Riley was sitting in the back corner of the jet once again, far away from the group of heroes she was once again travelling with. She had her back to the wall as she pulled her knees up close, leaning her arms over the top and laying her head down. The last thing she wanted to do right now was converse with any of these people. She didn't have the energy to talk about anything that happened, and although she knew that had questions about the HYDRA base and the twins they encountered, Riley was not in the mood to answer them.
Too much had happened to wrap her head around. Ever since the day she escaped those labs, Riley was sure she had been the only survivor of Strucker's experiments, and now she was faced with the fact two others were alive and surging with power. Pietro and Wanda had made it into the further stages, but they were all being pushed daily to expand their powers, she was sure they wouldn't have survived. She knew for a fact she wouldn't have survived if she stayed.
"JARVIS, take the wheel," Tony announced, spinning in his chair.
"Yes, sir," the A.I's voice responded.
They had all being talking for the past ten minutes, arranging for a doctor to meet them at the Avengers base to treat Clint who had been hit, chatting about the mission. None of them spoke a word about Riley over in the corner, all knowing that she was more on edge now than before. They didn't need to ask about her friend, they could all see the answer in the way she had isolated herself from the moment she walked onto the jet.
"It feels good, yeah? I mean, you've been after this thing since SHIELD collapsed," Tony spoke victoriously to Thor. "Not that I haven't enjoyed our little raiding parties,"
"This brings it to a close," Thor nodded.
Riley was doing her best to drown out the sound of their voices, but it was hard when they were in such a confined space together. Her thoughts were far from victory, and she tried to control herself from growing too frustrated over their celebrations. They may have achieved what they had come here for, but Riley had not. Instead of leaving with her best friend, she was leaving with nothing and feeling lonelier than ever, full of guilt.
"As soon as we find out what else this has been used for," Steve cut in, glancing over at Riley cautiously before continuing. "I don't just mean weapons. Since when is Strucker capable of human enhancement?"
Tony also flickered a look over to Riley, knowing she could probably hear every word they were saying. They had known very little about Strucker's experiments, and as far as they knew Riley was the only survivor. But now there were two more out there. Two more successful enhanced individuals.
"Banner and I will give it a once over before it goes back to Asgard," Tony explained, looking to Thor. "That cool with you? I mean, it's just a few days until the farewell party. You're staying right?"
"Yes, yes of course," Thor grinned. "A victory should be honoured with revels."
"Yeah," Tony chuckled. "Who doesn't love revels. Captain?"
"Hopefully this puts an end to the Chitauri and HYDRA, so yes, revels," Steve agreed.
Bruce was sitting over by the side of the jet in a little nook, right beside Natasha, when he looked over at Riley with a confused and alarmed expression. The crates and supplies they had stored by her side were rattling, shaking where they sat. Tony looked over to the pilot controls and saw no issues, turning back to his team with the knowledge that it was Riley causing the jet to shake.
A moment later the shaking stopped, Riley moving her head up slightly to see all eyes on her. The orange orbs of her own eyes glowed brightly as she faced them all, immediately controlling herself. She just couldn't stand all this talk of victory and revels. Not when this was so far from a victory in her own mind.
As Riley's eyes faded back to brown, they all did their best to look away from the girl, knowing she was going to snap at them if they continued. Natasha turned her attention back to Bruce and reassuring him of his help throughout the mission, and Thor and Steve stepped closer to the pilot bay to look out at the clouds as they passed, beginning their own quiet conversation.
Tony wandered over to Riley, cautiously keeping his distance until she looked up at him.
"I'm not going to destroy the jet," she told him through a mumble. "Save the warning."
"You break it, you buy it," Tony shrugged, leaning against the wall and folding his arms. "But I'd prefer you didn't tear the place apart while my teammate is trying to get to some much needed medical aid."
"Noted," Riley sighed, turning her head away from his as she leaned down against her arms again.
Tony's small grin faded a moment later as they remained in silence. He could feel how desperately Riley was trying to cling to her sanity right now, how badly she was trying to control any instinct in her body that was pushing her toward getting angry.
