#worrying about new Peter's and mine just kinda getting left behind for the new ~MCU CANON OMG~ blogs

[pla-teau]

WANDAVISION EPISODE SEVEN THOUGHTS

GIF NOT MINE

SPOILERS AHEAD YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!

BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL MORE LIKE BREAKING MY BRAIN AND HEART

wanda’s mood | as she talks to the camera, she treats her expanding the false world she’s created to having a bad night out. we’re seeing how tired she is from expanding westview - it damn near drained her it seems. the last episode was a lot to take in, keeping up with her torn emotions with pietro, her relationship with vision crumbling, worrying about her kids, expanding the hex — it’s enough to fry out your nerves. wanda also categorizes what happened in the last episode as reckless and decides to stay in to punish herself. even her kids notice that she’s out of it because she doesn’t stop them from fighting and doesn’t say a word as she heads to the kitchen. she’s drained, she’s tired - she doesn’t want to deal with anything today. wanda’s not being the doting mom she’s been since the birth of the twins as when billy talks about his head being too noisy, she ignores his complaints and lounges in bed a little longer. she’s drained and is acting out of character throughout the whole episode.

wanda’s reality is starting to break | right off the bat, we see how the reality in westview is going haywire. the boys mention their game freaking out. it switches to games from different eras. then we see it with wanda’s milk - switching from black and white to color and even changing shape to fit the style of a past era like 50s with the milk being in glass bottle or a milk carton with the ‘missing’ label on the side. we’ve seen the trailer/promo footage of different objects/furniture in the house glitching in this same manner and it seems that wanda’s power is not strong enough to keep everything together - physically or mentally so it seems in this episode.

“thanks for tuning in to W.N.D.A.” | as wanda is in the kitchen making herself some cereal, you can hear the tv from the living room say this. this sets up the opening credits for the show as everything is about wanda. if you turn on the subtitles, you can read exactly what the anchor is saying on the television. he says “not a thing weighing heavily on your conscience. i hope your little ghosts arrived home safe last night. it’s always such a treat to see those creepy kiddos out and about once a year.” it seems as though it’s wanda’s mind we’re hearing. nothing’s weighing heavily on her conscience - kinda is with expanding the hex. the little ghosts is in reference to all the kids that we finally saw come out for halloween in westview. calling them creepy kiddos could mean nothing but i thought about tommy and billy? since the two gained their abilities on halloween and weren’t doing much to conceal their powers (at least tommy wasn’t). i also say it’s wanda’s mind we’re gaining insight to cause when it goes on to the bit about giving tips about resisting temptation of the leftover candy or just eating it all - wanda is skeptical of what’s happening with the milk but still takes a big spoonful of cereal.

opening credits | we don’t have some super catchy lyrics this time around for the opening credits of the show - making me think that this is a nod to the office. but we do get ‘wanda’ splattered in every frame of the credits. the one that stands out to me is the ‘i know what u are doing wanda’ since everything else it seems to be replacing random words on signs like restaurants and other shops. comes off as a tad bit scary/creepy since it’s written with cut out letters from different new articles/magazines. could be a hint to vision knowing that it is all wanda’s doing. or as we later find out, it can be a set up to agnes’ reveal since she plays a more sinister role in all of this. this is the first we’re seeing any sort of credits in the opening sequence. created by wanda maximoff - again driving home the fact that the hex and everything we’ve seen so far has all been wanda’s creation or so we’re forced to believe...

SWORD retreat | we learn that the broadcast has been taken down - all they get is dead air supposedly. maybe that’s just a result of wanda’s expansion of the hex but i think it’s too weak given how har out they are and since they are farther from wanda as she doesn’t live right at the edge of town. we also learn that haydick hayward is planning to launch a missile or some kind of powerful weapon on/in to the hex to stop wanda. let’s hope it fails or if it goes through, wanda can point the missile/weapon back at SWORD and let it go.

“if he doesn’t wanna be here, there’s nothing i can do about it.” | wanda’s comment about vision not being home and response to billy asking if they should go looking for him. this clearly speaks to wanda not having any control over vision anymore. this is the first time we’ve seen the couple apart for the entirety of the episode. he’s gained enough sentience within the hex to not be controlled by wanda as other residents are. she knows she can’t rewrite or edit the scene for him to suddenly come through the door and have everyone be a happy family.

“he is not your uncle.” | wanda confirms to us that the pietro we’ve seen so far is a stranger and not some multiverse version of her dead brother. this to me also shoots down the theory of the multiverse existing at this point and wanda being responsible for it even though evan peters does play pietro in the x-men universe. i think it was a wink to fans about marvel gaining rights to the x-men franchise. i could be wrong but until then, ‘uncle p’ is sus to me.

