AN:

THIS CHAPTER IS NEARLY 6 THOUSAND WORDS LONG!

Hopefully this answers some of your questions.

Chapter Twenty Five

I spied the research lab before Clint called out our distance. This seemed about the time Wanda and Pietro discovered Ultron's endgame, so Helen was going to take a beam to the chest any second now.

Of course, seeing how my plan was to make sure everything went as smoothly as I remember seeing it, I'd tagged along.

As we skimmed past a few rooftops I called to Clint "I think we're supposed to stop here" just as Steve said "Right here should do it, Barton."

"I don't think I'm ever gonna get used to that." Steve said to me as he passed me an earpiece; a commslink of my very own.

I wiggled my eyebrows at him suggestively, teasing in a mock amazed voice, "Cap, you know what I'm thinking. I think we're soulmates."

He rolled his eyes as the rear door descended, and we both stepped out onto a red roof. Steve jumped the railing in front of us with ease, whereas I missed the first time, falling onto my ass. I realised, after the fall, that I had superpowers, and cursed at my stupidity. I stood, inhaled, and jumped at the top of the railing, giving myself a boost by transferring energy into my movement.

"Two minutes. Stay close." Steve's voice echoed through comms.

As I hoisted myself over the railing, a commslink in my ear, and wielding supernatural abilities, I felt like a secret agent. I mean, well, I would have if it weren't for my lack of stealth, absence of coordination, and these ungodly comfortable, yet not-spy-wear like, sweatpants.

I landed on the roof and took stride with Steve, overlooking the city and Dr. Cho's lab. He turned his head and glanced down at me.

"You're not gonna be this slow the whole way, are you?"

I scoffed. "As if, Captain Good-At-Everything. That was my first time jumping a rail and I nailed it." He cocked his brow and I mustered up a cheeky grin. "I'll race you."

"If it'll keep your pace up, then you're on, kid."

I laughed and leapt onto the closest rooftop, Steve following close after. I landed in a pose I could only describe as a crouching cat. Standing, I immediately began running, gaining speed, and pushed off with all the strength I could muster, landing in the same position, keeping grip on the many different types of roofing I came across.

This went on for a while; me jumping roof to roof, with Capsicle tailing me no more than a rooftop behind. I knew he wasn't racing, but instead staying behind to keep an eye on me. He could probably overtake me and get to the lab a short while before me if he tried.

Eventually I came to a rather interesting obstacle. It was the widest gap between roofs I'd encountered so far. I looked down: it was a two story drop onto pure cement. Falling would mean death or countless broken bones. But did I give any thought to these consequences as I backed up a few paces? Did I doubt I'd make the distance? No. Of course I didn't. I'm stupid, reckless, idiotic, impulsive, etc., etc..

I was two steps into my run up when I heard Steve scream from behind "Riley, stop! You won't make that!"

I ignored him and kept running. I knew I could do it. I just knew. As if in slow motion, my feet lifted from the from rooftop ledge one after the other, and my hands reached for the guttering.

I extended my arms forward in order to catch my weight upon landing on the blue roof, but as I reached the peak height of my jump, I lost all faith in my previous beliefs.

I wasn't going to make it.

My hands landed on the edge of the roof, the padding in my sneakers took the impact of my foot pressing against the wall as I tried to hold myself in place. No matter how hard I attempted to hoist my torso onto the roof, I just couldn't. I heard Steve yelling from behind, getting closer, then further to the left as he leapt across a few different roofs, but I couldn't make sense of what he was saying. His voice in my earpiece was unintelligible.

In a final attempt to get onto the roof, I pushed off with my feet. It seemed, however, that those feet were providing the leverage to keep me barely upright. My hands slipped from the roof and my weight left me as I tumbled to the floor. I reached blindly for a grip on something- anything.

The tips of my fingers hooked onto that anything and my legs swung underneath me. My feet were planted against the wall and my fingers were clasped into some guttering set along the roof I'd lost my grip on.

I was on the edge, and my sore fingers held on with ferocious desperation. But I'd done it. I had a solid grip and I'd cleared the jump. Steve was waiting above me, a hand out. The next thought on my mind was to reach for him, but before I could register what was happening, the gutter had detached from the roof on one side. There was a precise moment in which everything seemed to pause and I looked Steve directly in the eyes.

My fingers slipped and then I was falling.

"RILEY!"

