Avengers compound | 2023.
Day of Hex creation.

THE DOOR to the lab burst open, making Bruce and Tony look up to see who it was. Tony let out a huff and paused the hologram projection that he and Bruce were studying before walking around to the other side of the table.

"Could this wait?" Tony asked. "I don't know if you can tell, but we're kinda busy here trying to figure out a way to help my s—"

"She's gone."

Bruce furrowed his brows. "What? Who's gone?"

"Wanda."

Tony shrugged. "Well maybe she just went out to get some fresh air?"

"She knows."

"She, uh..." He blinked a few times as the words sunk in. "She knows... what?"

"Tony, she knows."

Tony looked back over at the person in the doorway, his eyes narrowing slightly as he connected the dots. "You told her."

"I had to!"

"No, what you had to do was try to take her mind off things while I figured everything out!" He groaned in annoyance. "I just needed a little more time so I could show her that letting SWORD help Carson was our best option. That it was his best option."

"We should've never been lying to her in the first place!" The person shouted. "She told you multiple times that she didn't want him there but you wouldn't listen!"

"Are you serious right now?" Tony scoffed. "I'm trying to help him! We've been trying to fix whatever those damn stones did to him for two months but nothing— nothing I seem to do works!"

"It doesn't justify lying to her! God I should never of even gone along with it... what if she's right? What if we shouldn't of took him there?"

Tony clenched his jaw. "This is the only option we have left. He's... he's my son! I'm not just going to sit around and do nothing when there's people out there who have a chance at helping him!"

Bruce shuffled awkwardly. "Uh, guys, maybe we should calm down."

"Tony... I understand that you and Carson have more history than he and Wanda do... but it doesn't mean that you get to dismiss her when it comes to this situation!" They countered. "She's hurting too."

"You think I don't know that?" Tony continued. "You think I like seeing her sitting in that medbay day and night? Hearing her cry? Watching any hope she has left slipping away? I'm not just doing this for him, I'm doing it for Wanda too! I'm trying to look out for her!"

A blonde woman joined the others, leaning in the doorway and looking over at Tony in distaste. "Well, you sure have a funny way of showing it."

Bruce scratched the back of his head. "Okay let's not... do that."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Alright, you've been here for what, five days? And you're already running your mouth?"

"Aw, he's sensitive." She faux frowned. "Maybe if you actually—" The blonde was cut off by a smack on her arm from the person to her right, their way of silently telling her to shut up.

"Here's what's going to happen." The person began. "When Wanda gets back, you're going to start off by apologizing. Then you're going to make sure to fill her in on every single detail that you've already lied to her about. Carson is the most important person in her life. And she deserves to know what's happening with him."

Tony nodded in defeat. "Fine."

But little did they know, they wouldn't get the chance.

~~ ᗢ ~~

Meanwhile in Westview, New Jersey

WANDA was knelt down on the ground, holding Carson in her arms as she cried. She didn't know how she got there, how they got there. She'd never done something like that before. All she knew was that she had to get him out of that facility. Away from that place, those people. And just like that, here they were.

"I'm sorry." Wanda sobbed as she looked down at him. "I didn't mean to I— I don't know how... I'm sorry... I'm so s-sorry."

Wanda clenched her jaw to stop more cries from coming out. She moved her hand up to his cheek and rested her forehead against his, shivers running down her spine when she felt how cold he was. It made her feel sick to her stomach. How someone who once had so much life in them, so much warmth, so much love, could have it stripped away just like that.

"It shouldn't of been you." Wanda's voice cracked. "I told you... I told you no."

She found herself thinking about their life. How it wasn't supposed to come to the way it did. Her mind wandered to all the things that her and Carson still had to experience. How they were supposed to get married, start their lives together. Just the two of them. Somewhere where no one could ever hurt them again.

"What about Westview?" Carson asked from his spot on the bed, looking over the top of the laptop so he could see Wanda.

"Westview?" Wanda asked as he threw on one of her jumpers. She turned around to face him. "What's that?"

"Some small town in New Jersey." Carson motioned for her to come over.

Wanda walked over to the bed and pulled the covers back before getting in. Carson smiled and moved his free arm around her as she rest her head on his chest, looking at the screen that showed a plot of land in the town.

"There's no house." Wanda pointed out.

"I know." He chuckled. "But... we could always build our own?"

Wanda tilted her head and looked up at him with a smile. "Yeah?"