“i don’t have all the answers” | wanda going on about how despite being their mother, she doesn’t have all the answers. this is the third time wanda’s been asked about the truth and she doesn’t have an answer. first with vision when he asks how all this happened. second with ‘pietro’ also asking how she created westview. now, it’s the twins seeking answers about their not-uncle if she’s claiming he’s an imposter and a liar. if anything, wanda has been consistent in this claim of not knowing anything. she knows she created westview but she doesn’t know how it got to be this way. i still believe she was offered something or was taken advantage of from the get go by someone else to get to her and observe how powerful she is. i personally love the twins’ reaction to her speaking on not having all the answers. hello yes i love them.

hayward’s interest in vision | we learn that project cataract is/was hayward’s plan to bring vision back to life. this man was trying to make vision into a weapon for SWORD and that’s why he’s so focused on vision inside the hex. wanda somehow brought him back to life despite hayward’s various attempts. i hate this man and i’m sorry but i hope monica and/or wanda beat the shit out of him. obviously, hayward was using SWORD’s resources to try and bring vision back to life but it’s a question of whether or not other people within SWORD knew this was happening and what the intentions were. because we also have monica’s contact be another agent working in SWORD. so why do i get the feeling that we’re gonna be dealing with a SHIELD 2.0 in which bad guys operate within the agency and it’s going to eventually fall like 2014?

“do you think maybe this is what you deserve?” | the interviewer asking wanda this question after we see her house starting to glitch like there’s no tomorrow. while later we do find out agnes is behind the mic, it made me think that this was mephisto finally coming out a bit since the question is very pointed at wanda. the interviewer wants to see wanda suffer because why would anyone ask such a thing let alone say that? they’re taking joy in wanda losing touch with her reality. this is the lowest we’ve seen wanda throughout the series. she’s usually put together - has a slight moment of crisis - but gets back on her feet for tomorrow to enjoy her life with her family. slowly it’s been building up to this point in which wanda just...crashes. she’s lost control in this reality so for the interviewer to pose that question, it’s a signal that someone else is in charge and going to come for wanda at her weakest.

the nexus commercial | this commercial is definitely referencing wanda during infinity war/endgame. the world goes on without you? could be talking about how the world keeps spinning after wanda lost the only family she had left or how everyone moved on in endgame despite losing the person she wanted to spend her life with. wanting to be left alone? all wanda wanted was to be with vision and now to be left alone as she lives out her life with vision in westview. i know the word nexus itself has a double meaning in marvel. nexus was first name dropped in aou, with it being the center of the internet located in oslo. in the comics, i know wanda is referred to as a nexus being in which this could definitely set up the multiverse as the commercial does state that the medication ‘anchors you back to your reality. or the reality of your choice.’ i’m guessing this is on purpose since we’re conditioned to see everything marvel puts out or puts emphasis on to have a double meaning. maybe wanda discovering that she is a nexus being in multiverse of madness could be what the side effects are talking about. if she’s confirmed to be this being, she’d feel a lot of feelings, confront her truth (maybe her role in westview and hopefully her trauma), seizing her destiny (taking control of her life and bigger role in the world), and possibly more depression (i don’t think she needs more of it but with her, it’s almost inevitable especially given where these next two weeks might be heading). given that it does hold two meanings for marvel, it could explain the scenes we’ve seen in promo footage of her time in sokovia with the mind stone. we were told that the show would explore more of wanda’s past from aou so maybe it is going to give nexus a double meaning in the mcu: the largest internet hub and wanda’s confirmation as a nexus being.

the twins with agnes | this scene had me anxious. billy commenting about it being quiet heavily hinted at how agnes isn’t like anyone else in westview. again, we’ve never seen her husband ralph and we still don’t see him in this episode. we get another glimpse of señor scratchy with billy holding him but that’s about it. the house is also a big contrast to wanda’s house and westview’s scenery overall. there’s usually a lot of light and warmth in westview but agnes’ interior is toned down and has darker tones throughout our time in it. clearly, a set up for the big reveal that everyone’s been echoing since the show started. this is also the last time we see the twins in the episode.

monica | after the SWORD rover failed to get through, monica goes right in and clearly her passing through a third time has a permanent effect. she’s finally got her powers and is more badass than before. i loved how we got bits and pieces from her, maria, carol and fury in captain marvel. monica has been one of the best characters in this series and i can’t wait to see what happens next with her.

it’s all about vision | monica’s explanation to wanda about hayward. i said this before about the end credits in the show always zooming in on vision’s eye to segway into the crystal sequence. we’ve learned that hayward was trying to bring vision back and somehow wanda managed to do this once she took his body. i wouldn’t be surprised if by the end of the season we see vision being the key to saving everyone in westview since hayward just wants what he believes is his and is willing to blow up a whole town to get it or cover his tracks. while this whole series has been focusing on wanda, this all boils down to vision.

agatha all along | of course the big reveal is agnes being agatha harkness and the mastermind behind a lot of the weird occurrences in westview. what is interesting is that she’s choosing to reveal herself to wanda in this way. it doesn’t seem like it was her plan to do it at the time she did but seeing that monica could’ve swayed wanda to go off script in agatha’s plans, better sooner than later. i think señor scratchy is none other than mephisto and maybe in the next episode we’ll see the other big bad reveal himself to wanda and us. when’s that bop dropping on spotify

snooper’s gonna snoop | finally, we get a post credits scene with uncle p and monica. we’ve learned that agatha was behind the ‘recasting’ of pietro but who is he?! he could be a multiverse!quicksilver we’ve never seen before - which could explain his skewed memories with wanda. right when the camera comes to view with monica, it cuts to the credits. i believe that maybe this pietro shapeshifts into who he really is - who this might be? i don’t think mephisto but possibly agatha’s son nicholas scratch since he seems to be an accomplice of hers?

ugh god so much to unpack and we have another two episodes before shit really hits the fan.

