One-shots/Short Stories

Pietro Maximoff

The Enhanced
She was special. Their main priority. She was the more prized one than the Maximoff twins. And Strucker loved it. Not only did she have enhanced powers, she had more than one power inside of her.
   She was a telepathic, telekinesis, seer; she could shape shift into anything, and she could lure anyone to her with her voice like the evil sirens that lured sailors.
   She could control the four elements, she could control people's emotions. She could do just about anything, and Strucker loved it.
   They carried her unconscious body to her cell, her cell that just so happened to be across from the Maximoff twins. They stared at them in curiosity, finding it strange to see the guards being gentle with her. Usually for the lab rats they wouldn't care less and would just chuck them in the cell.
   "She must be important to Strucker." Wanda whispered into her brother's mind. But Pietro paid no mind to her, watching the unconscious girl curiously. Her raven dark hair was pooled around her head, her skin pale with the few red dots from the needles, her lips chapped but only just. Her eyes moved quickly underneath her eyelids, though her form was still limp. It was like she was in a coma.
   Pietro moved until he was just a mere millimetre away from the glass, watching as the guards quietly left the cell, the girl starting to move in her bed. And just like that, her eyes opened quickly.
   She sat up as if she got electrocuted, and looked around with narrowed eyes. Her eyes connected with Pietro's and immediately he felt the breath get knocked out of his chest. He had never made eye contact with her, always turning his back quickly on her when she awakes. He was always too shy to communicate with her. But that day, he was curious. And so he stood there while she woke up.
   They stayed staring at each other for a while, as if they were in a trance. The only time they were pulled out of it was when a group of guards walked past them, blocking their sight.
   When the area was cleared, Pietro stared back at her cell, only to find that her back was to him on the bed. He sighed at the sight, turning to his own bed.

***

When the base was under attack, it was their chance to give revenge on Tony Stark, and no one was going to stop them. Not Strucker. Not the Avengers. And hopefully not the woman from across their cell. Ever since their small interaction, they have been speaking to each other mentally since one of her gifts were telepath. They got to know each other, protect one another, like one another. . .
   While Pietro was outside distracting the Avengers, he caught glimpse of raven dark hair in his peripheral vision, notifying him of her presence.
   "Artemis, I know you are there." Pietro called out. Slowly, she came out of her hiding spot, her emerald green eyes staring at his blue ones warily. They stood there quietly, sizing each other up. Even though they spoken with one another through minds, this was the first time speaking to each other in person. And to say, they didn't trust each other now that they were in close proximity instead of being metres away behind a glass cell.
   "Artemis. . ." Pietro stared at her warily. "Please. . ."
   "What are you doing?" she asked him quietly. "Why are you harming the good guys?" Pietro narrowed his eyes at her.
   "They're not the good guys." Pietro spat out. "Tony Stark is the reason why Wanda and I are orphans."
   "He didn't control them." she narrowed her eyes back at him. "He only sold them. He didn't put the bombs there."
   "You're on their side then." Pietro concluded. He took a step away from her. "Don't do this. I don't want to hurt you."
   "And I don't want to hurt you." Green psionic energy started gathering at her hands. "But they're my only chance at freedom. I want to be free from HYDRA and they're the only ones that can help me."
   "They won't help you they will harm you -"
   "No they won't, they're the good guys!" Using her energy, she pushed him into a tree, making him groan in pain. "I'm sorry, but I can't have HYDRA hovering around me anymore."

***

Ever since she went to the Avengers, they have accepted her as one. They helped her with her family history, and helped her with her powers. For once in her life, she felt loved and at home. But the thing was. . .she also felt at home when speaking with Pietro. Oh how she missed him. . .
   Sure enough the two met again when they went to Wakanda to find Ultron. To say they felt pain and heartbreak when they saw each other.
   And then they saw each other again in Vietnam when they went to retrieve Doctor Cho.
   The twins had came to the Avengers, telling them Ultron's plans.
   Now they were suiting up in a room given to them by Tony Stark himself, Wanda watching from her window as Thor and his vision spoke to one another. Pietro meanwhile, was watching Artemis who was talking with Clint. He watched as Clint placed an arm over her shoulders, giving her a hug like a father would to their child. Maybe letting Artemis go to the Avengers was a good thing. He never seen her so happy and relaxed until that moment. He found it absolutely breathtaking.
   "You like her." Wanda suddenly said. "No, you love her."
   "Who, Artemis? No. . ." Pietro lied, walking to the closet and getting a pair of joggers. "I don't -"
   "You do, don't deny it." Wanda interrupted. "She's not the only telepath at the base then, I could hear your conversations. You care about her. You love her."
   Pietro came to her side at the window, watching Artemis punch Clint playfully on the shoulder, her head tilted back in laughter. He smiled at the sight. "Maybe. . ." he murmured.

***

He expected to feel pain enter him everywhere, to feel the bullets penetrate his body, and make him bleed out since he sacrificed his life for Clint and the child's life.

But he didn't.

Confused, Pietro opened his eyes and was shocked when he saw a green force field around him. He knew who it came from immediately. He turned around, seeing her standing there as if reaching out for him, her hands held out from concentrating on the shield around him. Blood started to drop down her nose.
   "Artemis. . ." When the shield went down, Pietro quickly went to her side, worried for her. "You're bleeding." he notified her. She waved him off much to his dismay.
   "I'm okay," she muttered quietly, "I'm okay."
   "Good." And without further ado, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her on the lips - lips he secretly craved to kiss.
   She stood there in shock before sense kicked in and she kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Don't do that again." she breathed out when they pulled away.
   "I won't." Pietro chuckled.
   "Uh, guys?" Clint came to them with a scowl on his face. He stood in front of Artemis protectively. "We have a crazy robot trying to kill us all, we can talk about what just happened later."
   "Whatever, old man." Pietro huffed. Giving her one last wink, he made his merry way to retrieve his sister. Clint gave her a look.
   "What? He won't hurt me." she raised her hands up in surrender. "Besides, if he ever 'breaks my heart', he won't be getting away freely."
   "Damn straight," Clint said with an arm wrapped around her shoulders, walking after Steve who carried the child, "he has the Avengers and I to face, along with you, The Enhanced."
   "I can still hear you two!" Pietro said through the comms.

The End