Chapter 6: Little Triangle SandwichesSummary:Natasha makes Daisy coffee 2.0
Chapter TextThe morning passed quickly, and Daisy fell back into her newfound rhythm with Tony and Bruce. The work they were doing was fascinating, ground-breaking even, but she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something Tony wasn't telling her. She caught them talking in hushed tones together, examining pieces of code that Daisy didn't recognise and wasn't working on.
When Tony shot her a nervous glance for the fourth time, she decided enough was enough. "Okay," she announced, putting down her tablet with an air of finality, "You're keeping something from me. Why?"
Tony looked up at her past the hologram and his typing stopped briefly, but he continued typing and didn't look at her, replying in a calm voice, "What makes you think that?"
"Because I'm not an idiot," Daisy replied and brought up the schematics of the code she had been working on, "This isn't just an upgrade for JARVIS, is it? You're building something new. Something weaponised." She pointed to the pieces of code relating to 'crisis avoiding' and 'affirmative action'.
Tony sighed and Bruce shot him a look that distinctly said, 'I told you so'. Tony leant back on the desk; arms crossed.
"It's not a weapon. It's protection. A suit of armour," Tony said, voice impassioned and face grave, "All we're doing is using the data from more advanced tech to improve our chances of survival. Just look at it," he urged, gesturing to the blue AI code, "This is miles ahead of where we are, and one day something's going to come along with worse than this, and we need to be ready."
"It's alien," Daisy argued, "An alien staff from outer space brought here by a power-hungry god. We barely understand this. I can barely comprehend the code we've already downloaded, and you want to turn it into a weapon? I'm sorry but this has bad idea written all over it."
"Protection," Tony reiterated, taking a few steps closer to Daisy, "Remind me, who is it you work for again? Because I remember it included 'alien' and 'containment'-"
"Exactly, that's why we shouldn't-"
"In 2008 an entire alien army invaded New York," Tony bit back, in a clipped tone, "With more advanced weapons than we've ever seen. And you," he said, gesturing towards her, "You are an alien weapon, and god knows what else they can create. Every year we are on the brink of extinction. I'm just trying to prevent that from happening."
"Prevent something before it starts?" Daisy retaliated, arms crossed, "Like Project Insight? Does that ring a bell?"
"This is different," Tony countered, "That was Hydra. We're not Hydra. Don't you have people you want to protect? Don't you want to contain the threat before it's even begun? Think - of the lives you could save."
Daisy shook her head, eyes looking to the ceiling as she let out an exasperated sigh.
"We're playing with fire," she said, "In my experience experimenting with alien tech never turns out well."
"You've come out alright," he bartered, "Look, I'm doing this whether you're on board or not."
Daisy ran a hand through her hair, weighing up her options, "Fine," she relented, "But I want all the schematics. If we are doing this, then I want to be on the same page. No secrets. No hidden code."
"I can work with that," Tony agreed, "I want a second pair of eyes on my programming anyway. Make sure nothing slips through the cracks."
"You should have told me," Daisy reprimanded, but picked up her tablet. Bruce shot her an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry kiddo," Tony replied, returning to his diagrams, "Now you know."
Her workload intensified tenfold with the new information, Tony sending her broad chunks of code ripped from the download and edited to form new thought processes. In theory it should work, an AI capable of assessing alien threats and taking suitable action but she couldn't shake the feeling of dread that seeped in. She was already knee deep, with her original asset coding embedded too far into the programme to walk away conscience free. There was no changing Tony's mind, better to be here to fix the mistakes before they were made.
If someone had told her years ago that she would help Tony Stark programme a weaponised AI she would have told herself to get a grip. She didn't make weapons. Now she was one. Now she had people she needed to protect.
The Kree were bad enough, they had to be ready for worse.
**
Daisy wandered over to the upper floor around lunchtime, seeking food and a break from the exhausting work and Stark's unrelenting personality. She wasn't surprised to see Thor already in the break room, sat at the long table gnawing his way through a huge stack of sandwiches. He raised his jug of juice in her direction as she entered.
"Lady Daisy!" he greeted, charming smile around a sandwich, "You must try these delectable sandwiches. They are cut into little triangles, see? I like that."
He offered his massive plate of little sandwiches to Daisy.
"Hey Thor," Daisy responded casually, walking past him and snatching a sandwich off his plate. She still didn't know the god very well, but he was very open and easy to like. He didn't really seem to have a purpose in the tower, just liked to hang out with everyone, eat food and exchange stories. She regretted not being able to hang around others in the tower more, what with being focused on Ultron. She'd be leaving soon anyway. This wasn't her place.
Steve Rogers looked up from his position at the kitchen counter, where he was diligently slathering his toast in butter. He nodded to her. In contrast to Thor, Rogers was more reserved, calculating, not exactly distrusting but cautious of Daisy. Daisy didn't blame him; she did have earthquake powers and a patchy cover story.
"Keeping busy? I've not seen you around much," Rogers asked politely, and pointed to the fridge, "Pepper stocks pre-made sandwiches on the top shelf."
"Thanks," Daisy grinned, opening the fridge to reveal a plethora of tiny triangle sandwiches, "Stark's got me working on some pet project of his. He works like a mad man, a genius mad man."
"Oh, you good at that kind of thing? Science?"
He took his plate over to the table and Daisy followed, folding herself into a chair opposite Thor.
Daisy shrugged, "I'm good with CS," and clarified at his puzzled expression, "Computer Science. Coding, hacking that kind of thing."
Natasha walked in, attention half buried in a tablet screen, but she glanced up and caught eyes with Daisy. Since that morning Daisy hadn't been purposefully avoiding her, but they had managed to avoid each other all the same. Daisy flashed her a small smile which was gratefully returned. She could swear she saw relief flicker in Natasha's gaze.
"I'm afraid that's all way over my head," Steve confessed, and she turned back to him, "Is that how you discovered your powers? Through science?"
His tone was light, but she could see an attempt to pry more information out of her. Get a feel for who she is, where she came from. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Natasha listening into their conversation as she fixed herself a plate.
"Not exactly," Daisy replied tentatively, "Not like Banner, or you, or Stark even. My dad, he was kind of…. disillusioned. He wanted me to 'fulfil my destiny.' He got entangled with Hydra, I ended up chasing them to a Kree temple. That's when I changed and got my powers. It was hard, at the beginning. Still is, sometimes."
"I can imagine," Steve sympathised, "So that's when you joined the ATCU?"
"More or less, yes. There are more of us out there, people who are scared and need help," Daisy assured.
