Homecomings
Wanda has escaped from a rabid mob who wanted revenge for the hate
inspired chaos she wrought upon their village under the control of the
Acolyte Umbra. She was rescued by two gypsies, one of whom claimed to
be her brother Gregor.
' Gregor?' Wanda looks at the man incredulously
' Yes. I am Gregor Maximoff, son of Djando Maximoff. You are my
youngest sister.'
' I'm sorry, but there must be some confusion here. I have one brother
and his name is Pietro, not Gregor. As much as I appreciate your help
- you are not Pietro.'
' Ah yes, Pietro - how is my silver-haired brother? Is he still as
fleet of foot and quick of temper as he used to be?'
' Uhhm yes, well yes he is. Who are you?'
' I am Gregor Maximoff, sister. Maybe I should jog your memory. Our
mother and father were given the two of you by the Lord of Wundagore
after they lost twins. Those twins were not their first children. I
was born some five years before then and I stayed with you for the
first seven or eight years of your life. Don't you remember me Wanda.
I am the one that built you your first swing? I taught you about the
animals of the forest and read you stories to get you and Pietro to
sleep in the winter. When I reached my teens I left our caravans as
was the custom of our people and travelled to the west of Transia to
be fostered to our Uncle.'
Wanda knows of the traditions of fosterage amongst the gypsies.
Teenage boys were sent to different communities to develop into men.
Traditionally it allowed a spreading of skills and knowledge amongst
the clans. From her time in the west she had realised that it had a
more practical genetic reason; to reduce the possibility of inbreeding
within the close knit communities.
As for Gregor, the memories of her childhood are distant at the best
of times - the grief, confusion and terror had caused her to block
large chunks of it out. Now that she thinks hard about it she does
remember someone being their when she was younger. She had always
thought that it was her father but no ....
' You are the man who read to me about ....the ... Pooka?'
' Ha ha ! Yes, the Pooka! The little spirit that inhabits the woods
and rescues lost children. Yes Wanda, that was me.'
' And what did you tell me about the Pooka??' Tears are falling down
Wandas face now and her voice is quivering.
' That as long as you believed in the Pooka, you would never be lost
to your family.'
' Oh god! Gregor! I remember, I remember everything.' She leans over
and embraces her lost brother.
*****************************************
The Vision stands impassive in the hallway of Avengers Mansion,
contemplating the new portrait that has been commissioned of the
current team. The doors of the mansion fly open and Simon Williams,
Wonder Man, storms into the home of the Avengers.
` What is wrong Simon?'
` Get lost! The last thing I need from you is attention or sympathy.'
` Simon, you are an old friend. I am only concerned for your
well-being.'
` Vision - stuff it. You don't care about anyone else but yourself.
You drove Wanda away with your constant pressure for her to love you
and now she has gone!'
` I am aware of your feelings for my wife Simon and I understand the
source of your reasoning but you are wrong. Wanda left of her own free
will, after discussions with Agatha Harkness. I had nothing to do with
her leaving. In fact she has made it plain that she wants little to do
with me in the future.'
At this Simon swings a huge muscled fist at the Vision, catching him
completely off guard. The android crashes into the staircase and
shatters the varnished wood. Simon follows up his blow in a snarling
scream but the Vision has turned intangible and the ionic hero simply
ploughs straight through him and further into the wood.
` What the ... Stop this NOW!' Captain America and Namor appear from
one of the nearby rooms. Wonder Man turns to them, fists clenched and
teeth set.
` This is between that .. thing.. and me. Keep out of it, both of
you.'
` I have no desire to fight you Simon Williams. For all your strength
you have no way that you can harm me if I choose to stay in this form.
You will only destroy the home of the people who have given your
comfort and succour.'
` Vision is right Simon. We all know how hard you have taken Wandas
leave of absence but you have to respect her wishes, and as long as
you are a guest and a member of the Avengers you cannot just beat up
on us when you feel like it.'
At first it looks as if Simon is about to fly into another rage and
then his face loosens and he falls to his knees, sobbing. The other
three men gather around him, not really knowing what to say.
At that point the air in the doorway shimmers and parts, in a
sheering, sucking *pop*. Out of the energy-portal steps a familiar
grey skinned figure.
` Captain America. It would appear to be a bad-inconvenient-difficult
time, but is the Scarlet Witch here?'
Everyone one looks in amazement at Century.
*****************************************
Two days later, the three travellers reach the camp where the gypsies
are staying. It transpires that the man with Gregor is his
brother-in-law and that Gregor has three small children. Wanda is
excited at the prospect of seeing her .... well her nephew and nieces.
She was confused as to how the gypsies had known where she was, but
Gregor told her that their Shaman, the man who had taken over from
their father, had received a message from a crow who had apparently
been told by a cat that she was there. Apparently the cat had been
quite adamant that she was in trouble. Strange for a cat??
The gypsies emerge from their caravans with a curious fear. It is
common knowledge who the daughter of Djando Maximoff is. An Avenger. A
hero that saves the world time and time again. What was she doing in
their camp. And what are those clothes that she is wearing. Wanda did
not have time to gather her bag when she left the village in such a
hurry and thus stands in just clothes she was wearing.
The crowd gathers and stares at Wanda. Wanda blushes at the less than
veiled lust in the eyes of some of the younger men.
' Wanda? Little Wanda? My, you have lost weight my girl. We will have
to do something about that won't we?' From the crowd staggers a giant
of a woman. Her hair is hidden under a scarf which is wrapped around
her ruddy face. Her bosom and hips seem out of proportion with the
rest of the world and her legs are encased in a curtain of dyed
skirts. She strides towards Wanda and picks her off the ground,
spinning her in the air and hugging her tight.
