When a strange girl with suspicious abilities catches the eye of Nick Fury and he sends one of the Avengers to bring her under their protection, how will things turn out for them? She is different. There is something wrong with her. Most of the time they can't decide if they should kill her or let her live. And then, they learn of her past - of all the secrets she has hidden. Her ledger is dripping, gushing, pouring - a whole ocean of red. And she? She is the most terrifying monster lurking in those black and red, mysterious and unexplored waters that can swallow the world and everyone in it.
Spoilers from Endgame! Do not read if you haven't seen it! No hate, please. If you don't like it, then don't read. Thank you.
New York, Circa 2024
Flashes. That was plaguing Tony's mind. Flashes. The war. The huge army. Thanos. And most of all, the gauntlet. The gauntlet he created. A device powerful enough to hold the Infinity Stones. And then, there was this one sound – the snapping of fingers. His fingers. And then everything was blurry and slowly darkening. He could hear voices.
"Mr Stark! We won, Mr Stark!"
"You can rest now…"
And then blackness. Abyss. Swallowing him. He truly felt at peace. He felt relaxed. Everything eased as it fell into silence.
And then, there was this jerking sensation. It was sucking at him, pulling him, tugging at his very being. And then he was choking, desperately trying to get some air. His vision was blurry again. And then it cleared. But what did he see? A graveyard. He was surrounded by perfectly mowed grass and hundreds of tombs. And it was night. A very dark night. Only the lightning bolts in the distance threw some faint light. Enough light for him to see his own gravestone.
Anthony Stark
Beloved father, lover and friend.
Billionaire, genius, philanthropist.
The greatest mind the world has ever seen.
A true hero.
Iron Man.
"I… am… Iron Man…"
He grasped the cold stone, staring at it intently. Then he looked at his body. Perfectly intact. He grasped his hands, feeling the roughness and the realness of them. Then everything seemed like a dream as he slowly stood up and started walking, all the while thinking how was this possible. What happened? Why did it happen? Who did it? Who, who, who? That question was burning him from the inside out just as much as the question 'How'?
And then he saw his house. He couldn't even remember by what means he reached it. And then there was Pepper, looking mortified and pale as the first snow during winter. Morgan mirrored her before she squealed in delight and jumped into his arms. But he was too shocked to respond. He just kept staring ahead as if in a daze.
Tony gasped as he sat upright in his bed. His hands shook and he tightened them in fists, trying to stop the trembling. His heart beat so fast, just like a rabbit's.
"Tony?" he heard a murmur and shifting and he sharply turned to look at a sleepy Pepper.
"It's ok, Pep. Go to sleep," he threw her a small, tight, smile before placing a kiss on her temple and standing up, slowly walking out of the bedroom and slithering into the kitchen to pour himself some water. A week. It has been a week since that happened and he was still shaken to the core.
He was supposed to be dead. The amount of radiation that the stones flooded him with was way too much. Only people like Bruce, Thor or Steve should've been able to survive after a snap. Bruce had the Hulk which was ironically a creature born out of radiation. Thor was a god. He had taken the full force of a star and survived. And Steve had the serum which came with a very strong healing factor. Well, maybe Steve didn't have a chance like Hulk or Thor. They would never know now. Steve was an old grandpa. Natasha was gone too. And Tony was supposed to be gone as well.
His grasp on the handle of the ceramic mug tightened and he put it down harshly, the loud clank shattering the deadly silence of the dark room.
He was glad. He was glad that he was alive. He was glad that he would be able to see Morgan grow up. To see Peter grow up and turn into an incredible man. He was glad that he would be able to spend time with his family and friends without having to fear about any dangers anymore. He would finally have the life he craved for – a peaceful and happy life with the people he loved.
But not yet. He couldn't do that until he learned how he was alive and who was the person who brought him back from the freaking dead.
When everyone learned, they were overjoyed but freaked out at the same time. He couldn't blame them. He was feeling the same.
They did multiple tests on him but there was nothing abnormal. He was Tony. Just Tony. The same person he was before his death. There was absolutely nothing wrong with him. As if he never even died. Just took a year's sleep.
Tony sighed as he made his way from the kitchen counter to the living room, fully intending on crashing on the sofa and staring at the wall while his brain raced with questions and theories, as he did every night for the past week, when a shadow in the corner caused him to jump startled.
"Hello, Stark," greeted him the person and Tony exhaled sharply.
"Fury. To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked and the man neared the billionaire, handing him a flash drive.
"I came here because I have found something rather interesting," started Fury and Tony raised an eyebrow. "There is a girl. We don't know much about her except what's on this flash drive. But from the video material we managed to get our hands on, it's obvious that she is quite strong. Another thing that is suspicious is that we located HYDRA agents not far away from her location. It makes me think that they are after her," revealed the man and Tony huffed, taking the flash drive.
"So you think that there is some strong girl that HYDRA is after? Is that it?" he asked as he put a hand on his hip. "And you what? What do you want me to do about it?"
"I want you to go find her, take her and bring her in," drawled the one-eyed man and Tony's eyebrows lifted once again.
