2023 ― Westview, New Jersey
WESTVIEW

WANDA MAXIMOFF COULD BE SEEN bouncing her baby Tommy in her arms as she tried to soothe him to silence. "Sweet, sweet, Tommy, don't you wanna sleep? Mommy wants to sleep. If you go to sleep, I promise you'll be my favorite twin." She said.

Their world had now changed to fit the 80s. Christian had been noticing the changing decades, but he didn't question it.

"Oh, come on now, baby..." Christian said as he walked down the stairs with Billy in his arms. "You know we love them both, equally." He said as Wanda turned around and smiled at her husband.

"Well, don't tell him that," Wanda said, which made Christian laugh. "No luck with Billy?" She asked since Billy was also crying.

"I tried reading to him, but for some reason, Charles Darwin's The Descent of Man-made him cry even harder," Christian said, and then he took advantage of the fact that Wanda was rocking Tommy, and he smiled. "Care to dance, Wanda?" He asked.

"Oh..." Wanda said as the two of them walked closer to each other, both still bouncing their babies, but they still smiled at each other. "It's almost like we're on a date." She said.

"Hmm... keep it down, boys, I was about to get my leg over," Christian said, and Wanda laughed.

"Chris?" She asked.

"Yeah?"

"Would you mind grabbing their binkies?" She asked.

"Oh. Of course not. Binkies all around probably would be helpful." Christian said as he set Billy down in his bassinet while Wanda did the same with Tommy. Christian walked into the kitchen to grab their binkies, and Wanda stepped in front of them.

"Now, I know parents aren't supposed to use shortcuts, but I think this situation calls for one, don't you?" Wanda said. She was only met by louder crying. "So, go to sleep, my babies." She said. She tried to use her powers to make them stop crying, but it didn't work. The boys started crying louder. "And... go to sleep," Wanda said as she tried it again, but it still didn't work. "Well, I don't think it's amusing. Why won't you do what I want?" She asked.

"What's that, baby?" Christian asked as he walked back into the room. He handed the binkies over to Wanda, and as soon as she gave them to the boys, they immediately stopped crying. "Would you look at that..." Christian said.

"Look, I think it's work...-" Wanda never got to finish her sentence because the boys spat their binkies out and started crying all over again. "Chris?" Wanda asked.

"Hmm?"

"What are we doing wrong?" She asked as she crossed her arms over her chest. Christian wrapped his arms around his wife, and he gently kissed her forehead.

"Don't worry, baby... We'll figure it out. Perhaps we all need more time to get to know each other." Christian said.

"Maybe... or maybe we just need some help," Wanda said. As if it was on cue, the doorbell rang, and Christian immediately walked over to it.

"Maybe that's Vis." He said as the door opened, and instead, it was Agnes that came walking through.

"Hiya, kids!" She exclaimed.

"Oh, Agnes!" Wanda exclaimed.

"Oh, I was just on my way to jazzercise when I heard your new little bundles of joy were on a sleep strike," Agnes said, and Christian raised an eyebrow.

"Oh. Who told you that?" He asked.

"Uh, my ears," Agnes said as she pointed to them, and all of them laughed, but when Agnes turned back around, Christian's smile fell. There was something about her that he couldn't put his finger on, but he didn't trust her.

"Anyway, Auntie Agnes is here, and I've got a couple of tricks up my sleeve." She said.

"Oh, Agnes, you're a lifesaver," Wanda said.

"Very well. But be careful of their belly buttons and remember to support their heads, and when was the last time you washed your...-Actually, you know what? It would be... Just... Maybe we better not." Christian said. Agnes stood there and looked between the couple.

She started to rock back and forth on her legs and stammer. "Uh... Um... Do you want me to take that again?" She asked Wanda. Both Wanda and Christian looked at her confused, and then they looked at each other confused before Wanda turned back to Agnes.

"I'm sorry?" Wanda asked.

"Do you want me to hold the babies? Should we just take it from the top?" Agnes asked as she started to walk back over to the door. Wanda's eyes were wide as she had no idea what was going on, and because Christian had no idea what to do since this situation was so awkward, he started laughing.

"What?" He asked, and then Wanda started laughing too.

"Oh, don't be silly. Christian, let's... Let's let Agnes give it a try." Wanda said as she looked at her husband. They both laughed a little awkwardly until Agnes started laughing too.

"Fussy babies, meet buns of steel. We dare you to stay awake." She said, and then she and Wanda started laughing while Christian was still trying to figure out what just happened.

"Wanda..." He said as he ushered for her to walk over to him as he walked over towards the fireplace while Agnes knelt to the babies. "What was that about?" He whispered to his wife.

"What was what?" Wanda asked.

"What was what?" He repeated as she raised an eyebrow. "That... that with Agnes just now." He responded.

"Well, I think she just got confused for a moment..." Wanda said as she turned around and looked at her before turning back to Christian. "She seems fine now."

"But what she said, the way she looked at you..." Christian said.

"How did she look at me?" Wanda asked. Christian didn't answer because his eyes were on Agnes, who rocked back and forth in front of his sons and sprayed something.

