The rest of the night all three were restless. Tony was a worried mess, Clint was terrified because a visit form the elders is never a good sign and Kim looked like she committed murder and couldn't tell anyone. Jumpy and paranoid. The three of them walked down to the kitchen, smelling breakfast cooking and laughter from the kitchen. Clint and Tony rose an eyebrow at each other while Kim just seemed to stiffen, hearing Gage and Quinn. Clint walked in first, Kim and Tony behind him. "Well, this is a nice change from yesterday." Quinn smirked over at Clint. "Your hilarious. You know we don't fight every hour of every day right?" Clint walked around the kitchen, eyeing his brother, wondering if they talked. Gage flipped a pancake as Clint spoke. "No. You need time to sleep." Gage slapped him with the spatula. "Shut up." Clint chuckled.
Quinn just rolled her eyes. Suddenly she felt her moms hand on her shoulder, looking over, seeing how worried her mom looked. "Mom? You ok?" Kim frowned. "Can we talk? In the living room?" Quinn nodded, worried, following her mom. Gage saw this, frowning, looking between Tony and Clint. "What happened last night?" Clint frowned. "An unexpected visit from the elders." Gage tensed. "What did they have to say?" Tony shrugged. "Thats the thing, she can't tell us. All we know is that if she talks it could change the time line. So it's something big."
Quinn frowned, turning to her mom when they got into the living room. "Whats going on? Is something wrong?" "Have you and Gage made up? Has he talked to you about his nightmares?" Quinn frowned, looking away. "No he hasn't but I gave him a week. And if he dosnt talk in that week or refuses to.." Her eyes watered, looking away. "Then were done and he's leaving because I can't have him keep shoving me away." Kim swallowed down her fear at this information. "I understand that but you have to know how important it is you make up." Quinn nodded. "I know mom. Trust me, I know. He's family, I don't want to be without him, I don't think I could." Kim just sighed, holding her daughter close. "You two will be ok. You have to be."
The rest of the days after were a blur. Quinn went to school, waiting for that time he would pull her aside and talk to her, tell him whats be going on but each time it never happened and the week was getting shorter and shorter until there was only a day left. She could barely work on her suit without thinking of what was surely going to happen: she was going to lose him. She tried in vain to screw a screw in but her lip trembled and emotions became too much as she threw the screwdriver across the lab, starting to curl up, her knees to her chain, sobbing like she was five damn years old again. She barely heard the lab doors open until Gage called out to her. "Quinn.." He rushed over, putting the coffee he had bought her down, his hand resting on her knee. "Are you ok? Are you hurt?" She slapped him away, her knees falling away, showing her tear stained face.
"Why can't you talk to me?" He swallowed as she continued her heartbroken rant. "I love you. I love you so much it hurts. It's agonizing. I've known you my entire life, we've been thru hell, together and you can't talk to me about your damn nightmares?!" She stood up, pushing him away. He was in shock, still on the ground, being shoved down to his ass when she pushed him. She sniffled, nearly sobbing as she spoke. "I'm terrified, ok? I don't want to lose you, not ever." She sniffled, calming slightly. "But apparently the threat of losing me isn't enough to get you to talk." Gage shot up. "You know I love you-" "But you don't trust me. Not where it matters." Gage swallowed, feeling his eyes water. "I've never had anyone to open up to about my past, Clint only knows a few things but not what I've been seeing.." Quinn shook her head. "Then why can't you tell me?" He looked away. "Honestly..I'm a coward." His eyes watered. "I'm a coward who can face aliens, bad guys threatening your life, fight with a team of super heroes but I'm terrified of my past. I've been running away from it for a long, long time." Quinn frowned, walking closer, staring him in the eyes. "Then it's time to stop running. If you run too far you'll be running away from me."
He nodded, wrapping his arms around her, taking in a shaking breath. "My father was a General in the army but he got a dishonorable discharge for torturing a young kid for information. He couldn't take it and created his own unit. It was corrupt and cruel and horrible. Once you were in, you couldn't leave. The only way to leave was to die." She frowned, starting to lead him over to the couch, her arms wrapped around him, petting his hair, feeding him soothing energy, keeping him calm.
