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Chapter Text

"Wanda!” Steve called.
His voice echoed around the kitchen, making Wanda glance up from her iphone. She dropped it on the kitchen counter and stood up, sighing in mock exasperation. She was quite content with her new life at Stark Tower. Minus Stark himself, Wanda had truly begun to feel like she belonged to a family. Ever since her brother had died, there was a hole in her heart that could never be healed, but the Avengers were doing an amazing job trying.
"Yes Steve?" She answered cheerfully.
"I- we- uh.." he suddenly choked. Anxiety laced his features, causing him to clasp his hands together nervously. Wanda tilted her head curiously and walked over to him. She felt the urge to read his thoughts, but he caught her,
"Please don't." He said sternly. Embarrassed, Wanda dipped her head.
"Sorry. What's wrong?" She asked. Steve sighed, glancing up as if in thought.
"I think it's better if Bruce and Tony explain it to you."
"Oh no.." Wanda chuckled, Steve smiled in response, relaxing slightly. They walked to the lab side by side.
"How are you handling your new phone?" He asked her along the way. She stepped over some broken glass, probably left there by one of Tony’s assistant robots. They were adorable, but ironically not very helpful.
"Horribly." She laughed. Steve chuckled, patting her on the back.
“I feel you.”
Soon they arrived at the lab, and Bruce ushered them in. He motioned for her to sit down,
"There is something we need to explain to you,” he paused, collecting his thoughts and clicking his pen a few times. “Tony and I have invented an actual time machine. I didn’t think it would be possible, but Tony convinced me to try. We have tested it so many times that I've lost count-"
"When HE loses count you know it's a lot." Tony interrupted, yelling from across the lab. Bruce sighed and continued, straightening his glasses.
"We need to send you back to the 1920s." Wanda froze, fear lacing over her mind.
"Wait, what? Why??” She barely processed what Bruce had told her.
“Steady.” Steve said, a worried look on his face. Bruce brought her closer to what apparently was a time machine. It was a large circle, maybe 20 feet in height, with a platform in the center of it. It omitted a faint glow, and terrified Wanda to the core.
"As we all know, there is a magical community of witches and wizards all over the world that had a war and split...” Bruce stated this as a fact, as if it was a common knowledge.
“Wait what-“ Wanda failed to interrupt him.
“...Well, we figured out why they disbanded. Something happened in the 20s with an Obscurus. Someone got killed, and the wizard world was never the same. Normally we wouldn't care, but their problems are starting to affect to us. They are not protecting the nonmagical people from magical threats anymore, so now we have too many jobs to do and not enough capable people.” He gave her a serious look, “We need you to go back and find this Obscurius. Find it, and protect it. Keep it from dying, and the world will be safer from magical threats. Please Wanda, we will give you a communicator, to fill us in on data.” Bruce practically begged. Wanda had almost learned how to fully control every aspect of her powers, so it was true that she was very powerful, but this idea scared her. What if she never came back? What if she ended up dying in the past? She must have visibly looked stressed, because Steve put his arm around her and hugged her to his side.
"I- ... are you serious?" She asked shakily. Bruce nodded his head.
“Unfortunately.”
“Why me? Why not you, Steve? Surely you would be better adapting to the 20s” She continued. Almost instantly she winced at her insensitivity, but it was too late to take it back. Steve gave her a hesitant look, distant memories flashing across his eyes.
“You’re the only one here with the capability to read minds and memories. With you out looking, the Obscurus will probably be found in a heart beat.” He stated, then gave her a pitiful glance, “Plus.. it would be too painful for me.” Wanda looked up at him, determination hardening in her eyes. She remembered Clint's words when Sokovia was being attacked. This was her job. She nodded slowly, her voice shaking as she said,
"I'll do it."

Chapter Text

Wanda was packing her backpack and her suitcase simultaneously. She magically folded her clothes, placed them in her case, and was filling up her backpack with essential items like a toothbrush and toothpaste. She was extremely nervous and overwhelmed. Even though Tony and Bruce had assured her that it was perfectly safe, and they would be able to communicate, she still felt a heavy feeling in her chest. Sighing, she slowly zipped her back pack and swung it around her back. She had to find the Obscurus. She had to succeed. Wanda felt her legs shake with every step she took towards the lab, and anxious questions swarmed her mind. What if she didn’t know how to act? How to talk? How to dress? She might offend people, or worse, come off as suspicious. When Wanda entered the lab, trying to control her breath, she found almost all of the Avengers waiting for her. Steve pulled her into a brotherly bear hug.
"Your gonna do great. Don't worry, we will all contact you whenever we can." He muttered into her shoulder. Next was Natasha. She smiled and gently took Wanda's hands.
"Be brave. Be strong. Show those 20s men what a woman in 2019 acts like." She grinned. Wanda nodded. Then there was Thor,
"The Most Scarlet of Witches, I admire your great courage to go on such a life threatening, massively dangerous, extremely risky-"
"THOR!" Steve said sharply, a warning. Thor stopped sheepishly. Wanda nodded at him, amused. Then came Tony.
"Hey. So- thanks. Your not too bad. Don't have too much fun though, your still a minor." He patted her on the back awkwardly. Wanda knew they rarely ever got along, but as she dove into Tony’s mind, she felt that he was just as worried and anxious as Steve. Bruce came up to her and smiled.
"I wouldn't be sending you on this mission if I wasn't completely sure that it would be safe. I checked in with Fury and he agrees with me. Be safe, here is some money." Bruce handed her 500 dollars in bills. She tucked them into her backpack and thanked him.
"Remember everything is a lot cheaper in the 20s, and don't go spending it all." He warned. Lastly. Clint came up to her.
"Your gonna be great kid. Just, promise me you will come back in one piece?" Wanda hugged him fiercely.
"I will. I promise." She assured. Once she said all her last goodbyes, she stood on the platform with her suitcase and backpack. Bruce gave her a reassuring look.
"Good luck." He muttered. "Jarvis," he called out.
"Yes Doctor Banner?" The AI replied.
"Transport Wanda Maximoff to New York, New York, 1922."
"Yes sir." Suddenly a bright light clouded Wanda's vision. She screamed out of impulse, and the last thing she remembered seeing was all the Avengers flinching simultaneously.

She suddenly woke up in a wet alleyway, laying down on the ground. She sat up quickly, panicking for a moment before remembering where she was. She was in the past, alone. Tears began forming in her eyes for the first time, but she shakily held them back. Reaching for her communication devise, she typed into it.
(Hello? Steve? Bruce?) hitting submit, she stayed sitting on the cold ground. Light was slowly starting to filter into the alley, so she guessed it was sunrise. A shiver ran over her as the shock and adrenaline faded. Reaching into her suitcase, she grabbed a coat and hurriedly put it on. Her devise rang.
(Wanda? Are you OK? -Bruce) she sighed with relief and answered,
(Yes, I made it. I'm in an alleyway, and the people walking by look about right. I'm in the 20s!) there was an instant reply,
(Okay, stay calm. You need to start trying to find the Obscurus ASAP. Don't use your powers in public, we don’t need things to get messy. And keep a low cover. We can't always communicate, or else the devices will overload. Three times per day will be enough. Update us on everything. -Nick Fury)
Wanda rose to her feet, shivering from anxiety and coldness. She checked her makeup in a hand mirror, and was off. As soon as she walked onto the public streets, she could tell that she looked different. Every girl was wearing a 20s style dress, and had their hair in extremely short cuts. Wanda was wearing a black tank top with a red leather coat and a black skirt that was well above her knees. She also had her brown, messy hair that was way past her shoulders. Becoming slightly self conscious, Wanda tried to blend in. She began to get dirty looks as the streets grew more crowded, but she paid no attention to them. Wanda read the minds of every single person she got close too, and found somethings that she refused to think about, but nothing about an Obscurus. The more hours she spent wandering the streets, the more anxious and afraid she began to feel. Later in the day, she saw that there was a large meeting near a bank. A woman was standing above a crowd, and talking about a, ‘mysterious force’. Wanda got closer and listened carefully.
"Witches live among us!" She yelled. There were three children with her. A little girl, an older girl, and a boy that looked about her age. The little girl seemed like a statue, only moving to hand out flyers. The older girl was not very different. The boy looked extremely depressed and anxious, passing out flyers wordlessly. Wanda began to feel uneasy, but stayed were she was. Suddenly the woman pointed to her.
"You!" Wanda flinched. She saw the boy look up from his flyers, and could sense the surprise on his face at her appearance.
"What say you?" The woman pressed. Wanda took a deep breath.
"I- I'm new to.. this country" she began, hoping that would explain her outfit. "what has been happening with witches? It sounds interesting." The woman's face lit up, and the boy’s face fell. Wanda read many stories of proof in her mind. She then turned her attention to the boy as the woman began talking again. His memories were filled with pain, stress, sadness, and anger. She didn't find one single happy thought in his depressed mind. Most were about the woman beating him, and this sickened Wanda. She needed to complete her mission though, and walked up to the boy to take a flyer. He didn't look into her eyes as he shakily handed her one. His hands looked bloodied and bruised. Recently Wanda had learned how to heal wounds with her Telekinesis, and she longed to heal his. Wanda walked away from the meeting once she took her flyer and read it over. She soon realized how messed up this woman really was. Wanda saw the sun was high in the sky, meaning that it was noon. She walked into a dark and abandoned alley and quickly put on a longer black skirt, just below her knees. Her stomach growled, but Wanda had already bought food that day, and she needed to save for as long as possible. There was an invitation to volunteer to feed the homeless children later that day, and Wanda thought that she would be able to find some stories in the minds of the children. Walking out of the alley, she sat at a curb and stared at the blue sky. She felt strangely at peace, being so far from her friends, and from safety. Wanda pondered over when to go to the church to feed the children. She hadn’t brought a watch with her, and the sun was the only way to tell time. This wasn’t knew for Wanda, but she wanted to be more accurate. Suddenly someone tripped over her. Gasping, He fell on top of her, and they both lay on the ground roughly.
“Whoa!” Wanda exclaimed, her thoughts lost in a sudden adrenaline rush.
He jumped up quickly, gaze on the ground, and Wanda realized that it was the boy from the meeting. Pushing her hair away from her face, she stood up as well, not knowing what to say. She winced as she felt a scuff on her knee, and she felt the boy notice.
"Sorry." His apology was barely audible, but she heard him. He began to walk away, but Wanda stopped him.
"Wait!" He flinched, but stopped. His back still facing her.
"I was looking at this fl-leaflet," Wanda corrected herself, "and I wanted to help serve the soup for the homeless children. I do not know where we would do it though, so could you show me?" He slowly nodded his head and began walking. Pausing for a moment, as if expecting him to turn around and lead her properly, Wanda blinked. She followed his back, and felt determined to make a conversation with him.
"My name is Wanda, Wanda Maximoff, what's yours?" She asked him. He seemingly hesitated, afraid to give away too much information.
"Credence." He murmured. What an odd name, she thought. Odd, but in a good way.
"It's nice to meet you." She replied. For all Wanda knew, could have said that to a wall, because she got no response. Soon they arrived at a large, old church. It looked very run down.
"Thank you." Wanda muttered to him, trying to sound as gentle and as friendly as she could. Standing in front of him, for the first time, he looked up at her. They locked eyes, only for a moment, but in that moment, Wanda found an emotion had been stirred inside of him, yet it was so faint that she couldn't point it out. He had dark brown eyes, and they appeared intrigued.
"Your welcome." He whispered, he glanced back down and opened the large doors to the church.

