Hello all,

This chapter was quite difficult to write. Struggled with it a bit. The Tony/Pepper scene has been moved to the next chapter as the cliff-hanger sort-of type ending just seemed appropriate.

I have had a few comments suggesting Tony is out-of-character. I can understand that, as he may not be his usual self, he does seem more serious. He's been through a lot and he's trying to stop Thanos before he can snap his fingers again and he is really focused on that mission. I have taken this feedback on board and I hope future chapters will showcase a less serious Tony.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

A Growing Friendship

Tuesday 2nd August 2016

New Avengers Facility

Wanda slept, her chest rising up and down in tandem with her breathing. The colour was seeping back into her cheeks. There was an IV line inserted into one of her veins in her hand, keeping her hydrated. She was exhausted. She'd hardly stirred in the flight back to the Compound.

Tony sat at her side, his guilt warring inside him for what he had asked her to do. Even though she had shown extraordinary powers during the Battle of Earth, this younger Wanda wasn't at the point yet where she could tap into her full potential. She'd learned a lot about them during the two years she had been on the run and her secret liaisons with Vision.

He glanced down at the data-pad in his hand. He couldn't just sit here and do nothing. He had to be doing something. So he'd decided to start work on designing further improvements to his Iron Man suit. They were coming closer towards the inevitability of facing Thanos and Tony needed to be ready. He didn't want to be caught short-handed. He'd also work on gear for the rest of the team.

He was so absorbed by his designing that he failed to realise Wanda was slowly waking up and jumped slightly when she spoke quietly.

"Stark?" mumbled Wanda.

Tony peered over his glasses. "Oh, I didn't see you were awake there."

"Only a few minutes…" Wanda scrunched her face up in pain. "What… happened?"

Tony leaned forward. "Still got a headache?"

Wanda nodded in reply. "Not as bad as it was…" She trailed off. "Why… are you here?"

Tony swallowed. He knew why she was asking. They rarely spent time together. He'd always tried to avoid her as much as he could. He'd always been afraid she would use her powers on him again, force him to do things he had never wanted to do. They hadn't talked about how she had blamed him for her parent's death. He wondered if the Wanda he had known had only tolerated him so she could remain an Avenger? He would never know the answer to that question. The time he had come from was gone. The others hadn't lived the same experiences he'd had. Only one person could truly relate to him and that was Natasha. He'd be lost without her though he suspected he would have figured everything out on his own anyway.

Wanda's face grew confused as Tony failed to answer her simple question.

"I'm here because what happened to you was my fault." It was the simplest answer possible. "I asked too much of you. And you exhausted yourself because of it. And I'm sorry about that." He needed to apologise to her. There was no way to escape the reality of him not having caused her undue harm.

Gently Wanda eased herself up in the bed, pushing herself up with her hands.

"Are you sure?" Tony asked, aware of how horrible Wanda must still be feeling.

"I'm fine, Stark," she grated out. "Sleeping more will not do me any good."

"Do you want some water?" he offered her a cup and she took it, sipping it slowly, her eyes focused on his face.

"There's something… different about you." Wanda scrutinized him carefully. "But I cannot put my finger on it."

"How do you know there is something different about me?" asked Tony quietly, leaning back in his chair.

Wanda cocked her head to the side. "I don't know. You just… feel… different."

"Feel different?" He was curious by her choice of words. "Are you reading my mind?"

"No! I would never do that! It's…" Wanda bit her lower lip. "It's not just you. I have noticed someone else who is different…"

Shit…

Tony tried not to react but he knew his eyebrows had raised. "I'm not sure what you mean." He tried to deflect but Wanda could be very perceptive when she wanted to be.

"You quit the Avengers. But now you are back. You just appeared during a planning session for Lagos which you shouldn't have known about. And then the Accords happened. You helped us understand them, allowed us to make our own decisions. And then there are you and Natasha. You were never really close and now you spend a lot of time together." Wanda looked down at her hands. "I don't think the others have noticed… But there is something else about you that I can sense, about both of you."

Tony's mouth had suddenly gone dry. "I'm sure it is nothing," he deflected.

"I don't believe I'm wrong." Wanda leaned forward. "There is something within you both. I can feel it when I get close to you. Natasha has it but it is less pronounced than you. It feels like…" She searched for the correct words. "Untapped potential. I feel my powers resonating with you and Nat and they have never done so before. Not until recently. Something is going on between you two. I can sense it."

