Chapter 16: Code PurplenurblesNotes:I describe borsht as delicious in this chapter. I've had the misfortune of eating it once, it was terrible. But I was at a friends house, and her Russian mom was very excited about the homemade Russian food. So I ate that whole damn bowl with a smile on my face. I still twitch at the thought of that god forsaken soup.
Chapter TextTony hovered above the SHIELD headquarters. The smoke, blown hole in the side of the base, the complete lack of movement. Something had gone really, really wrong here. And what was this, two for three on his kids calling him in too late for giant disasters? He didn't deserve this.
Lowering into what had to be the hanger he scanned the destruction. He frowned, someone had blown the quinjets. "FRIDAY what are you getting?"
-"Highly dissipated knock out gas. Explosive residue is from c4. I'm reading twenty connective ports in the containment box twenty feet to your right."-
Tony sent out two of his drones. They'd scan the rest of the base while he investigated here. But he had a horrible tickling sensation, saying the danger here had passed. Which meant his kid was very much not here. He opened up the door of the containment unit. "Fuck."
It was rows of identical replicas of Jeffory Mace, SHIELD Director. That was a very, very bad sign. He shot one through the chest. "FRIDAY scan the LMDs."
-"Life signs detected inside the Playground sir."- FRIDAY spoke. -"I have located twenty two heat signatures inside the base. They all seem to be unconscious."-
Tony left the containment box and made his way into the base. It was...well an hour of sweeping rooms and he knew whatever had happened was bad. The robot stabbinated to death in the labs, that was a lot of blood. Because of course once activated these robots bled. Fun. Faint blood trail from there to the boiler room. Then the shattered and broken robot remains radiating outwards from the boiler room. He called Hill.
-"Stark what do you have? Since the order to go dark signal went out there's been nothing from the Playground."-
He pulled up the simulation he was running on the SHIELD holotable of what he was fairly sure what had happened. "It's a guess, but my guesses are other people's facts. There are twenty two unconscious agents in the base. Looks like the LMDs got brought in while several models were attempting to replace the higher ranking agents."
"One of the scientists seems to have got wise. There's an LMD in the labs that was stabbed a half dozen times. Surviving scientist made it to the boiler room. There they met up with Quake. They gassed the base with knock out gas. Then Quake fought a path of mass destruction through the base."
Tony swallowed, his voice feeling tight as he saw the blood stains in the upper lab he was in. FRIDAY's scans confirmed it was blood with a high degree of commonality with his own. "Quake was shot in the upper labs, at least twice. From there the scientist and Quake dosed a couple of agents and took a quinjet. There's one missing and there was a blood trail. They sabotaged the other quinjets and went who the fuck knows where. I think it was them who sent out the 'go dark' signal."
-"Get what evidence you can, I've contacted a team that can collect the agents who are unconscious."-
Tony looked at the blood splatter. "I have FRIDAY seeing what she can do about tracing these LMDs. Do you have anything on Radcliffe? I believe I should pay him a visit." And kick his stupid ass.
Tony was halfway to his Malibu home when he got a message in his internal system. He came to an abrupt stop, as a video feed request popped up in the corner of his helmet. Landing he stepped out of the suit, his suit projecting the video feed. "Is Quake alright?" He demanded immediately. Because nobody would have managed to link a communication to FRIDAY, a direct video link directly into the suit except for her.
-"Holy shit you're Tony Stark."- The woman with short hair gaped as she stared at him.
He noted at least two people behind her. "Great observational skills. Really, I can see why SHIELD hired you. Now is Quake alright?"
-"She's alive."- A different woman spoke up, her face coming into focus over the first woman's shoulder.- "My name is Elena and Quake said to contact you as soon as she and Jemma went under."-
Tony did not like the implication there."So why don't you explain to me sweetheart what Quake just went under for?"
-"We'll send you our coordinates. And I'm not your sweetheart Stark."-
////
Darcy was shaking with rage. "I'm going to buy a sledgehammer. Take that sledgehammer and break this piece of extremely shitty plywood bullshit designed for torture. And then I'm going to put on some groovy tunes and forget this pain."
"Uh… I mean we can still figure it out. I think we need to attach L-1 to P-2...or P-3?" Peter winced from where he was hanging from the ceiling and reading the instructions.
She ran a hand through her hair. "I have a doctorate. This swedish crap is some alien plot to destroy brain cells."
"No it's P-2. Can you pass the two sided screw?" Peter's face was scrunched up as he held the instructions in one hand, the other rubbing at his jaw.
Darcy let out a low cackle. "No, I'll make a flamethrower. Burn it to ash." She absently passed the aforementioned screw to Peter. "I have some hair spray we could use as an accelerant."
"We're grounded, remember?" Peter dropped from the ceiling and started trying to fit two pieces together. "Besides, Aunt May really liked these ones."
Darcy groaned. "Fine." She bit back a laugh as one of the boards snapped in Pete's hands. "Or we could order an already built one and hide our shame in the neighbor's trash bin?"
"We could have Hunter pick it up?" Peter suggested.
She ruffled his hair. "Penance bookshelf here we come." Darcy slid her phone out. Some unknown number had texted her. "Telemarketers are the wor…." She trailed off as she read the text. It should have been nonsense. -Code Purplenurbles, Poprocks Incoming. Tremors in Operation Red Pill.-
"Darcy?" Peter looked up at her with a frown.
Darcy swallowed. "Sweet Thor." She ran through the single dumbest code they'd set up. "Peter put your suit on under your clothing. Then go get May right now."
"No way, no suit while we're grounded." Peter hopped to his feet. "What's going on?"
She held out the phone showing the text. "Daisy just announced Purplenurbles."
"Terminators enforcing the Matrix? That's ridiculous. I mean those aren't even from the same franchise the chances of…." Peter's eyes widened as he read the text. "I'll go get Aunt May."
Darcy yanked her hair back into a ponytail. "I'll get the gobags ready. We'll be safer in the tower with Wanda than on the run."
Darcy had a really bad feeling when she saw the Ironman suit waiting for her in the tower. "So… how about the killer robots Poprocks?"
-"I'm not really here."- The suit said in his voice. Which cool interface. -"I've located Daisy. She's plugged herself into a something called the Framework."-
Yuppers, that was shitty news. "Correct me if I'm wrong but the Framework wouldn't happen to basically be the Matrix being run by terminators in a plot to conquer the world?"
-"She told you what was happening and then still did it?!"- Despite the robotics his voice screeched slightly.
Darcy rolled her eyes. "I got unreplyable text from a burner phone. I'm guessing you need me?"
-"I'll be there in an hour. Then we're going to an oil rig. We don't have long so I'm going to need your help or anyone who dies in the Framework is going to die here too."-
Her hands shook slightly as she tipped her chin up. "Got it, I'll grab your portable tool kit."
Darcy stayed firmly behind Tony's armored back. "So, not that I'm not loving the father daughter bonding trip to the robot infested oil rig. But uh...I'm too young and hot to die by sexy terminator."
