14376/Order and Chaos

Order and Chaos
Date of Scene:	11 May 2022
Location:	Sanctum Santorum - Base Floor
Synopsis:	Wanda and Pietro stop by for tea. Goes surprisingly better than expected!
Cast of Characters:	Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver

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Doctor Strange has posed:
Meanwhile, at the Sanctum...

It was some time since the meeting between the Mystics, Superman, and Lois Lane. Strange has been keeping himself busy reading the various tomes of what /might/ be at work here. Magic and science was a dangerous combination, putting together the material and immaterial worlds in a violent clash. Not many Gods would offer their services for such a thing, unless the evil or morally ambiguous ones like Loki, Hades, etcetera. Dark spirits might be at work.

The Faltene maybe?

Strange was sipping on some tea while he examined the wards carefully and reached a meditative stance. Floating a few feet above the ground. His eyes were closed. His hands contorted into fixed gestures. Is he in the Astral?

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Apophis springs to mind. An Egyptian god that hungers eternally. What Wanda had felt has that sort of a dark feel. She could be wrong, of course. But it's Wanda. When she states something, she's very rarely wrong. It's when she professes uncertainty that one needs to worry. Because if Wanda doesn't know? Then it's likely to be bad. It could be dark spirits at work, as far as the cult goes. Or good old fashioned science. Science can accomplish quite a lot, especially if there's a gifted geneticist on staff.

For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, Wanda teleports to the street outside the Sanctum. The scarlet power that is her signature swirls around her as she arrives, and dissipates as she steps out of it and toward the front door. And into the Sanctum. She pauses and tilts her head, and then follows the flow of energies that she not only can feel, but that she can see. She pauses in a doorway as she sees Stephen. And she debates. To wake him, or to quietly go? It can be dangerous to wake someone from the Astral. And so, for the moment, she stays where she is, quietly observing. Observing him, as well as the spells she'd left around Lois' place to alert her if anything untoward occurs.

Doctor Strange has posed:
"Vishanti, great Lords of Good in the universe, I hold true to my charge."

"Stephen Strange, we see the same. You will be maintained as the Sorceror Supreme and our power may still be used by you. Dark forces are at work, Stephen Strange. You must stay strong and clever. You will be needed and obvious choices may not necessarily be the answer." Stephen nods, and he senses something. Wanda has been a time-again guest at the Sanctum. She can pass it's wards and so finds none of the near-impervious resistance that a stranger normally would.

But Strange detects the entrance. Strange opens his eyes, the third one in the middle of his forehead opens too, as if to see if her presence was a trick or an illusion to let his guard down. When she proves to be real, the third eye fades like it was never there and Stephen looks curious.

"Wanda. Back so soon?"

Scarlet Witch has posed:
For all her power, Wanda has no idea what is going on in the Astral with Strange. She isn't looking, or she might have an idea. But she isn't. That would be rude. She does try to do good. Most of the time, she succeeds. Sometimes... well. Her history tells, sometimes.

The Scarlet Witch is, indeed, all too real. The power that can be sensed by that third eye would be blinding, if such things sensed by lights. As that third eye opens, Wanda's eyes go to it, lips curling up ever so slightly at the edges. "If I were an illusion or a trick, I would never have been able to get through the wards," she says. She nods. "I have set up spells to alert me if anything is amiss. Any insights?" It's probably clear to one of Stephen's power that Wanda's mind is not all here at the moment. That part of her watches other things at all times. Or, at least, is on alert to them.

Doctor Strange has posed:
Blinding. Means she's physically present. The wards he has painfully established are near-impervious. Emphasis on near. If a truly potent force tried to break through, a sliver might make it through the cracks of the shield, as it were. Never hurts to check. The Doctor was in. Strange seems to smile faintly at Wanda. "Old dog, same tricks." Stephen replies. He looks her in the eyes.

