The drive into town was pleasant. And I'm not one that finds many things enjoyable, let alone pleasant. I had insisted on driving to the second town closest to us, just in case we're spotted. If we were, the house would be at least twenty minutes away, and we would have more time to pack up and leave. Not that it was a lot of time, but still enough. We were in the busy part of Quebec, with little towns dotted all over the place, all to do with the winter season, all sporting large mountains and snow capped peaks.
Loki and I still held the Walkie-Talkie with us to contact the Avengers; we were still under alert, still wary of followers. Perhaps even more wary now that we had been followed, and it hadn't ended well.
My body ached, not just from my little swim this morning, but from the whole of the previous week. My bullet wounds had been aggravated so much that they had taken longer than expected to heal, throbbing even now. The fight yesterday had been brutal, and even though we came out alive, bruises lined my neck, my cheek, my arms, small burns where the cuffs used to be. Maybe this house in the woods would be good for me. Let me heal. So that I could be at my strongest if the time came to fight. When the time came.
I'd taken some pain killers again this morning, and they were wearing off. Loki had joked that I'd develop an addiction, going as far as saying that the bags under my eyes looked like they'd swallow Storm whole. One long glare from me and he backed off; I hadn't been in the mood for jokes. But talking with Loki on the way here was nice, even though he did most of the talking. He still held Storm in his arms, and I was more than surprised, expecting him to treat the puppy with disgust for a creature lesser than his 'divine' self. Apparently not, which I was happy about. At least he felt inclined to care about one thing in my life.
"-and so that was how I nearly won a fight against Thor for the throne of Asgard. I was this close to winning. This close!" he gestured with his fingers. " Of course, Odin wasn't pleased that I had pretty much uncovered him for Thor and Frigga to see who he really was. Had me locked up, unable to see my mother for eternity. Of course, Thor visited, much to my annoyance. And then... Frigga died." His face fell, into a sea of grief and sadness.
" Your mother?"
" My adopted mother. I could do nothing. I couldn't protect her from the Dark elves. Didn't have any power to stop them. It was my breaking point, then. Fortunately, Thor recruited me on a mission. To destroy the dark elves or something or other. I did it, risking my life heroically, sacrificing myself as I killed a dark elf, but he managed to stab me, killing me."
" Your still alive."
Loki continued as if I hadn't said anything. " It was indeed a brave and courageous act. I faked it. You see, death is my mistress."
" How close were you to your mother?" I asked.
" Very close. Closer than I have been to anyone. I loved her. And she loved me like her own child. You can understand that when Odin banned me from ever speaking to Frigga again... and then her dying-" he sighed.
" Have you ever talked to anyone about this?"
" You see, I haven't trusted anyone with it. They could use it against me"
" And you trust me? I am not someone you should trust your feelings to. I have the tendency to... kill people"
" Me too"
" But like, actually enjoy killing them. Which is completely wrong, I know"
" Me too"
I shifted my eyes to him, almost whispering. " Do you know what I have done, Loki? Do you know what I was forced to do under my imprisonment? The terrible things that I will never, ever forget, things that made me feared throughout Russia, throughout Asia. Things that made me into a monster. Loki, you shouldn't waste your time with trusting me."
" Maeve, you are not one of them. You have been brought up in a place that does not care for people like you."
" And who are people like me?"
He turned towards the window of the car, and I stared down the road, concentrating on driving.
" People like you," he said. " Who are wild, untamed, trapped in the bodies of cold killers"
Those words hit deep. I was debating biting back at them, but just sat there, mulling over. Thinking.
I was never good at poems and riddles as a child in the Red Room classes. But of course Loki could make up something so confusing yet so simple. And of course I was left dumbfounded, feeling like I was the uneducated one. Which I probably was compared to his years learning about magic and history and the world.
It wasn't fair that Loki decided to start trusting me. I didn't deserve it, and neither did he. He didn't deserve to be let down. I didn't deserve someone to use.
