I know you, but do you remember me?

I walk through the Sokovian streets, snow covering the floor, my magical disguise in place. A couple of days ago I had felt this peek of energy and it didn't take me long to figure out it was chaos magic. However, I could feel that the magic I had sensed was only a shimmer, like a spark that yet had to turn into a raging fire. I knew this was a perfect opportunity for me. Find the person responsible for the peak, befriend them, help them grow, and when their power was at a proper level: take it for my own. It's how I have been working for more than 300 years. So I had turned myself into a young woman, looking like I was in my 20's. It was still me, just the me from 280 years ago. After walking through a couple of dirty streets I can feel the energy getting heavier, which clearly indicates that I'm getting closer. When I come face to face with 2 young children I stop in my tracks, because this is where the magic has been leading me. They are a boy and a girl and are obviously twins. They both have deep brown hair which is currently covered in dirt. Her eyes are green and his are blue. They are tucked away in an old blanket covered in holes and I can see them both shaking. It's clear that the energy I can feel is radiating off of the girl. I squat through my legs so I'm at their eye level and clear my throat, effectively getting their attention. "Hi there." I say, but the only response I get is the 2 of them watching me with scared eyes. "What are 2 dolls like you sitting here on the street?" While the girl keeps watching me cautiously, the boy replies: "We live here ma'am." I raise my eyebrow. "And why is that?" "Our home got destroyed by a bomb attack." The girl pokes him is his side and whispers something in his ear, clearly not pleased by the fact that he is sharing this information with me. "You know pals, I have a house on the edge of the city. It's warm and comfortable and there is food for the both of you. Want to come?" I stand up straight again, giving them the best sweet-and-caring look I can muster. The boy is instantly enthusiastic but the girl is more hesitant. Of course, I didn't expect anything else. "Come on Wanda, it's better than staying out here!" So that's the name of the little witch. She shakes her head, pulling the blanked even closer. "We don't know her Pietro, maybe she has bad intentions!" "Maybe yes but staying out here isn't a good idea either! I don't want to freeze to death you know." Finishing his words he stands up and takes a step into my direction. I give him a sweet smile, it's clear that the boy is the key to getting the girl to come along. "He is right you know, the nights are only going to get colder." It's like she thinks of every possible scenario and when she has gone through them all she gets up, clearly deciding that following me is less dangerous than staying here. "Okay, one night then." The both of them follow as I lead them away from the city. Thank god my powers are capable of creating a house out of nothing before we get there, I think. "How old are you?" I ask the twins and it's Pietro's voice that replies. "10!" I sigh out loud. This is going be a long journey.

4 years have passed since I took the twins into my magically created house. The first couple of days they only stayed inside, cherishing the warmth of the fire and the fact that their bellies were full. After a while though they started drifting, only returning to spend the night with me. I know that they are joining riots against the Avengers. The bomb that killed their parents was created by Stark Industries, which was owned by Tony Stark, which was the alter ego of Iron Man, who was an important member of the Avengers. It all made sense in their heads. I know that the world is more complicated than that, but I don't comment on it. I don't care about what they do in their own time, the only thing that frustrates me is that Wanda is still unaware of her magical potential. It's still the same little spark I had felt at first, not growing at all. I look through the window and pet Senor Scratchy, my magical cat. I don't care about the boy at all, but I can't help but feel affectionate towards her. At one point the word "mommy" had accidentally left Wanda's mouth and even though I pretended that I didn't hear it, it warmed my heart in a way that it shouldn't. I don't do caring, I don't do love. The door opens and I can hear the twins entering the house. While Pietro runs upstairs towards their bedroom, Wanda walks towards me. "Hi Agatha." I turn around, and Senor Scratchy jumps out of my arms. "Hi there Wanda, how was your day?" She sits down and I offer her a cup of hot cocoa, which she gladly accepts. "Really good, we went to a riot in the outside of the city. I think the Avengers are not really a bunch of bad people but they shouldn't have allowed Stark into their midst. How can you allow a murderer to act as a good guy?" I swallow, if she only knew. I lean forward and press a kiss on her head. "Always follow your passion my good girl."