"Why me?"
"Because I've been watching you for some time now. You are torturing yourself with questions and speculations. You need to do something before you drive yourself crazy. I'm giving you a mission," said the man firmly and Tony exhaled deeply.
"HYDRA, huh? Even after what? Six years?"
"Well, we were able to capture, imprison and kill many of their agents. We almost totally destroyed them but… then Thanos happened. And then the five years happened, which for all of us dusted ones, seemed like five hours. The few surviving HYDRA agents apparently thought that the moment was perfect, what with the remaining Avengers taking care of the people and the catastrophes happening around the world, they probably thought they could start gathering people again and continue with their plans. And I do admit the moment for that was perfect… Thanos really did snap away the wrong half," sighed Fury and Tony nodded gravely. "We should stop them before they have gathered manpower and strong individuals like this girl… before it's too late and they are back on their feet like before SHIELD fell apart."
"All right, fair enough, I'll go," Tony agreed as he stood up and left the cup on the small table, walking towards the bedroom until he halted and whirled, sending Nick a curious gaze. "Wait, where am I going again?"
"Bulgaria… Everything you need to know is in the flash drive."
Somewhere in Bulgaria
It was a quiet and peaceful night. The light breeze carried the scent of poppies, lavender, primrose, violets and many other wild flowers, alongside the distant laughter of people. The stars were lazily twinkling and the moon was high in the sky. It was close to midnight when a lone figure sat down on the soft grass, gazing at the small village below, from the high spot on the hill.
"Hey," muttered a voice, causing the girl to slightly turn her head, looking backwards at the person who just interrupted her peace, his footsteps echoing in the silent night as his boots crunched the long grass.
"Why did you come all the way here from the capital?" she murmured as she faced away from the approaching figure, staring back at the village.
"You know that I couldn't have simply called you. They have good people. Skilled people. They must be eavesdropping on all phone lines," he informed her and she hummed.
"That's true."
"Why are you so calm about all this?" he asked with an exasperated sigh. "This is HYDRA we are talking about. Doesn't it bother you that your cover has been blown and they are finally coming close to finding you?" he asked incredulously. "You must leave this country. Change your ID again. Hell, you can create artificial skin, so what's stopping you from finding a way to make a mask and change your face?"
"Kaline… shut the fuck up," she spat out and he took a step backwards. "I'm not running away. I'm sick of it. I'm not going to mask myself either. I'm going to face them once and for all."
"Don't be daft! This is a trap. You will end up back in their hands. HYDRA fell thanks to the Avengers a few years ago. If they manage to get you, their glory will be… revived."
"I know the risks. I'm not an idiot. I know my limits as well. I also know that sometimes, we have to push ourselves over our limits in order to become stronger… better. And I'm always up for the latter," she spoke lowly as she sent him a crazed smirk, making him gulp.
Bulgaria, Sofia
"Tell me, what do you see?" asked the brunette as she calmly sat on a wooden chair, her long, sharp nails drumming rhythmically on the table, a black porcelain cup of steaming coffee was held in her other hand while her eyes rested on the people passing by the cafeteria, observing them closely. It was Monday and rush hour at that so it was bound to be full of people.
"So far, nothing," came in a male voice from her earpiece, causing her to grunt quietly as she brought the cup to her rose-colored lips, taking a sip before she brought the cup back on the table, a light clank was heard as the porcelain made contact with the glass.
"I've been sitting here for hours. This is my fifth coffee. I've read around ten newspapers and magazines," she growled lowly and the man on the other side exhaled loudly.
"This is the most central part of the city and you know it. HYDRA is searching the land and the skies for you. Someone is bound to pass by here and when they do, you will recognize them. We are on the lookout for anyone suspicious from high-ground. That was the plan. Stick to it," he snapped at her and she huffed. "I know that you are impatient and you hate waiting but that's how things ar-" he drawled before completely cutting off his sentence, causing the girl to stand on edge.
"What is it?" she whispered as she looked around discreetly.
"I think I saw someone, but I'm not quite sure. He is crossing the street. Will soon pass by the cafeteria," he informed her and she straightened her back, her eyes, hidden behind big sunglasses, darting to the supposed location of the person in question, and widening in shock when they finally came to view, passing by her and not even looking in her direction. Her hands balled into fists as she glared so hard that she felt like she could break the sunglasses.
"You there? Did you recognize him? Or is he not who I think he was?"
"No, it was him. Boris Lebedev," she spat out as she quickly stood up, following after the man.
"Will you really engage?" he asked quietly and she grunted.
"Do I look like a person who will sit back and hide forever like some coward?" she shot back and he groaned, making her smirk bitterly. "That's right."
The man walked fast, turning left and right and weaving his way through the alleys until he finally reached a dead end. The girl stepped from behind the corner and stood there, arms at her side, feet firmly planted on the ground as she stared him down.
"Let's stop with the cat and mouse game, Boris," she spoke calmly in Russian and the man chuckled.
"I wonder, though, who is the cat and who is the mouse?" he mused as he turned to face her, smirking tauntingly. Her face, schooled in an emotionless, cold mask, did not even twitch.
