Fractured {Wanda Maximoff}

19 - Did Someone Say Disaster Ahead?

Helena wasn't prepared to have to fight Wanda, let alone harm her.

The witch seemed to be having an internal struggle, not at the greatest of times. She had heroes fighting one another, prepared to murder each other all because of what influence she had over their minds. And now, now, Wanda wanted to coerce Helena into trying to revive her dead brother.

Helena's veins were alight with adrenaline. She really didn't want to have to hurt Wanda, let alone kill her. If she let her power explode...Wanda most definitely wouldn't last a day, or even half. If she was lucky, she'd last a few hours.

Suddenly, Wanda's legs buckled. Helena ran to catch her before she could bounce off the metal slab that held Pietro Maximoff and injure herself further. Wanda shook in Helena's arms, sobbing quietly.

"It hurts."

"I know, I know."

"I want it to stop. I thought...if...if I could end them, it would stop the pain."

"Oh, silly girl," Helena tried to joke, "pain never truly goes away. It's unfortunately part of life and likes to come back when we don't want it to."

"H-how do I make it stop?"

"For starters, you take the hexes off the Avengers."

"But—"

"Wanda, if you destroy them, nothing will change. Well, one thing may."

"What's that?"

"You. And I don't want to see you lose yourself in the wake of murdering people who have saved the world countless times." Helena's throat closed up in emotion. "Please, step away from the ledge. While I can't help take away the pain permanently, I can do damage control. But that means you have to stop this. Stop the revenge scheme. This is not you."

"Don't make this harder than it has to be, Helena."

"Wait, what?"

Red wisps flashed before Helena's eyes. She screamed, feeling the prickle of invasion from Wanda's magic. No. No. No. She...no. She pushed the witch away, hitting the cold floor. Helena skittered across the ground.

"I trusted you," Helena hissed, clutching at her head. "Take it off me, Wanda!"

The witch's eyes glowed bright red. "No, not until you help complete the experiment."

"Wanda!" Helena gasped as her body stood up against her own volition. "Wanda, please!" She fought her legs, she fought moving closer to the cadaver, but Wanda's influence was stronger. At least she was no mindless puppet.

Yet, watching someone move her like this and being able to do nothing about it...it was just as horrifying.

With trembling fingers, Helena watched as Wanda moved her hands over Pietro's still form. Wanda put a hand against her brother's head, closing her eyes in concentration. If I can just break free...

But, even with her eyes shut, Wanda Maximoff's magic didn't slacken on Helena.

Helena's body shook more when she felt her power rise in her blood. In few instances, it could be contained to just a single touch, not a burst from emotion. Wanda was somehow tapping into that aspect of her ability and taking over.

From Helena's fingertips, black veins emerged. She winced, watching them transfer into Pietro's body. She swore she saw him start to twitch. It made her very uneasy.

First, the Avengers were fighting themselves. Now, Helena was part of a scheme to help make the dead rise...with the help of witchy magic. This could only spell disaster in the coming moments, she just wasn't sure what that looked like.

"I can feel him," Wanda murmured under her breath. Helena looked to her ex-girlfriend, with fresh tears in her eyes. "We're doing it, he's coming back."

"W-Wanda," Helena rasped.

"Shh. I'll release you once he wakes."

"Wanda—"

The witch's eyes opened. "Yes?"

"You will never be forgiven for this."

Wanda exhaled in a sigh. "I'm sorry to hear that. But, if you understood—you would not be as mad with me as you are now."

"D-doubtful." Helena continued to fight her magical restraints.

The witch's face began to scrunch. "What—what? No! I'm losing him!" She glanced down at her brother, who stilled once again. "Pietro! If you are playing dead with me, this is not funny."

"Wanda—"

"He—he was there. Faint, but there! We need to keep trying!" She smoothed her brother's hair down. "I'm going to get you back, Pietro, but you need to pull your weight too!"

Just when Helena thought she was done fighting Wanda's control, she felt her body move to her own will. Wanda didn't seem to notice, she was too wrapped up in her brother's revival.

A gruesome thought entered Helena's mind, one she didn't want to play out. Her power was still flowing through her fingertips, but now, she realized, it was going to have to be directed to someone else.

Someone who, if they weren't stopped very soon, could piss off a lot of people and do irreparable damage to their moral compass forever.