Everything was black. I was in nothing. There were no walls; I wasn't inside. I couldn't see the horizon; so I wasn't outside either. I was in an endless space of nothing.

"Riley." The voice was neither male nor female. Adult nor child. It seemed the voice came from everywhere.

I looked around for a possible source of the sound but there was none. The last thing I remembered was looking up to Steve before I fell. I didn't remember landing. Come to think of it, I didn't even remember coming close to the ground. I guess I did, though.

Perhaps this is what death is like?

I didn't care what it was. I couldn't see anything and there was some creepy fucking voice talking to me from nowhere. I was freaking out. And can you guess what happens when I freak out? I run away.

So I ran, and ran, and ran and ran and ran. So on and so forth. I ran for what seemed like hours, for what felt like kilometres. But I never tired and I never ran out of breath. I couldn't even tell if I'd even moved from where I was.

I was trapped in an eternal and infinite limbo.

Well, isn't this a real doosy?

"Riley."

That fucking voice; there was no emotion and it gave me shivers. I didn't reply to it.

"Riley."

I kept ignoring it, kept walking.

"Riley."

I shook my head.

This isn't real. This can't be real.

"Riley."

I clenched my fists and looked around at the vast expanse of nothingness.

"WHAT?!" Spit flew from my mouth and tears spilled from my eyes and a screamed at nothing. "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT?!"

"Riley. There are things I need to tell you. I will explain as much as I can in the time I have."

I forced myself to slow my breathing.

There's a disembodied voice talking to me. I'm in some fucked up nowhere place. Fuck it.

"Okay."

"I created you. The reason you can't remember anything before your arrival at the heroes of Earth is because nothing before then was real."

"What? What does that mean?"

There was a pause.

"I am an ancient being. I am the last of my species, as I have been for many millennia. I vowed to protect the planets that needed it, and recent events have brought me to yours. I fear the things that are to come for your world, as do you, but I am old and dying. I need a replacement, and you are it."

"Why me? I mean, you created me, but why like this?" I asked. "And why can't I remember anything? This makes no fucking sense."

Another pause.

"You needed to fit in with the Avengers. You needed to be accepted. I made you human, young and female for this reason. The females of your race are dangerous, loyal and have a burning need to protect. This makes you the perfect fighter and defender. The females give life to the next generation of your species, creating a fierce subconscious need in those around you to protect you. You were created at this age because children give off a sense of vulnerability that people let down their guard around, and an innocence they enjoy. But you are old enough to have an advanced mental capacity. You lack grace because people will step up to help you when you fall. Even your traits were made to appease to the Avengers' likes. You are witty to keep up with the Iron Man. You are childish to appeal to the Black Widow. You are kind to connect with the Hulk, and adventurous to bond with the first son of Odin. You seem different, dare I say an outsider, to have an understanding with Captain America. And you are vulgar to amuse Hawkeye. You have an accepting heart, which attracts those around you, even those with crueller intentions. You were the perfect fit."

Nothing intelligible was on my mind except, "Oh."

"Please don't be alarmed. You are as real as the next person, you merely came into existence a different way."

"Yes." I said as if in a daze. "Yes."

"Are you fine if I continue?"

I nodded.

"The human mind is fragile, but you needed to be human to fit in with the Avengers. This was the largest complication for me. Your human mind couldn't handle the information of both the past and the future in any one moment during your life, let alone immediately after your creation. I put an illusion around your mind, a world quite similar to the one you're in now, portraying this knowledge as a work of your species' cinematography. This way you could process the real world without overwhelming yourself. I gave you illusions of friends and family so that you would understand the makings of healthy and unhealthy relationships. When I placed you in the real world, the world of the Avengers, I erased the false world so that you would not have any ties to your false life. Does this make sense to you?"

"I think so." I cleared my throat. There was so many questions fighting for dominance on my tongue. "What about my abilities?"

"Of course. You are human and mortal, meaning you can die. In an attempt to minimize the chances of this happening I gifted you with a defence mechanism. This ability you call 'ghosting' allows you to protect yourself against forces that humans are not able to stop, such as explosions, flying projectiles like bullets and debris, and even living beings who mean you harm. Your telekinesis allows you to voluntarily enhance your strength as humans are physically inferior, and use offensive tactics against threats."

"So, um, what you're tryna' tell me is that you created me, gave me a fake life in my head so I would understand how the world works, then placed me into the real world and erased my memory."

