They call her Human Torch! Chapter 9
Monday February 7, 2011
It was 6 in the morning when I got woken up by a call from an unknown number, I reluctantly answered knowing that today I was supposed to get picked up by Coulson, I really couldn't get myself to call him Mr and I was sure as hell not going to call him Agent so I guess just Coulson will do, at least in my head. I wasn't about to be rude to him in person.
"Hello?"
"Hello Bella. This is your wake up call in case you were not already up. I will be in the lobby of your building at 7 am sharp. Wear comfortable shoes, we will be walking today to our headquarters and you will begin your training."
"Do I even want to know how you got my number? Let alone found out where I moved to?"
"If it all works out and your training goes well then you will find out with time."
"Well alright then. I'll be down on time."
"Great."
He hung up without another word and I was surprised but thankful because saying goodbye on the phone was always awkward. I jumped out of bed, took a shower, and ate some waffles with peanut butter while I got ready. After brushing my teeth I locked everything up and got on the elevator with 6 minutes to spare. I felt so relaxed knowing that there was nothing left to clean or organize in the penthouse, I had even stocked all the kitchens when I ran out of things to do, it had started out as a blank canvas of sorts. After cleaning every room I truly felt like I made it mine and after a few days I was now comfortable enough to call it my own.
"Hello Bella, beautiful building you moved into."
"Hi, yeah it is nice thanks."
"Well lets get a move on, headquarters is only a few minutes away. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that you moved so close."
"Yeah? What street is the building on?"
"We are located in time square, 48th street and Broadway. Broadway is only 3 streets over and since this is 42nd street, 48th street will be a few short blocks away. You can get there in 5 minutes."
"So, what can I expect today?"
"Training will start immediately, you will have to sign a non disclosure agreement of course-"
"Of course."
"Yes, then you will train with our top 2 Agents. You will not be trained with other recruits and you will not speak to many others, we spoke to you about the Avenger Initiative, that is a top secret idea, no one knows about it yet, that is why we are training you separately, we will be putting you under different scenarios and the training you will receive is going to be much more intense. You will be a secret weapon of sorts if you are to become an Agent."
"So I will only be in contact with those 2 Agents, you, and the Director?"
"There will be others on that floor that you may stumble upon but they are instructed to not speak about you or ask any questions. No one knows why you are really here and we will keep it that way, only Director Fury, his bosses, the 2 Agents, and myself know about the Initiative."
"Alright."
We kept walking in silence the rest of the way and I was thankful that he seemed to know I needed a few moments to think, he seemed really serious but nice, kinda reminded me of Jasper a little bit. Ignoring that thought. Less than a minute later we went into an unmarked building, it was bustling and grand but it had no name or logo anywhere that gave off to what was inside, it did put me at ease a little that there were so many people constantly coming in and out, dressed casual and some very professional. I was on the super casual scale I guess but he really only told me to wear comfortable shoes so it better not be a problem. We did not stop in the front desk or sign anything, he greeted some people with a nod and steered me away from others that stopped to stare at me but overall, he went straight to the elevator, scanned his badge, and took me straight up to floor 8 where the elevator doors opened to a small reception, he led me to the back where there were a few changing room and showers.
"There are closets through that door, pick a suit that is your size and when you are ready, step through that door there. We will be waiting on the other side."
"We?"
"Yes."
Without any more explanation or comment, he left me alone to change and get ready. Okay, they said they would not ask for a DNA sample so I can be honest about my strength right? They saw my speed on the news footage, everyone did. So I won't fake anything, all the training that the pack has put me through and all my new qualities have to be at my forefront, they will train me to have skill but I have to show them that they are only adding to my talent, they have to see and understand that I have my own moves that I can use against them if they ever try to take me down or decide I am not useful to them anymore. I can not show any vulnerabilities to these people. Taking a deep breath I stepped out to a huge gym room that was lined with sponge. In the middle stood Director Fury, Coulson, and 2 other people who I assumed were the Agents. One man and one woman, good, at least I won't be surrounded by men. Fury stepped forward and started talking after he gave me a once over.
