When the team had finally, Ezri excused herself as she made her way to her room after Steve dragged Sam and Bucky with him to God knows where. Ezri had changed into her smile when she saw Thor had already arrived. She nodded to him in acknowledgment as he walked over to her.
she stood beside him when she noticed that Tony stood beside an unfamiliar person. A kid, who looked to be in his teens, but had an excited smile on his face as they walked in.
"Oh my gosh, it's the Avengers," the kid said excitedly, but Tony quickly shushed him before the kid carefully approached him, "I'm really a big fan. I've seen vids of you guys on YouTube, and just, wow."
The kid noticed everyone had a nonresponsive look on their face but when he saw Ezri and Thor smiling, he gasped in excitement and approached them first.
"You're Thor, God of Thunder, right? Your ability to manipulate and use thunder is so awesome." The kid spoke before he looked at Ezri.
"And, wow, you're way more beautiful in person. I-I love the way you healed everyone and that water bending. Wow, you're a little Avatar-Water bender! And you're so short, I mean, but you are amazing-!"
Ezri smiled, signing a 'thank you so much' to him as Ariel's voice translated through the intercom, and the kid was even more intrigued that much more.
"You speak in sign language too? That's even more amazing! At school, I'm supposed to learn a new language; maybe I should learn that too?" The kid suggested. Ezri could feel the annoyance of the others, but clearly, they didn't have in them to interrupt them.
"You're so sweet, thank you, but you don't have to. My name is Ezri, what is your name?" Ezri asked him as Ariel translated.
"Oh, right, sorry! My name is Peter, Peter Parker. Nice to meet you." Peter introduced himself, offering his hand.
Ezri looked at his hand curiously, was this normal for mortals? Bucky noticed this and wondered if there was more to her than he thought. Healing? Water bending? Ezri smiled though once more and shook his hand gently.
"Alright, kiddo, that's enough." Tony warned him but was thankful Ezri was welcoming Peter; he had a feeling that the two would click.
"We are sorry to do this so suddenly, but we wanted to introduce some new people to you-" Steve spoke, but was interrupted.
"Fury reached out to me and told me everything. Your friend Sam here is welcome here with open arms, but your friend Barnes? Not so much, he will be under surveillance and watched, and never to be alone on a mission or given a solo mission until I believe he is clear." Tony said as he crossed his arms.
"Stark-"
"That's fine." Bucky spoke; he expected worse.
"I was also told," Tony spoke, briefly looking over to Ezri as he walked over to her, Peter following behind him, "that Ezri was excluded from being part of the assault against Hydra because of 'communication issues'. When did we start judging people's performances because of their ability or disability?"
"It was the best course of action at the time, we were pressed on time-" Nat spoke.
"And she was your responsibility. Did my Ariel comms mean nothing to you all?" Tony questioned when he saw the hurt look on Ezri's face.
Thor was outraged that his friend was treated in such a way after he encouraged her to return. Clint and Bruce looked at each other with worrisome glances, surprised that such an order was given. Sam felt guilty for not defending her more, but Bucky kept his gaze on Ezri.
Bucky knew Steve did things for the sake of the mission, but it was surprising that this was the reason they didn't include her; clearly, she was new to the team but she was an emotional type, easy to read. She was hurting.
"It was the right decision at the time-"
"Enough," The team looked to Ezri as Ariel's voice came through the intercom, "If I'm going to work on assignments, I want to work alone or with someone who is willing to 'endure' my 'issue'. I refuse to work with anyone who thinks the way I communicate is an issue."
Tony smirked, proud of her for defending herself.
"Personally, I would love to work with you." Sam confessed.
"Personally, me as well." Clint said.
"Can I partner with her, Mr. Stark?" Peter asked, wanting to jump in on the offer.
"Ariel," Tony assured her, "you have people who want to work with you. I'll make sure it's done."
"And you have me as well, friend." Thor assured her, but she merely nodded with a frown still evident on her face.
