InsaneJournal

Who: Doctor Strange, Pietro Maximoff & Wanda Maximoff
What: Pietro is greeted by Doctor Strange and reunited with his twin
When: Pietro's Arrival
Where: New York
Rating: Green
Status: Complete



At first Pietro had no idea where he was but as he looked around and slowly took in the surroundings he realized that somehow he was in New York. Which was extremely interesting because the last thing he remembered was saving Barton and a young child from Ultron in Sokovia. He looked down at himself, the clothing he wore was clean, no holes where bullets had entered his body. And he definitely still felt alive, though he wasn't sure how. There were a lot of things he wasn't sure of and it wasn't a feeling Pietro liked.

Running around a few blocks he frowned when he found no trace of his sister or any of the Avengers, what was going on? He needed to find Wanda, hated the idea of her fighting somewhere without him there to watch out for her. Rounding a corner he slowed when he realised there was someone standing at the end of the street. The strangers outfit was certainly not typical clothing, he noted, or if it was Pietro was more out of touch with fashion than he'd realised.

"Who are you?" he asked, ready to run or fight at the slightest provocation.

Stephen was familiar with Pietro from an encounter only once before, in what felt like a millennia ago. It might as well have been that long, in superhero years. So much happens in the span of a year or two. Or five, with time jumps included in the mix.

"I'm Doctor Strange, master of the mystic arts," Stephen told him, not making any sudden movements. Even his cape remained perfectly still. "I'm an ally of the Avengers and a friend of your sister, Wanda."

That ought to get Pietro's attention as quickly as possible. If it did, it would be easier to explain things more in depth and to reunite him with his twin.

Pietro’s eyebrows rose at the Doctor’s introduction but he didn’t comment on it, peculiar names seemed to be a more common thing than he’d previously realised. But as soon as he mentioned the Avengers and Wanda Pietro’s interest became very focused.

“Where is she?” he demanded as he moved closer, still unsure if this man was a friend or not. Saying you were an ally didn’t really mean much for Pietro, you could say many things that were not actually true.

This was expected, since it was likely a shock to be back on a body that someone last remembered dying in. This universe worked in very mysterious ways, and bringing back the dead was one of the strangest twists of all.

"I can take you to her," was his reply to Pietro's question, "but before that, you need to know that you are in another universe. Some time has passed since your demise in Sokovia."

Sensing that any delay in time was going to be keenly felt by someone who could outrun a bullet train, he opened a small portal and took out a plain black bag that contained everything Pietro would need to get up to speed and on the network. Then a larger ring of fire revealed a doorway in an apartment building.

It was here that Strange hesitated. As a show of good faith, he stepped through and prepared to rap lightly upon the door, so that Pietro could see Wanda for himself.

Despite everything he'd seen and experienced including the experimentation that had given him and Wanda their gifts, realising he wasn't dead despite knowing how it felt to die was the strangest thing so far. Watching Strange carefully he digested what he'd been told, some time the magician had said, how long had he left his sister alone in the world, was she truly okay?

Following closely he hesitated for only a moment before stepping through the ring and watching the door for any sign of a trap.

Vision was gone, he’d disappeared as Wanda feared he would (in the back of her mind, it was always there) - the fact that he was dead, that there was nothing else waiting for him beyond this universe, sunk into her heavily. Like damp air into bare timberwood; it was heavy and made her feel rotten. The reminders of how she was alone and pregnant just made her heart beat morosely.

If she gave into it, however, she wouldn’t last - and she had to last, for the sake of the baby. She’d been inside her and Vision’s apartment, browsing the internet for healthy recipes for the second trimester - preparing ahead, she was almost there - when she heard the knock. She went to answer it, wearing leggings and a hoodie that was three sizes too big for her, and wasn’t sure what she was expecting.

But there was her twin. Her dead brother.

“Pietro?” she managed to get out, voice quavery - Stephen was there too, she just barely registered that, because obviously her focus was this ghost.

Stephen nodded and moved aside, so he didn't stand in the way. He knew that Wanda was going through enough stress to crush the average person, and that it was through sheer force of willpower that she kept her powers contained. That one person she loved left and another door opened to bring back someone else she loved was some consolation.

