Chapter Seventeen

"Because I'm moving on, letting go, forget the past, And giving up the ghost All we are is fading stars, life's too short to stay where we are..." - Moving On, Matt Kearney

A low growl formed in the back of the dog's throat. For most of that night, sleep hadn't come easily for Ada. She glanced over her shoulder to where Banner was sleeping, unsure of what had triggered the dog's wariness. With him pacing at the front door, sniffing at it every now and then, she knew something was definitely wrong.

Banner had caught onto it as well. His eyes were wide and fully awake as Ada grabbed her small bag and swung it over her shoulder. She had a feeling they were going to need to run, fast. If the army had gotten a hold of Banner's location, this wasn't going to end well.

"Out, through the back window," he suddenly ordered, his own voice dropping to a whisper.

She threw him a look before giving a faint nod of understanding. Though, she didn't plan on letting these assholes get their hands on Banner. Not when he'd already been through enough hell as it was. If there was anything she could do to keep them distracted and buy him enough time, she would try it.

"You go; I can keep them distracted," she reassured him.

"Are you out of your mind?" Banner snapped, eyes narrowing slightly until he saw flames dancing along the tips of her fingers.

"Believe me, you aren't the only one with a shady past," she deadpanned, "Now, go. If they catch you, there's no telling what sort of hell will follow."

To her relief, Banner didn't argue this time. With a sigh of frustration, he shook his head and climbed out the window. Ada used the moment of distraction as a chance to hide behind the bed. By now, the dog was barking at whoever had approached the house.

By the time she ducked for cover, darts were already fired in her direction. Ada narrowed her eyes at the darts that landed on a pillow. It didn't take a genius to know that they were using tranquilizers. They were most likely an attempt to keep Banner from slipping out of their grasp. If his condition was anything like Ada suspected, that would end in disaster.

She finally jumped out of her hiding place, kicking one of the men square in the chest when they were close enough. With their attention focused on her, she hoped it would buy Banner enough time to get away. The dog's barking had been relentless; she glanced out of the corner of her eye, not missing the fact that his fur was standing on end.

She threw a fireball at the feet of one soldier, while fighting off another. By now, the dog had attracted the attention of the invaders, and to Ada's horror, one of the invaders fired a gun at him. The yelp that followed was enough to send a shiver of dread through her.

Rage swept through Ada as she glared daggers at the invaders. It wasn't until she felt the ground trembling beneath her that she realized something was wrong. The invaders too had noticed the shaking, and were getting to their feet when the ground suddenly gave way beneath them. She felt oddly satisfied, watching their rush of panic after they realized the ground was swallowing them hole.

'Ada, stop,' a feminine voice suddenly warned her. Ada froze at the sound of the voice, feeling a shiver run through her as it sounded strangely familiar, 'You must not use that power. You are not ready.'

Ada shook her head, trying to clear the anger churning within her before she made a run for the window. Most of the invaders were still recovering from the tremors, which gave her enough time to slip out of their grasp.

The moment she dropped from the window and reached the ground was when she started running.

Eyes were everywhere as far as she could see. It didn't take Ada long to realize that the military must have picked up on Banner's location. They were swarming the homes, kicking open doors and questioning anyone they deemed suspicious.

Finally, she spotted Banner sprinting towards the canning factory. Ada's heart nearly skipped a beat when she realized what he had in mind. She glanced out of the corner of her eyes, noticing that more men who weren't part of the military were giving chase, as well.

Banner was running to avoid hurting these people. Ada's fists clenched as she thought of the way they were treating him, and the fact that they would likely continue treating him if something wasn't done about it. A small part of her knew that if the military got their hands on Banner, it wouldn't end well for anyone.

She didn't stop running until she was just outside the factory. One of the benefits of having powers meant that she could use a trail of smoke to maintain her cover. The last thing she wanted or needed was for the military to get a hold of her, either. She knew they'd be after her tail once they caught wind of the news feed in Monaco.

