The Raft – the underwater prison the government had that they always denied. The Underwater prison that they only sent the most hardened criminals too.
So why was I here?
I sat in my cell day in and day out. There was no one else on my level with me so I spent the day reading the one book they allowed me to even have and just staring at the blank cells around me. I heard a buzz as the main door opened and here was something else, I got to do with my days.
"You going to confess yet Romy?" I heard the voice ask and I stayed lying on my bed.
"Not sure what you are talking about? I mean I'm here, aren't I?" I asked.
"Only because we found you guilty, you keep trying to fight for your innocence." Secretary Ross said and I groaned.
"Well seeing as I'm innocent and I never did anything I know I'm innocent, but you all don't want to hear it. I mean do you ever think I could have been framed? In this day in age, the ways of modern technology things can happen, faces can be cloned, evidence can be planted." I said and he scoffed walking over to my cell door.
"Why would someone want to frame you?" Ross asked.
"Well gee I don't know I guess so they didn't end up here." I said and he scoffed.
"I mean it was obvious you didn't like me. I mean they found my personnel file and a schedule of what I did on a daily basis in your place. Along with a list of plenty of our most wanted criminals in your apartment. You were planning on calling them and planning some kind of attack." Ross said.
"If I was really planning on doing this, why did you leave me working at the compound for so long? Don't you think I would have planned it long before you found out and been gone?" I asked. Ross didn't answer this and I sighed.
"It's treason either way you look at it Romy. If you would just fully confess, I could try to get you off the raft and into a state side prison." Ross said and I shook my head.
"I won't confess to something I didn't do. I don't like you Ross and that's apparent, but I would never take a man's life just because I don't like him." I said. I made eye contact with him, and he just sighed. He walked away and I just sighed.
Back to my normal day of silence and loneliness.
A few days later as I was sitting reading my book, I heard the gate open again and I groaned knowing Ross was back. Although I didn't hear him come to my cell.
"Open cell door!" I heard the guard yell, and I stood up to look out. I saw 4 people come in and all got put into cells.
"Come on man! This is ridiculous!" One of the guys yelled and I looked across the way and I knew him right away.
"Sam?!" I yelled. He looked and saw me.
"Romy?!" Sam asked, shocked, then I looked and saw another guy I knew.
"Clint?! What the hell you two?" I asked and they sighed.
"There was a fight, we were on the right side." Clint said.
"Right side? Ending up on the right side doesn't land you in here. Face it, you end up on the wrong side of the law." I said.
"What about you? When did you end up here?" Sam asked and I sighed.
"Um...whenever the last time you saw me at the compound. I was arrested that night." I said and Sam looked shocked.
"What did you do?" Sam asked and I placed my hands on my hips.
"Why do you think I did something? Maybe I ended up on the right side too." I said annoyed and he sighed.
"No right side according to you." Clint scoffed. Sam and I ignored him.
"Okay you made a point. What are you accused of?" Sam asked.
I went into the whole thing of everything they found in my apartment pertaining to Ross and taking him down. How someone stole my face somewhere whether prosthetics or some kind of AI thing. I felt my eyes well with tears and I dropped my head. I composed myself and then looked back up at Sam and Clint.
"I swear to you I'm innocent." I said and they sighed.
"We know Romy, you don't have a mean bone in your body." Sam said and I gave a small smile.
We were silent for a minute and then I took a deep, shaking, breath.
"How's Steve?" I asked and Sam gave a smirk.
"You hear that, Clint? She wants to know how Steve is." Sam said and I looked at him annoyed.
"We were friends Sam." I said and he nodded.
"He was torn when you stopped showing up for work. The day you were supposed to show up he was going to ask you out on a date." Sam said and I dropped my head again as the tears fell.
"Well, I'll never get to see where that goes." I said.
Sam introduced me then to Scott and then I looked at the female and noticed who it was. She looked like a shell since they had a power suppression collar on her.
"Wanda?" I said her name and she looked at me.
"Hey Romy. I'm sorry you're here." She said and I shook my head.
"I can handle it. I'm sorry you all are here." I said and then I huffed a laugh.
"What?" Clint asked.
"I was praying the other night for company. I was lonely." I said and Everyone gave a small laugh.
"Well, you got your wish sweetie." Sam said and I shook my head.
"I didn't mean like this Sam." I said and he nodded.
We all went silent and just did our own thing. Soon we heard the door buzz open again and I looked and was shocked at who I saw. He didn't seem to notice me, and I just sighed. I heard Clint start applauding sarcastically.
"The futurist ladies and gentlemen! The futurist is here! He sees all. He knows what's best for you. Whether you like it or not." Clint said.
"Give me a break Barton, I had no clue they'd put you here. Come on." Tony Stark said. I knew then this fight that Sam and Clint explained it was against Tony or something. I could only imagine what happened.
I couldn't hear the rest of his conversation with Clint, it was pretty quiet. I then did hear Tony say.
"This place is for maniacs, this is a place for..."
"Criminals? Criminals Tony. I think that's the word you're looking for. Here's the thing though. Is Romy Michaels a maniac or criminal?" Clint asked. Tony looked at him confused, Clint pointed at me across the way and Tony walked over.
"Romy..." Tony said and I just sighed.
"Tony..." I said and he groaned.
"I didn't know you were here."
"No one did. I was accused of a crime against Ross and sent here. All very hush hush." I said and he groaned.
"I have something to do, but I will get you out of here, I promise." Tony said.
"Ross is in charge, I won't hold my breath." I said and he walked away and just looked at me. He walked over to Sam, and they started talking.
"I need to know where Steve went Sam." Tony said. I perked up at this.
"Steve?! What happened?!" I asked. I was looked at but ignored. Tony subtly hit some buttons on his watch.
"Well, I just knocked the A out of their AV. We got about 30 seconds before they realize it's not their equipment. Now help me out Sam." Tony said. They started talking quietly and I didn't know what was going on. They talked quietly and quickly then Tony went to leave but then walked over to me.
"Listen, Rogers friend Bucky came back, and Steve went off the reservation. I was trying to make him see the reason for something, but I know I was wrong now. I'm going to find him. When I do, I will tell him you're here, but I can't promise he won't have a cell here with you." Tony said and I sighed.
"Just tell him to run, tell him to stay safe and that I... that I care about him." I said and Tony sighed but gave a small smile and left.
"You care about him huh?" Sam said as I watched Tony leave. I flipped him off with a smile and then looked at him and Clint.
"Tell me everything, now." I said and they groaned but started talking.