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Who: Tommy and Wanda
Where: Tommy & co's shitty warehouse
When: April 21st
What: SURPRISE FAMILY
Warnings: Tommy, the Maximoff family

Wanda did head over to the warehouse immediately after her meeting with Jack, but she just couldn't bring herself to go in and talk to him. Her... her son. It had taken her a week to collect herself and prepare - she'd even made notecards, although Cint had finally persuaded her that no teenager had ever taken an adult using notecards seriously, and she'd left them at home.

Now, as prepared as she's ever going to be, Wanda is standing outside the warehouse in what she hopes is her less intimidating but more professional uniform. She knows Tommy is in there - she's been watching him all week with strategically commandeered security cameras, courtesy of CONDOR software. It's no good waiting any more. She's faced evil scientist dictators, thirty story tall radioactive beasts, robot overlords, saved the planet a half a dozen times, fended off alien invasions. Why does a teenage boy have her so nervous? Taking a deep breath, Wanda steps up to the dented metal door and knocks politely.

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His stomach drops when she speaks--mostly because part of him buried deep under all his shit, there's a little boy who wishes his parents were wrong and he'd gotten mixed up at the hospital--but mostly because what is his fucking life right now. And then she starts talking about host parents and DNA and his heartrate spikes, his image flickering just slightly.

"What?! Howisthateven--whywouldyou--youhavemyDNA?!"

Wanda's voice is as soothing as she can make it, and her hands are raised in a sort of placating/'don't shoot' position.

"It's complicated. I haven't really figured out how or why, but you are my son. You were born out of magic, and your host mother carried you and raised you. I'm so sorry I didn't find you sooner, and that I wasn't there for you. I know it hasn't been easy for you, and I wish I could have helped with that."

She wants to add 'but I'm here now,' but even to Wanda it sounds cheesy.

It helps some but the exposition helps more, and Tommy stares at her as he bites back everything his mouth is trying to spill out. He needs
To think rationally about this, and his brain currently isn't moving slow enough for rational thoughts. He draws in a breath through his nose and holds it, fists clenching as he breathes out, all done in almost a blink of a normal eye. He looks a little more relaxed tough. Or as relaxed as he can be.

Geez. It's fucking crazy but it makes so much sense. He's the ugly duckling or something and has been waiting for his stupid swan parents to remember about him. Everything lines up and clicks into place and he hates it. He hates that his mother--Mary--had been right. He was a mistake. He ruined her life. Everything she said to him, everything he'd told himself wasn't true,was. and then Wanda keeps talking, and Tommy narrows in on one thing she says. And he runs with it.

"How the hell d'you know what my life has been like? Huh? I just found out that hey, guess what! Everything your mom told you about being a mistake and ruining her life is true. But it's not actually the worst thing that happened to me this year. You don't know anything about me. And didn't even know I existed. I guess that makes two crappy moms, go me."

Edited 2014-07-15 22:21 (UTC)

That hits her like a punch to the gut, and Wanda clenches her jaw, an intense look of sorrow and anger flashing across her face. He has a right to be angry, she knows. She's seen the records on his parents, his school reports, his CONDOR file. It's awful, that the random rolls of chaos magic left him to be raised by such a dismal family, but it had nothing to do with Wanda. And now Tommy is lashing out, saying things to hurt her because he can, and that's certainly not allowed.

"Thomas Shepherd Maximoff." The placating tone is gone from Wanda's voice, replaced by a razor sharp edge. "I didn't know you existed until I ran into you in that park. I thought that when I became a parent I would have a little advance warning, and I am doing my best here. Magic is complex, and I'm sorry that you grew up in a bad situation. But that was not my doing, and I'm not going to defend myself or keep apologizing for it just because you are angry."

Maybe she can handle this mom thing after all.

He raises an eyebrow at the name she uses, visibly flinching.