When she did reach the inside, Ada could hear the rapid beeping of a heart monitor. As she got closer, she spotted Banner trying to avoid a fight against three thugs. She knew that if things got out of hand, the 'Other Guy', as Banner dubbed him, would likely attack. Unease swept through Ada at the thought. She wasn't trained for such an occurrence, and she couldn't shake off the feeling that even she wouldn't be able to take him down.

Without thinking about it she began to fling water at the three thugs. What looked like the leader of the gang whirled around when he realized what was happening. Banner had finally ceased his struggling; by now, the heart rate monitor had stopped beeping.

Her feet were frozen to the ground as one of the men was grabbed by something large. Ada couldn't move even if she wanted to. She didn't realize that one of the soldiers had fired a dart at her. The last thing she heard before blacking out was a distant roar.

…

When she woke up, she found herself laying on the floor of a clearing in the middle of a jungle. The grogginess was already clearing from her mind. Ada bit back a groan, rubbing the back of her head as she noticed some of the trees had been destroyed or pulled from their roots. A large path where the 'Other Guy' had been could be made out.

She blinked in surprise, unsure of what to make of the scene until she noticed someone sleeping nearby. Ada rose an eyebrow when she saw Banner. His pants were still on, but, they were loosely fit. She hadn't missed the fact that his shirt was torn off, or that he'd fallen asleep a little ways from her.

Memories of what had happened the other night were still foggy. About the only thing she could remember was being at the canning factory. The soldiers who attacked them had vanished after hearing a distant roar. She could only assume the 'Other Guy' made sure the bastards didn't follow them.

She took a deep breath, pressing her hands together to steady her rapid breathing. When she first joined SHIELD, breathing exercises were the first thing she was taught. It was Coulson who told her that might be the best way to keep her powers in check, along with her own anger. Her breathing already began to change, until it was steady and evened. Finally, she heard Banner stir and looked at him warily.

"'Bout time you woke up, Banner."

Banner looked at her warily, hardly aware that she was sitting cross-legged with her hands pressed together while working on breathing exercises. He watched her curiously for a few seconds before shaking his head, trying to clear the grogginess from it.

"How long was I out?" he asked.

"A few hours, give or take," she replied with a shrug once they both stood up, "We're somewhere near the border of Mexico, now."

For once, Banner just looked at her apprehensively when he realized how far they had wandered. Ada had looked up the information from her phone, thankful that the GPS was still operational. She'd thought of contacting SHIELD, but she realized how risky that was with Banner in tow. He wouldn't likely trust her if she did call SHIELD, and understandably so.

She thought back to what had happened in Monaco. Tony had seen everything, along with Pepper and the rest of the world. About the only safe place Ada had, now was SHIELD. She couldn't shake off the feeling that Tony wouldn't be too thrilled if she suddenly returned and tried explaining herself.

"You know, when we were back in the factory, those men looked as if they were getting attacked by water," Banner suddenly pointed out in an accusing tone. Ada flinched at the look he was giving her. "It almost looked as if someone was controlling that water."

I knew I would have to explain myself, sooner or later, she reminded herself. It was only a matter of time before word slipped out about her powers. The problem was, she didn't even know where to begin with them.

"Guess the cat's out of the bag," she muttered, shaking her head as she tried picturing the dumbfounded look Tony was giving her at the race track, "When I was nine, I discovered that I could control fire," she explained. Banner's eyes widened in surprise when a flame appeared at the palm of her open hand, as if to prove her point, "Six years later, and I soon found I could control water, as well."

She grimaced at the memory of waking up one night to find her bed sheets on fire. It had taken every ounce of courage she had to ask Pepper for new bed sheets, and to explain to Tony that they had been like that when she woke up. Worst still was trying to explain how she woke up with no injuries from the fire.

"So, you control the elements," he mused thoughtfully.

Ada looked at Banner skeptically, unsure of whether or not that was true. She'd seen what the people in her dreams were capable of. They had been wielding similar powers themselves. It made her aware that she was not the only one who could perform such tasks.

