Keira was sitting on the floor, crosslegged and absentmindedly tracing the lines on Steve's shield with her finger. Even over the rumble of the jet and her own music, the opera music blasting from Bruce's headphones could be heard clear as day.
Or at least to her and Steve, considering their enhanced hearing. Now that she thought about it, Thor could probably hear it as well. She wasn't complaining though. The slow tunes were different from the punk songs playing in her headphones, but she kind of liked the odd mixture.
Tony was up front, steering the ship with the help of JARVIS. Keira still couldn't shake the feeling that something had happened when he retrieved the scepter, because the man had been uncharacteristically quiet the whole ride. She made a mental note of asking him about it once the whole team wasn't around, although she wasn't sure she'd be able to get a straight answer out of him.
She glanced up at Steve, who was leaning over Clint and making sure that the IV drip was taped securely to his hand. Natasha stopped by his side, muttering a few words with a smirk on her face and Keira was sure she was making a joke.
Thor was walking over to the scepter, staring down at it. He was probably the happiest that they had managed to retrieve it. An Asgardian relic like that shouldn't be in the hands of man.
Natasha crouched down in front of Bruce and engaged him in conversation. Keira just watched them, unable to hold back her suspicion that the scientist had a thing for the redhead. And judging from the shy glances he threw at her, Keira couldn't say that they lessened. She took out her earphones just in time to hear Natasha raise her voice, not only speaking to Bruce anymore.
"Thor, report on the Hulk"
"The gates of Hel are filled with the screams of his victims." The blond god raised a fist in victory, a clueless smile on his face.
Natasha threw him an incredulous look over her shoulder, and Bruce buried his face in his hands, groaning in despair. Keira had to smother her smile because she knew that Thor hadn't meant any harm. In reprimand, she lightly slapped his calf, seeing as he was standing right beside her now.
Thor glanced down at her, a confused look on his face before glancing at Banner. "Uh, but not the screams of the dead, of course. No, no, uh... wounded screams. Mainly whimpering, uh, a great deal of complaining and tales of sprained deltoids and uh... gout." He finished off awkwardly, trying to dig himself out of the hole he had found himself in.
"Good try, Thunderbolt." Keira said in a low voice, unable to keep her smile at bay any longer, and tapped his calf lightly. The god just shot her a look of puzzlement, still not really sure of what he had said wrong, and she couldn't help but love his innocence.
"Hey, Banner. Dr. Cho is on her way in from Seoul. Is it okay if she sets up in your lab?" Tony asked from the front, saving the god from the awkwardness.
"Uh, yeah, she knows her way around." Bruce looked relieved at the change of subject.
"Thanks." Tony's attention turned to the clouds outside again while he muttered instructions to JARVIS.
Keira leaned her head back against the crate and closed her eyes. Having the scepter near her again also meant that the buzzing in her head increased, which was not something she appreciated. She had handled the scepter and its gem enough times to last her a lifetime and she couldn't wait until it was back on Asgard again.
Just like before, she couldn't help but feel as if it was alive somehow. Reading the minds in the room, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
"Feels good, yeah?" Tony's voice said from behind her, and she opened her eyes. She hadn't even noticed that he had given control to JARVIS and walked over to Thor and Steve. "I mean, you've been after this thing since SHIELD collapsed. Not that I haven't enjoyed our little raiding parties but..."
"No but this... This brings it to a close." Thor finished the sentence.
"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?" Steve questioned, a frown on his face and his arms crossed over his chest.
"Since around two years, give or take." Keira piped up, turning around and shifting a little bit so she could watch the three men, who just stared at her in surprise, which only caused her to sigh. "Jesus, does nobody listen to me, or do you all believe I was in a coma for almost two years?" She got up on her feet, brushing off the dust from her.
Steve's frown melted away immediately, and pity shone in his eyes. Pity that Keira didn't want. "No, of course, that's not what we-" But he turned quiet when Keira held up a hand.
"No." Keira could feel the resentment boiling in her chest. It burned and twisted, coiling like a venomous snake inside her chest. "The first thing I did after coming back, was to give you the information I had. Telling you about the scepter and its possible whereabouts. About the two successful trials during my time there. And yet, you're acting as though I haven't disclosed a single damn thing!" She finished off, becoming painfully aware of how her voice had risen with every single word.
A hand found hers, forcing her to look down. It was Natasha, intertwining their fingers and squeezing gently. The green orbs were big, filled with understanding. "Nobody believes that, Keira. And deep down, you know it too." She said in a soft, low voice, tugging the blonde away from the men, whose faces were painted with shock.
