Safe & Sound: A Marvel Universe Fan-Fic (Avengers & X-Men)

Chapter Five: Escort

Chapter Five: Escort

“Pick yourself off the floor, you’re totally embarrassing me.” Clara spoke. Her voice hadn’t changed a bit. She was the same person I remembered, the same snobbish girl. I couldn’t help but laugh which made her beautiful face scrunch up in even more disgust. Jolene extended a hand to me and yanked me to my feet. I could taste her panicked energy, and in any other instance, I’d respond to it immediately, but I was too focused on Clara to bother with my younger sister.

“How are you here?” I muttered rubbing a hand through my mousy hair. “I mean, not that I’m not happy. I’m totally stoked you’re here, Clare! But, uh, what happened?”

“Your friend here found her.” Davis explained gesturing to Seth. I blinked twice at my “friend” stunned. He smiled kindly back at me.

“Nice of you to join us, love.” He waved. “I was beginning to worry about you. Usually I hear from you pretty regularly.”

“Yeah.” I grumbled. “But-but-but Clara. How? When? I have so many questions! Where’d you find her?”

“I’ve been looking for her ever since you told me about her.” He said simply. “I found her just the other day scared out of her skin locked up in a basement. She hadn’t seen daylight in months. The twisted bastard was trying to live out some sick fantasy with her. She barely remembered her name when we found her.”

All the air was stolen from my lungs. My knees buckled and tears brimmed in my eyes clouding my vision. All I could do was stare at my sister. She didn’t look too traumatized to me, but there she was sitting as pretty as a picture right before my eyes. And Seth, he’d saved her. I didn’t know all the details, but the fact that he cared enough about me to go out and find her was so incredibly amazing to me. I must have done something right in my life to deserve a friend like him.

“Clara, we can be a family again!” Davis sobbed. “We can all be happy, can’t we Marla?”

All I could think to do was nod as I slowly made my way back to the couch next to Davis. I plopped down by his side still unable to peel my eyes away from my ghost-like sister even for a second.

“That’s all I ever wanted for you.” Seth said to me. “I want you to be happy.”

“Marla.” Jolene whispered as she lingered by the door. Half her body hung out the hallway, the other slumped into the room. She poked her head outside for a second and frowned. “Someone’s downstairs.”

“What?” I shrieked. “In all the excitement I almost forgot.”

“Forgot what?” Seth asked curiously.

“This stupid thing. I mean, it’s not stupid. Honestly it’s probably for the best. It’s just a pain.”

“That’s not vague at all.” Clara laughed. My heart hiccupped in my chest at the sound of her voice. I shook my head.

“Vague is my middle name.” I grinned. She rolled her eyes.

“Glad to see at least you’re the same old dork.” She said twisting her raven hair around her finger. “Davis here has become such a nark and Jo’s barely been able to speak to me at all.”

I peeked back at Jolene who had managed to shrink into the background. I pursed my lips hearing the intruder slowly make their way back up the stairs.

“She’s just shy.” I whispered. “She was the same way to me when I first showed up. Give her some time and Davis’ a ‘nark’ because he has to be in order to provide for us. And as for me? I’ve channeled my inner Clara and am about to sneak away for God knows how long.”