The Mended Path

Joanna was putting her hair up in a low bun at her vanity when Josh burst into her room. ” Temos que ver Nova York de preto! Con Pietro e Wanda tamén!” he shouted as he dancing around her room. Joanna laughed with pins in her mouth and replied, ” Si, con eles. Debemos agrupar-se, xa que está frío aquí.” Josh grinned and pulled out a Parka he had with him. She finished and pulled from her drawer two beanies, two sets of gloves and two scarfs for them. Josh kissed her forehead as he put his beanie on. ” In our favorite colors too.” Joanna ruffled his hair as she walked out. They ran outside to see Wanda & Pietro waiting for them. They too had coats, hats and gloves on. Wanda hugged Joanna and Josh bro-hugged Pietro. ” Холод не так ли? Имеет ли получить этот холод на Xander?” Pietro asked them as the foursome strolled down the street. Josh smiled, ” Может, но мы знаем, как справиться с этим.”

They laughed as they went into Times Square. Josh marveled at the boards while Joanna was scanning them. ” Woah! The tech is pretty neat, but could use some upgrades.” Josh deadpanned while the Maximoffs snickered. Wanda poked her, ” Is Xander more advanced?” Joanna nodded. ” Very much so. We have real hover boards, flying cars, speeders and much more!” Her amber eyes sparkled as Josh rolled his eyes. ” The country and forests are really nice too.” Pietro attend him and smiled. They did some window shopping, showed them the library and monuments, went ice skating and then started to head towards the school. ” Have you ever been to a public school?” Pietro inquired. Josh shook his head, ” All agents of the Nova Corps are homeschooled.”

They all laughed until a voice behind them spoke. ” Well, well, look who we have here.” Wanda and Pietro froze. Joanna and Josh stopped, ” What the matter?” Wanda made a telepathic link to all of them. Stay still. Don’t move yet. We have a problem behind us. They all turned around the see who it was.

Pietro got in front of Wanda as Josh moved as well. Three teenage boys were standing behind them looking smugly at the girls. One was pretty skinny and the other two were heavyset. The middle one walked up to Pietro. ” Well look who’s back, the speeding homeschooler.” They laughed as if he had made a great joke. Josh and Joanna looked confused while Wanda rolled her eyes in annoyance. Aaron and his buddies Simon and Joseph. They try to bully us all the time. They don’t scare us and they get nowhere anyway. Let’s go. They turned to walk away, but Simon grabbed Joanna’s arm. ” Hey! Let go.” Joanna growled but Simon gripped harder. ” Sorry, but you look new to me. What’s your name sugar head?” A mischievous glint flashed in his eyes and Joanna tore herself from him. ” Run!”

They took off running. Pietro picked up his sister and sped off. Joanna grabbed Josh, ” Push forward with the wind.” Josh heard her whisper and took her hand. He clenched his fist and the earth shook behind them, causing the trip to stumble behind them. He swept his hand forward and the wind pushed them forward. Wanda looked behind her. They can handle themselves. They have powers too. Josh snickered, We can hear you. Wanda blushed. Oh right. I forgot. They all laughed as they stopped in front of the high school. Pietro put Wanda down and Josh stopped running. Pietro looked back, ” Ich glaube, wir haben die Schurken verloren.” They grinned before walking up the steps into the school. Whoever they were or want they wanted, they won’t get it! Joanna thought as she glanced at her left wrist. Josh side-hugged his sister, knowing what she was thinking.

They stepped inside to see the students stared at them. Joshua and Joanna whispered to the Maximoffs. ” Are you sure about this?” Wanda nodded, ” They knew we were coming. Don’t worry about it.” They winked and laughed. Josh and Joanna walked down the hallway with them to the principal’s office. Girls whispered among themselves about ” That witch” or ” Who is the new white-beauty?” Joanna and Wanda ignored these murmurs and smiled. The boys eyed Josh and Pietro and moved away. They seem to fear us, Josh thought. Pietro nodded solemnly. Josh went forward and knocked. ” Come in.” Pietro opened the door and they went in. A man stood and shook hands with them. ” Welcome Maximoffs and…” he paused at Josh and Joanna. ” Xander” Joanna inserted as she shook his hand. ” Welcome then. Please sit.”

The next 2 hours were spent in the school. Josh and Joanna were indeed surprised by the school system, but they were laughing in their minds on how different it was form Xander schools. Wanda and Pietro asked them about it and they showed them both videos of school life. Soon, Pietro and Wanda were smirking. They explained the situation to the principal and he granted them accessed to the school if needed. By 2:17, they were back on the streets of New York. ” Ever had coffee before Josh?” Wanda asked as they approached a Starbucks. Josh and Joanna tilted their heads, ” What’s coffee?” Pietro grinned and shoved them inside. ” You shall find out then!” Josh and Joanna were told to sit still and wait. After a few minutes Wand and Pietro came back with four cups a creamy brown liquid. Pietro put a cup in front of each. ” Try it!”

Joanna took an uncertain sip. A chocolatey flavor exploded in her mouth with a hint of a mint. Josh could feel the coffee bean in his drink and eagerly drank it. They both gasped after a long sip, ” ITS AMAZING!!!” The Maximoff twins held their sides as they choked out laughs. People began to whisper and murmur, but mainly stared at the Xander twins. After they had calmed down, they began to discuss school again. ” What events do schools do?” Joanna inquired. Wanda brighten, ” There is that dance coming up in three days.” Josh raised an eyebrow, ” A dance? Like a gala?” Pietro shrugged. ” Kinda of, but more geared to was young adults.” They got up and walked outside. ” There’s music, food, dancing, karaoke sometimes and games.” Pietro listed off the events. Wanda and Joanna began to talk about attire while the boys ranted about the games.

