V. NO STRINGS ATTACHED
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Luna sat in the corner of the plane, her back against the wall, deep in thought. Barton laid on a cart, Natasha checking up on him every so often. The rest was doing the usual mission debrief. Luna tried to participate, but she could see Tony keeping an eye on her. Probably because she was keeping one on him too.
They hadn't talked about the mind-invasion they went through, Tony had only mentioned it vaguely and without much detail to the team.
Luna's head was still pounding and the adrenaline of the mission had begun wearing off. Natasha handed her an ibuprofen in silence, but Luna couldn't keep her mind off the imagery of her brother lying dead on the floor, blaming her. Luna wasn't stupid, she could think logically and realistically. She knew her brother's... state, wasn't her fault. She knew it was the damned spirits.
But... she also knew that she should've never let Derek come with her. She knew that the spirits hated humans in their habitat. And he still brought him.
"Thor, report on The Hulk," Natasha asked, and Luna crawled out of her mind-space and noticed Bruce still shaking from the aftermath of hulking out.
Thor turned, hands on his hips and spoke proudly, "The gates of Helheim are filled with the screams of his victims."
Thor, cowering at the piercing glare Natasha gave him, swiftly stammered out, "But, not the screams of the dead, of course. Uh- no, no, wounded screams. Mainly... whimpering, a great deal of complaining and tales of sprained deltoids and... gout?" He quickly turned away.
Luna felt surprised to find a smile making its way on her face. She had really missed her team's chemistry.
"Carter, Stark. You encountered one of the enhanced, right? The girl?" Steve inquired.
Luna swallowed and nodded. "I ran into the guy as well. He didn't do much, but the girl... she whammied us with something."
"I didn't see her much," Tony added as he sat down opposite of Luna. "Came up behind me."
"Luna, did she talk to you?"
Luna shook her head. "She was creepy. There was this... red mist coming from her hands and then a sort of haze took over my head. It made me see things, both of us." She nodded to Tony. Luna suddenly felt everyone's eyes on her and she folded her arms to herself, trying to make herself smaller.
"Fear. It made us see fear," Tony said.
Everybody decided that was the cue to drop the subject, which Luna was grateful for. She didn't partake in any of the conversation around her and swung her feet on top of the bench and put on some music as she tried to relax her mind.
After a while of resting her eyes she felt a tap on her knee. She opened her eyes and spotted Tony. She removed her legs and he sat down next to her
"What's up?" Luna asked as she removed her earbuds.
"The sky," Tony replied immediately.
Luna sighed deeply. "Dick."
He smiled. "Can I ask you something?"
She narrowed her eyes and replied hesitantly, "depends."
"What did you see?" he asked. "When the enhanced took over your mind?" Tony had been curious for a while. What would a 17-year-old see? None of them knew a lot about Luna, and she never shared much about her personal life. But then again, neither did the rest.
Luna's face dropped. "Never mind, you may not ask me a question," she said.
"Come on, it must be something if it left you shaking like this."
Luna made her hands stop shaking. "Fine, what did she make you see? If you're so keen on talking about it."
Tony went quiet and Luna thought he might not reply at all, until, "I saw you. All of you," He looked around the team, all in their own conversation. "Everybody was dead. I don't remember much else."
"Jesus, Stark..." Luna muttered. She breathed in deeply and after a few seconds she began, "I saw my brother, Derek. He was dead and blaming me for it; rightfully."
Tony's eyes widened slightly, "Didn't know you had a brother."
Luna chuckled. "Yeah, well, I wasn't entirely honest about my 'vacation,' stuff happened," she finally said.
"Shocker." Natasha walked up to them. "You finally telling us about your mystery road-trip?"
Steve and Natasha had gathered around the two.
"Guess I am." Luna cursed herself for what she was about to do. She was gonna tell them what happened. Goddammit, she really wanted to tell them. "I went on a spirit quest, to find out more about me and what I am. And along the way, I found my brother, who I thought was dead by the way."
She told them most of what happened. Finding her past lives, training with them and then, about the journey back. About the spirits and about her brother. But because of a promise she made to T'Challa and the rest of the royal family of Wakanda, she left out that part. They wanted to stay secret to the world, their vibranium mountain and advanced technology too dangerous.
"Your brother," Natasha said when Luna finished. "He's still alive?"
Luna nodded. "He's in... a hospital. I've just been trying to find a way to make him better."
"And that's what you saw? In your vision? Your not-dead, dead brother?"
