An Extranormal Liason

[Doomshroud]

-Ruins of Sokovia-


Vision arrived in the gloomy light of day, descending as a caped streak of red, green, and gold from the cold grey canvas of the sky. The wind rushed past his ears, flowing cape beating harder at his heels with every passing moment. His cool, sanguine features betrayed the almost human exhilaration gathered in his stomach as he neared the ruined city. Flying had always been one of the most wonderful sensations he could ever hope to experience, and it always somewhat saddening to think that few would be able to experience it as he had.


However, the closer he drew to Sokovia - towards the splintered streets and the crumbling, almost skeletal building frames - his mind drifted from the sensation and towards the mission at hand and what it would entail.


It was surreal, returning here in light of everything that'd happened. His boots soundlessly met the pavement, a tense quiet looming over the region that, months ago, had almost destroyed the world. The dust prickled with the despair of a fallen nation; the same despair that had reverberated across the world like an tremor, till it splintered people, heroes, and friends apart like an emotional earthquake; the very same despair that had put him at odds with his former friend and teammate, the prime target of his mission today, Wanda Maximoff.


He crossed ground at a slow pace, gaze roaming the bleak buildings and fallen intersections in search of her. His powerful footsteps hung in the air, his steady stride becoming a glide as he hovered a few feet off the ground. The exhilaration that had filled his stomach moments ago was sinking into a pit of gloom, and regardless of his duty to uphold the collective good, he allowed it to. He'd known the mission wasn't going to be an enjoyable one since the moment Ross had assigned it to him.


He was beginning to approach the heart of the city - a church, where the citizens once might've gathered in unified praise. Ultron had been rather fond of it, and somehow, Vision imagined he might find Wanda here, perhaps searching for herself with her newfound freedom.


When he'd finally arrived on the charred and crumbled structure, he briefly closed his eyes in an unsuccessful attempt to halt the guilt on rise in his insides. Forgive me, Wanda, he thought, and taking a deep breath, he entered, trusting that she'd already sensed him.

 

[NanLia]

She had been offered amnesty with Rogers, security and shelter and she'd refused, politely.  This was her cross to bare, her errors had lead her down this path and she had but one choice but to make amends.  They had been imprisoned wrongfully; without a trial, without anyone knowing or caring why they'd done as they had.  She would not sit quietly for injustice, her reason for not simply disappearing was she had hoped that Tony would be able to speak on her behalf, get her the trial she had hoped for, allow her to speak her own voice for her own actions.  This had never come, the days grew longer and she'd remained hidden within the hollow shell of her once home, once more regretting her decisions made her passion.


She had become aware of another presence within Sokovia; someone had finally come to retrieve her.  She had had no doubt this day would come, and she'd known that it would, no, could, only be one of the Avengers that had signed the agreement she'd been opposed to.  Vision.  It pained her to know it was him assigned to retrieve her, but who else would they have sent?  Truly, he was the only that could resist her Mental Manipulation.  Anyone else she could have had them believing they saw nothing, let them search for days while she simply watched and let them be off again.  But Vision?  He was resistant to her powers.  Yes, she'd overpowered him previously, at the Avengers compound, but she believed she'd only been successful because he'd never thought she would use her powers against him.  She'd had the element of surprise.


She did not hear him enter, but knew the stood at the entrance way of the church, she remained seated on a broken stone pew facing away from the entrance, she'd erected a barrier between them, only to prevent him from coming too close, too soon.   "Vision."  She'd speak, her voice soft and silky, head would tilt so she could see him over her shoulder; dark eyes illuminated with a faint red glow, clear indication she was using her powers.  On the floor aside her feet were empty bottles, she'd been here some time, and by the faint flush on her cheeks, she was clearly intoxicated.  Simply seeing him again brought back pain and regrets.  He'd well and truly had reached out to her, she'd had felt that they could have been the closets of friends.  She'd visibly wince, eyes closing and the barrier would flicker, but for a moment before returning between them.

 

[Doomshroud]

His approach was steady as to not inspire any alarm as he neared her. Dust settled about his steps; tiny bits of rubbish fell at his heels, and to enter the center hall, he had to glide over a slab of fallen stone.


Vision paused the moment he saw her eyes glimmer a faint scarlet through the dusty gloom. He shuffled uncomfortably where he stood, meeting her gaze with a solemn stare of his own as Wanda's red energies flickered into a barrier that sought to divide them. I suppose I can't blame her, he thought. It is a...natural response.


Somehow, the tenseness in the air seemed heavier than ever before. The barrier only made tangible their strained bond, and even though he knew that he was the only one capable of bringing her in, he couldn't help but feel that some mathematical error had been made in assigning him this task. What if he became distracted again and she slipped away? What if this encounter only further deteriorated the bond that he sought to mend? He could only hope that another catastrophe wouldn't unfold. Pity that hope was founded on sentiment alone...


"Wanda," said Vision, his voice cool, measured and colored with the accent of a Brit. It seemed obvious that she was intoxicated, if the bottles at her feet and the trace of flush on her cheeks was any indication. He felt a rush of concern that he didn't allow to be stricken on his features, exuding calm in an otherwise worrisome situation.


