New Life (Slow Updates)

Chapter 17, Vents

"Everything okay up there?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah! Everything's fine Dr. Banner!" Peter replied, before looking back at me again. "Since Stark doesn't seem to want you in the vents it might be best that you just go out through here and let someone catch you. I'll stay in here and make sure you don't fall on accident again. I- I mean as long as you're okay with it? You could just go out feet first an-"

"Okay. I can do it. But someone better catch me because I will sure as hell beat everyone if they just let me drop. Don't even bother telling me it's not a long drop, it looks far to me so it is far." I said with a sigh. "Dang it, that means I'm going to have to somehow turn around."

But, instead of worrying over it, I decided to just go for it. Peter explained to the group what was going on and Wanda said that she could catch me easily. I was halfway done turning around when I ended up bumping up against Peter.

When he let out a small groan, I froze, worried that I hurt him. "Did I hurt you? Are you okay?" I couldn't see his face, so I couldn't tell if I had actually hit him that hard.

"Ah, no. You didn't injure me." I could hear in his voice that he had carefully chosen those words. "Are you bruised from a training session?"

"Ah- um no. Just continue, I'm okay. You didn't hurt me." While I doubted the truth to his statement, I continued shifting, finally feet first to the outside of the vent.

"Okay Wanda! I'm going to shimmy back so I'm hanging on the edge. You better catch me!"

Peter held my hands as I went backwards. I felt the tingling of Wanda's power as it slowly surrounded me.

And then I was floating. I kept my eyes shut as I waited to hit the ground.

When my feet hit the ground I opened my eyes and ran over to Wanda. "Thank you for not dropping me!" I whispered as I hugged her. When I let go of her I looked around the room to find everyone staring at me. "Um, hi?" I really hoped that I wasn't in that much trouble.

"You're in trouble." Steve stated.

Well. So much for wishing otherwise. "To be fair, you guys intentionally don't allow me to be part of these meetings. What did you expect?"

"Maybe that our lovely soulmate would listen to us?" Tony responded, rolling his eyes. "Not that any of us believed it would happen." Now that hurt. Even if it was true, it hurt that he said it out loud.

"Sorry." I frowned, and then attempted to change the topic. "What were you guys going to get me for?"

"GUESS WHAT!!! WE'RE GOING ON A VACATION!!!! EveRYonE!!!" Peter shouted, picking me up and spinning me in a hug.

"But that doesn't mean that you aren't still in trouble." Stephen chimed in. I looked at the faces around me in astonishment. 

"Together? The twins can come right?" I was glad that Peter was still holding onto me as my knees almost buckled.

"Of course the twins can come, did you think we would just leave them here?" Natasha said, smiling at my very befuddled expression. "We'll be going to a private island so there isn't any need to worry about security." She explained.

"Wait a minute." Tony said. Everyone looked at him in confusion. "FRIDAY? Did you know that Eclipse was crawling through the vents?"

"Yes."

Tony looked accusingly at the nearest control panel. "And you never thought to tell me? She could've gotten hurt- heck she almost did!"

"You never asked."

I grinned at Tony's annoyed/offended face. FRIDAY had voiced her concerns when I first started but she told me that she wouldn't tell anyone as long as they didn't directly ask. And who would think to ask a question like that? The rest of the others in the room were either hiding smiles or held obvious amusement in their eyes.