He would make sure the twins were all right and then exit so they didn't have a third wheel.

“Wanda” Pietro breathed as he moved closer to his sister, ignoring everything to focus on her, “Are you alright?” He knew it must be a shock for her to see him, especially if it had been as long as Doctor Strange said it had been. He didn’t want to overwhelm her too much, but he couldn’t help smiling. It was so good to see her, though his eyes widened somewhat as he realised she wasn’t entirely as she had been when he’d last seen her. In fact there was a difference which seemed to bring his protective instincts to the fore and he didn’t think it was just that she was now older than him.

“Yes - “ Wanda nodded, her hands covering her mouth as her baby blues filled with tears. They spilled over (thanks in part to hormones - she was always a crying mess lately, even one of those commercials featuring sad-eyed scruffy dogs in animal shelters had her bawling), and she closed the distance between her and Pietro to hug him fiercely. “I’m alright. I’m much better.”

Here she was, sobbing like a child though. But it couldn’t be helped - she had missed him so much. Every day without him, it hurt to even take a breath. Parts of her were missing after Pietro was killed and Vision gave her some of himself to make her whole again - but he was gone too, and it was just too much. She wished she could have them both here with her.

“Thank you,” she added to Stephen, since obviously he’d brought Pietro here. “Do you both - do you want to come in?”

"No, but I will check in on you later," Stephen told Wanda, not wanting to intrude. He was glad that there was some measure of comfort that this jumbled universe gave her, and he hoped that Pietro wouldn't be torn away. "I know you're capable of filling him in and I can come back, or be found at the Sanctum, if there's any questions."

Before he made himself scarce and headed home, he portalled the 'gift' bag into the apartment, where it landed with a faint thunk on the kitchen table.

Pietro held Wanda close, wrapping his arms protectively around her. It immediately felt better to have her close, she was the other half of his soul and he had missed her. He couldn't imagine what it had been like for her, to him it hadn't been long since they had last spoken but for her it had been so different. They had a lot of catching up to do but first of all he had to look after her.

"Thank you" he said to the doctor before leading Wanda back inside her home. "It is okay" he told her, keeping his arm around her, "I am here, it is okay" he pressed a kiss to her hair.

It took a second for Wanda to actually move - she was shaking a little, overcome with emotion and pure relief at seeing Pietro again. It was even a bit strange to think that she was...years older than him now? He’d died what felt like so long ago, weeks and months that were endless without him.

Then she went inside the apartment, shutting the door behind them. “Sit down, please,” she implored him, making room on the couch (she had a lot of decorative pillows - they were cute, okay). “I’m just - I do not know where to start. But I, um - I’m pregnant,” she blurted.

Great place to start, definitely. Sigh.

“I have my twelve week ultrasound coming up. And it’s - a different sort of pregnancy?” she hedged. At least this was all a good segue into what had happened since Pietro died.

Pietro sat when she asked him too, watching her closely as though if he didn’t she’d disappear. He had known there was something different, though he hadn’t been sure exactly what but hearing Wanda say what it was hadn’t been expected. He took her hand in his, “Different how?” he asked her, a slight frown on his face, if something bad had happened to Wanda while he hadn’t been here to protect her he didn’t know what he would do.

“A lot has gone on since Sokovia,” she started, holding his hand in hers - the contact was real, he was here, Wanda had to keep telling herself that. “After our home was - “ Basically wiped off the map, “...destroyed, I traveled to New York to train with the Avengers. We had our ups and downs as a team but it was there I got to know Vision more - you know he’s an android, a combination of different things to give him life including the mind stone which gave us our powers too, but beyond that he’s...he was always human to me. We were together for awhile until this mad titan named Thanos, he collected all of the infinity stones and used them to wipe out half the universe from existence with a snap of his fingers. The mind stone was the last one he needed; I was forced to kill Vision so Thanos couldn’t get the stone but he ended up obtaining it anyway and...I was dead for awhile too.”

Five years to be exact. She wasn’t sure if it was actually being dead as opposed to in stasis or something. It just felt like she’d fallen asleep and then she reawakened, brought back to life and back to the fight.