"Did you really think you would escape HYDRA? Even with your new ID and you, basically disappearing from the radar by hiding in this small country, did you think we wouldn't use everything to track you down?" he asked mockingly and she just shrugged.
"It worked for quite some time."
"And it fails now."
"I'm not coming back," she growled and he chuckled.
"I'm afraid you have no choice."
"I have nothing to lose neither I have something you can threaten and blackmail me with," she countered and he frowned.
"That's true. Which is why we're gonna take you by force," he grunted in irritation and a dozen of agents appeared, surrounding her. She sighed as she watched them start running towards her with taser rods. No weapons. She smirked. They didn't want to attract attention. Her advantage.
"All right then. If you really wanna play that game," she muttered as she cracked her neck and rolled her shoulders. She lifted the black skirt she was wearing, revealing a set of knives strapped on her thighs. Grabbing two in each hand, she whirled around, facing the agents approaching her from behind, and threw the knives. Two embedded in the chest of one man, while the other two managed to hit two others who were too close to each other.
She ducked when a fist came flying her way and she grabbed the wrist of the person tightly, lifting him in the air and smashing him hard on the ground. A taser rod made contact with her shoulder blade, and another – with her right tight – making her hiss in pain and irritation as she whirled and kicked the two men in their malleolus, making them grunt in pain as they staggered. She knocked them out with two fast hits to their temple. While she was busy dealing with them, more sneaked from behind her. One managed to grab her and block the movement of her arms while another, rather huge and bulky one, came towards her. She lifted her lower body, kicking him in the throat and causing him to falter, and locked her thighs around his head extra tightly, twisting them and breaking his neck. When he fell on the ground, taking her lower body with him, she used the gravitation pull and the heaviness of his dead body and gained enough momentum to flip the guy who was holding her from behind. Once he was down, she entwined her two hands and brought them down with a battle cry, smashing his skull.
She quickly stood up, ready to take on the rest of the agents, when something flew from the sky and landed close to her. The red and golden blur soon took a shape and her eyes widened when she saw the all familiar costume.
"Iron Man," she whispered as she watched him blast the remaining men. Boris snarled as he used the chaos to slip away, running from the abandoned alleys back to the filled with people streets.
Once all the men were down, Tony lifted his helmet and turned to look at the shocked girl. They stared at one another for almost a minute before he finally spoke.
"Hi," he managed to let out awkwardly after a long pause but she just kept staring at him. "So, uhm, you are the girl I'm supposed to take?" he semi-asked and she lifted an eyebrow.
"I don't know. You tell me," she returned and he took a few steps closer, observing her. "You are the infamous Tony Stark."
"One and only. At your service," he bowed mockingly and she rolled her eyes.
"What brings you in these lands?"
"You," he answered without a beat and her eyebrows shot to her hairline.
"Should I be frightened or honored?" she asked sarcastically.
"Maybe both."
"Lovely. And what business do you have with little old me?"
"We can't… exactly discuss this here," he told her as he scratched his ear, looking at the pile of bodies, and she huffed, her amusement melting into a cold mask.
"All right then. Do keep up, old man," she motioned as she stepped over the dead, and unconscious, bodies, moving through the silent alleys.
"I'm not… old," he returned after the shock of her calling him old disappeared.
"If you really were a genius, you would've said 'Old but gold', but no one's perfect," she smirked at his grumpy expression before they lapsed into tense silence as they walked before she whirled around with furrowed eyebrows. "You know, it will be best if you don't… you know… attract attention with your suit," she pointed out and he rolled his eyes. He never really cared about what people would think if they saw him. In fact, he loved attention. His suit retracted anyways and Tony was left in his normal sport clothes.
Some minutes later, they came across a black car and the girl slipped in the driver's seat, followed by Tony who made himself comfortable on the front seat. She hit the pedal and the tires squeaked as the car roared into life. Tony grinned faintly as she sped through the streets, causing some people to move away hastily.
"I have a thing for fast speeds. And I do enjoy myself some Fast and Furious," she answered his unspoken question with a slight smirk as she drove expertly and not long after, she parked the car and both of them exited. Tony looked around the abandoned factory in suspicion but quickly followed after the girl when seeing she wouldn't stop to wait for him. They climbed down the stairs and went in the basement where a huge metal door was located. She knocked a few times, in a pattern, and a minute later the door was opened by a tall, handsome man who raised an eyebrow at the newcomer.
"Um, why is Tony Stark with you?" he asked in Bulgarian and she shrugged, answering indifferently.
"Beats me. We're gonna find out soon enough," she entered and Tony followed hesitantly. The smell of disinfectant hit him and green, blue and white walls and marble tiles greeted him.
"What is this place?" he asked and the other man answered.
"This is a hidden lab. It was created years ago by scientists who hated the idea of inventing things for the government, only for these things to be stolen and hidden from the community. They wanted to create things that would help the people but with the government wanting to keep everything secret, that was impossible. So they had to take matters in their own hands," explained the man and Tony nodded.
"Understandable."