"Lois?" Strange doesn't need to look. He has Lois's watchful protector right here in front of him. Easier than scrying. "None, at the moment. Whatever is afflicting Lois is parasitic. It's connected to her emotions. It might not be a God. It may be a spirit that's decided to be a passenger." For both of them may know: even a spirit can cause significant problems. The soul was the most powerful fuel of all.

"I realize we haven't had the chance to catch up." His feet touch the ground. "Tea?"

Scarlet Witch has posed:
True. A sliver might get through. But then, who in their right mind would try to masquerade as Wanda, given her temperament? Halloween costumes and cosplay not with standing. "Sometimes, the same tricks are the same tricks because they work."

Wanda nods. "Yes. Lois. And the cult also. Billy had a point. Lois does seem to want to go back very badly. Could they have had an effect on her? Enough of one to give that kind of pull? Or is that just the journalistic drive to discover the truth? Personally, I'm leaning more toward journalistic pull. But that's also why I'm going in with her. But, I want you to keep a close eye on me. If I start slipping, pull me out. If they turn me, I don't even want to think about how bad it could be."

She relaxes and unfolds her arms before straightening from her lean against the doorway. "I would love tea," she says, walking further into the room only now. Manners are a must in any civilized encounter, afterall.

Doctor Strange has posed:
Wanda will find herself with a saucer in one hand and a tea cup atop it with her tea brewed to her favorite preference, even if it's more common among those of Wundagore. Stephen gives her a soft nod as he sips a tea cup that appeared in his own hand. "True." Stephen regards the 'tricks' with the measure of respect that they earned. The same tricks and tactics earned him his station.

"Lois is a journalist. Most likely looking for her next Pulitzer prize-winning story." He takes a deep, long breath. "Billy's words struck a chord with me. Despite his passion and naivete, he has a heart for people and made a good point. Lois could be addicted to whatever is there." He hears Wanda's words, asking him to pull her out if she starts to turn.

"I will." Stephen says. He'd hate to make an enemy of Wanda. Not for reasons like he couldn't stop her or that she would affect the world in some terrible way if she were monsterously converted, Strange sees Wanda as a friend and he'd hate to fight a friend. He nods to her. "I'd be a poor friend if I didn't."

He starts to walk further into the room, gesturing with his hand for a chair to be pulled out for Wanda should she like to sit. "What is your relation to Billy? You seem to regard him fondly."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda Maximoff closes the fingers of her right hand around the cup, and cradles the saucer in her left. She lifts the tea and blows on it, as one is wont to do, before she takes a sip. "Mm. This is good." She does like a good cup of tea. "No reason to change it if it works. Only change the tricks, if they stop working." Adapting is good, but also no need to fix what isn't broken.

"I do hope Billy is wrong in this case. But that he could be right is something we can't ignore, either. I will be sure to watch her when we go in." She'd also hate to fight a friend. If there was anything of /her/ left at that point, it would probably either break her in ways that aren't reparable, or she would manage to pull herself back together to stop it. Either scenerio is not a good thought to dwell upon.

"Thank you," she says at his promise. It really does mean a lot to Wanda. She nods to his gesture, and sits down in the chair. "Billy?" She pauses and sips the tea, buying herself a few moments of time to think. She lowers the cup again and shakes her head. There's sadness there, in her eyes as the question brings up memories of the past. "He is one of Vision's sons." She might be implying something.

Doctor Strange has posed:
'One of Vision's sons'.

Strange recalls Vision and Wanda having a unique sort of relationship. Strange seems to sit down in a comfortable-looking leather chair, the exact same chair that Wanda seems to be sitting in. Hospitality was important to Strange. "I see." He dwells on the thought for a moment. "I sensed a tie between you two. Familial, yet not. The connection is more...spiritual in nature." He looks into Wanda's eyes, not shying away from the strange (no pun intended) truth.

"He's your son, isn't he?" Strange watches Wanda's reactions. She buys herself time to think. Sadness in her eyes. Wanda deserved a family, and it was taken away by such a cruel fate. Stephen can't judge. He tried to save his sister, a sister who died in her youth from drowning.

