Cherry || b.barnes

18 || Shatter Me

Los Ramones is a rather small village in northern Mexico, at least, compared to something as big as the town we just came from. While I stayed in the gear, James changed his clothing. And with changing, I mean putting over a long, black coat and jeans instead of his pocket-trousers. With the coat closed and black gloves, no one would think he hides a metal arm beneath it.

The sun is high this midday, and hunger starts gnawing on my organs when we sneak our way through the sandy streets. There aren't many people out here, most of them probably working and children in school, but then and now, one or the other would cross our path and send us a rather puzzled glance. I assume this place to be close to the one I was raised; everyone knows everyone in the neighborhood, making Barnes and me stand out like pink poodles.

When we finally reach the house on the edge of the place, it doesn't surprise me that it isn't exceptionally large, despite inhabiting a genius and his family. Everything around us is quiet, suspiciously so like the calm before a storm. The street we stand on is long, with rows of beige colored, sometimes already crumbling houses, and there's not a soul still, except for the cat and her kitten hiding behind one of the neighbor's trashcans.

»Doesn't seem like they were here already« I mumble, stepping forward to the light wooden door. The airplane waited outside the city, in a rather tiny forest but large enough so it's not as obvious, and when I see the car of the family in front of their garage to my right, I'm more than happy to know I don't have to walk all the way back with my grumbling stomach.

»Hopefully« I hear James mumbling underneath his breath, before stepping aside me and knocking on the door.

A few moments later, there are featherlight footsteps from within, and a small girl, perhaps four years of age, opens the door for us. She doesn't seem frightened nor harmed, and as I recognize this, a huge load drops from my heart. Longer, dark brown hair falls onto her shoulders while big, fawn eyes meet mine in curious, careful anticipation.

Deciding that Barnes certainly wouldn't be made to handle a child properly, not with his rough and direct traits, I get ahead of him, bending down to the small girl. »Hola, angelito. Tenemos que hablar con tu padre, si está aquí. Podrías conseguirlo para nosotros, por favor? Eso sería de gran ayuda.«

A smile playing around her lips, she nods hectically before rushing back in, making her hair wip with the movement wildly, then disappearing from our view. The inside of the house, from what I see, is as mediterrean as the outside with light yellow, warm walls, a lot of family pictures hanging on them and maroon tiles covering the ground.

»Didn't know you speak spanish without the slightest accent« James remarks, his deeper voice vibrating through my veins with every syllable from behind me when I get up again.

I don't turn around, still glancing inside the home of the physicist in hope he hurries up, for it not to be too late. I'm really not in the mood for fighting, am never with children around. »I'm born and raised in Cuba. Of course, I speak spanish without any accent.«

»Liosà, con qué frecuencia tengo que decirte que no abras simplemente la puerta?!« An older female shouts through the house, more scolding than actually angry. It reminds me of my own mother; she wouldn't have wanted me either to open the door for anyone, and I can very well imagine the lecture the little girl has incoming.

Long story short: The physicist already feared for his life for him having a couple of information Hydra rather wouldn't want to share, and so, it was easy to convince him to come with us and save his life, and, as his priority, the lives of both his children and his wife. We indeed took his car, but on the way, he asked for us to pick his sister up, too, for he thought her perhaps in danger. Explaining she once worked for Hydra as well, but nothing more detailed, he was aroused with bitter anxiety. It took only one glance between Barnes and me to decide to take his sister additionally with us, for once being in harmony about a thing. And not just because we know the other would fight endlessly to get their head through the wall with saving the woman's life.