"Two more left Spawn, and here I was thinking you were getting into the whole shootout thing. I seem to remember in Michigan you playing at seal team 8."
Darcy winced as Tony blasted a hole through a person. The robot man twitched, sparks flickering from the chest cavity and his eyes. And then the LMD collapsed like a doll. Her nose wrinkled up. "Isn't that like a fourth copy of the Watchdog leader?"
"Oh good my spawn can count." Tony tapped his shoulder, a small drone detaching from his shoulder piece and flying down a hallway. "Alright Spawn, once we get to the central hub you just start getting the Framework eggs or pods or whatever the agents are in separated. Ignore everything else, I'll take care of it."
Darcy gave a salute. "Gotcha Poprocks."
They came round a corner, Tony blasting the door open and then...nothing?
She peeked around his shoulder and huh...just six people in what basically looked like low budget borge charging stations. "Uh...very Star Trek." Darcy stepped around her dad and started prying the metal siding off one. Time to see what she was dealing with.
"Huh, I get it." Tony's face mask popped off, and then he was stepping out of his suit. He marched straight to the computer bank and plugged in a hard connection for FRIDAY.
Darcy bit at her lower lip while following the cords to see what plugged in where. "Whaddya get?"
"Evil terminator is hot. If you're into evil robots." Tony started pulling up information on the computer bank.
She gave him a look. "Really? How many corporate spies managed to get into SI by flashing some boob?" Darcy yanked out a green wire. Huh, that was sloppy wiring. Someone did this on a timetable.
Tony just chuckled. "Getting in doesn't mean they got anything. Well, that I didn't give them."
"So gross old man." Darcy pulled out a pocket knife and moved to the next piece of paneling to pry off. "Right, this 'they die in the matrix they die for realsies sitch.' I think I can get us into the system. If you can get the disconnect from the Framework slower so they have a chance to get a dreamy edge they might survive?"
Tony frowned as he started to type, the suit raising its arm towards the lady on the far end who was totally one of the terminators. "Give me an hour."
"I can cut it down to one connection per borg charger/Framework hookup." Darcy groaned at the mess of wires… "It's going to take a while though."
"Well let's hope Quaker Shaker can keep them alive in there, till we can get some safety wheels on this set up. Or get them out. That'd make things easier." Tony clapped his hands together, a manic light in his eye.
////
Daisy's eyes snapped open as she sucked in a desperate gasp of air. She was half way up and off the flat medical table before hissing and stilling. "Darcy?"
"Hey sis." Darcy caught her gently. "Breathe, evil terminator bots dead."
Daisy looked to Jemma who was crying silently. "Jemma?"
"We have to find Fitz." Her voice cracked as she whipped at her face. "But he came through? He came through."
Daisy nodded. "He came through. We just have to get to the oil rig."
"Fun fact, we're already there." Darcy had a hand on her shoulder keeping her from standing up immediately. "Aida and her weird eastern european Watchdog robots are totes dust. Tony's good at KOing LMDs. You're good dude..and also have two bullet holes and look like you just went ten rounds with the Rock."
She couldn't. "The Framework?"
"FRIDAY is connected to it." Darcy gently, painfully gently really, pushed at her shoulder. "No running off to fight terminators while stuck in the fucking matrix by yourself. It took Tony and I like three hours to track you and then the oil rig down. Then had to blow up some crazy evil robots. And changing the rigging of the Framework set up so we could get you fucks out, even if you died in there."
Daisy huffed, her heart filling with relief. She was home. Not the sick world where Hydra ruled. Where everyone she cared for was dead or some sick twisted version of themselves. She leaned in, letting her head fall on Darcy's shoulder. "Thank you."
"Duh. Barely got Mace out." Darcy huffed. "Nearly gave me a heart attack when everything started beeping like that."
Jemma stiffened. "Mace is alive?"
"Wicked hangover and was having an existential crisis while guarding the others on the rig, but yeah." Darcy shrugged.
Daisy let out a sigh of relief. They hadn't lost him. She slid to her feet, easily slipping out of Darcy's grip. "They're here?"
"Yup." Darcy gestured to the exit.
Jemma was sprinting out to find Fitz.
Daisy limped, her leg burned, getting shot in the leg hurt, who knew. As she came down the ramp she saw Coulson and May. She didn't care about the pain moving caused, she just flung herself at them. "You made it!"
"Daisy!" Coulson hugged her tightly.
She could see over his shoulder, Tony was watching. His suit was half on and he had the oddest expression on his face. Daisy's smile felt tremulous. She still felt shaken and just..hurt by just everything. But the fight was done. They were allowed to actually feel their pains. And she was so grateful that that was the case. She'd come out ready to fight Aida. She mouthed the words 'Thank you' to Tony.
He seemed to still and then a smug smirk transformed his face and he winked at her.
Daisy closed her eyes and then let go of Coulson and May. She looked around, wincing slightly at the shaking wreck that was Fitz, but then swallowed thickly as she saw Mack still plugged in. "Is there any way to get him out?"
"He'll survive the Framework failing, or dying in there. But it won't be pretty." Tony replied easily.
Daisy stayed focused on her former partner. "He won't come out till the end then."
"There's nothing else you could have done." Coulson laid a hand on her shoulder in comfort.
Daisy nodded as she turned, she saw the quiet conversation between May and Mace in one corner. That was...good. May hadn't killed him. Not permanently at least. Well...Daisy could see the shakes Mace had, the way he was holding himself. "Is the damage permanent?"
"I don't know." Coulson set his shoulders. "But we'll take care of him."
Daisy leaned ever so slightly against Coulson. "I'm not coming back."
"I know." Coulson smiled tightly at her. It was probably as genuinely as any of them were going to be able to smile for a while after the nightmare of the Framework.
She took his hand and squeezed it. "What's the plan?"
"Do a head check, make sure no LMDs survived. Destroy the darkholme." Coulson seemed to come alive ever so slightly as he started thinking through the project that lay ahead.
Daisy winced as she shifted. "Physical therapy is going to suck. I haven't missed it."
////
Pietro walked, stiffly but he was walking without the damn walker, out of the quinjet. He beamed as he saw Wanda exactly where he'd known she'd be. "Hey sis."
"Pietro!" Wanda's feet barely touched the ground as she flung her arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly.
He wrapped his arms around her. "I missed you." Pietro felt the need to say it, even as he felt her power settling into him once more, their familier link settling back to how it was. He didn't question that she was clearly feeling for his pain and any hurts he still had. He'd have done the same if he had her powers. Even without controlling their link he could feel an echo of her.
The relief they both felt at being reunited was dizzying. His eyes were wet as they clung to each other. "Never again."
"Never." She agreed, her agreement bone deep as it reverberated between them.
Clint's warm chuckles came from inside the jet as he loped out with his easy baring. He had both of their bags slung over one shoulder. "So we go away for a few months and this happens."
"Eight months." Wanda countered as she released him, but stayed near him.