"Ezri, I'm sorry if we made you feel this way. You have to know that at the time, we thought it was for the best." Steve tried to defend himself lamely.
"It's my fault…Tony has been kind, patient, and understanding during my time here. I just naturally assumed that everyone accepted me as well. I won't be so naïve again." Ezri signed, feeling her anger building.
"Ezri-"
"Enough." Ezri spoke, everyone, looking at her with wide eyes, Thor quickly pulling her behind him protectively. He was prepared to take her and go when he saw the men tense up.
"Wait…you can talk?" Nat questioned, "Why didn't you tell us?"
"Why don't you just talk? Why use sign language?" Clint asked as well.
"I'm sure there has to be a good reason for it. We all have our reasons for doing things." Bruce defended her.
Thor looked down at Ezri and she smiled apologetically, giving him a knowing look before she gave him a short nod; she would allow him to explain.
"Ezri is a siren, like the myth you know of; she explained it to me once before. A voice of a Siren can use its voice by will against non-sirens, it's their main weapon when they hunt in and out of the ocean." Thor explained.
"So, she's worried to use it on us?" Bruce questioned.
"No, that's not the issue. Her voice is sadly tied to her marital status, it's a biological trigger. Sirens are encouraged to mate as soon as possible. Sirens who are not mated have an allure to their voice, even sirens aren't immune to them. In this case. Since Ezri doesn't have a mate, that's why she chooses not to talk." Thor explained, hoping it was enough.
"No disrespect to you, but you're a pretty woman; there is plenty of fish in the sea to pick from, Ariel." Tony told her.
Ezri's eyes fluttered, a frown coming on her face once more before she looked down, her thoughts going to her family and Loki; she missed him so much.
"Ezri is the youngest daughter of the king of her people. She is royalty and the last remaining unmated siren in their family. The king has announced that she will be disowned until she is mated. It's attracted a lot of power-hungry sirens to come for her. However, she's refused on multiple occasions to mate. Even in the season, she's fought off all potential suitors." Thor further explained.
"Wait, royalty? You're a princess? Like, Princess Leia or Queen Amadala?" Peter questioned.
"And, I'm sorry, did you say season? What season?" Tony asked, curious but also worried at the same time for Ezri.
Ezri took a deep breath before she signed:
"Every year for a few days, sirens go through…a mating season. It's…when we're ready to conceive but for non-mated sirens, we give off an aphrodisiac scent from our body and our voice to encourage the mating. Women sirens, we have no real rights in our society, and we are forced to defend ourselves. In my case, many suitors search for me for a chance to ascend the throne."
"I'm sorry to hear that…Really, Ezri, I'm sorry." Nat told her.
"When do you know it's time then?" Clint asked.
"Oh, trust me you'll know." Thor said with a chuckle, Ezri giving him a playful smack on the arm.
"Well don't worry, kid. I'll make sure to pair you up with someone you approve of. But, thank you for sharing that part of your life with us. It couldn't have been easy." Tony told her, squeezing her shoulder gently. Ezri smiled and shook her head not wanting to say more.
"Since everyone is here, the compound is clear and ready for us to move in. I suggest everyone prepares themselves, we head out in 20 minutes. Is that alright with everyone?" Tony asked everyone.
"Actually, I'll have to leave shortly, but I'll be able to find you all. I need to speak with Ezri alone, it's urgent." Thor said, looking down at Ezri with a serious look.
"What's happened?" Ezri asked her face now just as serious.
"Come, let's talk in private," Thor said, ushering over to the balcony. Once they were out of range, Tony turned to the team.
"Did you guys forget that she fought alongside us against her ex-boyfriend, Reindeer Games, without any communication from her? Or the fact that she beat Capsicle here in a spar? She came here AFTER we offered her a place here, and that's how you treated her?" Tony questioned.
"It was a tough mission, Tony. We didn't want to worry about her and not being able to communicate." Nat said, but Tony rolled his eyes.
"So, just ignore the ARIEL translator AI I put in place. Let's call it for what it was- you didn't want to babysit." Tony said, "Did any of you want her there?"
