Set...
Pull...
Steady...
Aim...
Breathe in...
Breathe out...
... Release!
"Urgh!" Danielle groaned when the arrow she had just shot fell short of the bullseye target a few yards away, yet again.
The teen huffed, blowing a piece of her hair that had flung into her face when she threw her head back in frustration out of the way before stomping towards where the arrow landed to pick it up and start back at square one.
Scott, who was sitting a few yards away on the porch steps of the Barton's farm house eating orange slices off a foam plate, grimaced silently as he watched her. "Uh... Maybe you could try getting a bit closer next time?" He suggested. "I mean, not like I know anything about... shooting arrows because, come on, who actually still uses the damn things anymore other than Mr. Medieval Knight over there," he cocked his head to where Clint was playing with his two older kids out by the barn, throwing feed out to the animals as they ran around their feet. "What is he? Some caveman living off the land and making fires with rocks and grass?"
Danielle involuntarily snorted, making her lose her concentration on the arrow she was firing yet again, causing it to lose momentum and just fall from off the bow and into the grass at her feet.
"Sorry," Scott muttered an apology when she bent down to pick it up, resetting the bow again.
Danielle smiled and shook her head. It was fun having Scott around. She had someone to talk to out here while Clint was busy working on the farm or spending time with his family. They had only been here a few days, and already it was starting to feel a bit homey. Although, the teen couldn't help but wonder what they were waiting for while just camping out here.
So, to pass the time, Danielle took up Hawkeye's hobby of archery. Needless to say, she wasn't anywhere near as good as him. She probably couldn't even pass as 'decent'. Yet, she still continued to try, time and time again.
And after losing count of watching her try, Scott was beginning to wonder if she was faking being this terrible at shooting the thing or if she was really just that bad. He watched her step a few feet away from the target, raise the bow, steady herself, fix and aim the arrow, pull, and release. The arrow was launched from the bow, flying at a fast pace before losing its momentum halfway towards it's target and falling into the grass yet again. Oh, yeah. She was just that bad.
The teenager threw her head back and let out a loud and aggravated groan again.
This is it, Scott quietly thought to himself as he sat on the porch steps munching on his orange slices, this is the attempt where she finally just gives up. But, she surprised him, yet again, and began her trek to go pick up the arrows and start all over again. Now Scott was the one having to repress a groan.
Danielle tried not to pay attention to the eyes watching her as she went to reset the arrow on the bow, sticking her feet to the ground, holding it up at the right angle, pulling the string back a little farther this time and rearranging the aim of the arrow. She breathed in, breathed out, and released. The arrow flung from the bow and this time, it didn't lose momentum halfway to it's target. This time, she watched in disbelief as the arrow not only made it to the target, but hit it dead-on, missing the Bullseye by a mere inch and a half.
The teenager gasped as a wide smile stretched across her face. She did it!
She had actually done it. Scott actually couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. After an endless amount of trying over and over again to shoot the stupid arrow, the kid finally managed to hit the target for once. "Holy crap," he muttered, still in shock as he dropped on of his orange slices back not the plate. It looked like practice had indeed paid off.
But the light and happy mood didn't stick for long.
Suddenly, the wind began to pick up and a loud chopping noise began to rig in Danielle's ears. At first, she thought it may have been a storm blowing in. But when she glanced over her shoulder, looking through the wild strands of her hair being swung about in the gusts of wind, she caught a glimpse of what the sound really was.
Just beyond the golden horizon of hills and hills of open plain, multiple black figures flying in the sky came hurtling towards the farm house. They looked like miniature, robotic birds from far away, but Danielle had stayed in New York City long enough to know what a helicopter looked and sounded like from far away. And that's exactly what they were. Seven military-grade helicopters headed straight for them in a very threatening way.
Clint was suddenly ushering the kids back towards the house from where they were playing by the barn. "Go inside with them," he ordered Danielle once he got close enough for her to hear him. Danielle hesitated for a split second, glancing between the helicopters and the kids and Clint and Scott before finally following instructions for once in her life and following after the pair of children into the house, disregarding the bow and arrow she had carelessly dropped in the grass. The arrow she had shot earlier still stuck in the target.