"My name is Kalin Tasev, by the way. It's such an honor meeting you, Mr Stark," Tony gave him a smile as the young man went for a handshake.
"Finally! What took you so long?" snapped loudly someone and the brunette let out an irritated sigh.
"I'm here, right? So calm down your man boobs," she drawled and the man rolled his eyes before they were set on the newcomer, widening in shock.
"T-this is… TONY STARK?!" he screeched as his eyes sparkled and he basically ran to the man, shaking his hand. "I-It's such an honor m-meeting you, Mr Stark. My name is Lyubo Tasev and this is my brother over there, but I guess you already met. My God, this is so exciting! What brings you here?" he babbled and the girl rolled her eyes before she grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him away from the startled but amused Tony.
"He is going to explain what he wants from me… very carefully and with all the details," she spoke lowly and Tony's eyes clashed with hers.
"All right, but, let's sit first," offered Kalin carefully as he scratched his head awkwardly and Lyubo nodded.
"Yeah, yeah, let's sit. I'll make tea," he informed as he dashed off to somewhere.
The girl shot Kalin a look and he nodded at her silent request.
"I'll give you two some alone time."
She silently led Tony to a room that was totally different from the surroundings outside its doorframe. She had told him that they called it "The Chill Room" because they would hang out there and drink, eat, read or just talk.
It was an enormous room. There were three white couches and two armchairs, with golden frames, that were in Victorian style and had lots of decorative pillows. There was a glass table in the middle that held a few succulent plants in an oval glass, as well as a little Zen garden. There was a big fluffy carpet covering the wooden floor, a big fireplace facing the couches and an even bigger TV screen above it. In the right corner by the window, there was a white piano and on the other – a tall plant that grew high and reached the ceiling. It was beautiful. And then the other part of the room was a huge kitchen, again in white, fully-stacked with all kind of tech and in the middle of the free space was a table – on top of which sat a big intricate vase full of roses – with six leather chairs and a porcelain raspberry decoration by the vase. There were a few sets of candles on a few places around the room and there was a big glass picture of a peacock by a blossoming tree on the sun – above the piano – and a huge chandelier with dangling and pleasantly clinking crystals.
She dropped her bag on one of the sofas carefully, before stalking to the kitchen and opening a cupboard, taking out two glasses before opening the huge, dull gray, glistening fridge, grabbing a crystal bottle of scotch, fully intending on pouring some of the strong, burning liquid for herself and her unexpected guest – since that was the only drink they had right now – after which she decided to go to the bathroom and wash her hands from the blood while Tony was still too busy ogling the room and going around touching things like running his fingers over the piano, observing the peacock art with an impressed expression, nodding his head in what seemed to be approval as his fingers rubbed his chin before he got bored and joined her in the kitchen, looking curiously at what she was doing, when he decided he was rather famished so he went for the fridge instead and opened it, searching for food, but he simply let out what seemed to be a mixture of groan, growl and a huff as he frowned deeply and started muttering something about the fridge being full of 'junk food' and how she had to eat healthy food if she wanted to live longer, mentioning that he also ate pizza and cheeseburgers from time to time but the overstuffed with junk food fridge was on a whole other, new, level of crazingess, causing her to snort in amusement as she watched the billionaire waltz over to the living room area and plop himself on one of the couches, waiting patiently for her, although it didn't escape her the way he fiddled with his fingers and how his eyes would nervously dart around the room in ways of thinking how he should start this conversation with her for which she couldn't exactly blame him considering the fact that they met like, barely an hour ago and he probably saw her going all wild against these agents and that would make anyone uneasy to be in her presence.
He was going to ask questions. She knew it. Clearing her throat, she gave him the glass, filled with rich, golden-brown liquid, before joining him on the couch, nursing her own glass.
"So, I'm all ears. Why did you come all the way here from America? Crossing the whole ocean? Damn I feel special," she sent him a teasing smile as she sipped the scotch. There was a long silence before Tony looked her in the eyes.
"Who are you?" he asked with a serious tone and she mirrored him.
"I'm just a simple girl with a suit. Much like you… But sometimes appearances can be… deceiving," she drawled and he hn-ed.
"Wisely said."
"Tell me," she whispered as she leaned towards him. "Tell me why you came here."
"Well, I saw on the news a girl who stopped a terrorist from blowing up people on this big event. I thought, wow, I should probably recruit her," he explained casually, suppressing the seriousness that lingered a second ago, and she let out a huff.
"Me? A random nobody you just saw kicking asses on TV and you decided to recruit… me?" she asked with a bit of surprise slipping through and he chuckled.
"I wouldn't call this the strangest thing I've ever done," he countered and she gave him a long look before pursuing her lips.
"All right, I'll give you that."
Both of them sipped their drinks simultaneously, the ice remnants clinking against the glass' side before making contact with their teeth, causing them to flinch slightly. There was another long period of silence as the two of them stared anywhere but at one another, until she decided to be the first one to break it.
"You want me to join the team… You want me to come to New York…" she muttered and his eyes darted lazily over to her form.
"Look, if you don't want to-"
"-I want to… I need to."
"Cheers to that then."