Pietro gently mirrored her, their simple ease returning as if they'd never been separated. "So you promised terrible american junk food."
"If it still exists." Wanda rolled her eyes, but her emotions were fond. "We have unexpected company."
He concentrated on her, but there was no sign or feel of her being upset by that. "Your new friends?"
"The Parkers are staying till a disaster of some kind is handled. Apparently I'm the scariest person they trust to watch out for them." And there was a thread of affection and pride there.
Pietro leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her hair. "Good, you are terrifying and good."
"Any details on that disaster?" Clint asked, his face still at ease, but there was a tension there.
Wanda let out the most beleaguered sigh. "Whatever code Purplenurbles is. I believe they think I know what that means. Whatever it is Stark took Darcy with him for 'mechanical assistance' and Rhodey went to 'blow some LMDs up'."
"Well, then I leave you two to get settled in." Clint traipsed to the tower entrance, though his movements had purpose.
Pietro let her feel his exasperation as Wanda used her powers to snag his bag from him. "I could have carried that."
"You have an appointment with Dr Cho tomorrow. No heavy lifting until you are cleared for it." She replied without so much as batting an eyelash.
He huffed as he followed behind her. His movements still stiff, and she did walk slower for him, but he enjoyed walking beside her. "So is it just Ms Parker and Peter?"
"Darcy's bodyguard Hunter was pouting in the kitchen for a while. But then his 'Hellbeast of Beauty and Perfection' called and he went rushing out." Wanda was...she was good.
Pietro's eyes crinkled around the edges. "I'm surprised, living in the tower has been good for you."
"Not at first." Wanda corrected gently as the elevator doors closed. "Did you bring the photos from the farm?"
He smiled. "Of course, I've promised to call and read bedtime stories."
"We should hang some of them. The apartment is very….large." Wanda finally settled on.
Pietro whistled. "That is an understatement from the videos you've shared."
"Stark has been very generous." Her eyes narrowed. "When he isn't keeping me locked inside."
He felt his body vibrate so fast his edges surely blurred to anyone watching. The fury he felt was… but she did not need him to rage. "I may accept Stark intends to help. Is willing to die to protect. But I do not like him."
"I agree. But it was not without reason." Wanda's feelings were confused, wavering as they brushed against him.
Wanda's red powers opened the door for them. And then a teenage boy zipped out, eagerly grabbing Pietro's bag. "Hey Mr Pietro! How you run so fast is super cool. And I've heard so much about you. It's really good to meet you!"
"Which means you must be Peter." Pietro held out his hand, smiling as he shook the kid's hand. "Thank you for being kind to my sister."
Peter bounced backwards, bag slung over his shoulder. "Of course, sorry we're hiding out in your apartment right now. There's a thing with terminators and the matrix so ya know." He shrugged as if 'what can you do' and any of that made sense.
"The soup is simmering just fine dear." A woman who must be the infamous May Parker bustled forward and immediately hugged Wanda. She looked at him and oh. Her face was warm and welcoming and so painfully 'mom'. "It's lovely to meet you young man."
Pietro understood what he'd begun to suspect while talking with Wanda recently. She hadn't been befriended by Quake, Darcy and Peter so much as dragged into this small family. He could feel Wanda's affection for these people, and for that alone he would have loved them. But as he was bustled in and herded to the couch by May, while Peter started pestering Wanda and him with excited questions, he was sure he would love them for themselves.
Pietro hummed in delight as he took his first bite of borscht. "I've missed this. We should make duruny."
"Only if you help." Wanda's lips twitched up as she handed a bowl to Peter.
Peter perked up. "I can help too?"
"No Starks in my kitchen without supervision except for Darcy." Wanda replied without blinking.
Pietro grinned as he looked at the kid. "You want to learn how to make Sokovian food?"
"Why not?" Peter's head tilted slightly.
He laughed. "Of course you can help us then. I've missed the food from our home while I've been at the farm."
"My brother is partial to duruny. I could always bribe him when we were younger with them." Wanda teased lightly.
Peter's eyes brightened as he took a bite of the borscht. He then dug in with enthusiasm. May gave Peter a fond look. She smiled at Wanda. "What is duruny?"
"They are savory potato pancakes. Our mother made it to go with dinner and then we would eat the leftovers for breakfast the next day." Pietro explained happily, he was going to gorge himself on them if he was going to make them.
Wanda let out a light laugh. "Leftover duruny while you were in the house? We remember that very differently brother."
"I am wounded, you would say lies like that." Pietro laughed, this was good. It felt like it would be home.
Wanda stilled mid movement. And then she was turning towards the door. "Daisy's back." Her magic lit up around her fingers as she used her abilities to open the door. And there in the now open door were who had to be Daisy and Darcy.
Of the two girls the one wearing an outfit complete with colorful scarf and oversized knit sweater had to be Darcy. Besides she didn't look dangerous, which according to Wanda meant she was the most dangerous of the siblings. One arm over Darcy's shoulders and leaning fairly heavily on her was who must be Daisy. Daisy was wearing some sort of dirty oversized black ops pants, a tank top and a SHIELD black ops jacket. Also she had two facial cuts that looked like they needed stitches but had been taped shut. Darcy raised a hand, voice shockingly perky. "Sup! I bringeth the prodigal daughter home once more."
"Hey!" Daisy grumbled as they limped, and it was very clear Daisy wasn't putting much weight on one leg, into the apartment. Pietro felt a wave of worry from Wanda.
The kid, Peter half launched himself across the room, half ran to them. He actually slid the last few inches as he seemed to realize tackling them was a terrible idea. "You're Back!!" He chirped excitedly
"Come here kid." Daisy's arm moved slightly awkwardly, but she pulled him into a loose hug.
Darcy looked up over Peter's shoulder at Wanda, a smug grin on her face. "I've got an idiot to join your idiot in physical therapy."
"What happened to you!" May bustled forward and dragged Daisy to the couch where she and Darcy promptly dropped her. It was eerily familiar to his own reception earlier.
Daisy winced. "I may have been shot a couple of times." She held up a hand and grinned. "But good news, the world isn't going to be conquered by humanoid robots."
Pietro paused as he processed that. "Someone made Ultron…..again?"
Chapter 17: Jane is ScaryNotes:So I'm still riding a relieved high since yesterday.
Chapter TextJane Foster was sort of calm. Did this count as her first kidnapping? First non alien kidnapping at least. She'd hit her panic button around the time she'd been hauled out of her favorite coffee shop and into a prius of all things. "You should really let me go."
"We know your boyfriend is in Asgard." The bearded goon replied and his voice was meant to be cruel. "No one is going to save you."
She wondered at stupidity sometimes. But if they wanted to be dumb, why stop them? It wasn't like they'd hurt any of her research. And Darcy did say she needed to get out of the lab more. "It's your funeral."
"Gag her." The goon driving the getaway car snapped.
Jane glared and shoved herself up against the side of the car. "Don't you dare! I have rights!"
He slapped his hand over her mouth. She bit down.
