Chapter Text
That was a slow morning in the apartment of Maximoff twins.
At least for Wanda.
She sat on the kitchen table, the hands closed around her favorite mug, causing hot coffee pinicasse hers fingers. She liked the innocent twinges of pain in the fingertips, they helped get her out of the post-sleep ecstasy that always dominated her for at least half an hour after she could bring himself to out of bed.
Pietro stood in the kitchen doorway, already fully dressed and ready to go for your morning run. Unlike his sister, he always got up at sunrise with enough energy to light the whole house overnight. He watched silently as she swung her legs as a child and sipped his coffee.
Even though almost literally dragged out of bed, she was still the most beautiful thing he could see. Her dark hair framed her pale face, the rebels wires tangled so gently that just run her fingers through them would be enough to put back in place. She stared at nothing with hers green eyes almost closed and slightly swollen pink lips.
He could not help notice the long legs exposed by the piece of cloth that she continued to insist that they were pajamas. They had finger marks along her thigh, reddish welts that disappear in a few hours, but he would be very happy to produce again that night. Probably before dinner.
He came into the kitchen with a excited smile on his face, capturing her attention. Wanda squinted as he grabbed her chin, pondering the reason of such a smile. His familiar scent, with no hint of perfume, just Pietro, wrapped her like a cloud. Suddenly her eyes were wide open and alert, trying to absorb every detail of his face as if he could be the last time they would see each other.
- I will be right back. -He murmured without taking his eyes off her face. Wanda stretched out her right hand and ran her fingers through his gray hair, taking a few strands of his eyes.
-I know. -He's smile made her heart race. Pietro kissed her head and took a deep breath against her hair, trying to absorb as much perfume that possible, so he could always remember it. The hours they spent apart was a great torture for him.
He left soon after, leaving the apartment door unlocked when passing through it. Wanda take a deep breath and put the empty mug on the table. She needed to start moving and return to work on her painting before Ultron starts to charge her for it. Wanda and Pietro was working for that big mobster - who they never had seen the face - since sixteen. She falsifying paintings, and him doing anything that Ultron would want.
Now things were changing, and if they wanted to get out of that life without problems with his "boss" would have to fix some mistakes from the past.
Wanda jumped to the ground. Her feet touching the cold floor as she walked to her room. The bed remained immaculate, as well as the rest of the room. She only kept him by appearances and like a giant wardrobe since she spent every night at Pietro's room and did not intend to change that.
She shifted the clothes he wore to sleep by the usual jeans and shirt. Threw the lab coat stained with several different types of inks on the shoulders and held her hair in a long-tail horse. She stuffed the phone in lab coat pocket and put the headphones in the ears, already on the way to small balcony that used as a studio.
A knock on the door stopped her in the middle of the room and make her roll the eyes.
-What did you forget this time Pietro? -Her answer came in the form of a hand, too large to be her brother, clutching her neck.
Her world turned upside down when she started to feel the cold wall at the back rather than the ground at her feet. Her blood red nails grabbed the arm that held her suspended, trying, unsuccessfully, stick them in tough meat. She did not recognize that face and its ability to think coherently started to vanish every second as her air was stolen.
The door slammed behind the stranger and she fell to her knees on the floor. The pain radiating down her legs was barely perceived by burning in her lungs. She noted the leather boots worn walked into the apartment as she struggled to regain the air. The stranger stopped suddenly and his feet turned back to her.
-Wanda Maximoff. -She looked up watching his face carefully. Tall, bald, scowling expression and dressed in black, as well as all securities that she saw around town. -Ultron sent me here. He find out that you and your beloved brother are thinking of leaving town and wanted to make sure would remember its debt.
She bent over herself still trying to catch her breath completely.
-I will finish the picture today. -He walked over to where she continued lying down.
-He wants the money from the coup, as soon as possible. I heard that your hands are magical ... Able to reproduce any painting or sculpture in the world... -He rested his foot on the palm of her hand casually. -Would be a shame if something happened to them. Or who even know with your brother. We all know how your relationship is special.