New York, The Avengers Tower a.k.a The New, rebuilt Avengers Facility
"That was interesting," hummed the female as she got out of the car, followed by Tony who grinned at her.
"Was this really your first time flying in a private, luxurious jet?" he asked again and she shot him a glare.
"Not all of us are rich, Stark," she countered and he nodded with a slightly arrogant smirk plastered on his face.
"Yeah, not everyone can be like me. Happy, take the lady's luggage to her room, would you," instructed Tony and the chubby man grunted quietly as he went to open the trunk, grabbing her suitcase which was surprisingly light.
She wasn't into clothes. She owned just a few jeans, sportswear, one skirt, some plain t-shirts and a few other tops. She wasn't a big supporter of "wear a different outfit every day". The girl swung her backpack over her shoulder and lifted her head, staring at the huge construction.
"Well… welcome to the new, old, Avengers Facility," patted her shoulder Tony as he walked towards the entrance. She followed after him and they walked inside. "After the one Upstate New York got destroyed, we just used the tower for a new one. Supplied it with everything and hired back all the people that used to work in the Facility Upstate," he explained. It wasn't much different than the hidden lab back in Bulgaria. The biggest difference was that everything was gray, black and transparent… transparent meaning glassy. Oh, and also the fact that it wasn't underground and it was high as fuck. They walked through the corridors for a few minutes until they reached and entered an elevator which took them up to the highest floors. When it opened, she let out a huff. They stepped in what appeared to be a huge living room. It had many leather couches in red and golden, big table to the side with lots of chairs, a kitchen at the other side with dark mahogany cupboards and dark, sprinkled with white, marble counter. There were a few plants here and there. It was luxurious.
But it was not the furnishing and the design of the place that got her attention, per se. It was the group of people gathered in the room, scattered – some on the sofas, some on the chairs, and some by the kitchen island – all staring at her. She schooled her features and looked at each and every one of them indifferently. Samuel Wilson – The Falcon, James Rhodes – The War Machine, Wanda Maximoff – The Scarlet Witch, Scott Lang – Ant-Man and King T-challa – The Black Panther.
"You didn't mention anything about such a grandiose welcome party, Stark," she said mockingly and he chuckled.
"Surprise," he sang-song equally mockingly as he outstretched his arms, motioning to the rest of the Avengers who were staring expectantly at the two, faces contoured in amusement. "Meet the other Avengers, kid."
Some uttered hi while other stayed silent. But out of everyone, there was one boy who stood up from the couch he was sitting on and neared the girl excitedly.
"Hi! My name's Parker… Peter… Peter Parker," he coughed awkwardly as he offered his hand for a handshake. "I'm a new Avenger. It's pleasure meeting you!" he exclaimed and she stared at him for a second before grabbing his hand and giving him a firm handshake.
"Name's Vera Petrova," she introduced herself. "There is no need for you to introduce yourself to me. I already know who y'all are," she shrugged before she glanced at Tony. "So? Where am I going to sleep? Hopefully not on the couch."
"Nope. I have everything prepared. Each member of the team has its own floor with a bedroom, bathroom, living room, kitchen and all in-between. Follow me," he motioned as he started climbing the stairs nearby. She shot the Avengers one last look over her shoulder before disappearing after the man.
"Well that was interesting," muttered Sam and Rhodey nodded.
"Did you feel it, though?" he asked and Sam glanced at him. "The air around her… there is something weird. I don't like the vibes she gives off," he murmured and Sam shot him a teasing smirk.
"After all these years in the army and you are developing paranoia now?"
"Takes one to know one."
"Well, whatever it is, we can't do anything about it. We'll just have to wait and see."
"Or we can use your mind reading powers. What do you say, Wanda?" She opened her mouth, ready to reply, when she was interrupted.
"Why would you guys want to do that?" asked Peter incredulously and they were about to speak when T'challa interrupted them.
"It's nothing. Don't mind them," he sent the boy a reassuring smile before he sent scolding looks at the two men who lifted their hands in surrender.
"You can't fool a veteran's instincts."
"All we are saying is… don't let your guard down."
A week. It has been a whole week since Tony Stark had encountered her in Bulgaria, asking her to come under his and the Avengers' protection because of her strength and abilities. They never asked about her past, about her abilities or anything actually. They were quite hospitable but she was not a fool. She could feel the tension rolling out of them in waves. They were highly suspicious and she couldn't blame them. They were right to be. But still, they weren't pressuring her and she was grateful.
For the past week she had barely left the confines of her floor, only visiting the training wing, but even then she did it during the night when everyone was asleep. All in all, she simply avoided any contact with the Avengers and she allowed only Tony to come over and try talking to her, simply because out of everyone he was probably the only one who refused to understand the meaning of the words "personal space" and "leave me alone". She wasn't a talker and she was sure he understood that. But damn was he stubborn. She didn't know what he was playing at. What he was trying to achieve. But she had to admit she loved his company and his snarky remarks.
But today she was feeling more sociable so she decided to get out of her room and do something different, maybe even strike a conversation with someone.
