NUMB || MARVEL

17

"So that's the guy?" Aileen asks FRIDAY as the IA pulls up the camera intel that were supposedly secret.

"Meals at eight and five. Toilet privileges twice a day. Raise your voice, zap. Touch the glass, zap. You step out of line, you deal with me. Please, step out of line. Hmm?" Everett Ross says and the guy just stares. "So how does it feel? To spend all that time, all that effort and, to see it fail so spectacularly?"

The guy looks up and meets Everett's eyes. "Did it?"

"Yes ma'am." FRIDAY replies and Aileen narrows her eyes before nodding. She was only watching because somehow the AI had made sure that she would get an alert but she wasn't there with her mind. No, completely not. She was making sure that she had everything packed in a matter of moments. It would take Tony a small while to return and she wanted to be gone by then.

She had never been more confused than now. Maybe when she had woken up and was brought to the headquarters without much explanation but her mind was going all the places she didn't want it to go.

She wondered why she had felt safe with Steve at first but then doubted him when he went and had gone to James Barnes with Sam. Sam. The one she trusted the most. The one she hadn't completely forgotten about. She would never tell anyone that. It would be her sole secret.

And then her mind would spring to Tony. She understood that they somehow had a bond - which bond exactly wasn't really discussed - and she trusted him. Until she saw what their actions had done to the other Avengers.

She didn't know who to believe or who to trust but she was going to follow Sam's advice. She was going to leave the headquarters and find a safe place that no one knew about. There she could rest and think. The latter being the most important one.

If she wanted, she would be able to contact Steve to go and fetch her. She narrows her eyes as she looks at the scribbled down number in her hands. As soon as she got a piece of paper and a pen, she wrote down what Sam had said. The number in particular.

Aileen glances around the room and a few memories start flooding back. How they always seemed to lock her room or how she would go through every one of their files or how she had talked with Sam.

She was having her doubts about going, but she knew that it was incorrect for them to be incarcerated like that. Tony had tried and protect her from seeing the worst, but she had seen Wanda. And it had scared her. No one should be treated like that and certainly not such a nice woman.

She wanted to leave a letter for Tony but she had no clue on what to write. He didn't even tell her how they knew one another exactly so it felt hard.

Aileen gently places down the envelope with Tony's name between the bottles of alcohol and glances around the room before taking a deep sigh and walking towards the elevator. Her backpack and her suitcase close.

Dear Tony,

I don't know what to say so maybe it's for the best that I don't say much. I'm sorry. Sorry for leaving. Sorry for not being good enough to fight alongside you. I'm.. I'm sorry for not remembering everyone and how we used to be. Even though that part may not be my fault. I don't know.

Aileen glances around and sees a taxi closing in on her. She raises her hand and he stops right before her. Her hand slips through the handle and she glances towards the compound once again. This was it.

I have to leave. I'm just to confused about everything. I think I need stability with this mind of mine and this all is not it.

Aileen glances outside and looks at the people passing by. People with smiles on their faces or somber looking ones. People with loved ones, memories that they shared. She wondered if she had that. Memories with loved ones, more than she already had.

She tells the taxidriver where to go and leans back before her eyes close and she starts dreaming of the memory that had come back just a few days ago.

"Leen?" Aileen glances back over the couch she is sitting on with her glass of wine and looks at Sam who is walking towards her. "You okay?" She hums and nods before he kisses the top of her head and sits beside her on the couch, his left arm slinging on the back behind her and his right hand resting on the side holding a beer.

Aileen leans towards him and cuddles into him. "Actually never better." She says before looking up and kissing him. His arm snakes around her and he pulls her closer to which she responds by getting on his lap. They hear glass falling on the ground and Sam looks past Aileen to see what it was. The wine glass.

"We'll do that later." He says with a grin before pulling her head back towards him.

"It'll stain." She says hurriedly as she tries to get up. He starts to laugh and pulls her back.

"I'll get a new one."