Chapter 13
Being on vacation was stupendous. Raven was free to go out all night, keep her evenings open, not have any piece to go through during the day. It was the most wonderful thing to be immobile for awhile. She had time to move in with Henry, practice her guitar. Henry seemed to like it also, the alone time. He rarely had his hands to himself and Raven put up no fight. She couldn't recall being in love like this. Ever.
Brogan did pick on her because Henry never actually said I love you. Nor did she. It was something new to Raven, she had only said I Love You to one person. Her first love, and her heart had burst when he said it back to her. She needed to hear him say it back then. She needed the validation, the verbalization. Not with Henry. She wrote it off, as it being a different type of love. One where gestures meant more than words. Ally thought it was romantic that they just knew. That every gesture was an unspoken ode of love, as she said.
Raven tried not to let it seem that romantic. Henry was hardly the man to buy flowers, or chocolates, he wanted everyone to see what he gave her. Like the silver John Hardy dragon bracelet with the solid gold clasp, for her birthday. He looked for it every occasion he saw cause to. She had to wear it. It was one of the many things that made Henry, Henry. He wanted everyone to know she had a boyfriend who spoiled her, lavish her if she asked, he'd use visuals to emasculate you than his fists. She supposed it was better than whipping his dick out for a pissing contest.
He was possessive, yes. Brogan and Ally didn't see it, but Raven saw it as clear as his nose. He was aware of every man that ran his eyes over her. Anyone who got too cheeky who wasn't a close friend, he warded away with a single smoldering glare. She had seen it only once before, and she knew, Henry had a fuse. A fuse to an atom bomb. Not to mention he was a vain little shit, which went beyond his suits. He loved attention, he was such an attention whore and she tried to be such a lady about it. Until she ended up sucker punching a loose lipped woman in her place, not for Henry, but for her own self-respect of course. He laughed all the way home as she nursed a red fist, not only did he find the sight amusing, the fact she decked someone for him, as he said it, was hilarious.
That damn smugness got on her nerves too. He thought he was such hot shit.
As far as Raven knew Henry had a list for her also. He hated her obsessive habits, when it came to her work or inspiration. How she didn't have a prescription for insomnia, they had nasty rows about that. And, the worst of all, her act of "being seemingly invincible". Which meant, she hated being helped with a problem, whether it'd be her mental health or otherwise, even though she needed help. She would go down swinging before grabbing a helping hand. He never volunteered to help her but he couldn't stand the sight of her suffering. Oddly enough it made her like him even more, for not volunteering himself to save her.
It was refreshing.
That was how Raven described being with Henry Olsen, a deep refreshing gulp of air.
"Where's Brogan?" Raven asked. It had been less than five minutes but her sixth sense tingled in the back of her neck. Something was wrong.
"Probably reapplying her lipstick for the fourth time," laughed Nate. "She'll be fine."
Raven wasn't swayed, "I'm gonna go find her. Won't be long."
Henry watched her as she disappeared into the back. "Is she always like that?" He asked Nathan and Ally.
Ally hushed Nate before he could dismiss it. "Raven smells smoke before the fire. She always seems to know when sometimes wrong." She saw Henry's concerned stare to where she had gone. "But it could be nothing, don't fuss over it. Maybe Brogan's still upset about the fight she and Mark had."
"She smells smoke before the fire," Henry repeated.
"She's paranoid," Nate corrected. "The slightest creak makes her hiss."
"She know why she's like that," Ally admonished. "You can't blame her."
"I know, I know. Her father, her uncles, her family, the whole damn lot of them makes her cringe at every news bulletin." Nate shook his head as he drank his pint, "You can't just retire from a metal suit that fires blasts at aliens."
"No," nodded Henry. "You never do retire from that."
"And her brother," Nate continued recklessly. "Just like his father, they say. How do you think that makes her feel?"
"You think he may dabble in his father's work?"
"What little boy doesn't want to be a superhero and fly into the sky?" Nate scratched his nose bridge. "I remember the day, she got this call during class, at college. I'm assuming it was Tony, he told her something, and she just nodded. Nod, nod, nod," he mocked the robotic nodding. "Then he hung up and she went outside, she just dropped. She had gone pale as a sheet, and was holding her stomach rocking back and forth. I never saw her look like that in my life."
"Someone got hurt," Henry sipped his whiskey lip going tight. And Stark called her, upsetting her.
"She wouldn't say who, but I had a feeling who it was... Someone she couldn't bear to lose." Nate cleared his throat, irate. "I can understand why Marshall hates them all so much, God knows how much times he saw that look in her eyes before Tony retired... That look of despair and soul shattering loss."
"She's had to experience that too much?"
"Too many times." Nate rubbed his chin. "Did you ever here about that time they blew up Stark's house in Malibu? Raven was eight years old, when she saw the live recording of her father, still inside along with her not-yet-stepmother, as it was reduced to rubble... How do you think she looked that day? After she lost everything, twice, in her life already? At eight years old," he gave the table a solid pound. "You can't help but feel sorry for her. A girl who knows how easily your world can flip living everyday knowing, simultaneously she heart could break five times."
