Two of a Kind | Wanda Maximoff

Chapter 26: Finally, Some Hero Shit

Claire was excited; after spending multiple months on the run and a few extra weeks on bedrest (Wanda's orders), she was happy to finally be doing something that didn't include sitting around whatever place they happened to be staying at. They had left Victoria's Island about a week after she woke up, giving her a chance to rest—though she didn't need it—and to ready themselves for their new lives as nomadic superheroes.

They had been all over, stopping various level threats in various places. Steve had gotten Natasha to use any of her contacts to find trouble for them and even gotten some stealthy S.H.I.E.L.D. tech that Claire didn't understand from Maria Hill—off the record, of course—and used that to analyze threats all around the world. Steve wanted to help all people, but because of his and the team's status as war criminals, he couldn't exactly take on an "Avengers level threat", so he had to settle for the smaller crimes.

The team sat in the stolen Quinjet quiet but ready to go to work. Steve had heard about a group of terrorists that were stationed in Russia that were kidnapping children from their villages. No one had heard what happens to them and they aren't seen from again. The local police and military have tried everything to find this group, but somehow nothing worked; They were good at covering their tracks. So, naturally, Steve decided that they would step in after getting a tip about mysterious activity in an abandoned village in northern Russia from one of Natasha's contacts.

Wanda sat next to Claire, resting her head in her lap, playing with the ends of Claire's red hair. Claire stared straight ahead, her jaw clenched tight and her lips pursed, deep in thought. She was worried about those kids that were taken. When Steve suggested this mission, she was the first to be on board; this specific mission hit home for her, and she wanted to do the one thing that police of Sokovia couldn't do for her. She wasn't going to let those kids down; she wasn't going to let what happened to her happen to them. Wanda sat up and lifted a hand up to touch Claire's cheek. Upon feeling the softness of her skin upon hers, Claire relaxed her jaw and turned her eyes from the opposite wall of the Quinjet and looked at Wanda.

"Are you okay?" she whispered. Claire grinned, thought it didn't reach her eyes; she was still lost in her head.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she lied, still smiling.

"What do you say about lying?" Wanda smirked as she threw Claire's words back at her. Claire let out a little laugh, rolling her eyes. "Seriously, I know something is bothering you; you've been weird since Steve brought up this mission. What's up?"

"This mission...just reminds me of my life. Nobody was able to save me, so I want to be that person to these kids. I just want...to do good. These powers were given to me to be used as a weapon, and I've never really gotten the chance to use them for good. I want to help people; help these kids. Maybe that'll absolve me of my sins." Claire looked down at her hands in her lap and sighed. Wanda placed her left hand over Claire's folded hands, bringing her eyes back to Wanda's green ones.

"You are good. You've done good before, Claire. These past few months, whenever you shifted, you shifted to protect me. That's good, Claire. You're not a weapon, you're not a monster. You're a hero." Wanda gave her a big smile, showing her teeth.

"Cap, we're about ten minutes out," Natasha called from the cockpit. Steve nodded his head and stood up.

"Alright, team, get ready. You have your orders, let's get in and out before the military gets word of us."

Sam tightened the straps of his wings and checked the guns in his holsters. Natasha put the jet on autopilot and walked towards the back standing next to Steve and grabbed a few guns. She checked her wrists, making sure that her Widow Bites were good to go. Wanda and Claire stood up from their seats and readied themselves. Claire's eyes glowed a lighter shade of purple and she let out a low growl, feeling her wolf stir beneath her. Steve looked at her and crossed over to her.