[awantedman]

Sorry for the inactivity the last few weeks. I've been working pretty nonstop and I'm feeling really pretty eh about peter lately. Hopefully I get back in my grove soon

[hymn2000]

Hope I’ve Got Something To Lose - MCU AU fanfic - C6

Story overview: Peter has an accident, and Tony makes a drastic decision. In the midst of everything, a face from the past reappears - but Peter isn’t too sure about reconnecting after everything that’s happened.

Previous chapters: 1 2 3 4 5

Part of my irondad and spiderson series.

Warnings/themes: injury, hospital stuff, hurt/comfort, mental health stuff, family stuff

You can also find me on AO3

Chapter 6 - The Man You Never Saw

-

Malaki moved from Peter’s lips and kissed him on the apple of his cheek before moving back slightly.

“I know there’s about a million and one reason why we couldn’t or shouldn’t” he started, rubbing Peter’s thigh. “But I was thinking... My parents are at work, and even if they weren’t, my room is upstairs, and I’ve got a second bedroom in the annex. Maybe we could go back to mine for a bit? Spend some time together?”

Peter looked at him. He swallowed hard and pushed Malaki’s hand off his thigh.

“Too forward?”

Peter nodded. 

“Wanna rewind a few seconds and act like I never asked?”

Peter paused, and then nodded. Malaki cleared his throat, put his hand back where it had been, and acted like he’d just finished kissing him.

“Are you hungry? For something other than me, I mean”

Peter laughed, and then shrugged.

“Should we go and get something? I don’t mind what. I kinda really fancy ice cream. Is that weird?”

Peter shook his head and smiled. Malaki stood up, holding a hand out to Peter.

“Come on then, beautiful. I think I know a place you’ll like”

-

Peter felt all giddy and fuzzy as he walked home. Malaki was always such good company, and even more so now, given the current circumstances. Peter slipped into the house carefully, going so far undetected. He snuck up to his room, quickly changing back into the pair of joggers and old t-shirt he’d worn for bed the night before. He was glad he did, because he suddenly heard footsteps. He wasted no time, diving into bed and pulling the covers up to his chin, pretending to be asleep.

The bedroom door opened, and mere moment later, he felt Tony shaking his shoulder. Peter whined and opened his eyes slowly.

“Still in bed, chick? You know it’s like, two in the afternoon”

“Really? Oh..”

“Don’t worry; you needed the rest anyway. Plus, it’s partly my fault. I got really caught up with stuff down in the lab”

“I guessed as much” Peter said, looking at his oil-stained clothes and the workman’s gloves tucked in his belt. 

“Yeah. I just caught sight of the time and thought I’d better check on you. Are you gonna sleep a bit more, or do you want to get up now?” 

“I think I’ll get up” Peter said, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. “I think I’m gonna have a bath”

“Ok, chick” 

Tony went to give him a hug, but Peter jerked away from him before he got the chance.

“Don’t!”

Tony pulled back.

“Peter? Are you ok?”

“Mmm. I’m just real sore today. It’ll hurt if you start squeezing me”

“Oh. Oh sweetheart, ok. You need to take your pills if you’re still in pain. You shouldn’t suffer needlessly. Hey” he took Peter hand and kissed the back of it. “Don’t look so sad. You take your pills and have a nice bath and have something to eat, and you’ll feel much better”

Peter nodded. “Yeah, I hope so”

Tony gave his hand a squeeze and let go. He stopped when he reached the door.

“Hey, Peter? Why don’t you come down to the lab after you’ve had your bath? The new code is 227711” 

-

Peter spent quite a long time in the bath, thinking about how he’d gotten away with sneaking out, thinking about Malaki, thinking about the new code. If he was being given access to the lab again, surely he’d eventually get the suit back? He supposed the only thing he could really do would be to just wait and see.

-

It felt weird and foreign going into the lab again. Tony gave him a little wave.

“Hey kiddo. Hey, can you come and hold this into place for me? I’ve broken the vice and I can’t find the spare”

“How do you break a vice?”

“The same way your father managed to set fire to the kettle”

-

Peter didn’t want to leave the lab. He tried not to make a fuss, but he found himself stopping in the doorway and biting his thumb. Tony gave him a little push over the threshold and pulled the door closed.

“Don’t look so worried: I’m not going to change the code”

“Promise?” 

