Wandas POV

I didn't think I had so much random shit until I went to pack it all up.

It's taking me ten times longer to get everything ready than I thought it would. Now I'm not sure if I'll be ready to move into Alex's place tomorrow.

Our place.

Damn that gets me to smile every time.

Of course it's not like I couldn't bring most of it tomorrow and filter more of my stuff as we go. We will be living together.

No, I won't stop mentioning it.

I had blurted it all out to Nat the moment Alex had to go on shift.

We celebrated by eating junk and watching a movie with some wine.

That's when she told me Spencer would be moving in with her, too.

Of course I was sad we wouldn't see each other as much, but Alex and I agreed that we would spend time here as well. That's why I don't have to worry about bringing everything I have with me.

She'll bring some of her stuff here as well. Not that she doesn't already have a few things stashed here. But that's mostly firehouse 11 hoodies that I have been slowly stealing from her. I know she knows. I've noticed that she got more and put them in her closet where I could easily spot them.

The amount of joy I am feeling right now is enough to power a trip to the moon. Which is where Alex takes me every time I'm with her; I feel like I'm floating, tethered to earth and reality by her touch.

I'm moving in with Alex.

Who the hell would have guessed that?

Not me. But I couldn't be more excited for this. It's such a big step in our relationship. Which only makes me that much more ecstatic for what our future could hold.

I feel like we truly know each other. We've both been with each other through some rough times, but we've seen our way out.

And there's plenty we haven't talked about yet, but that just makes the idea of our future all the more thrilling. Besides, we'll have plenty of time to talk about that in our home.

Like I said, not sorry.

Don't go bursting.. my bubble.

Damn it. What could Tony want now?

"What Tony?" I may be a bit aggressive but he's ruining my buzz.

"Mission. Now."

"Seriously? And you need me?"

"Yes. We need everyone. We've got a tip about a hydra base. This time we aren't sitting back and waiting to see the outcome. We're going to be there to stop it."

I groan internally as I look around at all the boxes in my room. Guess I'll be taking even less than I thought tomorrow.

"Okay. I'll be right down."

This better be fucking worth it.

——————

"Okay, so where are we going? Do we get details now?" I ask, not even the slightest bit amused at the distraction from my packing.

"Of course there, sunshine," Tony says smiling.

I glare at him, letting the red dance around in my eyes. Only Alex gets to call me that.

He holds up his hands in surrender, "Fury has someone that's trying to track down this arsonist, if that's what they truly are, and they think they've got something. Based off the small pattern we have noticed, " he looks over to me at this.

I just give a small fake smile.

"There is a potential that this might be a spot for the return of this mercenary. If that's even what this is. Since there is very little information actually known, this will be an actual chance to figure this out. Hopefully we get there before they do or before hydra decides to blow this to shreds themselves. Because I'm still not convinced it isn't them fucking with us."

"So we really don't have any idea on what we're actually dealing with?" Nat asks.

"Nope. That's why it's best if we're all there. Better to not take any risks," Tony concludes, letting us go back to what we were doing as we wait for this thing to land.

I stare at my phone.

I had text Alex that I would be going on a mission and I wasn't entirely sure how long it would be but I couldn't foresee it ruining our plans of moving in tomorrow.

Usually she answers right away telling me to be careful and that she loves me. She tells me that I can't let her sunshine get taken away.

It's a whole thing. One that's happened every time I'm on a mission.

But for some reason.

There's no response.

I don't think she's working as she hadn't said anything. And I know her plan was to organize the house so I could bring my stuff over.

It's possible she was in the shower or shopping or something when I texted her. But that was almost two hours ago now.

Something just feels off. And this sickening feeling that's growing in my stomach is sending my nerves haywire.

I just want her to answer me. I've already sent a few more text after my initial one. I tried calling but got sent to voicemail.

I'm sure there's a simple explanation, but not being able to figure that out right now has me on edge.

I just want to get this stupid mission over with so I can run home and figure this out.

Thankfully I don't have to stay in my head about it any longer as the jet is landing.

We all stand up in silence, preparing our weapons and gear as per custom; the whole process being a tradition we are all very use to by now.

"Alright, team. Keep your eyes and ears open. Since we don't know exactly what we're looking for, be ready for anything. And stay alive," another great speech from Captain America himself.

I roll my eyes but take his words seriously. We don't really know what we're walking into. And although I don't foresee it being anything like a herd of aliens or an army of robots, it's still good to take every threat seriously.

Because you never know.

We all step out carefully approaching the building. Which is seemingly in the middle of nowhere and untouched for decades. Yup, seems fitting.

As we get closer, I'm just about certain no one is here.

But that's what I thought the last time I inspected an 'abandoned' building, and we all know what happened to me that time.

Albeit, it did lead me to Alex, the love of my life that I'm about to move in with, I don't really need to have another experience like that one.

So we approach carefully. It's like holding an unloaded gun. Just because you're sure there isn't a bullet in there, doesn't mean you didn't miss one; doesn't mean it couldn't be deadly.

The silence is absolutely deafening, making my skin crawl and my hairs stand on end.

There is definitely something off here.

I felt something similar the first time, I'm not going to make the mistake of ignoring it this time.

We're at the house now, all of us looking for our own entrance as we scope it out.

I go to speak into our comms to give everyone an extra warning before we head inside.

But I'm stopped short.

If I didn't see it unfold before my eyes, I wouldn't have believed it happened.

Because, as we all walked along with the only noise being from the crunch under our steps or the creak of a door hinge as someone swings a door out, the house had stood still. The bones of a once stoic building brought to a former shell of itself by time and weathering and abandonment.

Now it's covered in flames. The heat emanating off it at an alarming temperature.

Each piece of wood quickly setting flame to the one next to it as it spread across the whole building, suffocating whatever life was left..

Life.

Shit.

Tony, Nat, Steve, Bucky, Clint, Peter, Sam.. everyone was on their way inside.

I was just about to be myself.

Except I got stuck here.

Frozen to my spot.

Flashbacks of a fire trying to consume me, my powers doing nothing to help, rendering me useless to everyone else that might need my help.

I know I should at least move away because, ya know, burning flames; create some distance while I try to find where my family is, make sure they're safe.

But I forgot how to move. And that might be the downfall of all of us.

Because I know we were suppose to be ready for anything, but we certainly didn't expect this.

I know I didn't.

Internally cursing myself for not seeing it coming. It's been a part of the pattern. Hell, it's one of the few pieces of the pattern we actually know. And we didn't pay enough attention to it.

Now we might all pay the price for it.

No.

I can't let that happen.

I was saved last time.

Someone saved me. So I got to live. There aren't any fire trucks on their way here.

It's me. I have to save my team.

Finally being able to move, I start to look around to see if anyone else is still out of the building and didn't make it inside, wishing like anything that most of them would be looking and yelling at me to get the hell away from the building.

But that isn't what I find.

Instead.

Almost immediately as I broke my trance and looked around.

I found them.

Looking right at me.

And I sense a bit of panic in them.

Shock.

Concern.

Fear.

Once again those ocean blue eyes giving themselves away.