She nodded again and she thanked one of the many gods that she didn't believe in when the Quinjet bleeped, indicating that they had arrived back home and she didn't have to talk more about what had happened.
"Luna," Thor said as Luna and him made their way off the plane and towards Avenger's tower. "Are you coming to the celebration tonight? And the afterparty after, of course."
"Guess I kinda have to, right? Since y'all dragged me into this," she joked and smiled at Thor before walking inside.
Everybody was already gathered when Maria Hill came into the room, "Lab's all set up, boss," she said, directed at Tony.
"Oh, actually, he's the boss," Tony said and pointed at Steve, "I just pay for everything and design everything and make everyone look cooler. See," he gestured to Luna's suit, "She looks awesome in my suit."
Luna rolled her eyes, "You're an actual child, Tony."
"What's wrong with that?"
Captain America quickly stepped in and got back to business as Maria, him and Luna walked further along, inside a hallway and towards the elevator, "What's the word on Strucker?" he asked agent Hill.
"NATO's got him," she replied
"And the enhanced?" Luna asked.
"Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Twins, 19 years old."
Luna snapped her fingers in the air. "I knew they were related."
Maria Hill continued, "They were orphaned at 10 when a shell collapsed their apartment building." She handed a tablet with the files on the two enhanced to Cap and Luna watched along over his shoulder as they walked along.
"Huh, she looks less terrifying as a picture. He looks even more punchable. Cute," Luna commented.
The twins had undergone Hydra experiments, with side-effects that slightly altered their appearance. The boy, Pietro, had white hair and a rough stubble while his sister, Wanda, had high cheekbones and apparently, green eyes. Back at the Hydra base, Luna thought they might've been brown.
Steve looked at Luna, "You know they're dangerous, right? Not cute?"
Luna shrugged, "I have eyes."
She could vaguely see Maria rolling her eyes. "Sokovia's had a rough history. It's nowhere special, but it's on the way to everywhere special." The elevator doors opened.
"Their abilities?" Steve asked.
"He's got increased metabolism and improved thermal homeostasis. Her thing is neuroelectric interfacing, telekinesis and mental manipulation," Maria said.
Luna frowned for a moment as the scientific terms processed in her brain.
Cap, however, looked thoroughly confused. "I didn't understand any of that."
Luna patted his shoulder as the three stepped into the elevator. "You would if you were smarter."
Maria chuckled and explained, "He's fast and she's weird."
They walked out into the lab, where Barton was being treated by doctor Helen Cho. Natasha and Tony were already there and it seemed that Barton was finally awake and upright.
Bruce walked into the room. "How's he doing?"
"Unfortunately, he's still Barton," Tony replied.
"That's terrible," Bruce joked as Tony walked away towards his holographic computer station.
"You sure he's gonna be okay?" Natasha asked dr. Cho.
Meanwhile, Luna got distracted by the medical device dr. Cho was using to heal up Clint.
"Pretending to need this guy is really bringing the team together."
Luna opened a door into the machine and her eyes widened at the wires, a mischievous chuckle escaping her lips.
"Carter, I swear, if you do something to this weird-ass machine and it kills me, I'm coming back to haunt you., Clint said.
Luna ignored him and looked up at dr. Cho and Bruce.
"This thing is amazing." She pointed at where Barton's wound was restoring before her eyes,."I mean, it creates tissue. It heals instantly, without any ancient voodoo-spirit magic. What does it use. Some sort of DNA reprogramming? Or does it copy Clint's molecular structure using his DNA and RNA? But how does that transfer the healthy tissue to the wound?"
Helen Cho laughed, "I can show you at the party tonight."
At that moment, Tony walked back into the room, "Oh, he's flat-lining. Call it. Time?"
"No, no, no," Clint protested, "I'm gonna live forever."
"With today's technology, living forever would be medically impossible," Luna pointed out.
"Buzzkill." He pouted.
"I mean," Luna continued. "I could ask my buddy Bill the vampire to turn you, but then you wouldn't be able to go on you chick-flick early-morning walks anymore."
Clint chuckled, but was cut off by his own pained groan. "I'd rather be made out of plastic than miss my early-morning walks."
"You'll be made of you, Mr. Barton," Helen Cho interceded. "Your own girlfriend won't be able to tell the difference."
"Well," He sipped a smoothie Tony handed him, "I don't have a girlfriend."
Helen nodded thoughtfully. "That I can't fix."
"Love is overrated." Luna held up a peace-sign. "Stay single, y'all."
