Bailey shuffled around Steve's closet, and pulled out one of his grey tight skin shirts.
"Here, take this," she tossed it over to Pietro, and then pulled down a pair of running sneakers for him.
"It will fit?" he raised an eyebrow to her, bundling the shirt up.
"Steve's a big guy, sure," she shrugged, and pointed to the grey material in his hands, "But his shirts are small. I have a feeling it has to do with Tony's wardrobe committee, might have a slight crush on the guy."
"Thank you," he nodded to her, and faced his sister who was wearing one of Nat's jackets, like Bailey herself.
Bailey continued wearing the tights and leather jacket instead of her cat suit, for her own personal reasons (being that she felt closer to Nat), and gently touched a folded piece of paper in the pocket every now and then.
There was a knock on the door, and Tony interrupted her moment of playing dress-up with the twins.
"Put these in," he handed all three of the youngest members earpieces to be able to communicate with the team.
Wanda looked sceptically to Pietro, who just shrugged and copied Bailey's action of tilting her head and trying to comfortably sit the piece of metal inside. Still unsure about the Comms, Wanda fitted it in her ears anyways.
Bax smiled at her, resting her hand on the younger girl's shoulder, and giving her a reassuring squeeze. Wanda was grateful at this, feeling Bailey had been the only Avenger to really accept her and her brother, or at least trying to be more than just civilised.
Bax nodded her head to the door, asking them to leave as she wanted some one-on-one time with one of her mentors in this industry.
As soon as they left, Tony held out a loosely wrapped gift to her.
"What's this?" she asked.
"Call it a new toy, her name's Friday," he shrugged, pulling off the silk wrapping to reveal a new set of goggles for her to use.
"I don't know what to say," she whispered, giving the man a grateful look as she tightened her hold on the goggles in both hand, smiling at him with love.
"You know you wanna," he wriggled his eyebrows and held his arms open.
Bax chuckled at the man, and wrapped her own arms around his torso. The ruff hands of Tony Stark grabbed on to her back, and one held the back of her head where he pulled her forward to just give her a kiss on the forehead.
"Just don't go out there and get hurt, I'll carry that on me," he warned her, which she swore to obey.
"You're not half as bad as the team makes you out to be," she teased him.
"Yeah, well, the Team only see the better half of me," he grinned back, and flicked his glasses out of his pocket, opening them and resting it on the crook of his nose.
Bailey snorted, "As if there's a good side."
"I can still take those back."
After their three minutes were up, Tony and Bax met up with whoever was left at the quinjet. Clint sat near the front, loading his quiver up with some spare arrows. He looked to them and smiled to Bailey, then turned his focus back to his weapon of choice.
Steve turned to face them, hand holding at the roof, ready for Tony to start flying the jet back to Sokovia.
Stark knew his position, and walked over to the steering panel.
Bax slipped over to where the twins stood close to one another, standing between them and slightly resting her hands on their shoulders in comfort. They both looked to her hands, and then to one another, and simultaneously rested their own palms on top of hers, stroking the back of her hand with their thumbs in sync. While it might've been creepy at first, Bailey allowed herself to smile at the trust they were confiding in her. She felt like a mama bear- actually more of an Older Sister Bear.
How old were these kids? How early were they brought into war?
Steve looked to her, and down to where the hands rested holding one another, then back to meet her eyes that shone a little brighter than before.
"Ultron knows we're coming," he stated when they lifted into the air, preparing his speech to rile them up before they reach Sokovia.
"Odds are we'll be riding into heavy fire. And that's what we signed up for, the people of Sokovia? They didn't. So our priority is getting them out. All they want is to live their lives in peace, and that's not gonna happen today, but we can do our best to protect them. And we can get the job done. We find out what Ultron's been building," he directed this to Thor, looking at the god with the orders and giving him his own mission.
"We find Romanoff," he now looked to Bailey, she had her mission too, "And we clear the field. Keep the fight between us," each word was spoken in in intense tone.