"Bella, this is Agent Barton and Agent Romanoff. They will be training you, most of the time it will be both of them, sometimes one or the other if one is on a mission. Agent Coulson and I will be the ones directly overlooking the training, when they are done with you, you will move on to a short training with the both of us to test how ready you are. If we feel you are a correct fit then you will move on to overlook the training of our normal recruits to learn how they do things in missions. Eventually we will start sending you on missions with both of them, they are potential fittings to join the Avengers initiative as well which is another reason why they are training you, all 3 of you must learn to fight together as a team, you will learn to fight individually as well as fighting as a united front, get to know each other outside of your training, that is an order Romanoff."
He paused when she rolled her eyes but quickly kept going, I saw an amused smirk on both Agent Coulson and Agent Barton.
"I expect you to be in this room and ready to begin at 8 am Monday to Thursday, be here at 1 pm on Friday's to observe other stations and to spend personal time together. That is the new schedule for all 3 of you, I will not repeat this ever again, I expect you to understand that by spending time together, you learn about each others personalities, therefore fighting better as a unit if you can anticipate your teammates next move. Twice a week Agent Coulson or myself will be in to oversee the progress. Have a good experience here Bella, welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D."
He turned to leave and Coulson followed. Well now this is awkward, its like when a teacher pairs you up to do a group project with kids you have never talked to before. Agent Romanoff seemed very disinterested, it was clear she was not going to say anything so Agent Barton cleared his throat and began.
"Well I guess the first thing we need to do is test where you are now so we can see your progress later. Lets start with the track then move over to the weights."
We all moved on to a track in the adjacent room, it was a huge track and it had what I thought were sensors all around it.
"All 3 of us will run, this system measures and analyses your running so it will tell us how fast you run, do so as fast as you can."
We got in line and when the little light on the wall turned green, we all took off, I easily passed them and the track that looked so big became a little thing once I started, when I finished they were still not halfway done. I waited for them for almost 1 minute and when they got to me they gave me a look like they couldn't believe that I actually ran it, it occurred to me that they had a thin sheen of sweat and were a little out of breath but I was fine, like I did nothing at all. I guess I never noticed since all the running I had done was with the wolves and they didn't get tired either. Agent Barton went to the little screen by one of the sensors to check the results. I heard him muttering under his breath
"Gotta be fucking with me. It chooses now to break."
"It didn't work?"
He looked up at me startled
"You heard me?"
"Yeah, sorry. My hearing is a little bit better now."
He sighed as he fiddled with the screen.
"It measured us but it didn't even detect you. Guess this does not apply to you. Let's try weight testing, we can see how much you can lift."
I followed him to the middle of the room and again I lifted more than both of them combined. Finally Agent Romanoff seemed annoyed and reluctantly impressed.
"Okay so these tests don't help us in anyway and I can tell you are holding back in some areas so lets just move on to technique."
Agent Barton looked at me in question.
"Are you holding back?"
"Yes, but that is necessary. If I really let myself go and run as fast as I can then I would burn my clothes off and probably burn the track as well."
Their eyes widened but quickly recovered.
"Don't you have a suit that prevents you from burning?"
"No, it just doesn't burn."
"What do you mean? I don't understand"
I thought of a way to show them and simply couldn't come up with an explanation other than showing them. I went back to the changing room and got my suit from my purse. Thank god I thought to bring it just in case. I went back to the room where they were and stood back.
"This is what happens when I do not have the suit."
I let the flames engulf me and felt the clothes turn to ash as they fell to my feet. Slowly I turned off the flames everywhere except my intimate parts then I put on my unstable molecule suit, their eyes widened as they saw it become covered in flames but not burn like the other one had. Once I had it well zipped up I turned the flames completely off. They stared at me not sure what to say or do.
"Well that sucks."
Agent Barton looked at her in shock.
"NAT!"
"What? I didn't mean it in a bad way, the fire can be useful but can you imagine burning all the clothes you have? It sucks."
"You don't have to say it out loud! That is offensive to her."
"No really its not. It does suck, soon I won't have to burn through all my clothes though, I have not started yet but whenever I have some extra time I can make the formula to soak all my clothes and make them like this suit."
"That will be easier for you I'm sure."
"Yeah."
There was a pause in conversation before Agent Romanoff suggested we get started in techniques. We went straight to throwing punches, well they did anyway. After they saw how hard my skin was compared to theirs. We spent the day teaching me how to control punches, after I punched Agent Barton a little too hard and he started coughing, gasping for air. I apologized for 10 minutes before Agent Romanoff told me to shut up.
