"Why is it that your pretty face is always buried in a book, (Y/N)?"

When you didn't reply, Pietro sat in the chair next to you with a huff, the sound echoing in the small library that your father had built for you. You had read nearly every book there, and tried to add at least one or two more to the collection as often as you could. Reading was a great escape from the crazy Avengers world, so when you held a book in your hands, you were shut out to almost everything around you.

"(Y/N)? Are you in there?"

"Hmm?" you hummed absentmindedly, finally looking up at him. "Oh, sorry. I was just lost in thought." Gently folding down the corner of the page, you shut the book and set it aside, turning to face him for your full attention. "What's up?"

"I have a plan," he smirked. A smirk that you had a hard time saying no to, and he knew it.

"That doesn't usually end well."

He leaned back in the chair with a small grin, briefly thinking back to a few exploits that ended in a rage-filled Tony or a worried Natasha, followed by the inevitable lecture about safety and other dull topics that he generally shut out. Pietro glanced over at you but his gaze quickly returned to his hands, folded in his lap.

"We should go out tonight. You stay inside too much, (Y/N), always reading or in your room. You should go out and see the world, since you live a life where you actually could at any time."

You groaned at his words, having had this conversation several times before. You liked your solitude, and being around people, particularly new people, wasn't in your comfort zone. "Just because my dad is Tony Stark, the flamboyant extrovert and self-assured Iron Man, it doesn't mean that I'm the same." Grabbing your book again, you pulled your knees up and rested it against them, ready to dive into the story again so he would drop his plans for you.

Pietro stood as you watched from your peripheral vision, taking a few steps to stand in front of you, unmoving now. He wanted your attention; when you didn't offer it willingly, he put his hand down over the words in front of you until you finally looked up.

"I will be at your door at midnight."

~~~

"He's gonna kill me, he's gonna kill me, crap, I'm so dead," you whispered to yourself, waiting for Pietro to arrive. "Dad is totally going to kill me."

You closed your eyes at the soft knock on your door and paused to consider what you were doing. With a shaky sigh, you opened the door and relaxed at the wide smile that greeted you, quickly forgetting all about the all-too-real threat of Tony's wrath if he found out what you were doing.

"Are you ready?"

"Depends. What are we going to-"

With the swing of his arm under your legs and another at your back, you were gone in a flash, finding yourself suddenly standing just outside of the tower. He set you down gently and kept hold of your hands, watching and waiting to be certain that you were handling the fast move. "I'm sorry, I should have warned you."

"I'm fine, Piet, no worries," you mumbled, looking up at the tower and wondering if you should change your mind before things went too far. "I don't know about this. If he finds out that I snuck out in the middle of the night, and with you? You know he'll lose it, and take it out on you more than me."

Pietro shook his head and grabbed your hand to pull you along down the city sidewalk, "you worry far too much, (Y/N). I promise to have you home well before your father wakes, and he'll never know. It's good to take risks sometimes. Live a little."

"You see that? What your speed has done to you? You don't think you'll ever be caught at anything." You looked up at the buildings as you passed by, having seen them for years but now finding them looking completely different against the night sky, and in his company. "But those of us without any superhero abilities still have to follow the rules the old fashioned way."

"How does it happen that you are so different from Tony? You are so much more quiet, but so much more intriguing. I've had conversations with you that easily rival anything that your father has ever tried to teach me." Pietro extended his arm and guided your hand through it, pulling you close to him as you continued to walk, "They are also far more enjoyable, being with you."

Your shyness was quickly becoming a problem, feeling the heat and flush of embarrassment in your cheeks, brought on by his attention on you. In the months that you had known him, Pietro had become a very close friend, but you had never considered that he saw you in any other way. Now you wanted to know if he was, but there was no way that you felt confident enough to ask him.

"You're very quiet."

"Sorry, I was just thinking." You shook away the questions in your head and turned your focus back to the city around you. "So, what are your grand plans for the night, can I ask?"

"To see the city like you never have. With me."

~~~

After a friend of Pietro's helped you sneak to the top of the Empire State Building, a run across the Brooklyn Bridge, late-night Chinese food followed by even-later Italian, and making it into Insomnia Cookies right before they closed, there was one more place that he wanted to visit.

"Wait, Pietro. We shouldn't go into the park so late at night. I don't care if you're an Avenger or not, or how fast you can run. It's just not a good idea."