Vision watched as her eyelids fluttered shut for a moment and the barrier flickered. He could've moved, could've taken the split second of opportunity to dart forward and conclude his mission. For anyone else, he would've. But this wasn't just anyone else. This was Wanda, his friend, and even in the darkest of times, he couldn't bring himself to simply stop her.


Instead, he thought it best to talk to her. To gain insight into her emotional state and to hopefully convince her that this was for her benefit.


He took a single step forward, mere feet away from the barrier, his eyes never wavering from her own. For an android armed with immense encyclopedic knowledge, he didn't quite know what to say. So, he asked the one question that had persisted in his mind in every imagined scenario of encountering her.


"How are you?"

 

[NanLia]

"How.... am I?" The question itself, from any other person, would have been a mockery, but him?  He didn't know, how could he?  


She would rise, slowly, to turn and face him down the center aisle, her movements unsteady enough she needed to place a hand on the arm rest of the pew to regain her balance.  She had no answer for him, none that she could vocalize and were she not in the state of being and mind she was, she would have simply ignored it.  Instead her powers seemed to take on an edge of their own, she had always been and would always be an emotional creature, her powers driven by this.  Telepathy; her emotions would lash outwards, uncontrolled, but non-violent.  She could not bring a voice to the question, could not consciously answer him.  Imagery, emotions would be presented in anything living within a certain radius.  The knowledge that she felt a failure; she was constantly fighting on the losing side.  Loss of hope; she had believed she could do so much as being part of the Avengers when in actual fact she'd been the reason for their split, their civil war.  


She would come to release the pew and take a few steps closer to the barrier, thankful for the dim light within the church, ever forgetful he was not human; he didn't need light to see her face.  "I won't go back."  She'd whisper to him, face twisting for a second in emotional turmoil before returning to the saddened expression she wore most commonly now.  


"They bound me."  Voice was a harsh, recalling the Raft.  "Chained and collared me like an animal."  She wanted nothing more than the flee from him, to run and hide and avoid this conflict, but to what gain?  She knew she could not evade him forever; he could follow her to the ends of the Earth, if he chose.  There was no where she could hide from him.  It left her only to one choice: fight.


This thought alone pained her more than anything.  There had been too much fighting of late, too much conflict between allies.  She had deeply regretted her last encounter with him, she had thought -she believed, she had been on the right side of their fight and she had been dreadfully wrong.  The barrier between them would flicker once more then disappear, the glow from her eyes would wink out and then quickly replaced with tears.  "I'll not fight you, never again."  She was broken by her own hand, it hadn't been the Raft or the agreement, she knew everything that had come down on her was of her own doing; she needed to make amends.   


"Do as you must, friend."  She knew failure in his mission could mean imprisonment of his own, and that thought was enough to steady her hand and end her protest of freedom.

 

[Doomshroud]

Her emotions swept over him like a telepathic tidal wave, a surge of suffering that left him even sadder than before.


Most would've buckled under the weight of her guilt. Were it not for his synthetic brain, Vision thought he too would've struggled to see and feel the burden of her guilt. But of course, he was an android, and thus was far more unyielding against the emotional storm pouring out of her. However, it was no easier to watch her blame herself for the rift that had arisen between the Avengers, when he knew it wasn't simply her fault but the buildup of numerous catastrophes. Her hopelessness deepened his concern. Its festered into her abilities, he thought, picking up on how involuntarily it all seemed.


"They were rather more...stringent, than I'd hoped," Vision said gingerly, inching upon the barrier. His mind was beginning to waver from the mission, but unlike the melancholy android who'd arrived in Sokovia, he was allowing it to. "I only wish to help you."


Bringing her in for the protection of herself and others was sensible, but he couldn't help but be bothered by the thought of delivering her to be incarcerated while she remained in this state. Collared and bound in a straightjacket, her emotional state would only worsen there, and their friendship forever lost to oblivion. But it's for the greater good, he painfully reminded himself. But what is good if it bequeaths injustice on another?


He didn't want to incapacitate or harm her in any way whatsoever, but if he couldn't talk her down, then his options were limited. But it was steadily occurring to him that imprisonment just wasn't the right choice. Her emotions would continue to fester, and when the inevitable day of her release came, she would only be more dangerous for it.


Immediate prevention of disaster at her expense versus gradually diminishing any chance of disaster and becoming a fugitive with her. He was at war with himself, with his duties, with his disposition. The gem on his forehead glowed with his inner conflict, its yellow light contrasting the scarlet of her barrier. He knew she wasn't fully responsible for the chaos at the airport, that the Sokovia Accords were the outcome of collective mistakes. He couldn't continue to let her sink into this pit of misery, but neither could he let her escape his attention. It would appear I'm experiencing a civil war of my own, he mused.


