Cornelia Street - Avengers

Mind Games

Salvage Yard, African Coast

(Mind Games, Sickick)

...

After alerting the team of their next whereabouts, they knew they would have to feign a fight, to save face. Sometime later the twins stood beside Beth, after a long speech from Ultron. The robot had a tendency to talk for a very long time, and she had learned this when she had asked him what the blue button on a machine was for.

He had talked for two and a half hours- she had kept count, and in the end, she still didn't even know what the button was for, but she was sure as hell certain she wouldn't dare to ask again. His plan included ending the Avengers, more importantly, the Starks, and so they would do what he asked of them. 

Even if they knew they would have to hurt the team, even just slightly, to attain his entire trust. Ulysses Klaue, the black-market underground arms dealer, sat in front of them with his phone pressed lazily to his right ear.

"Don't tell me your man swindled you. I sent you six short-range heat seekers and got a boat full of rusted parts. Now, you will make it right, or the next missile I send you will come very much faster," Klaue spat, ending the call, before connecting to another. "Now minister, where were we?" He asked, as the lights flickered, causing a commotion in the salvage yard as the trio suddenly appeared in his office. "Yeah, the enhanced, Strucker's prized pupils."

"Do you want a candy? Hmm?" Picking up a tray of wrapped candies, Klaue shook it at them. "Oh, sorry to hear about Strucker by the way. But then, he knew what kind of world he was helping to create. Human life, not a growth market." Beth and Pierre looked at Wanda, unsure, but she still wore the same cold expression but with slight irritation. Klaue noticed it too. "You didn't know? Is this your first time intimidating someone? I'm afraid, I'm not that afraid."

Wanda stepped into the threshold, hand limply caressing past the archway. "Everybody is afraid of something."

"Cuttlefish," Klaue interrupted, pointing at the girl. "Deep sea fish. They make lights, disco lights. Whoom, whom, whom! To hypnotize their prey, then whomp! I saw a documentary once, it was terrifying."

Without reacting to Klaue's statement, Pietro ran at the tray, unwrapping two and leaving them both in Beth's hand before she could even blink. She looked up at him, his softened expression before she grabbed and uncurled his hand.

Shoving them right back where they came from, before moving to stand in the archway with a hardened stare.

"Trouble in paradise?" Klaue jerked back, before pointing at a chuckling Wanda. "Cute mascot you've got there by the way."

Wanda frowned. "I could have you off this ship before you could even bli-"

"Wanda," Pietro interrupted, and she closed her mouth.

But Klaue started laughing uncontrollably. "Oh no, does your big brother have to tell you what you gotta do?" He mocked, looking straight back at Beth, who stared darkly. "And what about you, little miss high and mighty? Maybe you're just here to watch the show? Worrying about your little boyfriend-"

In less than a heartbeat, Klaue's pointed finger and wrist were caught in Pietro's iron grip. His voice was ice-cold as he leaned in, his eyes blazing. "You talk to her again, you won't have a hand left to point, let alone mock anyone with. Got it?"

"S-sure," Klaue stammered before he jumped right back to what he was going to say, brushing it off. "Well, if you're going to fiddle with my brain and make me see giant cuttlefish, then I know you don't do business. And I know you're not in charge, and I only deal with the man in charge."