Après moi, le deluge. Characters: Wanda, Cap, NPC people Setting: Washington, DC, during the end of this. Content: Nothing bad Summary: Wanda gets her ability back completely. Also, there is a nuke.
Wanda was with Steve when it began. They were in a Senate hearing, giving testimony about events on the Horizon, when the emergency alert system began blaring its warning in a calm mechanical voice; this is not a test, please evacuate. Over loudspeakers, on radios, on televisions, that stoic female, instructing the city of Washington D.C. to save itself. Save itself from what? "A nuclear missile," someone- a Senator's aide- announced with a phone to his ear. Panic erupted.
There was a stampede for the doors and Wanda reached out in the tumult to anchor herself against Cap, hanging on to his arm. How many people out there, in the city, knew what was going on? How had this happened? Most importantly, how long did they have? They were bustled with the mass out onto the Capitol building stairs, down to the street situated amidst a sloping lawn. Wanda glanced up into a sky darkened with helicopters. Military and S.H.I.E.L.D. and CIA and FBI. Hundreds and hundreds of helicopters to aid in evacuation. One of them, a S.H.I.E.L.D. transport, landed on the lawn, its blades still whirring in the air.
Weaving through the crowd, still latched on to Cap, Wanda made her way towards the helicopter. She had to push against the force of air from its rotors, head ducked low. An agent leaped nimbly to the grass and watched their approach. He seemed to at least recognize Cap because he nodded at them and bent his head to listen as Wanda shouted over the chopper noise, "What's happened?"
He frowned and pointed towards the sky as he answered, "Nuke from Russian satellites. We picked it up just after it launched. We're trying to stop it remotely, but there's only twenty minutes until impact." Wanda turned to glance at Cap, a horrified look on her face. Only twenty minutes to evacuate the entire city.
"-Taking Senators," the man continued and Wanda gave him her attention once more. "You two can come along." He gestured towards the helicopter door, urging them towards it. Wanda did not move. There were people, citizens, civilians who would be scared, confused, who would need to be led and comforted and rescued. There would be other helicopters. Wanda looked to Steve and decided she would stay if he did. Her one-time leader, her mentor, her friend. Captain America. Wanda trusted him. "Steve?" she questioned, face upturned towards his, "What are we doing?"