The Armorer

Offers aplenty

"What do you mean?" Natasha asked sharply.

"I mean that now I have a photographic memory and an ability to make good alloys," I say, underselling myself by quite a lot.

She looks concerned.  "That might be dangerous for you if your abilities become known."

I raise my eyebrows at her. "If there's a leak, it comes from your side, because only you guys know what I can do." I think about that for a minute, then amend, "And Heimdall knows I can do something, but I don't think I told him just what. Otherwise, that is information only I have."

"But the work you did on Mr Roger's shield has been noticed; there is speculation on the internet and in other groups about the difference between his current shield and his vibranium shield, not just the color scheme change to a solid silver color. If people are interested enough--and there are those who would like very much to exploit that alloy--they will track you down," T'Challa said slowly.

"They probably think it was made by whatever unit Stark's got working on Avengers gear," I shrug. "I can probably color it to match his old one."

"You can?" Cap asked alertly. "Because I gotta say I like the old design--"

"That's not the point. The altercation in that port city was recorded on cell phones," Natasha said immediately. "Steve was seen in the company of a white haired woman and Thor was recorded as taking you both with him."

"For all anybody knows, I'm still on Asgard," I point out. And I wonder if I can't figure out how to get my hair to regrow my former natural dark brown.

Cap huffs a breath and leans forward. "The point is that there are some very bad people who would like to make a profit and it looks like you might be able to provide them with things like unbeatable armor. I'd be very surprised if they weren't investigating right now. They won't give you a choice."

"It doesn't sound like you're really giving me a choice here, either," I tell him baldly.

"Don't be stubborn," Natasha breaks in over whatever Cap was going to say. "Frankly, we can't take the chance that our enemies would be able to exploit your abilities."

"Are you going to kidnap me and force me to work for Stark again?" I ask, anger starting to burn at the edges of my words. "Because that doesn't sound any better than these other people you're talking about."

"It doesn't have to be like that," Cap says soothingly.  I look at him in dislike.

"It apparently means nothing to you, but I'm considering my options. Maybe going back to school and studying something new. My association with various Avengers hasn't done me any good at all, and now you're saying I'm in danger because I found Cap up in one of my trees one day. Maybe I'll buy a damned island and stay there for the rest of my days being a dilettante and going from one enthusiasm to another. Now you're saying that I don't in fact have any options. I have to work for you 'or else.' Well, fuck that." I grabbed my purse off the table, extracted a bill and threw it at Cap. "Out. Get out."

"Emma," Natasha said coaxingly. I shook my head.

"Out."

Reluctantly, they got to their feet and filed out. I locked the door behind them and leaned against it, thinking. What if they were right? Shit. I went to my computer and started doing some research. Where could I go to disappear?

I was on the phone with a security company, arranging to have a bunch of cameras put on the house until I came up with a solid plan, when there was another knock on the door. I looked through the door to see an African-American man on the doorstep. Just as he raised T'Challa's half of the vibranium ingot so I could see it clearly, I noticed he wore an eyepatch on his left eye.