Chapter 2:
~Two years later~
Orla's head ached as it was laid on the foot of the sleeping 92 year old's bed. He had spent the better half of two hours crying with her over the loss of his adult son and granddaughter. Only the daughter in law had survived the vanishing-into-ash phenomeum that had swept over the world one week prior. Richard had just received word of the loss in his family and Orla had stayed with him to help ease his sorrow but she was too drained to have much effect on the older gentleman.
Since the phenomeum had occurred Orla had been exhausted, she had been pumping out 100% of emotion control to everyone she came in contact with so they wouldn't be hysterical and panicked. But she could only hold out for so long and along with everyone else they were starving for the cause of the vanishing-ash-phenomeum. The news hadn't reported anything helpful and Orla had turned to her old contacts inside of S.H.I.E.L.D. Her old supervisor, Misty had survived but had been too busy trying to reorganize after the world wide incident to give her many answers.
Orla had tried to be as grateful as she could for any information Misty kept her apprised of. After Orla had resigned it was Misty who had helped Orla clear her way into college and kept her notified of any threats aimed at her. Other than that Orla had no other communication with the agency, though she did wish things would have turned out differently but Fury had been right. She had needed to learn control over her power and relearn she couldn't save everyone.
When she had first resigned and started school Orla had been taxed beyond belief, nursing programs did that to a normal person but with every touch Orla would heal whatever ailment was affecting the person. After finishing her Associates in Nursing she wasn't accepted into the Bachelor's program so instead Orla had to choose a different path. Her next course of action was to stay in the medical field but be somewhere where she would not be in constant touching proximity of sick people but somewhere where she could be of help. She was putting herself in charge of who she could heal.
Richard mumbled something in his sleep and Orla brushed her hand over his arm and could feel another three ounces of fat melt from her body to heal him, her energy was quickly depleting and pulling from her body to accommodate. Orla stood from her hunched position and stretched before she silently snuck out of the room. She stopped by the nurses station to whisper to Nurse Barbra who was on duty that Richard was asleep. Barbra gave her thanks and Orla could easily see the redness around her eyes. She didn't say anything about her tears and Barbra was thankful, more than Orla would ever know for all she did volunteering at the old folks home. She was practically a member of the staff and like a family member to the patrons and they treated her like such which Orla didn't mind. She had taken care of her grandparents from the time she had graduated high school at seventeen till their deaths four years later. Orla missed being part of a family and she visited regularly to visit, entertain, and occasionally heal them.
Barbara snapped Orla out of her thoughts when she asked Orla if she would like some pie. Orla happily agreed, knowing her body was needing some very high calorie intake. Since half the population had vanished people tended to be more generous and kind, remaining family came often to visit the elderly often bringing their favorite food.
Barbra had noticed that Orla was looking a lot thinner these last few days along with a constant sleep deprivation look. With everything that had happened in the past week Barbra knew she had to ask. Not knowing much of Orla's personal life Barbra struck out on an attempt to ask Orla about her own health. "Boyfriend not letting you sleep much?"
Orla choked on the piece of pie she was in the process of swallowing at Barbra's question. The woman had never asked Orla about any of her private life and Orla hadn't divulged where it wasn't needed. After she finished coughing, swallowing, and taking a few breaths, Orla finally choked out her answer to the concerned Barbra. "No, no boyfriend."
"Oh…" Barbra had struck out and now she felt awkward about asking Orla. "It just seems like you haven't been getting a lot of sleep and eating. It looks as though you lost weight and that's worrisome…" She trailed off not wanting to sound like an overprotective mother on someone who wasn't her child.
Orla chuckled slightly, "I know, it's been a tough past week." She responded in a vague but appropriate manner as to not worry Barbra. "Even with everything going on I'm not in the market for dating."
An interesting statement about herself Barbra thought, "A pretty young girl like yourself not interested in dating? Don't you want to start a family someday?"
Orla bit back her sigh, "I need to focus on college then a career before that can happen. Until then it'll have to wait till I find someone to put up with my weirdness." Orla had practiced this line over and over again with the elderly folks here, they were always asking about when she was going to find herself a man and settle down. Besides never really dating Orla needed to find someone who she could trust enough to tell them about her powers and would keep it secret.
Barbra nodded in understanding, it was something her children were saying too. The newer generation wasn't as interesting in having children younger nowadays, they wanted to start their careers first and explore the world.
Orla decided to end the conversation there before Barbra could ask her more about her personal life. "Thanks for the pie but I really need to get going."
