Hello everyone! Wow, I can hardly believe it, but this is the end of my story entry in the Guardian Angels series! This has taken time , thougth and effort to finish, and I really hope that you have all enjoyed it!
For this chapter, anything that is underlined and in italics (ex. "My Name is Evie") is going to be the native language of wherever the character is at the time. It has been a very long while since I wrote this chapter, and I forgot to take note of the official name of the language Evie speaks in this, so I do apologize for that!
Again, I am nowhere near a Marvel expert, I just go off of my love/knowledge of the MCU and whatever research I may find online, so if there are any mistakes please kindly let me know. Also, please leave a review to tell me what you think of this final chapter, as well as this story in general. Thank you all so much, enjoy!
Disclaimer: All things that are in, associated with, or based off of Marvel in any way are NOT mine!
Chapter Sixteen: Escaping the Past
EviePOV
April 23rd, 1947
Queens, New York
Evie closed the lid of her suitcase with a snap, clicking the locks in place and straightening up, smoothing out the wrinkles in the skirts of her dress before scanning over her room for what had to be the third time in the last few minutes. It was odd to see her old bedroom all packed up and so empty, with boxes lined up along the wall and her bed stripped of its sheets and covers. It was one of many rooms in the apartment that were now bare, with everything she once owned stowed away or thrown out. otherwise, anything she wanted to keep or just couldn't part with were packed up neatly in her singular suitcase, which wasn't very much, but it was all she needed. Sighing softly to herself, Evie picked up her suitcase and then walked out of the bedroom, making her way down the hall slowly as she stared around for what she knew would be the last time. So many fond memories were made in this apartment she had once shared with her papa, and even though it wasn't anything spectacular, at the time, it was still home. She could remember on stormy nights, she would make tea for her and her papa, and they would rest comfortably while listening to the rain. even though it may seem like such a trivial thing, listening to the rain was something she had always enjoyed. Thunder storms never seemed to frighten her, not even as a child, and she found a certain comfort in them that she couldn't quite explain. When Evie walked into the living room, it was to see that Peggy was still there by the front door where Evie had left her, with her arms crossed and a deep frown on her face. Just from her expression, Evie knew Peggy was looking to go off another rant, but was holding herself back.
"Peggy, please don't," Evie said. "I'm not changing my mind about this."
"I didn't say a thing."
"You didn't really have to."
"Well do you honestly expect me not to be angry or at least a little upset about this?" Peggy snapped as she moved away from the front door to stand by the window, glaring through the glass panes. "Or did you assume I would jump up and down for joy?"
"Peggy..."
"My best friend suddenly decides to pack up half of her things, throw the other half away, and then ship off to who knows where to do who knows what! And the best part is you decided not to tell me or Howard until the day before you intended to leave!"
"You guys would have tried to talk me out of it," Evie said quietly.
"You're damn right we would have!" Peggy agreed, turning around to face Evie, who could see her friend's eyes turn glassy-looking. "Evie, running away is not the answer, you know that!"
"I'm not running away," Evie countered. "I just need time Peggy, time away from all of this, to clear my head. I need to figure out some thing, but I need to do it on my own, far from here."
"But why? Evie, I told you that Howard and I would always be here for you, do you think I was lying?"
"Of course not, and knowing that you are serious means more to me than you realize. But this is something that you nor Howard can help me with. You know why I have to go."
"There's got to be another better way to handle this other than you wandering off," Peggy now implored. "You have no idea where you want to go, or how long you will be gone. The world is still damaged from the war and trying to pick up the pieces, it's not safe for you to be out there alone. What if something happens?"
"I can handle myself Peggy," Evie reminded her.
"I know you can handle yourself in a fight, that's not what I'm talking about," Peggy said sternly. "You may not want to admit it, but you're in no fit state to go off like this."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Evie asked, her mouth forming a scowl and her grip on her suitcase tightening.
"You've cut yourself off, in more ways than one," Peggy stated. "You're doing exactly what you did when your father died, only this is worse. You won't allow yourself to feel anything other than anger, and don't think I haven't noticed it's effecting your powers too. It's clear that your starting to lose your grip, and it's only continued to spiral downhill after you lost Steve."
"Don't," Evie said in a low voice.