"Lavender. It's supposed to have a calming effect. Ralph sprays it on me every night, but there's no taming this tiger." She said, and Wanda laughed a little before she turned back to her husband, who was still pondering his thoughts. He knows what he saw, and he knows what he heard Agnes sa; the only question was why?

"It's so strange..." He said.

"That's not fair. It's not Agnes's fault that she has an unusually high libido." Wanda said. Christian furrowed his eyebrows because that's not what he was talking about at all.

"Wanda? Did you really not see what I saw?" He asked. Wanda couldn't answer because they heard a thud, and when they turned around, Agnes was by the kitchen.

"Oh, don't mind me. I'm just looking for your dark liquor." She said.

"What?" Christian asked.

"Not for me. For the twins. What kind of babysitter do you think I am?" She asked, and Wanda laughed. "I'm just gonna go check in there." She said as she fully walked into the kitchen. Wanda turned back to her husband.

"Christian, the boys haven't slept in days. You and I both need a break, and Agnes is just being neighborly, that's all." Wanda said, and then the room fell silent. Christian noticed first that the boys had stopped crying.

"Do you hear that?" He asked.

"Hear what?" Wanda asked.

"Absolutely nothing." He said as he walked over to the boys, and Wanda turned around with a wide smile on her face.

"They finally fell asleep," Wanda said. When they walked over to the boys' bassinets, they were surprised to see that they were empty.

"They're empty..." Christian said.

"Then where are the twins?" Wanda asked.

"Mommy? Daddy?" They heard small voices behind them. When they turned around, two small children were standing at the bottom of the stairs, and Christian's eyes widened. Did the boys just age themselves up? Wanda gasped too.

"Ahh... Kids..." Agnes said. Christian and Wanda turned to see her sitting on one of the counters next to the cabinet. "You can't control 'em. No matter how hard you try," She said. She also had a drink in her hand, which she toasted to the air before taking it back. Christian turned back to his wife, and then he turned back to the boys. Now he was feeling what Katherine and Steve felt when Amaya and Christian started growing rapidly.

"Hi..." Christian and Wanda both said to the boys. Tommy ran to Wanda while Billy ran to Christian, and they both picked the boys up in their arms. "How are you doing, buddy?" Christian asked as he kissed Billy's forehead, and his son just smiled at him.

He couldn't believe he had toddlers.

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

S.W.O.R.D. BASE

"Mighty glad to have you back, Captain." Jimmy Woo greeted Monica Rambeau when he, Darcy, Katherine, and Steve walked into the infirmary where Monica was. Monica was shocked to see Katherine and Steve as well, but once she put the pieces together and her shock wore off, she did remember seeing Christian inside of Westview, so now it made sense to her that they were here. "How are you feeling?" Jimmy asked.

"Like myself." She said.

"Well, thank heavens for that," Jimmy said.

"Uh, what's the latest?" Monica asked as she looked at them.

"There's a briefing in ten. Pants are encouraged." Darcy said as she handed her some clothes.

"Thank you," Monica said to her.

"This is Dr. Darcy Lewis. She's the one who discovered the broadcast." Jimmy said.

"I'm...-" Darcy cut her off.

"...-Monica, I know. I'm a big fan," Darcy said.

"And I'm sure you know Katherine and Steve, if not personally, then by reputation." Jimmy Woo said.

"Right... Katherine, I haven't seen you since I was a kid." Monica said, and Katherine smiled as she hugged her.

"I know, it's good to see you... and I'm sorry about your Mom..." Katherine said as they pulled back. "When I heard about her passing, I tried to reach out to send you my condolences... but then I found out you had..." Katherine trailed off, and Monica nodded her head.

"Thank you, Katherine." She said.

"We're gonna need to retake these. There's something wrong with the machine." A S.W.O.R.D. Agent said when they walked over with Monica's results.

"Wait... those are blank," Darcy said.

"Like I said." The Agent responded.

"Well, what about her labs?" Darcy asked.

"I need another blood draw." She said as she looked at Monica.

"No, you don't... She's fine." Katherine said, and everyone quickly looked at her.

"How do you know?" Darcy asked.

"Because I've seen lab results like that... When Nikita used to run tests on herself." Katherine said, and Darcy's eyes widened as she realized what Katherine was saying.

"Oh! How is Nikita, by the way?" Darcy asked. She hasn't seen Nikita in nearly 10 years; she doesn't blame her; they both had hectic lives, Nikita probably busier than most.

"Uh, she's engaged, actually," Katherine said, which made Darcy smile.

"Good for her and Thor... she is engaged to Thor, right?" Darcy asked, and Katherine laughed.

"Yes, she is." She said. Monica grabbed the clothes and stood up from the bed.

"Well, if we're done here, I'm gonna get changed," Monica said, and they all nodded their heads.

"See you at the briefing!"

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

"Morning... We are now assessing a more clear picture of this crisis. And thanks to Captain Rambeau, we now have first-person intel from inside the Westview Anomaly." Director Hayward said when he walked into the briefing. Katherine leaned up and whispered to her husband.

