THE SHADOW OF THE FIRE

chapter 4

I was warming up with some jogging on the treadmill with hill eyeing me carefully.
- i have a question.
- is it something that your superiors asked you to ask me, hill?
She seemed nervous.
- no. Actually... It is a personal question.
- ok. Shoot.
- how can you workout in a hoodie and baggy pants?
- they are comfy. Wanna spare?
I walked to the ring and she followed me.
- do you have similar skills to romanoff?
- kind of, but i am not that good.
She nodded and stepped in the ring. We got into a fighting stance and waited for the other to do the first move. After a bit i was bored so i trew a kick and she dodged it without struggle. There were a couple of minutes of kicks and punches from both of us but none really arrived at the other. Then i kicked the back of her knees and she lost her balance, so i grabbed her and trew her on the floor. She fell on her back and i was keeping her there. I was taller than her so it was quite simple don't letting her escape.
We continued sparring for like one hour and every time it finished the same way, hill on the floor.
- it is enough, right?
- yeah.
I offered her a hand to help her get up, she looked surprised but then took it firmly and got up.
- you know, i was expecting you to flip me over when i took your hand.
I looked at her surprised and i asked
- and why?
She seemed unconfortable.
- just... You look like the type of person that could do that.
- maybe you should go behind the appearance of a person, hill.
- natasha one time did it.
I turned to leave
- can i go?
- yeah.
She escorted me to the cell, or, at least i was thinking. Instead she took me to a corridor, opened a door and it was a bedroom. I looked at her confused and she just told me
- this is your room. You can't go to the labs, you can stay in the bedroom and in the common spaces. The kitchen is one floor under this one, you can take that elevator.
She turned to walk away but i asked
- why?
- we think that we can trust you. Can we?
I nodded.
- and then, agent romanoff wasn't very happy of the idea of you in a cell.
- if you see her thank her, for me.
- i will.
She walked away and i entered the bedroom. It was bigger than any bedroom i was ever in, there was a france double bed, a bedside table, a table with a chair and two other doors. I could fit my whole house only in the bedroom. There was a large window with the view of new york, behind one door there was a large closet, and behind the other there was a bathroom, an huge bathroom. I sat on the bed. It was really soft, too soft maybe. I lyed down and i felt like the bed was trying to trap me, i was soffocating, my claustophobia was going crazy so i went out of the bed faster than i could.
That night i grabbed a blanket and a pillow and i slept on the floor.
Next morning i got up at 4 am like always and i did my morning routine. Then i realized that my clothes were at my house so i had none. I walked in the closet and i found some that were my size. It all seemed off, a trap, but i kept my mind from thinking like that. I put on a t-shirt, sweatpants and a hoodie, i looked at my shoes and i realized that i should buy another pair soon, cause they were destroyed. I headed to the kitcken but when i saw the elevator i froze. I wasn't going to take the elevator, if only there were stairs... But where? A voice made me pause.
- need help with something, miss?
- who are you? Where are you?
- i am mr. Stark AI. You can call me J.A.R.V.I.S.
- oh... ok...
I felt stupid. That was the stark tower, it was obvious that there was some tecnology.
- uhm... I need to find the stairs...
- the stairs are at the other end of the corridor.
- thank you
- no problem miss.
I took the stairs and i was in an huge living room. There were a few people in there wich were looking at me with wide eyes. Then agent hill and nat got out of a door. Hill spoke
- guys, no problem, ok? She is with us.
A man with a weird beard(stark i think) asked
- who is she?
- i am kyla
- oh, you are the one that was in our cell yesterday?
- yeah...
He got up and offered his hand for me to shake.
- i'm tony stark. Did you like the bedroom?
- it is bigger that my whole house.
- I'll take it as a yes.
There were two other mans in the livingroom.
- do you need something?
I looked where natasha was before but she wasn't there anymore.
- yeah, i need to go home and take some things if i'm going to stay here longer.
Hill smiled
- we can go. Did you have breakfast yet?
- no.
- and yesterday did you have dinner?
I shook my head
We had breakfast and then we were heading out of the tower. She was taking another elevator. I couldn't possibly go down the stairs for 20 floors, so i stepped in. We were in silence but i felt like i would explode in a matter of seconds. I was with my back at the wall and i was trying to breathe normally. Hill looked at me and asked, concern in her voice
- you ok? You are pale and shaking.
I nodded. She didn't seem satisfacted with my answer but she turned to look at the door.