They could all feel the tiny tremors of the jet as they flew, knowing that Riley was causing each shift of their bodies, each jolt. She was sending vibrations through the entire craft, and Steve was beginning to wonder if bringing her on board was a good idea after all.
"Do you need a drink?" Tony offered. "We've got water-"
Riley let out a small groan, shaking her head.
"Unless you've got something stronger, I'll pass."
"I'd be happy to pour you some good scotch once we get back to the Tower, I'd say you've earned that," Tony offered. "But right now I think you just need to really focus on calming-"
"Yep, trying to," Riley put her hand up to him. "It's easier when someone isn't talking in my ear."
Tony smirked and turned his back then, leaving her in peace. Well, as peaceful as she could be while on a jet with all of them, knowing they were all watching her as if she was a bomb just ticking away in the corner.
Bruce looked over Natasha's shoulder and stared at the young girl, knowing what it felt like to be so out of control of your own emotions that you mentally fought with your body. It took him years to learn to control that part of him, and he still had moments when he wasn't sure he would win against the Other Guy.
These days, Bruce had his own routine after he came back to himself. Not only did he have a 'lullaby' that could ease him back to Bruce Banner from the Hulk, but he always filled his mind with classical music afterwards. Anything to cover the rage inside him, to take the focus away from the fight.
As uneasy as he was about the state of the girl in the corner, he stood up and managed to wander his way over to her, headphones in his hand. Riley's knees were shaking as she buried her head against them, turning slightly at the sound of the man approaching.
"Thought these might help you out," he spoke quietly, extending his hand and the headphones.
Riley looked down at them, hearing the classical music pouring out of the speakers, and back up.
"Uh, thanks, but not really my type of music," she refused.
"It'll drown everything else out," he assured. "Just put it on, close your eyes, and we'll be back at the tower sooner than you think."
Bruce didn't give Riley a chance to refuse once more, instead turning and walking back to his position by the window. If she didn't want to use them, he didn't mind, everyone had their own way of coping. But he couldn't help the small, satisfied grin that crossed his lips when he glanced over at her adjusting the headphones over her ears.
As soon as the padding around around her ears, Riley couldn't anything but violins and orchestras. It was like she was standing in an auditorium on her own, listening to the music with not a single other person around. It was her own private escape. Slowly, her eyes closed as the music lingered on, building and falling, keeping her at a level of calm she wanted to remain forever.
Moments later her head was rested back down against her arms, doing just as Bruce had told her, hoping they weren't too far from New York.
As the team felt the tremors die down to non-existence, they could all collectively begin to relax. They may have had a storm of media waiting for answers back in New York, but compared to what they had dealt with an hour ago, it would be nothing to worry about. They were growing used to the world demanding answers for things they couldn't explain, demanding repercussions for their actions when they were simply trying to save and protect people.
But there would always be parts of this job they couldn't control.
"Do we know the two enhanced yet?" Natasha asked, looking over at the men standing by the pilot bay, looking over tablets and news reports.
"Hill's getting all the data ready for when we get back," Tony explained. "Whatever she can make sense of, anyway. Most of Strucker's data was a mess."
"The girl knows," Thor spoke. "I saw her, just before we brought Barton back. She was talking a young man in the woods, I didn't see his face."
"He's fast," Steve nodded, knowing the boy Thor spoke of. "One of the enhanced. She knows him?"
"My bet is she knows them both. It's not a surprise, they were all part of the same experiment, all came from the same lab," Natasha sighed.
"Well it doesn't seem like they're best buddies," Tony shook his head.
"They're fighting for Strucker, she's not," Bruce summed up. "I doubt that makes for happy friendships."
"They didn't try to fight her," Steve added.
"So we've got trio of survivors and two are less-than-playful," Tony sighed.
"I would say all three are less-than-playful," Bruce corrected.
"Well, one is slightly cooperative," Tony insisted. "And at least we all know where she stands now,"
"What do you mean?" Thor asked.
"She didn't turn on us, she kind of saved our asses a few times," Tony shrugged. "Well, maybe not saved, but it's not like she didn't help."