He frowns a moment, though he shakes his head. "Let's hope that Lois Lane is merely after a story then, shall we?"

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Hospitality and manners are both good things. Without, there is chaos. Wanda likes chaos as much as the next person, but still. She shakes her head to Strange, lips curving up into a smile. "Familial. Spiritual. And physical." She nods to his question. "Yes he is. He and his twin." She doesn't elaborate. The sadness remains. Had it been the real Vision? Probably not. Fate had been cruel, there.

She lifts the tea and has another sip. Wanda nods agreement about Lois Lane. "If she's not just after a story, I hate to think of how much she's suffering right now, and will suffer after the cult is dealt with." She has no qualms about that. The cult /will/ be dealt with. Eventually.

Doctor Strange has posed:
Twins? Strange was completely unaware that Wanda was a mother. "You'll have your hands full." Billy was a spry young man with a big head and a bigger mouth. He'll learn one day that power isn't everything. Can and should have different meanings and both possess dire consequences. He sighs. "Does Vision know?" He questions Wanda. He assumes he does, but Vision is a robot. He might not have too many opinions on it.

"Yes. That is why Superman's helping her. Going to help her." Stephen frowns a moment. "and why you're going to help her. If she looks like she's trying desperately for another hit of the drug, you know what to do."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
There really aren't many people that know Wanda is a mother. Let alone that she's the mother of twins. "I really don't. They're grown with adoptive parents of their own." She pauses. "Unless you mean mystically speaking. Then yes. You might be right." She sips her tea and just barely manages not to splutter it everywhere when Stephen asks about Vision. She looks up at him with wide eyes and then shakes her head. "No, he doesn't. You are the first I have told. The Vision of this reality isn't actually their father."

Wanda blows out a breath and lifts the cup. She sips the tea as she listens to Strange speak about Lois. And nods as she lowers the cup. "I do. Teleport both of us out of there. I'm really not all that worried for myself. I doubt they can harm me. Maaaybe control me, but if I'm in my right mind, it'll be like swatting flies." Quite possibly literally.

Quicksilver has posed:
At some point along the way, there had been a text message that Pietro received from his twin, though it had been rather shy on details. All it had done is advise him of where she was. She was usually a bit more forthcoming. Usually. However, there were always exceptions which tended to depend on Wanda's mood. He spent a moment longer than he typically would in considering the small piece of information that he had, and after double checking the address on his phone, he slid it back into the cargo pocket of his black jeans. There's a blue long-sleeved shirt that he wears along with them, and a pair of black running shoes.

Pietro might not know what he's running into, but... for his sister? He would run into anything. It doesn't take him very long at all to make the run from the mansion to the location that he'd been provided with. And there, he looks over the building for a moment before stepping up to the door and doing the most mundane thing -- knocking. And then he is forced to do the terrible thing called waiting.

Doctor Strange has posed:
Magic was a strange, wonderful thing. It moved in weird ways in it's ebbs and flows. Strange listened to Wanda's words, his thought addressing every syllable that exited her mouth. He ponders it for a long moment even as she admits the Vision of this reality was not their true father. He doubts Wanda was able to reproduce asexually, much magic is /still/ the weirdest thing.

He takes a deep breath. "Good. If you lose control, I'll take over exit responsibilities a-"

*Thud, thud, thud*.

"Hm." Strange looks towards the door and he gestures with his hand. Suddenly, Pietro is no longer outside. He's in a comfortable chair, much like Strange and Wanda, with his choice in beverage in his hand. "Pietro." Strange greets him. "May I ask the purpose of your visit?"

Scarlet Witch has posed:
The text had been shy on details for a reason, and had been sent before she'd arrived back at the Sanctum. Wouldn't do to worry her twin for no good reason, afterall. Waiting. Poor Pietro. The waiting might well kill him. Wanda knows this. Knows it's PIetro at the door, and though. her lips twitch upward for a brief moment, she remains sitting exactly where she is.