They arrived back at the Tower after a long day in the city. Nat called out, ” You’ve been gone all day! Did you enjoy it?” The foursome grinned and answered with a shout. ” It was a blast!” They jumped into the couches and told them everything. Tony and Sam stopped their game on the XBox to listen as Steve walked in with Pepper. They laughed at the coffee story and inquired about the school. Afterwards, Pietro went to war with Josh on the Wii while Joanna and Wanda played Just Dance. Steve looked at Thor and Thor nodded. Those three boys….what did they want? On another note, I hope Thor hears from him soon. At least, after the dance. They need to settle down before going into space again. He grinned as Josh tackled Sam and started an impromptu wrestling match with all the guys and joined in. The girls stuck with dancing and music until it was nigh time for bed.

The next morning, Joanna quickly ate breakfast before grabbing her bag and bumping into Thor. ” Easy fair child or thee will trip.” he chuckled as they steadied each other. Joanna grinned, ” Sorry. I have to meet up with Wanda at the square. We are having another day out to prepare for the dance.” Joanna rushed past him and burst into her brother’s room. She came him a quick kiss, ” Tschüss! Wanda und ich sind in der Stadt!” she called running out. Josh shook his head, Girls…always running off. At least she has her bright smile and a friend again. Oh! I better go beat Pietro at bowling. He got up and meet Pietro in the game room. ” Ready to go down?” he asked with a grin.

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The Mended Path

Joanna stirred in her sleep. She was dreaming she was back at the Academy, but everyone was gone. Just gone. The nightmare was moving so fast she couldn’t process it quite yet. Joanna quickly opened her amber eyes before the nightmare finished. She was breathing heavily and slowly brushed her white bangs out for her eyes. Woah, I felt like it was real. I think Josh had a nightmare too. Boy, twin vibes can be annoying at times. She rolled of her bed and went to her vanity. She slowly brushed her hair as she sang a song to calm herself down. Nightmares could get her worked up and she needed to stay calm or the tech would go mad. She glanced at her left wrist, the memory of Sokovia still fresh in mind. I’ve just glad we both got out alive and there’s no scar.. She smiled at the memory of his shocked face when she had saved him. That was when we couldn’t be seen, plus I think he…..maybe…I dunno..

She noticed the early time and went to shower. After about 15 minutes, she was on the porch taking photos of the early morning city life. After a couple snaps, she resumed her morning Bible reading. She and Josh had decided to read Esther after their devotional. She loved the story and would often calculated situations similar to the story and what they would do. She laughed a bit. Man, I’m the rational calculating one and Josh is more on instinct since he’s the nature powered one. I’m the nerdy girl is what humans would say. She spent several minutes reading and thinking about the recent events. They had been accepted and taken in. She knew that the past weeks had been rough, literally. Bruises covered their bodies and her wrists was badly bruised. We can’t tell them what happened… Her thoughts were interrupted by the door swinging open. She spun around.

Pietro had slept soundly all night, which wasn’t a surprise. But then he woke up suddenly with a feeling that something was wrong. It’s not Wanda’s vibe. Weird, it feels like Joanna is stressed or disturbed. I better see what’s up. He zipped in the bathroom, showered and zipped out. He jumped around on one leg, attempting to run and put clothes on at the same time. That only made him succeed in triping and falling on his face and back several times. He sighed, ” Почему Ванда всегда должны быть правы?” He pulled his sweater over his head and opened his door. The hall was quiet as Wanda walked past. They nodded a greeting, knowing where the other was going. Pietro quickly ran ahead and opened Joanna’s door. As he stepped in, he tripped over some books and fell forward and in front of Joanna.

Joanna covered her mouth to keep from laughing at the sight. ” Well, the great Quicksilver trips over a girl’s books and fall at her feet like a gentleman.” She sat down on her bed, holding her sides from laughing so hard. Pietro stared at her joy-filled visage. She’s so beautiful when she’s laughing… He grinned and joined in the mirth. He got up and sat next to her, ” Why are you up so early?” Joanna stopped and looked away, ” Nightmare woke me up. Plus, wanting to catch the sunrise and read my morning Bible.” Pietro gave her a worried look and noticed her wrist. He grabbed and Joanna blushed. ” It’s nothi-” ” This is where you were shot, no?” Pietro looked deep into her sparkling amber eyes and she sighed. ” Yes, it’s been rough.” she replied pulling it away and looked away.

Pietro watched her as she walked to the window. She’s a little homesick…and afraid of being alone…Wanda has taught me well. He got up and hugged her from behind. ” You’re with us now and don’t have to hide. Joanna…..you can tell me or Wanda anything ok?” He turned her around and smiled as he brushed her icy white hair away from her small face. ” I won’t let you go again.” Joanna was surprised by his embrace and words, but smiled slowly as she hugged him. ” I promise you that Pietro. I will.” The sunlit hit them as they embraced quietly. Joanna look deep into his blue eyes. He’s pretty handsome. They grew pensive as they held the hug, but Pietro broke it. ” We should head to breakfast. Come on, let’s go!” Joanna got pulled towards the door by Pietro and smiled. I think I understand now….I have to tell Josh about this!

Pietro picked her up, ” Wait Pietro!” Pietro grinned at her shocked face, ” Hold on.” He sped down the hallway, laughing at Joanna’s expression. Joanna felt the wind rush on her face as she griped Pietro for fear of falling. He stopped in the living room and put her down on a grandfather chair next to Wanda. Joanna stay stunned and then brushed the hair out her mouth. Wanda grinned, ” I have that problem too. It’s annoying when he does it impromptu.” She glared at Pietro as Josh and Pietro fistbumped and laughed. Wanda and Joanna winked before smacking them with pillows. They all laughed as they started a pillow war, enjoying the camaraderie in the air. However, after an hour and several wrestling matches, they were passed out on the couches and chairs.

Steve did his normal morning routine which was; Get up at 7, shower, run and then wake everyone up. Bruce didn’t take long, Nat was up already as was Clint. Thor was a bit of a problem as was Tony. In the end, he had Nat handle roping them to the kitchen. What time is it? Oh 8:00, perfect time to get the twins up. Both of them. He grinned as he thought of the Xander twins. Oh, Clint called them that once and it stuck, since they don’t know who their parents are. He knocked on Pietro door only for it to open swing open. He glanced inside to see nothing. Odd, he’s usually dead asleep on his bed or on the floor. He walked to Wanda’s to find the same result. He was a bit scared when he found the Xander twins gone as well. He ran to the common room, ” Guys the twins are..” Everyone was staring at the couches. He followed their gaze and grinned. Both set of twins were dead to the world in sleep.

