"Bonnie," Steve greeted, looking anxious when I came up to our floor.
"Steve," I called, wrapping my arms around him when I reached him. "There was someone in the house, I think they were there to replace the bugs we destroyed," I explained and he nodded.
"Most likely," he agreed. "Stark talk to you about installing security in the house?" I nodded.
"Did he get the video footage?" I asked and Steve nodded. "I never mentioned it before because it never seemed suspicious, but there was this guy I ran into the day Tony injected me with his serum, I sketched him out, but my memory isn't as clear, it's literally been years. I was wondering if it was the same guy."
I handed Steve the note pad and he looked at the image. He took it to Tony who scanned it in and compared it to the still he'd taken of the intruder.
"It's kind of a reach," he said after a moment. "This could be any 6 foot guy with muscles."
"You don't think it's weird? I start planning a project and I keep finding a hulking guy hanging around and bugs are in my house?" I replied.
"I didn't say it's not weird, I just don't think they're the same person," Tony replied.
"Whatever," I replied shaking my head. "I'm beat, I'm heading to bed."
"Who's jackass idea was it to include community service on a Sunday?" Flash asked rubbing his face and looking up to the newly built community house in front of him.
"And this early," Luke agreed, rolling his stiff shoulders.
"You want this done or not?" I asked as I sat perched on the newly installed porch steps. "All we have to do is paint the place, it isn't hard."
"Without coffee it is," Gordon mumbled and I chuckled, getting up and pouring some paint out into a pot.
"I'll ask Stark for some," I smiled and picked up a paint brush, going to the front wall brushing on some paint.
"I'll get the top stuff," Peter said standing next to me and painting everything above 5 foot off the ground. "Shorty."
"Shut up," I shook my head and bumped him with my hip.
By lunchtime we'd painted the whole outside of the house and Tony had Natasha deliver us some lunch and more coffee, something I'm sure she wouldn't have agreed to if she wasn't itching to suss out the new base. She sat on the steps to the new Youth House and ate with us, asking questions about how the place was going to be run and what not.
"Downstairs is going to have Stark's guys all over the place, one by the secret elevator in the janitors office, one at reception and several posing as youth workers scattered throughout the ground floor. Upstairs is where our guys can stay if needed. Beds, bathrooms etc. Public bathroom downstairs. And in the basement is where all the fun happens," I explained and she smiled, nodding.
"This is a really well thought out base," she complimented, no doubt thinking of a million ways she could make it either better or planning how she could infiltrate the place.
"The elevator also does body scans," I commented. "Only authorised personnel."
"There we go," she smiled. "That's better."
"Also Stark security systems run through the above ground floors as well as the basement," I added and she accepted this.
"You should also think of a safety code to type into the elevator that sends us a distress signal should you need help," she suggested and I noted that down.
"Hey Tasha?" I asked once everyone else had gone back to work.
"Yeah, what's up?" She asked.
"What's the likelihood of it being the same guy, like the guy I saw before I went back and the guy in the house?" I asked.
"I'm sure Stark's right in the respect that it could be anyone and the two times, though they might be connected, aren't the same guy," she started and then paused.
"But?" I pried, hoping she'd choose to continue.
"There's a ghost story, it's likely that on the off chance they are connected that it's just some bad guy and has nothing to do with this.." she started.
"But obviously you wouldn't bring this up if you thought that completely," I replied. "However improbable you think it's at least possible or you wouldn't say anything, right?"
"It's possible, you're right, but incredibly unlikely," She replied. "There's an assassin most of the intelligence community doesn't believe he exists. He's credited with over two dozen assassinations in the last fifty years," she explained and the bells chimed in my head.
"Which wouldn't have been impossible but difficult, that guy I saw was young and fit, not an ageing assassin," I started. "But seeing as I've just been back in time... How stolen was the stolen technology Stark use?"
"That I don't know. I ran into the assassin a few years back, it was an escort job. I was taking a nuclear engineer out of Iran and somebody shot out my tires. We lost control and went over a cliff. I pulled us out but the assassin was there. I was covering the engineer when he was straight straight through me," Tasha explained and showed me her bullet wound.
"Which is why you know the best makeup to cover my bullet wound," I smiled.
"Yep," she grinned. "Now go on, you're slacking on your community service," she got up off the steps and offered me a hand. I took it and then waved her off as she got back in her car.
"Ugh," I groaned, wiping my forehead with a clean part of my paint splattered arm. "Let's call it a day guys," I suggested around 3.
"Thank god," I heard Gwen groan in the next room. I packed up my painting stuff and then headed out to the porch to lay on a tarp until everyone was ready to leave. When they were I locked up and went with Peter back to the tower, him still living there since his Aunt was stashed safely away in Barbados.
"You two look like hell," Agent Barton commented as we walked onto the communal floor covered in dried in paint and dirt.
"Feel it," Peter rolled his shoulder forward as it stiffened up.
