As promised dolls, another chapter, since I have chapter eight ready to go too I'll post that as well. Think of it as an apology for taking so long. Disclaimer blah blah, you know.
-The Long Story-
"Thank you." I replied both to him and to Beth who smiled at me patting the top of my head as I took a huge bit of the burger wiggling happily in my seat. Queen slid a card across the table. I furrowed my brow and picked it up.
"If you're ever in Starling City, call that number kid." I nodded and swallowed my burger.
"Thank you , it was nice meeting you and Miss Lance." They both nodded and left. I finished my burger and dug the cash out of my bag.
"Mr. Queen paid for your meal." Beth said slipping into the seat across from me. I slid a twenty to her with a small smile.
"Please." She slipped it into her pocket with a small thankful smile. I stood and grabbed my bag heading for that stupid, ugly building with the A on it.
The sun was coming up as I entered the building, it had taken a while for me to walk from Brooklyn to Manhattan.
"Um, I'm looking for Maria Hill." I told the girl at the main desk. She looked up at me and sneered before pressing a button.
"Miss Hill there's a girl here looking for you." I stood awkwardly after the girl pointed to go wait somewhere.
The squeak of sneakers caught my attention as the blonde guy from the diner entered the building and bypassed the desk. A brunette woman walked out of an office and gave him a small smile. "Captain Rogers, could you come with me?" She asked as she walked over and spotted me by the wall.
"Lovely weather we're having." I looked up and smirked a bit.
"Yes, but I always carry an umbrella." She waited until I walked over to her before she put an arm around my shoulders.
"Your boss has told me a lot about you Wynter. This is Captain Steve Rogers." I looked the blonde over with wide eyes looking at her. "I think you two have a lot to talk about. Follow me."
He looked confused but didn't argue. "How is your father adjusting?" She asked meaningfully.
I played with the dog tags around my neck and smiled a bit. "Pretty good. I mean we haven't talked in two months, HYDRA captured me during my last mission."
"I heard about that, reports say one Grant Ward helped you." I nodded once and sighed.
"I think I struck a nerve ma'am. After all I'm just a kid." She snorted and opened the conference room door, the other Avengers stood inside.
"You are cleared to debrief with them present." I nodded once and swept my hair up using the length to make a bun.
"Yes ma'am." They all sat and I set my backpack down.
"The mission was basic intel gathering at a base in Sokovia, close to Russia. One the Avengers had breached."
"Von Strucker's castle." Rogers growled. I nodded once.
"Da. My partner, Agent Skye and I were selected, she's a tech slash field agent I was there due to my...upbringing." A small sad smile found its way to my expression, it vanished as quickly as it came. "I had originally been called in to be her bodyguard, her ex was reportedly insane, I met him. He is very much sane, misguided is a better word to describe the man Grant Ward was. I ensured that Skye and our pilot Agent May escaped, I was captured and relocated to a base twenty miles outside the city. I was there two months before I was exposed to a mist that um well...made me able to do this." I focused on the coldness that settled in my chest and let frost creep onto my hand as I touched the table. The frost turned to ice as it crossed over the table.
"It was after I was exposed to the mist that Grant Ward helped me escape and blew the base sky high." Miss Hill pulled up an image on a screen showing the decimated base. "Wow." I spoke looking at the sheer size of what the base once was. "I found myself in Brooklyn, I made contact with my team, met with an old friend and made some new possible ones, and called my team again and was further instructed to report here."
Hill nodded and looked me over. She opened her mouth to speak but a red head spoke first. "What was your upbringing?"
"To be the Weapon the Asset couldn't be. He was human before he was taken in by HYDRA, I was never human." I looked at them and shrugged a bit and looked around casually, quietly making notes on their weaknesses. I tried not to, but it was what I have always done.
"Why you?" Rogers asked and I huffed leaning against the table.
"Take a guess Cap." I replied quietly. I scratched the back of my head finally slowing down enough to take note of what hurt and what was off or different.
Weirdass ice powers? Check. Tongue ring is gone, need a replacement. Left ribs are bruised if not fractured, cheek is bruised on left side of face. Sporadic pain in left arm, assess immediately. I tugged my arm out of my sleeve and looked at it. There was bruising over and around a long gash that must have happened during the escape. Unfortunately this displayed my bruised ribs to the Avengers.
"Banner would you mind taking Agent Wynter to medical? After that you may rest for a bit." I blinked at her but followed the man who gestured at me. I sat calmly and let him do a basic check up.
"You don't know how to run away do you?" He asked jokingly. I gave a small shrug.
"My dad had this friend when he was a kid, before he was...who he is now, that said once you start running you never stop. I'd rather die than let bullies like them win." He snorted out a choked kind of laugh and shook his head at me.
"You're in the same boat as Rogers with that thinking. Try to go easy on those ribs of yours. I can patch up your arm if you want." I shook my head.
"It'll heal, I've had worse ." He smiled sadly and sighed.
"You shouldn't."
"If not me, then some poor kid out there. I would wish what happened to me on anyone. Trust me doc, I'm okay with what I was, and I'm okay with who I am now. The past is the past, we can either run from it or learn from it."
"Did you just quote Disney at me?"
"Valuable life lessons." I replied with a small smile tugging my top down again. I looked him over and patted his shoulder. "Don't try to drown demons that can swim, don't fight the ones that fight back, accept your demons and find something worth fighting for . I find that friends tend to be the best thing worth fighting for. You seem to have a team full of friends, try to remember that yeah?" I jumped off the examination table and strode into the hallway.
"So do you always deal out life advice Elsa?" Stark asked crossing his arms as he stared at me.
"Only to those who need it." I replied looking at him and smiled a bit. "Would you like some?"
"Sure." I looked him over and ticked off a list of things I knew about him.
" Sometimes doing the right thing isn't following the rules, sometimes it's doing nothing, sometimes it's taking the bullet for a friend. Making things right isn't always the wisest path, nor is letting your guilt drive you. You have life Mr. Stark, don't waste it on the big picture. Enjoy the little things, like this mismatched family you've acquired." He blinked and looked me over.
"You sure you don't have a mind reading power?" I laughed throwing my head back shaking my head.
"Just an uncanny ability to read people." I shrugged and yawned scratching the back of my head. Maria Hill returned and looked me over.
"Agent May just radioed me, she's ten minutes out." I nodded and accepted my bag from her and slipped it on over my shoulders following Hill to the hanger.
The quinjet touched down as we arrived and seconds later Mel was jogging out of the jet and pulling me into her arms. It was a little out of character for her but I just went with it. I carefully arranged my arms around her torso and laid my forehead on her shoulder.
"May?" The red head's voice asked carefully. Mel's head moved and she pressed her lips to my temple.
"Wheels up in two." I nodded and held out my hand to Hill, she shook it once and I gave Cap a little half salute mixed with a smirk.
"Hey Cap, don't do anything stupid. I might have to come back." He let out a half sob half laugh and looked me over.
"Yeah? It looks like you already have the stupid with you." I grinned and gave him a small wink ducking into the jet as Mel said her goodbyes to Red and the Archer. I settled in the co pilot's seat and closed my eyes, falling asleep in seconds.
The sensation of being lifted gently made my eyes fly open.