1| Silver & Gold [Pietro M.] ✔

10. The Fast & ...Weird

I grumble as I look at Steve's outstretched hand apprehensively. "Alright, whatever. Fine, I'll help." I huff and take the outstretched hand.

My toe gently grazes the ground as I spin myself in circles upon the stool. Curiosity is wild within the confines of my mind. It threatens to plunge me into a white haze as I break down every little thing that's happened to me in the past four days. I feel like I'm sleepwalking. Like I'm somewhere in the middle of reality and delusion. This feels like another HYDRA trick and I'm not sure I trust all of which is happening around me. How can they trust us? Just like a snap of the fingers? Is it a cover? Is it sincere? Are they just keeping us around to probe our minds for HYDRA intel? Do they still think we're actually part of that death squid, ahem, octopus, cult?

Despite the fear of rejection, the fear that this is all a mind game, I still hung around the lab with Stark and Banner all night. I spoke very vaguely about myself when questions arose, this new hesitancy restricting my words. I offered as little information possible that still acceptably answered their prying questions. What were they expecting? That I would open up like flood gates and spill my entire life's history to them? No, surely that's not what they were expecting of me. Right?

It was late in the morning when Dr. Banner decided to retire for the rest of the dark hours. The rest of the morning went smoothly, uneventful. I assisted Stark with getting his wireless communications back online, along with setting up some new firewalls and protective coding for his systems. He was curious about my intelligence in computer sciences but left the topic alone for the most part. There were a few comments about my skill, one or two rhetorical questions he hoped I'd actually answer instead of letting slide. Then he gave up when I mostly ignored him in favor of focusing on my task of fortifying his network.

"Iris I'll cut your goddamn foot off if you don't stop spinning in circles." Murk threw a small plastic pen at me from across the room with a scowl. I planted one foot on the ground just as I caught the pen in my palm.

"Bold of you to assume you'd even get close enough to me to do so." I twirl the pen between my fingers expertly, a taunting smile in place on my lips.

"I will poison your food." He grumbles under his breath.

"You'd accidentally poison yourself first." I chuckle before tapping away at the tablet Stark loaned me. That's when Steve comes in holding a tablet of his own.

I didn't know the old man knew how to work tech like this. Maybe Tony has a 'Grandpa Initiative' for him.

Rogers holds the device out to Thor. "What's this?" Tony leaves my side where he was watching my deft fingers work their magic. The three boys stand near Natasha, who is working on one of the computers in the room. Once by Thor, the Asgardian angrily slaps the device against Tony's midsection until the scientist grabs hold of it.

"A message. Ultron killed Strucker." Steve declares and Natasha looks up at him before turning to Tony with an eyebrow raised. My interest is piqued as I sit upright quickly. Murk's head shoots up, eyes wildly trained on my face. Banner makes his way over to see the photo on the tablet as well.

"And he did a Banksy at the crime scene just for us." I roll my eyes at Tony's childishness.

"He's dead...like for real now?" I ask hesitantly while standing up from the stool and making my way over to the tablet. I'm curious to see what the robot has done to the man I'd believed had perished in the destruction I caused years ago. Thor and Steve look at me then. I grow still for a moment, staring at the image. "He was there that day." I whisper with a quiet waver to my voice. "He was there the day they made me what I am. Malicious smile on his face, dark excitement in his eyes. Now look at him. A cold corpse. He'll never be able to touch another living soul." Murk approaches from behind and slips an arm behind my back and pulls me close to press a kiss to my hairline. I can sense the tension leave his body too. The relief. It makes me feel like I'm walking on air. "It's what he deserves." Before this can be discussed further, Natasha redirects the conversation.