“Promise. Come on now, your father’ll be back by now. Now cross your fingers that he’s had a good day”

-

Loki was definitely in a good mood, and after ruffling Peter’s hair, he’d grabbed Tony for a kiss, and the two of them had very soon fallen down onto the sofa together. Peter didn’t fancy hanging about watching them showcasing their love, so he tactfully slipped away and went to look through the kitchen cupboards and decide what they might be able to have for tea.

-

Loki came into the kitchen for two reasons: firstly, to get himself a drink, and secondly, to investigate the cause of the crashing sounds.

“What are you up to there, love?” Loki asked, switching the kettle on and getting his mug down from his cupboard.

“Cooking” Peter said. 

“I see. And what are you cooking?”

“You’ll find out when it’s ready” 

Loki laughed. He let the kettle boil, poured the water, and left his tea to brew. He went to stand behind Peter, and lowered his head to the boys level.

“I know you didn’t go back inside after I left this morning” he said quietly. 

Peter froze momentarily. “I don’t know what you’re talking about”

Loki smacked him hard on the bottom.

“Ow!”

“There’s no use lying to me, kiddo. You can’t pull the wool over my eyes that easily. Does Tony know?”

Peter shook his head and looked at him over his shoulder. “Are you gonna tell him?” 

“No. But I can’t cover for you all the time. You really shouldn’t’ve snuck out like that”

“But I’m sick of being stuck inside all the time!” Peter started, and then he saw the look on Loki’s face, and wilted. “What are you gonna do to me?”

“How about I just do this?” he smacked him again, harder this time. “And we draw a line under it. Keep it between us?”

Peter very nearly went into a sulk, but he realised how valuable Loki’s offer was, so he sighed and nodded. Loki went to finish making his drink, and Peter resumed what he was doing. 

“Oh, and Peter?” Loki said, stopping in the doorway. “Don’t leave the pan handles pointing out like that. You’ll knock them off in passing”

Peter looked at him, and then back at his pans. He moved them so the handles were over the counter. Loki nodded.

“Good boy”

-

Tony covered his face with his hands when Loki told him Peter was cooking.

“Oh god, what did I do to deserve this?! I can’t cope with another repeat of that chilli flake disaster”

Loki laughed at him. “You’re overreacting, my dear”

Tony moved his hands. “Am I? Did he tell you what he was making?”

“No” Loki said, sitting beside him. “He had a recipe book out, but he shut it when I came over”

Tony sighed. “Well, saves me a job, I suppose”

Loki leant against him, sipping his tea. “Whatever he makes, at least it can’t be anywhere near as bad as anything you made when we first got together”

“Ah, I think you’re right there” Tony admitted. “Remember that panna cotta?”

“I’m afraid so” Loki shook his head. “I also remember burnt pasta and hard tofu, and I still have no idea how you managed that”

“Shoutout to Pepper, eh?”

Loki nodded, raising his mug in a cheers gesture. “Shoutout to Pepper, indeed”

-

Loki fell asleep for a little bit, and had to be woken up when dinner was ready. He didn’t feel 100%, but he was happy to step up to the plate for Peter’s sake.

“So, how much chilli did you use today?” Tony asked when they sat down in the kitchen. “Do we need to get the doctor on standby?”

Loki kicked him under the table. “Leave the poor kid alone: you’re upsetting him” 

“No I’m not! Am I, Pete?”

“..You are a little bit”

Tony sighed. 

“Well you don’t have to eat if you don’t want to!” 

“Hey hey, no need to get shouty”

Before either one of them could escalate it, Loki stood up and put an arm round Peter’s shoulders.

“What have you made for us tonight, sweetie?”

Peter didn’t want to speak again in case he started crying, so he went and got the recipe book and showed him. 

“Well, there’s nothing offensive about that. Is there, Tony?”

Tony had a look at the page. Cheesy chicken and broccoli whole wheat pasta.

“Why whole wheat?”

“Because that’s what the recipe says, you dunce” Loki said, snapping the book shut and hitting Tony over the head with it. “Anyway, I’m starving to death, so can we stop arguing and just eat, my darling husband?”

“Yeah yeah, ok, ok”

“Thank you. I need a drink”

“I-um, I’ve already got you one...” Peter said.

Loki looked at the table. “So you have”

-

Towards the end of the meal, Tony stopped and looked at Peter.

“Have you left something in the oven, kiddo?”

“I’m timing it..”

“Oh right. What is it?”

“It’s nothing, really...” Peter swallowed. “I just felt like making a cake...”

“What kind of cake?”

Loki kicked him hard under the table.

“Ow! Loki! What was that for?!”

“My foot slipped”

“Like hell it did!”

They stared each other down, but then the front door opened, distracting them. Loki got up to go and greet Thor, while Tony stayed at the table. He sighed heavily, and then noticed Peter looking at him.

“This is good, chick. You should make it again some time”

-

Something about Thor’s presence just lit up the house. Luckily, Peter’s cake was a success, and once they’d all had some, Loki made everyone a drink, and they went out to the living room. Peter cuddled up beside Thor, who put an arm round him.