There was one time when Madam B asked me to get close to someone, find their motive. That particular person was suspected for murdering one of Madam B's associates, and had to pay the price. In the underworld, the policing was done on the downlow. There was no such thing as a police force, only karma, and people who sought revenge. The man, Madam B had ordered for me to flirt with him, become his lover. It was twisted, and it was brutal, and I had hated every second of those fake encounters. He had fallen for it like a mouse in a trap, had fallen for it, until he let out the words that proved he killed Madam B's associate. I had killed him, shot him between the eyes and dumped the body in a nearby river for someone else to find.
The police eventually found the body, but with no murder weapon, no place of murder, and the knowledge that the man was active in the underworld, they ignored it. They would be wasting their time on a murder that wouldn't be solved anyway.
And then there was that time when Andrei took over from his father in the armour making business. We were still together at the time, something that Madam B thankfully didn't know, when I was ordered to look through his things, go through anything of his that might hint at corruption. It is very easy for an armour maker to slip a bomb or gas into a piece of armour, letting it go off whenever he/she saw fit. And the Red Room was an institution that many in the underworld hated for the assassinating and revenge that took place inside its walls, which was why many tried to avoid it at all costs.
I had gone through Andrei's things while he was meeting with someone else, finding no documents that hinted at disloyalty. I felt bad for going behind his back, suspecting him of something he didn't do. I was prepared to assassinate him if he had been disloyal. And I had hated myself for it. Had hated myself for being someone who wouldn't blink an eye at killing the person she saw as an ally.
And so I hated this, hated the fact that he actually somehow trusted me, decided to talk to me about something other than friendly banter. Decided to talk to me about him. Because once I had been taught to remember the weaknesses of a person, because someday I could use it against them. And make it cut deep.
And I hated myself, because I wanted to get to know Loki, and I should have no problem with it. And it wasn't him. It was me who was the cold killer, who didn't befriend anyone unless it got her closer to her enemies.
" I really, really want to get to know you, Loki" I said. " I just... feel like I'm going to disappoint you."
" I really doubt that" he smiled. " I'm the God of Mischief, if anything, I should be the one disappointing you"
I couldn't help but smile a little at his words. " Can I tell you a secret?"
He grinned. " It won't be a secret anymore"
" I've never, ever had a real, real friendship, relationship, whatever with anyone. This is completely new to me" I felt myself blushing, and then mentally scolded myself.
" I'm going to have to teach you, then"
My heart felt light, smiling as I said " Yes, Loki. Yes you are"
" I'm going to need six licences, one for each person I just described. And three new licence plates"
" Make and Model of the cars?"came a scruffy, cockney voice.
" Land Rover Defender, 1997 Toyota Hiace and Toyota fortuner GX"
" Done, done and done. Anythin' else?"
" I need them mailed by tomorrow"
" Wow, 'old on there. That's going to cost you, girl"
" I've got the money, name the cost"
He answered and I swore. " Are you that pressed for time, Ezra?"
" New buyers, ya see. And who the fuck needs 20 fake licences delivered within the same day? Who does tha'? I tell ya, you'd be lucky your on my good books, or I'd've been tellin' ya to get lost real soon."
" Thanks. You're the best"
" I know I am. You sure this address is yours?"
" Very sure"
" Righty-O. 6 licences and passports for Natalie Rivera, Calder Baker, Scott Roberts, Tyson Smith, Loke Johnson and Mavis Wilder. As well as three licence plates for a Land Rover Defender, 1997 Toyota Hiace and Toyota fortuner GX,"
" Thanks Ezra . Gotta go"
I hung up, walking out of the phone box and into a chilly Main street. This town was small, smaller than the one closest to the house, but it had everything that a rural town should: A discount clothes store, a hardware store and a bakery. Loki was currently flirting with some girls on the corner of an alleyway, looking very un-Loki-like with his circle glasses, muscular build and that horribly overdone quiff. At least we wouldn't get caught with him looking like someone completely different, though.
