002: Nightmares...

[notmutantbutmiracle]

Who: Wanda Maximoff and others
Broadcast: Yes - Fleetwide (with additional filtered, private messages)
Action: SS Starstruck and Dust Planet
When: Over the past two weeks

[Week One After Nebula Incident]

[After the whole attack and nebula misadventure, Wanda began noticing a few strange occurrences. There were the obvious, random technology and lighting malfunctions on the Starstruck, but those did not take too long to fix and restore to relative normalcy. It was more personal oddities that were beginning to concern her. The first of which was the near constant headache that started to arise not too long after the ship passed through the nebula. At first, it had been nothing more than a dull, but still noticeable ache; however, it seemed to be slowly growing with intensity, and, while it would originally come and go, it also seemed to be becoming more constant. The periods in-between decreasing with each new wave of pain.]

[And then, there were the nightmares... She'd only had three so far, but they were the most troubling. They each started the same, but they were increasing in duration and in detail. She decided to keep the specifics to herself for now, but she had to know how others in the fleet were fairing and perhaps if anyone was experiencing something similar.]

[When the video feed clicks on, Wanda clearly looks somewhat disheveled. The nights of restless sleep brought on by the nightmares had clearly taken their toll on her. She looked tired, frustrated, and also a little bit scared. She does her best to appear calm, however, and speak in a level tone as she addresses the fleet.]

This is Wanda Maximoff on the SS Starstruck.

Has anyone in the fleet been having any headaches after our trip through the nebula? Or perhaps some kind of nightmares? If so, how long have they been lasting for you? If anyone has any advice on how to... numb these effects, please let me know.

[Week Two]

[She had hoped it would all pass: the headaches and the nightmares, though now she wasn't so sure these were mere nightmares she was having. Unfortunately, they only seemed to be getting worse and worse with each passing day. What had started as periodic waves of dull annoyance, had now become full migraines that left her almost reeling for a minutes at a time. Nothing she had done in attempt to quell the pain had lasted for very long, if it even worked at all. In addition, the "nightmares" were becoming much more frequent. It seemed like almost every time she closed her eyes now, she fell into them. What was worse was that they were affecting her surroundings as she slept.]

[Wanda's friends and shipmates will likely have noticed that they have not heard or seen much of her over the week. It seemed like she was trying to distance herself more and more from those around her. Anyone who does see her will be able to tell that she is not looking well. The effects of her lack of restful sleep are apparent in her face and her posture. She looks tired, and even more apparent... she looks scared. Thus, anyone who attempts to engage her will find her to be rather evasive, trying to wrap up their talk as quickly as possible for heading off somewhere. In fact, her shipmates may have noticed her entering rooms on occasion, only to flee when she notices someone else in the room with her. Any visitors to her sleeping quarters will see damage to the walls, ceiling and various fixtures. Items Wanda has collected from previous planetary visits are strewn about on the floor, and some are heavily damaged. It's also likely that Wanda's shipmates will have heard some screaming and banging coming from her room or the cargo hold.]

[The past three days...]

[If Wanda's communication with her friends and her presence on the ship had been dwindling the previous week, it was now completely gone. Anyone who cares to look for her on the Starstruck will not find her. Digging a little deeper, one would be able to find that one of the Starstruck's shuttle logs details a trip in which the shuttle departed for the nearby planet, only to quickly return to the ship on auto-pilot.]

[Wanda's friends and shipmates will find a short, text message from her on their communicators. It reads:]

Do not come looking for me.

[Those who do venture planet-side looking for her in town will not find her there. However, the townspeople have begun talk of strange, supernatural occurrences up in nearby desert mesas. It seems that those journey by have heard what sounds like screams or wails coming from them. Anyone who has tried to investigate has been attacked by red, etheric swirls of light, knocking travelers off their feet or transportation. No serious injury has been done to anyone yet, but it's clear that it's scaring the townspeople.]

Comments

[notmutantbutmiracle]

[At the feeling of Vision's touch on her forehead, Wanda's body visibly stiffens, looking like it's going to begin writhing again. Instead, her body relaxes, her fists uncoild, and she actually begins to settle. Her eyes don't open at first, but her whole expression starts to look less pained and more calm. Vision's presence clearly is having some kind of calming effect on her.]

[As she looks more and more calmly asleep, a voice--her voice can be heard. Her mouth isn't opening to speak, and it doesn't necessarily sounds like it's within Vision's own mind. Instead, it just sounds sort of whispered upon the air.]

Vision... you found me...

[unbearablynaive]

[He relaxes in turn when he observes her reaction; good, she sees him as a positive influence rather than a threat, even in this state. She has every reason to know that much, as she's touched his mind before, but as he's still not entirely sure what's wrong he must treat every situation as unique.]

I said I would, Wanda. You seem unwell. [Yes, yes, he knows he's stating the obvious again.] I'd like to help you. Do you know if anything specific is wrong?

[notmutantbutmiracle]

[Wanda's body remains in a state of serene looking slumber. Probably the first it's had in a long time. However, her disembodied voice will continue to respond.]

It's- it's these nightmares... They are not normal nightmares... it feels like...

[Some hesitation here, however, the voice clearly decides to divulge more details.]

Like what I put Stark through... back in Strucker's compound... And the other Avengers... in Africa... I... I did this to them... trapped them in a vision of their fears... their memories...

[Another pause, this one shorter than the previous one.]

I deserve this...

[unbearablynaive]

[That she believes she deserves it isn't hard to see. The Vision settles himself down so he's sitting next to her prone body, being sure to keep in contact at all times so she can continue to rest. Likewise, his tone is calm, reassuring.]

