Vanished {Pietro Maximoff}

Chapter 19

Pietro was about to help him out when a gun was aimed towards his head and he quickly ducked out, not even risking destroying the sentries swarming the god. If Alex was the only Avenger who'd managed to get free, that didn't bode well for their chances of beating Ultron.

As much as Pietro hated to, he forced himself to stop searching rooms for Wanda and instead made his way to the forbidden rooms. He'd only been up here twice, to sit next to Alex as she lay unconscious after their return from Seoul, and both times Stark had looked at him as though he was trash.

"Stark." Tony looked up, calmer than Pietro had thought he'd be. He even had a drink next to him with an Iron Man mask ice cube floating around.

"Where's Alex?"

"She teleported out."

"Okay, good. I sent Banner out to the farmers market when I heard they were coming, so that's the main two problems out the way. Apricot?"

"You knew they were coming?" Pietro waved away the offered fruit, making Tony scoff,

"You really should eat more fruit. We got Alex on vitamins after I adopted her and, while I could, I don't fancy doing the same for you. And, to answer your question, no, I didn't know when they were coming but anyone could guess that that was what he was going to do next."

"Ultron is here now, you have to get out."

"I know." It was infuriating how relaxed Tony was, even finishing the last of his drink. "I think I'll stay here though."

"I can take you out off here, they're still by the living rooms."

"As much as I appreciate the offer, you just need to leave. Put yourself first, kid, that's the best advice I can give you." The entire room shook as Ultron's sentries continued their rampage.

"What about Alessandra?"

"What about her?"

"Are you not her father? She would never forgive me if I left you here to be caught."

"If you're bothered that much, find her and give her this." Tony held out a backpack, it's black and purple design familiar to Pietro, though he couldn't quite place where he knew it from. "It's what they're here for, plus a little extra treat for Alex."

Apprehensively, Pietro took it. It was light and as he swung it over his shoulders, the straps tightened to fit his shoulders, "How do I find her?"

"She's been keeping a knife on her spine since she got back. I made a cushioned sheath for it so she doesn't get hurt, like a responsible person, and all her knives have a tracking chip in them. Alex's suit is in the bag, you can track the knife on her with the suit's tablet."

"All this work and you still refuse to come with me?"

"Do you want Alex to go back there? After what Ultron did to her last time? Dare I say, what you did to her last time."

"No."

"Exactly. If I go with you, that's one more person they can track to find her. I've left a message for Banner so he won't go all green and you can keep the Alex company to stop her from teleporting Central Park to the middle of Texas again." Pietro was roughly shoved towards the door, "Go left out of here until you reach a painting of a horse as the Mona Lisa. There are stairs hidden behind it that lead out to a back road. I'll distract them and try and give you some cover."

"You're making a mistake."

"Listen, kid. I could fly out of here right now and leave the rest of Alex's family to their own devices. Will I? No, they're helpless without me."

"Your arrogance is outstanding."

"It's well-deserved. Run along now, let the grown-up handle this."

There was the sound of an explosion, closer than the last one and it even made Tony jump slightly. Pietro lapped the room to calm himself, "What about my sister?"

"I'm less fond of her than I am of you, and that's saying a lot." Tony considered it, "I'll get her out of here if I can."

"She needs protecting. Ultron will not treat her kindly and she won't defend herself." It would be easy for Pietro to leave now, to either find Wanda or be captured trying. He didn't owe Stark or the Avengers anything, only Alex, and Pietro was already convinced she hated him after the other day.

"You protect my daughter, I'll protect your sister. Deal?"

He could make the deal then leave Alex and whatever happened after that, Wanda would be safe. Pietro could claim the tech was malfunctioning or Alex had refused to speak to him. It would be easy to do and if it was anyone else, Pietro wouldn't have even have hesitated to think about it. There was only one thing holding him back; Alex didn't deserve to be abandoned, especially not by him.

"Hey, Speedy Gonzales, do we have a deal?"

"We do." They shook hands and, with one more worried look at Stark, Pietro ran away. Tony stretched, letting his Iron Man suit form over his body.

"Now, let's see where that twin's loyalties lie."