Chapter Four
Emma reaches the same spot she was months ago and stares at the huge tanks and weapons armed and ready for fire. A strong sense of déjà vu overwhelms her but she does not get allow herself to get distracted because the mission on her mind is clear.
Cautiously, she walks to the side of the forest, and looks for a loophole or a way in. Frustration seeps into her bones when she realises there is none but her salvation comes in the form of the approaching Avengers closing in on the Hydra base.
Hawkeye takes an arrow from his bag and draws it, before he releases it towards the machinery behind her. Emma follows the direction his arrow travels in confusion before realisation dawns upon her a moment too late.
Clint Barton's arrows are never ordinary arrows and they detonate immediately as miniature bombs the moment they reach their intended target. The force which causes the tank to explode throws Emma back several feet into a tree trunk and feels wood splinters prickling into her back.
As she slumps to the ground, she groans in pain.
That is going to leave a bruise and some slight abrasions, but it doesn't matter to her because she knows that the Avengers will surely find her a way into the fortress, and also because she has been through much worse.
Emma stands up and levitates slowly, trailing behind the Avenger with arrows. He walks and she follows.
However, halfway through their journey, Clint stops and draws an arrow.
Thinking he must've caught on to someone following him, Emma flies to a pine tree and lands atop the tree branch right above Hawkeye in an attempt to remain out of his sight. However, her enhanced senses catch wind of a buzzing sound right before Hawkeye releases an arrow in the direction in which it came from.
The arrow hits nothing and it leaves Clint slightly apprehensive. But he does not waste any time in preparing another one. He aims his bow cautiously and makes a slow 360 degree turn to scan his surroundings.
Above him, Emma watches with weary eyes because she knows that Barton will never hit his intended target - especially if his target travels faster than the speed of sound.
Right on cue, a blue and silver trail whisks past Hawkeye right before he releases another unsuccessful shot at the enhanced – her boyfriend, Pietro Maximoff.
Another flash zooms past Hawkeye but this time it packs a punch because Clint finds himself sprawled out on the ground right after.
He looks up to see a smirking Pietro Maximoff strut pass him.
The silver haired man turns to face Clint and cocks an eyebrow in the process.
"You didn't see that coming?" taunts Pietro with a heavy Sokovian accent.
As soon as he speaks, he is gone again in a blur of silver and white, leaving behind a disgruntled Barton and a frustrated Emma.
"We have an enhanced in the field," says Steve's voice through Clint's earpiece, telling him what he already knows.
Emma lands gracefully on the snow covered floor a few metres to Clint's left and mentally berates herself for letting another opportunity slip by her. Pietro had been so close. But unfortunately, she had let herself get caught up in his presence and beauty that she forgot what she had set out to do. He was right there.
Suddenly, a large machine gun in the distance opens fire loosely towards the unaware Avenger - Hawkeye, leaving him no room for any escape. Everything happens really quickly.
He shuts his eyes tightly, expecting to feel sharp pain shooting down his abdomen, but reopens them after seconds pass and he feels none.
She doesn't know what made her do it.
Maybe it was a reflex action, or maybe it was because deep down in her heart, Emma was a good person and she did not want anyone getting hurt. Both ways, the deed was done and there was no turning back now.
The bullets that were meant to hit Clint floats mid-air inches away from his face and he lets out a deep breath he didn't even realise he was holding. Getting to his feet, he notices a feminine figure in his peripheral vision and scrutinises her posture.
She seems to be in shock as her hands are held out in front of her with her palms facing outwards.
Clint double takes and his eyes widen in realisation at the reality of the girl saving him. Who is she?
Emma gasps when her eyes meet Barton's and her hands fall limply to her sides, releasing the bullets to the ground.
Time seems to stop as the reality of what she has just done starts to set in and neither of them stop staring at each other in curiosity and weariness. They eye each other up and down; unsure of what is going to happen next.
Are they allies now? Neither of them knew the answer.
However, their moment is broken by the loud noise of repetitive gun shooting from the earlier machine gun controlled by a Hydra soldier.
Clint ducks and rolls to the back of the tree next to Emma as she raises her hands to lift the Hydra soldier from his weapon and throws him to the side, knocking him unconscious. However, she is not done yet because she wrinkles her forehead in deep concentration and starts to use her gift to rip apart the machine gun, ensuring that it can no longer be used.
Finally, as the last piece of machinery falls to the ground, Emma relaxes slightly and turns to face the Avenger, not realising that they are practically next to each.
Clint opens his mouth to say something but is interrupted by the echo of his name ringing out throughout the forest.
