Chapter 41: Pietro Awakens

Pietro Maximoff slowly stirred from unconsciousness, his senses gradually returning as he blinked away the hazy fog clouding his mind. He felt strange, lightheaded, and a bit disoriented. His body tingled with an unfamiliar energy, his limbs almost vibrating with a restless power he had never known before.

Where am I?

He tried to sit up, wincing slightly as he looked around the cell he was in. Energy fields glowed faintly in front of him, cutting him off from the rest of the room. The architecture was foreign, strange, and he felt a creeping unease as he surveyed his surroundings. The last thing he remembered was an intense shockwave—Wanda's shockwave—and being thrown across the room. Then an interrogation. And then suddenly, nothing.

Pietro's sharp gaze shifted, landing on the figures in front of him, outside his cell. His vision focused as he saw his sister, Wanda, standing not far from him. Relief flooded him, but then, confusion quickly followed. Wanda was wrapped around a man he didn't recognize, arms draped around his neck, her face nuzzled into his chest as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Pietro's eyebrows shot up, and before he could stop himself, the words flew from his mouth, laced with disbelief: "What the hell is going on?"

Max, entirely focused on Wanda, suddenly tensed at the sound of the voice. He turned his head sharply toward Pietro's cell, surprise registering on his face as he realized he had completely forgotten about the other occupant.

"Oh... right," Max muttered, clearly caught off guard. He extended his hand and summoned another magical contract with a flick of his fingers, teleporting it into Pietro's cell just like he had done with Wanda earlier.

"Here," Max said, keeping his tone business-like to regain some control of the situation. "Sign this, and you're free to come out. It's the same deal as Wanda—no attacks for five days unless you're attacked first."

Pietro gave Max a long, suspicious look, but glanced briefly at Wanda. She seemed completely relaxed, still clinging to this stranger like he was her lifeline, and that told him enough. With a quick shrug, Pietro signed the contract without even reading it and tossed the pen aside. The energy fields around his cell blinked off. He stepped out, stretching his limbs, testing the newfound energy coursing through his veins.

Wanda still held Max tightly, and Pietro cocked his head to one side, observing them with an arched brow. "Alright, I have nothing against Wanda kissing you, but just to be clear, I'm not doing that," Pietro said, his tone deadpan.

Max's face, already flushed with confusion from Wanda's affection, turned redder as he sputtered. "Oh, trust me, that's... really not necessary." He threw a mock pleading glance at Pietro. "Please, don't."

Pietro smirked, walking closer to them with his usual swagger. "Good," he said, nodding as he stopped in front of Max and Wanda. He then turned to Wanda, his expression softening. "Are you... okay? What happened to you?"

Wanda loosened her grip on Max just enough to look at Pietro properly. "I fused," she said simply. Pietro blinked, clearly taken aback.

"You... fused?" Pietro echoed, clearly lost. "What do you mean? Fused with what?"

Wanda took a deep breath, glancing briefly at Max before focusing back on Pietro. "I fused with another version of myself," she explained. "From the X-Men universe. I... I remember everything now. I'm both Wandas. I have both sets of memories, and I... I guess I'm one person now."

Pietro frowned, searching her face for more answers. "Wait, so you're saying you're a mix of two Wandas now? But why do you... look younger?"

Wanda bit her lip, thinking for a moment. "I didn't realize that," she admitted, glancing down at herself, taking in the changes in her appearance. "But I think... the younger Wanda—my X-Men self—might have been stronger at the moment of the fusion. It's possible my body just adapted to that version of me."

Pietro's face twisted in thought as he processed this, then finally nodded. "So you're both versions of Wanda, huh? That's... weird, but alright. I'll take it." He paused, eyeing her critically. "But now you're the younger sibling, no denying it." He gave her a playful smirk.

Wanda rolled her eyes, her lips quirking into a small smile. "I'm still your older sister in spirit."

"Sure, sure," Pietro said with a grin, clearly trying to lighten the mood. But then, his expression turned serious again as his gaze drifted back to Max. "Okay, but... what's with him?" He gestured toward Max, his eyes narrowing slightly. "And why are you still holding onto him like that?"

