9359/Tales of a Cyborg

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Tales of a Cyborg
Date of Scene: 29 September 2019
Location: Wanda's Room, Avengers Mansion
Synopsis: Carol visits Wanda to talk about Sebastion, as well as how everything else is going.
Cast of Characters: Scarlet Witch, Captain Marvel (Danvers)




Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda had been following the reports of Sentinel activity even closer than normal. So when she'd heard about Carol's fight, the Scarlet Witch had definitely take note of it.

Wanda had poured over the information available, but in the end she'd said aloud, "JARVIS? Would you please send a message to Carol for me? Tell her I'd be interested in hearing the details of the incident with Sebastion if she has a chance to get together and go over it."

The AI that services the mansion, and all of Stark Industries wherever Tony has embedded him, responds with an affirmative, "I have sent the message, Wanda." The Transian woman smiles and says softly and says, "Thank you, JARVIS." She turns her attention away from the briefings, going instead over to sit on her couch, holding a small wooden doll with some scorch marks on it. Her mind somewhere other than the mansion for awhile.

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
Carol had been without a smartphone for some time. Her last one having been crushed (by her, on purpose) during her attempt to chase down Sebastion. So, JARVIS' message does not reach her until she has returned to the Mansion. It isn't all that long considering how quickly Carol gets around, and about an hour and change later she's wrapping on the door to Wanda's room before she moves to just let herself in.

"Hi," she calls out, craning her neck around the door. She's dressed in simple civvies - a bomber jacket over a white t-shirt and jeans, "You wanted to talk robots?"

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda is relaxed, in boxers and a t-shirt. There's an open bottle of wine as well and a glass over on the coffee table. She looks up as Carol knocks on the door. "Yes," Wanda says, her face shining a warm enough smile to Carol even if there is a little bit of a sense that Wanda is kind of drawn at the moment.

"Thank you for coming over. Please, come sit down. Can I get you anything? Share a glass with me?" Wanda asks, motioning towards the wine. "I read the reports but was hoping to hear the whole thing from you. I'm afraid Sebastion is a threat we need to deal with sooner. It's worrying if he was able to keep you from getting to him, even," she says.

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
Carol steps inside once she's invited, closing the door behind her and settling down in an offered seat. When the wine is offered, she just shakes her head, holding up a hand. She gives the bottle a momentary look before folding her hands over her stomach.

"The report's pretty much the whole of it," she explains, "I had his number, so I decided to try and take care of him before he had the chance to become an actual problem instead of a potential one. He told me he was in Florida, so I went down there to find him. I tried to fight him, but he just ran, threw some sentinels at me and escaped in the confusion. But it looks like he's been collecting sentinels as some sort of army - or was before I took care of a chunk of them."

She frowns slightly, turning her head to stare balefully out the window: "He wouldn't hurt me. Even his sentinels wouldn't. They didn't fight back. He even tried to give up."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda freshens her own glass after Carol turns one down. She holds it in hand as she leans back in the plush purple couch, one leg crossing over the other and turned slightly on her side to face the other Avenger.

"Hmm. You say they didn't fight back? That is... unusual. Any idea why they did not?" Wanda asks. She takes a sip of her wine. "So he tried to give up, but... what? Fled when he realized you weren't willing to take him prisoner?" she asks. "Were you able to do much damage to him? Any advice on fighting him again, on his capabilities are tactics we need to account for?" Wanda asks.

She taps at her glass with her fingertips. Looking distracted. She also might be buzzing just a little bit. She rarely drinks to much excess.

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
"I can't tell you why he wouldn't fight me," Carol says with a sigh and a wave of her hand, "My guess is I'm not a mutant. As much as - I don't know, what's the word? Sentient? - As much as he might be sentient, he's still a machine. A machine programmed to destroy mutants and safeguard humans. I'm guessing whoever built him didn't take into consideration a human-Kree hybrid genome, so he just defaulted to human."

She shrugs her shoulders, "He trusts me. Or he did. Probably not so much now. There was some damage to his arm, but it wasn't much. The real damage was that army of his that I tore through. I don't think I can give you any advice when facing him except that if he's not a powerhouse, he's wily. He met me next to a hospital, flew me over a school. He kept telling me he was trying to move me away from the area, but he's the one that picked it."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda frowns as she listens, shaking her head a little bit but it seems at the ramifications and not related to Carol's actions. "And he'll probably be extra on guard now," she says.

"I wish we had an idea of his numbers when it comes to Sentinels," she says. Wanda gets up and paces slowly across the room, glass of wine in hand until she reaches the windows and stops to look out at the grounds of the mansion, and the city beyond.

