I spin around in circles with the stool I'm sitting on and wonder what I'm even doing here. I'm still mildly confused, taken back, and curious as to why dear old Captain America trusts me enough to keep me around to help hunt down Ultron. Is it just a cover? Or is it sincere? I'm not sure. Ever since Dr. Cho left for her lab back in Seoul, I've felt kinda lost. She was really the only one who was openly kind to me. Don't get me wrong, Captain America is kind but it's not like he's trying to make me feel like I'm not an unknown variable in their superhero equation. At least I wasn't ushered back into a cell for the night. 

Instead, I hung out in the lab with Tony and Dr. Banner, talking about myself vaguely. I gave as little information I could that acceptably answered their prying questions. There were some questions though I did refuse to answer. Now the team was just aware of what they needed to know about me -- that I went by Iris, I was a HYDRA experiment, no I'm not involved with them, yes I was brought up in Russia and thus the accent, and yes I did honestly want to help better the world. Dr. Banner decided to retire for the rest of the morning as the time encroached upon 2 am. I guess since the Avengers are here so often it doesn't surprise me that they'd all have their own rooms. If they don't have their own floors to themselves that is. You never know with Stark.

For the most part, last night in the lab remained uneventful. Tony did, however, get the wifi back up which was a plus. I was able to goof around on my phone after he returned the device to me in exchange for allowing him to run a few tests. However, I think I was only able to get my phone back because I wouldn't stop complaining about all the blood being taken and accusing Tony of being a vampire with secret motives to drain me to feed himself. Banner eventually got tired of trying to explain that they were simply trying to figure me out and were not vampires. That's when they eventually gave up and gave me my phone and the wifi password. Well, he didn't give me the wifi password. He just entered it on my phone after I unlocked it for him.

So distrusting.

"Would you please stop spinning in circles on that stool, Iris!" At the sound of a pissed off Romanoff, I plant one foot firmly on the ground to stop myself from continuing to rotate in circles. I press my lips into a firm line to stop myself from giggling. I didn't realize assassins could get so pissed off by people partaking in simple pleasures. Then again, it is only 8:30 in the morning. But the funniest part is she isn't even facing me. She's doing who knows what on a computer here in the lab. Either way, I still prefer to keep my head where it is -- on my shoulders -- and decide not to push it. That's when Steve comes in holding a tablet in his hands.

I didn't know the old man knew how to work such complicated tech.

He holds it out to Thor, who takes it. "What's this?" Tony leaves my side where he was going over my test results and approaches Steve and Thor. Both of which are standing where Natasha is still working on a computer. Once by Thor, the Asgardian angrily slaps it against Tony's midsection until the scientist grabs hold of it.

"A message. Ultron killed Strucker." Steve declares and Natasha looks up at him before turning to Tony with an eyebrow raised. My interest is peaked as I sit up straight quickly. Banner makes his way over to see the photo on the tablet as well.

"And he did a Banksy at the crime scene just for us." I roll my eyes at Tony's childishness.

"He's dead, like for real now?" I ask hesitantly while standing up from the stool and making my way over to the tablet. I'm curious to see what the robot has done to the man I'd believed had perished in the destruction I caused years ago. Thor and Steve look at me then. "Monsters create monsters." I grow still for a moment, staring at the image. "He was there. He was there the day they made me what I am today. I thought he had died years ago. Guess I was wrong." I inform them with mild relief washing through me. Steve takes a deep breath and lowers his head before giving me an 'are you saying what I think you're saying?' look. "Yes, it's very likely that he's the one that created the enhanced you encountered in Sokovia. He was one of the interns in charge of recording and filing everything. It's possible he had remembered how to perform the experimentations." Before the two of us can discuss the matter further, Natasha redirects the conversation.

"It's a smokescreen. Why send a message when you've just given a speech?" The assassin asks, inferring to a lecture I missed by none other than Ultron himself. I tilt my head while I ponder Natasha's words.

"Maybe Strucker knew something that Ultron wanted us to miss?" I question and look at Natasha, who seems to be contemplating my words. Next thing I know she looks away and is now typing away on the computer.

"Yeah. Everything we had on Strucker has been erased. Good guess, kid." A smile tugs at my lips at the compliment. At least I've done something right.