"Keep an eye on this guy... I have a weird feeling about him." She said. Steve nodded his head as he continued to look ahead. Katherine's been around a while, she knows the game, and she knows someone shady when she sees them, and Steve always trusted her instincts.

"Our initial theory had Wanda Maximoff as one of many victims. We now know she is the principal victimizer. Jimmy." Hayward said.

"Quick history on our subject. Born in Sokovia 1989 to Irina and Oleg Maximoff, both killed during an air raid when Maximoff and her twin brother, Pietro, were ten." Jimmy explained.

"The twins were subsequently radicalized, volunteering at HYDRA," Hayward said.

"It's an oversimplification of events, but yes. After unspecified experimentation with the Mind Stone, Maximoff gained telekinetic and telepathic abilities." Jimmy said.

"Back up, Jimmy. Does Maximoff have an alias?" Hayward asked.

"No, sir," Jimmy said as he shook his head.

"Really? No funny nickname?" He asked.

"Aliases aren't funny nicknames. They're meant for identity protection." Katherine spoke up, and Hayward looked at her.

"Right, even though we all know who you are... Miss Fatale." Hayward said. Katherine's eyes narrowed, but she didn't do or say anything, and Jimmy cleared his throat. "The earliest tracking of her had her using her powers against the Avengers, is that correct?" Hayward said.

"She was being manipulated," Steve said. Jimmy pointed over to Steve.

"And then she gained our trust, started working with us against Ultron, and she became an Avenger," Katherine said. She didn't like how Hayward was trying to defame Wanda.

"Lagos and Germany, we all know how that turned out. Thanks, Jimmy." Hayward said in a dismissing tone. Jimmy nodded his head before he walked over to where Monica, Darcy, Katherine, and Steve stood. "Now that we have the lay of the land let's talk about strategy."

"I try not to speak ill of people..." Jimmy started to whisper to them.

"Then allow me. Hayward's a...-"

"Terrorist." Katherine stopped speaking when she heard what Hayward said.

"Wanda is not a terrorist." Katherine snapped.

"By Captain Rambeau's account, she described the experience of being under her mind control as excruciating, terrifying, a violation," Hayward said as they started to roll the footage from when Monica was inside of Westview.

"I think what Katherine's point is, we don't believe that Wanda has a political agenda or any inclination toward destruction," Monica said.

"Monica, she blasted you halfway across New Jersey," Hayward said.

"And I survived because she chose to protect me," Monica said.

"She's holding thousands of people hostage," Hayward responded.

"And it could've been thousands more if she hadn't put up her own quarantine. Listen, I don't believe that this is a premeditated act of aggression." Monica said.

"You don't?" Hayward asked, and then he turned to his side. "Bring up the visual." He said, and then a video of the S.W.O.R.D. facility was on the monitor. "This morning, I received authorization to share this highly-sensitive material from S.W.O.R.D. Headquarters. Until very recently, it was the top-secret location of the Vision's corpse.

The video showed Wanda going through the doors and to where they were keeping Vision's body. The video showed her going down to Vision's body, but then it cut out. "When was this?" Monica asked.

"Nine days ago," Hayward said, and Katherine shook her head. She immediately knew that the footage was doctored, but she knew she couldn't speak out against Hayward without proof, so she decided to keep her mouth shut. "Maximoff stormed our facility and stole the Vision's body and resurrected him," Hayward said.

"But that's in direct violation of Section 36B of the Sokovia Accords," Jimmy said.

"And the Vision's own living will," Hayward said.

"He didn't want to be anybody's weapon," Jimmy said as he shook his head. None of this was adding up for Katherine and Steve. They know Wanda wouldn't steal Vision's body or violate his will, and Katherine knew for sure that Wanda didn't. Hayward was up to something, and she was determined to find out what he was doing.

"Why would she do that and then play house with Christian Rogers?" Monica asked.

"We were wondering the same thing. Maximoff disregarded his wishes, and now, somehow, he has a family of synthezoids. Alright, that's it for now. Let's work the problem, people. Dismissed." Hayward said as people started to disband.

"But how did she even do it? Bring him back without the Mind Stone?" Jimmy asked.

"She didn't," Katherine said, and they all looked at her. "That film is doctored." She said.

"How do you know?" Darcy asked.

"Because my daughter and I were also at the facility with her that day," Katherine said, and they all looked at her with wide eyes.

"What?" Jimmy asked.

"Wanda and Amaya were both friends with Vision. Wanda found out where they were keeping his body, and all they wanted to do was give him a funeral." Katherine said.

"Okay... so if she didn't steal his body, that still begs the question on how she remade him... and how did she remake your son if he's lying in a coma in our reality?" Jimmy asked.

"I don't know..." Katherine said.

"But she has the world's only vibranium synthezoid and the super-child of two heroes playing father-knows-best to families in Suburbia. What happens when they learn the truth?"

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

I can't believe Hayward really made us think Wanda stole Vision's body. I hate that man so much.

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xoxo.