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Stephen and Wanda floated above Kamar Taj. You stood below them, your hands poised in front of you in case of Stephen’s immediate command. You needed to protect the girl that sat inside of the sanctum. Wanda was trying to kill her. America was young. She didn’t deserve to be in the situation she was in now.
“Shield!” Stephen called and you immediately threw up your hands, becoming part of the group standing in front of Kamar Taj to create a shield. Wanda tried three different entryways before glaring at the group of you, her eyes flitting between person to person.
“Fortify your minds!” Wong screamed. You swore under your breath. You hadn’t been taught to do that quite yet. You had barely begun to learn to fight. You weren’t special. The only thing that had brought you to the sanctum was that you were Wong’s adopted niece. You were spending the summer with him while your parents worked overseas.
Wanda appeared in front of you. It was clear to you immediately that the Wanda that was in front of you was one that was only present in your mind. You narrowed your eyes at her as her eyes met yours. She murmured your name as she reached towards you.
Her fingers made contact with your cheek and you reared your head back, refusing to let her touch you so casually. “Don’t touch me,” you snarled.
“You’re lonely,” she said quietly, under the guise of being gentle. “Why don’t you let me help you?”
“Because I don’t need help, witch ,” you snapped. Despite knowing you were in a horrible situation, you couldn’t do anything about it. You didn’t know how to kick her out of your head. And you weren’t going to run either, because you knew it would only allow her to get through the force field.
“Don’t you?” she simpered. “You had a nasty breakup. Your parents are always, always busy with work. No matter what you pull out and continue to do, it’s not enough for them. And it never will be-”
“ Don’t talk like you know me,” you said, tears springing to your eyes. “You don’t know me. You will never know me.”
“I could.”
“The only reason you are saying that is so you can get through the shield,” you snapped through gritted teeth. “You’re no better than the people you’re seeing in my memory, Maximoff.”
“I just want my boys,” Wanda murmured, emotion flickering in her eyes as she watched you carefully. You were continuing to stand strong.
“You want violence. Yes, you want your boys, but they were never yours. Just like romantic love will never be mine.” You leaned closer to her, your eyes narrowing at hers. “Which means you need to let. it. go.”
“I can’t,” she said. “My boys need me. They will always need me.”
“Don’t you think someone else could need you too?”
“The people who needed me are dead ,” she snarled. “And I need that power to ensure that the people I do have left will remain safe and cared for.”
“This is absolutely asasine, Maximoff,” you snapped. “You’re going to kill a girl not much older than your boys because the Dark Hold has taken over your mind. Everyone has lost someone. Everyone feels alone. But that’s why you continue to step forward , Wanda.”
Her grin turned dangerous. “You would know all about that,” she said, her eyes flickering, making you take a cautious step back. “After all, you’re the one who was driving the car that killed your sister.”
The world came crashing down around you, refiguring into the night that you had always remembered so clearly. You had seen it in different ways, in the months that followed the accident. Sometimes you would see dreams of you and your sister together. But for the most part… she was always the one that left you without your other half.
She was the older sister. She was always incredibly accepting of you and your interests. When you didn’t have a particular affinity for sports, Taylor was there to show you how to engage in other activities. The Flash , Sherlock , and other shows and movies quickly became part of your interests. Your family didn’t understand. But Taylor did. Everything you struggled through, she was there to dry your tears and pull you back together. So when she… she died because of you… Your world broke.
Taylor had let you drive her car that night. It was raining and you were going to college in an area that never rained. You didn’t know how to drive in it, but Taylor was stubborn enough that she thought she could teach you to drive in it.
“I don’t like this,” you said nervously, white-knuckling the steering wheel. “Taylor, are you sure-”
“Keep driving,” she said, a smile on her face. “It’s funny to see you scared for once. You’re typically the more reserved one.”
“Because I don’t want to kill us both!” you exclaimed as you carefully took a turn. “Do we have to go to the store right now?”
“Yes,” she said seriously. “It is of the utmost importance that we have fresh berries for tonight’s crumble.”
“But it’s practically a monsoon-”
And then the back wheels started to slide. “Taylor?!” you screamed as the wheels continued to slide, sending Taylor’s car into an all-out spin. The last thing you remember vividly was her face, leached of all color, as you hurtled towards the guardrail.
Minutes later, after the airbags went off and the car stabilized, you were dragged from the car, unconscious. Broken ribs, a concussion, and multiple glass wounds later, you were told that your sister didn’t survive the accident. The worst thing of it all… was that you were the one driving the car.
You sank to your knees in front of Wanda as she stared at you with an impassive face. Then she disappeared as you were lost in your grief, brought up by Wanda and influenced by Wanda’s own grief for her family. For her lost loved one’s.
As destruction was wrought around you, you could do nothing but let your grief pour from you. It continued to come in waves until you felt cool fingertips touch your forehead, bringing you back from the same repeating moment.
“It doesn’t have to be like this,” she said quietly, bending down to your level. Calm, green eyes met your own bloodshot, grief-stricken ones. “I can use America’s power to bring us both to a universe where we can be happy. Wouldn’t you like to live in a world where your sister is alive? Where she still loved you?”
“It’s not right,” you whispered, your voice breaking on the last word. How could it not, when you were forced to feel everything again? When you were forced to relive the memory like it had happened yesterday?
“Don’t you want to be happy? I can make you happy.”
The quiet, broken word sealed your fate. “ Yes .”
-----
You cried out as Wong held your arms behind your back. “My sister’s alive ,” you sobbed as you watched Wanda try to talk to her boys. “Please, she’s- she’s so close, Uncle please-”
“I can’t let you do that,” he said evenly as you continued to push against him, trying to run for the portal that remained open in front of you. Taylor was so close. She was right there . She was right there…
As you continued to fight against Wong, you became unaware of Wanda being pulled back from the other universe. Wong gently let go of you and you fell to the floor, overwhelmed and broken. You could have had five more minutes with Taylor. Just… just five more minutes.
“I have to destroy it,” you heard Wanda say. Wong led you away from Wanda and you looked back at her. She nodded at you, telling you to go. As you started to leave, Wanda’s voice echoed in your head.
I’ll come back for you.
And she did. You woke up one morning with her hand on your cheek and a whispered, “Good morning.”
You weren’t alone anymore after that. You found that she was just as she said, reasonable.