Instead, she nods to Strange. "Exit strategies. We should disguss that. Also, a warning. Pietro is not going to be happy when he learns what I'm planning on doing." Ya think, Wanda? She snaps her fingers to get Stephen's attention, then points at herself. "He's here for me. My message to let him know I was out and about still was... less than forthcoming." She smirks toward her brother. "You were slower than I expected. Normally, you would have beat me here."

Quicksilver has posed:
Magic was a thing that Pietro didn't possess a solitary ounce of. His speed wasn't magic. It just was. He lifts a hand to pull his fingers through his hair, then lowers his hand to his side. He doesn't pace outside the door, at least. But he isn't exactly still either. Being still is practically an impossibility for him. The fingers of one of his hands lightly rat-a-tap a pattern across the outside of his thigh. And he waits. At least he has enough patience, somehow, to not knock again.

And then he isn't outside but is instead inside and settled to a chair, and there's a mildly surprised but quiet snerk of sound before his gaze fixes first on Strange and then on his sister. It would be a more startling sort of thing if he didn't have Wanda for a sister. The chai tea that's materialized and appeared in his hand gets a look as well, and he lifts it to take a small sip of it. Only then does he gives a nod to the mage. "Stephen," he offers in polite greeting.

He gives a soft grunt and a nod to Wanda at her deduction, though. It is rather spot on. "Well, I'm not here for the tea -- though it is rather tasty tea, and with that little bit of extra cinnamon, too," he comments, in a sort of half amused tone. He eyes the tea for a moment, then looks back to Wanda. "Yes, well... a lack of information is seldom a welcome thing, sister-dearest. I decided to do the terribly uncommon thing of waiting to see if you would add additional information to the first message or not. And when you didn't, well," Pietro offers, lifting a hand in a slight gesture. Thus he's here. The fact that he waited at all is likely only because it's Wanda. And that waiting likely felt like forever and then some.

Doctor Strange has posed:
"Fast minds have quicker emotions. He may jump to conclusions. He won't be pleased, but with time he will understand." There pops in a Pietro! Strange looks to the white-haired mutant then to the red. Strange hums. "I intend to send Wanda on a mission with a mutual friend of ours, Lois Lane, into the heart of a cult we intend to destroy. We need information and they are best suited for it." Strange will rip off that bandaid with hell in his eyes.

He's silent then. Best to let the siblings handle their disagreement themselves. "Meanwhile Pietro, I have another task for you."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
That lack of stillness is why Pietro usually gets banished from Wanda's workroom when she wants to perform traditional magic of the ritual variety. The constant small movements are highly annoying and worse, distracting at the worst possible moments. Wanda snickers at Pietro's quiet sound of surprise. She's not surprised the startle wasn't worse. Afterall, she does that to him fairly frequently.

Wanda makes serveral soft tsking sounds at her brother. "Silly Pietro. You should know by now that if it wasn't in the original message, it isn't coming that way." To Stephen she nods, about her brother, but doesn't elaborate further. Wouldn't do to have the speedster in question jump to conclusions. Conclusions that he would probably be entirely right about!

And then the proverbial cat is out of the bag as the Sorcerer Supreme spills the news to Pietro. "Best suited in that I can get us out quickly and with minimal fuss. And flatten the place with a fireball should it prove a necessity." Wanda pauses. "No, Pietro," she says, hopefully forestalling any objections he might have. "I'm going. You don't get a say. Please listen to Stephen. If things go sideways, he's my safety line."

Quicksilver has posed:
It's likely a fairly safe bet that Pietro will jump to conclusions. He might try not to, but... it's hard, given how quickly his mind turns. He glances to his sister, then maturely goes cross-eyed in her general direction in response to her snicker. He lifts his tea to take a sip of it, savouring the blend of spices in it, and he lifts his free hand to lightly pull his fingers through his hair. One of his eyebrows quirks up at the information that's shared, and he studies Strange for a lingering moment. "So... you want to send my sister to a cult. What risks are involved?" he asks, curious. He doesn't seem upset, at the moment.

