[1] Skipping Stones - Pietro Maximoff

Chapter: 22 [Edited]

Farron's POV

Willow led us into a large room with more windows than walls and all eyes were suddenly on us. I immediately noticed Steve looking at Willow and I could practically feel the love radiating off of the man and that easily made a smile threaten my cold stare. Clint and Natalia were standing with Volher and they were all staring at me with hope in their eyes and I refrained from jumping into their arms... I lasted fifteen seconds. They were my family after all.

I sighed and walked over to where they stood with paper files in their hands and before I had even opened my arms Clint was clinging onto me. A smile worked its way onto my face for the hundredth time today and I pulled back with a smirk on my face, "You're head was a little fuzzy last night, did you have fun?" I asked and he rolled his eyes.

"It would have been more fun if a psychotic robot hadn't ruined the night," Nat muttered and pulled me away from Clint and into her own arms.

"You could always hold your liquor," I mentioned, pulling away with a smirk on my face, "even when we were young and stealing alcohol from the older girls.

I ignored the threatening yet playful look she sent me and turned to Volher who was still staring at me, I refrained from smirking and instead smiled nervously. "You miss me?" I questioned, raising my arms and he grabbed one and pulled me to him immediately enveloping me in a hug. I sighed shakily and his grip tightened on me briefly before letting me go.

"Are you going to come home this time?" He sounded almost scared of the response I would give him.

I gave him a sad smile and his face fell, "I don't know yet, V. My world's been turned upside down, I might not have a choice on whether or not I go back." I turned to the Willow next and allowed my training to take over, "So what's this I hear about a psychotic robot?"

Guilt was written all over her face and I could feel it radiating off of Volher, "His name is Ultron," she said nervously, "he was supposed to be a peacekeeping program made from the scepter."

"You did what?" I asked calmly and Dimlay watched me carefully with protective eyes while Willow got even more nervous. I took a few steps closer to her, "You tried to make an AI from the scepter?" She nodded her head and I groaned and glared at her and Volher, "If you had used your brains you would've realized the scepter was nothing to play with. I had to stop Strucker from doing the same thing that you did. How could you two be so foolish?"

Volher looked guilty but Willow's features filled with rage and we barely noticed the people around us. "Well my bad that we didn't have our crazy smart little sister here to guide us in the right direction to keep a genocidal robot from killing our adoptive father." Her features hardened but I glanced at Werner out of the corner of my eye and I could tell he was getting mad as well. "She was too busy ruthlessly murdering people!"

"Whose fault is that?" I asked simply and Willow frankly seemed surprised by my calmness and I watched as her frustration melted away. "You could have come home at any time and none of us would be in this mess and Strucker would still be alive."

Enough, Dimlay demanded, his voice ringing through every mind in the room and everyone but Werner and I tensed, it doesn't matter anymore. What's happened has happened and there's no going back. You three need to get your shit together so we can kill Ultron. I sighed and leaned into Werner and Dimlay, the wolf was right.

I'm sorry everyone, I said and everyone stared curiously at Dimlay and I before slowly starting to look through the files again.

"Wait, I know that guy," Mr. Stark says, grabbing the file from Bruce's hands, "From back in the day. He operates off of the African coast, black market arms." I watched unfazed while Captain America sent him an accusing look, "There are conventions, alright? You meet people, I didn't sell him anything." He quickly defended himself to Steve, "He was talking about finding something new, a game-changer, it was all very 'Ahab.'"

"This?" Thor pointed out onto the picture and I recognized the symbol immediately. Willow moved closer to see the picture better.

"Uh, it's a tattoo. I don't think he had it... " Mr. Stark said, barely glancing at where Thor had pointed out.

I rolled my eyes in irritation, "It's not a tattoo it's a brand," I said and everyone looked at me in surprise, "it means thief."

"In a much less friendly way," Bruce said and then looked at me, "How would you know that?"

I shrugged nonchalantly, "I was there when they branded him with it. He was in Wakanda," I glanced at Mr. Stark and Steve, "I assume you know what comes out of Wakanda, right?"

They both turned and looked at the infamous shield of Captain America, "The strongest metal on Earth."