Elemental Mimicry

9: Metal Man

(A/N: Sorry it's a little later than other updates. It's been very crazy for a while and I've just got my GCSE results and I'm sorting things out for college so my minds all over the place. Anyway, enjoy)

The Duo landed silently on the roof of their home, the HYDRA compound quiet and dark. It wasn't unusual for the lights to be out but the pair knew that the Avengers had invaded so the chances of anyone being alive were slim. As Crystal opened the door that lead inside Ruby glanced over the city below, it didn't look the best but then it never really did. The sun was setting behind the compound, the last few rays of sunlight stretching out across the sky.

"Maybe we should camp out the night here." The green eyed girl suggested.

"Yeah, we won't be able to see anything soon anyway. But in the morning we move out, something tells me the twins didn't stick around." Ruby's eyes scanned the area once more before hurrying inside, leading the younger blonde through the darkened halls of the once busy HYDRA facility. They made there way quickly to the room they once shared, the door still closed tightly and the boobytrap Crystal had created untouched. Opening the door Miss Jackson entered the room and flopped onto her bed, the thin mattress uncomfortable compared to the one in the New York apartment.

"Home sweet home." The sixteen year old chuckled at her friends bored tone, it was obvious Ruby wasn't happy with how the day had played out.

For the rest of the evening the Duo sat in silence, both trying and failing to fall asleep. Nocturnal animals could be vaguely heard in the forest surrounding the facilty, the stone walls blocking most of the animals noise.

~~~~~~

The next morning Ruby and Crystal ransacked the base, taking everything they might need from every room they could enter, files thrown carelessly into Crystal's bag. Once they had cleared the whole place out of weapons too, avoiding bodies along the way, the pair hurried out onto the streets. Bitter morning breeze blew through the streets, small flakes of snow falling from the grey above every so often. It had been a while since the teenagers had been able to visit the town, quick trips once in a while we're the only thing they were aloud while under Strucker.

Market stalls were busy with people hurrying around them in a steady yet slightly chaotic stream. Men and woman called out to one another while small children dove through gaps and toddled away from their parents. Crystal smiled brightly as they wandered along the cobbled paths, taking in the sights she rarely got to see. Ruby also allowed a smile to pass along her features. Suddenly a young boy barrelled into the seventeen year old, knocking them both to the ground with a thud.

"Sorry Miss!" The brunette, no older than eight, spoke in a hurry. He jumped to his feet before offering a hand to the giggling girl on the floor. "Let me help you up."

"Costel I'm fine." Miss Jackson replied, sitting herself up. "Just watch were you're going yeah?"

"Yes Miss Jackson. Sorry but I was in a rush, the metal man in the church has asked a favour of me quickly." Costel replied before hurrying off once more. Crystals eyes snapped over to meet Ruby's. Neither girl moved for a moment, they stayed completely still just staring at one another.

"Metal man?" Repeated the curly haired blonde, her eyes flicking her to the church that could be seen over the market place. "Stark?"

"Surely not." Ruby got to her feet with a frown; Stark wouldn't have come back, right? Without another word the Duo hurried their pace and made a beeline towards the Church, avoiding others as they went. Neither had a solid idea of what to expect when they reached the centre of the city, they knew the Avengers could be unpredictable when they wanted to be. That left worry in their minds. They weren't scared of the group but they knew what they were capable of, and six on two didn't really seem like a fair battle to fight.

Once they reached the gate that lead into the church court yard the Duo stopped and gaped. "Wanda?" Ruby whispered.

"Pietro?" Crystal added. Instantly the twins spun on their heels, their eyes wide and full of shock. Without a word Wanda yanked the gate open once more and pulled the younger pair into a tight hug, her breathing fast as if she was going to cry. Pietro soon also joined the hug, wrapping his arms around the three women in his life. None of the group moved, all of them embracing tightly and enjoying being with one another once more.

"We thought you were dead. Strucker wouldn't tell us where you had gone. It wasn't until the Avengers attacked that we found out!" Wanda exclaimed, finally pulling away from the embrace.

"We're so sorry, we weren't aloud to tell you anything." Crystal sighed, pulling her coat further up her shoulders as Pietro looked down at her slightly. "We tried to reason but you know what Strucker's like."

"What was it like? Being around them for so long?" Questioned the male, cocking his head to the side.

"Hard." The blue eyed girl replied simply. "Almost blew out cover several times due to an urge to strangle Stark."

"Talking of Stark." The groups eyes traveled to the building behind them, the broken walls and smashed windows making the place look even eerier that it already was. "It can't be him, right?" Crystal's question hung in the air for several moments, no one moving to answer her.

"There's only one way to find out." Wanda finally spoke up, shattering the silence before leading the way towards the building once more. The doors creaked as the twins pushed them open, revealing a destroyed room. A single seat sat in the centre, a cloth draped over the person who was seated still. Wanda stepped forward as Pietro and Crystal closed the doors behind them, Ruby standing close behind the brunette.

"Talk." Ruby demanded.

"And if you are wasting our time." Wanda added with a scowl.

(A/N: Again I am so sorry it's later than usual. Along with all my school stuff I have to sort I have broke my finger so typing can be hard. Sorry again!)