Tony grinned and started to approach them, but was stopped by Bruce. ” Leave them be. I think they had a bit of a pillow war in here.” Bruce gestured to the pillows and blankets strewn all over the floor. Steve nodded, ” Let’s get breakfast started and then get them up. Wanda and Pietro have to show them around the city today.” Nat got the ingredients down for pancakes. Clint set the table and poured the drinks. He nudged Tony. ” I got you good this morning” he said with a grin. Tony growled, ” Just because I’m getting a drink at 4 a.m. and don’t see you sleeping on the top of the fridge, eyes open, doesn’t count.” Thor laughed, ” Indeed it does! And don’t trip over him next time. You fall quite loudly.” Everyone laughed a while as breakfast was wrapping up. Clint walked over to the sleeping young adults. He gently spoke each one and softly spoke. ” Breakfast is ready.” Never wake up kids roughly. I should know.

The twins, both sets, rubbed their eyes and yawned. Pietro zipped to the table as the others slowly meandered over. Wanda flicked her brother’s head. ” Will you wait…” she yawned, ” a bit before running off? The food is waiting and we must pray first.” Pietro mumbled and rubbed his head. Then everyone sat down and waited for Steve. He blessed the food and everyone dug in. Joanna eat heartily, this is sooo good! I must learn how they cook here! Thor grinned, ” Indeed you enjoy it. Learn from Steve or Bruce. They are the masters.” Bruce and Steve rolled their eyes and ate. Josh then stopped, a frown creased his brow. ” What’s the plan for today?” Nat swallowed before speaking. ” Wanda and Pietro are going to show you around town. You said you were homeschooled so you will only briefly visiting the high school here.” Joanna and Josh smiled wide as Pietro and Wanda laughed.

Steve was in the training room with Nat and the others when Fury came in. ” So you trust those aliens?” Fury asked with his usual tone. Steve punched harder and sighed. ” They helped us and the evidence is in their favor. They ran because of orders. I do trust them, but they will still have to prove themselves.” He punched again, this time knocking the bag over. Fury watched in silence. They are aliens. They know about us when we know nothing about them. I understand Steve is a very compassionate man, but we must be safe. ” I’ll give them a chance, but if they fail….you know what to do.” He walked out as everyone in the room looked at him concerned. Clint spoke to Nat, ” You think they will be okay?” Nat nodded, giving her answer in silence as she continued lifting weights.

The Mended Path

The team was silent, stunned by the story of the twins. The silence cut the air like a white hot knife before Nat spoke. ” So, you are twins? What are your powers? Who are the Guardians? Why us? What…” Steve stopped her, ” One at a time Nat. Give them space.” He nodded at the twins. Tony eyed them, suspicious of there motives.  How do the Nova Corps know about us? Why don’t we know about them? Josh grinned, ” Yes, I’m the older twin. Joanna has powers over tech and electricity. I have nature and earth powers.” Joanna handed her a drive, ” This will explain our mission and who the Guardians are in full detail. Nova Prime sent it herself. She is the leader of the Nova Corps.” They watched their stunned faces as they watched the video. They believe us… they grinned at each other.They waited, nervous, as they discussed amongst themselves.

The video ended and Nat, Steve and Clint looked at each other. ” Well, what now? They seem to be speaking the truth.” Clint stated. Nat nodded, ” But she said to have us watch over them for a bit until they are called back with us.” Steve scratched his chin thoughtfully. They helped us…but they only ran due to orders… Steve walked up to the Xander twins. Tony and the others watched him carefully, smiles dancing on their lips. They looked nervous before he spoke. ” It’s time you saw the full inside of the Tower.” He said with a grin as their faces lit up. They fistbumped before bowing to Steve. He raised his eyebrows, odd…. must be a respect thing on Xander.. and saying, ” Thank you for believing and accepting us!” Thor smiled as the twins rushed back into the cave to gather their belongings. ” Wise move, son of Rogers. They have earned our trust.” Within 10 minutes they were on their way back to the Tower.

Josh stood in his new room in amazement. ” Beeindruckend! Es ist so Natur fokussiert und schön! Sie wissen sicher, wie man auf der Erde schmücken!” he cried out. He danced around the room, looked at the books in his little library and finally flopped on his bed. ” I can’t believe it! We don’t have to hide anymore! Now we can…” A soft voice from his door caught him off guard. ” You can talk with us and not run.” He jerked up to see Wanda Maximoff standing the doorway. She had her brown hair in a loose bun, gray slippers, green tights and a cranberry sweater on. Josh stared for a second before inviting her in. ” Yeah, I guess so.” Wanda laughed. ” So, you speak German and Russian too?” ” Yeah, and English, Korean and many others.” They laughed as the awkwardness waned away with their joyful shouts.

Joanna gazed out of her window. The city streets swarmed with cars, the noise alone with annoying to her. ” Man, there’s never traffic on Xander. Earth is a funny place.” She glanced around at her room. It was much like her brother’s, but with electric accents and tech everywhere. She grinned as she heard a wind rushed into her doorway. ” It’s good to properly meet you too, Pietro Maximoff.” She turned to see the blushing 16 year old in her doorway. He was wearing gray sweatpants with a green shirt with a Nike symbol. She grabbed his hands and rushed into her brother’s room. ” Incoming!” both she and Wanda yelled as Pietro and her jumped onto the bed. The next few hours were spent talking, laughing and learning about each other. They knew that the next day would be a new adventure that they could face, together.

