1| Silver & Gold [Pietro M.] ✔

11. Old McDonald Had a Farm

"You've planted the seeds of doubt Iris, don't worry. You might not have my charm, but if anybody can change someone's mind, it's you."

"The news is loving you guys."

I hunch over in my seat, fingers harshly pinching the bridge of my nose in an attempt to distract from the jolting throbs erupting from the back of my head. I've got as much cotton as possible crammed in my ears to minimize the amount of noise I register. I feel like I've walked through a wildfire and barely lived to tell the tale. Between the concussion and infective power Ultron managed to warp through my skin, let's just say I truly regret getting wrapped up in all of this. Not to mention I managed to get separated from the team who took the two of us in, I failed to watch their backs. I spare a squinted look to Murk, one arm resting across my back while he tilts his head back, eyes closed peacefully. Despite the calm outward visage, I can feel the tension in his muscles. I can feel that stifled anger, that disappointment of being caught unaware.

There's no way around it. We both failed.

Without even the faintest chance of being able to restrain the Hulk, we took shelter in the jet and waited for the rest of the group to get back. Minus Tony, who had to handle the job of minimizing the green rage which terrorized the local city. When the rest of the Avengers managed to struggle back to the plane, they looked like they'd gotten swept up into a nightmare — and that wasn't too far off from the truth. Everyone but Clint had their minds tampered with after I'd been left in the middle of the muddy banks. When they initially arrived, I tried my best to help get everyone situated. I managed to look everyone over for external wounds, Steve being the only one with any sort of real physical trauma from where Pietro got a good punch in. I got him a small bag of ice to hold over his face before I could barely keep myself from giving in to vertigo. At that point, Murk took up the mantle of ensuring everybody had needed supplies — water, anti-nausea meds, shock blankets. Then he joined me sullenly while we waited for Tony and Bruce to return. Since then, we've been roving the skies in wait of a safe destination to land and lay low while Maria smooths things over. Speaking of Maria, every time she breaks the silence I feel my stomach flip as my head pounds to the beat of my erratic heart.

"Nobody else is. There's been no official call for Banner's arrest, but it's in the air." I solemnly lift my head and look to where Bruce is leaning against a raised platform in the center of the Quinjet. He's got a blanket wrapped tightly around himself despite sweating. Our eyes meet for a split second before the view contorts and everything starts shifting to the left in ripples. My stomach clenches as I close my eyes and concentrate on my breathing. Out of all of us, Banner looks the worst off. Then again, I'd probably look like hell chewed me up and spat me out if I killed numerous people while contorted into a raging rejected Green Giant veggie man. Oh, and let's not mention the economic damage done to the little outskirting city.

When I feel settled again, I open my eyes and pick at the edge of the jacket gifted to me by Stark. The caked layer of dried mud makes me grimace in disgust. I straighten my back, causing Murk's arm to slide away while I slowly shrug it off, muscles protesting angrily at me while doing so. I drop the article to the floor at my feet. Pietro's horrified expression when I told him all those lost lives were on he and Wanda keeps flashing to the forefront of my mind. I understand he holds a grudge against Stark but is that all this is? What is it about Ultron that's keeping them by his side in all this? Are they truly that lost? Truly that vengeful that everything falls to the wayside? No. There was a true shock, true alarm in the depths of his eyes when I was talking to him. He must have some sympathy tucked away somewhere, right?

Murk's hand finds one of my own. I sit back in my seat and lean into his side, my face pressed against his shoulder. "You did what you could."

"So did you. She's got a different kind of mind control, something we've not encountered. There wasn't anything you could've done to stop her from getting to Banner." I whisper low enough for only him to hear. The brunette grunts in discouragement and looks away, jaw tense. His eyes are still distant, despite the bravado act he's trying desperately to cling to. "You saw something too, didn't you?" I ask after a pause. When he makes no move to acknowledge the question, I know I'm right. "Where did you go?" I almost flinch when he turns his eyes on me, hazel rimmed with the burn of high-reaching flames.