Chapter 19 – Responsibility

[A/N: Suprise chapter, because I just started two new stories and it's going great so far!]

[2011 – July]

As I saw Wanda floating up to the roof, I simply opened up my arms and she dived right into my waiting embrace. Silent tears leaving her eyes, as she did so.

The Armor landing a few feet away.

"I know. I know it hurts, my love.", I whispered, her grip around my waist tightening at my words.

Seeing the man, Wanda had believed to be responsible for our parent's death for years, had opened up a lot of old wounds in her heart. I could feel her grief and pain over the death of our parents clearly, and they resonated with my own emotions.

Still, I knew killing Stark wouldn't lessen this pain. It would only grant me a moment of empty satisfaction and I had no use for that.

"I am proud of you, Wanda.", I said quietly.

Wanda had done through her own strength, what had taken me a transmigrated soul fusing with myself to achieve. She had put down her vengence.

"Come, let's go home.", I said to her.

Orignially we had planned to visit Stark Industries Headquarters and scan the diorama that served as the model for the new element Howard Stark had theorized.

But seeing Wanda this distraught, made me change my mind about that.

"No. Let's finish the last step of the plan.", Wanda said quietly, while looking up at me with teary eyes.

Being stunned for a moment at her absolutely adorable look, with her big red eyes, rosy nose and cheeks. It took me moment to refocus and answer, but not before giving her a soft kiss.

"Are you sure?", I inquired gently.

"Yes, I am. We go scan the model and afterwards you will snuggle with me for the rest of the night.", Wanda stated, as if that had been the plan all along. Well, it certainly didn't sound that bad.

"As you command, my love.", I replied back with a smile.

A moment later, Wanda levitated herself away from the mansion at a fast pace, while I used my speed and carried the armor towards an empty building on the outskirt, which we had rented for our short stay in the city.

Before joining up with Wanda at the Stark Industries Headquarters a few moments later.

"SILVER, have you gained access to the security system?"

"Yes, father. I have shut down the surveilance in the office as you asked me to.", Silver announced proudly.

"Well, done.", I praised lightly.

Turning towards Wanda, I addressed her next.

"You know which window?", I inquired.

"I do.", she assured, while using her abilities and floating us towards the office window of one Pepper Potts, and opened it with her telekinesis.

Once inside, we directly walked towards the big rectangular cloth-covered object in the office.

Pulling away the cloth from the diorama, that served as the model for the new element that Howard Stark had theorized and wanted his son Tony to create.

Taking out a small device, I instructed SILVER, "Scan it thouroughly and save the image."

A few lines of light moved over the diorama for a few seconds, before the lines vanished again.

"Done. I have saved the scan under the Arc Reactor files, father."

"Good. Time to leave.", I said to Wanda.

She nodded back and put her arms around my neck, as soon as I picked her up. Opening the window in the office, she floated us both out of the room, before closing the window again with her mind. After lowering us to the ground, I activated my Superspeed and we vanished a moment later.

…

After that night, Wanda and I had spent the next few days either in the bed of our rented home, or sparring in an abondened warehouse nearby.

We had also done a short sightseeing tour, as Wanda like those and I didn't mind wasting a few hours, if it made her happy..

"Do you think they will come?", Wanda asked, as we walked towards the hall, where Hammer's presentation would start any minute now.

"Vanko wants to destroy Stark's legacy and the Stark Expo is an event first introduced by Stark's father. Stark reintroduced the event, so there is no better opportunity to attack than here. And if Vanko shows up, then not before also luring Stark here. He wants to beat him publicly and tear down his reputation and achievements. He wants to see him destroyed.", I elaborated.

My arm laid over her shoulder, as hers was wrapped around my waist. We were currently wearing formal attire, with me wearing an all-black suit and Wanda a wine-red evening dress.

She truly looked gorgeous and I was seriously comtemplating about dragging her onto the nearest roof and ravishing her, but patience wasn't called a virtue for nothing.

"If Vanko wasn't a murdering maniac, he might have my sympathy.", Wanda deadpanned, which made he give off a short laugh.

Looking at the beautiful smile that formed on her lips, at having made me laugh, I couldn't help but steal a small kiss from her lips. I might be a thief, but she was definitely my partner in crime with her lips parting and inviting me in for a deeper kiss.

For a moment we just lost ourselves in each other, our mental connection brimming with love.

Parting lips, we looked into each others eyes, dragging out our moment of intimacy, as our breath touched each others lips.

"We should really get in the hall.", I said quietly.

I broke our moment with these words, knowing that it was time to move into the hall.

"Mhm.", Wanda nodded in assent, returning to her place at my side and wrapping her hand around my waist.

Moving towards the hall again, I took a moment to address SILVER.

"SILVER, I want you to shut down all surveillance systems the moment the attack begins. I don't really fancy exposing ourselves just because of some Russian maniac."

I had her do the same thing in Stark's house. And while SILVER might not be a match to JARVIS when it came to processing data or computing. When it came to infiltration and sabotage, she undoubtly exeeded his capabilities, which wasn't without reason, as I created her with that speciality in mind.

"Understood, father."

A few minutes later, we had reached our seats at the right edge of the audience, near the front of the stage.

Hammer had already started his lousy speech and introduced his drones. The man truly was a narcissistic prick. Sadly for him he lacked Tony's genius and that just made him completely insufferable.

Suddenly though the characteristic buzzing of a propulsion enabled flight could be heard and a moment later a man in an armored-suit landed on the stage in a classic superhero pose.

A red-gold suit that had a bright V-shaped light glowing on its chest piece. It was Stark and it seemed he had created the new element, like he did in the original timeline.

The audience had seemingly realized that it was Stark too and they just went wild.

Hammer on the other hand had an ugly look on his face, thinking Stark had come to steal his show. The idiot still hadn't realised that Vanko represented way more danger than he could hope to control.

Stark's little moment though was cut short, when the drones suddenly acted unlike they were supposed to, they powered up and aimed their weapons towards the audience and Stark.

I knew that Stark could probably handle himself against these cheap drones, but the people in the audience couldn't.

That was also the reason why I was here today. Without Rhodey, Stark stood little chance against Vanko himself and many more people might also get injured in their fight.

As I was partly responsible for this situation, I didn't plan to shirk my responsibility and let innocents suffer. I was not one who would willingly run around and save people at the expense of my own life, but when it came to the consequences of my own actions that was a different thing altogether.

Engaging my Superspeed and transforming my bracelets into daggers, I attacked directly without waiting another moment.