Where They Are: A Wanda Maximoff and Vision Story

The Traumatic Past

IN WANDA'S MIND

The city was calm and peaceful at sunset in Sokovia. A mother and father had just gotten home early from work to have a pleasant evening with their two children. The intended meal was to be pot roast with sweet potatoes and hot buns. The children were anxious for the meal, for they rarely ever have a meal this divine. Their family isn't the wealthiest, as a matter of fact, their country is plagued by poverty. Still, the spirit and drive of its citizens are what makes its culture so unique. The family sits down and gives thanks for the meal and their blessings. They look very content with each other as they settle into their own normal.

Wanda stands behind the young daughter, while the revived soul of her brother stands against the wall behind the young son.

"Do you ever miss it?" Pietro asks, gazing with a sentimental glimmer in his eye. "The time we had together? The time before this moment?"

Wanda had been keeping her eyes on her twin brother ever since he had presented himself to her. It felt like a piece of her soul had returned and she never wanted to let it go. But still, Pietro's spirit was interacting with her, asking her to contemplate what he was asking. She finally turned her head toward the family at the dinner table. She knew their faces all too well.

Robert, the father, was still in the suit that he had worn at the office that afternoon. No sign of a wrinkle or a stain, as he was a very deliberate man that stood up for what he believed in and did so using numbers and charting. Madeline, the mother, still had a damp stench on her clothes from her tiring shift at the cleaners. You could still see the dry sweat on her forehead glisten in the evening sunlight. After the parents, she turned to the brother; a young lad with a mix of brunette and ebony locks with the occasional smirk on his face. You could tell he was the troublemaker of the two children. You could almost imagine him taking a scoop of the sweet potatoes and flinging it across the room or at his sister next to him. Finally, Wanda looked at the young girl, whose expressions were exactly as she imagined. Small smiles for most things that were said, and big smiles for things that made her laugh or happy.

"It's been a long time since you've smiled like that" Pietro commented upon seeing the young the younger version of his sister smile at the table with their family. "Are you not happy?"

She hesitated on her words, trying to think about whether she was happy or not. "I'm happy to see you. That's for sure" she said.

"It's good to see you too, Wanda," Pietro said, walking over to stand next to her. He opened his arms to give her a hug, but Wanda quickly stopped him. He looked at her puzzled-like, wondering why she would deny and hug her long-time dead brother. "I know you're not really here," she said, "you're just an illusion made by Morgan to persuade me to her side."

"Of course, it is" Morgan's voice sprung out from the kitchen of the small apartment. The twins look over to see the medieval witch leaned against the corner of the counter. "I don't expect you to believe I can bring your brother back just by showing him to you, or your parents for that matter," she says, gesturing toward the married couple in the center of the apartment. "But I must admit, you do look happy here" she continues, gazing at the young girl. Wanda followed her gaze and couldn't help but think how simpler that time of her life was, as childhood should be. "Too bad it had to end here" Morgan added, smirking immediately after.

"Don't" Wanda asked, keeping her eyes on her younger self. She knew what Morgan was going to show, and she did not want to relive that experience over again, or rather, watch it unfold before her eyes. She looked up at the Arthurian mistress to see her grinning malevolently, only to disappear in a misty green cloud. "DON'T!" Wanda shouted as she faded, leaving the illusion of her brother still standing behind her. As the witch's figure vanished, the kitchen window became visible, along with something speeding toward the building in the distance. "Oh, God!"