Steve nodded but his face was still set in a frown, "I've done some reading up on the ATCU, they don't seem particularly friendly towards your kind."
"I don't agree with them," Daisy said, "But they have access, resources, sanctions from the government. I can't do all that on my own. If I can stop even one inhuman being shot on sight, well then I have to try."
She was beginning to hate her cover with every fibre of her being but telling Steve Rogers she was actually an agent for an illegal organisation he helped bring down might not go over well either. There were so many holes in her story, and she saw Steve open his mouth to question her more, but Natasha beat her to it.
"Sometimes you have to work for an organisation you don't agree with," she said, "As long as you try to do some good. I mean, SHIELD was never perfect."
Steve swivelled around to acknowledge her and nodded, resting a finger on his chin as he contemplated. Daisy shot Natasha a grateful smile for saving her and chomped her way through another cheese sandwich.
"Maria tells me you worked for SHIELD before the collapse?" Steve asked.
"I consulted for a mobile unit."
Steve nodded, "Forgive me for my questioning. Sometimes it's hard to know who to trust."
"I get it, Rogers," Daisy replied.
"Please, call me Steve."
"Okay," Daisy struggled to hide her smile, "Steve."
"I for one," Thor cut in, having listened quietly, "Believe Lady Daisy to be a valiant warrior. If what she tells me is indeed the truth, then Lady Sif had good words to say about her, I trust my Lady's judgment. Her power could serve us well in battle."
Daisy smirked, Steve raised an eyebrow, "I wanted to speak with you about that actually. How much do you know about your powers?"
Daisy shrugged, "It's based on vibrations. Vibrating the space between molecules. I can you know, cause earthquakes if I want to or-"
"Throw people," Steve added.
Daisy nodded, "Yeah."
"Everything around us has a vibration," Natasha chimed in, "Can you sense that?"
"Every object has its own frequency, but it's like 1 million bees buzzing around me all the time. It's hard to think straight, and if I lose control…it's bad."
"We should do some training," Natasha suggested, "See what you can do beyond throwing Captain America's tight little ass into a wall."
"I'd like to evaluate your strengths," Steve agreed, ignoring her last comment, "See where they fit with the team."
"Oh, I'm not joining your team," Daisy corrected, "You guys do a great job Avenging and all, but I have a team already. I can't stick around."
Steve looked put-out, "We could really use you on our side."
Before Daisy could argue with Captain America about not wanting to join the Avengers (what had her life become?), Hill stuck her head through the door and requested his presence. Hill caught eyes with her, and she wondered whether Hill had heard the conversation and knew when to interrupt.
He left with a reminder to train with him tomorrow, Thor announced he was leaving with a slap on the knee and soon Daisy was left alone with Natasha. She was still slouched over the kitchen counter, eating something healthy-looking.
They caught eyes and Daisy cleared her throat, picking up her empty plate. She placed it in the sink, before turning around.
She blurted, "It's okay you know," at the same time as Natasha began, "I'm sorry-"
They paused; Daisy chuckled.
"You don't have to apologise, I overreacted," she said, leaning back on the counter. Natasha nodded.
"I overstepped," she stated, "I shouldn't have."
Daisy shrugged and hopped onto the counter-top, finding comfort in the high place. She swung her legs lazily, tilting her head as she studied Natasha.
"A lot has changed," Daisy said finally, and grabbed a random packet of pop tarts, turning over the packet in her hands.
"Let's start over," Natasha suggested, spark in her eyes as she approached closer and offered her hand to Daisy, "I'm Natasha Romanoff. Former assassin, resident Avenger."
"Well it's lovely to meet you Natasha," Daisy said lightly, taking her hand in a firm handshake, "I'm Daisy Johnson. Superspy, hacker, inhuman, voted biggest cereal buff in the 2014 annual SHIELD awards."
Natasha's hand was warm and squeezed her fingers lightly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Daisy," Natasha replied. Her gaze was earnest and small smile on her face as she grasped Daisy's hand. There a playful spark in her eye, her posture was relaxed – something Daisy noted seemed almost effortless to the spy.
"And you can call me Nat," Natasha said, gently releasing Daisy's hand and turned toward the coffee machine on the counter to Daisy's right. She remained about a foot away, "Coffee?"
"Yes please," Daisy chirped.
"Black coffee, right?" Nat asked, reaching for a mug.
"Um, milk, two sugars actually," Daisy replied. Natasha raised an eyebrow, and she couldn't help the blush from rising to her cheeks as she admitted, "I was trying to act more adult, in the café."
Nat smirked, and said in a low voice, "Were you trying to impress me?"
Daisy didn't reply, but her reddening face would have told Nat all she needed to know. Even if she weren't a trained superspy who could no doubt read her micro-expressions even better than Bobbi.
Natasha was suddenly in front of her, her hand reaching up by Daisy's face. Daisy's heart stuttered, those green eyes alight with amusement as she opened the cupboard next to her head. Her other hand was casually placed on the counter next to Daisy's hip, solidly trapping her in place. Daisy got the feeling the Black Widow knew exactly what she was doing to her. She didn't break eye contact, even when she pulled out the sugar and set it aside. Her fingers brushed lightly over Daisy's taped head wound.
She was taller than Daisy, especially with Daisy propped up on the counter and she had to tilt her head up to meet her eyes. A second passed between them in which anything could have happened, and Daisy would not have stopped her, until perhaps, the least expected thing happened. Black Widow reached out a finger and booped her on the nose before turning back to the coffee machine. Daisy blinked.
"How long are sticking around?" Natasha asked, refocusing on the coffee.
Daisy's mouth felt dry, but she tried to sound normal as she said, "I don't know, probably until the party, Tony told me my presence was mandatory and he's keeping me pretty busy at the moment anyway."
Natasha finished making her the coffee and passed it to her, Daisy thanked her, swinging her legs as she took her first sip. Natasha finished her own and leant back against the countertop. She was about to suggest Daisy stay a little longer, but Tony appeared in the doorway.
"Oi kiddo," Tony called out, "I need your eyes on something pronto."
Daisy threw Natasha a mock salute and slipped off the countertop, "Duty calls."
Chapter 7: Nightmares with a side of EarthquakingSummary:Natasha calms Daisy down from a nightmare and works a little with her powers
Notes:(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter TextNatasha awoke in the early hours of the morning, which wasn't an uncommon occurrence for the light sleeper. Except her bed was trembling – her alarm clock skidded off the nightstand and smashed onto the floor. The lamp above her swung dangerously on the ceiling.
