Without You

Chapter 3

Sydney and Steve walked along the hallway in Avengers Tower as Hill rambled on and on about the two enhanced we were up against.

"Wanda and Pietro Maxinoff, twins," Hill started, as Sydney felt her blood begin to boil and the mention of the blonde boy. "Orphaned at ten, when a shell collapsed on their apartment building. Sokoviet has had a rough history. Although it's nowhere special, but it's on the way to everything special," Maria handed over the tablet to Steve as Sydney looked over his shoulder.

"Their abilities," Sydney asked dryly.

"He's got increased metabolism and improved thermal homeostasis. Her thing is neuro-electric interfacing, telekinesis, and manipulation," Maria stated as if it were nothing. Steve looked as lost as Sydney did.

"I'm sorry English," Sydney sassed Hill.

"He's fast and she's weird," Maria dumbed down.

"See, I understood you that time," Sydney exclaimed, her voice dripping with sarcasm, Hill just sighed.

"Well, they're going to show up again," Steve thrusted the tablet back to Maria.

"Agreed," Hill replied, her entire persona said business. Sydney found her mind showing her a mental image of the blonde who knocked Clint and her down. The elevators doors spread open before Steve and Sydney and they got in.

"The file says they volunteered for Strucker's experiments," Maria started up again, "it's nuts," she scoffed. Sydney couldn't help but roll her eyes, look at who Hill was talking to.

"Right," Steve sighed, taking over before Syd could make a snide remark to Hill, "What kind of monster would let a German scientist experiment in them, to protect their country," Steve replied, his sarcasm oozing through every word.

"We're not at war, captain," Maria snapped. Steve reached down and pressed a floor button.

"They are," he emphasized as the doors closed, leaving Sydney and him in the elevator alone together.

"The sass is stronger with than I remember," Syd teased, lightly elbowing him, as he chuckled quietly.

"Well," he shrugged, "learned from the best," he teased her back.

The party was in full swing, Sam and Rodey were even there. Sydney kept to herself, for the most, making small talk with a few people who came up to her. Steve walked up to her holding a beer out to her.

"Oh no," she replied with a smile.

"Why not? You could die tonight, and never be able to drink again," he argued.

"Or I could wake up tomorrow with a headache. See, not all of us are alcohol resistant, like you super soldier," I argued back.

"You don't seem like the gal who can't hold her liquor," he questioned.

"Oh I can," she replied, "but for most people is an addictive property. That's what, your fifth beer, that I've seen anyway," she debated.

"What can I say? I like the taste," he tried to reason.

"See, that's what I'm saying, an addictive property," Syd smiled, knowing she had won.

"Come on, Miss Antisocial, only a few people are left now," he led me out of the corner.

"I'm not antisocial, I have enochlophobia, which is the fear of large crowds," she smarted off. Before Steve could respond they heard Clint's voice call out.

"Whatever, man, it's a trick!"