"Fighting bad guys is wayyyy easier," I added and slumped down onto the couch. Or I would had I not heard through a "Don't you dare," through the intercom.
"Those couches are expensive Bonnie Margret Carter," Tony yelled and I laughed, going back towards the elevator to shower instead. "Once you're showered," he chimed in through my headphones. "Try on your new suits, they're on your bed."
"You made them fast," I commented and he chuckled.
"I'm good Bonnie, just say it," I could hear the grin in his voice.
"Not on your dying day," I replied and took the hair clip out of my hair before stripping down and jumping into the hot shower. Eventually I convinced myself to get out of the shower and dried off enough to leave the steamy bathroom. I stepped onto the plush carpet and turned on the lava lamp Spiderman got me for ambiance.
I looked on nostalgically at the one with a skirt and smiled, thinking about the time I'd had to slip into one of the costumes when Steve visited the base I was working at when he was a dancing monkey. I slid the other, full bodied suit on and it fit well, it would do well for colder climates and any super bad missions. I went back to the dancing girl one and slid into the tight, mid thigh length bike shorts that Tony had made out of bullet resistant fabric and vibranium weave and pulled the vest like top closed over my boobs, doing up the zipper. I dropped the skirt over my head and it slid down to my waist, where it sat just above the end of my shorts.
There was a thigh holster for each leg and I stepped into those and pulled the one for my waist over my head and down my body, slipping it under the end of my tip and beneath the skirt fabric. I also put on the shoulder pads Tony had made me before the war on, never knew when they would come in handy. I walked out of my room in some knee length black socks as I had no shoes for the suit and wanted to ask Tony what he thought should wear. I headed up to his lab and followed the sound of tinkering.
"Ahh, there you are Princess," he greeted not looking up. When he did he let out a whistle. "Lookin' good."
"This one fits better," I commented. "What are we going to do about the exposed legs?" I asked.
"Ahh, that's your cue then Thunder Boy," he called and Thor stepped in. "I asked him last time he was here about getting some Asgardian armour for your thighs, Sif has a nice setup going with her boots."
"Indeed," Thor agreed. "It would be an honour to escort you to Asgard, Lady America."
"I'll go get some shoes then," I smiled. "How long will this take? I have school tomorrow."
"You'll be back in time, don't worry," Tony smiled. "Before you go though," he tossed me a helmet similar to Steve's modern one and I tired it on for size. "Thor's also taking your gauntlets to an Asgardian specialist to work on you shield and stuff. Have fun kiddo, but not too much fun," he winked.
I rolled my eyes and went down to grab some shoes to slip on and bumped into Peter. "Hello, you look adorable."
"I should look fierce and threatening," I replied and poked him. "You get your new suit?"
"I did, it fits well, I think I sweat less in it actually," he commented.
"Hopefully it makes you more resistant to giant lizard swipes," I replied and he laughed.
"Hopefully," he returned and patted my helmet lightly on his way past.
"Are you ready, Lady Carter?" Thor asked as I met him on the roof of the tower.
"As I'll ever be, I can't believe you're taking me to Asgard, are you sure it's okay for me to be there?" I asked as I took his arm.
"I am Prince Thor Odinson," he replied. "Even if it wasn't, who would stop me?"
I laughed as we rocketed through the sky following his hammer and then went through a whirlwind vortex that was insane and very similar to rainbow road in Mario cart.
"So, bowling, huh?" Agent Barton asked me as I sat down on the couch, showered up and done trying on my suit.
"Yeah, Bonnie and I go bowling all the time. It had been a while so we decided to go yesterday," I explained and he gave me a look, like he could see right through me. What he was seeing, I didn't know.
"You don't think it's weird, a guy and a girl going out together, alone?" he asked.
"Well she's my best friend, and for a long time, my only friend. Who else am I supposed to go with?" I asked, why was everyone around Bonnie a crazy person?
"What about your girlfriend?" he asked. Ah, he also thought I was sleeping with Bonnie.
"Gwen doesn't like bowling," I responded. "Bonnie and I do. I go to dinner with Gwen, I study with Gwen, I go to movies with Gwen. I kiss Gwen, I sleep with Gwen, Gwen is my girlfriend, and Bonnie is my friend. I love them both." I explained.
"When are you going to admit to yourself that you like Bonnie more than a friend?" He asked, sipping the coffee he'd brought into the room with him. It wasn't myself that I had to admit it to. I loved Gwen, I really did and I don't want to lose her. But there's something about Bonnie, something I can't explain. I want her too.
"You know, I could go around making the same implications about you and Natasha," I countered, trying to push things away.
"Some guys and girls can be friends, it's true, you guys however? We all know you feel much more for her than you're letting on," he replied.
"You know what? There's nothing really on TV anyway, I'm headed to bed. Goodnight Agent Barton," I said, getting up off the couch and headed to the elevator.