She shot up out of the bed, bare feet slapping against the cool wooden floor and she snagged her dressing gown off the back of the door. She raced into the lift, punching in the buttons for the floor below. The elevator was perfectly stable, and JARVIS happily informed her of the shock-absorbing properties of the Stark Tower as they shot down a level. She burst through the double doors of Daisy's level, following the direction of the quakes to the bedroom.
Daisy was tucked inside a cocoon of blankets, twitching fitfully in her sleep – hands clutching a blanket tightly in her fist. Her face was scrunched up in an expression more closely mirroring pain than restful sleep.
"Daisy!" she called out, rushing to the bedside to shake her awake, "Wake up. Daisy."
Daisy awoke with a gasp, sitting up straight in bed – almost colliding with Natasha. Her breathing was ragged – as if a bucket of water had suddenly been thrown over her.
"The building is shaking, Daisy," Natasha warned her gently, and the ground immediately stilled as Daisy locked eyes with her. Her eyes were still wide open in shock, and Daisy grabbed her chest as if trying to calm a pounding heart. Natasha could see all the signs of an intense nightmare on the girl – shaking fingers, racing heart, heavy breathing, wide eyes.
She stood up from her crouch and folded herself on top of the bed, reaching a hand toward Daisy, clasping her arm gently.
"You're okay," she comforted, squeezing lightly, "Whatever that was it's okay, you have control now."
Daisy ran a hand through her hair, mussing up the already tousled hair. A strand fell in front of her face and Natasha gently tucked it back behind her ear before she could stop herself. Daisy still looked beautiful, even at 2am in the morning.
"Want to talk about it?" Natasha offered, a little afraid to encroach on Daisy's mental walls.
Daisy sighed, a puff of breath blowing gently across another errant strand of hair, "It's kind of a lot…" she said hesitantly.
"Hey," Natasha said, "You're talking to the expert in nightmare and repressed trauma."
"We're all kind of messed up, aren't we?" Daisy pointed out, tilting her head as she considered the Avengers.
"Even Thor," Natasha affirmed, "Even heroes have their demons."
Daisy scoffed, "I'm no hero."
"I think you are," Natasha pointed out, "You went into a Hydra fortress just on the off-chance you could save two people. That's a hero."
Daisy ducked her head, humbled but disbelieving. Natasha leant back onto her hands and relaxed a little more on the bed. Intending to make Daisy feel more at ease. Daisy leant back on the headboard and looked down at her fingers.
"I lost a friend," she began, "When I transformed. He ran into the temple – tried to save me. He destroyed the Kree crystal, but he couldn't survive it. He died, thinking that I had too."
Natasha's heart ached for her and how vulnerable she looked, playing with her fingers.
"He was a good agent," she continued, "And a great friend. I see him die in my dreams, over and over." Her voice cracks and she buries her head in her hands, body shaking as the dam appears to break.
Natasha moves forward and brings her arms around the agent, enveloping her in what she hoped was a comforting hug. To her relief, Daisy returned it, clinging to her upper shoulders tightly as she struggled to regain her composure. Natasha rubbed a soothing hand on her shoulder blades and rocked them slightly.
"I'm sorry," Daisy mumbled by her ear. Natasha only hugged her tighter.
"It's okay, Pchelka," Natasha cooed.
"What does that mean?" Daisy asked when she broke out of the embrace.
"Pchelka?" Natasha repeated in question, and Daisy nodded.
"Little bee," she explained, her face breaking out into an indulgent smile.
"Not little fish anymore huh?" Daisy teased, sniffing as she wiped the last remains of tears from her eyes.
"Oh no," Natasha disagreed, "You're still my little fish." The 'my' slipped out unintentionally but she went with it, throwing Daisy her best smirk.
Daisy blushed and but narrowed her eyes, "I can swim you know. Stupid mountain explosion caught me off guard."
Natasha laughed, "I'm sure you can kiddo."
They lapsed into a short silence – Daisy still playing with her fingers and once more Natasha wondered what could have been if things weren't the way they were. She could probably close the distance between them, slide her fingers into Daisy's hair and kiss her with as much passion as she wanted. Daisy would likely reciprocate based on Natasha's readings of her and the undercurrent of tension that existed between them.
However, Natasha was not the sunshine and rainbows kind of woman she imagined Daisy falling for, she had walls that had walls. Although Daisy caught her off guard, the idea of letting someone in had always terrified her. A honeypot mission was an easy one – simply physical manipulation to reach an objective. Feelings? Emotions? Commitment? Daisy deserved better.
She slid off the bed and got to her feet, throwing Daisy one last reassuring smile, "Get some sleep, okay? Training starts at 5."
Daisy groaned and Natasha fought not to smile. To her surprise, Daisy caught her hand before she could leave, "Thank you," she said sincerely. Natasha nodded and turned on her heel.
Daisy was returning to SHIELD soon anyway.
*
Daisy yawned, barely able to move her hand in front of her mouth in time as she stumbled into the gym. Natasha and Steve were already there, looking bright eyed and bushy tailed. Clint was there too, skulking in the shadows as he re-strung his bow.
"Good morning," Steve greeted her, "Felt the earth shake a little last night."
"Yeah sorry about that," Daisy apologised, coming to stand before them, "Guess training might not be such a bad idea."
Steve got her started with some basic exercises creating pulses with her powers and throwing things away from her. Clint looked on interested from a high beam in the corner and Natasha surveyed her with hawk-like intensity.
"How about detecting objects?" Natasha suggested, peeling herself away from the wall, "If you can detect different objects you could theoretically fight in the dark."
Daisy contemplated it and shrugged, "I can try. It tends to be a bit noisy – I can't separate individual frequencies very well."
"How about you concentrate on me?" Natasha suggested, "Close your eyes, I'll walk around the room and you tell us where I am."
Daisy closed her eyes. It was a struggle to listen to the vibrations, she wasn't lying when she said it felt like a thousand bees buzzing around under her skin. She normally had to push the aside to concentrate on anything – dampening and suppressing them just like she had tried when controlling her earthquakes last year.
She listened. It was like listening, but with her entire body, an extra sense that she could grasp but had no real words to explain it. It was like walking in a dark alley and feeling a person creep up behind you or standing in a dark room with a chair an inch away from you. Instinctual. Finding Natasha's signature was fairly easy, and she realised she had been sensing it all along without attuning to it. She felt lithe and Daisy could make out that she was shorter than Steve's signature which felt imposing.
