The Wrong Girl

"She's cute, who is she?" Tony asked me as he walked in, Maria was too busy pouring her coffee to even bother noticing Tony or his words. Of course that wasn't exactly in Tony's favor, when ever she spaced out well-that's when she was accidentally violent. "Her name's Maria." He nods and heads her way, I took my glasses off, knowing exactly what is about to happen. "Hey, AH!" Maria turned at the lightest brush of Tony's hand at her back and kneed him in the stomach. He crumples and Maria's face fished out; "Oh, my god. I'm so sorry Mister Stark!"
He was curled around where her hit had landed, at least she didn't kick him in the balls-most cases that was her first instinct. "Maria, that is the most brilliant thing I have ever seen." Clint said as he stood in the door way. Maria scowled, "I didn't mean to do it!" He nodded and walked deeper into the kitchen, "But it was still funny. Haven't you learned Tony, not to sneak up on an assassin?" Tony, finally getting up grumbled something along the line of how was he suppose to know that this cute girl was an assassin.
"You're not, I mean-heck I know I don't look all that threatening, but honestly don't you know better than to flirt with strange women in your kitchen?" Tony looked a little offended by the comment; "That and not flirting with another man's lady." Clint said, Maria flipped him off. "Rain's my partner, not my lover-sides I've totally got the hots for Bruce." Clint chortled at Tony's surprised look. "No kidding?" Maria smiled and nodded, and once more I had to wonder how I'd gotten her attention.
"Anyhow..." I wondered just how much Tony would dig into Maria's life-or how much she adored me. "So, how'd you get in the tower?" Tony asked as he finally picked himself off the floor. "Bruce carried me in. I was beat last night." Which was true, she'd just come from Kyoto all the way to New York. Just to meet me, I'd asked if she was in state and she said no, but she'd be able to come if I wanted her too. Which I had, thus the next worlds out of Tony's mouth didn't suprise me."Wait, is that why you were asking about my jet?" Tony asked and Clint stared at me startled by the very thought. "Yes, She and I have a mutual acquaintance that I wanted to get in touch with-but he seems to be off the grid." Maria nodded; "I won't tell neither, but I'm glad to pass on messages, and tell that acquaintance to hop online for Bruce every blue moon." And of course Harry would, he'd been busy the last month or so on a mission with Maria and their partner Rain.

"So, how have you been Maria, it's been forever since I've seen you." Maria giggled at Clint. "Hm, not much-been working and seriously trying to get my book done." She had decided that she might as well write a story about her life and say it was fiction. It would sell that way too, some of her book was fiction. Hell, she'd asked me help on a few occasion's because some of the story dealt with missile research facilities. I'd pointed her to a few books I'd read, like Command and Control by Eric Schlosser. She told me the book had been helpful for her and that it had been an interesting read.
"Oh, and trying to get into Bruce's pants." I snorted, there was a joke there-but I wasn't about to share that one. An image of Maria in nothing but my shirt and a pair of bright green booty shorts flashed in my head, yep. Not sharing that one. Tony would have a field day with that, and we hadn't even done anything more than cuddle, or rather I woke up after going to sleep and finding her in my arms... Maria glanced at me and winked. Tony just stared at us and Clint rolled his eyes. "What is it with you and older men Maria!" She giggled; "Mmm, hate some-love some, guess they remind me of my father and of Rain." Maria had a very troubled childhood…what with her father murdering her mother and all. If you could believe it her father had died from falling down some stairs-Maria thinks that Rain might have done the deed…but, who knew? It could have actually been an accident. Though, she's told me on no uncertain terms that she didn't think of me either way, that I was in my own category.
As flattering as that was, I wasn't quite sure how I felt about the whole situation. I mean after that whole thing with Natasha...I had really thought we could just escape-then I spent time away from the team and well, I realised that there was no escaping what I was, no escaping that I could have feelings for other people, Maria and I had met when I was still getting over Natasha and we'd certainly hit it off, especially since she introduced me to her friend that turned into a dragon...Emma I think her name was. Then Maria made her move, telling me that she had a thing for me and I knew I wasn't exactly adverse to her at least, but I'm not sure how well we would work out if we did start dating-or how John Rain would attempt to string me up by my balls with out the other guy making a mess of things. "Any who, would you mind terribly if I used your jet again Mister Stark?" Tony smiled; "Sure, if you tell me a few things about yourself." She smiled at him, "Sure, I have the right to pass over questions I don't want to answer." He nodded, not looking quite as happy but shrugged and sat down, Maria threw her cup into the microwave to heat up her now ice cold coffee. He waited for her to fetch it out and take a sip before he went right into it. "How long have you known Bruce?" Maria glanced at me and I tipped my chin, It really didn't bother me all that much.