Barbra's eyes flew to the clock and she gasped not realizing the time. "Oh yes, be careful on your way back." They left the station and walked to the door where Barbra let her out before starting her rounds and an admonishing to not dawdle in the dark.
Orla had a quickened step through the mostly dark but semi lit streets thanks to the pie in her tummy. While at a quick jog Orla pulled out a protein bar and scarfed it down as she made her way to her apartment near the campus four blocks away.
Since half the world's population vanished Orla thought that for the most part everything was still running. There had been massive panic the first few days while everyone tried to figure out what had happened but those remaining took control of the situation and managed to keep it together so society was managing. There were some out there that did a complete 180 and 'since the world was ending' tried to justify their pillaging, theft, and takeovers as normal. Along with that those left were trying to figure out if some people had vanished or been kidnapped by some of the more hardcore crazies that thought the world was ending.
Orla quickened her step again as her apartment came into view and she quickly got off the streets and into her apartment building. Just the thought of kidnap and what else could happen sent her pulse faster as she approached the door to her apartment. She knew that the chances were low, she was what was considered a low risk victim and SHIELD had trained all their personnel to defend themselves. She sighed a breath of relief when she got inside her apartment and locked the door behind her.
Flipping on a light in the living, dining, and kitchen area Orla began to take off her shoes when a shiver ran up her spine as the feel of tension hit her. She paused long enough for her hand to slide into her pocket for her keys and feel her cellphone when the light in the area was extinguished with a shatter.
Orla already had her keys out in her hand and cell phone dialing 911 when she heard a yell as she slashed into the darkness and made contact with another human body. She was slammed against the door when another body hit her and the phone fell from her hand right as she heard "911, what's your emergency?"
"ORLA GLENN!" She screamed her name as she slashed at the person pinning her to the door and they jumped back taking the keys from her hand in the process. "I'm being attacked!" She threw the next thing her hand came into contact and heard it break somewhere in the apartment as she dove across the couch to avoid the next human coming at her. They were cursing and trying to discreetly pass information to each other in low tones.
"Highland!" She screamed the name of the apartments as she rolled onto the floor and threw her elbow at the attacker now on the couch. She was rewarded with a solid ouch then punished as they grabbed her elbow and from the contact her energy drained to heal them. Orla lashed out then with the small coffee table at the person shape she could barely make out in the darkness. A ruckus was made as the table made contact and Orla jumped up to fight back giving her attackers more than they bargained for.
"Don't hurt her! We need her alive!" A rough man's voice sounded in the dark apartment and Orla threw a couch pillow at him. It had been the only thing in reach and it didn't do any damage as she made a break passed them to run down the hall to her bedroom. She made it into her room and what she thought was safety until a solid punch knocked her off her feet and into the carpet where she saw stars in her eyes and then blackness.
Waking to her face pressed into what Orla determined was a cardboard box as her non swollen eye flew open in a panic. She wiggled her body but found her arms and legs tied behind her as she lay on her stomach. She froze as pain filled her muscles but soon that was overridden by the much more persistent pain from the cut on her left bicep. It had been sliced open, deep enough for blood to pool around her tied up body. Orla wiggled her head to try and see the wound and was punished with a fresh gush of blood from her arm. As far as she could tell it wasn't deep enough where the muscle had been damaged. Silencing her groan Orla tried to work through what happened, kidnapped from her own apartment and now tied up somewhere. At the very least she had managed to inform the police and so she was sure an investigation would start. Other than that Orla just had to wait for rescue or escape from those who held her captive.
Until then she could only wait and hopefully she could figure out what her captors wanted. Orla didn't have to wait long as within half an hour of waking they found her silently waiting. At first they joked that she was waiting rescue and they were all quiet pissed that she had surprised them by fighting back and managing to call for help. Because of her spirit that only made what they had planned for her even worse and Orla found out what they wanted from her.
It was her power to heal what they wanted but they didn't want to move her around constantly to each rich person who paid for them to be healed. Instead they were looking for a more obscure way to get her healing powers and it was soon discovered partly because of the open gash on her left bicep. Her blood could also heal someone's injuries as they discovered with one of the captors she had injured in the apartment attack, he pulled her up and her blood spilled onto his hand. She was dropped as he cussed at her then stopped as he felt the warm start to spread through his body and soon his busted lip and broken nose were fixed.
