Out of Time

What Luna Missed

Luna looked at Fury and the girl. "Join S.H.E.I.L.D? As in become agents?" she asked. "No. The others have already joined, but would you like to join?" Natasha said. "Now if you do join, you'd automatically be moved up to level 8 so we can train you." Fury said. Luna looked at him. "What do I get out of it?" she asked. She ignored the looks the others were giving her, and stared at Fury.

"I suggest you take the offer Ms. Higgins." Fury said. Luna thought for a moment she would be with her friends, but could she really adjust to life in a different time period? She looked at the faces of her friends. Their eyes were practically begging her to say yes. "On one condition. You give me every known file on the Newsboy of Manhattan New York, and the Newsboy Lodging House murder. And I want every file of information about the people that were either involved in the murder, or people that left the Newsies before the whole "You're dead" thing." Luna said.

Fury looked at her. "You're asking me for confidential information?" he asked amused. Luna nodded her head and smirked. "Give me what I ask for or I won't join." she said. Fury eyed the young girl carefully. She had a certain thing about her, that reminded Fury of Tony Stark. "Deal. Agent Romanoff show Agent Higgins to her room." Fury said walking out of the room. Natasha looked at Luna for a moment studying her carefully, not knowing if she could trust the girl.

"Follow me." Natasha said before walking out of the room. Luna followed her. "There are rules here that you must follow. If the sun's up, you are up. Breakfast is served at 5:30 every morning. Do not wonder off, don't stick your teenage nose in any classified stuff, except for the files you asked for. Your training will start at 6:00 sharp. If you are late it's 100 push-ups. Your training will end at 6:00 pm, and dinner is served at 7. It's lights out at 10:00 pm. I ask you not to wonder the hallways looking for your friends, for you are all in different sections. Here is your room, Ms. Higgins. If you need anything else, call someone other than me." Natasha said walking away.

"And welcome to S.H.E.I.L.D." Agent Romanoff said over her shoulder. Luna stared at the back of the red headed girl, and shook her head. "Just like Skittery." she muttered. She held her hand up to the scanner, and the door opened to her new room. She was shocked at the room. It was nothing like she was used too. There was room to walk, no armpit smell, but most importantly, no Spot, Jack, Race, David, Les, Blink, and Alicia. She looked around the room at the strange clothes she had. There was no boots, not heavy pants, or vests, but instead there was clothes for girls. On the shelves were thousands of books and movies. Newspapers hung on the walls. From 'The World' to 'The Sun' was articles of her past.

On her night stand sat a rectangular box, and a stack of papers. Luna carefully walked over to the papers. Written in neat cursive writing was the title 'Something To Believe In' Luna froze as she read the dedication. 'To Hope and Anthony Higgins. I'm sorry for what I did. I love you. Love Peter ' She contemplated on reading the book, when something else caught her eye. Next to the book that her brother had written her, was a photo album. Her curiosity got the best for her, and she opened it. Inside was a collection of black and white photos of two children. Luna's eyes watered as she watched her babies grow up through photographs. She scanned the bottom of the photographs at the dates. Starting in 1901, she watched as Braden grew up to look exactly like Spot. Caterina grew up to look less like her, but more like Race.

The tears slipped through her eyes as she looked at one of the pages. It was Braden dressed in a war uniform. In the bottom corner, was a date. 1918, the year of WWI. On the next page, was a Death Notification. Luna couldn't hold the tears back anymore. She cried for not being there, for leaving her newborns with two strangers, for trusting Julie and Jacob, for having Peter for a brother, and most of all, leaving her children without parents. She stroked the picture of her sons face, imagining what he would have said to her, as he boarded the bus to Boot Camp. The next page made her heart stop. It was a death notification. On the page next to it, was a picture of a young woman, with two children. She was holding both of the children.

By now Luna was full on sobbing. Her baby had died only at age 18, leaving behind a wife and his children. She read the names on the photos. "Susan Conlon with Sean Anthony Conlon and Hope Alicia Conlon." Luna felt proud that her son had named his children after her, Spot, Race, and Alicia. As Luna flipped through the rest of the pages, she felt like the weight of the world was lifted off her shoulders. All she wanted all those years ago, was for her children to grow up and be happy. She decided to look at the rest of the photos later. She got up off the bed, and walked into the closet.

Her eyes widened at all the clothes. From dresses to jeans, and from flats to heels. Luna was frozen in place. She wasn't used to any of this. At the very end of the closet something caught Luna's eye. A pink and blue checkered shirt, and a black vest. "My clothes." Luna said. She reached out a hand to touch her old clothes, when a knock at the door cut her off. "Luna? You in here?" Alicia asked. "In here." Luna said. She was shocked. She once talked like a Newsie, but now she sounded like a young woman. "I see you found your Newsies clothes." Alicia said from behind the younger girl. Luna turned around and she was shocked at what she saw. Alicia was standing there in something that resembled her old dress. "They gave us all our old clothes back. We don't wear them though, to many memories." Alicia said.

Luna turned back around, before she pulled her old clothes down off the hanger. "Where are my pants?" Luna asked. Alicia dug through a rack of jeans. "Here." she said, handing Luna a pair that resembled her old ones. Luna looked them carefully. "What are these?" she asked. Alicia laughed. "There jeans. Just put them on." Alicia said. Luna took the jeans from her friend and quickly got dressed. "It's all so strange." Luna said looking around. "To think it only feels like days ago we won the strike against Pulitzer. Now its 100 years later, and I'm still fourteen." Luna said. "You'll get used to it. We all did." Alicia said. The rest of the night, Alicia and Luna just talked. They talked about what happened before Luna woke up, they talked about her and Blink, but most importantly they talked about their departed friends.