"Ultron thinks we're monsters, and we're what's wrong with the world. This isn't just about beating him, it's about whether he's right." Those words caught everyone's attention, the word monster had been thrown around a lot lately, used out of consideration way too often than the Avengers would have liked.
Bailey hated the fact that they all associated themselves with the word.
She let out a slow clap, in which Clint sarcastically followed suit.
"When do we start?" she smirked.
The jet touched down in a green forest, hiding amongst the trees and blending in to the melting snow. It was slippery now, Pietro couldn't start running until half a mile out, otherwise he would end up falling flat on his face. As much as Bailey would pay to see that happen to someone, she didn't feel this was the right moment of time.
Wanda was almost as quick to follow, hands shaking as she walked down a cobblestone path to reach anyone, breathing fast and calming herself down. Bailey could almost feel the nerves and guilt running about her stomach.
She turned to where Thor and Bruce stood, waiting for her.
Together, the three of them ran around the sides of the forest they landed in, towards the Hydra Base they had infiltrated those few moons ago.
They walked up to the cobblestone buildings, as elegant as it was the first time they had visited. Each stone was a different colour, each bearing their own story to tell. Bax pulled in an icey breath, and nodded over to the God and Hulk.
They had been given the choice to stand down if they wanted to, to run away, and Bailey could tell Bruce so desperately wanted to accept. He was scared of the publicity the Hulk had already received, traumatised by the way men finally thought of him now. The Doctor was stronger than any green guy though, and he was brave to still show up and want to fight on their side.
He was just here to get Bailey in first.
"The Widow can be found in the basement," Thor looked to her, "I have my own suspicions about what lies under the city," his deep voice with the Asgardian accent informed her.
With a crack, he threw his hammer to the ground and followed where the Earth had split. Thor was going to find what Ultron was planning, whatever he was using to carry such plan out, and stop to whatever extent he could. With his new knowledge of these Infinity Stones, Bailey held full trust in him and that he would be able to get the job done.
Bruce followed the Blonde-haired ghost into the old buildings basement, cracking at the worn down stairs and blindly placing one foot In front of the other in a continuous dance. Not a word was spoken, not a plan formed in either's head, no reassurance made up, and just their true fear and worry resting on their faces.
"You going to come in with me?" Bailey asked, stopping as a door that would inevitably lead into the basement and man-made cave that would hold the woman she so desperately needed to see again.
"I think this is a more personal matter. I'll see you at the fight," he sadly smiled, rolling up his sleeves.
"Promise you won't pummel me?" she asked, teasing.
"Depends how much the Other Guy likes you," Bruce played along, and turned to walk back up the stairs.
"Thank you!" she shouted after him, catching him by a surprise as he paused in the staircase.
He wanted to turn back, to admit all he was feeling inside, he also wanted to run, or tell her he was thankful too. He lost the game at winning the Dame's heart, only losing his own in the process. He won the game at trying to find himself. He took another step and waked past the shadow, out of Bax's vision.
She drew in a heavy sigh, and pushed at the old door that had been plastered to the wall. She grunted, and phased, not bothering to do it the normal way. Darkness clouded her vision, the only source of light coming from an orange glow in the distance.
She pulled out a glow stick from her jacket pocket, cracking it and shaking it to life.
The blue glow illuminated the cave, and she got the first sight of pure terror. Clunks of metal lay on tables and chairs, hanging from roofs and pillars. A single hole in the middle of the floor sat in a threatening manner, it would swallow her up whole without a thought to fly.
She gulped and looked down to a few weapons that lay at her feet, nearly finished, so close to completion. The work of Strucker, not Ultron. Ultron was his own weapon, a meteor he hoped to destroy the human race.
She kicked one of the destroyed heads to the side, and wondered down the Cave wall. He hand travelled along the wetness of the rock, eyes darting about for any sight of Nat at all.
"Natasha! Tash! Natasha!" she shouted, trying to get any verbal response possible.
