[2] Just A Lost Girl | Avallone the Avenger

CHAPTER EIGHT

~Two Weeks Later~
Smiling at the red head before me, I pulled her into a hug. "Natasha! I missed you so much!" I whispered softly in her ear. Ever since Harrison visited, two weeks ago, I've been quiet and subdued.
Nat returned my wide smile, and hugged me back. "How are you? What did you do while I was gone? Oh, I have so many questions." She blabbered on, making me smile. I missed her.
"I have some questions also." I said, with a slight hint of secrecy. Her eyebrows raised and I nodded my head towards the library.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. is compromised?" I breathed, shocked. This very mission that I am doing is a mission of theirs. If they have been compromised, what am I to do?
Natasha nodded in response and looked at Ronald, who nodded also. My brown eyes flickered between the two. They must be kidding, right? S.H.I.E.L.D. can't be compromised! We are still here, still on this mission.
"But, why are we still here then? Shouldn't we be out of here? People might come looking for us." I argued, looking desperately at my best friend who only had arrived hours before.
She shook her head. "I've been given orders to complete this mission." Her light green eyes flashed; a secret. I nodded, and looked down. I was wearing a simple outfit today.
A plain white blouse, with a pocket above the breast, high raise grey pants and grey boots. Simple. But, there was a knife tucked into my right boot, and I was sitting over two guns.
"Avallone, when did you get that necklace?" Natasha asked, leaning closer. I shied away, realising that it must have slipped from under the collar of my shirt and had been dangling in plain sight. I tucked it back in without a word.
Ronald studied me carefully. He had heard Harrison talk about it, and afterwards, I had convinced everyone that it was really a gift from my grandmother. They didn't know that I had never met her though.
"Look, that is not the most concerning matter of present, so please, can we talk about S.H.I.E.L.D." I said quietly, looking back down at my feet, a meek gesture.
I heard Nat huff, and out of the corner of my, I saw her boots move, and she walked out of the room. I looked up and watched Ronald leave also. Was all this fuss about my amulet? It's just a piece of jewelry.
With a sigh, I made my way to my room, and sat down on the cream couch. So far, for the five and a half weeks that I have been here, the couch has had no spills on it; it has stayed clean, which is not like me.
"Miss Avallone?" A timid voice strayed into my thoughts, causing me to glance at the door. There stood Marie, our maid. She was the girl who offered to show me around on the day we arrived, but I denied her, probably seeming unprofessional.
"Yes, Marie?" I questioned, slightly annoyed. Right now, I just wanted to be left alone with my thoughts, was that too much too ask? She walked towards me, obviously taking my answer as an invitation to come in.
"There is someone people here to see you." She said, after stopping about a meter from the door. I knitted my eyebrows together. Who on earth would visit me? I was on a mission. No one knew where I was, save the people from S.H.I.E.L.D., which was compromised.
My hand crawled its way to my boot, and the other rested right above a gun. "Let them in." I said calmly. She nodded, and opened the door more, revealing a caped figure.
"Thor! Jane! Darcy!" I cried, springing from my seat and making my way quickly to them. I hugged Darcy first, then Jane and lastly the god of thunder. "Oh, it's good to see you guys." I said, regaining my calm demeanor.
They all nodded in agreement. "As you, Lady Avallone. Are you well?" Thor said, looking around my room. I nodded and invited them to sit down on the couch.
"So, what brings you guys here?" I asked, signaling to Marie for some refreshments. "Well, Thor was visiting, and Darcy suggested we take a day off and come visit you." Jane answered.
I couldn't help but think of the danger they were in currently. "Look, it is great and all to have you here, but you are in danger. S.H.I.E.L.D. has been compromised, and there will be people after Natasha and I probably. It's best not to be here for too long, or come again." I warned, taking the tray from Marie and pouring drinks for everyone.
As we reclined on the chairs, drinks in hand, we talked about trivial things. Well, honestly, they weren't trivial, but I counted them as trivial since I only wanted to talk about Loki.
"This place is amazing. The designs are beautiful." Jane said, admiring the room. I smiled and muttered under my breath, "I've seen much better." But out loud, I said, "Thank you. I can never stop admiring the designs myself."
Darcy snorted. "You're all weird now. What happened to the crazy and wild Avallone?" I felt a bitter smile creep across my face, and I couldn't get rid of it. "Things have hardened me."
I felt Thor's eyes bore into the side of me head, and I tried not my best to acknowledge it. "Lady Avallone, may I speak with you on the balcony?" His deep voice asked me.
With a small sigh, I agreed and we walked to the balcony. He closed the doors so Darcy and Jane couldn't hear and turned to me. "My brother has been secretly inquiring of you."
"Why would that concern me?" I asked him, placing my hands on the white railing and breathing in deeply. He walked up beside me and placed his hands on the railing too. "Why do you think, Lady Avallone?" His deep voice was gentle, making me sigh.
"Look, I do not want to speak of him, Thor. My mission here is my main priority, then comes the training, and lastly comes my personal life." I replied coldly. I realised that it hurt to talk about him. Just as much as it hurt so much every night that I cried.
"I did not expect this of you, Lady Avallone. We will take our leave, since you have shown us that our present isn't wanted here." He said, sadness filling his voice. On the inside, I wanted to run after him and tell him that he was wrong, but I couldn't. So, I stood there, still looking out over the estate.
Minutes later, I heard their car drive away, or what I guess was their car, and I walked back inside. Marie had cleared the refreshments and now I was fully alone.

And sometimes it hits me out of nowhere, all of a sudden, this overwhelming sadness rushed over me. And I get discouraged and I get upset and I feel hopeless, sad, and hurt. And once again, I feel numb to the world.

I woke up, gasping, my face dripping with sweat. Another nightmare. I crawled out of bed and walked towards the balcony. I had been having nightmares for a while now. I can't remember when they started, I can't even remember a time that I didn't have them.
The cool air calmed me and dried the nervous sweat off of my body. My ragged breathing slowed, and soon I was back to normal. But the images of the nightmare were flashing through my mind, still vivid.
I was standing in the tower, the dead bodies of my friends around me. My hands were covered in blood, not theirs though, it was my own. There was a razor blade in my left hand, and deodorant in the other.
I was clothed in a crop top and shorts, my bare stomach, arms and legs showing. There was cuts all over them, everywhere, deep and angry gashes on my skin.
Without me telling it to, my right hand held the deodorant to the cuts and pressed down. The pain was unbearable, and I writhed on the floor screaming.
Suddenly, the bodies of my colleagues around me rose and walked towards me. Each in their hands, they held two bottles on deodorant, aiming it at me. I held out my bloodied hands in a desperate attempt to stop them, but the evils smirk that shadowed their faces were the only thing I saw before I heard the click of the deodorant cans being sprayed, and the searing pain made my head go black.