"Avengers, time to work for a living."

The statement echoed through Ira's ears. She turned to the others beside her, seeing their gazes trained on the church where they had met Ultron. It seemed like years ago that they had stepped into the broken building, praying for someone to help them defeat the Avengers.

And now they walked through the threshold as Avengers. As the very people they had sworn to destroy.

They joined Vision, Tony, and Thor who were already in the church, fighting off a few stray robots who were trying to get to the core. They joined the fray; Emilia shooting the robots, Pietro tearing them apart, and Wanda and Ira destroying them with energy.

As they fought, the other Avengers joined them, until the whole team was assembled in the church. "What's the drill?" Natasha asked Tony as she took up a stance beside him.

"This is the drill," he announced. "If Ultron gets a hand on the core, we lose." Just as the words left his mouth, Ultron  descended through the air, coming to rest hovering in front of them.

"Is that the best you can do?" Thor roared.

Ultron raised his hand. The remaining robots poured through the city, coming to the aid of their creator. Ira gazed with trepidation upon the hundreds of robots that faced them and took a shuddering breath. Midnight energy pooled in her palms, and she readied herself to face the onslaught.

"This is the best I can do," Ultron told them proudly, raising his arms to show the might of his army.

"You had to ask," Steve sighed, glancing at Thor.

"This is the best I can do," Ultron boasted. "This is exactly what I wanted. All of you, against all of me. How can you possibly hope to stop me?" He challenged.

"Well, like the old man said," Tony told him, looking over at Steve. "Together."

Hulk let out a mighty roar, and the robots came charging forward.

Ira immediately sprang into action, hurling bolts of energy at the nearest robots. It struck them and destroyed them, but she couldn't celebrate her small victory. For hundreds more of the robots were pouring into the church, heading straight for the core.

She encased one in energy before sweeping her hands through the air and sending it crashing into three others. She flicked her wrist, and blasts of energy destroyed four robots incoming. She surrounded five in energy and brought them crashing to the ground with a downward motion of her hand.

As she fought, she began to enter an almost trance-like state. Her body was in complete sync with her mind, and she carried out movements before she even thought about doing them. She paid no heed to the pain flaring from injuries sustained from the robots, nor to the others fighting their own battles. All she focused on was destroying the next robot. And the next, and the next, until a swathe or metallic beasts was cleared from around her.

Finally getting a slight reprieve from the dense fray, Ira looked around at the others. They worked in perfect synchrony; moving almost as one. One would set up a robot, and another would knock them down. Wanda would hold a bot in front of Thor, and he would destroy it with a blow from his hammer. It was a like they all had been working side-by-side forever.

Soon the majority of the robots had been decimated. Ira felt weak and exhausted, but she pushed on, disabling more robots by setting them up for Pietro to destroy.

While she was fighting, she noticed a Vision blast Ultron outside of the church with a beam of energy from the Mind Stone set into his head. Tony and a Thor flew to join him, and together the three sent beams of energy and lightening at Ultron, grinding him into the ground. He put up his hands in defense, but his metal shell was already cracked and broken. "You know, with the benefit of hindsight," he began weakly after they stopped, but was cut off when Hulk punched him, sending him flying into the air and landing far away.

With their leader gone, the robots began to flee, flying and running in all directions in a desperate attempt to escape. "They'll try to leave the city," Thor told them.

"We can't let them, not even one," Tony ordered, and he, Vision, Hulk, and Thor left to prevent the robots from escaping, leaving the others still standing in the burned-out husk of the church.

"We gotta move," Steve announced. "Even I can tell that the air is getting thin. You guys get to the boat," he ordered. "I'll sweep for stragglers, and be right behind you."

"What about the core?" Clint asked.

"I'll protect it," Wanda volunteered immediately. Clint sent her a questioning look. "It's my job," she told him. He nodded, and he, Natasha, and a Steve left, leaving the four Enhanced in the church.

"I'm not leaving you here," Pietro told her.

"We've been through way too much together to leave you now," Ira added, and Emilia nodded.

"I can handle this," Wanda assured them, blasting an oncoming robot with a burst of crimson energy. "Come back for me when everyone is off, not before. You understand?" She asked Pietro as he began to walk away.

He turned back. "You know, I'm twelve minutes older than you," he told her, smirking. She chuckled.

"Go."

Ira left with Emilia and Pietro, reluctant to leave Wanda behind. But she knew that her friend was more powerful than she gave her credit for, so she would be alright.

The three made their way through the destroyed city, finishing off stray robots as they made their way towards the carriers. They soon reached the lifeboats, and they split up to help the civilians board.

Ira hurried people on board, shepherding them to safety and trying to assure them that everything would be okay. She turned to see Pietro at the next carrier over, watching him do the same.

But out of the corner of her eye, she saw something. Or someone, rather. Clint had left his place at a lifeboat and was sprinting through broken buildings and rubble, his target a small boy trapped by concrete. She watched, horrified, as Ultron appeared overhead, flying through the air in a commandeered ship. He began firing at Clint, who had just reached the child, and was holding him to his chest.