"You just can't give up like this. I know that you're hurt, but you can't keep letting this loom over you because it will end up breaking you beyond repair. That's exactly what Schmidt and HYDRA wanted. If you keep on running they will never let you stop, Steve wouldn't have wanted-"
"Steve is dead, Peggy!" Evie exclaimed angrily, her chest constricting as she said the words. "You think I don't realize that? That I don't have nightmare almost every time I try to sleep, knowing he will never come back to me? I used to pray to God that it was all just some horrible dream, that one day he'll knock on my door and we could finally be together again? He's dead and he's not coming back so I have no idea what he would or wouldn't have wanted!"
Evie's outburst rendered Peggy silent and for a moment they just stared at each other, with Evie's grasp on the handle of her suitcase so tight her knuckles were white.
"It's been two years," Evie eventually whispered. "Two years, and Howard and I have come up with nothing. Not a single piece of debris from the damn plane and no idea where it is. I couldn't even bring him home, Peggy. I can't keep getting my hopes up like this, because all it's good for is leaving me hurt. I need to find out how to move on from all of this, and I need to find out what my purpose in life is now. I'm not going to be able to find that here."
"You can," Peggy argued, but this time she spoke softly and her voice wavered a bit. "We can figure it out together."
"Peggy," Evie said, stepping forward until she was standing right in front of her, placing a hand on her arm. She could feel Peggy's tense muscles loosen up at her touch and then she dropped her head down, not able to meet Evie's gaze.
"What if you don't come back?" she whispered, finally voicing what it was that she truly feared. Evie felt her heart crumble at Peggy's tone, and so she set her suitcase down so she could gather the woman in her arms, trying to give her as much comfort as possible.
"This is not going to be forever, I promise," Evie said.
"But you don't know when you will be back either, do you?" Peggy asked her.
"No," Evie replied slowly, knowing it wouldn't be right to lie to Peggy. "I don't. Just try to make the best of this, okay? Don't get too wrapped up in your work, and make sure that Will knows just because I won't be here that doesn't mean he gets to lack in his duties of treating you like royalty. If I even get so much as a whisper of any shenanigans I'll be on the first flight, train or boat back."
"You really shouldn't give me any idea on how to make you stay," Peggy chuckled weakly, giving Evie a firm squeeze before they released each other. "Is there really nothing I can do to convince you to stay?"
"I have to go, Peggy," Evie said. The British agent sighed before she nodded reluctantly, tears forming in her doe brown eyes. Not much more was said before the two women left the apartment together, with Evie taking one last glance at it before shutting the door softly behind her. Once it was locked, she gave the key to Peggy, telling her to donate anything that was left inside later on when she had help to move it all. They walked down the staircase together and through the front lobby so they could step outside, where there was a taxi waiting to take Evie to the airport. When they reached the curb, Evie turned to smile sadly at her dear friend, knowing this was going to be the last time they see each other for a long while. Without a word, Peggy drew her in for another crushing hug and Evie shut her eyes tight, savoring it.
"Take care, Peggy," Evie whispered. "Thank you so very much, for everything. Watch over Howard for me, and tell him I'm not mad at him, please?"
"Of course I will. You owe me big time for leaving me alone with him."
Evie couldn't help but smile a little at that. She had already said her goodbyes to Howard yesterday when she had arrived at his office to let him know that she was leaving. Despite his attempts to keep it together, Evie could still see the sadness and guilt shining in his dark eyes. Unlike Peggy, he seemed to understand more of just how much Evie needed to get away, no matter how much he didn't like it. Knowing the man all too well, Evie had drawn him in for a tight hug, letting him know he had nothing to do with her leaving. She knew he felt like a failure for not finding Steve-she could see it in his eyes, and in his desperation to find the captain over the years. He had done his absolute best, scoured over every nook and cranny of the Northern Atlantic, but it was no us . The Valkyrie was lost at sea, with Captain America along with it. To Howard, that was letting Evie down and she couldn't stand that he thought that way. Seeing how much he wanted to find Steve for her mean everything and it's something she would forever remember. The man nearly crushed the life out of her and made her promise to be careful wherever she ended up.
"You better find a way to keep in touch," Peggy demanded as she let Evie go. "At least once in a while."
"I will," Evie said. "Love you, Peggy."
