Chapter 8

Sleep came very little that night.

Or maybe I didn't sleep at all I wasn't sure.

I just remember staring at the ceiling.

And watching the white plaster peel away onto black skies and white stars.

It was cold. That's one thing I remembered.

Very cold.

There's a part of me that knows I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be here at all.

Especially after losing my connection with the Tesseract.

The fact that I'm here should scare me.

And yet... I don't think I was afraid. Just more... relaxed, subdued, obedient.

Like I know what was there. Whatever it was. Inevitable. And I embraced it.

"You and I can hurt them."

That deep guttural voice from earlier is speaking. I can hear him as though he was right in front of me, yet there is nothing there. It was as though I was seeing but not seeing. Hearing but not hearing.

"But you will tear them apart,"

There was a flash.

Snapshots of images.

A dead man, a figure of metal, and two people--male and female.

My heart shot up and so did my body. I was violently ripped away from my dream and thrust into reality.

I desperately latch onto the last few moments of the dream, scrambling for answers before I lost it but only coming back with nothing but scraps.

I recognized that voice.

Ultron.

Red eyes.

White hair.

Snow White and his sister.

"Shit," Scrambling off the bed, I headed to my closet, throwing on something suitable to tell the others before my connection with them evaporates.

When I had successfully tamed my brown hair from its tangles, I practically skidded to the foyer and onto the loft.

"Yeah, if we weren't fucked earlier, we're fucked now!" I shout, not caring it my loud voice made the entire team look at me in disbelief.

I heard Steve let out a sharp inhale and ignored it.

Boxes were strewn everywhere and apparently, they had been digging through some stuff when I made an entrance.

Everybody was there, groggy and slightly confused from a night of action. It didn't help their mood when they saw me run up to them, all panicked.

"Widow, back away," I commanded, urging Natasha to leave as I took my seat in her now vacant chair.

Typing away at the computer, I ignored the team's piercing gazes and continued to manoeuver the twins unbalanced connection with me internally.

It was wavering, the threads slowly disconnecting and I bit my lip to contain a scream of frustration.

Just a bit longer come on.

"Blues, what'd you got?" Tony was the first to ask, having stood next to me.

Considering we had a fight last night, I could barely even think about that now.

I ignored his stare and continued to type, trying my best to remember what I saw from the vision. Or better yet, memories.

"Strucker's dead. The twins have joined Sir Tin-a-lot, and somehow I have this very vague connection with them."

There was a silence as I said this and they looked even more dumbfounded.

"How could you know that?" Clint said in a high pitched voice, clearly confused. Apparently, they also knew Strucker was dead. "You literally just rose from the dead!"

AKA: just woke up.

"I told you, I have this very vague connection with them now." I barked at him, trying to get him to shut up.

I needed to focus. I needed to concentrate.

If the Twins gained power from the sceptre there was a strong chance they were connected to it. How else would it explain my connection to them?

Since I was once connected to the Tesseract and its similar gamma radiation is the same as the sceptre, then that would explain why I could suddenly feel them.

But of course, you don't understand so I'll just put it simply.

Tesseract is friends with the sceptre, both me and the twins gain powers from them.

Now we're connected.

Somewhat.

At least that's my theory.

Natasha was the first to move away, having seen I wasn't going to talk anytime soon.

"Let's just give her some space."

Yes, thank god!

I felt all of them leave my side rather reluctantly to sort through the boxes once more.

When I could finally think, I focused on their emotions, letting my fingers run on their own through the keyboard.

The invisible string was there, you just need to look hard enough.

I bypass numerous reports of what we assume to be their attacks, scrolling through mountains of data and transcripts using my skills as a former SHIELD Agent and stopped when I found one transcript, I felt was the most recent.

This one.

Assuming I was right and my gut--no, my powers, could feel them on the other side... This could work.

Taking a deep breath, I shut my eyes and let my mind expand, following the pull that was calling me.

The room fell away, the weight of my body lightening and suddenly there was nothing but silence.