“I heard about your accident” he said. “You’re a right little bruiser”

“Don’t encourage him” Loki said, leaning against Tony and opening his book.

Thor just laughed. He gave Peter a squeeze.

“Sorry I didn’t get to see you sooner. I was away”

“In space?”

Thor nodded. “Still, I’m back now. I haven’t seen you properly for ages. We should go and do something together. How about tomorrow night?”

“No can do” Tony said. “We’ve got something planned”

“Aww, I don’t want to go to that dumb party anyway” Peter pouted.

“That’s just tough” Tony said. “You’re going”

Peter rolled his eyes. “It’s such a waste of time”

“Better do as your parents say, kiddo” Thor said. “We’ll do something another time”

-

Peter played up to the sympathy vote as much as possible the next evening, whining and clutching his ribs and looking at his parents with big sad eyes.

“Now you stop that” Tony said. “You’re not getting out of this so easily”

“I nearly died! I’m not strong enough for this”

“Stop play-acting and go and get changed. Your clothes are on the bed”

Peter whined, but he knew when he was beat. He went off to his room, wrinkling his nose at the clothes that had been set out for him. He hated having to dress up all posh and tell people over and over again that he goes to St Hendricks and he’s on the swim team, and no, Mr Stark isn’t his biological dad, but that doesn’t mean he’s not his real dad. It was all so tedious.

-

Peter glared at his shiny black brogues as he sat in the back of the car. He was annoyed, because these shoes always reminded him of Roddy St. James of Kensington, and now he had the song stuck in his head. He wanted to be at home. He looked at Loki and Tony. Loki hated these parties too, unless he could spend them getting drunk with Pepper. Tony seemed to enjoy some of them. Peter sighed heavily and slumped in his seat.

“Sit up straight, Peter: you’ll wrinkle your shirt”

Peter whined but did as he was told. “Why am I even going? I hate this things”

“Don’t be so melodramatic” Tony said. “There’ll be some people your own age for you to hang out with”

“No there won’t. There never is, and even when there is, it’s all toffee nosed twats from the same school who just stick in a little group talking about what fwightfully good fun they’re having”

Loki laughed, but Tony tutted at him.

“Now now, don’t be so rude. I don’t like you swearing like that. I want you on your best behaviour tonight”

“What do you mean?” Peter said, trying to think if he’d done anything naughty at any other party he’d been to.

“I mean, I want you to act like a little gent. Be polite, don’t go running about causing mischief or breaking things or spilling stuff-”

“When do I ever do any of those things?”

“And certainly no interrupting or talking back, young man” Tony said. “Look, this place is basically a palace, and they’re pretty proud of it. I don’t want to have to be apologising for your behaviour”

“Oh Tony, leave him alone” Loki said. “He’ll be fine. He’ll probably just sit in a corner with me and die of boredom”

“Good idea, you keep him with you all night. I won’t have another hospital trip, thank you very much”

Peter rolled his eyes - and then stared as the house came into sight. It really was a palace, like something out of an old Victorian film. He suddenly understood what Tony meant. 

-

Peter looked up at the grand building, at it’s wide steps and turrets and stone statues. It was really something. Maybe tonight wouldn’t be so bad: he could just wander off and explore the architecture.

“Oh my god, Peter!”

Peter looked round, and very nearly tripped over his highly polished feet. His eyes widened. His heart started to thump, and he felt sick. He couldn’t speak. Loki put a hand on the small of his back.

“It helps if you walk, Peter” he hissed, pushing him along. 

Peter looked up at Loki, stumbling as they went inside. He knew he should have fought harder to stay home.

-

Peter flinched as Tony clicked his fingers in front of his face.

“Earth to Peter. Come on kiddo; say hello now”

Peter looked at Tony, and then up at the host. He was a big man, tall and broad, and old, with a heavy white moustache and stern-looking eyes. He looked every bit as Victorian as his house. Unintentionally, Peter made eye contact - and promptly buried his face in Loki’s side. Fortunately, Tony and the host just laughed.

“Now now, no need to be so shy” he laughed. “He certainly didn’t inherit your confidence, did he, Tony?”

Peter shifted slightly, watching the grown ups talking. The host soon looked back at him.

“So where do you go to school, Peter?”

Peter didn’t say anything. Tony sighed, but Loki gave him a reassuring squeeze.

“He goes to St Hendricks” Tony answered for him. “He’s a smart kid, good grades all round, part of the swim team, all that stuff”

“So you’re sporty, are you?”

Peter kept quiet. 

“Shy little thing, aren’t you?” 

He stopped a nearby server, taking two champagne glasses and handing them to Tony and Loki. He picked up another one and went to give it to Peter, but Tony stopped him.

“Not for him, please: he’s just a baby” he said. 

The Host nodded and kept that glass for himself. 

“Of course, of course. Mustn’t corrupt the youth” he laughed to himself, stopped another server, and passed a glass to Peter. “There you go, sonny”

Peter didn’t want a drink, but he took the glass anyway. He had no idea what it was. He stayed close against Loki until mercifully the host went off, and Tony was collared by someone else. 