"I love you too, Evie," Peggy said, giving her a teary smile. With that being said, Evie opened the door to the taxi and slid inside, with Peggy shutting the door behind her. In the next moment, she was off, the taxi pulling away from the curb and driving down the street and Evie turned her head to see Peggy's figure growing further and further away as she waved, until the taxi rounded the corner and she fell out fo sight. Her heart clenched a little, already missing her best friend so very much, but she knew she could not turn back. This was something she had to do because if she stayed here, she would only continue to feel completely lost and being in a place that reminded her so much of Steve was slowly eating away at her. She needed to get away, far away.
"You goin' on a trip?" the taxi driver asked from up front.
"Sort of," Evie replied as she leaned back into her seat. "I'm not sure where it is I'm going exactly, though."
"I think a lot of folks are feelign' that way nowadays," the driver mused with a nod of his head. "Whatever it is that you may looking for, I hope you find it, hun."
Not even bothering to wonder if she was either that obvious or this man was just rather insightful, Evie fell quiet as the car ride continued on towards the airport. She stared out of the window as she watched the buildings and people pass on by, an image of the world trying to get itself back on track after so many years of destruction. There were other places in different countries in a far worse state, with people trying to move on from having their lives completely uprooted and as Evie gently traced over her pendant hanging from her neck, she briefly wondered if there could be some possible way that she could do her part.
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
October 28th, 1947
Kathmandu, Nepal
"Take once a day, at breakfast," Evie spoke to the woman in broken Gorkhali. "Come back after done."
The middle aged woman before her nodded in thanks, giving Evie a grateful smile before she took the medicine from her, tugging on her little boy's hand as they left to hurry down the crowded street, with the child waving at her as they left. Once they were gone, Evie sighed to herself as she grabbed her clipboard, making note of the pain medication she had just given the woman and frowned when she realized they were running short again. It wouldn't be much longer before they were completely out, and then who knows how long it would be before the foundation would be able to get their hands on some more. The people of this city desperately needed anything they could use to attend to their sick and with all that the charity's doing, ti still wasn't enough to help everyone. Evie ran a hand over her face, the long hours of the week finally catching up with her. There has been such a flow of people coming to the office it's been a little hard keeping track of everything and it was tiring to be on the go nearly non-stop for so long, but Evie found it as a nice distraction. Most of these people came from families who have lost someone during the war and now found themselves the main provider. It was mainly women coming in seeking assistance to help support their young ones until they could find a solution in the form of some kind of work to get back on their feet. These poor mothers have lost their husbands and were trying to think of ways to survive in a world that was practically ripped to shreds just a couple years ago, and it made Evie's decision to journey to Nepal a little easier.
For the past six months, Evie has been hopping around from place to place, never staying put for too long and making sure to devote her time and energy into helping those who have been effected the most from the consequences of war. After having seen for herself firsthand just how ruthless the fighting was and the chaos it left in its wake, she didn't want to see any more suffering than she had to. It reminded her too much of Elias, Emma, and Raoul, and the horrors they had gone through. A while back, she had even tried to visit Switzerland to check up on them, but while she had been in Serbia, there was a riot that got out of hand as desperate people started looting stores and shops for resources. Many people had gotten hurt, and she had stayed to treat any wounded as well as to assist with properly handing out rations so everyone could get their fair share. That was how it had been ever since she left the U.S, and for now it seemed to provide Evie with some kind of minimal purpose or drive her get her out of bed in the morning.
Yet now matter how hard she tried, and no matter how much good she tried to do, it never seemed to be enough. Whenever she would lie down to rest, she was plagued with horrible nightmares that would cause her to wake up in a cold sweat, fear tingling along her skin and sometimes it would take a minute for her to catch her breath and remember where she was. By the time she remembered, she would usually curl up in on herself and wallow in memories, her heart getting heavier each time. She had thought-or maybe even hoped-that by traveling around and helping to provide aid where it was needed would lessen the constant ache she felt, but so far it has been in vain. She can give out food and medicine, detach herself from any potential relationships of any kind and do what needed to be done, but in the end, she still found herself alone, and empty. Just like always. It has also been over a year since the last time she had used her powers, and for the first time since she first traveled to America, she found herself fearing them. If one of her night frights were particularly bad, she would wake up to find her hands shaking terribly and glowing bright, threatening to send a wave across her tiny bedroom and light up the night sky. It would take several minutes of frantic pacing before she could calm it down so it would fade away, and Evie was scared that one day she wouldn't be able to stop it. Her papa used to tell her he believed that all she had done before was just a mere taste of the true potential she had and she found herself not wanting that to be true. Not at all, not if she still couldn't control it.