Josh was running……running non-stop in the dense gray and blue forest. The mist was thick and clouded his vision. He heard his sister screaming above and away from him. He stopped, listening. This forest….I’m back on Xander. When did this happen? He ran forward, calling the earth and air to drive him forward. He ran through the dark foliage until he burst out into the sun. Blinking, he saw the Xander city skyline and the canyon that led to the lush country. He gasped as he saw his sister hanging in a cage above the ravine ahead. He shouted, but no sound came out. He waved frantically at Joanna, but she didn’t see him. Dang it! He beat the ground to shake the cage, the earth bending and responding to his call. The cage swung dangerously close, it freaked under the pressure of the boulder. Suddenly, the chain snapped. It fell, down towards the bottom. He jumped up and leaped after it. Falling…falling…. He watched and saw Joanna gazed at him, scared. He closed his eyes, waiting for impact.

“Joanna!” He yelled as he inhaled, in his bed. I’m here, but what was that?! He wiped his brow to find it wet. Man, what a nightmare. He slowly swung his legs over the side of the hanging bed. His bed was hanging from chains off the ceiling to give his room a treehouse aura. He glanced at the clock, it read 5:38 A.M. He sighed and jumped down and walked into the bathroom. He started the hot shower as he looked at the bruises on his body from the past week. Wow, it’s worse then I thought. He slowly stepped in, letting the coursing water wash away the pain and night terrors. 10 minutes later, he was reading his Bible on his porch out side. He read his devotional and began reading Esther. She was so brave….Imagine if that happen to me or Joanna. Would we do the same? If we believe then yes! He heard a soft, shy knock at his door. ” It’s open.”

Wanda had slept peacefully, dreaming of her and Josh in the forest together. They were sitting on the edge of a pond and they leaned in close. Suddenly, visions of Joanna in danger and Josh in pain flashed through her mind. Her brown eyes fluttered open. His dream….collided with mine. He’s scared. She quickly got up and put on her red bathrobe. She plaited her hair as she walked towards his room. She slightly ran around the corner, worried he might hurt himself in his mental frenzy. She knocked lightly on his door before hearing him answered, ” It’s open.” She cracked it a bit to see him on the porch. She seemed to glide across the wood floor to him and sat down. ” Bad dreams?” Josh looked confused and then realized she must have seen them. He blushed at the sight of her plaited hair and her sleepy eyes. Woah..she so pretty. He sighed, ” Yeah, couldn’t sleep really. Sorry to wake you.”

Wanda giggled. ” It’s fine, Pietro does that sometimes with me. On purpose though.” She rolled her eyes and Josh grinned a bit. ” If you say so….” the smile faded. Wanda leaned close to him. ” What’s wrong?” Josh didn’t answered out loud, but she heard him answer in his head. I still can’t believe what happened to you and Pietro. We read about your past. Joanna and I know the feeling of not having parents, but know they are alive and you….. A tear fell down her cheek as she realize the compassion Josh and Joanna felt towards them. ” Вот почему вы хотите, чтобы встретиться с нами так плохо.” Josh nodded and sighed, ” plus, we really just wanted to meet you guys in general.” He glanced at Wanda and smiled a bit.

Wanda blushed and fiddled with hands, unsure what to say next. A brown ringlet had fallen from her braid. Josh reached and brushed it away from her face. They sat there for a few minutes just gazing at each other. Josh made no attempt to run and Wanda began to smile, a wide beautiful smile full of joy and hope. Josh blushed a bit before holding her hand. Wanda looked at him, their hands and back again. I know we just meet, but I think….no..maybe? I’ll talk to Pietro about it later. For now, I’ll enjoy the moment. She slowly rose and pulled him with her. ” Come on. Let’s go to the kitchen and surprise them by being there early.” Josh quietly snickered and followed her down the fadedly illuminated hallway by the pale morning sunlight. They entered the conjoined kitchen and living room. Wanda led him to the couches before turning sharply towards him. What is she…

Wanda pushed Josh onto a couch and fell into a grandfather chair as she called it. Josh made a face, ” Don’t push! It’s not nice.” Wanda grinned and made the chair lean back. ” You were going to collapse anyway. But tell me, what is Xander like? What are the Nova Corps?” I better ask two at a time. Don’t want to rush him. Josh was quiet before explaining. ” The Nova Corps are like…ummm. Like SHIELD and police combined. One branch is the police part and the other is the SHIELD part. Xander is almost like Earth but the culture is very very diverse. Many people form other planets and galaxies live there in the main city. There is a country, but it’s very rural and few people go there.” Wanda listened, drinking in the picture he was painting for her. ” Sounds amazing.” ” It sure is.” They smiled at each other before glancing at the hallway entrance to Pietro and Joanna come in.

The Mended Path

The wind was cold that morning as the sun’s pale rays struck the Statue of Liberty. Joanna, perched on the top of the Empire State Building, snapped a couple of photos of the sunrise. She smiled as she turned to see her 15 year old brother roll in his sleep. To think we are both 15, man we’ve been here a while. Her white hair blew across her face in the wind while her amber eyes sifted back to the sunrise. She checked her watch, it’s bright light shone the numbers 06:15 A.M. ” You say you want to see the sunrise and yet you fall sleep again.” she remarked laughing. Josh groaned as she shook him awake. He finally opened his two colored eyes and got up to watch the sun rise on the new day filled with hope. So much has happened and we’ve learned so much along the way. We are continuing our journey on this mended path.

They remained silent as they thought of the past year. A whole year had gone by since Ultron and the Avenger’s Civil War just happened a few weeks ago. What a lot to go through, plus we are both 15 now. What next? Josh thought as the wind whipped their hair and sun steady rose above the horizon. ” We been through a lot, you know?” Joanna whispered. He turned to her. Her amber eyes gazed into the sun as if boring holes into it with her thoughts. ” Sokovia, Africa and then Germany. They were tearing each other apart. Now, they are healing. Steve is Captain America again, they are a team again. You know, I think it’s time.” Josh raised an eyebrow. ” For what?” he asked. ” For them to know about us.” Josh stared at his sister’s suggestion, processing what that would mean.

They had been talking about Joanna’s resolve and decided to tell Nova Prime about it. She answered their call and heard them out. Joanna explained her reasoning behind her idea and begged Nova Prime for permission. She pondered the thought, ” So they have repaired the team yes?” Josh nodded, ” Yes ma’am. Bruce and Thor have both returned and the government has restored their trust in the team again.” They both grinned and Nova Prime nodded. ” Do they have the tags you left behind? You were to leave them as clues.” Josh grinned. ” We did, but I believe they are hot on our tails. They still don’t know our names or where we are from.” Joanna assured her. Nova wrote down their report and studied it. Josh and Joanna bit their lips and held hands, anxious for the answer. Nova looked up, ” Yes.”

