Only You

Chapter Eleven

Clint swallows, pretending he isn't nervous and imagining he is perfectly prepared to possibly run into Pietro. He figures it will be the other way around, with Pietro running into him. "Quick little bastard," he mutters under his breath. He gets to the top of the flight of stairs and opens the door, stepping onto the eighth floor. A few people pass through the halls but walk tensely, looking on edge. The discovery of all exits sealed and impossible to open, not even with sheer strength, have clearly disturbed the workers.

He laughs a little, thinking about the trainees stuck outside in the sweltering weather. He's glad he wasn't scheduled to overlook their training. Shaking his head to clear the thought, he takes a left. He passes several doors, most left slightly ajar. He peeks inside each and finds them all empty, as he'd suspected they would be.

The hall opens into a wider space where four elevators are. All the elevators are on different floors but the button for an elevator is pressed. Several seconds later, a ring sounds and a set of elevator doors starts to slide open. Clint dashes to the side on light feet, pressing into another elevator door. A wall, just a few inches out from the door, blocks him from the sight of whoever could be in the elevator.

Clint can hear the distinct sound of shoes on the floor. There are light footsteps and then nothing. Clint strains to hear anything as the seconds of silence stretch on. His heart is moving fast. More steps, cautious and purposefully quiet. Clint peeks out, and curses. "Damnit!" Steve Rogers jumps a little, then clutches his chest and laughs quietly. "I thought you were him."

"Did Tony not tell you yet?"

"Tell me what —'' In perfect timing, the radio at Clint's hip beeps once before Tony starts talking.

"We just saw him on a cam. Check the east side of your floor," he says. "Bruce, did you see — '' Tony must've released the button a little late. His last few words sound entirely giddy. He's clearly losing it over seeing Pietro moving, excited beyond belief.

"Do you think he might pee his pants?" Clint asks Steve, walking with him to the east sector of the eight floor.

"He's had a few drinks," Steve says casually. "I wouldn't be shocked."

"I'll take the right," Clint mutters, dropping his voice. Steve nods, taking the left turn to enter the east side and walking down the hall on light feet, with a confident stride.

Clint, wishing he felt half the confidence felt by Steve, strides down the corridor to his right. He straightens his face, setting his lips in a thin line and furrowing his brows in concentration. He squares his shoulders and steadies his stride. Trying to make Pietro nothing to worry over, he starts searching the rooms.

The hallway mostly has private training rooms similar to his own one for archery, as well as a few computer rooms. The doors are all shut but unlocked, swinging open quite easily. Clint turns the knobs slowly, making his entrances as unknown as possible if Pietro's inside. He makes it halfway down the hall before reaching a door that's locked, the knob turning a quarter an inch before stopping. It's the door to a break room, stocked with waters and small snacks. Clint would get a good laugh out of it if he found Pietro inside.

Clint reaches into his pocket and pulls out a lock pick. He carefully slides it into the doorknob and wiggles it around, moving it up and down to simulate the curves of the key. The lock clicks open quietly, sending a small quiver through the tool to Clint's fingers. Clint pulls it out slowly and pockets it again. Gathering a breath and filling his lungs with air, Clint opens the door.

He's in the corner of the room, twitching and hugging himself; squeezing himself so tight the muscles of his arms strain. Pietro is a blur and then reappears in another corner, heaving for breath as the twitching continues. Clint closes the door quickly and locks it shut.

"Clint's got him," Tony says over the radio, sending the message to Steve and Natasha. The two are in the security room in a minute, joining Tony and Bruce.

"Something's wrong with him," Bruce says as Pietro runs from the view of one camera. Clint stays in the shot, turning slowly and not running from the room. Pietro is clearly still inside. "Something's wrong with Pietro."

Wanda Maximoff stands closest to the screen, in wonder and fear, as she watches her brother move in and out of view. She looks away, remembering all to well how he had twitched just the same during experimentation. "It's his powers," she says quietly. "He doesn't know how to control them."