Movement was always easier to detect – the shifting of vibrations around a moving object was always a lot more forceful than the minute vibrations bouncing between inanimate objects. She pointed to where Natasha had swung herself up in the rafter. She opened her eyes – catching eyes with the smug looking assassin.
"You've definitely only been scratching the surface of what you can do," she said, "One day you could be stronger than the Mr America over here."
Steve, to his credit, looked just as impressed, "And I'm all for it."
The rest of training was passed by trying to detect and unravel the vibrations of different objects – once Natasha heard she'd once taken apart a gun it had flared all sorts of possibilities in her mind. Sometimes Daisy definitely miscalculated and the whole training room would shake violently, which would cause Clint to whistle appreciatively every time. Even though minute control of her powers seemed a world away, she was beginning to realise there were things she could train to do that would be invaluable to SHIELD.
*
It was tough work, and Daisy was mentally and physically exhausted by the time she trudged into Stark's lab, freshly showered and changed into new clothes. He looked up from his desk – eyes bloodshot. He was wearing the same dark blue hoodie as yesterday and the staff had been moved to his lab table.
"Did you even sleep last night?" she asked accusingly, setting down his coffee in front of him. He took a sip and glared at her over the mug.
"Did you?" he shot back, "Miss Richter scale?"
She grimaced, taking a sip of her own extra-sweet coffee, "Sorry about that."
"You're just lucky I built this tower to withstand an explosion or two," he quipped and swivelled in his chair to face her properly, "You okay though?"
She shrugged, "Right as rain. What've you got for me today?"
"Something exciting actually," he said, seemingly reminded of something he had forgotten, and he kicked out, sending himself shooting in the chair towards another lab table. He picked up a pair of gauntlets and zoomed back over to her.
"I made you these," he said, offering them to her.
She set down her mug, taking them from him with a look of surprise. She turned them over in his hands as he began to babble excitedly. They looked sleeker, made of smaller parts and shinier metal.
"These are made from a carbon polymer, the best shock absorbing material currently available," he explained, "Of course I would have wanted to make them out of Vibranium, but unfortunately even I'm not rich enough to get enough of the stuff. Honestly the properties of that metal would be absolutely perfect – it's able to store and absorb energy. I imagine you could store your power in your own gauntlets the possibilities are just…" he paused and recollected himself, "'ve repurposed some of the existing microthread, adapted the absorption plates, frequency plates and resonant processor units. You should be able to compress vibrations, protect yourself and aim much more accurately. These will endure much better."
He paused and pressed a button on the gauntlets, "Plus they light up now, see?"
Daisy laughed, "Thank you, Tony."
He waved her compliments away, "No problem, can't have an Avenger running around without my gear, can I? I have a brand to uphold."
"I'm not an Avenger-"
He shot her an unamused expression, "Kiddo you got earthquake powers, you're one of the team. Now sit your ass down and help me code a peace robot."
Daisy rolled her eyes but grabbed her tablet and joined him in his quest for scientific discovery.
*
"A guest has arrived for you, Miss Johnson," JARVIS said. Daisy jumped, startled out of the chunk of code she was reviewing. Tony and Bruce shot her intrigued looks.
"You expecting anyone?" Tony asked, lowering his wielding goggles. Daisy shook her head.
"JARVIS bring me a feed of the lobby," Tony ordered, and JARVIS did as commanded, brining up a CCTV footage of the lobby.
A man stood in the lobby waving to the camera, a dry-cleaning bag in his hand. A smile broke out on Daisy's face.
"Let him up, I know him," she said, "He's on my team."
"Okay Jose," Tony replied, "But if he ruins my furniture, you're both out."
"Isn't there a party going on tonight?" Daisy shot back, "I think you'll have enough guests to worry about."
Tony grumbled something about 'civilians' and 'cosplay', and 'beer'. The elevator doors opened, and Daisy launched herself on the guest, who stumbled back in surprise but held her close all the same.
"I heard there was a party tonight," Hunter drawled, and held up the dry-cleaning bag, "Well, the party has arrived."
Notes:Man I really want them to just freaking kiss but I also know waiting will make it all the sweeter. Sigh. Party scene next!!! Where Daisy tests if she can lift Mjolnir and Natasha goes full flirt mode at the bar.
Chapter 8: Revels and RevelationsSummary:Daisy joins the party, Natasha decides she can have a flirt with her before she leaves.
Notes:Long chapter ahead!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter TextHunter whistled as he surveyed the luxurious décor of her Stark provided bathroom, looking distinctly out of place among the white marble and indulgent furnishings. He proffered one of the dry-cleaning bags to her, leaning against the door frame as she took it from him.
"I could get use to this," he commented, crossing his arms as he glanced around at the double vanity sinks.
"Don't," Daisy countered, "We're not staying long."
Hunter sighed, long and dramatic, "Quinjet pick-up has been scheduled for tomorrow evening. Plenty of time to nurse a hangover and get back to our five-star secret bunker."
They could talk freely about SHIELD; Daisy had disabled the security monitoring on the apartment to ensure Tony wouldn't be listening in to their conversation later. Although she could guarantee he had bigger things on his mind right now than spying on her.
She unzipped the dry-cleaning bag, pulling out the dress inside. It was all black, made of thick material that weighed quite heavily on the hangar, with an off-the shoulder neckline. From her rough estimate against herself, the front would likely fall to upper thigh.
"Bob picked it out from some rental," Hunter explained, "Said nothing in your wardrobe was suitable for a Stark party."
Daisy scoffed; her wardrobe used to be stuffed full of pretty dresses, but she hadn't worn a dress in forever.
"Alright shoo," she urged, pushing him away from the doorway, "I gotta get changed."
He grumbled but allowed her to shove him away and close the door. She got changed quickly into the dress, smiling at the little encouraging note from Bobbi that fell out of the bag along with 'suitable underwear'. She shook her head, wondering what Bobbi thought she was doing at the tower.
The dress fit, it cinched nicely at her waist and fell elegantly along her thighs. She felt secure in it, attractive, formal but not overly attention grabbing. Vague memories of a bright pink dress in Malta came to mind – the exact opposite of this. She still had a cut on her forehead, but the stitches were gone, and she could likely pass it off as a talking point at the party.
She opened the door, revealing a hastily dressed Hunter stood in the middle of the apartment -struggling with his tuxedo tie. She laughed at him and gestured that he was welcome to join her in the bathroom, ignoring his suggestive comment and waggled eyebrows.
"Not that I don't enjoy your company," Daisy began, deciding what eye make-up to wear from the make-up kit that Hunter had sourced from somewhere, "but why did they send you to get me?"
