They spent the next several hours discussing the bombings. It was agreed that Banner and Stark would focus on figuring out how to protect against the type of explosion. Barton and Romanoff would focus on gathering information. White and Rogers would stay put and help in whatever way needed. Before they left, everyone was issued an ear piece for communication. When they were dismissed, White shot Stark a glare, which, if looks could kill, would have been fatal.
"Rogers," Fury called Mr. Captain America back inside, "I'd appreciate if you got to know Ms. White. Tried to acclimate her to being part of a team."
Agent Barton nodded, joining them I'm hushed voices, "She's not the easiest person to get to know, or to work with, but once she trusts someone, she is incredibly kind and considerate. I think it stems from how she was raised, having to cope with being different and all."
"I'll try my best, sir. Any pointers," he added, addressing Clint Barton.
"Just play nice," he joked.
"Will do."
He walked out of the room and spoke into his ear piece, "Ms. White? Where is your location?"
"I'm on observation deck three. What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Fury just wants me to come talk to you."
"Alright, well, I'll be here. I guess you could join me. I don't care."
Rogers smiled. She sort of reminded him of Tony Stark. He wasn't surprised that the two of them were so quick to irritate each other. He made his way to the elevator and took it two decks up. It let out into a curved hallway lined with doors and quickly Rogers found the right one, right at the apex of the turn.
He opened the door and found Eliza White leaning up against a railing. The room opened up above the main bridge so that it over hung the workers and there was a clear view out the front windows.
"So, Ms. White," he started walking over to her and joined her at the rail, "Where did you grow up?"
"I was raised outside of London England, in an orphanage. Apparently my family had dropped me off there when I was a baby. How about you?"
"Brooklyn. I grew up in Brooklyn, New York. But that was a long time ago."
"Ah. You're that man they found in ice, right?"
"Yep, that's me. Somehow I was still alive after seventy years. How old are you?"
"Seventeen. S.H.I.E.L.D. finally got interested in me when I was fifteen and so they sent Barton out to track my whereabouts. I had tried to be subtle in using my powers but I knew they'd be on to me sooner or later."
"You said you have telepathic powers. Like what?"
"Watch," she grinned, standing straight up and holding her palm out. Her eyes glowed bright red and suddenly a tongue of fire was in her hand. She moved it around with her fingers and then blew it out.
"That's pretty cool!"
"Thanks," she smiled broadly, "Call me Liz. Ms. White is too official."
"Feel free to call me anything you want," Rogers joked, "To most people I'm either Rogers or Captain."
"There's nothing to do around here," she complained.
"Well, let's go see how Dr. Banner and Stark are doing," Rogers suggested.
Eliza agreed and they set off. Steve Rogers was nice enough, she decided. She liked him. Hopefully the other two could be like him, though she had her doubts about that Tony Stark.
When they entered the laboratory, Stark and Banner were busy with their backs to the door. Neither turned around at first when the two newcomers entered.
"How's it going," Rogers asked them, walking over.
Eliza stayed where she was.
"Currently we're tracing the radioactivity of this metal, trying to identify what substance it was in contact with," Dr. Banner explained and turning around he caught sight of Eliza, "Oh hello!"
Stark turned around to see who he was talking to. He made a face when he saw it was the girl again.
"Play nice, Stark," Steve Rogers joked.
"I think I'll leave you three alone," she muttered, turning quickly and dashing out the door. She didn't want to ruin the friendship with Rogers she had just begun by doing something stupid to upset his friends. She hated her life, all she did was make people angry. She wasn't worth anything. Maybe if she just stopped living, people would have a better life.
"Well, now that she's gone," Stark began, only to be interrupted by the Captain.
"Really, Stark? You should be trying to get along with her, not make her mad! If she really is a genius like you, the two of you could use her help!"
"Besides, she looks like she could use our help," Banner said, "She looked pretty lonely in the briefing."
"Yeah, Fury asked me to make friends with her to try and get her integrated into the group. I'd appreciate it," Rogers glared at Stark, "if you wouldn't ruin this."
"Fine, sorry," Stark said indignantly, "Maybe she can be of use."
"Rogers," said Fury over the radio, "I can't get in touch with White. Can you tell her that Agent Barton needs her?"
"I'm not sure where she went to, Fury. She left us a few minutes ago."
"Damnit. Find her, would you?"
"Of course sir."
Rogers looked at his two companions, "Come on, let's split up."
Rogers and Banner went left and Stark went right. He found his feet taking him to the spot where Coulson had been killed. Why, he didn't know. Perhaps cause that was the place that changed everything.
When he got there we was surprised to find the girl there. But the biggest shock was that she had opened the large trap in the floor and was sitting at the edge of it, dangling her feet in open air. When he spoke she didn't turn to look at him.
"What are you doing?!"
"Oh. It's you. Come to taunt me again?"
"What? No. Agent Barton is looking for you but you weren't answering his calls. Fury told us to find you."
"Well. You found me."
"Yes, but what are you doing?"
"Nothing. You can close it if you want. I was just thinking. Besides," she glared at him, "it's none of your business."
Stark noted she had a tear rolling down her cheek. Eliza tried to cover it up quickly but Tony saw it clearly. First, he made sure to close the hatch. Then he sat down against the wall several feet behind her and to the side.
"Aren't you going to call Fury and Barton?"
"No. I'm not their puppy dog."
"So what is it you want, Mr. Stark?"
"I want to make sure you're okay."
"Am I ever," she mumbled to herself. Aloud she told Stark that she was fine.
Tony Stark raised an eyebrow, "You're sure? Alright then. I'll tell Fury and Barton that you're on your way."