"Do you have any additional plans for going after him?" Wanda asks. "I have generally kept a low key on the Sentinel matter so far, at least as direct action goes. Except for rescuing Janet, of course," Wanda says. She and Black Panther were the ones who infiltrated the facility where Janet, and as it turns out, Jocasta were being held, and rescued them while the rest of the team fought a battle out front of the facility as a diversion. "In part because they may be more aggressive with me around. But also to try to limit my father's likelihood of getting involved. Now he is back in Genosha, that part isn't as much of a concern, at least," she says. She sighs and takes another sip of wine.

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
"No plans," Carol just shakes her head, "I doubt I could lure him out again. If I see him again, I'll try - depending on the playing field. But this was a once off deal and it didn't pay out. If we go after him again, it'll need to be with a whole team. Enough to do damage control and keep the battlefield clear of civilians."

She sighs, instinctively reaching for the empty wine glass before recoiling her hand as though she'd just touched something painfully hot. She brings it back, her other hand grasping it about the fingers and squeezing tight enough that her knuckles whiten.

"He's not invincible. If I can get him somewhere that I don't have to worry about anyone getting hurt in the crossfire, I can tear him apart. I know that."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
"I wonder what it would take to lure him out somewhere personally. Now that a call to meet probably won't be enough," Wanda comments thoughtfully. She has one arm crossed across her body, the other upper arm resting against it as she holds her glass there. She looks thoughtful and then shakes her head.

"Well, we need to find him first, if we can't think of a way to lure him out. But I agree, we should probably use the whole team and try to make sure we finish it. Maybe get assistance from Charles Xavier as well," Wanda comments as she walks back over to sit beside Carol again.

And then a bit of a lightbulb goes off in Wanda's head. "You know, if Sebastion is partly organic, I wonder if his brain is. If it might be something that Charles could track with Cerebro," she says. "As long as he doesn't have a nullifier field around him all the time now. He did not when he was in captivity here."

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
"I can't tell you anything about nullifier fields. My abilities aren't based on a mutation, and those things don't seem to have any effect on me. But that sounds to me like it's worth a shot, if you're willing to go and pull in some favors with the School. I could go if you need."

She drums her fingers against her taut stomach through the t-shirt she wears, worrying her bottom lip thoughtfully. When she speaks, it's as though she is answering some sharp retort that Wanda never actually gave: "Look, I made a call. Someone had to stop him, and every second we're sitting around drawing up plans and rubbing our chins is a second he is consolidating power. He is planning something - I know it - and I'd rather have tried and failed than done nothing and it be too late."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda reaches over to rest her hand on Carol's arm if allowed. "I'm glad that you made the attempt. There's no recriminations from me on the matter," Wanda tells Carol Danvers. "I wish I'd been there, though I don't know if it might have put people at risk, if they'd have opened up because of my presence," she says.

Wanda looks across the room, giving a frown. "Something about Sebastion just... just..." she says, shaking her head and moving a hand to rest on her chest up nearer to her heart. "I can't explain it. Just this feeling. Like... there's a wrongness.. and... we need to... to stop him," Wanda says, stumbling as if to find words.

When she's done talking she takes another sip of her wine. "Let's come up with something and I'll be happy to help," she offers. "I agreed with your call, Carol," she says.

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
Carol doesn't flinch away from the hand on her arm, simply nodding her head and staring momentarily out the window with a stern look upon her features.

"We'll come up with something," she agrees, eyes flicking to Wanda, "But I think you're onto something. If Professor Xavier can track him with Cerebro, that ought to be our first point of contact."

A pause, fingers drawing across her abdomen idly as she thinks, "We'll need to be careful. Who knows if pinging him on that thing is gonna raise an alarm bell. The thing about these attempts on Sebastion all seem to have one thing in common - we don't get to try them more than once."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
The auburn-haired Avengers nods slowly in agreement. "I was just thinking the same thing. We need to be definitive," she says. "Be ready to go the moment he is located. Teleport teams in to surround him and close in before he can react," Wanda says. "Or, something like that. Military tactics are you and Steve's forte," she says with a soft grin.

Wanda rises again, going back to pacing. She takes a sip of the wine and then sets the mostly empty glass down before wandering across the room. "I picked this up not too long ago," Wanda says as she stops next to a cello. It's from a masterpiece, something picked up in an antique store. But it's been polished to have a warm, beautiful glow. "Do you play anything, Carol?" Wanda asks curiously.