"That is correct."

"And I can ghost to protect myself, and I have telekinesis to make myself stronger and attack the bad guys."

"Yes."

"And all of this is 'cause-" I could hardly get the damn name out. "'Cause Thanos is comin'."

"I'm afraid so."

"Wait." I cracked my knuckles anxiously. "Have you really been protectin' countless vulnerable planets for thousands of years?"

"I sought to do as much good with my powers as possible. But now my time is coming to an end and I need someone to help keep the Earth's defenders at their strongest. Even if that means sacrificing themselves in order to do so."

"I understand." I rocked on my feet thoughtfully. "I'd do it without a second thought if it came to it, seein' as you probably made me that way, anyway."

"No. That was never needed to be implanted. It came naturally."

I chuckled nervously. "I can't tell if that's a good thing or bad thing."

There was no reply. I rolled my bottom lip between my teeth for a while, unsure of what to do.

"Why do I keep waking up in different places?" I ask. "Loki's cell, last year, by the way? What was that about?"

"The false son of Odin will come into play several years into the future, further than I can see clearly. I needed him to have someone's comfort before he lost his mother and indulged in his evil impulses in order to give him a chance to change his ways. He lost his chance, and you know how it ended."

"He's not a false son." I defended him. "He's as much a part of his family as I am of mine."

I sighed at the lack of reply. "Where are we?"

There was a pause so long I thought I wasn't going to get a response.

"We are in your head. I created this place because I knew you would react negatively to my reveal. In here, there is nowhere for you to go except the same place."

"Interesting. And me fallin' from the rooftops? Did I ever hit the pavement?"

"No. This entire conversation is happening in less than a jiffy, during the time it takes for a neuron to travel. You just lost your grip. You're still falling."

"That's great." I mutter sarcastically. "Just great."

"It was reckless, what you did." The voice said. I guessed it would be condescending if it had emotions. "But, in all honesty, I expected nothing less with such a mixture of characteristics."

"I guess I'm going back there, right. What do I do?"

"It's out of my hands. It's up to you to save yourself. I have faith in you though, Riley Rose. I have a feeling you will go far and do great things, whether they are noticed by others or not."

"Thank you. Really. It means a lot, oh powerful creator." I laughed softly, but again, silence was the only thing to respond.

"I'm dying." The voice spoke. "You will not wake in any other places, nor will you have further visions of the future. You have discovered your powers and it's up to you to train and control them. What you have now is what you will always have."

I listened quietly.

"I'm afraid that my time is up."

My brows furrowed and my lips parted slightly.

"You will never hear from me again, and neither will anyone else."

"No. Don't go! At least tell me your name!

"I do not have a name. I suppose you may call me your Creator, if it pleases you. But I must go, it's out of my hands, my child. It's my time. Everything ends eventually."

The blackness around me started to lighten until it was white.

"I don't…" I clenched my jaw. "Thank you."

The white started to glow.

"Keep your family safe, they are strongest together. I have faith in you, my child."

The white light consumed me.

I was falling.

It took no time at all for me to register I was out of my own mind and accelerating towards the ground.

I flung my hand out and caught the bottom of the hanging piece of guttering. It caught my weight for a moment, giving me a second to look to the side and spot a clothes line on a close balcony. I flicked my wrist in a 'come hither' motion, and three of the thin, ductile ropes snapped off and landed in my hand. With my weight distributed between the handful of ropes, I swung onto them as the gutter snapped from its hinges. I grabbed onto the balcony railing, grazing my knee across the side of the building, as the section of gutter I was previously holding onto shattered against the pavement.

I looked down at the mess, realising it could have been me down there. Two hands hooked under my arms from above and hoisted me up onto the roof. I landed on my already sore ass bone and then huge arms were around me.

"Don't ever do that again." His voice shook in my ear. "Don't do that to me."

I nodded and put my forehead into the crook of his neck.

"What's going on down there guys?" Natasha asked through comms.

"Nothin'." I replied from my nestled position on Steve's shoulder. "Just me bein' reckless and clumsy as usual."

"Keep it together, Ry. We need that cradle."

"Copy that, ma'am." I joked dryly.

I removed myself from Steve and stood up, offering a hand to him as I checked out my knee. The sweatpants were ripped and a large section of skin was missing. It looked like I'd survived a horrid bike incident on bitumen. "Come on, we gotta move."

