the strongest avenger (2)

fifty five

I park Lily's car and quickly get out, walking into the tower. I haven't slept since I started driving, which has been like two days. I'm not sure, but I just need to see everyone.

"Hey Dana." The receptionist looks at me with wide eyes as I stride through.

I get into the elevator and tell Friday to take me up to our floor, looking at myself in the mirror.

My reflection stares back at me, hair pulled back, collar tight around my neck. I tug up the hoodie so it covers the collar completely and wait impatiently as the elevator rises to the main living area.

It dings and I step out finding...nothing.

But I hear voices, probably coming from the conference room. I eavesdrop a second.

"It's been days! We have to go! You keep pushing it off!" Peter yells out, causing my heart to swell. "First, we went to wrong place. And then now another one blew up? What are we doing?"

"It blew up!" Tony yells back. "What the hell are we supposed to do?"

"Without that collar she could've survived, but...with it I don't know." Bruce speaks up.

"We have to at least go look." James says, which makes me furrow my brows. "She could be out there hurting. We can't keep debating this."

I take this as my time to shine. I come out from around the corner and push open the door.

"This is why I come up with the plans. You all just argue and shit never gets done."

I smirk as everyone jerks around with mouths wide open, blinking and glancing at me.

"There's no french toast. Or pizza. Or burgers and I am very sad about that--"

I stiffen as I'm pulled into a bone crushing hug, by none other than James. Normally I would love hugs, but right now I don't want anyone touching me.

"Please don't touch me." I mutter and he steps back and lets go, his eyes flickering over my body.

"How—" Tony starts, shaking his head side to side.

"Who do you think blew the place up?" I wink at James, as he knows about the kill switch. "I told you guys that I had it covered." I give them a small smile and two thumbs up, but my hands shake a little.

"We were planning on—"

"I know." I interrupt Steve. "I heard you guys. I would be hesitant too, plus I knew that you went to the wrong place. But seriously, can we get some food? I ate all the chips that I bought. Oh!" I lift up my hoodie and tug the gun out, placing it on the table. "I've got loads of information to tell you."

Everyone's eyes flick down to the gun, the gun that says SHIELD and has the logo on it.

"They're a lot bigger than we thought." I turn to Tony. "Also, you owe Lily Gomez money and a new car."

"I'm not even gonna ask."

"So, food?" I back up and gesture everyone towards the kitchen.

Thankfully they follow, but Bruce comes up to me and starts looking around my neck. I guess he saw the collar underneath my sweatshirt.

"I don't know how to get it off." I mumble as he eyes it.

"I'll figure it out. Are you okay?" He asks me as we start going to the kitchen.

"Yeah, fine. A little tired, I got a couple coffees though."

Steve takes orders and gets food from I-Hop and I get excited about eating. I'm never eating straight up bread ever again.

I sit on a stool near the end of the island, everyone still kind of looks at me weird.

"I'm uh, gonna go shower or something real quick, while we wait for the food." I give them a close lipped smile and head to my room.

I pause when I get there and just look around, grateful to be back and out of that cell. I go in and grab some new clothes.

After my shower, I sit down on the edge of my bed and look out the windows. I'm pretty sure I was only there for a week at most, but it felt like so much longer.

And now I feel weird, being back and talking to people. And then this stupid collar's on me, and I don't know how to get it off.

But now we know. We know that they have collars and that they can do this.

We'll be better prepared for—

"Lia?"

I jump from the sound and turn, finding Nat at the door, smiling softly at me.

"Food's here."

"Uh, right. Yeah." I get up and self consciously put my hand on my neck, on the collar.

Before my shower I looked at it and the skin is red all around it. Yay. It hurts too, if I twist my head a certain way, the skin rubs. I also looked at my nose, it's slightly swollen, a little bruising under my eyes, which makes me look even more sleep deprived. And then there are bruises on my cheek bones and jaw from Kam.

I jerk as Nat puts a hand on my shoulder, but she takes it off and I mutter an apology as we go towards the dining room.

Steve starts handing out the containers and I take mine, sitting down next to Wanda and Nat. I open my container and breathe in the sweet smell of french toast.

"So..." Steve starts, drawing my attention.

"Right, so they're trying to replicate my DNA. Which they won't be able to do because they don't have the other components. They wanted to make soldiers—an army of enhanced individuals that could do what I can."

"How would they even do that?" Nat asks.

"Took a lot of blood, tested my brain activity. That's really it." I shrug and start eating my food.

I keep quiet as I finish my food, getting full quick. I sit back and let everyone else talk, just wanting to observe.

I think back to Lily, the girl working at Walmart and I know that I'm going to get her a better car, something that shows my gratitude. She deserves that for helping me.

I think back to the facility, to Kaminsky that I left tied up—left to die. I kind of hope he did die, but at the same time I sort of feel bad—

"Tal."

I look up and find everyone looking at me. "Uh, yeah? Sorry. I was thinking."

Steve smiles at me, but I can tell it's a little forced.

"I was saying," Bruce starts, drawing my attention. "That we should try to get that thing off of you."

"Oh uh, yeah. That would be good."
Everyone's eyes flick down towards my neck, and I shrink back a little.

Bruce smiles and gestures me to follow as we both start heading to the lab, a few people trailing. I look over my shoulder and see Steve, James, Peter and Nat coming.

We head up to the lab and Bruce has me sit on a little table. I see him grab a needle and I shrink back slightly.

"Can we skip that part?" I ask him.

He gives me a smile and nods, putting the needle back down. I don't miss the way he eyes the bruises in the pits of my elbows. I look down, seeing the black and blue splotches.

I shake my foot back and forth while I wait for Bruce to come over.

"Look down for me."

I do, pulling my hair up real quick and waiting while he looks at the back.

"Shit."

"What? What's shit? No shit please." My heart starts beating fast and I can feel myself start to sweat a little.

I lift my head up and see Bruce looking over at Steve.

"The collar's made of vibranium."