Revenge Turned Sweet

Chapter 40: Threats

I stand back and admire my work. I have successfully cleaned almost the entire compound- well, the living area, the kitchen, my room, Bucky's room (kind of), and took the basket of laundry in Sam's room to wash because I have no idea how he likes his things cleaned. The kitchen counters are spotless, the refrigerator is cleaned out, the dishes are done, and the trash has been taken out. Soft music plays from the A.I. system that I had no idea was there and had wholly shocked me when I called out 'Jarvis' to see what would happen. I've done all of my laundry, cleaned my suit, taken a shower, dried my hair, did a ridiculous twelve-step skincare routine, and not one of these many things has gotten my mind off of the two things that have been paralyzing me.

My father is still out there. I am a variant.

I shudder at both of the thoughts as I grab a mug from one of the cabinets. Being a variant means I'm predestined to live someone else's life with the same grief, the same losses, the same end goal. I squeeze my eyes shut and banish the thought from my brain to try and focus on something I can control; making this tea and finding my father. I tap my fingers on the counter as the kettle settles onto the stove. I had never been a particularly anxious person before. Still, now, there isn't a moment when my leg isn't bouncing, I'm not biting the inside of my cheek, I'm not hyperventilating at the thought of losing what I cherish the most in the world. I pull my phone from my pocket and send a quick text to Bucky in a moment of weakness.

'Hope you're being safe. Let me know if you find anything useful. x'

As if I was expecting a response right away, worry floods my chest when I see he hasn't even read the message yet. I scroll back to Sam's messages and decide to send him one as well.

'Please let me know that you guys are safe and text me if you need some backup.'

So, now I wait. My fingers tap against the marble of the island relentlessly, anxiously awaiting a response from either of them. The kettle whistles and I grimace at the sudden sound. I pour the water over a tea bag and sit in the silence of the empty compound. It's eerie how quiet it is. Usually, there are footsteps, and arguments are happening. There's at least some type of noise in the enormous building showing that some form of life lives here. The sun is setting over the trees, coloring the sky a gradient of yellow and pink that reflects through the kitchen window. I clear my throat. "Hey, F.R.I.D.A.Y.?" I call out, just now finding out I can ask an A.I. questions.

A small ping sounds above my head as I await a response. "Yes, Nadya?" She responds in an accent that I can't identify. It sounds a bit Scottish.

I grab my computer from the counter and take my tea into the living area. "Am I able to see footage of a member of the Avengers?" I ask, opening my laptop and taking a seat on the couch.

"Which one, may I ask?"

I chew on my lip, feeling the anxiety begin to brew inside of me. "Wanda Maximoff?"

It's quiet for a moment so I take a moment to sip my tea and warm my hands. My computer lights up, catching my eyes quickly as I set the mug down on the table. "Forwarding documents on Maximoff, Wanda to your computer," the voice echoes through the room as I search frantically through the files. My fingers freeze on the keyboard, seeing a file from Wanda's days in HYDRA. I, reluctantly, click on it and it expands. It's short, her description is brief with only a few key elements about her.

She was orphaned with a twin brother, she was marked as a success with the experiments HYDRA was conducting giving her the powers she has now. I close the file and scroll to the next one, my brows furrow at the contents. It's marked as an incident report; Lagos, Sokovia, and Wakanda.