Rapid Love | P. MAXIMOFF

[6] conversations in the dark

"It's an interesting place you got here," Beatrix observed as she walked around. They appeared to be in the basement of a lab of sorts. She wasn't entirely sure where they were but upon seeing Helen, she was almost certain they were in Korea and possibly in her lab.

"It's temporary," Pietro replied as he sat down on one of the crates.

"Here I was thinking this was your forever home," she replied as she sat down on a crate across from him. "What's more compelling than rats and dust?"

Something gleamed in his eye, "You're funny."

She grinned, "I try." She looked around the room, "Where's your sister?"

"With Ultron."

"Why aren't you with her?"

"Someone has to watch you."

"I thought it was obvious that I came with you on my own accord," she reminded him. "Friendly reminder that I can teleport out of here at any time I please."

"Why don't you?" he asked.

"Let's start with easier questions first," she suggested as she adjusted her position, tucking her leg under herself. "What's your favorite color?"

"My favorite color?" he asked and she nodded. "Blue. What about you?"

"Black," she answered. "How did you get your powers?" She knew the answer to this, of course, but he didn't necessarily know that. Besides, knowing something because you did research on a person is different then them telling you themselves.

"German scientist and a weird rock make interesting combination," he explained. "And you?"

"A mad scientist of a father who lost the love of his life and the inability to come to terms with death make quite the combination as well," she informed him. His lip quirked upward as it usually did only this time it didn't seem to be in amusement but more in thought. She watched him for a moment, "Why do you hate Tony Stark so much?"

"What happened to easier questions first?" he asked her.

She shrugged, "I got bored."

"Why should I tell you?"

"Help me understand," she suggested. "Maybe if you tell me what happened to make you hate him so much, I can come to understand why you're doing what you're doing."

"We were ten years old, having dinner, the four of us," he began and she concluded that he was talking about his family in Sokovia. "When the first shell hits, two floors below, it makes a hole in the floor. It's big." He gestured with his hands to indicate the size.

"Our parents go in, and the whole building starts coming apart," he explained and Beatrix watched him with furrowed eyebrows. "I grab her, roll under the bed, and the second shell hits. But it doesn't go off." He looked down at his hands, playing with them anxiously, "It just...sits there in the rubble, three feet from our faces. And on the side of the shell is painted one word..."

"'Stark'," she finished for him and he looked up at her. He watched her for a moment before he nodded his head once.

"We were stuck for two days," he explained, holding up two fingers. "Afraid for our lives."

Beatrix let out a breath, "I can understand why you have your issues with him then."

"You disagree?"

"No," she shook her head. "Stark didn't always care about other people. He was an ass who was in it for the money and he didn't care where that money came from. He's changed."

"Then we agree to disagree," he concluded and she smiled slightly despite herself. "Why did you come with us if you didn't want to help us?"

She thought this over for a moment. "I do want to help you," she countered, "Just not in the way you think."

"Pietro," Wanda spoke up and both Pietro and Beatrix looked up at her. Wanda glanced at Beatrix, her eyebrows furrowed in thought, "Ultron has asked for us."

Pietro glanced over at Beatrix and he opened his mouth to say something but she spoke before he could, "When the master calls, you go running, right, Speedy?"

His eyes twitched slightly and she wasn't sure if it was because of the comment or the nickname. He stood up and crossed the room to his sister. They spoke in hushed tones for a moment before walking out, leaving Beatrix alone.

As soon as she knew they were gone she pulled up her tracking device on the Quinjet. She grew confused at the location but didn't look that into it before she eventually found a way to contact the group.

"Stark," the voice echoed throughout the room and the Avengers looked around in confusion. "Captain? Anybody?"

"Bea?" Tony inquired as he tried to figure out where her voice was coming from.

"Where the hell are you?" she asked. "Tracking you down has never been this hard before."

"We're in a safe house of sorts," Steve answered. "Where are you? Tony said-"

"I can't say much," she interrupted. She glanced around the room she was in, hoping that the twins wouldn't return anytime soon, "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

"You didn't say she'd been kidnapped," Nick said pointedly.

"Fury?" Beatrix inquired, a smile crossing her face even though the others couldn't see it. "It's been awhile. How the hell are ya?"

"Better than you, apparently."

"Fair enough," she replied. "And it's not really a kidnapping if you go willingly."

"You went with the twins willingly?"

"She's got a bit of a savior complex," Tony announced and Beatrix rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, out of all of us, I'm the one with the savior complex," she agreed sarcastically. "I don't have much time but we have an issue. Doctor Helen Cho?" she reminded them. "She's here and Ultron used the scepter to control him. I think he's using her technology to create a new body for himself."

"You're in Korea?" Steve asked.

"Yes," she answered. "I'm guessing Ultron is at her facility. I only saw so much before the twins took me away." It was best that they didn't know she was there too. If they showed up, their priority was to be on destroying Ultron. She could hold her own.

There was a noise from above and what sounded like gunshots. Beatrix addressed the group, "I have to go."

"Wait-" But she disconnected before they could get anymore out.

Pietro zoomed into the room a moment later, panting slightly. Wanda wasn't with him so she took it that he got her out before returning for her, "We have to go."

She stood up in confusion, fighting down the feeling in her stomach when she thought about the fact that he came back for her, "We do?"

He raised an eyebrow, "Would you rather stay here with Ultron?"

"Fair enough," she nodded. "Where are we going? I can-"

His lip quirked upward and the butterflies in her stomach swarmed despite her protest, "I'll take care of you this time."