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "About the only thing I am sure of, is that people are going to be afraid of something they don't understand."

That caught Banner's attention. She of all people partly understood what he was going through. After watching those people in her dreams, she knew what it was like to be hunted down and treated like a wild animal. It wasn't fair. It was cruel, and inhumane.

"So, is that why you decided to ask me of all people for help?" he asked, suddenly turning suspicious, again.

"I asked you for help because you needed it," she retorted, crossing her arms when she caught the dark look flashing across his eyes.

Banner looked as if he was ready to argue, his mouth opening and closing a few times like a fish caught out of water. Eventually, he clamped his mouth shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. Ada knew she was already walking on thin ice. But, at least she was being honest.

"Alright," he relented when he realized she wasn't backing out of this, anytime soon, "If you really plan on sticking around, we need to get out of Mexico, and back to the states."

She nodded at that. While she knew he meant well in trying to keep her out of this, she planned on sticking with her mission at hand. Even if it meant getting her killed, in the process.

With that thought in mind, they started wandering through the jungle in uncomfortable silence. Ada found herself trying to take in the landscape rather than pay attention to Banner. This was after all her first official mission out on the field. She found the sights and sounds fascinating, between the plants life and the wildlife that surrounded them.

A few hours went by before they finally came across an unpaved road. Ada rose an eyebrow as a farmer driving a truck reached them. She knew from experience that asking strangers for help wasn't always the wisest choices. In their case, however, it would come in handy to ask someone for assistance in getting back.

Relief swept through Ada when they finally reached Mexico City. The familiar hub of the city sent another reminder to Ada that she might never get her old life back. Tony used to stop by this city during business trips, and he would bring Ada along with him when things weren't too risky. She'd often find herself exploring the marketplace, or hanging out with the local kids. Today was different, for obvious reasons.

"Hey, do you mind if we stop for a bite?" she asked once they reached the open air market.

She wasn't surprised to find it bustling with activity; customers and tourists of all types stopped by, looking at all the different goods that were stacked in stalls. Benders were shouting at the customers with prices and deals. The whole scene was chaotic, at best. Yet, Ada understood everything that was going on.

"That's fine by me," he replied, eyeing her suspiciously for a moment, "I need a new pair of pants, anyways."

"Banner, where do you need to go, anyways?" she suddenly asked.

She knew she was taking a risk at playing with his trust. But, if she wanted to get a ride, it was a necessity.

"New York," he answered after hesitating for a moment, "That's the location where the data I need should be."

With that thought in mind, they decided upon a meeting point in the middle of the marketplace until they were finished with their tasks. What surprised Ada more than anything was Banner's willingness to trust her. As reluctant as he was with the idea of letting her in, she realized she was slowly working on gaining his trust. She also knew that she could easily get him a ride back home without causing a fuss.

Once she was sure that he'd given them enough space that he wasn't within hearing range, Ada pulled out the earpiece she'd been hiding in her pocket. Not for the first time, she was thankful she had taken the device with her. She secretly hoped that anyone other than Clint would pick up. The archer may have his skills, but he was annoyingly the kind of idiot who would point out whatever flaws he could.

"This is Jimmy, filling in for communication."

Ada held back a sigh of relief at the sound of Jimmy's voice. The tech geek was one person she knew she could rely on, especially in instances like these.

"Jimmy, do you think you could possibly fetch us a ride?" she asked, glancing around warily.

If anyone caught her now, it would end in disaster.

"What's your location?" he asked, already getting to work and typing away on the computer in front of him. She quickly relayed the location, keeping her voice a whisper as she noticed a few people looking in her direction cautiously. "I'm sending a pilot in your location; should be there within an hour or two."

"Jimmy, just make sure that it doesn't have the SHIELD logo on it," Ada warned him, suddenly aware that things could take a drastic turn if Banner caught the SHIELD logo in question. "Something tells me Banner won't appreciate the fact that SHIELD is after him."