Once inside, Laura came rushing in from upstairs. She took one look out the front window and caught a glimpse of the helicopters that we're only a few clicks out now. Danielle noticed the worried look on her face when she turned to her two eldest children and said, "Go upstairs with your brother and don't come out until I or your father come and get you. Do you understand?"
Lila and Cooper Barton nodded. "Yes, ma'am," the said in unison.
Laura nodded. "Go." And they both dashed up the stairs. The next thing Laura did was turn to Danielle. "Just stay here with me for now. I assume once they realize that we're not a threat and that you're here, someone will come and get you." The teen nodded numbly, not noticing when Laura comfortingly wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulder as the both watched the scene unfolding on the front lawn of the Barton Farm.
It took only a few moments for the helicopters to land. Danielle took it as a good sign that people in full armored-gear and machine guns didn't just immediately swing down from ropes and begin attacking the pair of men outside, but it didn't make her feel any less nervouse about the situation when the choppers landed and the armored men walked out of them instead, pointing their guns at the pair, shouting at them to drop to their knees. They obliged.
But, instead of handcuffing them like they had the first time Danielle ever saw the armored men, they is only patted them down (for weapons, she assumed) and let them get right back up. Even stepping away from them and lowering their weapons. It was quickly made clear to her now that these men were under different orders now and weren't here to arrest them, they were just making sure they weren't a threat.
And once that was established, the door of one of the choppers opened and two familiar figures stepped out; Secretary Ross and Tony Stark himself. Danielle felt a hopeful spark resonate inside her chest at the thought that maybe Jack might've come along to. But, it seemed as though it were just Tony.
The teen and Laura Barton watched quietly as Ross and Tony approached the men, speaking amongst themselves. Nothing Danielle could hear or decipher, but before she knew it, all eyes were suddenly glancing at the house after Clint had spoken.
Danielle felt her pace begin to grow faster and faster. She could practically hear her heart beating out her chest when Tony began to approach the house. Alone.
He walked over, up onto the porch, and walked in through the unlocked front door. The first thing he saw inside was Mrs. Laura Barton taking a step in front of Danielle as if she were a mother bear protecting her cub. "Mrs. Barton," he greeted her with the nod of his head. Danielle could clearly see the stress and guilt in his eyes and facial features, even in the way he spoke with no light tone of sarcasm or bitterness.
Laura seemed to catch into it as well because she didn't immediately snap back a rude retort about the fact that he was the reason her husband was in this mess or about how he gave away where their safe haven was or even about how he mentioned her children to the government. Instead, she simply replied, "Mr. Stark."
Tony sighed, knowing full well he probably didn't deserve her mercy. But, he wasn't here for Mrs. Barton's forgiveness. Looking past the woman's shoulder, the billionaire peered over at the brunette teenager shying away behind her. "Ms. Harper," he greeted.
Danielle didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say. She merely glanced around Laura and blinked back in response. But she watched the genius's expression when she lifted her head, unintentionally revealing the bandage wrapped around the stitches on her neck left from Cho's repair of the burn marks made by the Raft prison gaurds' shock collar. Confusion filled his eyes, followed by a mixture of pain, a flash of anger, and then more guilt.
"Do you plan on telling us why you're here?" Laura couldn't help but ask. This time, not bothering to hide her irritation.
Tony turned his attention back to her. "I'm here to take Danielle back home to her brother," he answered truthfully.
"And why should we believe you? How do we know that you're not lying and you and those men out there aren't just going to handcuff the three of them and throw them right back into prison?" Mrs. Barton prompted. Danielle looked from her to him. It was a good question.
"I can assure you – the both of you – that I've already spoken with Ross and the Accords Committee about offering your husband and Mr. Lang deals to help keep them out of jail and out of harm's way. We just need their full cooperation, a few hours, and their signature on the Accords before the Committee can put their agreements into place," he explained.