"I'm not sure what to say," replied Tony. Others were not supposed to find out. But Wanda had received powers from an Infinity Stone… He grimaced. "I was kinda wondering when someone would realise Nat and I have been spending an unusual amount of time together."

"I'm guessing you cannot tell me why?" enquired Wanda.

Tony shook his head.

"And that I am capable of so much more with my powers?" Wanda raised the question. "I've barely begun to use them. And yet you ask me to do something I've never really achieved before. Holding that man still for so long strained me, Stark. I was losing control. He was slipping out of my grasp."

Tony grimaced. He had asked too much of her. She'd lost control before, though he had prevented it from happening now by tagging along on the Lagos mission. Wanda had not had the need to contain a bomb. That had caused her a large amount of strain, enough that she had been unable to fully control the trajectory of the bomb which had caused the deaths of hundreds of people. But she was capable of it, capable of controlling her power and using it in large quantities without tiring herself out. She was just learning to control them now so it was natural for her to exhaust herself.

"How could you know I was capable of something like that?" she asked, keeping her gaze directed at Tony.

He sighed. "Wanda… There are things happening I cannot tell you about. Not yet. I'm trying to keep us together. Something is… coming. I don't know when but it is on its way. Whatever you sense in me… whatever it is…"

"It's power," she repeated. "But it's trapped inside you… Like… you are unable to access it…"

Tony wanted to leave, to walk out. He didn't want to believe her, believe he had any ounce of powers but if Wanda could sense them there… He shook his head. Even Natasha was convinced he had something.

"You're powerful, Stark."

"Wanda…" he started. He searched for the right words. "I think you're reading me wrong. I am nothing special at all. I am an arrogant, sarcastic, former playboy, philanthropist, billionaire who only works for himself. Someone like me would never have powers."

Her face twitched. "You do not work for yourself, Stark."

Tony folded his arms across his chest. "I used to. All I cared about was myself and doing what I wanted."

"I once thought that too," she replied quietly. "I misjudged you. But I wonder who you really are, Stark. Are you still the same person I manipulated into creating something which would seek to destroy you? I forced you to relieve your fears because I wanted to see you self-destruct… But, I think you already have. You're holding it together by… strands… I can't explain it. You and Natasha are the same. You're different from the rest of us. You know more than you should. I just can't place you."

Tony sighed. He didn't know what to do. Wanda clearly knew something was different about them. "I can't say. If you say I'm powerful, Wanda, so are you. You have powers, working powers, something I do not have. You've taught yourself to control them. Your abilities have the potential to be endless!" He stood from his chair, not wanting to stay sitting if this conversation was going to continue.

"But you cannot tell me why!" replied Wanda. "I'm still getting to know what I can do!"

"Look, I pushed you too hard, alright? I shouldn't have asked too much of you. I'm sorry, I really am, but I don't know what you mean when you claim I am different!"

Wanda's lips twitched. "You're much too focused."

That caught Tony and he stepped back. "Too focused?"

"On stopping whatever is coming. You and Natasha. Both of you are different. Maybe I'm sensing power in you two because of that…" She shook her head. "No… Whatever it is, it is not because you are too focused." Wanda sighed. "I should stop pushing you. You're not going to tell me anything, are you?"

"No. I'm not."

"I could tell Steve," she pointed out.

"Is that a threat, Miss Maximoff?" asked Tony. Steve could not know.

"No. I wouldn't do it. Maybe last year I would have done but not now. I think you're just as confused as I am about this. I won't say anything to anyone about how different you two feel to me, or the sparks of power I sense."

"Why would you protect me when I am trying to keep something from the team? You have no reason to do so. You hate me."

"Whatever it is, it's important, otherwise you and Nat wouldn't be working so closely together." She flinched at Tony's words. "I don't hate you."

"I killed your parents," stated Tony. "You blame me for their deaths. And rightly too."

"I don't blame you for their deaths anymore," explained Wanda, shifting her legs over the side of the bed. "Your weapons were dealt under the table. It was those that killed my parents. You didn't know what was happening."

"Because I was irresponsible and didn't care about others," interjected Tony harshly. Afghanistan had opened his eyes, had shown a harsh reality he had never once considered. "Only about how much money I had and how quickly I could spend it. All I cared about was the next woman." He didn't like to dwell on his past. He was different now, a much better person because of it.

"Natasha explained to me how you were not at fault."

