The Fast and the Curious

Chapter 002
Back to Reality

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It wasn't long after his eyes had adjusted to the dark of the room that the panic had set in and the door to his prison was bursting open. In those few precious seconds, he unhooked himself from all of the machines and hoisted himself from the bed. He fell with a pathetic flop onto the cold ground. Unable to run, Pietro rolled himself under the bed and stilled at the voices he heard.

"He's gone," exclaimed a deep male voice.

"What do you mean gone, he's escaped?" asked a stern female one.

"Lock down the facility," commanded a firm voice.

"He's injured, he can't have gone far," a calm, almost monotone voice reasoned. The light to the room was flicked on and the white tiles he was laying on began to glow. A pair of black combat boots crossed the room and stopped in front of the bed. Dropping down, a familiar faced lowered into view.

"What are you doing under there?" Wanda asked with a small smile. Her long brown hair falling onto the floor.

"Checking for dust bunnies," answered Pietro, lying flat on his back.

"And did you find any?" she questioned him further.

"No," he sighed and reached a hand out to her. "Now help me out from under here." Taking his hand, she pulled him from under the bed and helped him to stand on shaky legs.

"I thought you were dead," she whispered, a lump forming in her throat. Surging forward, she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed lightly. The small movement upset his balance and sent him backwards sitting onto the bed.

"I could never leave you soră," he whispered into her hair, running a hand through it. Looking up through his lashes, he took in the other occupants of the room. Watching him stood none of than Captain America, The Black Widow, The Vision and a black man that he did not know but who had a kind face.

"What were you doing under the bed anyway?" interrogated the Widow.

"I woke up in a strange dark room, what do you think I was doing?" Pietro rolled his eyes, a little ashamed of himself that he hadn't been strong enough to run.

"Hiding, from us?" asked the unknown man. "Sam Wilson, by the way," he introduced himself with a nod. Pietro nodded back.

"I didn't know who it was." Pietro shrugged. "I meant to run for it but my legs gave out," he admitted sheepishly.

"That can happen, you've been in a coma for three months. Muscle atrophy will occur," said Doctor Helen Cho, a waif of a woman who stepped through the crowd of people surrounding him like they were nothing. Walking over to him she began testing his reflexes and shining a light into his eyes.

"How do you feel, soldier?" inquired the Captain.

"Well Cap, I walked it off." Pietro grinned. "I bet you didn't see that coming, eh?" He winked and Wanda scoffed. "What?" Pietro shrugged and then frowned. "Where is the old man?"

"With his family. The family that you sent him back too," The Widow spoke with such affection in her voice, Pietro could not look at her. Wanda, sensing her brother's discomfort, intervened.

"Perhaps it is time for rest, brother."

"I just woke up!" exclaimed Pietro, taken aback.

"She's right son, you just got back from death's door. Take it easy," said Cap with a nod, taking the hint and making for the door. Following his lead, Sam did the same as did the Spider, her red hair swinging with the movement of her head. Pietro watched as Doctor Cho excused herself and as Wanda waved Vision out of the room and closed the door behind them.

"I missed you," she said softly, taking his hand in hers.

"Did you?" Pietro pretended to consider her statement. "Does that mean you spent time away from me? You weren't with me noon and night."

"Well," Wanda paused, a mischievous smile on her face. "I had to leave time for your other visitor." Pietro grunted and raised an eyebrow at his twin as he climbed back into bed.

"A woman? What did she look like?" he asked cheekily. But all he got was a glare in return. "What?" he shrugged, the movement causing him some discomfort.

"Go to bed," Wanda whispered and moved towards the door. "Now is not the time for talk."

"You can't just tell me someone I don't know watched me while I slept and then leave," he argued.

"You were in no danger. She read to you." Opening the door to his room, he caught a glimpse of Vision waiting for Wanda in the hallway. Pietro frowned. "I will see you in the morning," she waved to him once before turning and shutting the door softly. Alone again, Pietro felt lost. Why had The Vision stayed behind to wait for his sister? And why did he suddenly feel like he had been replaced. That would never happen, right? He was her brother, her twin, they would be together forever. It had always been just them. That wouldn't change now, would it?

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Coming out of the kitchen with his sandwich, Sam saw the girl he'd been eyeing for the last few days round the corner, head down, playing with her phone. Puffing out his chest, he smiled to himself and backtracked quickly to put down his sandwich. Stepping out of the kitchen once more, he intercepted her.

