The Stark Shadow

The Escape

- Steve -

I rolled over in bed and wrapped my arm around the mound under the blanket only to find it missing the warm body that lay next to me through the early morning. Sitting up, I tossed back the covers to confirm that Collins wasn't there. I sighed. At least I knew it was one of the few nights that she had gotten any good sleep.

"Miss me already?"

I looked up to see Collins walking out of the bathroom that was attached to my room. Her hair was still wet from the shower and she had a towel wrapped tightly around her body, a body that had molded perfectly to mine all night.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself," Collins replied as she sat down next to me. "Tony wants us for a meeting. Says he's got a plan."

I fell back into my pillow and groaned. "Do we have to?"

She laughed as she pulled the covers off of me. It was an intoxicating sound. Moments of her carefree joy and vulnerability were rare and were also everything I had hoped to keep safe. "Come on, old man. You've slept in plenty."

"I'm a senior citizen, I deserve more sleep."

"You've had enough for this lifetime, don't you think?" Collins asked as she walked back towards the bathroom to change. "I'll see you downstairs," she said as she locked the door.

~~~

- Collins -

"You expect me to what?" I shouted at Tony in disbelief.

"Linnie–"

My jaw dropped. "Anthony Edward Stark, you did not just call me that."

"Ooh, someone's in trouble," Clint tried to muffle his laughter from where he sat.

I shot him a glare. "Don't get me started, Clinton Francis." He sat up in his chair and cleared his throat. I turned my attention back to my brother. "This little plan of yours has a huge flaw if I'm going to continue to be kept in the dark, Tony."

"I've taken the safety precautions for myself, Lin–Collins. I won't put you in danger unless absolutely necessary."

I threw my hands up in the air. "You just won't listen, will you? You don't know Pierce like I do. You don't know the facility like I do. You will not make it out of there unharmed." I took out my phone and unencrypted the files I stored away behind dozens of firewalls and hidden folders. "This," I pointed to the projection plastered across the wall. "This is what you're up against."

"And we'll get through it," Tony replied without batting an eye.

I could see I wasn't going to convince him otherwise. I didn't plan on going after Pierce alone, but I couldn't let Tony go without me.

"Tony, she has a point," Steve spoke up.

Tony's head snapped in Steve's direction so fast I was sure he got whiplash.

"What did you just say, Capsicle?"

Steve swiped at the projection, pausing at each image and lengthy description. "We're a little in over our heads here. If Collins knows–"

"Back it the fuck up, Rogers. If you're suggesting what I think you're suggesting then you need to leave before I lose my ever loving mind."

"Tony, she's not a child."

"Guys–" I tried to calm them down, but all the two did was speak over me in a growing shouting match at each other. Steve was trying to defend my choices and Tony was trying to do what he thought would keep me safe. While I saw both sides, I was tired of being pushed aside and kept in the shadows. Again.

"She is my sister."

"And she is a grown woman with a mind of her own."

There was no getting through to them. My eyes flicked to Clint's who was already watching me. I quickly looked away as I took my phone and shoved it into my pocket. Neither Steve nor Tony even noticed while their arguing continued. It was like I wasn't even there. So why be there at all? I left the conference room and packed a bag with a couple of days worth of change of clothes. I could still hear them arguing over who had my best interests in mind as I walked through the lobby and out to the landing area. They were so worried about protecting me they didn't even notice that I left. Ironic.

I climbed into the cockpit of the quinjet parked in the landing area.

"I do not believe this to be a wise decision, Collins," Jarvis' voice chirped as I powered on the jet.

"Don't get in my way, Jarvis."

"I am afraid I must advise you to exit the vehicle or shutdown of the quinjet will commence."

"Try me," I challenged Tony's faithful AI.

If an AI had eyes to roll, Jarvis would've been doing just that as he began reciting a series of shutdown protocols before I finally interrupted him.

"Shutdown override. Access identification: Collins Carbonell Stark. Verification: Female Replacement Intelligent Digital Assistant Youth."

"Col–" 

A few seconds of silence had passed before another voice sounded from the control panel.

"Welcome, Collins. How may I assist you today?"

"Well, Friday," I replied as I flicked a series of switches powering on the quintjet. "We're going on a little trip."

~~~

- Clint -

It was clear that neither of these two were willing to stand down and they were both correct in their own right, but arguing was getting them nowhere. It was, however, getting Collins somewhere. I heard the hum of the quinjet and saw the light of the engines flash away from the compound.

Well shit.

I pushed myself up out of my chair and stood between America's golden boy and the tycoon superhero. Their attention was still focused on each other so I whistled.

"Hey!" I shouted. "While you two were busy fighting over who was right, you both got something very wrong."

"What?" Tony and Steve turned to me confused.

I nodded toward the disappearing jet.

"Jarvis, track that quinjet," demanded Tony.

"I'm afraid I am unable to, sir."

"What do you mean you're unable to?" Steve asked. He was afraid. Hell, so was I, but there was something more behind his fear that I recognized in myself once. He loved her.

"Collins has performed a system override and replaced my access with that of another AI. I can no longer access that jet."

"Well, boys," I clapped them each on their backs as they continued to stare out the window. "Looks like we've lost our girl."