Chapter Text
Universe 616 - Sometime in 2025
If there was anything Wanda needed to do, it was to atone for her mistakes. To try and do some good after all the bad. Which was why she was letting herself be talked into a time travelling-dimension crossing-hail marry. After the mess she’d caused with the Darkhold, Wanda became one of the few beings in the universe who could cross over into different realities, different verses of the multiverse. But in the process, she’d destroyed an ancient spell that had kept the doors between most worlds closed. Some had always been easy to pass to (if you’d the power) and others were still locked away, even from her.
“Are you sure about this?” she asked
Dr. Strange stood in a dark corner of the room, away from the light. “Not entirely, but all tactical strategies carry their own risks.”
The tomes smelled of earth that hadn’t seen the sun in thousands of years, of underground water, and rusted iron. Wanda Maximoff sat crossed-legged in the one spot of sunlight the crack in the stone above her allowed. She twirled the crystal in her hands and the red gem glared back at her. There was an oddness to the artifact she couldn’t place, a sense of forbidding.
“Easy to say when you’re not taking any risk.” She grumbled.
“Everyone has taken their share of risks in this war, Wanda.”
She sighed as she examined the artifact again. Wanda was tired, tired of fighting what seemed like endless battles. When she and Pietro had been children they’d struggle even to find safe places to sleep, and food to fill their bellies. She and the Avengers had fought Ultron and it’d cost her nearly everything, and when they’d fought Thanos he’d taken all that was left. Even though Wanda had lost her mind for a while there, it’d been the happiest she’d been in years. But Westview came to a harrowing end too, it’d never been real.
“This could be our chance to put an end to Kane, Wanda, we have to try.” Dr. Strange insisted.
“I know.” Why had Kane found no trouble discovering and tormenting their world, but she’d never been able to find Tommy or Billy? They weren’t real you psychotic fool. The thought itself felt like a betrayal.
“Wanda?”
“I got this.” She muttered, closing her heart again she focused on the ruby. She clamped her fist around it. Wanda had spent an unsavoury amount of time being indoctrinated by the Darkhold, it had been Stephen who’d set her mind free, who’d saved her from herself. Perhaps the world hadn’t earned her sacrifice, but she owed the sorcerer a debt. Even if some days she wished she hadn’t been saved at all.
“Think of Kane.” Stephen reminded her.
Wanda put her thoughts to Kane, picturing those dark eyes and malicious smile. The Stone was made to amplify her power enough to locate someone in another universe, and another time. It’d make it a simple step into another dimension at a different place. Ideally, the universe where she could find Kane and stop him from ever stepping foot into hers. She nodded at Strange, and he began speaking the spell.
As Stephen spoke words that wouldn’t have made sense to her not two years ago, a shiver crept down her spine. But the crystal in her hand began to heat up. Is it supposed to hurt? She wasn’t sure but she held on anyway. Just don’t blow me up… The ground shook under her suddenly and violently. Her mind flashed with the image of Vision cooking in the kitchen, Tommy and Fietro laughing, of kissing Billy goodnight one last time... Wanda tried to open her eyes, but the white light twisted by her at a blinding speed, and she flinched from the brightness. She thought she heard herself shout in surprise, but the sound was drowned out as heavy darkness crashed over her…
*****
Universe 554 - Sometime in 1985
Down in a brightly lit lab, a young man named Hank Mckoy nearly jumped out of his seat with surprise. One of his many computers started beeping erratically. He rolled his chair over and examined the information with awe. A huge burst of gamma radiation had appeared not far outside of New York. He watched as the energy grew and grew at an astonishing rate, only to fold in on itself.
“What ya looking at?”
Hank nearly jumped out of his skin for the second time. “Peter! Stop doing that.”
“Sorry man, just heard some wild beeping, we got a mission or what?”
Hank shook his head, ready to berate the speedster some more. Apologies for the interruption. The professors’ voice sounded in his head. But I’d like an answer to that question as well, I can feel the presence of a new mind. A powerful mind. “You think a person came out of that blast?"
“Who are you talking t- oh I see.” Peter nodded quickly. “Well, if there’s a person, we gotta go check it out. Save the world and stuff, X-Men style.”
Hank I’d like you to tell Peter to wait for us to start the jet.
“Sure professor-” Hank frowned.
He’s gone already, isn’t he?
“Yes, professor.”
