Chapter 2
I jerk awake as the plane lands and shake my head slightly to get rid of the remaining sleep as we transfer to a car big enough for all of us. "When was the last time you slept?" Rhodey asks and I think, counting the days on my fingers.
"Um... Last week?" I look at Pietro and he tilts his head slightly.
"That sounds about right."
"You didn't do anything about that?"
"She slept during the week. They were short naps, but still sleeping."
"Yeah. I got good at power naps. And I ended up burning food a lot at first..." I shrug slightly and they look at me. "What? Getting ten doctorates at once is hard to do and I had to do dissertation papers on all of them. Shuri proofread them and picked everything apart with no mercy... But, it worked so... Yeah."
"How are you gonna help me with Hulk?"
"Oh! Right! OK, so! I studied gamma radiation, a lot. And I wasn't able to find a way to get rid of Hulk..."
"Oh..."
"But, but, but!" He looks at me and I smile widely. "I did find a way to pull a Hannah Montana on you with the best of both worlds."
"What?"
"We could merge you! Give you the physical appearance of the Hulk and the brains of you! You wouldn't lose control anymore and you'd be able to come up with strategies then put them into action with a clear head!"
"That's the best you've got?" Tony scoffs and I look at him, confused by what he meant. "You spent ten years researching gamma radiation and a way to help Banner, and the best you can come up with is merging them?"
"Well... Yeah...? It's still a good option! It just requires a little more research, though," I tell Bruce and he nods.
"How would it work?"
"You'd kind of be a lab rat, sorry..."
"I was one when I did this, so it's fine. How would it work?"
"OK, so, you'd have to spend some time in a gamma lab with me for more research..."
"How long?"
"From what I could piece together and make sense out of, it would be..." I do the math again quickly as I flex my right fingers, water droplets dancing around them, and nod a bit. "Eighteen months. But, that's mainly because I didn't have access to any sort of gamma radiation or a gamma lab, so that's how long it should take to put the theory to the test and make sure it works," I assure quickly and he nods.
"So, hang on," Tony chuckles and I look at him. "You want to use a theory you have on him to merge them and you haven't done anything to make sure it won't, I don't know, kill them both?"
"Well, no... But-"
"Then why do you expect him to agree to it?"
"I mean, I don't... I'm just sharing what I know with him..."
"Which doesn't seem to be that much."
"Dad!"
"I researched Hulk and Bruce while also working on the theory, Tony. Hulk regenerates quickly, almost faster than I do, and he shares it with Bruce, which is why nothing works to get rid of either of them. I'm aware that I don't know much on the side of how well this will work, but I still did the research and worked my ass off to figure it out without being able to put it to the test."
"Mhmm." I run my hand through my hair and he didn't seem to realize how his words were affecting my mood. "What business plan were you thinking of pitching to one of my competitors?"
"It wasn't for a competitor of Stark Industries, you imbecile," Pietro snaps and he quirks an eyebrow at him. "It was for-"
"The police department," I cut Pietro off as I give him a pointed look and he rolls his eyes slightly.
"Really? About?"
"Body armor. Not everyone on the Avengers can be like Peter and deal with trouble in their neighborhood. I know crime rates spiked since I've been gone and for stuff you guys don't cover."
"Are you implying that we're slacking?" Tony sounds offended and I take a short breath.
"No. I'm saying, that you guys handle big stuff that is too big for the police to handle but there are a few things that you don't handle that the police can't either. I plan to give them better body armor, less deadly weapons-"
"If they have to handle stuff too big for them but too small for us shouldn't they have better weapons, not worse?"
"I didn't say they'd be worse weapons, just less deadly. Police involved shootings had increased significantly too and-"
"It wouldn't happen if criminals listened to the police and didn't force them to take those kinds of actions. Grow up, Razzle Dazzle, and use those doctorates to come up with some better ideas."
"I agree with Raziah. The police are in over their heads with some things-"
"Yeah, yeah. The adults are talking, Three Thousand."
"Whatever." We had just pulled into the garage and she gets out, storming off.
"Kid, I'll get you some pamphlets for internships nearby. They'd love to hear your ideas after you get them coffee," He smirks as he gets out and Pietro looked ready to kill him. I flop against the back of the seat and let out a sharp breath, frustrated.
"I still believe they are good ideas, love," Pietro says gently and I smile slightly, getting out of the car. "Would you like to tell me again?"
