The Mended Path

Josh slowly knelt onto the ground as they sobbed their pain out. Wanda and he took care not to cry out too loudly for fear of gaining unwanted attention. Josh stroked Wanda’s plaited mahogany hair until she lifted her face from his chest. Josh voice’s cracked in pain as he calmed her down. ” Wanda, you have something Joanna and I never did. You knew your parents, we probably never will.” Wanda stared into his dazzling blue and green eyes. ” But you could know they if you found them. You still go through the same pain and loss as we did. Why do you think we understand each other so well? Josh I…”

Josh brushed away his and her tears, ” You what Wanda?” Wanda looked down at the roses along the path before picking one. She gazed at it’s red petals and looked at him. ” Джош Я люблю тебя!” ( Josh I love you!) Josh gasped a bit in shock. Wait, she does love me? Then Joanna spoke true as do I. He took the rose from her hand and placed in her hair. He smiled softly at her in the pale moonlight. ” As I love you Wanda.” He leaned and gently place a kiss on her red lips. Wanda’s heart flew into the clouds at his words and kissed back.

Wanda broke the kiss, not to her pleasure, as Josh helped her up. Josh blushed a bit as they walked down the path back towards the steps. ” We better head back, we need to get home.” Josh said out to the air. Wanda giggled and squeezed his hand. ” I’m not letting go again. Never.” Josh smiled, ” I won’t either and I hope Joanna does the same with Speeder.” They both laughed as they approached the end of the path.

Josh, Wanda, Pietro and Joanna all meet on the stairs. They saw the way they each had entered and grinned. Joanna spoke first, ” So you told her?” Josh smiled back at his twin’s wide smile. ” Yes and she told me so I guess we all know what went down after that.” They all laughed as they sat down. ” So I guess we have to tell the others?” Wanda inquired. Josh and Joanna nodded and Pietro bear-hugged his sister. ” I think they will be glad. I’m sure of it.” They all nodded and gazed up at the bright starry sky for a while, pointing our constellations. He made them and knows their name. He always hold us, maybe God put them in our life’s for a reason. Praise be to Him.

Those thoughts ran through everyone’s mind. The cold wind blew over them as they leaned on the marble steps. Joanna spoke of how the constellations on Xander were similar to the ones they spotted now. Wanda talked of what everyone at the party inside was thinking when they spoke to them. Everyone laughed at one kid’s thought of how he thought Joanna was a literal star. ” Yeah, I totally feel from the sky and I shine at night.” Josh and Joanna burst out laughing and Wanda with Pietro rolled the steps barely breathing. A shooting star crossed the sky. Pietro pointed, ” Look! Say a prayer!” Josh raised his eyebrow then grinned. ” A prayer instead of a wish. Clever.” The Maximoffs grinned and closed their eyes. Joanna and Josh followed suit.

Wanda opened her eyes to the sound of a car approaching. ” I think our ride is coming.” ” Aww, but this is so much fun!” Joanna pouted. Pietro kissed her cheek, ” I know, but we have a normal early day tomorrow.” Josh smirked and helped Wanda up and they ran down the steps. Joanna stopped and grabbed her brother. They grinned and shouted, ” Nunca querer saír! Adoramos aquí! Grazas, Deus!” They laughed at Wanda and Pietro’s confused faces. ” Welche Sprache ist das?!” ( What language is that?!) The limo pulled up and they got in. Josh huffed, ” It is the language of Xander. Joanna and I usually only speak it when we are alone, but we decided to shout with joy.” They all hugged and talked the whole way home.

They finally pulled up outside the tower and got out. Pietro frowned at the unlit tower and decorations. ” What’s up with the lights? They should be lit by now, It’s 9:30″ Wanda frowned as they went inside. Why is it so quiet? It’s never this silent? Don’t you think so Joanna? I agree Wanda. This is so odd. Maybe JARVIS knows something. ” JARVIS, where is everyone?” Joanna called out. The elevator opened, ” Upstairs Miss, they request all of you in the meeting room.” They went into the elevator and went up to the 15th floor and the door opened. It was dead quiet and Josh opened the doors to the meeting room.