"And what about Danielle? She's a minor, therefor, having her sign the Accords, isn't legally binding. Not to mention, I doubt any of the Accords Committee actually know her true identity." Laura brought up a good point. A point Steve had also made when the Sokovia Accords debacle first arose as a problem for the team. Danielle couldn't help but sense a bit of deja vu I'm the situation.
Tony nodded. "You're not wrong about that. Ms. Harper's identity is only known by very few as is her age. The fact is that she wasn't mentioned in my meeting with the Committee because there's no record of her ever being in the Raft," he stated. Danielle and Laura both grew confused and overwhelmed by this new information he had just bestowed to them.
"She's free to leave whenever she pleases, but the fact is, Ross wants to make sure that she doesn't try anything," Tony continued. "He just wants to set a few ground rules with her about her powers. Technically speaking, due to her enhancements and the fact that contracts and official papers are binding when signed by the legal guardian, she is under the Sokovia Accords whether her identity is revealed or not. And Ross, being the stickler for rules that he is, wants her to fully cooperate with them after the 'violation' in Leipzig."
Laura exchanged looks with Danielle, unable to read the teen's expressionless look on her face. Mrs. Barton then took a glance outside and noticed the Secretary still speaking with her husband and Scott outside before eventually turning back to Danielle. "It's your choice whether you want to go or not," she whispered to the girl. "You don't have to go if you don't want to."
Danielle pursed her lips, glancing nervously between Laura and Tony. It was time to take responsibility for her actions and do the right thing. Do what Steve and Wanda said was good for her. To go home.
The teenager sighed before stepping around Laura, walking towards Tony. She saw the tension leave his shoulders and he let out a heavy sigh of contentment as he held out his hand for her to take. Danielle stopped short then, taking one last glance to Laura as if she were saying goodbye to her freedom. She wasn't, she knew that. But something in her the back of her mind would always be wondering what would happen if she hadn't left with Tony right now.
She nodded at Mrs. Barton before finally turning back to the genius in front of her and letting him wrap an arm around her as led her out of the house. Danielle hadn't noticed at first as they walked out into the vast field in the front of the Barton household, but Tony had begun to use his body as a shield to her. Blocking the other agents' view of the girl as he led the way towards a large helicopter waiting for them just a few yards away from where Danielle could see Scott and Clint being led into.
There was no pilot or anyone in the chopper really, but Danielle chose to just sit down and shut up, not arguing when Tony told her to fasten her seatbelt and put on a weird set of headphones. She did so numbly, her eyes still framed on the little farm house below as it grew further and further the farther away the helicopter flew. Eventually, just like the jet her sister and Steve had been on, the house disappeared into the background of her life.
—
It was quiet and sterile in the holding room Danielle was currently residing in. The only thing keeping her company being a small strand of hair that had fallen off the shoulder of her hoodie that she strung through her fingers over and over again. She had been in here for approaching an hour now and had been in here since Tony first ushered her inside just after the helicopter had landed in the roof of some building.
Danielle wasn't sure where she was, what she was doing there, or how long she would have to stay there, but she did know that if she had to stare at the blank wall in FRNT, behind, or to either of her sides for another hour, she was going to yank out all her hair by the time the day would be done. She sighed and dropped the small strand of her hair on the table she was seated at. She missed Wanda. She missed Steve. She missed Jack. She missed Sharon. And now, Danielle was really wishing she had just stayed at the Barton's or snuck onto the Quinjet before Steve, Nat, Wanda, and Sam had the chance to leave.
Finally, the door to the room opened. Danielle pushed the hair off the table and say up straight in her chair at the sight of Tony and Secretary Ross walking in. She tensed slightly, the wound on her neck burning just a bit at the painful memory of being shoved into a cell with a shock collar around her neck. She winced.