“Thank fuck for that” Loki mumbled. “What’s the matter with you? Tired?”

Peter shrugged, taking a swig of the unidentified substance in his glass, and promptly choking, dribbling a good half of his mouthful down his chin.

“Oh for the love of-” Loki sighed heavily, thumping him on the back and whipping out a handkerchief. “What are you like, eh?”

Peter wriggled away from him, not appreciating being babied in public. Loki held him still and mopped him up anyway. Once he’d done, Peter shoved his glass at Loki. Loki sighed, and took a sip obligingly. 

“Oh, that’s disgusting” he said, wrinkling his nose. “No wonder you choked”

He put the glass on the tray of a passing server and had some of his own drink to wash the taste away. 

“What are you looking at?” he said, waving a hand in front of Peter’s face. “You’re all zoned out”

Peter didn’t say anything, and then squeaked when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He spun round quickly.

“Hi again”

Peter looked back over his shoulder, only to find that Loki had already disappeared.

“Wh-what are you doing here?”

“Well, what are you doing here?”

“Um. My parents made me come” Peter said, swallowing hard. 

“I would have texted if I’d known you were going to be here” Liz said. “I got your number from Ned. I’m not sure if it’s the right one or not”

Peter just looked at her. 

“I don’t really know anyone else here, and my mum is with her friends” Liz said. “Do you want to hang out together?”

‘No’, Peter wanted to say. He wanted to shake his head and go and find Loki and hide under his arm until it was time to go home. But he knew how that would look, and he didn’t want to be nasty.

“C-can we go outside? It’s getting real hot in here”

-

The big white marble steps at the front entrance seemed an obvious choice as somewhere to sit, but Peter feared any late arrivals would pop up and disturb them. He didn’t really want to see anyone else. He didn’t look at Liz while they walked outside, but he couldn’t ignore the sound of her heels clacking on the stone. At the edge of the staircase was a stone banister, and as he peered over the side he saw it dropped down quite a way, onto a relatively concealed grass bank, and a little further on, there was an outdoor swimming pool. It definitely wasn’t in view from the windows of the room being used for the social, so he thought it was a safe place to hide out for a while. If this conversation with Liz was going to happen, he wanted it to be done in total privacy. 

“We should go down here” he said, and vaulted the banister. 

Liz wasn’t quite so adept, especially not in her dress and heels, so it took her a little longer. Peter offered a hand to help her down the other side, but quickly retracted it when she was steady on her feet again. They sat down on the grass, and stayed silent for a moment or two.

“I know you and Ned don’t talk anymore” Liz said. “I know you didn’t keep in touch with anyone else from Midtown. If the Stark’s weren’t famous, no one would even know where you’d ended up”

“Midtown doesn’t matter anymore. It hasn’t mattered for a long time. It barely even mattered even when it was my school”

“It’s just so strange thinking you just disappeared. When I left Midtown-”

“Yeah, you kept in touch with all your friends. So what? We left under different circumstances” Peter stood up, taking a deep breath and leaning back against the wall. “Your dad went to prison. The building I lived in exploded. My aunt died. If I hadn’t known the Stark’s, I don’t know what would have happened to me after that. Well, I do know: I would’ve been shoved into foster care in just the clothes I was stood up in. You know I’ve even got a social worker now? And a therapist, and I never wanted one of those either. My parents kinda had to force me into it. They don’t really know what that explosion was like. Do you know how long I spent blaming myself? Thinking that if I’d stayed where I was I could’ve saved her, cos if I survived, she should have as well? And, you know, I’ve ended up in A&E a few times since, and you know what the worst part is, what’s worse than the injuries? Being in that department just reminds me of hours sat in cubicles with this throbbing pain in my head, grabbing every member of hospital staff and begging them to find May... So I got taken in, and then I couldn’t keep going to Midtown, so I got sent to some other school, and there was this boy, and basically the whole year, but this one boy in particular, and it was just” he laughed awkwardly. “Flash thinks he’s a bully, and he doesn’t have a clue. He was always a twat, but he was nothing, he really wasn’t. But this guy and his friends... So they found out how much they were hurting me eventually, and then they took me out of that school, and then da- uh, and then Loki left, and then I ended up at St Hendricks, and Loki came back, and it was fine, yknow. I’ve got friends and I get good grades and I’m on the swim team and like, it’s better, yknow. It’s good. So sure, maybe at first it was because I was ill, but why now, when I’ve rebuilt my life, which is arguably better than my last one, would I want to talk to anyone from Midtown? No one ever really liked me there. So everyone’s like, oh, Peter never kept in touch, but what effort did any of them make to keep in touch with me? They didn’t care. And now neither do I. I don’t want anything to do with them anymore. They can’t offer me anything now that would make my life any better. So I don’t really know what you want with me, Liz, because we weren’t really friends back then either. We ran in different crowds, we had different lives. And now, well, if you want something, just lay it down, but whatever you think you want, you can’t have. I’ve changed so many times since you moved. I’m nothing of the person you once knew”

For a moment Liz just looked at him. She couldn’t remember ever hearing him speak so much in one go before. She stood up, and Peter looked at her - nervously, she thought. He was breathing heavily, as though he’d been running.