Ira saw, petrified, as Pietro ran past her. She tried to call out, but the scream died in her throat. All she could do was watch as Pietro sped in front of Clint and the boy, shielding them from the bullets. "You didn't see that coming," she could hear faintly upon his lips, before he collapsed to the ground, breathing his last as the life faded from his pale blue eyes.

Ira's heart felt like it had stopped. A scream reached her ears, and she didn't even realize that it was her own as she sprinted towards Pietro's unmoving body. She dropped to her knees at his side as Clint turned, still clutching the child.

Ragged gasps fell from her lips as she tried in vain to rouse him, one hand shaking his shoulders and the other clutching desperately at his hand. Tears streaked down her dirt-stained cheeks as she placed her quivering hands on his bullet-ridden chest. "Ira," Clint began, but she pushed him away.

A heart-wrenching scream echoed throughout Sokovia. Energy, as crimson as the blood that now stained Ira's palms exploded throughout the city, ripping apart every robot in its path. In the center of the city a broken-hearted girl sobbed, energy pouring from her hands as she screamed for her brother.

Ira didn't listen, closing her eyes and blocking out everything except her hands upon Pietro's chest. In her mind flashed images of Pietro and the others talking and laughing, of her and him sitting side-by-side in the jet. With everything in her she reached deep, sending a flood of healing energy through her and into him. She poured everything she had left into his bullet-torn flesh until she at last fell back, completely exhausted.

All was silent for a few chilling moments as the Earth seemed to hold its breath. And then in a moment that Ira would never forget, Pietro's eyes opened. She gasped, immediately leaning forward to wrap her arms around him as she cried into his chest.

She pulled back, tears still streaming down her face as she took gulping breaths. "Ira?" He asked, and a radiant smile broke across her face. She was happier than she had ever been, and she wanted the moment to last forever.

But fate had other plans, and she could feel exhaustion overtaking her. "Ira?" Pietro asked again, this time concerned as her eyes fluttered and she fell to the ground. The last thing she saw were Clint and Pietro's worried faces peering down at her before darkness came and the world turned black.

*****

Ira blearily opened her eyes. The first thing that greeted her was the sight of Pietro, Wanda, and Emilia gazing anxiously over her. "She's waking up," Wanda noted quietly, and they moved to let her sit up.

She gazed around the room, trying to discern where she was. A monotone beeping filled her ears, and the lemony scent of disinfectant was layered heavily in the air. She glanced around at the sterile walls, painted a sickly sterile off-white. She turned to her right, seeing the beeping was coming from a heart monitor. "Where am I?" Ira asked hoarsely, raising a hand to brush away strands of her matted blonde hair and noticing an IV tube.

"You're in the hospital of the Avengers Compound," Wanda informed her.

"The...Avengers Compound?" Ira asked weakly.

"It's the new headquarters," Emilia told her. 'They're moving everything from the tower to here."

"How long have I been here?" Ira asked.

"Since Sokovia," Pietro spoke up. "Four days ago. You drained all of your energy saving me and collapsed. They put you in a carrier and flew you here."

Ira's eyes widened at the mention of Sokovia. "What happened? Did we beat Ultron?"

The three shared a smile. "Sokovia's fine," Emilia said. "Well, the flying chunk was destroyed, but no one was on it. And as for Ultron-"

"We killed him," Pietro told her.

"The Scarlet Witch over here ripped out his heart," Emilia added, nodding her head to Wanda, who rolled her eyes at the name.

A faint smile crossed Ira's face. "Scarlet Witch?"

"That's what one of the civilians called her," Pietro supplied. "And I'm Quicksilver."

"But it makes no sense," Emilia burst out. "Quicksilver is another word for mercury. Mercury is slow. You're not."

"It doesn't have to make sense," Pietro shot back, and Emilia rolled her eyes.

A smile stretched across Ira's face as she watched them bickering. It seemed like nothing had changed, and yet so much had.

The argument faded as the three of them gazed down at their friend laying frailly  in a hospital bed. The silence was palpable and deafening until Wanda broke it. "We were so scared," She told Ira. "We thought that you might never wake up." A tear slipped from her eye, and she wiped it away, sniffling slightly.

Pietro wrapped an arm around his sister's shoulders. "We thought the worst," he admitted. "But now you're awake. You're awake, and you're okay, and we're all together again." Ira smiled softly.

"And we'll never be separated again," she swore.

*****

Morning sunlight streamed through the gauzy curtains of Ira's hospital room window, waking her up with a brush of light against her face. She sat up, glancing around the hospital room that had become quite familiar to her over these last three days.

She glanced over at the chair beside the bed, seeing Pietro still sleeping with his head resting in his hands. Over the last days he, Wanda, and Emilia had traded off staying with Ira until she could be discharged. A smile broke across her face as she realized she could leave and see the others today. For though she had grown to like the cozy room, cabin fever was quickly setting in.

Pietro woke up, too, blearily glancing around the room before seeing Ira up. A tired smile crossed his face as he sat up. "Are you ready to go?" He asked, and she nodded enthusiastically. "I'll get Dr. Cho," Pietro told her, and left the room.

