Eli's POV
I pushed my back against the silver Toyota Celica's backrest. The black interior was surprisingly clean, but the gorgeous red-haired woman behind the wheel was driving slower than a herd of turtles, easing around every corner.
We'd been on the road for nearly three hours.
From Westchester to Astoria shouldn't have taken more than two, but Wanda was clearly an inexperienced driver. It showed in the way she gripped the steering wheel and how close she sat to it. You'd think her inexperience would force her to focus on the road, but no...
She'd spent the entire drive chattering non-stop.
She complained about her brother, her father, and his group, the Brotherhood. She griped about wanting to go to a real high school like a normal kid but instead being homeschooled "because father said so." Every now and then, she'd throw in some random comment about the weather or how she hated some blonde bitch in Hollywood.
Surprisingly enough, I didn't mind. Wanda was an easy enough girl to get along with, teasing me with that ridiculous nickname, I mostly just let her; I could have stopped it, but she didn't seem like a bad person. Another cynical part of me was glad. She was giving away more information than she probably realized, and I was happy to listen.
After another painfully slow turn, I finally asked a question I quickly realized I should have an hour ago:
"Should I drive?"
Wanda's head snapped toward me, red hair whipping with the motion. "Why? Because I'm a woman?"
Why would you think that? I didn't say that.
I looked at her, then answered bluntly. "No, because you're slow. My grandma could drive faster than this."
Her mouth fell open in offense. Before she could fire back, another car behind us laid on the horn. I glanced at the rearview mirror and added, "See? He probably thinks so too."
I said, pointing at the car that overtook us with a prolonged honk.
She looked mutinous at the car that overtook us and honked once in frustration as she turned to me.
"Why do you think that was a man?"
Hiding my grin, I answered, "...because he was fast."
Clearly annoyed at me, she made a sharp, aggressive turn onto a side road, jolting me against the door.
"Whoa—watch it!" I said, gripping the handle. "Where are you going? We're almost there. Why are we turning?"
"Gas station," she said flatly.
I frowned and checked the fuel gauge. The Celica was getting decent mileage, and we still had more than enough gas to reach Astoria.
I gave her a confused look.
Wanda rolled her eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck. "You are such a man," she muttered. "I have to pee."
"...Oh."
We pulled into a small gas station a few minutes later. The place was quiet, with just a couple of cars parked near the pumps. Wanda didn't bother filling up the car; she simply parked near the side of the building.
She got out without another word and headed toward the restrooms. I watched her walk away. Just as she reached the door to the women's restroom, a little girl, maybe six or seven, came out holding her mother's hand. The child looked up at Wanda with wide eyes.
"I like your red hair," the girl said shyly.
Wanda paused, then smiled down gently at the
child. "I like yours too," she replied softly, reaching out to lightly touch one of the girl's pigtails. "It's very pretty."
The little girl beamed before being tugged along by her mother. Wanda watched them go for a second, then disappeared into the restroom.
I shook my head slightly, surprised. She could be surprisingly motherly when she wanted to be.
While she was inside, I went into the small convenience store. The place was cramped but surprisingly well-stocked for a gas station. I grabbed a couple of cold drinks and some snacks first—chips, chocolate bars, and a bottle of water for each of us. Then I moved toward the back, where they had a small selection of actual groceries and ready-to-eat food. I picked up a few things that could pass for dinner and groceries: a couple of pre-made sandwiches, two microwave meals, a loaf of bread, some eggs, instant noodles, and a pack of sausages. It wasn't much, but it would do for today.
As I paid at the counter, the small TV mounted on the wall caught my attention.
A news anchor was talking about Tony Stark and the whole Iron Man situation. People were split—some called him a hero, others called him a danger to society in general. Nothing different from the usual fear-mongering you'd get from news stations.
But it was the text scrolling across the bottom of the screen that made me pause:
Brazilian government accuses U.S. of unsanctioned military action inside local bottle factory...
A bottle factory? Why did that sound significant, I thought.
Something about that place tugged at the back of my mind. I was still staring at the screen when Wanda walked up beside me and snatched the bag of snacks from the counter.
"Thank you," she said brightly.
I didn't respond. My eyes were still locked on the TV.
"Hey. I'm talking to you...!" she said, waving a hand in front of my face.
I blinked and finally looked at her. "Sorry. Just... zoned out."
Wanda followed my gaze to the television, then back to me, raising an eyebrow.
"You a Stark fanboy or something?"
I shook my head. "What? No. Nothing like that. Let's go."
We started walking back toward the car, but the question lingered in my mind. I decided to ask gently.
"Do you have something against Tony or something?"
Wanda took another swig from the bottle. "What do you mean? And why are you calling him Tony like you know him?"
I answered carefully. "I met him in Afghanistan during my last deployment. He wasn't that bad."
She let out a short, humorless laugh. "Oh please. He's just a degenerate who treats women like objects. I don't really like him. And now he's flying around in that shiny little toy of his like he's some kind of hero."
I nodded slowly, but my mind was elsewhere.