"Hey girl," he said smoothly.

"Um, hey?" She looked up confused at him through her thick rimmed glasses.

"I'm Sam, Sam Wilson," he introduced himself for the second time that day.

"The Falcon?" She blinked, her face breaking into a huge grin, excitement etched into her features.

"That would be me."

"Dude, you are so awesome!" she gushed, flipping her curly hair over her shoulder.

"His ego doesn't need any more stroking," said Natasha, appearing from out of nowhere and interrupting Sam's game. "Run along malen'kaya ptitsa." She shooed him away with a hand.

"Aw Nat, why you gotta ruin my all my fun," he complained but she was not impressed. "Alright, alright, it was nice meeting you Darcy." He winked at her and went back into the kitchen to retrieve his sandwich.

"I didn't tell you my name…" she murmured, cocking her head to the side and watching him leave. Had he been watching her? Natasha cleared her throat and Darcy's eyes snapped back to the other woman that seemed to be studying her. They stood in silence a moment before Darcy spoke.

"So, this is awkward."

"Lewis," Natasha stated her tone brisk and business like.

"Uh, I, yes?" stuttered Darcy.

"Your nightly visits will stop now," she said with an heir of finality to it. Darcy blanched. She had thought she'd been careful. No one was ever around when she had gone to visit Pietro. But, then again, this was the Black Widow - and she knew everything. Darcy felt stupid.

"Yes Ma'am."

"Khoroshaya devushka." Natasha nodded and walked away, the corner of her lip twitching up in a minute smile.

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Darcy was in the elevator when it stopped to let on another two passengers. A man with purple skin and a small woman with a red jacket on and long brown hair stepped on. Moving to the side she made room for them, trying her best not to stare at the odd pair.

"Thank you," said the man in a voice that sounded oddly familiar.

"No problem," Darcy nodded and watched as he pushed a button.

"Hello," said the girl. Her smooth voice wrapped around Darcy's mind, calming her.

"Hi," she answered.

"I am Wanda," she introduced herself with a smile.

"Darcy."

"You're very pretty," commented Wanda with her head tilted to the side. Her eyes staring unblinkingly at her.

"Oh, um, thank you?" said Darcy, unsure of what else to say.

"You are welcome." The elevator stopped with a soft jerk and the doors slid open with a whoosh. With a smile, Wanda got off the elevator and the purple man followed her without a word. Darcy had been at the new Avengers compound for weeks, and no one had said a word to her. Until today. And today was an odd, odd day.

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It wasn't like she was actively trying to ignore the Black Widow's warning but… that was exactly what she was doing, kind of. She was going to see Pietro but one last time. She had to say goodbye. She'd grown attached to her own, personal sleeping beauty and she felt bad just abandoning him for what would seem to be no reason at all. Making her way down the darkened hallway, she got to his room and quietly entered. She waited until her eyes adjusted to the dark, and then closed the door gently behind her. She stared at the door a moment before she shook herself and turned toward the bed. The bed that was empty. The bed was empty. Darcy's brain stuttered.

He was gone. They must have moved him because of her visits. Either that, or god forbid… she didn't even want to think about the second option. Maybe he was really dangerous. Bringing a hand to her mouth, she covered it and supressed a whimper. A sliver of light illuminated the hospital room from behind her and Darcy froze. The shadow of a man walking towards her on the room wall held her attention. There was a bathroom in the room and someone had been in it. Turning around suddenly, she squeaked at the sight before her. Her comatose boyfriend was awake, shirtless and standing right in front of her. His chiselled body and low slung scrubs giving her a kink she didn't know she had. Eyes traveling down his well-formed body and following the V shape of his hips, Darcy gaped at him.

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Opening the bathroom door, Pietro paused at the sight of a woman's figure in front of him. She was a curvaceous thing but not someone he knew. Stepping out of the bathroom, she turned to him, eyes wide and mouth shaped into an 'O'. Pietro watched her, confused but oddly satisfied as he raked his eyes down her body. Was this the woman that had been coming to visit him in his sleep? Because if so, this wasn't so bad.

Arching an eyebrow, he smirked and opened his mouth to talk. She help up a hand quickly to silence him and a cross between a whine and a scream left her throat. Keeping her hand up to distance herself from him, she circled him slowly before diving for the door and taking off full speed out of the room and down the hallway. As quickly as her legs would take her, she ran, putting as much distance between her and her comatose prince as humanly possible.

Pietro smiled.

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