[it's good that he doesn't climb so quickly, because wanda is already feeling the burn on her legs, finds herself catching her breath with every landing they reach. she's not built like steve, after all. still, she swallows and continues determined with every new flight of stairs, hand on the railing for support.]

—want to bet it's the same in Thorne?

[something tells her that whatever this is that's happening is spreading throughout the entirety of the land, regardless of borders.]

Makes sense that the Singularity is — messing with the Horizon, but out in the real world... I'm not so sure.

[wanda isn't so sure. she takes the last couple of steps up this particular flight of stairs and stops, looking up at him, and then over at what waits for them beyond on the stairs. pink globs drop down, oozing like slime from atop. so—this pink ooze is not just below them, but also above? it seems to be trying to reach them.

she frowns. well, whatever, she was tired of climbing stairs anyway.

though her magic isn't functioning quite so well, it still pulses as an extension of herself. she draws on it and forward with a hand, stepping through a wall as it opens up for her and leading the way into an apartment. suppose they'll have to go through the maze of apartments to climb their way up.

as soon as steve gets through, wanda rebuilds the structure of the wall again, giving them a moment to catch their breath. —for wanda, anyway, who finds a chair to sit down, breathing ragged.

just give her a minute.]

—is... everyone keeping safe? I know last year the dead in the Free Cities rose to attack people.