Chapter Text

Wanda couldn't help but gape at the old, disgusting, broken down church. Surely these people didn't live there? She walked in to find the older girl sorting out the flyers. She had a stoney expression, and simply glanced at Wanda over her shoulder. Wanda felt that she had a hard barrier around her thoughts, but Wanda easily tore it down. She paused, scolding herself. She needed more self control. The girl flinched slightly, as most people did when Wanda broke through their barriers, as if they could feel it. Wanda inwardly groaned at her impulses. Credence glanced towards her, but only for a second. Suddenly the woman began to come down the stairs.
"Credence, what is this?" She asked in her icily calm voice.
"S-she wanted to volunteer for the s-soup kitchen, ma..." he barely whispered.
"Does she?" The woman turned to her. Wanda felt hot under her gaze.
"Yes. I was just at your meeting." Wanda told her.
"Stand up straight." She snapped at Credence, who instantly became stalk straight. "Yes, that is wonderful. My name is Mary Lou Barebone, what is yours?" Wanda shook her hand,
"Wanda. Wanda Maximoff." Wanda replied, feeling very uneasy.
"You have an accent, where are you from?" The woman asked her, as if she was testing her for a grade. Credence disappeared in the kitchen, anxiety following him.
"I am from a small country called Sokovia. It is within Russia, and not many people have heard of it. I speak Sokovian, it is my first language." She explained.
"Say something in that language." Mary Lou demanded softly. Wanda blinked, not expecting that response.
"/I am happy to be helping the homeless children/" Wanda said in Sokovian. It was a dialect of Russian, and she could speak that also. Mary Lou broke into a smile, that was somehow not warm in the slightest.
"Lovely. Now, go to the kitchen and help brew the soup. Credence will do all the cooking, and you can spoon the soup into the bowls. Go now, dear." A shiver ran down Wanda's spine as the woman touched her shoulder, as if showing her dominance. She quickly walked into the kitchen. She found Credence mixing the soup, and he didn't look up.
"I- uh, how can I help?" She asked awkwardly. He still didn't look up,
"Uh.." He hesitated, as if he never made any choices for himself. Wanda came up next to him to look at the soup. She reached into his mind and felt it swarming with panic. Why? Because, she found, that he was becoming drawn to her. She interested him. Wanda quickly stepped away from him, not sure what to think.
"Credence, is the soup done?" Mary Lou called.
"Yes ma." He flinched, calling back, and for the first time she heard his full voice. Picking up some bowls, Wanda helped Credence carry everything out. She carefully set everything down, and saw children streaming in. Wanda's heart broke a little, she knew what it was like to be a homeless child, with no one to care for you. Credence seemed to notice her reaction, and he was about to say something, when he stopped and looked down. Wanda noticed and took the opportunity.
"Back in Sokovia, where I grew up, our parents died of an explosion. My brother and I were children like this, and we had to fend for ourselves and survive on the streets. I know what it feels like." She explained. Credence’s expression became pensive as he kept his gaze down. Suddenly he couldn’t help himself,
"Brother?" Credence breathed, helping her spoon out the soup. Wanda felt an ache deep in her heart.
"Pietro. My twin brother. We were extremely close, but he died a year ago, doing something very heroic. He threw himself in front of multiple guns to save a child." She choked out, feeling tears rise in her eyes. Credence glanced up at her and saw them glistening within them. She felt regret start spilling from him, and guilt. He furrowed his eyebrows as he silently spooned the soup.
"It's okay," she responded to his thoughts that were so pained, forgetting that he didn't know that she could read minds, "I get a bit emotional whenever I talk about him, it's not your fault." His face became confused as it tilted towards the soup. Wanda mentally cursed at herself. No one can know. Repeating this to herself over and over, she became silent and gave the soup to the little ones. One had a birthmark, and Mary Lou had examined it.
"Is it a witch's mark, ma’am?" He asked. Credence looked up at this, anticipation lit his eyes. Wanda was suddenly let into memories that she didn't know existed. Memories of magic, of destruction, and of no control. In Credence’s waiting eyes he gave away thoughts and revelations that had been locked so far away that not even Wanda had noticed them. He was the Obscurus, and he knew it. Wanda held back a gasp. She needed to protect him, she needed to keep him from getting killed! This meant that she could show off her powers to him as needed, but no one else. Once the kids had gone, Wanda said goodbye to the Barebones.
"Where are you going now?" Mary Lou asked her. Wanda thought, she didn't know. She didn't have an apartment, so where was she going?
"I- I'm not sure.. I'm sort of looking for a place to stay at the moment.” Wanda stuttered. Mary Lou smiled,
"Well then, good day."
Wanda nodded and left the old church with a sinking feeling. How was she going to protect Credence? What was going to come? What if she couldn’t protect him, or herself? What if he died and she lived? Would she have to try again? Could she live with that? Suddenly, Credence walked out the door with a handful of flyers, his form against the sunset. Snapped out of her worrying, Wanda followed her instincts.
"Do you need help handing out leaflets?" She asked, then heard herself.
What is he, two?
She groaned inwardly. He hesitated, then she saw that he wanted her company. She walked up to him, trying to look as cheerful as ever. He made eye contact with her for the longest he ever had, and she tried to look as warm as she possibly could. He glanced back down once again, and they began walking together.