Friday February 25, 2011
This was the 3rd Friday that I was going to spend with Clint and Natasha. The past 3 weeks had been bumpy but good. They taught me so much so far but we did not really talk about ourselves too much, they had sat me down and had a serious talk with me about trust, they could tell that I was not completely comfortable and though they did not ask me to open up completely, they did ask that I bring my guard down a bit, they told me that we were not like the other Agents, that we were supposed to be a team and so we had to really be okay around each other. Fight wise we were getting really good at fighting side by side, I learned to read their body language and anticipate their next move and they as well had gotten better at fighting. They had to learn different ways to try and actually hurt me since I was stronger so they had gotten creative, stronger, and faster. It was a win all around. Today while observing other recruits and the way they were trained, it was all so cold and detached, they were being prepared to fight and do missions but when I really though about the way Natasha and Clint really made me feel like I was a part of something and like I really fit in, unlike the way everyone else was being trained. Well it made me want to show them that I really had let my guard down, I decided to invite them to the penthouse, into my private sanctuary. The first week we went to a coffee shop and really only exchanged 10 words at most before going home. The second week we were more comfortable around each other so they took me to one of their favorite restaurants. This last week they had that talk with me and I feel like we actually bonded when Natasha was able to knock me out, as strange as that sounds it made us all closer. I had bled from my lip for a few seconds and Clint got a rag to help dab my lip, when he was done he offered it to me, giving him a questioning look he answered.
"Take this as a sign of trust, we promised not to ask for your DNA, I won't go behind your back and take this. Take it home and destroy it or do whatever you want but know that I gave it to you instead of trying to study it."
I almost started crying when he handed the dirty rag over. It meant so much to me and it really did help me trust them so I thought I would show them trust by inviting them over and cooking for them. We were done observing for the day and had just changed back to normal clothes.
"So, for today's 'bonding' what do you guys wanna do?" Natasha beat me to answer Clint.
"I was thinking we could go to a quiet place, it has been a pretty busy week and I don't feel like being around too many loud people."
"Actually guys, I wanted to invite you to my apartment for dinner? Maybe play some games or watch mindless TV afterwards? Its fine if you guys aren't comfortable with that yet though."
They both looked very surprised but pleased. They agreed and I even saw Natasha give me a soft smile, that was an accomplishment on its own since she was such a bad ass, I had grown to respect them both but especially Natasha, she had a deadly grace to her that you had to fear but admire at the same time. We walked in silence to my place but it was not awkward, I was so thankful that we all shared that personality trait; we didn't feel the need to fill all silent moments with mindless chatter. We got to the building and the elevator quickly took us up. When the door opened I stepped out and had to look back when I didn't hear any footsteps behind me. They were staring around in shock and I had the urge to snap a picture.
"I had that same look on my face when I first stepped out the elevator too."
"We just thought you lived alone, that is what your file said."
"I do."
"How the hell can you afford this then?"
"It's already paid off, you want a tour while I explain?"
They nodded and so I began showing them all the stuff in the first and second floor, Natasha had to drag Clint out of the game room when he found some game that he had played as a kid but never found again.
"Nat! That game was my favorite! I played for hours as a kid and one day I went to the arcade and it was suddenly not there, I never got the name and I never found it after that!"
"Idiot you can play later, she is in the middle of a tour and a story. Plus aren't you hungry?"
His hunger apparently won out because he quickly stopped pouting. They sat on the kitchen counter while I started meal prepping, I had bought all the ingredients to make Italian food, I figured Grandma Swan's lasagna recipe was best to impress. While I cooked I talked and even offered them some red wine that Mr. Richards had left behind. They both accepted and so I got out some fancy crystal glasses he had left as well. I told them all about the trial and why I asked for the apartment "I still have no idea why they gave me this place. I thought it would be an actual apartment with one or two bedrooms and a lab but then I got this, its ridiculous." I also told them about the formula that made my suit and how I asked for that as well.
"Its lucky you didn't leave that suit behind then, seems very handy. I think you should just keep it as your uniform for missions and stuff"
"Yeah, it seems to fit you better too."
