[ 𝟏 ] 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃 | 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐟𝐟

𝟏𝟑.

Staying within the city's central district, I continued my battle against any visible robots. After clearing the area of bots and ensuring the safety of Sokovians within stable structures, I ventured toward the outskirts of the floating city in search of more action. On the left, I observed Steve and Thor collaboratively facing a substantial group of bots, resulting in a powerful explosion. To the right, a familiar face caught my eye—Natasha.

Executing a graceful flip down a set of stairs, Natasha rolled towards a bot, deftly using her electric batons to slice through its legs and stab them into its neck. My stomach leaped, prompting me to run towards her. "Nat!" I called out, embracing her the moment I reached her. Despite Natasha's typically secretive demeanor, she had been a source of safety for me since my arrival at the Avengers Tower. Knowing she was unharmed brought immense relief, even though we were still suspended thousands of feet above the ground.

"Hey, girl. Did you get a chance to use the electric knife? Or the electric brass knuckles? I had them specially made for you," Nat said, gently gripping my arms.

"The electric knife is incredible. Perfect for dismantling these metallic losers," I boasted. "As for the brass knuckles—" I noticed a group of bots approaching. "—looks like I'll be testing them out right now." Retrieving the brass knuckles from my pant pocket, I donned them and activated the switch. The bots rushed towards us, and Natasha gave me a quick wink before we charged together. I punched through one, shattering its internals, and repeated the process for two more while Natasha swiftly handled the remaining three. "Surprise! These work wonders, too!" I casually brushed off some dust from my pants, continuing our conversation.

"Alright, we're all clear here," Clint spoke into the earpiece.

"We are not clear! We are very not clear!" responded Steve frantically.

Natasha and I turned to see Steve in the distance, grappling with a sizable group of bots. As we rushed over to him, I heard a rush of air through my earpiece. "Keep up, old man!" Pietro said, presumably addressing Clint. I couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Nobody would know. Nobody," Clint mumbled to himself, still audible through the earpiece. "The last I saw him was when Ultron was sitting on him. Yeah, he'll be missed, that quick little bastard. I miss him already!" Clint's remarks only intensified my laughter, causing me to slow my running pace. "Hey! I know that's you laughing at me, Stell," Clint called out.

"What in the world are you talking about?" I responded sarcastically, attempting to contain the remainder of my laughter.

"Wow, I was the cause of Stella's laughter? I'm going to remember this," Pietro chimed in through the earpiece, his voice slightly muffled by a loud rush of wind.

"Shut it, Sonic."

As we neared Steve, a cluster of bots surrounded us, impeding our progress. I let out a groan and rolled my eyes, swiftly drawing my pistols from their holsters. "You guys are seriously annoying," I began, but my words were cut short as one of the bots unleashed a repulsor blast in my direction. The energy slammed into my stomach, propelling me against a nearby car. The car's window shattered upon impact, and I could feel shards piercing into my arms. Adrenaline dulled the immediate pain, allowing me to lift my head off the car with a strained grunt. Examining my stomach, I half-expected my insides to be fried, but the leather tank top I wore offered some specialized protection, leaving only the material torn. Despite the protection, my stomach throbbed, signaling a likely bruise. I glanced up at Natasha, who was ruthlessly dealing with the bot that had attacked me.