Rubbing her heavy eyelids, Evie straightened up in her seat at the table just as Sona, the woman in charge of the facility came into the makeshift cubicle.
"No more today," she informed, smiling at Evie. "Go home and get some sleep."
"Thank you, Sona," Evie muttered gratefully as the woman took her leave to go tell the other volunteers it was time to close up shop for the day. Evie stood up, stretching a bit as she groaned, feeling her back crack in multiple places. She made quick work of packing up all the medical supplies she had with her and bringing it back to Nabin in Inventory, making sure to at least wave politely at the other volunteers she worked with before signing out. As she left the courtyard and walked into the street, a cold wind blew in her direction, ruffling the skirts of her dress and she shivered, wrapping her arms tighter around herself and burrowing herself deeper into the overcoat she wore. It was perhaps just a tad bit small on her but she easily overlooked it considering that this used to be Steve's old coat. At some point int he past, she realized that she had never given Steve his coat back after he had given it to her to shield her from the rain the day they met, and there was always an excuse to wait until later to return it. Now, it was the very few things she had left to remember him by, and she wasn't willing to part with it.
Shivering again, Evie continued on walking through the crowded streets, joining everyone else who was heading on home fro their daytime work and errands, clustered together tightly. Thankfully, Evie was staying at a tiny place that was situated over a market that was settled on a corner roughly fifteen blocks away. The landlord she was renting from from didn't require much, and seeing as Evie couldn't see herself spending more than maybe another week or so in Kathmandu, it didn't matter to her that the room she was sleeping in wasn't the most up to date. It was small, dingy and dirty but it was a roof over her head and there was a heater where she could burn coal to keep warm at night, so it wasn't too bad. The sun was almost finished with its decent beyond the city and she picked up her pace, not wanting to be caught after dark alone wandering through the streets. It was plainly obvious that Evie wasn't a native to this country and she wouldn't doubt that muggers would view her as easy prey. Despite the fact she knew that she could handle them, she would much rather not go through the hassle.
After she walked a couple more blocks, she turned down a more quiet street, where she took notice of an elderly man sitting alone on the curb on the opposite side of her in front of a bunch of empty crates, with an shopping bag next to him and a banged up bike behind him. As she drew closer, Evie could see that this man was homeless, given his rugged, exhausted, and filthy appearance. He had a couple of missing teeth, and he wore nothing but torn up pants, a tank top, and shoes that looked as though they had seen better days. The man had one arm wrapped around his thin frame while the other held out a tin cup, pleading with anyone who walked past him. Her heart instantly went out to him, saddened that he had to endure such bitter weather without any proper clothes. A sudden thought came to her as another short gust of wind headed her way and she clenched her coat tighter against herself.
No, the more selfish part of her brain screamed at her as she kept on walking. Why should she give it away? She was sure there are other coats somewhere that have been thrown out that he could use. This was Steve's!
"There's no need to thank me, ma'am, I'm just glad that you're all right...please, take this, or you'll catch a cold..."
Evie stopped dead in her tracks, the memory hitting her with the force of a wrecking ball, nearly knocking the wind out of her. The words, spoken so kindly a long time ago, echoed in her ears and all at once, she could feel the shame drop unpleasantly in her stomach, along with her guilt. Steve had not even hesitated when he gave her his coat when she needed it, and here she was, wanting to keep it to herself and just pretend that old man would find a better alternative. She imagined the severe disappointed expression on Steve's face if he could see her now, and she shivered for a third time, only this had nothing to do with the cold. Taking a breath and setting herself straight, she made sure no sort of vehicles were coming this way before she walked across the street to where the old man sat hunched against the crates. He lifted his head to gaze at her as she approached and she tried to give him her best smile as she dug into the pockets of her coat, first taking out whatever spare change she had and placing it into the tin cup in his hand. The man's lips tilted upwards a bit and just as he was about to say something, Evie rendered him speechless as she unbuttoned her coat and shrugged it off of her shoulders, shaking it out before reaching around to drape it over the man's body. Evie helped him push his arms through and crouched down so she could button it up for him, all the while with him gaping at her like a fish, eyes wide. After she pulled up the collar, she gave him a pat on the shoulder and stood back up, but before she could leave, he grasped her hand and nodded vigorously at her, his eyes tearing up and speaking so fast in his native tongue she couldn't quite keep up, although she was sure he was thanking her. Seeing him smile out of pure joy and gratitude was enough of a reward for her, and Evie smiled at him before she left, heading back down the street and crossing her arms over her chest. The money she gave him was supposed to cover the rest of the rent that she owed for this month. She sighed softly as she realized she would have to leave the city sooner than she expected. Resigning to this fact, Evie walked faster towards her building to escape the cold night, never noticing the curious pair of eyes that followed her every move from deep within the shadows.
