"Cap"
It's all I can do to keep my eyes from widening when Clint Barton and Wanda Maximoff step from the white van. It still shell-shocks me every time I meet the people I've watched and protected from the shadows of Nicholas J. Fury's protection
"You know I wouldn't have called if I had any other choice" Rogers responds, walking forward and shaking the man's hand.
"Hey man, you're doing me a favor," Clint assures, before glancing back at Wanda, "Besides, I owe a debt"
My eyes turn to the lone Maximoff twin, the girl barely out of her teenage years who was forced to grow up all too fast. I can relate to her on that.
"Thanks for having my back" Steve addresses, nodding at her. She nods back, cool determination splayed on her features.
"It was time I get off my ass" she responds. I smile, already taking a liking to the girl. Both Clint and Wanda turn their eyes to me, curiosity flashing within them.
"You're new," Clint observes, holding out his hand to me, "I'm Clint"
I smile and shake it, my nerves easing at the kindness of the group.
"I'm Dawn" I respond, pulling my hand back and nodding to Wanda as she offers me a smile.
"Wanda" She greets.
"Wait, you're the snake girl, right?" Clint suddenly asks. An look of amused confusion grows on my face and I turn to Steve, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Snake girl?" I repeat, my voice heavy with humor. He chuckles, scratching the back of his neck.
"I didn't know how else to describe you" he defends.
"Oh," Wanda continues, looking to Clint and nodding her head, "She is the gorgeous that Sam was talking about"
This one doesn't surprise me, but it does make me laugh.
"I'm stuck with that, aren't I?" I ponder, looking over to Sam. He smirks, winking at me.
"Sure are"
"How about our other recruit?" Steve asks Clint.
"He's rarin' to go" Clint responds, walking back to the van and sliding open the side door. I watch with curiosity over who the recruit.
"I put a little coffee in him, but he should be good" he continues, the click of the door startling the sleeping man inside. He jolts I'll, his gaze darting around. I immediately place him as Scott Lang, the Ant-Man. One of the newest, and most entertaining if you ask me, prospects in the hero game.
"What time zone is this?" Scott asks as he stumbles out of the van. He looks around in vague confusion until his eyes widen on the sight of us standing before him. Clint shoves him forward a little, making him stumble.
"Ca-Captain America" he greets, shaking Cap's hand vigorously. I smile in amusement at the encounter, watching how much he's shaking the poor soldier's hand.
"Mr. Lang"
"It's an honor," Scott responds, finally glancing down at his hand and letting go, "I'm shaking your hand too long"
He steps back, looking at us again as if we're the candy in a shop that a kid begs him mother for at the checkout lane.
"Wow, this is awesome! Captain America" he repeats, turning until he sees Wanda, "I know you too, you're great"
She nods, trying to keep from laughing. I have to do the same when he turns around and pays Cap's unusually large and toned pecks.
"I just want to say," he rambles on, clearly star struck, "I know you know a lot of super people. So thinks for thanking of me"
This time a small snort escapes my nose at the word mixup and I have to turn to hide the smile on my face. Bucky, who has moved behind our car, shakes his head at me and tries to wipe off his own smile. I turn back once I'm composed to see him looking now to Sam.
"Hey man" he greets, looking almost...sorry?
"Sup tic tac"
"Good to see you. Look, what happened last time-"
"It was a great audition but it'll never happen again" Sam interrupts. The mystery encounter peaks my interest. I look over at Sam, my brows furrowed.
"What happened last time?" I ask. He shrugs coolly.
"Tic tac may have landed a hit or two on me" he informs.
"Hit or two? I pummeled you, and managed to break into the facility" Scott interrupts, a proud lilt to his face. I lift an amused eyebrow, glancing over at a very pissed off Sam.
"Oh really?" I ponder.
"I was sick"
"No you weren't," Scott once again interrupts, grabbing my attention again, "Hey, you're that girl from the news. Viper, right?"
I smile warmly at him, most definitely liking anyone that can get the drop on Sam and his ego.
"Sure am," I affirm, a small bit of giddiness budding in my chest at the recognition, "Most people just call me Dawn, though"
He nods, returning my smile before Steve pulls the attention of the group back to the situation at hand.
"They tell you what we're up against?"
"Something about some psycho assassins?" He guesses.
"We're outside the law on this one, so if you come with us you're a wanted man" Steve informs. Scott looks the least bit fazed.
"Yeah, well, what else is new?"
It's here that I realize the pain of Dean being found has dulled significantly, replaced instead with amusement and a sense of purpose. It makes me wish that I had pushed Fury to let me out of hiding earlier. It's so much better in the light.
"We should get moving" Bucky calls, the wind blowing his hair slightly.
