Without You

Chapter 7

Sydney had somehow managed to sneak out of the base where Ultron held her. She had first stopped by a clothing stall to pick up something a little less inconspicuous. Lucky for her, the stall owner had been preoccupied with another customer not to notice her light fingers at work. She scavenged for a hotel with a public phone and with after 45 minutes of searching she gave up and knocked on a random door.

An old man opened the door looking slightly confused as to why Sydney was knocking on his door at such a late hour. "Hello, would you mind terribly if I borrowed your phone?" Sydney asked in perfect Romanian. "It's just my boyfriend and I got into a small argument and I need to phone a friend to come pick me up seeing as how I stormed out I don't have access to any of my things," she said forcing her eyes to water.

"Not at all," he seemed worried about the young woman, "come on in. Are you hungry?"

"Oh no I couldn't possibly impose anymore than I already am," she brushed him off even though her stomach grumbled. The old man led her to the phone grumbling about how men don't respect women anymore and that a nice girl like Sydney should be with a respectable man. Sydney couldn't help but grin to herself at the generational standards.  "Thank you so much," she gave a small smile as he left the room.

Dialing the number quickly, it took two rings for someone to answer. "Hello," Bruce's voice came through the receiver.

"Can you trace this number if I'm on the phone with you?" Sydney for straight to business. There was a shifting of papers and crashing of what sounded like books.

"Sydney?" Tony's voice shouted.

"Yes it's me. Yes I'm alright. Look I know I'm outside of Sokovian limits but I don't know where exactly and right now this old man thinks I'm on the phone with my friend after I stormed out after a fight with my boyfriend," she replied quickly.

"We're working on it," Steve's voice assured her letting her know she was on speaker phone.

"How bad did it get? I have information but I can't tell you here," she looked to see the man had gone back to watching the television.

"Eh, nothing too bad," Tony lied through his teeth.

"He plans to kill us," Steve admitted.

"Well I wasn't going to tell her that," Tony grumbled.

"I already knew that, he kidnapped me, remember dumbass?" Sydney asked impatiently.

"Alright, I got it, we'll be there soon. But, be prepared for another encounter with speedo and emo magician," Tony announce.

"Be nice, they lost their parents," Sydney defended the Maximoff twins.

"Whatever," Sydney could picture Tony rolling his eyes, "we're loading up now and we'll call this number again when we get to you."

"Thank you," Sydney praised before hanging up. She nervously walked into the living room where the old man sat. He looked up at her with kind eyes.

"Everything set?" he asked in his native language. Sydney paused to digest the Romanian. She was undoubtedly fluent but she hadn't used the skill in quite sometime.

"Oh yes thank you....I'm sorry," Sydney apologized, "I don't know your name."

"Nichollo," the old man, Nichollo, smiled.

"Well thank you Nichollo," Sydney nodded in gratitude. Nichollo gestured to sit which Sydney couldn't refrain from accepting. Her feet were dying from exhaustion.

"So," the old Sokovian spoke up, "who was this boyfriend you spoke of? I know most everyone around here."

"Oh, uh, P-P-Pietro Maximoff," Syd stumbled.

"That boy," Nichollo shook his head.

"You know him?"

"And his sister. I knew his parents when they were alive as well. It's a shame what happened to them. Pietro and Wanda didn't take it well. They changed a lot after they died," he shook his head sorrowfully.

"What we're they like? Wanda and Pietro?"

"Well, they were normal, carefree kids. Pietro was always a sort of ladies man," Nichollo recalled with a laugh. "Both of them always playing with younger kids who didn't have very many friends. I miss the old them."

"I see," Sydney said quietly looking down.

"But times and people change I just wish those two and others didn't have to grow up so fast. But, if you two got into an argument so bad that you had to leave, I'm guessing he isn't worth much," Nichollo took her side.

"It was partially my fault, I got worked up over him talking to another woman," Sydney felt bad for lying to this man she had know for all of near 20 minutes but she had to get out of Sokovia.

"Well, if he's dedicated to you, he shouldn't be flirting with other women. That is just a rule of thumb, my dear," he smiled sadly at her. He turned the TV off and stood. "Well, I am off to bed. Stay as long as you need," he patted her shoulder before going towards the stairs.

"Thank you Nichollo," she smiled at him. "I'll be out of here by morning." He nodded and walked up the stairs to bed, leaving Sydney to her thoughts.

She picked at her hoodie she had snatched. It reminded of her life before the Avengers. She hadn't exactly lived an honest life, which is why lying to that old man came so easily to her. Sydney's parents had kicked her out at the age of 14 after a freak accident with her powers killed her younger sister. Living on her own and in the streets made her a fighter, not just physically must mentally she was always at battle with herself. Sydney wanted to do good and she was glad when Agent Hill picked her  up all that time ago. She had found her home and rose through the ranks of SHIELD rather quickly. The phone in the kitchen began to ring and she rushed to answer it as to not wake up Nichollo.

"Hello," she answered.

"Well Quake," Tony greeted, "hope you like African sand in your battle suit."