Epilogue

Obey to Run

"You did well today, I'm very proud of you," a voice with a thick German accent echoed through the stone walls of an underground laboratory.

The girl with auburn hair moved up to the German and asked in an impatient tone, "When will we be through with these petty simulations? We've trained long enough, we should be allowed to do things on the field by now."

"Patience, my dear, you're just about ready. We want everything to go perfectly on the mission we have in store for you. You must understand that your full cooperation is needed and through training we can see how...responsive you will be under our orders.

"I am ready," the girl said firmly.

"I know you are, but your brother is another story..." the German glanced to the side and the girl followed his gaze to where the silver-haired man stood.

"He seems to have...itchy feet," hissed the German, examining the muscled man who stood between two HYDRA guards, wearing cuffs around his wrists and ankles.

The girl stared at her brother, Pietro, as he got a twitch, his body yearning to move. His body blurred for a moment, but the high-tech cuffs kept him stationary. The girl stared at his pained face, knowing that being restrained was the equal to a normal person getting tetanus.

"If you wouldn't mind escorting Wanda and her speedy sibling to their rooms?" the German said to the guards.

The guards obeyed and as they reached Wanda, the German said, "Sleep well, dear. Your time of glory is swiftly approaching. Once you are ready, we will infiltrate the Avengers and destroy them once and for all."

Wanda regarded him momentarily before the guards took her gently by the arm and led them to their "rooms" which looked more like glass prison cells.

Pietro allowed the door to close, then stood near the small openings on the door so they could take his cuffs off. As soon as he was free, he hit the walls like a ball in a pinball machine, zipping back and forth, trying to relieve his stored energy.

Wanda knelt next to the glass and looked at him as his body blurred as he ran about the tiny room like a racehorse in need of a long run.

"Pietro..." Wanda said to him, placing her hand against the glass.

He didn't answer her, but she noticed he kept repeating something to himself. She pressed her ear against the glass and heard a muffled, "Must obey. Must obey to run."

"Darling, this is our job, we need to help him. He saved us and he made us more than what we could ever hope to be," Wanda prodded gently.

Pietro's hands threaded into his silver hair and his slammed into the wall again.

Wanda looked over sharply as a guard approached Pietro's room and knocked on the glass. Pietro turned, obeyed and returned to the position to have his cuffs put back on. Once he was secured, the door opened and the guard stepped in.

"Where are we going?" Pietro inquired in a clipped tone.

"Strucker wishes to have a conversation with you," the guard responded.

Pietro halted, "I will do whatever Strucker bids, if that is the question."

"He thinks you may need a bit more convincing," the guard answered.

Wanda watched blankly as Pietro inhaled sharply and tried to pull away but the guard pushed him down the hall.

Wanda leaned against the wall and sat in silence until she could hear the screams of her brother coming from afar.

She tilted her head back and looked at the ceiling, unconcerned.

It was his own fault, he had brought it upon himself.

Pietro disobeyed and needed to be punished.

The Avengers will return in Novocaine