CHAPTER 112 - PROTECTIVE WANDA

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Charles, accompanied by Ororo and Hank, were seated around a table with members of the Avengers which included Steve, Vision, Natasha, Sam, and a holographic projection of Tony.

The two groups in a temporary coalition were discussing the effects of the recent attacks and some of the laid down precautions put in place in the event of another one.

"I doubt something like this will happen again so you can rest a bit easy for the time being." Vision, opting for his android form, stated casually.

Since not everyone had the same basis for the confidence he had, Sam had asked why he felt assured of that fact and Vision's reply came as easily as he made it sound.

"Unless they want to go on a wild goose chase for harmless civilian mutants, which will backfire on them since the public will be further incensed, it's best they go for a group they have under observation."

"Us." Charles said softly, understanding Vision's line of thought.

"Yes." Vision affirmed. "They would have gone for the Brotherhood but it has dissolved as long as everyone is concerned."

"And now that they've lost their prized lamb? Who do you reckon is next on the chopping block?" Tony asked while frivolously chewing on a licorice.

"Fortunately for you, they can't go against you since you are as public as can get so they might start digging at themselves for someone to throw into the flames." Natasha said while ignoring Tony's snickering.

She turned to Charles and spoke. "I heard you have a number of emergency bases you can use in the likelihood of something like this happening, and while I wouldn't recommend it, we will make sure the children are safe until you are done with your scouting."

They had to return to land one way or another, sooner or later, which meant that they had to make sure that none of Charles' hidden hideouts were under watch.

"It's fine. I know I can trust you with the safety of the children while we settle the issue of another residence." Charles said, receiving a nod of appreciation from those around, before continuing.

"That aside, while I'm extremely thankful for the help your team has rendered us, I'm still curious as to how Mr. Simons here knew about the Cerebro and how it functioned."

At that, the whole table turned to Vision to hear what he had to say.

Even if he was a technopath, he would have to be searching for something for his radar sensing to go down below and pick up the Cerebro's signal and all these were too much of a coincidence for Charles to acknowledge as true.

Seeing their focus on him, Vision's face and voice remained as it had always been on default. "It's just as you said, the Cerebro is a huge broadcasting antenna and like you noticed with the Jean Grey, I have a habit of keeping a psychic field spread wide around me. I just happened to sense something that acted the same as my psychic field. It's like we, me and the machine both, were beaming Morse code in an open channel only we could access."

While the explanation flew through the heads of most of the people present, Hank, Stark and Charles understood what he was saying.

Hearing Vision's words, Hank couldn't help but be a little curious. "You can speak with Cerebro?"

Unfortunately, Vision shook his head. "It doesn't possess sentience so it can only receive signals it is configured to. It can't interpret them on its own."

Hank felt a little disappointed for appearing too hopeful. It's not as if the Cerebro could just birth an intelligence quotient and start learning on its own.

Seeing no one putting forth any other issue, Ororo called the attention of both Tony and Stark and inquired about the regulators some of the other mutant kids were wearing.

This time it was Tony who answered her. "It's basically a lower powered version of the dampening cuffs we use when apprehending mutants. Rather than completely nullifying the effects of the X-gene, it instead reduces its activity and lowers the output of mutants wearing it."

"They can either manually or let it automatically regulate their output to a level where they can safely use it. It's basically a crutch to learn basic control over their abilities." He finished.

Vision then added. "It works well on those with emission type X-gene and has little to no effect on those with physical mutations."

After that, they just talked about a few mundane things before the meeting was called off and everyone went their separate ways.

°°°°°°°°

<Prosecution of marked targets have been initiated>

Vision nodded as ULTRON kept running on its and following laid down protocols that it kept updating with every minute changes those involved in it made.

The prosecution it mentioned didn't necessarily mean them dying. Most of them will live but spend the rest of their lives behind bars after losing every single thing they ever earned in their lives.

"Keep on fanning the flames, Sublime. I'll soon catch your trail." Vision said, mostly to himself.

Before he could continue, the door to his workspace opened and Wanda walked in with a frown on her face.

"I could feel your irritation from down the hallway before you came in here. What's got you upset, Wanda?" Vision asked without turning back as Wanda soon made her way to stand in front of him.

She folded her arms below her chest and stared questioningly at her metal-headed boyfriend.

"I can tell that you are irritated but as for why, that I can't tell you. So mind filling me in?" He directed his whole attention to her and asked.

Wanda held her stare for a few seconds before voicing her query. "You didn't tell me that Selene tried getting inside Pietro's head, Vis."

"Hmm?" Vision combed through his memory and saw that he only told her that Selene tried attacking Pietro before he intervened.

Seeing his look of realization, she asked with mild disbelief. "You forgot?"

Vision breathed out and partially went back to his work while also giving his excuse. "In my defense, I unintentionally glossed over it while spending time with you in Kamar-Taj. Why so pissed anyway?"

Wanda replied with distaste painted all over her words. "No one has the right to mess with my brother's memories. I don't care if she's thousands of years old, I'll make her regret trying to do that."

Unlike Vision, Wanda had a better chance against Selene Gallio due to being a magical being and having a mastery over it than Vision.

Even with the Mind Stone in his possession, the things he could do with it were limited. He had no way of using it to telepathically control every living being in this solar system, despite the fact that the stone was a universal aspect.

"While you've become strong during your time away, Selene has been around long before even the Ancient One was born. To survive that long and even the fact that she hasn't done anything to get back at me since that time speaks a lot of things about her character." Vision calmly advised.

Wanda wasn't too pleased with his words and turned away with a displeased pout. "You think I would lose if we were to fight?"

Vision nodded while staring directly at her. "There's a high chance you might. Your chaos magic is strong, possibly one of the strongest forces in the known universe and beyond, but that doesn't make you unbeatable."

He ignored her frown as picked her up with his telekinesis and pulled her closer even as she remained looking away while frowning with folded arms.

He hugged her with his left hand and parted her hair sideways with his other hand.

"If Selene comes then we'll deal with her and get done with it. You are being irritated for no good reason."

She sighed and dropped her hands with the frown fading off from her face. "It's just that I don't like the idea that someone can just attack my brother because they think they can and think I can't do anything about it."

Vision just laughed as this was the first time he was seeing just how Wanda could get protective of Pietro, almost as if she was the older one.

He knew that Pietro also had a mean streak when it came to his sister but he had yet to see it from the speedster.

"Then don't stress your pretty little head worrying too much about it. I'm moving for the Hellfire Club once I get Sublime and by then we'll have no choice but to fight her. You'll get your chance then." He coaxed her until her mood improved.

The extreme differences that shows in Wanda's character when she was with him in private and when she was in any other place away from him somehow both amused and baffled him.

She was strong, capable and smart. A figure of considerable power to anyone who saw her and made them aware of the disparity existing between them. But when she was with him, mostly when alone, he had no choice but to pamper her whenever she wanted. And she made sure to demand it regularly.

'But I can't say I don't prefer this happy-go-lucky version of Wanda. Beats the emo one in MCU and far outstrips the one responsible for M-Day.' Vision realized that he had nothing to complain about.