"Well, I think it would be pretty cool, don't you?" Carson ran his fingers through her hair. "Y'know because then it's really... ours. It would be like a clean slate. A fresh start."

"A place to grow old in?" Wanda's cheeks flushed at the thought of them spending the rest of their lives together.

Carson nodded and leant down to kiss the top of her head. "To grow old in."

There was a part of her that envied his ability to stay sane with her being gone for so long during the blip. It had only been a few months since Carson snapped his fingers and already she felt like her world was falling apart without him. She hated herself for thinking like that. It was wrong and she knew that instantly. But then again, no one had informed her about Carson's psychotic break either.

She couldn't understand why things turned out the way they did. It just seemed like every odd wasn't in their favour. Or her favour really. From the day she was born it felt the world was just out to get her.

Her mother, her father, Pietro, Vision, Natasha and now Carson. Everyone she ever cared about had been taken away from her. And just when she thought she could finally be happy, that all the hurting was finally over. She lost him. She lost Carson.

But this time, it was even worse. Because he may still be there, but she couldn't do anything about it. She couldn't wake up him up, she couldn't help him in any way. Wanda had no clue what was going on in his mind while he was asleep, if he was in pain, if he was being tormented by his thoughts.

She couldn't let him know that she was there by his side day and night, she couldn't tell him that they won, tell him how much she loved him. She felt completely useless.

The only person she had left had been ripped away from her.

And it was the last straw.

Wanda pulled away and looked down at him, choking down another sob that was threating to escape her throat. She just couldn't take it anymore. The pain, the grief, the agony. She was so sick of it.

She could feel her powers start to surge through her body and her jaw instantly clenched. Wanda wanted to control it, she really did. But there was something about this time that was different. Her powers felt different. And with her emotions all over the place, she just couldn't fight any longer.

She was just so exhausted.

Wanda's powers seemed to reach their breaking point and she finally let go, giving into the feeling. Her powers practically burst from her body and Wanda let out a yell as she was jolted backwards, not being able to move due to the force of them spilling out.

Her body became encased within her red wisps, them closing in around Carson too. The two of them were raised up into the air and Wanda's eyes widened at the sight. It was like her powers were on autopilot. She had no clue what was happening, how to stop it, how to control it. But in all honesty... she wasn't sure if she wanted to.

On the plot of land her and Carson were now hovering over, a house started to be fabricated from her magic. Once the majority of the house had been formed Wanda was slowly lowered down on the floors while her powers still kept their hold on Carson.

Another wave of Wanda's powers erupted from her body but this time, it seemed the spread across the whole town.

Wanda's eyes opened once more but the sight she was greeted with in front of her made her heart drop. Wisps of her powers started to move towards Carson's body, piercing their way through his skin. His chest, his arms, his legs, his head. Everywhere.

"No, no, no..." Wanda mumbled under her breath.

She let out a groan as she tried to stop whatever was happening. But it didn't work. Her powers seemed to have a mind of her own. She wasn't in control of them anymore, it's like they were in control of her.

But that's when she saw something. Something she was starting to think she'd never see again.

He was waking up. Carson was waking up.

She didn't know if her eyes were playing tricks on her, but she could've sworn she saw it. Before she had the chance to look again, a final small burst of her powers left her body and she let out a yell, her eyes slamming shut.

The last remaining wisps of Wanda's powers faded away and Wanda took a deep breath, beginning to stand upright. And that's when she saw it. When she saw him. Staring right back at her.

"Carson?" She whispered shakily.

Wanda looked around the room, her brows coming together when took in her surroundings. Everything was in black and white. The walls, the couch, all the other furniture. And so was Carson. His skin, his eyes, his hair, his clothes. Everything.

But she didn't care. Wanda had him back. That's all that mattered.

And she was never going to let him go again.

She smiled brightly and took a step forwards. Her clothes changed and she now matched the 50's attire that Carson also was dressed in. Herself now being in black and white too.

"Wands." Carson spoke softly for the first time. "Welcome home."

Wanda's heart instantly warmed at the sound. She missed the sound of his voice so much. Carson noticed the look on her face and walked towards her, placing his hand on her cheek. He gently moved his thumb along her skin and she practically melted at the touch.

"What is it?" He asked. "What's wrong?"

Wanda moved her hand up and placed it on top of his. "Nothing. Everything's fine."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Wanda smiled up at him. "I'm right where I want to be."

~~ ᗢ ~~

i have returned 🌝

wonder who was talking to tony hmmm

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