Carmine Jewels ║ Wanda Maximoff

Chapter 22 - New To The Game

"Where's my sister? What happened to my sister?"

Pietro, unlike Wanda, had walked into the room with his head held high. But just like his sister, his face was gaunt, and the dim lighting almost made him look like a ghost. His brown hair was untidy, and his blue eyes were jumping around the room, taking it all in while throwing uneasy glances at the scepter.

Dr. Stroup just shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Siblings..." He muttered before pressing the button that would enable Pietro to hear him. "The experiment was a success, so your sister has been taken to isolation for evaluation. Now, touch the sample."

Pietro's eyes were wide, glued to his reflection as he couldn't see beyond the two-way mirror. "My sister is alright?" He asked while taking a step closer to the scepter with his hand outstretched. It was interesting to see how the siblings were so alike in their approach, even if Pietro's posture held a bit more confidence.

"Yes, she's alright." Dr. Stroup said into the microphone before lifting his hand from the button. He was losing his patience with all the hesitation. "Has she woken up yet?" He turned towards Keira, who held a tablet in her hand.

"No. She's still out cold." Wanda hadn't moved a muscle since Keira had left her on the steel bench, but her chest was rising and falling rhythmically, so she was still alive. Or maybe she was just pretending to be asleep, not wanting HYDRA to know that she was conscious again.

"After this one's done, regardless of the result, check on her." Dr. Stroup peered down at his notes before returning his gaze to Pietro, who despite the reassurance about his sister, hadn't moved a muscle. Was he having second thoughts?

"No."

All eyes in the room turned to Alexandra, who was standing beside Dr. Stroup. She had been unable to attend Wanda's testing because she had been forced to attend to a new problem that was arising. SHIELD had finally noticed that the scepter had gone astray, and she needed to bury the rumors about its location before it became public knowledge.

The last thing she needed was the Avengers storming the fortress and not only taking the scepter but Topaz as well. But when she had heard that Wanda had survived the exposure of the stone, she had hurried to make sure that she would be able to witness the other twin's testing.

"No?" Dr. Stroup's forehead was wrinkled, both in confusion and anger. Being contradicted was not something he appreciated.

Alexandra didn't move a muscle but merely met his gaze steadily, not backing away as he narrowed his eyes. "You heard me. I will not risk our only other successful subject until we know what miss Maximoff has gained from the stone. In case you have forgotten this one-" She gestured towards Topaz. "-killed a couple of agents unwillingly when she had first been exposed to the stone."

Dr. Stroup pressed his lips together, his fist clutching his notepad so tight it might break. "You can't seriously believe we'll risk any more agents when we have Topaz at our disposal?"

"That's exactly what I believe. And if you have any problems with my orders, feel free to file a complaint." Alexandra stared back at the man, her posture relaxed but straight, confident in her cause. And Keira couldn't help but admire her guts at that moment.

The man opened and closed his mouth like a fish on dry land, shocked by the woman's audacity. In defeat, he averted his gaze. "Mr. Maximoff, touch the sample." His eyes burned as he pressed the button down, but they all knew that Alexandra was of a higher rank than him, so he just kept his mouth shut.

Pietro gave a curt nod and swallowed hard before taking another step, his face determined with his fists curled at his sides.

But just like with his sister, something happened before he could touch the stone. Its buzzing grew to an earsplitting volume, and Keira bit down on her lip to stop herself from making a sound. It subsided as quickly as it had risen, and Pietro slumped to the floor.