Vision was wary.
His eyes followed Pietro as the silver-haired man pulled out a hundred Pound note and put it down, turning to them with a smile that Wanda returned.
With the stone in his forehead, he had ample time to analyse the speedster as they left the cafe, Pietro giving a wave to the barista behind the counter.
'Biologically, it's the same with more injuries around his body. His breathing is slightly heavier than it was before. Perhaps, he was injured internally and it healed crudely?' Vision thought, flashing a smile when Wanda took a quick glance back before she continued talking with Pietro.
The speedster's gait was much more unsteady as though he was not used to walking and as Vision looked up at Pietro's eyes, he was not surprised to see the speedster's eyes looking distant as he stared at Wanda.
There was familial love and joy in his gaze, yes, but the synthetic being did not miss the grief and longing that flashed across his expression.
However, he decided to keep that to himself, staying silent and letting his beloved enjoy the presence of her brother. If he was a threat, though...
'I can only apologize to her once I neutralized him,' he thought, putting his hands in his pockets before focusing back as both turned to him.
"Vis, I was asking Pietro if he would like some of the goulash I made earlier today. Do you mind if we head home for the night?"
"Of course. You were the one who wished to have a stroll after dinner, of course," he replied with a smirk, amused at her rolling her eyes before he glanced at Pietro to see the soft smile on his face.
"The last time I had your goulash was years ago and it wasn't that good that time," Pietro spoke up and Wanda huffed as Vision chuckled.
"I must say that I do not remember any of her cooking being anything other than sublime."
"Smooth, let me look like the bad guy," Pietro replied with a snort, rolling his eyes as Wanda swatted his shoulder.
"You never liked my cooking anyway."
"That was because I was the better chef, little sis," Wanda just scoffed as Pietro wrapped an arm around her, both siblings missing Vision's stoic gaze as he looked at Pietro.
Yes, he will stay his hands and keep his suspicions to himself...for now.
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Wanda was cautious.
As she sat down in front of Pietro, who was busy eating her goulash with gusto, she couldn't help the uncertainty in her heart.
She had felt it, after all. She vividly remembers the pain and anguish she felt when the link between them was destroyed by Ultron four years ago.
The moment she met his eyes from across the street, that link felt as though it was re-established when he smiled at her. She couldn't help it when she hugged him, her emotions getting the better of her and turning her into that little girl that loved her older brother all over again.
Yet, there was the hesitant and doubtful part of her mind, the part that believed that this was no more than a well-crafted illusion. She didn't want to think like that, but it was just too...perfect and that made her cautious.
"This is...adequately good. Well done, sis," Pietro's voice drew her from her thoughts, making her blink to see him looking at her with a smile.
She then put a smug smile on her face as Vision chuckled and spoke, "Exactly. Now, will you say that it is better than yours?"
"No, because you forgot the secret ingredient."
"What secret ingredient?"
"The sweet paprika, you know? Also, you forgot to add the marjoram as the beef simmers before you slow cook it."
"Mom did not add in marjoram."
"Yes, she did. She mixed it with the garlic, bell peppers and tomatoes and the sweet paprika she added with the other spices. As for the paprika, you used hot paprika instead of the Hungarian one, because-"
"Hot paprika dries out your mouth which makes you miss the savoury flavour of the beef. I knew I was missing something," she spoke with a sigh, smiling as Pietro just chuckled and gave a shrug.
"That's on you, Wanda. Anyway, I suppose I owe you all an explanation, don't I?"
"I do not believe you owe us, but an explanation would help us with answering some of the questions we have," Vision spoke up and Wanda subtly gripped his hand under the table as she nodded with a smile.
"I agree with Vis."
"Okay, okay. I guess that too," Pietro murmured, taking a slow yet deep breath before he exhaled. "Hah, alright. Firstly, and please don't attack me for saying this, but the Pietro Maximoff you knew is dead."
"...The Pietro 'we' knew?" Wanda asked with a frown and watched as her brother nodded.
"Yes, he is fully dead. I on the other hand am Pietro Maximoff from an alternate universe? Timeline? The exact science is a lot more complicated than I can explain without going off into a tangent."
"Please, go off on the tangent. I believe I should be able to summarize it," Vision spoke with a smile, though his eyes were now fully guarded as Pietro scratched the back of his head and nodded.
"Alright. Let's start with the beginning of when I first got my powers."
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"And thus, with the help of Janet and her family, we escaped the Quantum Realm and arrived back in our regular universe. However, this is where I found out that I was actually stranded in an alternate timeline.
I then tried to return to my own, but a group, one which I cannot name lest I wish to risk the safety and stability of the universe and the timeline itself, informed me that my timeline was pruned. Oh, that means eradicated beyond measure."
"Thus, you are...stuck here? So, you decided to simply live out your life, then?" Vision asked, his eyes focused on me as I smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, though I have to admit that I...well, I don't have much to work with now that I'm in this new universe."
"I...I see," Vision murmured and I smirked as I saw how unsure he was of his next response. My gaze then drifted to Wanda and I was not surprised to see the distant look in her eyes.
"Wanda?"
"Y-Yeah?"
"Are you doing okay?" I asked, watching as the emotions danced across her face, shifting from joy to sadness to melancholy.
"Honestly, I...do not know. My mind feels hesitant to accept this as I can't comprehend it, but...but my heart feels like you're telling nothing but the truth."
"Well, I believe you because I have scanned your body and you are biologically the same age as Pietro was in 2014," Vision spoke up and I gave a slow blink at that before shaking my head.
I'll just file that away for later.
"Right, yes. Anyway, I'm not going to try and force us to be siblings, but that does not mean that I am just going to ignore our familial connections."