"Two years." Tony and Clint both seemed genuinely surprised. "Okay, how long have you wanted to get in his pants?" Maria chuckled, I could answer that one. "I've wanted to for two years." Moment she met me, Harry had said there were sparks the second our eyes met. She was an attractive woman after all, not going to deny that had bee a few problems with that though, first being that Natasha had just tricked me, I didn't want to be attracted to anyone, let alone someone as young as Maria-but I supposed she wasn't at the same time, twenty two years she'd been a partner to John Rain…that killed childhood pretty fast. Tony glanced at me and I motioned for him to continue, it wasn't going to bother me if he kept asking her questions, and it was up to her where to draw the line. "Alright, how did you meet him?" Maria took a sip of coffee before answering him. "Through a mutual acquaintance." Harry, in a little bar…Maria dressed like a hooker-red dress, short. Long legs made even longer by the dagger thin heeled, black boots stretched out before her and a drink in her hands, a bright vixen smile on her face.
"Where?" She shook her head with a small smile playing on her face, "Next?" Tony seemed resigned that she wasn't going to answer that one, "Ever model?" Maria snorted, and almost splashed coffee onto herself. "No, don't like makeup anyhow." Which was true, the most you'd get out of her was lip gloss and eye shadow except for the night I met her in that little bar, she'd gone full out then. Tony thought for a moment before asking; "Ever go to college?" Maria shook her head, "No, but I've been told I'm pretty damn smart."
One of those people would have been me-she caught on to most of what I was talking about and I didn't see that too often, not even some of the people in my field. Harry, being the genius hacker he was taught Maria how to hack and he said that within five years she got good enough that they could work in tandem. Harry said that she had a vast capacity for learning, only just no way to do it.
Rain may have not continued on being an assassin, but Maria and he could never stop looking over their shoulders long enough to settle anywhere permanently. Hell, Rain chose not to set foot in America, actually with the way that Maria talked about it Rain couldn't set foot without being arrested, or her for that matter-something about stabbing a federal employee. "What do you know about computers?" Maria grinned, that was her area. "My mentors a Black Hat Pro." That got Tony's attention, and Clint to frown. "Black Hat? What are there different kinds of hackers?" Clint asked and Maria rolled her eyes. "Script Kiddies, The Hacking Group, Hacktivists, Black Hat Professionals, Organized Criminal Gangs, Nation States and The Automated Tool...All are different kinds, some better then others." Tony eyed her; "Are you a hacker?" Maria nodded, "I'm attempting to get as good as my mentor, but I like to build things too though, I might actually be better at that." Which unfortunately got her in trouble all the time with Harry because she couldn't help herself, she'd taken apart some of his machines and thankfully for Harry's blood pressure she'd been able to put them back together and in working order.
"Like what?" Tony asked softly. "If I could get my hands on your suit I could probably figure it out well enough to build my own version." Possible eidetic memory at work of course, it was like she was meant to be an assassin not to mention the way she could charm people from start to messy finish. "Yeah, I bet you would just love that." Maria nodded; "Who in their right mind wouldn't want a gander?"

