1| Silver & Gold [Pietro M.] ✔

12. Abs

I grumble to myself as I follow Hawkeye downstairs toward the Quin's landing platform, where the Avengers have a storage area for weapons and any other item one may need. Close behind me are the twins, who seemed none too happy to go with Barton in the first place. I managed to get them to come along after I said I'd be heading down there as well. It's totally understandable why they'd be distrusting of him in the first place. Heck, even I'm suspicious of him after shooting the floor out from Pietro and then feeling as though he'd need to point a loaded firearm at me. Yeah, no, I'm just gonna make sure no funny business happens when I'm not looking. "Clint?"

"Yeah?" He continues walking, casting a glance over his shoulder.

"You weren't...would you have shot me?" I muster up the courage to ask. It's not very settling though when Clint remains in a pensive silence for awhile.

"I don't know what I would've done." I dejectedly stare at my hands for a moment. It's not the answer I wanted, but it's the one I got. Once we come to an intersection that has weapons in one section and clothing in another, I branch off from Hawkeye. He continues to move toward his own locker, which holds all of his archery equipment. Behind me, I hear the twins' steps falter before choosing to follow me. "So, we have shirts, pants, jackets, shoes...I guess. I mean heck this is the first time I've even been down here. So, if you have a question about where something is, figure it out on your own because I can't help you." 

I start prying open locker doors, peeking inside some momentarily before closing them, while leaving others open. In one of the lockers, I find a dark gray shirt made of a light athletic material with the words 'I workout because punching people is frowned upon.' I decide to grab it since Stark's repulsor ray destroyed my current shirt. I'm not picky enough to go looking through the rest of these lockers for another shirt. 

I pull my ruined shirt over my head quickly, carefully moving as to not yank at my injury, leaving me in a black sports bra. I drop the burnt shirt at my feet before shaking the new shirt out before slipping it on. Then I turn to a red-faced Pietro and smirking Wanda. "Okay, so there are other athletic clothes and running shoes in this locker," I point toward a locker I had just opened. "so that's probably what you'd be looking for, Pietro." I give him a smile as we brush past each other. I move toward Wanda, who's staring at Thor and The Vision. The two of which are talking by the edge of the Quinjet's platform. I gently poke Wanda's forearm to get her attention. "Hey, do you want anything while we're down here?" I ask while watching Thor's and Vision's capes billow in the wind.

"I think I'm good." She responds, her eyes still glued to the android. My mouth quirks up an inch. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Pietro grab a pair of white and green shoes along with one of whom I'm guessing is Steve's workout shirts. My head turns fully from Thor and Vision just in time to watch Pietro peel off his old shirt and pull the other over his head, giving me a full view of his chest. 

"Your brother looks hella nice without a shirt on." I comment, more to myself, with a grin. "I mean dang. I heard he was fit, but he's got a frickin' 8-pack. I don't know about you, but I'd call that ripped. What does he do? Is he a vegan or something? Or is he on some weird diet where all he eats are chicken eggs?" I lean over and whisper to Wanda as I shamelessly check her brother out. She shakes her head and then gently shoves me with her shoulder before turning back to watch Vision stalk back into the penthouse. 

I snicker and right myself while shaking my head, glad she's not going to decapitate me for blatantly checking her brother out. Speaking of the devil, Pietro proceeds to go digging around in Natasha's locker before producing a red leather jacket. He holds up a finger to stop me from making his twin aware of the gift he's holding for her -- which he proceeds to throw at his daydreaming sister. It hits her in the face before falling to her shoulder, where she reaches up and grabs it before giving her brother a questioning look. "Nice." I nod my head in approval with Pietro's choice of clothing for his sister. I turn just in time to have something come into contact with my face abruptly. "Why in the bloody name of waffles do people keep throwing things over my face?" I reach up and pull a dull hunter green jacket from my face. It's the exact one that Tony had originally thrown at me when we were on the way to the freighters where we first met the twins.

"Maybe because people get distracted by your face," Pietro says before sauntering over to the both of us. I merely lift a brow at him. "I thought I recognized the jacket. You were wearing it when we were fighting in the mud, yes?"

 "You mean when you were playing dirty by dropping me in the middle of nowhere surrounded by mud so I couldn't help the team? Yeah. This is the jacket. I thought I left this at Laura's." I grin and slip it on. I'm happy with its lightweight and the warmth it provides.

"I can see why you like it so much." A cocky Sokovian accent deadpans. "It makes you look nice. Brings out your eyes."

"My eyes are yellow, you cold corndog." I say with false disinterest. "Hey wait, are you flirting with me?" I question upon coming to the realization. 

"He flirts with everyone." His sister says, nudging her elbow into my ribs while her eyebrows give a little wiggle.

"I do not! And plus your eyes aren't yellow, Iris, they're gold." Pietro explains.

"Whatever, yellow, gold, who cares. Same differences. Besides, why would that even matter? Green and gold don't go-- wait those are Loki's colors..." I adopt a brief scowl before shaking my head. "Anyways, I'm more inclined to believe Wanda on the issue of your flirting habits, sorry babe." I chuckle before patting Wanda's shoulder and heading out toward the Quin. The twins follow behind me. I can hear them bickering low enough that I can't make out their words. "And Pietro, you were complimenting my jacket, so get your eyes off my ass!"

"I told you she could tell." I hear Wanda say, obviously trying not to laugh at her brother.

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Once everybody is aboard the jet, they take their respective seats. Steve passes out coms for everyone, save Vision, who didn't have any ears to put one in. I wrinkle my nose at the small device, not liking the thought that I'd have the entire team of Avengers in my ear again, but insert it anyways. "Ultron knows we're coming." Steve starts, about to give a speech I'm sure. "Odds are we'll be riding into heavy fire. And that's what we signed up for. But the people of Sokovia, they didn't." Steve's eyes turn toward the twins. "So our priority is getting them out." He pauses for a moment. "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, we find Romanoff, and we clear the field. Keep the fight between us." He breaks and turns around, his back to the rest of us. "Ultron thinks we're monsters. That we're what's wrong with the world. This isn't just about beating him -- it's about whether he's right."

"Which, I mean, he's wrong. It's not like we're trying to burn the earth to the ground like a psychopath, right? Unless, you know, Tony's a psychopath -- he did create Ultron." I look at Tony as he turns in his seat to look at me. "So, are you a psychopath, Sherlock?"

"Shut up, Sparky." He shakes his head at me.

"Are you gonna make me?" I question.

"Yes." He proudly declares.

"You'd probably throw a hip first." I counter. Stark smirks at me before turning back around in his seat.