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[x-scarletwitch.livejournal.com]

(Backdated slightly due to a cold.) Wanda finally gets back to the hotel after a night after with fellow conference goers but discovers that, really, she should have been back earlier.



"How long are you intending to stay in town, Miss Maximoff?" David Glade asked, sliding out from the back of the taxi cab. He made his way swiftly to her side and opened the door with a graceful bow.

Wanda smirked slightly as she stepped out. He was handsome enough and charming -- very intelligent or he wouldn't have been one of her fellow speakers. He was a bit too much but he'd been enjoyable so far. Dancing and drinks had been the line but it was obvious he wanted it to go further. And she couldn't really think of a reason why it shouldn't.

"Oh, for a few more days, I would expect, Mr. Glade," she responded.

"Call me David, please."

She was about to respond when someone from the hotel staff came rushing out. "Miss Maximoff? I am terribly sorry to interrupt..."

Turning, she frowned. The woman looked rather out of sorts. "Is everything all right?"

"We have a number of urgent messages waiting for you at the desk. Something to do with work? Apparently they couldn't reach you on your cell phone."

Wanda groaned and flashed back to the precise moment where the bloody thing had broken. "I'll be right there, thank you." 'Urgent' and 'work' never really went well together. Sighing, she turned back to David and squeezed his arm. "I think I'll have to take a rain check," she said with regret. Before he could respond, she leaned up and kissed him on his cheek. Well, he was a little too smarmy for his own good, anyway. "Take care."

"But..."

She wiggled her fingers at him. "Night, darling."

Once inside the hotel, she was quickly steered towards the front desk and a number of messages were dumped in her hands. After reassuring the staff that she was grateful for the help, she started to make her way back to the room.

Unsurprisingly, while all the notes were incredibly urgent, they left out a good deal of information. But she got the gist -- something was going on and she needed to get home now.

Inside her room, she took a step and then paused as something crinkled under her foot. Stooping down, she found a small envelope had been tucked under her door. The staff hadn't told her about this...shrugging, she tossed everything onto the bed and ripped it open.

Washington, D.C. is no longer safe. Leave while you still can.

The handwriting was unfamiliar and it was unsigned with not much else to go by on the envelope. Still. It was obvious she needed to go back home now, whatever was going on. So much for a vacation.

A glance at the clock told her it was fairly late but she'd be able to make it to the airport. Wanda figured she could give everyone at Snow Valley a call once she got to the airport itself. Doubtful they'd tell her exactly what was going on but at least everyone could be reassured that everyone else was safe and whole.

For the time being, anyway.



Finally at the airport, Wanda encounters even more obstacles. But a quick call to Pete helps to sort those out.



Wanda pressed herself into the corner of the phone booth, one hand clamped to the side of her head in an attempt to muffle the noise of the airport. But it was nearly impossible and she couldn't help but wonder why on earth the airport was so incredibly packed that night. She glared at the broken cell phone in her hand. Her day was turning out poorly, that was the only clear thing. After getting out of another function for the conference, she'd been nearly tackled by the hotel staff with dozens of messages from what felt like nearly everyone at Snow Valley.

But getting out of DC was becoming one headache after another.

"Doyle, mate, I've got to go, got another call coming through. I give you a bell if I hear anything else." Pete stabbed at the button on his phone to switch lines without waiting for a reply.

"Yes? This'd better be fucking important, because I've got an office full of idiots, and I haven't had a cigarette in the last half an hour."

Despite herself, Wanda grinned a little bit. "Evening to you too," she responded dryly, shooting a glare over her shoulder when someone bumped into her. Wanda sighed. "And hopefully this is important -- I seem to be in a bit of a bind."

"Wanda! Thank fuck - we've been trying to get hold of you for bloody hours!" Pete sat up a little straighter in his chair. "Where are you?"

"Trying to get out the city but it's proving rather difficult. I'm at the airport right now but even pulling the emergency card, they cannot seem to find me a flight until much later. And considering the urgency? I would much rather not have to wait." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Any ideas?"

"Yes, as it happens. Emma's plane is waiting for you, and there'll be car waiting for you when it lands in New York. Don't say that your job doesn't come with perks."

"Pete, you are a life saver. Tell Emma thank you for me, would you?" She glanced over her shoulder and scanned the area. "Well, that eases my sense of panic a tad. I am going to find where I need to check in. It's packed right now so I have no idea when we'll take off but it should be sooner than later."

"Just get back here as fast as you can will you? It's all gone fucking mental, and we need everyone here. Oh, and stop and get coffee and donuts for about twice the usual number of people on your way in from the airport."

"That is an awful lot of donuts, Pete," she replied, "but I'll stop by and bring the food by work before I go to the apartment. Besides, I think I will want to be briefed nearly as soon as I touch the ground. Cell phone is busted but once we are in the air, I'll use Emma's phone on the plane. I'll see you in a few hours."

Saying goodbye, she hung up and cracked her neck. A quick evacuation out of DC that had everyone at Snow Valley on edge and people at the office? Whatever was going on, it was not going to be pretty.