"Clint!" yells a familiar fiery redhead as she comes into view in a sprint. She has curves Emma would kill for and is remarkably beautiful but Emma knows that her looks are deceiving because she recognises that face immediately.
It is Natasha Romanov – the Black Widow. Her face creases with worry as she approaches them but schools her features into an emotionless mask and skids to a stop in front of them when she notices that Clint is not alone.
"Is everything alright?" asks Natasha, warily. Her question is directed at Clint but her eyes never leave Emma's figure as she assesses the petite brunette.
"Yeah…sort of," trails off Clint as his eyes flicker back and forth between Emma and his best friend, unsure of what else to say. This is an unforeseen turn of events but Natasha is unsatisfied with his answer.
"Who are you?" demands Natasha as her eyes bore into Emma's.
It takes Emma a few seconds to realise that Natasha is speaking to her before she replies with a blush.
"I'm a friend," she says in a perfect American accent, not wanting to reveal too much, before she finally decides to give her first name, "I'm Emma."
If either of the Avengers were startled by her accent, their faces did not show it. Instead, Clint chooses to ask her another careful question, "What are you doing here, Emma?"
Natasha watches the freckled face brunette's brows furrow in thought for an answer before she answers vaguely with a dazed faraway look in her eyes.
"I'm looking for someone," says Emma as she looks to the ground.
"She's enhanced," says Clint to Natasha. "Where her loyalties lie still remains questionable but she wasn't against us like the other one."
Emma's ears perk up at the mention of Pietro but she remains quiet, not bothering to correct Barton's assumption of her gifts. Instead, the wheels in her head are turning and she tries to think of the best possible solution to get out of the company of the Avengers and to Pietro.
Suddenly, Emma hears a few voices ring out through the earpieces of Natasha and Clint.
"I've secured the sceptre," reports Stark proudly. "Looks like our jobs are done for the day boys."
"Good work, Stark. Everyone else, report back to the jet and let's get Loki's sceptre back to New York," says Steve before he shuts off his communication device.
Emma stands there awkwardly and watches as Natasha and Clint stare at each other intently in what seemed to be a silent mental conversation with each other. After a few more excruciating minutes of wait for Emma, the two Avengers finally come to a consensus.
"You're coming with us," they say in unison.
And Emma knows that it is not a request, but a demand. So she follows them.
As Emma sits in the back of the Shield jet, her mind wanders to where Pietro is right now. Did he look for her in her cave? Was he alright? Countless questions plague her mind but she only cares about finding him.
Emma knows that the twins left the fortress way before Stark did because otherwise, Stark would not be alive right now. The twins abhor Stark and Emma knows it, but despite knowing about all the wrongdoings he has done, she cannot bring herself to hate him and it is simply because she doesn't know him.
Furthermore, Shield is probably her best bet in finding Pietro. Emma could have escaped earlier in the forest but she chose not to. Not only does Shield have the resources and means to find Pietro and Wanda, Emma knows for certain that the twins will seek them out again. So yes, staying with the Avengers was the best option for now. And regardless of whatever is to happen, Emma only hopes and prays for the safety of the Maximoffs'.
"So what's with the extra package in the back?" asks Tony sarcastically as he gestures to Emma who was sitting alone. "I wasn't aware it was buy one get one free day."
The Avengers are all gathered in the front in a circle around Clint who is piloting the jet. And of course, Tony has to be the first one to speak up.
"She's an enhanced," responds Clint.
"So you just thought to bring her along?" asks Steve sceptically, raising an eyebrow.
"What if she was hostile, huh?" demands Tony. "She could be working with those other freaky enhanced kids too."
"She saved my life," murmurs Clint as he looks straight ahead at the clear blue sky, only moving his hands to shift the control gear before he finally sets the aircraft to autopilot. Swivelling his chair around, Clint gets up to stand in front of the rest of the Avengers.
"Earlier when the other enhanced knocked me off my feet, a Hydra agent almost shot me with his machine tank. I kept waiting for the pain to come but I felt nothing. So I opened my eyes only to see the bullets meant to kill me hovering mid-air, a few inches away from me," says Clint. "She stopped them. Then she proceeded to get rid of the weapon and the Hydra agent like they were her enemies. Her loyalties still remain unknown but at least we know she isn't our enemy."
Bruce, who has been silent the whole time, finally speaks up.
"How much do you trust this girl?" asks Bruce with eyes full of concern and apprehension. "Like Tony said, she could be working with the others and her heroic act could merely be a ploy to gain our trust and access to Shield."
"I don't know," admits Clint. "But when she saved me earlier, she looked shocked by her own actions. It was like she didn't expect herself to. That's the only thing that's making me question her motives because apart from that, she didn't attack me or run away."