"FUCK!"
And then the world went black.
Jane woke up feeling groggy and disoriented. But she woke up. She winced at the light as she pushed herself up from the cold cement floor so that she was at least sitting. A warm hand settled on her shoulder.
"Easy Dr Foster." Ian's familiar voice whispered.
She blinked and let out a low groan, her right hand coming up to poke at what was going to be a fantastic black eye if it wasn't already one. "Ian?"
"They grabbed me on the way back from the Deli. Don't worry, Darcy will save us." Ian replied with all the faith of a man who'd seen Darcy and Tony whispering about 'personal protection weapons development' and who knew Darcy had Quake and Spiderman's personal number.
Jane was fairly nauseous, and was pretty sure she had a concussion of some fashion. "What do you know about our kidnappers?"
"I think they're AIM?" Ian threw a look at the door over his shoulder. "Nobody's been in to check on us for at least an hour."
Jane looked around the room. Windowless concrete room, single hanging bulb, plastic bucket in one corner, folding chair in another. "Well, we're going to have to plan our escape then."
"But we're scientists!" Ian protested.
She climbed to her feet, ignoring the twinges of soreness in her muscles. "We fought dark elves, I slapped Loki, I'm not sitting around for Darcy to save us from some fascist scientists who think they can kidnap us."
Ian blinked and then nodded. "Ok. What's the plan?"
"Is the bucket empty?" Jane considered there were no cameras in the cell. Whoever came in would be coming in blind. Excellent.
He shuffled over and checked. "Yeah, do you need it?" His face heated up while cringing at the thought of her having to use the bucket for it's clearly intended purpose.
Jane groaned. "Grow up Ian." She picked up the folding chair and snapped it closed. "We're going to whack our captors."
"Oh, wait I don't think the bucket will be a good weapon." Ian picked it up and practiced swinging it unenthusiastically.
She carefully stepped so that she'd be hidden by the door when it opened. "Alright, now we need to get them to open the door."
"Uh… I'm gonna have to scream a lot aren't I?" Ian's shoulders slumped. "This is the weirdest internship I've ever heard of."
Jane grinned, her teeth flashing. "Just think, three more years and you'll be Darcy."
"No offence, but I don't think any internship can create a Darcy. She was born terrifying." Ian took a deep breath and then started screaming for help and a surprisingly broad tableau of profanity.
It took two minutes for the door to open. Ian wheezed and chucked the bucket at the man coming in.
Jane swung the folding chair with all of her weight over the man's head.
He crashed to the ground in a heap that didn't so much as twitch.
Ian lunged over the heap and tackled someone in the hall.
Jane jogged after him, kicked the goon he was wrestling in the head. There was a cracking sound, hopefully it was just his jaw. No time to think about that.
Ian hopped back up to his feet. "Now what?"
"Check the one in the cell for weapons." Jane crouched down and grabbed the taser off the guard at her feet's waist. She paused as she felt the ground shaking. "Rescue party is here. Let's go meet it."
Ian loyally stepped to her back holding his own recovered taser. "Right. But shouldn't we wait for the rescue party to get to us Dr Foster?"
"I want to bust in some prius windows." Jane led them forward. "We didn't even rate a murder van."
Three twitching AIM agents handcuffed to various fixtures and they got to a stairway out of the basement. Jane led them up the stairs, and they could hear the screaming and the vibrations were getting stronger.
Ian laughed nervously. "Well we're headed in the right way."
They stopped at the door out of the stairwell. Jane shared a look with Ian. "Ready?"
"No? I really don't want to die." Ian whimpered slightly.
Jane grabbed the door handle. "Feel free to stay here, but I'm going to go help make some AIM fascists regret their life decisions." She flung the door open and stepped out shooting the first shape she spotted. A dark clad goon collapsing in a twitching pile.
"Hiya Doctor Foster!" Spiderman greeted as he went flying down the hall. He webbed the still twitching goon to the floor.
Ian yanked her out of the way of a bullet, and then the goons bursting out of the door across from them went flying. He panted. "I need you alive to graduate!"
Quake snorted as she walked past them, slightly worrying limp if you knew to look for it. "Darcy's got the get away van if you want to start heading that way."
Jane glanced at the bullet holes. "We might need to make a tactical retreat." She admitted.
"Thank Thor." Ian happily started pulling her back away from the chaos in the direction Spiderman and Quake had just left in.
Jane had to admit the destruction marking the path towards the exit was impressive. "Do you think we should test to see if Quake can recreate the vibrational frequencies of a black hole?"
"I don't believe the world is ready for that yet Doctor Foster." Ian replied.
She patted his shoulder as they stepped through what had been ceiling to floor windows about ten minutes ago. Jane sighed as she saw Darcy sitting on the trunk of the prius, Ironman leaning against the car in full suit. The two were clearly arguing..something.
Darcy popped off as soon as she spotted her. "Hey Janey!" She threw a look at the Iron Man suit. "Told you she was a terrifying tiny package of whoopass."
"I've been conned." Ironman grumbled.
Darcy ignored him carefully checking all of Jane's injuries. Her eyes turned dark. "I hope you made them hurt for this."
"Of course." Jane hugged her best friend. "Kind of surprised you weren't kicking doors in there."
Darcy huffed, the irritation wafting from her. "Iron Dad is here to make sure I stay put."
"Uh...the press is here?" Ian mumbled.
Darcy reached out and patted his cheek. "Don't worry, the whole Stark bastard thing is already half way leaked." She looked up and down Ian. "Good job protecting Janey."
"You two are ridiculous." Jane relaxed, she was safe. She could worry about the whole kidnapping bullshit in therapy tomorrow.
////
Daisy hopped up on the counter next to Wanda. "So, why didn't I know you missed food from your home?"
"I assumed you knew." Wanda looked at her friend curiously. "Doesn't everyone miss the food from their home?"
Daisy absently picked up a potato. "You have to have a home to be able to miss the food. Closest to home I've had is SHIELD and I wouldn't say my feelings towards field rations are fond." She shrugged. "So, need some help peeling those potatoes?"
"Please." Wanda reached out touching her arm. "You have a home now, with Peter, Darcy and May. I can feel your bonds with each other and that is what a home is."
Daisy slid to her feet and stepped to the sink and picked up a knife and began peeling. "Well, I suppose I should be even more sure to learn how to cook."
"You're not that bad." Wanda's eyes sparked. "Well if you don't try to just turn the heat up to make it cook faster."
She laughed. "It seemed logical at the time. And I made some perfectly edible mac and cheese last week."
"You've certainly improved." Wanda flicked her fingers, a bowl floated out of the cabinets.
Daisy watched the red lights as she peeled. "Your powers are quite beautiful you know."
"You underestimate your own." Wanda smiled. "I was reading that air vibrates at different frequencies at different temperatures?"
Daisy hummed, she'd been considering that application as well. "I've been considering attempting that. I'll need Darcy's help to get it right."
"Definitely wise, I'm not sure your idea of experimentation is in any way safe." Wanda mixed the batter of some sort she was working on.
