[OPEN RP POST]

[suddenlydinosaurs]

[Her motives were practical from the start. She and Pietro would join S.H.I.E.L.D. in exchange for safety and potentially the release of political prisoners. Other mutants. In exchange they would work for Director Fury in whatever capacity they were assigned.

They weren't to be trusted right away, however. Both she and Pietro were former terrorists. They had worked under their father, the head of the Brotherhood of Mutants and while perhaps the blood wasn't directly on her hands as it was on Pietro's, they were both culpable for their actions. Wanda understood Fury's attempt to keep them out of sight for the time being. They had much to make up for before he'd risk associating their names with the Avengers.

But they had eventually proven themselves, just as the others had before that, in their unfailing support of the team. She, with her hexes, and Pietro, with his speed, had turned the tides of battle time and again and proven themselves to be heroes, equals of the Avengers and deserving of public recognition as part of the team.

Wanda had always had her pride, as a mutant, as someone who was supposed to be better than mere humans, but it had been a cold thing compared to what she felt as an active member of the Avengers. They were a different kind of people from those she and her brother had worked with before. There was true teamwork there, intent to work toward a greater good rather than personal gain or glory. They put themselves on the line, their lives on the line for it, and Wanda couldn't help but secretly be moved by their dedication to good.]


[OOC: Feel free to pick up a thread anywhere, in headquarters, Avengers tower, pre or post movie, whatever you like. o7]

Comments

[smashingly]

[ Bruce had been one of the ones who was more forgiving of taking in the two.

Perhaps because he wasn't always in the tower, since he still wasn't sure of SHIELD himself and spent time away. Being in large groups still made him nervous about the Hulk.

But as Hulk he'd never hurt the pair, which meant that he extended a more forgiving and friendly disposition to them. The Hulk and he, though he tried to pretend, were sort of the same person.

He's sitting in the SHIELD kitchen reading an updated book on cellular activities when she wanders by. He looks up and gives her a short smile. ] Wanda.

[suddenlydinosaurs]

[Wanda wasn't entirely sure what to make of Banner at the start. She was certainly aware of the Hulk's existence and the danger he posed, but there was little in the media about the man behind the monster.

His quiet acceptance of she and her brother had been a surprise, especially in light of her past, but then she supposed that perhaps he understood. All of them, with a few exceptions, seemed to have a past that they were striving to make up for. Things they had done. Wanda saw more cause to not judge Bruce for what the Hulk did than others might have to judge she and Pietro.

As she wandered into the kitchen to make herself something to eat, she noted Bruce there and gave him a small smile in return.]

Bruce. [Her eyes scanned the book in front of him and immediately dismissed it as something beyond her.] Doing some light reading?

[smashingly]

[ Bruce looks at the book and then laughs, raising it. ] You could say. Catching up with the world while I'm around, more like it.

[ Wherever Bruce absconds to when he's not at the Tower and not using the lab, he uses what he's learned to help others. ]

Getting something to eat?

[ His question is more to make conversation, a curiosity - ever the scientist. Wanda doesn't usually upset him, either. ]

[suddenlydinosaurs]

[Wanda shakes her head slightly, the half smile still on her face. She couldn't begin to understand what was in that book if she tried. At his question however, Wanda nods and turns away from him somewhat to open the fridge to see what's inside.

One thing could be said for S.H.I.E.L.D., they kept their agents well fed. This could have been Tony's doing as well, but regardless, there was food aplenty to pick from.]

I thought I might get something to eat before I head out in a little while.

[She grabs a bowl of green grapes eventually and brings it over to the table where she takes a seat across from him. The bowl is well within his reach if he decides to partake as well. It's a silently given invitation if he'd like to share.]

Will you be here long this time or only just enough to catch up?

[smashingly]

[ He nods, something amused internally at the choice of green grapes. If it was Stark it'd be deliberate; if it were anyone else they might apologize. But Wanda makes her choices and doesn't apologize for them and that, more than anything, makes him more comfortable around her. ]

It's a nice day outside, or so they tell me. [ He shrugs slightly. ] I don't have any projects they've called me in on, but I might stay a while anyway. It's been a while since I've been around. People might forget I'm part of the team.

