Nightingale | An Avengers Tale

Chapter 46 ~ running

This was not my brightest idea. In fact, it was probably in the running for one of my worst ideas.
Somehow I had managed to find my way out of the air ducts and had trekked my way through pouring rain to one of my lesser known safe houses. In fact I'm pretty sure the only people who know about it are dead.

A sense of deja vu overwhelmed me as I approached the plain white door. I hadn't been back for months. Deep down I wanted to pretend it didn't exist and that everything that had happened here had just been a dream. But at the same time, I knew that this was the place where I had last felt like I knew who I was and who I truly wanted to be.

I hesitated before raising the knocker. Three taps. One hard. One soft. One hard. I paused as a blue glowing holographic keyboard appeared. Password required. Without a second thought, I swiftly typed the password. Watercress.

The faux wooden door swung open. I trudged through the door just before it slammed shut behind me. "Hey J." I softly called out as I slumped down onto a worn grey couch.

The lights immediately all turned as the A.I. whirled to life. "Miss Lily, I was growing quite anxious that you would not be returning. I had calculated your odds of survival as quite low."

"Thanks for the concern." A small smile flickered on my face as I leaned back on the soft couch. Coming back here was a mistake. I should have to any of my other safe houses. Why had I come here? The same reason you came here last time the voice in my brain echoed. You're lost and don't know how to make things right.

"I would advise that your current injuries seem quite serious." J's robotic voice broke through my anxious thoughts.

"Relax. I know." I let out a groan as I attempted to move my casted arm. "I just need time to sleep. I heal quickly." Although for some reason I wasn't healing as quickly as normal. Probably some weird side effects of Hydra's most recent poking and prodding.

"I think the hospital would be a much more appropriate."

"J." I growled. "Stop talking or I'll dismantle you and turn you into a blender."

"Understood. Although I must say I think I'd be better suited as a toaster."

"I'll keep that in mind." I smiled as I reopened my eyes and stared up at the white ceiling. I needed to do something. Anything. Their faces kept swirling through my head. Tony. Bucky. Morgan. What were they thinking right now?

Did they think I was Hydra? Tony knew I had tried to steal his files once. Running away from the people that actually seemed to want to help me was a mistake. But that's what I do. I run. If they were looking at someone to stay and fight, they had found the wrong person. I wasn't like a hero like them, even though deep down I knew I wanted to be.

"Pull up all my files. I want copies forwarded to Tony." I bit my lip. I couldn't guarantee what I'd told Dare. If I was too much of a coward to stick around and clean up my own mess, at least I could give him an idea of what the Avengers could be up against.

"Of course. Would you like me to prioritize the files Mr. Arvad copied?"

"He did what now?" A sinking feeling grew in the pit of my stomach. What had that idiot done now?

"Mr. Arvad requested copies be made of several of your files."

"Which files?" I shouted. Not that it really mattered. It wasn't like I was sitting around creating cookie recipes.

It took everything in me to stop a frustrated scream from coming out as holographic copies of the designs appeared around me. The miniaturized arc reactor. My suit. My security systems. He had taken almost everything. "Where were these sent?"