And then, the barrier flickered and died. The residual energies of her powers faded from her eyes, which sparkled with tears. She wasn't willing to fight him, not again. She was surrendering herself, and he didn't logical equations nor mathematical calculations to know it was genuine. The war with himself concluded, and in light of that, he moved ever closer to her, gaze met with hers. What happened next was a reflection of what he'd learned of humanity, things that provided most of them comfort, to be specific. She deserved far more than incarnation. She deserved solace, a friend in these troubling times, and the Raft would only deny her that.


So, he drew her into a warm embrace. He hugged her, letting his concern and compassion bleed into his words. "No...I won't return you to the Raft, where your suffering will continue. It would be inhumane of me to return you there now." He knew full and well the risks of his decision, of what it could entail. But he had to be confident in it, and even now, an equation was brewing in that mind of his.


"It is imperative that I bring you somewhere away from the observation of those behind the Accords. You'll...be living undercover for quite some time, till your name can be cleared. I'll have to produce false leads for the governments to follow, but otherwise, I'll be coming with you."


"Just as the Avengers were a collective good, each of them have made mistakes that have lead to the creation of the Accords and the divide. Yours was merely an accident, and even so, many lives were saved. This isn't your fault, Wanda. It is no one in particular's."

 

[NanLia]

He was moving closer, slowly and cautiously approaching her like one would a wild animal.  Maybe she did need the restraints?  Perhaps she was the animal Ross and the others saw in her.  She fought her emotions, trying to quell them before they took over.  Fear and acknowledgement; she would be returning to the Raft, to the cell and confinement.  She wanted to run, it was natural for her to feel this way, anyone would knowing their fate was sealed.  After her return to the Raft she doubted she would ever see freedom again, or anyone else for that matter.  Pain and loneliness.  She had drawn close to Vision during the Avenger's hunt for the Winter Soldier, their stay together had made her feel welcomed, but when she'd discovered he'd been assigned to hold her there, keep her within the facility she had started to doubt the authenticity of her emotions.  


She knew the man wouldn't lie to her, not unless it was an absolute necessity, but had he earnestly wanted to know about her?  Had he cared about her life growing up, the loss of her brother?  Or had it been calculated conversation to keep her mind idle and away from the idea of leaving the facility?


What he did next surprised her; he hugged her.  No, more than that, he was holding her, comforting her.   "No...I won't return you to the Raft, where your suffering will continue. It would be inhumane of me to return you there now."  She couldn't suppress the small sob that escaped her lips, her body would lean into him, eyes closing as she came to rest her head against his chest.  Hands would rise from her sides and gently curl into the material of his synthetically created armor.


"It is imperative that I bring you somewhere away from the observation of those behind the Accords. You'll...be living undercover for quite some time, till your name can be cleared. I'll have to produce false leads for the governments to follow, but otherwise, I'll be coming with you."


"Just as the Avengers were a collective good, each of them have made mistakes that have lead to the creation of the Accords and the divide. Yours was merely an accident, and even so, many lives were saved. This isn't your fault, Wanda. It is no one in particular's."


It pained her to hear this, more-so to know that he did care for her when she'd previously doubted his sincerity, "Please don't risk yourself for me."  She would whisper into his chest, but otherwise remain still, close to his warmth.  "I was the reason for the divide.  It may have been an accident, but if I hadn't been so careless, so cocky..."  She'd trail off, she'd been the cause of so many deaths, "I started the rift, I brought us here.  I should be imprisoned for my actions."

 

[Doomshroud]

"Don't punish yourself further for this," said Vision firmly, knitting his brows (or whatever they were) in considering of what she was proposing. He was beyond familiar with the Sokovia Accords and the catalysts, and in recent weeks had come to of know the actions of one Helmut Zemo, the true mastermind behind the crusade to detain or execute James Buchanan Barnes (more infamously known as The Winter Soldier). The Accords, well intended as they were, had opened a fissure that Zemo widened. Even the disaster Lagos, Nigeria had occurred under the terrorism of now deceased former Hydra agent, Brock Rumlow. Vision was firm in his conviction of Wanda's innocence; he'd warred with himself and reached this conclusion, and he didn't yet intend to let up.


"Your actions in Lagos saved the life of Captain Rogers and countless others," he quietly assured. "The alternative was a calamity that would have tragically claimed the lives of so many more. Your intervention prevented that. The Accords would've been enacted regardless in response to Ultron's incursion here." He shut his eyes ever so briefly. He would never bring himself to her abandon her to wallow in these perceptions. He'd always subscribed to upholding truth; he'd done so since the day of his birth, even theorized that it was one of the factors that enabled him to lift Mjolnir, were mental factors in play. And the simple truth of the matter, he felt, was that Wanda simply wasn't responsible for all of this. She'd merely been another factor in an inevitable dispute; the y variable in a larger equation of conflict.


"This divide started with Loki, then Hydra, then Ultron, then continued to escalate from those points in time. Please, don't burden yourself with the consequences of a collective."


She reflected his concern in equal measure, and it dawned on him the extent of their friendship. Here she was, willing to deny herself the (accompanied) freedom she deserved so that he himself would not be declared a fugitive. He would not let this be, of course, but the very gesture reminded him of how closed they'd come since spending much time together back at the compound. Furthermore, it occurred to him the magnitude of his compassion over her.