"You're definitely on team Riley, aren't you?" Natasha grinned.
"I'm on team 'enhanced human but won't kill us'," Tony countered.
They all settled into a silence that lasted a few hours, each of them getting some rest from the fight they just escaped, preparing for what would be waiting for them in New York. Bruce leaned back against the wall and stared out the window, Natasha doing the same just beside him. Tony had a tablet in his hands that he worked over as they travelled along, and Steve did his best to do the same without closing his eyes and giving in to his exhaustion.
Thor wandered around the jet, looking out all the windows he passed, keeping his eye on the Scepter that sat in the middle of the jet for them all to see. It was finally secure, finally back in their possession, and soon it would be back where it belonged. Far from Earth.
Riley only opened her eyes once she felt the jolting of the jet's exit ramp opening, noticing that she had slept for the entirety of their journey. The headphones Bruce gave her were still sitting over her ears, and once she pulled them off, she realised how how soothing the sound of classical music had been. Everything in her body had calmed down completely to the point she had actually slept for hours on end.
Looking around the jet, she noticed the whole team grabbing their belongings to exit, looking over to see she had finally woken up. Bruce had a small grin on his lips at the fact his headphone suggestion had worked, enjoying the look of shock on the girl's face. With a small yawn and an aching stretch, Riley pulled herself up from the back corner of the jet and wandered over to place the headphones next to Bruce.
"Thanks," she told him sincerely, her voice rough from sleep.
"You're welcome," Bruce nodded, pulling on his jacket.
Riley then turned to Steve and Tony as they began to walk out of the jet, noticing their gesture to follow. This was where she finally got her answers, and hopefully a change of clothes very soon. She was starting to feel uncomfortable in her work clothes, the smell of old liquor making her stomach churn.
As they stepped out of the jet, Riley noticed a brown-haired woman walking over with a file in her hands, looking toward Tony.
"Lab's all set up boss," Maria told him.
"Uh, actually, he's the boss," Tony pointed toward Steve. "I just pay for everything, and design everything, and make everyone look cooler."
"What's the word on Strucker?" Steve asked her.
"NATO's got him," Maria confirmed, her eyes noticing Riley. "Who's she?"
The tone of the woman's voice didn't sit well with Riley, and she just glared back silently, her gaze shifting over to Steve. The Captain looked between the two women.
"I'll explain," he shook his head, beginning to walk toward the tower elevator. "The two enhanced?"
"Wanda and Pietro Maximoff," Maria announced, following behind.
Riley looked back at the woman, wondering what she had on them.
"Orphaned at ten when a shell collapsed their apartment building. Sokovia's had a rough history. It's nowhere special but it's on the way to everywhere special,"
"Their abilities?" Steve asked.
"He's got increased metabolism and improved thermal homeostasis. Her thing is neural electric interfacing, telekinesis, mental manipulation," Maria explained, noticing Steve's very confused expression. "He's fast and she's weird,"
"Well, they're going to show up again," Steve sighed.
"Agreed. File says they volunteered for Strucker's experiments. It's nuts,"
"Right. What kind of monster would let a German scientist experiment on them to protect their country?" Steve commented, a small smirk on his lips.
"We're not at war, Captain,"
"They are," Steve nodded, stepping into the elevator. "You have the file on Riley Elliot?"
Hill nodded, lifting it from the papers in her hand to pass along to the Captain. Riley walked up behind her, watching as all the information she so desperately wanted was given over to Steve. She watched him carefully, wondering if he was going to hand it over to her.
"She's...the other enhanced?" Maria assumed, pointing to the girl who now stood beside Steve. "What's she doing here?"
Riley's annoyance had reached it's peak at the woman's comment and she reached down to slam the 'close door' button on the elevator grid. She wasn't going to stand there and explain herself to this woman, that wasn't part of the deal, and right now all she wanted was what she had been promised.
"Hill organised all this for you," Steve told her, holding up the file. "You could be nicer,"
"It's not my strong point," Riley rolled her eyes. "Have you got Claire's file?"