Chapter Text

Wanda was trying to think of a way to help Credence when her communication devise buzzed sharply. Credence jumped and glanced at her pocket, startled. Wanda groaned. She didn't want to tell Credence that she was from the future yet.
"Must have been a fly." She murmured, putting a hand over her pocket. He didn't reply, continuing to walk. Every now and then he glanced over his shoulder.
"So.." she began, "do you really believe that witches exist?"
Credence stopped walking. Wanda read in his mind that he wanted to say yes, but he didn't believe that they were evil.
"It's okay if you do.." she told him gently. "I do.." she added. This seemed to do the trick, and he gazed up at her.
"I do t-too. But, I-I don't think like my ma. I- I don't think they're all evil." He told her, his voice at a normal volume, but shaking Wanda smiled as his suddenly change in behavior.
"I don't either. I think that magic is beautiful." He stared at her with intensity.
"W- Why?" He asked. She felt that he was hanging on to her every word, and felt self consciousness of doing so.
"Can I ask you something?" Wanda suddenly asked. He nodded vigorously.
"Have you ever seen a witch? Or ever experienced magic?" Credence seemed like he was about to say yes, but stopped himself. Wanda saw that he didn't want to reveal his secret. Reading his mind, Wanda gazed at him. He had been meeting a man every night, who was a wizard. This wizard was trying to have Credence find the Obscurius, not knowing that it was him. Credence knew what he was, and didn't tell him.
"It's okay, I won't tell anyone. I've had some experience with magic myself." She explained. He instantly burst with words,
"Really? Yes, I-I have seen magic, I-I love magic. Mr. Graves says I have magic, and he is a wizard. He- he wants me to find something that- that has to do with magic too..." though his voice was low, it was rushed.
"I know." Wanda muttered accidentally. He tilted his head,
"How?"
Wanda bit her lip.
"I'm a witch. Not, with a wand or anything, but I have Telekinesis. I can manipulate things with my mind. I don't need a wand, I can do everything by hand." She explained slowly. In the growing darkness, she saw his shocked expression.
"I can also read minds." He stared at her, and Wanda saw that his mind was zooming to protect his Obscurus memories.
"I've already seen them Credence. I know what you are." She told him. He flinched, and started to shake a bit.
Well that could have been phrased better.
Wanda began to panic, she didn't need him to explode here.
"It’s okay! It's fine, I don't care. You seem like such a nice guy, and I'm not afraid of you." She hurriedly asserted without giving away too much info. She slowly raised her hand and and touched his arm, a reassuring gesture. Quietly, she sent calming waves to his mind, and he stopped shaking. He glanced up at her with a new look in his eyes. She saw a subtle hint of affection light his mind for a few seconds. Blushing, she tried to let his arm go, but his arm followed her hand, as if he longed for contact. Slowly, not knowing what made her want to do this, Wanda cautiously wrapped one arm around him and pulled him close. He latched on to her tightly and didn't let go. She felt tears wet her shoulder. Yet he wasn't shaking,
These tears must be tears of relief, or overwhelming emotion.
He buried his face in her shoulder, and Wanda felt affection for him overflow her. Staying stalk still, she glanced around to make sure no one was watching. A sight like this in the 20s practically meant that they were committing a huge scandal. This poor boy, this poor, tortured boy. Wanda began to repeat to him,
"It's okay, you’re safe, you’re alright."
They stayed that way for a long amount of time, swaying on their feet. They then both slowly separated.
"Sorry." He murmured. Wanda shook her head.
"Don't apologize, you needed this. I will help you. Come with me, I'll show you how to control your magic, and I'll get you away from that abusive woman." As she spoke, she lifted his hands and healed them in a wisp of red. He stared at them, and Wanda saw memories of that man doing the same thing. Percival Graves. So that was his name.
"You know another man? Mr. Graves you call him?" She asked him. He looked very startled, but nodded slowly. Both of them were oblivious that it was almost midnight.
As if on cue, that same man appeared out of thin air and strutted towards them. Wanda only jumped but Credence flinched violently and backed away. Wanda stepped in front of him and dove into Grave's mind. She was instantly blocked off.
"Credence. I see you've found a new friend. A friend who can read minds.." he smiled. His smile didn't look genuine, but even worse than Mary Lou’s.
"Y-yes." Credence came out from behind Wanda. “Sorry, I got startled..”
"Good luck getting into my mind doll." Graves muttered, grinning at Wanda. Wanda narrowed her eyes, taking that as a challenge. She didn’t like him, she could feel his ominous secrecy. With all the energy she could muster, Wanda mentally pounded on his wall, and managed to shatter it. This made her eyes shine red for a moment. The force of her powers made him fall backwards. Her eyes glowed red as she saw every single horrible thing he had ever done. Murder, theft, power-hunger, treason, assault, and so much more. Graves, or Gellert Grindiwald, hastily stood up and drew his wand, a panicked look on his face. Credence trembled violently as he stood in between the two.
"I'm not a doll." Wanda growled.
Graves magically threw Credence aside and shot a silent killing spell at Wanda. She put up her shield and it bounced right off. Keeping the shield up, she magically seized his body and paralyzed him in red. She then dove into his consciousness and shut it off, making him go into a deep faint like mode. She launched a bolt of red at his levitated body that shot him across the alley and up against the wall, leaving him laying face first on the hard cement. He was unconscious, and just barely alive. The red in her eyes faded, and she looked at Credence, realizing what she had just done in front of him. He was still shaking. She lowered her hands,
what have I done...
"I'm sorry.. I can explain-“ Wanda was cut off as he took off, running down the alley and into the night. Wanda felt dismay settle in her chest. She would have to explain what she saw to him, but how?

Chapter Text

Wanda returned to the same alley that she had arrived in earlier that day. The bitter breeze nipped at her cheeks as she took out the communication devise,
(Wanda, are you there? -Bruce) This message was from hours ago, and Wanda didn’t want to worry anyone.
(Yes, I'm sorry my response is delayed, but I found him. He is around my age, and his name is Credence.) she sent. Almost at once a response popped up in the screen.
(That's brilliant! Convince him to come back with you, then return to this alley. We will locate you and zap you both back. I know that the original plan was to just protect him from the one danger, but we realized that we will be better controlled here if necessary. Stay safe, -Clint) Wanda took a deep breath.
(Okay.) she typed.
As the night became morning, Wanda pondered on how to talk to Credence again. Then she remembered, she could interrupt dreams! She could communicate with him through there! Was it worth it? She would probably scare him again, but he needed answers and explanations. Laying down on the cold stone path, Wanda wrapped a blanket around her and imagined delving into his sleeping mind. Yet, when she found his mind, it wasn't sleeping. Credence was still awake. She began to form a connection with his mind, and silently talked to him,
(Credence, it's me, Wanda.) in an instant Credence's mind became very frightened and upset.
(Shhhh. Credence, please give me a chance to explain, I won't hurt you I promise.) This only causes confused questions to pop up in his mind, but Wanda ignored them. (That man wasn't who you thought he was. His real name is Gellert Grindiwald, and he is an evil wizard. I saw it all, he was planning on using you to his advantage and then abandoning you. You have to trust me, he was a horrible person. I'm sorry I attacked him so intensely, but he tried to kill me.) she quickly explained. She even let him see some of Gellert's older memories. She felt his mind become extremely upset and stormy, but not at her. As memories were quickly shown to him, she felt his mind contract. He felt guilty that he had run away from Wanda, and suddenly very angry at Gellert. He believed her. She suddenly felt something take over his mind. It blacked him out and she lost her connection with him. Oh no, she thought: The Obscurus. At least he still trusted her, but she had upset him. Yet she still felt that he still had that slight bit of affection for her. An early crush, she realized. Wanda cursed at herself, she should have given him him the information at a lighter pace. Suddenly she heard people screaming, crashing and banging, and two horses ran past her alley.
"Oh no no no." Wanda muttered to herself, standing up and running towards the madness. What she saw shocked her. Credence had turned into a writhing, huge, black mass. He was tearing into buildings and splitting the roads in half. People shouted in fear and ran for their lives. Cars began to be thrown in every direction.
"Credence!" She shouted at him. Nothing. He began to blindly race towards her, coming closer and closer. Wanda put up a force field around herself and shut her eyes in panic as Credence shot right through her, oblivious. Was it even still him? Wanda felt for his consciousness. Yes, it was, but it was also the Obscurius. It's as if there were two minds in one brain, his brain.
"Ugh!" Wanda let out a frustrated yell. She gathered some red energy in her hands and shot off into the air. Rising higher and higher against the sunrise, she hovered above the city. She quickly pointed out the black mass and followed it slowly. Eventually Wanda finally saw it begin to shrink. Credence then stumbled in his human form, and walked into the subway tunnels. Wanda landed on a very tall roof near the subway and struggled to catch her breath. She felt awful. Here she was, trying to protect him, and all she had done was cause him pain. Wanda reached out towards his mind to find it broken and aware. He was crying. Wanda felt tears prick in her own eyes and quickly blinked them away. Slowly, she lifted herself off the roof and lowered herself until her feet hit the ground. Wanda glanced around to make sure no one saw her. Remaining silent, Wanda crept into the tunnels. She turned to find him as a black mass again, but it was simply lining the tunnel walls, swirling. He was devastated. She knew how much destruction he could cause, how he could kill her, but she surpressed her fear. Wanda made herself be seen.
"Credence?" She murmured softly. The mass lurched slightly, and began to bunch up.
"Don't be afraid.. please, I'm so sorry. Come here, please, let me keep you safe." She whispered. The mass began to slowly shrink, and Wanda moved forward ever so slightly. Credence himself finally appeared, crouching down beside the tracks, shaking. He held a wary, almost hostile look on his face. Wanda knelt down, almost a yard and a half away from him now.
"Can I come over to you? Please, let me comfort you." She begged softly. He made no move to answer her, or to run away. He simply kept staring at her.
"I promise on my life, I will never hurt you." Wanda dove into his mind and showed him that she meant every word. She let him see her previous thought processes about him, without the future part. This seemed to partly convince him, and he scooted an inch closer to her, still shaking. She came even closer to him, and now they were a foot apart. Credence was still shaking, and he began to rock back and forth.
"Can I come over there?" Wanda asked him softly. He locked eyes with her, and he slowly gave her a minuscule nod. Wanda took care to move with caution, so she didn't frighten him, until she was right next to him. His rocking became worse, and Wanda began to fear that he would transform again. She lifted her hand up and gently touched his forearm, which caught his attention. She sent calming red energy down his arm. He stared at it, a new light in his eyes. Wanda wanted to make sure he knew that her powers didn't always cause destruction. He suddenly scooted so that he was right up against her chest, and he began to cry. Wanda wrapped her arms around him and had his head rest on her shoulders.
"Shhh.." she cooed. His rocking stopped, and his tears wet her jacket. She reached into his mind and sent him peaceful thoughts of comfort. He stopped shaking, drawing in deep breaths. She suddenly felt his affection for her grow a hair larger, and his breathing eased. She saw that his mind was completely at ease, he trusted her. He wasn't afraid anymore, in fact, he felt very secure with her. She rubbed his back gently, feeling him relax in her arms.
"Better?" She asked him. He hesitated, and Wanda saw embarrassment crowd his thoughts. This almost amused her, and she smiled softly.
"Y-yes." He muttered, his voice muffled because he was pressed up against her jacket. Wanda didn't want to pull away, but she didn't know what to do. They weren't safe in the subway tunnels. Suddenly Wanda sensed hundreds of magical minds entering the tunnels, with the intent to kill. She heard their footsteps echo in the tunnel. Wanda raised one hand and put up a soundproof shield around them, without Credence noticing. They filled the tunnels and shot killing curses at Credence and her, but none of their magic reached them. Credence sighed, unaware. Wanda struggled to keep up the shield with only one hand, but the thought of them killing Credence gave her a hard determination. The witches and wizards looked completely dumbfounded, and tried to break through the shield as best as they could. She saw them yelling complicated undoing spells and charms, but those charms were meant for other witches and wizards like them. Wanda wasn't like them. Wanda expanded the shield, pushing them all out of the tunnels. They yelled and screamed, but she sealed them out of the tunnels. Credence looked up to find that they were still alone, as if nothing happened. Wanda gazed into his eyes and knew what she had to say. She needed to tell him the truth.
"Credence, I need to tell you something. I'm from the future." She told him slowly. He blinked.
"I was sent to find you, and protect you. For your safety, I want to take you back the future with me. You have to trust me, it will be overwhelming, but I don't want you to die. Will you come with me?" She asked him gently. He pulled away from her jacket, though his hand still grasped it tightly. He looked very confused, but also scared.
"You won't ever have to go back to your mother again." Wanda offered. Credence began to shake again, tears forming in his eyes. Wanda was confused, why was he getting upset again?
"I- I- I k- killed her-r.." he choked out. Wanda suppressed a gasp. Credence began to silently sob, and Wanda pulled him back into a hug. She shouldn't have said that. What was wrong with her?
"If you come with me, you can leave all that behind. I don't care about her, but I do care about you, Credence.” She whispered to him. Suddenly he stopped crying.
"I'll go." His muffled reply came.
Glancing back up at her, his scared expression looked for reassurance. Wanda telepathically typed onto her device,
(Get us now. We can't move. Here and now!) it sent.
"Don't be scared, but we are going to teleport to 2019. There is a lot of new technology and it will be okay. I will be with you, and I will help you, okay?" She told him. He looked her in the eye. Though she saw he was scared, he was also trusting of her. More affection sparked in his mind, and Wanda blushed again. Credence seemed to notice and he blushed as well. Wanda suddenly felt the ground around them shake.
"It's happening, don't be scared, hang on to me!" She told him quickly. He grabbed onto her and buried his face in her neck, shaking. Their vision became black, and they both lost consciousness.