"I did," Sam said in his defense, "that girl has abilities and all I can do is fly and wield guns. I did say she should've gone with us."
"At least Big Bird gets it…" Clint said under his breath, ignoring the glare Sam through him.
"I'll be in charge of Ezri's placement. And to make sure there aren't any more favorites, I'll also be doing Sam and Buck's placement." Tony announced.
"That should be a group decision," Steve stated.
"No, no. Because then you'll be showing favorites. I'll make sure they'll approve my choice, publicly, in a group meeting. Fair?" Tony suggested.
"Sounds good to me, honestly," Bruce said, crossing his arms in agreeance.
"Good, end of the discussion. Now everyone, pack up."
When the team arrived at the compound, Ezri was nervous about where she was going to stay. She could tensions were still high from earlier, but she kept her distance from everyone as best she could.
Bucky put his hands in his black bomber jacket, keeping close to her on her left as Sam stood on her right, smiling down at her. The compound was amazingly big, it was almost overwhelming to her, but she couldn't wait to explore the building.
Bucky saw the excitement on her face and smirked.
"Excited to explore?" Bucky asked her. Ezri looked over to him and nodded excitedly, her smile beaming.
"Would you want to explore it with me later?" Bucky asked her.
Ezri looked over to him, their eyes locking in a moment, but her smile came back, nodding slowly to him. Sam noticed the way Bucky stared at her and although he didn't know the guy, this was the first time he saw Bucky smile.
Steve saw the interaction but was more concerned for Ezri. He wanted to make amends with her, knowing he ruined her impression of him.
"How are the rooms assigned?" Nat asked.
"Or is it just one nice big room with lots of bunk beds?" Clint followed up with.
"You'll have to pick your rooms but I made rooms specifically for Bruce and Ezri. Why don't you guys explore while I take them up first?" Tony told the team, nodding for the two to follow.
Ezri smiled apologetically to Bucky before she followed after Bruce and Tony, staying close to them in fear of getting lost. The team walked into the compound with them but Peter wanted to see where Ezri was staying. From the team, he wanted to get to know all of them, but only Ezri and Thor showed him some hint of kindness.
"Hey, hey, where you going little man?" Sam asked him as he grabbed Peter's shoulder. Peter looked back at them and nervously smiled.
"I just wanted to see where she was staying, you know? So, I can get a sense of what room to call dibs on." Peter explained lamely.
"You want to be near Ezri?" Sam teased.
"Wouldn't you? I-I mean, she's nice." Peter said before he ran after Tony.
Bucky clenched his jaw; the kid had a point. Sam noticed Bucky's tense stare come back before Bucky went after Peter, making Sam roll his eyes.
"I guess we're doing this." Sam said before he followed Buck.
"You don't have to come." Buck told him in annoyance.
"Oh no, the kid made some sense. And you aren't exactly a bucket of sunshine." Sam called Bucky out.
"Here is yours, Jolly Green!" Tony said as he pushed the door open for him. Bruce walked in first and found that he had a big bed in the middle of the room with a door to the left side and a wall of windows with a sliding door in the center, revealing the forest to him.
"Just in case you need to run out…or in. But try to contain yourself, will you?" Tony asked of him.
"No promises, but I will definitely try, thanks for all this." Bruce told Tony.
"I believe in you, Bruce." Ezri signed as Ariel translated.
"Thanks, so do I. In you." Bruce said with a smile.
"Now, onto your room, Ariel." Tony announced as they left the room when he saw Peter behind them.
Peter panicked and attempt to look around but Ezri could only smirk when Tony rolled his eyes.
"Come on, you can join us." Tony said as he led the way down the opposite side of the hall. When the elevator pinged, Tony turned around and saw the elevator door open. He rolled his eyes when he saw Sam and Bucky walk out, Sam smiling as if nothing was wrong.
