WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Reagan's favorite Avenger is Spiderman.
Chapter Four: Superhero Meeting Plus Two Humans
Ashlie and Reagan sat side by side on a small red couch. Steve leaned against the unlit fireplace. Bucky stood behind Sam, the man from the bird costume.
Tony Stark, the Iron Man, sat with one leg propped up on his knee. His chin rested on his hand.
On an adjacent couch sat "The Wonder Twins" as Reagan named them, Wanda and Pietro. Behind them stood Rhodes, the man inside the robot called Vision, and Natasha, single-handedly the most intimidating woman Ashlie had ever seen.
"Then I woke up and you were in my face." Ashlie finished her story.
"Well," Tony stark stood up, he straightened his tie. "This has been interesting. Cap'n, you should have told me in advance we were having story time, I would've brought popcorn." Steve clenched his fist.
"No, that can't be it. There must be more, anything that will us to the last Ultron." Ashlie and Reagan shared a look of confusion. "Think Ashlie."
"Don't push her. Give her time." Bucky offered.
"We don't have time." Ashlie twisted a bracelet on her wrist.
"I could try something." Wanda spoke up. "I can look through your memories; perhaps find something you don't quite remember."
"You can do that?" Reagan asked. "Cool."
Ashlie nodded. "Sure, whatever helps?" Wanda knelt before Ashlie. A small, red flame came out of her fingers. Ashlie instinctively scooted away.
"Relax, you won't feel any pain." The red flame rose to Ashlie head and disappeared. Ashlie suddenly felt an uncomfortable pressure build up in her head. As soon as the pressure became too much to bare, it was gone. Ashlie leaned against Reagan, feeling a bit drained. "You forgot you fought Ultron." Ashlie sat up.
"I…what?" Ashlie watched Wanda go back to her spot next to her brother. "Why would I do that?"
"Alcohol is a superpower on its own." Tony took off his sunglasses and tucked them into his suit pocket.
"You were kicked and knocked out for a second then you woke finding your friend in the arms of Ultron so you jumped on top of him." Wanda smiled. "It was bad ass. He threw you against the wall, which I'm guessing is where you got that bruise."
"That doesn't give us any more information than we already have." Steve put a hand to his temple.
"Would you replay the message, Miss Reagan?" The Vision asked politely.
As Reagan replayed the message, the Vision nodded.
"They noise in the background is talking, I know where Claire was taken."
"I've called in some extra help." Steve stated as he clipped on a backpack.
"Is that necessary?" Tony tightened his watch. "It is only one Ultron."
"I believe there is no such thing as being over prepared." On cue the elevator opened. Tony groaned, "No, no, no, no, no."
"We haven't done anything yet." Thor crossed his arms, stepping out of the elevator. Along with Thor, a young boy, and Rhody also known as War Machine.
"Parker, go home." Tony spoke to the young boy. Ashlie leaned over to Reagan.
"Who's that?" Ashlie whispered. Reagan's mouth sat open, her eyes glossed over. "Reagan? Reagan?"
"Mr. Stark, no offense to you, sir, you're awesome, but Captain Rogers asked me to come and also that lady," he pointed to Natasha, "said she would hurt me and I don't want to be hurt, Mr. Stark, sir." The boy lowered his head.
"Smart boy." Steve nodded. "Thor. Thank you for helping." Thor shakes Steve's hand with a force that would dent a car. "All right, we'll talk over the plan then head out."
"This sucks." Sam opened a can of beer and leaned back on the sofa. Peter Parker, the young boy who was scared of Natasha crosses his legs and sits next to him, opening a bag of popcorn.
"I don't like this." Ashlie pulled Reagan into the kitchen. They were surrounded by expensive merchandise, the two friends felt out of place in the rich atmosphere. "We should be helping, going to find our friend ourselves. Not sitting here being baby-sitter-ed."
"The avengers are almost there, Ashlie. We'll have Claire back before the end of the day." Reagan got out her phone and span it around in her hands. "This is being handled."
"Doesn't it seem too easy that the Vision knew exactly where the Ultron is? And how do they know they didn't move? How do we know anything, and why are there two of you?" Ashlie bonked her head on a cabinet and collapsed to the floor. Reagan attempted to catch her, but instead she just fell to the floor with Ashlie's body on top of hers.
"Uh…Mr. Falcon? I need…help." Reagan pushed at Ashlie.
