Three Years Earlier
Stella's POV
I was in a coffee shop reading when she approached me, sliding into the other side of the booth. I gazed up at the woman over the top of my book.
"Can I help you?" I asked. I looked down to the page I was on, waiting on her to answer.
"Actually, yes. You can. Rumor on the street is that you're able to absorb pain. Take it as your own. I'd like to recruit you to join the Avengers. We could use someone with your unique skill set," she said. I paused on a line of dialogue, returning her gaze. Emerald eyes caught my stormy blue ones, a crimson bob framing her face.
"You believe those stories? What do they say? That I'm lethal? That I make you feel nothing in the end? I know who you are, you know. The infamous Black Widow. Are you sure you're here to recruit or is this really a front to kill me?" I asked.
"No. The person who told me about you said you could be useful…for those who need it. You wouldn't be put in battle unless we should need you. We would call you in the aftermath. He also said you might be able to help the team with…our own pain," she answered. I placed the bookmark in my book and set it to the side, interested in the way this conversation was headed.
"Stella Walker. Pleased to make your acquaintance," I said. I held out my hand.
"Natasha Romanoff, though you already knew that. Are you on board to join us?" she said. She clasped my hand shaking it and for a moment I felt a glimmer into her pain. I pushed my ability away afraid I may have intruded into her privacy. If she noticed, she didn't say anything.
"When do I start?"
"Grab your things and follow me. You'll start tomorrow. A word of caution. Don't bother the God of mischief. He's not above tricking you on the first day. It's not out of malice, but he gets joy of messing with newcomers," she told me. I followed her to a car parked out front and rode upstate to the Avengers compound to meet my new team members.
"Uh oh. Looks like a certain sorcerer got word of your arrival," Natasha muttered when we pulled up to the entrance. I followed her gaze to the man standing against the glass doors. Dark hair with silver strands around his ears, striking blue eyes and a circle beard accenting his frown. He wore a blue tunic and pants, a crimson cloak around his shoulders. We got out and made our way to the double doors, going inside catching the attention of the man.
"You're recruiting her? I've heard she's not in complete control of those powers of hers. She could hurt someone. Are you ready to face the consequences of her actions?" he greeted us. Clearly, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.
"Hello, Stephen. Have you met Stella Walker? Good to see you. How are things at the Sanctum? Boring, I take it since you've found the time to bother us today," Natasha said. She led us down a hallway to a lab where two other men were hunched over desks working on something I couldn't describe.
"Romanoff, I'm only trying to warn you of what she could be capable of," Stephen continued.
"She is standing right her. You know I can't transfer pain to others, right? I don't see how that screams dangerous to you," I quipped turning to face him.
"I…what it becomes too much? Unbearable? Could you accidentally transfer it others?" he asked. He was taken off guard at my response, but curious to know about my powers and how they worked.
"It doesn't work like that. The worst that can happen is that I could get overwhelmed with everything coming in at once and pass out. Oh, and I don't have wounds when I absorb others' pain. I just take it and deal with it on my own. I'm afraid I didn't get you last name. Stephen…what?" I explained.
"Stephen Strange. I could train you to hone your ability if you would like. Help you to not take in too much at one time. Interested?" he said. Ah, now he's switching sides and attitudes.
"Very. Though I already decided to join the Avengers. I'm not sure how I could split the time between training with you and helping them," I answered his question. I eyed him up and down, taking him in; his cheeks flushed with a pinkish color, and I could detect a bit of desire in those blue eyes of his.
"Did she get you flustered Stephen? I didn't think anyone could make you blush," Natasha stated. The pink hue spread more and turned redder as she introduced me to Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, the former looking at me with suspicion in his eyes. They went back to work as we continued the tour. Steve Rogers was next, followed by Bucky Barnes and then Wanda Maximoff and her boyfriend Vision. They left quickly to go on a date, and we moved on to the next room.
"Romanoff, who is your lovely companion?" someone asked from the dark hallway. A door had opened after we passed it to see a man named Sam Wilson. We turned to see a tall guy with raven black hair and green eyes. He wore a dark green shirt with black jeans, still managing to take my breath away.
"Loki, this is Stella Walker. Our new team member. She's a pain absorber. Stella, this is Loki, Thor's brother," Natasha introduced us.
"Nice to meet you," I said, holding out my hand to him.
"The pleasure if all mine darling," he said. He took my hand, brought it to his lips, kissing it. Chills spread throughout my body, and I fought to keep from absorbing any hidden pain he may have had. He held my gaze, those green eyes sparkling with desire. I pulled my hand away from his as more heat flooded my core.
"Easy, Loki. Don't work her too much. I wouldn't want you to get upset when she accidentally absorbs something you didn't want her to," Natasha warned, standing in front me.
