𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆 ━━━ ❪...

WARNING: cursing

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TEN
𝘸𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴
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"HOW WAS I?" Stephen embraced Wanda's waist from behind as he tucked his head into her shoulder, "Last night, I mean."

They were outside, in the Sanctum's training compound. Wanda had just completed the 'Robot Training Sequence' and they were getting carried away with talking to each other...

"You were..." Wanda twisted herself around to face him, "Excellent. Weren't the sounds I was making enough confirmation?"

Stephen smiled as he pictured her face again, not a single flaw in the image of his mind, "Yes, actually. And you were pretty excellent too."

"Don't worry," Wanda hugged him firmly, "Next time I'll take care of you properly."

Next time? Stephen almost felt his heart stop in his chest, there would be a next time.

"Do you think..." Wanda turned to the door cautiously before facing him again, "Do you think Wong heard us?"

"I hope not," Stephen chuckled, "But you were quite loud."

Wanda slid her hands to his lower back, gripping his ass lightly, "I couldn't help myself..."

"Wanda?" Stephen's voice was less playful, she unlatched from his lower body as soon as she heard it. She placed her hands around his waist, stepping back so she could see him.

His face was serious, she knew the topic would be something she didn't like. Probably the same one as yesterday so she kept her distance, not touching him.

"Yes, Stephen," She sighed, crossing her arms.

"We do need to talk about what you're going to do after you've completed training."

"I almost have, haven't I? I think it's going well."

"It is, it's incredible how much you've been able to learn but..."

"But what? You want me gone?" Wanda was angry now, her eyes sparked red as she spoke, "Is this all this is for you? Just a fucking experiment, Stephen!

"No, I just want you to keep your options for the future open."

"Okay, tell me! Where am I gonna go?" She was calmer now, she caught her breath from the shouting as she steadied herself, "Tell me."

"To join..." Stephen took a breath before facing her again, "Hopefully, the Avengers."

Wanda felt her blood boiling in her veins, "Those people?"

"Your brother is there."

"Yes, the only reason he is there is to get away from me. Which is the only god damn reason someone should sent a person there!"

"You don't have another choice, Wanda!" He shouted loudly, the echo made her jump.

Her voice came out as almost a croak, "Wh-What are you talking about?"

"I am talking about the fact that I offered to help the Avengers! I offered to train you..."

"What?" Wanda felt every fibre in her body sink to the floor.

Her eyes widened before she felt the anger rise through her again, her voice was cold as she asked him again, "What?"

Stephen sniffed, his gaze shifted into the distance, he wasn't able to face her, "They asked me to fix you. They came to me asking for help, to make it easier for them to capture you."

"So was this all part of the process? Just fuck her and she'll surrender to them silently?"

"What the hell? No, how could you think that?"

"And then you say all these things about becoming better and trusting you," Wanda's eyes flashed red as shoved a finger into his chest. "All total bullshit!"

He held the place her finger had been, almost as if she had shot him there, and he shouted, "I've been trying to help you!" Her ramblings were lost as his voice was incredibly loud above hers. "I'm sorry if it's so bad to get you to be anything other than a killer because the only thing your being is a fucking child!"

Wanda lip trembled, she bit it harshly so she wouldn't cry and she looked sternly at him. She contemplated using her powers on him for a short moment but decided it wouldn't be necessary.

She raised her hand and slapped him, he left his face turned even as it was over. She waited for him to do something, maybe even hit her back, but he didn't.

"Pathetic..." Wanda scoffed as she walked past him, brushing into his shoulder purposefully, "Asshole."

SIX MONTHS AGO.
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Steve Rogers stood on the streets, still clutching his shield as he pressed his fingers against his earpiece, "I've lost her down here. Tony? See anything up there?"

"I'm blind on my end too," Tony said, putting a hold on his thrusters to get a clear view of the city, "The witch bitch has disappeared."

"She's gone," Clint sighed, dropping the hold on his bow, dragging a tense hand through his hair, "Damn it! The little minx got away again."

Pietro held his knees as he crouched down, catching his breath from the running he had just done. "I spotted her, she's...disappeared into what appears to be some kind of portal," He had been quick enough to observe as Wanda followed a mysterious figure into the portal.

"Describe it to me," Tony brought up a search bar on his inner helmet AI.

"Orange glowing circle, opens to another location. Appears to be from some kind of unknown source. Definitely not technology."

"Got it, Friday, pull up any images of magic orange spherical-shaped portals around New York," Tony smiled as only two other images, one of them blurry appeared and was from today. It showed the pixelated face of the mysterious man. "I'm gonna need an ID on that man."

"Clearing," Friday spoke, "Identifying image...Facial recognition scanning." There was a long pause. "Scan completed. Image identified as Stephen Strange M.D, Ph.D."

"We've got a Doctor on our hands, friends. From what I see it's a man who might be hard to convince..." Tony flew to the ground, "Maybe we should have brought Vision."

"We didn't want to make a scene," Steve reminded him. They had decided not to bring Thor, Bruce or Vision because they would create too much excitement in the streets.

