Chapter 6: Deal With the Devil

Pietro, Natasha, and Tony stepped out of the elevator and into the living room where the rest of the Avengers sat around, playing cards and waiting for them to get back. As they walked over to the others, Steve looked up.

"How'd it go?" he asked.

"Well, we got everyone out before the hotel exploded," Tony replied.

"Where's Clint?" said Wanda.

"He stowed away on Stormfields' jet and is now being whisked away God knows where," Natasha said.

"Shit..." said Sam.

"He's an idiot," Pietro said, sitting down next to Wanda. "If anything happens to him, I swear I'll kill him."

"Have we got any way of tracing the jet?" Steve asked.

"I tried," said Tony. "It's got some pretty strong stealth capabilities. She'll find Barton long before I manage to break in and trace it."

"Mr. Stark?" said FRIDAY the AI. "You have an incoming video message from a blocked number."

"Play it," said Tony.

The television on the wall turned on and FRIDAY started the video. Leah Stormfields was on camera and just behind her was Clint, tied to a chair and gagged. He didn't seem to be hurt, just frustrated.

"Hello there, Avengers," Leah said cheerfully. "Look who I've got. I found this little rat hiding away on my jet. Now what would he be doing there, I wonder? Oh yeah, spying for you nosy bastards. But now he's mine and I can do whatever I want to him."

She smirked at the camera, then went and sat on Clint's lap. She pulled the gag from his mouth and kissed him roughly. Clint squirmed and tried to pull away but she held tightly to a fistful of his hair. Pietro felt jealous, disgusted anger boiling in his chest as he watched from the sofa. Finally Leah let Clint go and gagged him again, then turned back to the camera.

"I am gonna give you a chance to get him back, however," she said. "I mean, I know all about how devoted you are to him, Quicksilver. It would be such a shame to part you two forever."

She stood up and came to stand directly in front of the camera again.

"I propose a little trade. A deal, if you will. I'll give you Hawkeye if you give me a very specific file. I'm sending the details of the file along with this video. As for the when and where of our trade, I've got that all worked out too. There's a gala this Saturday in D.C., lots of rich and important people, very ritzy. I've managed to acquire four tickets to this event. Two for me and Hawkeye. The other two for you, Quicksilver, and one companion, if you agree to my deal. I'll send you the tickets and information on the gala if you agree. All you have to do is reply to this message with a simple yes or no. If you do take me up on my offer, then we'll meet at the gala and make the exchange. But if you try any funny business, or if I discover that you've tried to give me a fake file, I will not hesitate to blow that party to kingdom come with all of us still dancing. I look forward to hearing from you."

She blew a kiss to the camera and the video ended.

"I'm going to that gala," said Pietro, his voice quivering with anger.

"Hang on, shouldn't we find out what it is she actually wants from us before agreeing to anything?" said Bruce.

"FRIDAY, can you show us the details on the file she mentioned?" Tony asked.

"Yes, Mr. Stark."

She brought up the document about the file.

"Well, shit," said Steve.

"What?" Pietro said, a little too far from the screen to read the tiny text.

"She pretty much wants every scrap of information about the various ways we all became superheroes," said Steve. "Blueprints for the Iron Man suit, Banner's research on gamma radiation, anything we've got about Erskine's serum and Hydra's experiments on you and Wanda..."

"What the hell could she want with all that?" Rhodey said. "Does she think she can build Avengers 2.0 with her terrorist buddies or something?"

"If that is what she wants that information for, she's incredibly stupid," said Natasha. "Loads of people have tried to replicate the Iron Man suit and failed. Bruce practically died becoming the Hulk. We've got virtually nothing on the super soldier serum. And the fact that Pietro and Wanda got powers from Hydra's experiments, let alone survived, was, well... either a miracle or pure luck."

"Plus we've got no info on what exactly Hydra did to them," Sam added.

"Even if we did, she'd be stupid to try any of it," said Wanda. "Those experiments weren't exactly enjoyable."

"Honestly, the fact that most of us became superheroes by almost dying is a pretty good indicator that that would be a spectacularly awful plan," Tony said.

"You know," said Pietro thoughtfully. "Maybe giving her this file isn't such a bad thing. Yeah, she'll have the research and the blueprints and all that, but like you guys said, trying to use any of it would be beyond stupid. We let her and her friends have just enough information to think they can succeed, then sit back and watch them self-destruct."

"Pietro Maximoff, you just might be a genius," said Tony.

"Seriously?"

"I said 'might', kiddo, don't let it go to your head."

"But you really think it's a good idea?" said Pietro.

"Hell yeah, I do," Tony said enthusiastically.

"It's risky, but it's also the most foolproof way we've got to save Clint," said Natasha.

"Cap, you're in charge," said Pietro. "Should I accept the deal?"

"Do it," said Steve. "And Stark, start compiling that file."