"This girl is different," says Thor as he furrows his brows in confusion.
Tony rolls his eyes and retorts, "I'm pretty sure we established that fact a long time ago, big guy."
Thor shakes his head. "No, I meant she doesn't feel like she is from Earth. The aura I am getting from her presence is partly Midgardian, yes. But it is infused with something else – something akin to Asgardians but not completely."
"So you're saying she's alien like you?" asks Tony.
"Perhaps," responds Thor uncertainly. "I cannot be sure because it is something I have never encountered before. But yet, it feels so familiar."
"Don't beat yourself up over this, Thor," says Natasha. "Once we get to Shield, we'll get the answers we need."
"Hopefully," mutters Tony as he sneaks another peak at the girl out of the corner of his eyes.
She seems to be staring into thin air but as soon as he glances at her, her head turns in his direction and her eyes meet his as if she feels his gaze on her.
Emma cocks her head to the side and studies Stark in real life. His eyebrows are raised in challenge and he exudes an arrogant persona, much like how the tabloids portray him to be, but he doesn't have the face of a killer. In fact, he looks worn and tired – the dark circles under his eyes are clear evidence of that. But Emma knows that he is more than he appears to be because he was the man behind the creations of the nuclear weapons and bombs dropped on Sokovia ten years ago, and she will never forget that.
Looking away from the Avengers, Emma leans against her seat and closes her eyes. The events that transpired earlier in the day have taken its toll on her, and she feels it. Her mind is laden with worry for her missing counterpart as exhaustion overrules her. Succumbing to the temptation of rest, Emma finally drifts off into a deep slumber as pleasant dreams start to fill in her mind.
The tension in the room can be cut with a knife. That is how severe the situation is.
Maria Hill is using Stark's computer screens to display the images and information on Wanda and Pietro Maximoff.
"Wanda and Pietro Maximoff," begins Maria as she gestures to the screen showing two people heavily involved in a protest in Sokovia. "They're twins who signed up to be a part of Strucker's experiments. He has increased metabolism and increased thermal homeostasis. And she is capable of Neuroleptic interfacing, telekinesis and mental manipulation."
Everyone but Stark and Banner stare blankly at Maria Hill, even Emma is lost by the scientific terms she used.
Tony rolls his eyes in exasperation and steps up next to Maria. "He's fast and she's weird," he drawls lazily.
"Right," nods Steve. Then his gaze hardens, "I didn't know Strucker was capable of human enhancements."
"We don't know a lot of things, Cap," reminds Tony with a twitch of his lip. "A lot's changed in seventy years."
"I'm never going to live that down, am I?" mutters Steve in annoyance but he receives no reply.
Instead, Maria's cold voice cuts through the air. "Why would anyone sign up for this? It's crazy."
Steve smiles wryly and says, "Right, what kind of crazy person would sign up to get experimented on by German scientists?" as everyone's gaze flickers to the super soldier's.
"That's different," insists Maria Hill. "We're not at war."
"They are," speaks up Emma for the first time since she arrived at the Avengers' tower as she gestures to the images of Pietro and Wanda onscreen, earning a few surprised and wary glances in her direction.
"I'm sorry, but who are you again?" demands Maria Hill as she just notices Emma's presence for the first time.
Emma frowns at her rude tone but replies slowly nonetheless, "I'm Emma."
"Why'd you bring the girl here?" asks Maria as she looks at the Avengers standing in the room.
"Excuse me, but this girl has a name," says Emma as she glares at Maria and the Avengers. "And I'm only here because Barton and Romanoff decided to drag me along."
"That's bullshit and you know it," retorts Tony as he walks up to right where Emma is standing. "You're enhanced so you could've escaped anytime you wanted to. But you didn't, which makes me question the real motive as to why you're here. So let's try that again. Why are you here, Miss Emma Ezekiel?" challenges Tony in a smug know-it-all attitude as he reveals a picture of a young adolescent Emma on the screen along with summarised information about her.
Emma's eyes widen but a part of her is not that surprised. After all, he is Tony Stark.
"You ran a background check on me?" demands Emma, pissed off.
Clint's surprised eyes turn to Stark as well. "When did this happen?"
"The moment you brought her on board, Legolas," answers Tony. "I was curious to know what kind of fucked up past made her volunteer for Strucker's experiments. And you know what I found? It turns out she didn't volunteer at all. Surprise, surprise."
Whatever reaction Tony had been hoping for, it certainly wasn't an angry captain.
"Well, Hydra isn't exactly known for providing people with choices, Stark! You didn't have to display all the terrible things Emma went through on screen so crassly!" berates Steve in a hard voice.
