A Reckless Soul | Captain America ✓

KINGS AND QUEENS

     "HE'S your what?" Tony felt inclined to ask.

     Audrey ignored Iron Man and so did T'Challa as he exaggerated, "Babysitter? Is that what you think of me?" His lips pursed as his brows formed an angry line. "I'll have you know that's the very last thing I'd be to you. I'm sure you are more than capable of taking care of yourself, you have proved that for over eleven years, young lady." Hurt entwined his voice, Audrey knew as much, and that she had gone too far with her words. As per usual.

     If it wasn't her foolish actions that condemned her, her mouth certainly was not far behind. 

     Silence enveloped the room. Both Audrey and T'Challa eyed one another. A coward and ashamed to admit her wrong, she nearly surrendered from his empowered glare. "So...going back to my question...?" began Tony, deliberately not finishing his sentence so one of them or anyone, would fill in the blanks for him.

     The assassin finally broke their stare and whirled around. "Ask T'Challa," she barked at Tony, bee-lining in the direction of the balcony.

     "And where do you think you're going?"

     Without looking back at Fury, she yelled over her shoulder, "To get some fresh air. Or is that illegal to do in this country now?"

____

     Life, thought Audrey, staring down at the bustling city below the balcony, forearms resting on the glass railing. Why must it be so...complicating?

    A car horn was her only answer. She scowled further. Frustrated and lonely. Ever since she ventured back to the city after setting her thieving on pause for a short time, she had gotten less sleep, more crankier, and more on her guard, and worst of all, arrested by SHIELD. She absolutely detested the city. The noises it brought about, the smells it produced, the paved roads and sidewalks rendering the air hotter on humid days than in the country.

     She would give anything to feel a cool country breeze wafting in from the bushes, to go hiking and see all the animals, hear the rush of a waterfall in the far distance, and the gurgle of a brook in a meadow.

     Hours in a day would pass by as Zachary and her would explore the universe from outside its cage. They would run in a field of wildflowers by day, through tall grass by night endeavoring to catch fireflies that morphed into faeries in their fanciful eyes. They would recreate miniature versions of fortresses from fairy tale books, and only they could view the spindly and spiky branches as castles and towers fitted for Kings, and Queens—which they had been imaginatively.

     One side of her lip curled upward, recollecting how under dark starry skies Zachary and her would stargaze till their eyes drooped. One time they scared poor Evelyn half to death, when they hadn't come home after ten. She went in search for her two dear children, merely to find them in the field lying in the grass fallen asleep. Little Audrey coiled up next to her older brother.

     Audrey blinked suddenly, crept out of memory lane, and secretly wished to be back in those blissful times of her life. She leaned off the railing, tightening her fingers around the glass panel, and stood up straight to stretch her spine. She breathed out heavily as she lulled her head back. 

     Under closed eyelids, she heard the automatic sliding doors open, then shut. Clunky footsteps approached soon afterwards. "You shouldn't be so hard on him," Zachary told.

     She brought her head down and opened her eyes to glare at her brother, who now stood next to her, arms folded. "Did it ever occur to you," she began, disdain rising in her voice like her temper, "that I wanted to be alone out here?" Zachary's mouth opened to answer, but she raced ahead and did it for him. "No, of course it didn't. You always think upon yourself to help others without even thinking if they need it."