"And you wonder why she checks on us if we disappear for too long?" Ally retorted. "That's why she doesn't bring home boyfriends to America, she's terrified of bringing anyone into this constant fear. Sure they say who cares about a cellist and her boyfriends -"
"But Tony Stark's daughter, a prodigy," finished Henry. "She seems to have more sense then all of them."
"Sad but true," Ally nodded. "Oh, why are we even talking about this?" She huffed. "It just upsets me."
"What upsets you?" Wondered Henry.
"What she's been through, it makes me ache knowing she's twenty-four and she knows more pain than love. It breaks your heart, knowing all that knowledge about life, death, the law... Comes from personal experience." She took a deep breath and Nate pecked her hand. "When I found out, bits and pieces of it, from Nate. I cried. I don't why but I cried. It wasn't even the whole story and I cried. Seeing the face behind all those news reels, it's sad."
"Sometimes I forget she's a Stark," Nate switched to a lighter subject. "Not just because of her face. Or the fact she's a musician. It's how she is, and I mean beyond the ideals. When you think Tony Stark, you see this glitz and glamor of a being this playboy all the women want, this genius, this philanthropist. You know everything about him when you see that damn smirk, hear those snark remarks, you just know. But with Raven, you don't know a damn thing. She could be reading a depressing book in a tree, then she could be in the pub watching a match, she could be up all night doing her homework, she could be fighting with a bloke for pinching her ass. For months I didn't believe she was a Stark until he surprised her on campus. He had parted through the crowd and gave her this hug, grinning like the way all dads do when they see their kid at Uni."
"They're close?" Asked Henry.
"Yeah, what dad doesn't love his little girl to death?" Said Ally. "No matter how neurotic she is. I remember one bloke, a law student, talked shit about him, Raven broke his nose in one punch, and kicked him in the balls so hard he pissed himself." Ally laughed at the memory. "No one talks shit about my dad, she said. And then she turns to the rest of her posse, anyone else wanna go? I gotta plenty for all you dickless cunts. You loves him to pieces."
Raven didn't find Brogan in the bathroom, her heart sank and the sound from the pub outside became static. Where the hell was she? She searched the stalls for any clues, a lipstick cover, a tampon wrapper, a hair clip, anything to hint she even went to the bathroom. She swore under her breath and peeped back into the pub, she wasn't at their table or the bar. The only place left to check was outside. Shadowing a passerby, Raven slipped outside through the employee exit. No point in being quiet, she called out for Brogan.
"Brogan! Brogan! Brogan!" She turned the corner from the alley and saw Brogan backed into her corner the contents of her purse splayed out on her lap, three boys in hoodies circled around her.
Calm as a flatline she accessed Brogan and her attackers state of dress. Apathetic like she was a makeup artist accessing a movie scene. Brogan's face had no bruises, black eyes, or a spilt lip. At the most she was roughed up, but nothing was ripped opened. The boys were different story, all fiendish smiles, one had a knife, another a gun, and the last a video camera. One boy was pawing at his already baggy pants in a macho-man fashion. She came at the right and worst time. She took a deep breath, readying herself mentally for pain, any kind of pain.
I will not be broken, she chanted in her mind, like a protective prayer. I will not be broken. I am strong and I have come back from worst things. And I will not be broken or destroyed by this.
"I think she's had enough," she said cool, as though she didn't know Brogan. "Why don't you boys lay off the girl?"
"And are you going to stop us?" The one with the camera snorted. "Jesus, you ain't much to look at though."
Compared to Brogan, with her full figure and breasts, those truffle brown eyes and big red lips, she was the more appealing woman. Raven with her length flapper girl bob, her visible tattoos, her scowl, she was a thorn to Brogan's quivering rose.
"Come on lads," she tried to negotiate. She kept her eyes on that knife and gun. "The girl wants to leave..." It sounded weak even to her, so she added some steaks. "I can stay instead."
Brogan wept too horrified to speak, fat tears running down her face.
They liked the idea of her over Brogan now. One of the boys grabbed Brogan by her hair, he yanked her to her feet putting the knife to her neck. Brogan whimpered pitifully at the cool steel to her throat. The look in her eyes made Raven sick with grief. She had no idea if he would cut Brogan's neck deep enough to kill, if she could get the gun away from the other one before he did any damage. If the knife was sharp enough. For now it was good enough knowing Brogan was safe.
She wished she could say the same for herself.
"You scream, we cut her," the thug with the knife said. "Now give us your money and maybe we'll be nice to you."
Raven cursed her luck. "Don't got any money on me," she shrugged. "Why don't you let her go and deal with me, alright?"
The boys exchanged looks. If Brogan was braver she would have risked a cut on her neck and made of run for it. But the poor girl didn't even seem to be all there to take any advice. The one with his knife to Brogan's neck barked at her,
"Stand by the wall. Don't do anything stupid or I'll cut her."
