Charter 18 

"Pietro? You here?" Veronica asked as she entered the roof.

"Veronica," Pietro greeted, his face lighting up in a joyful smile as he noticed her doing the same.

"Are you ready to train?" He asked quickly, making Veronica nod excitedly.

"Weird question, but do you mind if I sit down? I just always get so dizzy," she quickly excused.

"Of course," Pietro mumbled as he watched her place herself on the rooftop. He thought for a second before sitting down in front of her. She took a deep breath before closing her eyes in concentration.

"Okay, so just, go in, stay, and come back to this time, okay?" Pietro guided.

"I'm scared," Veronica admitted bluntly; "What if I can't find the right time to get back in? What if the door closes?" She opened her eyes.

"Well." Pietro thought for a second; "What if you have something keeping your feet on the ground? A door can't close if there's something blocking it."

"Like what?" Pietro thought for another second.

"Close your eyes," he stated.

"Pietro-""Trust me," he interrupted. Veronica bit her lip before doing as he told.

"Do your thing. Get ready to go in," he ordered; "What's it like in there?"

"Like a storm," Veronica stated; "Everything's moving fast and spinning and then you make it to the eye of the storm, and then you have to make sure you hit the right time when you go back out."

"That sounds.. Scary, yes," Pietro admitted; "But nothing you can't handle, Vee."

"Here," he mumbled, carefully grabbing her hand; "Just hold onto me, okay? I'll pull you out whenever you want. You'll be safe. I promise."

"You can't promise that," Veronica stated, concentrating on the storm, as she referred to it, she was about to enter.

"Yes. I can. Because if anything happened to you.." His voice went silent; "I won't let that happen. I promise, draga mea."

"Damn, you better be right," Veronica muttered under her breath as she entered the storm.

Endless scenarios surrounded her, spinning. She tried focusing on one at a time, like when you do a pirouette to avoid getting dizzy, but to no use.

"I'm coming back out," she said loudly in order to be heard over the non-existing storm, however, to Pietro, she spoke calmly.

"You can do this, draga mea," Pietro urged; "I'm right here." He squeezed her hand to remind her of his presence.

"Nu voi lăsa să se întâmple nimic cu tine, draga mea," he promised quietly.

I won't let anything happen to you, my dear.

"I can't do this, Pietro! Everything's too... Fast!" she exclaimed, her head spinning with the countless things that had happened on the roof.

An employe proposing, a rooftop party, Bruce smoking - was that weed?! - Pietro, Pietro, Pietro and herself.

"Then slow it down! This is your power, draga mea, it's your choice. Just, focus on one thing," Pietro suggested; "Make it slow down."

Veronica took a deep breath and focused on the one that seemed to stand out the most.

"We're looking at the sky. At the stars," she mentioned, careful not to follow her instincts and jump into the time.

"You and I?" Pietro asked, a smile tickling his lips.

"You're the only person I've ever looked at stars with," Veronica stated, not able to see Pietro's lip burst and turn into a toothpaste smile.

"The stars reminds me of you," Veronica stated, a lot more calm. The thousands, if not millions, of images spinning slowed down, giving her a chance at looking at the different ones.

"Did you know Bruce smokes?" she asked as she watched the clip.

"Doctor Banner?" Pietro asked; "I did not."

"Ew, ew ew! Ew!" Veronica stated.

"What, Veronica?"

"It's my dad and some girl! Ew! I'm coming out," she decided, and Pietro felt her hand move slightly in his.

"Shit, I'm not sure I can find it," she stated, sounding equally monotone as she had the whole time.

"Fuck," she continued.

"Use me as an anchor, Veronica. Can you feel my hand?" Pietro asked, trying to sound calm.

"Yeah," Veronica admitted, holding his hand tightly. She closed her eyes, and instead of finding her own way, she merely held onto Pietro's hand and followed him.

She opened her eyes as she bolted out of the time, quickly caught by Pietro's arms.

"Oh wow!" she stated joyfully; "We did it!" Pietro's lips emerged in yet another smile.

"I'm so proud of you!" he mentioned, still holding her. His eyes flickered to her pink lips, and he couldn't help but think it looked like she was leaning in.

A text sounded.

Veronica quickly sat up, picking her phone out of her pocket before rolling her eyes.

"It's my dad, he wants me to come taste food for the party ASAP," she explained.

Another text sounded.