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
"Asteroids," Carol says quietly, lifting her shoulders in a faint shrug, "Instruments? No, not really. I tried to play bass once but my whole life's been about getting where I want to be in spite of anyone's efforts to stop me - never really had much time for an instrument."

She swells up a little, placing a hand on her chest and looking at once very important and poised: "I consider myself more of a vocalist. Can you play any Righteous Brothers on that thing?"

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda Maximoff looks thoughtful at the question about the Righteous Brothers. "Well, I can fingerpick Unchained Melody on my guitar," she says. There's a classical guitar on a stand over by the bed, alongside some sheet music. "I should probably be able to manage..." she says, bringing the cello over and setting up in a chair with it in front of her.

"JARVIS?" Wanda asks. "Could you pull up the chord progression for Unchained Melody on the television?" she asks. The large TV over the fireplace comes on showing the music. "There, I think I can manage that. With a few mistakes," Wanda says, flashing a grin over to Carol as if hoping she'll forgive those.

Wanda takes the bow in hand, checks the tune of the cello and then begins playing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9et1j9a3k4

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
The blonde woman smiles faintly to herself, leaning back in the chair as Wanda begins to play the song on the cello. As it goes on her eyes close, her shoulders relax, and she seems truly peaceful. Not generally a way that Carol Danvers ever seems to look. She even hums along, muttering a few words to herself here and there.

When the song is finished, those blue eyes slowly open and turn to Wanda.

"Oh, Wanda," Carol says with a dramatic sigh and a smile, "You know just how to get me. Now, which one of us is going to be topless while we make pottery?"

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda finishes playing, and true to her words she made a few mistakes. She's only been playing it for a few weeks now, getting lessons when she can from someone from a nearby symphony who jumped at the opportunity when the Avenger asked if she taught. But the song was definitely recognizable, and Wanda has a little bit of musical talent in general.

She smiles over to Carol and laughs warmly. "I do love the sound of it," she says, running her hand softly over the instrument that has been polished with care. There's a moment of emotion in her expression, before she sets the cello aside a little bit, leaning it back against the side of the chair. "I thought perhaps you were going to sing along with it!" Wanda protests playfully.

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
"God, Wanda," Carol laughs, "I'm not gonna ruin your playing with that. No, if you wanna hear me sing then you're gonna have to take me to karaoke like everyone else."

She waves a hand dismissively, shaking her head just slightly, "Besides, I don't think you could contain yourself. My 'Don't Stop Believing' is a thing of breathtaking beauty. Steve Perry would be proud."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
The Transian woman breaks out in soft laughter at that. "We have a few people who play instruments in the team, actually. We've talked about putting a little band together. Steve. T'Challa has a speaking drum that you really should hear sometime if you never have," Wanda says. "And I don't think that we have a singer lined up. Though I do want to see Janet doing a tambourine in some appropriately Janet in a band apparel," Wanda adds along with a soft laugh.

Her smile fades just a little bit. "I need to talk to Steve too. He seemed to be present at the fight with Loki in the Sanctum. Only, not on our side. Claimed he didn't wish to be there before I had to leave and chase down Dormammu's avatar to find Loki and Stephen," she says, shaking her head. "I need to find out what that was about, if it was even him."

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
"I haven't spoken to Steve for a while," Carol admits, lifting her shoulders, "And that wasn't about ... this." Whatever the subject of their conversation was, she seems unwilling to share it. She presses on, instead.

"Could that have been Loki's doing, though?" she asks, eyebrows raised, "I mean, it wouldn't be the first time he's tricked or ... y'know ... magicked someone into doing something for him. Steve's a strong guy but he's not exactly shielded against that sort of thing. None of us are, really."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
"It is quite possible, yes," Wanda says. "Which is why I need to talk to him and figure out what the situation is. I might have been able to do more about it, but stopping Loki was the focus. I couldn't afford to let a distraction keep me from making sure Stephen retook the Sanctum from him," she says.

"Diana Prince had Steve snared in her lasso when I had to leave to follow deeper into the Sanctum. So hopefully she had the matter in hand, whatever the truth of it was," Wanda says.

Wanda's green eyes study the other woman for a few moments. "How are you in general, Carol? We haven't spoken in forever. I know you've had to split time between us and Alpha Flight. How is everything else going for you?" she asks.

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
"It's going," Carol answers, tone perhaps a little flatter than is necessarily good, "Alpha Flight's mostly taking care of itself now, and it's only an hour-long commute from here to Starling. There're some promising people in Gamma Flight who I think are probably ready to make the jump. Oh, Diana, Caitlin, and I went on a road trip up to Six Flags in Buffalo a few weeks back. I think we're gonna make a regular thing of it, if you want to come along next time."

