don't let me lose you too.

4

when we were finally done with getting wanda's stuff, we headed back down the path to our spanish class. 

there was an unspoken heaviness in the air.
"do you think someone heard us say that stuff?" i burst out finally.
wanda sighed. she was silent for a second.
"i don't know pay, but there's always the possibility. and if someone did... we're in big danger right now."
she was right. even if only one person had heard us, they could tell others, or tweet about it, or anything. and then...
we could be kidnapped. dad was a billionaire, they would ask for huge amounts of money for us back.
or dad's enemies could murder us.
 the possibilities were endless.
i shuddered. i had to call him.

***

we ended up skipping spanish class.
wanda went to go to her locker, and put all her books inside. 

there was no signal down at the lockers, and i desparately had to call dad, so i was forced to wait outisde. 

i facetimed dad back at the avengers tower, using a  watch i had gotten for my birthday.
a hologram of his face popped up above the small watchface. god i love wakandan technology. dad was working on a project in his lab. i saw bruce in the background, calculating something. 

"hey dad"
"hey kiddo what's up?" 
i frowned at what they were doing. "not making another murder-bot i hope, are you dad?"
bruce snickered. 
"hey bruce." i waved.
he looked up. "hi pay"

dad looked over his shoulder.

"bruce don't you dare laugh at her jokes, mine are better."

"sure they are tony" came the reply.
dad sighed and turned back to me. "if you must know, we're updating the avengers tower security systems, kid."
"yeah about that dad... you might want to update it a lot better."

he raised his eyebrow. "oh is that so? why would that be, hm?"
"well... me and wanda were talking about our powers, and you being my dad, and i think someone might have heard." i said with a grave face. "i'm not sure, because we thought no one was around but then there was this rustling and-"

"pay, pay, it's fine." he interrupted me. his face was serious now. bruce walked over to him, fully alert now.
 "i'm not going to punish you, our top priority right now is the safety of you, wanda and peter. 
where are they?"

"peter's in spanish, and wanda's at her locker."
"okay pay, you need to listen carefully. go get wanda from the lockers. i'll send an email to peter's spanish teacher saying it's an emergency and that he should wait outside the main building. after getting wanda, collect peter. ill send a group to pick you up"

i nodded shakily. wow this was a big deal.

"jarvis? can you track pay's phone just in case?"
"of course sir." came the smooth reply back
 satisfied with his answer, dad started putting in an earpiece.
"avengers?"
"tony?" steve's reply was almost instant. that man always had his earpiece on.

"peter, payton, and wanda are possibly in danger. i need nat and cap to inconspiciously pick them up from school."
"okay, i'll alert nat and meet them in 10."

dad turned back to me. 
"pay, i need you to stay on this call, just in case something does happen. can you do that for me kid?" 
i nodded. 
"okay, me and bruce are here with you, you're fine. you just need to go get wanda from her locker." 

i started making my way across the campus to the entrance of the main building. 
i was on high alert, watching every student that passed by me, and avoiding anyone that looked suspicious. 
i was finally on the stairwell that led down to the lockers, when tony and bruce disconnected.
"shit, i don't have internet down here." i muttered to myself.
hesitantly i started making my way further down.
i stopped in my tracks when i heard the worst thing i'd probably ever have to listen to.
it was wanda's scream. high-pitched and blood-curling, it echoed and bounced off the stairwell. 
she was in so much pain, i could feel it. i gasped, and started hurtling down the stairs, throwing myself into the lockers.
"WANDA!" i screamed out for her. "WANDA PLEASE!" 

i staggered between the different rows, begging for her to answer me. 

when i checked the final row off lockers, i gasped in fear at what I saw.
wanda's small, fragile frame lay lifeless between the lockers.
there was blood. so much blood. 
i raced over to her, skidding over to her limp body. thank god she was alive.
barely.
there were deep gashes in her side, and a cut on her forehead. 
her leg looked bent, sticking out at an angle.
she looked broken.
like a china doll that had been smashed on the ground.

but whoever had attacked her didnt mean to kill her. this was a warning. some sort of game. 

her eyes fluttered for a second.
i had to do something, and quick.
but i couldn't carry her like this, it would only make the cuts worse, and i couldn't leave her side.
nat and steve must be at the school by now, and dad had told jarvis to track my phone.
i just had to wait here.
wait until steve and nat managed to get down here or call someone for help.

i curled up into a ball, try not to hyperventilate.
i grew more and more anxious as her breathing became shallower.
"please wanda, hang in there for me, i can't lose you too" i sobbed, burying my head into my knees.

time passed, slowly.
every tick of a second, every time the handle on my watch moved, i prayed for her.

finally, after what felt like hours, but could have been seconds, i heard someone yelling. 
it was steve. 
"PAYTON, WANDA" he called out as he and nat raced down the stairs, their footsteps echoing.

"WE'RE HERE" i cried out, my voice hoarse.

my vision was getting fuzzy, and i think i was starting to pass out.
steve and nat's blurry faces came into view.
"thank fucking god" i smiled faintly, before everything went dark.