"Моя красота, again with the worrying," he sighed with an air of frustration, "please, trust me." He again grabbed your hand and pulled you along into the darkness of Central Park but stayed on the outer perimeter so that you wouldn't feel so nervous. "I really want to show you something, but we have to go further in. Is that alright?"

So far the walk had been uneventful, and you saw only a few people pass by. You paused and looked into the park, seeing enough light to feel like it would maybe be okay. Your dad's voice played in your mind, but you pushed it away, knowing that it was just your fear getting the best of you.

"Okay, but then we go home."

"Deal," he smiled, now jogging towards the center of the park with you in tow, still gripping your hand tightly. "I know your dad is Iron Man and all, but I can protect you just as well, (Y/N)."

"Are you sure about that?"

Pietro stopped in his tracks at the unfamiliar voice, turning to look back to see where it had come from. A pair of hands grabbed you from behind and pulled you from his grasp, another gripping him tightly so that he couldn't reach you.

"We've been following you all night, waiting for the perfect opportunity to get our hands around this prize right here," the man growled, his fingers digging into your skin. "The only daughter of Tony Stark carries a high price on her head, did you know that?" He looked at Pietro and then to you, "you did, didn't you? That's why you never leave the tower alone, and rarely without an Avenger at that."

"You're making a big mistake," Pietro barked, still trying to pull away to get to you. "If you take her, we'll find you, and you won't survive. You know that, don't you?"

"I knew, yes," you whimpered, the pain of his grip becoming almost unbearable, "I'm always a target." Your gaze met with Pietro, trying to stay calm as you watched him try to fight, "it's not your fault, okay?" The man put a tight gag over your mouth and ties around your wrists, pulling you away as Pietro tried to fight harder.

"(Y/N)! Let her go!"

