The Secret Sister (Book 2 in The Secret Series)

Chapter 11: Clearing Things Up

Chapter 11: Clearing Things Up

I jerked awake from my uneasy nap as the lift doors opened and the clack of heels sounded against the hard wooden floor. Muttering, I took my head off the kitchen table and yawned. I must have fallen asleep after dinner. The bowl of uneaten soup was stone cold beside me.

At least I hadn’t fallen asleep in the soup.

“Eldrid, I wanted to have a word with you,” A lilting female voice told me, and I scowled for a second before looking over at Pepper, who was preparing a cup of decaffeinated coffee.

“Alright – what did you want to talk about?” I asked cautiously, smoothing out my expression into blank unconcern.

Pepper smiled humourlessly, stirring the coffee viciously.

“I know about you and Tony’s … past,” She began flippantly, trying to look unconcerned, but there was an annoyed glint her eyes as she watched me.

Well, this was awkward.

I fidgeted uncomfortably, clearly uneasy, but she carried on relentlessly.

“I just wanted to make something clear. I know you probably still have, ah, feelings for Tony, but he’s unavailable. He’s mine. I’m sorry, but I just wanted to remind you, seeing as though Nick’s partnered you up for this ridiculous mission with my boyfriend,” She told me, sounding apologetic but her eyes conveyed an entirely different story. There was a sly look in them, and a clear back off signal.

I looked back at her emotionlessly.

“Of course. There’s nothing between us now,” I replied in a monotone voice.

“And there won’t be, understand?” She punctuated her words by dropping a cube of sugar with each one.

“Understood.”

She suddenly smiled brightly.

“Good. I’m glad we understand each other.”

“Mm,” I murmured absently, feeling slightly ill.

She stopped before the lift doors, clutching her cup and giving me a patronising glance.

“Oh, and Eldrid?”

“What?”

“You have a piece of hair sticking up – just there,” She said, gesturing with her free hand. I scowled as she entered the lift, and flattened my unruly hair angrily.

I smelled burning, and jumped up in surprise as the chair smouldered. I waved the flames away, feeling nervous. It was getting harder to control my powers with every passing day. It was as if the building stress in me was making me more fragile, more likely to explode – like an unstable atom, waiting to turn radioactive. One more push, and I’d be over the edge.

And if I did fall, Hela and Loki would be waiting.

***

Half an hour later, I was sat on one of the leather chairs on the top floor, beside Natasha, who was watching the plasma screen TV avidly while I read.

“Have you seen this?” ‘Tasha asked incredulously, cranking the TV volume up.

I looked up from my book. It was actually Tony’s notes on his various projects, from his sustainable energy arc reactor to his iron man suit, and I’d … borrowed it from the lab. I thought it was time that I, the designated technophobe of the team, became more learned in the matters of technology. Even Steve was better with technology then I was, and he had been frozen for years. If I was going to get anywhere with S.H.I.E.L.D – who were the experts of tech – I was going to have to speak their language.

The female News Reporter on the screen looked calm and collected, despite the flashing red banner at the bottom of the screen stating “Breaking News – Escaped Supervillains On The Loose.”

“…And once again, it has been confirmed that the so called ‘supervillians’ have escaped the government-controlled prison and are on the loose once more. Citizens are blaming the ‘superheroes’ of the city for this prison break,” She told us, and a random member of the public came onto the screen in a live interview, from Central Park. The man angrily glared into the screen, and behind him was a group of equally annoyed looking people, some hefting banners. I didn’t dare read them, worried about what I’d see.

“So who do you think is to blame for this disaster?” A cool man’s voice asked from off-screen, and the microphone moved closer to the man’s face as he sucked in a deep breath for his rant.

“Obviously, the superheroes are to blame – it’s their job to protect the city from crime and supervillians! That’s what they’re supposed to do – but clearly they’re not doing their duty to the public. If they’re not doing their one and only job of protecting us, then what are they doing?” He said angrily, and the crowd behind him cried out in agreement.

The News Reporter came on the screen once more.

“We’ll keep you updated.”

The TV screen went black as Natasha launched the remote at it with enough force to crack the screen. She stood angrily, running a hand through her red hair.

“People just don’t understand us. Why can’t they see that we’re doing the best we can?” She asked in exasperation, and I shrugged before looking back at my book.

“Because our best isn’t good enough for them.”

The lift pinged, and Nick walked out looking aggravated.

“Have you seen the news?” Natasha asked and Nick nodded grimly.

“Yes, I have. Eldrid, you have a new mission.”

“What is it?” I asked hesitantly, and he looked vaguely amused though still annoyed. He took out a thick brown envelope from his coat pocket.

“I want you to go and deliver this letter to the Baxter Building.”

“… Deliver a letter?” I asked incredulously, putting my book down on the coffee table and standing up.

“Yes.”

“I’m not one of your human ‘postmen’ – I’m an Asgardian! Why don’t you go and post it the same way normal people do?”

“Because I want you to do it – you’re more reliable.”

Suspiciously, I let him hand me the envelope. He looked like he was trying to hide something, which put me on edge. When Nick hid something, it was normally something major – like a hidden plan which would end up splitting the team up.

Just like last time.

“Fine. I’ll be back soon,” I shrugged carelessly, beginning to walk over to the balcony.

“No, I don’t want you to fly there, Eldrid,” Nick said, sounding amused, and wheeled around again.

“What? Why not? You don’t honestly expect me to walk do you? What if I get attacked by angry members of the public?”

“Because you might accidently set the letter on fire and it’s crucial that it gets to Baxter Building. And, anyway, I’m sure you could deal with a few annoyed humans. You are an Asgardian after all,” He said slyly, and I scowled at him.

“Fine,” I headed toward the lift.

“Eldrid?”

“What, Nick?”

“Don’t open it.”