He took my hand and I hauled him to his feet.

"Is there any particular rush you wanna clue us in on?" He asked.

I shook my head. "Nah, we still got time. I just don't wanna risk anythin'."

We ran into the destroyed section of the lab. I checked the pulse of all the workers who lay on the floor as Steve ran to Cho. Ultron was true to his word when he'd said Helen's entire staff would die. They were all dead. I'd just touched a bunch of dead people, and in all honesty I didn't feel as shaken as I thought I would.

I jogged over to Cap and Cho.

"...Inside the Cradle. The gem-"

"Stone." I muttered, but neither of them heard my correction.

"Its power is uncontainable. You can't just blow it up. You have to get the Cradle to Stark."

"First, I have to find it."

"Go."

Cap looked at me as he stood and headed to the door. "Let's move."

"No, I can't be a part of this fight. I could cause some serious timeline alterage." I crouched by Helen and pressed a new towel to her bleeding shoulder. "I'll stay with Cho. Go get 'em."

He nodded briefly and ran from the lab.

Helen's breathing was becoming erratic. "I can't see the wound. You have to describe it to me, then I'll know what to do."

Calm down, Riley. She needs your help not another problem.

"Brace yaself, I'm gonna pull the towel off for a second." She squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her jaw as I pulled the rag off as quickly and gently as possible. The moment it was off, blood started gushing from the crater onto he top of her shoulder. I covered the wound again. "So bad news and good news."

Helen looked at me with eyes half full of fear and hope.

"The bad news first. You're bleeding out, and the wound isn't gonna just disappear. I don't know anything about this doctor stuff, but even I can tell this is really, really bad." She closed her eyes and I watched as a few tears fell don her amazing cheekbones.

Well done, Riley. Definitely A+ comforting. Thumbs up to you.

"Good news, though," her teary eyes opened. "I've seen the future and -spoiler alert- you're in it!" I laughed weakly. "You're gonna be fine. Help's on the way."

It was less than a minute later and no one had showed up. Cho was drifting in and out of consciousness, more unconscious than not. No one was coming and Cho was going to die if I didn't get her some serious medical help.

I sighed, waited another five seconds, and then sighed again.

"Dr. Cho, we need to move." I held her face in my bloody hands and tilted her head to look at me. "Helen, open your eyes."

When I got no reply, physical or verbal, I moved one hand up to her eye and opened her lids, checking her pupillary thingy-

Pupillary response, stupid.

Yeah, I checked her pupillary response, and they dilated under the light, meaning she was still alive.

"Sorry about this Doc."

I stood up and stepped away, then I faced my palms out towards her sitting form. I moved my hand in a horizontal motion, and her body slid slowly onto the floor. I flipped my hands to my palms upwards and lifted them. Helen's body lifted from the ground. When she was chest high, I started walking to the exit, keeping my hands up to hold her in the air. I'd never used my telekinesis directly on a human before. I mean, I'd managed with the Hulk, but that was more about containing his force, where as this was delicate work, and honestly all I was worried about was losing control and dropping her.

At the door, there were a variety of vehicles and differently dressed people surrounding the entrance to the lab. The ones that caught my attention were the ambulances, and people in black with heavy body armour and big guns. Obviously the explosions had attracted a lot of attention, so it was no surprise that law enforcement was here.

I turned my back to them and used my butt to push open the door. I stood there as a living door jamb whilst I moved Helen's unconscious form through the glass frame, then followed her out into the open. The black clad soldiers took a semi-circle formation around me and the floating figure, taking a knee and aiming their fire arms.

They shouted a bunch of different things at me, none of which I could understand since it was all in Korean. And me yelling back over the noise that I didn't understand and I needed help. I wanted to raise my hands up in surrender but they were the only thing keeping Dr. Cho from falling.

After a further exchange of shouts, a shot went off about a meter from my feet. A warning shot.

"DON'T SHOOT! I'M ON YOUR SIDE FOR FUCK'S SAKE!"

Six shots went off and in my fit of fear, I threw up my hands and rebounded the bullets on all sides, sending them to the ground. This caused Dr. Cho's unconscious body to start falling to the cement. In an act of desperation, I pushed off from my spot, diving onto the pavement underneath her, taking the brunt force of her head and chest. It also knocked the breath out of me, but details, right?

