Chapter Sixteen:
Vivian and Alice travelled together to Shield, heading straight to the containment room on Fury's orders. From half down the corridor they heard a familiarly loud laugh, "It's too early to deal with him" Vivian groaned,
Thor was stood outside the cage listening to Loki brag about his previous evening adventure
"You are finally a man!"
Loki noticed the two ladies walking towards the cage,
"Good morning ladies" he smiled,
"So now you finally got laid are you finally going to stop bitching and go back to being a normal person?" Alice asked sternly,
"Okay that's enough idle chitchat for me" Vivian chipped in "I kept my end of the bargain now out with the info" she ordered
Loki smirked at her
"Well technically you didn't so-" he was cut short by a sudden volt of electricity
"Information. Now" she glared, repeatedly pressing the 'zap button'
"Okay Viv, calm down" Alice removed the tablet from the small girls hands and passed it over to Thor who looked it bewildered "Keep that out of her reach"
"That's easy" Thor couldn't help but laugh as Vivian jumped to try and reach her tablet which Thor kept well out of her reach,
"Give it back!"
"Vivian Rose! Work! Do it" Alice ordered pulling one end of Vivian's super long scarf almost choking her
"Alright already don't need to choke me" she hissed back loosing the scarf around her neck,
"I have to admit that was pretty cute" Loki mused, why was it Gods just seemed to pick on her? The dark haired god chuckled at her angry face "Forgive Miss Rose. I suppose I should keep my end of the deal shouldn't I?"
"Yes you should" she frowned,
"Well, the horseman Pestilence is a critical part of his plans. He plans to infect all humanity with a deadly disease and offer a cure only to those who will follow him."
"Right so it would be best to go after Polaris first" Vivian mumbled already in strategy mode,
Loki knocked on the cage wall "So am I allowed to come out?"
"Not my jurisdiction, ask Fury"
"Vivian" Alice warned,
"Alright I'll go ask, but is this twit going to give me my tablet back first?" she asked, Thor still playing keep away with the electronic device,
"Thor, give it back"
"But I was having most fun with the game of keep away" Thor handed the tablet back to the little British woman who quickly took her leave to the Command centre.
"Director" she called out the intimidating bald man,
"Ah Miss Rose, not causing trouble today?"
"No sir. I've finished my interrogation and basically we need to find Pestilence before she starts infecting the world. Oh and Loki wants to know if he can come out of his cage? But heck I don't care. I'll leave on that notion" she made a very brief and quick report and vacated towards the lab.
"I think you need to get a smaller scarf" Tony pointed out as Vivian's scarf got caught in the sliding door,
Vivian quickly freed herself and checked the computers
"We need to find Pestilence"
"Because Thor's little brother said so?" Stark asked
"Because Apocalypse is going to use her to infect the entire world offering to cure the ones that bow down to him." she turned to look at Stark who was stood doing nothing "so do something"
"So I have a question" I said to Loki
"Are you wondering perhaps why I chose Miss Rose over you?"
"Hell no. I have me a boyfriend which am sure you know. I wanted to know actually why Viv"
"I'm not sure what it is. Something about her just appeals to me" Loki said
"It wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that she's adopted and you're adopted and she has a readiness for torture and I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say you do too?" Loki shifted uncomfortably, "Well if I was you I wouldn't get my hopes up. She already has eyes for someone here"
"The ferret admires someone?" Thor asked, "Who?"
"Like I'm really going to say. She'd kill me! And I'm far too pretty to die" I said dramatically
"Miss Winters" came the voice of Nick Fury through the earpiece I was required to wear, "our guest has been very helpful. I think you should let him go"
"It's your lucky day" I said to Loki pressing the release button on the control panel, "looks like you were a helpful boy so you get to come out and play with the big boys"
Loki stepped out of his cage and was immediately embraced by Thor,
"It is good to have you back brother"
"Well it looks like you two have a lot of catching up to do. I think I'll go make sure Vivian isn't caught in a doorway somewhere" taking quick leave of the brothers I headed straight for the lab to let Vivian know Loki was free.
