Run to You|Pietro Maximoff

Chapter 09*

Ira hit the floor with a thud. Her body collided with the hard floor of the training room, knocking the wind out of her and causing a gasp to slip out of her mouth. She groaned as she rolled over so she was facing the ceiling.

A hand came into view, reaching down to help Ira up. She gratefully took it, and allowed herself to be pulled from the ground to meet Natasha's calm face. "Do you want to go again?" the spy asked, and Ira nodded.

She backed away from the redhead, and set herself into a fighting stance; lowering herself and spreading her feet slightly apart. A slow breath left her lips as she stood motionless, waiting for Natasha to make the first move.

She didn't have to wait long.

The assassin darted forward quickly, lithe and agile as she threw a punch in Ira's direction. She managed to block it with a forearm, but it left her stomach open, which Natasha quickly exploited by driving a punch into Ira's stomach. She gasped but quickly rebounded, kicking a leg into Natasha's, causing it to buckle underneath her. But Natasha only used it as an opportunity to sweep her leg under Ira's foot, causing the blonde to tumble to the ground.

She quickly stood back up, aiming another punch at Natasha. But the spy easily dodged it; feinting to the right before whirling around to face Ira again. Exhaustion crept into her bones, but she fought it off, rapidly throwing punches and jabs at Natasha, managing to land a few. But the fight quickly ended when the more-experienced woman lightly drove a kick into Ira's stomach, sending her crashing into the ground.

A sigh left her lips as she pushed herself back to her feet. Natasha smiled sympathetically. "You've improved since last week," she offered, and Ira managed a smile, giving a nod of thanks to the redhead.

"Thanks," she responded. "I think I'm going to be done for the day," she told her, and Natasha nodded understandingly.

As Ira walked out of the training room, it was difficult for her not to feel frustrated at her lack of skills surrounding hand-to-hand combat. She acknowledged that she was a million times better than when she had started training, but a nagging voice in the back of her head convinced her that she wouldn't have enough experience to stop HYDRA.

And this killed her inside.

The very reason that she threw herself into every training session, endured every grueling day and midnight mission, was so she could destroy the festering weed that was the corrupt organization. But if she wasn't able to destroy it, then millions of people would keep getting hurt. And she couldn't let that happen.

Ira walked through the halls of the compound, heading to her room so she could change. When she reached it, she walked inside, setting her water bottle on the dresser and walking to her closet. She found a pair of clothes and threw them on quickly, wanting to leave as soon as possible.

Tony has mentioned in the morning that he wanted her to come down to his lab for something, but she wasn't sure what. So as she left her room and made her way to the lab, she mused over what Tony could want her to do. Did he need her help? Was it regarding a mission? She would have her answer soon enough.

Ira arrived at the lab and saw Tony through the glass walls of the room. He was hunched over a table, obstructing her view of whatever was occupying his interest. She raised a fist and knocked on the door, seeing him jolt up and look around, his gaze finally landing on her.

She pulled open the door, walking inside to join him at the table. "What do you need me for?" She asked, resting her hands on the tabletop in front of her.

"This," he replied vaguely, stepping back from the table so she could see what he had been looking at. It was a small device of some sort, made of green metal and closely resembling a computer chip. Wires twisted in and around it, and shiny golden plating sparkled in the center of it. Near the edge of the device, a small clear tube was set, with wires poking out of it.