"Pietro, no, don't touch that."

"It's shiny."

"It's explosive."

My fingers still, and I opened my eyes, finding myself in a deep cavern, somewhere unknown.

Did I just-

Mirror projected?

Towards a place, I did not even know? Because I could feel their energy sources? How did that even work?

This has never happened before.

I barely had any time to register what I did when a pair of silhouettes captured my attention.

The twins.

Snow white jumped on the table and happily chewed on an apple.

Scarlet was staring at him in amusement.

Even at war, they still looked at the most, innocent.

I watch as they made themselves comfortable over the wall and table.

"Are you going to share?" She was asking, eyebrow raised at her brother.

Snow white grinned. "Nope,"

Stepping towards them, I crossed my arms over my chest and narrowed my eyes before making myself known.

"Cute, I hope you didn't steal that too."

Two pairs of eyes turn to me immediately.

Snow White was the first to react. He jumped up and stood protectively in front of his sister.

Scarlet whip out a red swirl of light, balancing it on her fingers.

"Relax," I sighed, uncrossing my arms. "I'm not here. In fact, I have no idea how I'm here at all."

The twins stared at each other in confusion, unsure of my words.

Snow white is the one who glares and ran at me, apparently thinking I was there.

But he went right through my projected form and crash onto boxes of crates that lingered nearby.

"I told you, I'm not here." I scold him, whipping around to see his dumbfounded expression.

Scarlet narrowed her gaze before slowly letting the ball of red down. "How is this possible?" Her tone was laced with a heavy accent.

"Hell, I'd know." Scoffing, I try to put it into words. "I just remember waking up and feeling you there. Like through a distant telephone."

Snow White rejoined his sister and gave me a wary glance. "Why are you here?"

Yes, why am I here?

"I don't know," I responded, shrugging openly. "What I do know, is that you two have been causing a bit of destruction lately."

Scarlet rolled her eyes before crossing her arms over her chest. "So what? You came here to scold us?"

"Scold you? I didn't mirror project a thousand miles away to scold you. I did it because I could feel you."

The two of them pause at my words and I realized what that sounded like. Which isn't right at all.

"Look, you gain your powers from the sceptre, am I right?" I gestured at them, sounding slightly hysterical.

Snow White didn't move but his sister nodded timidly.

Good, okay we're making progress.

"Mine came from the Tesseract. So in some ways, we are connected, don't ask me how--" My finger waved in the direction of Snow White before he could say a word.

I don't know where I was going with this, but I knew I needed to say it.

"This is going to sound really weird," Their answer could dictate my next course of action.

After all, the theory I have is the only comfort I can give myself.

Maybe... I won't be the only one.

"But... do you feel the pull of the sceptre? Anything at all?"

Scarlet frowned deeply, apparently trying to make sense of what I meant.

When the silence stretches and neither one of them says a thing, I almost wanted to rearrange my words again, thinking they didn't get it.

"No, we don't." Surprisingly it was Snow White that said this. He'd answered with what was almost, an apologetic expression.

Oh...

His words slowly registered in my brain, and I nodded weakly.

I guess I was the only one that could feel the pull.

The theory I had about how I'm connected to them because of their connection to the Scepter was false. Even that was unexplained.

I was back to square one.

Where nothing made sense and it will probably, continue, not making sense.

"Well, this was useless." I leaned over the wall and brush my hair away from my face, defeated.

Back then, I wanted answers to my past, who I was, where I came from. I got them, but what about the future?

What about the story of why my abilities came to be? Why for some unexplained reason, they are growing, more and more, why despite being no longer connected to the Tesseract, I could feel it--them, whatever it was out there.

I guess those questions will have to remain unanswered for a long time.

Scarlet began to approach me warily, having seen I wasn't going to attack them.

"Wanda--"

"Shh!" She cuts her brother off, not wanting him to interrupt. I watch her curiously as she crosses the distance and reaches out her hand.

She lightly touches where my arm is, only for it to pass through.