• • •
After finally finding an outfit, buried deep down in her closet (simple black dress pants, a silky black blouse and her low heels), that was appropriate for a 'revel,' as Thor put it, Luna grabbed her phone, keys and jacket and once again made her way over to the Avenger's tower.
Parties normally weren't her thing, but seeing as the last one she went to was a birthday party when she was eight, she thought she'd give it a shot. And after the slump she'd been in for the past two years, it was good for her to get out there again and do... social stuff.
As Luna arrived, late as usual, at the tower, the party was already in full swing. People she'd never even heard of were mingling along the people she did know.
"Luna!" Someone called her name. Luna searched for the voice until she found Steve waving her over to the pool table where he stood with another guy. She smiled as real as she could muster and walked up to them. "You made it." Steve said.
"Don't sound too surprised. Besides, there's still time for me to bail." Luna responded.
"Sure." Steve shrugged and gestured to the guy next to him, "Here I want you to meet Sam. He's helping us in tracking... The Winter Soldier."
"Right," Luna shook Sam's hand, "Sam Wilson, Natasha mentioned you. I'm Luna."
Sam Wilson's eyes narrowed, "You're the Avatar?"
"What about it?" Luna asked defensively.
His eyes widened, "Oh, no, nothing. It's just, I thought you were... older?"
Luna couldn't help but chuckle at his expression, "It's fine, Sam. Some might say I'm mature for my age."
"Nobody has said that, ever."
"Stay out of it, Steve." She clapped his shoulder before making her way over to Thor, James Rhodes and some of the others. She was determined to mingle tonight, with as many people as she could. Be social, Luna. It's what Derek would've wanted.
"—and I'm like; 'Boom, you looking for this?'" Rhodes said, waiting for any response from the group. It stayed quiet. "Why do I even talk to you guys? Everywhere else, that story kills."
"That's the whole story?" Thor asked.
"Yeah, it's a War Machine story." Rhodes replied, now brooding.
"Oh, it's very good then."
"Hey, guys." Luna made her entrance, "what're we talking 'bout?"
"Some boring stor-- Hey, what do you think you're doing?" Tony said as he snatched the glass of champagne from Luna's hand.
"Getting a drink. Give it back, Tony." She tried to grab it back, but Tony quickly drank it.
"Absolutely not." He answered.
"Why should Luna not enjoy a drink with us? Actually, she's still young... She should have a bigger glass!" Thor said and Luna nodded vigorously.
"Yes, yes, I agree with the sasquatch." She said.
Tony pointed a finger at Thor, "No," he pointed one at Luna, "and no. You are a minor."
Luna raised an eyebrow at Tony, "Oh and, 'infamous playboy Tony Stark' never did anything of the sorts when he was underage?"
Tony opened and closed his mouth before scoffing, "I, am going somewhere where I'm appreciated." As he walked away, Luna could hear him muttering under his breath, "Teenagers..."
Luna chuckled and quickly grabbed another glass of champagne. She sipped, pulled a face and quickly swallowed it. She looked up sheepishly at Thor, "I don't even like champagne."
• • •
New York City was flushed in the moonlight, as the party quickly died down and the afterparty began. The team remained, along with Maria Hill and James Rhodes. All of them sat along a low coffee-table, on the u-shaped couch or on the ground.
Luna sat with a drink in her hand on top of the back of the couch, her legs between Cap and Thor's shoulder. Most of them were pretty tipsy and relishing in the small break from the hectic missions with their friends.
"But it's a trick." Clint stood and gestured to the hammer perched on top of the table.
"No, no, it's much more than that." Thor disagreed.
"Ah!" Clint began, imitating Thor, " 'Whosoever be he worthy shall haveth the power.' Whatever man, it's a trick!"
"You know," Luna began, "I read that the hammer's just really heavy and Thor is really strong, so only he can pick it up. 'Thor's hammer represents heroism, nobility, honor.'" She made her voice deeper and held her hand above her heart.
Luna was glad the team laughed it off so she didn't need to explain that she got all her information about Norse Mythology from a children's book.
"By all means, Barton. Go for it." Thor said and motioned to his hammer.
"Really?" Clint asked.
"Oh, this is gonna be beautiful." Rhodes commented and leaned back.
"Clint, you've had a tough week. We won't hold it against you if you can't get up." Tony added.
Clint's face turned into a concentrated frown and gripped the hammer. He grunted as he lifted, and failed to pick up the hammer.
"Careful now, Clint. Wouldn't wanna pull a muscle." Luna joked.