"I'm mortally wounded," Hunter replied sarcastically, putting a hand over his heart. She rolled her eyes and faced back to the mirror to apply some eyeliner.
"I have no previous ties to SHIELD," he explained, "If they sent Agent May waltzing in here to pick you up, it'd raise more than a few eyebrows. Except of course, Black Widow keeps giving me the death glare." He slicked his hair back in the mirror, "I'm worried she'll kill me in my sleep."
Daisy shot him a quizzical look; an eyebrow raised in disbelief.
"What?" he defended, "You don't think Bobbi's been shit talking about me for years? Those two go way back."
"She knows Bobbi?" she exclaimed, surprised. She knew May had worked with Natasha, but the two of them seemed to make a lot more sense in her mind, considering Coulson was the Avenger's handler.
"Darling, all the women of SHIELD know each other," he drawled, "They've got some kind of slumber party thing going on."
"I highly doubt The Black Widow goes to slumber parties," Daisy scoffed, "You're just paranoid."
He raised his hands in surrender, "I'm just saying," he said, "I don't want to get on that woman's bad side any more than I already have."
"Shouldn't be too hard," Daisy teased, "Just bat your eyelashes and use your incredible British charm. I'm sure you can convince Nat not to strangle you."
"Thanks love, your confidence in me is heart-warming. Truly," he remarked, before his eyes narrowed, a mischievous smile on his lips, "Since when did we get on first name terms with the Avenger?"
She threw a spare toilet roll at him, he caught it before it could mess with his hair, "Hey!" he cried indignantly, "It was just an observation, no need to get jumpy."
Daisy smiled genuinely as he tried to look offended, but she could see the humour dancing in his eyes, reflecting her own. Warmth blossomed in her chest at the easy banter she shared with him. She missed this. His expression cracked into a smile of his own and he turned his attention to fixing his tie.
"You know I still haven't forgotten that the last time we saw each other you quaked me through a doorway," Hunter pointed out, "My ribs still hurt."
Daisy only felt a tiny bit of guilt, "I saved your ungrateful ass," and pointed out, "and I still haven't forgotten that time you shot me."
Hunter's expression fell, "You can't seriously still be holding that grudge."
Daisy shrugged, applying some product to her hair to perfect the curls, "I suppose we're even now."
"You've got to me kidding me," Hunter grumbled, exasperated.
She hummed in reply, adding the finishing touches to her make-up and locating a pair of high heels to match the dress. With an indulgent twirl she spun around in the bathroom, feeling the flow of the material swish along her thighs.
"How do I look?"
*
Daisy looked gorgeous. Natasha tried and failed to not stare. She was supposed to be listening to Rhodey retell a story, something about War Machine and a general.
The bright lights gave Daisy's smooth skin a delicate glow. Short dark hair framing her face in gorgeous little curls. Her eyes were alluring underneath expertly applied dark eyeshadow and winged eyeliner. Her forehead wound, untouched by make-up, betrayed her fighting spirit. As did the definition in her lean shoulders, the neckline of her dress just shy of her collar bones. The rest of the black dress cascaded along her body, accentuating all the right places until it brushed the middle of her thighs. She was a killer combination: beauty and strength. Natasha's true weakness.
Daisy clung to Hunter's elbow; Natasha noted that she seemed to be using him as an anchor to ground herself in the overwhelming environment. It intrigued her to see Daisy so comfortable with Agent Morse's…ex-husband? Current boyfriend? Fellow agent? He certainly seemed to be a work colleague of Daisy's now, despite not being involved with SHIELD before the collapse.
It was smart to send in an unknown ally to fetch Daisy. She could imagine the absolute carnage Coulson would cause if he strode in right now. She pushed down the fleeting tug of sadness at Daisy leaving.
Daisy surveyed the room, catching eyes with Natasha. Her eyes lit up slightly, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips to find Natasha staring. Natasha winked at her, smiling to herself as she turned her gaze back to Rhodey, laughing at just the right moment to pretend she'd been listening all along.
She could still have her fun.
*
Daisy watched as Natasha turned back to her friend, a laugh lighting up her face as she focused on him. Daisy felt a small curl of jealousy in her chest at how effortlessly she could charm the people around her.
The bass of the booming party music thumped under Daisy's heels as she took in the rest of the room. The two floors were crawling with a seemingly random mix of people – old war veterans and attractive young people. She supposed that's what happens to the guest list when you mix a billionaire hedonist and a 90-year-old super soldier. She felt just as lost among the sea of unfamiliar faces as Banner looked – he had just hit his head on a low hanging lampshade and was playing it off as if no-one saw.
She was saved from choosing a group to approach as Tony beckoned her over to the bar, where he stood, lightly conversing with Maria and Thor. Daisy had never seen Hill dressed in anything other than her field suit. She wore an elegant red dress and more eye make-up than Daisy had imagined she'd wear. As soon as she approached, dragging Hunter along with her, Tony pressed a flute of expensive champagne into her hand.
The conversation flowed easily after that, and she found she slipped naturally into teasing banter with Tony. Thor mentioned the revelry of gladiator successes and Hunter immediately sprung into a conversation about English football with the Asgardian. It was honestly an interaction she had never expected to see.
Sometime during a rant about Liverpool, Natasha's conversation partner came to join them.
"This is Daisy," Tony introduced her smoothly, "Daisy meet my best friend and comrade Rhodey."
He reached out a hand for her to shake, shooting her a warm smile which she reciprocated.
"It's lovely to meet you Daisy," Rhodey greeted easily, "What brings you here?"
"An accident, actually," she said, taking a deep sip of the champagne, "but I'm helping Tony with a project."
Tony scoffed, and squeezed her side playfully, "She's a superhero. Threw Captain America into a wall. A new baby Avenger to add to our collection."
Daisy rolled her eyes, "I'm not a superhero," she argued, "And I work for a private company."
Rhodey looked intrigued, "What can you do?"
"Uh cause earthquakes mainly," she said hesitantly, "But I'm not exactly… mainstream like the rest of you."
"So, no super name yet, huh?" he asked lightly, "They call me War Machine."
"That's cool," she complimented placatingly, "I'm not one for names."
"Oh, I have one. I can see it now," Tony quipped, using his hands to mimic a billboard display, "It'll be Vibrator-Girl's big debut."
Daisy cringed immediately, almost choking on her drink.
"No way are you calling me that!" she squeaked, horrified. Tony laughed, a deep resounding bellow that drew the eyes of everyone within a ten-metre radius. Daisy punched him lightly on the shoulder in retaliation.
