Prismatic ⇒ Avengers [ 2 ]

Back to the Jungle

"Do you have any idea what you've done?"

I hate Nick Fury's voice. No- I hate the colour of it. Gunmetal grey, it sticks to me like slime, makes me think of weapons that sting and bite and nuzzle into hearts to stop them cold.

"Yes sir."

I can't cry, I won't cry, but my nails are bitten so much that they're bleeding around the edges, ragged at the sides, and I have to square my shoulders and look at nothing, as if I'm as blind as the woman now dead in a ballet studio in Russia was.

"That was our only viable lead, O'Donnell."

He doesn't have to remind me.

"Yes sir."

He stares at me with his one good eye, and I stare back as he weighs me up. Eventually, my eyes flicker to the window behind him, overlooking the city. His face is impassive as ever, but I know what I look like. Tired. I can see the shadows under my eyes in the glass, even though it's nighttime. For some reason, the normally dazzling cityscape of New York in the dark doesn't captivate me. Usually, I can spend hours at the window, looking out, but now the lights seem too bright. When I look away, they linger in my eyes, stars that I have to blink away.

"As of now, you will have nothing to do with this operation or Arachne Alkeav. You are barred from being involved in any investigation to do with her, the Red Room, or project Acropolis."

Project Acropolis. I didn't know it at the time, but it's what she named the experiment on the six of us. At least she's consistent with themes.

"Yes sir."

"Dismissed, O'Donnell."

I can feel his eyes on me as I slump out of the room.

Fear makes normal seem strange. Fear makes recognisable a stranger. Fear makes walking through the Avengers Tower feel like I'm Theseus, stuck in the labyrinth, only this time I don't have string to lead me back out. Whether or not a Minotaur will appear remains to be seen.
I close my eyes, sucking in a deep breath as I push open the door to my room, ready to collapse or cry, possibly both, only to discover I'm not alone.

When the light turns on, Peter Parker is sat cross legged on my bed with a grey shirt on, his hair in the sort of mess that happens when he's been in costume for too long. I stare at him wordlessly, trying to catch my panicked breaths- how was I supposed to know it would be him?- and then close the door, walking towards the bathroom in an effort to escape.

"Brynn?" I lean against the bathroom door, my head throbbing. Maybe I've got a tumour in my brain. That'd teach me. "Brynn, please don't ignore me."
His voice is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, and it makes me want to cry. Actually, I am crying, sobbing against the wooden door, my hands dangling limply by my sides, because guess what, I've ruined everything again.
"Brynn?" I flinch as he touches my shoulder, instinctively pushing him away. "Please let me help."
"You can't."

I break down into another round of sobbing, my shoulders shaking as he touches me gently again, his hands meeting mine as he tows me towards me bed, sitting on it. I fall next to him, my body balling up defensively as the lights begin to dim. The city outside looks cold, frozen, and I shiver, or shudder, as the image of Ivanna Draco's frothing mouth flickers in my mind's eye.

"I'm here, and I won't let anything bad happen to you." Peter whispers, his hand hesitating above my face as I lie next to him. His thumb wipes away one of my tears, and I sniff, wrapping my arms around myself. "It's over now."
"It's not." I argue with a crackly voice. "I failed. How am I supposed to tell the others? I have to end this, I've got to-" I choke back another sob of pain. "I have to tell them I ruined everything, again."
"Brynn-" I crawl closer to him as he lies down next to me, looking into my eyes. He's got honest eyes. "It's okay." I know he doesn't know what to say- what can you say? I can't think of anything that could make this right.