"Not everything." Everybody's heads snap to Tony and I immediately groan.

  ▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁

A box is dropped in the space next to me as I sift through old files in an attempt to find anything that could lead us to Ultron or his next move. I look up and receive a sympathetic look from Clint before he moves away to continue sorting through another box at the other end of the room. In the background, Tony, Thor, Steve, Natasha, and Bruce are all talking.

"Punched him." I slide a file across the table to Bruce. "Broke his arm." Another file slides across to the doctor without me looking up. "Almost shot him." A horrified look comes from Banner. "Broke his nose..." I'm about to continue on before Tony sharply declares he knows that guy. I look up. Stark takes the file from Bruce and starts explaining how he knows him. Steve isn't the least bit amused as he gives Tony a dirty look. The doctor sitting next to me simply shakes his head before looking directly at me. "Do we want to know why you're associated with these men?" I laugh.

"After my 2 years in college and the DC accident with the subsequent mass file leak, I went on my own revenge mission. I was looking for anyone who knew anything about the people who created me. I was so consumed with rage and a desire for vengeance that I tread into dangerous waters, Dr. Banner. But I've left that all behind. I was always moving two steps backward every time I got one step closer to uncovering things best left in the rubble of a past life." This seems to satisfy Hulk's alter ego. The two of us tune back into the conversation at hand.

"No those are tattoos, this is a brand." Thor is looking at a picture of the guy from the file, pointing to a raised symbol on the man's neck.

"I can tell you what it means," I say and Thor perks up while offering me the photo. I simply shake my head, refusing it. Everybody's attention is on me as I sit back in my chair.

"It means he's a dick."

  ▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁

I continue to sit back in my chair as Bruce works on finding the actual meaning of the brand. After declaring my version of the meaning of it, Clint let out an ungodly snort, Tony cracked an approving smirk, Natasha looked ready to snap my neck, Steve looked half amused and half disappointed, and Thor...well I'm not sure. He looked as stoic as before. That was about thirty minutes ago and Clint still seems to be trying to get a grip after breaking into hysterics. However, every time he gazes at me he looks like he's going to start crying. I assume this is because he's trying so hard not to laugh. He only sobers up when Bruce declares the brand means 'thief' in the Wakandan dialect. Tony looks like he's seen a ghost as Bruce says 'Wakanda.'

"If this guy got out of Wakanda with some of their trade goods..." Stark begins uncertainly.

"I thought your father said he got the last of it..." Steve continues for Tony.

"I don't follow. What comes out of Wakanda?" Bruce asks the question all of us are asking ourselves.

"The strongest metal on earth." Steve answers and casts a somber look at his shield that lies against a nearby desk.

"Why is nothing simple with you lot? I'm beginning to regret my decisions." I huff and lean back in my chair.

  ▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁

The Quinjet rocks to the side, causing me to grip the bar I'm holding just that much tighter. "Scared of flying?" Steve asks me with amusement.

"Scared of dying." I retort and glare at Steve as I slowly start loosening my white-knuckled grip on one of the support bars. Steve simply smiles at me and lets out a quiet snort. I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths. Then I feel something smack against my face and I open my eyes, only to find darkness. "I'm...not unconscious?" I stupidly ask out loud, earning me a few chuckles as I remove a hunter green jacket from my face. I look at Tony who gives me a smirk. "Uh, thanks?" I cautiously let go of the metal beam I'm holding so that I can slip the jacket on. I didn't realize I had chills. I know I don't need a jacket to keep warm since I could simply adjust energy molecules around my body, but that would take up energy that could be used when we get to this salvage yard. Apparently, it's where Ultron is and where we need to be. 

Within a few more short moments, we've landed on the outskirts of a treeline and the lot of us begin to disembark. "Bruce are you positive you don't want me to stay back with you? I'm sure the others don't need me that bad." I ask for the third time.

"I'm sure. I can handle myself. Plus this might be a good experience for you, or you might be able to get through to the Maximoff twins." I nod my head at Bruce as the jet's hanger door begins to lower.

"See you in a few." I say confidently.

"See you in a few." I smile at Bruce as the six of us all head out.

  ▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁

"Stark is...he's a sickness!" We seem to arrive inside the ship just in time to witness Ultron kicking the man whose nose I've broken once before down some stairs. Ulysses' bodyguard rushes after him.

"Ah, Junior." Iron Man begins as he lowers himself on the platform that Ultron and the Maximoffs are on. Thor, Steve, and I stand behind him. "You're gonna break your old man's heart." I watch as the male Maximoff twin, whose name I've found out is Pietro, casually throws a tube of vibranium to the side. He seems unaware of just how expensive that stuff is. The twins turn their attention to the four of us and then directly on me. They seem disgusted I'm siding with the Avengers. Jokes on them though, they're the ones being led astray.

"If I have to." Ultron says almost casually.

"Nobody has to break anything." Thor says, trying to see if there's a way everybody can make it out of this unharmed.

"Clearly you've never made an omelet." Ultron fires back at the Asgardian.

"I don't think he's made any sort of food before." I mumble to myself. Isn't that what his servants on Asgard are for?

"He beat me by one second." Tony half turns his head in Thor's direction.

"Yes. This is funny, Mr. Stark." Pietro begins while walking out from behind Ultron. I grimace. Did he need to call him 'Mr.'? I don't know, it's just weird. "It's what? Comfortable?" He continues on while his sister, Wanda, gives all of us a stank face from where she stands. "Like old times?" The speedster glances down at all the nukes and missiles below us.

Well hopefully none of them will blow while we're in here.

"This was never my life." Stark retorts solemnly as he also stares down at the weapons.

"And what about you?" My head shoots up as Pietro directs his words to me. "Are you a prisoner now? By their hands?" I scowl at the male.

"I made my choice, for the first time in a long time. Or did Strucker not tell you that? That we were prisoners? That I was a prisoner? That what happened was beyond my control? No. This is what I chose." I say fiercely. For once in my life, I'm doing something for me.

"You two can still walk away from this." Cap steps up, ready to back me up.

"Why, so we can join your ranks in an attempt to prove ourselves to you? Like Iris?" My gaze suddenly returns to the Maximoff's. I scowl at him.

"How do you know-"

"-your name?" He smirks cockily, enjoying my discomfort. "As I said before, Strucker told us all about you. I mean, he thought the same about you -- that you were dead after you leveled that facility with everyone still in it." Pietro easily states and my eyes grow wide. Well, there goes that little detail I left out of my discussion with the Avengers.

"I couldn't control my abilities at that point." I hiss angrily. I couldn't help but be furious that he would speak to me like I enjoyed HYDRA's main characteristics -- death and destruction. I was almost completely sure he really knew what really had happened, but insisted on riling me up anyways. "It wasn't-" I begin, trying to defend myself.

"-your fault? How many people died that day, Iris?" The blonde continues to prod as if he's trying to get a certain reaction from me...or from the Avengers. My blood begins to boil and I can feel energy building up around my hands before I take a deep breath and shake my head to clear it.

This is their plan. To mess with my head and make the Avengers turn against me so I'd be forced from their graces and have no choice but to side with Ultron. He's trying to prove that the Avengers are a group of biased criminals dressed up as heroes.

"Don't you dare. You know nothing." I all but spit as I take a few steps towards the speedster, who mimics my actions. Before I'm out of arms reach, Steve grabs my upper bicep. "Let me go, Rogers." I rip my arm from his grasp until the Maximoff twin and I are face to face. We're both seething, but for two different reasons. We're both stubborn, that much is obvious. I just seem to have a bigger temper. Ultron glares at the two of us but his eyes end up settling on me. He appears to be sizing me up, evaluating me. He turns his unnerving red gaze away from me after a moment and chuckles, not ready to address me quite yet. He goes on to speak to the rest of the team while I confront Pietro. "Who do you think you are?" I snarl.

"The one who's gonna save this world from the ones who keep endangering it." Pietro snaps back with the same intensity.

"You don't know who you're really helping. You don't know his true plans. Do you really think that metal robot really cares about you two? I bet my life you're both a means to an end. Mark my words." I seethe, blinded by anger at the twins denseness when it comes to Ultron.

