Freaks||Wanda and Pietro Maximoff

Chapter 16

Bruce sits in the corner of the library, Fitz next to him. They don't talk much just focus on their work. The library is pretty quiet as school ended half an hour ago. A few people sit around, here and there but are working quietly.
"Bruce!"
The silence is broken. Bruce looks up and Fitz jumps in shock next to him. Thor is walking towards him, Loki looking very depressed by his side. His blond hair is stuffed in to a beanie and he wears a big brown jacket.
"Hi Thor" Bruce says, trying to sound as polite as possible.
Thor nods in response and sits opposite him. Loki slumps in the seat next to him and looks over, curiously at Fitz's work. Fitz doesn't seem to notice.
"Stark told me everything" Thor lowers his voice to probably what he considers quiet "It sounds bad Bruce. And you've been keeping Loki and I out of this"
"It's because you talk rather loudly" Bruce gives him a sarcastic smile
"I DO NOT-" he lowers his voice again "I see what you mean"
"You're an embarrassment" Loki snarls, looking up at him in disgust
"So why are you always with me?" Thor shrugs
"Because you cry whenever I am not" Loki says, making an obscene hand gesture at him
"It's true" Fitz mutters
Thankfully Thor doesn't hear him. He just turns to Bruce.
"If you need any help I am here" he growls "because I'm not some useless dummy with NICE ABDOMINALS"
"Can you shut up please?" Bruce says in a pained voice as people start staring "because you're going to make me angry. And you wouldn't like me when I'm angry"
Fitz chuckles.
"I just came here to make a point" Thor sighs "but obviously I am still a joke to you"
And he walks away leaving Loki sitting there, scowling.
"Just so you know" he growls, the dark circles under his eyes suddenly becoming more apparent "if anything bad happens do not include me. It's your fault you got in to this mess anyway. You should have left those kids on the streets. Someone might and will find out. And it's not going to be pretty for anybody"
And he walks off, pushing by the people at the door to catch up with Thor.
"He is kind of right" Fitz says quietly
"Leo you know we're doing this because it's keeping them safe" Bruce sighs "Because we're nice people. All Loki cares about is himself"
Fitz shakes his head, turning back to his work. Bruce tries to focus on his work: English, his least favourite subject but thoughts of the twins and Bucky and Wanda's odd dreams and actions, invade his head and the words just become a blur and a mismatch of letters.

After 10 minutes, he decides it is all too much and starts to pack up his work.
"You going home?" Fitz asks
"Yeah" Bruce says, shrugging on his backpack "do you want to come?"
"Na" Fitz shakes his head, his eyes glazed over like they have been all day "I'll see you tomorrow. I'm positivity... es-ecstatic for the English exam"
"Try and remember that word for the exam" Bruce grins
"Yeah right" Fitz snorts
Bruce just gives him a reassuring pat on the shoulder and walks out.

Autumn air hits him as soon as he exits the library. The sky is a dark blue, stars scattered here and there. It is silent outside the school and Bruce just stands there for a few seconds, trying to take it all in.
"Banner!" Natasha claps a hand on his shoulder "how was your English revision?"
"As good as can be expected" Bruce sighs, starting towards the main road
"How was your three hour detention?"
"I skived off most of it by saying that I had a serious stomach bug" Natasha grins "so I spent most of the time in a toilet cubicle, texting Clint"
Off course she did.