Her eyes widened in amazement.

"Can everybody see you?"

"Only to those I want," I responded, generating a small smile at her curious expression.

What was I doing?

They were the enemy.

Were they?

All I saw was a bunch of broken kids with no home.

Just like me.

"I did not expect this... Strucker said you were powerful... but this is beyond what I'd imagine."

Hearing her speak his name made me recoil. "Yeah well, you killed him," My bluntness did not go unnoticed, her eyes instantly narrowed.

"I did not do the deed."

"But you helped, didn't you?" I retorted, straightening my position.

Snow White grabbed hold of his sister and began to pull her back.

"We do not attack unless provoked." He says fiercely.

"You provoked them first! What's your goal in all this? What do you want in return?" I demanded, growing frustrated.

They were kids! Hell, I was a kid a few years ago!

Doesn't that technically make me a kid too?

Good god, I sounded like Natasha.

"We will not answer your question," Scarlet hissed at me.

"Yeah, sure. I read emotions Scarlet, don't think you can hide." I threatened, eyes flashing their familiar glowing blues.

There's something here between us. All three of us. That invisible string I mentioned was pulling and no matter where we walk, no matter what we say, we can't avoid it nor can we ignore it.

We were tied.

"What is this?" Snow White was seething. He glared at himself then back at me. "What did you do to us?"

"Excuse me, I didn't do anything--"

"Are you tracking us?" Scarlet shakes her head and I sense her anger grow upon thinking I may be stalling for time.

"Seriously?" Came my scoff. "I didn't even know I had this until this morning!"

We stare at each other for a moment, bathe in silence. Did they really have nothing to do with whatever connection we shared?

Then where did it come from?

How did it happen?

"It's time,"

Heavy footsteps alerted me of a newcomer.

A large shadow appears through the corner of the room and I gape at the large metal being.

Ultron, holy shit--

My mouth hung agape as I took in his much larger form. The twins looked at me uneasily as he entered, shooting me wary looks.

Ultron stares around the room but his gaze goes right through me. He can't see me.

I made sure of that.

"We leave now," He tells the twins, gesturing them out. "I found the man who has what we need,"

Snow White looks at Ultron with a bored expression. "What? Need us to do your dirty work again?"

Scarlet elbows her brother, forcing him to remain quiet before speaking. "And what do we need?"

Ultron shrugs before a smirk appears from his metal face. "Metal. Lots of it."

From the corner of my eye, Scarlet watches me like a hawk and before I can do anything, I watch as her fingers crackle a swirl of red before she sends it over to me.

The wave hits me harder than expected and I fell backwards, back onto my own body.

That little witch can do that too!

"Ow, damn, ow!"

The chair heaves and I fall, slamming hard on the marble floor with so much force, I see everything upside down.

"If this is how it feels being hit by me, please no," I mumbled, in pain and out of breath. Scarlet had apparently hit me with a bit too much force.

A pair of arms hoisted me up instantly and it took a moment for the dizzying to subside before I gradually see Tony's fingers snapping in front of my face.

"Hey? You back yet?" He snaps his fingers once more and I shoved him, getting away from both Steve and Thor's hard grip.

The two of them had each grabbed both my arms to steady me when I'd fallen.

"Metal. He... Ul..." I nearly fell over again if it wasn't for Clint to catch me this time.

His arms wrap behind my middle as my legs buckle. "Woah, girl!" Clint stumbled, foot slipping.

The world spun on its axis as the team looked at me with worry.

"I... I need to sit down."

Clint didn't need to think twice, he gently sets me down by the wall so I could lean on it.

I pinch the bridge of my nose, and shut my eyes, feeling the room swim.

"Where did you go?" Natasha crouch in front of me, sending me a concerned look.

I waved it away and breathe in deep gulps of air, trying in vain to stop the pounding in my head.

The indication is clear.

Give me a second.

The little mirror projection across continents had sucked the life out of my powers. I could feel my body physically burning.

