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『 sixteen. MAMA AND MINI AGENTS 』
It was cold. That's all Hallie really felt. That's all she really wanted to feel. She didn't want to remember what had happened. She didn't want to remember she'd pretty much failed her first mission. They'd asked for her help and what had she really done? Nothing. She'd taken out a few armed men yes, and a robot or two. But they hadn't one this battle. The team was left, scratched, broken and bruised. And while Hallie was still healing physically, she hadn't gotten beaten in the way the rest of them had.
She'd been useless. Perhaps that had been enough.
The Hulk had. . . gone mad, due to the Maximoff twins, and Hallie couldn't help but let her thoughts spiral into the "what ifs" she never liked getting into. Of course, she probably wouldn't have defeated the duo. But maybe she would've bought them enough time to get Bruce away, or somehow managed to keep them at bay. Or done something other than sit around, and now Bruce was on the ground, a blanket wrapped around him as he shivered a few feet away from her. She could've even taken one for the team and let Wanda control her mind if it meant that something had gone differently. If only she'd done something, and not let them go. What would've happened then?
The team was in disarray, a solemn silence hanging over the aircraft as they glided to. . . really nowhere at the moment. No one spoke. No one moved. Everyone was staring off into the abyss, their dreams replaying through their head. Imagining what could've gone differently. Others trying to not think of anything at all. No one was keen on breaking the silence.
What would be said anyway?
How they failed?
How a young girl managed to knock down Earth's Mightiest Heroes in one go?
But something else lingered in the back of Hallie's mind. Not just what could've gone differently, or regrets which did circle in her mind, but what did happen. Most of it was there, but some of it, bits and pieces were blank. The bits when Extremis took over. When it wasn't really her in control, like the Hulk guiding Bruce. Only she could actually remember more of it. The parts where she'd been sharing the wheel. And it left her scared. Like a child.
She didn't want it to happen again. It couldnt. It was enough to tempt her to go back home and forget about all of it, but she could only imagine the disappointed look that would shine in Harley's eye.
She'd called him. Only minutes before she recognized what had happened. She'd called him and heard reassurance in his voice. He was older now, fourteen and felt the gravity of the situation more. He'd told her he would be disappointed, or sad if she decided to return. But something kept Hallie from facing him empty handed, a lost. She couldn't go back now.
