Welp. This is what happens when you get caught, I think as my mind once again reaches awareness. I'm back in my room at the base and the only clue as to what I've been doing is some guns that I have apparently cleaned and some knives I'm still working on. Yup. That solves that. Another one dead.
Trying to pass the time, I pull myself into the vents with practiced skill and silence. I keep going and find myself in Stephen's room. I've been here so many times, played so many card games, rounds of chess, and generally just fooled around. The room is untouched, no one has even been in here since my brother died. I grab as much of his stuff as I can carry and go back into the vents. Back to our safe space. Our little home in the madness. It feels wrong, empty without him. I put down his stuff and go through our corner of stolen things.
We thought of running away once. I even kept an extra duffel bag from one of our missions. For the first time in a while, I cry. Continuing to push everything to the side my hand touches a box wrapped in newspaper. Of course he hid it here. The one gift we get each other every year. Nobody celebrates holidays, for obvious reasons. So every year we manage to get each other a gift and hide it somewhere. It turns into a game, sneaking through the base looking for our gift and trying not to get caught at the same time. I hid his gift up here too, something I made on one of the times my leg was healing and they stuck me on mechanics in the lab. Cufflinks that can poison people while you shake their hand or generally interact. And the antidote of course, because they haven't been tested yet and neither of us could afford to die. Funny how life likes to throw things right back in our faces in the most painful ways possible.
Harnessing my courage I pick up the gift and unwrap the newspaper. There's a note folded up on top.
"Remember when you were on your last solo mission and I told you I found something cool, but wouldn't tell you what it was. Well here it is. When you were gone I got bored and did some snooping. Turns out our bosses are a lot shittier than we thought. That night with your parents, something weird happened, the records don't say exactly, but apparently this had something to do with it. I know it's yours though, you'll know why when you see it. I'm sorry I wasn't brave enough to tell you. You can slap me when you're done reading.
Your brother in anything but blood,
Stephen"
It's a shifting array of green and blue, and varying shades of red and yellow, all seemingly engraved in silver chains. There's a ribbon with my name on it, 'Calliste' in sprawling print. I touch the necklace. It's glowing? Cool, but weird, like me. I think with a smile as I clasp it around my neck.
With a sigh I make my decision. I'll leave for both of us, I'll escape this cage, I live for you brother.
I shove everything in the duffel bag and start planning my escape.
…
At dawn, with practiced grace, I silently travel through the vents. Reaching the roof I open the grate just enough to see outside. The guard on duty left for his coffee and donuts, perfect. Going to the edge, I jump down, tuck and roll, and get ready to run.
All the alarms go off.
There's a quinjet flying towards us. Wait. No one is supposed to come back from a mission for at least 2 days. Who is that? My question is answered when the aircraft lands, and none other than flying tin can man steps out. Great. The Avengers are here.
He's about 100 meters away. Is that her? I hear him ask as he looks straight at me. Crap. I take off running and I am almost to my motorcycle. An all too familiar patriotic vibranium dinner plate rams into me. I catch before it can return to its owner and continue running. Something zings off the shield as I shift my stance. Bullets. They begin to rain down on me. There in front of me clad in leather is none other than Black Widow. Double shit. I barely register the base exploding behind me as I here Vincent begin to yell at me in Russian.
"Anger
Blazing"
I start running.
"Vent"
My mind is hazing over again.
"Midnight
23
Vengeful"
I'm lost in fog.
"Nine
Roost
Two
Rubble"
I black out.
"Catalyst?"
"Ready to comply."
…
The fog is gone. It looks like someone shot Vincent. Good. From what I can see, all of the Avengers are down. Wait. Where's Hawkeye? My question is answered as I catch 2 arrows, barely registering the one in my leg. I snap the shaft, pulling out the projectile. And promptly pass out.
…
I wake up to the sound of a door opening. There's a bandage around my calf and cement walls. Widow walks in, but I don't register anything she says, nor will I listen to one of my brother's murderers. I stare at the walls. Blood. Tears. Together. But I am alone. I feel myself getting smacked and laugh, just looking up at her. I keep laughing as she leaves the room.
…
A half an hour later none other than the tin can man himself walks in. Tony Stark. "I never thought Hydra's best assassin would be an insane child soldier" he says in greeting, "or that they would be one of the things to pull me out of retirement. You're tiny too. How old are you anyway like 12?" I look down and shrug, "We don't really celebrate birthdays, so I don't actually know." "I guess cradle robbing wouldn't matter to them as long as you're capable," he continues. "Although I did find some stuff on your parents." The room gets colder. "Why do you even work for them? You were there when Hydra killed your parents-" he trailed off staring at me. "What the?! Your eyes! And your neck. And?!" "What?" I questioned. "How do you not notice that this room is suddenly freezing and you are on fire and glowing?!" he exclaimed. "I thought I was the insane one." I laughed looking at myself. Wait. "WHAT THE HELL?" And the miffed slightly pale, billionaire exited the room.
…
No one's been here in an hour and I'm soooo bored. Guess I'll escape now. What happens next will forever be one of the weirdest moments of my life. The camera in the wall just combusts. It's not even really broken, it just stops working. And I find myself standing on the outer side of the door. Or at least what's left of it. The steal just, disintegrated. Mega strange but whatever. I keep going.
…
Well this isn't going to end well, I think as I stare down some of the Avengers.
…
A few bruises and cuts later I'm back in my cell.
It goes on like this for a few days.
Every night I pass out afterwards.
