flicker // peter parker

- escapees, clones, and ruins -

Think rationally, Elenora told herself before any crazy ideas or plans could pop in her mind. They're the Avengers- think as they would.

"Do they know?" Elenora asked, but before Connor could answer, Elenora's cell phone was ringing; it buzzed and vibrated on the coffee table, upside down, and both Connor and Elenora stared at it nervously.

On the third ring, Elenora was near losing it, and reached for it, not bothering to look at caller ID as she blindly swiped and pressed the phone on speaker.

"Hello?" she said, the second of silence on the line making her want to cry. On the edge of his seat, Connor was listening carefully to the conversation.

"Elenora? I need you and Connor to pack a bag. I'm coming to get you."

"Dad? What's going on?"

"Devon's tracked you two down, and he just left Stark towers. Tony's after him, but I'm not sure how much time we have- shut off all the lights, okay?" Elenora nodded even though Steve couldn't see her. "Do that now."

"Okay," Elenora complied, shaking Connor's knee and directing him to get the lights in the bedrooms. He nodded and rushed down the hall, and Elenora focused back on the conversation as she flipped off the switches in the living room and kitchen. "What else, Dad?"

"You need to lock the doors," Steve said, and there was some rustling behind him before he added, "and the windows."

"Got it," Elenora said, biting her lip as she made her way to the open window by the sink and switching the lock on the front door. "The garage, too?"

"Yeah, Sweetheart."

Again, Elenora nodded as she tipped-toed across the kitchen, afraid that something - more like someone - would pop out of a window. Balancing her phone against her ear and shoulder, Elenora used one hand to hold shut the door, worried that Devon may be right outside and ready to open it- and the other twist the lock, hearing the sound of the 'click' and almost relaxing.

"Okay, it's done," Elenora told him when she caught sight of a thumbs up from Connor. Now the entire house was only lit by the moonlight casting in through the slits of window blinds. "What now?"

"You guys are doing well," Steve praised. "Do you have your go bag, El?"

"I'll go get it now," Elenora said, setting her phone on the kitchen island on speaker as she walked over to the dinner table, crouching down instinctively in the openness of the window, and stretching her arm to open the bottom of the china cabinet, and tugged out a purple bag.

When she had first lived with Steve and Bucky, and they helped her pack a go bag, Elenora never thought she'd have to use it. Hell, she lived with two superheroes, and the rest of her family was just like them- Elenora thought that she'd be safe.

Clearly, she was wrong.

"Connor," Steve called out, and Connor made a noise of acknowledgment. "You need to go pack a bag of clothes, okay? Bucky said he bought you a few pairs of pants and shirts and things, so grab a bag from the closet near the front door, and pack up, okay?"

"Yeah," was all Connor said before he was on his way to do exactly what Steve asked.

"Dad, should I get you and Dad's bag?"

"Yeah, El, could ya?"

"Sure thing," Elenora said, grabbing the two other bags before racing back to the island, and placing them on the chairs next to it. Hearing Connor rustling through the bags in the closet made Elenora tremble, forgetting for a moment what he was doing. "Dad?" she kept calling his name like she was afraid he'd left. "You almost here?"