Wanda awoke to Bruce, Steve, Tony and Clint watching them. She was back under the time traveling machine in Stark Tower. The lab was a dreamy welcome home for her. Credence was still passed out under her, and clinging onto her. Wanda smiled at her friends, and all of them, especially Tony, looked very relieved.
“Congrats kid, you survived. I’ll need everyone to pay up within two hours.” Tony joked.
“Stop it. Wanda, we didn’t bet on whether you would live or not.” Steve shot back and reassured her. Wanda just grinned, needing to address the elephant in the room.
"This is Credence. He's the Obscurius. He gets upset very easily and only will trust me. He just got betrayed by a close friend so he will still be healing. He will cry, a lot. He was abused so badly, the poor boy." Wanda informed them. She telekinetically made his body disconnect from hers, and kept him suspended in the air.
"Take him to a lab bed." Bruce told her.
"No, my room will do. He's going to be very overwhelmed." She countered. Bruce hesitated, then nodded.
"It's good to see you again." He smiled. Wanda grinned and had Credence float towards her room. Clint walked with her, and Wanda eventually placed him in her big, fluffy bed. She tucked him in and sat down next to her desk. Clint sighed.
"I was so worried. I was convinced that this whole thing was a bad idea. I'm just glad your back and safe." He hugged her. She hugged him back, nodding her agreement.
"I was so scared, but then when I met him," she motioned towards Credence, "I knew that I was doing the right thing."
"Will he be okay?" Clint asked her. Credence looked as peaceful as ever, passed out in Wanda's bed.
"I don't know." She sighed.
"What's his story?" Steve suddenly walked in. He had a sympathetic expression on his face, and he sat next to Wanda.
"He was taken away from his mother at a young age, and was abused by his adoptive mother. He has magic, and she hates magic. She would beat him, whip him with his own belt for almost no reason at all. His two adoptive sisters never got beat up like he did. He was and is very powerful, but had to learn how to suppress it, resulting in his exploding Obscurus. He... he knew what he was, but he always kept quiet about it, and felt very guilty." Wanda's eyes glowed red as she read his story from his mind. When she stopped, she was hit by all the emotions he had been feeling. Fear, guilt, pain, grief, anger. She gasped at is full force and swallowed back the pain. Steve and Clint glanced at each other, horrified.
"Are you okay?" Steve asked gently. Wanda nodded, clearing her head. Credence suddenly began to twitch. Clint and Steve's eyes flew nervously to his passed out body.
"Please leave, I'll take care of him," Wanda whispered to Steve and Clint. They gave her curious looks, "You will scare him!" she told them desperately. They nodded and quietly shuffled out of her room, shutting the door behind them. Credence shifted and blinked open his eyes. Wanda made sure that he could see her. He suddenly jumped up, panic lighting his gaze. Wanda stood up and placed a hand on his arm.
"It's okay, it's alright. I'm here." Wanda murmured. Credence made eye contact with her and began to relax.
"Where are we?" His voice cracked. She saw that he was trembling.
"New York, Stark Tower, 2019” She answered.

