"Job well done, team! Head back to the Quinjet for mission debrief," Tony chirps across our comms.
"Already on our way back, Tony," Steve tells him.
Wanda ducks under Steve's arm and gives him a quick squeeze around the middle, saying, "Thank you for helping me out earlier, by the way, Steve."
"No problem," he tells her.
Vision smiles sweetly at Wanda as she bounces back to his side and laces their hands together.
I bump Clint with my hip as I take my hand from his and sign to him, "I'm surprised she hasn't called us out yet."
He grins and signs back, "Give her time, firefly."
I raise an eyebrow.
"Firefly?"
"Dammit. Sorry. Spider, sweetheart."
I smile and take his hand in mine. He squeezes my fingers, humming to himself as we walk behind the others.
"Clint, you had some incredible shots back there," Steve says as he turns his head to check on us.
Clint smirks, saying, "Thank you, Cap. You did a damn good job yourself, you know."
"Congratulations, by the way," Wanda says as she spins around, walking backwards in her shiny new combat boots and Kevlar-reinforced leather coat. "I think it's wonderful that you're together."
I smile at Clint as I tell her, "We do too."
He nods in thanks to her, saying, "Thank you, poppet."
She grins, "How did you know that Poppet was my favorite author?"
He smirks, "Because it's you, Wanda."
She grins as she skips back around to walk in the correct direction, saying, "Fair point, Clint. Fair point."
I smile and lean into Clint. He slips his arm around me, once again humming happily to himself.
Then I see him, a set of stormy steel blue eyes and long brown hair under a black baseball cap that has "Brooklyn" embroidered on it in white. My heartbeat slows and my senses zero in on him.
I search him, looking for the careful bounce in his stride, the roll of his shoulders as he moves forward, and that damning gleam of decades-old steel plates.
He lifts his stare from the sidewalk and his pupils go wide.
I squeeze Clint's fingers and bring us to a silent stop in the middle of the street. He follows my eyes and then he spots my target.
I sign to Clint as the ghost climbs a nearby fire escape to flee before anyone else can spot him.
"We can't tell Steve. Ghost protocol, you know?"
He nods, and I smile.
"Help me catch him?"
Clint grins and nods toward the shadow on the roof. I pull us forward, clearing the street and ascending the steps of the fire escape to chase a man that's supposed to be as untraceable as a ghost.
Please let me catch you.
I need to bring you home.