Vision cared for every member of the Avengers, former and otherwise. Each of his teammates were distinct individuals with equally altruistic qualities, and all of them carried the potential to inspire hope in situations most dire. It was what made them heroes, and why the vibranium-synth android respected them all. But Wanda? He'd interacted with her more than any. In a mind encyclopedic in its knowledge of humans, she was an anomaly; a variable that inspired new sentiments to surface from his emotional spectrum that even he didn't fully understand. He enjoyed her company immensely, and in light of the civil war, it was her situation that'd saddened him the most.


"And worry not over my freedom; I already have a plan in order to both maintain your freedom without any incrimination." Embracing her still, a hand fleetingly caressing a lock of brown hair, he pleaded, "At the very least allow me to take you from this place. You needn't stay here in the shadows of Ultron's destruction."


"Pietro wouldn't want you to suffer."

 

[NanLia]

Once more he was attempting to comfort her, telling her that her actions were for the greater good, but it couldn't change her mind, wouldn't make her believe she was not responsible for the outcome.  The mention of her brother brought home how much he knew about her, how much he knew about how she thought.  It was a small comfort, to know at least one other person in this world understood her.


She would inhale deeply, considering his words carefully.  She knew he would not have made any statements unless he  had perfectly calculated the result.  He stated that he would be able to keep her freedom without incriminating himself, and she believed him; but he couldn't calculate ever possible variable; people were chaotic creatures.  With a small sigh her body would lean back,  head tilting upwards so her dark eyes could regard him.  Her cheeks were still flushed, the effects of the alcohol still very much present in her system, but whether they hindered or enhanced her train of thought was hard to tell.  "If I agree to go with you."  She spoke slowly, thinking her words through carefully, trying to ensure she stated her next sentence perfectly; no loop holes. "Then you need to promise me that if my freedom compromises yours in any way, you will turn me over to Ross, personally."  This way she would know that he would not sacrifice himself needlessly; he'd done nothing wrong, and she could not accept him being incarcerated for what he'd done for her.


If he were ever incarcerated because of her, because he helped her, she would turn herself in for his freedom.  He was risking himself even here, though she was certain he would know exactly when and where any searching drones and aircraft would be, the fact that he'd been here, so long with her, without reporting this in, without arresting her as his mission no doubt stated.  She would wait, patiently, eyes filled with concern.  She wanted nothing more than to leave here, it hadn't been the place she had sought out.  She'd come here to be with her family, and found a shell of what had once been her home.  

 

[Doomshroud]

Vision inwardly sighed. This was precisely what he'd hoped she wouldn't propose, and though the android's mind raced with alternative possibilities and propositions, she'd left little way of escape besides telling her a lie that would no doubt rebound on him if she ever discovered that he wasn't complying with the promise in the future. There was little else to mull over; hardly an inner conflict to be engaged in. Her willingness to deny herself freedom in exchange burdened him with indiscernible dismay, but he could easily that there was no changing her mind.


"I promise," he said without stutter, his hesitation only in the beat of silence that had passed between her request and his response. T'was the only way. While others might've of pressed on and lost considerable time, he settled on the best foreseeable solution. Now more than ever, he hoped beyond hoped that in that moment, the alcohol in her system was suppressing her ability to read minds.


He glanced at gaping exit across the center hall through desolate stone and mounds of rubble, a draft of cold carrying in a wintry breeze that could be likened to icy knives being driven across the skin (not that Vision could feel it). He needed to contact Ross before they departed, let him know that 'an extranormal complication had resulted in Wanda Maximoff departing the scene before he could incarcerate her'. Given her abilities (and how she'd overpowered him once before), it wouldn't be hard to believe. At any rate, he was likely to be relieved of the task of detaining her for a time, enabling him to accompany her wherever they might go.


He would lead her out of the church by hand, the mind gem gleaming faintly as an idea sprung into mind. "Wanda," he began, pausing, "would you be feeling up to, say, bringing down the foundation of this building? It would rather the sell the initial part of your escape and my report back to Deputy Commander Everett Ross."

 

[NanLia]

She had waiting for his reply with bated breath, hoping it would be the affirmative, and when he answered, as she had hoped, he would be rewarded with the slightest of smiles.  She would walk with him quietly, enjoying the simple comfort of her hand within his; she'd missed her friend dearly, and though they'd made their apologies known to each other after their clash at the airport, she'd feared she'd lost him then, after she'd been incarcerated.   It was calming to know he still cared for her; her dark mood lightening more-so since his arrival.  It never occurred to her to use her abilities on him to determine if he were telling the truth, she knew he would never lie to her, not about something as serious as what she'd requested of him.


Exiting the church into the decimated streets, her dark eyes would look once more on what had once been her and Pietro's home.  She had hoped to do good by joining the Avengers, thoughts and wishes of restoring her home, her city back to life, but it had been lost now that she was a fugitive.  She was torn, she didn't want to remain within the ghost of her city, but she felt as though she was abandoning it by fleeing.  He voiced her name, drawing her from her thoughts, eyes would flit up to his at his request and she would nod slowly turning to face the building.