She stood in front of him, and she hugged him close.

*

[aion-rsa]

WandaVision Episode 5 Theories Explained

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This article contains WandaVision spoilers.

It’s very weird and more than a little thrilling to see some of the fan theories that we’ve previously collected actually play out on WandaVision, but of course there are still four episodes of Marvel’s rollercoaster spinoff series left to go, and this week we’re bringing you all the most compelling theories gaining traction online to help pass the time until the sixth episode drops.

At this point, many of the theories surrounding WandaVision’s bigger story are less outlandish. Every week a little more of the puzzle is revealed, and every week we get a little more background on what our central characters have been up to since the climax of Avengers: Endgame, which in turn brings us a lot closer to them.

Not only does this feel fairly organic, it’s also testament to how much we’re genuinely rooting for Wanda’s happiness now. We all want this to turn out well for her, and for her to be allowed to process her grief properly, even as things start to fall apart and the Westview cracks start to show.

Here are some of the biggest theories doing the rounds since episode 5 needle-dropped its MCU-breaking reveal…

Stark Warning

It didn’t take long for Marvel fans to uncover the origin of the ’80s drone tech Monica Rambeau managed to grab so that SWORD could penetrate The Hex in their attempt to reason with Wanda.

After being disabled and dragged outside the mystical forcefield, the drone was exposed as the product of Stark Industries – and if you recall Wanda’s emotional story of how she and Pietro were trapped waiting for a Stark bomb to go off when they were children (as recounted in Avengers: Age of Ultron), it’s no wonder she was so pissed to see a weaponized Stark drone appear in Westview.

It’s not massively surprising that Howard Stark and his team were working on that kinda drone tech in the ’80s, but how was Monica able to get hold of it so quickly? The answer appears clear – SWORD managed to keep a bunch of easily-accessible clout that has either been inherited through SHIELD or lifted from Tony’s warehoused tech.

What else do they have access to, and do they also have a new resource on hand inside SWORD – or at Stark Industries – who could end up being essential to the MCU?

well i think that's worth a look 👀👀#WandaVision pic.twitter.com/pbAvQEfMBF

— Phase Zero (@PhaseZeroCB) February 6, 2021

Pinches of Paprika Out of Ten: 8

Engage Ultron

Is it possible that when Wanda snatched Vision’s body from SWORD and brought him back to life that she accidentally set in motion (or interrupted) a chain of events that would bring back Ultron?

There are a LOT of questions lingering about exactly what SWORD was doing with Vision’s body before Wanda hit the scene and disturbed their work. Were they really about to put him in storage as per his wishes, or were they lowkey doing some pretty dangerous experiments with the original Ultron tech Tony Stark built him with?

This theory is a work in progress for fans who aren’t really sure how Ultron could return without access to the Mind Stone. Still, there’s a solid reason that so many people are checking out James Spader’s IMDb page every week…

Pinches of Paprika Out of Ten: 7

Quicksilvered

You can’t throw a stone online without hitting a theory about how notorious Marvel villain Mephisto will ultimately be unveiled as the real brains behind Westview’s manifestations, and many fans are deeply suspicious of Evan Peters’ arrival as Wanda’s twin brother “Pietro.”

Peters, who played ‘Peter’ Maximoff in the X-Men franchise, has seemingly been cast in WandaVision instead of the MCU’s original Quicksilver, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, but does this really mean that realities are colliding and mutants are now here to stay?

Though it’s exciting to think that’s exactly what’s going down here, Pietro’s appearance in Westview feels hastily designed to derail both Wanda and Vision, and who might have a more vested interest in keeping this charade going other than Mephisto? He does absolutely love pretending to be dead people to manipulate Marvel superheroes and villains alike, and his Wrong Quicksilver guise might well keep us off the trail.

#WandaVision Basically the end of episode 5 pic.twitter.com/lND9tUN4yp

— where the stimmy reside. where the stimmy reside. (@Smilinjai) February 7, 2021

Pinches of Paprika Out of Ten: 5

For the Children

Vision wants to know why Billy and Tommy are the only children in Westview, but if you’ve watched trailers that show us glimpses of WandaVision‘s upcoming Halloween episode – where Wanda and Vision finally get to wear their comics-accurate costumes – you may have noticed that Vision is surrounded by children trick-or-treating through the town.

It appears the “no children” situation is about to be fixed posthaste, but there are still indications that children are very much a liability inside The Hex. During episode 5, Agnes says that children can’t be controlled, and Wanda appears perplexed and a little infuriated that her own kids are immune to the effects of her powers.

Putting that aside, where have the children of Westview gone? And why have they been removed from the equation? Are they being held captive because they would see straight through Wanda’s perfect white picket fence life and be utterly terrified that their parents are acting weird as hell?

