R͟u͟t͟h͟l͟e͟s͟s͟ {Q͟u͟i͟c͟k͟s͟i͟l͟v͟e͟r͟/ A͟v͟e͟n͟g͟e͟r͟s͟}

Chapter 26: Invulnerable

"Here we are," The driver said kindly as we pulled to a stop. I looked out the window at the building. Covered in ash and soot, and with paint peeling on every side, it looked absolutely terrible. The windows were barred and the wooden door was cracked and splintering. But, considering the condition of the rest of the city, it looked decent. As I continued to stare at the building, it began to seem familiar. I pushed the thought aside.

"Is the whole city like this?" I asked hesitantly.

Clint laughed, but it sounded grim as we climbed out of the old car. "More like the whole country," He said, sounding distant. "Anywhere there might be people, at least."

This information didn't seem to surprise Pietro, of course. "So Wanda... She completed her mission?" Pietro asked, like he knew more about this than we did, "Your group, they are in hiding? How many?"

"Only about 2500," Clint shook his head, and he seemed tentative around Pietro. Nobody really trusted him, it seemed. I wasn't even sure if I did. "There would have been more, but a lot were killed during the spread."

"The Spread?" I asked, my eyebrows raising.

"Ugh, couldn't you have thought of a better name?" Tony made a small noise of disapproval, "It sounds like we're talking about a part of the sandwich making process,"

"Almost 2 million people were killed," Clint shot a look a Tony, "Some of those people I knew personally and many people lost everything. I don't think it really matters what we call it."

Tony shrugged, "I'm just saying, I would've picked something that sounds more dramatic,"

I glared at him. Not the time.

Clint pushed open the split door and held it open for us as we walked into the room. The tension in the air tangibly thickened. The floor was made of hard concrete. Injured people were pressed up against the wall, or on makeshift chairs. Babies were crying and the buzzing of people talking, crying, and moving immediately filled my hearing. Once again, my brain was ringing with the idea that I had been here before. I must've looked confused.

"I've been here before," Pietro looked just as helpless, voicing my thoughts. I tried to focus harder on remembering.

"I know where we are," Tony nodded toward the corner as he spoke, "Found Strong half-dead in that corner, practically drowning in her own blood." He glanced around. "You've really cleaned up the place. Last time I saw it, there was bodies and blood everywhere." He gestured at the floor, "I mean there're still bloodstains, but they're faded. Except the really fresh ones, from the new people,"

My eyes widened. "Oh," said uncertainly. I did recognize this place. It was the first time I'd seen Pietro in almost a decade. I was suddenly very uncomfortable. Pietro looked at me for a brief moment, then looked away quickly. This is where Wanda gathered some of her first "followers". As soon as I discovered the twins and their company...I shuddered to think of it. I remembered watching the people tearing each other's limbs apart and falling to the ground, whimpering. I hadn't understood why. It made sense to me now, though I almost wish it didn't. She must have been covering up, and didn't want anybody to realize what was going on. I didn't think the little girl I'd grown up with could turn into this monster. Wanda had scampered off before I could really see her and make any sense of it, but Pietro stayed to finish me off. Fresh fear surged through me and once again I felt like hiding.

Startling me, Pietro wrapped his fingers around my arm nervously and looked at me. "I need to explain."

I pushed his arm away. "Not now," I said, closing my eyes briefly and exhaling. The past was past.

"I didn't-"He began, but I shook my head, turning back to Clint and choosing to ignore Pietro. I didn't want to talk about it.

"Where are the rest of the Avengers?" I asked restlessly. Clint's face fell noticeably.

"Steve is invulnerable. That was expected-"He saw the confused expression on everybody but Pietro's face and stopped. "I should probably start from the beginning."

"That would be nice," Tony said with a slight eyebrow raise,

"So, a few days ago, I realized Fury was acting weird, and so were a lot of other agents. I'd been on a lot of missions lately against people who had been possessed by Wanda, and I realized what was going on. Steve was on the same page as me, but Natasha wasn't. I must have been in denial or something, but, turns out, she was possessed as well, or at least Steve thinks as much. I couldn't really tell, I was trying to convince myself she was just in a mood swing or something." Clint looked depressed and was kind of rambling. "As far as we know, Thor is still on Asgard, completely oblivious to us." Now he seemed both frustrated and depressed. "At least we have you four, now, though."

"Who are all of these people, and how did you find them?" Bruce prompted Clint carefully. His eyes glanced around the room as if analyzing the place.

"They call themselves the Invulnerables. It means along the lines of not being able to get hurt, damaged, etc."

"And in other words..?" Tony cued him.

"These are the people who cannot be possessed," Pietro interrupted, looking around.

"Yes. We've collected people from all over the city, sometimes farther." Clint continued with a nod. "We're gathering an army. All of us... we're all that's left to fight."

"So let me get this straight," Tony said, narrowing his eyes and looking at Clint doubtfully, "We're gathering a 2500 person army to fight billions of people, controlled by a demon witch, who also has lots of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, one of them one of the greatest spies on Earth. She also has, in her possession, the greatest and most advanced weaponry and technology available at this age and time. And, not to mention, the demon witch has access to every surveillance camera, every audio recorder, every piece of information we could possibly hold dear." Tony cocked his head, not looking very hopeful. "I think she's holding all the cards here."

"Not all of them," somebody's voice approached us from behind Clint. Steve. His voice was reassuring. How did he manage to sound so confident? "Besides Romanoff and Th-"

Suddenly, the door swung open with a bang. "Just Romanoff," A deep voice came from the man as he walked through the door, holding his hammer casually and closing the door behind him. The crowd behind us was silenced.

"Way to make a dramatic entrance," Tony grumbled, almost offended, as the people behind us started back into a murmur.

"What can I say?" Thor smiled, with a partial smirk playing across his face. I rolled my eyes.

"Nice to have you back," Steve said with a nod, laughing at Tony, who was near sulking. Nobody seemed surprised Thor had shown up. I was, a little, but I decided it wasn't worth talking about. "But, as I was saying, she doesn't have everything. She doesn't have us."

"A scientist without a lab, an inventor without his armor, a soldier without his shield, an archer without his bow and arrows, and... me," I muttered.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure," Steve smiled at us, a little daringly, as he turned around and picked up his shield.

Yayyyyy most of them are together now!

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~Emily <3