"How's Pietro settling in?" She picked up a new potato, there was something soothing about just sharing space and a task like this.
Wanda flicked a red spark at her. "He is still recovering from being shot, unlike someone who went out into the field despite two bullet wounds."
"Hey now, those wounds were meant to disable, not harm me." Daisy winked. "But also I was careful not to strain my injuries. I still have a good arm and leg. Besides I heal slightly faster than humans."
Wanda looked at her oddly. "Do you really?"
"Not enough to be a power." Daisy felt slightly uncomfortable at the mention of her inheritance from her mother. "Instead of six to eight weeks for a bone to heal it takes four to five for me. So it's not impressive."
Wanda pointed her wooden spoon at her. "So you're definitely breaking your doctor friend's orders."
"I'm fine. I've fought in worse shape than this. I'm just glad I didn't have to go straight into combat after waking from the Framework." Daisy was deeply thankful for that.
Wanda leaned against the counter looking at her with the expression that said she was learning far more than what Daisy was telling her. "What happened in the Framework?"
"It was hell." Daisy focused completely on the vegetable in her hand. "Hydra won, and in that world I worked for them." She found herself talking then. More than she wanted to. "Darcy was dead in that world. She tased a Hydra officer who tried to arrest Jane for failing to report advancements in her work. Peter was on their watch list for dissent. But the worst...the worst part was the people who were alive because I never worked for SHIELD. Trip...he was alive, a hero."
Wanda laid a hand on her uninjured shoulder. "It wasn't real."
"That's the thing...it felt real." Daisy didn't mention the agony of being tortured in a Hydra cell. Of watching twisted versions of her team. In some ways she probably didn't have to.
"Is that why you can't sleep?" Wanda asked quietly.
Daisy looked at her friend. "My powers are fueled by pain. It makes nightmares inconvenient."
"I could help, but…" Wanda looked slightly uncomfortable, stepping back from her. "I would have to touch your mind."
Daisy caught Wanda's hand. "I can't...but it has nothing to do with you. Can you understand that?"
"I do. But it should. I have violated people's minds, your father's even." Wanda looked at the floor.
Daisy squeezed Wanda's hand. "It's not the same. But even if it was they've forgiven you."
"I'm sorry, you're the one who isn't sleeping." Wanda pulled away and went back to her batter.
Daisy began to cut the freshly peeled potatoes, she could understand needing to let something go. And she knew she wasn't the only one who regretted things they'd done. "It's not so bad, there's always caffeine. And I've been working on a program for detecting AI programs. Should work as a forewarning before another murder bot gets built. Not foolproof, but some warning hopefully."
"That would be reassuring. It's...disconcerting that Tony is not the only one who is capable of making one." Wanda scooped up the diced potato.
Daisy downed the energy drink can. She crushed it between her hands with her powers, and then chucked it into a trash can. Pulling her legs up, she folded them under her and readjusted her laptop. Her program was coming along. She ignored her exhaustion, blinking till her eyes could focus on the screen again. An hour or two of dozing before she had her shift at the gym might work. "Self propagating replication maybe?" She murmured to herself.
////
Pepper sipped her mimosa. "It's good to have female friends again."
"I imagine that's difficult when in your position." May Parker replied. And honestly the woman looked rather exhausted.
Pepper looked at her friend in concern. "What's going on?"
"Darcy and Peter went to Michigan and got into a cross city shootout. Daisy went to check something out in LA and now she's got two bullet wounds, has been beaten black and blue, she's not sleeping." May sighed. "And Darcy being announced as Tony's daughter tomorrow? It's just...it's been a lot."
Pepper leaned forward and rested against the table slightly. "In my experience these things happen in waves. But you're not the only adult they have in their corner. In fact I'm fairly sure that SHIELD team of Daisy's is ready to swoop in at a moments notice if needed. Tony was having kittens about how he just got a smile and a thank you while Phil got a hug."
"That tracks." May sipped her own mimosa. "But I don't know how to help with all this…" She waved her hand as if to encompass the whole craziness that was their world.
Pepper pushed the scone plate over. "It's the price of loving people who are going to change the world." She smiled and it felt sad. "You rarely will ever be able to help them. You will pick them up, patch their injuries, and send them back out there. Because they're the type of people who see a brick wall and decide to run at it until the brick gives way. It's why we love them. It's admirable, inspiring to watch them even."
"People will always underestimate us." Pepper continued. "Because we're not the ones who change the world. But they won't be able to change the world if they don't have a safe harbor. So we love them, support them, and we smile and wave when they go out to run into those walls."
May was misty eyed. She sniffed. "I'm sorry it's just… I promised I would take care of Peter. I have done my best and he's such a good kid. But he's fourteen. I'm supposed to protect him and instead he's protecting everyone else. And now I have Daisy? Darcy at least has common sense even if it only exists so she can ignore it. But Daisy doesn't even know how to ask for help."
"She came home to you. Twice now." Pepper smiled gently at May Parker. "I don't know Daisy, but that means a lot with Starks."
"They're kids." May picked up her mug of coffee, clearly done with mimosas.
Pepper smiled. "Believe me, they're lucky to have you. And it's probably a terrible idea, but have you considered board games?"
"Monopoly is already banned." May raised a brow. "I can't see Tony playing a boardgame."
Pepper snorted under her breath. "No, he attempted to use them as a part of seducing women a few times. He's very competitive and turns into a pouting two year old if he loses."
"No offense, but I don't understand what my sister saw in him." May spread jam across her scone.
She smiled. "None taken. He is a difficult man to love, but he can be very charismatic if he wants. That and for a chance at money or fame there will always be people."
"I don't understand, but I do." May sighed, shaking her head. "But then despite the girls's meddling I'm not interested in pursuing someone. That likely makes me a poor judge of it all."
Pepper smiled at that, she'd heard Darcy chortoling over researching the cooking class in Queens with the highest proportion of 'smoking' men. "When you are ready for dating your partner is going to be the most vetted man in New York."
"It'll certainly be something." May took a bite of her scone. "So, I haven't had an explosion in my house for two weeks?"
Pepper felt like pinching the bridge of her nose. "Well, Tony and Darcy have started working on a lower cost version of an electric car. So less explosions, but the lab looks like a wrecking yard exploded. Apparently Dr Foster's machines are all 'certified non frankenbots'."
"I'm dreading the day they start portaling around the universe. Someday I'm going to come home to find out we have a pet bilgesnipe." May just sounded resigned to her fate.
Pepper felt a shiver of fear. "Aren't those the giant Asguardian, horned, lizard monsters Thor brags about defeating?"
"Yes, yes they are. Darcy was very excited to tell Peter all about Thor's feats against them." May and Pepper shared a look known only to those forced to suffer insane scientists.
Pepper was weirdly glad that Tony hadn't had a lot of time with Thor. "Have you considered getting a cat?"
"Peter and I are allergic." May seemed to consider it. "Or well Peter used to be allergic. I'm not sure if he still is."
