Wanda (thehexx) wrote in thedoorway, @ 2016-02-19 18:34:00 |
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Being involved with a teleporter had it’s perks. But it also had it’s downsides. An argument-- any little disagreement over text meant he could be there in mere seconds. Wanda paced around her apartment, holding her Starkphone to her chest. She was in her pajamas already and would have liked to just go to bed. But Magneto-- Erik… her father, whoever he was, was making her think about things she hadn’t thought about it in awhile. She was an Avenger and had been for a long time. But Kurt mentioning the Brotherhood set her off a bit. I’m too sensitive, she thought as she took another lap around the apartment. She sent another message to Kurt-- “Come over.” Magneto’s comments about Mutant superiority and how they had to overcome their human oppressors was the same old ranting that Kurt had heard before. But in this universe, where the anti-Mutant climate wasn’t as developed, where they still had a chance at a peaceful coexistence, these words struck a painful chord with Kurt. He wasn’t going to let Magneto instigate another war by stirring up emotions on either side. Kurt wondered if SHIELD had the resources to arrest and incarcerate Magneto, if necessary, but he trusted that they were keeping tabs on him. However, what really disturbed him was not so much Magneto, but Wanda’s part in the conversation. On the surface, it seemed like she was agreeing with the hateful rhetoric. This Magneto was from a different universe than theirs, but just as Kurt had been naturally inclined toward Mystique from another universe (when she was still here), was it possible that Wanda felt the same way toward this Magneto? Did she still cling to the values of the Brotherhood? For the past several months that Wanda and Kurt had been dating, this topic was never brought up. In a way, Kurt had assumed he knew where Wanda stood. But like the hypothetical elephant in the room, it needed to be addressed, sooner or later. Kurt considered how this couldn’t have come at a worse time for their relationship. Several days before, he let it slip that he loved Wanda, but she didn’t return the sentiment. They’d only seen one another once since then, and, their interaction had been awkward as Kurt found himself standing on shaky ground. When he received Wanda’s message, he went with a feeling of dread: this talk could very well break their relationship. Kurt was in Wanda’s room in a matter of seconds, appearing in a cloud of dark smoke. The expression on Kurt’s face revealed his insecurity as he looked up at her from where he crouched upon the floor. Being straightforward, he told her, “We need to talk.” Wanda sat her phone on the coffee table and nodded. “Yes. Sure. We can talk.” She seemed cold, because she wasn’t sure if she was about to be on trial. The X-Men didn’t trust her, the Avengers just barely trusted her (thanks, Steve) and now she stood before Kurt, who probably didn’t trust her either. She choose to keep standing and folded her arms over her chest defensively. “Who talks first?” The tension was thick, and as Kurt moved closer, he couldn’t help but eye her with suspicion. “I guess I ought start, since I need you to clarify what you wrote.” When he reached a chair, he didn’t sit, but held on to its back, subconsciously as a protective barrier between them. “Are you… I mean… how much of Magneto’s spiel do you believe? Do you think humans are inherently worse than mutants, and… I dunno… that they need to be opressed before their hypothetical hatred of our differences turns them against us?” Kurt tried to sound detached, but it wasn’t working. Wanda shook her head long before she began to speak again, “I don’t think humans are worse than mutants.” She raised one hand to her mouth, nervously touching her knuckles to her lips. She dropped the hand and continued, “We should all be equal. But it’s hard to be equal when you’re seen as freaks. When you’re seen as dangerous. We have to lift ourselves up just a bit to look them in the eye.” “I wouldn’t know what it’s like to be seen as a freak,” Kurt replied with humor touched with sarcasm, since it was obvious from his outward appearance that the opposite was true. “But we mutants are basically new on the genetic scene, both in this universe and ours. And with anything new, it takes some getting used to in society. Immediately declaring our superiority and domination over humans isn’t going to win us popularity points. Especially here, where people seem to be more accepting as it is. Look on the network! Something crazy happened at Macy’s during Christmas, and almost every day we’re reading updates where somebody’s bragging about the new powers they’ve developed. I know it’s not exactly the same as us, who were born with these differences, but just goes to show. “Now, If we’re talking about our universe, though, I’m not sure if it’s possible to repair the damage that’s been done. Which is all the more reason why we need to be patient, while we’re here. ” Making it personal, Kurt looked Wanda in the eye and asked, “Have you ever faced discrimination, since you arrived?” He looked her in the eye and she glanced away quickly. With a sigh, “No. Not me, not myself. Well--” She thought about when there were protesters. “Not just me. Me lumped in with the other dimension-hoppers. They don’t want us here. It’s too much like home.” She looked down, “I’m worried I might somehow to something to the Tesseract. Billy has a better handle on it and he’s so much younger than me…” Wanda flopped down on the couch and put her head in her hands, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten Magneto involved. We shouldn’t talk about the Brotherhood. We … we need to be careful.” With her, apparently. Kurt fought against his instinct to comfort her, to remain stoic and firm. But he finally caved in, and moved in closer to sit beside her, leaning forward with his arms resting upon his knees, hands clasped in front. “There’s always going to be resistance to things that are different, and it’s a shame we have to be caught in the middle of it, again. But I honestly believe that we’re more accepted than you think. Refugees get invited to Comic Con, for crying out loud. We just can’t let our bad experience in our world color our life in this one. Just because it isn’t working out for us at home doesn’t mean we can’t do better now. “You don’t have to apologize for Magneto. He was already going off on me before you got involved. What do you mean by be careful, though? Do you think he’s really going to start a resistance?” Wanda shook her head slowly, softly, barely moving even. “I don’t know. He’s younger. But he’s-- he’s with Charles here, so … no. No I don’t think he will. Charles will keep him in check. And by be careful, I meant I should… I should be handled with kid gloves. Who knows what I’ll do next?” A small, embarrassed chuckle. She turned, hand still on her forehead to peek at Kurt. “Thank you. For not just giving up on me.” “Then there’s hope,” Kurt said, with a sigh. “If this younger version of Charles could somehow break through Magneto’s paranoia and hatred toward humans, then disaster can be averted. At this point, my worry is that people reading his words will react badly.” Placing his hand tenderly upon the place between her shoulderblades, and gently rubbing, Kurt told her, “I think you’re stronger than you give yourself credit for. I know you don’t want to repeat the problems you had in the past, and that consciousness will help protect you. That, and the support of those who care for you.” “It’s nice to have my boys here.” Even if they had their own lives, it was nice to know they were in the same universe as her. She wished Pietro was there with her. “--And yes, there’s hope. Charles and Erik… they have something special.” Wanda leaned towards Kurt, placing her face in the crook of his neck. “It’ll be okay.” Kurt drew her into a protective embrace, his hand gently stroking her hair. She could not see his face, but he was smiling. “‘Where there's hope,” he whispered for only her to hear, “there's life. It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again.’ You know who wrote that? Anne Frank. Hiding with her family and neighbors from the Nazis, in fear of capture and extermination. She not only wrote it, but she believed it. And so do I. And I hope… I do hope… for Erik’s sake… that he finds peace within himself to let go of his past anger.” He drew back so he could look her in the eyes. “And I’m happy you have your boys.” Wanda smiled back at him, a slow lazy smile. A genuine smile. “I think he’s happy with Charles. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands… You know who said that? Elle Woods. Legally Blonde.” She laughed then, and reached up to poke his nose. “Tommy doesn’t seem too excited about me. It’s hard when your brother is a witch. I’m sure Pietro felt that Erik didn’t like him as much.” |