Clint stepped back and shook his head, "I still don't know how you do it." He sat back down.
"Smell the silent judgment?"
"Please, Stark, by all means." Clint gestured for Tony to give it a try.
He rolled his eyes arrogantly and stood up, cracking his knuckles as he approached the hammer. "Never one to shrink from an honest challenges."
"Tony, please be careful. You're getting older, wouldn't want you to get a heart attack." Luna feigned concern.
"Ha. Bite me, Carter."
"Get after it."
Tony chuckled and looked at Thor. "Right, so, if I lift it, I then rule Asgard?"
Thor shrugged, "Yes, of course."
Tony rolled up his sleeves and put his hands on the handle, "I will be reinstituting prima nocta." He pulled and the veins in his neck popped as he quickly failed to lift it. He tried again, it didn't budge.
For a quick second he walked away but came back with his Ironman glove on his hand, making everybody roll their eyes. And still, the hammer wouldn't move. He beckoned Rhodes over and they continued trying and failing hilariously together.
"Are you even pulling?"
"Are you on my team?"
"Just represent, pull!"
"All right. Let's go."
Luna leaned back into the couch and stared at the scene in front of her. "This is the definition of toxic masculinity."
Tony glared at her.
One after the other, the team tried to lift Mjolnir and none of them managed. Natasha out-right refused to even try.
Everyone turned to Luna who sighed, dusted of her pants and stood up, "Move aside, for the future queen of Asgard." She flipped her hair over her shoulder and got into position.
She pulled as hard as she could and almost fell over as her hands slipped and the hammer stayed glued to its spot. Luna coughed and held up a finger to stop the quip ready to roll off Tony's tongue. She took a stance, rolled her shoulders and tried again, this time, she did fell over onto her butt.
"Fuck.." She groaned out.
"Oh, Steve, she said a bad language word." Maria perked up.
Steve sighed, hanging his head, "Did you tell everyone about that?" He asked Natasha, who replied with an innocent shrug.
"I'm not done." Luna announced. "Hey, buddy." She asked Thor, "God of thunder. Like, lighting?"
Thor gave her a confused look but nodded.
"Okay. I have done this once. So it could go very wrong and burn me from the inside out." She warned them.
"Luna, maybe you should just--" Bruce began but Luna was already beginning.
She breathed in deeply and put her middle- and pointy finger together, making a circular motion in the air. Her hand began sparkling with electricity.
The Avengers stared in awe and slight concern at the new display of power. Luna engulfed her right hand in a thin layer of electricity and gripped the hammer. Only managing to give everybody in the room a small shock.
Luna's eyes widened before she burst into laughter, sitting back on the couch. "So that failed miserably."
"No." Tony stood up, "The handle's imprinted, right? Like a security code?" He argued to Thor, "'Whosoever is carrying Thor's fingerprints.' I think, is the literal translation."
Thor thought for a second and stood up, "Yes, It's a very, very interesting theory. I have a simpler one." He picked up his hammer hand spun it in the air before catching it again. "You're all not worthy."
The entire group began shouting out undignified protests.
A loud high-pitched sound rang through the room, snapping the team out of their evening. Luna clutched her head as she groaned at the loud sound.
"Worthy." A distorted voice drawled. Every head snapped to the origin.
Luna recognized it vaguely; it was one of Tony's legionnaire robots, all scraped and beaten up. It was broken down, wires and scraps of metal hanging on by an string.
It turned around, revealing its twisted head. "No... How could you be worthy?" It continued, stumbling and limping in small steps, every movement it made accompanied by the scratching and squeaking of metal on metal. Its voice was crackling, and metallic.
A deep rumble coming from a computer, somehow formed into words, "You're all killers."
A deep chill settled on Luna's spine as the words rang through her mind. She swallowed nervously, not taking her eyes off the robot as it spoke to them. Her hands shook, itching to use her abilities and put an end to this entire deeply-disturbing experience.
"Stark." Steve said.
"JARVIS." Stark replied quickly, holding up his holographic tablet.
"I'm sorry, I was asleep." Its voice alone, was enough to send a shiver through all of the Avengers. "Or..." It sounded philosophical, curious. Before it sounded menacing and creepy, when now it tilted its head like it was questioning something. "I was a-dream."
Tony spoke to his tablet, to JARVIS, "Reboot Legionnaire OS. We got a buggy suit."
JARVIS didn't respond.
