Escaping Maximoff

Mrs Magic

The sound of the door being opened echoed around the hall, a resonant boom marking my entrance. Hundreds of eyes snapped over to me, but I paid no attention to the curious stares; my gaze was glued to one spot. In the centre of the gymnasium stood the soldiers, their hands resting on the glossy black bodies of their guns, their eyes glancing accusingly around the room. A cold sneer from the closest one spurred me to walk towards Sam, who had already texted me where he was sitting: a spot in the corner of the room, mostly shielded from others by the bleachers. The hall was huge, but with every child in the village stuffed inside, it was almost impossible to move anywhere. Eventually, I reached the blond, but not after tripping over too many sprawled limbs to count.

"What the fuck is going on?" I hissed as I sat down next to him, observing the anxious tapping of his fingers against the floor. He shrugged and shook his head, his messy golden locks falling in front of his eyes at the action. Even with the curtain of curls in the way, I could see his eyes churning with the same confusion as mine.

"I'm not sure. They said they were going to make an announcement soon, though," he explained, shifting on the floor so his leg was pressed against mine, a small comfort for the both of us.

I leaned back against the wall and sighed. I hoped Wanda had already left like I'd told her to, but part of me doubted she'd ever listen to me after I hurt her like I had. If they had gone through the trouble to lock every child in the village away, then there was something they didn't want us to see. That realisation made me worry.

"Something seriously fucked is going on."

Sam nodded in agreement before his head snapped towards the centre of the hall. "Doesn't look like we're gonna have to wait long to find out."

Standing with the small group of soldiers was a now very disheveled-looking director Hayward. His clothes were tousled and slightly ripped, but it was the smug look in his eyes that sent a shiver of fear down my spine. My heart beat rapidly in my chest as he cleared his throat to gather the attention of the hall, a pale hand smoothing his tangled hair as he prepared to speak.

"There is no easy way to say this," he began, a sly smile playing at his thin lips, "but there is a dangerous criminal threatening to take over this very village. Wanda Maximoff, the infamous villain who held a town hostage last year, has been hiding among you, and our intel indicates that she has had help." The gymnasium erupted into a chorus of whispers, an explosion of fearful cries and demands to see parents. Hayward continued, managing to calm my peers with a simple wave of his hand. "There is no need to be afraid. My team and I have been working tirelessly for the past few months to come up with a plan to capture the monster and bring her to justice, and in just a few minutes we will be putting our ideas into action. Don't worry, all of your parents are being kept in the town where they are safe, same as you if you stay in this building. If you leave, then it is safe to assume that you have abandoned all morals and intend to help the savage witch, and with that assumption, we will be forced to stop you by any means necessary."

I held my breath as my fingers pinched the skin of my thigh, pressing so hard my flesh turned white. She'd stayed. She hadn't listened to me, and now they were going to capture her.

My eyes burned into the back of Hayward's head as he left, my stomach churning at the thought of what he was about to do. I had no idea what this so-called 'plan' was, but I had a feeling it was going to work. The village was too small for Wanda to be able to use her powers properly; she wouldn't risk putting anyone else in danger, even if it meant she'd end up getting captured. She was at a massive disadvantage, and there was absolutely nothing I could do to help her.

Sam put a hand on my shoulder and leaned forward to whisper in my ear. "So, what's the plan?"

"I don't know. Hayward was being pretty fucking secretive about it." I scoffed, anger bubbling up my throat at the mere mention of S.W.O.R.D's director.

"I meant our plan, y/n."

I sighed and closed my eyes, pressing them tightly shut to stop any tears from falling. I felt completely hopeless, and those inquisitive ice-coloured eyes made the emptiness even more vast.

"Sam–"

"No," he interrupted, his hot breath fanning across my cheek. "We're not giving up, you hear me, it's not over yet."

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I nodded. He was right, it wasn't over yet.