After a chilly night on top of a rooftop, the morning sun greeted them from behind a cloud. For the first time in weeks, J and Theo were both genuinely optimistic for the day; the weather seemed to share the same sentiment as its crying finally ceased.
Walking along the streets, her head was buried in the map that had the route to the Avengers Tower laid out for her. It brought a strong sense of déjà vu from the weeks prior. Both had the same goal of freedom, only in a different setting, but just as confusing. The twists and turns of the streets were just as complex as the lab, perhaps even more so, as its size towered beyond anything the lab had to offer.
The tower eventually came into her view. Its complex shape twisted through the clouds as if it were a towering serpent, watching the city below from its lofty perch in the sky. Its complex shape stood out like a diamond amidst the dull rectangular physiques of its surrounding competitors. Near its head, the letter of the glowing 'A' illuminated the sky like a lighthouse beacon. It shone so luminously that J was astounded she had previously taken no notice of it.
Her head swam. Excitement, nervousness and fear mixed like a dangerous cocktail inside her stomach. As every footstep took her closer, a flurry of what-ifs overcame her: What if they didn't believe her? What if she was wrong about them? What if this plan didn't work? The lab was closing in, and the hand around her throat tightened every day. She knew she couldn't last much longer on the streets. Whichever way she looked at it, this was her only hope.
She paused as the entrance lay before her. Indecision gripped her until Theo gently nudged her cheek with the tip of his nose, giving her strength. The very second she stepped inside, she felt out of place. Adults swarmed the area, adorned in high-end suits; phones on reception desks cried loudly without pause, and the high beeps of the security checkpoints were chaotically rhythmic as security cards were scanned and cleared for the building.
Many workers were in line. Their expressions were held in irritated frowns or nonchalant flatness. J studied them, noting their unspoiled clothes, free of dirt and mud, their hair untangled, clean, and styled without a single strand out of place.
She glanced at her soiled shoes, their differences startlingly clear against the crisp, polished floor under them. Her self-consciousness wasn't all in her head as she caught the many strange looks being thrown at her. Some wrinkled their noses, others frowned, but most simply glanced her way before averting their eyes as one would do to a beggar on the street.
Whatever the looks were, one thing was clear: she didn't belong.
She clenched her jaw and made herself move forward.
"Can I help you?" as she drew near, the man at the front desk asked with a snobbish tint to his voice. The haughty look in his eyes was the same as that in the lab. It made whatever bravery she had diminish within a moment.
"W-well, I-I, you s-see-"
"Be quick. I haven't got all day." The man sharply cut her off.
"I'm here to see the Avengers. I really need their help," she blurted, hearts pounding in her ears.
The man huffed as if amused by her desperate plea. "I'm afraid the Avengers are not seeing fans at the moment, and they certainly cannot help you look cool in front of your friends. Now, please, I have much work to do," he dismissed, making her stomach sink.
"You don't understand, please, sir! It's a-"
"I understand you perfectly, but the Avengers are far too busy. I will tell you once more: leave, or I will call security."
YOU ARE READING
Unforeseen¹
FanfictionJYD2641 had enough. In her seven years, she's only ever known the cruel hands of her doctors, who were determined to make her the next Winter Soldier. All she'd ever known was death, pain, and fear. Instead of a parent's loving embrace, she had the...