"Maybe you should have brought her to Thor first. Excuse me, I have somewhere else to be. See you around Stella," Loki said. He winked and walked off. Yeah, I would be seeing more of him.
Present Day
Rick's POV
Hours after I made the decision to take Stella with the squad, we debriefed with Amanda Waller what we had encountered while out in the field. When she found out I brought an additional person with us, we argued about what I had chosen to do. As predicted, she wasn't happy with my actions, demanding I find somewhere else to drop her or to return her to where she belonged.
"She's hurt and her supposed friend wasn't going to let her come back with him! I'm not going to leave her behind simply because you don't approve. I'm not allowing anyone else care for her when I can take care of Stella myself," I shouted.
"She's not your responsibility Flag and certainly wasn't part of this mission. You shouldn't have brought her back and that's final. Dump her at a hospital and be rid of her," Waller snapped.
"No. I wasn't going to leave her to those things who would inevitably cause her pain and I won't leave her now. I was going to take her back to the other team members, but they were gone by the time we could do so. Though, I doubt that Stark guy would let them fly her home. I'm helping Stella. I don't care what you would rather me do,"
"Then you leave me no choice. You're suspended for two weeks. Now, I won't let you suffer completely without pay, so one week with it and one without it. I hope you're very happy with the choice you made. Dismissed," she ordered. Though I appeared upset when I left the office with Harley, I was secretly relieved to get a break. No missions for two weeks, no work. Just rest. Maybe. Depends on what was going to happen with Stella. Harley and I left to head to my apartment. I wouldn't have normally let her join me, but she was concerned about the woman as well. She was still out when I laid her on the couch, and I got a glass of water to sit at the kitchen table until she woke. That was two hours ago.
"Flag, she's coming to," Harley said, bringing me from my thoughts. I got up from the table and walked over to the couch as Stella stirred from sleep. She opened her eyes and saw us…then got off to back away from us.
"Hey, easy, sweetie. We're not here-," Harley tried to coax her from any fear. She had reached out to touch her arm and Stella flinched, stumbling back from Harley's touch.
"No, don't touch me. Please. I'm begging you to stay away," she said. Harley's hand fell away, and I noticed her face drop with disappointment, thinking that Stella was afraid of her. Like everyone else.
"I only wanted to help you. I don't want to hurt you. I'm not all that scary, I promise," she muttered. Stella sighed, raising a hand to Harley, dropping it instantly, and staring down at it as if it was foreign to her.
"I'm sorry. It's not you, I'm afraid of. It's this power. I can't seem to turn it off because I'm exhausted. I can't…forgive me," Stella said. Her words caught my attention and I walked over to her, curious about what was happening.
"Shut what off? What can you do?" I questioned.
"I absorb pain from others. I take it away from people. Wounds, mental thoughts. Anything that could hurt them further. No. I know what you're thinking. I don't have the wounds appear on me and as for the thoughts, they linger for a while before I can shove them away. I didn't mean to hurt your friend's feelings. I just didn't want to take anything away from her without permission. I didn't want to intrude…unwillingly," she explained. Tears filled her eyes and my heart filled with sorrow for her. I wanted to take her in my arms and comfort her.
"Okay. Alright. Take it easy, darlin'. I promise we won't hurt you. My name is Rick Flag. The woman who reached out to you first is Harley Quinn. Do you remember us from earlier? I brought you here because I…couldn't find anyone else to take you home. Do you remember anything that happened earlier today?" I stated.
"I…um…there was a battle. The Avengers were fighting some version of an alien species. I took a lot of pain from them and from the civilians running away. I was starting to become overwhelmed and went to find a space to clear my head. Tony found me and then everything…hurt. I…you both were there and another guy. Then…oh god. He left me…he…left me. Tony left…" she said. The tears she had tried to fight started to fall down her cheeks, her lips trembled. Her sadness loosened something within me, my arms dropping to my sides. My chest grew tight when she looked up at me, blue eyes glistening with more tears. She dropped to her knees, the grief taking hold of her. I moved forward, dropping to my knees as well, touching hers. Cautiously, I gripped her arms gently. Stella flinched and made to push my hands away from her.
"Look at me. It's okay. You can take my pain. I don't have much but take it. Take it if you have no other choice. I'm not going anywhere. I'll take care of you. Use me, Stella if you need to," I told her. She gasped, pausing her movements. Her bottom lip trembled as she gave in and wrapped her arms around my torso, her hands coming to rest at my shoulders. I rubbed my hands up and down her back to soothe her, keeping her close, allowing her to let go of everything. I heard Harley move to sit behind Stella, wrapping her arms around the two of us. Stella's body sagged into both of us, her face buried in the crook of my neck. Harley let go and leaned down to my ear.
"I'll let myself out," she whispered. I nodded and kept Stella in my embrace until she felt ready to let go.
