The Bravest of Them All (Pietro Maximoff)

Part 3: The Twins

I start with the fact that they were held in cells beside one another. They temporarily lived in cells like me, most likely experiencing the same tests that I have and probably never escaped from unlike me. I let myself pause to think over what to say next. Like the fact that I had never seen them in the time I was there. How I knew why they were they all that time. And that I only saw them when I escaped.

I knew I have never seen them in such a bad condition than they had appealed to me in their cells. I had to witness them in a terrible state from the other side of the glass. All I wanted to do was punch the glass and break them out but there was no time. Who knows who else watched them like that, like they were zoo animals or something.

I had the chance to escape and if it weren't for time, I would have escaped with them. I would have taken them with me.

All those years ago, I knew them both more than I knew myself. Now all I have are memories.

I shift myself in the chair as I feel Steve drop a hand on my shoulder, bringing me back from my thoughts. Oh my, god that's Captain America's hand on my shoulder!

Everyone's eyes are on me. I reframe myself from my memories and remember where I am. All of the avengers have "assembled" in the conference rooms at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters, listening to my background of being in Strucker's project. Steve sits on my right while Natasha sits at my left. The others except Director Nick Fury and Agent Maria Hill were standing by the table.

I close and open my mouth, taking a deep breathe before I spoke again, "We were in the same project together," I repeat to them and myself, "but we knew each other before all of it. I, like them, volunteered for Strucker, but they didn't know that I did."

I take another moment to let myself pause, thinking about my history and past with the twins. The memories we shared from being in the same class, running through the streets at night, playing at the park all day. Our families even knew each other. We would go over to one another's houses for birthdays or holidays. Most weekends we'd have dinner at their house or mine.

I could say I loved them, because I did. I do, still do. I keep them close to my heart and a little closer everyday when I never heard from them after Sokovia was ruined and I was put in that place.

"After I made my escape, I saw them through this glass that they must have been made to watch over them," I explain.

"Like Strucker kept his eye on them," Clint a.k.a. Hawkeye adds.

"Yes, sorta."

Steve turns to me. "Were they special to him or something like that?"

"I don't know." I answer, trying not to sound as desperate as they must have been in that moment. "But I do know we all got our powers from Loki's scepter."

"Do you know any weaknesses or strengths they could have?" he asks, sounding hopeful.

"Besides Road Runner calling people old," Clint says in the background. Road Runner? Wait, is he referring to Pietro?

Now I'm becoming more confused on the details, especially the specific ones I know. "I don't mean to disappoint you." I look down to avoid their eyes. "But I don't know that much information about their powers."

The next thing I know is that Tony interrupts me. "Wait, hold on, if you're Sokovian then where's your accent?" He asks as if it's that's the one question in the world we need to focus on solving.

"I got rid of it once I started working for S.H.I.E.L.D.," I answer, listening to my own plain American accent. I catch Natasha roll her eyes while everyone else is practically stunned by that fact. As for Tony, he raises his brow seeing I had defeated his question wth ease.

"You have been an agent this whole time, Agent Brave," Director Fury begins to inquire, "but how did you manage to keep your powers a secret?" I don't overthink the fact that Fury himself asks this question. Like I mentioned before, he is only one of three people who know my secret. He must not want the Avengers to know he knows. But hiding my powers is a whole other story.

"I guess I'm a good at keeping secrets," I shoot a witty remark, nodding at him.

Fury looks directly at me, a smirk creeping up on the corner of his mouth. "We might just need someone like you in the field," he says amused.

"What?"

"What?" Tony exclaims, as well.

"You do know more about the twins than all of us here," Steve agrees.

"You'd just might be the type to join us," Bruce Banner, a.k.a. The Hulk adds.

"Wait—" Tony says in the background.

"Those brats will get what they deserve," Clint says through gritted teeth.

"Guys!" Tony says louder again.

"Wait, I will help stop them," I offer, "but they are my friends. I have history with them and I won't promise to hurt them if it ever comes to it."

"You don't need to worry about that," Natasha tells me, somehow sounding like she understands me.

"H-hold on team!" Tony finally get everyone's attention. He forms a 'T' shape with his hands standing as a time-out. "Aren't we going to vote on this, she's only a kid," Tony says, "No offense." He holds a hand out at my direction.

"None taken." I mutter, not knowing what else to say.

"We're not in court are we, Mr. Stark," Director Fury's tome masking his joke. "We're in the middle of another war. Do you really want to argue if we should or should not use her skill set and knowledge that could benefit us all?"

Tony glances back at me and shoots a wink. He exits after that and everyone tries to hold back their grins while we watch him leave. I look at everyone as they all look back at me. It doesn't seem that they look at me like I'm some child like Tony. Though I may appear older, I am only seventeen, but I definitely try not to act like it.

To break the silence, Director Fury calls the Avengers into training.

I decide to stay in my chair, knowing I have to go back to being behind a computer. Natasha stands up and turns to me. "Come with us," she insists as she nods towards the door.

"Why?" I ask with a shrug.

"Didn't you hear the news?"

"Well there wasn't much to hear since it was Stark whining," Thor teases.

I wave my hands for emphasis as I look at everyone. "W-wait, what just happened?" I ask, too confused for my own good.

"Agent Brave, you're no longer just an agent," Agent Hill hints.

"We just added another Avenger to the team," coming from the person who just became my team captain.

My jaw drops and my eyes open wide, too ecstatic to describe how I feel. "Really!" I shout, hearing myself squealing. "I mean," I clear my throat then say it again. "Really?"

"Yep," Natasha takes me by my hands and puts me on my feet. "Training starts now."