The twins are 16 now and I barely see them anymore. Of course I keep tabs on Wanda, I still want and need her powers. Chaos magic is said to be the most powerful in the universe and I don't doubt it. I'm sitting on my coach, the fire burning comfortably and making the room all warm and cozy. Senor Scratchy is sitting on my lap and I'm holding the Darkhold in my hands, reading about the myth that is the Scarlet Witch. When I want to grab my cup of tea I notice it's empty, and with one touch of my finger it refills itself. I hum in satisfaction. I can feel Wanda her presence arrive about a minute before she bursts through the door, bringing the cold of the winter with her. Immediately I make the book disappear. "That absolute idiot!" She yells and I reply with a: "Please close the door deary." With a frustrated grumble she does as I say and then drops on the sofa opposite to me. "What's wrong?" I ask, waiting for her reply. After a couple of silence seconds she sighs. "He keeps stealing! He has no special powers, isn't even a super spy or super soldier or something like that, he's just an ordinary human. We both are. Yet he keeps stealing to help the others in need. Of course it's noble of him but is helping others really worth the chance of getting killed?!" I listen to her ramble and the only thing I can think about is that she's most definitely not human. "I already lost both of my parents, I can't lose him too. Can't you talk to him Agatha? He always listens to you." I give her a sad smile, and make a dismissive wave with my hand. "Maybe he used to listen to me in the past my sweet girl but he has grown since then. Pietro really has a mind of his own, and when he puts his mind on achieving something I don't think anything can stop him." Wanda sighs, she knows I'm right. Slowly she removes her jacket after which she gets up to join me on my own couch. "Thanks." I raise my eyebrow at her. "For what?" "For saving us that fateful day. We wouldn't have made it through the night. I might have lost my parents, but you are as close to a mother as it gets. I will always love you Agatha." I pull her into a hug. Don't love her, don't love her. "And I love you Wanda." Shit.

Another year has passed when I suddenly can't feel Wanda her energy anymore. When the twins don't come back home for a couple of nights worry takes over and I go to the city. I talk to what feels like a hundred people but it's as if no-one has seen them. Like they have just vanished from the earth. After spending 3 months like this, waiting and searching, I have to admit to myself that they're not coming back. I don't know what happened but my heart shatters at the idea that something fatal took place. It's the only thing I can think of that explains Wanda her sudden disappearance. I was a fool for loving her and I promise to myself: never again. From now off on the only being on earth that will get my affection is my precious cat. With a snap of my fingers the house is gone, taking all of the warm memories with it. I decide to go to Ireland, to look into the mythology there. Anywhere is good, as long as it's far away from Sokovia. When I leave I don't look back.

8 years later

I'm practicing a magic spell when it suddenly hits me: a wave of chaos magic. Not the small spark I had felt 14 years ago, no. This is a full blown magical energy that I feel, and the first thing I think is: Wanda. She's alive! Immediately I leave France, the country I had been staying in, and make my way to Westview. When I arrive I can feel this entire barrier covering the town, and it's clear to me that this has been created by the magic I had hoped to harvest for myself. I cover myself in spells and walk through it without a doubt. As soon as I'm inside I can see that everything is black and white and everybody behaves like they're in a… a sitcom. Realization fills me as I think back to one of the nights long ago, when Pietro was laughing as Wanda once more put on the Dick van Dyke show. I realize that this means that this entire hex is made by my long lost foster daughter. I follow the string of her magic and end up in front of a house, number 2800. It's the zip code of Novi Grad, the capital of Sokovia. I can see Wanda standing in front of the door, but this is no longer the 16 year old child I had seen last. This is a woman who must be 24 by now. I approach her and call out her name. This causes the woman to turn around and look at me, but no realization fills her eyes. I realize that I also look different, I didn't bother putting on the appearance I had when I last saw her. But still, she should know it's me. I take a couple of steps in her direction. "Wanda, I missed you so much. What happened to you? How did you disappear?" She tilts her head and with a cold and dangerous voice she says: "Who are you?" There is no Sokovian accent to be found, it's perfect English. Or American. "It's me, Agatha." When I see red mist swirl in her hands and her eyes take on a scarlet color, this being the only color in our environment at the moment, I know that she doesn't know who I am and she won't hesitate to use the powers she had apparently learned to use against me. With a snap of my own fingers she flies against the house, my purple binds keeping her tied up. I walk towards her and I can't help but let a tear escape. I never should have allowed myself to love her. "I know you, but do you remember me?" My voice is but a whisper but she frantically shakes her head. "Let me go witch!" "Don't you remember? You and Pietro, staying at my house…" Hearing his name only makes her angrier. "How dare you talk about my brother! He died 7 years ago, and he never spoke a word about a purple freak!" A sad smile tugs on my lips and the only thing I feel is sadness. How on earth did this happen… I lost both of them. I know I should leave, turn my back to this entire thing and never come back. But I can't. All those years she had been by my side meant something to me, and I want to figure out what happened, why she doesn't remember anything of the past. Why did Pietro die… Even though to me it was all about Wanda, I did care about the boy. I need to know what caused this. So I decide to go back to my old tricks, pose as someone I'm not. With a broken heart my fingers touch her temple, using my magic I make her forget everything that has just happened these last 10 minutes. For a while she just stands there, and before she can come back into the now I disappear. I walk into the house on the right side of hers, and immediately put a spell on the inhabitant. I can deal with him later. I look into the mirror and change my looks. It's almost the same as it was before, just a lot more sophisticated. And black and white, a tiny but important detail. Looking into my own eyes I practice the sentence I will be saying when I next see her: Hello, dear. I'm Agnes, your neighbor to the right. My right, not yours.