Chapter 7 – Secure Location
Steve glanced at his now blank phone. Tony had called him. He could barely wrap his mind around it. Tony freaking Stark needed his help.
"Oh, my Thor" Natasha groaned. Steve rolled his eyes at the ex-assassin.
"What is it this time. Romanoff" Steve asked crossing his arms.
"You're boggling over that phone, did you finally meet a lady" She quipped. Steve blinked.
"No, I'm not," he argued weakly. Scott walked in then, in his ant-man suit no less.
"Yeah, you are" Scott added staring at his phone. Steve noticed how mostly everyone had a small group going. The 'dads' Scott and Clint, Bucky, and Sam, Steve, and Natasha, Wanda joined them sometimes, but never stayed long enough to grow a strong relationship. Most of the time she was out and about maybe with Vision. She never talked about it though.
Steve liked to think they'd made this their home. However, they were limited in expenses, having survived for a while on Lang's 'gift' of stealing as he liked to call it. 2 months ago Tony came upon the not-so-abandoned warehouse and immediately insisted on funding their small home. Steve had jumped at the idea and Tony returned the next day with a construction team (who signed NDA's) and boxes upon boxes of IKEA furniture and Stark technology.
"'My old teammates can't live in this dump" Tony claimed, hands in his pockets as his team started building small walls, rooms they'd found out later.
"Thanks" Steve whispered. Tony gave him a tight-lipped smile and a jerky nod. Tony hadn't been back since.
"Tony called" Steve informed the team. He wants to meet at a secure location, and Wanda" Steve around at the small group of heroes before finding Wanda's red ish-brown hair, "Your presence was requested"
As much as he didn't want to force the young girl to come, he thought it would be good for her. She needed to understand that no one blamed her.
"Ok," she said nervously, twirling her around her finger. Steve smiled. Wanda refrained from using her powers unless there was an immediate danger, but he could tell she was getting sloppy. lacking practice and losing control. "When is it?"
"Tonight, Tony said it was urgent," Steve explained. The lot of them glanced around nervously. Steve only watched Wanda whose hands were surrounded by a red light. "Wanda?" Steve motioned towards the door as people started to talk louder. Wanda followed him.
"Are you sure you can do it?" Steve asked, Wanda, tilted her head.
"You don't think I can?" It was said like a question, but it was more like a statement. Steve's eyes widened.
"It's not that" Steve rushed to explain himself, "I want to make sure you can do it"
Wanda twirled her hair around again. ' 'I can" She insisted. Steve nodded, a determined look overtaking his once smiling face.
"Then suit up"
Peter laid on his biege colored cot. In his hand was an iron man themed stress ball. In went up and down, rhythmic. Thoughts ran through his head. Flashing in and out of the present. A tap at the indestructible metal door knocked him out of it.
"Mr. Stark?" Peter said confused. Tony barely reacted unlocking the door in mere seconds and putting the young boy in some sort of cuffs, but they didn't connect to each other. It allowed him all freedom of movement. "What are you doing''
"We are going to meet up with your buddy," Tony said, "but we don't have long..." Tony trailed off hurrying the two out of the room. More corridors, one after another, but he didn't feel fear, he felt excited, to go outside, and feel the warmth of the sun on his skin. Tony led him into an elevator.
It was very luxurious inside, spacious too, and Peter couldn't stop looking at all the buttons. there were just so many. 70 to be exact. The elevator went down to level 0, and the doors opened, revealing a row of expensive-looking cars. On the other side was a lab area, and behind that was a trophy like case showing off the newest iron man suit models.
Peter couldn't help but gawk at all the chemicals, and computers. HYDRA had computers, but he wasn't allowed to use them. When he looked up he caught Mr. Stark watching him totally become obsessed with it.
"Um, the nice area you got here" Peter nervously complimented, thinking only of the unlimited amount of webs he could make with this huge amount of chemicals.
