Poison

Chapter Seven

"Hulk Report?"

Christine was seated next to Bruce Banner on the jet and she could see the tension in his shoulders. She pitied the defeated man next to her.

When she got back on the ship, she was questioned by the others. To which she gave vague answers. She didn't do it on purpose, she was just as clueless as them when it came to the blue-eyed stranger. They seemed pleased with her answers and moved on.

She could fell her body was tired from the extensive use of her powers. Christine had tried to sit in a secluded area, but that space was occupied by Bruce. So she sat next to him and he didn't say anything.

"The gates of hell are filled with the screams of his victims" Thor rumbled.

Bruce groaned next to me and I rolled my eyes. Leave it to a god to follow social cues.Thor must have sensed the tension in the room and he was quick to correct himself, but it was too late.

The defeated man dropped his head into his hands. His breathing became labored, like a panic attack. As if it was instinct, Christine placed her hand on his shoulder. She understood what he was feeling more than he knew. She thought back to her dissociative episode in the field when Clint got hurt. He tensed at first but relaxed after she rubbed his shoulder. She wanted to comfort the man, and this was the only way she knew how. She stayed like that until his breathing slowed. Everyone else was chatting amongst themselves and they stayed in the same position for a while. After a couple minutes, she moved her hand to his back and rubbing soothing circles.

Christine's attention diverted back to the conversation of the others.

"It feels good, yeah?" Tony asked Thor, nudging him with his elbow. Thor rose a blonde eyebrow in question. "You've been after this thing since S.H.I.E.L.D. collapsed. Not that I haven't enjoyed our little raiding parties, but..."

"No, but this..." Thor trailed off while gazing at his brother's scepter. Probably reminiscing about the New York battle.

"As soon as we find out what else this has been used for. I just don't mean weapons. Since when is Strucker capable of human enhancement?"

That piqued Christine's interest. "What do you mean?"

They seemed surprised at the sound of her voice. Steve glanced between her hand rubbing Bruce's back and her face. "We believe that the enhanced in the field and in the facility were apart of Strucker's many experiments"

"Banner and I'll give it the once over before it goes back to Asgard. Is that okay with you?" Tony said.

Christine drowned out the rest of their conversation and opted for looking out the window. The lull of the engine almost putting her to sleep.

Not long after they arrived at the compound, Clint was tended to. While Christine was about to walk inside, she was met by Maria. Maria knew that Christine was exhausted. Her usually strong posture was met with a lowered head and a slump in her shoulders.

"I'm okay," Christine muttered. She knew she was tired, but she didn't want to worry Maria.

"No,you're not. You haven't used your powers that much since-"

"I'm okay, Maria. I'll be okay once you debrief us on what the hell that was out there that hit Clint"

"Okay" She turned towards the others that had walked behind them.They took note of the whispering amongst them but didn't say anything.

Maria and Steve lead us into a lab and Maria begin to debrief us on the two enhanced people. "Their names are Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Twins. Orphaned at ten when a shell collapsed their apartment building. Sovokia's had a rough history."