Stella's POV
As I clung to Rick, I noticed something. He was quiet. The soldier…Flag was quiet. No pain to take. There was only silence. The tears kept coming and I was afraid they wouldn't stop. My own grief was drowning me. Tony deliberately left me behind, something I thought he wouldn't do. He shut me out. Of his life and the team's. No more Avengers. No more seeing Loki, Wanda, Bucky, and Nat. What would he tell the others? Would they look for me? Would he tell them I was dead or captured? How long would he keep them busy so they would never learn the truth? The thoughts consumed me. Still, Rick hadn't let go. I didn't think he would until I did.
'Use me, Stella if you need to,'
'I'm not going anywhere,'
Words he chose to say. Words I knew he meant. My power ebbed away, and I took a deep breath. Flag's scent enveloped me; the smell of the ocean and cinnamon, mixed with whatever cologne he used flooded my nostrils. Not heavy, but enough to soothe me. I reached out one more time with my ability, once again under control. Nothing. No pain. Finally, someone I could fully relax around. Another breath, his scent soothing me completely. I let go, shifting back away from his body.
"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I should…" I began. Grief hit me again when I realized I had nowhere to go. I was sure the compound would be banned from my presence; Tony would make sure of it. I think Rick knew it too.
"You can take my bed. I'll stay on the couch. You can stay with me if you would like to," he offered.
"What?"
"Stay here. I figured you might not have a place to stay now that…Listen, I know I can't offer you much, but you're welcome to stay here for a while. At least until, we can figure something else out. I realize we just met, but I don't want you to be out there on your own. I mean…I'm sure you're a strong woman…Fuck…" he offered. He started rambling on, realized it and ran a hand through his short, dark blonde locks, clearly frustrated at himself.
"You're very sweet. A good man. I'd like to stay, but I don't…or shouldn't impose on your life. I can go to a hotel or something. I appreciate the offer, but I don't think I can take you up on it," I told him. He nodded and stood up. He helped me to my feet, his touch suddenly sending a shock through me. I yanked my hand away at it, gasping as it ignited something else. He must have felt it too, because his cheeks turned red, his eyes averting my gaze.
"Um…you know what? I insist you stay here. Please. Just for the night and you can decide what you want to do in the morning. You're not imposing. I'd like you to stay," Flag said, his southern accent coming out a bit.
"Okay. Just for the night. You can have your bed. It is your apartment after all," I said, giving in.
"Great. Good. Uh…I'll let you borrow a shirt. In the meantime, how about we order in. Is pizza okay with you?" I nodded and he excused himself to call in the pizza. As he did so, he smiled at me, and I could swear something clicked inside me. I smiled back and sat down on the couch, thinking about other things. Mainly the silence I felt coming from him. Something I hadn't felt in a long time.
Loki's POV
"What happened out there? Where's Stella?" Steve asked. We had arrived at the compound after the big battle in New York hours ago. An important member of our team, Stella, had not returned with us.
"She fled into the park for a breather and then got flooded with a lot of pain. I heard through my comm, but by the time I reached her, she was gone. I think someone might have taken her," Tony said.
"We should go look for her," Wanda stated. Another one of her close friends. Like me. Bucky had started to pace, a sign he was worried as well. Natasha looked as if she was going to puke. The three of us had become her very best friends in the entire universe and would do anything for her. The way Tony had explained what happened sparked suspicion to me, however. Something wasn't right.
"No! I mean…we need to report our findings and then maybe work on finding her," Tony continued. Something was very wrong.
"Tony, she could be in danger. She would look for us. I say let Bucky, Wanda, Loki, and me go out looking for her right away. Fury will understand," Natasha said.
"I realize that, but we can formulate a better plan later. When we're not so tired. I wouldn't want anyone making a mistake in the search for her. Please, just stay here and we can figure out what to do in the morning," Tony commented. He's lying, I thought to myself. A thought I didn't say out loud. I wasn't sure what he was lying about, my suspicions about him growing. I knew it was about Stella, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly, and I couldn't call him out on it without evidence.
"I guess you're right. Debrief and then head to bed. We'll be more level-headed in the morning," Steve said. I kept quiet on the way to my room, listening for all doors to shut. I made a detour to Stella's room and located her tablet she used for reading sometimes. Turning it on, I tried accessing her location knowing she would her phone with her. A bright red banner lit up the screen, the words 'Access Denied' scrolling across. I moved on to other things we all would have access to and found the same words greeting me.
"Interesting. I wonder why he would so such a thing if she was taken," I muttered to myself. Why would Tony lock her out if he had any thought that she would want to contact us if something happened to her? I knew something wasn't right in the way he addressed Steve's question from before.
I didn't want to alarm the others, especially not Wanda, Nat, or Bucky. Not without some damning evidence. They could also possibly hinder my own investigation in what was going on. I crossed the three feet across the hall to my room and came up with a plan to my best friend.