*****
As the darkness lost some of its weight, everything began to hurt. Wanda forced her eyes open and stared up at a black ocean littered with stars. For a split second she forgot her pain, she forgot her mission, she forgot to be concerned for herself. Pietro had loved to watch the stars. With a groan, she sat herself up. She laid in a small crater in a green field, remnants of her crimson chaos magic sparked off the turned-up dirt. Around her was a small clearing of soft grass, surrounded by a wall of silver birch trees.
Despite the soreness that came with each movement she got to her feet. She’d been wearing a traditional ebony robe of the Kamar-Taj, but the journey had left it tattered and fraying. She frowned at the ruined robe while lifting one hand and testing her magic. A rosy ball glowed satisfyingly in her palm.
Was she in her Kane’s original world now?
The hairs on the back of her neck stood with a familiar sensation that stopped her heart. The wind picked up and her hair flickered across her face from under her hood. A stream of blue light lit the world in front of her for a heartbeat. “Now I don’t want to assume based on stereotypes or anything, but people who glow red aren’t typically the good guys. Then again that’s just what the movies portray, and the video games, and those terrible cinnamon candies that are shaped like little hearts. Have you seen those? Adorable but disgusting. Clearly, a candy made by a bad guy.”
Fake Pietro stood before her, yammering on but she couldn’t listen. He wore a skintight suit of dark blue and black, a lighting bolt etched discreetly across his chest. Mussed silver hair pushed back with a pair of goggles. Some small part of her knew that her fake brother had all been a ploy by Agatha, that the man who’d played with her children and gave her a false sense of safety had been as innocent as the rest of Westview. But she couldn’t reconcile that with this man’s lying face.
“You.” A hot wave of anger washed over her and the magic in her palm grew, she tossed a burst of energy his way. The blast hit nothing but grass, creating another small crater in the field. Blue light danced around her at an overwhelming rate.
“Me?” she heard him say, but when she turned to the voice there was nothing but arctic winds. “I think I’d remember meeting you, not to brag but I’ve a great memory. Besides, I only know one ginger with weird red powers, and she isn’t you.” Wanda made another effort to shoot him with a blast of psionic energy, and again, and again, but she hit nothing. All the while he taunted her. “You’re not making a great case for not being a bad guy.” “Like trying to kill me. I’m offended.” “And the red eyes, come on, that’s just too on the nose.”
Wanda let out a growl of frustration as he whirled around her. Enough games. She reached inward and shot a blast into the ground through her feet, it shot around her in a perfect circle, until finally, she felt him. He yelped as his feet were lifted off the ground, she held him up with one glowing hand. As he floated in the air incapacitated, he finally shut up for a moment. Just long enough for her to think.
He might have been the living replica of Westview’s Pietro Maximoff, but that didn’t make him so. His brown eyes stared at her without recognition. Impossibly, she found herself disappointed. Dr. Strange’s voice rang through her head. If you come across anyone on our team, it won’t be one of us. Don’t get distracted. She didn’t know what universe she was in, but she knew this man wasn’t who she’d come for. “If I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead.”
With a flick of her wrist, she tossed him backward, but he still landed on his feet with easily found grace. His face turned up to her as though ready to speak, but something else rang through her ears first. Another wave of power dispelled from her on instinct, catching a shiny net of metal a foot from the side of her. It appeared halfway open; strings that would have wrapped around her sustained in the air.
“Nice catch.” Not Pietro said. “You don’t have superspeed do you?” Wanda ignored him, to her right an entire ship was landing in the field. Someone stood halfway out the door, some modified gun in their hands, ready to shoot again. “Seriously, no one’s fast enough to catch me.”
Wanda grew more energy in her palm, eyes trained on the ship.
“Whoa, whoa, wait!” her heart fluttered, and she hesitated, her gaze flicked to the speedster. He pressed a finger to his earpiece. “Hold your fire guys, I’m fine!” a moment of silence. “No seriously, just wait, she let me go before you fired.”
“I don’t want to hurt anyone.” She told him, “But I will.” She focused her glare on him and tried not to think about her brother. “Tell them to let me go and you’ll never see me again.”
“We can do that, that’s no problem, really. It’s just, well you seem powerful, and you sort of just spontaneously appeared out of nowhere followed by this weird burst of energy. You feel what I’m saying?” from the corner of her eyes she saw four figures moving towards her. An oddly blue woman, a furry man who was just as blue, A tall blond lad, and a bald man in a wheelchair. “My friends, they just want to make sure you’re not here to kill a bunch of people or take over the country because you think the world is going to begin another holocaust on your people, simply because you’re a mutant.”
Wanda had no idea what he was talking about and didn’t have the patience to figure it out. She seized up the group approaching her. They wore matching suits to Not Pietro, which meant they were some sort of team, and most likely all enhanced individuals. She was confident enough she could take them all out in a big enough swoop and at least escape… but what if she was wrong?