[arches]

<sub>( As much as he knows, at least nominally, that he is a part of this team, Clint still feels most comfortable at a distance. He keeps his own schedule, does his own thing. But you can bet he's there when the team needs him.

Maybe that's why he feels a quiet affinity for the newcomers. Barton never talks about his relentless quest for redemption, at least not outright, but most who know the story know that's what he's looking for. So maybe that's why, as much as he continues to argue with everyone around him, he has quietly accepted the twins.

Or maybe he just doesn't think about it that much.

It's an obscenely early hour of the morning, and he's sitting in the kitchen. There's a towel around his neck and a gleam of sweat on his arms that show he's already had a workout, this morning. Now he sits on the counter and downs orange juice. Let's see who'll stop by. )</sub>

[suddenlydinosaurs]

[Wanda isn't entirely sure where she stands with Clint at times. When there were concerns and objections to the twins joining the team, it had been quieter from his corner, and she was grateful for that, but he seems to keep his own counsel more often than not.

Some of the others identify heavily with their identity as an Avenger, but Wanda had observed that Clint still seems to stand somewhat at the edges, between the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. It's something she understands. She's a part of the team and certainly they all work together, but she doesn't feel part of the core group entirely. Not yet. Perhaps with time?

Wanda isn't normally awake this early in the morning but settling into the Avengers tower is taking some time. Some nights are harder to sleep through entirely, and if she's gotten at least five hours sleep there are mornings she'll simply take an early wake up as a cue to get up.

Dressed casually in a pair of yoga pants and a tank top, she pads barefoot into the kitchen groggily. It's clear she wasn't expecting to run into anyone when she catches sight of Clint, but his presence doesn't deter her from entering.]

You're up awfully early.

[And he must have been for a while, as he looks as if he's already been working out this morning. She turns her back to him briefly as she takes the kettle from the side counter and starts to fill it with water at the sink.]

[arches]

<sub>( Clint shrugs at her as Wanda walks in. It is a reply to what she's said, a greeting, or something else entirely? She can figure that out.

He likes her, and her brother, more that he's willing to admit. Maybe he's not ready for sleepovers, but he doesn't leave the kitchen when she enters, so that's something. He hopes she appreciates it.

He drains his orange juice and then nods at her again, this time with more of a smile--a small, ironic one, but a smile nonetheless. )</sub>

I hope I didn't wake you.

_{( He doesn't sound like he'd be sorry if that was the case. )}

[suddenlydinosaurs]

[Yes, she does appreciate that he's not one of the people who gets awkwardly silent when she walks into a room, or leaves entirely out of fear or disgust.

What she appreciates more is that despite Pietro's temperament, Clint seems to get along rather well with her brother. Well, as much as can be expected.

Wanda puts the filled kettle on the stove, turns the heat on high, and then leans back against the counter next to the stove, hands braced on the edge.]

No, not at all. I woke myself and it seemed best to simply get up than fight it. Are any of the others awake?

[im_apimp]

[Alec wasn't so much adopted as conscripted, and was probably the person least out to save the world, but that wasn't really his problem. He was just there to do his time, and keep a small group of genetic freaks safe and sound, and if he has to sell his soul to SHIELD to do it, then that's what he'd do.

He wouldn't half-ass it, either. He was a good soldier, and could fight creepy mutant alien things with the best of them. After all, Manticore was one of the many off-shoots from Erksine's research. He should feel right at home.

Even if he misses Seattle like crazy.

Regardless, he's in the house somewhere, probably sprawled in a way that makes it look like he's taking up far too much space, with a book, probably fiction. He is free to be bothered. Bother bother bother.]

[suddenlydinosaurs]

[Wanda felt a small measure of affinity to Alec. Like her, he was not part of the original group of Avengers and he too was there for the good of his people. Wanda considered the mutants her people still, even if she had been accepted by mankind mostly, and the other transgenics to be Alec's.

Still, they were both finding their place in this group of people, each with their own skills and abilities that were too great to be discounted.