Rhodey – thankfully - steered the conversation elsewhere.
She managed to slip away when Thor and Tony dissolved into arguing over their absent girlfriends.
*
Steve finds her quickly, beckoning her over to where he was playing snooker with The Falcon. She ducked her head nervously as she walked towards them but joined him all the same. He greeted her with an arm around her back – respectful but friendly enough. The Falcon finished potting his ball, and glanced up to them, flashing her an easy smile and playful twinkle in his eye. It reminded her of Trip and her heart clenched.
"So, who might you be?" he asked, leaning causally on his cue. He was one of the least formally dressed guys here and he seemed very at ease.
"Daisy Johnson," she offered, tilting her head at him, "And you're The Falcon."
"The one and only," he quipped, "But you can call me Sam."
His eyes took in the closeness between them, he wagged two fingers at them, "You finally back on the dating scene, old man? She's cute."
Although there nothing between them, Daisy couldn't help but blush a little, mainly at the fact he thought that they could be a couple. Captain America, Mr Save-Your-Country, and the hacker inhuman? Unlikely.
Steve chuckled lightly, "No nothing like that. We bumped into each other on mission in Sokovia, she's been helping Stark out with a project."
He scoffed, "Takes a special kind of person to work with that guy. What do you do?"
"Coding," she said with a shrug.
He nodded and eyed her over his beer, "Cute andsmart."
Daisy ducked her head and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Steve handed her his cue, "Wanna take a turn and help me win?"
Daisy smiled and took it from him, Sam scoffed, "Dude your rusty ass knows I'm winning."
Daisy rolled her shoulders and lined up the cue, concentrating it on a ball on the table. She had played a lot of snooker in her van days, skulking around bars and picking up free drinks from ambitious men. She found the right angle and the cue hit the ball solidly, sending it shooting into a corner hole.
Steve high-fived her and Sam nodded appreciably, "Nice shot."
Sam went to line up his cue with his ball – a clean shot. An idea sprung into her head. She couldn't help the cheeky smile from cracking as watched Sam frown in confusion – his ball moving away from the cue without even being touched. The white ball potted itself.
He looked around, paranoid, "Are you two seeing this voodoo business too?"
Daisy broke into laughter and Steve joined her, catching onto it.
"What?" he demanded, "You rigged this?"
"I have a few tricks up my sleeve," she answered coyly.
"How'd you do that?" he demanded.
She raised her hand and quaked Steve's remaining balls into a corner.
"No fair, you got superpowers too?" he complained, crossing his arms and shaking his head. Although she could tell he was more impressed than annoyed.
Sam continued to win the game, but only by a tight margin, demanding that he deserved two penalty shots for Daisy's cheating trick. Sam made it extremely easy to like him, and she could very much see him fitting in with her team at SHIELD if the occasion ever arose.
Daisy glanced around the room, suddenly remembering she left Hunter unsupervised. An amused smile curled across her lips when she sees Natasha whisper something in Hunter's ear and his face turn pale. Natasha sashayed away and Daisy couldn't help but stare after her.
When she tore her eyes from Natasha's curves back to Hunter, she had to spring into action, abandoning the snooker game. Someone had to stop him from taking Thor's offer of potent Asgardian alcohol. Bobbi would never forgive her if she let him try that.
*
Maria Hill finds her taking a breather from small talk, leaning on the railing, and watching the party unfold below. Her head felt a little fuzzy from the alcohol. She hadn't drunk much since joining SHIELD. She used to have an impressive tolerance; built from years of necking vodka to forget things she'd still rather not remember.
"Agent Johnson," Maria greeted her quietly, stepping up to her. She spoke softly and they were close enough to talk without worrying about being overheard – even by an enhanced super soldier. Daisy glanced her way briefly before looking back over the party.
"You told Natasha," she said, in lieu of returning the greeting, "I thought we were keeping SHIELD under wraps."
"If I can remember correctly, it was you who told her about Coulson," she said lightly, no accusation in her tone, "She hasn't said a word yet."
Daisy pursed her lips, it was true. She had made that blunder years ago, not fully realising the weight it held for the Avengers. Of course, at that time Coulson hadn't exactly been forthcoming.
"I'm impressed," Maria said, when Daisy remained silent, "That was quick thinking with the ATCU cover. I contacted Coulson on your behalf, but he said he'd already received an encrypted message. You've turned out to be quite the agent."
"Yeah well losing 98% of your organisation to Hydra nazis is quite the motivator," Daisy said with a sigh, "It's been a year." She suddenly wished she had something alcoholic in her hand again.
"So I heard," Maria replied, "Coulson never mentioned you were an enhanced. I suppose that happened around the time alien matter was found in fish oil pills?"
"That's classified," Daisy deflected, tapping her fingers on the metal bar.
"I guess I deserved that," Maria reasoned, and redirected the conversation, "Hydra's still out there, the enhanced twins are running free and I'm confident you don't actually trust the ATCU. Neither do I. I could use your help and Steve has vouched strongly for you."
"Coulson already helped you locate the sceptre," Daisy pointed out, "He's my director, I work for him. If he wants me to help you, I will, but it's not my decision to make."
Maria nodded, obviously not happy but not surprised, "He has that effect, huh? He was always great at rallying loyalty."
"He's a good man," Daisy stressed, twisting the ring on her finger that he'd gotten her for her birthday in July. Her real birthday, "We want what's best for everyone, not just the big leagues. This," she gestured toward the grandeur of the party around her, "this is just a hobby for a genius who's tired of fighting."
"And you're not?"
"Not when there's still people to fight for," Daisy assured, "I'm leading a team to help new Inhumans. People who are lost and don't deserve to be catalogued by a government agency or ignored by SI until they're already too much of a threat."
Maria nodded, "I understand. The world is watching Stark right now and I have congress breathing down my neck. SHIELD is better off operating in the shadows."
"Brigadier Talbot giving you grief?" Daisy joked, wanting to lighten the mood.
"Don't get me started," Maria huffed. Down below Tony motioned for Maria – and probably Daisy too – to join him in some kind of rowdy drinking game, "I better do some damage control. Tell Coulson I said hi."
Daisy nodded, letting Maria go, and tried to relax some of the tension in her shoulders. The room still buzzed constantly with kinetic energy from everyone dancing, moving, the bass in the floor. She could sense Hunter sliding up to her before he moved into her peripheral.
"You seem pretty cosy with the Avengers," Hunter observed, leaning over the railing next to her as he took a swig of his beer.
"Captain America keeps trying to recruit me," Daisy admitted.