Chapter Text

Credence glanced around nervously. Wanda's room was very old fashioned and bare, but even that was overwhelming for him.
"You’re safe, don't worry. You can stay in here for as long as you need. You don't have to go anywhere." Wanda reassured him. He stayed silent, nervously fidgeting. Wanda reached into his mind and found his thoughts whizzing about in a frantic matter. She could barely read them, they were moving so fast. Credence suddenly flinched and glanced at her. Wanda realized that he probably knew how to feel when familiar magic was present in his mind. Because Wanda had done it so often, it wasn’t odd that he recognized her. She quickly shrank back, a hint of pink dotting her cheeks.
"Sorry. I won't do that again." She muttered. Credence shook his head slightly.
"No... it's okay. I- It... helps.. with.." Credence stuttered. Wanda reached back into his mind to find what he meant to say.
(It helps you understand me better, and it helps me communicate what I can't physically say.)
Wanda smiled and gazed at him.
"I agree. But if I ever do cross a line, please tell me so." She told him. He nodded, nervously playing with his hands.
“You’re hungry..” Wanda muttered, “do you want some food?” She asked. He nodded, his shaking barely visible. He seemed to be trying to calm himself down. Wanda realized how nervous she was. Wanda didn’t know why, but she felt as if she was Credence, and she was lost too. Maybe she had been reading his mind too much.
“I will get food.” Wanda told him, reassuring him that she would be back. Wanda slowly left her room, closing the door quietly.
Why did I leave him in there all by himself? What if he starts to freak out? I need to be quick..
Quickly she walked into the kitchen and put some pre-made Mac and cheese in the microwave. Realizing suddenly how hungry she was, Wanda quickly opened the fridge and munched on a cold piece of pizza. Natasha sat at the dinning table, eating a sandwich.
“How’s he doing?” She asked. Wanda’s nervousness began to get worse.
“He is nervous, and scared.” She explained, taking another bite of pizza. Nat gave her a confused look.
“Are you okay?” She asked.
“To be completely honest, no. Because I’m constantly reading his mind and emotions, I feel what he feels, and it makes me even more nervous than I need to be.” She told Natasha. The microwave beeped, and Wanda quickly took it out with her powers. Finishing her pizza, Wanda suddenly felt the need to reach out to Credence’s mind, to make sure he was okay. She saw that as soon as she made the connection he was instantly calmer. He hadn’t been unstable, but he had been nervous and on edge.
(Are you okay? I’m coming back with some food.) Wanda sighed in relief to be reassured that he wasn’t an exploding mess again.
(Yes.. I want to leave this room..)
Wanda felt worry burn in her chest. She didn’t want to keep him locked away, but she didn’t want him to get very overwhelmed either.
(Okay, but first you need to eat. I will be right there.) She cut off her connection with his mind and started to spoon the hot Mac and Cheese onto a plate. She noticed Nat smirking at her.
“What?” Wanda asked.
“You like him.” She stated, raising her eyebrows at Wanda and tossing her sandwich crust into the trash. Wanda blushed and magically threw the mac and cheese box into the trash as well.
“NO I- ....no, I don’t. Why would you say that?” She nearly raised her voice but caught herself.
“You were talking to him in your mind, right? Trust me, I was trained to notice these kinds of things. You’re smitten.” She told Wanda cheekily.
“I have grown to feel... protective of him. That’s all.” Wanda tried to snap back, picking up the plate of mac and cheese, she walked away. She wasn’t really mad at Nat, it was more of a playful annoyance. Flicking a spoon magically onto the plate at the last minute, she slowly opened the door to her room, noticing that Credence wasn’t sitting on her bed. She mentally searched for him and found that he was sitting on the floor up against the wall on the other side of her bed. Wanda walked around her bed and kneeled down beside him. He jumped a bit but then relaxed when he saw it was just her.
“Why are you down here?” Wanda asked him, almost amused. She felt embarrassment lace his mind, and his cheeks were dusted with pink.
“It- it didn’t feel right..” he muttered to her. He met her gaze sheepishly. She smiled fondly at him,
“It’s fine, Credence. Things in the future are very different, and stuff like being closer to the opposite sex is accepted without it being considered bad. But, if it makes you feel uncomfortable, then you can sit wherever you want.” She told him slowly. Credence listened to her intently and didn’t take his gaze off of her eyes. Well maybe he did once or twice, but only to move it sparingly to her... lips? This was a major first for him, and he didn’t even glance away once. Wanda reached into his mind and found this thought at its forefront,
(Why is she so kind to me? I don’t deserve it. She’s also.. really pretty. Her hair is really long and her eyes are like chocolate.. and her accent is pretty.. she makes my heart speed up.. is that a bad thing? It makes me nervous.. but I don’t dislike the feeling.. and-) Wanda broke off connection at that, blushing furiously. Credence didn’t seem to notice, and he continued to stare at her. Wanda cleared her throat and handed him the food.
“Here, you were hungry.” She said, making him look at the plate and then glance at her apologetically,
“I’m sorry-“
“It’s okay, I’ll leave you to eat in peace, then you can call me with your mind when you want to leave the room.” She cut him off before he finished his sentence. She secretly liked that he had stared at her, and she felt herself becoming more drawn to him as well.
“H-how do I do that?” He asked nervously.
“Just call my name in your mind. I will hear you, I promise.” She smiled at him. For the first time, he smiled back.

Chapter Text

Wanda shakily closed the door to her room. Walking away she plopped down on the couch in the living area. Thor was eating a pop-tart at the table, and Bruce was reading a book right next to her. When she let out an audible sigh, they both looked up at her.
“You okay?” Bruce asked her, laying down his book and fixing his glasses,
“The most Scarlet of Witches seems to be low in her energy sources, do you require a stiff drink to give you strength?” Thor asked loudly. Bruce rolled his eyes and Wanda chuckled,
“No, I don’t think I’m old enough to drink alcohol yet. But when I am I will consult you.”
“Ah no, no you won’t.” Bruce cut in nervously. Wanda burst out giggling, resting a hand on Bruce’s shoulder. He cracked a smile,
“Okay seriously, is that boy stressing you out?” He asked. Wanda shrugged her shoulders, her smile disappeared.
“I’ve never had to look after someone before. I mean, it’s only me. He doesn’t trust anyone else but me, in the entire world. I’m just trying to do my best but it can get tiring. I always need to make sure that he doesn’t freak out. That’s another thing, tell the others that they can’t bring up his parents, his previous situations, or his explosions,” She paused, “especially Tony.” Wanda explained, fiddling with a pillow on the couch. Bruce nodded thoughtfully.
“You don’t need to worry about me, I know all about needing to stay calm and secure.” He reassured her. Wanda grinned at him.
“I will help build the confidence of the weakling if needed.” Thor announced. Wanda shook her head,
“No thanks.” She replied. Wanda noticed that it was already very dark outside.
“What time is it?” She asked Bruce.
“A TIME TO DRINK!” Thor suddenly shouted, standing up to walk to the bar in the tower.
“Ten o’clock.” Bruce answered, giving Thor an exasperated look and rubbing the back of his neck. Wanda blinked, she hadn’t realized that it had been so late. Where would Credence sleep? What if he had nightmares and got set off?
“The time had gone by so fast. When did I arrive here?” She asked Bruce.
“At 4 pm today, you woke up at 8 pm. It was still dark,” He answered, taking off his reading glasses and standing up, “I need to go to the lab, make sure that Tony goes to bed.” He groaned as he stood, cracking his head and walking away sleepily. Wanda stayed seated, waiting for Credence to call her. As if in command, she heard a voice in her head,
(W-Wanda?) even in her mind, it was shaky and unsure.
(Yes?) She responded gently. She almost could hear Credence’s sigh of relief.
(I- I want to leave.. but..) Wanda stood up and began to head to her room.
(Are you scared?) She asked him in her mind. She quickly made her way back to the outside of her room. She knew the answer, but she wanted him to say it. There was a hesitation, then,
(..Yes)
Wanda felt shame radiate off of him, even from outside of her room. She didn’t know what to say, so she just opened her bedroom door. Credence was still where she left him, to the side of her bed, sitting on the floor. Wanda knelt beside him and he looked up at her, that same shame lacing his features.
“It’s okay..” she told him softly. Credence suddenly began to stand up. Wanda stood as well, almost stepping on an empty plate.
“I don’t want to stay in here.” He told her, repeating himself with more emphasis. As if he needed to fight his way out of captivity.
“You don’t have to.” She reassured him. He blinked a few times, staring at her, then she felt his hand gently grasp hers. She glanced down at it then looked at a blushing Credence. He gave her a look that meant I’m sorry, but stay by me. Wanda felt that it had taken a lot of his courage to do that simple act, and it was making him very nervous about how she would react to it. Wanda smiled and tightened their hold.
“Come on, mostly everyone should be asleep, so we will be alone.” She told him. She led him out of her room and into the kitchen. Credence was taking in every sight, his eyes darting in every direction. His face held a variety of confused, anxious, curious, and pensive emotions, yet he remained silent. Wanda hopes it wasn’t too overwhelming for him, even through they were possibly in the most technologically advanced kitchen in the world. She sighed,
Thanks Tony.
“What’s that?” He suddenly asked quietly, gesturing at the large microwave oven in the middle of the cabinets.
“That’s called a microwave. You put cold food in there and it heats it up.” She explained to him. He tilted his head slightly, making Wanda smirk in a gentle way. Suddenly Tony walked into the kitchen, stopping when he saw Credence. Credence flinched, stiffening, and his gaze strayed to the ground. Wanda inwardly groaned. Why Tony? Out of all the people that lived in this tower, why Tony? She felt Credence’s only thought process was trying to stay calm and avoid eye contact.
“Hey, you’re the deranged kid from the olden days?” Tony smirked. Credence flinched. Wanda knew that he took every insult personally. She remembered reading his mind once and finding out that one insult had caused his Obscurus to explode.
“Tony!”
Wanda warned him sharply. Tony threw his hands in the air, raising his eyebrows.
“Jeez can’t a guy just get some coffee in peace?” He mumbled to himself, but listened to Wanda and stayed silent about Credence.
“Credence this is Tony Stark. He likes to play jokes, he doesn’t mean what he says.” She told him quietly. His gaze still fixed on the ground, Credence gave her a slight nod of his head, understanding but still hurt. She suddenly felt his thoughts
(Stark? I feel like I’ve heard that name before...)
Wanda sighed, glaring at Tony.
“So, Wanda, are you gonna come to training tomorrow in the gym?” Tony asked her as he brewed his coffee. Wanda was glad that he was ignoring Credence.
“I don’t know.” She told him truthfully. Credence glanced at her for a second before looking back down. Suddenly Bruce walked into the kitchen,
“Tony! What did I just say?” He rubbed his eyes and took his arm, “I’m closing the lab, you’re done. Get some rest. Oh, and I told JARVIS not to let you in until tomorrow.” Bruce told Tony. Tony gave him a fake pout,
“Come on! Wanda and the freak get to stay up late!” Whined Tony, forgetting Wanda’s warning. Wanda suddenly felt a memory awaken in Credence’s mind. A man had called him a freak, a piece of trash. This had gone too far for him. Credence himself made no sign that he heard Tony’s remark, but Wanda knew better. Bruce glanced sharply at Credence.
“Credence this is Doctor Bruce Banner.” Wanda introduced. Credence glanced up at him for a second.
“Tony, let’s go.” Bruce said quietly. Tony crossed his arms.
“Okay, let’s go to the living area.” Wanda muttered as she gently pulled Credence away from the kitchen. She could feel Credence getting more upset by the minute, and Wanda herself started to panic. She swiftly sat him down on the sofa, and he looked up at the huge flat screen tv.
“W-what is that?” Credence asked in pure awe, pain nearly forgotten. This was going to be a hard one to explain. Wanda then delved deep into the discovery of the television, it’s capabilities, and is evolvement to modern day. Credence slowly looked like he wasn’t listening to her, which was odd because Credence had never really ignored her before. When she was finished with her rant, he was staring off into the distance.
“Credence, what’s wrong?” Wanda asked him. A shiver went down his spine and he didn’t meet her eyes. Wanda ignored the urge to read his mind, he needed to start being more expressive with her himself.
“Credence?” Wanda once again said gently. He suddenly looked into her eyes, his own beginning to fill with tears. Wanda became very concerned.
“Do you think I’m a freak?” He asked her, his voice tight with emotion. Wanda felt a piece of her heart break off. She felt tears surface in her eyes as well.
“No, of course not!” she whispered, “I told you, Tony never means what he says. You are an amazing person with amazing powers. This is coming from a girl that the public calls a Witch.”
Credence seemed slightly comforted at her words, but still upset. Wanda stared into his eyes, forcing him to look back,
“Never think of yourself as anything less than an amazing person, and a kind, gentle man. You are so much more than what any bullies may say, even forgotten ones. Listen to me, please.” Wanda begged gently. She saw Credence’s mind freeze when he noticed a single tear ran down Wanda’s face.
“I’m sorry...” Credence mumbled, beginning to rock back and forth slightly. Wanda quickly brushed the tear away,
“You don’t have to be.” She told him. She suddenly opened her arms and wrapped them around Credence. He responded immediately and hugged her back. His need for human affection was easy to see as he hungrily took in every second of contact. His rocking stopped and she felt his breath remain even. Emotion sparked within his mind, and she felt his heart begin to speed up slightly. Not from anger or fear, but from his affection. Affection, towards her. He burried his face on her shoulder and she dared not move. They stayed that way until they both fell asleep, at peace and in each others comfort.