"I wouldn't expect you not to act like my brother, but...wouldn't this be like you spitting on the loss of your sister?"
"I believe that my sister would want me to move forward with my life instead of wallowing on the what-ifs of the past," I responded with a smile. "If anything, I think she'd throw me across a dimension or two if she found out that I was still moping around after she died."
"Also, him being your brother may fill the void that was left with Pietro's loss just as you will fill the void that is the loss of his sister," Vision added and I gave a nod as Wanda looked to be in thought.
"Well, if he think of it like that, then I suppose I can agree with that. Of course, that's only if you can."
"I would like nothing more, little sis."
"Technically, she is four years older than you," Vision decided to be a little delight and I narrowed my eyes at him as Wanda's eyes lit up with devious intentions.
"That I am. Thank you for reminding me, Vis."
"Yeah, thank you for reminding us of that. I am NOT calling you my older sister."
"Why not? I am older."
"Technically, yes. Chronologically, no."
"Still, yes."
"Vision, if you want my blessing for marriage, stay quiet," I spoke with a piercing stare, one that made him chuckle as Wanda narrowed her eyes back.
"You hear that? I am your older sister now, which means that you have to do what I say."
"Considering I can move much faster than the speed of light, I don't have to do anything."
"That is not possibleeee," Vision's voice droned off slowly as I stood up and walked around, bringing my chair with me and putting it backwards behind them.
"It is," I replied as I sat down on the chair, Vision spinning around with wide eyes as his eyes focused on every aspect of my body.
"I-I am able to perceive light itself travelling at its true speed."
"And?"
"...I could not see you," he whispered, to which I winked while Wanda gave a slow blink.
"Well, I suppose that is enough proof that you are most definitely the Pietro I know."
"Great. Now, tell me of this Civil War that I heard of. Was it bad?" I asked, already knowing the answer as the two looked uncomfortable.
"Perhaps, at a later time, maybe?"
"Good. Then, can I ask another thing? Do either of you know where Hawkeye lives?"
"You wish to surprise him?" Wanda asked with a knowing smirk, rolling her eyes as I nodded. "You've never changed."
"I have not. So, want to surprise him?"
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The world came into action as I came to a complete stop, holding Wanda and Vision up as the two looked queasy with the sudden atmosphere and environment change.
"Don't talk. Take deep breaths and everything will be okay after a while," I spoke before they could, rubbing their backs as the couple took slow breaths.
"T-That...is quite intense."
"I know, but that's only the first time. Afterwards, it gets a lot better," Wanda just gave a slow nod while I looked forward, catching sight of the cozy two-story house that stood in the middle of nowhere.
Close by to our left was a barn with a single large tree planted in front of it and further left was a grassy field. All around us were nothing but green forest and my eyes caught the figure that exited the house.
'He looks older,' I thought as I let Vision help Wanda stand, catching the gaze of Clint Barton AKA Hawkeye. His eyes first focused on Wanda and Vision, confusion and wariness entering it before they were both replaced by shock as I smiled and gave a one-handed wave.
His eyes snapped back to Wanda and Vision, which gave me enough time to step forward and run over to stand beside him.
"What the hell?" I snickered at his whisper and immediately leaned back at the hammer that was swung at my head. At the same time, I caught the nail he threw at my head the very moment I went to dodge, raising an eyebrow as he paused and just stared.
"What? You didn't see this comin-?" I blinked in surprise as a pair of arms hugged me tightly, blinking slowly before smiling and hugging the guy back.
"You lived?"
"Not really, but we'll explain it all later."
"That, you will, kid. That you will," the man spoke as he pulled back, a warm smile on his face as he patted my shoulder. He then turned to Vision and Wanda who approached, raising an eyebrow at the uncomfortable looks on their faces.
"They're not used to my level of speed," I explained, laughing as he rolled his eyes.
"Sure. Come on in. Laura made sandwiches."
"Nice."
"You just ate," Wanda spoke with a frown and I just shrugged as Hawkeye shook his head.
"Heightened metabolism, sister. I always have room for food."
"Oh, she's going to love you," Clint murmured and I laughed, following him into the house only to pause as several Hawkeye-lettes looked at me.
"Clint, honey. Who...was it?" Laura's eyes widened as she saw me and I waved in greeting.
"Hello. I hear there's sandwiches?"
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"One of us died?" A man dressed in a pharaoh uniform asked with a frown, seated atop a throne that was one of four in the large, stone meeting hall they were in.
Only two of the other seats were occupied, one having a man in formal red robes with gold pieces embroidered onto them and a large headpiece.
The second was more machine than man, dressed in a glowing black bodysuit made out of nanites with neon-blue accents and his head having cybernetic pieces built into it.
"Yes, the Azure Flash did."
"Urgh, he's dead. Let us not call him by that name."
"Well, we don't ever fully stay dead," Immortus spoke, making sure his headpiece was seated properly as he leaned back.
"He died during his passage to the Quantum Realm. Thus, his soul was torn apart by the shifting energy of travelling between the different temporal energies of the subatomic realm and the regular realm."
"That is true, Rama-Tut, but that is neither here nor there. Who is the one that killed him?"
"His little experiment. The one named Pietro that he gave a boost too," Centurion replied, making both of his fellow variants frown.
"The speedster? That is a bit of a problem, but none we need to worry about. Just in case, Centurion-"
"I have already sent our fail-safe to ensure that he does not live to see the next day."
"Good. Then, let us proceed with the next phase of our plans."
A/N: And the plot thickens as the Kangs have meetings while Pietro talks with Hawkeye.
Next chapter: What?
As always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one...
Ba-Bye~!!