I found her hard at work tracking Pestilence along with Stark and Banner so I pulled her quickly to one side and told her Loki was free,
"As long as he isn't bothering me I couldn't give a rat's hairy ass what he does"
"Alright. I'll let you get back to work" no sooner had I uttered the words when something pinged in the lab,
"We found her!" Stark called, "it looks like Loki was right and Apocalypse is going to use her to infect the populous"
"Then we had better stop him" Thor said standing in the doorway with Loki at his side
"You said it. And no offence ladies but you should probably stay here and work on a way to snap this kid out of whatever Apocalypse has done to her"
"Not that I'll be much help either way here" I said under my breath
"You might actually. Is that Summers boy still around" Banner said
"No he went back to Westchester"
"We might need him"
"Right. Alice go fetch" I sighed zipping up my Dad's hunting jacket and leaving the lab to head off to Westchester like a good errand girl, "I seriously need a new gig"
"Don't die" Vivian waved off the Avengers as they set off to go apprehend Polaris; she turned back to doctor Banner "so where the hell do we start?"
"we have a few samples of the virus from those who got infected by her the first time, so far two of them have died, the virus spreads through the body slowly but isn't contagious"
Vivian tapped her foot as she thought of various scenarios "what has the med bay tried?" the doctor drew up the list that the doctors in the medical bay had issued to the patients, "mostly painkillers. I'm going to go take a personal look" the pair walked into the sick back, two nurses were present and greeted them nervously as they walked in,
"We need to know what's been administrated to the patients from the attack and were the results"
"O-of course Doctor Banner" Vivian could tell that some people were still uneasy around the good doctor because of his other side, Bruce was reading some of the notes the nurse had handed him and Vivian inspected some patients
Most of the patients were under a high dose of painkiller so they were very dazed. A high fever was present in all of them too. One patient caught her attention, despite his severely high fever his skin was pale almost blue in colour, she noticed a thick silvery substance on the back of his neck. She collared over the one of the nurses
"Was this here before?" the nurse shook her head "check the other patients for anything similar" Vivian said rising to her feet.
The nurse stood her ground against the small scientist
"We were told not to touch or move patients unless necessary" Vivian frowned at the nurse.
"Fear of infection?" the nurse nodded "hate to break it to you but if it were contagious you'd already be infected working in such a tiny place so since it's not contagious get the other nurse to help and get moving" she repeated this time more sternly
"R-right," the blond nurse she was talking to instructed her colleague to help. Vivian watched like a hawk just to make sure they weren't doing it half arsed.
She turned her attention to the current patient she was observing surprised to notice that the silvery substance had spread to under the man's jaw, 'that was only five minutes' she frowned retrieving some medical equipment from the doctor's desk. Crouching back down the mass had spread slightly onto his face and down his neck, she tapped the substance with a scalpel it made a typical metal sound but it didn't match up to the overall properties of the substance, it was more like liquid metal. It became more apparent that this was no ordinary virus when Vivian tried to take a sample, the metal bubbled before spreading rapidly across the face, leaving the mouth uncovered.
"Bruce, we got a slight problem" she announced, bringing the recent events to his attention,
"What happened?"
"Hell if I know but I think this virus is going to more problematic than I originally thought" Vivian sighed, turning to the nurses "New job for you both, blood samples of everyone that got infected"
The two nurses looked at each other
"No, I don't want to get infected by whatever that is. You said it wasn't contagious"
"It probably isn't, but you know that's what gloves are for" Vivian scowled holding up her gloved hands "found them on the doctor's desk ... but you should know that. You fucking work in here" she half shouted at the incompetent women, who quickly moved after that, "and remember to label the vials" she reminded knowing if she didn't they would probably have a box of unmarked blood samples.