Wanda stretched as she finished her morning workout with her brother. They walked along the glass hallway, holding hands and watching the sunrise. Pietro took it all in. So much has happened. Thor and Bruce came back. Steve became Cap again, plus made up the government. Civil War happened before all that and now there’s peace. Wanda dropped something she had been clutching. ” Ist das der Hund des Jungen?” Pietro inquired. Wanda nodded, ” Ja, I’ve held onto it in hope I…uh…we see them again.” She blushed as her brother squeezed her. ” I know, I wish to see the girl again soon. All we have is the flashdrive and these dog tags.” They sighed, both lost in their thoughts of those strange twins. They walked into the breakfast hall where the others had gathered.

Josh and Joanna began to prepare the devices. Josh frowned as his sister scrambled at her computer. ” Will they come? Or even believe us?” Joanna stopped. He has a point. But we have to try! We can’t give up! She grinned a bit. ” I think they will rocha, we can do this.” Josh smiled and checked their connection. He reached out to feel the metal from the dog tags and nodded to his sister. ” They are in the hall, perfect time for us.” He knelt down as his sister set up the mic. She hesitated, I’m scared now…what if… Her thoughts were disturbed by Josh putting his hands on her slim shoulders. ” You got this.” he whispered. He gently embraced her, kissing her head. Joanna smiled, reassured by her brother’s kind encouragement and turned it on.

The Avengers were having a normal breakfast, laughing, teasing and pranking each other. Tony suddenly choked on his coffee. ” You okay genius?” Clint asked. Tony pointed towards the twins. Everyone followed his gaze and stared. The twins looked confused, ” What are you guys…” they broke off their sentence as they fell out of their seats. Pietro gasped out his words, ” The dog tags…..are glowing!” Wanda stared as the dog tags projected a hologram of a screen. A play button appeared and Nat slowly pressed it. The recording began and a girl’s voice called out. ” Avengers, we have been watching you for the past year and have deemed you ready to meet us. You have come close to finding us, but it was not time. We wish to further explain our presence to you, but you must meet us as a team alone. Come to the Redwood Forest and wait.”

The recording ended and the tags returned to normal. Silence hung in the air, unmoving for several minutes. Wanda snapped them out of it, ” Let’s go. If this is a possible threat, we can take it out early.” Steve nodded, ” Suit up. We ride in ten minutes.” Within 15 minutes they were on the road, Steve was on his bike with Nat, Tony was driving with the rest. Everyone had a vehicle, except Pietro and Wanda. Pietro always insisted that he run with his sister. Older brother syndrome, what can I say? Wanda rolled her eyes, yeah right. You just can’t sit still for 5 minutes. Clint oohhed, ” Sister burn!” Pietro laughed and everyone joined in. Nat smirked, it’s good to have the team back.

An hour later, they were all sitting in the Redwood clearing they had been beckon too. They were surrounded by pines and Redwood trees. A rock formation towered above them. ” It look like Pride Rock no?” Thor asked. Steve nodded and smiled. ” Classic movie and yeah it does. Hope it has a cave.” Tony kicked a stone, ” This a wild goose..” He was cut off by a young man’s voice. ” A wild goose chase Mr. Stark? I believe you are wrong.” A girl then spoke, ” Yes, you trusted our word and we will fill our part.” Wanda frowned and spoke to Pietro’s mind. That voice….we know that voice… Pietro’s eyes widen, do you think…? The sun rose above the towering granite, casting a great shadow as two silhouettes appeared at the ridge. Everyone covered their eyes and gasped at the sight of who it was.

The two shadows jumped down from the edge and landed back to back on the wet grass. Everyone stared as they saw the two kids who jumped off the bridge in Seoul. The white-haired, amber eyed girl with the brown-haired, two colored eye boy! Wanda and Pietro gasped at the sight of the twins they had meet met before. It’s them! They called us here?! They glanced at each other in shock. Nat looked at the drive in her hand and saw one hanging from the girl’s belt just like it. It was them?!?! Josh spoke first, ” I understand you might be surprised. Especially the Maximoffs.” He nodded to them with a smile. Joanna motioned for them to sit. ” Our story is a bit long, so please make yourself comfortable.” They slowly sat as Joanna and Josh sat on rocks and began their tale.

Josh began, ” As you might see, we are not form Earth. We hail from a planet named Xander in a galaxy about…” he paused trying to remember how far it was. Dang it! Now I look stupid… Joanna saved him from embarrassment. ” Precisely 74 hours away if taking one of our ships.” She winked at her brother and continued. ” We are part of the NCYAP. That’s the Nova Corps Young Agent Program. We were sent to Earth to collect data and observe you as a team so you could be an ally to the Guardians of the Galaxy.” She paused, studying their reactions. Josh finished, ” We witnessed the Battle of New York and all events after. We did assist you all behind the shadows at times. But we lost a flash drive at one point…” He nodded at the drive in Nat’s hand. ” So, we decided it was time you knew about us.”

Texas Winter

The ashen somber sky greets my day

The golden sun no longer seeks to peek my way

The crisp forcible wind bites my freezing cheeks

The mall is packed by shoppers acting like freaks

The radio blared out endless songs of holiday cheer

The weather speaks of low febricity that cause Texans to fear

Houses outside are decked with lights all aglow

The door of each house are adorned with a bow

Down in the square, a choir sings of carols beloved

As the stars twinkle brightly from high up above

A haywagon pulls by with children all bundled

The ice on the ground causes all the stumble.