Those were the last words you would hear from your friend, seeing him take a hit that knocked him out cold and left him lying alone in the center of the park with no one knowing that either of you had been there.

~~~

When he woke as the sun rose, Pietro felt a throbbing pain in his head and a weakness in his muscles that he hadn't felt in years. He raised his hand to his head and felt dried blood in his messy hair and a sting in his skin where it had split from the impact that knocked him out.

"Sir, are you alright?"

Pietro pushed up from the ground slowly and looked at the park guard, still slightly disoriented and his vision blurry. "Where...what time is it?"

"It's six in the morning, son." The guard took a closer look at Pietro and his eyes grew wide at the recognition of who he was talking to. "You're one of them, aren't you? One of the Avengers?"

With the name came his awareness, jolting Pietro into action. "(Y/N)! Where is (Y/N)? Did you see her?" he asked urgently, grabbing the man by his shoulders with a small shake and frantically looking around for any sign of where you might be or might have been taken. "I have to go. I have to tell Tony." With a flash of silver, he was gone, leaving the guard to stare in awe of what he had seen.

Pietro was at the tower and standing at Tony's door within seconds, pounding his fist until it ached, but no one answered. "FRIDAY, tell me...where to find...Mr. Stark!" he panted.

"Mr. Stark is in the lab."

Cursing himself for not thinking to go there first, he ran down the stairs and into the lab to stand in front of Tony, gasping as he tried to catch his breath. "(Y/N)...the park...they took her."

Tony immediately dropped his work at the realization of what he was being told and turned frantically, pushing Pietro back against the nearby wall, "who took her?" he said in almost a yell, "Maximoff, tell me what happened! Who took her?"

"HYDRA, Mr. Stark. I tried to stop them...there were too many...I have to find her." He thumped his head against the wall in frustration, mumbling to himself as the images of a few hours before replayed in his mind. "I told her to trust me. I am an idiot."

"I have no doubt of that," Tony growled, "but I'll deal with you later."

Part 2 

Pietro had been running for hours, for days, for months; it didn't matter. He would run until he found you, no matter how long it took. He didn't care what Tony screamed at him every day when his search turned up with nothing, or how tired his body had become, he would continue until he saw your face again and until your fingers were intertwined with his again as they were the last time he was with you.

"Pietro, you're looking thin. When was the last time you stopped to eat? Do you even sleep anymore?" Wanda asked worriedly, sitting across from him in the conference room as they waited for the rest of the team to arrive.

His frenetic energy coursed through him, anxious to get the meeting done and to get back to his search. Pietro knew he could cover so much more ground on his own than with the team, and he wanted nothing to do with the Captain and Tony's plans. "I'll worry about that later. I can't think about that right now." He began to wring his hands and nervously tap his foot on the floor, "can we get this done, already? Where is everyone?"

"Calm down, they're right there."

Pietro straightened and watched as each of his teammates took their seats around the table, his eyes fixed on Tony, waiting for the familiar glare to be returned his way, but it never came. Tony looked exhausted, more than usual, and now he wondered if your dad was starting to give up, though he would never really believe it could happen.

"Good morning, everyone," Steve announced, gathering the group's attention. "About an hour ago we were called in to do a rescue," he paused, loading the mission details on everyone's tablets, "details are in front of you, and we fly in an hour."

"I can't be a part of this," Pietro interrupted, "I have too much ground to cover today."

Steve sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, "I'm sorry, Maximoff, but these are our orders."

"Well, I'm not interested in orders, Captain."

"We all know how hard you're working to find (Y/N), but that can't distract you from the job we have to do." Steve's gaze shifted from Pietro to Tony with a cautious look, "we all want to find her. But it's been three months and we need to remember that we have these commitments."

"Actually, Cap, I think I agree with him," Tony said quietly but with an air of authority, "I'm not exactly interested in this either." He tossed the tablet to the table with a resounding thump, "if my head isn't in the game, then I should sit out."

Pietro's eyes brightened and his head turned to look at Tony, "perhaps...we could work together? I have a strong lead for today."

Stark shifted in his seat slightly, appearing uncomfortable, but when he thought about it he realized that it would be better to work together, since neither of you had made any headway alone. "Sure, Speedy, I'm in."

"Hold on, I don't think I remember saying that you two were exempt," Steve huffed. "Did anyone hear me say that?" He looked around the table at each of your teammates, challenging them to speak up against him. "Anyone?"

Natasha cleared her throat and raised her hand slightly, putting on her most convincing expression, "actually, Steve, I think I might have heard you." She knew that if the opportunity for the two men to work together had happened, then it would be in your best interests to allow them to do it. Being two Avengers rather than one would be a benefit in itself, but having your father and the man who loved you working together was rare to say the least. Suddenly, other voices began to join hers.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, Nat, I think I heard him too."

"Definitely heard something."

"Cap, that's really generous of you.

Steve couldn't believe what he was hearing as each member of his own team gathered with the next to gang up against him. "Insubordinates," he mumbled, slamming his belongings together in a huff. "Fine. Just fine. I guess I'll just go and re-write the entire plan. Being the Captain apparently means nothing around here..." he trailed off as he stormed through the door.

A small chuckle worked its way around the room as the team stood to prepare for the mission, each of them pausing to give small words of support to both Pietro and Tony. Once they had all gone, the two men looked at each other and held their gaze for a moment, neither of them speaking up first, until their words spilled out together.

"Mr. Stark-"

"Ok, listen-"

They each paused again, waiting for the other to speak. "Mr. Stark," Pietro began and waited, making sure he was clear to talk, "I think I have a firm lead that I haven't explored yet. But it's far from here, and I can run, but if you're joining me..."

"Don't worry, kid. I can meet you there with a jet."

"You're seriously going to make me run?"

A weak smile crossed Tony's lips, but his eyes showed no humor, "hey, you're the one who lost her. I don't feel like I owe you anything."

Pietro's shoulders slumped in defeat and acceptance of the words that reflected what he was already feeling, and had felt since the moment you were taken; it was all his fault, and it was up to him to make it right. "Yes, I understand, Mr. Stark. I agree."

"Damn, kid, I was joking," he finally broke, "I might be pissed at you, but that's just cold." Tony stood and made his way to the door, pausing to turn back before exiting, "suit up and meet me in the hangar. Ten minutes."

