Carmine Jewels ║ Wanda Maximoff

Chapter 41 - Shatter Us

"Well, doesn't this look cozy?" Keira questioned sarcastically, her nose slightly scrunched as she looked down over the sandy wasteland.

The sea had long since retracted to the horizon, leaving several ships stranded, and she could already tell that the sand would be a bitch to walk through, considering that it was almost more mud than sand.

"If this is your definition of cozy, I'm seriously concerned for your mental health." Clint piped up from the pilot's seat, his eyes scanning the ground below for a good place to land.

Keira's fingers just managed to brush his shoulder as she reached out to give him a playful slap. "What? I think this would make a lovely home, don't you? You got a nice sandy beach, the sea nearby..." She pointed at the water that was peacefully rolling over the sand in the distance. "Multiple choices of housing and you'll never have to worry about the cold ever again. Sounds like a paradise, no?"

"You love the cold though." Natasha deadpanned, not bothering to glance over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of the blonde that had her arms draped over the back of her seat.

"So?"

"You'd melt into a puddle before you could snap your fingers."

"Why are you two ganging up on me all of a sudden?" Keira whined quietly, throwing her head back in exasperation.

"Because it's more fun that way." Natasha answered simply, and Keira could hear the smirk in her voice.

Keira just shook her head, feigning disappointment. "Oh, shut up." The corners of her mouth twitched, threatening to break out into a smile. While their lives could be pretty crazy with the constant missions, trying to save the world, and so on, Keira lived for these little moments with her friends.

It was moments like these that made it all worth it.

The plan was pretty straightforward. Keira, Steve, Thor, and Tony would face the robot head-on, considering that they were the best equipped to fight him. Clint and Natasha meanwhile, would sneak in from above and take out as many human henchmen as they could on their way down.

And Bruce... Well, Bruce would stay in the jet until they needed him, or rather, needed the Hulk. Because unfortunately, the scientist himself wasn't much help when it came to missions like this.

Clint lowered the jet down skillfully in the jungle, just next to the beach. That way, the trees would provide some cover and it wouldn't be as easily spotted from the ships.

Keira made sure to check that her guns were in place and that her katana was fastened to her back. "Everyone got their comms in?" She asked, double-tapping the device in her ear to make sure it was activated this time around. An unfortunate habit of hers was to sometimes forget about the comm, something Natasha loved to tease her about.

The redhead in question quirked an eyebrow, a smile playing on her lips. "You know, none other than you have ever failed to activate their comm so..." She trailed off innocently, ignoring the glare Keira threw her.

"For the second time, hush it." Keira groaned, pressing the button which lowered the ramp. The humidity hit her like a slap in the face and she immediately reached up to brush some sticky baby hairs out of her face. "Okay, I take it back. I might not be able to handle this type of heat for long. But I will still argue that this could be a cozy spot with a bit of TLC."

With her eyes glued to the ships in the distance, she winced as a hand hit her in the back of the back. It wasn't hard at all, just a playful slap, but it had taken her by surprise. "Hey! I barely touched you before, Clint. No fair of you to retaliate like this." Keira grumbled slightly, rubbing the spot on the back of her head.