Intertwine

21 - How Do You Accidentally Punch Someone In The Face

ALINA

"Yeah we're on the jet back now." I held my phone between my check and my shoulder as I rummaged through my backpack to find a notepad.

"You weren't hurt were you?" Tony's asked through the phone.

"No, thank God. Barely even a scratch. Just shit my pants a tiny bit though." I pulled out the notepad and pen. "What was the number again?"

"38905241. Don't get it wrong."

"I won't." I didn't even need to write it down, but it was just in case.

"And you input that-"

"I input that into the virus code on the 427th line, I know, I got it. Then I sit and wait." I sat back in my seat, my heart still running far too fast. "I thought you said Alina wasn't allowed out of the building?"

I heard Tony sigh. "She's not. Thank God she's a rule breaker. Sounds like she saved your asses out there." I heard some shouting in the background.

"Is that Steve?" I asked.

"Yeah, Sam dropped him?"

"He dropped him?" I asked, taken aback. "But Sam never drops him?"

"HE SAID DROP ME! WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?" I heard someone shout on the other end. Ah Falcon. I'd only met him once so far when I was being introduced to people, but he seemed like a solid guy.

"I WAS GOING TO SAY IN THREE SECONDS!"

"YOU HAVE A SHIELD YOU WERE FINE?" 

"Going well?" I asked sarcastically.

"There were some guards on the perimeter, we took them out easy, but nothing of any use inside. France was a bust." Tony sighed. "How're the others holding up?"

"They seem less shaken than me." I admitted.

"Well it's not their first rodeo. I've gotta go, I'll see you round kid." The call clicked off.

Nat raised an eyebrow. "What's the virus code for?"

"He's trying to infiltrate their systems through S.H.I.E.L.D but I don't think it'll be any use." I shrugged. "They're too slippery." I groaned. "I need a drink."

"What do you say we raid Tony's cabinets?"

"Please."

As we took off I was sipping some overpriced whiskey and had my feet up on a table. Wanda was dozing in a corner and Barton was pretending to sleep. 

"So," Nat put her glass down, "what do we think of Roara's new power?"

"Honestly, I don't know what to think. She seemed so confident using it, maybe even more confident than she is using anything else."

Nat nodded in agreement. "She and Wanda would make a terrifying team."

"Only if you're not on their side." Barton muttered.

"Speaking of the other side, where did we put Axel?"

"She's tied up in the cargo hold." Nat smirked.

"What did they do to you guys?" I asked. Nat had a gash along her face and looked pretty roughed up.

"Sedated us with gas and then again with an injection. They tied Wanda up using some contraption that stopped her using her telekinesis. I was just plain tied up, but I'd been biding my time. I think they underestimated me."

"Because you're not 'enhanced'." I said using air quotes. 

"Maybe." She conceded. "Still it was a relief when Roara and Loki turned up. God I never thought saying seeing Loki's face would be a relief. It's been a strange week. They made a frighteningly good team. Just a glance between them and they knew what the other was saying."

"Loki can read minds. Perhaps she was mimicking his power?" 

"Possibly. But I think even without the mind reading they'd have been able to understand one another." Nat laughed then, "She did punch him in the face and pretend she'd done it by accident."

"How do you accidentally punch someone in the face?" 

Nat shook her head, picking up her glass again. "That's exactly what Loki said." 

"I can't wait to have a shower. I must have sweat a gallon of water back there." 

"Stress like that will get easier. You'll learn to control it." She assured me.  "When are the others getting back?" 

"Tomorrow." I muttered. "Are we introducing Roara yet?" 

Nat leant towards me, "You look tired, you should get some sleep."

"I really don't feel like sleeping." I lied. "Is she going to meet the others?"

"Not yet. Go to sleep." 

"I don't want to." I protested like a child arguing with their mother. 

"We all have nightmares," Nat whispered so that the others couldn't hear. "I'm going to let you into a secret. They don't get better. You just get better and controlling the fear." 

I did sleep. As I'd predicted, the dreams I had were horrible. I was locked in a chair in a damp basement, Axel pacing around me, a gun in her hand. Barton was dead in front of me, and somehow I knew it was my fault. There was blood everywhere.

I woke up, still on the plane, feeling shaky and cold. 

"30 minutes from NYC." Barton informed me as I opened my eyes.

"Wonderful." I muttered. 

"You could look happier about it." He snorted.

"Where's Nat?" I asked.

"Well this plane isn't going to fly itself for the entire journey. She's sorting out our landing." Barton leant forward in his seat, eyes locked on me. "Why don't you want to go back?"

"Because it's humiliating!" I snapped. "Our New York facility isn't safe for Ro anymore because of my stupid phone call, I could have got you killed, I can't believe I thought I was ready for this! I don't have any training!"

"Kid, they already knew where the Avengers tower was, it had a massive sign on it saying AVENGERS on it. Only difference is that she'll just have to move to one of our other facilities in upstate New York." He shrugged. "No big deal."

"You know," Wanda came out of the cockpit, "I had no training either. I wasn't too much older than you when I started doing this. I went through a process that gave me my abilities, similar to you. You just need to take a leap and do this because you know it is the right thing, even if it's terrifying and crazy." She nodded to Barton, "It was his stupid ass that got me to fight even when I was scared and didn't feel ready."

I looked up at her. She had one hand on the back of my seat, her fingers moving in slow graceful movements, a small ball of red energy flowing over her hand.

"You really think I can do this?" I asked. "Inside I feel like a grieving 16 year old."

"I still feel like a grieving 26 year old." She smiled. "When we loose someone, a part of us stays that way. It doesn't define who we are. How we fight for them, for their memory, that is what matters." 

I nodded. My mom had been a strong woman. The strongest woman I'd known. She would believe in me. I took a deep breath. "Okay." I said.

"Okay?" Barton repeated.

I nodded. "Okay."

"Good." Wanda said. "Because things are just going to get worse from here on out."