Chapter Text

Wanda was the first to wake up, very sore and cramped from the position she had stayed in all night. Credence was still fast asleep, as if this was the most peaceful rest he had had in a while. Slowly, careful not to wake him, Wanda untangled herself from his arms and placed a blanket over his unconscious body.
“Hey lovebirds.” Nat called from the kitchen. Wanda whipped her head around, embarrassed.
“Stop it! He was very upset and I had to make sure he remained calm, that’s all.” She explained hastily. Nat nodded in mock agreement.
“Okay, sure.” She mumbled, smirking to herself. Wanda could feel her cheeks heat up, pressing her hands to them for a split second. Glancing out the large window in the kitchen, Wanda saw that it was a beautiful sunny day outside.
“What is the temperature outside?” Wanda asked Nat eventually, walking over to her and opening the fridge.
“It’s 75 degrees out.” Nat responded. Wanda’s mind did a double take as she took out a half empty carton of orange juice.
“What?” she muttered, disbelief clouding her gaze. Nat just chuckled.
“I think you’re getting your Fahrenheit and Celsius mixed up again.” She chided smoothly. Wanda groaned, magically pouring the orange juice into a plain white mug.
“Sorry, what is it in Celsius?” She asked again, adding a few ice cubes to her glass. Nat stood up and began to search through the cabinets for a frying pan.
“23 degrees.”
Wanda smiled as she sipped her orange juice. It was a perfect day to take Credence out if he wanted to. She suddenly felt his mind stir: he was waking up. Wanda hurried back to his side on the couch, her glass still in her hand. The sound of hot oil in a pan hummed in the background as Credence slowly opened his eyes. Wanda smiled at him and helped his sit up straight on the couch.
“I’m sorry..” he apologized sheepishly. Wanda assumed he was referring to the fact that he had fallen asleep on her the night before. She just shook her head and drank some more orange juice.
“Don’t worry about it Credence.” She notices him visibly shiver again when she said his name, and his mind was a tumbling mess of emotions.
“Does the kid want my famous fried breakfast grilled cheese?” Nat called from across the room, making Credence flinch.
“Do you?” She asked him. He looked overwhelmed as he grasped for a response. Wanda raised her hand to stop his anxiety,
“He will just have some eggs Nat.” Wanda called back. Wanda stood up and stretched, finishing her orange juice in one gulp. Credence stood up as well, and he took in the first sight of the room in full lighting.
“Credence, this is Natasha Romanoff. She is very nice and the best cook.” Wanda told him. Credence stared at Nat from across the room, how she flipped the sandwiches in the pan without so much as a slip. She saw that he found it easy to take in all her details when her back was turned. Eventually he looked away and, to Wanda’s great surprise, he grabbed her hand gently and motioned to go back to her room. Enough stimulation for now, she decided. Wanda led him through the winding halls until they were back in Credence’s familiar area. He sat on her bed, then suddenly jumped up, blushing.
“I’m sorry I-“
“Credence, it’s fine. Things are very different in the future, as I told you.” Wanda hastily explained again. He finally sat down again, taking a breath. Wanda glanced around awkwardly, not knowing what to do. She read his mind, finding it all focused on her, his gaze alternating from her eyes to her lips. She blushed and mentally shrank back. Credence seemed to feel this and he became very red, letting his gaze rest on his hands instead, shame pulsing through him. Wanda felt so bad for him. He had lost everything of his normal life, and his normal life had molded him into always thinking he would get beat up at the slightest wrong doings, or what he believed to be wrong doings. Suddenly there was a knock on the door, making Credence jump.
“Come in Nat.” Wanda said, amused.
“How did you know it was me?” She asked mischievously, serving a bowl of three fried eggs and her famous sandwich.
“You’re the only one who actually knocks on my door, other than Bruce that is. Plus I smelled food.” She explained. “And I should also mention my mind reading abilities but..” they both began to laugh at their own blindness in the moment, and Credence was staring at Wanda. She realized that he had never seen her fully laugh before, and it was mesmerizing him.
“Don’t miss practice. Steve moved it to two o’clock instead of twelve.” Nat called as she left her room. Wanda nodded and began to eat the the delicious concoction in her plate. Credence ate his eggs as well, and they were both very pensive. As soon as Wanda finished, she told Credence she needed to put on her proper clothes for training, and she would only be a few minutes. He nodded, and she left him alone in her room. As she clumsily took off her old clothes and changed into her workout ones, Wanda sighed as she looked in the mirror. Her ‘super suit’ wasn’t very special, just black leather pants, a black leather tank with a red leather jacket that flowed at her knees in the back. Black, knee length boots with many compartments for hiding things, and fingerless gloves. Yet, when she thought about how flashy Steve’s outfit was, or how excessive Tony’s was, she didn’t mind wearing nearly usual clothes. While she washed her face and fixed her makeup, she heard a sudden crash in her room. Wrapping up quickly, Wanda returned to find that he had only broken his plate by dropping it. This had upset him greatly though, and his drained face stared at her for a millisecond. He then bowed his head and stiffening up in fear. Memories zoomed throughout his mind that Wanda dared not look at for too long. Yet she did see that he was afraid that she was going to demand for his belt. Horrified at the thought, Wanda simply blinked a few times and walked up to him.
“Are you okay? Did you drop it?” She asked, magically lifting all the shattered pieces. He nodded, shame and fear very evident in his body language and mind. She saw a tear escape one eye, and she had to address it.
“Credence!” She pleaded in a hushed gentle tone, “Please, it’s okay. Accidents happen, please relax.” The shattered pieces levitated out of the room. He shook his head, beginning to take off his belt. Wanda gasped, feeling her face go red. She swiftly covered his fumbling hands with her own, her hand placement only adding to her sudden embarrassment. With her contact Credence paused, glancing up at her. When she saw how red her face was, he began to blush as well.
“Credence! Credence, please I- listen, it was just an accident. I don’t care what happens while you are here, I don’t care what you cause to happen, never submit to being whipped again. I will never do anything of the sort. Please believe me when I say you will never be abused again.” Wanda tried with all her heart to make him understand. Eventually he let go of his belt and stared at her with shameful eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” She reassured, slowly pulling him into an embrace. He met it with full force, and Wanda felt him relax. Reluctantly she pulled away after only a few seconds, and although she felt him yearn for more contact, she needed to get to her training.
“Do you want to come? I might be a while.” She admitted. Credence nodded, his face lighting up slightly with excitement and anticipation. Taking a deep breath and trying to forget the overwhelming embarrassment she had just felt, Wanda took his hand and led him out her bedroom door.