Wanda pulled her hand close to her body. The fear began to seep subtly. Fear for his brother, not by herself. She did not know where Pietro was, whether it was safe or whether it they had caught him. Ice filled her veins but she did not let him know that. She raised her head staring at his eyes with all the courage she could muster.
-We going to get the money. -From a way she was surprised when he simply threw her a piece of paper and walked out the door without saying anything. Usually this type of "warning" include more destruction and blood.
Maybe Ultron still consider her the apple of his eye after all.
She sat on the floor, resting her head against the wall and fished his cell phone in the coat pocket.
She needed Pietro.
***
Pietro did not care what the neighbors would say when slammed the door. Usually they maintained a good frontage of quiet brothers, but this was not the time to care about anything that was not his sister. She had tried to appear calm on the phone but he knew her too well to believe that she would be perfectly fine after what happened.
Wanda could seem the stronger of the two, the fearless on eyes of others, but he knew well that she was the one that shook up more easily. He followed her voice to the living room, passing the kitchen without diminishing the hasty step he had kept in his race back. He found her standing next to the living room table, her hair loose and messy by the mania of pass hands on them whenever she was nervous.
-We'll be there in a few hours. -She hung up the phone and threw him on the couch on the moment she saw Pietro. Her heart raced with the expectation of some comfort. Wanda could take care of herself but being surrounded by her brother, have someone who wanted to protect her, even if it was not necessary, was the only thing she could want at that moment.
Pietro held her face in his cold hands. He brushed the hair away from her neck and traced the red marks with his fingertips. He shook his head causing his already messy hair fell over his eyes inflamed with fury. His hands and eyes inspected the rest of her body to make sure that was the only damage your skin.
-Pietro... -She murmured and grab his hands. They trembled slightly, the way they always did when he was fighting the urge to hit someone. -I'm fine, calm down.
-Do you remember? When we lose everything? I promised I would protect you from anyone who wanted to hurt you and those marks are evidence of my failure. -Wanda rolled her eyes.
-Don't be so dramatic. They are proof that we trusted in the wrong person. Stop blaming yourself, how could we know that Ultron would react like that?
-I shouldn't have left you alone.
-They would have coming you being here or not. -Wanda clasped his hands again before pouring them around her waist. Pietro automatically pulled her closer letting his sister supported the face against the curve of his neck. He kissed her hair and held her tightly trying to get rid of that bad feeling. -I'm fine. We are fine. -She murmured. -But we need to start to deal with it or we'll be in trouble.
He could almost hear her mind working.
-Which are our options? -Wanda take a deep breath.
-Number One: Give the money to Ultron, which we are not even close to have. But I have a plan to get it. It will not be safe or secured and we'll probably end up arrested, but we have made worse things.
-Number Two: Begging for his pardon and offer our jobs to pay the debt. What I very much doubt he'll accept after finding out we were up to something on his back.
-Number three: Call Erik and ask for help. -Pietro's laughter filled the whole room. She threw her head back and looked at him seriously. -I'm serious.
-That will not happen. -He denied still laughing. -He tried to separate us before and will do it again. Rather die than give any satisfaction to him asking for help.
-Don't discard this option so soon. It's the last thing I also want, but we can not deny that would solve our problems. -Pietro looked down capturing the almost desperate look of her sister. She was really talking serious.
-We won't stay together if we resort to him. -Wanda shrugged.
-I'd rather keep you alive and far than to die together. -He bowed his head thinking about it. She had a point. If he had to choose between seeing her die or keep himself away would certainly be the latter. But he would disagree just to see her smile.
-I probably would turn myself in and give you a chance to escape. -The girl in his arms shook her head and clucked her tongue.
-And That's why you never participates in the assembly of the plans. -And there was. The tip of smile he loved so much.
-I Just want to be your hero. -Wanda sighed and stood on tiptoe so he would not need to bend down as she planted a kiss against his cheek.
-You are. -The arms he kept around her held her tighter as she bent down again. Pietro looked at her bright green eyes in the morning light, waiting for her to depart. Even if it had never happened, from the day they decided to stop fighting those strange feelings, he still hoped that one day she decided she had gone too far.