Immediately she was hooked up to a fluid drip and blood IV line and they waited for the first pint of miracle healing blood. She still remained tied up, they didn't trust her any more than she trusted them.
Her blood wasn't the only thing that they tested for its healing abilities. After two pints of blood was drained from her body Orla was tortured for more of her bodily fluids. Tears, saliva, mucus all came with pain as they found the simplest way to get these fluids by putting pressure on the open wound in her arm. This process took much longer and had a harder time collecting as Orla was being tortured. She begged and pleaded them not to hurt her anymore, she couldn't heal herself and because of that they didn't' try anything more drastic.
One of her female captors had the brilliant idea to collect her urine as well and see if that had healing abilities. Orla could only hold out so long before she had to pee and she was humiliated as the woman waited patiently and collected everything.
Orla was too tired to cry when they hooked her back up to the fluid drip and left her alone, tied up in a corner. She was relieved when they brought her a greasy sandwich, which she ate in a matter of seconds. She was ashamed when they laughed at her pitiful state but inside her inner rage grew and she promised herself she would find a way out of this.
Over the next few days Orla had identified the captors routine, or lack of one, and she began to take note of items they moved in and out of the apartment. She could identify weapons and tools used by both HYDRA and SHIELD giving a clue as to who they were. Most likely remnants of a HYDRA cell or contractors for the group.
But for now Orla could only wait for her chance. Her chance came one day a commotion broke out somewhere inside the building and she was left alone. Orla took her chance then and was able to make it out of the dirty apartment, down into the stairwell, and down a few flights of stairs when they finally noticed her absence.
Orla cursed at the rope tying her hands together in front of her body as she stumbled quickly down the stairs. She heard the door up a few flights open up and a now familiar voice yell, "She's in the stairwell!" She had been on break from the blood gathering after a urine collection so her feet had been left untied, something that Orla was immensely grateful for as she ran and half jumped down the steps. She could hear them catching up and she pushed her way onto the next floor that she came upon. Bolting down the hallways Orla began shouting for help and hoped with all her soul that someone would hear her.
Orla had no such luck and three of her captors caught up to her easily. All three pounced on her and they went tumbling to the floor as Orla kicked, hit, and bit as she fought back as hard as she could. It was all for naught and only caused the captors to beat her into submission. Orla still screamed only aggravating her captors more and earning herself a kick in the chest. That silenced her and they began to drag her away when one of the doors down the hallway peeked open slightly. Orla watched eyes widened as she saw a cell phone through the crack, she hoped it was recorded and she wasn't going to let this pass slip by.
"I am no slave! I am Orla Siv Glenn!" She screamed past the blood on her lips and her informational scream ended with another kick to the ribs a moment before she was hosted to her feet. Orla maintained eye contact with the phone and used the strongest wave of sympathy, guilt, and conviction to get help toward the phone before she was dragged pulled away.
Orla's escape attempt did not go well with her captors and she was beat once again when they arrived back and the apartment. Her captors took it up a notch with their torture of her body, asserting their dominance over her in the cruelest way possible and marking her forever with a Hydra's recognizable skull and six tentacles symbol. At first they wanted to cut it onto her skin but once again the female proved she was ruthless beyond a normal human's capacity and she was the one who burned it onto Orla's shoulder.
Orla wanted to die at that moment when the symbol heated to a glowing red was forced onto her left shoulder. Her screams echoed in the room as immediately her skin burned as they pressed the symbol into her and they laughed at her screams until she passed out.
Orla had lost track of how many days she had been held captive, she had tried to escape on day 3 and after that they had placed more demands on her body. They hardly gave her any food and stepped up their blood removal. The wound on her arm had gotten infected, something Orla saw as a possibility with this dirty environment. The burn on her shoulder had swelled up and was filled with pus. The captors were insistent on draining the pus for collection and were very pleased to find that it held healing abilities as well. They would constantly reburn the area to cause it to swell more and pus up and then drain and re-drain the pus to keep a constant flow of 'magical healing potion'. Orla only grew weaker each time and she was beginning to lose hope after 8 days of being captured.
Orla's body was well into the stage for shock and she knew what would happen next if this continued, she would slip into a coma. Her body would shut down; her organs would start to turn off in an effort to protect themselves from further abuse, and her heart would stop pumping. Death was very likely if aggressive life-saving measures weren't taken but Orla would first need to be rescued for that.
Her only other options were to beg for them to stop and seek medical treatment or escape on her own. Knowing there was no other way Orla spoke up for the first time all morning, "Excuse me."