Everyday I try again.
…
I stop after a week.
…
I receive food at least once a day, most times I don't eat it though. And the utensils are useless. Styrofoam and plastic forks.
At least I have a blanket.
And days continue.
…
One afternoon they go raid another Hydra base that I may or may not have tipped them off on. The files I've seen say there's a weapon there and honestly everyone can go suffer and die together.
Eventually the team comes back (I can hear the Iron Man suit and a Quinjet) and they start to celebrate something.
That night all hell breaks loose.
And while they're running around like chickens with heads cut off.
I leave.
…
New York is the worst.
Here I am walking around with my duffel bag. Evading the freakin Avengers while they scramble and with my luck I get caught up in some random fight. Apparently it's not just a fight either, because some mob boss looking guys are shooting at each other. Great. I pull out some of my throwing stars (a gift from Stephen a couple years ago) and before I can throw them some weird black and red spandex guy with katanas shows up.
…
All the gang members are dead, most of them decapitated. And then what I think is their backup arrives. They're shooting at me.
Nice.
Guess I should do something about that.
I hurl my shuriken and pull out the guns strapped to my thighs.
A minute later they're all dead and Deadpool just stares at me.
"Unaliving people is my job!" he whines. I just raise an eyebrow and say "You were too slow" then begin walking away. Seconds later I shiver as he taps me on the shoulder. "You can't just... Hey are you okay?" Continuing to shiver, I nod hoisting my bag back over my shoulder, and speed walk away.
…
Still shivering, I walk around until I can find a place with some semblance of food. I find a place called Delmar's and buy a sandwich. Wait where did this money even come from? Whatever. Wolfing down my food I leave and try to find an alley or something to spend the night in.
…
Walking around to a place somewhere near Queens I hear someone call for help. A middle aged woman has a knife held to her throat in an alley. Might as well help. I run over to disarm the man and while he is distracted, the one whips something from her purse. And it's pepper spray. I know because my eyes are burning. The man who is now flailing around because of the pepper spray is about to stab the woman. I lunge to push her out of the way, the blade narrowly avoiding her neck and sinking into my upper back. Great. I release a loud sigh as the man runs away. Bleeding out in an alley on my first night of freedom. But clearly the woman has other plans as she begins to pull me towards the neighborhoods. After a while, with the last of my consciousness, she pulls me into an apartment and I pass out on the floor with two new voices barely registering in my mind.
…
…
...
Barely opening my eyelids, and keeping my heart rate slow, I take in my surroundings. I'm in an apartment, there is a tv in front of me, the kitchen seems to be in the next room from the burnt food smell. I must be on the couch I think, as a brown haired boy walks up to me and asks, "Are you hungry?" My stomach responds before I do and that seems to be answer enough. He leads me over to a table, pours two bowls of cereal, and we begin to eat. "What's your name? I'm Peter by the way." "Calliste, and thank you, for everything", I say and go back to devouring my breakfast. The woman from last night walks in with a man, who from the wedding rings, is most likely her husband. "Oh, you're awake. My name is May, this is Ben, and I see you've met my nephew Peter." The aforementioned boy's head snaps up and he looks at the clock. He runs around shoving things in his backpack with a muttered, "I'll be late to class again". He dashes out the door yelling, "Bye Uncle Ben, Aunt May, Calliste!" I finish my cereal, look at the 2 adults left in the room, and start washing dishes, including a pan of what I assume is burnt eggs.
…
After a while Ben finally breaks the silence, "Do you have anyone we can call to get you? Your parents must be worried." "Nope" I respond with a snort. I glance around the room looking for an exit as May and Ben stare at each other. The Parkers (I saw some mail), have a silent debate until Ben just nods. "You can stay here for now."
…
May takes me with her to work after Ben leaves. I tell her I'm going out for a bit and head for a bank.
…
After 2 hours, a bunch of fake documentation, an alias I made that Hydra still doesn't know about, and a bunch of money of which origins I am unaware, I have 2 bank accounts, 2 credit cards, 1 debit card, and a certificate of deposit (I have money and am taking precautions to keep it that way). I venture around New York and buy myself a burner phone, a smartphone, a data plan, and keep exploring until it is 30 minutes before May's shift is over. Heading to a random grocery store I buy her some groceries because I need to say thank you.
…
When May leaves the hospital surprise is evident on her face, "You didn't have to do that." "I wanted to." is all I say before hailing a cab. The drive is short and I pay the cab driver and sprint to the apartment before May has a chance to say anything. "You are very strange Calliste."
…
Peter gets home just as May and I finish cleaning. I turn off the stove, cover the pasta, take the garlic bread out of the oven, and greet him as he walks by. May calls him back, "Peter clear some space in your room for Calliste." "Okay," is the only thing Peter replies with. I start to protest but am quickly told off. "He has an extra bunk, and if you are going to be staying for while you might as well use it." I continue to sputter and protest and she continues to ignore me.
…
Ben gets home and we all eat together. Everyone talks about their day and I sit quietly observing. I'm zoning out and snap back to reality when Peter asks about my schooling. "I've only ever been home schooled." I lie. "Well, you should be going to school, it's the law," Ben states. Sensing my discomfort, May changes the subject. The night goes on and eventually we all go to sleep.
…
…
…
It takes about a week, but with the help of Peter, some shady documentation on my part, and lots of entry exams, we go to the same school. Although, it's almost the end of the school year and I had to take the finals online to get in. The law is the law, I actually go on campus Monday morning.