The Secretary didn't seem to notice as he smiled and took a seat in the chair across from her, while Tony took a seat at the end of the table, a little closer to the girl. "Hello, Miss Harper," Ross greeted her as he set down a stack of papers in a Manila folder on the table in front of him. "Allow me to apologize for what happened in Leipzig and at the Raft Prison. We're currently working in trying to figure out who allowed you to become so severely injured during your time there."
Danielle didn't reply, she merely glared at him. Somehow, she doubted there was anyone else aside from him to blame. But she also wouldn't have been surprised if he tried to pin the blame on someone else. He seemed like the type that would.
"Now, let's get right down to the basics of the deal we're offering you." Ross suddenly pulled up the small stack of papers from the folder and pushed them to a place in between them on the table. "Unlike Mr. Lang and Mr. Barton, you, Miss Harper, are being offered a different deal due to the circumstances of your... unique situation."
Danielle tilted her head slightly in confusion. "My 'situation'?"
"Yes. You see, for Mr. Lang and Mr. Barton, we just have to get them to sign a few things, turn over a couple of belongings, and slap a ankle monitor on them before sending them in their way," Ross explained. "But you, Miss Harper, are a special case scenario. Since you're a minor, we can't legally put you under house arrest without documenting it and having a team of special agents monitoring you at all times. But, that would entail more people figuring out your identity and we would much rather keep it under wraps.
"Our other option is to put you under complete parental care and potential threat watch to someone who has already signed and agreed to the terms in the Accords; your brother and Mr. Stark here." Ross gestured to Tony and Danielle's gaze flickered to him as well. He didn't look too happy about everything going on around him. "But then that leaves the problem of your enhancements and the fact that we can't guarantee you won't use them and–"
"I don't have my powers anymore," Danielle suddenly blurted out.
Ross clenched his jaw shut, his eyes wide as he turned from the teenager to the billionaire beside them and then back to her again. "What do you mean you don't have your powers anymore?" Tony spoke up for the first time the entire meeting.
Danielle shrugged. "They're just... gone," she lied. "Whatever happened in the Raft affected them and now... I don't know." Tony just stared at her, unsure of what to say or how to respond to that as he began it process it all. But as he looked into her eyes longer, Danielle began to question if perhaps he knew she was lying about something. Did he?
"How is that even possible?" Ross scoffed. No one answered. "Either way, you still sign the Accords under your brother's signature. But... aside from that... We can grant you full immunity back to your old life in New York."
Danielle was speechless. She wasn't sure whether to thank him or ask him if he could just throw her back in the Raft. It wasn't that she didn't want to go back him, she just had a brief moment of wondering what she could possibly be going back to. Liz, Cindy, Betty, and Sally all probably hated her for ignoring the for the past few weeks. The soccer girls, Peter, Ned, and Michelle, too. Jack probably hated her guts right now. Wanda, Steve, Sam, and Natasha were no longer at the Compound either. And she didn't have her powers so she was no longer and Avenger or a vigilante. Where did that leave her?
After a moment of silence from Danielle, Tony responded to the man before them, "Thank you, Secretary Ross."
Ross began to stand from his seat when he nodded at the billionaire. "Don't mention it, Mr. Stark." He then turned to Danielle and did the same. "Miss Harper." And with that, he walked out of the room leaving behind Danielle and Tony, both standing awkwardly until the door shut with a click.
Danielle was the first to speak (for once). "What now?"
"Now I take you back to the Compound," the billionaire explained.
The teen wrinkled her nose a bit in confusion. "What about Sharon?"
Tony glanced down at her, a look of both pity and sympathy crossing his features as he responded, "Nobody told you? After she helped Cap, the CIA labeled her as an associate and sent out a warrant for her arrest not long after the airport incident... She's been gone into hiding since and I doubt she'll be coming out anytime soon."
The brunette girl stood there, stunned by the news. She hadn't actually thought about the fact that Sharon had broken a lot of rules when she helped Steve, Sam, Bucky and her. And now she was on the run, too? Would she ever see her again? Was she already captured and throw into the Raft and Tony just didn't know? Did Steve know? Would he help her? Danielle wanted answers, she needed Sharon. She needed someone.