"I'm not even going to, at this point." Tony was fed up before he continued walking at the end of the hallway. As he reached the second to last door on the left, the group heard the elevator door ping before hearing it open; everyone was here now.
"Here you go, here is your room, Ezri." Tony said.
"Wait!"
Ezri looked over to Peter who opened the door beside her, throwing his backpack into the room with a huge smile on his face.
"Okay, ready!"
Tony could only roll his eyes as Ezri smiled ridiculously, glad Peter was so comfortable and excited to be near her; maybe hope wasn't lost for her with this team. Oblivious to Bucky and Sam claiming the rooms across from her and Peter, Tony opened the door for her and stepped inside first before Ezri.
Ezri gasped when she saw her room. It was nearly the same as Bruce's with a door to her left but on the right side of the room was a king-size bed. Facing her when she walked in was a wall of windows, with a sliding door as well but she teared up when she could see the ocean in front of her, the distance was that of a football field; it wasn't too far for her.
"I thought you'd like to see it every day, or at least, when or if you need to go there. Hope that was, okay?" Tony asked when she turned to him. His eyes widened, thinking she was sad, but she smiled instead. Ezri approached him and pulled him into a tight hug, tearing up happily.
"Thank you." She whispered and he gave her a quick hug back before she let him go; not wanting him to be uncomfortable.
"I'm glad you like it, your room will have its own bathroom for your privacy; I wasn't sure if it was okay. Also, the bed also…I didn't know if you slept in your tail or not-"
"Wait, you have a tail? Can I see it?" Peter asked, but Tony covered his mouth.
"If you want, you can ask Tony to see my videos? I don't mind, but please delete them. It's not safe for that video to exist." Ezri suggested in her sign language.
"Oh, please Mr. Stark!" Peter asked and Tony nodded.
"Fine, but for now, let everyone get settled and you three come down to the entrance once you're done. Oh, the room next to yours is locked in Thor, just so you know," Tony said, before he walked out, "CLAIM YOUR ROOMS, EVERYONE!"
Shortly after everyone had settled, Peter, Sam, and Bucky made their way down as Tony instructed, where he saw Tony in a meeting room, waiting for them. When they entered the room, Tony wasted no time.
"Okay, here's the deal. You are the only ones who haven't seen Ezri's true form, and I'm showing this to you not because I like you, but because I don't want you all to be too stunned when you see her for the first time. Do you understand?" Tony explained.
"Yes, sir." Sam assured him.
The men were stunned when they saw Ezri in a glass container, purely in awe. Bucky was slowly becoming enraged when he saw in her position. Her body was shining as the northern lights' colors, her hair flowing elegantly with her human legs. What enraged Bucky was that she was placed with a muzzle over her mouth. Ezri had merely placed her hand over her muzzle when she cried out in pain, watching her body jolt; she was shocked.
"Wait, you imprisoned her?" Sam asked, finding Ezri a beauty but he felt guilty for her being in that position, even if he wasn't involved.
Ezri panicked in the video, thrashing against the glass as she attempted to get free with her bashing with her hands before she used her feet to kick against the glass. When all had failed, she shifted her legs into her fins, whacking at the glass, creating a small crack but not enough to get through the glass.
"Fury did, actually. She just…showed up a little over a year ago, but she still won't share why she was here; it seems painful for her. This," Tony said as he pulled up another video, "is how they caught her after a year of searching. It'll…help you understand her behavior towards us, or to you, really."
Pushing play on the video, Peter felt even worse. Ezri was swimming hastily as she saw two bogeys on her, avoiding the web shootings coming her way from their vessels but they were somehow improving in speed. She had dipped and dived, spinning around as she lowered fell back, diving down deeper. She looked back at the vessel, and she realized they were still following them. Ezri had rushed up once more but screamed when they caught her, the two webs catching her.
Ezri had fought against the webs when she felt pronged by electricity, the painful realization that she was being shocked. The assault continued multiple times until she finally lost consciousness. Bucky clenched his jaw; they hunted her like an animal.
"Just…be kind to the kid, okay?"