A shame it would be to have it torn down entirely, but Vision had a plan.  She'd turn back to face the church, mind focusing on her Psionic Energy, the telltale glow returning to her dark eyes.  From her free hand red glowing orbs formed, three in total they would seemingly seep from her gloved hand and take flight, a slow languished rotation around her palm as it was raised.  With little effort the fist sized orbs were released towards the church's walls and support struts in three separate locations.  Each would expand on impact, fluid like in motion, it would look as though they were each a droplet of water hitting the surface of a lake, ebbing outwards from the center point of impact. The red dropplets would cling to the wall and support struts while Wanda then used her Telekinesis to push then pull at the supporting frame work. 


The building would groan in protest, and finally one wall would give way to the building collapsing in on itself sending a cloud of dust as the rubble settled.  She'd let the power fade from her, those orbs now lost within the dust, the glow emitted within her eyes would eventually wink out.

 

[Doomshroud]

(Really good post. Descriptions and everything is on point).


All the while, as a thick layer of dust and dirt began to spread among him like a gaseous tide, Vision has brought two fingers to his synthetic audio receptors (known to the common man as ears), in which a coms link had been attached. As the very foundation of the ability groaned in protest of Wanda's collapse of it, he quickly bridged a connection of Commander Ross. As slabs of stone and mounds of rubble rolled about him, the collapse would resound in the background of the coms, while Vision made haste to explain the situation. Caught in the sea of dirt, Wanda might here snatches of their hurried discussion. Things such as "complications" and "brief disaster". In short, over communications, Vision had used the destruction of the church to sell a scenario in which Wanda evaded capture and he'd been caught in the resulting collapse of a building.


Then, slowly, all began to settle. The ivory cloud was beginning to disperse, the fumes of the once remarkable center of Sokovia settling to reveal an aftermath of rubbish and debris. The android lowered his fingers from his ear, the discussion evidently having ended. Somehow, he'd entirely avoided being covered dust, as though the dirt itself could not hope to cling to his vibranium armor and artificial skin.


He took a few paces forward, observing the downed foundation of the church with an almost pitying expression that plainly read "it had to be done". He doubted it would have stood for much longer anyway. At least it was destroyed for a cause most noble, rather than falling to the test of time.


He took flight, scattering pebbles and little rocks in his ascension beyond gravity. He turned to face Wanda's in midair, yellow and gold cape falling inches above the soles of his boots. "It is done," he said, calmly as ever. "Commander Ross has been informed of your escape, and thus will be focusing on other things for the time being. In the meantime, I've been relieved of the task of locating you for the time being. Which means we'll be able to move, er, under the grid."

 

[NanLia]

Eyes would close and she would turn her body to face away from the on coming roiling cloud of white dust and debris, she could feel small pellets of stone and other matter flicking and bouncing off the back of her red leather jacket, tumble on the ground between her booted feet.  If she'd cared enough she could have encased herself in a barrier, preventing any of the building's remains from contacting her but she'd wanted to feel it, acknowledge the destruction of something she'd believed to be beautiful even when it had been half collapsed.


She was mildly aware of Vision communicating, he'd said he'd had a plan after all, but she felt no need to try and listen in to what he said,  The cloud past, rubble settled and she'd turn back towards where Vision had paced, she idly wondered what he'd thought of her 'work', she was always uncertain of what other people, meta-humans or not thought of her powers, felt about what she was.  One of the last things he'd said to her prior to the rift within the Avengers had been about fear, people fearing her, her powers.  At the time she'd retorted that it was her own fear she'd needed to conquer but in the time since her self-confidence had waned.  The Raft was enough to detail how much other peoples fear of her abilities needed to be considered cautiously. 


His body rose, weightlessly and her eyes followed waiting for the remained of his plan, when he vocalized it she was surprised, delicate brows would raise in unison and it would take a moment before she could respond.  "You lied."  Simply speaking the words alone was enough to make her think again, had she missed something that would allow him to speak a truth still.  She shook her head.  "You lied to him for me."  This was not the Vision she'd known, he was very much the same person, human enough for her, but old Vision, prior to the Avengers rift, he'd never have done such a thing, and it made her curious as to why he was willing to do so now.  "Under the grid?"  Her lips would twitch into a slight smile, was the man learning ironic humor, or had his speak simply stumbled into a pun?  "Where to, then?"

 

[Doomshroud]

Vision slightly angled his head to the side in mild consideration of his lie, brows (or rather, ridge) creasing. He hadn't let it particularly trouble him till now, but it now occurred to him in an unusual way. Little to no shame or guilt set in his stomach. He'd already resolved to aid Wanda in remaining free for a length. He'd already worked out that he was bound to tell some lies somewhere down this road, against his altruistic inclinations. What lingered in his mind, however, was what she'd said, and the surprise her features had emoted. "You lied to him for me."


And so he had.


"I..."-took no pleasure in it, he might've added. It was perfectly true of course, and he otherwise wouldn't of done it. Lies produced subtle veils that divided people; they created invisible fissures just waiting to split into earthquakes of doubt and mistrust. They were unbefitting of a hero, a symbol of hope, security, peace. But Wanda...