Pepper enjoyed a bite of her quiche. Excellent food made dealing with Starks, powers, aliens, and whatever fresh crazy was happening easier. "I miss when things made sense."
"Cheers to that." May lifted her coffee cup.
Pepper clinked her mimosa flute against the cup. "Daisy goes to your cooking classes with you doesn't she?"
May hummed an affirmative while drinking her coffee.
"And you go to your self defence classes with Darcy and Peter?" Pepper waited for May to nod curiously. "Do you do anything besides work without the kids?"
May brushed some hair behind one ear. "The life of a single mom."
"I have an art show tonight. Why don't you come with me? I can make sure a competent adult is there to babysit the kids." Pepper offered. "It would be so nice to have someone I can actually talk to at one of these things."
May considered while chewing on her scone. "You think there's an adult who won't let them trample all over them?"
"Bobbie Morse, she just started with SI." Pepper was excited to have a woman working in her office. "She's going to be part of my secretarial pool, mostly running my commitments with the labs while also being added security."
May shook her head. "Darcy being known as a Stark is one thing, but even for someone vetted like that I can't risk my kids."
"She's Hunter's wife." Pepper assured.
May stared at her for a long moment. "Hunter who was strong armed into stealing a jet and then everything in Michigan?"
"He's not the one who wears the pants. And Daisy actually is used to taking orders from her." Pepper was delighted by that fact. Anyone a Stark listened to was worth their weight in gold to SI as far as she was concerned.
May actually paused at that. "She doesn't even listen to the director of SHIELD?"
"I got the Quake stamp of approval when I hired Bobbie. It's one night and Daisy should crash. She's barely slept. And Darcy is still in the blueprint stage of a project." Pepper was used to marshalling a Stark.
May smiled finally. "Alright, I could use the night off. And maybe the kids need some time without me hovering."
"Excellent." Pepper genuinely beamed. She wasn't going to have time for a night out again for a long time once the rumors Darcy was a Stark were confirmed. It was nice to have a friend who understood. "Now how do you feel about smoked salmon?"
Chapter 18: May Considers Banning CaffeineNotes:Sorry I'm a couple hours later than usual on the updates. I totally forgot.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter TextTony hovered just out of frame as Peter finished taking a photo of himself. He was aware of his kid's snapchat account. It was actually pretty hilarious. When Peter slid the phone into the suit, he spoke up. "Hey kid."
"Mr Stark!" Peter whirled, and then pulled off his mask, big bright smile on his face. "Hey!"
He stepped out of the suit. "So a little sparkplug told me you like chemistry?"
"Chemistry? I mean yeah I do." He bounced slightly.
Tony looked at the pool chairs and toys scattered around the roof. "Secret club roof?"
"Uh, yeah I guess?" Peter's fingers twitched.
He'd have to like put an actual pool up here...or maybe just tell the kids they could use his pool? Still he'd come here for a reason. "So I was thinking, want to work on different types of webs for your super hero-ing?"
"Yeah, that would be really cool. But you don't have to do that Mr Stark." Peter hopped up next to him.
Tony looked at the kid and...god he was scared of the kid more than his daughters. His daughters weren't going to put up with being fucked up. "I want to." Which wasn't that terrifying.
Peter's eyes practically sparkled. "Cool! So uh, are we going to do that now?"
Tony looked at the set up they'd put together in the lab. "You changed the proline and tyrosine levels from natural spider webs. Interesting choice."
"Well they affect the structure, and the protein is important to dragline. But I needed it to be able to hold more weight than natural spider web strands do in nature. Or well some of them need to have more tensile strength, but most of mine I adjust the flexibility." Peter looked up at him, slightly shuffled. "I mean it's not that great...but it was the best I could do."
Tony reached out and patted the kid's top head. It was...awkward. "You reproduced spider silk on a scale that nobody has. Good job."
"Really?" Peter perked up, his chest puffing slightly.
His lips pulled up. "Yeah kid, you did good. Have you considered ricochet webs yet?"
Tony chewed on his piece of licorice. "Have you and Spawn planned on working nanobots into the suit? We could make it more aerodynamic?"
"We've talked about it. But I don't want to get too caught up in gimmicks you know?" Peter looked up at him with big wide eyes filled with passion. "I mean Daisy can kick my ass with an arm in a cast and not using her powers. Or well she used to, now she probably would have to not be in a cast. But still. So I want to really master what I have. Ya know."
And god Tony didn't want to fuck up this kid like his dad had fucked him up. Or Daisy's..everything had fucked her up. The world had enough fucked up Starks. "You want to master your abilities and tools before learning new ones. In a few years you're going to be a force to be reckoned with kid. You're far more motivated than I was at your age."
"Really? But you already had graduated and were working for SI!"
He winced. "Kid, believe me, you should be proud of yourself." Tony suddenly grinned. "But you're still a kid. Which means people can't be mad at you for pranks for that long."
"Technically?" Peter's face scrunched slightly as he clearly tried to figure out who he was about to be unleashed on.
Tony dropped his hand down on the kid's shoulder. "Rhodey hasn't even met any of my spawn. My best friend. Your godfather."
"Does he even know about all three of us?" Peter asked slowly.
He pushed through, it was an excellent idea. "You'll get to bedazzle the War Machine suit."
"I'm so in!" Peter grinned right back at him.
A throat cleared behind them.
Tony and Peter both whirled around to come face to face with an amused looking Darcy.
She arched a brow. "Betrayal in my own family. You'd start a prank war, use my own bedazzler and not even include me?"
"It was Tony's idea." Peter casually threw Tony under the bus without a second thought. "Can we use the glitter?"
Tony crossed his arms. "I see how it is."
"You can use the glitter, only if I get to help you use it on the Captain's shield." Darcy replied, a slightly deranged look in her eye.
Tony was kind of touched, they were definitely his kids. "Well, I always wanted to see Cap look like a pretty, pretty princess."
////
Darcy yawned, a professional make-up artist was the only reason she didn't look like she'd only gotten a few hours of sleep last night. She let herself settle. "So how off the rails do you think this is going to go?"
"Completely." Pepper replied without blinking. "Still ready to go through with it?"
She huffed. "I'm here for the crazy train."
"Tony promised he thought this through." Pepper brushed the front of her blazer. "So at least he won't eat a burger or randomly give away a secret identity this time."
Darcy grinned. "I don't think he ever had a secret identity."
Tony joined them while adjusting his cuffs. "My ears are burning ladies. All good things I'm sure."
"Keep telling yourself that Poprocks." Darcy replied without so much as a twitch.
He chuckled. "Well, we can't keep the vultures waiting." Tony strode out the doors to the prepared press conference. The reporters exploded with noise, photos being taken and questions. He came to a stop behind the podium. "Well hello there."
Darcy kept behind Pepper's elbow, the perfect secretary. It was the easiest way to get her here. Besides the only photos were of her in full hipster gear and from a distance. She pointedly ignored how twitchy Hunter and Happy were acting as they stood stiffly in their bodyguard roles. All in all they were all there to fade into the background. Which wasn't hard when Tony was...well he was Tony.