He continued. "Soon as I was able to learn he taught me to use a gun, to punch, kick, kill in the most effective way. I wasn't allowed a childhood or anything a normal child could have like toys or movies or cartoons." Gage's eyes watered. "The one day he caught me with a green Lantern comic, ripped it away from me, screamed at me that it would make me a loser, that I wouldn't get anywhere reading trash like that then he forced me to shoot a pistol for an hour. If i didn't get all of them on target, he would slap me or punch me." Quinn smiled sadly. "You would have made a great nerd." He sniffled, wiping his eyes. "Still am a nerd, what are you talking about." She chuckled weakly. "Continued, please."
"He would teach me hand to hand combat but when I was young, still waiting on a growth spurt to bulk me up he wanted me to punch him hard as I could. No punch was enough so when it wasn't enough he..." Gage's voice suddenly wobbled, tears falling. Quinn just held him closer. "He would punch me back, hard as he could to show an example. And when nothing was good enough he would lock me in the basement. It was this tiny room, no windows and locked form the outside. Eight hours of nothing but darkness." Quinn frowned. "Thats why you always have some sort of nightlight." He nodded. "Just...something you know. Dosnt matter how small, long as it gives off light." Quinn nodded. "Is Clint on patrol tonight?" Gage nodded. She smiled. "Good then your sleeping in my room." He gave her a look, almost panic but then she placed his hand over her reactor and smiled softer. "I'l always be your light in the dark." He wasn't sure why that made him cry, why it set off tears but it did.
A sob escaped him before he could help it, gripping her reactor. She moved his hand, holding him close, feeding her calming energy, petting his hair. "shh I got you..."
She wondered how long he kept this bottled up. For so long he carried this sadness, this fear that this, what he is feeling is weak and should be looked down upon, made fun of. She hated he had to feel that way nearly his entire life. She was happy when he cried himself to sleep on her shoulder. She just held him close, snuggling into him, getting them into a better placement.
Kim had been hiding away in her bedroom, sipping tea and being so worried and terrified, she was shaking the entire day. But suddenly it stopped. She felt happy again, like the rain cloud that followed her family was gone. She felt lighter, like the world was off her shoulders. She smiled. Gage and Quinn must have finally made up. He learned to trust her with his heart and past.
Later that night Gage got ready for bed in her room. She sat on the bed with her Stark-pad. He wasn't sure why he felt nervous about this. Maybe its because it makes there relationship go to the next level,maybe it makes the marriage prospect all the more real. She saw him, smiling and putting her pad down. "Com'on. I'm actually tired tonight." He smiled weakly, getting into bed. She wore a tank top so the reactor was fully showing. He got under the covers as she turned the light off. He was focused on her light, the reactor as she moved, wrapping her arms around him. He held her close. She smiled. "See? This isn't so bad." He relaxed into her hold, kissing her. "Sleep. I love you." "I love you to. Even if you are an idiot." He chuckled weakly. "I deserved that." "Yes you did."
It was Monday, time for school. She got up earlier then Gage. He was dead asleep. She smiled, not having the heart to wake him. So she got ready for school, planning on driving herself. Once she was ready she kissed his head and left out the door, saying goodbye to her parents. She got in the car, driving out of the garage, stopping for coffee, not noticing the large, black GMC following her. Once she got her coffee she started driving to the school, stopping at a red light. The GMC following. Once it turned green she went but suddenly her windshield lit up with warnings and before she could heed them another black GMC T-bone her passenger side, making the car, flip several times before stopping. Once it stopped it was just a heep of red metal, broken glass and blood everywhere. It was chaos. And a kidnapping.