Chapter Text

They arrived at the gym a few minutes before 2:00, and Wanda took the time to make sure that Credence was sitting in a place where he could quietly watch.
“If anything stresses you out, you can step out of the room.” Wanda reassured him. He glanced at her and nodded. Something was off, Wanda could feel it. Reaching into his mind, she felt him start to feel anxious. He was afraid that she would get hurt. Blushing slightly, Wanda rested her hand on his shoulder.
“I will be fine, I promise.” At the sudden contact, Credence’s head snapped up to stare at her. His expression lightened softly, and he leaned into her touch. She saw him blush deeply with embarrassment, and, just a little something more. Motioning towards the bench next to them, Wanda told him to sit. Almost as soon as he did so, Steve marched into the room dressed in his Captain America get up. Clint and Nat walked in together, Bruce followed not far behind, Tony flew in with his suit, Sam and Rhodey came in whispering, and Thor strutted out last. The Ironman zooming by made Credence jump and shut his eyes, refraining from putting his hands to his ears. Wanda laid her hand on his shoulder again for a few seconds, then left to join the others. She felt that with every step she took Credence was watching, and somehow this made her want to impress him. She rolled her eyes at herself. Stop it! She thought.
“Alright! Today we will be assessing the ability to think under fire. That’s why, I brought some paintball guns. We will be playing a one round game. You will need to think of the paint balls as bullets. You get shot with no armor, you’re done. Any balls interfere with your armor, you’re done. The winner is the last one standing. No teams, no allies.” Everyone glanced at each other, mischief sparking their eyes. “Soldiers, collect your guns.” Steve announced.
Wanda, smiling at the idea of the game, quickly choose the red colored gun.
“Everyone will get ten seconds to find cover, then it is to the death. No interfering unless vital.” Steve continued, collecting a blue gun and throwing Tony a pink one.
“Really?” Tony sighed. Wanda could almost see him rolling his eyes under his mask.
“Ten seconds start now! GO!” With that, everyone scrambled to find cover. Wanda ran behind some folded safety mats, loading her gun.
“Ten seconds are over, FIGHT!” Steve yelled. Within seconds paintball shots could be heard and yelling rang out across the gym. Wanda pinpointed everyone’s location in her mind, then ran into the fire. Almost immediately she stopped a paintball magically, flinging it back at whoever shot it. Building up a protective red force field around her, Wanda shot her gun without even holding it. While she shot it at random, Wanda concentrated on interfering with paint balls that already had been fired. She caused them to chase a few people, and ended up hitting Clint. He gasped in mock offense when he noticed. Wanda giggled and continued on. Thor ended up colliding into her force field, falling head first. This caused her to stumble back in surprise, letting her shield fall for a few seconds. Wanda shot him multiple times and Steve yelled at him to leave the game.
“But I am the god of thunder, a mere mortal weapon cannot-“
“Thor! Get out!” Nat yelled as she landed a forward roll to dodge three paintballs. Re-activating her force field, Wanda caught hold of five paintballs, morphing then into one and causing them to plaster on top of Tony’s mask.
“Oi! Wanda! Are you trying to suffocate me!?” Tony suddenly called in a muffled voice. He landed and took of his helmet, gasping. Steve motioned for him to leave. Sighing, Tony shot once more at Steve, who shielded himself behind his shield, letting it hit that instead. Landing, Tony sat on the ground like a pouting two year old. Rhodey was soon eliminated, and so was Sam, by none other than Natasha. Cursing, they both sat next to Tony. Yet even Nat ended up getting shot it the leg by an extremely stealthy Steve, and now she was the only one left with him. Bruce was calculating the odds on the corner, biting on his pen and dragging his fingers across his tablet rapidly.
“Alright Wanda, it’s just you and me. Remember your training.” Steve encouraged. Suddenly Wanda felt Credence in her mind, calling out to her. She had almost forgotten he was still there, and his call made her drop her shield for a split second. She turned her head towards him, making a huge mistake. She then saw Steve’s multiple paintballs meet with her stomach. Before she knew it, she was tumbling over onto the ground. Chuckling, Steve helped her up.
“Are you okay?” He asked. Nodding, Wanda searched for Credence’s mind. He wasn’t in the gym. She headed towards the door.
“Okay, good job everyone, now let’s take a 15 minute break..” Wanda heard Steve’s fading voice as she exited the gym. Searching for Credence mind, Wanda realized he was in her room again. Sighing, she took a few seconds to catch her breath from her fall, brushing a few stray hairs away. Steve hadn’t really hurt her, he had just knocked the wind out of her. Shaking her head, she made her way to her room and entered cautiously. She felt he was there, but she didn’t physically see him. It was very dark, and Wanda searched for the light switch.
“Credence?” She called, sliding her hand across the wall until she felt it. Flipping the switch, her eyes saw a huge black mass flattened out over the ceiling. It was writhing dangerously but keeping put. Wanda nearly gasped, her mouth hanging open for a split second.
“Credence! W-what’s wrong?” Wanda hastily asked him. Her nervousness was affecting him, and he began to swirl even more. Wanda took a deep breath. She needed to calm him down before asking him anything. Focusing her eyes on him she steadied her breathing.
“Credence, calm down. Here,” Wanda reached her hand out towards the mass. It stopped swirling. “Take it, come down, and talk to me.” Wanda said gently. She could feel his mind practically shaking, and Wanda realized how much effort it must have taken him to contain himself to a certain degree.
“Please.” Wanda whispered.
At that, she felt guilt rise in Credence’s mind, and the mass began to swirl again. Yet it wasn’t a stressful swirl, it was a soft one. Slowly Wanda realized one part of the mass was reaching out towards her. She felt it wrap around her hand and spill down her arm, causing Wanda to shiver. She felt Credence had the same reaction. He was helpless under her touch, and she saw the mass slowly begin to float down and morph back into his human form. When he was completely back his hand was still gripped around her arm, and he was crying. Wanda pulled him into a strong hug, and he all but threw himself at her. He was shaking, and she felt wet tears stream down her back. Wanda focused her powers and sent soothing pulses throughout his body and mind, calming him almost instantly.
“What happened?” She asked him calmly. His voice hitched, and she realized he was too emotional and stunned by her touch to speak.
(What happened?) she repeated in his mind.
(I- I liked watching you, you were really- good.. b-but I panicked at t-the end and called you, and- and then you listened t- to me and got h-hurt and it was m-my fault and I couldn’t deal with that and-...) Wanda let him pause to collect himself, rubbing his back gently, (I tried to stop b-but I couldn’t and I lost c-control!) he heaved a dry sob on her shoulder.
(I-I’m sorry..) he cried in her mind. Wanda felt herself remain speechless for a few heartbeats, processing what he had told her.
“It’s okay Credence,” he shivered when she said his name. “You are not perfect. I honestly didn’t really get hurt, Steve would never purposely hurt me. Don’t feel sorry, you will learn to control it better in time, but I think you did a good job today! You might have turned into the Obscurus but you didn’t break anything and you remained quiet. I call that progress.” She told him quietly. He sighed into her shoulder, more relaxed and reassured. She felt him tighten his grip around her, making her grin.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.” Wanda chuckled slightly. She felt his mind contract with embarrassment.
“You are very cute you know.” Wanda stated absentmindedly. Immediately she felt him blush like crazy, and his mind began to zoom with thoughts as she felt his heart bursting with emotions he didn’t understand. She felt that he had almost gasped, not used to the crushing weight of positive emotions. Slowly they pulled apart, and Wanda noticed his gaze focus on her lips again. She had noticed him doing that every once and a while, and she didn’t know what to think of it. Lost in thought, Wanda didn’t notice Credence slowly leaning closer to her until they were only inches apart. She jumped, startled, and Credence immediately pulled away, red written all over his face. Choosing to ignore that moment, not wanting to ask herself why she had become so disappointed when he pulled back, she stood up and slowly led him back to the gym.