He shifts slightly in the chair, then crosses his legs at the knee. "What task would you give me to occupy me with so that I won't be interfering with what Wanda is about?" he asks, the corners of his lips giving a slight twitch. Then he looks to Wanda and lifts a shoulder in a bit of a shrug. "I can always hope that there'll be a first, right? Besides, I'm here now," he says. And he really isn't late, in his opinion -- she didn't tell him to come, after all! "Da, Sister-dearest... I had figured why you are an ideal choice. Those reasons among many others, I'm certain," he comments, eyeing her for a long moment. Then he huffs out a breath. "I will listen. It does not mean I agree, and it does not mean I like what I hear. I have no means of stopping you, even if I wanted to." And those last words of Wanda's cause his gaze to track over to Strange once more. "And how do you intend to be a safety line for my sister, hmm?"

Doctor Strange has posed:
Yep, still best to let siblings handle it.

Strange looks at Wanda as she takes to the stage. Pietro's instincts are probably the correct ones. Strange is sending Wanda into active danger with a mundane (AKA non-magic user) into a place with potentially severe mystic consequences. He's silent as Wanda talks to Pietro. Stephen being a safety line is pretty common.

He turns to look at Pietro. "I'm going to give you locations. You'll scout them out ahead of time and not get caught. You'll report back to me on what you see." Back up plans on top of back up plans no doubt exist in his mind.

"I will transport Wanda and Lois out of the danger zone if both of them become jeapordized and Wanda is unable to do so herself." big if, but not one that's unforeseen. He doesn't offer too much commentary to them, but he looks at Pietro. "Death. The usual. Wanda is at risk for losing herself potentially, and Lois has shown startling behavior that Wanda may be able to get to the bottom of more easily than others."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
"Not 'want', Pietro. And he's not sending me. I volunteered when Lois decided she needed to go back in. And the risks don't matter in this instance. I'm going in whether you like it or not." Afterall, he has no way to stop her if she wants to. Wanda rolls her eyes at Pietro. "I swear, if you interfere, I will drop you in the arctic again." It's not an idle threat.

At least Wanda is not the slightest bit worried abo ut any mystic consequences. She's fairly well warded, not only by active wards and such, but also by innate talents and the nature of her abilities. She nods at Stephen's tasks for Pietro. "And he'll transport you out of the danger zone if you run into trouble too." She looks at Stephen as she says this, as though there's no doubt at all in her mind that he'll do just that. The rest she leaves to Strange to explain.

Quicksilver has posed:
One of his eyebrows quirks up as his gaze remains focused on Strange, and he gives a single nod. "Locations," he repeats, as though mulling over the word. Perhaps even mulling over the task itself. "And what makes these locations important or of interest?" he inquires, a touch of curiosity coming to his voice. "How far ahead of time do you need the information from them?" On some level of his mind, Pietro might already be planning something. That he's going to be essentially used for his ability to run is something he doesn't seem to mind, at this moment.

"How will you know if they become jeopardized?" Pietro asks. His eyes narrow slightly when death is mentioned, and he gives a soft grunt, a flicker of temper showing in his eyes then. "It would be much better for you that she neither die nor lose herself to anything while she is on this errand of yours," he says. It doesn't matter to him, in the moment, that Wanda volunteered -- he will put the blame solidly on Strange for any little harm that comes to her. He is, just a smidge, protective of her.

He looks to his sister then, and he gives a brief shake of his head. "If he did not want to send you there then he would not have mentioned it to you and you would not have volunteered to go. I know you will go either way," he comments. He huffs a breath through his nose, then half rolls his eyes. "And how would you suggest that I would interfere, Sister-dearest? All I can do is run fast, hmm? That's hardly anything in comparison to what you are capable of." He wrinkles his nose at the mention of the Arctic. Oh, he knows that's no idle threat. He got cold enough the last time she did it to him. "What sort of trouble are you thinking will catch me?" he asks, arching an eyebrow.