The stockings and nativity are put up with care

The music plays softly behind with dancing so fair

The tree is awash with lights and ornaments and tinsel

The interior is full and not one block remains dull

But no scent is caught from its green plastic needles

For many a times, an aroma or none can start a quarrel

Bells and Santa are both easily caught on the doors

But socks and slippers protect our feet from the cold tile floor

My brother and I surf the web for secret tiny gifts

I want to make sure to check everyone off my list

The church is packed full on the holy Christmas night

As we sing carols throughout the service by soft candlelight

The Secret Santa gifts gets my heart beating fast

Makes my wonder when Christmas can’t be a blast.
But one must remember and never forget

The reason of the season or you will regret

You find the word hidden in the name

I know this word which sets my heart aflame

Christ is in Christmas, O let joy ring!

Why keep quiet? Let the church sing!

Look to the manger and be quiet and still

See our Lord and express how you feel

Listen to the lyrics and hear the message ringing true

With Jesus in our hearts, we will never feel blue.

Merry Christmas everyone! Remember the true reason we celebrate the season and cherish

the ones you love.

The New Way

Joanna had sent Bruce the coordinates of Ultron’s base so he could get Nat and become Hulk. ‘Course Nat will change him, they have some sort of an attraction to each other. She watched as Wanda and the others made the people evacuate the city and did the same. She also caused the tech in the city to power down, so that Ultron couldn’t access anything else. She heard running behind her and Josh came up to her. ” Breathe, brother. What does he want?” Josh exhaled before blurting out, ” Vai levantar a cidade e deixar caer na Terra!” Joanna’s amber eyes flashed as she put all the pieces together. It makes sense….Wanda must have seen it too so that’s why they left him. They both saw Tony headed back towards them and figured he knew the same. Josh grinned, ” Ready to fight some bots?” he asked as they positioned themselves on top of the ruins. Joanna punched his arm lightly, ” Vostede sabe que” she exclaimed as the bots came charging.

The fight was brutal, bots attacking, people screaming & cars falling as the city lifted skyward and Cap and Thor took care of that. The others were dispersed across the city, protecting citizens form the upcoming bots. Pietro was running around them right and left, also moving people to safer grounds. Wanda was with Clint until they crawled into a building for safety. Wanda gasped, ” What have we done?” Clint looked at her, ” Look, that’s in the past kid. You’re here now, fighting for their lives. If I need to go grab your blue blur brother, that’s fine. I have a bow and arrows, I’m not really sure what’s happening, but you walk out that door” he pointed at the open frame, ” you are part of the team. You’re an Avenger.” He walked out, firing at robots. Wanda was still, stunned by his words. Memories of her late father and mother came flooding in. My choice…..it’s my turn to save people! She strode out after him, tearing the robots limb from limb until they were gone. Clint grinned until Pietro picked her up saying, ” Keep up old man.” Clint groaned, muttering to himself about how no one would ever know.

Josh and Joanna meet up at the ruin church as the Avengers had gathered around the engage button. Joanna groaned, ” If they push that, this city is going down.” Josh nodded and caused the earth to tremor and stones to fall on the bots. Joanna fired her bolts and tased several others. A couple minutes later, the Avengers had gone elsewhere, Vision had half destroyed Ultron and Wanda and Pietro remained at the church. Wanda spoke, ” Go help them. I can stay here and protect this” she said as she shot a bot. Pietro sighed before smiling and turning, ” You know, I’m 12 minutes older then you.” ” Just go.” Wanda replied chuckling. Josh and Joanna smiled as Pietro left. The twins reminded them so much of themselves. Josh stayed at the church while Joanna went to help the others get people aboard the safe ships. She saw a child stuck under rubble and Clint running towards him. Ok, help if need… An enemy ship came flying in, guns firing. Oh no…. She saw Pietro had noticed it and calculated what would happen next. ” NO!!!!” she screamed as she reached out, hoping to catch hold of him. Please….

Joanna felt herself being pulled by a strong force, the wind whipped her long white hair as she griped onto Pietro. He stopped in the path of the bullets. Please work….I don’t want you to go…. she thought as she put up her shields. They blocked all the bullets, but two had gotten past the barrier and hit her in the forearm and shin. The pain shot through her small frame as she winced. A scream broke out for her and the sound charged with electro particles. It hit the flying plane and badly damaged it. She put down the shields as she gasped in pain. She groaned in pain, but dare not show her face. Luckily, her brother took her away.

At the scream, Josh had run to the sound to see Joanna safe Pietro, Clint and the child, but got hit. Flames! I got to get her out of there! He caused a wall of rubble to come up between Pietro and her so they fell back. He then ran and grabbed her. ” Let’s go. They can handle the rest now.” he whispered and she nodded.  He ran along the shadows, hoping not to be seen by anyone. He jumped off the city grounds and landed safely in the woods below. Bitte verstehe, ich will nicht, dass du mehr weh tust. Außerdem könnten wir von ihnen gefangen warden. He thought as he flew.

Wanda felt her brother’s thought process and anger and fear begin to infuse and empowered her strikes at the bots. No! Don’t do it! You’ll kill yourself! Don’t leave me too! Tears streamed down her face as she whipped around. The bots suddenly stopped at the piercing sound of a girl’s scream. She release everything she had left to destroy them. Who was that? Pietro is alive….wait..Its that girl! She saved him…why? She’s spotted a shadow go after the noise and saw it was the boy. Then, she noticed a dog tag with strange markings on it and put it in her pocket. She walked out towards the ship, knowing it was over.

Pietro, meanwhile, was confused and shocked at the events. He had seen the plane and Clint with the young child. He knew he could make, no matter what the cost. He had zipped past the girl, but she had grabbed him and taken the shots for him. I thought I could take the shots, but why did she grab me? He fell back as the earth rose between them. He zipped around, but they were gone. ” Ну, я лучше понять это позже” he muttered as they finished the fight. He saw a light coming off an object and picked up a dog tag. Maybe we can figure out what these marks mean. He walked back with Clint.

Later, in the aftermath, Wanda and Pietro were on the Helicarrier with the rest of the Avengers. Wanda told him about seeing the boy again and Pietro explained the girl’s actions. ” I wonder why this happened. Ultron is dead now, Hulk is missing and they…” she didn’t finish. The Avengers nodded, processing the past few days. It seemed to be taking a toll on the team as arguments seemed more heated then usual. With SHIELD still repairing itself and the government almost totally against them, it was hard to stick together. Life was just getting more difficult for them. They remained silent until they had returned to the Avenger Tower.