Everyone glanced up and Thor beckoned them to sit down. Pietro noticed the bags and everyone’s attire. ” What’s going on? Why aren’t the lights on outside?” Josh nodded, ” It’s quieter then usual. Is everything ok?” Thor raised his hand, ” I bring news from Asgard. Cap has agreed to the proposition I have brought back and you must ready yourselves.” The four looked at each other and asked, ” For what?” Cap inhaled and answered with a calm voice. ” We are leaving for Asgard.” Silence fell over them as they tried to hide smiles as the four teens gasped in shock.

A new adventure awaits us all.

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The Mended Path

Joanna skimmed through the pages, she didn’t even process what Pietro had inquired about the book. It speaks of aliens attacking Earth. That they are monsters and enemies. Is this really how they view us in general? Not all are evil, just corrupt. She slammed it shut and Pietro saw the title. ” Ender’s Game.” he whispered to himself and knew what she was feeling. He took her hand and she looked at him with tears in her eyes. ” Hmm … Shh..” he softly said as he embraced her, slowly rocking her. Joanna let out soft, hiccuping sobs as he wrapped his strong arms around her small frame. ” Do all humans see us like this?”

Pietro gently stroked her frosted locks and remain silent for a moment before pulling away to look into her deep amber eyes. Pietro smiled softly and said, ” No, not all. But there are the few that do and the few that want aliens to come. The later can be a bit weird though.” He made a face and Joanna laughed. Pietro took her the comic section and showed her a few old superhero comics. ” See? Most see aliens as heroes depending on how they act.” Pietro zipped around her and laughed. Joanna dried her eyes and laughed at his antics.

Joanna and Pietro spent the next several minutes walking ( more like running after Pietro, much to Joanna’s annoyance.) around the library. Joanna finally caught up with him and grabbed his arm. ” Slow down, not everyone has super speed ya know.” she said panting. Pietro blushed a bit and helped her sit in a chair before crashing down onto a ottoman. ” What was Sokovia like growing up?” Joanna asked while rubbing her feet. Pietro thought for a second before speaking quietly, ” It was beautiful. Just Wanda, our parents and I. We had many friends and a great school. Until the day when the missiles came. Our parents told us to remain under the bed and went out. We heard screams from the street and held Wanda back as cried out for out parents. A missile had fallen in front of the bed and for three days it didn’t go off. That’s how it all went down.”

Joanna listened wide-eyed and dumbfounded at his story. They went through all that? At least they knew who their parents were…and yet that’s why it hurts them so much. She looked into his now sad blue eyes and moved over to him. He started to let out quiet tears and she hugged him tightly, letting out her own tears of compassion. ” Pietro, they loved you. Josh and I never will know why our parents let us…..” Pietro stopped and grabbed her shoulders. ” What do you mean?!” He searched her face for an answer. What did she mean by that? She must have known her parents before they became orphans. Did they?

Joanna brushed away her tears and exhaled. She then told her own sad tale of how the Nova Corps had found them on the doorstep with a note and how they became agents. ” It’s a bit cliché I know, but that’s what happened to us.” She shook as the wind blew in from a window, but Pietro ran over to close it. ” That’s why you can relate with us so well. You lost something of value too.” Pietro glanced at her as Joanna walked to him. ” Yes and that’s why…” Joanna searched his face for something to give her courage. His eyes urged her to continue. There. Here goes nothing. ” Я люблю тебя Пьетро Максимофф!” ( I love you Pietro Maximoff!) They remained standing still for a second then Pietro pulled her close with wide smile.

” As do I, Joanna.” he whispered as he gently kissed her lips. Joanna mentally gasped, but closed her eyes and kissed back. Pietro’s heart pounded in his chest as she responded to him. I love her and she loved me back. Wanda was right. Josh was right as was Wanda…..I hope he does well with her too. They broke the kiss and stood in each embrace as moonlight poured into the room. Pietro gently took her hand, ” Let’s go outside and find the other two. We should leave soon.” Joanna pouted a bit, but brightened. ” Yes!” They rushed outside towards the school steps.