Realization set in on Danielle as she tried to imagine a life without Sharon. It was hard. No more cozy apartment in Queens that had great cell service for the days Danielle would spend hours talking on the phone with Wanda. The apartment that had no dishwasher making Sharon and Danielle take turns washing dishes after Sharon would make some food, or if she was working overtime at the office and just brought home take out. No more fun shopping trips on 5th Avenue. No more 'Girls' Night' where Sharon would cuddle up on the couch with a glass of red wine in her hand and Danielle beside her drinking hot cocoa from a Batman mug while the pair ate leftover pasta and watched Quentin Tarantino movies. And what hit Danielle the hardest was that she no longer would go home to a bright smile and a warm embrace, a person with an open mind and open ears, a shoulder to lay her head on and a pair of strong arms that would lift her up when she was down.
Even when she had no one and nothing, Danielle had Sharon. And standing here now, in this room with tony receiving the news that Sharon was now on the run just like the rest of the people she cared for so dearly, the teenager knew now that she had took Sharon for granted. She had taken everything she had before the Accords for granted. School, her friends, Decathlon, soccer, Jack, Wanda, Steve, Sharon, her odd life, her powers... Now it was all gone.
"Don't stress too much, kid," Tony said, breaking the girl from her thoughts with a clap of his hand on her shoulder. "I've got some stuff lined up for you. We'll figure it all out. But right now, we need to get you to the Compound before Ross or the Committee change their minds about turning you loose." And Danielle didn't argue with that.
—
"Was he mad when you last saw him?" Danielle asked nervously as she sat in her seat on the helicopter that was transporting her and Tony to the Compound from wherever they had stopped to have their conversation with Ross. The teen was nervously tapping her heel into the ground while twirling a piece of stray string at the end of her borrowed hoodie sleeve. She was anxious. They were on their way to the Compound. Translation for Danielle: they were on their way to see Jack.
Tony, seated across from her, crossed his arms and nervously glanced out the window. When he didn't answer, Danielle grew even more scared. "Tony?"
Finally, he answered. "Yeah, he was a bit upset," the genius admit. "But I don't think he was mad at you. It was all mostly aimed at me, Ross... himself."
The brunette furrowed her eyebrows. "Why would he be mad at himself?" The question sounded a bit foreign coming from her mouth. Even she could list a few reasons why he would and should have felt mad at himself. But, jail changed her. Now she understood why Jack was so insistent on the Accords and following the rules and just staying by his side. He had been right, and she had been wrong. Right?
"Well," Tony began hesitantly, his eyes still glued to whatever was outside of his window. "When you were first arrested by Ross and his guys, I was the one who had to tell him where they took you, your sister, and the rest of that group... Needless to say, he wasn't happy.
"He tried getting me to break you out, but I told him I wasn't exactly in the best of terms with Ross or the Committee at that time either. Then, he began to lock himself in the lab. Started working mindlessly on random projects to keep his mind off of everything. It gave him time to think. Gave me time to think, too. Reflect, really."
Tony sighed. "I guess we both realized that there was no right and wrong for what happened in Germany and everything before that," he explained. "Everyone was in the wrong. Everyone fell into Zemo's little ploy. And the people who were supposed to protect and defend this world, we couldn't even keep our priorities in line and do the right thing because we were too busy trying to prove our own points and let stupid fueds and disagreements fuel our irresponsible and irreversible actions... People got hurt. You got hurt..." Danielle subconciously covered her neck with her hand. "And that's on me."
"I made wrong decisions, too," Danielle pointed out.
"Yeah, but you're a kid. You're supposed to make crap decisions, it's what you do," the billionaire argued. "We, as the adults, we're the ones who were supposed to look out for you. And instead, we were too busy fighting each other to take a look around and realize that there were more than just consequences for us when the dust settled, but far worse for you, too." Tony looked her in the eye as he perched his elbows on his knees and said with the most sincerity Danielle had ever witnessed from the genius, "I'm sorry."
