Deadpool Syndrome - Spider Soulmates

Chapter 7 - See Inside, There Is Nothing To Hide

***PETER***

Ultron leads the way into the nearest quinjet. He's forced to crouch as he goes into it, and when he gets to the cockpit, there's barely any room for him in there. But he doesn't need room anyway, because instead of flying the jet himself, he works a little hot-wiring magic and announces to us that he's set the jet on autopilot.

"That doesn't sound like such a major achievement," Loki quips.

"You'd be surprised," Ultron says, taking a pair of seats all at once. "Since you guys' last major run-in with me, Fitz-Simmons took steps to beef up security on all SHIELD gadgetry. Fury's orders, of course, even though Coulson pretended they came from him."

Loki grins at Ultron, then he changes his appearance dramatically. He loses a few inches of height and much of his hair, and also gains a much friendlier face. However, seeing him imitate Coulson, however briefly, is still super-freaking-creepy. Especially when he says, in Coulson's voice, "Don't forget, Ultron - I'm the director now."

"Don't ever do that again," Gwen says as Loki returns to normal.

"Yeah, what she said," I chime in. "Jesus, have some respect for the dead, why don't you?"

"I have the utmost respect for the dead," Loki counters. He puts on a pair of puppy eyes - which would probably be even more dangerous if they were brown like mine instead of blue - and looks at Gwen. "Yourself included."

"Okay, that's enough," Barton says.

"You're being a creeper, buddy," I say to Loki before turning away from him and buckling my seat belt before takeoff.

We're soon joined by Carter, who looks just as surprised as any of us to be here. I'm not sure why Fury chose her, specifically, but I bet he "had his reasons," as he or some other big guy in charge might say. As she buckles herself into her seat, she looks at Gwen for a second, then averts her eyes. Finally, she just blurts out, "So, Gwen, did you tell him yet?"

Gwen does a facepalm. "Oh crap. No, I completely forgot!"

"Forgot what?" I ask, seized by curiosity.

Gwen waits until after the plane's done taking off and Ultron's done his scary monotone flight attendant impression ("You are now free to move about the cabin, and thank you for flying Air SHIELD") before answering my question. "Uh...well, it was a crazy thing last night, but..." Now she's looking like me whenever I'm trying to tell her something personal - her mouth is failing her, and she just can't form the words.

Luckily, Carter's there to assist her. "Gwen has night vision now."

"Night vision?" I repeat.

Barton's looking at Gwen with his mouth open too. "You mean you can see in the dark with all that green crap in your vision like you got the fancy goggles?"

"What? Um, no." Gwen shakes her head repeatedly. "God, no. That would be a pain, don't you think?"

Out of nowhere, the cockpit door closes, plunging the cabin into near-total darkness. "What the hell?" I cry out, looking around and trying to locate the source of the closed door.

"I want to see this new power in action myself," Loki says. "Gwen, am I smiling right now?"

"Yes, and it's extremely disturbing, so please stop," she says automatically.

I let out a whoop of laughter. "Holy shit, this is happening? Oh my God!"

"Did you really have to swear, Peter?" Carter asks in an aggrieved voice. I can almost see her wagging her finger at me too.