~~~

It was taking longer than you expected for your heart rate to slow, your breaths finally becoming regular and unrestricted. You looked down at the weapon you held in your hand, covered in blood from a source that you couldn't remember. A quiet, choking cough began to build from behind you; turning slowly, your eyes fixed on a man who wasn't fortunate enough to die during your first strike. Flipping your katana over in your hand, you took a deep breath and made your way to him, pangs of regret growing stronger with each step closer that you came.

~~~

"It sure seems awfully quiet, don't you think?" Tony asked, peering out the jet window as he began the descent to land. "I don't know, Speedy, I'm not getting much for life signs down there," he paused, tapping the screen as if it were malfunctioning, "maybe a couple, but nothing definitive."

"Maybe my lead was wrong?"

"We can still check it out...oh, wait...hold on!" Tony yelled when he spotted a small missile heading for the jet, not sure if he had time to evade it. "I think someone must be home!"

The jet rocked back and forth, but he was able to quickly steady it, though apprehensive about his approach now. Tony glanced at Pietro a few times, his eyes nervous but his expression holding steady; his fingers began to whiten from the tight grip he held on the controls. "Hold on, kid. This is gonna be a little bumpy."

Pietro hopped into a seat and strapped himself in, only seconds before he felt the jet sliding across the ground, grinding and scraping the earth until finally coming to a stop against a grove of trees. Once he felt secure he frantically released himself and opened the jet door while Tony put on his suit. Before Stark could utter even one word, Pietro was in the wind.

"So much for working together," he mumbled to himself and took flight behind him.

~~~

"(Y/N), stop. You don't know what you're doing. Clear your mind."

You stood over the HYDRA agent, watching him beg for his life without a care. He was one of the men who had trapped you here and experimented on you, making you into a killing machine meant to lead them to the destruction of the Avengers. They had definitely succeeded in making you into a weapon, but it was now a force being used against them.

"No, we aren't going to do that," you said flatly, "so you may as well save that air for your final breath." You moved to stand over him with a foot on each side of his waist, pressing his wrists to the ground as he looked up at you, his eyes filled with fear and his body trembling so harshly that you could feel it in your own. You raised your blade up over your head and prepared to fatally plunge it into him. "Close your eyes," you commanded, "don't look at me."

"(Y/N)? (Y/N), what are you doing?"

You turned your head towards the new voice, knowing immediately who it was. "Pietro," you acknowledged with a small nod, returning your gaze to the man on the floor beneath you, "if you could excuse me for a moment."

The feeling of metal sliding through muscle and tissue is something you would never become accustomed to, and would never enjoy, but it was necessary. This man didn't make as much noise as the others, but he was also higher in rank and was expected to face his death silently. You felt a strange respect for him in his last moments of commitment to HYDRA. With a deep breath, you bent down to wipe your blade, using the man's own uniform to clean his blood away.

"Did you bring dad?"

Pietro couldn't do anything but stare at you in disbelief, watching a person who was nothing like the one he had lost months ago. The change from the quiet, shy and adorable you into the assassin in front of him was too much to comprehend. "Um...yes, he's here...but (Y/N)...?" he trailed off and waved his hand around the room that held at least a dozen dead bodies, "I don't understand."

"It was time for me to go, so I had to make my move when the opportunity arose." You stood and secured your katana to the sling on your back and took a few steps towards him. "Whatever they were doing to keep me in their control wasn't working anymore. All of my memories were released; the only thing I could think of was getting home, no matter what I had to do."

"You're so different," he whispered, reaching up to touch your hair, "you even look different to me."

"Well, HYDRA boot camp can do that to a person."

Your head snapped towards the door at the sound of Tony's suit landing just outside. Running past Pietro, you were outside and in front of him as he stepped out of the suit. His mouth was agape and his eyes wide with a hazy glistening at the sight of you, but he paled as if he were seeing a ghost. "I'm sorry I'm late," he gasped.

"I should say so."

"We've been together ten seconds and you're already giving me a hard time?"

You smiled and leapt forward, throwing your arms around him and into a tight hug. "What took you so long?" you sighed into his shoulder as he held you, "I was starting to think that you gave up."

"Are you kidding me?" he whispered, "that would never happen, sweetheart." He pulled back from the embrace to look at you, giving your arms a small squeeze when he realized how different they felt from the last time they were wrapped around him. "Been working out?"

"That's hilarious."

A sound of dried leaves crunching beneath the guard's shoes closing in behind your father caught your attention; you immediately pulled your weapon from your back and pushed Tony out of the way. "Be right back," you huffed and began your assault, struggling only slightly with the assailant's efforts. You recognized him as one of the men who trained you in your new fighting style, and even though he could anticipate your moves, you could do the same.

Pietro joined Tony, the two men standing by and watching as you held you own with no need for them to assist. Their mouths hung open and neither had the capacity to say anything, completely shocked at the new you. They glanced at each other a few times in wordless conversation and a little hint of fear. When you finally finished the man and again cleaned your blade on his clothing, you rejoined the pair, only slightly fatigued but in remarkably good spirits considering what you had just done.

"So, fellas," you said with a smirk, "I'd like to talk to you about the Avengers Initiative."