"Yeah well, while you were doing your little witchy thing, we came across nothing." Tony voice out unhelpfully from beside me.

Both Steve and Thor send him a glare to which he shrugs defensively.

"I... I saw them..." It was weird. It felt like I was waking up. Trying to remember what I saw. Trying to understand why things happen for a reason.

Steve didn't waste any time to squat in front of me, putting a hand on my shoulder for support when he sees my head falling side to side.

"Who did you see?" His blue eyes watch me with tenderness.

"The twins... and Ultron..."

That got a reaction. Everybody who was sitting, spread along the room beforehand are instantly up. They strode over to me, eager to gain information.

"How?" Natasha frowned from where she stands. She's leaning against the wall. "You've never been able to mirror project that far."

"I... I don't know." My confession is honest, I genuinely do not know. "I could feel them. Their energy, calling to me, and I just followed."

It meant nothing, yet it did at the same time.

I had a feeling that my connection to them had nothing to do with the twins, rather it had something to do with me.

"Great--" Tony crosses his arms over his chest and narrows in thought. Apparently, he didn't like my newfound power. "Anything else to add?"

I shake my head.

"I thought your connection to the Tesseract had been severed," Thor's words are meant for me, his voice is filled with slight alarm.

He'd approach me with a gaze that speaks legions.

We stare at each other for half a second, a dozen things floating in the air.

"It was," I responded slowly. "But it doesn't change that I am more powerful than when I was still connected to it."

Thor frowned even more. He looked worried. Why? I don't get it. The god would always do this. He'd say things and speak in metaphors.

Sometimes I think he's hiding something from me.

I concluded that he and I have to talk one day about just what the Tesseract is.

And what it did to me.

What it continues, to do to me.

"If we're still on the same page here, what else did you see?" Maria says from somewhere behind the team who are still staring at me like an alien.

Briefly, I shut my eyes and tried to remember before opening them again. "Metal. He said something about getting a lot of metal."

That must have interested Bruce and Tony because they were the ones that made their way back to the boxes and began to furiously rummage through, apparently knowing what I meant.

Natasha left to help and even Thor tried to search but he more or less just threw paper after paper out.

Clint was dutifully, rearranging the thrown papers on the floor like the perfectionist he was.

Steve opted to stay by me, sitting down my figure. He does not bother hiding how his hand and mine were curled around each other.

"Are you okay?" He asks me, blue eyes sparkling.

I gave him a weak smile. "Always am, Ice Pick."

His hand squeezed mine and I let his warmth seep into my bones.

"You said you saw the twins. Did they..."

He wanted to ask if Ultron was forcing them.

I shook my head. "They did it all willingly. At least they didn't kill Strucker. Ultron did."

Steve lets his head fall and his features contorted to obvious disappointment.

They weren't as innocent as he hoped for them to be.

"Wait, I know that guy." Tony voice brings us back to the present and I watch as Banner hands over a file to him.

Steve gently stand me up and I leaned on his shoulder, allowing him to hold me as we joined the fray.

My brother was musing over the files, reminiscing. "From back in the day, he operates off the African coast, black market arms--"

We stopped before him and Steve gives Tony a patronizing look.

Tony raises both hands in surrender. "There are conventions, alright? You meet people, I didn't sell him anything."

I let myself go from Steve's grip and took the file, seeing the man, known as 'Ulysses Klaue' on the front page.

"He was talking about finding something new, a game-changer, it was all very, Ahab-" Tony commented sarcastically with a roll of his eyes.

Thor snatch at the file in my hands and I glared.

Where are his manners?

He sees my expression and very gently sets it back in my hand, before muttering a quiet; "Excuse me," And taking it back.

I hid a smirk, knowing the god was very cautious.

"This." He points at a large ornate scar on the back of Klaue's head.

Tony frowns. "Uh, it's a tattoo. I don't think he had it..."

The god of thunder shakes his head. "No, those are tattoos," He gestures to Klaue's open chest. Then moved to the back of his head. "This is a brand."

Huh. That made sense.