"Just like you were HYRDA's means to an end?" He taunts. That's when I snap. I'm swinging before I'm thinking. But, Pietro still is a speedster and is easily able to catch my fist with a broad smirk. It almost feels like my action is a catalyst for the now ensuing commotion erupting behind me as Ultron begins his attack on the rest of the team. "They'll never see you as one of them, Iris. They're just using you." Pietro warns before releasing my fist as one of Ultron's miniaturized bots grabs me by the shoulders and yanks me towards Steve and Thor. 

I nearly crash into Steve, who's in the process of fighting a robot himself, before getting my balance. I glare right into the illuminated eyes of the robot with its sight set on me. I allow a transparent energy shield to surround myself as the first line of defense against the robot that lunges for me. When the robot tries to force itself through the energy barrier, I begin to absorb whatever source is powering him. However, I quickly notice that the energy signature is different from that during the fight in the Avengers tower. This time it's almost like my body can't handle it. It's like whatever power is coursing through its circuits has evolved since my last encounter with these machines. This time, instead of feeling more empowered, I feel like a burning infectious agent is coursing through my veins. It's like life itself is being choked out of me. I lose the energy needed to keep a shield around myself. I begin to feel like my blood is being replaced with water as I grow cold and exhausted. I have to reach out to the railing beside me in order to stay upright. That's when I realize the veins of my hands and arms are flickering and glowing an odd blue color before shifting to a deadly looking scarlet. 

Whatever this is, it needs to go.

The longer I retain it, the weaker I feel and the more hyper-aware I become of the sounds around me. With a weak groan, I force a quick pulse of energy from my entire body to rid myself of the unpleasant energy. The resulting feeling is that of being hypoglycemic. I have zero energy, there's a throbbing in my temples, and I'm fighting to just keep my eyes open as I await my own energy to replenish. On the other hand, the little blast I release short-circuits the two bots that Cap and Thor are fighting. This leaves Steve able to charge at the female Maximoff, only to encounter a blast of her energy that sends him back to the grated floor. In an attempt to regain my strength more quickly, I focus on taking in energy being given off by the dim lights illuminating the freighter. Then I weakly stumble over to Steve, still a bit unsteady, and offer him a hand up just as gunfire rings out through the entire ship.

I hope Natasha and Clint have this.

"Are you alright? What happened?" Steve asks as he gets to his feet.

"I'll be fine. Just had a bit of what you could call 'energy poisoning.'" I inform him with a weak smile. He gives me a hesitant nod, about to speak before the two bots that I had shut down reboot. Each goes back after their original targets. I'm quick to form small spheres of golden light around my hands to protect myself from the robots just as Steve throws his shield. That's when a blur of blue whips past me and lands a blow square to Steve's face. The punch sends the Iced Americano back to the floor. The speedy Maximoff begins to double back as Thor throws his hammer at him. I inwardly facepalm. If he's faster than any of us how does Thor suppose he's gonna hit him? I mean the kid can just dodge it. 

However, that's not what he does. Instead, the male Maximoff twin thinks it'd be a good idea to try and grab the hammer mid-air. I guess he doesn't know the whole 'whoever shall ever be worthy may possess the power of Thor' thing. My eyes widen in amusement as I watch him break through the guardrail and tumble into some crates on the ground, groaning as he tries to sit up. I begin to wonder whether or not I should attempt to do something with him. I quickly decide not to and instead turn my attention toward two men carrying heavy artillery. I flick my wrist in their direction and watch as the burst of energy catches them off guard, sending them directly into the far wall with enough force to render them unconscious. I'm then forced to bend backward as a man emerges from one of the dark corridors with the butt of his firearm poised and ready to make contact with the side of my face. A surprised 'woah' escapes me as I right myself, only to dart to the left as he repositions his gun and fires at me. As he pulls the trigger again, I erect a golden barrier before the bullets can hit me. I watch with a horrified surprise as the bullets deflect back into him. I stand shock still for a moment before slowly lowering my barrier. It wasn't my intention to kill him...but how was I to know it would ricochet? It's not like I've spent time testing the boundaries of my abilities while being shot at. 