"First world problems," Hunter remarked, giving her a wink, "Your old man misses you. Dread to think what he'd have to say about it."
"Well it won't be an issue," Daisy declared, "I'm no superhero."
Hunter only raised an eyebrow and took a swig.
It wouldn't be an issue, would it?
*
Daisy flopped down onto the bar stool, more exhausted than she had expected to be tonight. The music had transitioned from heavy pop to slow jazz, the party beginning to thin out as guests returned home. She rested her cheek against cool metal of the glass bar, arms splayed out in front of her.
A delicate hand appeared and slid a bright red cocktail into her line of vision, "Penny for your thoughts?"
She glanced up to find Natasha smiling down at her, lips upturned and a little dimple in her cheeks.
"Depends," Daisy returned playfully, sitting up, elbows placed on the table, "How much money you got?"
Natasha leant forward, an elbow resting on the bar near Daisy's drink, just a hint of cleavage showing over her dress. "Plenty," she replied, voice delightfully husky.
The air suddenly felt thicker, and Daisy much hotter. Natasha took a furtive sip from her glass, looking up at Daisy from under her lashes. The rest of the room faded away, and it was only Natasha. Her hair was glamorously curled, make-up stunning. She looked like a runway model. Daisy caught herself staring at her red-coated lips and swallowed to clear her dry throat. She glanced down, toying with the stem of her glass with a finger absentmindedly, the glass cool under her fingertips.
"It's all quite…extravagant, but I guess that's what I expected from Stark." Daisy finally answered, and looked up from the glass, eyeing Natasha's place behind the bar, "You seem to fit right in."
Natasha's laugh sounded as smooth as honey, and her unwavering gaze held Daisy captive, "I make myself whoever they want me to be," she confessed, "Someone who listens, laughs at the right jokes…A pretty thing to have at their side."
Daisy frowned, "That's not true-"
"They like you," Natasha continued firmly, still not breaking her gaze, "And you're not pretending."
"You think I'm not pretending? I'm terrified," Daisy scoffed.
"Yeah but you're you," Natasha stressed, "They like that, I like that."
"And you're not?" Daisy asked, curiously, "You're not you?"
"I think with the right person I could figure it out," Natasha responded cryptically. Daisy was momentarily lost for words and Natasha finally dropped her eyes.
"You not having that?" Natasha said, pointing to the Daisy's untouched cocktail, "My bartending services don't come free, you know."
Daisy raised an eyebrow, recovering herself and narrowing her eyes, "Oh yeah? What's a girl gotta do to make up for it?"
"If she's cute and she's smart and she can knock Captain America on his ass, and she stands for what she believes in?" Natasha replied, catching Daisy's wrist where it tapped against the glass, "Not a damn thing."
Emboldened, Daisy leant over, leaning closer toward her. She didn't miss the way Nat's eyes flickered downward. Their fingers brushed and she saw Nat's eyebrow raise, waiting with expectant eyes and held breath. A coy smile curved on Daisy's lip as she reached forward and deftly plucked Natasha's cocktail out of her hand.
"I think I like yours better," she declared leaning back into her seat and Natasha watching her intently as she took a sip. She immediately cringed, her nose wrinkling at the unexpected burn. It was strong. It was Natasha's turn to smile and laugh.
"Too strong?" Natasha inquired teasingly.
"Never," Daisy shot back, but placed Nat's drink back down onto the tabletop between them.
Natasha reached for something under the bar and leaned forward a little further, her face only inches away. She trailed a finger down Daisy's arm before she pressed a small piece of paper into her hand. Daisy didn't look to see what it was, watching as Natasha picked up her drink, "Never say never."
Daisy watched after her as she sauntered away. She finally looked down to her lap, unfurling her hand to see a number – an obviously encrypted phone number.
"It's nice," someone commented, and Daisy startled, curling her hand around the paper to face the speaker. It was Steve Rogers, leaning casually at the bar, "You and Romanoff."
"No, we're not," Daisy protested, "We're not a thing-"
"It's okay," he placated, laughter in his voice, "Nobodies' breaking any by laws. It's just she's not the most open person in the world, but with you she seemed very relaxed."
He reached over the bar to get a bottle of beer for himself.
"She just likes to flirt," Daisy denied, although the piece of paper felt rough, crumpled under her palm.
"This ain't that," he said, pointing to her fist where he must have seen Natasha place the paper.
"I'm leaving soon, anyway…" Daisy trailed off.
Steve shot her a sympathetic smile, "Sometimes things work out, sometimes they don't, but it's always worth a shot."
"Maybe," Daisy replied, sliding to her feet.
Steve nodded, and glanced around the room, "I think your friend needs a hand."
She frowned, glancing over the room to find Hunter looking panicked as he tried to guide a very handsy veteran to the exit. Time to come to the rescue. Again.
*
The party wound down just after midnight, with Tony bluntly announcing that the 'party was closed please find the nearest fire exit'. Clint had demanded they order Chinese take-out, and they were soon piled onto his centre couches. The food was delicious when it arrived and she happily took a backseat to watch Hunter, Maria, Tony and Rhodey play cards while she ate.
She was perched on the arm of the couch next to Natasha, legs propped up on the arm of Hunter's seat. They hadn't talked much since the bar moment, but Natasha had beckoned her over to the seat and the alcohol let a pleasant enough buzz that she took her up on the offer.
The conversation flowed easily through different topics, mainly focusing on banter about missions gone by and inflated egos.
"Strongest Avenger?" Tony scoffed as Rhodey proposed the question, "Obviously me."
"I have the strength of a thousand armies," Thor disagreed, shaking his head and lifting his hammer lazily.
"The Hulk, gotta be the Hulk," Daisy interjected.
Banner shot her a shy smile; he was awkwardly perched next to a conked-out Cho. Tony met eyes with her and shifted forward in his seat. He pointed an accusing finger at her.
"You see I found something very interesting the other day," Tony disagreed, and reached into his pocket, "I was scanning a face recognition on you and lo and behold there was a match."
He flicked a picture up on a hologram that appeared in the air between them and Daisy immediately buried her head in her hands from embarrassment. It was a picture obviously taken from a security camera, but horrifically high quality, of her dressed in a sexy iron man cosplay. It had been years and years ago, her hair long, cheeks rounder, and her eyes alight with naïve glow she missed now.
Natasha wolf whistled and smirked at the reddening of Daisy's cheeks underneath her fingers and the twinge of pink to the tips of her ears. Hunter looked like he'd just been handed the mother of all blackmail material, which wasn't too far off.