It was his constant fear. That she began to believe what others said about them. That was wrong. Prohibited. Monstrous. Pietro felt her soft lips against his, slightly open, waiting for him to make the next move. Her mouth would taste like strawberries, as always.
He used to hate strawberries as a child. Now they are his favorite fruit.
Handing over the electricity discharges that always took his body when she was around he kissed her back. Let your body fall on the soft couch and brought her to his lap. She kept her stop in his lap as Wanda make a mess in your hair with your hands. Too late, he would not be able to wait until evening to be inside her again.
She lifted her head and bit her lip as Pietro kissed her neck and his hands began to venture beneath the shirt. She glanced at the clock on the wall behind them. She had promised to Tony that they would be in he's home as quickly as possible so they could deal with Ultron. And unfortunately there was no time to kill.
-Save that for later ok? -Wanda kissed him one last time and stood up. She looked for her coat trying to reach your phone.- We need to go. -Pietro raised an eyebrow seem a little disappointed.
-Where are we going?
-Gather the old team.
***
-We just across town to see Tony Stark? The guy who almost killed us all three years ago? -Pietro asked when leave the car. His face looked tense as Wanda walked around the car they shared. She sank her hands in the coat pocket and looked at the mansion that stood in front of them.
Three years before Ultron had combined his best protected in an attempt to give what he hoped that was the biggest blow in history. Things had given terribly wrong when Tony was distracted by a secretary and forgotten his role as hacker. Alarms went off, Wanda had escaped with half the team but Pietro remained trapped in the building with the other half. Took about two hours until they meet again, he had been shot and half the police were after the team. Ultron lost millions to cover up everything.
No one knew for sure how Stark had survived the fury of his boss, but he was still alive and richer than all the others put together. After that each had followed a different life and the twins cut all relations with them. The last thing she needed was to have to look at the face of the man who almost killed her brother for years as they tried to pay for the damage he had generated.
-We aren't the only ones who have been threatened. He called to say what Ultron was planning, but it was too late. Anyway, most part of the team is willing to listen to me and have a chance to get rid of it. And we need a hacker. Someone who is really good. He feels guilty and will want just enough of the money to pay off what you owe. It's the best deal we can get.
-I don't trust him. -The older brother sighed and also shoving his hands in his pockets.
-Nobody does. But we are all in this together now, there's not much we can do. -She focused her jade eyes on him, watching silently until Pietro take the first step. She wanted to be in his arms again, he became surprisingly malleable when touched her, but their own rules restricted her.
It took a few months to they find out that people do not like it when they touched in public. Even if there were no second intentions always would have eyes on them. Judging and analyzing. Looking for what was wrong with those two children and trying to separate them. Since there was only one rule for when they were away from home: no touching if was not absolutely necessary.
Finally he moved and Wanda took a deep breath.
It was time to put the plan of her life in action.
***
They were greeted by a small woman, who assumed to be the maid, and taken to a large room in the basement. The house in itself was a real masterpiece and Wanda could not stop his eyes to all the beautiful paintings scattered along the walls. The room which were taken was simpler, following the minimalist theme.
Cold walls, no windows, leather and brushed steel everywhere. It might seem expensive and elegant at the eyes of others, but it looked more like an iron prison to her. Although there are four people in the room they didn't exchanged more than a few looks. Things had not ended well between them and she knew this reunion would not be as promising as her mind had painted.
Pietro took off his coat and walked with her to the center of the room. The climate was at least hostile and he felt compelled to stay alert while her sister attracts all the attention of the room.
-You're late. -Stark muttered the far corner of the room. He leaned on a polished stone bar. Wanda raised an eyebrow and he looked away. Pietro giggled behind her.
-I sure we missed a big part of the fun.
-Where are Rogers and Banner? -She asked. Wanda took off his coat and sat on the leather couch closer to her.
-Steve joined the army. -Natasha was the first to respond. -He made it clear that prefer not to be involved with it. And Bruce disappeared from the map. No one can talk to him.