Wanda wanders into one of the many living rooms in the tower with a book of her own in hand. Pietro was busy with Steve or Clint and left to her own devices, Wanda finds having a quiet moment to read does a great deal to keep her feeling balanced. It's a hobby that easily carries over from her old life to her new.

Of course Alec is taking up the entire couch she enjoys curling up on, and so she stops a foot or so away with an eyebrow raised.]

Could you move down?

[She wants her favorite sitting-place 8C]

[im_apimp]

[Alec likes Wanda. It's a step up from his feelings on the rest of the group.

He looks up when she comes in, and smirks a bit, before sitting in a more human-like position. Even if he is part cat and can sprawl himself across a space like the best of them, doesn't mean he should do it all the time]

No problem.

[suddenlydinosaurs]

Thank you.

[That he doesn't comment or tease, or refuse to share the space pleases her, enough that thanking him seems a small thing, even if she hadn't asked him nicely in the first place.

Wanda takes a seat on a cushion, leaning immediately into the corner of the couch, and props an elbow up on the arm as her legs draw up onto the couch. Her feet are bare, and for someone who has such poise normally, it's a rather relaxed appearance for her.]

Is that something from Stark's library?

[duplicities]

[ there are files, of course. there are files on every single potential member, and wanda and her brother are no different. natasha reads them back to front, because if she is working with this team, if she is putting her life in their hands, then she will know everything about them.

but there is only so much that can be learned from files (she knows that well, knows that for all her reading on doctor banner he'd still turned out to be different, as had the captain, and as had even tony stark, when it came down to it. ) so she closes the programs and goes out in search of them.

it's not the easiest of searches. shield's base is large, sprawling and twisted up with too many corridors and too many possible places. but natasha has a talent for finding people, so it doesn't take overly long to find at least one of the twins. ]

Hello, Wanda.

[suddenlydinosaurs]

[Wanda was never one who was inclined to like a woman simply because she was the only other female in a team that largely consisted of men. What regard she had for Natasha had been earned. The other woman had proven herself to be a formidable opponent to their enemies without the help of mutant or otherwise supernatural abilities, and an ally who could be counted on. It was difficult to not be impressed by her innumerable skills.

Natasha was not one who Wanda would call warm, however. Wanda herself took a while to really relax around others so she found no fault in that, however she did feel at times that the spy was still trying to get her measure. It's with curiosity that Wanda looks up from her reading (one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s many protocols manuals) at Natasha's greeting.]

Hello, Natasha. Is there something you need?

[Was Fury summoning her? Was there a briefing that she was unaware of? Or was this something else entirely?]

WOW THE ICON GENERATOR SURE LOVES THAT ICON

[duplicities]

[ something else entirely. natasha herself wasn't even certain of what the outcome of this could be. there was no other way for her to approach wanda than as a bomb, something that could explode in her face if handled the wrong way. it was the way she'd handled banner, and stark before him.

( handle with care, lest you end up with a crater to fill ) ]

Nothing in particular. I'm not here on S.H.I.E.L.D. business.

[ the nearest thing to saying i'm here to speak with you informally as natasha tends to get. ]

X3

[suddenlydinosaurs]

[That was surprising, but not unwelcome. Wanda's eyebrows lifted slightly before she looked down to note the page where she was at and then closed the manual and pushed it aside.]

Have a seat if you like then. I believe there's some water bottles available in a cupboard there.

[She gestures over, keeping her tone relaxed and her body language even more so. This wasn't entirely unexpected, if she thought about it, though Wanda wasn't sure what tactic Natasha might take.]

I can't think of a time in which we've had the opportunity to speak just among ourselves.

[Pietro was around Wanda often, and Barton around Natasha. Tony always seemed to pop up whenever it was inconvenient, and the others were around often enough as well.]

[web_head]

[Between classes and jobs, this is what Peter does: he sticks to a wall of choice and people watch. You learn a lot of things from just watching, social interactions that is missing in his life, drama more intense than your daily soaps. This is New York and there is anything here. Unlimited possibilities.

So what's the possibility of seeing someone the world regards as one of the most dangerous mutants that ever existed?