“Then those of us who turned to dust in the snap returned five years later. Some of our team was gone for good too. Natasha. Tony,” she lowered her eyes. “Vision was also still dead. But he was here for a little while and in this world, we were together. One of our missions was to stop a Cthulhu cult from opening a portal but as I closed the portal something latched on to me. I ended up pregnant as a result of that dark magic and...force of will, I think. Vision and I recently talked about how we might want children together but it would never happen.” And yet it had - just not how anyone could fathom, that was all.

It was a lot to take in but Pietro’s mind kept up with it all, he was glad to hear she’d joined the Avengers and seemed to have found some happiness for a while. But it sounded like they’d all suffered. Once the idea of Tony Stark losing his life would have brought satisfaction to both the twins but now he knew it was an indication of how bad things must have been.

Pietro kept her hand in his and used the other to cup her cheek, “You will be a wonderful mother” he assured her, no matter how it had occurred Wanda’s baby was still hers and Pietro would protect them both. “I am here now and I will not leave you without a fight” He would never voluntarily leave her, especially not now she needed him so much.

Wanda had made her peace with Tony Stark. Pretty much as soon as she arrived - they’d talked, and he’d wanted to work things out with her. No one could take back the fact that her and Pietro’s parents were dead, but she eventually came to understand that she had to let go of the blame she placed on him personally. It would just end up poisoning her in the end.

“Thank you,” she sighed, leaning into the touch, patting Pietro’s opposite hand. Motherhood scared her but this was what she wanted - she would do anything to keep the baby safe, to banish the dark magic that had assisted in its creation. “I’m so glad you’re here. You can stay with me in the apartment? Or we can move into the new Avengers tower. The team sort of came back together. And would benefit from you being on it.”

She always thought Pietro would make a wonderful Avenger anyway - he was already a hero, in so many ways.

Pietro would no doubt come to the same realisation, especially since he would follow Wanda’s lead, his sister would not have made peace if she didn’t feel it was right.

“Of course I will stay with you, I would not want to be anywhere else,” he assured her, while it would be good to see the others his sister was the most important person for him. That had not changed since they were children and, he knew, would never change. He couldn’t deny the idea of being an Avenger was one he rather liked though. It had been good when they had all worked together to beat Ultron, even if that hadn’t ended exactly how any of them had expected.

“It is good they are here, they have been helping you?” he asked her, hoping that was the case.

“Yes, they definitely have,” she nodded. Then she paused, thinking it over some more - because the issue with the artist formerly known as Hawkeye was still...well. “Clint will also benefit from you being here. He lost his family during Thanos’ snap - we can’t seem to track them down for some reason.”

It did not make sense to her, since everyone who had been snapped had eventually been unsnapped - she didn’t see why the Barton family was the exception, but. The ways of this universe were strange. “I tried to remind him that you did not die for him just for him to give up on everything. But you would put it better than I could, I think.” Using more colorful language, probably - Pietro had always been more blunt than she was.

“The old man is here too?” Pietro smiled, he was pleased to hear that but then his smile dimmed as Wanda continued. Losing their parents had been the worst thing they had experienced, Pietro would never wish it on anybody. He hadn’t even known that Barton had a family though it was not too surprising.
“I will speak to him. Some people just need sense knocking in them” he said lightly, though he knew the conversation would probably be a tough one to have. But he refused to let the old man give up, it had not been the person he knew. Even if it only had been brief.

Wanda was glad to hear it, though she knew Pietro would do whatever he could to help Clint. Honestly, she was still kind of miffed about Clint acting like Pietro’s sacrifice had been for nothing - but now that he was here, things would improve even more. She was sure of it.

“He is here and he named a son after you,” she told him, laughing a little. “Middle name.” She almost told him not to let it get to his head, but that was fruitless.

Letting out a cathartic sigh, Wanda sunk into the couch cushions. “There are some helpful items in that bag Stephen left. Some money, a phone, things like that.” They’d get Pietro some other clothes and help him settle in - then, maybe move into the tower finally. Vision was gone but her life didn’t have to screech to a halt because of it. Maybe, just maybe, things would be okay after all.