" Come on" I called, acting like the sweet, naive girlfriend. " We need to go"
" Coming darling" he called, dismissing the giggling girls.
He swaggered up to me, and I whispered, " Do you really have to flirt? Those girls probably think you're actually a normal guy"
" That's what I want them to believe" he said, smirking. " Leading someone on is a form of mischief in itself. And I have to participate in the practise"
I rolled my eyes. " You're unbelievable."
We walked down a busy street, watching people going about their daily business, always keeping an eyes on any strange characters. It was a cute town, overlooked by mountain ranges to the north and east. It was a skiing town, and was preparing their stocks for the upcoming winter. " Look" I whispered. " 10 o'clock"
He peered over my shoulder, pretending to laugh at something I said, two men in black jackets leaned against a store window, watching everybody go past. They were undoubtedly SHIELD, with the way they moved and acted, the way they watched with eyes of a cat. I had pretended to be one of them once, to escape the Avengers tower. I had learned what they did, how they carried out tasks and missions.
I plastered a lazy grin on my face, ever the actress, pretending to be going on a nice stroll with my boyfriend. Holding Storm with one arm, I linked the other with him, pretending to point out the beautiful mountain ranges in front of us. " Look, Tom, They're so gorgeous!" I said, trying to mask my slight russian accent with an american one. The men would have been given a photo of me, said that I was russian, and would be travelling with the Avengers plus Loki. I tried to rein in the aura of coldness that I knew would be around me, which would alert those SHIELD agents faster than anything else would.
" We should totally hit the slopes some time this winter. Rent out a cottage... Just the two of us..." Loki said, still with the same british accent, just quicker, less drawn out than his usual voice.
He looked at me with a sly grin, and I giggled. I mean, actually physically forced myself to giggle, side hugging Loki. As soon as we passed the two men, who didn't bat an eyelid at us, we continued down the main street, wandering while I pretended window shop, finding the task particularly boring. Of course, as Nat said to me just this morning, displays of affection make people uncomfortable, making people uncomfortable makes them look away. Which is exactly what we wanted them to do.
Natasha
How many god damn times did Steve have to jog around the lake?
I'd been watching him on the front verandah, doing his usual morning run. He'd cleared a path around the lake, knocking away shrubbery and sticks. I was half hoping that he'd meet a bear, but then again thought otherwise; he would have become friends with it or something, maybe even recruit it into the team.
He said that around the lake was 5 kilometres, and therefore, he would do three circuits. But he decided to complete around 5. How he did it, I don't know.
I looked up from a book about mysterious deaths, to see him slightly panting, a slight sheen of sweat glinting on his forehead. I had already done my daily workout: some interval training, one lap of the lake and lots of stretching. I prefered to do it in the morning, when everybody was asleep. I'd caught Clint in the act of raiding the donut supply when I woke up at the usual 4 o'clock. Maeve had blacked out on the couch, sleeping like the dead. Loki was in an armchair, looking like he was secretly awake, just pretending to be asleep. Steve had hauled his ass into one of the bedrooms, preferring the mattress over anything else. Clint had slept in the bedroom next to mine, but obviously had woken up before me.
Last night though, brought me back to my killing days as an assassin. One of the men had died, the Sceptre not sparing his life as he went into Cardiac arrest. Steve and I had tried to perform CPR, but we were too late; he had died before we even got to him. I had wrapped the body in a blanket and shoved it in a cupboard, planning to bury it in the morning in case any bears were lurking, which I did.
The other men were so tired that we sent them to different rooms. They hardly even made it there; we had to push them.
After I had gotten back from digging a grave until my clothes and hair were permanently destroyed, Clint had told me what had happened to Maeve. Sleepwalking into the Lake and nearly drowning, and then describing an eerily scary dream.
Of course, these nightmares happened to me all the time; they used to be so terrifying that I was scared to even sleep. The Red Room and HYDRA made me do so many evil things that nightmares would forever haunt me. And sleepwalking wasn't new to me, either. I had once sleepwalked to the training room and stayed there for the night. When I woke up I had no idea where I was, much less of an idea of how I got there.