Danielle felt her mouth go dry and her eyes begin to water slightly. Throughout everything the was going on... this had to be the first apology she had ever been given that she actually believed. Sure, there were the countless apologies Steve and Wanda gave her, but those were guilt-ridden. Tony's apology was purely him aking responsibility and apologizing not because he felt completely guilty, but because he felt responsible for what had happened. She respected him for that.
"I forgive you," she told him with sincerity as well.
He tried to muster a smile, but all he could manage was a grimace. Danielle opened her mouth to say something else, but suddenly, FRIDAY's voice came echoing throughout the cabin of the pilotless chopper. "Landing at the Avenger's Compound in two minutes, Boss." Danielle jumped slightly at the AI's intrusion. It had taken Danielle a while to get used to the formless voice that looked over the Compound (and apparently Tony's planes and choppers as well) and after leaving the Compound for a few weeks, it was surprising to hear her voice again.
Tony repressed a smirk from Danielle's reaction and glanced up to the ceiling as he replied, "Thanks, FRI."
"No problem, Boss."
Danielle smirked up at the ceiling. "I nearly forgot about that..."
"Welcome back, Ms. Harper."
"Yeah," Tony nodded as he tilted his head toward the direction of the chopper window. Danielle leaned forward, glancing at what Tony had his eyes fixated on through the glass of the helicopter window. Down below, through a small layer of white clouds, was the outline of a small facility at the edge of sparkling blue water. All around it was a luscious green field shielded by a blooming forest. But the thing that stood out the most to the teenage girl was the unmistakable letter 'A' carved into the side of the Compound. "Welcome back, kid."
—
A/N: And she's back. Sorry guys, gonna have to wait until after Endgame to figure out what happens next. Have fun watching the film, please no spoilers in reviews for people seeing it this week. As for me, I will be seeing it opening day and may take a break on writing because I already feel like its going to be like Infinity War where I just fell into a state of sadness afterwards. I'm pretty sure this will be 10x worse, so... Hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing, following, and favoriting, you mean the world to me!
Chapter song(s): Home by Phillip Phillips.
Reviews:
Hyraeth: Thank you! The cake didn't show up, but hey, it's the thought that counts. I know. I kind of want to write one-shots of sweet sisterly moments between the two, but I'm sure I can squeeze more in later on depending how Endgame and everything plays out. Yes, she gets some break, but not a lot of break... He he, I sorry for your soul... No I'm not. Does Dani get dusted? Does she live? We may never know... Well, I do, but you don't. Ha ha! It was the second trailer, the one with Clint and who I'm assuming was little Lila. It was cute... and sad. Yeah, honestly my birthday was just something that passed, the main event is Endgame. I already bought my tickets so that'll be fun.
Einklley: aw, thanks. Lol, I don't really know tbh. I used to sign my chapters off with my nickname ~Ally, but I really like 'Miss Author' makes me sound all professional and shit... when clearly I'm not. But Miss Bitch is tempting. Yeah, I really wanted to tie up a lot loose ends after Civil War to give everyone a clear mind before Homecoming and then Infinity War and everything in between. One more loose end to fix though: Jack. Getting there. Oh yeah, I wanted to write some Peter in. We will be seeing ALOT of him shortly. Prepare. And thanks! Glad you enjoyed.
smilin steph: Thank you, I'm glad you enjoy it. I try my best to build Danielle and Jack's relationship with everyone best I can, but I, kind of debating writing a one-shot series for pieces of relationship building I skim over or just don't include. I have a few ideas, but I doubt it'll happen. But, anyway, here's your new chapter. Enjoy!
Incorrect Quote of the Chapter:
[should've done this one last chapter]
Secretary Ross: Even this small part of the team are some of the most dangerous people in the world, so I built this cage to keep them secure, so there's no possible–
Team Cap: *skipping out of the Raft*
Secretary Ross: –oH mY gOd...
–
Dani: It costs $400 to go see a therapist, but it costs $0 to tell myself it be like that sometimes.
Wanda: ...
Wanda: ... nO!