"I know, I know," Tony groaned, "Well, if you're up for having a chat, Clint. You're about six blocks away from his only known location."

"Oh, we're gonna be doing a lot more than talking," Clint said, grabbing on tighter to the handle of his bow.

"Don't you think I should go?" Pietro asked.

"This isn't a game, kid," Clint told him through his device, "I know she's your sister but I've got unfinished business. Business that I'll finish alone."

He headed down the street, Tony had given him instructions which he followed hastily, sprinting through civilians until he arrived at what he could only assume to be the correct place.

It was quite big, and very misplaced among all the average American structures around it, he noticed the circular decorative window at the top that Stark had told him to look out for.

Hawkeye took a sharp breath in through his nose as he stood in front of the obscure Sanctum Sanctorum. He had gone a lot of places, but he had never seen an architectural structure like this before.

He was confused as he had never noticed that it was here in all his days in New York City. But, he didn't have time for any more mental maths, he wanted to find this man.

Clint knocked on the door three times, the hard wood made an echo and he waited for a while, tapping his toes before the door swung open.

There stood the man he had seen before, his facial structure was memorable. The clothes he had on were far more casual, however, same dude.

Clint grabbed a hold of the hem of his shirt, pulling him close then speaking aggressively into his face, "Listen, I know who you are. And I know you think you're smart but I really don't give a shit. You've got that Maximoff girl in there and you're gonna bring her out, right now."

"Am I, Mr Barton?" Stephen asked, "I don't really think you're going to want to test me."

"How do you know my name?"

"Besides the fact that you're an Avenger. I keep track of a lot of things in the universe. It's my job."

"Oh yeah? Tell me one secret about me."

"I know that you have a family that you're trying to keep hidden from your teammates," Clint slowly took his hands away from his neck, "I also know that if you don't get your hands off me, we're gonna have have a problem."

"You don't think I can take you?"

"I know you can't," Stephen smoothed out his top, "Now that we've stopped with that. How about you come inside and we talk?"

"Lead the way," Clint said, taking a step inside the building and Stephen closed the door behind him with a slam.

*

"So, where's Maximoff?" Clint asked as Stephen approached him again, "This really wasn't the time for a costume change."

"Ms Maximoff won't be joining us," Stephen was wearing his sorcerer attire now, he had kept Clint waiting as he conversed with Wong.

"Well, I'm not here for chit-chat. I'm here to collect her."

"And take her to jail?" Stephen shook his head, "That's not happening. Wanda Maximoff is a highly capable and enhanced asset."

"She killed Natasha Romanoff, a fleet of S.H.I.E.L.D agents and god knows who else in the past months."

Stephen sighed, he hadn't known that but he knew that for the foreseeable future they had to slide past it, "Okay. I understand, but you don't know what I've seen. I've seen her and I know that she can improve. For the greater good, I can't have her locked away."

"Well, right now she's wanted. The only way she could get out of this at this point was if she joined the Avengers," Clint almost laughed as he said it.

Stephen looked intrigued, "Really?"

"You've got to be kidding me."

NOW
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WANDA MAXIMOFF DIDN'T know
anywhere else in the city. This was the only place she had been that she remembered, other than the ice cream shop.

"What's going on with you?" Greer Grant Nelson, the vibrant owner of the authentic dress makers on Cornelia Street, New York, "I haven't seen you since your fitting. And it's shame considering the outfit I made for you is one of my best works."

Wanda slouched on the work desk, empty opposed to the one Greer was working on, littered with linens and sheets she was using to make her next creation. "I know, that suit is incredible by the way."

"Thank you," Greer smiled, placing a piece of fabric on top of the other then cutting through both skilfully, "So why have you come?"

"I don't mean to ruin waste your time," Wanda apologised.

"No, not at all. I could use the company, it gets boring during lunch hours. I just thought you'd be busy with your guy friend, that's all. What was his name?"

"Stephen," Wanda said, disappointed the topic had changed to him.

"Right, yes. Stephen Strange, that's it," Greer knew him from when he was in his doctor days, "That man...he's a piece of work." She stood up, leaning against the worktop Wanda was on. "He doesn't mean to be a dick. If that's why your here. He thinks that he's right about everything, he can't stand it when he's not in control. After his accident, he wasn't the same. Car crash, straight of a cliff. It almost killed him but he became even more than of an asshole, if that's even possible."

"He still is an asshole."

"No. You should have seen him before," Greer laughed, "You would have been straight in prison, Wanda."

Wanda's eyes widened, "How do you know my name?"

"Sweetie, you were all over the news. It would be crazy if I didn't know your name," Greer placed a hand on your shoulder, "You're lucky that Stephen is quite intimidating or I would have called the police a long time ago.He's a complicated man. He's used his head so much that he's forgotten how to use his heart. That's why he needs taking care of."

"Strange..." Wanda sighed as she placed her head in her hands, she closed her eyes - only for a second and then she saw him.

She hadn't meant to penetrate his mind like that but she did. She heard his thoughts as clear as day, "Help me, Wanda. Stop. Not again..."

"Oh my god," Wanda clambered out of her seat, "I've got to go, thanks Greer."