Tony was working on his Stark-pad when his phone rang. It was going on lunch time. It was from TJ. He frowned. "Hey son, everything ok?" "Has Quinn contacted you guys since she left for school?" Tony frowned. "No, why? Is she not there?" He could hear the fear in his sons voice. "No. She hasn't. I haven't seen her, like at all. Even if she was playing hooky this is too far. She wouldn't do that." Then he got a second call, from the school. Tony had to end the call with TJ to answer. "Hello?" "Yes, ? "Yes?" "Is your daughter at home?" Tony was starting to get very, very afraid. "No. I saw her leave for school this morning."
"I'm sorry but she hasn't made any attendance today. I don't normally call for a few missed classes but this has been the whole day. Even her brother hasn't seen her." "I'l find out where she is." Then he hung up, his hands going thru his hair. "JARVIS, get everyone in here. Now."
When Quinn came to she was in a car of some sort, she could tell that much. She ached everywhere, possibly even had a broken wrist or shoulder. Once her eyes opened she winced at the light. "Hey boss, shes awake." Once she got her vision back she concluded her hands were handcuffed and the boss was in the passenger seat, smirking at her. "Well, well, little miss stark awakens." She glared, knowing him from her vision months ago. "General black." He chuckled. "Oh you know me?" "of corse. It's hard to forget a monster. So how old was he when you started locking him in pitch black rooms because he wasn't good enough?" He glared. "He told you? The little snitch. Bet he went crying to anyone that would hear him, he plays the victim so well." She growled, struggling to go at him but the cuffs and two men on either side of her held her back. "You fucking monster! Do you even hear yourself? Do you realize what you put him thru? No child should be trained to be a killing machine because he's not! He's the best man I ever knew no thanks to you." "He's a broken,worthless son." "He fucking amazing you piece of shit!"
She raised her foot, kicking his face. He growled. "Stop the car!" The driver stopped, the two men getting out, letting General black go around the car, grabbing Quinn by her collar, bringing his knife to her throat. A cut on his lip bleeding from her kick, a bruise already forming."I could kill you right now you little bitch!" "Do it! Then maybe you'll get all the pain you deserve when he finds out what you did to me!" He growled, holding it before knocking her head into the car, hard. He growled. "Get her back inside. Put a tie over that mouth of hers." She groaned as she was tossed back inside. Her ankles were now tied together along with duck tape on her mouth.
Gage just got done telling Tony, Kim and Clint about his dad. "I'm sorry, maybe if I had been more careful this wouldn't have happened." "But you said she had a vision of it." Gage nodded. "Yeah. Moths ago. But I know where he's taking her. Please, this is my mission and mine alone. I'l bring her back sir, I promise." Clint glared. "Like hell your going alone." Gage glared back at him. "I'l have a beacon on me so w hen I have her I'l let you know but this is my mission. Just try and stop me." Tony softly glared. "Clint's right, you can't go alone. If something happens to one of you your gonna need a quick exit" Gage huffed out a breath. "Fine. But I go into his bunker alone. It'l be easier that way, I'l talk to you there the comms." Tony turned to Clint. "We need someone to stay here with Kim. We can't eave the house unprotected." Clint nodded. "I got it. Just keep me informed. Should we pull TJ and Lucy out of school?" Tony shook his head. "not yet. When we find her." Gage walked away to suit up.
Quinn was dragged into a bunker, that much she knew. They took her to the deepest part of it, were the prisons were. They cut her binds and threw her inside. She winced when she caught herself. Her wrist was at least sprained. She turned over, breathing heavy from the pain. She glared at General Black. He smirked. "You have fire. Never liked a girl with fire or a smart mouth." She glared. "Good thing your not invited to the wedding. You'd make a horrible in-law." He hphed before signaling someone.
It was a man, slightly taller then him, and wider. He was bald and some reason didn't have a shirt on. He wasn't bad looking but something in his eyes told her he wasn't all there. Black let him inside. "I hope you don't mind a little company. Just...he likes girls like you. He likes the fight before taking them." Quinn swallowed down her fear of him, standing, getting into a fighting pose. She knew she was nothing without her suit. But she had to try. She glared, pushing down her fear of what she knew he wanted. "I think he's gonna regret liking fight in a girl."
AN: thank you for the reviews!