-He was smarter than all of us. -The blonde sitting next to her whispered. Pietro remembered him, the norse who liked to appoint himself as the god of thunder. Wanda bit her lip and ran her right hand through her hair.
-That will complicate things a bit, but we can still follow through with the plan. -She pressed her palms as all eyes in the room turned to her once more. She hated herself and her damn rule while trying to organize the tangle of plans he had in mind. -We are gonna steal the museum of modern art.
Tony's laugh was the first thing she heard. Natasha denied and Thor rose.
-Wanda this is impossible. -Said the redhead. She opened her mouth to try to argue but soon the whole room was wrapped in a discussion. Pietro took the place next to her, careful to stay close enough to touch her and still be the first to get up if that discussion ended up getting too heated.
-Hey! -The impatient cry of Clint made the whole room stay silent. -Let the girl explain. -She can not help but smile. Clint Barton was the only of the whole team who she really liked, mainly because it was he who kept Pietro alive during the disaster last job.
She took advantage of the silence before anyone resumed the discussion.
-It's very simple. Literally go in and out of the museum. For two years I worked as an assistant in the restoration of paintings in the museum and know exactly when and how to get there without anyone suspected. The works are restored according to the year in which they were made and my source said that currently the priorities are modern sculptures, which leaves all older frames at our disposal.
-The restorations are made overnight and it is when security becomes more rigid, but many alarms are turned off because of the transiting overstaffing there. Four in the morning the guards exchange shift, which usually would take about two minutes or two minutes and a half, but they always lead five minutes. This is the time when everyone who work in the restoration will be in a sealed room and can not leave before six in the morning, so the security decreases but the alarms have not been restarted yet. We will have a perfect window to get in and out without being noticed.
-They will notice that the pictures are missing. Even if it takes two hours will never be enough time for us sell them. -Thor take a deep breath.
-And that's why the paintings are not going away. We will exchange them for fakes. My fakes. No one will notice, I can guarantee that.
-No doubt they will deceive all who see them, but what about the authentication test do during the restoration? -Pietro asked.
-Will take at least another four years for they begin a new restoration.
-It's a reasonable plan. -Tony Murmured. -What about the cops who get around the museum?
-I've got some friends who are more than willing to cause some fires in cars throughout the city and get some distractions. Pietro, I and two of you'll go through the roof and try to change the paintings in five minutes. Tony will change the records and take care for we not switch-on no alarm accidentally. And Natasha will be our plan B. If something goes wrong and we need more than five minutes you'll create another distraction.
-How?
-The museum is not exactly worried about someone trying to steal it so close to the dawn. The new batch of guards arriving four in the morning are usually young people in their twenties or "old" up to forty. Exactly the kind that will not resist to the classic damsel in distress. I hate to appeal to this stereotype, but we can use the element of surprise as a Plan C if necessary.
-This part is only used in latter case. If plan B does not work you can dopa them quickly and get into the museum. We stole some small items, things without much value, and left in a car on the roadside, simulating a robbery. They will find and assume that something went wrong and she just disappeared.
-In best. At worst they will investigate the whole museum and discover the paintings exchanged. -Wanda rolled her eyes when he heard Tony's voice again.
-Yeah, that's why I set that plan as extreme. The goal is to be stealthy. Come and go, pass the paintings and take the money. It's just what we going to do.
-It's looks like you have all your bases covered. -Clint noted with a smile.
-I've got planned this since the day we got to New York. -The brunette admitted with a shrug.
-Oh fuck off. -Stark sighed. -We're close to death anyway, what difference will it make if we get caught? I'm in girl, I can get all the materials you need.
His acceptance was followed by the others and one by one they approached her, asking about the smallest details of her plan. Wanda grabbed the hand of Pietro and squeezed hard thanking him for his comforting touch.
They would survive. As they had always done and will continue doing until has no more escape. That night, three years ago, when she been beside the hospital bed of her brother, waiting for him to wake up, Clint told her we did not need to worry. The Maximoff's always survived. No matter the circumstances.