The following morning, Evie made sure to get up earlier than usual so she could make sure she had everything she needed packed up, although it wasn't much at all. All she had with her was a spare change of clothes, a small bottle of soap, the scarf the Commandos pitched in to buy for her birthday, a journal she had bought for herself not long after first arriving back in Europe and her Three Musketeers novel, tucked safely away, with the very first pictures Steve ever drew for her and the peony he picked for her nestled in between the pages. When she was all set to go, she left the room and locked it behind her, making sure to drop off the key to the landlord inside the market before she left, thanking him for all his help. Taking to the streets once more, Evie pondered over how she was going to leave the city. She figured she would have to stick with her usual hitchhiking, and maybe she could wander down through India, having always been interested in visiting the country. It would probably be warmer there at least, and she wouldn't have to worry so much about freezing to death for the upcoming winter. Just as Evie turned around a corner to head down an alley out to the main street, she suddenly found her path up ahead blocked by two menacing looking men. They were both wearing ragged clothes that had several patches, with one man-the taller, thickset one-curling a chain around his knuckles and the second one-leaner and more muscular-dangled a small club lazily at his side, but the unspoken intent was still there, loud and clear. Evie narrowed her eyes as she slowed down to a stop and looking over her shoulder, Evie saw that there was now another man not too far behind her, crossing his arms over his chest and grinning toothily, his long nails and scruffy hair reminding her of a rat.
Great, I just had to jinx myself, didn't I?
"Don't be afraid, little mouse," the thin man spoke in horribly innocent tone. "We will not hurt you. If you just hand over that bag you have, we will let you go on your way."
"No money," Evie said moving into a position where she could keep her eye on all three of them. "Only books and clothes. No Money."
"Well, well, it looks like we have ourselves a smart little mouse," Thin Man said with a smirk, causing the others to laugh. "Why don't you let us be the judge of that? If so, you can give us that pretty little necklace for compensation."
Evie immediately stiffened, her hand rising almost instinctively to clutch the pendant she wore around her neck, sending a heated glare in Thin Man's direction.
"You're not taking this," she said slowly, a note of warning in her tone. "Leave me be."
"I don't think you have much choice here-"
"I suggest that you do as she says, and leave."
A brand new voice suddenly joined the conversation and Evie quickly turned her head to look straight ahead. To her shock, standing directly opposite her against the wall was a lone figure, who seemed to just appear out of thin air without anyone noticing. This person, whoever it was, was dressed in long, flowing robes that made Evie recall clothing worn by ancient warriors of old she had read about once, with different shades of yellow and a thick black belt tied securing around their waist. The hood of the robes was drawn up over the stranger's face, drooped so low Evie would be surprised if they were able to see clearly at all. This figure took a couple steps forward before moving their head left and right, seeming to be glancing at the thieves.
"There is no need for this to turn into something unpleasant," the stranger said, and this time Evie could tell it was a female speaking. "Just go on your way."
"Neither one of you are in a position to tell us what to do, woman," Thin Man sneered, losing his smirk as annoyance clouded his features, and then he addressed his companions. "Get this one out of here and take the necklace."
Moving as one, the thickset mugger started making his way towards the stranger while the one resembling a rat began walking towards Evie. She took a step back and gripped her necklace tighter, feeling her free palm tingle as a surge of anger shot straight through her body. There was no way in hell she was going to let them take her necklace! If they think they can just steal the last gift she had from her beloved, they have another thing coming! However, before Evie could even initiate a plan of attack, the thickset man suddenly gave a howl of pain, drawing the attention of everyone else, and Evie's eyes widened to see that his arm was being twisted back into what looked to be a very painful position by the female, taking in sharp ragged breaths as he tried to move away from her. With speed Evie never could have imagined, the woman gave three quick strikes to the man's abdomen and ended with a hit to the face, using her foot to sweep his legs out from under him and send him tumbling to the ground. For a moment they all stood there in stunned silence before the rat man took a knife out of his belt and then rushed forward with an angry cry. The woman simply dodged every one of his attacks and managed to grab hold of his hand, twist his wrist enough so that he would drop the blade and then kneed him in the gut before flipping him onto the ground as well. Thin Man tried to use her distraction to his advantage, and Evie yelled out a warning, but it seemed she didn't have to because the woman punched him dead square in the face and then kicked him right in his private area, rendering him useless. He moaned loudly, his hands clutching where she struck him and he fell to his knees, his head bent low and blood starting to ooze from his nose.