They walk down the main road next to the school, Natasha chatting about Clint, her theories about Peter and the twins having the same surname.
"I can't wait until Simmons is back" she sighs after a few minutes of comfortable silence "I'll have someone's science homework to copy"
"Excuse me you have Tony, Leo and me!" Bruce scowls
"Firstly Banner, I strive for the highest standard of homework to copy"
"We all get the same grades!"
"Secondly." She continues, ignoring Bruce's remark "You three don't let me copy you anyway"
"We did not work hard to use our genius brains so that some stupid little girl, who can't be bothered to pick up a damn pen, would copy all our work" Bruce snaps
"Woah what's got you so angry?" Natasha raises her eyebrows
"English revision"
"Who revises for English?" She laughs "al you do is write about how stupid Romeo and Juliet are, add in a few big words and then boom you get a D!"
"But I have high standards" Bruce scowls "I want an A. Poor Leo wants an A. I feel bad for him when he gets his report card. He has endless A's and it is ruined by one stupid E for English! Even you get higher than him. Tony still gets high marks though."
"He is surprisingly poetic" Natasha grins, her eyes glittering in the light of the street lamps above "It's odd"
"Just don't text me tonight" Bruce says, stopping outside the path to his house "And don't stay out. Go home okay?"
"Like you could call that piece of shit building a home" Natasha scowls but she turns in the direction she should go and walks off.
                                  *
"Stark"
"It's nice to see you too"
Tony stands in between the two beds in their small shed as soon as Wanda and Pietro walk in from a day in the woods. Every happy thought, from that blissful day, suddenly escapes Pietro's head at the sight of Tony who stands wearing expensive clothes, his hands shoved in his pocket, his hair messy and all over the place. He gives Wanda a lazy grin. Wanda glares back, clenching her fists, her eyes turning red. Pride swells up inside Pietro at the sight of her sister standing up for them.
"It isn't very nice no" Pietro tries to sound as casual as possible, despite the rage bubbling up inside him
"Why?" Tony's eyes widen in false confusion
"Because you're the one who started all this shit" Wanda growls
Tony looks mildly surprised at the curse but he still grins, stepping forward slightly.
"Yes I except full responsibility for that" it looks like it pains him to say it "and I am very sorry for what I have done. The guilt I felt after it happened..." he actually looks upset for a second "but you two are the ones who actually decided to go to my school knowing very well that you aren't citizens of this country, that you have powers that you cannot control and that you didn't even have a house"
"We wanted a normal life!" Pietro barks, the anger almost reaching its peak "You have no idea what it is like hiding in the shadows, stealing to stay alive! You have no idea what it's like to have what we have, to have lost what we lost"
"This isn't a competition" Tony snaps, stepping even closer, his eyes flaring "this isn't a game! I need you two to understand that you cannot afford to do that again! You can't afford to stay here with people living in that house" he jabs a finger towards the shut window "that don't know you and will be fully happy to expose you if or when they find out! Just because Steve freaking Rodgers is their son it doesn't mean that they are angels. They will expose you!"
"Why the hell would they do that?" Wanda's eyes are green again and they're full of worry
"You two really don't know what happens outside the streets so you?"
Pietro snarls at the comment but Tony continues "We thought Peter was the only one left. We protected him at all costs."
"The only what left?" Pietro can feel his heart beating against his chest
"Only mutant" Tony runs a hand through his already messy hair "that's what they call you people. And we didn't want to tell you guys until you were ready. You needed time to rest, to become happier, to make us trust you..." he sucks in a breath "ten years ago, just after you probably escaped Sokovia, mutants were being gathered up by this secret organisation named Shield. They claimed they were doing it for good but Peter had friends who were dragged from their homes by any forces necessary. He hadn't known he was a mutant yet, thank god but then they started testing any kids under 14 for the 'X' gene. They tested us all. They tested every kid around the god damn  country. And more were found. Peter wasn't though. He used Fitz's computer skills and Bruce's and I's intelligence to fake the system to think that I had the test and everything was fine. Obviously it wasn't and obviously he already knew. There are no more mutants. The X gene has been wiped out by Shield and if you get caught who knows what will happen? Especially with all this weird mind control crap and visions going on"
They stand in silence for a few seconds. Shock incases Pietro and Wanda is trembling next to him. He grabs her hand, squeezing it tightly.
"You say this knowing that you triggered Wanda's powers in public" Pietro says, breaking the silence
"I had no idea about her powers" Tony says, turning to Wanda "I just thought you tended to end up at the wrong place at the wrong time. Though now I think about it, that textbook didn't drop on Fitz's head at its own accord"
"You did what?" Pietro turns to look at Wanda. This is news.
"Come on Pietro everyone at school was talking about it" she looks ashamed
"They were talking about a Leo. I didn't know they meant Fitz. That's what all the heartless brain damage jokes were about"
Wanda looks even more ashamed. Her green eyes, fall to her shoes and they don't rise.
"Don't feel bad about it" Tony's voice is surprisingly gentle "it's the past now and this is the future. And the future is about keeping you two safe"
Wanda smiles, looking up again.
"Maybe I will forgive you one day" she says softly.
Pietro almost agrees.