"Damn, he's really impatient," she mentioned, putting her phone back in her pocket.

"Hey, could you give me a ride?" she asked, making her best puppy eyes.

Pietro rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but smile.

"Yay!" Veronica stated before she jumped, forcing Pietro to catch her. She quickly latched her legs around him and prepared for the speed as Pietro started running.

She opened her eyes.

"Hey, can't you use your superspeed?" she asked awkwardly, looking around them.

"I am," he stated out of breath before stopping; "Wait, aren't I?"

Veronica quickly jumped down from her spot on him and looked around.

"I have an idea," she muttered and pulled her phone out of her pocket. She quickly went onto the clock pre-installed app and held it up for Pietro to see.

"Time is going weirdly slow," she stated, observing the needle indicating seconds.

"No, draga mea," Pietro mentioned; "That is the same speed it always goes.

"Then, that means..."

"Things are going slower, but only to you," he ended the sentence.

"This is not good," Veronica stated.

"Probably not," Pietro admittedly agreed.

"I ruined time!" I stated sadly as I entered.

"What... Do... You.. Mean?" Bruce asked slowly as he got up from his seat in the same speed as a turtle on land would. I looked at Pietro.

"Is this a fucking prank, how is he moving so slowly?" I asked frustratedly.

"I am sorry, draga mea, but this is how he usually moves. You are the one going fast," Pietro stated.

"Wait... Veronica... Has..." Bruce held an even longer break; "...Super... Speed?"

"No, I don't, but I was training my power and I came back and now everything and everyone else is moving extremely slow. If it wasn't for Pietro having super speed, I would literally be insane already, and you're the first person I'm talking to," I explained.

"I... Have... No... Idea... What... You... Just.... Said..." Bruce replied. Pietro looked at me with a smug smile; "You have to speak slower, my dear, he can't keep up. Literally."

I rolled my eyes and instead sat down in Bruce's previously occupied desk chair in his laberotory.

"Can you just translate? You're used to everyone being turtles," I complained.

"Sure, just give me a second. Well, a minute, for you," he added jokingly before turning to Bruce; "She... Was... Training..."

"So Veronica is basically moving really fast?" Natasha asked again.

"Yes. Although for her, it looks like everything is moving really slow," Pietro explained with a shrug.

"And how did this happen?" Tony repeated.

"She was training and... I don't know, it just happened!" Pietro mentioned.

"Gosh, they're speaking so slowly!" Veronica complained, only able to be heard by Pietro, who turned to her.

"Be patient, because usually, that's you. Also be patient because... You know, it's all going really slow," he replied with a sassy smile in her speed.

"Did you do anything you haven't tried before?" Steve asked, standing with his arms crossed. Pietro looked at Veronica.

"Wait..."

"You asked me to slow down things..."

"What if you literally slowed things down?"

"So I controlled time?" Veronica asked.

Pietro spread his arms; "Could be. We assumed it was just how you saw time in there, maybe it's about how you see time everywhere."

"So time isn't different, I am?" she realized.

"Okay, what are the Speedsters talking about?" Tony asked Bruce who merely shrugged.

"Give me a sec to explain out theory," Pietro decided quickly before turning to the group and slowing down; "We think we have a cause and solution, but we need to figure out whether time is going slow, or Veronica is going fast."

"I was in the eye of the storm, so either I remained unaffected, or I was all that was affected," Veronica explained, doing her best doing it slowly.

"I could run some tests," Bruce suggested calmly.

"I think we know how to undo it afterwards," Pietro mentioned.

"Aaaaand then the saturdays planned, isn't it?" Tony sighed.

"So, time isn't going slower," Bruce started; "You are though." I thought for a second.

"I'm going faster?" I asked. I'd slowly gotten used to the speed everything happened at and talking slower as well.

"Yeah. So far we knew your power had to do with time, but not the extent of it. It seems you can change your own time and view on it," he explained calmly, leaning back. I sat on the table, devices monitoring every part of my body.

"So I haven't changed my own speed, but in what speed I see everything else? But nothing is different?" I asked again.

"Yes. You're going fast, but only because your perception of time has changed," Pietro explained quietly.

"Well... Is that safe?" I asked, once again looking at Bruce.

"I can't know for sure," he admitted.

"Maybe you should just... Stop," my dad suggested.

"I don't know how," I admitted, making my dad sigh deeply.

