𝖑𝖊𝖌𝖆𝖈𝖎𝖊𝖘||𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖔𝖘

2.9

jun 29 2007

Nakia jumped with a start, body racking with sobs and screams. She couldn't see anything from the tears blurring her vision.

"Kid, calm down," a voice said. "Relax, you're okay."

"Get the fuck away from me," she screamed. "Go away! Please stay away!" The person wrapped her arms around her.

"Shhh," the voice soothed. "Calm down."

"Please," she cried. "Just kill me. I can't do it anymore."

"I can't do that. Wipe your eyes." Stubbornly, she complied. She looked up to see Thomas.

"Thomas," she cried, burying her face in his chest. "What's the matter with you, kid?" he asked.

"Nothing," she muttered. He pushed her head back.

"Really. It doesn't look like anything. I ran in here, you were screaming and crying ." Nakia lowered her head.

"Kid, you've got to talk to me. I can't help you if you don't let me in. What's going on?"

She couldn't hold it in anymore. "It's all my fault. I did it all. Everywhere I go I make a big mess and people get hurt. And Tip, it's all my fault."

"What happened? What did you do?"

"I can't tell you! You'll hate me too!"

The pair sat in silence. Nakia was still crying and Thomas was refusing to let her go. No child should ever have to feel like this.

Thomas knew that all too well.

"I know how you feel, y'know," he said, soothingly. "You're not alone in this." Nakia sniffed.

"What are you talking about?"

"I suppose it's story time. Get comfortable." She sat back in her bed and Thomas sat next to her.

"I was born in Harlem, New York. Charlie was ten at the time and-"

"Wait, Charlie is actually older than you?"

"Shocking, I know."

"Anyway," he said, continuing. "My brother was nice enough. My mother though - Eda Overton was the most wonderful woman you could ever know. She was smart and beautiful and she lit up the whole room when she walked in."

"My father was a rude son of a bitch. Smacked my mama and my brother and me around. He was a drunk and a druggie. Like to shake his pistol around."

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. He hummed in response.

"One night when I was seven, Charlie got detention for setting off the fire alarms at school." That sounded like something he'd do.

"I was helping Mama clean dinner. My father had been late, at the time he was sleeping with his secretary. His food was getting cold. Ironically just when he walked in the door I dropped one of the plates. He gets really mad, and he charges at me."

"My mom rushes in before he puts his hands on me and tries to calm him down. She pulls me into the other room. He walks to his food, which was cold, and gets even more upset. When she walked back in the room he took his pistol-" Nakia's breath hitched.

"He shot my mama. I heard the gunshots. I ran out of the room just in time to see him slit his throat. I tried to call the police but I just - I just couldn't."

"It wasn't until Charlie came home, the police were called. Police said if someone had done something, anything she might have lived." Nakia didn't know what to say.

"We were..orphans. Charlie became my legal guardian after that and we moved down here. Lived with Mama Lottie until we got a place for ourselves. Joined S.H.I.E.L.D. when I was eighteen. Phil's been my partner for years." Nakia smiled at the thought of Phil.

"He's a good person," she said softly. Thomas nodded. "He introduced me to Alice."

She scrunched up her nose. "Who's Alice?"

"My wife."

Nakia looked at him. "You're married? Where is she?"

Thomas didn't answer.

"We had a little girl. Savannah."

"Two years ago, Nat and I went on a mission, I overslept and missed the flight home. That night, someone broke in and robbed us. Alice and Savannah they were-" he stopped and put his face in his hands.

He didn't need to finish for his story to make sense. She knew exactly what happened. Nakia looked around. Then it clicked. This was Savannah's room.

"Was this -"

Thomas nodded.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, as she listened to Thomas's soft cries.

"My father's an asshole too," she said. "He was rude and a narcissist and he made my life a living hell. Didn't even name us - my robot mother did. He always called us by numbers."

"We all had powers, well not my sister Vanya. We were really close. But we grew apart after my brother ran away."

"Where'd your brother go," Thomas asked, tears wetting his cheeks.

"Five. Jumped through time," she muttered. "I tried to stop him but I wasn't fast enough. Everyone else blamed me because I didn't say anything. I wanted to say anything. I didn't want him to get in trouble. He could have ended up in the-the basement."

"The basement?"

"It's this awful terrible place. He- Reginald. He used to lock me up down there whenever my powers got out of control. I don't ever want to go back there." Thomas held out his hand, which Nakia held firmly, tears streaming down her face.

"You won't ever have to go back there," he whispered to her. "I'm going to protect you alright?" She didn't seem to hear him, she was too busy rambling.

"It was my fault. All of it. I could've done something. I could've helped him. Why didn't I do something?"

"What? What did you do?"

"My brother. He's dead. And it's my fault. We were on a mission. And his heart just stopped. I couldn't help him. All of my brothers and sisters, they blame me. B-but I didn't mean to. It was an accident. Thomas, I swear. I-I didn't mean to. Please don't send me back. I don't want to go back. They all- they all hate me. Please Tip." Thomas wrapped his arms around the young girl's body and hugged her close as she sobbed.

"Hey, none of that was your fault...your father is a sadistic asshole. Everything that's happened to you to your family, it wasn't your fault. Alright? You're safe. I promise. I'll never send you back. No one will send you back- not if I can help it, okay?"

She nodded, as he held her. He began to chuckle. "I guess our lives are both fucked up, huh?"

"I guess so," she said softly, chuckling as well.

"I'm always going to be there for you alright," he added. The girl didn't answer, only sending small snores.

He looked at her before kissing her head. "I love you, kid." He whispered slowly, before falling asleep himself.

And at that moment, everything seemed so right. So beautiful.

✁- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

He's never been so close before. He was practically right in front of them. They just didn't know it.

She looked so young, so innocent, so much like her mother.

It wouldn't be long. Soon her world would come crashing down in front of her, and he'd finally be able to exact his revenge.