Doctor Strange has posed:
Siblings. Strange remembers how he, Donna, and Victor Strange would debate and argue and carry on despite courses of actions and the right things to do. Wanda's threat to Pietro has Stephen wondering if he should give the twins the room. He looks between the pair fairly consistently, not out of concern, but something akin to amusement or vague entertainment. When Wanda volunteers Stephen to help Pietro if the need arises, he answers with a firm "Naturally."

It's his job to protect this reality and all those who reside in it. Including the multiple dimensions therein and the residents who live there, good and bad. "I have eyes and ears everywhere Pietro. I am not omnipresent, but I can be all-seeing. I'll be keeping a close watch on all parties." He informs Pietro. Strange meets Pietro's eyes. "It would be unwise to lose your temper, Pietro." He advises in a calm voice, like a doctor breaking bad news to a patient. Easy gait.

He then looks between the siblings. "Potentially the mentally enslaving kind."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
It's as Pietro continues speaking to the Sorcerer Supreme as though Wanda isn't even there that the red hair starts to spark off. Not literally, of course, though her jade eyes flash. She lifts the cup and finishes her tea before setting the cup down. "This is not his errand," she says firmly, rising to her feet. She walks over to him and flicks him squarely in the center of his forehead with her finger. Hard. "He didn't mention it in the first place. He didn't ask for volunteers. He didn't ask me to do anything. He didn't even ask me to come here. I did so all on my own."

Wanda huffs a breath and fixes her eyes firmly on Pietro's. "Make no mistake, Pietro," she says firmly, her tone hard. "I'm an adult, and I don't need you threatening those who care about my safety. If something bad happens to me, trust me. He," she says, pointing at Stephen Strange, "Will cause himself far more anguish than you ever could."

Wanda huffs her own breath, eyes narrowed at her brother now. She turns on her heel and stalks toward the exit. Only, halfway there, the scarlet flames of her power roil up chaotically around her. When they clear from sight, Wanda has gone. Perhaps the worry of mental enslavement is what has put Wanda on edge enough to actually lose her temper with her brother. It isn't something she's keen on experiencing. Even the possibility of experiencing. That she'd put herself in the situation for that potential cannot be comfortable.

Quicksilver has posed:
Wanda is the most important person to Pietro, and that's been the case for a number of years now. He doesn't care about the rest of the world, for the most part. He cares about his sister and her safety. He glances towards Wanda at her words, watching her rise, but his attention turns back to Strange and so when the flick lands upon his forehead it catches him slightly off guard. He blinks quickly and gives her a wounded look, lifting his free hand to rub that spot. "Ow, hey!" he grouses in a grumbly tone.

He meets Wanda's gaze with perhaps a boldness that only a brother could likely get away with after stirring up her temper. "Yes, yes... I know," he says, giving a nod to her. He's heard similar from her before. "I'm not making threats. Well, not really," he comments, lifting one of his shoulders in a bit of a shrug. It's only a threat if he plans to carry it out... right? And he wasn't actually planning anything. He looks to Strange for a moment, then back to his sister. "I just want you to be safe, you know this," he says, a bit of worry to his voice.

He doesn't avoid Strange's gaze, though one of his eyebrows quirks up at the words about his temper. He gives a flash of a smile and a quick laugh before he gives a single nod. "It is always unwise to lose my temper. I end up in the Arctic that way. Not that it isn't fun to visit the penguins, but it's damn cold," he comments, shifting his weight and settling back in the chair in what seems perhaps a more calm state of being. The fingers of his free hand remain active in assorted ways, smoothing a wrinkle here or plucking a bit of lint there. Sitting still is difficult for him, and he exhales a breath. Then he looks to Strange and he gives a small nod. "My apologies," he offers. And he does seem to mean it.

His gaze returns to his sister as she as she stalks towards the exit, and he frowns slightly when she leaves via her magic. Then he lifts his free hand to rub his forehead a bit again. "Well. I will have to hope that Wanda has taught me well to defend my mind, then. Or that I am faster than they are so they will not have the opportunity to try, hmm?" he suggests.