A surprised yelp escapes me as a hand clamps over my mouth while an arm wraps itself around my neck before dragging me into an inky corridor of the ship. I struggle as much as I can in an attempt to break free, but to no avail. Finally, I build up the courage to create a charge in my left hand before reaching backward and releasing it into the face of my assailant. It must've worked, as it knocks whoever had grabbed me into the wall. I turn on my heel and lift my hands, ready to repeat my actions. For a second, I falter as I see the brunette Maximoff clutching her head as she struggles back to her feet. Her eyes illume a poignant scarlet as she assessed me. "How are you resisting me?" She snarls before flicking her wrist in my direction. A faint scarlet trail leaves her fingers but dissipates about an inch from my face. I gape at her. I know she's a telepath. Is that what she means? She can't invade my mind? 

My temporary moment of shock is taken advantage of as she sends another wave of energy my way, only this time my eyes blur out of focus and I'm stumbling backward into the wall. Unbeknownst to me, my eyes shift from a bright gold to crimson, only for them to return to their golden color again. My sight is slower to return. As I look back up, the girl is gone. I shake my head slowly before clutching the side of my face tightly with one hand as a headache begins to pound against my skull.

Okay, rude.

I had forgotten about my earpiece until it suddenly starts making static and then a garbled voice. I'm not sure who it is. Grumbling as I try to gather my sanity, I begin to make my way back towards the ongoing fight. Before I reach the action, I'm faced with an absolutely pissed off looking blue-eyed Maximoff. Before I can do anything I might regret, there's a 'woosh' and I'm suddenly in the middle of a shipyard, disorientated, alone, and probably plagued with whiplash. I struggle to keep my stomach contents down as I sway from side to side for a moment.

Wow, does the rude personality trait run in the family or something?

Letting out a short huff, I look around while turning in a full circle before deciding to walk toward the trees gloomily. I have a better chance of finding the Quinjet and Bruce than I do of finding the rest of the Avengers, let alone getting back to them before the fight ends. I sigh and then begin jogging, careful of any wet areas or puddles as I do so. It's not until about 3 minutes of jogging that I see a blur and frown.

Maximoff.

I pick up my pace and start sprinting. If what I think is happening is happening, Bruce is a sitting duck and I need to get to him before they do. Unfortunately for me, they both see me sprinting toward them. It's not like there's much cover in the middle of a mud bed.

Should have brought me somewhere else if you wanted to get me out of the way, buddy.

I begin closing in on the tree line, and therefore where Bruce is sticking his head out of the back of the jet. I don't get far before I'm knocked onto my back in the mud with a muscular Pietro holding me down forcefully. "Bruce run!" I shout before the male Sokovian has his hand pressed over my mouth in an attempt to silence me. I reach up and use a low-level blast to get him off me and then stumble to my feet, tripping in the mud as I do so. I start running toward Bruce before I'm tackled back into the mud with arms wrapped around my waist.

This is not how football works, Pietro.

"Do you ever run away!?" I shout and try to pry myself out of his arms.

"Do you ever stay down?!" Okay despite my position, an angry Sokovian accent is really pleasing to the ears.

"Do you sleep at night knowing who you're helping!? He doesn't want to save the world! Humans are too problematic to save!" The arms that are wrapped around my waist suddenly disappear and I shoot to my feet just as Bruce begins shifting into a rampaging Hulk headed for the city. I turn and look at the Sokovian male. "Whatever he does, and whoever dies, is on both of you." I snarl at him. He looks at me with wide eyes, only just now understanding all the lives the two of them just condemned to death. I look to where the green rage monster disappears and then back to Pietro. "Why are you helping Ultron? He's just going to destroy the world as we know it. The Avengers are trying to save it, Pietro. Yeah, they make mistakes but they're human you know, just like us." I can at least try to beat some sense into this kid's thick skull seeing as there's not much I can do to help the Hulk as he'd just rip me to shreds.

"How do you know-"

"-your name?" I smirk at him as the corner of his mouth twitches upwards in a grin. "You're not the only one who's done their reading." My smirk then turns into a frown. "You should really consider what it is Ultron truly is trying to achieve..." Before I'm able to get any response from Pietro, his eyes widen and he looks as though he's gonna say something before there's a sharp pain in the back of my head. I'm quickly on my hands and knees in the mud, eyes swimming as I groan in pain. Then there's the infamous 'whoosh' and I know the twins are gone.