But what Loki described, about the Sceptre's presence, I couldn't be so sure that it was a normal dream. If the Sceptre did indeed have a connection with her, and could therefore control her...
She would be dead very soon. Because I wouldn't hesitate take the killing shot if she indeed was mind-controlled. I would hesitate one bit. I know Steve would, maybe Clint, maybe Loki, but we couldn't waste our time with knocking her out, not when she could kill us with one thought.
" Wanna go 'round again?" I teased to Steve, who had his hands on his knees, puffing and blowing.
" Okay... I'm so done" he panted. " I'll do another round tonight."
I rolled my eyes. " The men have woken up, and are apparently pissed"
" Why didn't you tell me earlier?!" Steve said, incredulous.
" Clint can handle them" I assured him, but dropped my book and led him into the house.
Three men, all in there early 30's sat on armchairs and couches in the Kitchen-Living room, all looking equally disgruntled and angry, shadows in their eyes. As if they'd seen horrors better left in the dark.
Clint was in the kitchen, making 3 cups of steaming tea for the men. We locked eyes for a split second, and the look in his told me that he'd gotten nothing from them, no information whatsoever. Well, I'd like to see about that for myself.
" So" Steve said, crossing his arms. "Who are you?"
The biggest one growled, " I'm Ragnar. This is Kai" he pointed to the dirty blonde-haired girl " and this is Finn" the brown haired one raised his hand in greeting.
" We remember everything." Kai said. " You don't need to tell us what happened."
Steve walked over to the kitchen counter, " One question; are you with us when we say that we want to bring down the people responsible for stealing the Sceptre?"
" Couldn't agree more" Kai nodded her head.
" We know that you want information from us" Ragnar countered. " and we are willing to give it to you, on one condition"
" Name the price" I said, my first words since we came into the room.
" We want to stay with you, and, you need to buy us some fresh clothes and weapons."
" Done" Steve said. " Clint?"
Clint picked up the walkie-talkie. " Maeve and Loki. We're gonna need clothes and weapons for three"
Maeve's voice came back, casual and carefree, they must be having fun out in the town. " No problem. What sort of weapons, may I ask?"
" Oh, you don't need to get them now" Finn assured us.
" No worries. Maeve knows the best places" Clint said. " What weapons do you prefer?"
" Mainly guns. Handheld preferably. Glock's are my favourite. The other two like Smith and Wesson" Finn said, scratching behind his ear.
" Can you find Glock's and Smith and Wesson in the town you're in?" Clint asked.
" Trust me, every town, there'll be some. Anything else?"
Clint looked at them with raised eyebrows. When they shook their heads, he went back to the device. " Nothing except some fresh food while we still have access now that I think about it" Clint said.
" Good idea. We'll be back in 2 hours. Over and out"
" Who are they?" Kai dared to ask.
Tony walked in, grime and dust on his forehead from scrounging around in the shed for a couple of hours. " Partners in crime. Or you could say Frozone is, Lokimotion is kind of on and off the metaphorical wagon of actually being a decent human being."
I corrected him. " Maeve is a new recruit of the Avengers. Loki is someone who got caught up in it who apparently wants to help us. He also kind of was behind the attack on New York, but apparently didn't actually do it. Don't ask him about it"
" Wait... I think we saw them yesterday"
" You tracked them and attacked them"
Steve took the opportunity to ask questions. " Who authorised you to track them?"
Ragnar was the first to answer, the obvious leader in the group. " I don't know... he didn't say his name, didn't reveal anything. We were told to do it, and that's what we did."
" Who gave you the handcuffs?"
" Same guy. Told us to put them on a girl with ice powers and the cuffs would make them go away. Make it easier for us to capture them."
" And how did you even get controlled in the first place?" Tony asked. " You weren't wearing SHIELD uniforms, you must have been working for another defense organisation"
" The Canadian military" Ragnar got up and walked to the fire, warming his backside. "Undercover, covert missions. Although, we were sent on a mission to Greenland to inspect the main town and see if there was anything wrong. We were attacked, cornered and mind-controlled"
" By whom?" I pressed.