I heard a small groan from Helen before there were people swarming around me after that. They pulled Helen off me and handed her to the people working the ambulance station. Rough hands grabbed my upper arms and lifted me to my knees. I hissed as my skinless knee touched the brittle pavement, and leant all my weight onto my good side. They patted me down for weapons, and upon realising I had none, proceeded to take out a pair of handcuffs.

Well, isn't this great? Do a good thing, help a friend, and end up on your ass. Perfect.

I sighed in combination of defeat and annoyance, but my solace was given to me knowing that Cap and the Maximoff twins were kicking ass while Nat was being super cool as always.

Before the second cuff was locked, an ambulance worker rushed over and spoke in a hushed voice in the ear of the officer in front of me.

Rude.

I mean, it's not like I could understand them anyway, but still, courtesy. Regardless, the man barked an order at the soldier cuffing me and I was pulled to my feet and pushed to the ambulance where Helen was patched up and hooked up to a bunch of beepy-beep machines.

With my hands cuffed behind me and a soldier standing on guard just out of arm's length, I leaned over Helen, who smiled weakly.

"How ya doin', Sheela?" I asked softly.

"I'm doing just fine, Riley, thanks to you."

I scoffed dismissively. "Don't give me credit for anythin', you're the reason I was calm through this whole shitstorm."

"No need to be modest. But, really, thank you. I'd be dead without you."

I smiled. "Just another day in the life of the Sweatpants."

She furrowed her brows at me in confused amusement. "Who?"

"Never mind. Can you tell them," I gestures to the officer behind me. "That I wasn't killin' anyone, and that I was actually helping. I'd do it, but I don't speak Korean."

And if I did it would be an explanation full of very colourful vocabulary.

"I can. One moment please." She called to the soldier behind me and spoke to him for a minute in a rush of foreign language. He then went to Mr. Boss and relayed what Dr. Cho told him. Mr. Boss strode over, paused, and then began speaking to me in Korean, which I did not understand, but Helen was eager to help.

"He said he's terribly sorry for the misunderstanding, but he wasn't going to risk his men seeing as you have powers. He thanks you for your cooperation and hopes you are not offended by his choice of actions."

I smiles at him and said, "It's totally cool. I understand you viewed me as a threat, but I no longer have a problem," and Helen relays the message straight away.

He smiles briskly and walks away, barking an order at a soldier who hurries to me and unlocks my cuffs. I smile at him, seeing at it's the only form of communication, and rub my wrists as he leaves.

I turn back to Helen. "You're gonna be fine, Dr. Cho. I'll see you later."

"Goodbye."

Then I make my way down the street. I tap my earpiece twice as I break into a steady jog, and immediately hear commotion on the other end.

"Update me with where we're at please, Clint."

"Good to hear your voice, kid." Barton says through comms. "Ultron is beating the shit out of Cap and those damn twins on a train, and Nat is hot pursuit of the package. What are you up to? You've been radio silent for a while."

I was near the end of the bridge now, coming to the streets. I turn right and head up the loop, trying to get a vantage point to see from.

"All good. Had a run in with some authority, there were guns and handcuffs and the lot, but it's all good now. And Helen Cho is in safe hands."

"Well done, kid." There was a pause. "Wait, did you say guns? As in bullets?"

"Err, yeah? It's not like they had water pistols. But I deflected the shots, so it's fine. There was just a misunderstanding."

"Well if you say- Hold on please. Okay, package is airborne. I have a clean shot."

"Negative. I am still in the truck." Nat objected.

"The hell are you..."

"Just be ready, I'm sending the package to you."

"How do you want me to take it?"

"Uhhh." She mused. "You might wish you hadn't asked that."

I snorted. "That sounds dirty."

"Not the time, Riley." I heard Steve call. He sounded like he'd just taken a serious blow.

"Turn around and back the Quinjet up for me, pal." Nat said to Clint.

"Oh." Clint realised. "That's risky, are you sure you're up for it Nat?"

"Yep. C'mon."

"I lost him!" Cap yelled. "He's headed your way!"

Yep, to take Nat. Oh my fuck, I can't believe I'm letting this happen.

I was on the highest loop of the bridge now, and could clearly see the Quinjet tailing the truck backwards.

I tapped my earpiece. "Nat, you trust me right?" I asked.

"Um, more than I usually trust someone."