"This is nothing like I've ever seen before" Banner said, somewhat in awe of the virus. The metal substance had stopped spreading and faded black,
Vivian checked his pulse "He's dead"
Banner noticed the substance had harden and carefully pried it off revealing face with no eyeballs, skinless and the muscle had been only half dissolved
"Holy shit"
"Looks like this is a little more dangerous that we presumed" Bruce turned to the nurses who had just finished the blood samples, "if you see anything that looks like this on any of these patients you contact Miss Rose or myself in the lab straight away. Check them at five minute intervals, that's how long it takes to spread roughly. Do not touch it" he warned, the nurses took his words very seriously, they looked scared shitless of him,
'He wouldn't hurt a fly.' Vivian thought grabbing the blood samples from the nurses and following Bruce out of the medical bay with the metal facemask
"We've got a lot to do"
I was in a foul mood all the way to Westchester something it didn't take a mind reader to pick up on as Xavier pointed out to me while we waited on Alexander Summers to respond to his summons,
"What is it that seems to be troubling you?" he asked
"It's just that ever since I joined SHIELD it seems like I'm only bailing out Viv when she's in trouble, which I don't really mind doing I mean she's practically family, and running errands for Fury. I mean Vivian made me all these amazing bullets and a bulletproof vest and the most use I'm going to get out of them is scaring off muggers and laughing if someone tries to shoot me and it bounces off the vest" I said folding my arms with a huff,
"Have you spoken to anyone about these concerns?" Xavier asked
"How can I when everyone is on high alert because of Apocalypse?" I said as the door opened and Alexander stood in the doorway,
"You wanted to see me Professor?"
"Yes Miss Winters has some good news. SHIELD has found Lorna"
"They have!"
"Yes and we'd like you to come in. Our science team thinks you'll be of use in trying to get her back to normal" I explained
"Let me get my coat!" Alexander said rushing to grab a jacket,
"I guess I'll see you when we get the kid back" I said
"Please keep me informed"
"You got it. Let's go kid" I said zipping up my jacket again and as soon as we got out I turned the collar up against the wind. The sky overhead was grey and foreboding and I just knew it was going to pour from the heavens.
When Alexander and I got back to SHIELD I dropped him off at the lab and headed to the firing range to take out some of my aggression when that didn't work I headed to the gym and beat the crap out of a punching bag.
It was getting late and I knew Vivian and Banner would be busy all evening so I thought I'd better head home instead of hanging around until she finished, I avoided everyone as I made my way through the base and headed out into the frigid October air,
"Hey what's wrong" Steve asked catching up to me as I left the base,
"Nothing I just need some fresh air" I said taking a cigarette out of my bag, "and I know how contradictory it is to say I want fresh air and pull out a cigarette. I'm annoyed and when I'm annoyed I smoke" I said shielding my lighter from the harsh unrelenting rain
"So what are you annoyed about?"
"This whole special agent thing" I said taking a long drag from my cigarette,
"What's annoying you about it?"
"The fact that I'm not really an agent. I'm an errand girl. I mean I know why, I don't have any special skills, I'm not a sharp shooter or a 'superhero' and I'm not like Vivian I don't have an extensive knowledge of computers or science. I can hunt and shoot sure but no better than anyone who grew up learning to hunt and shoot. I don't follow orders well and I have problems with authority. Fury said he hired me because I don't back down but he has a whole organisation of people who don't back down so why the hell does he need me? Answer he doesn't. I run errands and make sure Vivian doesn't kill herself or everyone around her but he doesn't even need me for that anymore because I'm pretty sure Banner will keep an eye on her and when this is all over and Apocalypse is dead or gone or whatever what use will I be then?" I stubbed out my cigarette, "I should just cut my loses and leave"
"But what about us?"