He says he will hate himself for this, but it's too late for him. He's already swinging between buildings, and he's going to test the probabilities of him surviving going after one of the Brotherhood. He reassures himself that stalking Wanda isn't a crime here, not when she's mind bending and all that goody evil stuff.]

[suddenlydinosaurs]

[Wanda doesn't have any special abilities that allow her to sense people when they're following her, and like many other humans she doesn't look up that often, so she doesn't notice that Spider-Man is following her right away.

And really, why should he be? She was trying to turn over a new leaf. She might have been dangerous to the population before but she wasn't now. She was working for S.H.I.E.L.D. and that had to count for something.

It's not until she catches a reflection in a building across the street that she realizes what's happening. Wanda's not an amateur however, and for the moment she pretends she doesn't realize she's being followed. She's not sure what he wants yet, after all...]

[web_head]

[He shouldn't feel the sense of shame. It's not his first ride on this super-stalker for safety of the city thing. This is New York after all. That guy with a trench jacket could be a serial flasher instead of the lawyer that he is. You just gotta find out to be sure. And he is just neurotic enough to. That either makes him a very good hero, or an insane one. The lack of decent sleep might support the latter case.

... But she just walks along like your regular tourist. When the street gets relatively empty, he swings down to perch on a second level awning and begins the questioning.]

Hi. Spider-Man, New York's finest unpaid and unofficial greeter. First time in New York? Business or pleasure?

[suddenlydinosaurs]

[Wanda can't say she expected him to reveal himself so soon, so her surprise is genuine, though perhaps not for the reasons he'd assume. She stops mid-step and looks up at him, lips slightly parted as she listens to him introduce himself.

She's amused at the start, however the nature of his questions do make her bite back an immediate reply of "What business is it of yours?"

But she knows who she is, who he is, and why he wants to know. Playing for the good guys now, Wanda answers to see where it will get her.]

My first time as a new resident, and at the moment, pleasure. Is this business or pleasure for you?

[Are you suspicious or actually welcoming her?]

[hulk]

[ Well, Bruce had said he would - and he did. So next time the fridge gets refilled with the various groceries Stark bought for the mansion, he goes to check out the freezer and indeed they are there.

Chocolate tacos.

He goes and grabs two before Thor can catch sight of them and "try one" (which will lead to the entire box being gone in the hour), and pulls out his phone. The tech's changed in the near decade he's been without a cell, so it takes a few moments to text properly (whoever invented Swype should have just stayed in bed that day, seriously) before the message is sent off to Wanda.

In the meantime, he'll just grab a couple of plates and set them on the kitchen island with napkins and spoons. Choco Tacos could get messy. Best to be prepared. ]

ilu for doing this

[suddenlydinosaurs]

[Wanda had been so disgusted when Bruce had mentioned chocolate tacos in their post-it communication. Because really, the idea of chocolate on tacos made her throw up in her mouth a little bit, okay?

It was after he'd explained that no, they were entirely dessert that she had demanded one. "For research," she'd said as a joke.

Bruce's text is a welcome surprise, and Wanda doesn't waste any time sending him a note back, but heads immediately up to the kitchen area. Finding him already there, she greets him with a smile.]

Helping me with my new scientific study?

ilumoar

[hulk]

Who am I to stand in the way of, uh, new research?

[ Chocology is a legit field of study, okok. But hey, Bruce made a funny! Or tried to. Either way he'll chuckle a bit to himself before pulling out a chair for her. He doesn't stay up to push it in for her (after all, some people don't like that, so it's enough to just leave it as is and she can adjust for herself, that's for the best, really) and so grabs his own and gives an awkward little wave for her to just. Dig in. ]

Least I could do.

unpossible

[suddenlydinosaurs]

[Wanda looks mildly surprised, but pleased by the fact that Bruce pulls her chair out for her, and moreso that he doesn't stick around to push it in as if she needs assistance. Things are too casual between them to stand on such ceremony.

She takes a seat and looks at the dessert with some...apprehension.]

How are you supposed to eat it? Just...pick it up?