Have you had normal nightmares since you gained your powers, or could it perhaps be that? Or a fluctuation of some type? [As he sees it, there are two main possibilities here: either she's somehow overloading, in which case venting off the excess in a harmless manner should help her regain stability, or it's an effect of a physical/mental/emotional imbalance, which could be helped by various other techniques. She's at least exhausted from a lack of normal sleep, that much is clear.]

[notmutantbutmiracle]

[There's a pause. The feeling as though Wanda's voice is pondering over Vision's question lingers in the air.]

These nightmares... I went through something similar... back when Strucker... back when I received these powers... but these... these ones feel so much worse... so much more powerful... so much more painful...

[unbearablynaive]

[He nods, even though she probably can't see him. That falls in line with what he's thinking.]

And your control? Can you, for example, shoot a beacon of light high into the air without disturbing anything on the ground?

[It might be a start to finding a way to release excess energy.]

[notmutantbutmiracle]

I... I don't know if I...

[There's a spasm from her body, a sharp cry of pain and a crackling of energy shoot out of her. That would appear to be a no to your question Vision.]

[unbearablynaive]

I'll take that as a no. [And he'll be cautious in case he needs to move quickly. But until then, he holds her hand in a firm grip and strokes the top of it lightly, in what he hopes is a soothing gesture.]

Perhaps another tack will prove more useful. Can you breathe in to a count of five, hold for two, then exhale to a count of five?

[notmutantbutmiracle]

[No response from Wanda's voice this time. However, her body does appear to be listening, as her stomach slowly expands with the inhaling of a breath. It then slowly contracts as her breath is expelled. The count does appear to match with what Vision has asked of her.]

[unbearablynaive]

Good. [He keeps his voice calm, tries for a soothing tone.] Keep breathing in time. When you can do this and still keep your focus, try to relax each muscle in your body, beginning at your feet.

[She's probably got knots of stress all over. If she can relax that it should help pull some of the strain off her body, which should in turn be reflected by her mind.]

[notmutantbutmiracle]

[Still no response from her voice. However, her body, once again, shows signs of having heard and understand him. It makes little movements, little shuffles as she tries to relax her muscles.]

[So far so good, no second spasm of pain.]

[unbearablynaive]

[That's better than no response at all, and he'd prefer she focus on herself for the time being anyway. He murmurs encouragement in the same soothing tone, hoping she can relax all the way.

If she drops off into sleep, well, he'll just hang around until she wakes up. She probably needs it.]

[notmutantbutmiracle]

[The tension appears to be leaving her body more and more, as she focuses on relaxing more of the muscles in her body. Still no response from her voice, but it does appear that Vision may have guessed correctly. Her breathing becomes more steady, her body completely relaxes, a look of peace now rests on her face. She's fallen into a quiet, deep sleep for the first time in what feels like a while for her.]

[unbearablynaive]

[That's very good, as good as it's going to get for now. He'd be surprised if simple exhaustion wasn't a major contributing factor, especially if she'd been having nightmares.

Still, since he has nothing more pressing to attend to, he'll wait unobtrusively nearby as she sleeps.]

[notmutantbutmiracle]

[As morning dawns, Wanda stirs. She slowly sits up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She doesn't seem at all surprised by Vision's presence. In fact, she at first has a look of relief on her face, but it does slowly start to dissolve into a look of worry.]

I suppose it wasn't hard for you to find me.

[unbearablynaive]

[He smiles in return to see her wake up and, frankly, looking a lot better than before.]

It did take me several hours. But how do you feel, Wanda? You've not had an easy night.

[notmutantbutmiracle]

That would be an understatement.

[Her expression bland, unsure herself if she meant that to be a joke or not.]

Though, I do feel better... for the moment at least.

[unbearablynaive]

[He nods; one can hardly expect full recovery after a single night of easy sleep, if this has been going on for a while.]

Do you mind telling me what exactly has happened?

[notmutantbutmiracle]

It started about two weeks ago now, I think. It started with these painful headaches, and then the nightmares came. Though, I soon realized these were not normal nightmares...

[Wanda's eyes cloud with feelings of guilt and shame. She was unsure how Vision would react when she tells him what she had done, but there was little point in hiding it from him now.]

They were the visions I used to trap people in... their fears and worst memories made manifest once more... it would seem I was given a taste of my own medicine.

[unbearablynaive]

[He nods along as she speaks, expression serious but not disapproving. He doesn't really find it surprising that she's seen what she saw before, especially since she's had a change of heart about it; it's been several months, but it's still recent.]

Regret over what you've done isn't a bad thing, Wanda. It proves you have empathy. This particular manifestation of it is unfortunate, but I believe you can work through it. When you're at peace with yourself, you can control your reactions and channel your sorrow into constructive uses or for defense rather than attack. Does that make sense?

[notmutantbutmiracle]

[Wanda nods her head a little solemnly, not sure if she completely believes Vision. However, there is a faint, sliver of a smile that belies some hope that perhaps she can prove him right.]

What happens now then? Are you here to take me back to the fleet?

[unbearablynaive]

I am here to help you. If you would like to go back, we certainly can. Or we could stay here, or visit one of the villages. I've heard some of the local plants have medicinal properties as well; we could look for some.

[In other words? No rush.]

[notmutantbutmiracle]

[Wanda looks away from Vision. Her eyes donning a kind of far off look as she ponders something. When she speaks, her tone is level, but there is a discernable degree of hurt to it.]

I can not go back to the fleet. Not now, not like this. I do not want to risk hurting innocents with my powers.

[unbearablynaive]

[He nods; he's expected as much.]

I do hope to see you back soon, but I agree I'd want you to be confident in your control first.

[notmutantbutmiracle]

[She smiles weakly. It was sad to hear Vision admit that he considered her just as much a threat as she felt about herself, but what did she really expect? What he said was true. She needed to regain control. The thing is...]

I have never lost control over my powers to this extent before.