Picking Up The Pieces

47. "You're All Alone On This"

"Is the UN letting me come out even earlier?" I asked, and Dad shook his head.

"No, they have a mission for you to prove you can work under their supervision. Well, technically it's Ross's mission for you, but if this goes as planned-"

"I become Isabel Stark again after homecoming," I finished. "So what's the mission?"

"I assume you're aware of the criminals who were behind the explosion of the Washington Monument," Earl started, pulling out his laptop and opening it, filling the car with a faint blue light. I fidgeted a little in my seat. "The bomb was a Chitauri core from the New York battle a few years ago."

"How is that even possible?" I questioned. "I thought everything was taken by Damage Control."

"Apparently not everything," my father sighed. With a flick of his hand, his watch turned into the armor from his suit, taking over his hand. A hologram showed up hovering over his palm, showing a weird looking gun. "Recognize this?"

"Honestly, I just see a gun and think 'oh, it's a gun,'" I shrugged. "But it does look a little strange."

"Somehow, these criminals are combining alien tech with ours," Earl explained. "So, obviously, we're not dealing with something simple."

"So after your boy Spidey contacted me, I got approval from the United Nations to make a move on these people. It's surprisingly not hard to get people on your side if you offer money," Dad continued.

"You took Peter's message along?" I smiled softly in surprise. "I'll make sure to tell him that; he'll be thrilled."

"Let's not tell him; it's hard enough to keep him under the radar and out of the Accords," he shook his head. "I don't need another teenager suffering through that mess. And I can already see his aunt- yeesh. Yeah, keep him out of this."

"Got it," I nodded. "So, money got a guy on your side, what else?"

"Apparently there's going to be a trade around noon with a Mac Gargan on Staten Island Ferry, eleven." The hologram changed from the gun to a mugshot of a middle-aged man. "Extensive criminal record, including homicide. Hopefully we can get him and these sellers all at once."

"You'll be working undercover with the FBI," Earl added. "If there's a fight, which there'll probably will be, you'll be required to take the lead. If there are any civilians around, that's your first priority."

"Personally, I don't like it, but it's the only way to prove you can follow orders," Dad said somewhat angrily.

"What other choice do we have?" I questioned. "All I have to do is hunt down some murderer and a few marketers on a boat surrounded by water. Water."

"And that is why you are going to want this." Leaning forward, Earl offered me a thin bracelet. I slid it on, taking a quick breath when it seemed to melt into my skin. "They should help with whatever damage is being created whenever you use your powers. I got back in contact with an old colleague of mine who has been working on getting prosthetics that look and function just like the body part they take on. It took a bit of tweaking, but I think it does the job well."

"I don't even feel like I'm wearing it," I marveled, twisting my wrist over and trailing my metal fingers over it. "You're sure it'll work?"

"Not really no. It's not like I can test it." There was a faint dinging noise, making Earl return back to his computer. "A General Talbot is asking if you're on the mission or not. He says..." Earl leaned closer to the screen, not sure if he had read the words correctly. "'Your other team misses their Bubbles and can't wait to see you soon.' Does that mean anything to you?"