Nobody except Natasha or Clint had seen her lose that much control before.
"Here." Natasha guided the blonde down over to Clint's side, pushing her down into a sitting position. She was met by a little resistance at first, but after a gentle push, her friend obliged and folded her knees. It had been a conscious decision to place the mutant here, wanting her as far away as possible from the rest of the group, who continued to speak in low voices.
Keira gave a shaky breath, feeling her pulse beating in her temples, and held onto Natasha's hand as though it was a lifeline, the only thing keeping her from drowning.
"Key. Breathe for me, okay?" Natasha settled herself in front of the distressed blonde, gently brushing a few strands of hair behind her ear with her free hand. But Keira didn't seem to hear her. The grey eyes were glazed over, staring out into nothingness.
It was as though she saw the world through a mist. The redhead in front of her was blurred and her voice was muffled, as though underwater, fading away into the void. Keira couldn't focus, could barely feel the hand in her own. Her chest stung, every breath felt like razors were traveling up and down her throat. Why wasn't she able to see or hear clearly? Why couldn't her brain just cooperate with her?
"-ira? Key?"
A sharp snapping sound just beside her ear caused her to flinch, the sound being surprisingly clear, which caused her to look around in confusion. A pair of green eyes came into focus, shining with worry.
"Key? Keira? Hey, come back to me."
"T- Tasha?" The blonde croaked, blinking rapidly to try and regain focus on her surroundings. Her chest was still stinging, and she was wheezing with every breath she took.
"That's right. Come back to me, Key." Natasha whispered, finally daring to brush a hand through the blonde's hair, now that the diamond skin on her knuckles had disappeared.
Keira was still feeling as though the world was spinning underneath her, nausea creeping up her throat. "I- I'm sorry, Tasha. I shouldn't ha-" But the rest of was smothered as the redhead embraced her. Keira's face was smushed against the redhead's shoulder and she could barely hear the words of comfort that Natasha was whispering to her.
By instinct, her body tensed up, not ready for the embrace, but after a moment, her body relaxed, and she could throw her arms around the spy. After a few more seconds though she was forced to nudge her head to the side, allowing her body to breathe some much-needed air. "Okay, okay, Tasha. I need to breathe, believe it or not."
Natasha broke the hug and held the blonde at arm's length, scrutinizing her intently. "You're not gonna disappear on me again?" She questioned seriously, holding onto Keira as though she was afraid that she'd slip away if she let go.
Keira smiled at the worried tone and shook her head. "No, I don't believe I will." She tried clambering to her feet, but immediately got pulled down. "Wha- Tasha?"
"No. You're staying put." Natasha narrowed her eyes in warning before standing up herself. Not missing the slight twitch in Keira's fingers, she put a hand on the blonde's head, gently pushing it down. "I said no. Stay, Key."
Keira bowed her head to escape the pressure and chuckled. "What do I look like to you? A dog?"
"Again, no. But you're not getting up until you've gotten something in your stomach, and I happen to know you always got some snacks in your archery bag."
Keira watched as Natasha marched over to the bag lying underneath one of the seats and crouched down to rummage through it. She didn't miss the death glares the spy threw at the men either, who all looked embarrassed and didn't chitchat anymore.
"One chocolate bar coming up." Natasha said satisfactorily, settling down in front of Keira and offering the candy, the plastic wrapper already opened for easy access.
Keira gratefully took it and broke off two pieces, offering one to the redhead before raising her arm up. "Hey, Legolas. Wake up. No more beauty sleep for you." She teased, tapping the chocolate piece somewhere on Clint's wrist, who grunted in annoyance.
"As if I can sleep with all this noise." He groaned, accepting the chocolate. "Although, who knows if I'm even capable of eating, maybe it'll just fall out through my wound."
"So dramatic." Keira mused, shaking her head and breaking off a piece for herself before standing up, swiftly avoiding Natasha's hands, which were trying to stop her. She gave the redhead a look, which caused her friend to sink down again.
The blonde wandered over to Bruce, who still sat alone, his headphones on again and the opera music blasting. She crouched down and gently tapped him on the arm with the chocolate and he accepted the candy with a kind smile on his face.
She drew a deep, steadying breath before pushing herself up again. Steve, Thor, and Tony were still clambering around the scepter, none of them saying a word but merely looking at the glowing gem. Tony had his lips pressed together while Steve had a concerned crease between his eyebrows. Thor just looked blank, as though he didn't know how to feel at the moment.
