We Are Only Human

Summary (Volume 2): After rescuing the young woman, they have found that her powers are more than they once were. More threats arise and the Avengers need to train their newest members before it is too late.

Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or the characters therein. I do however own my OCs Avril, Jessica, Tommy, and Rayne (and various others that occur). The characters are creations of pure fiction, although some are based on conglomerations of personalities from my friends, family, and editors.

Author's Note: I feel asleep at the computer again. My lab time went over again and desperately needed coffee just to drive home. I'll look into uploading all of volume 3 tomorrow. Also, a shout out to AllyCatt12, Thanks for your review. It is greatly appreciated.


Chapter Fifty One

May 28, 2016. 1315 Hours

Avril sat next to an unconscious Falcon. She felt her body shake as she stared at the horrible stitching job she had done. However that was his only major injury, a deep gash to his right upper arm. Glancing at Steve, she watched as Rayne pulled a piece of glass out of his hand and then the remnants of a shattered flash drive out of the other. She felt useless. If it hadn't been for them plugging those drives into the mainframe at that Hydra outpost, they would never have been attacked like that. Finally clenching her fists she walked out of the room with her head hanging.

Rayne watched her great granddaughter walk away in angry silence. Steve was watching her as well. "She blames herself."

"She doesn't need to, we were the ones who messed up."

"She still blames herself." Rayne put the last of the fragments into the small metal bowl. "I'll finish binding your hands up and then you can maybe talk to her. She won't hear it from me…and I think we both understand why."

"She considers me a closer friend that you. She trusts me better than you…why is that?"

"You were her imaginary friend growing up, remember?" Rayne glanced at Falcon. "If he hadn't stayed behind to catch me, I don't think anyone would have gotten back in time to rescue her."

"Is she becoming a liability?"

"No, but she's starting to see herself as one. If we started actually treating her less like a liability and more like a teammate then maybe she would feel more comfortable."

"I'll go talk to her once you're done." Steve hated the look on his friend's face. "Rayne, how are you handling all of this?"

"Better than I could be I suppose. It still hurts…knowing that Bucky was alive and neither of us…neither of us…" She tied off the last stitch then began wrapping his hands in gauze. "We didn't think he was alive and because of that…"

"He got hurt the most out of all of this…we have to remember that."

"I know…but Fury…it's sad to realize that the man I helped train was killed by the man I had loved." Rayne shivered as she remembered teaching Fury all the same tactics she had learned. All of that training he had passed on to several other agents, many of whom were actually Hydra agents in disguise. Even Coulson had learned the same tactics she had taught Fury.

"It'll be all right in the end Rayne."

"I know…" Rayne tied off the gauze then quickly patted him on the shoulders. "I'll stick with Falcon, you go check on Avril…and be gentle with her."

Steve nodded his head and started towards the cabin where Avril and Rayne spent their nights. Knocking on the door as he walked in, he noticed that she had a large duffle bag pulled out and was throwing clothes inside. "Av?"

"I'm going back to Stark Tower. I'm not really all that useful for you guys and I feel like dead weight if I stay." Avril answered while throwing a crumpled up shirt.

"You're not dead weight."

"If it hadn't been for you heading towards the mainframe you wouldn't have gotten injured."

"Avril that is the cost of gathering intelligence on our enemy. People get hurt every day, what is important is why they get hurt. We're doing this to save the world."

"And I'm endangering everyone on board this bus."

"No, you're not."

"Please, Steve we both know I am. It's because you all think I cannot protect myself that you're all being extra cautious with me. If you can't accept the fact that I can defend and protect myself then it would be best if I just left." Avril zipped the bag shut and then hefted it over her shoulders. When she looked at him, she noticed the odd look he was giving her. Under normal circumstances she would have read his mind and then convinced him to let her leave. But, this was different. He was a friend and ally. If she did that she would be no better than the enemy.

"Then at least let me drive you to the nearest bus station." Steve pulled out his keys and then quickly went to reach for her bag.

"No…I think this is something that I need to do on my own." Actually she didn't want to ride on the motorcycle, but she didn't have the heart to tell him of her insecurities with the contraption.

"Avril, please, I would feel better if I were to get you to the bus station than you walking there. You do remember that Garrett and the rest of Hydra do want you."

Grinding her teeth together, she let him take her bag. She wasn't going to win this debate. "Fine…just…don't get uncomfortable if I hold onto you tightly." She mumbled while looking at the ground.

"We'll take off after Falcon wakes up and you can say goodbye to him." Steve walked out leaving her alone in her bus.

She looked around sadly. She didn't want to be leaving them but it might be better for everyone else if she weren't there. She was basically just a waste of space and not all that helpful to the team. Going back up to the lab, she hesitated. Seeing him unconscious was unnerving to her. She wasn't entirely sure what had happened, all she knew was that he had gotten hit in the head hard.

If she had been with them, if she had been able to fight alongside them, then maybe Falcon wouldn't have gotten hurt – let alone Steve. Gripping her hands together, she sat down on the bottom bunk. Why was she so weak? She was always around people who were stronger than her, people who could handle themselves in a fight. And yet here she was, fully trained for combat and yet emotionally unable to fight. She had no motivation for fighting.

"Avril…" Rayne started forward.

"I'm leaving…Steve's taking me to the nearest bus station after Falcon wakes up."

"I wish you wouldn't."

"I'm better off going back to Stark Tower. I think we all know that."

"It's not true." Rayne started to reach out to her great granddaughter. "You're safer here with us."

"I'm not safe anywhere. The safest place I could possibly be was 6 feet in the ground."

"You can't mean that."

Avril sighed. "No, but it might be better if Hydra thought I was."

"So you plan on faking your death?"

"Haven't gotten that far into my thinking."