Imagine If You Assembled The Avengers: Volume 2

We're Never Good Enough (Stark/Wanda Maximoff x reader)

Follow-up to Substitute Teacher (in book #1)

Sitting on the far side of the hangar bay, you watched as the team returned from Sokovia, each of them walking slowly and without words, clearly traumatized by the events that had taken place there. Wanda exited first, and she looked inconsolable as Clint held her up, being followed by Steve, carrying the lifeless body of her brother. You waited for several minutes, watching everyone disembark except for Tony. When everyone was gone and he had yet to emerge, you went in to find him.

"Hey," you whispered, kneeling next to him as he sat quietly, still in the pilot seat, "are you okay?"

"This was all my fault."

"Tony, come on, that's not true."

"That's a nice sentiment, (Y/N), but it's is. I created Ultron, who turned Sokovia into a floating nightmare, and who took Wanda's only brother from her. I'm as much of a monster as he was."

"You're not..." you paused, looking around at the jet and realizing that you had missed one team member when you watched the others leave. "Where's doctor B?"

"And right there is the million dollar question," he huffed, finally standing and gathering his gear. "Seriously, I'll give you a million if you can answer it."

"I should've gone with you," you sighed, standing to follow him out, "I could've helped."

"No way, it was too dangerous. I wasn't about to risk you there, and I know Steve would say the same."

"Hold on just a minute," you snapped, reaching out and grabbing his arm, "why did you make me into an Avenger if you weren't going to actually let me be one? Is it the age thing? Because you knew how old I was when training started, so you can't really legitimately use that excuse. So what is it? Why is it that I'm never good enough to go out with the team?"

"It's not that." He tugged his arm away and continued to disembark, trying to leave the conversation. Tony had begun your training over a year ago, promising that you would become an active member once Steve cleared you for duty; he had cleared you two months ago and you had yet to be allowed on a mission. Tony had found some way to always convince the Captain that each mission just wasn't a good fit for you.

"Then what is it?" you called out to him as you followed. "Tony Stark, don't you walk away from me in the middle of this! I want to know once and for all what your problem is!"

He threw his bag angrily on the floor with a resounding bang against the metal floor, and spun on his heel towards you. He charged forward and took both of your arms in his hands with a strong grip that hurt as his fingers dug into you.

"I refuse to watch anyone carry your body from the back of that jet like they did with that kid today! I love you too damn much to see that happen. It would kill me, okay? Is that good enough for you?" When you didn't reply and all you could do was stare at him in shock, he released you and grabbed his bag to take his leave. "You can take this up with Steve if you want to, but he knows my stand on this."

~~~

Tony had spent the rest of the day locked up in his room, refusing visitors and asking FRIDAY to lock down his communications to ensure privacy until he was ready to be seen and heard again. You felt bad about snapping at him, when all he was doing was trying to show you that he cared in his own messed up way, but since he wouldn't talk to you, you decided your next task was to talk to Wanda. You only really knew of her and had spoken only once and only for a moment, but you felt the need to pay your respects.

"Miss Maximoff?" you asked quietly, knocking softly on her door. "Could I talk to you for a minute?"

After waiting a few minutes, and beginning to think that she might not be in there, the door slowly opened and she held her hand out to allow you to enter. "Of course, (Y/N), please come in."