Tony's eyes widen and realisation dawns upon him that the rest of the team had misunderstood him so he quickly attempts to clear the misunderstanding.
"What I meant, Capsicle, is that little miss Emma over here was never with Hydra at all. There are absolutely no records of her ever being there. If she has any enhancements, they're not by Hydra. In fact in the little background check I ran on her, I found police reports in Sokovia about her made by her family, claiming she attacked them like she was possessed before she ran away. There's even one about the murder of her mother due to asphyxiation in San Francisco. I wonder who the murderer could be, seeing as only one member of her family has the gift of gravity manipulation?" says Tony with cold eyes filled with accusations. "It seems like our little free gift came along with much more faults than benefits than she's worth."
The room is so quiet that anyone can hear the sound of a pin dropping. The Avengers take a moment to digest what Stark just said in disbelief.
"Is that true?" asks Clint quietly in disappointment. He had so much hope for Emma.
By then, unexpected tears are already pooling in Emma's eyes at the reminder of her monstrous family. She can't believe the false tales those monsters told the police. Oh the nerve of them. And the nerve of Stark, what right did he have to go sifting through her messed up past?
Emma knows she has no choice but to reveal everything now. She blinks her tear filled eyes slowly and smiles sadly.
"No, well most of it isn't true. I'm not an enhanced, you're right," begins Emma as she swallows deeply, looking into Tony's dark eyes. "I'm actually Vanir. Well half to be exact."
"That's why your aura feels so familiar!" exclaims Thor in realisation. Upon seeing everyone else's confused expressions, he elaborates. "The Vanirs are a sister race to Asgardians and Asgard and Vanaheim has very close ties with each other. We are very similar in structure, except that Vanirs are more well known for their healing and magical capabilities rather than fighting. It is because of such race integration that Asgardians have learnt to wield magic as well."
"So you're half alien, go figure. But that doesn't explain the reports about you or why you're sticking around us," says Tony with arms folded across his chest.
Emma's eyes harden.
"If you had read the reports about my mother's death properly, you'd know that they're dated twenty years ago when I was just a baby. I couldn't have killed my mother, but I witnessed the entire process because of my Vanir heritage. My mother never told my father what she was and when he saw me levitating some stuff toys as a baby, he went ballistic," says Emma coldly. "In short, he hated mutants and anything inhuman so he murdered my mother and raised me in a sadistic household with him and my fucked up brother. When I was old enough to comprehend what they did to me wasn't normal, I packed my bags and left. My brother, Elias, tried to stop me but I threw him to the side in defence with my gift before I ran and never looked back. So get your facts right before you come and accuse me something untrue."
Natasha watches the pained emotion flicker across Emma's face but notices that she is holding back certain information. She does not push, not yet.
"Okay, so you had a rough life, we all did," patronizes Tony. "That still doesn't explain why you're here."
Emma takes a deep breath. "The same reason as any of you – to look for the twins."
"What do you want with them?" asks Bruce curiously.
Emma doesn't reply but the look on her face says it all.
"You know them personally," realises Steve. "You don't just know them, you care for them. It all makes sense now – why you were so tensed up on the Quinjet. I thought it was because you were uncomfortable with us but now I know it was because you were worried for them. You didn't know where they were or what happened to them."
Natasha cocks her head to the side and observes Emma's body language and understanding dawns upon her.
"You're romantically involved with the boy, Pietro," says Natasha. "That's why you were there when Clint encountered him."
Emma sighs deeply and her face is full of vulnerability.
"He told me loved me before he left to find Wanda. I didn't get the chance to say it back so I went to look for him," reveals Emma as her voice cracks. "I wasn't expecting myself to save Clint instead. I don't know what I was thinking."
Steve's heart clenches at the sight of Emma's sad form and he steps forward to place a gentle hand on the small of her back.
"You saved Barton because deep down inside, you're a good person, Emma. There's nothing wrong with that," assures Steve.
Emma manages a small smile at the first act of kindness she is shown today but it does not reach her eyes.
Nods of agreements from the Avengers in the room confirm Steve's statement but nobody in the room knows what to say so it is quiet once again.
Tony feels the guilt eating him away for his misjudgement of Emma but he does not apologise. That is not how a Stark works. Instead, he finally says something positive.
"We'll get him back, short stuff," he promises as he scratches the back of his neck awkwardly.
And Emma believes him because that is just the kind of person Emma is – forgiving.
Author's note:
Hey guys! I hope this chapter was worth the wait! Thanks for reading and please leave a feedback if you can cause it really helps me improve and it motivates me to write update soon! If nothing else, till next time then!