Her inquiry spared him the trouble of answering. He thought of the place early in the church with her, and of measures to keep them both free from detection. Rather than his usual armor and cape (which was certain to draw unwanted attention), he'd simply project regular clothes. A suit, maybe. Or perhaps the sweater and shirt he'd worn at the bunker; he'd grown quite fond of that attire. However, for all the abilities granted to him the mind stone, he had not yet discovered how to shift the colorization and appearance of his synthetic skin. And that was where Wanda could come in.


She was human, so she could more easily disguise herself. He'd also theorized that the more psychic layers of her abilities would allow her to project a sort of disguise for him - a mental field that would produce the image of an ordinary human, rather than a scarlet android. Such would likely require them to remain in close proximity of each other at all times (or at least, when in public view), but that had been the plan all along.


"I've been considering...London, perhaps," said Vision, voice thick with accent. A light, silky veil of gold began to lace around his frame, snaking around like a strand of the sun till his body in its entirety (below the head) was engulfed in light. For a moment, it appeared his back was draped in a cape of pure light. Then, slowly, steadily, its length lessened, ascending up till it was no more. The light began to diminish as quickly as it'd come, till all that remained was his altered attire; a jet black sweater and a white, collared shirt beneath it, along with a dark pair of jeans.


"I've noted safety measures to be taken so that we may avoid detection there."


(After your post, you cool with a short time skip to London? Maybe a week so later?)

 

[NanLia]

Wanda would inhale slowly, it was always memorizing to watch his ability to synthesis his dress to whatever he deemed to fit the current situation.  The transformation, for lack of a better word, only took a few seconds, but it was awe-filling thing to watch. More so for herself, she believed, given her talents; her abilities move and change matter; it was one thing to control forces yourself, but an entirely other matter to see another person doing so.  


It only occurred to her after his change had been completed that perhaps watching would be considered rude.  Perhaps it was only a human consideration, that he, being an android, would not, or simply could not care about etiquette in regards to changing clothing.  It was small things like this, that confused Wanda.  All other interaction with Vision was human, despite his odd speech patterns, and so when something that should bother a human, like rudeness or embarrassment, didn't bother him it brought up mixed emotions.  Every part of her being sensed his, she could feel his emotions when she sought them out, yet they never reflected on his features not unless he was caught off guard.  Predictably Vision speaking distracted Wanda from her quiet contemplation. 


"London it is,"  She'd nod, then frown.  His attire would be perfect to slip into the busy streets there, but his exposed synthetic flesh on his face and hands still the uniquely Vision shade of scarlet.  This wouldn't work, they'd be noticed at once.  Vision was an icon after Ultron given the nature of his creation and being, and she?  Well given her current status as a fugitive it wouldn't fair them well to have people gawking over Vision wandering the streets of London with her, certainly not after his report to Ross.


She would regard him carefully, thinking of what could be done to disguise his flesh.  "Let me...."  She wouldn't finish her sentence as once more the red glow would return to her eyes.  She would project a barrier, much like the one she had previously to keep herself away from Vision within the church, however this time she was focusing carefully, adding detail and attention to it's manifestation.  The barrier would, at first, be large and unfitting, but after careful manipulation she would gain better control, understanding what she needed to do.  The barrier would shrink, and at first it would be confining, threatening to squeeze his very being, but slowly, ever so carefully it would let up, become flexible around him, lighter nearly invisible.  From there she would tweak the very molecules that the barrier had trapped between him - a trick she picked up while imprisoned in Wolfgang von Strucker's research facility.  She would eventually be satisfied with the end results; fair colored skin to match those born of the Britain, where his accent hailed from, sandy blonde hair to look like a model she'd once seen in a magazine at the Avenger's compound and soft blue eyes.  His eyes were the easiest to perfect given they were already blue in hue, it was simple measure of masking them look less..... electronic.


Work done she was lean back and appraise her efforts, she could only hope that he would appreciate the human-like version she'd mocked for him, she was quiet proud of herself giving this new unknown talent.  "Just one last thing Vis."  She'd 


attempt to give him a nick name, but the appellation of beginning of his name sounded more like she'd pronounced it Viszh with her Sokovian accent.  "Humans can't levitate." 


(Feel free to start us in London!)

 

[Doomshroud]

-Chapter Two: Lounging About London


It had been a whole week and a half since Vision and Wanda had departed Sokovia and arrived in London, and the city's contrast to the barren, lifeless ruins of the failing nation couldn't have been any starker (not even if Tony Stark himself had made the comparison). A colorful sea of citizens and tourists alike roamed the clean streets, going about their normal lives in an otherwise uncanny world; the air was warm with the occasional cool, comfortable breeze drafting about. During the day, the sun filtered through the clouds. And at night? London glimmered with light and life - a dignified metropolis compared to the desolate gloom of Sokovia.


It was here that Vision hoped Wanda could find some happier measure of freedom, and so far, all seemed well.


