"A verdict has been reached for the incident's involving structural destruction and class A theft. Code 2-1-1 of Project: Next Avengers Initiative has been violated and actions shall be taken accordingly. The S.H.I.E.L.D council feels that certain members of the initiative have become volatile and compromised. All rights created to aid Project Next Avengers have been revoked and the project itself annulled. All former initiates are under crucial mandate of the following: Public display of any enhanced abilities is not allowed and will be dealt with accordingly, all information a former initiate member had received will never be disclosed, any outside actions taken by any former initiate member will brand you as a vigilante and will be dealt with on the same terms as such and finally all contact with former initiate members is forbidden. This will be the only and final announcement...."
"No, no, no," the dark man muttered from his seat in some dingy new hideout "this is all wrong." Not many people could hack into a private S.H.I.E.L.D oriented signal, but everyone here was uniquely skilled.
"They crippled us and S.H.I.E.L.D shut them down, shouldn't we be thanking them for their stupidity?" Asks the woman there who had encrypted the back channel S.H.I.E.L.D was using or had used.
"Everything that had, scattered," the man sighs almost painfully "in hiding again. With in S.H.I.E.L.D in was in my reach, but now..."
"Excuse me, but what are you talking about sir?" The man looks over at the young, yet to be changed girl.
"S.H.I.E.L.D had something I want."
_____________________________Dangerous Games____________________________
Life was boring. How could one adjust to things going back to the considered normal after having a crazy ass life at S.H.I.E.L.D? Sure Matthew liked not facing the threat of imminent death on a daily basis, but even that was still way more entertaining that AP English. In Matthew's mine quite possible the most boring class ever.
Matthew became a bit more reclusive than he even used to be. He didn't really connect with any of his old friends anymore. Maybe things had just changed too much, or maybe it was him. Ever since the H-364, which Matthew had learned about in detail later on after he'd woken up in a reinforced quarantine cell, his powers had begun to change and grow as well. Because weren't unstable and crazy enough already, the boy thinks sarcastically to himself. Hiding it from his parent's was easy, whenever he felt them getting out of control he'd just fake some school assignment and go hide in his room for a little while until he reined them in, but at school, well that was a little harder. Matthew had already gotten into so much trouble for violence or anger-related issues throughout the part of the school year. His parent's weren't happy about that. Sometimes Matthew wished he was back at S.H.I.E.L.D, not because he particularly liked it there but because of the people there. Matthew missed Serena, Canary and Adam the most. Adam was the only one who tried to help Matthew learn about and control his powers, without him Matthew was cracking at the seams with not being able to tell anyone what he was.
Class ended and Matthew sauntered to his locker. At least he'd be able to go home today and be alone. His parent's had been out quite frequently this week and would be until the next, Matthew enjoyed the solitary. Matthew went to open his locker, but the lock he had was the most temperamental piece of junk and refused to click open for him. Matthew gets easily frustrated and slams his hand against the locker door, thankful after the fact that he didn't bash it in with the raw strength that pulsed through his muscles and veins. Something hit the floor and it was light, so light that Matthew would have missed it entirely if it weren't for the added sensory power to his hearing. Matthew glanced down and saw a note. A small paper note. Strange. Anyone who knew him at school had his number and or email. Matthew bent over and picked it up, almost missing the small white folded page against the white linoleum floor of the long hallway. He unfolds it and stares at the messily written words.
Somethings come up and neither of us can afford to wait any longer. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't urgent. The situation is already becoming out of hand. If you have any sense of preservation for yourself, you'll meet me at Scarlet trails & park at 4 o'clock pm under the pink cherry tree.
-A
Matthew's mind immediately thought that A might be Adam, but he quickly discarded that thought. Adam had been MIA from the longest time and if he had a problem he'd solve it himself. It wasn't him, but then that still begged the question of who?
__________________________________________________________________
"How the hell did you even get to D.C?" Matthew asked as he and Alice walked around the perimeter that he and Alice had met up at. "I thought you lived in Russia?"
"I'm resourceful," is all she says, not wanting to detail that she never exactly left the states. It was all... very complicated and off topic.
"Oh," is all he says. He's a little awkward, after all this wasn't expected. S.H.I.E.L.D had forbidden all contact with any of the other initiates once Project Next Avenger closed up. They all lived in different places, some different corners of the world. All emails, texts, sms were all intercepted before they could reach one another. As far as each of the kids for Project Next Avenger were concerned, no one had ever written them back, only widening the gap between them all. Alice had been the only one brave, albeit possibly crazy, enough to come meet with one of the initiates in person. With all that in mind Matthew asked his next question. "You clearly wanted something, you wouldn't coming out here if it weren't important either." Alice wondered curiously what Matthew thought S.H.I.E.L.D would actually do to them, but given the fact that not one of them had heard from Adam of all people, Adam who lived in D.C relatively close to Matthew, and could fly, it was pretty suspicious.