"Bailey?" a broken voice asked out, shuffling around in echoes.
Bailey followed the sound, landing up close to steel bars of an old cell. She sighed in relief, and took a step towards the cell, examining every piece and touching at the metal bars.
"You alright?" she asked, almost crying at the sight of Nat and the cuts that littered her face.
"Yeah," Nat sighed back, just as relieved and happy to see the other woman.
"You're not just saying that, right?" Nat couldn't help but smile from the concern masking the Beautiful Woman's facial features.
"Never better," she stood up, walking over to the bars.
She looked to Bax's hands and where they hold on to the strips of metal caged between them, and tightened her own on top of Bailey's. A pink littered the Eidolon's cheeks, and it took a lot out of her to not float away from the happy buzz that filled her chest from the slight touch of hands. It was a feeling she could never remember experiencing.
"The team's in the City, we fear it's about to light up," Bailey managed to gulp out, staring into the forest orbs of Natasha Romanoff.
"I don't suppose you found a key laying around?" she teasingly asked, craning her head around to search the room in a pretence that she hadn't done so already.
"Uh, something like that," Bailey stepped back and clicked her neck and knuckles, before readying her position.
Her tangibility shifted, and she was able to phase pass the cell walls and right next to where Natasha stood.
"You do trust me, right?" she taunted, stepping closer to the woman that she could feel the tired breath. Nat's back straightened, and her heart rate picked up, ready to win a race that wasn't challenged.
"I haven't been given the reason not to, yet," Nat replied with the same tone, and allowed Baileys arms to snake around her waist.
"I'm glad you added the yet."
She willed the tangibility of the air around her to change, causing the auras of both her and Nat to shift and phase past the cell bars. Upon getting out the cell, Nat wrapped her arms around the taller's shoulders, not allowing her to escape from the hold on her waist just yet.
Bailey's shoulders shook, a shiver traveling up and down her spine, seeming like electricity but far more pleasant. She shivered like it was a cold winter morning, but was growing hot from how close they were.
"Fights up there," Bailey looked up, and back down to Nat, "Not here," she teased.
"Then what are we waiting for?"
"I don't know," she breathed out, causing Nat's hair to flow and tickled at her nose. Their skin was barely centimetres apart, brushing every now and then, long eyelashes danced on Bax's cheek, and her head slowly moving side to side as she tightened a hold of Nat's body.
She could watch the twitch of Natasha's lips, the climb of her head as her neck lifted up, reaching forward. She would've dreamed the moment over and over, recording it and playing on repeat. The beating of her heart was a tune that she would never forget, and the beating of Nat's became her favourite song.
But now wasn't the time.
She sent out a quick kick, startling the Red-head, and jumping into the sky. Nat's legs wrapped around her immediately, and her face buried into the left shoulder. Bailey smiled to herself, as she allowed the wind to brush her hair back and searched for the door she phased in through as an exit.
She followed the stairs that she had last seen Bruce trot up, and came face-to-face with the bright sunlight reflecting of the ice that was once snow. Her goggles tinted a shade, allowing her better vision.
Nat's fast breathes were slowly going down as they neared the tops of the trees overlooking the City of Sokovia. Bailey couldn't help but linger her gaze to Nat's eyes instead.
Topaz on Emerald once more.
"What's our play?" Nat asked her, catching the wind she had lost during their phasing, a skill she was not used to at all, and really dislike the feeling of becoming winded or twisting of the stomach.
"We could help with the evacuation, but you can rather get to safety," Bax offered.
"Job's not done," Nat retorted, with which Bailey gave a shrug of her shoulders.
"Ultron's men have taken the city," Steve's voice crackled into Bailey's earpiece.
The women shared a look, they knew what was to happen next. Their mission and job was to protect the Sokovians, and they were definitely not doing that from where they stood.
"I think that's our signal to become the superheroes we signed up to be," Nat joked.