"Still sifting through all of Strucker's data to find it," he shook his head. "We had to get the three survivors first,"
"Right. I guess I'll come back to Claire's when you find it then,"
Steve looked over to her with a small sigh. He knew she wasn't going to like what he was about to say.
"This file can't leave this tower,"
Riley looked up at him, arms folded, with an angry stare.
"You promised me-"
"I promised you the information, and it's all here for you, but you can't take this out of the tower," he shook his head. "If this got into the wrong hands-"
"That's my information! All of that shit in there is about me, I have a right to it!" she argued. "More of a right than any of you."
"I'm not saying you don't have a right, I'm saying we need to keep this information safe," he explained, feeling the elevator slow to the lab exit. "We're not the only ones who know about Strucker's experiments, and there's plenty of people out there who would love to find you."
"Good luck to them," Riley scoffed. "Don't pretend this is to keep me safe from some crazy collectors. You don't trust me."
"Well you can't blame me, can you?" Steve countered. "And believe it or not, it is to keep you safe."
"I haven't done shit to you," she argued, ignoring his last words. "Look, I've been around this freak show for long enough now, I want to go home and I'm taking my file with me."
"You can read it all you want here, but it's not leaving the tower," Steve repeated firmly.
"Are you going to stop me?" she asked, watching Steve's reaction as she felt her eyes turn.
They both looked back at one another in silence for a moment, letting the moment drag out. Steve didn't trust her, and Riley didn't trust him. Cooperation didn't seem to working at all. Steve wasn't going to let her intimidate him, but he also knew just how unstable she was, and he didn't want to push her. Riley on the other hand was daring to be pushed.
"Cool it," Tony groaned, walking into the room and booting up his computers and equipment around the lab. "If you wanted to go a few rounds, you already had your chance out there."
Steve's jaw clenched in anger as he turned from the girl, walking out of the room. But as frustrated as he was, he still made sure to set the file down on the table in the middle of the lab. Tony knew it wasn't to be taken from the tower, and he just hoped he would obey that order.
Riley watched the Captain leave, glaring in his direction.
"He knows how to push buttons, doesn't he?" Tony looked over.
"I want out of here," she huffed.
"Well there's about twenty different doors, take your pick," Tony shrugged.
"I want that file," she pointed.
"Hmm, no can do," he shook his head. "You're welcome to read it, but the second you move it outside this tower, you and it will be dragged right back in."
Riley bit down on her lip in anger.
"This is bullshit," she muttered, walking over to pick up the file.
"Do you think we brought all of this from Strucker's base just so you could take it out into the city?" Tony asked. "This data isn't public, we're the first to see it. The last thing we need is every whack job out there reading a step-by-step on human experimentation,"
Riley ignored him, opening the file and reading to herself. The first page was all basic information - her full name, her birthday, her parents, her hometown, the hospital she was born in. Everything. The next page was her medical records, ranging from birth to twenty, just before Strucker took her.
Blood sample reports, cellular testing, tissue samples - everything someone could want in order to take over someone's body. Everything they needed to create a lab rat. As she continued to flick through the pages, she started to see dates. Trial 1. Trial 2. Trial 3. The lists went on and on, documenting every single injection Riley had. The ones that worked, the ones that didn't, and the one that changed everything.
Tony watched her carefully, noticing her lips fall open in shock as her eyes grew wide. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to read about everything that had been done to while you were tortured and held down. To be spoken and written about like an object rather than a human.
"You don't have to read it all now," Tony offered. "You can come back, I know you want to go home-"
"I'm here now," she shrugged, her voice coming out in a low mutter as if she was barely paying attention.
Tony watched her for a moment longer before he turned back to his work, noticing her wander over by the window to lean back against a desk and read. She didn't say a word, didn't mutter any insult under her breath, and didn't even look up from the file she read. Even when Bruce joined him in the lab, she didn't even glance over at them for a second.
All she could do was read about what she was now, what they had turned her into. And now she could finally piece herself all together.
Thanks for reading guys, I hope you enjoy! Please do leave a review xx