"It's Tommy," he scowls. What does he care if she's hurt? She's not his mother. Frankly, he wasn't raised by one, period. And her turning up and expecting everything to be alright isn't going to change the fact that he's been on his own for longer than her can remember. No matter how much scolding she tries.

"Maybe I don't want you to be my parent. You think of that?"

"Then that's too bad. We don't get to pick our family." Someday she'll tell him about her father, the years she and Pietro spent running with his criminal Brotherhood, how they left, and how she still hasn't been able to cut him out of her life completely.

"I can't force you to spend time with me or like me. But I'm not going to just go away and leave you alone. I can help you, Tommy. You don't have to squat in an abandoned warehouse, for one thing. And I can get you and your friends enough food." She wants to lecture him about not eating so much junk food because she can see that pile of wrappers, but that's another one for later.

He looks completely affronted when she--was she threatening him with family?--and actually takes a step back. He looks like he's completely confused and unsure what to do. And Wanda's spent enough time around speedsters to be able to read their expressions, no matter how fast they change.

He looks at the floor, trying to think, when she starts talking again and he frowns. It occurs to him that Aña and Matilda will become involved in this mess. And getting involved with Alpha Force wasn't something either of them wanted, and no doubt Matilda would get taken and put into child services.

Tommy's jaw clenches. "We don't need help. We're fine," he frowns. "And they aren't part of this."

"That's a lie and we both know it. You don't have to do everything by yourself, you know. Pietro and I did when were young, younger than you. Living on the run, stealing to eat, sleeping in barns or empty houses. Life is much better when you can accept help. I know you've had some trouble with CONDOR, maybe your friends have too? I can help with that too, maybe even make it go away for good. I'm not here to bring the government down on you."

It's a bribe, but maybe one that will work out into a good deal for both of them. He doesn't need to be tossed back in superpowered juvenile detention, and Wanda is willing to bet his friends aren't exactly hardened criminals either. Especially not the one with the Exploring Era bedspread.

Edited 2014-07-21 23:03 (UTC)

What she says has him hesitate. He doesn't know if she's just saying things to get him to be more agreeable or if she's telling the truth. To be honest, all he knows about the Scarlet Witch is that she's on Alpha Force, who are affiliated with CONDOR. And CONDOR put him in juvie once. They can do it again.

He's easing up, but he's still cautious, looking at her carefully before she finishes, chewing on the inside of his lip.

"Yeah, 'cause I'm sure CONDOR would be all about you talking to a 'terrorist'," he frowns. He doesn't believe he's a terrorist. What had happened was an accident. But he's so sick of trying to prove that to people that somewhere along the line he just decided that being thought to be a sociopath was easier than having to explain himself.

Wanda can barely keep from laughing at the terrorist comment, and she does roll her eyes just a little. "Tommy. One vaporized school does not a terrorist make. Trust me, my father's been called a real terrorist. Besides, it's really none of CONDOR's business what I do with my personal life. I'd like to see them try and tell me who I can speak to." She grins and holds up her hand, which flares pink with magic for just a second.

"Look, just give me a chance. If I was going to turn you into the police I would have done that weeks ago. But if you get to know me you'll see I don't make a habit of getting kids arrested for no good reason."

Okay, well out of all the reactions he was expecting her to have, laughing wasn't high up on his list. He just looks at her incredibly confused for a second. So he knows that a) she was on the run as a kid, like him, and b) she was already associated with terrorists. And, yeah. She's got a point. If she wanted him arrested, she could've done it ages ago. She hadn't exactly stumbled upon his hideout. If you could call it that.

"Captain Victory did," he frowned. But it does look like he's coming around. "How do I know you're just not gonna turn me over to CONDOR the first chance you get? I'm sort of on the run."

Edited 2014-07-23 09:36 (UTC)

Wanda wants to point out that to be on the run you have to actually a) move around and b) conceal your identity, and Tommy has done neither of those things, which means he's technically just a squatter. But she keeps her mouth shut, because God knows it took her and Pietro a few months to figure out what they were doing.

