A/N:
Some of chapter 40 didn't post but I think I fixed it so make sure you go read that part first.
Ashlyn's pov:
Ash's eyes fluttered open although she didn't move. She didn't know exactly where she was but it was very comfortable. Ash sat up slowly and looked around. It was a pretty basic room, there was a shelf with a TV on it. The bed she was currently inhabiting was pushed against the wall and behind the headboard was a window. Ash looked through the glass and was surprised when she found herself many floors above the ground.
Ash suddenly remembered everything that happened the day before. Was she at Avengers Tower? Where was Liam? Where was Maya? Where was Jack? Oh...
Normal people would cry. But Ash was far from normal. Instead, she chose to believe that Jack was on vacation. He would be back later.
Somebody had also removed Ash's shoes, which were laying on the floor next to the bed. Next to the shoes was a small note. Ash picked it up and began to read,
[There are some fresh clothes in the bathroom and feel free to use the shower.
Come down whenever you're ready
- Steve]
Ash sighed and put the note down. Her arms and legs were still stained with blood that wasn't hers although it looked like somebody had wiped most of it off. She stood up slowly and walked into the bathroom. The toilet seat was closed and there was a pile of clean clothes sitting on top. Ash turned on the shower and looked into the mirror, the blood that was on her face yesterday from the fight had been cleaned off and the cuts had healed.
----(time skip)----
Ash stepped out of the bathroom. She was now wearing a pair of plain black leggings and an oversized gray long sleeve shirt. Her hair was dripping wet and tangled but Ash made no effort in trying to fix it. She could hear talking from different places in the Tower and sighed, today was going to be a very long day.
Ash pressed a button on the elevator and waited silently as it started going down. As the elevator came to a stop, Ash seriously debated on turning invisible just so she wouldn't have to deal with anyone. But before she could come to a decision the doors were already opening and she was met with the amazing smell of pancakes. The Avengers were all sitting around the table eating breakfast but Ash noticed both Liam and Tony were missing. There was a woman at the stove making the pancakes that Ash recognized as Pepper Potts, the CEO of Stark Industries.
Before Ash could change her mind and close the elevator doors again, Clint had spotted her.
"There you are Ash, we were beginning to worry about you"
Ash cringed as all eyes fell on her. Steve was motioning for her to come to sit next to him at the table so Ash slowly stepped out of the elevator and walked toward the table.
"Did you get my note?" Steve asked as he handed her a plate of pancakes.
Ash nodded "Thanks, for the clothes."
Steve nodded and put his attention back on his own plate of food. Ash looked down at the food in front of her. It looked and smelled amazing but something about this wasn't right. They were being nice to her? Too nice. Was this a trick? Something was definitely going on.
Nat's pov:
Nat watched as Ashlyn examined her food. She was looking at it suspiciously and it made Nat smile.
"It's not poisoned," She told the girl. Ashlyn's eyes shot up to meet Nat's.
Nat could tell that Ash was trying to detect the lie in her words and it made Nat smile more.
Pepper tapped Ashlyn's shoulder and she spun around.
"Do you drink coffee dear?" Pepper asked her and she nodded.
Ashlyn took a sip of her coffee and after a minute, she seemed to accept the fact that it was safe to drink. After that, she started digging into her pancakes. Nat watched her with curiosity, Ashlyn reminded Nat of when she was little.
Ashlyn's pov:
Ash had to admit, these were some of the best pancakes she had ever tasted.
"Ash!!"
Ash dropped her fork and looked around. Liam was running toward her from a nearby hallway with something in his hands. As he ran closer, Ash realized the thing in his hand was a watch.
Liam ran up to her and gave her a big hug. Tony soon came into the room from the same direction Liam had come,
"Ash, good to see you awake, and not covered in blood"
Ash held in an eye roll as Nat elbowed Tony in the ribs.
"Where's Maya?"
Ash brought her attention back to Liam who was looking at her expectedly.
"She went out," Ash answered simply. In honesty, Ash had absolutely no idea where Maya was or when she was coming back. Ash was about to take another sip of her coffee when,
"Is Jack with her?"
Ash froze. Did he not know? Somebody must have told him, right? All the Avengers were suddenly staring at her. Ash swallowed, this breakfast just got a lot more awkward.
"Ash?" Ash blinked and looked at Liam with a small smile.
"What's that?" she asked, pointing to the watch in his hand.
Liam seemed to forget his question and gave Ash the most excited smile she had ever seen. He strapped the watch on his wrist and tapped it. The watch opened and a sort of glove engulfed Liam's hand. It looked almost like a small version of the hand of the iron man suit.
"And it even shoots," Liam said excitedly as he showed her the repulsors.
Ash ruffled his hair and he giggled.
----
When Ash was done with her pancakes and coffee, Pepper took her empty plate and cup and Ash thanked her for the food.
"Oh, it's no problem honey"
Ash stood up and stretched. Liam, who had been sitting in his own chair talking to Bucky, and Sam also stood up and ran to her side.
"Mr. Bucky and Mr. Birdman said that after breakfast we can have a race with redwing. Can we please stay? Please, please, please, please, pretty please with a cherry on top????"
Ash would usually go with the phrase "ask your sister" But seeing as that wouldn't work this time she tilted her head to the side. Her eyes flicked to Tony and then to Steve who nodded.
"You're more than welcome to stay and wait for Maya to get back," He told her.
Ash sighed. She didn't necessarily want to stay here however she also didn't want Liam to ask any more questions about Jack. With Liam distracted hopefully it would give Ash a chance to think of how to break the news to him.
"You better win that race"
Liam smiled and ran back to Bucky and Sam.
"We have training today," Steve said to his team, then he turned to Ash "You should join."
Ash wasn't sure what he was trying to accomplish by that. But Ash did have the urge to punch something, so maybe training wasn't the worst idea. Ash nodded and Steve smiled. Steve led the way to the elevator and just as he was going to press the button, the doors opened and Peter walked in.
"Hey, guys- Ashlyn?"
"Hey, Peter" Ash said as she followed Steve into the elevator.
--------
Ash, Steve, Nat, and Clint were walking down the hallway to the training room.
"So what's your plan? To take down the orphanage?" Asked Clint, Nat gave him a weird look and he shrugged.
"I'll probably just kill them" Ash replied
"All of them?" Asked Steve and Ash nodded. They walked in silence a few seconds before Steve talked again, "Is that what Jack would have wanted?"
Ash was surprised by this question, she had been trying her best not to think about him. Ash kept her gaze straight ahead of her as she responded.
"It doesn't matter what Jack would have wanted because Jack's gone."
Nobody mentioned Jackson after that.