Evie stood there in complete and utter shock, her mouth hanging open slightly as she stared at the three groaning men on the ground, and the woman standing in the middle, without a scratch on her and not even so much as panting. That had to have been the most incredible fight that Evie ever witnessed! This woman used a fighting technique that was completely unfamiliar to Evie, and the way she moved, it was as though she struck hard and fierce like a rock, but moved gracefully and bent smoothly like grass in the wind. The sight was amazing and Evie couldn't help but feel a little awestruck. When it was clear none of the muggers would be getting up soon, the stranger stepped over Thin Man and made her way over towards Evie. Snapping her mouth shut, Evie felt her bodt tense up again as she looked at the woman wearily, her hand clenching into a fist at her side.
"There is no need to be frightened of me, Evangeline," the woman said. "I will not harm you."
"How-how do you know my name?" Evie asked, stumped.
"I know many things about you," the woman replied. "Including the power you're desperately trying to hold in right now."
Evie's eyes widened as this woman spoke, wondering how in earth she knew about her powers. As Evie glanced down at her fist, she saw that it was trembling, and some of the light was poking through her fingers, causing her to panic a little.
"No, no," she whispered, placing her other hand over her fist and trying to calm herself. "Please, not here."
"Breathe, Evangeline," the woman instructed. "Let me help you."
Without really waiting for a reply, the woman took Evie's hands gently in hers and just as Evie was about to pull away, she felt an instant cooling sensation on her skin, and to her shock, there was a bright orange and gold symbol that emitted from the woman's hands, encasing both of theirs in a circle and seemed to spark like firecrackers. The symbol rotated for a moment and Evie suddenly felt the warm tension in her palm evaporate, fading away until her own light was gone. The woman then withdrew her hold on her and Evie found herself at a loss for words.
"What...you-how?" she stuttered.
"Like you, I have gifts that are not quite of this world," the woman explained before she reached up and finally withdrew her hood, revealing her face. She had fair, pale skin and she was completely bald, with dark blue eyes that looked as though they could pierce right through Evie's very soul and find out her deepest secrets and fears.
"Who are you?" Evie whispered.
"I go by many names, but most refer to me as Ancient One, or Sorceress Supreme," the woman replied.
"Sorceress Supreme?" Evie repeated, not quite sure she heard that right and causing the woman to smile at her.
"With all the power you yourself possess, do you really believe that sorcerers cannot exist in this world?" she asked. "There are many secrets kept hidden away, magic beyond your wildest imagination and other dimensions that hold so much more than what a normal human can deem possible. My magic helps me to defend this dimension against different kinds of threats other than the physical that you have dealt with in the past. Whenever there is a new potential threat that enters this world, I keep observation of it, much like I did with you."
"With me? What are you talking about?" Evie asked.
"When you arrived here fifty-four years ago, I sensed it, and I have been keeping close watch over you ever since."
"But what do you mean by arrived?" Evie said, not quite understanding what this woman was telling her.
"I know that you have many questions, and I want to help you with them," the Ancient One told her. "I also want to help you gain full and complete control over your powers."
"Why do you want to help me? You don't even know me."
"I know enough to see that there is a person in need of guidance and healing," Ancient One stated. "I teach many who are lost, hurt, or seeking purpose. I can help you control your gifts and move on from the past and the anger that weighs down your mind as well as your heart."
"How do I know you can trust you?" Evie asked, her lips pulled into a frown.
"You don't," Ancient One answered with a small shrug, folding her hands behind her back. "But it may be a better choice than wandering endlessly, without the finish line in sight. I know you don't feel you need help, but I don't think you would be able to forgive yourself if you accidentally hurt someone."
