Scarlet Witch [X-Men]

xxi.

Chapter Twenty-One: "The Next Step"

As Wanda descended the marble staircase, dozens of eyes settled on her. Cameras were flashing, and she was sure the glint of the gold she wore drew more attention.

She would've felt more exposed, had it not been for her Brother by her arm.

"Where is our father?" Wanda asked, having not seen him the whole afternoon.

"You can worry about that as soon as we reach the bottom of these stairs." Lorna chuckled.

When they came to the bottom of the steps, the siblings dispersed, but were immediately bombarded by guests.

Wanda didn't make contact, and ignored them as she tried to find her father.

"Have you seen my father?" She asked one server who pointed over towards the open balcony. She thanked them, walking out to find Erik Magnus overlooking his city.

She found him doing it often— like he couldn't believe what was his.

"There's hundreds of guests that want to talk to you." Wanda spoke, breaking his peace. He turned to look at her.

"I was just thinking about our family— how much I would've loved your mother to be here." He explained as Wanda came to stand beside him. "To see us rise above the homosapiens, like the Gods we are."

"She would've hated this." Wanda confessed, resting her hands on the concrete railing. Her father looked at her in question.

"I don't know who she was when you knew her, but that's not her." Wanda shook her head softly. "She was cold, and she hated Pietro and I for what we were."

Erik paused, and frowned deeply when he looked at her. "I told you of your eldest sister Anya, but I never told you why she died."

Wanda looked up at Erik, wondering what he might confess— what he could be keeping from her behind his helmet.

"We lived as nomads, your mother and I. Work was... Rough." Erik began, looking down at the floor. "This particular boss of mine hated me and the Roma I shared a community with. He had been cutting my pay every week— saying something about how bills were getting harder to keep up with." He paused, inhaling deeply. "I was angry and so I— I threatened him using my abilities."

Wanda watched him carefully as he explained the story, a frown etched on her face.

"This particular man had ties with the KGB and sent them after me. They found Anya and threw her in a wooden lodge stationed by our settlement— made it set on fire. Then, they pinned me down and forced me to watch." He showed vulnerability, but never allowed himself to cry retelling the story. The ache of it all was that as powerful as he was controlling metal, he couldn't save his child from a burning wood lodge.

"Your mother could barely stand to be around me after that, and soon disappeared."

Erik cleared his throat, standing back up straight. "Probably not the best conversation for such an event."

Wanda nodded slowly, brows creased deep in thought.

"But I am proud of this paradise we have created. Us mutants, we are the next step." Erik grinned, which Wanda tried to mirror.