by the small homes on the outskirts of town. Wanda found a place with many wind ornaments in the lawn, and somehow knew this place was Erik's. She ran up the pathway, emotions high, and didn't notice her powers manipulating things around her. Erik came out of the house confused, but immediately used his powers to put the metallic things down.

"Wanda?" He asked quizzically right before the girl collapsed at his feet.

"I didn't mean it!" Wanda sobbed.

Erik bent down to face her.

"I was just so angry!" She continued.

"Well the first thing you need to do is calm down. Let's go inside."

Wanda let Erik help her up and the two walked into his minimalist home. He sat her down on the sofa and took a knee before her.

"Focus on where you are, Wanda. Focus on me; on your breathing."

Wanda collected her breath, taking minutes for her powers to disintegrate.

"Good job," Erik firstly took a second to commend her before he began questioning her.

"Now, tell me what happened." He asked as he sat next to her.

Wanda told him everything that happened when she had gone home.

Erik took a moment to process what he heard.

"Well, for one, I am sorry I caused all that. But, your father is right. I am a fugitive. But it's all a misunderstanding."

"Because you're a mutant?"

Erik thought about ranting to her, but decided that tonight was just about her. He didn't want to villainize mutants for her.

"No. Not because I'm a mutant."

Wanda waited for Erik to continue, but he didn't.

"It's late. You should go to sleep. Bedroom's down the hall."

Erik let Wanda help herself to the bedroom while he got her a glass of water from the kitchen. She'd settled herself in the bed by the time he came in.

"Can you wait till I'm asleep? Just to make sure I go to sleep." Wanda asked innocently, and Erik took the chair by the window.

His eyes were fixated on her, but his mind was elsewhere. Wanda needed help, but he wasn't the right guy for it. Erik knew exactly who the right person would be, but he didn't know if he wanted to open that can of worms just yet.

Erik woke up on the living room couch in the morning, woken by the knocking on his door. He rubbed his face and fixed his hair before opening the door to Barton and a boy. Erik put up his hands in a show of passivity.

"Sorry, Lehnsherr. No weapons." Barton put up his empty hands. "Is Wanda here?"

Erik silently stepped back to let his guests in.

"She's sleeping down the hall." He pointed in the direction of the room.

Clint went down the hall and only opened the door before he turned back to Erik.

"This the only room here?" He thumbed towards the room.

"Yes?" Erik replied.

"It's empty."

Before Erik had a chance to say anything, the boy sped away to the room and came back in the blink of an eye.

"She's gone!" He verified.

"You must be Peter." Erik managed to say.

"Yeah. You know where my sister is or not?"

"She did sleep over the night before. Must have left before I woke up."

"Great! You lost her!" Peter exclaimed.

Erik didn't take kindly to the accusation.

"I wasn't the one who made her walk out."

"That was me," Clint brought attention to himself. "I did a poor job of explaining myself."

Erik sighed and sat on the single seater next to the couch.

"I know someone who may be able to find her." He sighed, two fingers holding up his temple.

"A bounty hunter?" Peter asked, almost excitedly.

"NoO..." Erik answered the boy before leaning up to face to Clint.

"I assume you have no issue with professor Charles Xavier?"