The lean man whose nose she had broken in the apartment scuffle and discovered her blood was a healing substance turned towards her with a gruff, "Huh…"
Orla gulped down her fear, "This needs to stop. I need medical treatment right away. I am dying," was what she meant to say but only the first "This needs to stop." was heard by the man who flew into a rage at being told by the prisoner what to do.
He threw his beer at her and stomped over to her to give her a sound beating but as he approached her cuffed legs he wasn't expecting her to swipe her legs into his, roll out of the way, and pin him down with her arm around his throat. The last thing he remembered was hitting the floor thinking, 'Bitch…'
Orla lay panting on top of the knocked out drunkard, those moves had cost her dearly and she saw dancing spots behind her eyelids as she gave herself a minute to gather her waning strength. She patted down his pocket and found the keys to the cuffs and quickly she was out of them and rubbing her chaffed ankles and wrists. She paused and tilted her head at the sound of thunder outside and she looked out at the clear sunny sky. Giving herself a firm shake of her head Orla knew that she had lost too much blood, not given enough time to recover, and calories to replenish. She was going into shock, that was very apparent. Her hearing was failing her now and Orla had to act quickly if she was going to get away before other bodily systems began failing.
Fighting back fit of dizziness Orla stood off of the man and went to inspect which weapons and tools would be best for her escape. There was no way she could overpower the other captors and with her stumbling around like a drunkard Orla had to focus all on ninja escape skills.
A panicked mumble came from underneath the man and it took Orla much longer than it should have for her to recognize the radio underneath the man. Her dizziness and confusion grew as there was pounding on the front door of the apartment. Cut short on choices and in a hurry Orla grabbed the closest crossbow line launcher and a sheathed knife before bolting as quietly as she could to the nearest window. Momentarily blinded by the sun Orla took a quick look around to notice the building a little distance away. Immediately a plan formed in her dizzy mind and as the pounded at the door grew louder and more demanding.
A crash and what Orla thought was a rocking sensation filled the apartment originating from the front but she didn't have time to figure it out as panic filled her and she slammed the crossbow into the window, shattering it. The mini explosion at the front door masked the sound as Orla lined up the sights on the next building over and fired off a shot as the sound of multiple voices filled the front entryway.
Panic filled Orla snapped the crossbow on and leapt out the window as three people rushed into the room she had just been occupying. She didn't look backward into the very surprised faces of Black Widow and Captain America as she flew to her freedom.
Flying through the air an involuntary scream slipped out of Orla's mouth as she whizzed closer to the apartment building. Realizing that she was super unprepared for this, but hey...adrenaline, and Orla readied herself as the balcony came ever so closer.
Shouts sounded off all around as Orla whizzed from one building to the other one but she couldn't hear them past her scream and the wind rushing past her ears. People looked up from the ground and gaped at the flying woman, others in both apartments watched in horror as she neared the balcony and hit the bars with a resounding smack before she somehow managed to flip over the rail and plop onto the cement of the balcony.
Orla lay there gasping for breath until the adrenaline kicked back in. Even though both her legs ached like a son of bitch she moved and forced her body up. She wasn't out of danger yet. Yanking the crossbow line off the balcony so no one could follow her Orla shimmied next to the wall and sliding glass door. Giving a silent pray that the door would open Orla almost shouted with glee when she tried it and found it unlocked, the apartments owners thinking being near the top of the building who was going to break in. It slid on silent wheels enough for Orla to slip into the apartment. It was dark and after looking around she determined that no one was home. This one was clean and much better organized, it actually looked like a livable space that someone took care of. Locking the door behind her Orla snuck like a ninja to the kitchen. Immediately she started washing her hands and face to get the grime off. She grabbed an apple off the counter and headed to the bathroom, devouring it by the time she found the bathroom. The fuzzy haze in her mind registered a cacophony of sounds outside and as she pulled a large towel out she thought it came from the balcony she had shortly vacated.
Adrenaline and panic still forcing her to move Orla whipped the towel around her shoulders and tied it in knots to cover her ripped clothing along with the terrible burn swollen full of puss. Her arm remained uncovered and the wound, when she snuck a look at it in the mirror, looked dark yellow and brown in spots. The infection looked bad and Orla had to force herself to look away as she hurried out of the bathroom and to the front door.
The glass on the balcony door shattered as Orla unlocked the front door and bolted, with the crossbow in her hands, out into the hallway. Orla was out of breath and ready to collapse before she even got to the stairwell but she kept pushing. She had to get away, it was her only chance and she was going to make the most out of it even though she could barely focus.