"Friends don't give their friends stuffed toys they win from claw machines! That's a boy trying to impress a girl move!" He called after me as the doors closed.
"While we wait m'lady, let me introduce you to my brother, he is most excited to meet you, I assure you," Thor boomed, giddily as we walked through the large hallways of his Asgardian palace. "It might be good for him, too, to interact with other people. He'll find you most fascinating."
"I'm sure we'll get along fine," I replied, nervously thinking about my meeting with a god/super villain/frost giant.
"Brother," Thor boomed as we walked by his cell.
"Thor, must you yell? I assure you I am not deaf," Loki responded, not looking up from his book.
"I have brought someone to meet you, brother," Thor responded at the same volume.
"I see that," he said, sounding rather unimpressed.
"This is Captain Rogers' new daughter," Thor explained and he looked up.
"Really brother? The star spangled baby with a plan? I hadn't noticed, even with all the stars and stripes, thank you for pointing it out," he replied sarcastically and I snorted.
"You are most welcome brother," he grinned, booming voice a constant in the conversation. "I shall leave you two to it while I go back and check on your armour."
"Star Spangled Baby with a Plan?" I asked arching a brow, helmet hanging in my hand. "I don't usually dress like this by the way, you can blame Stark for my getup."
"I blame Tony Stark for a lot of things," he responded going back to his book. It was leather bound and had intricate gold swirls adorning the cover. It was written in a language I didn't understand but seemed to have captivated his attention.
"What are you reading?" I asked.
"It's a book on healing magic in ancient Asgardian," he replied as if I wouldn't understand.
"Oh," I replied, thinking of how I would continue the conversation. "I'm a healer," I started and he looked up at me with an eyebrow raised. "Course I don't know any magic, my healing capabilities lie in nursing and sewing wounds closed, those kinds of things."
"And that's your position with the Avengers?" He asked.
"No, I'm not with the Avengers, I have my own team which I lead," I explained.
"I see," he replied.
"Will you read your book to me?" I asked, coming over closer to the glass.
"No," he responded bluntly. "It wouldn't be any good. You'd need to have read the introductory to healing magic or it wouldn't make any sense to you."
"Oh," I responded. "Well where can I get a hold of that?"
"In the library," he explained. "Although I doubt you could find it, you don't read Asgardian."
"Oh," I said sounding a little disheartened. "Will you teach me?" I asked.
"You won't be here very long, it would be a waste of time teaching you if you would simply learn bit here and a bit there and go off back to your realm," he replied, trying to go back to reading.
"What if I come back again? Will you keep teaching me?" I asked.
"Very well then," he grumbled. "I don't suppose I'd be getting any reading done with you here anyway."
"Loki!" Thor boomed as he came back to Loki's cell to find me perched beside him cross legged and leaning over his lap slightly to read the symbols he was pointing at. "What is going on here? What are you doing with Lady Carter?"
"I'm teaching her to read Asgardian, brother," he replied annoyed. I was beginning to assume that was the only emotion he was capable of holding and/or displaying.
"Wonderful!" He boomed and I rolled my eyes. I could see a little bit why Loki was so annoyed all the time.
"Yes, I wish to return regularly to continue my lessons," I added.
"That can be arranged, lady Carter," he quickly agreed. "Come now, your armour has been finished, you should find them to your liking."
"If I must, I was quite enjoying myself," I said standing up. I was removed from Loki's cell and I turned back towards the glass and offered him a small wave.
"If you wish Lady Carter, you may borrow some books from our plentiful library to continue your studies," he said as we walked at a brisk pace through the hallways of his palace.
"Thank you," I smiled at him. "Although I'm afraid I wouldn't know what to borrow."
"Nonsense Lady Carter, I will show you all the books I learned to read with, you may borrow them," he bellowed, steering me toward the library.
"Oh, thank you," I said as I was being practically shoved through a large set of doors. A half hour later I was lead back to the smith's workshop with a stack of books I couldn't see over.
"Quite the entrance Princess," Tony greeted as books spelled out of my arms and clunked on the floor all around me. I had my helmet on and the gauntlets that Tony had started were wrapped tightly around my wrists in Asgardian leather and the metal on top had a very intricate, swirling design on them. The pattern matched that of the one on my over the knee boots that fit very snuggly to my legs. Leather on the inside, metal outside.
"Yeah, while I was waiting they started teaching me to read Asgardian," I explained, leaning down to pick up the books I dropped.
"You tried out the shield yet?" He asked excitedly.
"I," I started and looked at my left wrist. "No," I replied with a sigh.
"Just think it," he replied and I shook my arm experimentally.
"WOAH!" I yelled as it trust from my arm like the shield in Percy Jackson.
"Nice, nice," he nodded in appreciation.
"Tony," I started. "No one told me how to take my gantlets off."
"Shit," he said after a moment. "Think it?"
"No dice," I replied.
"I'll speak to him," Tony grumbled. "In the mean time? Wear long sleeves to school."
