𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐄. ¹ | wanda maximoff

07 | 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃

BACK AT the office, Carson was stood at his desk, fiddling with some faulty wires that were in the back of his computer. He let out a frustrated huff as he unplugged them before putting them back in, this being the third time today his computer had broken.

"So you're telling me this is a type writer, a Rolodex and a calendar all in one?" Norm asked him in astonishment. "What else can it do, find me a wife?"

Carson chuckled to himself. "I think that's something you'll have to do on your own."

"Y'know, it's a hell of a thing watching you use all this technology Carson." Norm told him. "I still don't know how to work these things."

"You want me to show you?" Carson asked him.

Norm gave him a smile and nodded. "Sure buddy."

Carson walked over to Norm's desk and sat down in his chair while Norm stood at his side, looking down at the computer screen from over his shoulder.

Once the computer had turned on, Carson pressed a button on the keyboard which ended up bringing different coding on the screen. His eyebrows came together in confusion when he saw it wasn't the usual type of emails they normally received. Carson tapped the keyboard once more and the message expanded.

Carson leant closer to the screen. "What the..."

"SWORD, top secret communiqué. Authenticate." Norm started to read out what was on the screen.

Everyone else in the room suddenly joined in with what Norm was saying and Carson spun around on his chair, watching them all speak as if they were in some sort of trance.

"Doctor Darcy Lewis' findings regarding Maximoff's Anomaly. High levels of radiation at the perimeter. Effect on residents of Westview along with Swan unknown, please advise."

Norm and all the other employees suddenly broke into a fit of laughter. But Carson wasn't even close to finding it amusing at all. He leant back in his chair, inhaling sharply as he thought to himself what the message meant, why his name along with Wanda's was included.

Carson felt a tap on his shoulder and he looked up at Norm, now being broken out of his thoughts.

"Well, come on pal." Norm said. "What are we gonna write back? You're the office funny guy."

"I... uh." Carson ignored his question and looked back at the screen, his eyes fixating on a certain line of the email.

Maximoff's Anomaly.

"It's a joke, can't you tell?" Norm nudged him once more. "None of it is real."

Carson's attention seemed to be grabbed after hearing the last line of what Norm said.

None of it is real.

None of it is real.

None of it is real.

He stood up and walked over to Norm, placing his fingers against the man's temples. Carson's eyes flickered red momentarily as he tapped into his powers, a subtle red hue forming around his fingers.

Norm let out a grunt and stumbled backwards a little making Carson remove his hands. Carson watched the man intently as he took in his surroundings, like he'd just been woken up from some sort of nightmare.

Norm's eyes came to a stop when he noticed Carson stood in front of him. "Please... please help me. What day is it? How long has it been? Where's my phone, I need to call my sister!"

"Hey, Norm, just look at me okay?" Carson said quietly, not wanting the others to hear what was going on. "I need you to calm down."

Carson's words didn't seem to register in Norm's brain as he continued to panic, now fumbling through his desk draws to find his phone.