"Wake up Steve. There is no 'us' I'm wasting time with you as long as I'm in New York because you piss off Vivian less"
"I don't believe you"
"Believe what you want but ask yourself this. What would a girl like me see in a straight edged guy like you?" I spat, "You're the lesser as it were of two evils"
"You're just saying these things to get me to hate you so you can run away"
"Who's running? I know when I'm not wanted Steve. I knew it at sixteen and I know it now" I yelled tears pricking at the corners of my eyes blurring my vision
"Is that what this is about? You don't think you're wanted?"
"I know it" I said as the tears began to flow down my cheeks smudging my mascara. I left the shelter I was standing under and pulled the collar of my Dad's old hunting jacket up to protect from the rain. Not that it did much good I still got soaked and the wind blew the soaking hair that had come loose from the ponytail I'd tied it in everywhere,
"Alice wait!" Steve yelled
"Why? So Fury can send me on another errand?" I yelled back
"No because I want you to stay"
"That is not an incentive. Sex is sex you can get it anywhere" I scoffed as Steve caught up to me and put his hand on my arm,
"That's not why I want you to stay" he said softly brushing a strand of hair from my face, "I want you to stay because I care about you"
My heart leapt into my throat. No one had ever told me that before. Ever,
"You care? How can you care for me? You hardly know me!" I protested,
"Well I don't know what to tell you. I care about you and that is the honest and unshakable truth, regardless of what I may or may not know about you"
"I've never really cared about anybody except Vivian" I said swallowing the lump in my throat
"That's because you don't let yourself feel" Steve said,
"I'm afraid" I admitted,
"I know. It's ok" Steve said cupping my face with his hand before leaning down and pressing his lips against mine and for the first time I felt something, "come on let's get you inside before you catch cold"
"Ok" I agreed letting Steve take me back inside,
"Someone actually cares about me" the thought made me smile. Maybe I would stick around after all
The science pair had been extremely busy with their work; Vivian had volunteered to be the one to run back and forth to the med bay when the staff called them. The virus had proceeded slower when a certain antibody was administrated. The metal they had recovered was bio-organic; it had traces of neurotoxins in the core, which could paralyze the host, which would allow the virus to evolve for the purpose of taking over the body before the body died of course, though this was only a speculation.
Vivian was exhausted when Alice appeared with the boy from the Xavier institute, she was in a foul mood speaking few words to her and left briskly. "I'm glad you're here, the progress on the antivirus is going well but it's useless unless we can reverse the brainwashing" Bruce explained to the teen, the team had finally succeeded in apprehending Pestilence late into the evening. She was strapped down to an operating table which sent Havoc into a tantrum
"What are you doing?"
"She's still dangerous kid" Stark stated removing his damaged armour for Vivian to issue the vaccine she insisted
"But she's unconscious" Havoc argued, earning a well deserved slap
"All you do is whine; pipe down for like five god damn minutes. Dr Banner is taking precautions." Vivian turned to the two gods impatiently, "arm" she ordered issuing them the vaccine too.
"Maybe you should go home Vivian" Bruce said to her as she cleared the used needles away, "But-" Bruce looked up from pestilence as he hooked her up to a monitoring machine, "all that's left is to wait for her to wake up. There's no need for us both to stay"
Vivian felt a little hurt, feeling like she was only needed when there was work to be done. That's all she was a work partner.
"Yeah I suppose" she mumbled grabbing her bag and left the lab down heartedly.
Vivian was in a pretty bad mood herself when she came home later that evening,
"What's up?" I asked so Vivian poured out her heart and told me how she felt Banner only wanted her around when there was work to be done and not a second longer, "I don't know what to tell you. I mean I know you like him -" Vivian spluttered, "Don't even try to deny it. I have a sixth sense about these things"
"So what does your sixth sense tell you about all this then?"
"I think you should go back tomorrow and see what happens. Don't give up just yet. Now get some sleep. You know you don't work well tired"
"Yes ma'am" Vivian said trudging off to bed
"Poor girl" I said, "I might need to have a word with the dishy doc. But it's a problem for another day" I was exhausted so I too headed for bed and almost as soon as my head hit the pillow I was out