That made Tony pause. "Nat did?"

"A while back. Just after the Lagos mission. She talked to me about it. Told me to investigate further. I did. You were cleared of being complicit in dealing under the table. You generally didn't know."

"I should have paid more attention though," said Tony quietly. He still felt guilty that he had allowed such a misuse of his weapons. He never wanted his products misused again which was why he had stopped all weapons production, stepped away from the trade and moved into areas where he knew people could be protected. The only weapons he built now were ones he intended to use for himself or his teammates. "I should have realised something was up when I was profiting more than I should. I still reaped the benefits of what Stane did."

"But you became Iron Man and have fought for the people. You still do. I was young and naive. I allowed Hydra to manipulate me, allowed them to experiment on me just so I could destroy you. Pietro and I were the only ones who survived Strucker's experiments. I think we survived because we were meant to use our powers to help others, not help ourselves. Doing what I did to you, causing you to create Ultron, it opened my eyes. The one good thing to come out of it was Vision. I was wrong but I'm trying to be better. That's why I want to be an Avenger, so I can show the world what I'm capable of. These powers are just an extension of who I am." Wanda stood up, stretching her legs and arms, her gaze watching Tony carefully.

Tony moved around the room, not wanting to stay still and continue the awkward conversation but he simply couldn't walk away. He kept moving equipment around the room, a nervous tick he had developed over the years.

"Tony?"

Surprise flittered through him.

Wanda had never used his first name in any of their interactions before. He couldn't help twisting his head to look at her. She was standing behind him, arms loosely at her sides in the medical gown she was wearing, her hair trailing down her shoulders. What surprised him most was her right hand held out in front of her, stretching towards him, as if she was expecting a handshake.

Curious he turned fully to face her. "I'm not sure if I shook your hand if it would be a shake or a squeeze," he commented wirily.

The right side of Wanda's lips moved upwards in amusement. "Just a handshake."

"Why?" However, he did reach out and take her hand.

"Because," she explained, "I want to start over. I want to put our pasts behind us. Move on. Begin a friendship, one that can grow and prosper." She shook his hand. "If something is coming and I am capable of so much more with my powers? You'll need me. Better for us to be friends, and learn to work together to face this, right?"

"Sure." Tony smiled. He hadn't expected this. It felt like it was the beginning of an unexpected friendship.

Thursday 4th August 2016

"What brings you to my neck of the woods, Miss Romanoff?"

Nick Fury leaned back in his chair in the secluded cubicle of a diner, with one arm draped across the back of it, a slight grin decorating his features.

Natasha sat opposite him, leaning on the table, hands clasped together. "You have something I need."

"Very formal to your old boss," commented Fury.

Natasha shrugged. "I have my reasons. This isn't a social call. I know you are off the grid and you've set this meeting up at my request… Nice deserted diner by the way." It had always been one of his favourite places to set up secluded meetings within the general vicinity of the public eye. They'd done it with Stark back when he'd been suffering from Palladium poisoning.

"It's a nice payoff for them. Morning off work." He sipped from his coffee cup. "Let's get to the point."

Natasha had considered different ways to approach Fury on the subject of Carol Danvers. He had kept her secret for years. Her details didn't even exist inside SHIELD's database. She was still listed as dead in official records, having been killed in an Air Force mission, which had gone wrong. Natasha knew, from her discussions with Carol over the years after the Decimation, how she had obtained her powers and what had happened to her since her accident. She marvelled at the woman's dedication to help the universe. But Fury had kept her existence off the records, leaving only him with the opportunity to contact her if he felt she was needed.

"I need to contact someone," she began, keeping her game face on. "Someone only you have the capacity to do so."

Fury sat up straighter, his posture moving from relaxed to on guard.

Her words had put him on edge.

"I think you know who I mean. Carol Danvers." Natasha didn't flinch when Fury pulled out his gun and pointed it at her. She had expected this.

"No one should know who she is or that she exists. Reveal yourself." Fury said firmly.

"I'm from the future," said Natasha quietly. She'd thought about this long and hard. The only way to convince him was to tell him the truth. Surprisingly the inner voice had agreed with her assessment of the limited options she had. They needed Carol Danvers and the only way she could possibly gain Fury's help was if he was aware of the truth. "I'm still Natasha. But fighting to stop what happened. And we need Carol."

Fury's eyes didn't shake or move from the glare he was giving her. The gun did not waver either, nor did he lower it. "Prove it."