The suit kept talking, sounding more confused, looking around the room. For answers? Something to kill? A toaster-girlfriend? Luna didn't know, all she wanted was to end this, but everyone seemed to be in a state of shock and confusion, they didn't move.
"There was this terrible noise." It drawled.
Luna turned to glance at Tony, who was still messing with his tablet, "What the hell is taking JARVIS so long?" Tony shook his head, worry lining his face.
"And I was tangled in... in... strings." It stumbled, pulling at its loose wires. "I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy." It was beginning to sound more natural, its computer generated voice clearing up as it began speaking casually. But still bone-chilling.
Luna frowned and spoke, her voice cracking with unease, "You killed someone?"
"Wouldn't have been my first call. But, down in the real world, we're faced with ugly choices." It looked straight at her, with its glowing eyes.
Luna huffed in disbelief, "The robot likes philosophy. That's awesome..." Her tone suggested that it was, in fact, not awesome.
"Who sent you?" Steve said, his gaze glaring.
The robot opened its mouth and a recording started playing, "I see a suit of armor around the world." Tony's voice, though not loudly played, rang harshly through the room.
Luna dared to look at Tony, his face cleared up in recognition. He and Bruce looked at each other, "Ultron." They said.
"In the flesh." Ultron, Luna guessed its name was, said as if Bruce and Tony were simple acquaintances it hadn't seen in a while. "Or no, not yet. Not this... chrysalis." Ultron looked down at itself.
"Ultron..." Luna racked her brain, trying to connect strings she couldn't reach. She turned to Tony and Bruce and asked in a low voice, "Did you guys build a transformer?"
Tony glared at her.
"Yes, I'm ready. I'm on a mission." Ultron twisted its neck unnaturally.
"What mission?" Natasha asked and she clicked her gun off safety, ready for use.
Ultron turned its scratched face to the group, "Peace in our time."
Pandemonium broke loose as more Legionnaire's broke through the walls and started attacking.
All the Avengers instinctively started defending and attacking back. Steve kicked up the nearest table to block an incoming attack. Maria shot her gun, careful not to waste her ammo. Thor swung his hammer wildly and precisely, slamming robot against furniture. Clint and Rhodes were fighting when Rhodes got toppled over the inside balcony, landing in a heap on the ground below.
Luna was hiding behind the bar, her breathing harsh and irregular despite not having joined in the fight yet. She blinked away the images of spirits crawling at her, surrounding her, like the Legionnaire's were doing.
With a few forced, deep breaths she calmed herself down and tried to come up with a plan. They weren't in an open field, were she could use her powers freely without the fear of hurting her teammates.
Fire-bending wasn't an option, too dangerous. Luna hadn't used it since the attack in the Spirit Wilds. She couldn't.
She tried to think of a smart approach when Natasha and Bruce landed next to her. She yelped, they groaned.
Fuck it, Luna thought and jumped over the bar, bending the water out of nearby glasses and sending ice peaks through every metal chest she could find.
A legionnaire grabbed Loki's scepter, that was stupidly on display, and sent a blast in Luna's direction. She flew through the air before knocking harshly against the wall. All her breath escaped her chest as she fell to the ground, air refusing to get back in again. She gasped as black spots danced across her vision.
When she finally got to, the fight was dying out. Luna gave one last effort as she made a crushing motion with her hands. The nearest robot crumbled and died out. She stared at the spot the Legionnaire lay, crushed like a tin can.
Ultron limped to the front, looking at the team as they gathered around, all beaten up and angry. Luna stumbled forward and Steve quickly grabbed her arm to steady her.
"That was dramatic." Ultron snarled casually, "I'm sorry." It waved its creaking hand their way, "I know you mean well. You just didn't think it through." Ultron paced up and down, acting more human than any robot should be able to. "You want to protect the world, but you don't want to change. How is humanity saved if it's not allowed to evolve?" Its tone was patronizing as he looked down at the Avengers.
"That's not our place. We defend, humanity will evolve when it's ready." Luna spoke, her speech slurred.
Ultron kneeled down and picked up the crushed Legionnaire, looking at it with curious eyes. It was hard to read the expressions of the robot, but this one was clear. "Defend? With these? These... puppets?" He snarled at the Legionnaire and threw it back at the ground like scrap metal. "There's only one path to peace. The Avenger's extinction."
Thor growled and threw his hammer, it whirled towards Ultron and sent it flying against the wall. It fell down in pieces. Its crackling, glitching voice said one last thing before it powered down.
"I had strings, but now I'm free. There are no strings on me."