Chapter 39

Wanda paces back and forth.

She's agitated.

Confronted and in pain.

Come on. Come on.

She tries her best to pry into Lorelie's mind, to lift the haze that is seemingly blocking the two from one another. She couldn't break through no matter how hard she tried. 

Only a few minutes ago did she feel the block lift but instead of feeling Lorelie's expecting words, Wanda felt her pain hit her like a ton of bricks.

Lorelie? Lorelie...

No answer. No response. No nothing.

The young girl gave up going to sit on the couch with her head in her palms.

Vision looks from afar, his odd eyes analyzing the scene before him.

Earlier on, they were in the Kitchen and he had wanted to prepare food for the Sokovian girl to cheer her up.

But after what happened, Wanda retreated to herself. The growing worry was making him frown.

"Wanda?" He walks in, slowly.

Wanda raises her eyes and shakes her head.

"I... I felt her."

The half human, half machine raises a concerning brow.

Wanda trails her eyes over to the windows outside. A sick gutting feeling churned in her stomach. Something was wrong--no, something is wrong. 

"Her pain, Vis. And then... now I can't feel her anymore."

Vision sits next to her and remains quiet as the Sokovian girl's eyes began to water.

Worry grits at her, utter helplessness making the situation two times worse. Lorelie was all she had.

Her heart would break if something happened. If it already did. 

Deep within the crevice of her mind, something within her stirred. Anger, like steaming rage boiling away in the background. Sparks flash across her fingers, tinting the air around them as her anger grew, branching out like vines.

"Stark," She mumbled, eyes flashing a deep red as she remembers the bitter feeling of Lorelie's emotions.

Betrayal and heartbreak for the girl's older brother.

"Wanda, I suggest you remain calm," The Vision tells her, trying his best to settle her before it got worse. 

The explosion during the Accords had already made things complicated. Given, that the swirls of red surrounding her were growing more and more perturbed, Vision knew it would not be wise for her to lose control.

Wanda let out a sharp exhale, her fingers clenching to a snap and ceasing the red swirls away. She takes out her phone and scrolls down to the number she's looking for.

After a brief moment of silence, she shuts it back, having sent the message and storms off to her room with Vision watching her go with sad eyes.

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Tony sits in the office, his thumb playfully twiddling with his monitor.

Worry. Fear. Anxiety, and most of all anger, was swirling within him. Anger and dread. 

A notification from his monitor lit up the side of his hand. He lifts it up to view the new message, his heart in his throat. 

Witchy 2.0~ What did you do?

Tony had no idea what he did. Neither was he going to forgive himself for it.

After staring at it for a moment longer he flips off his monitor and nervously taps the side of his knee, eyes staring at the huge screen in front of him.

The footage showed the chase that had happened in Bucharest earlier in the day. 

His teammates had left behind a lot of damage during their interlude of catching Barnes. The collateral was sure to cost. To him, to everyone, to Lorelie. 

Lorelie.

His sister.

She had disappeared two days ago, leaving behind no message or no indication as to where she'd gone. Yet, here she was, in Bucharest.

He didn't know if he should be angry or betrayed.

She left him without warning and suddenly pops up on the radar with the world's most wanted man.

What was she up to?

And why didn't she trust him enough to tell him?

Tony clenched his fingers and hid them by his mouth.

He felt as though his sister could not see the bigger picture in front of him. He had wanted her to support him but to his surprise, she did not.

In fact, she didn't support Steve's argument as well.

It's like she retreated to herself, opting to watch from afar and Tony didn't like it.

Not one bit.

He was a man of many words but the one thing he felt the most was hurt.

Why would she hurt him like that?

Shaking his head he looks down at his shiny shoes and bitterly smiles. Almost sarcastic.

I did what I had to.

I did what I had to.

If he could say it over and over again then it must be true.

"Tony," The Russian approaches Tony from behind and gives him a cold look. One Tony noticed.

"They caught Barnes and the rest,"

Tony's eyes shifted nervously. "Lorelie?"

The Russian narrowed her glare. "Unconscious."

She didn't know what they planned on doing to Lorelie and now she was beyond pissed.

Tony knows Natasha was mad. But what could he do? He was trying to help them and god knows he was trying everything he could.

"Officials will have them in by the hour," She turned on her heel and began to stomp away but Tony stops her.

"I did what I had to," He tells her almost defensively. The words he was thinking, coming to the surface.

It was like he was grasping for one last thread of whatever he felt left.

The Russian turns back to face her friend and the cold, angry glare she sends him makes him flinch.

Lorelie was Tony's sister.

Lorelie was Natasha's friend.

And yet they both failed her.

"Did you?" She spits. 

Tony remained quiet and the Russian lets out a scoff.

Where was the cocky Billionaire they all knew?

"Secretary Ross is on the line, you might wanna pick it up." She exits the room to find a wall to punch.

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Steve, Sam and the soon-to-be King of Wakanda all sat in an armoured SUV.

All three of them sit separately.

With the King being first.

Steve second and Sam last.

There was a collective silence that seem to grow and it wasn't pleasant either,

"So you like cats?" Sam announces, giving T'Challa an angry glare.

"Sam," The Super Soldier warns, telling his friend now was not the time.

"What?" He scoffs in return. "Dude shows up dressed like a cat and you don't wanna know more?"

Steve's eyes narrowed. "Your suit... its Vibranium?"

T'Challa glances behind him with an air of radiance. Like they were nothing but beneath him.

"The Black Panther has been the protector of Wakanda for generations. A mantle, passed from warrior to warrior." He tells them harshly.

"And now, because your friend murdered my father, I also wear the mantle of king."

Steve glare narrowed upon the threat the King was giving him.