After they finished their wine and the lasagna was in the oven I moved to show them the top 2 floors, they seemed more impressed and comfortable there, of course with S.H.I.E.L.D. all labs looked like this so they were familiar in the science scene but they admitted that they didn't know much when it came to science. We went back to the second level kitchen and waited for the lasagna. Dinner was on the silent side but they really enjoyed it, they both got seconds and Clint even got thirds. They explained that between missions and not knowing how to cook very well, they almost never had home cooked meals. After dinner we sat and turned on the TV for background noise, I noticed them exchanging glances after talking about home cooked meals but decided not to say anything, I excused myself to go take my shoes off and put some socks on, also to give them privacy to say whatever the looks meant. When I came back down Clint looked determined. He started off by saying that it meant a lot to them that I was opening up to them and trusting them with my private space. He then told me that he only got home cooked meals when he went home⦠to his wife and kids. That was a surprise and a half for sure but I completely understood that Agents and missions meant danger, danger spread to all your loved ones. I learned that lesson the hard way with Charlie so when he asked me not to tell anyone that he had someone in his life, I made sure to make him understand that I would take that secret to the grave with me.
The surprise of the night was actually when Natasha opened up and told me a bit about her past and how she got to S.H.I.E.L.D. my respect for her increased as I heard her story. In exchange I told them that Charlie was murdered, that it was not an animal attack life his files said. I didn't dare tell them about vampires or the pack, I don't think they would believe me and also that was something big, I don't think I could let anyone from my new life into the secrets of my old one. They reluctantly asked about my mom and that I could be honest about, I told them all about her not having room for me in her life, how scatterbrained she was, and how she called one last time when she saw me on the news, when she heard about the flames she was so hurt that I did not tell her, she encouraged me to sue the company and use the money to get a cure, to have this removed. That is how I found out that Renee was against mutant rights, it was crazy and completely unexpected, I told her exactly where she could go shove it. She had not called since and neither had I. We spent hours talking about nothing, it was just relaxing to talk freely, well as freely as I could with them. They told be about past missions and injuries they had gotten, I told them tons of stories about my clumsy human days that had them clutching on to their stomachs with how much they were laughing. By the time they left it was almost 1 am. I locked up and fell into bed once again exhausted but satisfied with the day's events. New York was quickly becoming home to me.
5 months later. Wednesday July 27. 2011
"Bella are you absolutely sure?"
"Yes Clint! Go and spend time with your family."
Finally after a lot of convincing he took off and left me at a car rental place. We had just finished a mission in South Carolina and apparently his family home was nearby. We finished the mission in 3 days, it was a fast easy mission. I had only done 3 so far, they had all been with Clint and Natasha but Fury had her undercover at Stark Industries, Tony Stark was getting really big as Iron Man and they were considering him for the Avengers Initiative, I thought he was funny on TV and not to mention a total Genius! They thought he was a bit too full of himself to work as a team, whatever, I was just excited to go to the Stark Expo! This one was my 4th mission and 1st one with just Clint, Fury told us he wanted us to report at his desk Monday morning and it was only Wednesday so I told Clint to go enjoy as much time as he could with his family, he had invited me but I knew having a guest over would keep him from truly relaxing so I declined. I also convinced him to take the company car, he refused and said he would rent one but I insisted he keep it, that car was way too fancy, even to turn on the damn AC it was voice activated. Plus I know it is packed with sensors and trackers so I was just not comfortable with the idea that maybe someone at headquarters was listening to every breath I took.
I was very happy with my life lately, I had gotten so close to Clint and Natasha, we were not just a team, we really had become friends, I still talked to Tom, Brian, and Aaron once in a while although they almost never came over. Mrs. Grim made sure to meet me for breakfast at least 2 times a week. I was still lonely in such a big place but it had become the norm for Clint And Natasha to come over every Friday even though we were no longer required to 'bond'. Jane finally had time to come over and she brought Darcy with her, they were both so impressed with the Labs and so we spent the whole week on the 4th floor. Darcy had taken on a few classes to get more credits and graduate faster, I felt so bad that she still didn't feel comfortable at college but I was happy because she said she missed me and would move in with me after she graduated. I drove for hours after renting a car nearby where I dropped off Clint and didn't stop until I was really starving, pulling into a dinner in the middle of nowhere I made sure to change back to normal clothing in the car. While getting out I picked up on a conversation by the door, there were 2 girls and 1 boy but they looked no older than 16.
"I can't believe you let this happen Bobby!"
"Me?! It was your brilliant idea to come god knows how many states over to see some stupid boy band! You had to drag Rogue with you too!"