Josh and Wanda slowly crept away to the balcony. Wanda then pulled him down the steps into the garden out back. ” Come on, they won’t spot us in here.” They ran along the red tile path lined with holly bushes until they came to a gazebo. Wanda and Josh fell onto the benches laughing at their successful escape. ” It was getting crazy in there!” Josh breathed out and Wanda nodded. ” It was and plus I love the gardens. It so peaceful here and you finally listen to your own thoughts.” Josh mused over her words, She is physic so it makes sense. We do need a place to hide in. There is another place, but a physical place is needed as well. Wanda got up and leaned against a pear tree. She gazed at Josh for a seconds, Maybe I should ask now.

” Please, tell me about your past.” Josh sat up and turned to look at Wanda. Her brown eyes begged to know the truth and her fair visage longed for him to speak. It’s not as sad as theirs, they knew their parents. But she should know, they deserve to know by now. But am I ready? At least try to. Wanda tried her best to not hear his inner self speaking and waited until Josh got up. He walked over to her and leaned next to the tree. ” You sure you wish to hear it Wanda? ” She nodded, ” You know our depressing story and we don’t know yours.” Josh smirked a bit before beginning.

” The Nova Corps found us on their doorstep when we had just been born. We were all bundled and in a box with a note on top. They never told us what the note said or why we were even there. By DNA tests and genealogy runs, we know our parents are still alive but are TBD. We basically grew up with the Corps and they put us in their Young Agent Program so we could protect ourselves. Joanna and I will never stop trying to find out more about ourselves, but we do know we have a greater identity above our parents.” Josh inhaled shakily as he finished.

Wanda had been quiet while listening, hearing his mind weep over his own tale. They went through all that and yet they act so strong. But they still have fears like Pietro and I. It’s worse for them, they never knew their own parents. It’s fantastic they believe in their greater identity, but still….to go through all of….the uncertainty of who you are. Heartbreaking. Wanda started to cry and Josh pulled her close to let it all go as he did the same. Josh’s two colored eyes spilled over with tears. You heard it all didn’t you Wanda? Yes Josh, I did.

The Mended Path

Wanda stood outside with Pietro in the cold. ” Why are we out here again?” Pietro asked as he ran in place to “keep warm ” as he said. Wanda rolled her eyes, ” Look we need to talk about the twins before Joanna and I leave.” Wanda saw her brother blushed as she spoke her friend’s name. Awww, he likes her. He should ask her to the dance. I hope Josh asks me. She exhaled and held his hand. ” Ask her. I think she would love it.” Pietro grinned in embarrassment as his sister read his thoughts. ” What if..” Wanda put her finger on his lips. ” She will. Trust me. We both have crushes on them….” She blushed at her own words before Joanna rushed out. ” Sorry, had to kiss Josh bye.” Pietro perked up, remembering his challenge, and ran inside. The girls giggled and head towards the busy city street.

The crisp autumn wind blew coarsely against their warm blushing cheeks. Joanna and Wanda weaved in and out of the sea of bundled bodies as they head towards the towering entrance of the mall. The city was bustling with life as whistles blew, horns honked and jackhammers roared at the construction site of the new office building. Joanna stopped at the doors, ” Is it always this lively on Earth?” ” Yeah pretty much. Holidays are the worst though.” Wanda grinned as they rushed inside the warm mall. Wanda grabbed a map and they pointed out the stores they needed to head to. ” First, Sephora for makeup. Then DSW for shoes, they are important and have great prices. Then Francesca’s has a great verity of dresses or Macy’s would work. Claire’s is great for accessories and jewelry.” Joanna nodded at her friend’s suggestions.

Wanda set off towards the makeup store and it was brightly lit and color ruled the walls. An attendant greeted them and they explained what they needed. Within 15 minutes they left with 1-2 bags of supplies. The mall crowd was thick as they pushed their way through. Joanna groaned, The mall back home had better traffic control then this. Wanda snorted as they entered Francesca’s. ” Oh. Those riding boots look nice with this dress!” Wanda held a azure one-shoulder dress with a long back to Joanna. ” Try it on!” Joanna nodded and with the boots and some jewelry, her outfit was completed. Wanda choose similar short boots with a full length red dress with a waterfall skirt. They giggled at their success.

