Past to Present and Back Again

Chapter 11

"Why does that man like to party so much?" I was really dreading tonight. Last time we partied and it wasn't that long ago I got so drunk and I never want that to happen ever again. At least not in front of these people.

After my comment about Stark and his partying Hunter, Bobbi and I went in different directions to finish our cool down, considering it was 8 am. I went towards the indoor swimming pool that I only figured out existed. I had learned to swim as part of my recovery from dying in space and it has quickly become one of my favourite cool-down activities. I had planned in advance and made sure to throw my swimsuit into my gym bag before my workout. So when I got to the pool I went into the change room and got ready. Now I don't know why Stark felt the need to add a change room but I'm sure glad he did.

When I got into the water I found it was the perfect temperature. So I plugged into the speakers and started my music and began my laps. I am no professional when it comes to swimming but I do love swimming laps. They are mindless work that helps me think of nothing but the feeling of the water on my skin and the soft vibrations it gives off.

I was on my twenty-third length of breaststroke when there was a shift in the vibrations of the room. The person who entered was definitely trying to be soft on their feet but not soft enough. I could still feel them enter. I finished my length and poked my head up above the edge of the pool. Although I did it in a way that made it look as though I was switching into backstroke. In the reflection in the window, I could see the person was Clint so I switched into backstroke figuring he wasn't a threat and went back to my cooldown.

Clint must have eventually gotten into the pool because the vibrations in the water shifted. But I continued on. I only had fourteen lengths till I was done with my cooldown and I could go back to my daily life of hacking and teaching Sousa about the world. I also wanted to decorate our room with some of our pictures from space. I had a very good feeling that I would be here a while. I think I fascinated a lot of the Avengers, especially Tony.

At the end of length fourteen, I grabbed the end of the pool and slowly lifted myself out not wanting to alert Clint that I was leaving. I didn't feel like having a conversation and I felt like Clint would want to have one. I'm sure Natasha told him about me losing her in France and my cold shoulder on the plane. I mean I could feel Natasha's eyes on me for a large part of the flight back.

I didn't get out soundlessly enough because as I was making my way back to the changeroom I could feel Clint's eyes on me. Staring. Studying.

When I got to the changeroom I decided I would just throw on some clothes and unwind in my room when I got back to my room. I surprisingly did not get lost on my way back to my room. When I entered it was empty and I jumped into the shower to wash away the salt from the pool water. Then I threw on my comfiest clothes and sat down with my computer. I had just logged in when a small knock came from my door.

"Come in Alya," I said.

"Auntie Daisy, how did you know it was me?"

"Sweetheart I would be able to tell it was you even if you were across the complex."

"But how and don't say it's because I am your favourite godchild, I'm not dumb."

"Oh, boy do you ever have a brain like your parents. Alya I am going to tell you a secret, but you can't tell anyone because it will blow my cover."

"I pledge not to tell a single soul."

"I can feel and make sense of the vibrations of your footsteps."

"Coolio, is that because of your powers mommy and dad are always talking about when they think I can't hear."

"Haha, yes it is now remind me to have a conversation with you about what your parents were saying later, but right now I hear Danny-boy coming so how about we hide and scare him when he comes in." I had barely finished my sentence before Alya had jumped off the bed to find a hiding spot. Although I can't say I was far behind her. It made me happy seeing such a sophisticated and intelligent child was capable of having fun.

Alya found a good hiding spot in the child-sized space between the dresser and the wall. I on the other hand decided to hide by standing on the window sill of our gigantic window and moving behind the blackout curtain. I could feel Daniel getting closer and closer. I felt the door open and was waiting for him to get a little closer. Suddenly I heard Alya moving to get ready to jump out. I waited for about three seconds before jumping out from behind the curtain and off the window sill. I have never heard a grown man scream so loud. Alya was on the floor laughing and my sides hurt from laughing. I think the whole compound may have heard Sousa.

It took a while for us all to calm down and return to our normal selves. Eventually, Sousa and I brought Alya into our living room and decided to poison her little brain by watching movies. Alya had yet to watch any Disney movies so I decided we had to watch Mulan and then Beauty and the Beast. After a couple of hours had passed it was decided that Alya should head home so that we could get ready for this dumb party tonight.

It took Sousa a couple of hours to get ready, I on the other hand took twenty minutes. I didn't want to go to this party in the first place so I threw on a pair of leggings, a simple shirt and my favourite leather jacket. It may have only felt like minutes but it was finally time to leave and head over to this dreaded party.

It seemed as though Tony had no regard to the fact that this "welcome party" or so he called it was for two fugitives or at least newly former ones. It appeared as if Tony had invited half of New York City to this silly little thing. People were dressed in their best cocktail attire too. If I had cared at all I may have felt a little underdressed but I couldn't give a shit. There were way too many people in this room for me. It felt like the high ceiling was pressing closer and the large walls were pressing inwards. It also didn't help that I was getting a really weird vibe from this one waiter that kept circling me. Something just didn't feel right.

While Sousa and I were making our rounds being guided by the flow of the room I made sure to send Fitzsimmons a look as well as one to Kora and Mack. I didn't trust the people around me. It might be because I had already gotten on the bad side of one avenger or maybe it was because I had recently spent a year in space with the same six people, but I didn't want to take any chances. I was ready no matter what.

Sure enough, a couple of hours later when the party was reaching its apex I saw the glint of a knife on my peripheral vision. When I angled my body in a relaxed way that allowed for me to get a better look at the person wielding the weapon, I noticed it wasn't just any weapon, it was a Kree one.