Tony lightly held onto the podium. "So we're here because some rumors have been going around about one of my employees. I've seen accusations that I'm stepping out on Pepper with an intern." He looked at the reporters with a smug pout. "I happen to like my bits where they belong, so we should all be thankful that's not true."
There were some polite chuckles at that. And god it was kinda horrifying that someone as painfully awkward as Tony was so good at controlling the press when he wanted.
"Now the other rumors about the girl you all have some photos of me with is that she's my daughter." His lips pulled up. "Which is true." Tony was stupidly smug as he looked out at the explosion of noise from the reporters. He held up a hand quieting the press. "As you all know I had a bit of a partying phase." He laughed. "So I really shouldn't have been so surprised when some DNA pinged my system."
"So yes, it's DNA official, which considering how much she looks like me that would have been a bit redundant. Which leaves me to introduce the newest Stark. Dr Darcy Lewis, mechanical engineer, heir to all the Stark stuff and my daughter." He waved his hand back bringing everyone's attention to her.
Darcy choked slightly. Heir? He made her his fucking legal heir!? She plastered on a smile though and stepped up next to Tony. As soon as this was over she was going to kill him.
Tony grinned, his hand settling on her back. "And no we won't be taking any questions at this time."
She was going to kill him with one of his own robots. It was the only fate worthy of this. Or maybe just tell Cap why he shouldn't use his shower in the tower anytime soon. But then she wouldn't see a Captain America with pink hair….she'd find a way to make Tony pay.
////
May added an extra sandwich to Peter's backpack. "Peter you're going to be late!"
"Hey Aunt May, what do you think?" Peter slid into the kitchen. He was wearing a scarf that was...very puke green.
She wasn't sure how to put this. "It's uh...is it cold enough for you to need a scarf?"
"Is it bad? I just thought it would be good to wear colors that weren't red and blue." Peter touched the scarf nervously.
May couldn't let him go into public wearing a puke green scarf with sparkles. It just...she might not be 'hip' with the times but she was pretty sure that scarf was not going to help him. "Sweetie, maybe not that shade of green exactly."
"Is it that bad?" Peter pulled at one side of the scarf.
She sighed. "It's not a great look."
"Thanks Aunt May." His shoulders slumped as he slung his backpack on with one hand and pulled the scarf off with the other.
She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry sweetie."
"Aunt May." He grumbled, rubbing at his cheek. "I'm not a little kid anymore. I know you all call me a kid but I'm not."
May sighed looking at him, he was already taller than her. Not by much, but still. "I know, now go! You're going to be late!"
"The bus!" Peter's eyes widened in alarm and then he was out the door faster than a human should be able to move.
May dropped her hands on her hips. "Baby steps. Baby steps." She picked up the coffee pot and started filling her travel thermos. It was weird not to have to fight Darcy over coffee. But… crap. She walked as quietly as she could, it probably wasn't that quiet, but still.
She gently poked her head into Daisy's room. May felt a pang as she saw Daisy. The girl was passed out on her desk.
May walked over to the bed and picked up the Cap throw blanket off the bed. She padded towards Daisy and laid the blanket over the girl's shoulders. It was telling that Daisy hadn't startled. She let her hand rest on Daisy's back, tiny vibrations spread from the touch all the way to her shoulder. It was sudden, one minute she was gently touching the girl's back and the next there was an iron grip on her arm and cold eyes on her.
Daisy released her and cringed backward. "May! What are you doing here?"
"I was just checking on you." May ignored the horror stricken look on Daisy's face and gathered up the empty energy drink cans. "Why don't you climb into your bed and get some more sleep?"
"I...I can't." Daisy reached up and touched the fluffy edge of the blanket May had laid over her shoulders. Her face cracked, only to close up again. "You shouldn't wake me like that May, I could have hurt you."
"But you didn't." May reached out and squeezed Daisy's shoulder, ignoring how rigid the girl was under her hand. "Now try and get some sleep.
She slipped out and carefully shut the door behind her. May dumped the rest of the coffee in the pot down the sink as soon as she got back to the kitchen. Caffeine was clearly not the answer.
May sorted through the new donations. "I don't know how to help her."
"I think you already are doing what you can to help her." Martin replied while folding a jacket. "We see it here all the time don't we?"
She looked at the rows of cots. Working at a FEAST homeless shelter meant she saw a lot of veterans. And she wasn't unaware of the similarities. "She'd just been doing better. And now I don't think she's slept for more than two hours at a time in the last week."
"Until she asks for help there isn't anything you can do." Martin picked up another coat to fold.
May looked up at her boss. "Thank you for listening to me."
"Anytime." Martin smiled warmly. "But Peter's doing well?"
She picked up a pair of jeans from the donation box. "His team won their academic decathlon. He almost wore this hideous scarf to school today. And god I didn't know if I could just say it was hideous?"
"How hideous are we talking?" Martin's face was amused.
May couldn't help a snicker. "Puke green, there were sequins."
"Oh no." Martin snorted. "Being a teenager is rough. I remember some of the things I did to impress girls."
May nodded. "I remember those days, I was in highschool in the late seventies. We got up to a lot of things."
"I do believe you owe me some stories next time I have time to come down here." Martin took a step back. "But I'm afraid I have a call from Beijing I need to take. Have to be able to pay for all this somehow."
She picked up the box of the newest folded jackets. "It's always good to see you Mr Li."
"Ah! I had you saying Martin for a whole twenty minutes. I'm counting that as a win." He laughed while pulling his phone out of his pocket and then frowning. "But I really have to go now. It's been good to catch up."
May smiled at her boss, he was a good man. "Take care of yourself."
////
Wanda was curious as she climbed through Daisy's window. Not that it was hard, she could fly. But it was odd. She bit back her instinctive wince at the dark circles under Daisy's eyes. Instead she gently closed the window behind her. "Daisy, what's going on?"
"I need your help." Daisy twitched slightly as she said that. She was sitting on the far end of her bed, legs curled under her.
Wanda could feel the swirl of emotions all tightly reigned in. Without intruding, it was hard to parse out what they were, and Wanda respected that Daisy didn't want her powers focused on her in that way. Explosions, wildly dangerous launching sure, nothing in her head. "What do you need? And why the window?"
"I almost broke May's arm today." Daisy's shoulders curled further inwards. "And I can't trust myself to sleep here. I'd taken for granted we modeled my sleeping quarters off our containment facilities at SHIELD."
Wanda cautiously sat down on the bed, leaving room for Daisy's jittery energy. Actually now that she was looking for it she could feel the air vibrating. It was a soft buzz filling the room. "You're worried you'll take the house down if you sleep?"
"Think more New York dealing with an earthquake." Daisy looked up. "Even in a containment unit when I had nightmares I nearly brought down an entire underground base. And that's with people to wake me up."
