Epilogue~
When I wake there is something clinging onto my sleep shirt, a leg tangled with mine. Slowly sitting up, I look down to see its Sara with her cheek resting on my chest. Everything comes back full force from last night; JARVIS waking me up from my sleep with the words 'Sara is on the patio and she's about to jump off', the fear that grips my heart as I race out of my bedroom towards the patio, seeing her tiny figure on the ledge with arms spread out wide, grabbing onto her only to have her fight me tooth and nail. When I had pulled her safely away from the ledge she had snapped out of whatever dream she had been in, her eyes filled with so much hurt and sorrow. And then I had brought her to her bedroom and had nearly left her alone when she needed someone the most. I had nearly let her drown in her own sorrow as I had drowned in my fear. Fear for her safety, fear that she would fall, fear that she would die and leave me forever. Swallowing back a sob, I slowly untangled myself from her hold and stood from the bed turning back once to look at her. She looked like a fallen angel, her hair splayed over the pillow which she had buried her face in. As I began to head for the door I hear a soft almost unmistakable sigh from her,
"Bruce," squeezing my eyes shut I felt my heart contract with a feeling I had thought I'd never feel again. With shaky legs I forced myself to leave her room, making sure to be as quite as possible as I opened and shut the door. As soon as I was out I leaned heavily against the door, my hand covering my eyes as I sighed deeply. It was then I heard the sound of voices mingling in the kitchen and so pulling myself together headed in that direction. I wish I hadn't though, for when I got there I was met with everyone, their faces a mixture of pleading and demanding to know what had happened. With a broken sigh I shook my head letting them know I had found out nothing as to why Sara was about to kill herself.
"JARVIS, bring up the footage of Sara Williams graduation from MIT." I heard Tony say as I stood glued to the spot with my head down. Footsteps came over towards me and looking up I saw it was Natasha, her hand coming to pat my shoulder trying to comfort me.
"Here it is sir." JARVIS said cutting through the thick air like a knife. I could hear the sound of a screen turning on and so turned my head towards the sound seeing the screen appear out of the air. It was from a camera pointed at a stage, the students sitting just before the cameras position. The Dean and several heads of the school were on the stage and I instantly recognized the person walking onto the stage as Sara. She looked so young; after all she had only been sixteen as she took her graduation slip from the Dean before shaking hands with him. She looked so happy, so purely happy as she raised her fists in the air getting a cheer in responds from the crowd. A few more students went onto the stage before a scream filled the air. As the camera turned to see what was happening I felt my eyes grow wide with horror as Sara's tiny figure was engulfed with those be damned black flames. As her scream of sheer pain echoed the flames blasted outwards at everyone causing mass chaos. Just as the camera began to shake the footage cut off before going black and white, the last thing we all heard was her scream. Swallowing back all my chaotic emotions I heard Natasha saying,
"How horrible." and couldn't agree more.
"JARVIS, bring up the footage of SHIELD taking in Sara." Tony said to the AI and as it hurried to comply I turned around and managed to say,
"She didn't even know."
"How could she? I mean, she said so herself that she had no idea that was going to happen." Steve said looking down at his clenched fists.
"Sir, I have no footage of SHEILD taking in Ms. Williams but I did manage to find something else." the AI said and once more the screen came to life and we could all see a small white room with only a bed. On the bed was a toddler who again I recognized as Sara, for she had the same colored hair and those haunting eyes. The door to the room opened and in walked a younger Director Fury in his usually all black attire.
"Sara Williams, my name is Director Fury. Do you remember what happened?" the man asked the toddler who at the name slowly sat up to see the stranger.
"No mister. Where's my Momma?" the toddler Sara asked, her eyes beginning to water.
"She's not here." the Director said with his head downcast, apparently unable to look at the toddler Sara.
"Where my Daddy then?" toddler Sara asked as a few tears made their way down her chubby cheeks.
"He's not here either." Director Fury said glancing up at the now crying toddler. We all watched as he went over and sat beside the toddler Sara, his arm wrapping around her tiny frame as he said,
"Don't worry, you'll be safe here."
"That lying son of a bitch." Clint growled as the camera feed once more cut out to turn black and white. I could feel the Hulk inside me, growling and thrashing about that it had been the Director to cause Sara's pain.
"I can't believe it, all this time the Director knew of Sara's condition and did nothing to protect her. He didn't even tell her so she could be able-" but Tony was cut off by myself saying,
"He knew, and he didn't give." as my eyes narrowed I growled, but it wasn't myself who had growled, it had been the Hulk. I felt my eyes flutter shut as a hand rested itself on my shoulder, Tony's voice saying behind me,
"Go check on the kid will you?" turning my head to look at him, he smiled before giving me a slight push towards the doorway. Taking his lead, I smiled at the others before heading back to Sara's bedroom. Coming to stop in front of the door, I sighed deeply and felt the beast within calm down, the Hulk saying,
"Sara need us." Feeling a lopsided smile on my face, I opened the door and left the light off knowing she'd probably still be asleep. Slowly I went over to the bed, kneeling down on it and going to wrap an arm around her sleeping figure when I realized something was wrong. As my eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness I found to my sheer horror the bed empty, sheets tangled and bunched together as if a fight had gone on. Trying to think of a logical reason that she'd be missing, I stood and rushed to the bathroom only to find it empty as well. Now the terror was beginning to swallow me as I searched the room for a sign, any sign of her being there.
"JARVIS?" I asked with a shaking voice, my brain trying to comprehend that Sara was missing.
"Yes sir?" the AI asked me though I noted a tone of worry in the computers voice.
"Can you locate Sara for me?" I asked it heading for the door in order to tell the other Sara had gone missing. Yet as soon as I opened the door the computerize butlers voice said,
"She's downstairs outside getting into a black Sedan, though it appears she's not going willingly."
"What?!" I demanded as I tore the door off its hinges and tearing through the hallway heard the others footsteps heading for the elevator. When I entered the living room Tony was already in his suit and heading for the patio doors calling out,
"Coming doc?" but not understanding felt an arm grab mine. Looking down I noticed it was Tony's arm and he was pulling, no, dragging me towards the glass and it shattered as we flew through it. Covering my head with my free arm, I felt glass tear at my skin as we began descending to the street and as Tony's propellers slowed us down we landed right in front of Stark Towers only to see no black Sedan anywhere near the entrance.
"JARVIS, can you find that car?" I heard Tony ask as I shook myself out of his hold. From behind us I heard footsteps running over toward us and looking back seeing the others finally arrived.
"Where's the car?" Steve asked in a voice filled with venom.
"Gone, but JARVIS did manage to get a license plate number. He's cross checking it with all the Black Sedans in NYC." Tony said removing his helmet to look back at us. It was only a short while before the AI said into Tony's earpiece,
"Sir, I was able to locate the car in question and it seems to belong to the organization known as HYDRA."
DUN DUN DUN! The ultimate cliffhanger! Well, I hate to leave it here(but in some twisted way I love to leave it here)so ya'll are just going to have to wait for the sequel, which will be coming shortly! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERY AMAZING REVIEW! *HUGS!*