"Thanks," Tony said, leading them once more to a normal-looking- well normal compared to the other cars-car. Mr. Stark helped peter into the backseat. "keep your head down, and stay out of the view of cameras"
Peter nodded, doing as Tony had said keeping his head down. Tony got into the front seat, and they pulled out of the garage. New York City was quite a sight to see in person. There were tall buildings seemingly going up into the clouds. Cars were honking, and there were many people tussling around.
"HYDRA never take you anywhere?'' Tony asked glancing at him in a mirror on the top of the car. Peter thought back to his HYDRA years, which seemed forever ago was a few days.
"kind of," Peter responded. Tony glanced in the mirror again giving Peter a look that said 'go on' I had missions to do things from Zola's algorithm, traveled to Germany a few times. we had a huge fanbase there, and Europe had a lot of technology that would endanger the HYDRA movement."
Tony seemed to think for a moment. Peter fiddled with his hands. "What technology did you need to get"
It was Peter's turn to think. "they wiped my memory of certain things, why I did it, what I got''
"I see" Tony responded with another glance in the rearview mirror. "You look tired, I'll wake you when we get there"
Peter nodded, he didn't sleep much last night and was actually quite tired and he rested his head on the side door. What felt like mere seconds later Peter was being shaken awake by a familiar rough hand.
"Peter, we're here" Tony whisper yelled. Peter forced his eyes open. and took a look around. Even though it was pitch black, his enhanced senses helped him see a bit. He could see all the city lights in the far distance.
"Oh, hey Mr. Stark. Where are we?" Peter asked trying to sound Chipper, and more awake than he really was. Said Mr. Stark glanced around. "Outskirts of the city, not many people come out here at night Rogers picked it out" Tony explained. As if on cue a rusty looking pick-up truck pulled up. The 2 doors opened, and Tony helped Peter out of his own car tucking him into his side.
Steve stepped out first, he was wearing the normal suit minus the shield. Wanda stepped out next. She had exchanged her dress for a tight dark black and red jumpsuit, made of the same
material as the cap's suit. She paired it with black combat boots and a headband with 2 devil horns sticking out of it. Her eyes widened at the sight of Peter.
"Hi Wanda," He said awkwardly waving. She sidestepped Steve to give her young friend a hug.
"Peter..." She said, ' 'I thought they-"
"I'm fine, I thought you..." Peter trailed off not wanting to say it.
"I looked for you" She admitted looking down, suddenly finding the grass very interesting. Peter blinked once, twice.
"You were looking for me?" He echoed. Wanda smiled a breathtakingly beautiful smile.
"I thought you were with vision?" Tony asked. Wanda seemed to notice him there for the first time.
"I was for a while, he's like another brother to me" Wanda added glancing back at Peter.
"Um..." he struggled to get his scrambled thoughts together again, "How did you escape?"
Wanda glanced at Peter nervously, "After the... Operation I was in a room for awhile. The White room they called it" a pause, "they sent me on a few missions pitting me and Pietro against the Avengers. Well, we found out later that Ultron was very powerful, teamed up with him for a while, found out his true intentions, and joined the Avengers side of the battle."
Peter just stood there taking this all in. How did he never know this the volunteers were the ones that took the least work to 'shape up, "When I heard HYDRA fell, all I could think about was finding out what happened, but Stevey here," She nudged the Mans shoulder, "wanted me to bond"
Peter laughed. He wasn't exactly a social butterfly either. So what you guys have just been hanging at an abandoned building?" Wanda chuckled lightly. "Yeah pretty much. Where have you been?"
"When HYDRA fell I ran into the other side of the Avengers and I've been with them ever since," Peter responded vaguely. He found he didn't talk about HYDRA at all. Everyone pretty much got that. Daisy understood that the most. Told him about how her boyfriend who she thought was a S.H.I.E.L.D agent turned out to be HYDRA. Grant Ward. He was pretty absent most of the time from what Peter could remember.
"What are you going to do next?" Wanda asked concerned. Peter furrowed his brow. he didn't want to leave, but the roses were-from what Tony said-criminals. He looked towards Tony.
"I don't know?"