"Can you please turn that off?" I told Todd. He sat in the living room with the TV on.

The broadcast highlighted the tragedy in Lagos from last month. They were still talking about it. I shouldn't have been too surprised. When it came to Avenger missions, some media liked to paint us as terrorists.

"It's insane, it's not like you guys wanted that to happen!" he said rather angrily. In a huff, he snapped the TV off. His demeanor calmed. "Sorry, I just hate when the media goes against you guys."

"You and me both." I went to the couch to plop a seat.

"How's Wanda? She hasn't really talked to me since you guys came back."

"She hasn't really talked to anyone since then, well...no, not even Aria. She's kind of given everyone the cold shoulder." I twisted my wedding band around. "She must be so upset, beating herself up over this. She had no intentions of hurting those people, none of us did."

"Has anyone tried to talk to her?"

"Anytime we've tried, she's magicked the door shut so we can't get it open."

"You sure she didn't just lock the door?"

I smacked Todd's arm. "We almost tried breaking it down. It didn't do a damn thing."

"She'll understand it wasn't her fault."

"I hope so. Being a hero isn't easy. Unfortunately, you just can't save everyone." New York. Sokovia. The Pentagon. S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ. There were plenty of people I could have saved, but never got the chance to. I tried not to think about that as often, because it'd make me question if I was worthy to wear my Cynder persona. "I should've thought about that before Coulson asked me to find Loki."

Kiara? It was Steve. I'm going to try to get through to Wanda. I might need backup.

We've been trying for a month, Steve. She's shut us all down, every time. Today will not be any different.

We don't know that. Please, humor me.

Last I checked, we're not her parents. She might think we're trying to be if we both approach her.

If I may not be able to get through to her, you might.

If that's the case, then get Aria. They're a pair, after all.

When I heard no rebuttal from Steve, with a loud groan, I got up from the couch and went to find our room. Steve had news footage on his computer, which made me frown.

"Wakandans were among those killed during a confrontation between the Avengers and a group of mercenaries in Lagos, Nigeria, last month," said the news reporter. "The traditionally reclusive Wakandans were on an outreach mission in Lagos when the attack occurred."

"Our people's blood is spilled on foreign soil," said a gruff voice, presumably a representative from Wakanda. A heading told me it was the king. "Not only because of the actions of criminals, but by the indifference of those pledged to stop them. Victory at the expense of the innocent, is no victory at all."

"The Wakanda king went on to..."

Steve shut off the computer.

"The news can't get enough of us, good or bad press," I said glumly. "I just had Todd shut the TV off in the other room."

Other news chatter drifted into our room from another. I had a good guess as to who was just as entranced with the news as Steve seemed to be.

Steve, curious as to where the noise was coming from, stood up. We both left our room, finding the sound drifting from a slightly ajar door. It was Wanda's room.

"They are operating outside and above international law," ranted a news reporter on the TV. "Because that's the reality, if we don't respond to acts like these."

Steve moved into Wanda's room, with me close by. She seemed too stuck to the TV to realize we had snuck in.

"What legal authority does an enhanced individual like Wanda Maximoff have to operate in Nig—?"

Steve shut off Wanda's TV, alerting her to our presence.

"It's my fault," the witch whispered.

"That's not true," Steve told her.

"Turn the TV back on. They're being very specific."

"I should've clocked that bomb vest long before you had to deal with it." Steve walked over to sit beside Wanda on the bed. "Rumlow said 'Bucky' and...all of a sudden I was a sixteen-year-old kid again, in Brooklyn. And people died. It's on me."

"It's on both of us."

"This job...We try to save as many people as we can. Sometimes that doesn't mean everybody. But if we can't find a way to live with that, next time...maybe nobody gets saved."

You don't have to shut down, I told Wanda through thoughts. Everyone's worried about you, Aria included. I'm sure she'll want to see you and will be more than willing to listen.

Before any further talk could happen, Vision ghosted through the wall to Wanda's room. This was not the first time he'd do this, appear through walls into other rooms. What was more disturbing to me was the fact that he had shed his cloak for...civilian clothes. It looked out of place on him.

"Vis!" Wanda scolded the android with wide eyes. "We talked about this."

"Yes, but the door was open so I assumed that...Captain Rogers wished to know when Mr. Stark was arriving."

"Thank you," said Steve. "We'll be right down."

"I'll...use the door. Oh, and apparently, he's brought a guest."

"We know who it is?" I asked.

"The Secretary of State."