"Good, you are as smart as they say." Matthew quirks an eyebrow.
"Wait, what?" He stammers. He stops momentarily in his mid-paced walk, but Alice grabs his arm ans hauls him along until he starts up voluntarily again.
"You seriously think that I bought that whole over rebellious delinquent kid act?" Alice asks after a moment, waiting for a couple to walk passed them on the park trail. Matthew shrugs nervously.
"Everyone else has and hey, it's not completely untrue," he mutters. Well, except Canary he thinks and then he frowns. Man did he miss Canary.
"You are annoyingly rebellious, but anyone with eyes can see that you're brilliant, yet for some reason closed off about it," Alice says, mildly curious. Alice was incredibly perceptive and her inquisitions made Matthew nervous. He didn't really want a girl like her to know why.
"What do you want, Alice?" He asks sternly and perhaps a little exasperated. Alice just goes along with it. If it's important she'd find out later on.
"I need you to hack S.H.I.E.L.D," Alice says evenly. Matthew is thoroughly stunned. Out of all of the things he expected to come out of her mouth that was not one of them.
"You want me to what?" He stammers "How do you know if I even can?" He seems very put off by the idea. Sure, every knew he was a regular rebellious teenager, that had already been established, it had also been proven that he was by no standards and idiot. S.H.I.E.L.D had been very unforgiving lately.
"Just remember you owe me," Alice says, jabbing a finger at his chest, annoyingly. Matthew shoves her hands away.
"I'm pretty sure I saved your life first," he shoots back.
"Yeah? Well you might have endangered it too," she fires right back at him and about just as fast. It was safe to say the pair had met their match; each other. Matthew scoffs almost arrogantly.
"What are you talking about?"
"Luna says that you used your blood as an antidote during the Serpent Society crisis," Alice answers and her voice sounds a little tight, constricted. Matthew furrows his eyebrows.
"You talked to Luna?" Matthew knows he really shouldn't be surprised, the girl sure got around.
"Not the point," Alice says quickly, trying to get back on track.
"Then what the hell is the point?" Matthew questions. He stops walking and forces Alice to face him. "There better be a good one or I'm leaving." No answer. Alice just stares at him, chews her lower lip for a second. Matthew had never know her to have any sort of nervous tick. He thought something must really be haunting her, but he stood his ground. He shook his head, turned and started to walk off.
"No one is immune to the effects of the H-364," Alice says quickly, caving. Matthew turns back around and stuffs his hands in his pockets, gesturing for her to elaborate. Alice slowly saunters closer to him in proximity so that she doesn't have to speak so loud and risk people hearing. "The very last week we spent at S.H.I.E.L.D Adam told me that he wanted to steal the H-364, he said it could help you somehow. I... trusted him," Alice confesses through her nearly grit teeth. "I started doing some research on the stuff. They were doing human trials and applications with it all the way back in '08. For a while, everyone was great they had cellular regeneration, they didn't wear out, lost weight, got stronger, faster, whatever..." At Alice's pause Matthew got suspicious and very anxious.
"What happened to the test subjects?" He inquires and after the words leave his mouth he almost wishes he could retract them, not quite sure if he wanted to know.
"Suddenly, all of them began to loose it and only a day after that... Dead." Matthew felt his stomach flip.
"Dead?" He repeats, choking the words out of himself.
"Dead," Alice confirms with a slight slip of composure "all with in no more than a week of receiving the stuff, but you... you've lasted four months with zero side-effects. You and I aren't stupid, we both know there's only one way that's possible to be immune to the H-364, some amount of it had to be already inside you in the first place."
"And Luna gave you some of my blood... oh god," Matthew mutters. This day just keeps getting worse and worse.
"Oh, it gets better," Alice says with loads of sarcasm layered on it "they day the rest of us invaded the Inhuman's hideout they were replicating the stuff, in spades, Luna thought she blew it all up, but sources from Boston say that the monstrous things they were using the H-364 to create are snowing up again."
"You've been talking to James too?" Matthew says. Sure, probably not the time, but it's better that loosing his mind. "Have I been the only one kept out of the loop?"
"I'm telling you now, aren't I?" Alice quips.
"And I'm assuming now you're about to tell me why you have all this information," he says and Alice smirks.
"My, my, he isn't as naive as he looks." Matthew rolls his eyes and Alice smirks widens, right before it falls as she explains. "I have a feeling that they can only stretch the H-364 so long, according to S.H.I.E.L.D's files the stuff is too volatile to keep replicating at a certain point." She pauses and Matthew feels like she's about to deliver that big bad blow. "Those things that they're creating are out looking for more. More H-364, the stuff that's in me and in you."
