Something inside me shook. It was so calming. I stared up at her in disbelief, "Okay." I whispered. It was truly all I had. There were no words in the English language that could possibly thank her enough. She said what I needed to hear my entire life.
"Okay." She repeated, putting her hand on my shoulder, "Let's get outta here before this place falls on us." She looked at the cracked wall beside us, back at me. I nodded, leading her down the hall, looking over my shoulder at the wall one more time. I put that there. The guard had a little girl. I knew the guard. I knew what he had done to me. I don't remember her name but she couldn't have been more than five. I had saved her from him and she ended up being more afraid of me than she was him. I guess she loved the man, unknowing of his crimes. The truth is I didn't mean to kill him that day, I never wanted her to see that.
Natasha and I didn't talk the entire car ride back to the tower, my dad was waiting by the door when we got there. Instantly he asked where I was, why I left, if I was hurt, if I needed anything. Question after question without a second between them. There was so much it felt as if I couldn't breathe, let alone say anything at all. I nodded, "I'm sorry."
Nat stepped beside me, the binder lightly scratching my arm in her left hand, "You're not the one who should apologize."
My dad pulled me into a hug and just held me there. He said something to Natasha but I don't know what it was. I was consciously trying not to think about HYDRA. It's a hell of a lot worse when I'm not there. I hadn't hugged him back but I didn't want him to let go. He didn't. Not for a minute.
When I was back there all of the memories that hover over me constantly were right there. It felt like I had the power to change everything that happened in there as I walked through, but no one can change the past. Nothing bad should ever happen, yet it does. Would anything be good if it didn't?
If you think about it, and I mean really think about it, humans are no different from animals in the wild. Taking advantage of the weak, cowarding behind the strong. Human nature will never change. How can it? We say we're superior to every other being on earth yet, they fight to survive and we fight to prove we're right. Whoever's left on the battlefield, wins and- "Vixen." My dad said shaking my shoulders a bit, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," I nodded, "yeah. Yeah I'm good." Okay I think he gets it. Shut up now. "Just thinking, that's all."
"About?" Shit. He looks concerned. I scared him... again.
"Puppies, rainbows, kitt-" I felt my eyes trailing to the right and continuously tried to look at him. Easiest tell in the book. Not to mention that sounded like total bullshit coming from me.
"Now what was it really about?"
I sighed, "Just how it's better now. And not only because it has to be."
He smiled, messing up my hair, "Okay. What I was trying to say before is Thor is waiting for you in the kitchen." I fixed him.
Before, Thor. that rhymes. I thought to myself processing what he had just said. Thor's waiting in the kitchen! Okay, okay, don't act sus. "What for?"
He shrugged, turning to Natasha, "What's that?"
I tensed for a second, making eye contact with Nat. She raised an eyebrow at me, I raised one back. 'Go ahead.' I mouthed, before walking away.
I basically ran up the stairs. I needed to ask him about my necklace. I couldn't let him take it though.
"Tiny human! You've arrived!" He raised his hammer in the air, smiling.
I smiled, he looked like a child when he did that, "Did I keep you waiting long?" I sat up on the counter.
"Not a fraction of an Asguardian hour. I have a matter to discuss with you." I tried to do the math in my head to know what that could have meant but I had nothing. Whatever, it made sense to Thor.
"And that is?"
He sighed, setting his hammer onto the counter, "Loki will not shut his mouth about you. He insists he must see you again."
The necklace started to shake again, "If he agrees to my conditions I will agree to his request."
He looked surprised, "I never said it was a good idea to see him again."
I laughed, "You are a literal God, how could you not instantly assume I wouldn't say no. If you foresaw any danger in the matter you wouldn't have brought it up to me at all. Instead you are here offering to take me to see your homicidal brother because you trust I won't get hurt."
He looked between me and the hammer, it's like his security blanket in a way. It makes him feel safe by just looking at it, "List your conditions."
"He has to tell me everything he knows about my necklace, from where he got it, to why he gave it to me. He can't hold back anything... And the best strawberry milkshakes in all of Asguard. One for me and one for Loki. Of course King Odin himself must ensure they are the best milkshakes available."
He smiled at me, "Done." he paused, "Wait he has given you a necklace. Let me see."
I unclasped it, pulling it up from under my shirt. Tears formed in his eyes before he blinked them away, "Mother wore this. I hardly seen her a day without it, until she had given it to Loki." it was as if his eyes were staring holes through it, "Mother would have loved you. This was made for people of her nature. Loki would know more about it, that is all I know." He cleared his throat.
Bucky walked into the kitchen as I put the necklace back on, "Hey, V, I've been looking everywhere for you. Your dad told me you were back at the... base with Nat." He looked worried, sounded calm, and this is James Buchanan Barnes' one man show for when he is terrified.
I nodded, "I was. But it was good. I don't regret a minuet." Tony, my dad, and Nat walked in. Wow it's a party.
