mad woman | wanda maximoff

one.

MAD WOMAN | i
"BAD DREAMS?"
Rhode Island | 2025

It was a hot day in Rhode Island, which was typical as spring gave way to summer heat. Athena Choi, one of the youngest professors at Brown University and a former Avenger, paced nervously as she looked at the baseball field before her.

"All right champ, you got this!" A coach exclaims from the dugout, "Infield be ready to make a play."

A hand found its way onto Athena's shoulder, tearing her eyes away from the field and putting a stop to anxious pacing as she looks over at her wife who was watching her with a smile, "Athena, please calm down."

"I can't calm down," Athena states, "Billy has been practicing his hitting all year and I just really want him to do well. He feels as though he's not as good as Tommy and that isn't true."

"I know," Wanda says, "But this is a recreation baseball game. This does not make or break his career."

"It makes or breaks me as a mom," Athena responds.

Wanda snorts, "Your parental efforts are not based on our son's ability to hit a ball."

"Yes, they are," Athena argues, "The fact that you think any differently makes you a bad parent."

Wanda rolls her eyes as she looks back at the game. The pitcher for the other team takes a deep breath before he throws the ball, a clean strike right down the middle. Billy swings but misses it.

"Strike!" the umpire yells.

"Come on Billy! You got it!" Tommy yells at his brother from the dugout.

"I can't watch," Athena says as she takes a seat on the bleachers beside Wanda who simply laughs as she throws an arm around Athena, rubbing her shoulder affectionately in an attempt to comfort her.

The pitcher throws another one and Billy swings and misses it again.

"Strike!"

"You got it, Billy!" Wanda encourages.

The next pitch is thrown and Billy swings again, and just like the first two, he fails to make contact.

"Out!" the umpire says and with a sigh, Billy turns and makes his way back to the dugout. Athena stands and heads over to the fence where Billy is taking his helmet off and shoving his bat in his bag.

"Hey," Athena says, getting his attention.

Billy looks up at her, "I'm sorry mom."

"Hey," Athena tells him, "Do not apologize to me. You did your best and I'm proud of you for it."

"I thought I had it," Billy tells her, shaking his head, "I'm just not good."

"Billy," Athena says, "It was one at-bat. It doesn't mean that you're not good. It just means luck wasn't on your side. You've got it next time. And when you go out there, I want you to hold your head high. You're a Choi and we don't let things get to us, right?"

Billy nods his head, but that isn't enough for Athena.

"Right?" she asks him.

"Right," Billy says.

Athena's lips quirk as she holds her fist up to the fence, "Now pound it."

Billy punches the fence, making Athena grin. She leans close to it and Billy comes close as well.

"Your next at-bat, watch the pitcher. If he sniffles, I want you to wait for a second longer. It means he's throwing a fastball," Athena tells him.

"How do you know?" Billy asks her.