"Yes she does," Pietro corrected me slowly.

"No, I don't," I argued.

"Yes, draga mea, you do," he promised me quickly; "We're just gonna do the same as last time, only opposite."

"What if I get lost?" I asked, picking at my fingernails.

"You won't. I'll hold you back, I won't let go for a second," he promised me, taking a step closer. I took a deep breath before nodding.

"I guess we're doing it, then."

"I still don't get why you need to hold hands," Tony argued, observing Pietro gently stroking his daughter's hand with his thumb.

"This way I'm sure I can find my way back," Veronica repeated, making no move showing she was gonna let go of Pietro's hand. She was still placed on the table, this time with Pietro sitting in an office chair next to her holding her hand.

"Can't you hold someone else's hand?" Steve suggested.

"Can you guys relax? We're just holding hands," Veronica explained.

"I'm just sayi-""Oh my god, dad, shut up!"

"Are you ready?" Pietro asked quietly. Veronica sighed before shaking the presence of all her 'parents' off her before nodding and closing her eyes.

"Do you see it?" Pietro asked. Veronica nodded.

"Yeah, I'm going in," she mumbled, tightening her grip around Pietro's hand.

"It's still going really slow," she mentioned.

"That's okay. It's just like you left it," Pietro pointed out; "It's your power, you're in control. Remember that."

"I'm in control," Veronica repeated.

"You're in control. Try slowing it down," Pietro adviced.

"Okay, it's in normal speed, I think," she mentioned.

"You think?" Bruce asked. He looked concentratedly at Veronica, who didn't reply.

"Veronica?" Pietro asked gently.

"Yeah?"

"Bruce asked 'you think?'," he repeated.

"Oh, I didn't hear," she admitted; "I think so, yeah. I mean, I can't be sure. It's pretty much on eyesight."

"That's... Not good. We don't know if it's safe when time's different," Tony pointed out.

"That's okay, Vee," Pietro decided, ignoring the concerned father; "Just do your best, and come back out."

About two minutes passed before Veronica opened her eyes again.

"How do you feel?" Bruce asked curiously.

"Okay, I think," Veronica decided with a shrug.

A few tests later, and Bruce could state that she was mostly back to normal speed, however a little faster than usual.

"I can go back in there, I can do better," Veronica decided, already closing her eyes.

"No. You need rest," Pietro decided.

"We don't know if it's safe to stay like this," Tony commented.

"It's fine, she's fine, she just needs rest," Pietro said sternly before turning to Veronica; "Bed. Now."

"I'm not sure I like you bossing me around," she commented.

"And I don't like when you're tired, because you get really mean when you're tired," Pietro joked; "Now go."

"Fine. Small nap. Then back to this," Veronica decided before leaving.

"Why did you ask her to go? This could be dangerous!" Tony complained, gesturing towards the door his daughter had left through.

"So could pressuring her be! Training tired her out, what if she get's too exhausted and gets stuck in there?" Pietro hissed.

"She just had to go in and fix what she messed up, then she could come out and rest," The older Stark argued.

"She didn't mess up, she was training, and she did her best! So don't you dare make her feel bad! If anyone messed up, it's you. You worried her, everybody knows she doesn't do well under pressure!" Pietro monologued, his voice rising for every word.

"That's not true," Tony stated, crossing his arms above his chest.

"Kid's got a point," Natasha mentioned with a shrug, saying something for the first time.

"She isn't great at handling things when she's stressed," Steve agreed quietly.

"And she was feeling stressed enough with all of us here," Pietro added. Tony sighed.

"So, once she's rested, one of us will handle it," Tony decided.

"That's gonna be me," Pietro replied quickly.

"What? Why would it be you?" Stark Senior asked unimpressed.

"First of all because this isn't something for us to handle, this is something Veronica will handle, she just needs our support and most importantly, trust!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Steve asked, taking a step forwards.

"None of you have any actual faith in her! You won't even let her train!" Pietro argued loudly.

"You're not going up there," Tony stated; "And I'm going to be keeping an eye on you. I don't like the influence you have on my daughter."

"Actually I am, because of three reasons. Firstly because none of you has any idea how to help her, secondly because all I've done is help her grow and become independent, you just don't like it because you feel bad for all the time you've missed and want her to be your little girl, only you're 10 years too late," Pietro explained before challenging; "Oh, and third? Because you have no chance of stopping me going to see her."