Fatal Desires | 𝘕. 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘧𝘧

twenty-three.

THE SMILE ON RHODEY'S FACE SAID IT ALL AS HE LOOKED AT THE AVENGERS. "It's great to see you, Cap." He said, bringing him in for a bro hug. Natasha greeted him with a warm hello and a hug with Isabella not too far behind her. "Hey, blondie. How you doing?" He said to Isabella, who smiled and shrugged. "Can't complain." She shrugged with a small smile on her face, glancing at Natasha. "Wow. You guys.. really look like crap. Must've been a rough couple years." He said, looking at all of them. "Yeah, well, the hotels weren't exactly five star." Sam said from Vision's right side. "Yeah, well, I think you guys look great." Banner's voice came from the entrance of the room. "Yeah, I'm back." He said. He looked nervous. Isabella glanced back and forth between him and Natasha. She had known that they had a brief on and off romance a while ago, but as far as Isabella was concerned- that wasn't an issue anymore. 

That became clear when Natasha automatically shifted toward Isabella more when he entered the room, almost on impulse. Her smile toward him was friendly, and nothing more. "So we gotta assume they're coming back, right?" Sam asked from the table that they had moved to in the center of the room. Isabella leant on a metal countertop with science equipment all over it with Natasha right by her side. "And they can clearly find us." Wanda chimed in. "We need all hands on deck. Where's Clint?" Bruce said. "After the whole accords situation he and Scott took a deal. It was too tough on their families. They're on house arrest." Nat responded. "Who's Scott?" Bruce asked. "Ant-Man." Cap answered. Bruce looked surprised. "There's an Ant-Man and a spider man?" 

"Okay, look. Thanos has the biggest army in the universe and he is not gonna stop until he gets.. Vision's stone." Bruce said. Natasha stepped up. "Then we have to protect it." She said. "No, we have to destroy it." Vision said, holding his abdomen from the corner of the room. He had been so silent before now that Isabella had forgotten he was even in the room. Natasha and Isabella shared a concerned glance. "I'm sorry?" Isabella said. "I've been giving a good thought to this entity in my head. About it's nature. But also it's composition. I think If it were exposed to a.. sufficiently powerful energy source.." He dragged his words, explaining with his hand motions as he walked towards Wanda- who looked angry now.

"Something very similar to it's own signature, perhaps... it's molecular integrity could fail." He said quietly now, putting his hands onto Wanda's shoulders. "Yeah, and you with it." Wanda said quietly. "We're not having this conversation." She shook her head. "Eliminating the stone is the only way to be certain that Thanos can't get it." He said. "That's too high a price." Wanda argued. Vision placed his hands at either side of her face. "Only you have the power to pay it." He said, and Wanda walked away without another word. "Thanos threatens half the universe. One life cannot stand in the way of defeating him." 

"But it should." Steve said in a defeated tone. Isabella looked down at the ground. "We don't trade lives, Vision." He said. "Captain, 70 years ago, you laid down your life to save how many millions of people? Tell me, why is this any different?" Vision questioned Captain America, who was struggling to come up with a response. "Because you might have a choice." Banner chimed in. "Your mind is made up of a complex construct of overlays. Jarvis, Ultron, Tony, Me, the stone. All of them mixed together, all of them learning from one another." Isabella perked up, as did Wanda- who rejoined the conversation. "You're saying Vision isn't just the stone?" She asked with her hands in her pockets nervously. 

"I'm saying that If we take out the stone.. there's still a whole lot of Vision left. Perhaps the best parts." he explained. "Can we even do that?" Isabella asked. "Not me, not here." Bruce answered. Isabella frowned. "Well, you better find someone, somewhere and fast. Ross isn't just gonna let you guys have your old rooms back." Rhodey said. "Ross can kiss my ass." Isabella mumbled, but only Natasha heard her. The woman chuckled lightly under her breath at the comment. "I know somewhere." Steve said. 

On the jet headed to Wakanda, Isabella had been worried about Wanda- so she decided to talk to her. Vision was up front talking to Steve, which left Wanda alone. She looked fragile, scared, even. Isabella knew that feeling all too well. "This is gonna work." Isabella tried to comfort her as she took a seat next to her on the jet. Natasha watched the interaction from the other side. Wanda looked at Isabella and faked a smile. "I hope so." She said, trying her best to hide what she was feeling. "I know you're scared, Wanda. Losing people, it never gets easier. No matter how many times it happens." She took a deep breath, and caught gazes with Nat- who smiled warmly at her. It made her chest warm. "But If I know one thing, it's that you're strong as hell. You've lost more than almost this whole team, and I'll be damned if you lose anyone else on my watch." 

Wanda looked at her with tears in her eyes and a smile spread across her face. "Thank you, Isabella." She said. It was silent for a while before Wanda broke it. "How are things with Nat?" She asked with a sly smirk on her face. Isabella jerked her head up. "What do you mean?" She asked. Wanda scoffed. "Oh, please. I'm not blind. Any idiot with eyes can see it." Isabella cocked her head. "See what, exactly?" She asked. "How in love you guys are." Isabella didn't respond to that part, but luckily Sam's voice cut her off before she could even try to muster out a response. "We're entering Wakandan Airspace now, everyone- put your seatbelts on."