"Then you might need this," Bailey plucked out the earpiece that was broken in the crook of Nat's ear, stuffing it in her pocket and pulling out a newer one to replace it with. She held it out for the woman, who was able to softly take it from her palm as she held herself up with her core and legs still wrapped around Bailey's body.
Suddenly the ground underneath them rumbled, cracks running along the Earth and around their feet. Bailey grabbed at Nat and shot to the sky, holding the woman as they hovered mere meters above the tree tops and falling rocks.
"Friday?" she asked in a panic.
"Sokovia is going for a ride."
"I don't think it's supposed to do that!" she shouted, pulling her body in front of Nat as more rubble shot into the sky.
The muscular arms adjusted itself on Bailey's shoulders, pulling the person up and closer. She hovered in the air, still trying to escape the shadows of falling trees, touching the cold breeze above them. They flew out, above the sea of green and watched as a crack rolled in a circle around the main part of the City.
"Do you see," a robotic deep voice spoke out, causing both heads to whip to the source of the sound, "The beauty of it? The inevitability. You rise," mimics of Ultron flew up around them, circling in the air, "Only to fall."
Bailey wrapped her arms under Nat's own, gripping at her chest and swinging the woman around. Natasha kicked them all down, letting the bodies fall towards the ground, but more kept flying up to them.
"You, Avengers, you are my meteor, my swift and terrible sword and the Earth will crack with the weight of your failure," Bailey snarled at this, pulling Nat back around as The Black Widow reached to her shoulders to pull out her electroshock batons.
She hit them together, waking them up, and a blue light flickered to life. She smirked at Bailey, and motioned for the woman to get closer. Together, like a rehearsed team, they fought in the air, not once allowing Bax's grip to falter as Nat manoeuvred around her to send a shock of electricity into the necks our power sources of the robots.
"Purge me from your computers, turn my own flesh against me. It means nothing. When the dust settles, the only thing living in this world will be metal."
The last of the robots near them was tapped out of the air, and both Woman floated, panting way heavier than they were supposed to be. Bailey tried to look Nat in the eye to see what the next part of their play was going to be, but she already knew the answer.
"Cap, you got incoming," the voice of Tony Stark called out in warning.
"Incoming already came in," Walking Flag grunted back.
"I've got this weird need to want to go help them," Bailey joked to Natasha, suggesting that the two go out and save their boys' asses.
"Stark you worry about bringing the city back down safely; the rest of us have one job, tear these things apart. You get hurt, you hurt 'em back. You get killed... walk it off."
"No dying on me today, Romanoff," Bailey warned her, raising her eyebrow in a flirtatious matter and tightening her arms around the waist, pulling the Red Head up closer to eye level because even in the air Bailey towered over her a few centimetres.
"I've got a compelling reason not to," and all of a sudden she could feel the red lips on her own.
The feeling that ignited was way different than any kiss she had ever shared. The previous ones had always felt exactly like Hand-Holding, it was skin on skin, nothing special. But this kiss made her get lost at the touch, she understood what movies were trying to speak. The indescribable feeling burned memories of drinking the first sip of a hot drink at 6AM, a heat igniting inside each inch of your stomach.
She touched her hand to Nat's face, pulling her in closer and only fuelling at the fire in her chest. Bailey melted into the kiss, never feeling so much glee or completion in her life.
It felt right.
It felt way too right.
If it were possible she would never let the moment end. She would pause it, not replay it over and over. The kiss was something that was unexperienced by those who never felt love, yet treasured by the ones who have the privilege of meeting someone who would love them back.
How would she begin to describe a feeling of perfection?
They pulled apart when Nat's body shifted slightly, slipping slowly. A rock nearly missed them, and their senses shook back as they watched the piece of ground slowly rise into the air. The piece of ground being an entire City. Ultron's plan to wipe out all life with a meteor was the reality playing in front of them, as his own man-made meteor was climbing in altitude with each second.
"Let's get you to your ride," Bailey widened her eyes.
"Agreed," Nat nodded, looking down at how far the ground was from them.