"Thanks, but... No..." I sigh softly and the others look at me, seeing that my excitement had dwindled. "DIdn't know it was childish to want innocent people to survive encounters with the police."
"Why don't you tell me more about your plan to merge us?" Pietro goes through my degrees and finds a printed out paper, handing it to him. "What's this?"
"He printed off all of my dissertation papers..."
"That's the one about you and her theory." Bruce reads through it quickly and I run a hand through my hair, trying to gauge a reaction from him as the others hang around.
"Wow..." He thumbs through the two hundred pages and was surprised.
"Good wow or bad wow?" Nat asks and he looks at her then at me.
"This could work." I perk up slightly and he smiles, laughing a bit. "This could work! We can make this work!"
"We can?"
"Yes!"
"Yeah?"
"Yeah! And, if we can get it to work before eighteen months, we're going to rub it in Tony's face!"
"I agree with that," Pietro says simply and I shrug slightly. "Raziah, what he said was out of line, degrading, and downright rude. Rubbing it in his face is what he deserves."
"Yeah, I know, but... That ain't right... I'm not going to gloat about being right... That's not why I did any of this... I just wanna do some good and..." I drift off with a slight shrug and he sighs softly.
"Fine. You don't have to. But I will." I roll my eyes slightly and Bruce looks at me.
"You want to get started on this or wait longer?"
"Up to you."
"Let's go!" He tugs my arm slightly and I follow him to the gamma lab, getting everything set up so that we can get the two of them merged while also making sure I don't get any radiation.
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It takes six months but we succeed and I look at him. "OK... Test question... Um... If the atomic mass for iron is fifty-six, how many neutrons are in Fe2+?"
"Easy. Thirty."
"So... It worked?"
"It worked, Raziah." I smile and cheer loudly, punching the air in excitement.
"Whooo! It worked!" He laughs and I smile brighter. "We have to show the others!" He nods, messaging them, and leads the way to where they were waiting.
"What is it, Razzle Dazzle?"
"We made it work. In six months."
"By we do you mean Banner?"
"No, Tony. She made it work. Best of both worlds! The brain and the brawn!" He offers me his fist and I bump it, managing to contain my excitement. "I know you want to so do it."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You earned the right to."
"It worked!" I cheer and laugh, looking at Bruce. "I could kiss you right now, but I won't because that's weird. Pietro!"
"Yes?"
"Come here!"
"Why?"
"So I can kiss you! Duh!"
"Fair." He comes over and I kiss him, so happy. "Excited?"
"Yes! Something scientific that I planned and researched worked! And in a third of the time that I thought it would take!"
"I thought you didn't want to gloat," Tony scoffs and I look at him while Pietro glares at him.
"I'm not gloating, I'm happy! Excited! I'm a lot of emotions right now! When you said he wouldn't agree to it and that I didn't put enough effort in... Y'know, my business plan was to talk to you about a new line of gear for first responders. I wanted to work with you on it and just work with you in general."
"Your ideas are too childish for me, Razzle Dazzle. Take my advice, alright? Find an internship."
"No, I'm gonna take some other advice from you."
"Which would be?"
"I'm gonna compete with Stark Industries." The room goes silent and we stare each other down.
"How are you going to do that? You don't have a dime to your name," He scoffs and I smirk slightly.
"Well... That's not true. Turns out... Mom and Keiko had life insurance and Mom's has been sitting in a bank in Colorado since I was ten and Keiko's since I was about twenty-two. That? That is a lot of interest being gained on top of an already large sum of money."
"Not as much as I have."
"True. It doesn't equal what you have from Stark Industries."
"What do you have? Three million?"
"About sixteen."
"Sixteen million?"
"Nope."
"Ooh, sixteen thousand then. That isn't good, Razzle Dazzle," He smirks and takes a drink of coffee, quirking an eyebrow at me.
"About sixteen billion." He spits the coffee out and coughs.
"What?"
"You heard me. Mom had the highest life insurance policy ever on herself and Keiko. That paired with interest? It gives me... Fifteen billion eight hundred seventy-two million six hundred fifty-two thousand three hundred seventy-six dollars and... Eighty-four cents. But, that's going according to old interest rates in Colorado that were eight percent when I was two. Before Mom died, they were raised to nine percent. So... Between the two with interest? That's... Twenty-one billion seven hundred forty-five million six hundred eighty-eight thousand five dollars and... Sixteen cents. Give or take."
