"A lot of times freedom doesn't mean being free. It is not a right, but a choice. Anyone can be free if they want to. Telling someone to be free is taking away their choice to be free. You don't take away decisions."
A story in which Lilly Richards...
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Lilly arrived at the Avengers facility. The robot gently let her down, before flying away. She straightened her clothes and felt a sharp sting below her rib. "Gosh,..." she said, placing her hand on the spot.
"Lilly!" She heard Rhodey exclaim. She smiled at him. However, she saw another figure beside him in a hologram form.
"Secretary Ross, I am sure you remember me," he said, "we were waiting for you."
"Me? Why so? To force me to sign the accords?" She said at him, which made him scoff. "We need your help identifying Vision."
"I don't where he is," she said looked at Rhodey. "I have something important to tell you and it needs to be now," she said to him. Rhodey looked at Ross, worry written across his face. "I'm sorry, Lilly, but whatever it is—"
"Tony is in danger!" She exclaimed. He inhaled sharply. His eyes glanced at Ross, who was watching them with his arms crossed. "Him, Dr. Strange, Banner and Wong will die, if you don't help them!" She added.
"With all due respect, Agent Richards," Ross said. "I am not an agent, Mr. Secretary, not any longer," she said and walked inside the building, dismissing the pain she felt.
She walked through the corridors, towards the room, she was assisted to, before travelling to Asgard. She opened the door and found it empty, her bed and closet still there, but empty. She walked inside and sat on the edge of the bed. She was looking at her feet, thinking of how to help the men she left behind. "Gosh, Tony," she said, "you haven't changed a bit."
She walked over to her closet and opened it. Inside she found her agent uniform, neatly folded on the highest shelf. Along there was a carton box with initials 'L.R.'
She grabbed the box and put it on the bed. Inside it, was a small notebook and two photos. One was a photo of her and her mother, sitting at the beach and the other was her with the Avengers, which was taken right before Ultron made his appearance. She placed looked at both of the photos for some time, before eventually placing back inside.
She took the notebook. "Weird, I don't remember writing a diary," she said and opened. She flipped the pages only to find them all the same. Empty.
"It was supposed to be kind of 'mission-log'," she heard a voice, coming from the door. She looked at Rhodey, standing there with his hands in the back pockets of his pants. "I mean, it still is."
"I am sorry Rhodey, but like I said before, Tony and others are in danger and I am here, unable to help them," she said as she placed the notebook back into the box. She sighed. "However, I am glad to see you are doing better, considering last time I saw you, you were having bigger issues," she said as she turned to him. "Yes, I am doing better,... I guess."
After a long silence, Rhodey sighed. "Thanos is coming," Lilly said to him. "Wait, no, let me rephrase that. His allies are already here, fighting Tony and—" "Stop, Lilly."
He walked up to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Look, I know that whatever you went through up there, must've shaken you."
"No, you don't understand, I'm not crazy."
"I am sure of that, but don't worry, I'll help you, others will help you and you'll see everything it's going to be fine," he said.
He didn't believe her. "Fine. But if anything happens,..." He let go and smiled at her. "You're safe now." She looked him at the eyes, seeing genuine care and worry for her. 'He doesn't believe me', she thought to herself. She nodded. "I'll take a shower " she said, grabbing her agent suit, the only fresh piece of her clothing left. Rhodey walked out from her room and she after him, waiting for him closing the door.
She took the paper out from her pocket. She unfolded it and read what was written. "The Eternal Flame is one of the many powerful artefacts held within Odin's Vault. It is a mystical flame that cannot be extinguished. It was stolen from Surtur by Odin and his companions at the dawn of time so that Surtur could not light his sword and bring about Ragnarok. Unfortunately, not much is know about this extremely powerful artefact." She read and sighed. She looked lower, no images on the paper, but there was a single sentence, that stood out to her.
"Its powers are also considered resurrecting people from death." Her eyes widened.
'Is it possible, to heal myself?' She thought. She lifted her shirt, high enough to see the bandage. She looked at the paper once more. "Guess I'll never know, if I don't try."
She walked inside the bathroom and locked the door. She threw her shirt away and slowly started removing the bandage. She noticed her stitches and a scar. "Goodbye bikinis."
She thought of the ways she could do this. She summoned a small flame in her hand. She watched it move, thinking of how to do this, if it's possible. She was also thinking of how the heck did she absorbed its power. And also when.
She focused, the flame appearing on her index finger. She moved the other hand above it, feeling its warmth. She slowly moved her hand lower on the flame, waiting whether it will burn her or not. She felt flames touching her palm, but besides the feeling, she didn't feel its temperature. "Guess I won't get burned,..." she looked at her finger and her palm, as she said that.
"Worse case scenario, I kill myself or nothing happens." Flame has once again appeared on her index finger. She got up and walked towards the sink and looked herself at the mirror. She carefully moved her hand towards her wound, hesitating. She let out a big sigh. "Let's do it then," she said and hovered her index finger over her wound.
When she touched it, she felt a little sting, as if she poured alcohol on it. She carefully traced the line. As she finished, she lifted her finger.
Nothing. She sighed and placed her hands on the sink. If she doesn't heal soon, she will be completely useless to the team. "Maybe I was doing it wrong," she said. "Perhaps Thor or Loki will know if that's possible and how," she gripped the sink, as the memory of Thor's face came to her head.
After a shower, she walked back to her room. She noticed a pile of clothes on her bed, with a note on too of the pile. "I thought you'd like to wear something comfortable, R. Oh, that's nice from him. She looked at a comfortable hoodie and removed her shirt. Just as she was about to grab the hoodie, she noticed the scar on her body, almost healed. She gasped. "I have to tell this to Rhodey!" She grabbed the hoodie and ran from her room.
She was putting the hoodie on, as she entered the room Rhodey was in. "Oh my gosh, Rhodey, you won't believe this!" She said excitedly.
Her smile faded as she noticed what was going on. "Ah, Agent Richards, just on time," Secretary Ross said to her.
She couldn't look away from the people in front of her. "You," Lilly said quietly, as she was looking at Steve and the rest of the team behind him.
