Persuasion »Quicksilver

Stardust

A long time ago, my brother told me people were made from stars.

Obviously this was before he turned into a complete psychopath determined to destroy me and everyone I love and chained in a cell beneath my very feet. Anyway, I didn't believe him for a very long time. Throughout my life people had only brought me darkness, not light. Figuratively though, it was a nice idea. Heartwarming even. It sure appealed to the righteous side of me. But I never truly believed him.

Until I met Pietro Maximoff. When his warm, solid, alive hands hold my own and his eyes stare deep in my own- I forget the dark. Happiness swells inside my heart and for once I'm grateful for my powers. If I had not had them that day... it hurts to Imagine.

"Will you two lovebirds stop staring into each other's eyes and listen to me?" Tony Stark's voice breaks my trance.

I turn to face him, my cheeks flushing pink. When I glacé back at Pietro, he Maximoff is smirks at me coyly. Personally I think he enjoys Stark's protectiveness of me I little too much. Rolling my eyes, I smile sweetly at Tony.

"Sorry, Tin can. You were saying?"

"Rude! I could take you down witchy!"

"Bring it!"

"Nobody will be taking anyone down." Pietro sighs, used to the banter between Tony and I.

"Yeah, but I bet you would like to take her down." Stark says under his breath, winking at me.

"Alright ladies settle down," Steve grins, sitting opposite me "We have more pressing issues to deal with."

He crosses his arms, looking at me a glint of regret in his eyes. Tony, Steve, Sam, Wanda and Natasha are all cramped into Pietro's hospital room. As you can imagine it's pretty full, what with the million pounds of pure muscle and chaotic energy.  I'm just grateful Tony and Steve aren't at each other's throats. Yet.

Leaning back in my chair, I tuck my hair behind my ears having forgotten my hair bobble in my rush this morning. I know what this is going to be about, but i hadn't quite prepared myself for my family history to be laid out bare. I bite my lip, staring at my hands folded in my lap. Feeling a hand fall on my shoulder, I turn to face the owner. Wanda smiles sympathetically at me, her warm brown eyes comforting.

Moments later, Wanda's accented voice enters my mind. 

"You are nothing like him."

Smiling gratefully, I squeeze her hand gently and turn back to the others. Reaching into the back pocket of his dark jeans, He pulls out several grainy images. Laying them down on the bed, the group huddles to take a closer look. My brother, Harry, takes centre stage in all of them. His beady eyes peering out, leering, seemingly into my very soul. He is in various places: on a sleek black motorbike, in the smithsonian museum studying a wall display, leaving a club and a few others. A recent picture, from the cell. Gingerly I pick it up.It's slightly out of focus, but I can still see the hatred in his eyes.

Hail Hydra.

Sighing, I drop the picture and lean away. I catch Pietro giving me an odd look. Before he can question me, Tony speaks.

"Look, as much as I would love to sit around like the good days, i need to work on my Bi-neurally Augmented Retro-Framing."

"Barf?" Sam smirks, looking up from the picture in his grasp to mock the billionaire.

"Yes Pigeon, it's a work in progress."

"Needs a bit more work if you ask me." Sam retorts, barely keeping a grin off his face.

"Do you have to leave now Stark? We could use your technology if we're going to track down hydra." Steve frowns, interrupting the back and forth battle of wits.

"And Bucky."  Steve adds in his thoughts but I don't ask any questions, filling it away for later.

"Hydras not my problem."

Oh no..

" Not your problem?" Steve hisses, shifting in his seat to give his full glare to Tony "It's everyone's problem, if you don't care for everyone else at least care for Kat- she's personally involved with this."

"Hey that's not fair-" I try to speak up, but Tony jumps in.

"If it was up to me I would take Kat with me- she's too involved already!"

"I can make my own choices!" I say strongly, standing up.

All heads turn towards me, interrupting Tony and Steve who are squaring each other off. Both men drop there heads ashamed.

"Look,having you two at each other's throats isn't going to solve anything."

Steve rubs the back of his neck, bashfully, while Tony looks away.

"We're the avengers for god sakes." I say exasperated.

"Are we?" Tony says sadly, before looking up. His eyes are full of remorse but his face is devoid of emotion. "Don't you think we've caused enough trouble?"

"To not help is to be on the side of the aggressor." I say flatly.

"We call it helping but all we leave is destruction. I'm trying to make amends not new problems."

The room is silent. I feel Pietro's hand entwine with mine in a show of support. He may not fully like Stark, but he knows how much Tony means to me and I him.

"I'm sorry." 

Tony  walks to the door. As his hand reaches for the handle, he turns back. I look at him questionably, unsure of what to say. How to make it alright. I know it's not that easy. With one final half smile, The broken man leaves.

***

want to give Tony a big hug rn.