” So what are your feelings towards Josh?” Joanna inquired as they sipped coffee walking back. Wanda swallowed and blushed bright red. ” Well….I um…He is..uh…” Joanna grinned, ” To be honest, I like your brother too. My heart rate goes up by 40.25% every time I see him.” Wanda laughed. ” Yeah ok. I have a crush on Josh. But do you think he’ll ask me to the dance? I’m the witch that everyone hates.” Joanna stopped Wanda and faced her. ” No you are the sweet girl that everyone loves. You remind me so much of a friend back home, but you are you Wanda. Of course Josh will ask you! I hope Pietro will ask me…” she finished looking down. They walked in silence towards the Tower and then grinned. Race you back Joanna? You bet Wanda! With that they took off until they burst through the doors, breathless and red cheeks from the cold air.

Finally, after another day for preparation, the night of the dance arrived. For morning light to the sunset, Wanda and Joanna had stayed in theirs room all day. Pietro a Dan Josh tried to knock, but they had set little “gift traps” for them as they dubbed the surprises. Josh and Pietro groaned outside their doors. ” Please!” they begged. ” No! You may not come in. Wait outside until it’s time to go!” Wanda and Joanna yelled back. The boys sighed as Thor and Clint led them to the game room to occupy them until 4:15.

Finally, the time arrived. The boys were standing in suits in front of the door waiting for the girls. Pietro had a navy suit with a sliver bow while Josh had a forest green suit with a red bow tie. Pietro grinned, ” We sure fit our names into our suits.” Josh punched him in the arm and laughed. ” Total, jetzt wo sind die …..” he stopped as the girls came down the stairs. Wanda and Joanna had added their own touches to their outfits and had put their hair up in a Grecian braid, but with a few ornaments added. Wanda had a red smoky effect while Joanna had bolder colors to her makeup. The boys were stunned and didn’t move. Josh, hat do we do?!?! I don’t know! They are stunning! Ditto that.

Joanna and Wanda grinned, sensing they were nervous. ” Will you fine gentleman be so kind to escort us outside to our ride?” Joanna asked with a wave of her hand. Pietro stepped forward and took her hand, bowing. ” We would be delighted to guide you fair maidens to the dance.” He winked at Josh as Josh took Wanda’s slender hand. They planted a gentle kiss to their partner’s hand before leading them outside to the limo. Tony stood outside and got up from leaning on the wall when they came out. ” Took you long enough.” The twin sets rolled their eyes and went into the limo as they headed towards the dance.

They entered the brightly lit hallway which was crowed with teens their age. The room was loudly, but there was whispering once they came in. The music was blaring through the overhead speakers which made it hard to hear and the laser didn’t help their sight. Wanda groaned, I think we should talk like this for a while. Joanna nodded while scanning the room for a safe corner for them. I agree. This is just crazy, parties at Xander Academy were much more formal. Well, they had fun moments too. Josh laughed as a energetic song started. He grabbed Wanda went onto the dance floor. ” Dance with me” he whispered and Wanda grinned. They began to dance and everyone gasped at them. Cheers and whistles filled the air as others joined in.

The party was a blast for the quartet. Dinner was a grand buffet and Joanna and Josh were introduced to American style food. Wanda and Pietro laughed at their friend’s amazement at the music and food. They thoroughly enjoyed it. The dances were crazy, but a few slow dances occurred as well. Josh stole a few dances with his sister as well as Wanda. Several girls came up to the Xanderian and Sokovian for fashion advice while the guys challenged Pietro and Josh to various games. However Pietro managed to sneak away with Joanna to the library while Josh fled with Wanda outside to the garden.

Pietro ran down the hall while holding onto Joanna’s hand. ” Slow down! Where are we going?” Joanna blurt out laughing. Her white plaited hair slimmed to shimmer in the light as they ran into the library and shut the doors. Pietro grinned, ” I thought you would like to get away for a bit and read.” He winked at her and tipped his black and white fedora towards her. Joanna scoffed. She flicked his forehead before slowly walking towards the shelves. She ran her fingers along the books, reading their titles until she came across a curious title. Pietro came up behind her and glanced at it. ” Welches Buch ist es?” ( What book is it?)

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.

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.”

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…..