Silence reigned over the ride home. Nat was worried about Bruce’s whereabouts and the others were thinking about the outcome in total. They all walked silently into the common room where they sat, thinking about what Fury would say. Cap spoke first, ” Well, Tony what have you discovered after all this?” Tony groaned, ” You’re going to lecture me again? You already did at Clint’s house.” Thor spoke, ” I believe the saying is, you must hear it twice to get it through that thick skull of yours.” Wanda and Pietro snickered at Thor’s attempt at burning Tony. Pietro then jumped up, ” What about those twins?” Everyone glanced at him in confusion. ” You mean the white-haired girl and the brown-haired boy who jump at Seoul?” Thor asked. Wanda nodded. ” We tried to talk to them, but they said that it wasn’t time yet to meet them.” Nat frowned and looked at the flash drive on the coffee table. ” For now, we better dig a bit deeper into them.” They knew that it was time to figure out why those two kids were helping them and, if need be, subdue them.

Joanna had passed to the pain while her brother flew them back to New York. Josh landed in the woods overlooking Manhattan. He brushed back the hair out his eyes while pulled back her pants and sleeves to look at the wounds. Man, one just grazed her but the other went in. I can draw it out without her feeling it. Here I go.. He closed his eyes while placing his hand over the wound on her arm. He could feel the bullet move and respond. He tried harder as Joanna whimpered in her sleep. He gasped as the bullet rushed out into his hand and she awoke. ” Am I ok? Are they safe?” Joanna asked with a scared look in her bright eyes. Josh shushed her and made her lay down. ” Все хорошо. Отдых и лечить.” Joanna sighed as they both looked into the skyline of New York. Memories of the past events flooded their minds. They both knew their mission might be harder due to the fractures in the Avengers. Something is going to happen again…..We just know it and maybe then…..we can show them ourselves…..

The New Way

They heard the quinjet coming as Ultron growled. Wanda flicked her hand, releasing the nurse from the stone’s (found inside Loki’s staff) spell. Pietro then grabbed her and ran out. They stopped in the middle of the city. ” We may hate Tony, but maybe we should help them.” Pietro said. Wanda looked at him confused, but knew it was right. ” Ja, we should” she answered and they waited for an opening near the train tracks. Back at the science facility, Josh had run inside to see Cap leaving, so he ran to the head nurse. ” Are you hurt ma’am?” ” No, but you might want to help those twins and the Avengers. Both are having Ultron and he must not finish that android.” Josh’s eyes widen in surprise and excitement. They are on our side now! But Ultron first Josh! ” Where did Ultron go?” The nurse pointed down the road to a semi with Ultron on top. ” Go, I don’t know who you are, but I believe you must help them.”

Josh nodded, left some medicine for them and ran. He whooped loudly with joy. she is on our side! They are on our side!!! Yes!! He then called and left his sister a voice mail about the good news. ” Okay, now to figure out where…..” he spotted the semi approaching with his sister and Cap fighting Ultron. Josh noticed the train tracks, ” O tren!” he cried as he jumped onto the oncoming train. He started to guided people towards the back. ” 안전을 위해 등뒤로 이동하십시오!” he shouted as they swarmed back. Thank God I know Korean. Meanwhille, Joanna had been following the truck on her jet pack, invisible to them. Man, Cap is taking it hard…wait a voice mail. She listened and almost shouted with joy, but instead flew up and kicked Ultron back. I better help Cap. She would hold Ultron back or make him stumble to give Cap an advantage. She spotted the train, ” Bingo!” She kicked Ultron onto the train and she and Cap followed.

Pietro and Wanda watched the semi and train pass. They nodded, ” Now!” Wanda shouted. Pietro took off as she jumped onto the second car. Ultron cam crashing into the car where Wanda was. She jumped, thankful she was behind him. Nice, I have a chance. Pietro rushed past Ultron, knocking him back so Cap could roundhouse kick him and Wanda could put up a barrier. ” You dare do this?” Ultron droned. Wanda sneered, ” Что у нас есть выбор ?!” She knocked him out of the train. Suddenly, a flying rock smashed him towards the water. Pietro and Wanda frowned as net went over him too. What’s going on?! Cap snapped them out of it, ” Kids, you blue one. You can run right?” ” ja..” “Good, get people out of the way and can you..” he turned to Wanda, ” can you stop this train?” She nodded as he held on. Wanda sent red wisps as she pulled back, straining the brakes hard. Pietro rushed out moving people as the train stopped, without harming anyone.

Josh breathed hard as he was laying down on the rubble. Joanna walked up, chuckling. ” He got Black Widow, but I tracked him.” Josh smiled and stood, ” Do I need to go get her?” Joanna grinned, ” Ja, ich bleibe bei den anderen, um ihnen zu helfen.” They did their fistbump and walked towards the edge of the road. They climbed  onto the railing, held hands and looked down at the drop. Josh sighed, ” You know I hate this takeoff.” A laughed danced in Joanna’s amber eyes as the wind whipped their brown and white hair. ” I know, but it’s….” A shout cut her off. “IT’S THEM!!!” They whiped around to meet eyes with all the Avengers and the twins. Josh griped her hand harder and whispered, ” Ir agora, eles non poden ver!” Joanna nodded, breathless. She let herself fall down and turned invisible before flying away with her brother. She exhaled. That was close. Too close, techie her brother responded.

Pietro and Wanda were standing alone, Wanda was rubbing her brother’s back as he regained his breath. Cap walked up to them. ” Good work…thank you.” Wanda hung her head as Pietro spoke for them. ” We were wrong, we want to make amends. We…” he stopped as Steve placed a hand on their shoulders. ” I understand, Tony can be an idiot sometimes, but he’s still part of the team. For now, will you assist us?” Wanda and Pietro stared wide-eyed at each other. Should we? Why not rot? This is mercy from the Captain! Yes….it is… They nodded, ” We will.” Steve smiled, “We are heading back to figure out the case and its contents.” They nodded and headed towards the quinjet. They meet up with the others and explained what had come to pass when Wanda shouted, ” IT’S THEM!!” They all looked at the ridge to see two teens about to jump. A girl with white hair and amber eyes tightly held onto a boy with brown hair and blue and green eyes. But within a moment, they vanished. They stared for a moment before being boarding silently. Who were they?