The moment she made an appearance in the living room, a few pair of eyes immediately focused on her. She didn't want to show or admit it but that was unnerving her.
"Well, look who decided to crawl out of their rabbit hole," commented Tony with his typical teasing smirk and she huffed in amusement, rolling her eyes, as she walked over to the kitchen counter, wanting to make herself some coffee.
"Tired of the solitude?" asked Wanda as she handed her a mug, with a small smile gracing her features, and Vera felt a push inside of her, something almost foreign that made her return the smile. She supposed it was her subconscious, urging her to make an effort, try to be a better person – more open, more friendly.
"I'm used to solitude," shrugged the girl as she accepted the mug and went over to the café machine. Her eyes swept over the other members. "Where is the king?" she asked curiously.
"He is back in Wakanda. He has matters to attend to, a country to rule. He is not in America often but he does come once in awhile. He is an Avenger too, after all," informed her Rhodey and she nodded, grabbing the now full mug and bringing the hot liquid to her lips.
"Well, me and Bruce have some work to do down in the lab so if we you need something, you know where to find us," quipped Tony as he gulped down the remaining of his drink before putting the cup in the sink. Vera looked at him for a moment, causing him to lock his eyes with hers, before she looked away and concentrated on the leather couch. His gaze lingered for awhile before he finally left the vicinity of the room. Wanda was the only one who noticed the exchange. The next few minutes were spent in silence.
"Well, this is awkward," muttered Sam in his cup and Wanda chuckled before turning to the other girl.
"It's so hard to be surrounded by the whole testosterone. Do you want to go out for a walk?" asked the redhead and Vera nodded.
"Oh, ok, we get the message," said Sam in a fake offensive tone.
Half an hour later, the girls were washed, dressed and out of the Tower, walking aimlessly through the streets of New York, heading to Central Park.
"You have pretty interesting powers," said Vera after some time and Wanda smiled.
"Yeah, I do... And you are not the person who the others think you are," returned the girl.
"Yeah, I'm not… I have to admit, this one question bugged me the moment my eyes landed on you. 'Will she read my mind?' I guess that question has an answer now," Wanda huffed through her nose and lowered her head a bit, a small sad smile forming on her lips.
"Ever since Sokovia, I promised myself to never use that aspect of my powers again. Mind reading is just… so intrusive. And mind manipulation even more so… It's wrong… But after everything with Thanos happened… I knew I had to expand my capabilities. Train myself. Better myself. And that included the mind reading," revealed Wanda and Vera shook her head in amusement.
"But you didn't want to train on the Avengers, right? You obviously consider them family. But when I came you saw a good opportunity. A stranger. One that is definitely not trusted by your fellow friends. Moreover, a stranger who is suspicious as hell and may even pose as a threat to said friends and perhaps even other people. It was beneficial for you, wasn't it? Both practice and make sure what my intentions are, keep an eye on me."
"Yes. You are right. I won't even deny it," admitted the girl. "But you don't seem bothered by that."
"Call me crazy but… I feel like I can trust you to keep whatever information you have on me hidden… at least for now.
"I will… And I know it's not my place to say this and that I probably will never understand how you feel… but I think you should start communicating more with the others. Show them that you bare them no ill will and that you are actually a good person behind the whole mask you put on your face."
"It's harder than you think. I have tried many times over the years. To bond with people. I have tried to be normal. To allow myself feelings and emotions. Just like anyone else. To smile, to grin, to laugh, to joke around, to be kind… It was a success for awhile… but then shit happened. It always does. So I told myself… what's the point? You finally feel comfortable with someone… with yourself… You finally feel free and let happiness and normalcy overtake the whole experience of suffering, blood, sorrow, guilt, insanity… and then everything is ruined and we are back to square one," sighed Vera grimly and Wanda let out a sad smile.
"Yes… it is easier to put on a mask and build walls… but they can be just as much threat to the normalcy."
"Indeed…"
Another week passed since then. Vera couldn't believe what was happening. She couldn't believe herself. She never expected that Wanda's 'advice' would push her over the gloom and doom edge and make her more sociable than she has been in quite some time.
She actually sought out Wanda, wanting to speak to her about random things. She started training with the others in the Training Wing, actually enjoying sparring with Sam. She would even discuss science with Bruce, now merged with Hulk, over a cup of tea. And she had even more conversations with Tony.
Since he knew how mysterious and secretive she was about her life, he would mostly speak about himself and his life. He would tell her about his parents, about his strenuous relationship with his father, about his whole billionaire, genius, playboy, philanthropist, life – the life before he became Iron Man. And then he would tell her about Afghanistan and all his adventures that came afterwards. Once, he had jokingly complained that he did all the talking, which he thought was unfair, and that caused her to spill some things to him about her past.
It was mostly related to her mother and how she raised her. How Vera was an artistic person at heart but she was blessed, and cursed, with photographic memory. And when that was discovered her father forced her to study everything science related. The thing was that, she didn't simply remember every word she read and was able to recall it by heart. She actually understood what she was reading and was able to apply it with ease which had proven her that she had a knack for science.