"How?"
"Mom had an insurance plan of... A billion dollars because she didn't trust people and Keiko had one for two hundred million dollars."
"How did they pay for this?"
"I don't know. Mom was... Mom. Keiko was the main beneficiary for once she turned eighteen and I was the secondary one. But, the bank isn't in my hometown, thankfully. Mom must've added a clause or something, but I got the information while I was studying one night and Pietro confirmed it. I can go against you as a business and could win."
"Then do it. But, you better move out."
"Why are you such an ass lately? Are you jealous that I'm smarter than you? Just because I have a few more degrees than you, doesn't mean I'm smarter, Tony..."
"How much of what you've said is true?"
"I do have a lot of money sitting in a bank in Colorado from my Mom and sister's life insurances. I don't want to compete with you, I've competed with enough people already to prove I'm worth something. I want to work with you." He looks at me and finishes his coffee.
"Well... Tough. I don't work with people that just up and leave for ten years. Have fun finding somewhere that will accept you, Razzle Dazzle," He calls over his shoulder as he leaves and I throw my hands up slightly once he's gone.
"It's alright," Pietro says gently and I look at him, frustrated.
"I can't win with him!"
"I know."
"I tried to contact him and he ignored me!"
"I know."
"He's being an ass!"
"I'm aware." I run a hand through my hair and he wraps his arms around my waist gently. "I'm also aware you want to punch him in the face."
"Little bit!" He rests his chin on my head and I take a slow breath, calming down a bit.
"Better?"
"Kind of."
"Good. I'll be back."
"Speedy."
"I won't hurt him. Physically. Or mentally."
"Pietro."
"Or emotionally."
"Thank you."
"Must you ruin my plans?"
"Yes." He looks at me and zooms off. I think and cross my left arm across my stomach while putting my right elbow on my left wrist, twirling my fingers. Water droplets twirl around them and the others watch, amazed, as I continue to think, pacing slightly. "I don't have anything I can base it off of... And I doubt Tony would let me in the lab... Hacking JARVIS would be difficult... Doable, but difficult... Hm..." I flick my fingers slightly and the water droplets evaporate, biting the skin on my lip slightly.
"I have all of the components that were in all of my weapons with the Ravagers memorized... But I don't have the components at my disposal so that knowledge is useless... Maybe if I can find the suit from Tony that could help me come up with a basis for better gear for the police... But then he could sue me for using his technology and design to make mine... So that's out too... Better training so that they can handle things that they aren't currently trained for would be good, too... But that costs money and they have a budget... That's out..." I was getting frustrated again, turning my arms around so I can chew on my thumbnail slightly, flames licking at my right fingers.
"OK, forget about the armor for now... Less deadly weapons... Tasers? They work well, but if they get used for too long to someone with a heart condition they get dead... Batons? Less deadly, but more violent, and if someone gets carried away they bludgeon someone to death... Binding tech? Risks the weapon going off or getting lodged in the police or innocent bystanders... Smokescreen? Attack blindly and could result in more causalities... Freezing tech? Hypothermia, frostbite... Less stupid people? There will always be stupid people everywhere!" I rub my neck slightly and run my thumb across the scars on the back of it from the collar, breathing slowly to calm down again.
"OK... OK... Maybe make a program to identify possible triggers for people doing these things? Programs... OK, I could probably do that..." I take out my phone as I stop pacing and look through it quickly. "Ha! Found it!" I call someone and wait. "Hi, hi. Um, this is Legacy Bank, Buena Vista, Colorado, right? Awesome, awesome! Would I be able to transfer funds in one of your accounts to Key Bank in Buffalo, New York? The name on the account? Um... Hang on." I look through my phone and find the alias my Mom used.
"The name is Mary Emyrada. You can? Awesome! Am I Mary? No, no... I'm her youngest daughter, the funds in the account are from her life insurance, and my older sister... It's fine! You didn't know that! The name on the new account? It's Raziah Maximoff. The funds should be in it by tomorrow? Awesome! Thank you so much. You too." I hang up and get another phone call. "Hello? Yes, I did. Have the funds arrived already? An express wire transfer? I didn't know those existed... OK, cool. No, I'm not going to tell you my account number. I'm well aware of what my caller ID said. It said proven scam and if you don't hang up in two seconds, I'm going to sue your ass so bad that I get the clothes off your back. Questions?" The phone beeps as they hang up and I nod. "That's what I thought." I call one more number and wait for them to answer.