"Captain Victory was a dear friend, but he could be a bit... black and white. Personally, for blowing up your school I would have taken you somewhere you could have gotten your powers a bit more under control. If CONDOR really wanted you in custody right now, they'd have you. You have a distinctive appearance, you haven't changed your name, and you've been seen in the city by Alpha Force members, Trailblazers, and CONDOR agents. But you aren't a real criminal and you aren't causing trouble. Even if I hadn't instructed them not to touch you without a very good reason they wouldn't be too worried."

Hey, he's totally come up with a codename, that counts as concealing your identity right? But what she says actually has him go quiet for a few seconds, which is sort of a big deal when you're dealing with someone who's brain runs a mile a minute.

"--You did that?" He asks, frowning up at her, in response to the last thing she had said. His shoulders have lost all their tension, and at the moment he just looks confused as to why she would. He looks down at his hands and flexes his fingers, thinking, his stomach doing backflips thanks to a sudden wave of nerves. He should've been more careful about concealing himself. He should've dyed his hair or changed his name or done something to make himself look less obvious. It didn't matter if he gave a fake name to the people he was running delivery for, he was still a 'white haired speedster'. If CONDOR knew, if Alpha Force knew, what was stopping TRIDENT from knowing? He pales rather suddenly at this revelation.

"--Shit. I should've been more careful," he says, burying his face in one of his hands, angry at himself. He was putting Aña and Matilda in danger just by being around them. He'd gotten so attached to actually being happy that he hadn't even considered...

"Do TRIDENT know? Do they know where I am?"

Wait, hang on. Hiding from CONDOR is no big deal, but hiding from TRIDENT is a whole other ballpark. "Why would you be hiding from TRIDENT? Were you involved with them?" Wanda's tone is completely serious now - you don't mess around with those guys. If they harm one hair on his head she'll make them wish they'd never been born.

"I don't know if they know you're here, but Alpha Force can protect you, and your friends."

He flinches when she asks him. So she didn't know about that. He's not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Sort of. Or, they were involved with me," he starts, before swallowing a littler nervously. It's still very much a raw wound. They'd tried to make him into a weapon. They'd tortured him and ripped him apart trying to unlock his secrets because of what happened at the school. He could barely walk when he got out of there, and Aña is probably the only reason he's alive. And now, he's trying to prove them wrong. It's not really been going well.

Wanda can probably tell just by how pale and sick he looks that he isn't exactly TRIDENT super-villain material.

"God, I'm so stupid."

This is bad. At least in her surveillance Wanda hadn't picked up any traces of TRIDENT ops, but that didn't mean they wouldn't show up eventually. Still, they probably weren't going to drop through the ceiling in the next five minutes.

"No. You're inexperienced and out here by yourself, doing the best you can. Not stupid, never stupid. But you and your friends should not keep living here much longer. You can all stay with me, until we figure things out. Because TRIDENT is involved I can't promise not to keep CONDOR out of this, but none of you will be in trouble."

Wanda knows she's making a lot of promises - including some she doesn't technically have the authority or the security clearance to keep. But anyone who tries to get to Tommy (and by extension his friends) is going to have to go through her first.

"I won't let them hurt you."

He looks up at her as she speaks, looking concerned. He really doesn't want to get Aña and Matilda messed up in his shit. Aña already sort of was--but that was her choice. It wasn't fair to bring a six year old into this mess.

"You don't get it. We're not exactly trusting of adults. And I'm not just talking about me," he starts, feeling sick. He needs to text Aña. He needs to find Matilda and he needs to move them. They lingered too long. He sees that now. God, he's only just realising that getting an apartment is a really bad idea. Maybe Alpha Force was the best place for him. But not for them. They weren't involved.

When she finishes, he laughs wryly, giving her a shrug. "It's kinda late for that."