"You chose to come with us! If you wouldn't have made that face to those guys then they never would have taken our things! Now we are starving and have no money to buy food and oh would you look at that! No train tickets! We can't even call the school to get them to come for us."
"You are blaming me for that? If I wouldn't have been there you 2 would have gotten raped!"
"We were in the middle of a crowded area, they weren't gonna try anything until you went caveman!"
"Stop! Kitty, this is not his fault those guys did look sketchy. Bobby, you know Kitty and I both came up with the idea so you can't blame her either. I'm sure if we explain our situation in there then they will let us use the phone."
"No they won't we already tried that. That lady in there is too damn bitchy to even listen to us. We will just have to walk to the nearest gas station or the next dinner down the road."
"We walked for like 40 minutes before we got to this place, I swear if I have to keep walking any more in this heat I am gonna pass out from dehydration."
They slumped against the wall in defeat, the girls looked ready to start crying.
"We are going to be the laughing stock of the school. How the hell to 3 mutants get jumped by humans!"
Mutants?!
"You know we couldn't show our abilities out in public like that! Especially in this state they are not very tolerant. Who knows what would have happened."
Okay, these kids need help obviously. I approached them but kept a small distance knowing they were not going to be very trusting, not after getting jumped apparently. Not that they had a single thing for me to take.
"Hey, I couldn't help but listen in on your conversation. Can I buy you guys lunch?"
They looked at me up and down before one of the girls spoke.
"You look familiar. Do I know you?"
"You probably saw me on TV."
I brought my hand up and let the flames take over. They looked back up at me and I saw some fear but also some comfort. If they were all mutants then they probably would feel better around me instead of a typical human.
"You are the Human Torch!"
I laughed but was glad they recognized me. I saw the fear go away in their eyes.
"So food?"
This time they all nodded enthusiastically, it reminded me of the pack after patrolling. We went in and at first the waitress glared at them 3 but I put a stop to that shit real quick! I stepped in front of them and spoke directly to her.
"Excuse me? Can we get a table or do we have to go elsewhere?"
She stopped glaring when she was met with my own and led us to a corner table. Thankfully away from other customers. We didn't speak much to each other as they were too busy stuffing themselves. Instantly I felt for these kids, I had until Monday to get back to New York so I would drive them to wherever they called home, just knowing that they had to let themselves get jumped just because they couldn't show their true selves in public angered me. I would get them home safely and protect them until then.
"So where are you guys from? I can drive you wherever you need."
I saw them consider it but they looked reluctant to tell me.
"I live in New York City."
"We are from New York too!"
"Well I can take you there. I know you guys might not trust me, and that is good. Don't trust strangers ever! I just feel the responsibility to get you home safely. I am sorry you 3 got jumped and couldn't use your abilities to defend yourselves. I can't imagine what that must be like."
Finally it was like the damn broke and the girls started silently crying. The boy put his arms around them both and just held them before he looked up at me.
"We go to a mutant school in Salem Center, New York. Could you drive us there?"
"Yeah, of course. I promise you are safe with me."
We finished eating and I even got them to order dessert, after we got to in the car I turned back to where they said they had come from.
"Which bar alley did you say you got jumped in?"
"What?
"Answer."
They gave me strange looks but inside I was super pissed. I was going to put my new training into good use, and push comes to shove my fire might even come into play. They finally pointed out a saloon in a corner, the side was lined up with motor bikes.
"Wait in the car, I'll be right back."
"Wait! You shouldn't go in there."
"Please wait in the car okay?"
I got off and went straight to the bartender. I could see all the men following me with their eyes. Horny old fuckers.
"Some kids got jumped by your bikers behind this bar. I need the things that were taken from them."
He smirked and leaned close to me, trying to intimidate me.
"I don't know about any kids but how about I start off by giving you a beer? On the house for such a beautiful woman like you."
I smiled sweetly at him before grabbing his shirt and pulling him to my side of the bar. Channeling the bitch Natasha has been teaching me to be.
"You will point me to someone who can help me or you will do so yourself. We can do this the easy way or the hard way, either way, you run the risk of losing a limb. Preferably the one poking my leg."
The idiot laughed but I could see the fear in his eyes. One man twice my size came up behind me and tapped my shoulder.
"Honey, I admit I took some things that did not belong to me. I've been a naughty boy but I'll offer you a trade. You have something I am interested in."