Chapter Text

A week passed with no other Obscurus appearances. Yet there was anything but good feelings in the Tower. The Avengers all fidgeted in their seats around the board room table. The air was thick and heavy, swirling with stress and anxiety. Nick Fury had called a meeting and hadn’t arrived yet. Tapping the table gently, Wanda’s mind flew with questions.
What if he has a mission for us? I can’t take Credence, but he can’t be on his own either.
What if he explodes and destroys New York.. again?
She blinked a few times, trying to come up with solutions to her imaginary worries. She remembered that Credence was in her room again when he said her name quietly in her mind. When she had left him there, he had begun to call her in her head every few minutes out of fear. Steve, seated right next to her, placed a hand in her shoulder. When Wanda looked over at him, she saw a reassuring look in his eyes. Nodding gratefully, Wanda stopped tapping and composed herself, taking a deep breath. Natasha was texting on the opposite side of the table, furrowing her eyebrows pensively. Bruce simply sat on her left side, staring off into space. His hands were folded calmly on his lap, and his glasses lay in the table. Tony, sitting on Bruce’s left side, had his head in his hands as he kept his gaze low. Wanda knew how much he dealt with anxiety, and she found herself wanting to calm his mind. Yet he was too far away, and she was too nervous. Clint, sitting on Nat’s right side, was munching on a sandwich, a cool look in his eyes. Thor was sitting on Clint’s right side, also tapping on the table. Lastly, Sam was fumbling with his shades. Rhodey had already been sent to deal with a minor issue in Italy, leaving him out. Wanda could practically feel the awkward air coming off the slight breeze that come from the open window. Suddenly Nick Fury burst in, making them all glance up. He leaned on the door frame, seriousness evident in his one eye. Wanda felt anticipation cloud her thoughts.
“Alright, I‘m just gonna get down to it. I called this meeting to address one question: what are we going to do with the Obscurus?”
Nick glanced at Wanda and she held her breath,
“.. I know, certain individuals have formed bonds with him and sympathize with him, but we need to address the one true fact we know about him; he is dangerous.”
All the Avengers sat on the edge of their seats.
“We can’t kill him, he’s just a kid.” Tony suddenly spoke out of the silence, his voice slightly shaky, and his eyes hardened with a form of... protection?
Why would Tony want to protect Credence?
Nick glared at him.
“Just because he is a minor does not mean we have to sacrifice the safely of billions across the globe for him.” Fury muttered, his voice low and solemn. Tony’s gaze darkened, and memories flashed across his eyes that were too painful for her to watch. Wanda felt horror stir in her stomach, and she grimaced along with her teammates.
“Is there any way we could train him? I could try and come up with something to handicap his powers...” Bruce contributed quietly. Fury shook his head.
“Are we willing to take that chance? I would like to say that executing him would be a worse case scenario, but at what cost? How long until he becomes extremely emotionally unstable and destroys all of New York?” He answered. Nick continued to shake his head and rested both his hands on the table.
“Detainment is another option, but again, it’s risky.” He stated plainly. Wanda felt the need to speak up for Credence, to say something, anything, that would convince Fury to change his mind. Yet she found she could not utter one sound. She was scared. So, so scared
“Why can’t we just let the kid live his life? Wanda helps him, and if he can control his powers, maybe he could be an Avenger. Ever think of that?” Sam asked boldly. Nick rested his good eye on him.
“Yes. Yes I have. But we would have to be immensely careful.” Nick paused as all the Avengers took this information in.
“I’ve been helping him,” Wanda suddenly found her voice. “Remember, I- I can manipulate minds. That- could help...” she felt her face becoming even more pale from pure anxiety, it also didn’t help that everyone was turned to look at her. Feeling herself grimace from embarrassment, Wanda sunk in her seat and remained silent. Fury, however, continued the conversation,
“Miss Maximoff, I am well aware of your influence on him, but do you really think, you could give him all your attention? Every minute of every day, three hundred and sixty five days a year, until he dies?” He asked her, searing a hole into her head with his stare. Wanda paused,
“I... I don’t know...” She realized. That was an enormous question that she didn’t feel capable of answering at the moment. Her teammates glance at each other.
Nick sighed,
“Well, until you do know, detainment or execution are our best options here.” He explained. All the Avengers quietly nodded, pained and tired. Wanda felt the need to interrupt,
“I don’t want him to die...”
She felt tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.
Nick shook his head,
“Honest to God, neither do I. But these are the decisions we have to make, for the good of the public.” He told her softly, a hint of sympathy showing in his eye. Wanda once again felt Steve’s reassuring hand on her shoulder.
“Right now though, we will do nothing. I just wanted everyone to be aware of the situation, and prepared to address it again within the near future.” Nick stated. He then left, not one more sound escaping his lips. After a few seconds, the weight of what they had discussed truly sank into everyone’s minds. Everyone began to stand up, stretch, and walk away. Wanda felt dizzy. Credence was already so tortured, so starved of love and affection. She felt as if she was stabbing him in the back by discussing this. Rubbing her head, Wanda accidentally bumped into Tony. For once he had no sharp words, only a dull, defeated expression.
“What do I do?” Wanda could barely believe the words coming out of her mouth, and to Tony Stark no less. He paused for a few seconds, his burdened gaze resting on hers, then replied,
“Save him.”
Wanda felt herself freeze on the spot, heaviness glueing her to the ground and a cold flash running down her entire body.
Save him.
She replayed Tony’s words over and over, trying to fully absorb them. Wanda felt the weight of those words burying into her entire being. She suddenly found herself holding back a small sob. She wasn’t ready. She wasn’t ready. How could she save him? The room seemed to shift and spin around her. Her eyes widened in fear.
“Wanda?”
She heard Steve call out. She turned to see flickers of fear on his face.
“Wanda, calm down!” Bruce raised his voice from the other side of the room, panic lacing it. She suddenly realized red energy had spilled out of her, and was filling the entire room, causing some small objects to lift off of the table. Wanda took a step back, revealing that the floor beneath her was slightly cracked.
I can’t lose control of my powers too, not now!
Closing her eyes, Wanda took a deep breath to steady herself. She let her mind rebel from Fury and his words for a split second. She imagined stealing Credence away, bringing him somewhere all of SHIELD would never find them. She imagined living with him, teaching him how to adapt to the future, and how to control his powers. He would be happy. That could never happen though, she wouldn’t be able to handle it... right? Once her eyes opened, everything was back to normal. Taking a deep breath, Wanda headed towards her room. She couldn’t tell Credence anything of what Fury had discussed with them. If she did, she might as well have sealed the fate of everyone within 100 miles. Walking to her own bedroom felt like it took a life time in one second, as if time was slowing down as she tried to block the panic that had manifested in her mind. Opening the door, she saw his head snap up at her arrival. He was sitting against the back of her bed, fidgeting with the covers. Faking a smile, she slowly walked over to him and sat down,
“How are you doing?” She asked softly. She saw his expression lose its tension with her words.
“Good. I’m... good.” He responded, almost in awe of his own words. As if he had never been ‘good’ in his entire life. Wanda smiles genuinely this time, holding his hand in her own.
“Perfect. That’s all I could ever ask for.”
She felt his emotions melt into his feelings for her, and his face slowly darkened with red.
“I feel..” He began. Wanda listened intently. He continued to stare at her, for the first time since she had met him, his face was purely happy.
“I feel..” Wanda noticed his struggle and felt him try to say it in her mind, but she blocked him off.
“Tell me without mind reading.” She told him softly. He blinked a few times, opening and closing his mouth.
“What is love?” He suddenly asked. Wanda paused, not expecting such a deep question. She pondered for a few seconds before answering,
“Love is, when you care for someone else very deeply, when you trust them, when you want them to see you at your best, and at your worst. It’s like a connection between you and someone else, it’s like they are your world-“
“Wanda?”
Wanda shivered as Credence used her name for the first time.
“Yes?”
He made eye contact with her, remaining silent.
Wanda noticed how open his mind was, and how she felt a blush creep onto her cheeks as she read one that passed by. A few seconds past in silence, before she found Credence starring longingly at, not her eyes, but at her lips once again. Wanda’s heart began to beat faster and faster. Her limbs no longer obeyed her. Her mind had only one objective. Wanda was losing control of herself as she began to lean in closer. She could feel the tickle of his breath on her lips, and see him trembling ever so slightly. The clock’s ticking stopped, the birds outside grew silent, and things began to move too fast and too slow all at once as Wanda gently pressed her lips to his. What felt like an eternity was only a few seconds, and no matter how chaste the kiss was, Wanda felt her mind spinning from adrenaline and pleasure. Then suddenly, she realized what she was doing. She shot back,
“I’m so sorry! I don’t know what I was doing I-“
Her voice was cut off as Credence suddenly crashed his lips on hers, hungrily soaking in every moment they were connected. After a few surprised moments she felt herself melt into him, deepening the kiss. He gave a slight weak moan, trapped in his own version of paradise. Days, weeks, and years all passed in a few more seconds. They eventually pulled apart, both reluctant but needing air to breathe. Wanda took a deep breath as she rested her forehead on his.
Oh my god...
She felt insecurities build up inside of her. What if she had moved things too quickly? Credence had never been involved in anything like this before, and she didn’t want to hurt him or make him uncomfortable. Stealing a glance at him, she saw Credence still had his eyes closed, as if he wanted to relive that moment over and over again. A small grin formed on Wanda’s lips, and she closed her eyes as well.

Suddenly, above all her tumbling thoughts, one distinct voice made itself heard in Wanda’s mind.

Save him.