Peter and Sam raced into the kitchen. "What the hell?" Sam put his hands in his pockets, shaking his head.
"She just fell, I'm not…very…strong." Reagan slipped and fell back. She groaned and closed her eyes. Peter looked down at her.
"She's kind of cute." Peter leaned into Sam, who put his head in his hands.
Ashlie woke up once again the grey room. This time her headache was not as bad. She sat up slowly, taking in her environment.
"I locked the window this time." Ashlie turned to see Bucky sitting at a chair with his feet propped up. He leaned forward. "How are you feeling?" Ashlie sat up straighter.
"I…I'm okay. I'm fine." Ashlie got out of bed. She stood, putting one hand on the bed to keep herself from falling over. Bucky stood, Ashlie put her hand out to stop him. "I'm fine. I just want some water." Bucky opened the door for her and put a hand on her back as she gripped the door frame to keep balance.
Ashlie sipped from a glass of water, she looked around. Steve and Sam was stretching their legs, Natasha was cleaning guns while listening to music, and the Wonder Twins were talking quietly to each other a map between them. Ashlie put the glass down. "She's not here, is she?" Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched Ashlie's reaction. Vision entered floating slightly above the ground. "You didn't save Claire?"
"No." Steve knelt down to tie his shoe.
"Is she…oh, God, is she-"
"No, no, no. He didn't mean it like that." Bucky sat down. "He meant that we didn't find anything." Vision tilted his head at Ashlie.
"Miss Ashlie, may I speak with you a moment." Ashlie walked shakily over to Vision. He opened a door for her and she entered. After closing the door Ashlie felt a wave of exhaustion. "Ashlie, I hope you don't mind but I read your thoughts." Ashlie looked up at him in confusion.
"You…what?"
"I said I-"
"I know what you said, I what I meant was why?" Ashlie crossed her arms. She didn't take too kindly to those who invaded here personal space.
"I am sorry you are upset, but when I read your thoughts they seemed like you were going to go find your friend on your own." Ashlie dropped her hands because that was correct. That was her first thought. She was going to grab Reagan and find Claire herself. "And since you are keeping quiet I know I am correct in assuming you intend to carry out this action, even though logically it is quite impractical." Ashlie had made up her mind that she was not particularly fond of Vision. "You do not have to like me; you just have to listen."
"Get out of my head. It is none of your business weather I go…do whatever, or not." Ashlie moved to leave the room.
"It is my business because Mr. Rogers seems to be more interested in saving your friend than stopping his most feared enemy and I cannot let distraction cost him or anyone on this team their life. We will find Claire, and we will defeat the last Ultron, just give us time." Ashlie huffed.
"Time. Time is the one thing people always take for granted, I am under the impression that you are not very old so I'll teach you a lesson." Ashlie pushed her chin up. Vision stepped back, surprised at her burst of confidence. "People say 'cherish this time, you never know how much you have left' and I always laughed at those people, because of course I have more time. Why wouldn't I? I didn't have any friends move away, I didn't have any major deaths in my family, I had a great life with great friends, and a great family. I had all the time in the world." Ashlie sat down on a chair behind her. "Then Dad got a job in Washington, and time slipped away from me. It went from a few months from leaving to a few minutes. Then I was 1,523 miles away from my friends. My new school was shit, I spent my senior year alone. I went to college and I was made teased for my 'southern accent', the highest point of the past couple years was being in a class with only ten people so I didn't have to sit next to any of them and hear then gossip about me. That's when time slowed down, I use to talk to Claire and Reagan every day, then it was every week, then it was once a month, then it was not at all. I started forgetting what their faces looked like. Then I got this invitation to come see Claire and I jumped at it, just to get away from Washington. And in a few days I have to go back to school, alone, with no friends and time is going to slow down again and I don't want it to. I need my friends with me so I can cherish my time with them, does that make sense?"
Vision nodded. He stepped aside. Ashlie gripped the door handle. "I don't want to have anyone suffer, but my friend needs me. And if you aren't going to help," She opened the door, "then so be it." Ashlie left Vision in the room alone. After she had gone Bucky entered the room. Vision looked to him.
"Did you hear it?"
"Every word." Bucky watched Ashlie pull Reagan away from Peter, who was previously holding her hand.
"Should I tell Captain Rogers?" Bucky ran a hand through his hair.
"Not yet, let see what she can find out on her own."