Her words struck a chord deep within Evie and she wrapped her arms around herself, knowing that she was right. One day she will slip up and innocent people may get hurt. That has been her greatest fear after discovering her powers and she never wanted it to become a reality. The least she could do was see if this woman could really help her learn control, if anything else. If everything she said was true, then she has known about Evie for many years now, but why has she chosen now to confront her? A small part of her was concerned that this woman may have some sort of hidden agenda in mind, but then again, she was still fascinated not only by her fighting style, but also by the magic she just performed. In her entire life, Evie had never come across anyone that had similar abilities to her own, and she couldn't deny that she was intrigued, wanting to know more. This woman says she can teach her...what more does she have to lose at this point. After biting her lip, Evie slowly nodded her head, accepting the Ancient One's invitation. The woman smiled at her before she gestured with her head for Evie to follow her out of the alley.
"Where are we going?" Evie asked as she hurried to keep pace with her.
"That all depends on you," Ancient One replied, moving out her hand to start forming a circular motion, and then in the next instant, a sparkling golden circle appeared up ahead before then, and Evie gasped as she saw that instead of the end of the alley, there was a huge courtyard leading into some kind of temple on the other side. She swallowed the lump in her throat and bravely continued forward with the sorceress, hoping that this wouldn't end up being a mistake. Once they stepped through the circle, Ancient One waved her hand and then it disappeared, taking them with it and leaving no evidence that they were even there to begin with.
ZolaPOV
Zola sat in the confines of his room, reading over one of his many science journals that he was allowed to have. His favorite opera was playing from the record player placed at one corner of the room and despite his urge to get out and stretch his legs, he knew that he would only need to put up with this nonsense for just a little while longer. He has worked hard to gain the trust of those that thought he could be valuable to their cause, and he would not ruin it now.
It's been two years since the SSR had recruited him for Operation PAPERCLIP, and during that time, every single day he was under constant surveillance, and had a chaperone every time he stepped out of this room, which was nothing more than a small cement square with some furnishings that would make him more comfortable. The more comfortable he is, the more he would be willing to cooperate. The higher-ups in the SSR had threatened to throw him away in a federal prison for the rest of his life, but he knew that would end up being a very last resort. As much as they didn't want to admit it, they needed him, and little did they know, that would end up being their downfall. It may not be today, tomorrow, or even within the next few years, but at some point, those fools will realize too late the mistake they had made. It wouldn't be long before he was trusted enough to be let loose on his own, to do his work in a much more flexible environment and move onto the next phase of his plan right under their nose. All he had to do was be patient. Zola was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of loud rapping against the door and he looked up from his book to see his usual guard walk inside carrying a tray that was sure to be his dinner for the night.
"Time to eat, Doc," the guard said placing the try on a small table that sat next to the bed, and then he glanced back towards the end of the door, as though checking to see if anyone else was there. Once it was confirmed they were alone, the guard reached inside his blazer and pulled out a thin folder, with the words CLASSIFIED stamped across in big red letters. Zola smiled at the sight of it, placing his book down and walking over to accept the folder with an eager glint in his eyes.
"At last," he breathed. "And you're positive no one saw you take these?"
"Yes, sir," the guard replied quietly with a smug grin. "Phillips thinks he knows everything but apparently he's too wrapped up to notice a couple documents missing from his desk. It was all the ones I could find though, everything else is more than likely shut tight somewhere."
"I am not surprised by this, however it is still an excellent place to start, all the same," Zola mused. "Just keep this up and await further instruction. It will be a long time before we will able to be what we once were but in the end our goal will be reached and the world will finally be as it should."
"Yes, sir. Hail HYDRA."
"Hail HYDRA."
The guard saluted to Zola before he took his leave, closing the door sharply behind him. Zola turned his full attention down to the folder in his hands and opened it up, his smile growing as the face of Evangeline Erskine gazed up at him, her picture attached to other personal documents kept by the SSR. He knew that whatever these files contained, it would more than likely not assist with trying to find her current location, as she seemed to have fallen off of the map, but that would not deter him. Someday she will make herself known again, and they will be right there waiting.
"Run as far and fast as you want, Evangeline," Zola said. "You cannot escape us forever."
+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+
Soooooo...what did you guys think? I can't guarantee exactly when I will post the first chapter of the second story, there is a lot of tweaking and adjustments I need to make for certain chapters, but I will have it up as soon as possible. The title of the next one will be called "Guardian Angels: Strength" so just keep an eye out for that. Thank you all so much for your wonderful support and lovely comments/reviews, they really do mean a lot! Hope you see you guys in the next story!