God this man smelled like rotten meat! Before anyone could catch on, I had him on his knees and in a head lock, putting pressure on his pulse point instantly knocking him out. I turned to all the other guys that started to surround me. One by one I kicked their balls or their nose, whatever was most convenient. There were only 6 men standing and they were the weakest of the bunch, they had been standing by the wall, avoiding the fight. 2 of them actually looked kinda scared, they were covering their junk as if that was going to protect them. I laughed as I approached them.
"Where are the things? I can take you guys out and go search for them myself or you guys can come help load them in my car."
I felt a fuckton of adrenaline pumping through my body. Sure I had gone on missions but I had never used my strength for personal use. The men got up and ran to the back room, before I could follow they were already coming back with a backpack on each hand. I went outside followed by them and saw all 3 teens standing by the bar windows wide eyed and mouths hanging open. Opening the trunk they loaded everything up and almost ran back into the bar. I got back in and honked until they got back in the car. Slowly they did but still had shocked look on their eyes. I started driving and an hour in they still had not said anything.
"I told you guys to stay in the car."
They looked back at me and looked sheepish.
"We wanted to make sure you were going to be okay."
"Well thank you but I have your safety in mind so when I ask you to do something, please do it."
They nodded and we drove for a few more hours, they took control of the radio very quick. We stopped to put gas and I told them to get off and get some waters, drinks, and some snacks. When we got back in the car my phone started ringing. It was Fury. I motioned them to be quiet.
"Sir."
"Bella, I got a last minute call so I will not be in on Monday, I have given instruction to Agent Coulson so you and Agent Barton will give all paperwork and vocal reports to him."
"Yes sir, we are pretty much done here. Agent Barton lead the mission well."
"Good."
With that he hung up.
"Agent? Mission? What are you?"
I started laughing and answered.
"Not an Agent yet but I do some missions once in a while. My name is Bella by the way."
"Oh we forgot to introduce ourselves! How rude! My name is Rogue, this is my boyfriend Bobby, and our friend Kitty."
"So, what can you guys do?"
"I can walk through stuff."
"Really? That is so cool! Wow, must come in handy if you are ever playing tag!"
She laughed and started nodding frantically.
"I am the opposite of you I guess. They call me Iceman at school."
He made it start to snow inside the car and it was amazing.
"That is fun, I can heat up my tea and you can cool up your drinks. Sounds like we would make a good team if we opened up a cafe."
He started laughing too but stopped when he saw Rogue's face.
"What about you Rogue?"
She seemed very hesitant to answer but then in a small voice she told me about how she can basically suck a person's energy. She explained that it was the reason why she always wore long sleeved shirts and gloves.
"I can understand that to some extent, I have pretty okay control now but in the beginning I burned through so many shirts. I was afraid of anyone touching me because any spike in my emotions would throw me off and make me lose control."
She smiled softly at me but didn't say anything.
We drove for a while more but around 11 pm I could not handle anymore driving time.
"Guys would you mind if we stop for the night? I know you want to get home but I would put you all in danger of an accident if I keep driving."
They nodded and looked relived to stop, I know the car must be uncomfortable to sleep in. Once in the lobby of the hotel I pulled over at they turned and took out their wallets from their backpacks.
"We have enough money to pay almost half a room but since none of us are 18 you will have to do it."
I waved them off and went straight to the front desk.
"Hi, can I get 3 conjoining rooms?"
I put my new black credit card on the counter and she actually tried looking professional when she saw what type of card it was.
"Yes ma'am."
She looked through the system for a few minutes before looking up at me apologetically.
"It looks like we don't have 3 rooms together but the hotel is willing to give you a discount on a 2 bedroom suite and a regular room right across from the suite."
"Okay, I want the regular room to have a king size bed. One room in the suite to have a king size bed as well and the other to have 2 beds."
She nodded and quickly took off to get them ready. Once we had our room numbers, we took the car to park it in the space nearest to the rooms.
"Thanks for paying for the rooms Bella. We can pay you back you know, when we get home."
"Its okay. You guys are my responsibility until I get you home."
"Thank you."
"Hey Bella, what are we going to do with all the extra bags?"
"What? What extra bags?"
"Those biker guys were really scared, they each brought out a bag on each hand so we have 12 bags back here. Only 3 of them are ours."
I sighed in exasperation. I knew I saw too many bags. I just never stopped to think that they had taken stuff from other people! Mother fuckers!