__________________________________________________________________
"Usually it takes a bit more to persuade a guy to take me back to his place," Alice says jokingly. She liked to play the part of someone promiscuous when in truth she never even been in an actual relationship before. Heaven forbid her Mother ever allow any man or woman to even go near her daughter. Alice was just lucky that Yelena didn't end up murdering any of her wannabe suitors.
Matthew doesn't comment. Instead he gets to work on his laptop. Sure, his mothers lab computer was faster and stronger, but Matthew had altered his so it was as easily traced. He had no doubt S.H.I.E.L.D would get to it eventually, but if Alice could literally fry the digital trail like she said she could, then they should only have about half of the information to go on. He just prayed that she was right. "Breathe for gods sake," Alice mutters impatiently "didn't you used to be some high-security arms hacker?" Matthew stiffened immensely.
"How do you know about that?" He croaks. He has taken an alarming amount of hits from this girl today. She's been pulling him apart left and right leaving him impossibly raw.
"Word goes around in certain dark circles," Alice says and it almost sounds like there's a hint of... what was that in her voice? Pity? Sympathy? Understanding? All three. "Lots of people would pay good money for a naive- Young hacker with a lot of potential." Matthew pauses for a second, leaning back in his chair.
"Despite the fact that this whole conversations is completely underhanded and cruel, I still think that that is the nicest thing you've even said to me," Matthew comments. Alice snickers and begins to saunter and look about the living room. She stopped next to a built-in shelving unit and looked at a dusty picture. There was a woman and man standing side by side with wide smiles on their faces and standing in front of them was a younger boy, undeniably Matthew with his crooked smirk and crazy tousled raven hair. Then there was, of course, his big blue sad eyes. They seemed even more depressing than even in this shot.
"Where are your parent's?" Asks Alice softly.
"Out," is all Matthew says blandly as he types. He wasn't in the mood for talking now, especially about his family or anything else for that matter after she'd brought up the arms hack incident. Matthew had had an extraordinarily bad fight with his parents. The worse they've even had until recent history. Matthew had been reluctant to sign on, especially since he'd hadn't totally known what it was all about. He had been told that it was about money. Get in, hack a few bank ATM's, get a few credit card numbers for the guys. That's it. He didn't think anyone would get hurt... he didn't think they'd be stealing guns to sell for money. It was his first big mistake... and it certainly wasn't his last. "My step-Dad had a last minute patient today and my Mom is attending some seminar."
"So your parents are busy," Alice says casually until she accounts for Matthew's body language "or neglectful."
"Are we really having this conversation right now? I'd rather my family issues not be the source of your current amusement," Matthew snaps harshly, nearly punching holes through the lap top as hey typed. Stupid hybrid strength. Alice's expression was a look of hurt, but it was never shown to the other kid in the room.
"I don't find others pain bemusing, I think idiot people are amusing. If you've got a kid you might as well be around somewhat." Matthew glances over at Alice and a silent look of apology is sent her way, which the ginger accepts. "I'm never having kids."
"Ditto," Matthew says drearily. He continues his hack, trying and failing. He was getting frustrated. He'd done this before for Canary when had asked him. It had been a good thing to since Hydra was trying to reclaim it's supposed rights to S.H.I.E.L.D. It was all such insanity- Then he understood it.
"Any kind of access to their data banks is so heavily guarded since-"
"Since it's coming from your house," Alice adds over him. She wasn't an idiot, she got it as soon as he started saying it. "Of course," she says a little exasperated.
"So I guess we're going on a road trip," Matthew decides. He closes the laptop and shoves it into his backpack. Matthew grabs the keys off a hook near the door. Alice quirked an eyebrow.
"Can you even drive?" She asks, slightly amused. Matthew can't help but smirk knowing ever so slightly, unable to suppress it fully.
"No, well, I'm not licensed." Alice puts her jacket back on and walks closer to him.
"Then why do I have a feeling," she asks, eyes locked with his as added persuasion "that there's a story here?"
"Well," Matthew begins, feeling no reason to hide it from Alice. She wasn't judgmental to those types of things. She was pretty care-free as far as most things were concerned. "I, uh, hot wired my step-dad's car when I was twelve and drove around my grandpa's three acre backyard. Needless to say it didn't really end well." Alice grins amused, almost feeling the urge to laugh at the antics of the boy's younger self.
"You crashed it?" It was barely voiced as a question. Matthew also grinned at the memory.
"Right into the huge oak tree. A branch fell on the hood from the force, shattering the front windshield too. I wasn't hurt, but man was I going to get it as soon as my parent's saw," he said, airily laughing at the memory. His grandpa had joked about it even to this day whereas Betty or Lenard harshly scolded Matthew for even bringing it up in conversation. Matthew frowned then and while he was distracted in his own mind Alice had snatched the keys away from him.
"And I suppose all that gives me a very good reason to be the one driving. Let's go." She winks at him and heads out the door.