So she wasn't in Sokovia... I thought. Or maybe that never happened here. Either way, I didn't push it. I just got back into the car.
The rest of the drive went by quietly. Wanda still talked, but less than before. I gave her directions as we got closer to Astoria, and eventually we pulled up in front of my apartment building.
I unbuckled my seatbelt, ready to thank her and say goodbye. But when I got out, Wanda got out too. She stood there for a second, one hand resting under her chest while the other held the car keys. Then she looked at me.
"So... I was thinking," she started, a little hesitant. "I'm kind of on my own now. I don't really know anyone here. Maybe... I could stay with you? I can pay for room and board and stuff."
I stared at her, caught completely off guard.
"Like a roommate?" I asked slowly.
"Yeah. I mean, it would be nice to stay with someone you actually know, right? And I don't have anywhere else to go."
She must've seen the hesitation on my face, because she tilted her head and asked, "...Do you have a girlfriend or something?"
"No," I said, way too quickly.
A small, confident smile returned to her face.
"I'm also a mean cook," she added. "So how about it?"
I looked at her.
Just a couple of days ago, I had been wary of this woman. I knew what she was capable of becoming. I thought about all I knew about her, all the bad things she could go on to do, and I couldn't see that. All I saw was a young woman who wanted to find some form of connection, someone still trying to find her way in life.
I mean, it won't be that bad, right...?
I let out a slow breath.
"Well... you can use the spare room. You'd have to get a new bed though — you can use the couch until then. And you'll have to pay for food and utilities. But... I think we'll be fine."
Her face lit up immediately.
"Really? Okay! Deal."
She walked around to the trunk and popped it open. I tried not to stare as she bent over to grab her bags, her shirt riding up slightly. I quickly looked away and stepped forward to help.
"Well," she said with a grin, slinging one bag over her shoulder while pointing at the rest of her luggage, "let's go home."
I chuckled despite myself and grabbed the heavier suitcase.
"Yeah," I said. "Let's go home."
It took us until late evening to finally settle in.
We sat on the couch in comfortable silence, the TV playing some mindless nature documentary while we ate the food I'd bought from the gas station. I was dressed in a plain black t-shirt and sweatpants. Wanda had changed into an oversized gray t-shirt and a pair of very short shorts that were mostly hidden beneath the shirt. I did all I could to stop myself from staring at her voluptuous thighs and focused on scarfing down as many calories as I could.
She gave me a side-eye but didn't say anything as we ate. The news from earlier kept circling in the back of my mind—the bottle factory in Brazil. The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt. Then it clicked.
That's where Thaddeus Ross found Bruce Banner.
I stopped eating mid-bite as a cold sense of urgency settled in my chest.
Everything was moving too fast.
I had done the muscle and growth hormone rituals first to give my system time to adjust, but that had been a mistake. My muscles were getting stronger every day, more than I expected. I had thought it would take longer to reach this point. If I didn't reinforce my skeleton soon, they would eventually start crushing my own bones.
I needed to do it tonight.
Wanda noticed the sudden change in my mood. "You okay?"
"Yeah," I said, standing up and wiping my hands on a napkin. "Just tired. Long day. I'm gonna head to bed. You good?"
She studied me for a second, then nodded. "Yeah. I'll stay up a little longer."
I gave her a small nod and walked into my room, closing the door behind me.
I lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Then I closed my eyes and reached for the Codex.
I needed stronger bones.
I didn't know the exact scientific composition of what I wanted, but from my experience with the Codex, I had learned that intent mattered more than technical knowledge. I focused on what I needed—bones that could withstand the growing power of my muscles, bones that wouldn't break no matter how hard I pushed myself.
The ritual began.
I conditioned my mind for the expected pain. I was now more than a little used to the pain, so I knew I could keep my voice down—one of the reasons I had accepted Wanda's proposal to room together. Pain bloomed slowly as expected. I felt like my skeleton was being slowly crushed and rebuilt at the same time.
Still, I kept my voice to just soft grunts. I realized with a start that the door opened.
The door opened.
"Hey, about the hot water—"
I didn't lock the door... fuck.
Wanda's voice cut off as she saw me.
"Eli?!"
I could barely speak as she yelled my name and rushed to my bedside.
"Fine..." I forced out through gritted teeth. "It's just... my... power..."
As I looked at her face above mine, frantically calling out to me, I blacked out.
I woke to something cool and damp pressed against my forehead. I reached up and pulled it off, blinking at the ceiling. My chest was bare. I turned my head slightly and saw a familiar mane of red hair resting on the edge of the bed. Wanda was sitting on the floor beside me, her head pillowed on her arms, fast asleep. A bowl of water and a few towels sat on the nightstand.
A warm feeling bloomed in my chest.
Had she taken care of me through the night?
I must've made some noise when I moved, because her head suddenly lifted. Her hair was messy, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes.
"Eli?" she asked, voice rough with sleep. "Are you okay?"
Looking at her disheveled state, I felt guilty and a little happy, to be honest.
So what do I tell her now?