Run to You|Pietro Maximoff

Chapter 02*

"We have to be careful," Ira warned as the four Enhanced strolled through the streets towards the church. It was dark outside as they walked; the only light provided came from the stars and the occasional street lamp. The chill wind nipped at their flesh and caused chills to run up and down their spines. As she walked warily through the streets, Ira looked for any signs of trouble. "We don't know if this is a trap."

"If it is Stark, we won't let him get away again," Pietro said, looking pointedly at Wanda, who huffed and rolled her eyes. Pietro still was having trouble understanding why Wanda had to let Stark go, and seemed to bring it up every few minutes.

"And we won't let them trap us," Emilia said, turning back to look at them. "Now are we going or not?"

They continued through the stone streets until they reached the church. A small stone path led to it, and the lot was surrounded by a chain link fence. Wilted flowers lined the frost-covered fence, placed there to mourn those who had been lost when one of Stark's bombs hit the church, also leaving a hole in the roof. Anger bloomed in her heart as she saw the flowers; signs of more people affected by Stark and the Avengers.

Pietro led the way as the four warily crept through the archway that led into the church. Shadows danced across the cracked stone walls, concealing any manner of hidden dangers. As they entered the church, Ira noticed a raised stone dais in the center of the church. Placed atop the dais was a throne-like ornate wooden chair. Sitting in the chair was a man, the iron man, draped in a blanket so she couldn't see what he looked like. All that was visible was an arm perched on the armrest of the chair, glinting in the light streaming in from a cracked window.

"Talk," Wanda told them. "And if you're wasting our time..." she let the threat hang in the air.

"Did you know that this church is in the exact center of the city?" The man spoke, his voice echoing, hollow and clear, through the ruins of the church. "The elders decreed it so that everyone could be equally close to God. I like that," he continued, "the geometry of belief." It was not Tony Stark, that much Ira was sure. But if it wasn't Stark, who was it?i

Ira turned to Wanda, seeing her eyes glow faintly crimson as she attempted to invade the man's mind. There was silence for a few moments before he spoke again. "You're wondering why you can't look inside my head," he said, addressing Wanda.

"Sometimes it's hard," the brunette replied, stepping forward. "But sooner or later every man shows himself."

"Oh, I'm sure they do," the man said, standing up. The blanket fell off, and Ira realized what she had thought to be a man, was actually a man made of metal. He towered over them, and Ira stepped back in shock. His whole body was made of metal; interlocking plates covering his body, with red light leaking out of the slits between the metal slabs. His eyes were scarlet, sunk deep within metal sockets, and two curved metal bars surrounded his face. Realization hit; this is what the boy had meant when he had said 'iron man'.

"But you needed more than a man," the android continued. "That's why you let Stark take the scepter." Ira glanced over at the others. Confusion was present on Pietro and Emilia's faces, but Wanda almost seemed calm. Either that, or she was masking her panic with a carefully-constructed facade.

"I didn't expect," Wanda admitted, warily looking up at him. "But I saw Stark's fear. I knew it would control him, make him self-destruct."

"Everyone creates the thing they dread," the man told the Enhanced as he strolled around the church. "Men of peace create engines of war, invaders create avengers, people create...smaller people," he paused for a second, struggling to find the right word. "Children! I lost the word there," he chuckled. "Children. Designed to supplant them. To help them end."