On The Run

The device

Scott's birthday came around in mid July and all he said he wanted for a present was to be able to see the sunlight again-not the artificial light given off from the few gritty lights that swung lazily above the station platform but real sunshine. Not only that, but he wanted everyone else to be able to go outside too. It soon became apparent this would be a tall order to fulfill, but Steve decided to give it his best effort. He certainly didn't owe him-or the rest of them-anything less.

With their upcoming outing approaching, Steve and Natasha began thinking of ways the idea could actually be feasible. Scott, after much reluctance, allowed his head to be shaved and Natasha spent hours every night with Wanda teaching her a passable American accent.

Of course, there was still the matter of what to do about Vision. It stumped everyone. An outfit change wouldn't work; they couldn't exactly cut his hair or change his eye color; in fact, as the days passed more and more quickly as they led up to Scott's birthday they were forced to concede that perhaps it simply couldn't be done.

It was Vision himself who found a solution, quite inadvertently. "I believe Mr. Stark made a piece of tech that, when placed on exposed skin, can alter how the minds of others perceive you. If we could find this device, I believe it would allow me to go out into society unimpeded by some of my more...inhuman features."

Steve and Natasha exchanged a look. "Do you know where this technology is," Natasha asked finally, after a minute of awkward silence in which everyone poked at their Chinese food and tried to pretend they had something better to do than listen in.

"No, but I'm sure I can find out-though Clint, I may need your assistance in...casting some nets."

Clint nodded and pulled out his laptop, "Sure. What do you need?" They drifted to the other side of the room, muttering in low voices so as not to disturb the others, Clint's fingers flying over the keyboard deftly. The others made polite small talk and commented once again on the oppressive heat, trying to give them what privacy they could in such tight quarters.

"I saw another rat last night," Scott said, spearing another piece of sesame chicken and nearly breaking one of the tongs off his plastic fork. "I swear to God it was longer than my arm."

"I don't think that's possible," Sam said dryly. "And I've seen some pretty big rats."

"Then you didn't see this one. That's probably why there aren't any alligators in the sewers; this rat just goes around and eats them all."

"That's disgusting," Wanda replied, trying out her new American accent. It was still a bit hesitant but it was improving quite nicely; Natasha gave a small nod of satisfaction.

"He's just lying," Sam insisted. "Scott probably just saw a mouse or something-and it was dark, so he blew it completely out of proportion. Superat doesn't exist, and even if he did he would be bent on world domination rather than eating alligators."

"You're such a killjoy, Sam Wilson," Scott replied. "You're the one that's lying-just like you lie about how I kicked your ass last summer."

"I wasn't prepared-"

"You're an Avenger. I thought you're always supposed to be prepared."

"Enough, guys," Steve said as it looked like the conversation was turning increasingly volatile-though still teasing enough; for now at least. "Anyone want fortune cookies?"

They had just finished reading-and subsequently laughing over-each other's fortunes when Clint and Vision rejoined the group, smiling broadly. "And we've got it," Clint said. "This mythical piece of Stark tech is currently residing inside the apartment of a fifteen year old high schooler named Peter Parker."