Lark

What. The. Hell.

Aria's POV

So far the interviews were going okay. For the most part anyway. Because of course Wren had to make things difficult, but that was just her; she never knew when to just shut up and be serious. Cracking jokes and sarcastic comments galore until even Tony had had enough of her antics. Aria wished she’d been able to go in to tell her to shut it and just get to the damn point, but Fury had been clear. She wasn’t allowed. Elena on the other hand was the more level headed of the two. Simply asking for a pen and notepad she had written down locations, upcoming dates, names and whatever else Fury asked her for. Providing easy details that would prove that what she was giving them was real and not a trap.

Having Loki and Wanda sitting in made sure that everything they were telling them was the truth had definitely made things go a lot smoother since neither of her sisters knew that the god and the witch could read minds. This way they had no reason to hide their thoughts. Aria would have felt bad about not telling them this little fact, but her new family and friends were every bit as important as Elena and Wren were to her and she wouldn’t let anyone hurt them. There were a few times Loki or Wanda would raise an eyebrow. The signal that they weren’t being fully truthful about something. But it was never about anything important. More like they just didn’t want to delve into the subject brought up too much. They did anyway for Aria's sake, although very reluctantly.

Such as what had been the catalyst of them wanting to leave the Sparrows. Elena had danced around it for as long as she could, In the end though she only had to say his name for Aria to understand. It was more of the same for Wren. The outgoing woman’s demeanor had immediately sobered when she simply said, "Elena and I could no longer stomach being the replacements for Aria." He’d singled them out, why? Was it simply to recall them to do his bidding? The assignments she used to be given were never pleasant. The bloodier she could make the kill the better in his eyes so their enemies, but especially their allies wouldn’t think about betraying them.

Her question was easily asked by Tony who had been just as curious and the answer made her sick to her stomach. “Because we are the spitting image of her and she was his favorite toy. Henri didn’t like that she ran away from him when he had important plans for her. When Ari ran away he recalled us to Rouen not long after and then our 'singing lessons' began.” Aria blanched. No, he wouldn’t.. And yet he had. It was written all over her face as she spoke. “It’s really hard to want to stay with people when they sexually torture you night after night to the point that you want to take your own life.” Eyes downcast, Wren choked back tears before looking up at the older man, whispering hoarsely, “I don’t know how Aria was able to live through that for as long as she did, but we– I was not strong enough to continue.”

Stomach roiling to the point she felt like she would be sick, Aria had gripped onto Bucky and Steve’s hands hard. It wasn’t the fact that it would now be on record for all who had the clearance to read what happened to her for nearly six years that bothered her. It was the fact that once she’d run away her sisters had been forced to live through that horror in her stead. Aria knew how depraved Henri could be. So for them to have endured it at all for as long as they did had made her heart hurt that she hadn’t thought about trying to check in with the other Sparrows once she was free. If it was the last thing she would do she would free those of them that wanted it. She would finally fully accept the help the team and Fury had been offering to take down the rest and put an end to Henri’s reign of terror one way or another.

Not long after Wren’s confession Tony and Fury ended the interviews and released Elena and Wren into her care. They were to stay on the grounds, preferably inside, until trust could be gained and also for their own safety. Now that all three women had escaped Henri’s clutches he was going to be insanely furious and there was no telling what he would do. He was a monster behind closed doors, but the thing about him was he didn’t care if that side of himself stayed there. He liked to be feared; it was why he was seen as such an effective Master. All of his Sparrows, male and female, never hesitated to listen to his orders with any delay for fear of being singled out for one of his punishments.