Wanda's expression softened, her fingers tightening around Max's arm. She rested her head against his chest again as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "It's... complicated," she admitted, her voice quieter now. "In the X-Men universe, I was left in a cell. Professor X and... our father... they said I couldn't control my powers. They abandoned me, left me locked away because no one wanted to help me."

Pietro's eyes widened, but he didn't interrupt.

Wanda continued, her voice trembling slightly. "While I was in that cell, I had dreams. Dreams of him." She looked up at Max with a warm smile, her fingers brushing against his arm. "I dreamt of Max. He was always there for me in those dreams. Kind. Protective. He was... everything I needed."

Pietro stared at her, speechless, as she went on.

"I was determined to find him, to meet him for real," Wanda said, her smile growing. "So, I used my powers to try and reach him. That's how the fusion happened. I crossed into this universe, and... well, now I'm here." She glanced up at Max again, her eyes full of warmth. "I'm where I belong."

Max looked thoroughly flustered, unsure how to respond, but Wanda didn't seem to notice. She simply nestled her head against his chest once more, looking utterly content.

Pietro sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Well... that's... something," he muttered. He looked at Max again, his tone now more curious than accusatory. "And what do you think about all this?"

Max opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out. He was still processing everything, his mind racing to make sense of the situation. Finally, he cleared his throat. "I think... we should probably take this to a conference room. There's a lot to discuss, and I'm... not entirely sure what's happening right now."

Wanda nodded happily, still holding onto Max's arm as the group began to move toward the exit. Yelena and Mason followed closely, casting each other amused glances at the spectacle.

As they walked through the corridors of the Storm Chaser, Wanda remained glued to Max's side, her hand clasped tightly in his. Max tried his best to act natural, but the awkward tension was palpable. He led the group into one of the ship's larger conference rooms, where small platters of sandwiches and drinks were already laid out on the table.

The moment Pietro spotted the food, his eyes lit up, and he darted toward the table, grabbing handfuls of sandwiches with both hands and stuffing them into his mouth at lightning speed. Yelena, watching with bemused amusement, raised an eyebrow.

"Hungry much?" she asked dryly.

Pietro, his mouth full, shot her a look. "What? I've been unconscious! I'm starving!"

Yelena rolled her eyes, then tapped her earpiece. "Hey, we're gonna need more food in here. Someone's already devouring everything."

Pietro grinned between bites, nodding in thanks as he continued to inhale the sandwiches. "Appreciate it," he said, his voice muffled by food.

Wanda watched the scene unfold with a soft smile on her face. This version of Pietro—her Pietro—was different. Kinder. Back in the X-Men universe, he had always been afraid of her, ever since that one time she had trapped him in a nightmarish illusion. But this Pietro didn't fear her. He was the same loving, protective brother she remembered from their childhood.

Was this the life I was meant to have? Wanda wondered, her heart swelling with warmth. Maybe this is where I was supposed to be all along.

As Pietro devoured the remaining sandwiches, the X-Men sat down at the table, glancing between Max, Wanda, and Pietro with curiosity. Logan, sitting in the corner, snorted as he watched the siblings interact.

"I swear, you two are the weirdest family I've ever met," Logan muttered.

Wanda chuckled softly, while Pietro simply shrugged, grabbing another sandwich from the new tray that had just been brought in.

Once everyone had settled in, the X-Men turned their attention to Wanda and Pietro, filling them in on the current state of the X-Men universe. Beast took the lead, his voice grave as he described the dire situation they had left behind.

"The N'Garai invasion has worsened," Beast explained, his hands clasped together on the table. "The Sentinels are fighting them, but it's a losing battle. Every day, more of our world falls under their control. We've been losing ground faster than we can recover."

Wanda's expression grew serious as she listened. "And you think... I can help?"

Beast nodded. "You're our best hope. You're powerful enough to stop them, but we'll need to find a way to unlock the full potential of your abilities."