Raven went to the wall. She weighed her odds of fighting them but Brogan was a fish on a moment she'd move her throat might be cut. She couldn't tell if they had the balls to do it, a serious throat cut, and she was too decent to risk Brogan's life. The first one in line, came forward flicking the gun between her eyes. She didn't flinch, death was not new to her, nor did objects of death frighten her. She knew how guns worked and saw it as a machine, not the grim reaper.
"What are we gonna do?" One of them whispered. Raven couldn't see which. "She's got no money."
The other two exchanged a look and Raven began building a happy place for her mind to go. Things were about to get bad. She saw it in their eyes.
"One move and I'll kill her, then you." He made a pop with his lips, rolling the gun back in mock recoil.
She saw the bullet at the end of barrel, he wasn't kidding. Again she wasn't intimidated, he didn't like that because without any warning he pistol whipped her. She didn't react, the first, second or third time. She simply spat the blood out her mouth, dangerously close to his shoes. He saw her silent insolence. He wanted submission and tears. The boys were getting off by hurting her. She prayed his temper would make him waste time. The boys were getting off by hurting her. He had no idea Brogan and Raven were not alone in the pub.
He punched her in the stomach, the wind went out of her but she didn't dwell on the pain. She sank to her knees, an instinctive action and he began kicking her. She bore it, kick after kick, stomps on her back, punches in her face when she wouldn't beg.
"Don't worry," he said pulling out a small knife, "you weren't that pretty anyways." He held her up by her hair, knife hovering over her cheek. She thought of punching him but like clockwork Brogan gasped the knife pressing tighter to her leaping pulse.
Raven didn't close her eyes as the knife came closer and closer to her face. He wanted her afraid, her wanted her to beg. Too bad. It broke skin on her face, she took a shaky breath, feeling the bloody run down over her eye. He smacked his lips sending her a sleazy kiss as he dragged the knife down, toward her eye. She revved up her body to fight, she summoned her strength and was about to burst.
When a hand appeared grabbed the thug by his hair. He opened his mouth to speak letting out a strangled noise, when another hand, glowing severed him from his neck. Brogan screamed as the blood spluttered everywhere. Raven was paralyzed, this day couldn't get any worse. She looked up to her rescuer, and felt her blood run cold.
It was Henry.
Yet it wasn't.
He looked the same, yet his entire demeanor had changed. He had changed. His hand was glowing, neon green. Oh my God, he's not human. He's not human. He's not human. What is he? The fact he just killed someone didn't bother her as much as it was Brogan, who was still screaming. Raven was more concerned about the fact he killed a man with his bear hands. Not even Steve was that strong.
The blood was running toward her, she hated the sight and smell of blood. It reminded her of her mother, she leapt to her feet, more from adrenaline than any energy to flee. Her body burned in pain and right now she let herself feel it. The fever of injuries that made it very hard to breathe. Their eyes met, there was no aggression in his eyes, but rage. He saw what they did and knew what they were no doubt going to do, and he was enraged. His eyes flashed like made fireworks of silver and green, sparks about in ignite dynamite.
He then saw the video camera.
"I-I got y-you on camera you f-freak!" The camera man announced. He didn't see the fury in his eyes, if he had he would have ran rather than threaten.
Henry vanished materializing by the camera man, who yelped, dropping his camera. Brogan had since fainted once her lungs ran out of air, before she saw who their calvary was. Her scream was the call that summoned sirens. Something truly horrible was going to happen and Raven in the middle of it.
"And what were you going to do with that?" Not-Henry hissed grabbing him, one handed, by his neck lifting him off the ground. "Hm?"
Raven covered her mouth. His neck wasn't straining, no muscles were visibly tense. It was effortless for him. The thug opened his mouth but he was a gaping fish. Raven saw the ice, the frostbite creeping up his neck to his face. He was freezing him to death. He definitely wasn't human. But what was he? His hand became dark blue as the thug's head cracked, nothing but colored ice, when Henry dropped him. Now a grotesque snow cone. The last thug tried to run but a single dagger in his neck stopped him.
The sirens were getting closer, she thought of running, but her body at last gave out four steps on her way to Brogan. Henry turned to her, his silhouette was becoming fuzzy as her wounds began to take full toll of her body. And all the blood was making her sick. She was going to blackout, and she had no idea what was going to happen when her eyes closed. She willed her eyes to stay open, to see if Brogan was hurt, to see her chest rise and fall. The last thing she felt was her body being lifted off the ground, arms scooping her up holding her close as Cork became an abyss.
I will not be broken, and I will not be destroyed.
I will not be broken, and I will not be destroyed.
I will not be broken, and I will not be destroyed.
Hello lovelies! It's been awhile since I updated this fic. Sorry to all the avid readers.
On a serious note. Please review this chapter and let me know what you think. Reviews kinda keep me going, it let's me know what you're thinking and that you're all out there somewhere. Critique as always is welcomed.