"She got away again!" A voice said from a ways behind her and Orla nearly jumped out of her skin as she slowed her run and slipped into the stairwell. She couldn't let herself be captured by her captors once again. Once in she fell down the first flight of stairs but kept rolling till she got to her feet and kept going, her exhaustion very apparent and slowing her down. The door banged up above her and Orla slid onto the next floor, her dizziness and confusion so great she could not recognizing the numbers she passed. Panting around the turns on the floor, Orla finally came to a window in the hallway and the brilliant idea to use the crossbow once again was urged on by her panic and adrenaline. Knocking against the glass feebly at first then pushed on by pure panic Orla broke through the glass and fired another shot without looking at the trajectory of the line. This line was at a much steeper angle and almost end straight to the ground as it was fueled by her panic to escape.
Without any hesitation Orla launched herself out of the window and went flying out of the building. Her eyes blurred by the speed of her departure Orla could barely see the second floor balcony her line was attached to. Her mind connected the dots slowly as it was weighed down with hazy confusion and weakness. She was going to crash straight into it and she couldn't stop it.
Before Orla could crash into the balcony with what would most likely be devastating injuries she was snatched out of the air by Thor. Landing on the lawn in between the square of apartment buildings Thor released his breath he had been holding since he saw Orla jump out of the window. He only had the tiniest of moments after landing before Orla was trying to wiggle out of his arms. Confusion marred his face as his arms unconsciously tightened around her, his eyes surveying around them for any potential threats.
"Orla." Thor tried to get her attention as he held the squirming woman, still looking out and around them. "Orla, you are safe now."
In her confused, weakened, and semi-conscious state Orla still tried to escape. Her ears were buzzing and there were too many spots clouding her eyes. She pushed against her captor's chest in a feeble attempt to free herself. In a moment of clarity she realized that none of her energy was being drained to heal her captor and she thought, with irony, that he must be perfectly healthy.
Thor's arms tightened around her more and he stifled his gasp as he finally looked at the woman in his arms. He barely recognized her, from his memory of her she was always healthy with glowing skin and amazingly poofy light auburn hair. But this Orla was white as a sheet, her hair and skin had lost all shine and look of healthiness. She weighed nothing in his arms and for a second he feared he could snap her in half. The needle marks on both arms ranged from old to fresh along with a spattering of bruises on her arms and a nasty looking cut on one bicep. The towel tied strangely around her shoulders was knotted around her body but he could see her ruined and ripped clothing underneath. Her face was semi clean but one eye was bruised and he was surprised she could see out of it; her lips were dry, chafed, and swollen with a cut semi healed on her bottom lip. Thor stood still as he processed all of the injuries he could see and was aghast at the apparent abuse that had been heaped upon her.
Orla wiggled harder at the tightening of Thor's arms around her and her vision swam in her eyes. She wasn't sure what had happened but she finally recognized him but now she was desperate for him to release her as she was dirty and filthy and probably smelled like death.
"Orla please stop. You are safe now."
"No...I'm dirty." She gasped out as her mind started to blank out everything out with the exception that she was filthy and disfigured.
Thor began walking towards the Quinjet that the strike team had been assembled on. They were here to take down the remainder of the Hydra cell that had held her captive. "So?" He glanced down at her as her wiggling eased up slightly and with great patience and restraint squeezed Orla closer to him in a semi sort of carrying hug. "You're safe with me now. Don't worry I've got you."
His relief at finding her alive and now holding her safe with him was too much and too sudden for Orla to handle. From the simple act of hugging her as his emotions flowed into her directly from their close contact Orla was overwhelmed and taxed beyond her breaking point. Her eyes stuttered closed and a light sigh sounded as she slipped into unconsciousness.
Author's Notes: Hello again, here is Chapter 2. I feel like this chapter is just packed full of information and I didn't want to wear down you, the reader, so if anything doesn't make sense I am very sorry. I was trying to get all the things that had happened since Orla left SHIELD and Thanos finger snap of doom repercussions in without bogging down the story line. Guess I watch too many apocalypse movies to get a very real idea of what would happen in Thanos finger snap repercussions. Hope it made sense to everyone.
The flying between buildings was probably from watching my SO play Spiderman and it incorporated it into this weird dream that has become this story.
Anything you have a problem with or want to say let me know. Private message me or just leave a review! But thank you for reading.