" They had masks on, but they were tall, really tall, and extremely strong"
Tony cursed. "Of course. They somehow learnt from when Loki had the Sceptre that it is possible to get people back after you mind-control them. So, they didn't want you to know who they were "
" That means that they were there, watching on the whole attack on New York." I added, hand on chin. " Including what the press didn't disclose."
" Means they might have been a double agent" Steve said.
" Might" I stopped him in his tracks. " At the time, we weren't completely private about what happened on the Helicarrier. Anyone could have figured out, since the place was chaos"
Kai piped up, " When we were given the mission, the person spoke through a microphone to us, autotuning his or her voice. They are obviously trying hard to not get found out. Which means that they could be in a particularly weak position if they were"
" Which means that we could still use something against them" Ragnar said. " We aren't completely helpless"
" You're forgetting that they have the two most dangerous people in the entire world on their side" Tony interrupted. " Thor and The Hulk"
" We suspect that they haven't released the Hulk yet because they want to keep this covert."
" And they are trying so badly to capture and mind-control us so that we don't release statements that someone has stolen the Sceptre to the press"
" The only thing we've got on our side is the knowledge that this person is desperately trying to keep his or her identity a secret." Steve summarised. " That they might be compromised if we were to discover their identity, therefore we know a weakness of theirs, we just don't know how to use it, yet"
I spoke up, speaking slowly. " This also means that the person could be walking around and we wouldn't know who they were unless they had Sceptre in hand"
" Good point" Steve said. " We need to be careful. There is a high chance that this could turn deadly, with the Hulk and Thor, as well as us not knowing much about this Sceptre person. The point is, we might need to recruit more people to help us"
" What do you mean?" Finn asked.
" That there is a possibility that this person is mind controlling the police force as well. We might not have just our teammates to deal with"
" Which means the odds even smaller for us to make it out of this unmind-controlled" I said. "even smaller if we manage to destroy the person with the Sceptre"
" First and foremost, we need to get Bruce and Thor back" Steve said. " They are top priority. From then on, it should be relatively easy to find whoever it is who's got the Sceptre. They are most likely back at the Avengers tower, since it would be easier to hold them from there. If the Sceptre was indeed in the Avenger tower at the time, it would make sense for them to stay there to protect it."
" True, but why would everyone we've been talking too say that it's in Greenland?" Tony countered Steve. " What's the point of having a base in Greenland when they can just have the Avengers tower?"
" Because they must have had a base to plan what they were going to do, to congregate at a place that can't be compromised. Greenland seems like the perfect place. Away from everyone they want to avoid." I said.
" But why Greenland? If they wanted to get somewhere far away, there are a million places. Russia, Canada, Australia, Antarctica." Tony pressed. He scratched his chin, then waved a finger at the group. " You know what I think? Greenland's got something that we don't. Not some bunker, or old war council, but something else."
" We need a plan" I said. " The more we delay this, the more people become mind-controlled. The more likely we will fail."
Steve puffed his chest, seizing the conversation. " Tony, tomorrow, we're going to collect whatever you dumped in Ontario. Then, we go to Greenland when no-one will expect it. While they're in New York, they won't have time to anticipate an attack on their base in Greenland. We compromise the building they've got there, forcing them to stay in New York"
" There are more civilians in New York, though" Finn said. " More risk"
" This person doesn't want the world to know that they've taken control of SHEILD. Wants to keep it on the downlow. Badly" I agreed with Steve. " We can trust that they won't release someone as big as the Hulk or Thor just yet. We can also trust that they believe we will try to attack them head on, rather than slowly breaking down their defenses, because we have the knowledge that every day, they are killing people, mind-controlling them. Breaking down their Plan B's and defenses would be smart. So that they've got nowhere to go, no-one to rely on. Usually, the knowledge that we are going to attack soon, will eat the person up inside, making them on edge. It's the smartest choice"
Steve nodded his head. Agreeing with me wholeheartedly. Clint piped up. " We need to discuss Maeve. Whatever she did this morning was not normal. She could be a danger to the group, whether we realise it or not"
" I thought she was with you guys?" Kai asked.