They both found out that they had quite some things in common. They loved classic rock, mostly AC/DC, they loved cheeseburgers, they loved cars and had a thing for fast speeds. And they were both terrified of the universe and everything that was out there, despite their immense curiosity and sense of wonder.
But Tony wasn't spending that much time in the Tower and Vera was actually starting to feel empty without him nearby and she would question herself just how fast things changed. Of course, despite being a bit more relaxed around her, everyone was still quite suspicious and didn't let their guard down, except Wanda.
"It's a beautiful sunset," muttered a voice behind her. She was currently standing, with crossed arms, in front of the big window-wall, overseeing the city and the setting sun. She was never a big fan of New York. It felt stifling. Overcrowded. Too much concrete. But sometimes it was beautiful.
"Yeah… What brings you here, Parker?" she asked as she finally faced him and he averted his gaze, shrugging.
"I came here to train. Now I'm hungry," he informed her and she nodded, taking notice of his slightly damp hair.
"The others shouldn't be long. We'll have dinner. I think Sam ordered Chinese? Or Indian? Not sure," she told him and his eyes widened. She smiled internally. The boy was adorable. He reminded her of a puppy – always brimming with energy and holding so much love, loyalty and admiration in its huge sparkling eyes.
"You mean you'll be staying for dinner? With us?" he asked her, an octave louder, and she scrunched up her face.
"Why? You don't want me to?"
"What? No, no, no! I do! It's just surprising that you would stay for dinner because you never do. You always go and eat on your floor and I've always wondered why would you do that because I'm pretty sure nobody enjoys eating all alone-"
"Parker! You are rambling," she interrupted him by taking fast steps towards him and grabbed his lips with her fingers. She let go when he nodded his head.
"Sorry," he apologized awkwardly and she rolled her eyes.
"Has anybody told you that you talk too much?" she asked and he pouted. But when he was about to say something, her eyes suddenly fell on something else, causing him to follow her gaze. It was a picture of a woman, not too small, not too large, neatly hung and framed with a simple deep red, polished wood. Vera took a few slow steps and stared at the picture with what Peter could barely decipher as longing.
"I really wanted to meet her, you know?" she whispered and he gulped. "She was my idol, despite not knowing her personally… Sometimes I felt a strong connection… Like we had many things in common…" she smiled sadly, lifting her hand and tracing her fingers over the long tresses of red hair ending up in blonde ombre.
"I'm sure you would've gotten along. But her sacrifice wasn't in vain," added Peter with a small smile and she returned it tiredly. Just then, the rest of the Avengers started coming one by one. The last one to appear was Sam, holding lots of plastic bags full of food.
"Plastic bags are a bad thing," commented Vera off-handedly as she went to take them off his hands and place them on the table, getting the food out and passing it over to Wanda so she can transfer it in plates. "They are bad for the nature."
"Paper bags tear too easily," retorted Sam and she raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not talking about using paper bags either. Paper is made out of trees, so that's also bad for the nature. And they do tear way too easily so it's a total waste. It's much better if you use fabric bags. They are pretty strong and you can use them continuously without harming the nature," she explained and the occupants of the room lifted their eyebrows, giving each other looks.
"Your obsession with the… wellbeing of our planet is pleasantly surprising," commented Rhodey and she shrugged.
"What we have is a gift. Our planet could've been a total wreck which would've made our lives harder and miserable. But it's a beautiful place instead. Humans don't deserve such a gift because all they do is ruin it. They can claim that they have awakened, they can talk about saving the planet, they can watch hundreds of videos on YouTube that urge them to do something… but they never actually act. I don't really blame them, though. We have fallen so deeply that I don't think we'll ever be able to fix the shit we've caused. Still, it doesn't hurt to try and make things at least a bit more bearable," she shrugged as she took a plate and filled it with some veggies, still hot beef, and noodles. The others kept looking at her, nodding their heads slowly in agreement, and huffing in amusement as they too filled their own plates with food. Soon, everyone were seated on the huge table, eating and chatting.
"You seem awfully quiet," chirped Peter, who was seated next to her, and she chuckled lowly.
"I've said more than enough for one evening. Now it's time I go silent," she said and he frowned.
"Why should you be silent? I like the way you think. You should talk more often," he admitted and her eyes widened for a second.
"Well, thank you," she muttered and he gave her one of his typical wide smiles. "Where is Tony, by the way?"
"I think he went back home to his family."
"Oh… yeah… he has a family," murmured the girl and Peter shot her an odd look. When Vera finally lifted her gaze from her plate, she noticed Wanda staring at her. She shot her half a smile and shoved the remaining meat and noodles in her mouth, grabbing her plate and going over to the sink to wash it. That's when the elevator doors slid open and in walked a person.
"Hey," he greeted and Vera froze. She was hoping to never hear this voice again. She paid no heed to the others' greetings and quickly left the plate to dry, sneaking away as quietly as possible while everyone's attention was on the newly arrived person. She climbed the stairs as quick and silent as a shadow, the familiar view of her large living room giving her comfort. But that was not enough. She bolted to her bedroom and locked the door, sliding down on the floor.