' Aunt Bella?!' A smile breaks across Wandas face. Her mothers sister
was always an enthusiastic cook and a great believer in the power of a
good meal to cure all ills. The woman drops her to the ground and
gathers Wandas face in her huge hands.
' You have grown into a fine young woman Wanda, my dear. Have these
two boys kept you fed? No, I suspect they have not? I have chicken and
fresh bread and soup and honey and butter and milk and corn and ... Oh
it is good to see you again!' The entire village sighs a sigh of heavy
relief as the tension is broken and the crowd disperses to prepare a
feast.
' Aunt Bella,' Gregor calls over to the bulky woman as she leads Wanda
away ,' have you seen the little ones?'
' Yes, they are in the caravan.' The matriarch bellows and three small
heads pop out of one of the caravans. Each has the same rugged, rough
hewn look as their father. They pile out and run to meet him.
' Come, my angels and meet someone special.' The family follow Bella
and sit next to a fire with a steaming pot of soup standing on it.
' Who are you?' The youngest of the children looks strangely at Wanda
' That is your Aunt Wanda. Wanda, this is your nephew Ansel, and your
nieces, Gretchen and Corrina.'
' Hello Aunt Wanda.' chorus the three children.
' Run along now whilst I talk to your aunt!,' Bella chases the
children and Gregor from the fireside ,' now Wanda. Tell me about
yourself?'
' You know so much about me anyway. I assume you know about me being
the Scarlet Witch?'
' Of course. We follow your adventures when we can. You and Pietro are
the proudest thing we have. How is your husband? The Vision. And your
children?'
' I .... Bella, I never had any children. They were a trick by an
enemy of ours. Vision and I have ... split up. We are not together
anymore.'
' Not together anymore!! No children!! My dear girl what has
happened?'
' There was nothing I could do. The children .... their memory is
vague, strange. I can't quite focus on them. Vision was ... changed.
He was not himself. He stopped loving me and I stopped loving him and
then ...'
' And then?'
' He started loving me again but I could not start loving him.' Wanda
stares at the ground like a scolded child.
' Ah, don't worry Wanda. Where there was over there will always be
love. It may not be the same love as there was to start with but the
seed never dies. I still love your uncle even though he has been dead
for years. I have got used to living by myself and looking after
everyone. If he was returned to me I doubt it would be easy to have
him back either. Chicken?'
Wanda takes the chicken leg. A shadow falls over the fire and Bella
stands.
' There is someone to see you.' Wanda glances around and sees a tall,
thin man dresses in the scarf and waistcoat of the clan shaman. Bella
shuffles off into the camp and the shaman sits with Wanda.
' Welcome back, child of Wundagore. I am Sven. I took over the mantle
of tribal shaman when your father died. May his soul rest with the
spirits.'
' Hello. How can I help you?'
' I believe the case may be how I can help you? Why are you here
Wanda?' Wanda is shocked that Sven is aware of her reason for being in
Transia. Then again, the clan shamans have been known to be able to
use some powerful magic.
' I have come to find my roots. I have trained as a witch in America
but I need to be true to my heart. I need to learn the magic of my
people. I need to become your apprentice.'
The shaman smiles and warms his hands on the fire. He looks deeply
into the eyes of Wanda. She looks back at him with a confidence he has
rarely seen in a young gypsy approaching a shaman for tuition.
Normally the process is filled with fear and trepidation. This is
different - just a solid determination to succeed.
` Of course I will accept you Wanda Maximoff. Your father taught me
the ways of our people. It is only fitting that I should do the same
with you.' Wanda's face burst into a huge smile.
` Oh thank you Sven. You do not understand what this means to me.'
` Yes I do. I too had to approach your father with a request to be his
apprentice. I was just a young man with very little experience of
magic or tradition. You however have studied the arcane before and
have rather a lot of experience when it comes to worldly matters. It
will be easier for you. I must warn you though, that the training is
long. Maybe you should contact your friends and tell them where you
are? `
` I'm not sure.... I don't want to get tangled up with them again
but...'
` If there is a `but' Wanda, then maybe you are not ready for your
training? Maybe there are matters to be resolved that you are worried
about? Things that sit at the back of your mind and gnaw at your
concentration?'
` You are right, but I am facing them. Agatha told me to travel to
clear my mind. That's one of the reasons why I am here.'
` And has it cleared your mind?'
` No, not really.'
` Why?'
` Because I still worry about Vision and Pietro and Simon. Maybe I am
not ready. Maybe I need to travel more?'
` This Agatha you speak of was your trainer in a arts, yes?'
` Yes'
` And she told you to travel to sort out your problems?'
` Yes.'
` But that is not our way Wanda Maximoff. That is her way and you are
not of her. We do not run from our problems. We stand and we confront
them. We are a strong people, strong individuals and strong together.
You must be true to yourself, Wanda.'
` I should confront them. Return to New York.'
` That is for you to decide, child. But the answer to your question
will tell you where your future lies.'
Suddenly the moment is broken by a shout and commotion from the main
camp.
` Wanda, Sven - come quickly. Ansel has wandered off into the woods.
We cannot find him.'
Suddenly Wanda was aware that the entire gathering of gypsies was
looking at her and wanting her to do something. The light in the
mountainous valley had faded fast and in the twilight her nephew was
lost and helpless. Sven turned to her and murmured.
` Wanda, your people need the Scarlet Witch. Will you help them?'
**********************************************************************
Next in Scarlet Witch#7 Time
is running out for the missing child and the gypsies are beginning to
lose their patience. Can Wanda use her new knowledge to help them and
if she does, what will she choose as her future?
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