Her shoulders sagged as she thought of everything that needed to be done, from there. After making sure that she'd snagged Banner and herself a ride back to New York, she knew that she would have a lot of explaining to do. He would get suspicious, especially knowing that she managed to get a ride for the both of them.

A few minutes went by before Banner finally reached their meeting place. Ada hadn't missed the wary look he was giving her. She'd grabbed a piece of fruit in the process of waiting, and she was leaning against one of the stalls while taking a bite out of her fruit. Her relief was short-lived, when the helicopter that she ordered arrived.

People around her were beginning to make a break for it as the helicopter reached the landing area. It was a clearing in the middle of the marketplace, though, Ada suspected this wasn't necessarily meant for a helicopter landing.

"Do you have any idea how annoyed I am with this?"

Ada nearly rolled her eyes at the sound of Clint's voice. Of course, Jimmy would convince him of all people to pull off this stunt. Jimmy was smart enough not to get Fury involved, or to tell him about it.

"What the hell is this?" Banner demanded, eyes narrowing with suspicion when he noticed the garb Clint was dressed in.

"Our ride," she explained before Clint could answer, "He's sort of my trainer."

"You're damn right about that, kid," the archer muttered. To Ada's surprise, Banner gave Clint a handshake, "Name's Clint, and I'm your pilot for the day."

Reluctantly, Banner followed both Ada and Clint to the helicopter once that was addressed. She didn't blame Banner for his hesitation, or the fact that he probably hated her now. That was the downside to being part of SHIELD. It meant that she had to risk any friendships that were made along the way.

…

"You owe me for this, kid," Clint scoffed as they finally landed in the middle of a field.

Ada rolled her eyes at the remark. It was the third time he'd said that, and she knew it wouldn't be the last.

They'd flown to New York in awkward silence for most of the trip, until Clint started complaining about how ridiculous it was about pulling off such a stunt in the first place. Most importantly, how much trouble he would get in once he returned. Fury was likely going to yell his ass off not only at Clint and Jimmy for disobeying direct orders, but at Ada herself for asking them for help. At least they were able to get to the city without much trouble.

"Look, I get that Fury can be an ass in regards of making sure we stick with protocol," she retorted, shooting Clint a scathing look as he returned the gesture, "If he decides to punish you, just tell him it was my fault." Clint looked at her in surprise when he realized she was willing to take the brunt of whatever hell Fury would unleash upon them, "Thank you, for going out of your way to help us."

For once, Clint didn't know what to say. A few seconds followed before he finally gave her a mock salute and climbed back into the helicopter. Banner watched the whole scene warily as he noticed how tense they both were. The moment Clint pulled away was when he took the lead again.

"You two seem close," he remarked.

She looked at Banner thoughtfully, aware that he could have just as easily pushed her away once the helicopter landed.

"He's an asshole," she muttered, earning a look of amusement from Banner, "But, he's a good teacher. I'd probably be dead if it wasn't for his training."

Which was entirely true, as far as she would grudgingly admit out loud. Most of what she had learned over the last few months was thanks to his difficult courses. Between that and her own progress throughout SHIELD's courses, she'd quickly learned how to survive on her own.

Luckily, it didn't take them long to reach a small college town. Ada eyed the area in surprise, realizing this was where Banner must have worked on his research for Gamma poisoning. They only stopped once they reached what appeared to be a pizzeria, with the words 'Stanley's' written in bold letters on the front.

Minutes seemed to drag on when Banner knocked on the door of the front entrance. Ada shifted from foot to foot uneasily as an elderly looking man reached the door, eyes widening with recognition upon seeing Banner.

"Bruce, come in!"

She glanced over her shoulder warily, suddenly aware that this was the first time in months that she'd been in a pizzeria like this. The last time she was at a pizzeria was when Emmett had taken her on a date. She didn't normally go with Tony and Rhodes when they were in the middle of their 'talks' regarding the military and the Iron Man suit.