It was morning, 9:45 AM to be approximate. The pair of them sat a round, white and dotted table in a coffee shop. Vision had chosen to don a dark green variation of his sweater, one leg crossed over the other as he examined an article. Sunlight streamed through the near spotless windows, casting a warm glow on all present.


"Once more, no sign of Captain Rogers and the others," said the android contently, sipping from a steaming mug of cappuccino. "I assume hes undercover, as we are."

 

[NanLia]

Wanda had taken to the city life far slower than she was certain Vision would have liked.  The scene was beautiful, the people wondrous, but it had taken her several days to start feeling better about their situation.  At first she'd believed that any moment Stark would arrive to arrest them both, but as the days drew on wards, those thoughts and feeling came less and less frequently.  She'd started to enjoy their time out, dining and exploring, and she'd come to appreciate how much effort he placed in making her feel happy.


The barrier mirage cast about his form had become second nature by now, though she had practiced near continuously when they'd first arrive,  in private when at home, now she didn't even have to focus greatly to maintain the image.  Even now she was gazing through the window at their preferred coffee shop, contently watching the people passing by, idly wondering where they were going, work?  Home? It was an odd curiosity, to her, since she'd never had had time previously to consider what normal people did in their normal lives.


Dark eyes would turn to regard Vision, or rather Visions disguise after he spoke. "That's good,"  She'd offer a small smile, "He must be doing a good job of it, considering how well known he is."  She'd done little to disguise herself; she did not have the fame the other fugitives did.  A hair cut and slight coloring and a change of usual dress.  Hair had become a lighter auburn, it would still looking natural to her skin-tone, and cut to her shoulders, layer in mock of recent fashions.  She'd dressed herself simply, jeans and a light cotton long sleeve shirt, though she kept true to the colors she liked: Dark grays and browns.

 

[Doomshroud]

"Yes, I agree," said Vision, allowing a pleased smile to tug at the corners of his mouth. "I'd imagine hes employing a disguise similar to that of Mister Barnes, though I suppose lying low has also helped matters." Disguise or not, it would not do well for the Captain to roam about in public. Between avid fans, alert authorities, security footage and facial recognition, someone or something would have been bound to identify him eventually. A hat and casual attire could only delay discovery for so long. But then, this was Captain America they were speaking of.


He took another sip from his steaming mug, savoring the taste filling his synthesized tastebuds. It wasn't often that he ate or drank anything at all, not that he needed to. He'd quite taken a liking to cappuccino in the last couple of weeks, however. Moreover, he quite liked the latte art over the surface. The android always seemed to pick up something new in the little designs each time.


"Maintaining this mirage seems to be coming easier to you now," Vision commented with a small smile.


@NanLia

 

[NanLia]

Wanda's smile would brighten further at Vision's compliment, from anyone else it would have been a simple statement; slight recognition of a task becoming easier, but from Vision?  Well the man could detect the slightest of anomalies without any thought, the fact that he felt he needed to mention this change in her abilities not only meant that she did, in fact improve, but enough to warrant his attention.  


"Yes," She'd reply slowly, finger tips rising to tuck a few loose strands of hair behind her ear, a habit she'd developed each time she was met with any sort of compliment.  "I seem to have better control of..." She'd pause, cautious of her wording. "them over the past few days, I don't need to focus as hard any longer.  It's strange, I never considered that I could become this strong."  An honest admittance on her part, after more recent events and incarceration, she never considered the idea that one day she could control her ability entirely, so much of it had been learnt from emotion; love, fear, passion that she had been beginning to believe she was the Monster Ross and the Sokovia Accords had labeled her.


Dark thoughts once more she didn't want to consider them, Vision had freed her from the dark place, brought her to a world she'd not known; the life of a civilian, days spent doing as they pleased.  She was eager to change the topic.  "Shall we go to the museum today, Vis?"  She'd read an article or heard a new advertisement for a new exhibit, though she was certain Vision would already know everything there was to know about every object within the museums walls, she would still enjoy the time spent with him.


@Apex

 

[Doomshroud]

"I did," said Vision, regarding her admittance in earnest. The android tapped the gold mind stone against his forehead, which was undoubtedly hidden beneath the psionic barrier. "Or perhaps, it did. I suspect that the divide between it and my calculations are often muddled. Whatever the case, it only seems natural that your powers continue to expand. Your potential is deeper than you or I know." 


He sipped again, his musings astute as ever. Still, he was left with no concrete deductions of how far her powers would grow. The stone's nature was fathomless; it had powered Loki's scepter, given Vision life and enhanced the Maximoff's. Perhaps her potential too was fathomless. Only time would tell.


"Yes, a visit to the museum does seem in order," said Vision,a modicum of intrigue filling his features. There were many museums to be visited in the city, of course, but he too had heard of a new exhibit being unveiled to the public in the Museum of London. The prospect of going to examine it was an enjoyable one.

 

[NanLia]

A slight flush carried over her features as Vision described how he, or his mind stone, and known her powers, her strength would develop as far as sit had. It was both sense of easy and dismay on her part. While happy to know she was becoming stronger, able to control her powers more so, it also filed her with a sense of being overwhelmed, a sense of worry. There was always potential of her power to out pace her ability to control them, and what then?