" She has a troubled past." I said, a bit too coldly. " She was part of an experimental group to giver her those powers, but Loki has reason to suggest that they are somehow connected to the Sceptre. Somehow, we don't know how"
" Just this morning, she complained of nightmares, and sleepwalked into the lake, something she obviously doesn't usually do" Clint said.
" So?" Ragnar challenged. " It's sleepwalking and nightmares, everyone gets them"
" We need to be on high alert, just in case her connection with the Sceptre means something more." Steve said.
" Means something that puts us in danger" I continued. " She's extremely powerful, and could kill each and everyone of us with the flick of a wrist. We need to be prepared, even if it means nothing"
" Prepared to do what?" Finn asked.
" To kill her" I said, so that nobody else would.
I breathed in and out. And then again while everyone went quiet.
Tony was the first to speak. " This is assuming we trust Loki. Which we don't"
" Ugh. Not this again" Moaned Clint.
" Look. All I'm saying is, Loki lies. It's what he does. And if he says that Maeve's powers are connected to the Sceptre, it might be benefiting him somehow."
" It also might be why he hangs around her so much" I blurted. " To get closer to the Sceptre."
" Of course" Steve breathed. " We shouldn't have brought Loki into the Avengers tower in the first place. Too risky"
" It doesn't matter" I said. " It's done now. We need to decide whether we try to help them, or trap them"
We all knew the answer.
A couple of minutes passed, Ragnar, Finn and Kai deciding to go for a walk outside, enjoying the sun after the horrendous storm last night. " You sure we trust them?" Clint asked.
" We will never know." I said. " But we do know that they want to stay with us. Want to destroy whoever has the Sceptre."
Steve shot up from the chair, looking at Tony. Clint and I exchanged glances. " Pepper..."
" Is fine" He said. " She was at a business meeting in London to discuss the use of helicarriers when the Avengers tower was compromised. There's no way she's mind-controlled, or in any sort of danger. When we were in New York, I called her to say what happened. She said that she hoped I'd be alright, and she'd be staying at our Italian villa until the world was saved. She can't do anything, since no-one knows what happened either"
" How did I not know any of this?" Steve walked to the window, staring out, obviously spying on what the three attackers were doing.
" Wasn't part of the mission, and also, none of your business, respectively"
" Tony, we've had this conversation before. What we do shouldn't affect those who we are close with. The whole team needs to know who could be used against us, and your love for Pepper has been used against you before"
" She's safe, Cap, back off, I know what I'm doing"
" Yeah? Well act like it"
Steve wasn't playing nice today, I noticed. And I guessed that a 15 hour drive with Stark thinned his patience, thinned whatever amount of empathy for Starks arrogant nature he had left. I decided to stay out of this one, looking at Clint to do the same. This wasn't our fight, and neither was it one that would settle quickly.
Stark half laughed, " Look, Cap. How many times have I saved the world? 4? 5 times? The point is, I've had more time than you ever had, more experience"
" I can't believe you're so arrogant that you'd dismiss the fact that I actually fought in World war 2"
" And I've been captured by terrorists in what some would say World War 3, held for ransom. What were you talking about?"
" From now on, whatever we do, however small, we need to tell each other. And I know there are things you two can't" Steve sighed. " or won't tell the team for one reason or another."
I stared up into Steve's eyes, as if I was saying ' You really want to know?' because he didn't. We really didn't need to pull on loose ends that hadn't been tied. Even if Clint and I knew some things that might help us, they didn't need to know, because those things were best left in the dark.