She shrugs her shoulders a little, "Beyond that, I'm beginning to wonder just what kind of flophouse Mackenzie King's turned into since I stopped spending so much time up there."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda leans forward to regain her wine glass, refilling it and then settling back into her chair. "That sounds like a wonderful time. I only met Diana for the first time recently, but our paths have crossed a few times since now," Wanda says. "I would love to join you," she tells Carol.

"I have not been to the station before," she says of it. "Are there unexpected people taking up residence there now?" she asks curiously. Wanda's knowledge of the place really is not the best, truth be told.

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
"Apparently," Carol says with a lift of her shoulders, "I mean, it is something of a way-station between everything out there and Earth, so it makes sense that people sometimes come there to stay for a time or visit. But ... let's just say that while the myriad of alien cultures are fascinating, they don't always gel well with our own. There's currently - or was - a fella up there who seems to not know when to leave well enough alone. I'm down here so I don't exercise my right to boot him off the station - preferably without a parachute."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda lets out a breath. "There's enough to do for the rest of us without having to deal with aliens. I'm glad we have you out there my friends," Wanda says, taking a sip of her wine. "The world is starting to return to normal after what Loki pulled with the ley lines and magic energy. It was... disconcerting. Like... I don't know how to describe it actually. Like I was constantly hooked up to a battery just powerful enough to make me feel it no matter what I did?"

Wanda rises to pace back over to look out the windows. "I wonder were Pietro is. I think there was a ball in Genosha, but I have... been distracted lately. I forgot about it," she says quietly. In truth if Carol has been around the mansion, Wanda wasn't at all herself in the days after the attack by her father, and Josh Foley leaving the mansion subsequently.

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
"How're things with you?" Carol asks from her seat, watching Wanda pace around the room. There's not much she can say about Quicksilver, nor Genosha. But she can ask and listen. After all, the Scarlet Witch has listened to more than a few of Carol's own problems, and she ought to return the favour.

"I mean, really how are you. Not just what have you been doing with your time, but how are you feeling?"

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda is in mid-pace, moving away from Carol, when she asks the question. It causes the Transian woman to stop for a moment. Pausing. When she answers, for whatever reason, Carol gets a true answer, from the sounds of it.

"I'm falling apart. My heart is shattered into pieces. I... was off center from before I met Josh, and having him around helped me so much. And now that's back and even worse, even without... without losing him," she says.

"And having the magic drained was... enough by itself to put me on edge. I... frankly could use a bunch of time away. And it would be the worst of times to go. I don't know. I'm going to have to do something," Wanda says.

She takes a sip of her wine. "And I'm drinking too much of this," she says. She doesn't set the glass down though. It's helping. There is something else she could do, but she doesn't mention that.

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
"Believe me, I know the feeling," Carol says quietly, her eyes turning to the bottle of wine, "I had my own problems with it ... wine, I mean. And vodka. Bourbon. Everclear. Gin. Beer. Just about anything you could name in that whole space, actually. I'm not saying you're like me there, Wanda, but ... it doesn't help. Not in the end. If you're turning to it just to feel normal again."

She raises to her feet now, easily done as gravity doesn't seem to apply to her - it's more like she levitates and lands suddenly on the tips of her toes. She puts a hand on Wanda's shoulder, smiling faintly: "Maybe you need to get away from everything. It's what I do. I'm not sure rocketing off into space is so much an option for you, but maybe we can give you a similar kind of break ... you said you wanted to visit Mackenzie King Station sometime?"

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda Maximoff looks down at the glass then back up to Carol. "I know, you're right," she says. "Forgetting for a little while, has been nice, but... it isn't the way to handle it." Wanda says quietly.

She finally sets the glass of wine down on the coffee table. "Maybe that would be nice. I could go for a visit, yes. And then maybe, I can just find a nice little isolated mountain lake somewhere to get away. Let JARVIS reach me if there are problems," she says. "Though, Sebastion, we shouldn't wait," she says, frowning.

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
"I promise we won't go off without you to fight the bad robot. Wanda, just take some time. See the sights. Hell, have a one night stand. Forget about being an Avenger for a while and just be Wanda for a change, huh?"

Carol's suggestions may not be quite as sweet and cultured as would be appropriate for Wanda, but they do speak to the heart of things. That's what Carol does - goes right for the crux of the issue without bothering to worry about the extraneous stuff around it.

"You know we'll call you in," she smiles faintly again, "You can't get away that easy. But I really do think you need a vacation. A good one."