"Alright, I've found her."
"Tell Eliza that she is needed in the briefing room."
"On my way, sir," Eliza White told them, "Sorry I wasn't answering your calls earlier, I was tinkering around with the earpiece."
Stark mouthed her a question, "Seriously?"
"No," she replied silently.
"That's alright. Just come here right away, Agent Barton and I have some information for you."
She left the room quickly and made her way to the briefing room. Stark shrugged to himself and got up to go back to the lab. He needed to keep analyzing the metals and explosives.
White entered the room and nodded to Agents Fury and Barton.
"Here as ordered, sir."
"Good. Sit down," Fury told her.
"We wanted to tell you how important it is that you try to get along with all the Avengers," Barton started.
Fury nodded, "We know that Mr. Stark is... Difficult, but he's brilliant and vital to the team."
"I feel I've been very hospitable," Eliza objected.
"Yes, well, we just want to make sure you stay that way."
"Understood, sir," she said, trying to keep from letting her irritation show.
"Alright, you're dismissed," Fury sighed.
She nodded and left the room. Eliza felt like slashing something so she decided to go to the training rooms. When she got there she was glad to see it was empty. Flipping on the lights, Eliza went to the training dummy and pulled out her two daggers. She began her hacking and slashing, dodging invisible hits with twists, turns, and ducks.
Eliza White enjoyed this quiet exercise. It was like her own form of meditation. With each strike on the training dummy, she calmed down and honed her focus.
"You're looking good, Liz."
Eliza halted mid swing and turned around to see who it was. She gave a small smile when she realized it Agent Romanoff. Praise from the Black Widow was not something to take lightly.
"Thanks, sir."
"You may want to be more careful on your placement of the dagger when you go in for a kill. Aim more here," she showed the girl where the best place to stab a victim was, "It'll lower the risk of breaking a blade or deflecting a strike on a bone."
"Alright."
"Feel like sparring for a bit? No weapons of course," the agent suggested.
Eliza grinned, "You're on."
She sheathed her daggers and the two women moved into the center of the room, on top of a softer floor. They took up positions opposite each other and at Romanoff's command they started.
Romanoff had a size advantage, being a whole head taller than White. But the younger of the two was smart enough to know she was strong enough to take a full blow from her opponent. As such, Eliza focused on speed; she circled her opponent almost constantly, laying small hits on Natasha Romanoff. The latter managed to lay a big one on the girl, but she shook it off.
Outside the door, Barton was watching them with a smile. Soon Banner, Fury, Stark, and Rogers had joined him. He had called them down to watch this epic battle of the women. They went inside quietly and stood right inside the door. A crowd was beginning to gather, other agents curious to see what the fuss was about.
Eliza duked to the right and spun, slamming her hand sideway onto Romanoff's shoulder blades at the base of the neck as hard as possible. In retaliation, Romanoff caught the side of Eliza's knee with her leg, knocking her off balance long enough for her to get punch in the stomach. Eliza groaned and pretended to be hurt. As Romanoff dropped her guard slightly, Eliza swung her own leg, kicking Romanoff's knee. The agent swung with her left, catching Eliza in the head. The blow wasn't very hard, but it hurt all the same.
Eliza spun against Romanoff, using the agent's own body as a shield, and landed a punch in the back of Romanoff's shoulder. Black Widow grabbed the girl by the arm and swung her around front. Hitting the girl in the other arm, she managed to trip Eliza and get her onto the floor. She held her down.
"I win," Romanoff grinned.
Eliza nodded, out of breath.
The older woman helped Eliza to her feet and steadied her. A faint trail of blood revealed a small cut from the girl's mouth, where she had fallen and bit her lip. She wiped the blood with the back of her hand and then noticed the small audience for the first time. Her former opponent seemed equally surprised.
"That was a good five minute fight," Barton grinned, coming over as the crowd dispersed and everyone returned to their duties, "I'm impressed, Liz."
"Someday I'll beat you, Romanoff," she smirked, holding her mouth with her hand to compress the cut and stop the bleeding.
She laughed, "Perhaps. But for now, you've still got to learn from me."
"Go find the other three Avengers and see if they need any help, Liz. Tell them that Fury has scheduled a meeting in one hour," Barton told the girl.
She nodded and, checking her hand for blood and seeing that it was slowing down, she walked to the laboratory. Banner, Rogers, and Stark were all there, tapping at panels and chatting.
"I've been asked to assist you in any way you need," she cleared her throat upon entering, "and tell you that Fury has scheduled a meeting in one hour."
"I don't think we need any help," Stark said plainly, not looking up.
Rogers sent him a look before following up, "But you're welcome to stay as long as you want, Liz."
"I've nowhere else to go," she sighed, the loneliness in her voice only partially masked
She sat down on the floor in the corner and pulled out a small screen. Eliza tapped it and began researching something.
"Rogers, hand me that tool over there please," Dr. Banner said, pointing to a small object.
Eliza didn't even turn to look. She immediately used her telekinesis to pick up the tool and float it over to the scientist.
"So what exactly are your... superpowers," Stark asked her.
"My mind. I can move objects, and conjure what you might call magic. Flames, ice, lightning, etc."
"Impressive," Banner commented, looking up from his work.
Eliza shrugged, "Maybe. I was born with them. Had to learn to hide them."
"Well you're obviously special," Rogers agreed with the doctor.
She snorted and quietly added, "I wish I wasn't special. I wish I wasn't at all."
The other three heard her and looked at each other, but no one made any comment. Eliza stood up and told them she was going to go rest for a while.
"Buzz me if I'm needed."