Banner took a scan of the brand and ran it through our computer's system analyzer.

Since JARVIS was no longer with us, we had to do it manually.

"Oh, yeah. It's a word in an African dialect meaning thief," He pulls his glasses up and frowns. "In a much less friendly way."

"What dialect?" Steve inquires, curious.

Banner looks at the computer and squints. "Wakanada...? Wa...Wa... Wakanda."

Wakanda.

I heard of them. The country had been well known in keeping things to themselves, however as a former SHIELD Agent I know there was more than meets the eye.

How can a seemingly third world country be single-handedly involved in the largest transportation of metal traffic in the world?

Something didn't make sense there.

But our goal isn't Wakanda, is was Klaue.

"That's it." I point at Klaue's picture. "Ultron's heading there."

Tony nods in agreement. "Blues is right. If Ultron wants metal this is where he'll go. If this guy got out of Wakanda with some of their trade goods..."

Steve sighs out loud. "I thought your father said he got the last of it?"

The two males stare at each other in apparent mixtures of anger.

"I don't follow, what comes out of Wakanda?" Bruce innocently brings up, breaking up their glaring contest.

Tony, Steve and I looked at Captain America's shield.

"The strongest metal on earth." My brother announces, sarcastically.

Vibranium.

You can tell from everybody in the room that the announcement was a pain in the ass.

Steve shakes his head before turning back to Tony with a serious glint in his eyes. "Where is this guy now?"

"Africa, by the coast," Clint pipes up, having gone through the computer with Natasha helping him.

"We should leave, we don't know what Ultron needs the metal for," My concern is shared among the rest of my team.

Steve grabs hold of the shield and hoisted it up to his arm.

"Alright then suit up. We meet back in 10 minutes,"

The team nodded in agreement and Tony left first, having needed more time to prepare. For the first time since last night, we finally had a plan.

It looked like things were finally going our way.

Scratching at my wrists, I rub my palms together and stuff them in the front of my hoodie, sighing.

"Are you sure you can go?" Steve tugs at my sleeve, stopping me from leaving the room.

His concern is sweet, given how everything was. But as of now, this was something I could not afford to miss.

To much was at stake.

With the Twins and Ultron working together, the Avengers were going to need all the help they can get.

"I can't leave now," Shaking my head at his protectiveness, I can't help but snark. "Without me, you guys would just fail,"

Clint snorted at that and Natasha slapped his arm, forcing him quiet as they watch our interaction go down.

"We don't know what's waiting for us," Steve responded stubbornly.

"Sir Tin-a-lot, Snow White and Scarlet will be waiting for us that's for sure," I grunted out, not caring how Thor frowned in confusion at the nicknames.

Clint, Natasha, Banner and Maria shared a laugh once they understood what I meant.

"Don't worry Steve, we'll be fine too," Clint commented unnecessarily earning another slap from the Russian.

Steve didn't pay attention, but when his brow furrowed, even more, I leaned forward and placed a kiss on his lips, burning it deep so he knew just how serious I was.

Clint whooped so loud and Natasha smirked.

Thor looked away but did not bother hiding a smile.

Banner merely shrugs at Maria's direction.

Steve shuts up immediately and tries to respond but is unable to when I pulled away.

His blue eyes are wide and filled with want.

I could only grin cheekily.

"That's the only way to shut you up," So help me, my innocent eyes were practically his unravelling. He melted.

"What,"

The voice startles all of us.

I whirled around to see a pair of familiar brown orbs, darkening considerably.

Tony grits his teeth, the sound audible even from here.

"The fuck?"

~~@ @ @~~

A/N

Do you hear that? Looks like Tony's protectiveness is kicking in...

I always enjoyed writing Tony's little parts of over protectiveness and neediness as well to others he cares.

Hes like a child that wants what he wants.

What do you think of Lorelie and Tony's relationship?

I hope I've captured their personalities.

oH and what about Scarlet and Snow White? What is up with that weird connection?

hmmm....

Happy reading!

;)

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