Changes | Marvel

TWO. Caves

A dull throbbing in my chest was the reason why I slowly began to gain consciousness once more. It became more painful as I became aware of my surroundings. Wherever I was, it was cold and dark, an echo spread the sound of heavy footsteps around the room along with the soft tinkering of metal objects touching each other. The pain in my chest was beginning to bother me although it was still manageable; I could feel something lodged in my nose that made its way down my throat bothering my gag reflex that I could distantly feel coming into play. When I finally opened my eyes, a rocky and damp roof greeted me along with a generator sitting next to me on the bed and a small metal table with a cup of what seemed to be water sitting on top of it.

Where was I? Although I felt great that I didn't die, it was being overtaken by the instant fear of being in an unknown place with someone definitely in the room. I wanted to start freaking out, but I remember that Tony was with me when the missile exploded so he should be here with me. I turn my head, which sent a shooting pain down my neck but then I see Tony standing across the room next to an old man who seemed to be telling him something. I slowly managed to sit myself up, only to see a wire from the generator making its way underneath the jumper I was wearing.

"Tony?" I call out, seeing my brother turn quickly to make his way to me.

"Ava? Are you okay? Is your chest hurting you?" He questions rapidly, grabbing my hand tightly.

"Where are we?" I ask groggily, watching the old man also walk up to us although I appreciated how he kept his distance.

"I don't know," Tony admits quietly. "I'm so sorry, Ave..." He tells me, grabbing my head so he could pull me into a tight hug. Although it hurt, I let him squish me against his body but all I could focus on was a hard, circular piece of what seemed to be metal on his chest.

"What's this?" I ask inquisitively as I pat his chest, making him wince. I look down to see my own chest, reaching down to feel that I too had the same thing on my chest. "What are these Ant?" I ask quietly, feeling my chest tighten once more with an anxious feeling.

"We got hurt when the missile exploded Ave, these are keeping us alive. It was all my fault, you should have been at home." He breathes, not letting me go. "My god, it's my fault." He speaks to himself.

"No, it's not." I try to tell him, still trying to register the fact that I have an unknown device sitting inside my chest. "Whoever attacked us did it. You didn't do anything." I tell him, tearing up as I didn't want Tony to feel guilty.

"You should have been home with Pepper and happy." He tells me, pushing a stray piece of hair out of my face. "This would have never happened to you if I just listened to her."

"I came because I wanted to come, stop blaming yourself, big idiot." I demand, hugging him back tightly.

"Did you want me to take the tube out of your nose?" The man speaks up quietly as Tony and I split away. "I'm not an enemy, Avery, I've been held here hostage too." He introduces himself. I look up to Tony who nods once.

"Yes please." I tell him nicely. The man comes over and sits in front of me, grabbing onto the end of the tube that he slowly yet smoothly begins to pull from my nose. I resist the urge to swallow as the end of it passes by the back of my throat and watch as he sets down the tube in a small metal bowl. H passes me the cup of water, letting me hydrate myself after the period of unconsciousness. Tony sits on the small cot next to me, letting his arm rest on my shoulders as Yinsen stand sup once more. I eye the matching generators that sat next to each other running my fingers along the cord.

"Leave them be," Tony warns me instantly, thinking I was going to pull on them.

"What is it doing? What happened, Tony? Why are we here, who is doing this?" I struggle to find the right question to ask, trying to settle the feeling in my stomach. "What's happening?"