"Somebody is clearly a closet Iron Man fan," Tony declared, leaning back in his seat triumphantly.
"See," Daisy argued, raising her head, cheeks still flush but she levelled her gaze with Tony and regained her pride, "Am I an Iron Man fan? Or did I use your weakness for unassuming pretty fan girls to get close enough to your servers and upload a virus onto JARVIS?"
The room erupted into raucous laughter. Natasha gave her a high five, as did Maria who leant over Hunter to reach her.
Clint raised his bottle and proclaimed, "10 points to the girl!"
*
Soon the clock rolled around to 1am, the food abandoned on the table. Clint decided to challenge Thor on his claim that his hammer could only be lifted by the "worthy". Daisy watched in amusement as first Clint, then Tony, then Tony and Rhodey all tried to lift the hammer - to no success.
She remembered Coulson gushing over touching the hammer back in his glory days. Even Banner had no luck, and she internally cringed at his goofiness. Steve was the closest to moving it, the hammer squeaking along the glass. Thor looked concerned but Steve was never one to brag.
"Daisy?" Natasha suggested, nudging her side and gesturing to the hammer. Daisy hesitated. She was curious, as anyone would be, but she was also slightly worried about embarrassing herself in front of them.
"Yeah c'mon, Daisy," Steve encouraged, "Can't hurt to try."
"Represent the ladies!" Maria cheered as Daisy slid to her feet.
She reckoned that none of the others had been successful so it wouldn't hurt to try. No-one was being serious about it anyway – what would they even do if she could lift it? She had absolutely no intentions of ruling any distant realm.
"Let's see what you got," Clint grinned, from his position sprawled on the ground.
So, she approached the hammer, reaching out a hand and wrapping her fingers around the top of Mjolnir's handle. As soon as her fingers made contact, she felt it. Not just the rough grooves of the handle – worn and weathered with age. She felt it reverberating through her.
It sang, like a tuning fork whacked on a table, a vibration so high, so delicate that it seemed almost ethereal. An expression of wonder passed across her face and she looked up, mouth agape. She caught eyes with Thor. His previous jolly expression dropped as concern flittered across his brow. She got the sense he could feel this when he held it. The room was silent, none of the Avengers dared even breathe, waiting with eager anticipation - and some confusion.
She focused everything on that sound, that rich, soothing high tone that was still echoing around her body, rushing over her as if she had just plunged into the sea. It called to her and she closed her eyes, listening closer to that frequency. She could almost hear it with her ears, but what is hearing? If not just the perceiving of vibrations. It transcended the physics that she knew. The hammer reached out, testing her, almost as if waiting.
It jumped, and she caught it and suddenly it was inches off the ground. She held it in the palm of her hand, the weight not insignificant but not beyond her. She was no god, but she held it. She grasped it for a second, one euphoric second but then – not yet it seemed to say. You cannot bear it. And the weight grew heavy – impossibly heavy and it slipped through her fingers.
It crashed onto the table, shattering the glass completely – remnants scattering across the room. The room was completely silent and when she opened her eyes everyone in the room looked equally as shocked as she felt. Daisy stood stock still surrounded by shimmering glass destruction.
"So…" Tony began, cutting into the silence, "Does that mean she gets to rule Asgard?"
Daisy shook her head vehemently, backing away from the hammer until her legs hit the couch behind. Natasha reached out a hand on her lower back to steady her before she tipped over.
Thor stared at her with intense scrutiny, cocking his head, before replying, "Mjolnir judged her highly," he said carefully, "Truthfully I have not had an encounter such as this. Not many lifeforms can hear the call."
"But she is worthy, right?" Hunter asked, eyebrows almost to his hairline.
"No," Thor replied simply, but the deep furrow of his brow and contemplative expression betrayed his thoughts she potentially could be.
As if one bombshell in an evening wasn't enough, a grating high-pitched frequency pierced their ear drums. The group cringed and Daisy clutched at her ears – the sound reverberating painfully around her skull, amplified by her sensitivity to high frequency.
"Worthy…" a grating growl echoed from the shadows in the corner of the room. It slithered around Daisy's lungs, sucked the air from them as she turned to face the darkness. Her heart began to pound. Thud. Thud. Thud.
"No, how could you be worthy? You're all killers."
Thud. It staggered into the light. A Frankenstein of broken parts - severed limbs of a damaged Iron Legion. Metallic scraping preceded each footstep. The rancid smell of gasoline lingered in the air. A menacing tilt to his head. Observing. Studying.
"What the bloody hell is that!?" Hunter cried out, scrambling to his feet from the sofa.
Daisy raised her hands, apprehension making her palms clammy as she prepared to face the creature. Maria's hand twitched, reaching for her concealed gun.
"Stark," Steve said, his voice edged with a warning.
"Jarvis…" Tony muttered, summoning his AI. He was met with silence.
She could feel the tension rolling of Tony, masking thinly veiled fear. She locked eyes with him. He was worried – they both knew why.
"I'm sorry I was asleep," the…robot announced, an electronic gurgle in its synthetic throat, "Or, I was a dream...There was this terrible noise…I was tangled in…strings..."
He lurched forward. Dread unfurled in Daisy's stomach. The hairs on the back of her neck standing on end.
"Had to kill the other guy," the robot stated matter of fact, but added with unexpected emotion, "He was a good guy.
"You killed someone?" Steve asked, incredulous.
Daisy knew this sinking feeling. The feeling of watching something you had set in motion unfurl. The point of no return in a temple with a sealing door. Frozen and unable to move.
"Wouldn't have been my first call, but down in the real world we're faced with ugly choices."
"Who sent you?" Thor demanded.
" 'I see a suit of armour around the world'," it was Tony's voice played through the unhinged mechanical jaw.
"Ultron," Daisy breathed in terror, her fears confirmed. Natasha's head immediately whipped around to face her, and Daisy felt the eyes of most of the room on the side of her face.
Ultron turned to her, cogs tilting as he studied her, blue lights seeming to pierce her soul, "In the flesh...or no, not yet. Not this…chrysalis…"
He glanced down, as if examining his body. He staggered around, unstable on his feet.
His head snapped to Tony again, "But I'm ready, I'm on mission."
"What mission?" Natasha demanded, falling into a fighting stance at Daisy's side. Her fingers flexed, curling into fists. Daisy took a deep breath, her hands not quite steady. Anticipating.
"Peace in our time."
And chaos erupted.
Notes:Aaaand everything goes to hell! This was equal parts fun and hard to write! What did you think??
(I always appreciate your comments even if I don't get around to replying xx)