Avengers: Liberation

Chapter 5- Seeped Through

Logan quickly dropped his hand from my cheek. Causing me to miss the contact between me and Logan, I smiled brightly at Bruce and quickly walked towards him.

"Bruce why are you here?" he ran up to me and hugged me close to him. I took in a deep breath as he held me closely, wrapping me in warmth. I pulled away to look up at him to see him scowling at Logan.

"Bruce this is Lo..." Bruce quickly ended my sentence, as his voice grew dark.

"I know who he is, we've met before." I looked behind me to see Logan smirking as he pulled a cigar out from his back pocket, he placed the unlit tobacco between his teeth flashing his long canines.

"Nice to see you again bub." Bruce rolled his eyes and looked past Logan to the unconscious body of Remy Lebeau, and raised an eye brow at me, was it really that obvious that it was something to do with me?

"What happened to him?" Bruce looked down at me, almost with a disapproving look, causing my eyes to flicker to the damp ground.

"Nothing, he was just following orders." Bruce's expression quickly shifted from that of a parent to a sibling as he looked at me with worry.

"Are you ok though?" I nodded as Bruce cupped my face in his soft hands. I could still feel the pain of the faded bruise on the surface of the skin, causing me to flinch from Bruce's touch.

"I'm fine, he only managed one punch." Bruce's eyes flickered from me quickly to Logan as his eyes narrowed into dark and anger filled slits.

"And what were you doing during this fist fight?" Logan looked at Bruce with a hostile expression as

"I was unconscious, is that ok bub?" they stood toe to toe, neither of them backing down. I walked up to the edge of the alley way and saw that the hustle and bustle of New York had once again returned. I sighed and looked at Logan and Bruce, as they stood silent in the testosterone filled air.

"I take it Tony still doesn't want me to come back?" Bruce suddenly twisted away from Logan's stern gaze and looked at me with soft sympathetic eyes. Of course he didn't.

"When I left to find you he began to cry, he does miss you Liberty." I nodded, I know I left both him and Bruce, but why was he so much more affected by it? I gave a shaky sigh and gave a gently smile to Bruce

"I need to give him more time." I quickly blinked rapidly as tears gathered in my eyes. It was so stupid to cry for no reason, but I knew there was a reason and Tony Stark was the only one who knew it.

"Liberty I'm sure if you come back now, he'll apologize and welcome you back." I smiled at him as a single tear flowed from my left eye, I quickly rubbed it away making it look like my pain never existed.

"I'm sorry Bruce, but I know that's what you hope will happen, but at this moment I know he will just ignore me like I have for the past seven years." I grabbed each side of my kimono and tugged sharply transforming it into a long green duster with a fur lined hood. I looked up to see that the sky was once again about to let the rain fall. I gave another shaky sigh hoping to stop my tears from falling.

"So I take it you're not coming back to the Avengers tower tonight?" I shook my head, and brushed a piece of my hair out of my eye line, as I looked up into his large brown eyes.

"I'm sorry Bruce, but I promise I'll stay in New York." Bruce nodded and looked at me with soft eyes; he made me feel protected and safe, almost like a big brother.

"At least let me take you to a hotel or something, it obvious that the X-men know you're in New York." I smiled up at him and nodded, I wasn't ready to leave Bruce just yet, I had only just found him again and I wasn't willing to say goodbye again.

"Thank you Bruce." I heard Logan clear his throat, causing me to twist around quickly, to see him with a serious expression on his face.

"So I take it I'm looking after him?" Logan pulled his unlit cigar from his mouth and pointed it at Gambit. Who was mumbling something in French as he lay unconscious. Bruce scowled at Logan, and then looked at Gambit.

"Yep, that's what you're going to do; you're also going to stop the X-men looking for Liberty." Suddenly Wolverine pushed past me and stood toe to toe with Bruce. I rolled my eyes again, I couldn't help it, I don't know if it was the amount of the testosterone in the air or just that they were men, but this was getting ridiculous.

"It's not as simple as that bub, Ruth saw a vision and when she sees them they will happen no matter what, got that?!" Bruce stared at Logan and then moved his eyes to me, his eyes held disbelief as I stood at the mouth of the alley way.

"Is that true?" I didn't want to answer, but reluctantly I nodded.

"Why do you become a part of the X-men then?" He asked this in a more questioning tone, as he looked at me with his warm brown eyes.

"This is why Bruce." I showed him all I knew, I showed him what Gambit had shown me. Bruce pulled away from my hand, and looked at me with wide eyes.

"You need to go with Logan." Bruce pushed his glasses up his nose, and looked at me with sad eyes. I looked at Bruce confused, less than two seconds ago he was so opposed to me going, I thought he was going to Hulk out.

"What do you mean go with Logan, Bruce?" Bruce smiled down at me and brushed a piece of my hair behind my ear, and sighed.

"Liberty they need you more than I do, from what Ruth is describing they need all the help they can get." I looked behind me to Logan who stood was leaning against the alley wall, still chewing his unlit cigar.

"Are you sure Bruce? I only just got here and I'm..." Bruce gave me another sad smile causing me to trail off.

"I'm not ready to say goodbye either, but at some point we would have to, it's just came a bit sooner than expected." I gave a small sniff, and wrapped my arms around Bruce's waist and held him tightly. He chuckled and slowly wrapped his own arms around me.

"What about Tony?" Bruce hugged me tighter to his chest, and then let me go to look down at me.

"I'll tell him you left, not because of him, but because some other people needed you more than we did." This time Bruce sniffed causing me to chuckle; as I could see his eyes glaze over with unshed tears.

"You know if you do ever need me, just ask for me." I tapped my temple, and he nodded, he knew what I meant and he knew I would always be there for him.

"I know Liberty." Bruce's voice wavered slightly, as tears threatened to spill.

Soon the crunching of Logan's leather boots against the loose tarmac of the alley way echoed loudly.

"So are you staying or comin'?" I looked at Bruce as he smiled gently at me. as I looked down at the ground.

"I'm coming Logan." I looked at The Wolverine, who nodded then walked towards the unconscious body of Remy Lebeau. I looked up at Bruce as he pushed his glasses up his nose, he smiled with watery eyes, but he knew I had to go.

"Liberty, whatever they are fighting, I want you to promise me one thing." I nodded quickly, as Logan pulled Remy onto his shoulder.

"What is it Bruce?" he sighed and placed his hands on my shoulders, his hands gripped my shoulder tightly as he leaned down to my eye level.

"Promise me, that you'll stay safe, I don't want to morn you again Liberty." I nodded quickly as I looked it Bruce's fear filled eyes. He gave a weak smile, and then turned to his side to see Logan carrying Remy on his shoulder. He threw the chewed cigar from his animal like teeth, smirked at me.

"I've switched on Remy's locator, the rest of the X-men should be turning up any time soon kid." I nodded as Bruce took a deep breath and nodded.

"Logan make sure you look after Liberty." Logan nodded as he stared at me with his dark blue eyes.

"I will bub."

Suddenly the sky hailed down on us, I threw my hood up as the rain quickly seeped through the cracks in the pavement, and blurred my tears from view.