Wanda

The next day it was just Wanda and Peter in the limo with Happy. Ned begged off for some video game thing Wanda didn't understand, – something about a raid? She gave a mental shrug – and MJ had Decathlon practice. She'd admit she was excited. Wanda would take as many stolen moments with Vis as she could get, and chances of the Watchdogs going for Peter on the compound were slim to none.

"I can't believe you're going to hang out with Stark again," Clint grumbled in her ear. She was still cloaking around Peter. Knowing about her alone would land him in enough hot water to boil an ocean. She didn't intend to put him in any more danger than he already was.

Wanda waited for Peter to look out the window. "I'm not. I'm hanging out with Vis."

"Wanda, it's dangerous. It's dangerous, and he's making you build that thing. You barely got any sleep last night between nightmares."

"Half the nightmares were from things I saw inside the other prisoners' heads," she said. Peter looked over and smiled. She returned it and waited for him to turn back to the window. "That thing is needed."

She'd had a lot of time to think about it while she tossed and turned trying not to wake up the others. From the number of times she'd heard Scott yawn since entering the limo, she wasn't successful.

"Cap, help me out on this."

"I think Wanda has a good point."

"That was not helpful. Nat?"

"I'm all for a humane containment device."

Wanda smirked. She had a suspicion Natasha was less interested in the technology and more interested in winning the pool they set up predicting when her and Vis would finally go on a date. For people who depended on her mind reading skills so much, they tended to forget about it a lot.

"Come on," Clint groaned. "Sam?"

…

"Sam, you there?

…

"Same, come in."

…

"Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play. And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate-" the stereo cut off in the background- "Yeah… yeah I'm here… what was the question?"

No one spoke.

"Was that…" Scott choked on a laugh, breaking the silence. "Tay Swift?"

"No." Sam answered too quickly. Wanda fought a smile.

"Is Sam… a Swiftie?" Scott continued.

"What? No, why would..." Sam cut himself off. He paused. "It's catchy," he mumbled.

"And you guys think I'm bad," Clint laughed.

"You're worse," Nat said immediately.

"Way worse," Cap agreed.

"You've lost all stereo privileges… forever," Scott added.

"We're off topic," Clint grumbled. "You're all supposed to be helping me talk Wanda out of returning to the compound. Come on, kid, Stark's upped the security protocols. If anything happens, no way we're getting in there to help."

"Too late." Wanda let a smile cross her face as she felt Vis's presence brush her mind. "We're here."

"So why have you been following me around anyway?" Peter asked out of nowhere. Wanda looked up from the computer screen. She was going cross-eyed from reading so much about energy sensors. Who knew there were so many considerations? Scott was helping a lot.

Wanda blinked, finally registering the question. She really needed some sleep.

"There's a group after you. W- er- I'm trying to misdirect them."

"Why?"

Wanda's brow furrowed. "Why am I trying to misdirect them?"

"Why are they after me?" He looked young and innocent, and she couldn't help but wonder the same thing. She was too tired for this discussion.

"Your abilities. They don't like that you have something they don't. It scares them."

"But… I help people." He stared at her with earnest eyes. They reminded her of a younger Steve.

She couldn't stop her gaze from drifting toward the collar lying forgotten on the floor. "They're afraid one day you won't."

Peter followed her stare. "You've run into them before," he said. The kid was too observant for his own good. "They created the collar design."

Wanda scoffed. She should tell him… tell him his precious Mr. Stark designed it then handed her over to the people who had it. He should know exactly who he worked for.

She looked up to tell him, the accusation on the tip of her tongue, and stopped. Peter didn't deserve her anger… and neither did Tony… not really. She squeezed her eyes shut, not caring if her real feelings showed for once. The Watchdogs were to blame… The sadistic guards who enjoyed having power over other people were to blame.

But he made it specifically for her… He calibrated it for her power.

Tony was scared. She fought him and scared him, and he reacted. He regretted it. He'd said as much. Vis said as much.

It didn't make it hurt any less.

No, it didn't.

She forced her eyes open and looked at Peter. "No, they didn't create it… but they use it."

His eyes dropped back down to the grid. He nodded.

They both drifted back to their work.

"I'm sorry."

It was the apology she wanted… she needed… from the wrong person.

"It's not your fault."

The silence grew awkward.

"So..." Peter cleared his throat. "I was thinking, what if we rerouted the sensor through a custom capacitor?"

"Custom capacitor?" Scott asked from his place under Wanda's lapel.

"Custom capacitor?" She repeated so Peter could hear.

