SANCTUM | Avengers

18

- EIGHTEEN -

Nobody moves. They are all so quiet, my hammering heart sounds as loud as gunshots echoing in my ears. There is no escaping them now. Their eyes pierce in to me for what feels like a lifetime before somebody speaks.

"What message?" Stark asks, taking a small step towards me. I go to move closer- out of the shadows- but before I can, my gun slides out of my holster in tendrils of red light. I look up in shock to see it now in the hands of the female twin- Wanda.

I take another step forward.

"I knew Ultron would still trust me. It would be easier to get to him and figure out his plan if he thought I was betraying you; he would do anything to tear you all apart." My voice is quieter than I had though it would be and my heart is thrumming uncontrollably fast..

"And we are supposed to trust you?" Banner exclaims, his arms dropping to his sides in annoyance. "Tony, you need to reel this all in. Why is she here?"

"I can explain!" I say, raising my hands in surrender; one hand holding the folder of information high. I never thought the day would come that I would surrender to anyone.

"What is that?" the Captain asks, nodding towards the papers.

I refrain from looking relieved as they all eye the notebook.

"It's all of Ultron's information. All of his plans are laid out: the materials he is buying, where he's going, how many other robots he has. All of it."

I step forward slowly, holding out the information. As soon as they have it, they could shoot me. They could just kill me; they don't need another person to worry about.

Tony takes the folder and it is all I can do not to audibly exhale the breath I have been holding. In this moment, it is as though all my training has completely disappeared.

"Why?"

I turn my head to a new voice.

The man from Thor's vision looks at me intently. He cocks his head to the side as if he already knows the answer. I don't know what to say.

"Why?" he repeats, his voice gentle but prodding.

They all stare at me, waiting for an answer- waiting for me to prove myself or show my true colours as a traitor. Either way, they all keep their eyes on me as though if they blink, I might disappear.

"I always planned to come back," I begin, my voice steadier than I feel. "I planned on going to him and getting information; I knew he would trust me."

The team stares at me blankly, and I venture on, waiting for somebody to tell me to stop.

"I thought I could go alone. I though I would go and get the information for you."

"Why would you do that?" Stark asks, looking at me like a math equation. He'd never seen a problem he can not solve. Until now.

I sigh, gently. "I am used to working alone."

"No, not that," he huffs, shaking his head. "Why do all of this? Why help us?"