"We will deal with it when we get to New York."
The next morning. Thursday July 28, 2011
I knocked on the suit door and they opened the door immediately.
"Good morning guys! Ready to go home?"
"Yeah but we are not ready for the lecture we are going to get."
"Well what happened exactly?"
Kitty sighed before she started the explanation.
"Rogue and I wanted to go see a band but the tickets are just to expensive and in New York they sold out right away but I looked all over the internet and found a show in Georgia. I saw a guy on Ebay selling really cheap tickets. We decided that we could leave the school on Friday after school, take the bus and get to the show on Saturday, come back Sunday and no one would realize that we even left. They never check dorm rooms on weekends. But then the guy sold us fake tickets at a Walmart parking lot, we found out they were fake at the door so then we had to buy actual tickets and we didn't have enough for the taxi the next day so we didn't make the bus on time. We hitched a ride as far as South Carolina but the guy kept stopping to pee and then we had to find another ride so that took even more time, our phones died and then we got jumped. That was on Monday and Tuesday, then you found us Wednesday."
"Wow. Okay they must be very very worried for you at school and in your homes."
They looked dejected until they explained their home situations as well.
"Okay, we will go to breakfast and then drive home. We drove through North Carolina yesterday and most of Virginia. We are about 8 hours away so lets get a move on. We are getting drive through breakfast to save time."
We drove and I actually broke my rule for driving, I went as safely as I could over the speed limit and it actually cut a lot of time. We only stopped for gas once and for snacks once as well. My eyes actually hurt and my body was sore. I just wanted to roll into bed and stay there until Monday morning. We didn't really talk too much because they were as tired as I was. We did talk a little on a personal level though, they asked what my mom thought about all this and I told them how against she was on mutant rights and how I had requested the apartment to test my own blood. I could tell they wanted to ask more but they refrained and I didn't offer any more information on the subject.
It was 9:56pm when I pulled into the driveway they directed me to. I had to wake them up when I got near Salem Center. It was a huge mansion and absolutely beautiful, at the entrance I saw the gold sign that said Xavier school for gifted youngsters. It was a curious name but everything looked good so far. As soon as the car stopped, a bunch of people got out of the mansion, all adults. There was a man in a wheelchair that looked extremely relived. A woman with red hair and a guy with sunglasses came out to stand behind him, then a huge blue furry guy came out followed by a woman with white hair and lastly a muscled man with mutton chops and a cigar between his lips. They all took defensive poses and one of the men told the kids to go inside. All 3 stood in front of me and Bobby started talking fast.
"Wait! She is not a threat! She saved us and drove us here all the way from South Carolina! She even paid for us and gave us food when we didn't have enough money."
the girls were nodding along with him and Rogue spoke too.
"Yeah she helped us because she is like us, you don't recognize her from the news a few months back? She is the Human Torch!"
The staff from the school dropped their defensive crouches but still looked ready for a fight. I put my hand on Kitty's shoulder and spoke to all of them.
"Hey guys why don't you let me talk to them. Get your bags from the trunk and go to bed, its really late."
They hesitated but then got their bags and paused to give me hugs. I took out 3 of my unused business cards that S.H.I.E.L.D. had given me 2 months ago.
"Here, if you guys are ever in trouble again or need something just call."
They read the cards and gave me another hug.
"So you really are an Agent? This says Agent Swan."
"Yeah I am."
"Awesome! Hey Bella, what do we do with all these bags? There's like 9 of them left."
"There is nothing we can do so how about you keep them, sort through them and donate all the things that you do not need?"
The muscular man pointed at the trunk and gave us suspicious looks.
"Why do you have so many extra luggage bags?"
Before I could respond Bobby did.
"Oh man Logan you should have been there! These guys jumped us and took all our things but we couldn't defend ourselves because there were so many people and you know some people in the south are more against mutant rights so we were standing outside a dinner the next day and we were starving when Bella found us. She showed us her ability and bought us food so then we told her what happened and she offered us a ride to New York. We didn't have any money or phone so we took it and first thing she does is drive us towards where we told her we got jumped, she asked which bar alley it had been so she parks the car and tells us to wait inside, we waited until she was in and got out to look through the window and man! She calmly asked the bartender for our things but he started talking down to her and another guy completely disrespected her, saying he would give her our things in exchange for her and she totally beat them up! She didn't even use her power once! She kicked their balls and noses and all of them went down like dominoes except for 6 of them. She made them go get out stuff and load it in the car, they were so scared that they brought one bag in each hand so we have 12 luggage bags when only these 3 backpacks are ours."