Steve continued. " Whatever happens, this... it could mean the end of the world. If this person who has stolen the sceptre somehow gets a hold of the Tesseract, it could mean the end of the human race, forever. No second chances. God dammit, even Maeve, the person we trust the least in the Avengers is telling us things that we wouldn't tell each other. We need to start working as a team. And I'm not saying just being a team, because that's something completely different."
" Are you saying that we didn't work as a team to defeat Loki?"
" I'm saying that if we did, it would have gone a lot smoother. For example, we would have time to anticipate, even stop Loki's attack on the helicarrier. We wouldn't have spent half of the time arguing, and instead spent that time actually doing. I'm saying that if we have a hope to save the world again, we should do it right this time. Not let our own petty opinions of each other play a part in our rationality."
We all sat there, thinking it over. I could tell Tony was thinking up a snarky remark and instead was the first to respond. " Agreed. But you should know Steve that some things are better left in the dark. We can't tell you everything."
" I understand."
" Fine" Tony sighed. " We do this as the Avengers. No more secrets. Not any that count anyway."
Clint nodded at Steve. " Your wish is my command. Although, I never start fights. Right, Nat?"
" Couldn't agree more" I murmured. " I'm going outside to chop wood. If we want that fire to last all night we're going to need more than a couple of twigs. Clint? Why don't you help me?"
" Anything, Nat. "
We finally exited the room, sighing in the fresh air, still crisp after that thunderstorm. I could feel Steve looking at my back as we went, staring at me, or glaring, I couldn't tell. I'd had enough of these fights, with Steve always trying to make things 'right' again, but I didn't have the heart to tell him that Tony wasn't a type who worked well in group situations, was psychologically unstable and unsuitable for the Avengers anyways. That wouldn't change. I just hoped that his arrogance and willingness just to prove to everybody that he was worthy would.
We walked into the forest, soon fully surrounded by trees, soon not able to see the house anymore through the cover. " You don't want to chop would, don't you?" Clint mused.
" What do you think?"
" That Steve can chop twice the amount of wood that we can in a day just in an hour. Which is totally unreasonable. What do you wanna talk about?"
" What do you want to talk about? You've been fidgeting all day, made about 100 cups of tea for everybody, haven't even left the house to play with the archery set in the Jeep and listened to Steve and Tony carrying on. What's up?"
" Would it be considered treason if I said that I felt like Maeve's in trouble?"
" No" I said slowly. " But you need to tell me why"
" The whole house went cold when she went on her little sleepwalk. Never felt that before. And I could tell Loki was worried. And she was too. The five minutes after she got out of the lake she was as white as a sheet. Not from the Lake either"
" You're worried that she will turn on us?"
" I am worried that she will become lost; Go into the underworld again. She was more lost than you when you came in, Nat"
" I know" I looked into the forest. " And it's going to take some time before she can become whole again. But, she is trying. That counts for something"
" Yes, it does"
I thought back to those times in the Red Room, those times spent all alone, curled up in a corner of a dark room. Those times when I was forced to do Ballet and Acrobatics. Again and again and again. To build 'resilience'. But all it did was single out the 'weak ones'. Single out the one who would break.
" The Sceptre, that might interfere with her healing. Might make it harder to cope." He sighed, walking a few feet into the forest.
" I know" I said. " She is stronger than you think, Clint. She can handle herself. And you forget; she has us"
" And you" he grinned.
" I'm hardly the person to talk too about those things, Clint. I'm not very emotional, you should know that"
" I'm just worried, okay? Remember that one time-"
"- where I said you could tell me anything? Yeah, I remember. And I'm glad you told me. Not just for Maeve's sake. But for yours as well. It's been eating you all day"
" I'm just concerned"
" Don't beat yourself up for it. You've recruited several into SHIELD; you care about people, Clint"
" And you don't?"
I furrowed my eyebrows, shaking my head, but not in disagreement. " Of course I do. I just... "
" I'm just joking, Nat"
I half grinned. " You know what I'm trying to say"
He smiled, a twinkle in his eye, and turned towards me, crossing his arms over one another. " I do Nat, I always do"