Chapter Text
New York at night was an almost dizzying sight. It probably would have been so even if Billy hadn't been sitting at the edge of the Iron Man landing pad, looking out to the city.
Despite the late hour there were lights everywhere, people working and living and dancing and celebrating all around. There were no sounds to accompany the sight, even the distant murmur of traffic indistinct this far up, but the strains of music and laughter carrying out behind him was a nice background in any case. He was quite certain he could hear Tony's voice lifting up in displeasure over something, followed by general laughter. Protesting at nothing in particular, then.
He felt more than heard the arrival, the soft landing of feet on the railing beside him. The wind found his companion in mere moments, the red cape billowing at the edges of his field of vision.
"Thought you might stop by." Billy let a smile curl his lips.
"I figured that was why you weren't inside, anyway." Wiccan dropped down next to him, both their feet dangling lethal distances above the ground. Not that it mattered, with the whole flying thing and all. "That, or the party was getting boring."
"Eh, it's all right." Billy shrugged. "They actually decided that supervised drinking could happen — I mean, it is legal with our dear father here and all — so now Tommy can finally be open about his moans about how his metabolism won't let him get drunk. Kate obviously thinks it's stupid, but she's letting him have his moment anyway. It's got to be true love."
"Fair enough." Wiccan chuckled. "Tommy decided to just, you know, be there at the party even though we hadn't seen him in ages. Kate didn't really seem to mind finding him there, though."
"I suppose not." He finally turned his head, looking at himself. Slightly different hair, definitely different outfit, but otherwise, yes, it was definitely him. "I see you're back in uniform."
"Mm. Figured it was inevitable, really. The tiger can't change his stripes, or something." Wiccan stretched his arms in front of him into the emptiness, dark gray framing deep black with distant stars. Some of them twinkled as Billy watched, clearer and brighter than whatever tiny pinpricks of light managed to survive the light pollution of New York on a good night. "And you?"
"I missed the cape and made a new one. Got it turned on me when Doom attacked. Turns out our team is really good at pulling a guilt trip. Mom would be proud." He paused. "My uniform's all black, mostly because that's what I was wearing at the time. The stars are a nice touch, though. Kind of otherworldly."
"I'm pretty happy with it myself, considering I kind of came up with it in a hurry."
"That's the impression I got, yes." Billy looked out into the night-time city, then pushed himself off the edge, taking a few careful steps in the air. It was always an exhilarating feeling, letting himself be carried by his magic, as easy and natural as though he were on firm ground. "But everything ended happily, I take it?"
"As happily as it ever gets." Wiccan joined him in the air, though his head turned back towards the lighted windows of Tony's favorite living room. "As did your story, I take it."
"Yes, well, with less special side effects, I presume." He glanced at Wiccan. "Anything you'd like to share with me?"
"Uh." Wiccan ran a hand over his hair, smoothing it down where the wind had whipped it around a bit. "You know the whole reality warping thing?"
"Yes?" Billy lifted an eyebrow.
"Turns out that can be literal. Like, really literal. Not just screwing with odds or changing your clothes, but, well, altering reality. Realities."
"Right." Billy paused, mulling over that. "You or Mom?"
"Me." Wiccan glanced aside, for a moment. "Things got messy. Don't think I want to do that kind of thing again any time soon."
"But you might at some other time." He didn't bother to frame it as a question.
"The possibility is there." Wiccan looked back at him. "It's inside you, too. The potential."
"Well, duh. I'm you." More so than any of the endless alternate realities he had encountered, too. For all that they were different people now, living in different worlds, they had been one, up to a point. "Come to think of it, what exactly were those thugs?" Because no way wouldn't they have found it out if they had remained in their home world.
"Very expensive kidnappers, actually. After Kate as it happens. Needless to say, Tommy didn't take well to it." Wiccan offered him a small smile. "So, definitely not harmless, but nothing as dangerous as it could have been."
"Gotta love how screwed up our lives were that being targeted by organized crime is good news."
"To be fair, it's not always like that. And we can deal with organized crime. Multidimensional alien threats, that's another matter."
"Yeah, I think I'm quite happy with Doom. Well, not that I'm happy with him, but, you know. At least I could take him out, once I had my wits and magic with me." Billy wasn't sure when his own cape had appeared at his shoulders, mirroring Wiccan's in the wind. He supposed it could stay for now, though.
"You could do what I did, though. As you said, you are me. You could have my power."
"I know that." Billy gave his other self a faint smile, reaching out a hand towards him. Wiccan returned the gesture, and a spark passed between their hands, pure magic and electricity and raw power. "I just hope I never will."
"Don't exactly blame you for that. I had to go through a lot of crap before arriving at this point." Wiccan shook his head. "No reason for me to go through all that twice."
"Agreed." Billy turned back towards the tower, taking a few steps towards the edge of the landing pad. "I…" He drew a deep breath, gathering himself. "Give a hug from me to everyone, okay? Mom, dad, the boys, all of them. When you get… home." Home. Where he couldn't go, wouldn't go even if he could.
"Promise." Wiccan gave a faint chuckle. "I'd ask you to do the same, but frankly, I'm still not entirely convinced of your taste in families."
"Join the club. Though considering our Tony is considering interdimensional travel just to be able to punch your Stark in the face, I suppose I could have done worse." And wasn't that still the strangest thing. "I… we're safe here, I know that much. We're safe with Tony and Steve and the team. And I know that I am safe, regardless of how my magic develops."
"Good." There wasn't a hint of humor on Wiccan's face as he gave a grave nod. "I've done enough self-destructive shit to last me a lifetime or two. I'd hate to have to take on the Avengers because they were mean to me. Again."
"Not that you would anyway. We're supposed to stick to our own worlds, remember?" He managed a faint chuckle. "I already know Jane's going to freak out when she checks her energy readings tomorrow, with you popping by. Or possibly the day after; I'm pretty sure Darcy challenged her to a drinking contest."
"So let's hope I won't have to do that." They had reached the edge of the landing pad again, the solid mass cold under Billy's feet as he allowed himself to float down. "Just… take care of me, okay? And of everyone else. But me first of all."
"You do the same." Because he knew himself very well, and so he knew Wiccan, and Wiccan knew him. "Let's neither of us do anything that would make Teddy cry."
"Deal." Wiccan shook his hand, another spark flying high into the air, blinking out like the stars on his costume. "Oh, and Billy?"
"Yeah?" Someone was getting out, a dark silhouette against the lights. Teddy, tall and broad as he was, his bearing just different enough to tell him apart from Steve.
"Happy New Year." Wiccan grinned, then, and fell backwards, down into the rushing air beyond the edge, then swooped up into the sky, the red of his cape blending into the darkness and the stars before he disappeared in a puff of electric blue sparkles like a lonely firework.
Billy couldn't help but snort. He always had been something of a drama queen, not that he would have ever admitted it aloud.
"Billy?" Teddy was closer, now, his voice carrying a faint tone of concern though he was trying to conceal it. "Everything all right?"
"Hm? Yeah, sorry. Just needed some fresh air. Well, as fresh as air ever gets in New York." He flashed a grin at Teddy, turning away from the edge and towards the sounds and the light.
"Are you sure? I thought I heard something."
"Just talking to myself, that's all." It was true enough, after all. "I didn't miss the countdown, did I?"
"I think we're just in time." Teddy's arms reached around him as they came close enough, warm and strong and solid and everything he needed. "Want to go inside or stay here for another bit?"
"I think here is just fine for now." The wind was picking up again, but that was what he had a big, warm alien prince for.
Of course, Teddy would make him see stars either way.