"Hey, guys." They all looked up at the sound of her voice. "I'm sorry about... that." She started awkwardly, rubbing her shoes together and feeling all their eyes on her. "But, I bring a peace offering so... peace?" She pulled her gaze from the floor to see their faces, who all had broken into kind smiles.
"You have nothing to feel sorry about, Keira." Steve said sincerely, taking a step forward to place a hand on her shoulder.
"What Capsicle said." Tony agreed, earning a glare from Steve but smiling widely and putting a hand up, making the peace sign.
"Indeed, Lady Keira. Please, forgive us." Thor's baritone voice boomed, some blond strands hanging in front of his face as he held his head bowed in shame.
Keira could feel her face breaking into a smile, and she nodded, relieved, before breaking off a piece of chocolate for each of them. "Now, never complain again about my snacks." She reprimanded lightly.
"Never." They all agreed in unison.
It turned out that Natasha had managed to pull her back just in time, because she didn't have to wait long until New York City came into view, and with it, the Avengers Tower. The ramp of the jet had barely time to lower itself to the ground before a couple of women rushed in, speaking in rapid Korean and rolling Clint away.
Natasha threw her a questioning look, silently wondering if she'd be okay, and Keira just nodded at her to follow with Clint. She'd be alright. Because she had already figured out a way to make herself feel better. She watched as Clint disappeared, Natasha by his side, and knew they'd meet up later.
"Lab's all set up, boss." Maria said entering the jet with a tablet in her hand. "Good to see you're in one piece, Nowak." She added, a smile on her lips as her eyes fell on the blonde.
Tony, who was still in the cockpit, turned around. "Oh, actually, he's the boss." He pointed at Steve, who was crouched in the corner. "I just pay for everything and design everything and make everyone cooler." He finished off, rising from the chair.
"What's the word on Strucker?" Steve interjected, also getting back on his feet.
"NATO's got him."
Before Steve had any chance to follow Maria, Keira tapped his shoulder in warning before throwing herself on his back. She held on tight like a koala and it didn't take long before Steve hooked his arms under her knees. "This is payback?" He asked, amused.
"Definitely payback." Keira smiled. "Oh, and Tony." She turned her head to look at the man. "Be a dear and take my bag, will you?"
If the circumstances had been normal, Tony would've probably reacted with a sarcastic comment and started bickering, but now, he gave an amused huff and picked up her bag. "Only for you, Nowak." He grumbled under his breath. "Only for you."
"Thank you." She said sweetly, returning her focus to the tablet in Maria's hand.
"The two enhanced?" Steve questioned, following in Maria's footsteps.
"Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Twins." Keira answered before Maria had the chance to open her mouth, and the brunette nodded in confirmation.
Maria swiped on the tablet, showing a video of the two twins, passionately protesting with their fists waving in the air. "Orphaned at ten when a shell collapsed their apartment building." Seeing as Steve couldn't exactly swipe on the tablet himself as he was holding Keira, the brunette did it for him. The picture changed to one of a collapsed building. "Sokovia's had a history. It's nowhere near special, but it's on the way to everywhere special."
"Auch." Keira huffed, shifting her position a little so she could rest her chin on Steve's shoulder.
Maria merely rolled her eyes. "Oh, hush. You know what I mean."
"So what? Maybe I'm sentimental." Keira fake-sniffed, turning her head around.
"Their abilities?" Steve interrupted, seeing as Maria had been on the verge of biting back.
"He's got increased metabolism and improved thermal homeostasis. Her thing is neuroelectric interfacing, telekinesis, mental manipulation."
Damn, it sounded so complicated when Maria worded it like that, and Keira could practically feel the confusion radiating from Steve. "He's fast and she's-"
"Weird." Maria finished her sentence.
"I was going for the word 'special'." Keira gently scolded, tapping Steve on the shoulder to let him know he could release her. She slid down his back and her knees buckled slightly when all of her weight fell on them. And she was supposed to be superior to humans? Bah, humbug.
Steve, who didn't want to listen to any more banter, shrugged lightly. "Well, they're gonna show up again."
"Agreed. File says they volunteered for Strucker's experiments. It's nuts."
Steve, entering the elevator and pushing a button, turned around to watch the two women. "Right. What kind of monster would let a German scientist experiment on them to protect their country?" He questioned, raising both his eyebrows.
"We're not at war, Captain." Maria stated dryly.
"No, but they are." Keira said, earning a nod of approval from Steve before the elevator doors blocked him from view.
"Why are you defending them?"