Vision was likely the strongest of the Avengers as it were currently, and she had been able to over power him before her new found strength, but simply tapping into the Mind Stone and using it against himself. She forced a smile onto her lips and shook her head slightly bring drawn from her thoughts once more by Vision's agreement for an excursion. Recently she had been feeling monotonous; like they were simply repeating the same day over and over again, and she hoped this trip, this sight seeing tour for the two of them would liven up theirs lives.

"Perfect." She responded, taking a sip of her coffee; simple pleasures for her, expertly made coffee, no sugar or cream added, she enjoyed the bitterness of it. "The Museum of London's new exhibit is opening today, I believe, if I read correctly. Pompeii." A subject that often fascinated her, and entire city that had been frozen in time and preserved in detail.

 

[Doomshroud]

The Android knew a wide variety of subjects across the spectrum of knowledge, and Pompeii was no different. An archaeological ruin located in the Campania region of southern Italy. The site was ancient and weathered; mounds of history had been buried under a volcanic eruption dating back to 79 A.D, and yet it'd been so well preserved. As with many things, Vision harbored an interest in it. A small smile crossed his illusion-masked visage at the mention of the once prosperous city.

"Interesting!" He serenely exclaimed, clasping his fingers together in thought. "I've always been rather intrigued by the history of the ancient Romans. Perhaps I'll one day visit the site myself." With Wanda, perhaps. When tensions over the Accords diminished and the Civil War truly resolved. He thought she might enjoy the architectural wonders of the excavation.

 

[NanLia]

Wanda laughed hearing his interest in the exhibit; one would think a man that could harness any information he willed on demand would find this boring, or repetitive. "I'm glad you think so." She admitted, "It would be a very interesting place to see, but then there are many of those in the world." She set her coffee down, eyes traveling back to the window, always watching the people of the city. Wanda had found a growing sense of boredom recently, as much as she was delighted with 'playing house' with Vis, it was limiting. First by her own hand; terrified of being found out and worse yet condemning Vision with her, then secondly by the simplicity of it all.

They had been heroes! Fighters for freedom, protectors of the innocent, and yet here they stay reading the paper and sipping coffee. Fine, vacation was a great thought; but she felt useless as of late, felt like she could be doing more with her time. She knew very well that it could never be; the whole point of their laying low was just that, to be part of the crowd and unseen. Just another civilian. She uttered a soft sigh before turning her gaze back to Vision. "Was there anything else that interests you in the city?" She was looking for anything to occupy her mind.

 

[Doomshroud]

A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth when she laughed. "You are right of course," he nodded. "There are more archaeological wonders out there." It somewhat sadly occurred to him that Sokovia might've been preserved as one in the future, rebuilt even, had the destruction not been so extensive.

Vision too took a moment to stare out of the window. The sun glinted bright through the glass. The android could feel the warmth against his synthetic skin - appreciated the radiance cast over the city's one-of-a-kind architecture. The simplicity of the last few weeks had done little to diminish his inquisitive spirit (or rather, consciousness). He rather liked the contrast between the simpler life and the life of an Avenger. His powers were unique and quite the experience when put to use; few things were as uplifting as soaring through the clouds.

However, there was something unique about observation from the perspective of a civilian, and he hadn't yet "tired" of it, really. He was different from Wanda in that regard; divined from the littlest of microexpressions he could read, something told him that she took a different view of it.

"Well, the architecture is quite nice, but I daresay we've done more than our share of sightseeing these last few weeks," said Vision, eyes almost twinkling with humor.

 

[NanLia]

Wanda's eye brow arched with interest at Visions last statement, like he can read my thoughts. Though she knew this was not an ability given to him by the Mind Gem had given to him he had likely been calculating her responses to certain words or some such -she was never quite sure how he knew what she felt when she certainly was attempting to conceal it. Perhaps Vision was simply better a reading other humans emotions that she was?

"We have done quite a bit here, and very little at the same time." She admitted. It bothered her to sit in their flat watching local news only to see that she could have prevented some crime that occurred. Even petty crimes like muggings would suffice, but she couldn't; it would put both of them at risk.

She was falsifying a smile before continuing. "I think I need a hobby, or job. Something to keep me occupied." What she wanted beyond all else was to help others; that was the reason she and her brother had submitted to experiments with Dr. List, they had become fighters for their people, even if their ultimate goal had been to take vengeance on Stark, there had been good intentions behind their reasoning.

 

[Doomshroud]

Vision considered this for a moment. A slight crease formed in his brow. His fingers drummed against the gold stone on his forehead, an idle thing he'd come to do when carefully running over something. It was one thing to tour the city 'neath veils of illusion and disguise, but finding her a hobby, a job even, ran the risk of compromising the low profile they'd maintained. There were too many variables to consider when it came to applying for an occupation. Was diminished boredom worth risking freedom?

Admittedly, this wasn't an equation he wished to put forth. Not yet. Instead, he elected to hear what Wanda might have in mind. "Are there any particular jobs or hobbies you've considered, Wanda?" the android asked, brightly.