Blue energy arched through the air, following the movements of Ira's hands as she delicately spun them through the air. The individual strands formed a stream, which she then directed at the dummy placed in front of her.

The energy hit it, blasting it to the floor. Ira sighed, wiping back strands of sweat-soaked hair from her temple as she trudged over and scooped the dummy up. Placing it back where it was, she readied herself again. Her feet slid into position, and she made sure to balance herself before launching another attack at the target.

She fired round after round of energy spheres at the wooden dummy—now covered in a special adhesive designed by Tony to minimize damage—finally knocking it down with a wave of energy sent with a downward sweep of her hands.

Ira stood back, panting slightly, and rested a hand on her hip. As she regained her breath, a whoosh sounded behind her. She said nothing, and made no movements, only curling her fingers ever-so-slightly to let energy pool into her fist. She paused for a second, waiting to see who would make the first move. When nothing happened, she twitched her fingers, gritted her teeth, and whirled around to face Pietro.

She struck out with the energy, coating his hands and twisting them forcefully behind his back. He winced, but spun around, throwing off her balance and giving himself an opportunity to break free. Her blonde hair, fastened tightly in a braid, whipped across her face, obscuring her vision for just a second. But that was all Pietro needed.

He grabbed her arms and twisted her towards him, locking her in an embrace against his chest. Ira struggled, trying in vain to elbow his chest or free her hands enough to use energy. But she couldn't.

"Do you surrender?" Pietro asked from behind her. She could practically feel the teasing smile he was sending her way.

"Funny," she told him, before stomping down hard on his foot. The suddenness caused his grip to loosen, and she whirled around, allowing midnight energy to trap his arms and legs. "I was just about to ask you the same thing."

After realizing that he couldn't move, Pietro sighed. "You win," he told her, and she smirked before releasing him.

"You would think that with the element of surprise on your side, you'd be able to beat me. But nope," she smiled, turning to grab her water bottle off the floor.

"Haha," Pietro acknowledged. "Very funny. Gloat all you want now."

"I'm better at fighting than you are," Ira continued, turning to face him as they walked to the door.

"Alright, are you finished?" Pietro asked, following her out of the training room. They walked together through the halls and made their way to Ira's room. She pushed open the door and stepped inside, closing it behind her before Pietro could get in.

She could hear him protest through the closed door, and she chuckled quietly. "I have to wash up," She told him, leaning against the door briefly before walking over to the bathroom.

She changed quickly and stepped into the shower, twisting the knob and shuddering as the cold water hit her back. She ran her fingers through her blonde hair, letting out a sigh of relief.

Life had returned to normal around the compound; agents and technicians regularly stopping by, the ever-present sound of Tony tinkering around in his lab. They had even gone on a few successful missions since the compound's reconstruction.

But as life continued on its course, and the team settled back into routine, something didn't feel right. It wasn't the lack of constant danger or threats that bothered Ira; she found the normalcy a comfort. But instead, it was the impending sense of something about to happen. The calm before the storm. But the storm had already passed.

Hadn't it?

Ira turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, quickly drying herself off and getting dressed. She slipped on a pair of leggings and a shirt, before braiding her hair and leaving the room.

She walked through the halls, hurrying to the living room where the rest of the team resided. She stepped into the room, noticing the others spread about the room. Wanda, who was sitting on the couch talking to Vision, saw Ira and waved her over.

"Hey," she greeted as Ira sat down.

"Hey," Ira responded likewise, turning to look at her friend. Wanda had grown more comfortable, Ira had noticed. With the team and with their new life. She was more relaxed and confident. Before she was always looking over her shoulder. All three of the Enhanced were. But now, they were home.

Pietro, too, noticed her, and sped over in a blur. He placed a quick kiss on Ira's cheek, and leaned against the arm of the couch. Wanda struck up a conversation, but Ira's gaze rested instead on those sitting around her.

Her teammates, who she had come to think of as family. They meant everything to her, and she knew that she would sacrifice herself for them in a heartbeat. She looked around the room, taking in their faces. Steve, Natasha, and Tony, who had guided them and helped them. Clint, who had become a sort of father-figure for them. Sam and Rhodey, who had helped them grow accustomed to the missions and the hectic life. They all meant so much to her.

"You okay?" Pietro asked quietly, noticing her distant expression.

She turned to look at him, and a smile graced her face. "Yeah." She said. "I am."
...............................................................................................................................................
A/N:

First off: this was garbage I'm so sorry. I don't even know where I'm going with this anymore. (I'm just gonna blame it on the pneumonia that I have. Yay sickness)

Secondly: I know that I said that this would be the last chapter, but if figured I'd give it an epilogue to wrap it all up in a crappy little bow.

Finally: I know that I've been saying this a lot, but seriously thank you guys for sticking with this story. I love that there are actually people reading this. This was my first fanfiction, and I'm happy that some people are enjoying it.

Comment if you like; I love to hear what you guys think. And you can message me for any reason, even if you just want to talk. My inbox is always open.

I love you three thousand,

E l i z a b e t h