Scarlet Manifest

She and her brother had volunteered for this but they didn't realize what it would include. They knew that HYDRA wanted fighters. There was the Winter Soldier, but even he couldn't do some of the things that they had planned for the twins. For the miracles.

They just needed to bestow them with their gifts first.

The preliminary exams--which had consisted of stamina and endurance training--were easy for them. Living out in the streets of Sokovia, stealing and running, climbing buildings and jumping over obstacles, was how they survived. That had been child's play for them. Plus they were also given incentive for if they got through the tests: they'd have a place to stay, shelter, food, everything they wanted after the shell had dropped and they ran from the corrupt orphanage they had been placed in.

But now was the hard part. The first experiment. This was where those who had made it this far died. Few survived the initial test but died later due to complications.

The twins were led to a room. Nervous, Wanda reached out to grab Pietro's hand. He gave it a comforting squeeze before bringing it up to kiss the back of it. He mumbled some Sokovian to her, words of comfort, security. What their mother had told them whenever they were scared.

They stopped outside of a door and the agents with them opened it. This is where they were separated. Wanda was told she had to go first. She was scared. She hugged Pietro tightly before she was yanked away from him and pushed into the room, the door slamming shut behind her. She hoped that wasn't the last time she'd see him.

The room was bare except for a pedestal in the middle of the room. A yellow gem was on the pedestal and it was contained in a glass container. A one-way window was to the side, no doubt scientists on the other side recording every single bit of data they could about her.

Wanda took a deep breath before she slowly approached the glass case. She wished she had her brother with her but they said they had to do this alone. Why? And this gem, what was it? Why did exposure to this cause so many people to die? Why was it so special?

The glass slid down to reveal the stone. It glistened with energy. The room seemed to crackle with it now that the glass was gone.

She could feel a slight pressure on her fingertips, a strange sensation. She looked at her hands, seeing faint traces of red floating around. What was this? This wasn't natural. She felt a tension building in her head the closer she got to the strange artifact. It didn't feel like a headache but it still was uncomfortable. She raised her head up to the stone again. She was right in front of it. With a shaking hand, she reached out to grab it.

Her skin burned when she made contact with it. She collapsed to her knees, screaming in pain. She tried to let it go but she couldn't. It wouldn't let her. Her whole body came to life as she felt something deep inside of her stir as if just waking up for the first time, some kind of dormant gene. Her skin glowed red. Her head was pounding. She was starting to hover in the air.

What the hell was this?!

She cried for help, for someone to end her suffering, to save her. Her mind felt like it was going to explode. Her fingertips felt like they were on fire.

With all her strength, she threw the stone away from her. She landed on the ground, breathing quickly as her vision started to dim. She heard the door open and a familiar voice called out to her. She slowly turned her head, seeing a vaguely familiar face before she passed out.

XXX

She started to come to. Everything felt normal except...was the ceiling really that low in this place? She could've sworn the night before it wasn't that close. She began to sit up but she realized there was no bed under her.

She looked down, seeing she was floating. Everything in the room was floating.

And who was yelling? Voices, voices in her head, every single thought of the base she was in, the good, the bad, the calming, the uncomfortable. Everything.

She could feel herself beginning to hyperventilate. Pietro, she needed Pietro! Where was he?! She cried his name. She noticed her hands were glowing red again.

No, no, no, no, no, no! What was going on?! This wasn't natural! What did they do to her?!

It was all so overwhelming. She couldn't think. She couldn't focus. She brought her hands to her head as she struggled to breath.

She let out a scream, falling back onto the bed. Everything around her came crashing to the floor as an energy wave shot out of her. Anything within a fifty-foot radius to her that was glass shattered.

This was the miracle Strucker had talked about?! What was it he did!?

Little did she know at the this, this was the start of a new era for her. Now, she'd go by a different name. Whether it was a miracle or a curse, one thing was for sure.

The Scarlet Witch had been born.