Keira exhaled through her nose before meeting Maria's gaze. She knew she wouldn't understand, but she asked, so an answer she would receive. "Because I've met them. I've seen them in person. I know they aren't bad." At Maria's arched eyebrow, Keira just shook her head. "I understand it sounds like rubbish in your ears, but it's not. They're not monsters, they're not heartless killers. They're just humans, Maria. Just like I was, they're being led down the wrong path, believing what they're doing is right. All we have to do is just give them the chance to right their wrongs."
The brunette still looked skeptical, but swallowed her retort. "Alright, if you say so, Keira."
"I do." Keira insisted, pressing the button to call down the elevator. "Now, can you please inform me how I get to the infirmary or lab, or wherever Clint is being held. I wanna make sure that my favorite archer isn't giving up on me."
Maria threw her a light smile before pressing the right level and giving explicit instructions on how to get to the lab, which proved to be on the same level as the living room. But to get to the room where Clint was being fixed, she also had to pass the scepter. The gem was glowing as brightly as ever, and Tony was pouring up a green smoothie by the window.
"Hey, Tony. Be careful with that thing." She warned in passing, not slowing down her steps.
Tony looked up from the smoothie and turned around, leaning against the table. "Why so tense, Nowak?" He questioned with a smirk.
"Because that thing is more dangerous, and more alive than it seems to be." She answered before turning the corner and seeing Clint lying down, the machine already working its magic. It looked complicated, laser beams shooting down at the wound that was already looking loads better. She didn't want to risk touching anything, so she fell back, leaning against the glass wall.
"You sure he's gonna be okay? Pretending to need this guy really brings the team together." Natasha smirked, straightening up with her arms crossed.
"There's no possibility of deterioration. The nano-molecular functionality is instantaneous. His cells don't know they're bonding with simulacra." Dr. Cho answered as if it was the clearest thing in the world.
Keira just felt her mouth hanging open, barely understanding a word. Why was everyone speaking in code today? First Maria, and now Dr. Cho. "Eh, in English please?"
Bruce was kind enough to dumb it down for her. "She's creating tissue." It was clear that the scientist was fascinated, his eyes shining with curiosity.
"Thanks, Brucie."
"If you brought him to my lab, the Regeneration Cradle could do this in twenty minutes." Cho softly bragged, proud of her own creation that was still back in Seoul.
"Oh, he's flatlining. Call it. Time?" Tony interrupted, holding a tray with smoothies for the whole team.
Keira couldn't say she was particularly fond of them, they were way too healthy for her taste, but they were good when you needed to regain some energy, so she gratefully accepted the smoothie that Tony offered her.
"No, no, no. I'm gonna live forever." Clint chuckled. "I'm gonna be made out of plastic." His pain had subsided, and he raised his head in order to take the smoothie from Stark.
"Oh, totally." Keira agreed. "Give it time, and you'll be a cool, plastic cyborg. And then you won't be allowed to die because plastic is bad for the environment." She said severely, sipping the smoothie and trying not to taste it.
"Ah, so that's what you're worried about. Good to know, Nowak." Clint joked back, trying to down his drink, which wasn't easy considering the awkward position he was lying in.
"You know I always got your back, Merida."
"You'll be made of you, Mr. Barton. Your own girlfriend won't be able to tell the difference." Cho reassured him with a kind smile.
"Well, I don't have a girlfriend." Clint denied easily. And technically, he wasn't lying. Laura was, after all, his wife, and not his girlfriend.
"As if anyone would be able to stand you for longer than five minutes." Keira chuckled, shrugging her shoulders as she earned a glare from Clint. But she didn't miss Natasha's amused smile, both of them knowing the truth.
"That I can't fix." Cho feigned disappointment, turning to talk to Tony. "This is the next thing, Tony. Your clunky metal suits are gonna be left in the dust."
"Well, that is exactly the plan." There was something about his tone that Keira didn't like. As if he already had an agenda to follow. She didn't get more time to try and understand what he meant before he changed the subject. "And, Helen, I expect to see you at the party on Sunday."
Natasha took her opportunity to snatch up her drink and disappear through the door, leaving the group behind.
"Unlike you, I don't have a lot of time for parties." Cho kindly declined, which caused Tony's eyebrows to rise. She glanced down at her tablet, and as though she just remembered something, her eyes darted uncertainly to the side. "Will... Thor be there?" She asked delicately.
Keira just arched an eyebrow, amused by the question but chose to leave the room, but not before patting Clint on the shoulder. "Good luck with them." She signed in farewell, smothering her laughter.