[they can, at least, have that breath; she's confident that the bots will be back before long, as is their overeager tendency here in general, but there's a moment. it's enough for the knot to loosen in wanda's chest, for her to recenter and not feel so close to fraying. for the first time in what feels like an eternity (it hasn't actually been that long), there's actual hope of making it out of this intact.

but the thought leaves her mind the instant she watches him form a blur in a way that's achingly familiar — because that's when everything stops. a utensil that she's picked up clatters out of her grip, into the pot by the stove.

her gasp is sharp. tears return to her eyes, stinging in the corners. but that's —

purely a coincidence. among an infinite number of universes, the odds that someone could have a power like that surely aren't so rare.

she has to get it together.

scrunching her eyes tightly shut for a moment, wanda nods furiously to herself, until she's no longer being dragged around, and still on her feet again. by the time the boy looks back, it's possible that he doesn't see anything at all.]

Maybe if we ignore the crabs, they'll just go away? [it sounds unconvincing, even to her own ears. but:] They didn't like it when I tried to send them somewhere else.

[who likes being banished somewhere, wanda

anyway:]

And we'll keep working. Find the — [what are they making here, exactly?] cheese.

[yes. good start.]