"And you believe I'd never let anything happen to you if I knew it would turn out bad?"

"Of course. You're part of the family now. Why? Is something gonna happen?"

"Um." I breathed in deeply trying to calm my heart rate as I watched a shiny projectile rise up from the city towards the airborne vehicle. "Just listen to him rant about shit, don't try to fight back. You'll be fine, I promise."

"That makes no sense, kid."

The Cradle, along with a certain redhead dropped from the truck. Ultron was getting dangerously close.

"I'm sorry, Nat."

Then she was ripped from the box by the flying metallic madman, leaving the Cradle to fall into the Quinjet. There was static on her end, and then silence as she was pulled out of the distance our commslink could reach.

"If you have the package, get it to Stark!"

"Do you have eyes on Nat?"

"GO!"

I watched as the Quinjet propelled forward towards me. It swooped down as I jumped, putting as much force into the leap as possible. I landed in the rear, rolling awkwardly on my shoulder, and up righting myself on my skinned knee.

"Ow, fuck!" I hissed, using the Cradle to jump up onto my feet. I grit my teeth and held my shoulder as I rolled it around, checking for damage. Thankfully, it was only a little sore.

My hand dropped from my shoulder as I stared at the Cradle. The Mind Stone was in there. So was Vision. I squatted down next to it, by his head.

"Hello." I said timidly. "I don't even know if you can hear me, considering the mad scientists haven't implanted Jarvis' matrix into you yet. I mean, you convulse when your life support gets shut off. So you're obviously aware." I giggled quietly. "I actually can't wait to meet you. From what I've seen you just seem so cool." I sighed. "Anyway, I'm talkin' to you even though you're probably not mentally aware since I let my friend get taken by the bad guys."

I looked at the box as if waiting for a response. "I know, I know. Dick move, Riley. But it had to happen, and I know she won't get hurt. Besides, we'll be meetin' her again real soon." I scratched my head. "What I'm worried about is Clint- that's the one driving us to safety, by the way- because he and Nat are so close. They told me they would understand if I did questionable things as long as they were for the right reasons, since I've seen the near future, but I'm just scared he'll be mad."

I stared at the box in deep contemplation. "You're right," I stood up confidently. "I should just go ask. No point in wallowing when I don't even know the answer."

I patted the Cradle. "Thanks, Vi."

I walked with trepidation to the pilot's den. I stopped short and gave myself a push.

You've jumped buildings, travelled through different dimensions and times, fought a Norse god, escaped a metal megalomaniac, and survived your own clumsiness; you can talk to someone you trust.

I bit my bottom lip and poked Clint's shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"Can we talk?"

"Sure, kid." I couldn't read what he was feeling. I walked around the chair and leant against the rim of the desk where there was no buttons and switches. "What's up?"

"Um, about before, with Natasha. I just wanted to know how you're feeling- about me, I mean."

"I'm worried sick, really, but as much as I fret, I trust you equally as much. Nat's one of your closest friends, your family. And you take care of your family."

I smiled in relief. "I'm worried too, but I just-" I cleared my throat and made myself look at him. "You know that if I knew something was going to hurt my family, I'd do anything I could to stop it. Anything."

He looked away from the sky to me and I smiled further. "I promise you, Nat is gonna be fine."

He smiled back. "I believe you."

Satisfied, I pushed myself from the desk and wandered through the interior of the jet. I needed to clean and wrap my skinless knee, and some painkillers for my shoulder and crushed chest, so I set out on a search to find a first aid kit. Honestly, I could have just asked which compartment it was in, but I was enjoying the comfortable silence and I needed something to do for the flight home.

Eventually (after discovering many hidden hiding places for weaponry and such) I discovered a first aid kit, which was right next to the Cradle in plain sight that I never noticed. I opened it, dry swallowed the painkillers on hand, grabbed a tube of antiseptic cream, a gauze pad, a bandage and set to work.

It was painful, but it was better than an exposed and filthy wound, so I couldn't really complain. It was my own stupidity that caused it anyway.

I was really psyched to see Bruce again, and, dare I say it, Tony. I actually missed them. Maybe that trait was implanted by my Creator, so that I would stay with them? I guess I'd never know, but I did know that I loved them, each and every one. Come to think of it, I don't recall ever telling them that. It would be as simple as, "I love you guys" but it never felt like the right moment.

I guess I'll have to get around to that.