"So, I ask you... as both warrior and king... how long do you think you can keep your friend safe from me?"

Nobody spoke and T'Challa was satisfied he had that as an answer.

Smirking to himself he glances at the people behind him once more, and he grew disgusted.

"If you treat the ones you call friends with so much constrain," His tone is low and Steve looks away upon realizing the King was talking about Lorelie.

"Its no wonder she tried to stop the two of you from making the situation worse."

Steve's fists clenched through the cuffs holding him. "You don't know anything." He hisses.

"Don't I?" The King mocked. "All the poor girl did was stop you and you couldn't even trust her?"

Even he knew the actions of why the Dark Witch did what she had to.

Given, even though he was on a mission to kill Steve's friend, he could not help but admire the strength of that woman and what she would do when lives are at risk.

It didn't take T'Challa long to realized the Dark Witch was neither on their sides but rather on her own.

The actions of her friends landed her in much deeper agony and the King pitied her.

Steve broke eye contact and as much as Sam tried to back Steve up he knew T'Challa was right.

This time Sam decided to remain quiet already knowing in his heart he was wrong for going against Lorelie.

Steve eyes flash painfully back and forth at the pure screams of terror coming from Lorelie's lips and he couldn't do anything to help her.

Instead his best friend did that for him and he doesn't know which was worst.

The fact that Tony was the caused of Lorelie's pain.

Or that her grief-stricken eyes begged him to trust her when he didn't.

Steve bends forward and buries his head onto his palms.

The Super Soldier whole frame shook and one thought crossed his mind.

"What have I done?"

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Bucky tried to resist moving around but he can't help it.

His eyes kept shifting back and forth between the unconscious Lorelie and the six guards that surround him.

He can't help but grow more and more worried as time passed on and Lorelie remained knocked out cold.

The collar was still wrapped around her neck and the metal link was being held by one of the guards.

He eyed it in disgust and wanted nothing more but to break it in half.

They didn't put Lorelie in a cage like they did him. Instead she was made to lay on the cold metal ground without any means of protection.

It must've been uncomfortable but Bucky couldn't do anything to assist her.

When the ex-HYDRA member saw her behind his door he didn't know what to expect from it.

Was it possible she found him? But how?

He couldn't ask her these questions because the girl was emotionally drained and Bucky had to help her before things escalated farther.

What he didn't expect was the growing knot somewhere in his chest that tells him things he should not be feeling for her.

He had been her Protector for years.

Guided her, trusted her with everything in him.

There has always been an unspoken thing between them and it was only recently did he recovered it.

She was in pain and that pain somehow led her back to him.

He wanted to kill those who hurt her.

Wanted to swoop her away in his arms and take her somewhere no one would be able to hurt her anymore.

The Super Soldier did a crappy job and her own brother was the one that hurt her to begin with.

Bucky's eyes narrowed in a frown. He was both disappointed and angry.

His eyes trail over the scraps on her knees and hands.

The hoodie she wore was torn in a few places exposing bits of flesh that were longed dried with blood.

It was small and subtle and Bucky did not notice the veins. What he did notice however, was when her fingers twitched and those eyes flicker tiredly.

She lets out a groan, rubbing her head and neck. Upon realizing what's on her neck she froze and traced it.

Her eyes go wide and she looks around her surroundings in pure panic.

"Ved'ma?" He calls out to her softly, hoping she didn't do anything to trigger the guard.

Witch?

Lorelie's eyes softened upon hearing his voice but they wince when she noticed the metal link being held by a guard.

"Where am I?" She demanded, tone breathless and husky, having screamed her heart out earlier.

The guards remained motionless and Bucky saw the guard who held the link shift ever so slightly.

She tried to rise but then realized her body was to weak to do so.

That didn't stop her from tugging the chain relentlessly.

"Dark Witch you are to remain seated." The guard commands but it does not stop the frantic girl.

It all happened in slow motion.

Bucky noticed how she was crazily pulling, not liking how she was once more, trapped.

"Get this chain off me!" She says, almost chocking. The guard repeated his words but Lorelie didn't care.

She wanted out and she wanted out now.

All Bucky saw was the eyes of a girl he's grown to care for, shatter and fall apart.

"Stay calm Lorelie," He tells her trying to get her to stop. The lights were swirling around them and Bucky grew panicked.

"Lorelie, listen-"

He was to late, the guard snapped something and almost at once Lorelie's body went into full blown electric shocked.

She gasped and clawed at her throat and heart, scraping and scraping as if to get it out.

Her body trembled and Bucky watch the girl shook from the pain.

"STOP! Stop!" He yells at them but they don't listen.

He tries to break free but the metal encased him and he struggles upon hearing Lorelie's pained gurgles.

It felt like forever until they finally stopped but by then Lorelie had retreated to herself.

Despite the electricity running through her veins she remained motionless.

A ghost to reality and to herself.

Her eyes blink but they are filled with emptiness.

The guard shifted slightly and Lorelie winced, recoiling back to the back of the truck with her hand held out in horror and fear.

"Please, stop! I won't do anything. I-I swear!"

The resignation makes Bucky's eyes sink.

There was the Dark Witch.

Fallen beyond grace.

~~@ @ @~~

A/N

Oh god, how are you guys holding up?

Ik its hard now but its necessary for the story okay?

If you think about it...

Bucky would never hurt Lorelie or ever question her loyalty...

But Steve would...

Tony would...

Why you may ask?

Because she grew up with him for the most part.

She only spent a little time with Tony when they were younger and she only knew Steve a few years ago.

No one knows her better then the Winter Soldier himself.

XD 

okay I'm done mindshitting you guys.

VOTE AND COMMENT