"Yeah, we could increase the capacity and adjust the di-"

"-scharge," Scott finished with him. "Great idea kid. Just up the number of resistors on the mainboard and boom! Well, not boom… the opposite of boom."

"And add a few more resistors to the mainboard?" Wanda relayed Scott's instructions.

"Exactly." Peter looked up excited. "It should only take a few minutes to machine the new piece. Just let me..." He turned to the holo-table and was immediately distracted by the new task.

Peter was right. It only took a few minutes, then a couple more to plug in the new pieces. It seemed too easy after the amount of research and attempts they put into it.

His hand hovered over the switch. "Ready?" He shifted on his feet, no doubt remembering the shock from the day before.

Wanda's hand drifted up without her noticing and scratched her neck. "Ready."

He flipped it.

Silence.

For the first time since Hydra, Wanda was alone in her own head. It was… weird.

"Whoa," Peter breathed out. His eyes widened darting around the room. He blinked. "This is..."

"Unsettling?"

"Very."

"Turn it off?"

"Way ahead of you." He flipped the switch. Thoughts, feelings, the general white noise of a large building full of people flooded back into her mind. They both let out a relieved breath.

"Remind me to never break the law," Peter said.

She looked at him. "You mean like not signing the Accords and still capturing a group of bank robbers?"

"Er… right."

She felt him seconds before he reached the door. The compound buzzed with too many people, shielding him before it was too late. Maybe if she'd spent any amount of time reading him before, she would have picked him out of the crowd sooner, would have identified the barely suppressed glee radiating off his mind.

Wanda scanned the room, searching, searching… her heart jumped in her throat.

"Peter..." Her eyes darted to his. "Where's your bag?"

His brow furrowed. "What? Oh, I left it at..."

The door opened. His eyes widened in realization. Wanda felt the group walk in behind her. She balked at having them at her back but had the irrational fear they would recognize her if she turned around.

"Hello, Mr. Parker." Secretary Ross's voice rang through the room.

Peter swallowed. "School."

Tony

Tony tightened the last screw on his new gauntlet. He slipped it on and squeezed it into a fist. Perfect.

Strictly speaking, he wasn't breaking Pepper's conditions.

She said he had to give up unsanctioned Ironman escapades. That didn't mean he couldn't use the suit. It was more like a car or a motorcycle… a jet. She didn't make him give up his jet.

Strictly speaking, what Pepper didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

Vision phased through the wall. Tony raised the gauntlet on instinct. It charged ready to fire.

He let out a breath and let it drop. "For someone who's on the side of life, you sure have a death wish."

Vision blinked. Stark could almost see him process the comment. "It seems Secretary Ross has decided to pay young Mr. Parker a visit." It seemed he was going to ignore it, then.

Wait. What?

"Ross?" He asked, standing from the stool. He took a step forward and pointed down at the floor of his compound. "Is here?"

"Yes, he just entered the lab with Mr. Parker."

Tony stalked out of the room, punching the button on his wrist. The gauntlet retracted into the bracelet. It was taking too long to get to the lab. Why did he build his workshop so far away?

He stormed into the room.

"Ross," Tony said disrupting the weird silence he walked in on.

The kid was standing by the grid, probably in the middle of some design adjustment when Ross and company walked in. His friend stood off to the side, the quiet one with the annoyingly familiar accent. He swore if he closed his eyes it was like Maximoff was back.

Maybe that's why Vision had been hanging around so much. Tony decided once Ross was off his back, he was going to get the guy out. He needed some time away from the compound.

"Tony," Ross greeted. Tony's eyes narrowed. The man was entirely too happy with himself. "I'm happy you're here. It seems your intern's been moonlighting."

"Oh?" Tony moved farther into the room stopping halfway between Ross and Peter. The Secretary's men spread out sensing trouble.

"Mr. Stark?" Peter asked. He sounded nervous.

"It's ok, kid." Tony glared at Ross. "You don't have any proof..." He trailed off as Ross's smile grew.

Tony's stomach dropped.

Ross held out his hand. A guard Tony recognized from the Raft stepped forward and handed the Secretary a bag. He unzipped it… and pulled out Peter's suit.

Tony looked back at the kid.

Really? In your backpack?

Tony glanced down at the bracelet on his wrist. Maybe it was time to start looking for a more incognito suit for the kid.

"It's mine," an accented voice cut through the room. Everyone turned to stare at Peter's friend.

Ross raised a brow. "Yours?"

No, no, no, come on kid, I have enough people to worry about.

"Yes, I…" the girl blushed. "I'm a huge fan, and..." she scuffed a foot on the floor. "I made a replica. I didn't think there would be any harm in it."

Oooh, she's good.