Tony decided to leave that line of questioning, no doubt he wouldn't want her anywhere near his suit. "So, what do you do in your down time?" Maria mulled over that one and relaxed against the counter. "I do a lot of things, read a book in bed, cuddle in bed, have breakfast and doodle around the internet in bed. Listen to music in bed…well lots of stuff, in bed." She was yanking his chain, the way he use to be he would have been all over that if he could have. Maria probably would have shot him honestly, unless he charmed her-unlikely, his charm and her charm would cancel each other out.
"Tease." Tony muttered and Maria smiled at him; "Yeah, but most people think it's cute." or think they can jump into her pants, and she led some victims into a lull thinking that she was just some harmless party girl who was looking for a good time. "What's your favorite weapon?" I felt like slapping the back of Tony's head, of course he would be socially inept enough to ask an assassin what their favorite weapon was.
"I would have to say either my garrote or shock bunny." Shock bunny, not exactly the kind of tazer most people seemed frightened of until they learn that it has settings, settings of which the highest killed. Maria had made the thing when she was just a kid, and she was very fond of rabbits. Not to mention the applications she'd use the rabbit in. like shock bunny or her stuffed animal backpacks that were a variety of dangers.
"Tony, you have no idea just how versatile this brat is-she has a backpack that spews knock-out gas." Maria nodded; "I haven't used that in a while either, man now I miss my backpacks! I'm too old and good at my techniques that I learned from my partner." Tony for his part actually looked interested in the conversation, I think this was the longest I'd seen him out of the lab. "You said you write earlier, what about?" Maria sighed; "Honestly? My life, I only have the one book in the making and my life is crazy enough that people might actually want to read it." True, but they would all think they know it was fake. I'm sure a few people might realize that no, it was real. That could get Maria in trouble, but I knew she had contingency plans in place if that occurred. "Wait, so your life as an assassin?" Maria smiled with a small nod. "It makes for good fiction, but my life's been pretty messed up."
Clint nodded; "Most of us have messed up childhood." Tony shrugged, he had his bad times too…I mean it wasn't every day a person you cared about turned on you and attempted to kill you. On top of your daddy and self worth issues. Maria had asked me about that actually, she seemed worried for him a little bit. Funny Maria caring that much about the people I befriended, as if their welfare affected me... I supposed for the rest of the team that was true, I got along with all of them pretty much.

"How long are you planning on staying in New York?" Maria smiled at Tony, "Maybe you can convince me to stay a bit longer?" Tony smiled; "Well, it would be rude of you not to stay for a bit longer, after all it's my jet you want to use." Maria snorted; "Yeah, that was a great job of convincing me Stark." I couldn't help but to snort at her sarcasm, she could lay it on really thick when she wanted to. "Hey, at least I tried." Clint was the first to burst into laughter over that one, while Tony pouted like a petulant five year old. "Sure Stark, I could stay a bit longer if you'd like." Tony brightened up, Maria put her cup to her lips and made a face. "Damn, cold again." She turned and Tony being Tony ogled her backside. I felt a little irritated, somewhere in the smaller uncontrolled part of my brain whispered 'mine' and I swiped that thought away. Most certainly not! Maria was Maria's and she did as she pleased.
"Oh, Bruce-is it true that one of your team mates can't get drunk?" I really wanted to cover my eyes, she would want to know if Steve could or could not get drunk. "Yep, that would be the cap." Clint said in lull of my silence. "Rodgers can't get drunk? Seriously that's a little messed up, I like a good pint every now and then. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't at least get buzzed." Oh the times she had… "Like that time with the Limoncello?" She turned bright red. "Shut it Bruce." I laughed, yep. That would be one of those don't ever bring up topics. She hadn't been buzzed but full on giggly drunk.
"Limoncello?" Clint asked, Maria and Tony looked at him like he was stupid. "Lemon Vodka. Here I was thinking you and your little Russian Barbie drank together." Clint scowled at her. "Nat likes straight vodka, none of that mixed stuff." Maria shrugged, Tony looked like he wanted to go get Natasha and ask her. "Anyhow, I don't drink very often. Of course I drink on New Years, but otherwise it's kind of every other blue moon."
True, She didn't have much time or the ability to get blindingly drunk-if she did she would be dead and she knew that, I think that the only reason she'd gotten that way with me was because she knew the big guy could handle whatever came through the door for her or me. "How long would you be willing to stay here?" Tony asked, of course he'd like a drinking buddy in a bubbly blond assassin. "Not long, I have things to do." Like a hit? "Maria?" Clint asked softly, she sighed; "I have somewhere else to go here in the states-not a target, some research I have to do." Research? What was she looking up, and was it for herself or one of her partners?
"But, if you want to see if Rodgers really can't get drunk I'm all in for asking him nicely." I should have figured, corrupting her favorite hero. I could see the appeal for her, getting him drunk would be funny in her eyes. I kind of worried that he'd start wondering what his real limits were. That might actually freak him out a bit, not something I would want to see that was for sure. "Alright then, Friday-where's Steve?" Friday took half a second, "Mister Rodgers is currently in the gym, do you want me to ask him to come up?" Tony thought about it for a moment, "Sure Friday."

Thanks for reading! I enjoyed writing that If you read this before then you will notice I've changed it up a bit by adding bits of Age of Ultron lol If you liked this then I would love to point out I have quite a few stories on this site with Maria and also my work on Amazon my authors name there is the same one I use here- Daiyu Amaya