“Listen.” Not Pietro was still talking, but to his companions now. “There was a little wrong-footing happening a moment there, but everything’s cool now.” His gaze turned to her hopefully, something in his eyes pulled at her heart. He’s not Pietro, he’s not even faux Pietro. “We’re cool right?”
Both the blue characters appeared ready to jump into action at any given signal, the blond lad stood with perfect posture, the odd silver sphere on his chest pointed her way. Only the young bald man appeared perfectly calm. He gave her a friendly smile. Wanda let her red energy dissipate harmlessly into the night air. “We’re cool.” She affirmed, still on edge. “I don’t want any trouble.”
“My name’s Charles Xavier, these are my friends Raven Darkholme, Hank Mccoy, and Alexander Summers. I see you’ve already met Peter.”
“Maximoff.” Peter added with indignation. “I mean if anything you should be going by our nicknames.”
“Stop talking Peter.” The furry man, Hank interrupted.
She did her best to keep a calm expression at the revelation, but her heart was hammering in her chest. Charles looked concerned. “Are you alright? I’m sensing anxiety…” as he spoke, she felt a warm sensation crawling through her head, instantly she flinched and resisted it. Charles reared back in his chair with a groan at the same moment she stumbled backward from the sting in her head. In that span of a breath, Alexander’s chest glowed a threatening red, Hank growled like an animal, and Raven bent over Charles. “I-I’m okay, wait.” He stammered out.
“Stay out of my head.” she demanded.
Charles swallowed. “You’ve telepathic abilities.” He noted and she thought she could hear a bit of respect in his voice. But she had no interest in his regard and she wasn’t in the mood for games.
“I’ve more than that.” She said, still angry he’d tried to manipulate her mind. Wanda pushed her power onto the telepath’s friends, all their eyes glowed red like her own. “Back to your ship.” She said softly, and the three obeyed. Pietro or Peter or whatever still stood to the side, she couldn’t bring herself to go anywhere near his thoughts. “I’m not a threat to your people, I’m just here looking for someone. Once I find him, I’ll be gone.”
Charles watched his friends turn and walk away with dismay, a quick glance at Peter told her he was conflicted too. “My friends…”
“Are completely fine.”
“Jealous someone else is in their heads?” Peter japed, in a blue flash he appeared right beside the professor with a charismatic smile. “Listen, mind control is hella hip and totally in these days, but also not cool without permission.”
“Something we can agree on.” She told him flatly and glared at Charles.
“And say we did know who you were looking for.” Charles offered. “What would helping you mean for them?” Most certain death. She might not be able to see into the bald man’s head, but that didn’t stop her from hearing the distrust in his voice.
“What do you mean…your people.” Peter pressed. “That’s just an odd thing to say, you know what else was odd, how you seemed like you knew me back there. We don’t know each other.” His head titled as he examined her, doubt in his eyes. “Do we?”
She considered them, torn on what to do. But the truth was she didn’t know this version of her brother, and if the multiverse had taught her anything, it was that anything was possible. He could be playing the harmless man-child, or he could truly be one. The only way to know was to look in his head. Wanda couldn’t bring herself to do that. “No. You don’t know me.”
Wanda closed her eyes and disappeared.
Univerese 554 - Sometime in 1983
Erik wasn’t in the habit of being summoned at Charles’s whims, given their history they rarely shared the same room unless it was important. So, when he’d heard his old friend in his head, urging him to visit the school he couldn’t help but agree. As his taxi rolled up to the stone archways, he felt the slightest bit of dread. Without fail whenever Erik saw Charles something or another would or had already gone wrong. Right now, he was hoping it was the latter.
Hank didn’t smile when he saw him, unsurprising. It’d been a long flight from his mutant sanctuary and Erik was too tired to start anything with him, despite the fact he was hiding his true-blue form. He let himself be led to the Professors office in silence.
“Erik, thank you for coming.” It figured Charles would be at his desk this near midnight, his smile when he looked up was tight; nervous perhaps. There was a glass bottle of rye before him and a small glass.
“Look as much as I’d love to catch up, why don’t we get to why I’m here. You wouldn’t say over the phone.”
“I apologize, I feared you might not come if I’d been truthful.” Erik didn’t answer him but walked across the room, picked up a glass from the table and sat at Charles’s desk.
He began pouring himself a drink. “Is it the end of the world from the future again?”
“I’m afraid not old friend.” He sounded tired. Erik let the silence speak for him, and finally, Charles began talking about what mattered. “One of our own has gone missing.”