It was him – the Winter Soldier – her temporary mentor back in the days. She had heard of him joining the Avengers but she didn't exactly believe it. Now she had the proof and frankly, she was terrified of going out and facing him. There were very few things that she was terrified of and unfortunately for her, Bucky was one of them, especially right now, as he could easily blow her cover and reveal to everyone her true identity. And she threw lots of hard work in order to become someone else. There was a knock on the door that made her jump as she looked at the white wood.
"Hey, Vera, there is someone I want you to meet. Come downstairs," came in Rhodey's voice and she let out a shaky breath before she stood up, straightening herself, and opened the door.
"I'm sorry, Rhodes. I don't feel so good," she muttered. "I'll just go lay down… I'm sorry," she sent him a tight, apologetic smile as she closed the door lightly. Returning to her bed, she plopped down on it and sighed. Just when she thought things were going good, they took 360.
For the rest of the night, the only thing she did was pace and occasionally start reading something only to throw it away because she couldn't concentrate.
"Fuck you, Barnes."
The next day started just as every other day for the past two weeks she had been in the Tower. Her third week was starting now and with every passing day she realized that things were getting harder and harder, especially with Bucky's sudden arrival.
Vera did her stretches and the usual intense morning exercises, took a long, hot bath, put on some clothes – consisting of military cargo pants, a white top, and deep brown combat boots – before she fixed her bed.
"Ms Petrova, Mr Stark is requesting your presence in the living room," came in FRIDAY's voice and the girl bit her lip.
"Who else is there?"
"Mr Wilson and Nick Fury."
This made her sigh in relief. She fixed her hair in a messy bun and exited the room, hesitantly going downstairs where she saw Tony, Sam Wilson and Nick Fury perched on the couches, having a friendly chat, before their eyes turned on her.
"You wanted to see me. Why?" she asked and Nick lifted his eyebrows.
"Straight to the point. I like that," he complimented and she sent him a faint smile.
"What are you waiting for? Invitation?" asked Tony with a roll to his eyes as he sipped from his mug, motioning to one of the chairs. "Sit."
"No, thank you. I'm perfectly fine where I am. If I want to sit, I will. I don't need an invitation," she spat out the last word. "So? What did you need me for?"
"First of all – introductions. This is Nick Fury, former-" started Tony but she quickly interrupted him.
"-director of Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage and Law-Enforcement Division, otherwise known as SHIELD. Yeah, I know. I thought you were long gone from the world, director," she addressed the man and he shrugged.
"Some people return from the dead-" he began knowingly and she smirked bitterly.
"-because they have unfinished business," she finished. "How did you like hell?"
"Oh, it was more calm and peaceful than people say."
"Why? Big red guy was not there to pave a road full of punishment for the bad lads?" she asked with a scrunched up face as she crossed her arms.
"Nah, no devil I'm afraid," he hummed as he mirrored her.
"Hell is empty and all the devils are here."
"William Shakespeare – 'The Tempest.'" He grinned and she smiled as she approached the seated man.
"Nice to officially meet you, sir," she shook his hand and he nodded.
"Pleasure is all mine."
"Ok, that… was one of the weirdest things I've bore witness to," said Tony and Sam shook his head in amusement.
"It must say something considering the fact that you fought a grape with jewelry fetish," chuckled the girl and the rest joined her.
"Point taken."
"Well then, let's start, shall we?" clapped his hands the Iron Man as he pressed the holographic screen and various things appeared. The girl hummed as she grabbed four apples from a plate on the kitchen counter and approached the man with a few long strides. She juggled with the fruits before throwing one at each of the men, who caught them, and took a bite from her own, before she touched the holograms, moving them and reading the files one by one. Tony lifted an eyebrow, the corner of his lips twitching upwards as he bit on his own apple and watched her navigate expertly, as if she had done it multiple times already.
"Terrorists wrecking havoc. You want to see my skills and test me if I really am suitable to be part of this world-protecting rock band so you want to send me on a mission to stop these little shits," she stated and the men looked at one another before back at her, nodding simultaneously.
"You can't go alone which is why me and Tony decided it would be best if someone accompanies you. We think Sam would be a good choice for the occasion," said Nick and she hummed.
"The Falcon. My, my. Are you strict? Will you keep me under control?" she stressed the last two words, causing Sam's cheeks to heat just a tad bit as he cleared his throat.
"I made sure to record that," snorted Stark and Sam shot him a scolding look.
"C'mon, Falcon. We are tight on schedule from now on," ushered the girl. "Gentlemen," she bowed her head before whirling and walking out of the room, throwing the leftovers from the fruit right into the bin in the corner, Sam standing up to follow her only to cease and stare at the bin and then back at the girl.
"How did she even?" he asked and Tony shrugged.
"By-" started the man when she interrupted them.
"-calculating distance, position of body and arm, and the strength you use," she lifted her arm high and sent them a piece sign while she kept walking, causing Tony to smirk, almost proudly, and Sam and Nick to huff in amusement as the first finally followed her.
"Make sure to punish her if she does something wrong, Birdie," called Tony after them and Sam turned to send him a glare.
"Shut up, Tony."