Some fans are wondering if there’s an even more nefarious reason for their disappearance – perhaps someone or something is using their lifeforce to grow powerful inside the womb of The Hex. A certain red-faced demon? Mmmaybe not, but there is some worrying Age of Ultron foreshadowing for Billy and Tommy’s sudden existence…

Scene that stuck out to me in AoU considering where we are at in WandaVision. from WANDAVISION

Pinches of Paprika Out of Ten: 5

Recap Rewind

Are the “previously on WandaVision” recaps actually all part of the illusion? This meta theory began in earnest after episode 5’s recap when we saw a new version of Wanda explaining to Vision why Monica Rambeau had vanished.

When this scene played out at the end of episode 4, Wanda expelled Monica from The Hex and told her special red popsicle that ‘Geraldine’ was simply no longer around because “she had to rush home”, but in episode 5’s opening recap Wanda’s words had changed to “she doesn’t belong here.”

It’s worth noting that the show’s recaps are always introduced in Elizabeth Olsen’s voice, and this particular alteration is certainly very curious.

The way that Wanda says "Previously on Wandavision" gets a little more sober per episode.#Wandavision pic.twitter.com/CZIOSjWRs9

— Elizabeth Olsen Access (@LizzieContent) February 7, 2021

Pinches of Paprika Out of Ten: 5

Hail Hayward

As soon as we clapped eyes on new SWORD director Tyler Hayward, we instinctively knew he was going to turn out to be a wrongun, and our fears were justified when he immediately hijacked Monica’s plan to reason with Wanda using an old Stark drone.

Yes, that git really strapped a missile to it and ordered his men to take the shot. He must have been snacking on the wrong local mushrooms when he came up with that plan – sir, Wanda Maximoff almost took down Thanos, are you for real?

So, is Hayward just a misguided military man with absolutely no concept of how powerful Wanda is or how quick her reflexes are, or was he deliberately trying to make her mad to destabilize the situation? Is he just another in a long line of confident, strong-jawed men who have risen to the top of government oversight organizations in the Marvel Cinematic Universe who later turn out to be working for HYDRA?

Pinches of Paprika Out of Ten: 4

Get Stoned

The theory that all of this comes back to the Mind Stone has been around since the very first episode of WandaVision started streaming, but it’s only grown in popularity every time Vision has done something extraordinary in the show. It’s hard to argue with the notion that Vision’s head bling isn’t just for decoration here – he’s able to use the powers of the Mind Stone in Westview to expose the town’s secrets when Wanda isn’t around, ergo the stone itself might be a very real presence.

But if the infinity stone is here, how has it returned? As revealed in Avengers: Endgame, Thanos reduced his version of it down to the atomic level far away from Earth, and Cap took the stolen Scepter containing the Mind Stone to its rightful place in 2012, presumably to deliver it back into the hands of HYDRA, who would go on to perform experiments with it that enhanced Wanda and Pietro Maximoff before it was used to create Ultron and Vision. But did all go as planned or did the Mind Stone fall into the grasp of someone else, creating a branch reality that Wanda (or someone else) was able to exploit?

Another theory also posits that since destroying it at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, Wanda has become the living embodiment of the Mind Stone, which is why her powers seem to have increased exponentially. Hmm.

Pinches of Paprika Out of Ten: 2

Watch Next

The first time an episode of WandaVision finished and Disney+ suggested we watch Avengers: Age of Ultron, no one paid it too much attention. After the second, third, fourth, and fifth time it happened, it became an amusing meme on social media. But what if there’s a very good reason that Marvel is so keen for us to re-watch the film again 5+ years after its release?

Tons of people caught up in the intriguing events of the spinoff series are now choosing to go back and mine the Marvel blockbuster for clues, wondering if everything we really need to know about the truth of the story is right there for the taking.

We re-watched Age of Ultron ourselves, once in preparation for WandaVision and again halfway through to see if it changed the way we viewed the events of the movie. It definitely seems to have taken on a new depth, and the Avengers’ chatter about humanity’s doomed future rings clearer.

Thor’s random vision quest, where he skipped out on the plot to go take an underwater peek into the future, also feels more essential. Okay, yes, there’s Heimdall’s assertion that Thor would lead them all “into Hell” – another possible hint that Mephisto is on the horizon – but there’s also that dire warning from Thor upon his return.

He says he saw “a whirlpool that sucks in all hope of life, and at its center, the Mind Stone.” Was this really a reflection of Ultron’s plans for it, or was it setting the stage for WandaVision‘s finale?

Watching the avengers age of ultron again, so my sister can understand #WandaVision. pic.twitter.com/l9HsgTKnu3

— shoot (@AgirlnamedShoot) February 7, 2021

Pinches of Paprika Out of Ten: 1

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Have you heard any juicy new theories about WandaVision after last week’s episode? Let us know in the comments.

The post WandaVision Episode 5 Theories Explained appeared first on Den of Geek.

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