"Hi, Taylor. I know it's only been a day since I last called the bank, thanks for reminding me. I have funds being transferred into my account from Legacy Bank in Buena Vista, Colorado. I'll get notified once they're in, right? Awesome! Thanks, Taylor. Yup, you too." They hang up and I pocket my phone.
"What?" I look at Peter and quirk an eyebrow slightly.
"What?"
"What was that?"
"Transferring money from my trust fund to my account here...? What else would it have been?"
"You're going to go up against my Dad?"
"No! I'm not going to go up against Tony in business! I highly doubt I could manage to win against Stark Industries when I don't even know what supplies I would use or how to design it..."
"You seemed confident earlier," Steve points out and I shrug.
"I was bluffing... A lot... I've got a good poker face, huh?" He rolls his eyes and I put my hair up.
"What are you going to do, then?"
"I can't come up with a good way to deescalate interactions with police from the police side of the argument. So... I'm going for the other side. Especially in teens."
"So you're saying if a black kid gets shot by the police, it's the kid's fault?" Sam asks and I look at him.
"No, and you know it isn't. I'm saying that people make it too easy for me to hack into things and that the arrests of black and Latino teens have increased in so many, quote-unquote, crimes. The fact that the juvenile system is made up mostly of white kids, yet, black and Latino kids are arrested at least four times as often or stopped and frisked isn't right. We need more than equality, we need equity!"
"Yes!" Morgan agrees and comes over. "I have no clue what you're planning, but I'm in!" She offers me her hand and we do our handshake.
"What's the difference?" Bucky asks and we look at each other, looking at him after a moment.
"Let's use an example. I'm fluent in numerous languages, not a flex. English was one of the last languages I learned, same with Keiko. With equality, we were thrust into a house that only spoke English and the adults would tell us to do something then get pissed when we didn't do it fast enough because we didn't understand it. With equity, Keiko was put into English as a second language class in school and she helped me learn it. It can still confuse me from time to time. People push equality because it's easier than equity. We need to strive for more than equality-"
"We need to strive for equity," Morgan finishes in a cheer and I nod.
"How do you plan on doing that?"
"I'm going to use my money to make after-school tutoring available for underfunded schools, offer teens a safe place with no pressure to do anything from anybody, and anything else that I can do. I can't change people or how they perceive others, but if I can change someone's life for the better? I'll take it!"
"And I can help after school!"
"If you want to. I probably won't be able to pay you..."
"I don't care! Volunteer hours work great!" I chuckle softly and she smiles.
"We can help too," Michelle says and I smile a bit.
"Yeah. We'll help however we can, Raz," Bruce says with a smile and I nod.
"Well, I'm gonna need to find a place that's for sale so it can be made. It'll need to be a decent size..."
"Like an old library?" Peter suggests and I think, nodding after a moment. "There's one nearby." He shows me some pictures of it and I nod.
"That would be perfect. Is there a number for the seller?" He nods and puts it in my phone, calling it. "Hi. I'm calling about the old Buffalo Library. Is it still for sale? It is? How much? Five million? OK. I can give it to you by three in the afternoon tomorrow. Just give you a call when I have it? I can do that. Awesome. Thank you."
"Five million for an old library?" Michelle asks and I shrug.
"Cost doesn't matter much to me." I look through some other pictures and swipe them onto a holoscreen nearby, adjusting a few things.
"You're getting ahead of yourself, kid," Bucky says and I nod.
"I know. I do that a lot. But, if I have a floor plan prepared I won't have to prepare it later."
"Fair enough."
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I come back from my meeting with the seller and Morgan looks at me, excited. "How'd it go? Do you have the keys?"
"No..."
"What? Why?"
"Someone beat me to buying it."
"And you couldn't beat them at the price?"
"They paid forty billion for it..."
"Jeez." Tony comes in, whistling, and twirls keys slightly around his finger. "Dad."
"Hey, three thousand. Hey, Razzle Dazzle."
"Hi, Tony. What's got you so happy?"
"Just put down some money on an investment. Catch." He tosses me the keys and I catch them easily, looking at him in confusion. "Rent is to be determined. Those are the keys to that library. Have fun." He walks away and I lose my temper.