"We've got a chopper lined up" Clint announces. A German voice speaking over the speakers throughout the airport interrupts our conversation. We all listen to the foreign words for a minute before Bucky translates for us.
"They're evacuating the airport" he informs.
"Stark" Sam offers, realization settling in me that a battle to reach Siberia is brewing here.
"Stark?" Lang questions, almost in disbelief. Steve clenches his jaw, his gaze off in the distance heroically.
"Suit up"
I nod along with the rest of the team, making my way to the trunk of our car where our gear lies. I pop it open, pulling out my suit and immediately looking for a place to change.
"Dawn, we can change in the van if you want" Wanda calls out, noticing the discomfort among us. I smile, relief flooding me as I walk towards the white car with her. The two of us climb in, but before we can shut the door I hear Sam call out to us.
"I really don't mind you changing out here" he announces.
"Remember what I said I'd do if you used another stupid pick-up line?" Bucky threatens right before the door clicks shut. At this last phrase we break out into soft chuckles and laughter.
We each settle into a part of the van, trying to work our ways into our suits. For Wanda it's easy since she just wears a dress. I have to struggle into spandex, though, which is never forgiving.
"Are you ready for all of this?" I ask the girl, slipping out of my current clothes.
"As I'll ever be," she responds, a bit of wariness in her response, "It feels like only yesterday I was running around with Pietro being young. Now, well, I don't feel so young anymore"
The sympathy that grows in me is not from a place of pity, but of pure understanding from past experience.
"I know what it's like," I reply, looking over at the girl, "Having to grow up all too fast because you lose the one thing that's most important in life"
At this, the Scarlet Witch's eyes turn to mine. A sense of mutual loss surges between us.
"How old were you?" She asks.
"Sixteen" I answer, turning and laying my suit out to put on.
"It's just so unfair," she rambles, emotion charging her tone, "I barely got the chance to be a kid"
I sigh, knowing how she feels. For some reason, I feel the need to take on the older sister role Wanda never got and I lost.
"Things happen and sometimes we just can't change it," I begin, pulling my feet into the suit, "But those things lead us to where we are. And look at us, we're superheroes"
She giggles, her mood lightening.
"You are right," her accented voice affirms, "I never thought to think of it like that"
A comfortable silence fills the car as we dress, preparing ourselves for the battle ahead.
"So," Wanda begins, her eyes raising to mine from over the seat she's changing in, "How long have you liked Bucky?"
I almost choke.
"Oh, I don't-"
"You two are adorable together" Wanda adds on, cutting off my denial. My cheeks redden and I lower my face, shaking my head at the girl. I manage to pull my suit up to my shoulders, getting the zipper up by myself.
"I have no idea what you're talking about"
"I can read minds you know, you can't lie to me" Wanda lilts. My mouth pops open slightly, my heart rate spiking painfully. An overwhelming wave of truth crashes over me, inundating in a rush of confusing feelings.
I hadn't realized I was lying until she'd said it.
"Oh my God, you're right" I mumble, my wide eyes lifting from the floor as I slip my knives into their place at my thighs. I hear her laugh softly before her hand pats my shoulder.
"You've got it bad, girl"
I lean my head back in the seat, my suit fully on now. My eyes flutter closed and a familiar pang of hurt and almost despair shoots through my heart.
"What's wrong?" Wanda asks, her tone gentle yet confused. I blow out a sigh, opening my eyes and turning so that I face the girl. At this point we're fully dressed, but neither of us seems ready to leave the sanctity of the van.
"I just," I begin, biting my lip, "I'm so scared"
A confused look appears on the Avenger's face.
"Of what?" Wanda inquires.
"Of losing another person I care about," I answer, the confession feeling foreign to my lips, "Of hurting him, mentally or physically"
"You can't let your fear of losing something keep you from even having it in the first place" Wanda begins, placing her hand over mine.
"And I know what it's like to lose someone and fear losing another," she relates, hinting to the loss of her twin, "Trust me, it's not worth it to shut out the chance of caring for other people"
In that moment, I feel totally and completely not alone.
More than my feelings for Bucky, this conversation is showing me just how much of a family I'm finding here. It's enough to almost bring tears to my eyes.
"Thanks" I whisper, giving her a soft smile.
"Anytime," Wanda shoots out, giving me a quick smirk, "And by the way, if you think he doesn't like you back than you're just blind"
I laugh, opening the van door and stepping out in our suits. My laughter, though, hides how much I don't believe the Maximoff on James Buchanan Barnes liking me back. Call it being naive or blind or stupid, but I call it keep keeping my heart from the torture of knowing that someone I care about could care less about me.
Once we shut the van door, I let the thoughts melt away, or at least I try to. They still burn at the back of my mind, but I know I have bigger things to focus on at the moment.
Things like the impending break of the Avengers.