A Place In This World (Beginnings and Goodbyes, #1) {Completed}

every little piece

I tug along a jumble of cables behind me across the lab floor, connecting some to the head of the cradle like Tony had shown me. I stretch out the cables towards the several generators Tony and Dr. Banner have placed in the room, the soft scrape of them intermingling with Tony and Banner's murmurings to each other, their work immersing them so much that they hardly acknowledge me as I maneuver around them. I pause near Tony, take the time to actually untangle some of the knotted up cords so that they'll reach. Tony and Banner need as much power as they can get in order to bring the form in the cradle to life. Or so Tony claims. I'm not entirely confident it's the best idea, but he is a genius and Banner doesn't seem too worried about it. I'm just happy to be included.

I glance around the lab, at the blinking lights on the generators I've already hooked up, at the machines whirring to formulate answers to Tony and Bruce's calculations. The way I can see everything working and moving so seamlessly. Joaquin would love this place. The thought strikes me, and I almost drop the cords I'm holding. I bunch them up in my arms again as Tony looks over his shoulder at me.

"You shock yourself or something?" he asks, a hint of a smile.

"Unraveled unexpectedly," I lie, my cheeks burning as Joaquin's bright eyes, even brighter smile shove their way to the front of my mind. I peer over his shoulder. "Any luck?"

Tony turns back to his screen, sighs. Shakes his head. "This framework is not compatible."

"The genetic coding tower is at 97%." Banner sounds exasperated. His eyes widen at us over the rim of his glasses, his finger jabbing at the tablet in the crook of his arm. "You have got to upload that schematic in the next three minutes."

I haven't seen him so lively before, the fire of purpose burning in his eyes for a change.

Before Tony can reply, and before I can ask what could go wrong, a set of approaching footsteps echoes off the glass walls of the tower. The three of us look at each other, and Steve turns the corner to Tony's part of the lab, with two newcomers at his back. Tension snaps taut, Banner stepping around the cradle to stand in front of me.

"I thought I smelled trouble," Steve says, still in his suit without the helmet, a little cut up and bruised.

"Pretty sure that's you, Cap. You look like hell," Tony quips.

I flick my eyes to Tony, detect the brewing defiance in him. I shrink into his side, the movement catching Steve's attention. He takes a halting step forward, his eyes widening at the incriminating cables in my arms.

"Tony, shut this down right now! Step away from there, Cara." He beckons me to come stand by him, but Tony lands a hand on my shoulder. Steady, the squeeze of his hand seemed to say.

"Nope, not gonna happen," Tony says.

"You don't know what you're doing," Steve throws back, taking another step forward, his eyes continuously flickering to me.

Banner fully shields me with his body. "And you do?" He jabs his chin in the direction of the young woman at Steve's left. "She's not in your head?"

The young woman lifts her hands, and Banner stiffens, and she hesitates. "I know you're angry." She has a thick eastern European accent.

"Oh, we're way past that. I could choke the life out of you and never change a shade."

My eyes widen at the threat, the pain, the anger in Banner's voice, and I look at the young woman again. Banner said she is capable of getting into people's heads. I can't possibly fathom what that is like or how she does it, but fear creeps in anyway. Although Steve has brought them here, that doesn't mean he has done it of his own free will.