"It was in Mr. Parker's locker."

She shrugged. "I didn't feel like putting my combination in, and he offered to store it for me."

Ross exchanged a look with the guard. "I see."

"You know…" The guard stepped forward. "It's strange Ms. Belova." He pulled out a tablet.

Ugh, not another tablet. Tony snuck a glance over to Vision. He was hovering unusually close to the girl. Good, at least someone was covering her if all this went pear shaped.

The guard hit play and held up the screen. It was a body cam view. They watched the guard question the girl and Peter on a public bus then turn and leave.

"I don't remember deciding to leave without the bag. It certainly wasn't my orders… and I always follow orders."

The girl was unusually still for a teenager being threatened by a goon. Who let this guy in the building anyway?

"Maybe, you were having an off night."

The guard's face twisted, eyes glinting with cruel enjoyment. "Maybe..." He turned the tablet back around and started tapping the screen. "Remember our little talk about Ms. Maximoff?" Tony's eyes widened. "It seems your accent isn't almost identical."

No way. The guard flipped the tablet back around. The program Tony sold DoD to compare voice prints lit the screen.

"It's a perfect match."

Wanda?

The girl looked from the screen to the guard and back.

"Underoos."

The room erupted. The guard's head snapped back, a tiny speck growing to the size of a real man before he turned and punched another. It seemed Wanda brought a guest. Red cocooned around Tony and Peter as Ross's goons fired, the bullets passing through Vision and into some very expensive lab equipment. Tendrils spidered across the room stealing the guns in a very Wanda move from the girl with a very unWanda face.

The closest goon got in a lucky shot while she was distracted and sent her sprawling. Sully… Scully… Smashmouth? Tiny guy shrank and flipped one of the men into another as Ross edged farther into the room. Peter, over his shock, punched one of them in the face when they tried to grab him from behind. Most of the goons were down before Tony could register what happened.

More poured into the room.

Shit.

The eyes on Not-Wanda's face glowed red. The tendrils snaking away from her body shot to their new guests' ankles and snatched them into the air. The guard mini-me took out earlier snuck to his feet behind her. He snuck closer.

Tony opened his mouth to shout a warning. She elbowed the guard in the face before it could come out. Vision hovered protectively by her side disintegrating enemy weapons as they were pulled.

"Enough," Ross yelled.

Tony heard a click and the goons hanging by their ankles fell to the floor as the red glow tinting the room flashed to nothing. Peter stumbled a step shaking his head. Even Vision stood on the ground looking down, no doubt trying to figure out why he wasn't hovering anymore.

"I see the new design is coming along well," Ross said, hand still on the grid's switch. Tony turned to glare at him.

Before he could say anything Pin-prick recovered and took out a few goons trying to get to their feet. A mountain of a man swatted at him and sent him flying. He crashed into the wall and grew to a normal size as Vision and Not-Wanda fought back to back.

"Come on, Scott, walk it off," Tony heard him mutter to himself. He tried to get up and was met with the barrel of a gun. "Or I could sit it off, sitting it off is fine… better even… I'll just..." He collapsed back and sat with his hands up.

No way Ross wouldn't take Vision after this. Tony watched him throw a goon across the room as Not-Wanda wrapped her legs around a man's neck and flipped him.

Romanov's been busy.

Tony couldn't watch them take Wanda again. He refused to let them take Vision. He couldn't even imagine the kid… the kid. Where was he?

Tony turned in time to see him dodge one of Ross's men only for another to grab him from behind. He yelped in surprise. Tony reached for the button on his bracelet.

"I said enough!" Ross ordered. Tony paused.

Not-Wanda snuck a glance as she dodged a fist aimed at her face and saw Peter struggling against his captor. Tony recognized the second she decided to give up. She kicked the man she was fighting away and put her hands up.

"Wanda?" Vis asked as he shouldered someone into the wall.

"There are too many," she said, "and they have Peter."

Vis stopped. They shared a look. He stepped back and put his hands up.

"And me," Dust fleck said. "They have me, too."

"And Scott." Not-Wanda rolled her eyes, a ghost of a smile touching her lips. It wiped away when the guard from the Raft wrapped his hand in her hair and wrenched her arm behind her back.

Two goons kicked Vision's knees out from under him and stood over his shoulders.

"Well… Tony, I have to thank you, again," Ross said. Tony wanted to punch the smug smile off his face… again. "None of this would have been possible-," he tapped the grid with his knuckle – "without you."

Ross turned to Not-Wanda. "Ms. Maximoff, I suppose I should thank you, too." Ross walked over and stared down at her. "Until now, I had no excuse to take the robot."

