PICKING UP THE PIECES.
❝You thought you could break me? honey, you aren't the first.❞
Isabel Stark has lost the memories of her past. They haunt her during her sleep. The Avengers, the only family she's ever known, has disbanded. Her childhood fri...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
We watched as the adults slowly filed out of the office, and I felt filled with guilt. The girl's parents had tissues in their hands, dabbing their puffy eyes. Stacy's mother stopped in front of me for a moment, looking as if she wanted to say something before shaking her head and storming away. Fox was next, shaking his head in disbelief.
"You kids gonna be okay?" he asked us all with a sigh. Not a single person even bothered to nod; we knew the truth. "I thought so. Just so you know, Ken's not mad at you. He's just startled, that's all."
"Ken?"
"Our principal, genius," Michelle scoffed, kicking her leg to the side and hitting Ned. "I mean, he'd be crazy if he wasn't freaked out. I just don't understand what we're supposed to do now."
"Absolutely nothing." Michelle sat up a little straighter as my father kicked the door shut behind him. Ned looked ecstatic and kept nudging Peter, who was giving him a dirty look in return. Faith and Betty seemed to stop breathing while Thomas slunched over. I felt like doing the same. "Her name was Kate, by the way. Freshman, above-average intelligence. Her birthday," he glanced over at me, "was actually pretty close to yours."
"I didn't know what to do," I tried to explain shakily. "She... I..."
"I know, it's not your fault. What is your fault though... you really tried to find Hawkes alone? I'm sorry, no, with your friends. People who have no experience dealing with psychopaths. You're putting all of their lives at risk!"
"Anthony Hawkes has connections everywhere," Thomas spoke up in my defense. "And I mean everywhere. Do you really expect her, no, us, to stand by and allow the government to take control of this?"
"That same thought process made Cap a criminal, Mother Nature!" Thomas blinked a few times in confusion. "Never mind. I know who we're working with, and I know that there's definitely a mole or two working with Ross as we speak! The point is that they know we're doing something, but they weren't supposed to know what. Because of this, they're most definitely going to want more closure."
"You really think Hawkes wouldn't have sent the girl?" I snapped, raising my voice. "She still would've died, no matter the location. He's made his point, and he'll probably make a hell of a lot more! I can't waste any time, so I found the help I needed!"
"And how's that working out for you?" Dad questioned, rolling his eyes. Faith raised her hand slowly. "Yes, dear?"
"Um, Mr. Stark..." she said slowly. "I think we might have actually found something." I looked at her in surprise, my jaw dropping.
"Actually?"
"Don't answer that," my father stopped her, raising a finger in her direction. "What's your name?"
"Oh, um..." Faith said slowly, her face turning pink. "Fa- Faith. Faith Franklin."
"Yeah, I like you," he smirked, shaking her hand before stepping back and looking at my friends. I thought she was going to pass out. "So here's the dealio. The three of you are gonna go home and stay there. Happy's telling your parents that you all are under Stark Industry protection... if that even means anything anymore. I don't need you dying on my watch."