"I can't. You weren't part of the future I came from. You were already gone. We found the communicator device she gave you. You'd already called her. We kept triangulating the signal out into space. She came and she helped us. But the cost was high for me and for Tony. Both of us are fighting to stop what happened. And we need Carol." She said this sincerely, hoping it might be enough to convince Fury to at least lower the gun.

He did and he slowly sat back down but he remained watchful of her.

She didn't blame him.

"How can I believe you when you can offer no concrete proof?" Fury pointed out. He still had the gun in hand, resting on the table. He could easily shoot her if he wanted to.

"Would I really be telling you this if I was lying?" she pondered back, wanting him to think about why she could trust him with such sensitive information. "Only one other person knows, aside from Tony, is aware of where we truly come from. Tony could only convince them because he became partial to information later on in his life which he could use to prove he was from the future. Unfortunately, I do not have any such luxury. I am Natasha. I have been a SHIELD agent for years. Barton convinced you to give me a chance. I was once a target, destined to be hunted by your organisation, instead, you offered me a chance to change and I took it. I've never looked back since. Never regretted it, always been loyal to you."

He was still scrutinising her. "If I believe you… what do you need her for?"

"We need to get in contact with a specific group of people. They are space's equivalent of the Avengers. Sort of." That was the best way to describe the Guardians of the Galaxy. "We lack the technology and the tech to reach out to them though I'm sure it is not out of Tony's ability to do so. But we do not have time to wait for him to invent something to reach out to. Carol is our only chance of getting things moving. Something bad is coming: the same person who was behind the attack on New York."

"Loki?" Fury queried.

Natasha shook her head. "No. It's worse. His name is Thanos and he wants to destroy half the universe. Where we came from he succeeded. You were one of his victims. We want to stop it from happening. To beat him and revive everyone who lost their lives across the entire universe, both Tony and I died. We both gave our lives and we were sent back here to fix things."

"You have been working together for a while. I may be out of the field but I am still within the loop. I did find it curious." He raised the gun again. "But I still require more proof."

"I can't give you anything else." She pressed forward. She had to get through to him. What could she say to convince him?

"You've said nothing that could prove to me you are from the future. You could be lying. You could be pretending to be Agent Romanoff, taken her form and her memories. Killing you would revert you to your true form."

He thinks you are a Skrull.

The voice was back. She didn't even know what a Skrull was. She chose to ignore it.

"Killing you would prove you are one."

Natasha swallowed, her fingers gripping the edge of the table.

Tell him how he lost his eye.

Of course, why hadn't she thought of it? Carol had once told her how Fury had really lost his eye. It had been on one of the few visits Carol had made to Earth following the Decimation. They'd been reminiscing over the people they had lost. She'd asked Carol how she and Nick Fury had met. Carol had told her.

"A Flerken scratched your eye. That's how you really lost it. Not in an epic battle as you have claimed, but to a creature who looks like a cat." Natasha crossed her arms over her chest and stared at Fury. "That help at all? Carol told me. And she hasn't been to Earth since she left."

Fury lowered the gun again. "You're making this difficult, Agent Romanoff."

"Do you believe me?"

"Only one other person on the planet knows the truth and you've never had any contact with them," sighed Fury. "You're either a Skrull or you really are Natasha Romanoff from the future who has met Carol Danvers."

"How are you going to prove it is me without shooting me?"

"One simple way." Fury smirked. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the communicator device that enabled him to call Carol Danvers. "Let's see what she thinks of you, shall we?"

And he pressed the button.

To be continued...

Please let me know what you think!

Tony and Wanda - definitely a friendship I never considered I would be writing about, but they've had a lot of issues in the MCU and Tony now has a chance to fix them. Wanda, having received her powers from an Infinity Stone, can sense there is a difference to Tony and Nat. Her words to Tony are important, especially when it comes to later developments in the story.

Nat and Fury - this was very difficult to write. They need to get Carol to Earth but their only option is through Fury. But what would make Fury believe Natasha is from the future? Though Carol wasn't there when Goose scratched his eye I think it is safe to say she would have known about how he really lost it. Fury calling Carol Danvers at the end is his way of checking to see if Nat is a Skrull or not.

Next chapter: Carol arrives, Tony and Peter bond, and Tony and Pepper have another moment.

To be posted next Sunday!

Until then,

the-writer1988