And Wanda got it. She brought her own legs up, folding them under her. "You asked me to come through the window so the Parkers don't realize how dangerous this could be?"
Daisy nodded sharply. "I won't hurt them."
"I know that." Wanda had to resist reaching out and taking Daisy's hand. It wouldn't help. "You love them, they know that. I only feel echoes of it and I know that."
Daisy's voice was surprisingly thick as she spoke. "In the framework...everything was wrong. I was Hydra. I hunted down, tortured and killed Inhumans. It was...to know that could have been me." Daisy's knuckles turned white. "I know what I'll see if I let myself dream."
Wanda frowned. "Do you need me to be here to contain your powers while you sleep?"
"I…" Daisy trailed off before breathing in. She looked up, meeting her eyes. "I need you to make sure I don't dream."
Her mouth opened and then closed. Because that was… "You…" And she could feel resolve but also mind numbing terror from Daisy. Which suddenly made a horrible amount of sense.
"My trauma isn't more important than everyone's safety." Daisy's eyes were clear, her face determined. The clear exhaustion only slightly belayed that.
And Wanda...she hesitantly reached out touching Daisy's hand, ignoring the barely noticeable flinch as she made contact. "There must be other options? The tower has a room to contain the Hulk?"
"I ran a simulation." Daisy's voice was just..exhausted. "I'd cause a 2.3 earthquake in the middle of manhattan. The safety measures on the room would prevent anyone from being able to get in to wake me for twenty minutes."
"Ah." Wanda cast for another solution. Because she did not want to use her powers like that on someone who was terrified of them. She valued their friendship. It would be...it would be cruel. "Sleeping pills?"
Daisy shook her head. "Dendrotoxin or opioid blend with dissociative drugs. And non-sustainable." Daisy's lips pulled into a smile, though it was mirthless. "I've looked at the options and believe me, this isn't something I'd ask lightly."
Wanda could feel how serious her friend was about this. And she wasn't going to make her ask again. Daisy and her siblings had helped Wanda at every turn. She refused to stall at being asked for something without return for the first time since they'd met. "I will do it. But Daisy I can tell you're terrified."
"It has nothing to do with you if that helps?" Daisy winced slightly.
She raised her hands to the side of Daisy's head. "Are you sure?"
"I know you're not going to hurt me." And she meant it. "That doesn't mean my head is going to be any more pleasant for you."
Wanda nodded and the red light of her powers curled around her fingers, and then sank into Daisy connecting them. Daisy's eyes went red and then Wanda felt the chasoming pain, fear, love, resolve, kindness, loneliness, hate, and myriads of other emotions slam into her. This wasn't the simple pulling of certain fears to the consciousness as she'd done to the Avengers. It was… far more delicate. Because she could feel the damage the one here before had done.
She carefully, painfully carefully soothed the fear and guilt and other twisted up emotions. Not a lot, never completely. But enough she could pull something pleasant and warm forward. Wanda carefully eased the mind into sleep. Not that it was hard, the bone deep exhaustion barely needed a nudge from her. Wanda caught Daisy as she slumped forward, already unconscious.
"I got you." Wanda was careful, and grateful for her powers, as she managed to get Daisy into her bed. Which apparently Daisy sprawled when she was completely out. She carefully tucked in her friend.
Wanda stood there. Now what? It felt...wrong to just leave her to sleep. She looked around the room...there were a lot of computer bits and pieces, but generally the room was pretty sparse. Did Daisy not read? Not a single book? She was going to need something other than what looked like a broken laptop. How good was she at lying? Time to find out.
She made her way down to the kitchen. Wanda set the kettle on the oven and got two mugs out of the cabinets.
"Oh I didn't know you were here honey." May smiled as she pulled out a packet of popcorn. "Is Pietro here?"
Wanda just softened as she looked at May. "No, he's reading bedtime stories over skype to the Barton kids."
"That's sweet." May was just so warm and genuine. "There's some leftovers in the fridge if you want dinner."
She brushed it off easily. "I've already eaten, but thank you. I'm just going to need some tea and a book if I'm not going to fall asleep."
"Daisy have you helping with something?" May asked while leaning against the counter, letting the popcorn pop in the microwave.
Wanda grabbed the box of tea. "Something about helping move the tiny parts of her new computer." She stayed carefully calm. "I have a feeling I'll be doing a lot of nothing."
"Ah, do you need a book?" May just looked amused. "And if you could curtail some of the energy drink consumption I'd be grateful."
Wanda's lips pulled up. "I'll do what I can. A book would be wonderful though."
"I hope you like romantic novels. It's that or Peter's comics and chemistry textbooks." May's head tilted slightly. "Or I think Darcy has some political science and historical texts somewhere?"
Wanda huffed in amusement. "I'm beginning to think Starks are allergic to literature. The only one of the Avengers who reads is Natasha."
"Oh, what does the Black Widow read?" May asked.
She let her powers pull a book from the living room into the kitchen. "Depressing russian literature. Also depressing french literature. Your romance novels will be a good change of pace."
"Ah, the most dramatic and depressing of all books." May pulled her popcorn out of the microwave. "Is there anything else you need?"
Wanda shook her head. "I'm fine. Thank you though."
"Of course, it's good to see you. Are you bringing Pietro with you to movie night tomorrow?" May asked, pausing in the entryway to the kitchen.
She nodded. "I will, we'll be a bit early, Pietro volunteered to teach Peter to make durney."
"Well I for one am looking forward to whatever they produce." May smiled warmly before leaving.
Wanda sighed, that had gone surprisingly well. She was distracted by the kettle. She carried the two mugs of tea and the book back upstairs. Thankfully her powers were useful for carrying things. Closing the door behind her she looked at Daisy's room. Well, at least that beanbag in the corner looked reasonably comfortable.
Wanda jerked slightly as she heard a sound from the bed. "Daisy?"
Daisy blinked blearily at her. Her face was scrunched slightly in confusion as she woke. "What… you stayed?" The confusion was so clear in her voice.
She raised a brow. "Of course? You were scared, how could I just leave you alone?"
"Oh." Daisy blinked owlishly.
Wanda set her book aside. "Why is your computer in pieces? It's been bothering me."
Notes:I noticed something kinda hilarious and totally accidental in this fic the other day. You know how the core of the Avengers are Tony, Steve, and Thor? I think I accidentally made mirrors of more successful version of them in the kids. Like Darcy is much more grounded Tony. Peter's an everyman turned superman who goes out there because they feel a responsibility to like Steve, and Daisy is certainly an alien force of nature like Thor. Only they're all slightly healthier versions. Like Peter in this hasn't been forced to lead or compromise his morals and thus is a much better able to be the emotional and moral center of the team. Daisy is much more successfully able to balance her responsibilities between her SHIELD family and her new family with the Parkers. She's also able to actually use her combat, strategy, etc training much more effectively with her siblings than Thor ever was with the Avengers. And Darcy...enough said. She's a much healthier Tony. Anyways I just thought that was a kinda hilarious thing to have happened.