"Android," Tony said on reflex. The glare Ross shot him was worth it.

Not-Wanda struggled against the guard. Tony had no doubt if the grid were deactivated her glare would burn straight through Ross. The Secretary trailed a finger down her face. He stopped at the bottom and peeled the mask off.

"There you are," Ross muttered. Tony didn't like the cruel glint in his eye.

"Hey, Wanda," Tony called, lifting an awkward hand. They both looked at him.

"Tony… Been a while," she said. Her glare would probably burn through him, too… He let his hand fall. That's fair.

Ross spun and retraced his steps to the grid. He tapped it.

"It's almost perfect." He walked to the side of the room and picked up the metal ring lying forgotten on the floor. Tony snuck a glance at Wanda and watched her studiously look anywhere but at Ross. "But it's missing a key feature from your earlier design."

"Mr. Stark?" Peter's voice clawed at his rumored heart.

Tony didn't want to look. He looked. Crap. The kid had too much faith in him. His puppy dog eyes stared in disbelief, and something in Tony tore apart. He had a new appreciation for Banner during a Code Green.

"See," Ross continued unaware of the shift, "I want my… prisoners to learn a lesson in my care. I want them to truly understand the error in their ways. Perhaps, a demonstration to show you what I mean."

He tossed the collar. It clattered to the floor. Ross nodded to Wanda's guard and he knocked her to her knees. Her eyes darted around avoiding the unassuming metal sitting within arms reach.

A commotion came from the corner as Tiny Man fought against his goons and lost. Vision's guards pressed their guns against his head to keep him from moving. Peter yelped as his captor tried to stop his struggling.

Ross walked until he was standing over Wanda. She sucked in a shaky breath. "Put it on."

Oh, hell no.

Tony punched the button on his wrist and the gauntlet jumped to cover his hand. He pointed it at Ross's head. It charged ready to fire.

Wanda's surprised eyes jumped up to his, and it cut deeper than her glare. Something conflicted ran across her face before she buried it behind a blank mask.

Romanov's been very busy.

Ross tsked. "Tony… unless you want to join your friends in a cell, I suggest you lower the glove."

"It's a gauntlet," he corrected.

"Tony." Wanda's soft voice pulled his attention. His eyes darted down to meet hers before flicking back up. "Tony… it's ok."

Jury was back… he had a heart. He knew because he could feel it jumping into his throat.

"Tony," she said again half pleading, half ordering, "it's ok. Put it down."

His eyes darted back to hers. "I can't."

"You can." Her stare hardened, determined. She fiddled with something around her wrist, a bracelet… a familiar bracelet.

…

He dropped his hand. "Fine… but only because prison food doesn't agree with me." He shrugged. "I'm just assuming. I have a very particular diet, anything lower than three Michelin stars, and I turn to stone." He turned to the closest goon and leaned in. "It's very inconvenient."

"You know, Mr. Secretary," Wanda said, "you were right about one thing." She reached a shaky hand toward the collar, the bracelet hugging her wrist. Ross watched eyes glinting in anticipation. "I certainly learned my lesson."

She raised the widow's bite and sent a jolt of electricity at his face. The Secretary of State seized then collapsed.

Tony raised his gauntlet and blasted the grid. It fizzled and died. Red sprang through the room. Peter knocked his guard back and flipped behind him to crack his head against the wall. Vision phased as his captors open fired. Wanda snatched their guns away before slamming them into the ceiling. Tendrils shot away from her blasting the rest of Ross's men.

Silence filled the room. Tony looked around the wreckage.

"Hey, Maximoff," he looked over at her. Her shoulders tensed. "If you keep wrecking my compound, I'm going to quit inviting you over."

She breathed out a laugh and used a desk to stand. She took a couple steps and stared down at Ross.

"What are we going to do about him?" She asked. "We can't exactly all go into hiding… Peter has school." She shot him a teasing smile before worry wiped it away.

Tony joined her and stared down at the Secretary. He nudged him with a foot. "Can't you just..." he twirled a hand in the air… "do your thing?"

Her shoulders tensed again. He looked at her brow furrowing.

"She's worried-"

"Vis," she scolded. They stared at each other.

Vision pressed his lips together and met Tony's eye. "She doesn't want to scare you," he said sending a significant look toward the collar.

Tony's jaw clenched. He pointed the gauntlet and fired. The collar disintegrated. Wanda jumped. He tried to catch her eye, but she refused to look at him.

"Wanda…" her eyes flicked to his. "I trust you." She blinked. He motioned to everyone still standing in the room. "We trust you. I know you have my back."

She swallowed, then nodded. Wanda turned and got to work.