“Who?”
“Peter, the students are in the habit of calling him Quicksilver.”
“I remember him.” The kid had been impressive and had much more control of his powers than Erik had when he was a kid. He downed his drink quickly, enjoying the burn of the whiskey. “How exactly do you expect me to help you?”
“Hank and Jean are working on the problem; he was there one moment and just gone the next, they're debating theories of portals. Listen, Erik, I didn’t want to be the one to tell you this, and I believe Peter wished to himself, but I think he’ll understand.”
“Understand what, Charles?”
Charles cleared his throat. “Peter believed you were his father. His last name is Maximoff, his mother’s Magda.”
Erik stared at his old friend for a few heartbeats. He remembered Magda, and he remembered her saying her cousin had been a mutant too. A son. A son that’s gone. The thought of losing another child, one he hadn’t the chance to know… “You’re telling me I have a son, and he’s gone?”
“I’m sorry I don’t have more answers for you, Hank and Jean-”
“Are working on it, you said that. What are they working on, a portal going where?”
“We don’t know.”
“Have you checked Cerebro?”
“I couldn’t find him.”
Erik stood up. “Call me when you have some real answers.” He turned for the door, hoping to outpace the fear building in his chest.
“Erik where are you going?”
*****
Erik rushed down the steps into the parking lot again, wishing his taxi was still there. The end of summer wind was beginning to carry a chill, cooling him down. He started walking toward the tennis fields, processing the idea of a son. I’m here for my family too. It had always struck him as an odd thing for the young man to say, but it made sense now. Family. It was the only thing that had ever been worth caring about. He stopped, glancing back at the school. Are the people in there still my family, were they ever?
A bright red flash had Erik tossed backwards, blinding him for a moment. He hit the grass hard with the sounds of debris crashing beside him. At a closer glance, the red light was an orb of confusing swirls and cubed forms, but he’d only seen it shrink and blink out of existence. Sitting up with a groan he saw half a twin-sized bed thrown across the lawn, a line of fire surrounded it. He hesitated until he heard a moan, rushing forward he saw a young boy in the damp grass. The bed had been cut down one side, if it’d been the other, he wasn’t sure the kid would have made it.
Erik leaned over and shook him gently. “You awake?” he asked as he lifted the kid from the wreckage, laying him on the lawn a good distance from the flames. “Kid?”
The kid’s face was covered in soot and scratched, the top of his head bleeding from the accident. All his clothes were dirty too, and his shoes muddy like he’d been running in the woods. His eyes flickered open a moment and he whimpered “w-here’s my mom?”
Erik glanced around quickly, no one else had flown out of the portal. He had so many questions, but this wasn’t the time for him to ask. “First, we’re going to worry about you, alright?”
“B-but my brother.” He opened his eyes in panic. “Tommy, find Tommy!”
“Me and you are going to find everybody, just take a breath. What’s your name?”
The boy had on black jeans and a dark blue sweater, and dark blue eyes to match. He blinked and looked around in a daze, before his eyes landed on the half-burnt bed. “Oh no…” He whispered and against Erik’s wishes the kid got to his feet. “I-I’m alone.”
Both looked up as students began to flood out of the school’s doors, Hank was rushing towards them, in full blue form now. “What’s going on?” he shouted. Kurt teleported right next to them with Raven at his side.
The kid jumped back; his hands raised. “Whoa!”
“It’s alright.” Erik assured him. “Guys give him some space!” Raven looked over the burnt-up bed and then the boy with a calculating stare before looking Erik in the eye.
“Why are you all blue?” The kid stepped back again as Hank caught up to them, the other students were wise enough to keep their distance. “Y-you have a tail!” he pointed at Kurt.
“It’s alright, it’s going to be alright, just tell us who you are.” Raven spoke softly and changed her blue form to that of a human.
The kid blinked. “My name’s Billy.” He said, turning in a circle he took in his surroundings. “I need to get back, I don’t know where I am.” He lifted his dirty hands and to Erik’s surprise, they began to glow blue.
“What are you doing?” Erik took a step forward.
Billy didn’t answer. The kid was focusing on something Erik couldn’t see, twisting his hands with a concentrated look on his face, more and more blue swirls began to swarm around his fingertips. Everyone but Erik took a step back as a blue orb began to build in front of Billy. The wind started picking up and the blue orb grew to nearly the size of the kid himself, and that’s when the boy’s hands started shaking.
“Billy what are you doing!” he shouted. His only response was cry of determination and pain before the orb flashed and threw them all backward.