He gave me a half smile, "Mind if I steal her?" He looked at Thor.
He shrugged, his back turned to everyone, oblivious of them being there, "She is Steve's property, actually."
Everyone stifled their laughs, as Thor spun the chair towards them. "Not exactly how that works but, Vix. Do you want to go draw with me?" Bucky asked.
"Sure," I smiled, pushing myself off the counter. As my feet hit the floor I heard another crash from next to me. Everyone stared at me in awe. I looked down and saw Thors hammer lying in a crater on Tony's floor. "I- I- I'm sorry, Tony."
He walked around the island to see the hammer on the floor, blinking a few times. Now I'm confused. "Were you just able to move Thor's Hammer? Like Thor's hammer. His. Him. Right there."
Everyone slowly circled, "I mean, yeah. Your floor didn't exactly break itself." Thor's jaw had dropped and his mouth wasn't closing. "Okay. You're all being creepy."
"Only those who are worthy can lift Mjolnir." Thor said very slowly. "Vision has been the only one besides myself to lift it."
I cleared my throat, not even a thought coming to my head, "But does it really say anything about knocking it over?" I laughed nervously, "Because that sounds like kind of a big deal. Bucky, you wanted to draw?" I turned to him, I needed him.
"Would you be so kind as to hand it to me?" Thor said, slightly holding out his hand.
I knelt beside it, debating weather I truly wanted to know if I could lift it or not. I don't want to know if I'm worthy. I wrapped my fingers around it, bending my wrist up, the hammer going up with ease. I stood up holding it, "This thing is a lot lighter than it looks."
Thor held his hand halfway, I met him in the middle with the hammer, "Can we just pretend that didn't happen? Please? Bucky. Draw?"
He nodded, wrapping his right arm around my shoulder. leading me out the back way of the kitchen. "It's a really good thing, you know? Being worthy of the hammer. However you say it's name. Especially after HYDRA."
"I prefer to listen to Oscar Wilde." He cocked an eyebrow at me, so I continued, "Any influence is a bad influence, because that only makes you an echo of another's song. I really just think that knowing you're worthy can only cause someone to do the wrong thing in the name of the right cause."
"You're smart. Too smart." He smiled.
We sat in his room drawing. Quite a bit of time passed between the silence and quiet conversations. "So you are like over over Jonah?" He looked up at me.
I laughed, "Nothing to get over, nothing was there. That's okay though. It's better it happened than wondering what it would've been like. Closure in a way."
"So I can find you a boyfriend?"
"If you can find someone. It's a pretty impossible list."
"There has to be someone who is perfect for the one and only Vixen Cartiana Rogers."
I smiled, "Not my middle name and you know it."
"It should've been." He smiled back, "It is my personal mission to find someone who your dad will approve of, you will love, and will have many stories to tell you because they don't have the exact same past as you." He said passive aggressively.
"Wrong. Jonah had plenty of stories. He was awake the 50 years. We weren't us. It's as simple as that."
"Ugh." Bucky rolled his eyes, "You're so annoying."
"I'm sorry your life is boring so mine is your personal entertainment."
"But I mean the kid went from seeing you everyday to every tuesday to you guys having just about nothing to do with each other." He ignored my comment, "It's not fair to me."
I laughed, "Sorry, B."
He gasped, "Parker!" his eyes lit up.
"Not you too. Come on, my dad was saying the same thing. I've had two conversations with the kid." I rolled my eyes.
Bucky dropped his pencil, "That is all you need for the perfect relationship to start."
"But do I really want the hero type?"
"Do you?" He stood up from his desk to sit on his bed with me.
I hit his arm with my pencil, focusing on drawing again.
"Vixen? Mr. Stark said you would- sorry. Sorry. Am I interrupting?" He asked seeing me and Bucky laughing.
I shook my head, "No, you're good."
"Come in," Bucky waved. We tried to stop laughing, we really tried. We shouldn't have been laughing about this but you should have seen Von Struckers' face when I set the sprinklers off. He was so mad steam was coming out of his ears. He thought it was funny, I know he did.
"Sorry," I finally breathed, not looking at Bucky because, 1. We will start laughing again, 2. I know what he's thinking.
"I was wondering when you have time if you wanted to hang out? You know, with your friendly, neighborhood Spider-man?" He smiled. He has a cute smile.
"She would love to." Bucky said, "Right now? Because I can drive you guys."
I could feel my face getting hot, "He is trying to find me a boyfriend. I'm sorry about him. He will stop eventually."
He blushed, "Same mission I see." He blushed more, "I'm sorry, I'm never that... bold."
And suddenly I wish I was anywhere but here.
IM SO SORRY FOR THE BILLION YEAR BREAK!!! If there are a lot of typos or anything is bothering you about the story please let me know and I will do my best to make changes accordingly. Thank you sm for reading!! I'll update with another chapter soon!