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16- Andra Matar

"...and we, as well as the New York State Police would like to alert the community of Manhattan and surrounding areas of these  two persons of intrest, Cassandra or "Andra" Potts and Erin Mathis. These women, aged 19 and 21, are both former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and should be considered armed and dangerous. Authorities believe the two are accomplices, as they were reported missing within 36 hours of each other..."

"Damn it!" I cursed, hitting the steering wheel with my palm angrily, which didn't do more than leave a dull aching in that spot. It was upsetting to hear my name... even though the earlier report was inevitably me.

Agent Mathis jumped slightly at my outburst. "What?" She demanded curtly, defensive while still mildly curious.

I looked at her out of the corner of my eye, then stared straight ahead determinedly, my emotions a complete mask once more. "My mother just disowned me." I said, rolling my eyes and trying not to imagine her nightmare of a reaction.

Erin casually glanced at the radio again, as if about to change it, but I glared daggers at her. "I want to know how careful I have to be." I said in way of an explanation.

She almost seemed to understand, or maybe she just didn't care, but either way she grudgingly turned away and went back to a particularly long staring contest with her reflection in the window.

"Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, the half-sister of Potts, who goes by the last name "Matar" have been taken into custody of the police for questioning as to the whereabouts of these people, and an examination of Avengers' Tower will occur later today."

A hurricane of emotions swirled within me as I processed this news. It was unfortunate that Pepper and Tony had to be taken in-- though if anyone could lie their way through a situation, it was Stark.

With a jolt, I realized that my story to Mathis was proven true. "Ha!" I muttered underneath my breath, basking in my minor triumph.

If looks could kill... It was Erin's turn glare at me, and said, "I still don't have to trust you. One truth in a tangle of lies is nothing."

I gripped the wheel tighter. "Listen, if I wanted to be sassed, I would talk to Stark more."

"Yes, because you can compare me to anyone after knowing me for three hours." The redhead retorted.

"I know you pretty well, actually. I read your file, Erin Mathis, and that counts for something--"

"Yeah, you being a stalker." Erin sneered.

I laughed frustratedly. "There are about two reasons why I haven't shot you yet, and one of them is because you didn't annoy me. Let's keep it that way and stay alive, okay?"

She was quiet for a moment. "What was the other reason?" She said cynically.

I'm a good person, and I pitied and trusted you.

"You shaved my head." I said instead, and the car fell silent again.

Among other things.

I had read her file. Erin seemed like a decent enough person, and if she hadn't turned physcopath in the last few weeks, I could trust her enough to be with me.

It was a funny thing, trust, especially as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Who did I trust, or even better, who could I trust?

My dad, for example. My step-mom, and my brother-- or I did, anyways, and maybe a couple of close friends. Not Kendra. I couldn't-- I barely knew her-- and possibly Pepper.

The list was short, and had been shrunk even more after the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. when H.Y.D.R.A. emerged. I was still starting out as an agent back then, and it shook me up. (I got shot, too, so that didn't help either)

Really though, she was right.

I had no idea who Erin Mathis was.

So how could I believe she wasn't going to kill me the first chance she got? She evidently didn't trust me yet.

I thought about what she had said. An alien in her head?

You sure miss a lot when you die.

I almost stopped the car as my realization hit me full force, every muscle in my body going tense.

An alien killed me.

Erin Mathis was that alien.

Because, after all, didn't the alien look somewhat like a person? I saw her red hair in brief flashes of light... But there was no way I could of guessed it.

I was in the car with someone who killed me.

I really just wanted a nap at that point.

However, if it "wasn't her" when she spoke, it must have been the same way on the heli-carrier. Or so I hoped.

Whatever the case, we were stuck together, and avoiding killing each other was a high priority.

Something told me I was going to have to make this work. If I wanted to travel with Erin, we had to let our defenses down.

Multi-tasking, I kept my eyes on the road and one hand on the wheel while with my other, I rummaged in the plastic bag, looking for the object I desired.

I pulled out the dense bag and threw it at Erin, who was watching me very carefully, and it hit her directly in the nose before falling into her lap. I would have laughed at her expression if I hadn't been so grim and exhausted.

"Want a gummy worm?" I offered unessacarily.

She seemed speechless for a moment, but then blinked as if returning to the present moment. "I don't eat food that's hit me in the face."

While Erin's morals were probably in line, I ignored her complaints and tried again. "It's called a peace offering. I would take it."

My companion was skeptical. "Why?"

"Because you've made it clear I'm stuck with you and anyone associated with S.H.I.E.L.D. in tense situations tend to shoot things."

"Thanks for the reminder." The scientist picked up the package off her lap and set it gingerly in the cup holders separating us, which left me annoyed and verging on angry.

"If it helps, I want you to know that you're here because I let you come, and no other reasons whatsoever." I growled, my foul mood growing. "Now stop whining and eat the damn worm, Agent."

Needless to say, I did not feel nice. While I had been able to sleep for several hours, it was in a tiny, cramped closet, I was still tired and extremely strained, thus the grumpiness remained ever present.

"Where are we headed?" I said aloud, only half talking to myself.

"You're the one driving." The ex-agent glanced at me, but I let her comment slide.

I had a lot of time to think over the last 18 hours. Perhaps there were a couple places I knew we could hide out in.

And possibly do something extremely dangerous while I was at it.

I turned onto the interstate and sat up straighter. Erin looked at me curiously, but still kept silent.

I was going home, headed directly towards my farm, and one particularly large S.H.I.E.L.D. facility.