By the end of the story all the teachers were pissed at hearing that their students got jumped. After they calmed down they thanked me for protecting the students. Rogue and Bobby went inside but Kitty paused and turned towards me nervously. She looked at the teachers awkwardly before turning back to me and clearing her throat, tears gathered in her eyes as she talked.
"Um Bella, I just wanted to say thanks again. Before my grandma died.. she gave me some earrings that she wore on her wedding day, I carry them everywhere and um, if you wouldn't have gotten our stuff back, I would have never seen them again"
She had tears streaming down her cheeks as she hugged me again, I hugged her back and felt my eyes tear up as well. She pulled back and grimaced.
"Guess I better go back inside before I get into any more trouble."
"Kitty you are going to sit and take any punishment you get with gratitude. What you guys did was very stupid and you should just be glad that you have people to come home to that care enough to reprimand you."
She nodded and took a step back. I knew there was still something eating at her.
"What is it kid, you are way passed your bedtime."
She smiled and I'm sure I heard some of the teachers snort.
"I didn't want to be rude earlier, in the car?.. you said something about blood work, about testing yourself to see if the cosmic cloud altered your DNA? Did it?"
I knew what she was asking, she just hadn't worded it right.
"Yes, it did. I wanted to know if the exposure gave me the mutant gene or simply activated it."
"But you said the test didn't work. I don't know what you mean by that."
I had tried not to think about the results, there was too much to think about and not enough answers. I felt my eyes start to get misty again as I responded.
"No Kitty, I didn't have the mutant gene."
"So that means you don't know what you are?"
I simply nodded as she hugged me again. I blinked the tears away and smiled down at her.
"It's okay. I can settle for being unique, nothing wrong with it."
I could tell she didn't believe me but chose not to say anything.
"Well you would fit in here. It wouldn't matter if you are not a mutant, we all find the support we need in our lives here, and most of us don't have parents either."
She smiled and me one last time before getting inside. I turned to the staff and found them all staring at me. The guy in the wheelchair came forward and extended his hand.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Charles Xavier. I have to thank you for bringing our students back."
"Hi, my name is Bella Swan. Its nice to meet you too and no problem. I was just lucky to hear that they were mutants, I felt the obligation to bring them home and I was on my way to New York anyway."
"Please, come inside so we can have a proper chat."
"Thank you very much but I have been driving for such a long time, honestly I don't know how I will even get home because I am only semiconscious right now."
"Oh, well I understand. If you would feel comfortable, we have guest rooms?"
"Um thanks but, I guess you can say I am still learning to trust new people. I know I wouldn't sleep a full hour if I stay."
"We understand. We would like to invite you back however. You have nothing to worry about with us, we make up a team of trusted mutants."
"Wait. X-Men?"
"Yes, have you heard of us before?"
"Yes, I work for S.H.I.E.L.D. they told me that you recruit good mutants."
"Oh my, we did not know you were an Agent for them."
"Is that a problem?"
"We just try hard to keep our location hidden."
"Oh! Well I won't tell if you don't. I am technically still suppose to be on a mission but I ended early. I promise I won't tell them the location. They don't even have to know I met you."
"We would greatly appreciate that."
"Yeah, no problem."
There was an awkward pause in conversation before he covered it and introduced me to everyone else. They lined up and one by one shook my hand and said their names.
"Wolverine."
"Storm."
"Just call me Hank."
"Jean."
"Scott."
"Hi, nice to meet you all."
They nodded back and Charles came forward again.
"I would be really interested in chatting with you later on. Hopefully you can come for a visit sometime. Maybe over the weekend?"
Wow this was like the 3rd time he brought it up.
"Sure. How about Sunday?"
"That would be perfect."
"Great, see you then. Um would you like to keep the bags? I don't know what to do with them."
"I think your idea of donating it was good, it can be part of their punishment."
I laughed and nodded as I got in the car. Finally driving home. I was excited for Sunday though, I actually met a group of mutants. I just wanted to ask them what they could do but it would be rude. The only downside was that my apartment was almost 40 minutes away. Hopefully I make it home without falling asleep behind the wheel.
