pietro maximoff... or sonic? speedster?
MARLENE wore the boots she landed in New Jersey with years ago along with her black jeans and a shirt she vaguely remembered to be Tony's that must have gotten stuck in her basket after laundry. It had the band Black Sabbath on it, which she knew he enjoyed. Covering it with a black leather jacket, she ignored his stare on her as she hurried onto the Quinjet to fly to Sokovia. They had received a hit that a Hydra research base was located there. Once they were in the air, Tony snapped his fingers at her.
"Hey! I want my shirt back, Elsa!"
Marlene grinned. "Right here? Sorry, Tone. I don't think that's appropriate," she teased as Natasha snorted a laugh next to her.
Natasha then handed her a belt, wrapping it around her waist. Once she clicked it into place, she put two guns in the holsters. She winked at Marlene. "That way you have other ways to protect yourself, Miss Witch."
"Thanks," she whispered as she sat back down next to Bruce.
Bruce shrugged toward her. "Do you even know how to work a gun?"
"Can't be hard," Marlene chirped causing Steve to take a not so subtle scoot over from the gun near him. "Oh, c'mon, Steve. I'm fine."
Steve nodded. "Totally believe it."
Marlene bit back her smile. It was an hour later that she stood when Clint called he was landing. Natasha looked out the window. "They have bunkers out. Loads of guards. Bruce... we might need a Code Green."
Bruce sighed. "I had a feeling. Just hoping for otherwise."
Tony's helmet slid down over his face. "Let's do it, Avengers. In and out. Find the scepter."
Thor opened the hatch, rushing out first. Steve took his motorbike from the bottom of the Quinjet when Clint opened the bottom hatch. Marlene stayed close to Clint as she flew, eyes and hands lit blue as they looked out for enemies.
Suddenly, they heard bullets being blasted before Tony screamed, "Shit!"
Marlene grinned, using her energy to create a shield to protect Clint from oncoming bullets as he triggered his explosive arrows. When she dropped the shield, he reigned hell on the guards around him.
"Language!" Steve called, before he grunted in pain. "Jarvis, what's the view from upstairs?"
"The central building is protected by some kind of energy shield. Strucker's technology is well beyond any other Hydra base we've taken," Jarvis responded just as Marlene sent a wave of energy to three guards in front of her. She grinned when they did not get back up.
Thor called out, "Loki's scepter must be here. Strucker couldn't mount this defense without it. At long last."
"At long last is lasting a little long, boys," Natasha added.
Clint sent an arrow at a soldier behind Marlene that was aiming for her. "Yeah. I think we lost the element of surprise."
"Wait a second. No one else is going to deal with the fact that Cap just said language?" Tony quipped.
"Are you surprised?" Marlene asked back, going into the minds of the group on the nearest bunker, having them explode themselves.
"I know," Steve said with a sigh. "It just slipped out."
Moving to a new area, keeping Clint secure as she rose in the air, she heard Jarvis say, "Sir, the city is taking fire."
"Well, we know Strucker's not going to worry about civilian casualties. Send in the Iron Legion," Tony commanded. "Elsa? Can you find Strucker's mind?"
Marlene frowned at the name, remembering the man from her time with Hydra. Gasping, she realized, "This is where I was held captive, Tony!"
"What?" Steve asked harshly.
"Well, new incentive to kick all of their asses. Strucker?" Tony said firmly.
Marlene went high enough in the trees to be hidden as she searched for Strucker. She opened her eyes and called, "Yeah. He's right inside. He is talking about erasing data. Get inside before he does."
"I will roger that," Tony chirped as Marlene flew back down just as someone—some blur knocked Clint over.
"You didn't see that coming?" a man called—and Marlene almost began crying at the voice. She turned to face him just before he zoomed off... his face was shocked... angry... happy. He was gone just as Clint stood to shoot him.
Marlene just stood there in shock just before the blur appeared in front of her and ran off with her in his arms. Not knowing what to do, she tried to get out of his arms, but he did not let her go as he ran through the woods.
"Marlene!" Clint called before he yelled in pain.
"Clint!" Natasha screamed as Marlene saw them approaching Steve.
Using her powers, she was about to go in his mind when he said, "Don't even think about it." He knocked Steve over before hiding behind some trees. "Marlene..." he whispered, staring at her and cupping her face in his hands.
"Pietro," she murmured back. "Pietro, wh–what happened to you? Your hair," she said, touching the silver streaks.
Ignoring those calling out for her, she pulled Pietro in for a hug. He held her to his chest. "I thought you were dead, sestra. We haven't heard from you in months, Wanda and I."
She backed away, shaking her head. "You can't hurt my friends, Piet. You can't."
"Tony Stark killed our parents, Marls," he whispered, "and you joined him?"
"N-No," she said. "Yes, I joined, but he-he couldn't have killed them. You said it was a bomb—"
"Marlene!" Steve yelled. "Marlene, where did he take you!? Clint's hit! You need to get back to the jet!"
Marlene's breaths came out shakily, feeling as if she was trapped in her memories—her nightmares. "Pietro," she whispered. "Please. I didn't know. He does not make weapons anymore. He is trying to help. Hydra... Hydra wants to hurt the world, not save it."