Ira had been overjoyed to hear that Helen Cho has survived Ultron's attack and was continuing her work with the Avengers. She was a truly brilliant woman and Ira was glad that she was okay.

Just as she was thinking of the woman, Helen Cho appeared in the doorway accompanied by Pietro. A serene and kindly smile stretched across her face and a clipboard rested in the crook of her arm. "Ira!" She greeted cheerfully. "Glad to see that you're doing better."

"So can I leave?" Ira asked the woman. She was itching to leave the cozy yet cramped hospital room that had been her home for three days. Dr. Cho glanced down at her clipboard, looking through a few papers before gazing back at Ira.

"You're all clear," she told her, and Ira smiled brightly. "But remember to take it easy," she warned. "No doing anything that will drain large amounts of energy," she ordered sternly. Ira nodded, and Cho gave one last smile before leaving.

"Wanda brought some clothes over while you were asleep," Pietro told her, holding up a bag. He tossed her the bag before leaving to wait while she changed. Ira closed the door behind him with a flick of her wrist, a small smile crossing her face at finally being able to use her powers again.

She pulled back the thin blanket covering her and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She gingerly stood up, keeping a hand on the bed. Over a week without walking had taken its toll, and Ira wobbled slightly as she made her way to the bag on the edge of the bed.

She opened it and pulled the clothes out that Wanda had provided, laying them out in front of her. A light blue blouse and a pair of jeans stared back at her. She slipped them on quickly, glad to change out of the scratchy hospital gown that she had worn for the past week.

She yanked a comb (also provided by Wanda) through her hair as she walked to the door, opening it and allowing Pietro to come back in. "Are you ready to leave?" He asked as she grabbed the bag, swinging it over her shoulder.

She nodded. "I've been waiting to get out of here for a week now," she told him as they left the room. They walked side by side through the white-washed halls of the hospital, a comfortable silence between them. They soon left the building, giving Ira her first glimpse of the new compound.

It stretched out before her; a massive building of metal and glass surrounded by lush forests and open fields. Two large buildings sat before her; one rectangular, and the other a smaller building on the waterfront. Ira assumed that these were the living quarters and the S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters, and she gazed in awe and what was going to be her new home.

"Come on," Pietro said excitedly, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the rectangular building. Ira laughed and followed him, enjoying the feeling of the crisp wind blowing through her hair as they ran. They soon reached the doors, and Ira stepped through the threshold, taking in every detail that she could.

The doors opened open into a wide lobby of sorts, with other doors leading farther into the building. They went through one of these, tracing a path through labs and research rooms where agents and technicians talked and studied. The whole building was alive with activity, and a cacophony of sounds filled her ears as they walked past. They finally reached a large empty room with a door at the end. They walked through this, and Ira caught her breath.

Through the door was a huge room with walls of glass cross-crossed with metal beams. The walls, too, were glass, and sunlight poured through them. A large silver 'A' shone on the back wall, and the Quinjet sat in a corner of the room.

A bright smile appeared on Ira's face as she caught sight of the other people in the room. Vision and two other men who Pietro explained were Sam and Rhodey stood on the polished tile floor.

Ira watched as Sam took a running start and leapt into the air, extending a pair of metal wings from a pack on his back. The wings flapped mightily, and he soared smoothly through the air. Rhodey remained on the floor, clothed in a near-replica of Tony's suit, but it was gray and had a large gun mounted to his shoulder.

Her smile widened when she saw Emilia and Wanda talking in a corner of the room, and she quickly ran over to them. They smiled when they saw her, and Wanda pulled her into a hug. "We're so glad you're okay," she told Ira as she pulled away.

It was a this time when Ira noticed what Wanda and Emilia were wearing. A long red corseted jacket clothed Wanda, and knee-high boots encased her legs. Her brown hair was curled, framing her face, and she swept a loose strand behind her ear as she stared at Ira.

Emilia, too, had a new outfit on, courtesy of the Avengers. But hers was more simple; black pants, a white shirt, and a black jacket. Her blonde hair was neatly swept back, and her signature smirk rested on her lips.

They looked so happy and content, clearly enjoying their new lives. A small part of Ira was jealous, envious that they had adapted so quickly to their new environment. But she internally scolded herself, knowing that she could soon consider this place her home just as they now did. So she plastered a smile on her face and gazed with happiness upon her friends.

"We're all together again," she announced happily. And for the first time in a long while, the four Enhanced, who had been through so much together, who had faced hardships and fought through struggles, shared a joyful smile.

Just then, the door through which Pietro and Ira had entered swung open. Steve and Natasha appeared, both clad in their uniforms. They surveyed the team below them proudly, watching as the others turned to look at their leaders.

"Avengers," Steve called, a small smile playing at his lips. "A-"

*****

End of the AoU plot!

Thanks for sticking with me so far. I have a lot of ideas planned for this story, and I'm excited to see how it turns out.
Please, please, please leave your thoughts, it really means a lot to me to have feedback from you all.

Happy Reading!