Red Widow

17. Under Siege

Once again his attention was caught by something moving, but when he glanced in that direction, nothing was there. Strange. He started to think he was imagining things, and that maybe it would have been best if he went back to speak with the others, when it happened again. This time he was ready.

There was something there, flying around. He couldn't see what it was exactly, it was almost as if it was shielded by an invisible field, like when the Quinjet disappeared from sight, but when it moved there was a kind of... shimmering around it. It was so fast that it was almost imperceptible, but for him nothing was quick enough. The more he concentrated, the more unknown objects he noted and they were attaching themself to the window.

"Uhm, guys, I think there is som..."

He couldn't finish his sentence: suddenly there was an explosion and the glass broke in a million pieces; he watched them flying around slowly, like crazy snow crystals. He felt the force trying to blast him away, but he was faster than it. He started to run and moved everybody away, using the counter and whatever else he could find to protect them.

"Oh, come on!" He yelled, when he saw a new wave of drones arriving, this time perfectly visible and with machine guns.

A hail of bullets arrived, finding the Avengers surprised by their suddenly changed position, but surely glad to not be in the open anymore.

Pietro took a deep breath and gave a last glance at the others before starting to run; he was not surprised to see Natasha taking a gun out of nowhere, if he didn't know better he would have thought that she had the superpower of generating weapons out of thin air. Cap was looking around, searching for his shield that was probably still in the gym, and Pietro took the decision to go and retrieve it, he sensed that a fight was coming. While he was going out of the door he had to avoid pieces of the Iron Suit that were flying towards Stark, but he was back on Steve's side in less than two minutes, passing him his shield, and the man nodded in thanks to him.

He then started to grab spoons or whatever he could find and throw them, trying to hit the drones, but aim wasn't his best skill; the others were trying to do the same in their own way and were surely more successful: soon all of the machines were down.

"What's happening?" Asked Wanda, looking around nervously like expecting something to attack her from the shadows.

"We're under attack!" Answered Steve.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious!" Yelled Tony.

To their surprise a man entered flying from the broken window; he was wearing a dark suit with golden metal plates on his shoulders that held a gray mantle and a graying and well kept beard was on his face. He had a familiar face, but Pietro wasn't able to remember where he already saw him.

The man mockingly smiled at them. "Sorry for interrupting your dinner, but I hope you enjoyed the appetizers."

They didn't want to talk much; Steve threw his shield at him, but the man moved his hand and the object stopped mid air, before falling on the floor under the team's shocked eyes.

"Time for the first course." The man said.

He moved his arms again and two metal platforms floated down from the roof, bringing on them at least a dozen fighters that looked like they just came out from a horror movie: they had dark veins that ran over their exposed skin and bloodshot eyes; of course the newcomers attacked them immediately. And thinking that Pietro was starting to almost get bored with all of the calm and peace of that week.

*****

It had been a strange week for her. She had never felt lonely or bored, barely having time to be alone for more than a few hours; the Avengers seemed perfectly coordinated with their visit, even if it didn't seem it was on purpose. With each one she talked about different things, but at some point the same questions would always pop out: everyone wanted to know how she was and if she was ready to go out of the cell. Steve tried a more subterfuge way and asked when she would go back to train with them, but the sentiment was the same.