They were led to the back of a kitchen so that Banner could properly explain himself. The building itself didn't look as if it had changed much. Having been built in the 1920s, bar stools were placed on one side of a large counter. The dining room was on the other side, with a waiting room in the front. Stanley quickly locked the door behind them, making sure that no other customers interfered with their conversation.

"Stan, I give you my word. Whatever they said about me isn't true," Banner pleaded once they were all in the back of the room.

"No, I always knew it," Stanley replied, shaking his head, "You know how I've always felt about you two."

Ada hadn't missed the curious look Stanley gave her. She and Banner were nothing more than acquaintances. She preferred keeping it that way, especially since this was part of her mission.

"Have you talked to her?"

She rose an eyebrow at the mention of 'her'. Ada remembered reading bits and pieces of the files that regarded Elizabeth, who had been with Banner during the time of the 'incident', as he liked to call it.

"No," Banner admitted, suddenly looking guilty, "She doesn't even know I'm here."

"She is with somebody," Stanley confirmed his worst fears, "A head shrink. A nice guy."

She couldn't hide the smirk that followed when she heard the obvious distaste in Stanley's voice. Clearly, he didn't believe that. He was just saying it to make Banner feel better about himself, she suspected.

"Good, good," Banner replied, looking slightly hurt that the woman he pined for had found someone else, "Do you think you can spare a bed or two for us, for the night?"

"You can have the spare room upstairs," he assured them.

"That'd be great, thank you," Banner nodded his thanks.

"Is there anything else I can do, for you?" Stanley suddenly asked, looking more than concerned as he noticed the wariness Banner clearly showed.

"Actually, I do have a plan… but, I'll need two pizzas, and a uniform."

…

With Banner leaving for the university to deliver the pizzas and grab whatever files he could, Ada stayed back to sift through her small duffel bag. She'd carried her duffel bag around for most of the trip, bringing whatever clothing she could and minimizing whatever necessities she required. She watched as Stanley continued cleaning the dishes, shooting her curious looks along the way.

"You're the kid they were talking about on the news, aren't you?" he started, bringing up a subject Ada felt more than uncomfortable with. She flinched and looked at him warily, "The one who was adopted by Tony Stark."

"Yeah, that was a disastrous outcome," she muttered after pulling out her notebook.

She couldn't help but think back to how horrible that whole experience had been. The same fear of Tony refusing to accept her for what she was kept rushing back full-force.

She used the notebook as a distraction to keep her mind off of that incident. The leather had become worn and battered after years of abuse. Ada knew she would have to get a new one, especially since the pages were already filling up with all the dreams and visions she'd recently suffered from.

"So, what exactly are you? Some kind of mutant?" he asked curiously, aware of the tension.

So many people had asked that question. Ada frowned, and stared at the counter for a few seconds. Some small part of her knew that the people from her dreams were not mutants. The idiots that had hunted them down were not after mutants.

"It's not exactly something I like talking about," she sighed, hesitant to admit the truth. Stanley frowned when he noticed how shaken she looked, "The only thing I do know is that he might not be so accepting if I go back."

Stanley looked at her thoughtfully. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she also knew that it was partly out of fear that she might hurt Tony as well. Even Pepper had left her feeling worried that the strawberry blond might refuse to accept her.

"Look, if he cared enough to adopt you in the first place, something tells me he'll be more than accepting of you," he finally reassured her.

Ada couldn't hide the small smile that followed. He led her up the stairs to where the room was located. It may have been small, and it only had two beds, but it was better than nothing. The awkwardness of the situation only left Ada remembering that not every SHIELD mission would be comfortable at best.

"Thanks, again," she thanked him, "For everything."

"It's no problem, at all," Stanley replied, offering a smile of his own, "Any friend of Bruce is welcomed here."

Once that was said and done, he left and gave Ada a chance to relax. She did just that, finally throwing herself on the bed as a wave of exhaustion crashed over her. All she wanted now more than ever was to sleep. Hopefully, she could do just that, and she would eventually make things right with Banner in the end.