Pietro shook his head. "Sestra, what lies have they been feeding you?" he backed away. "Maybe I shouldn't have helped you escape."
"You don't mean that," she said softly. "They were wiping my memory. They were hurting me."
Pietro shut his eyes in pain. "I have to find Wanda. Get out of here before someone finds you." He turned to run off.
"Pietro!"
He paused.
"I-I remember everything... how you took care of me. You're my brother before anything," she promised.
"You're my sister, Marlene, which is why I'm telling you to go now. They will not be as forgiving as me," he said almost forcibly before running off.
"Thor, I got eyes on the prize. Will someone find Marlene!?" Tony yelled.
"I-I'm here," Marlene whispered into the comms. "I'm heading to the jet. I-I'm—I'm sorry."
Flying toward the jet, she landed roughly, angrily at the opening just as her eyes met Thor's and Clint's. She rushed forward, falling to her knees next to Clint. "I'm sorry. I should've gotten rid of the bunker. I'm sorry," she repeated over and over as Clint shakily reached his hand out for her to take.
When Natasha and Bruce hobbled inside, Natasha ran forward, pushing Marlene into a wall with her arm on the witch's neck. If Marlene wanted to, she could have Natasha on her ass by her mind, but she could not hurt anyone else. Clint's injury was her fault.
Steve and Tony walked onto the jet, and both called out for Natasha to let Marlene go.
"Where the hell were you? Clint's side is blasted off because you didn't take care of that bunker. Then, you disappear with Mr. Sonic the Hedgehog? What, reconnecting with old Hydra buddies? Planning to go against us?" Natasha yelled.
Thor pulled Natasha off of Marlene just as Marlene sneered, "Leave the Mind Reading to me, Romanoff. You're wrong about anything except one. It's my fault Clint's hit, but I would never go against you. You're the only family I have!"
"That's not true," Tony said as he started the jet. "Which one? Pietro, right? What'd old Speedster have to say, Elsa?"
Marlene bit her lip. "It wasn't the happy reunion you were planning," she said, ignoring everyone as she pushed past Natasha to sit by Clint. He reached his hand out for her to take again. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"It's okay, kid," Clint gasped out. "Don't sweat it."
Steve did not say anything as he stood next to Thor, both staring at the scepter. Marlene could feel the connection to it, but she did not dare go near it. She did not want anyone thinking she was against the Avengers.
"The lullaby worked better than ever," Natasha said to Bruce as the jet was filled with awkward tension.
"Just wasn't wanting the Code Green," Bruce replied, pulling off his headphones.
"If you hadn't been there, there would've been double the casualties. My best friend would've been a treasured memory," she said, glaring at Marlene as she said the end statement.
Bruce smiled tightly, eyes seeing Marlene's tense shoulders. "You know, sometimes exactly what I want to hear isn't exactly what I want to hear."
"How long before you trust me?"
"It's not you I don't trust."
"Thor, report on the Hulk?" Natasha asked.
Thor clapped his hands together. "The gates of Hell are filled with the screams of his victims." Natasha glared at Thor as Bruce groaned in despair. "Uh, but, not the screams of the dead, of course. No no, uh... wounded screams, mainly whimpering, a great deal of complaining and tales of sprained deltoids and, and uh... and gout."
Tony decided to cut him off. "Hey Banner, Dr. Cho's on her way in from Seoul, is it okay if she sets up in your lab?"
"Uh, yeah, she knows her way around."
"Thanks," Tony said before saying, "Tell her to prep everything, Barton's gonna need the full treatment."
"Very good sir," Jarvis replied.
"Jarvis, take the wheel."
"Yes, sir. Approach vector is locked."
Tony stood next to Thor and Steve as the three stared at the scepter. Marlene cracked her neck when she felt the stares shift to her. "It feels good, yeah? I mean, you've been after this thing since S.H.I.E.L.D. collapsed. Not that I haven't enjoyed our little raiding parties, but—"
"No, but this... this brings it to a close," Thor finished.
"As soon as we find out what else this has been used for. I don't just mean weapons. Since when is Strucker capable of human enhancement? I thought Marlene was the only one," Steve said. "He experimented on those kids."
"Banner and I'll give it the once before it goes back to Asgard. Is that cool with you?"
"Asgard?" Marlene asked, turning her head. "Why is it Thor's responsibility? It is my stone."
Natasha scoffed. Tony grimaced. "Listen, Elsa, we think the safest hands are off of Earth—"
"Why? So they can use it for something else? If something happens to that stone, I could die. Loki said it," she said heatedly. "So you're going to bring it where Loki resides? The one who started this mess?"
"We have time to discuss it," Tony amended. "I mean, just a few days until the farewell party. You're staying, right?" he asked Thor.
"Yes, yes, of course. A victory should be honored with revels."
"Yeah. Who doesn't love revels. Captain?"
Steve eyed Marlene's defeated expression before going back to Tony. "Hopefully this puts an end to the Chitauri and Hydra, so. Yes, revels."