Pietro's POV

We had been wandering for what felt like hours, but was most likely only minutes due to how wonky time was in here when we stumbled upon a familiar setting. My childhood home, before it was blown to smithereens by the civil war. I gasped inaudibly, running towards the building with the others at my heels since I wasn't using my super powers. Entering the building, I took the still familiar path up to our tiny apartment and stopped when I reached the door, afraid of what I would find on the other side.

"Why aren't we going in? What if Wanda is in there?" Roy asked impatiently, trying to shove past me. I stuck my arm out to stop him, glaring slightly.

"She is in there, but I'm not sure if you are ready to see what you are about to see." The others hesitated but nodded with steely determination, M'gann putting a comforting hand on my shoulder. I took a deep breath before I shoved the door open, pausing when I saw the familiar sight; the bomb encased in Wanda's scarlet power, Wanda close to passing out as she over exerted herself to keep us alive as we hid under the bed, five year old me rubbing Wanda's back and trying to keep the sweat out of her eyes. I looked to the others, noting the horrified expressions on their faces when they saw five year old Wanda's face contorted in pain from her discovering and using her powers for the first time, and to such an extent.

"Is this...the first time she ever used her abilities?" M'gann croaked, looking as if she wanted to cradle my sister. I nodded, walking around the bomb slowly.

"She discovered them in the moment of extreme stress, when the bomb landed in front of us. At first she didn't realize it was her, but I told her whatever she was doing to keep doing it, it was saving our lives. She passed out from exhaustion soon after, nearly going into the same comatose state she is in now." I sighed, crouching next our hiding spot. I wiped some sweat from Wanda's brow, taking her attention from the bomb. She looked shocked, scared even. I smiled calmly. "Wanda, you are not back there. You are at HQ, in a coma. You need to wake up now, we need you. We miss you. I miss you. Please, Wanda, come home."

The scenery around us began to shift as Wanda stood up, facing me as her five year old self with tears leaking down her sweaty cheeks. "Don't you see? I am trying to protect you. I hurt everyone I come in contact with, including you. Let me stay here, contain the Witch, so she can harm no more."

"But Wanda, you are the Scarlet Witch." Conner blurted out before I could stop him.

I had noticed this during our encounter with her earlier, that she was referring to the Scarlet Witch as if she were not her, as if to remove herself from her powers and their actions. I'm worried that if she is this fragile that she cannot, will not, own up to her actions fully that she presents herself as a child, she may never come back to us.

Wanda's eyes went wide as she began to shake, scarlet energy pouring out of her and into the air, surrounding her in a cloud. "No! She is a monster! She must be destroyed!"

I gulped, walking into the cloud of scarlet despite all the force trying to keep me out. I fought against the current, making my way towards my sister who had collapsed to the ground as a thirteen year old, holding herself as she sobbed. I gently pulled her into my arms, patting her back as I sang a Sokovian lullaby our mother used to sing to us in her ear. "Wanda, you are the Scarlet Witch, but you are not a monster. The Scarlet Witch is a hero, especially because of her flaws."

"But Pietro, look at what I have done!" She wailed, flinging her hands out to dissipate the cloud. Once our friends could see us, they immediately joined us, huddling around Wanda in a supportive group hug. Wanda cried, using her magic to conjure up images and memories of her time as Hydra's puppet, of when she was brainwashed to kill world leaders, of our time with Ultron, and finally when the Light had its hold on her. She looked up at us with tears, whispering hoarsely so we could barely hear. "I have done great evil. How am I a hero?"

"I stabbed my twin sister through the heart, I killed for Ra's Al Ghul, I worked for Hydra too, I worked with Ultron as well, does that overshadow the strides I have made to redeem myself?" Wanda shook her head, whispering how she had forgiven me. "And the world has forgiven you. You were not in your right mind when you did those things, Wanda. Hell, you were brainwashed for most of it! You are not to blame."

Wanda sighed, looking up as the sound of approaching footsteps could be heard. We all looked to see Dick and the others enter the apartment that Wanda reassembled after her outburst, looks of relief on all their faces. "Wanda! We are so glad to see you. Are you okay?"

"No, but with time, I shall be." She smiled, standing up shakily. She took my hand, squeezing it tightly. "Let's go home, shall we?"

"Great, I'll give Zatana the signal." M'gann's eyes glowed as she let our resident magician know we were ready to be extracted. When she was done, she turned to Wanda and pulled her into a hug. "See you on the other side."

The world started to fade around me before everything turned to white.

Wanda's POV

The first thing I heard was beeping. And then footsteps. A lot of them, coming fast and in my direction. I felt a ghost of a smirk playing on my lips as I kept my eyes shut, waiting for the others to enter my room. Pietro, of course, was at my bedside in an instant. I felt the bed dip with the weight of my brother as he sat down next to me and I felt his hand slip into mine, squeezing it.

"C'mon, sister, pull through. I know you can do it." He muttered, not yet sensing that I was very much awake and aware. I'm pretty sure M'gann was the only one, so I sent her a telepathic message.

Shh, don't say a word. Play along.

What? Wanda?! What are you doing?

Having some fun. Now shh, don't break my façade.

"You seem very concentrated, are you trying to use your telepathy to wake her up?" I heard Artemis ask, making me bite my tongue to hold back a chuckle.

"Huh? Yeah, yeah, something like that..." M'gann trailed off and I could feel her glare on me, willing me to open my eyes.

The bed dipped again as someone else sat next to me. I barely cracked my eyes, only enough to see who it was, not enough to be noticed by anyone else though. It was surprisingly not my cousin, but Jason who was sitting next to my brother. I decided to have some fun with him, sending him a telepathic message as well.

You're not gonna try a kiss to wake me up, are you?

Jason's eyes went wide before he narrowed them at me, a smirk finding its way on his mouth.

Why? Would that work?

It'd be funny to see Pietro bug out, so why not?

I could see Jason bite back the chuckle before he scooted closer to me, leaning down and pressing a quick peck to my lips. I heard the others gasp and Pietro let out a few choice Romanian words before Jason was pulled off of me and presumably tossed across the room. I decided now was the time to make my grand entrance.

I fluttered my eyes open, gasping just loud enough to stop Pietro from punching Jason in the face. I saw the ex-assassin wink at me over my brother's shoulder and I returned the gesture more subtly seeing as I was now being tackled by my speedster twin. "Wanda! Oh my goodness! It's so good to have you back."

I returned the hug, scanning my teammates shocked faces with feigned innocence. Only M'gann wasn't shocked, she just shook her head in amusement. I winked at her, telling her telepathically not to spoil the fun.

Oh, don't worry. I won't.

I pulled back from Pietro's embrace, looking around at my teammates with the same look of feigned innocence and curiosity. "Who kissed me?" Jason raised his hand, ignoring the glare Pietro sent him. I put my hand over my heart. "I never believed in true love before but you know what they say, the kiss never lies."

"Nobody says that." Roy snorted.

"Where have you been? I feel like I haven't seen you in forever." I grinned, pulling the archer in for a hug. "Still recovering from that hangover, eh?"

"Nah, just working missions on my own. Figured I had to stop by to see my favorite sorceress." He smiled back, ruffling my hair. "So how are we going to celebrate you returning to the land of the living?"

I shrugged, stretching my arms over my head with a yawn. "To be honest, I am kind of tired. Raincheck?" My teammates gave me incredulous looks, making me break out with a little laugh. "Kidding, kidding. But we don't have to celebrate me returning, honestly. Let's just put a movie on, yeah?"

"Sure thing, I heard they came out with another Sharknado, anyone up for that?"