Intertwine

48 - Play It

ALINA

"Bruce." I said as Fiona left. "I did not know you had a niece."

"Is it really that strange?" He asked me. "We didn't know about you either."

I shrugged, flicking through the files and images on the tablet. "That's not my fault."

"Why didn't you tell us she had powers?" Tony asked him, clearly ignoring my pointed comment.

"I didn't know!" He replied, the exasperation in his voice clear. "She didn't tell me."

I carried on looking through the files. "Guys, I think we need to go out there."

"What?" Wanda asked, coming in.

"We can't leave this up to agents. I know we haven't left because we don't have a plan of attack but I think they're building up to something big. They're taking girls, a lot of them, all at once, and they're not hiding it from us. They want to be noticed. But also we can guess where they're going next." I held out the tablet for everyone to see. It wasn't like the Avengers to sit at home and let others do their dirty work. What did they know that I didn't? I wasn't sure and honestly I didn't really care. Girls were in danger, and not girls like me. We wouldn't know if girls like me had been taken. They disappear and nobody bats an eyelash. These girls had abilities, and if the Ascendency got a hold of them, it would just make them more powerful. Not only that but it works ruin these girls' lives. Forever. I couldn't live with them guilt of knowing I could have stopped it.

Everyone peered at what I was showing them on the tablet. Rhodey stood up, looking furious.

"Oh, hell no." Rhodey said.

"Rhodey-" I began, but was cut off before I could finish speaking.

"Alina, this is my family we're talking about here." He said, stepping forwards. "I say no. They're not even in this state."

"Yes, but they're in the line of sight for the Ascendency." I argued.

"She's not even biological family." He said. "My mom took in her dad when we were kids. Why would they go for her?"

"They went for the other girl, Bethany, she isn't even remotely related to us. She's the right age. She has powers."

"She's 9!" He shouted. "Why would they want her?"

"Because they don't care!" I yelled back, my temper flaring. "Because they'll do whatever they want to get power, and once they're strong enough they'll be back to defeat us all, don't you understand this? They'll take Roara away and they'll hurt her more, they won't know when to stop!"

"Ali." Steve said quietly. 

"What?" I asked, turning to him, my breaths becoming deep hot pants of rage. Rage at these people sitting around, rage at the Ascendency for ruining my life, rage at myself for not telling Roara the truth about Loki.

"Could you stop making the room go dark, none of us can see." He explained calmly.

"Oh, sorry." I swiped a hand through the air, cutting through the darkness. I hadn't even realised I'd done it. I sighed and sat down, my hands shaking so badly that the tablet was visibly vibrating.

After a pause Rhodey said. "Okay then."

I looked at him. His face was set in a look of determination.

We decided to split up. Half the team were going to stay behind, the other half were going to come with me. Annoyingly we'd have Roara and Loki in the same team. Not only that but as we were going in cars, they'd be in the back of the same car together. I was driving, Steve was in the passenger seat, and Bucky, Loki, and Roara were in the backseat. Roara in the middle. I literally wanted to scream. This was a nightmare.