The thought of what TRIDENT could have already done to Tommy makes Wanda's stomach clench, but she quickly pushes that to the back of her mind. She's livid, but there's time for revenge later. After these children are safe.

"Tommy, I do understand. But I need you to trust me for now. Your friends are involved, whether they wanted to be or not, and they can not stay here. I need to at least bring them in for a few days, just until Alpha Force can assess the situation. I don't think I need to tell you how serious this is, but maybe your friends don't understand the danger they could be in? I can try not to spook them, but... it's not a good situation."

She doesn't want to think of what her Alpha Force teammates will say when she shows up with three kids who refuse to have anything to do with CONDOR. Yet another thing to deal with later.

"I wasn't gonna let them stay here. Gonna make them move," he starts, frowning. Staying here isn't an option anymore, and he almost has enough saved for them to get something that's not got windows missing. Tommy'd go. They could stay, just not in this building.

"But I'm not going anywhere. Not 'till I talk to them. They won't listen to you."

It stings a little, but Wanda knows she's One Of Them now and that Tommy is right, and she nods.

"I'd really like to bring them in for just a couple days while we survey the area, so we can make sure it's safe before they go back out. But please, talk to them."

She puts her pointy headband-mask back on, and fluffs up her curls around it. It's amazing she even still has a secret identity.

"I can wait."

He knows how Aña's going to react, which is why he looks so reluctant when he slides his phone out of his pocket and fires off a text to Aña to try and get her to come home. He makes a face at his phone and pockets it again, frowning, before he glances up as she continues to talk, expecting her to take her leave.

When she doesn't, he blinks a little.

"Uh, what, wait here?"

Edited 2014-07-24 20:56 (UTC)

"What, you expect me to go home so I can come back in the morning when you've all skipped town? I'll get us some dinner." She whips out her own phone (who even knows where she's keeping it, it doesn't look like her uniform has any pockets) and orders a very large amount of Chinese food from a local place, giving the delivery address as an old warehouse renovated into faux-artsy condos two blocks away.

"You can go get the food when they come. He said twenty minutes." It isn't very good Chinese food, but it'll feed them all.

He's intermittently replying to Aña on his phone, but he does groan in the way only a teenager can when a parent is being embarrassing, and rubs the bridge of his nose, muttering 'that was the idea' under his breath. Though, none of them have had a decent meal in weeks that wasn't from someone else's party, even if Tommy doesn't feel like he could eat anything right now. He just really wants Aña to get here, to help him try and make sense of all this.

Tommy flops back into the ratty sofa, moving the book he'd been reading onto the arm, kicking his feet up onto their makeshift table (it's an upturned box).

"We have food here y'know." Lie.

"I'm sure you do," Wanda says in a way that makes it pretty clear she is not sure at all, "but this food will be hot, and it's my treat. And everybody likes MSG and fried things."

Years of working with the Trailblazers have taught Wanda that the true way to the heart of a teenager is through copious amounts of a) fried foods and b) sugar.

Wanda wants to sit, but warehouse doesn't have much in the way of furniture. The couch is inside Tommy's personal bubble, the bed is too invasive, the coffee table box doesn't look like it could hold an adult's weight. What she wouldn't give right now to be able to drag some furniture over from her pocket dimension. Eventually, Wanda settles for leaning against the wall, texting a contact in CONDOR's anti-TRIDENT taskforce for updates on their activity in the area.

Aña tries, for her part, not to come busting in through the window like she's expecting a fight. She's not, not yet anyway. But she is wary of the fact that there is an Alpha Force member in their home, and she's acutely aware of the fact that Matilda could come home from the library or whatever at any time.

So she enters with maybe a little more than usual crash and bang, obviously on her guard She immediately scans the room for Wanda and once she locks on, doesn't look away, only clenching her metal fist a LITTLE.

"¿Está bien?" she asks Tommy, not looking away from the intruder in their home.

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