Josh and Joanna flew for about two hours before stopped on the roof of a business tower in NYC. They laid down on the concrete roof, breathing heavily. Josh spoke first, ” I should leave. Nat could be in danger.” Joanna scoffed, ” Black Widow, in danger? I doubt it but I’ll have the Avengers follow quickly so she gets distracted by them.” Josh rolled over and picked up his little sister. ” Quérote, vostede sabe diso, non?” Joanna smiled softly as she hugged his big frame. ” Sei, como eu podería esquecer? Temos a mesma conta.” He laughed as he put her down and held her small face in his hands. ” I’ll see you in Sokovia. Deus estea contigo e che coidar ben.” He ran and jumped off the building, flying away to the ringing shout of his sister. ” Deus estea contigo e che coidar ben tamén!”

Captain ran into the room where Tony and Bruce had the case. They had been arguing with everyone about what to do with it. Either charge it up or destroy it. ” We don’t need it here, we don’t know what it will do.” Tony rolled his eyes as everyone, especially those freaks twins, glared at him. ” If we put JARVIS in, we’ll be fine!” He started up the machine again, but was tackled by Clint. ” This isn’t a good idea!” Clint yelled as Tony kicked him off. Pietro ran around Tony, tripping him. Idiot as always. How do they manage with him? he thought as he ran to unplug it. Bruce held Wanda back. Wanda struggled until she hit herself in the stomach, causing the bolt to go through her, hitting Bruce. Man, I can use my own body for blasts. Awesome! Suddenly, out of seemingly nowhere, Thor burst into the room and landed on the case. He fired as lighting into it, causing it to overload and activate. A red and golden android body rose from the case, flying to the window.

Joanna had been watching them argue for hours. Geez, they can’t act like adults and talk it out?!?! This will get them into trouble one day….. Joanna got a tip from her best friend back on Xander about Thor heading back and sent her a report on the vision he had. She totally read his mind and watched it…man. She saw him coming and opened a window for him as he flew past her. She gasped in shock of the android and how it had a curious yellow stone on its forehead. She listened to their conversation, but it only processed in her subconscious. Her amber eyes were wide in shock at the stone the android, Vision, now possessed. That’s..it can’t be…the Mind Stone!!! She flashback to the presentation they had been shown about the six INFINITY Stones and their unlimited power. We know where four, possibly five, are, but know this?!?! He is Vision now…wake up Joanna! They are leaving. She jumped up and barely caught the quinjet as it took for Sokovia.

Josh had landed roughly on the outskirts of Sokovia. Man, big city….what does he want with the vibranium and this place? He quickly ran around the city, looking for any disturbances when he caught sight of a seemingly run-down building. That’s not run-down anymore. He nimbly climbed in through a window and landed not too far from Natasha’s prison. He watched as Ultron tore body after body of himself. What’s up with that and what is all these gears and wheels for? Josh knew Joanna would understand this better, but he got his answer form Ultron. ” This world will die and Sokovia will make that happen” Ultron croaked out at Nat’s stone-blank face. Josh frozen in horror, suddenly realizing what it all meant. He’s going to lift the city and drop it! A few hours later, Josh waited until Ultron left before “fixing” some mechanisms. He grinned and then hid in the shadows near Nat’s cell. He closed his eyes and focused on the metal. He slowly bent the bars until Nat could get out. Josh saw Bruce coming and left to go find his twin. Bruce has her now. She’s fine.

Christmas Colors

( Hey peeps! This is a song I wrote for the season and it’s my first one, so it’s proabably not that great. Feedback is welcome. Faith out!)

Have you ever noticed throughout the year, the colors seem to change. They seem to flow where the seasons go and then come back again. But at Christmas time, the colors fluctuate and people will say. That every color is a Christmas color, but what are the popular ones? We all know Spring has pastel, Summer has neon and Fall has warm crimson colors. Those are seasonal colors. But again, what are Christmas hues?

Brown and green will adorn the tree with pine needles and the wood in the fire. Gold is the candlelight while silver takes the snow and stars. A pale blue will paint the sky above, but red is in the embers of the fires so bright. But red has so much more meaning then that. It’s also a promise to us from the Lord that Jesus has come to save! These are the Christmas color every year!

We all know so well of the stress Christmas brings, but let us not forget what the season means. Each color has a meaning in the season alone. The holly and mistletoe can wait a while, let’s not rush what God has for us. He gave His only Son for us, why do you think red stays the whole year round? The crimson shade is the same on the cross, green is seen as loyalty. White is seen purity and gold has true. These are few meanings of the hues.

Brown and green will adorn the tree with pine needles and the wood in the fire. Gold is the candlelight while silver takes the snow and stars. A pale blue will paint the sky above, but red is in the embers of the fires so bright. But red has so much more meaning then that. It’s also a promise to us from the Lord that Jesus has come to save! These are the Christmas color every year!

Do you see the child sleeping in a manger? The soft glow of the fire sets the scene. The bright lights on the tree can wait for let us behold our Savior. The silver stars were made by Him. Hear the bells peal out their song, their sweet ringing song. Let us wonder and ponder what His gifts really means. See your family and loved ones, all attired in the Christmas colors. They display their feelings to you. Let us link our broken hearts tonight. Sing along to age old hymns to the One who made the Christmas colors.

Brown and green will adorn the tree with pine needles and the wood in the fire. Gold is the candlelight while silver takes the snow and stars. A pale blue will paint the sky above, but red is in the embers of the fires so bright. But red has so much more meaning then that. It’s also a promise to us from the Lord that Jesus has come to save! These are the Christmas color every year! But red is the color remind us.. ( repeat x3 ) of Him. This Christmas season!