Ascendancy

Chapter 3

                                 

       A psychotic laugh escapes my lips. It tickled and hurt at the same time. The doctor then tests the reflexes on my other leg. And with the tap of a rubber hammer, my leg kicks with mechanical precision into the air.

       All day I've been stuck, poked, and examined from every possible angle. The Avengers are much more strict than I thought. I mean, plenty of diseases and sickness go around in a refugee camp, so it makes sense, but I'm up to date on all my shots.

       Immediately after my interrogation, I was escorted down the hall, this time without a blindfold. There are two medical rooms chock full of supplies and also two doctors. And boy, are they thorough. I think I've been checked for every disease known to man.

       And like every time I go for a checkup, I am thoroughly exhausted by the end of it. So when I am officially declared in perfect health, Sam comes to pick me up, and I say pick me up, I mean literally. I am so tired I pass out on the mini hospital coach, and when I wake I feel warm arms around my back and legs; he is carrying me bridal style.

       "Oh, so you're awake now, Ms. Shrink?" He chuckles. I almost get out of his arms, but if he's carrying me, why in the world would I walk? "Very funny, Mr. Bird. You aren't going to put me down, are you?"

       Sam's large, slight gap tooth smile, melts away any anger left inside me at the way I've been lied to. How can someone so nice mean any harm? "It would be my honor. To bad I don't have my wings, though. I could fly you across the compound. That'd be hot, wouldn't it. You like birds?"

       "Oh, yeah. Especially the small ones." I tease.

       Sam sighs in fake exasperation and jokes, "Dang girl. It's always the beautiful ones that give you a hard time."

       We both laugh and then all goes quiet. I listen to his feet tap the floor. The hallway is white, although the setting sun tints the hall pink. Large windows look over a lush jungle and on the other side are multiple rooms; some full of scientific equipment and a few offices.

       Sam coughs conspicuously, and says "I'm sorry for the way you had to be brought in here. But none of us wanted to risk going back to the underwater government jail."

       "It's fine. I understand the precautions." Although it was slightly insulting, seeing what Mr. Barnes has been through, I would've done the same.

       Again, neither of us speaks. There is so much unspoken tension because of why I am here; it's hard to chat over helping a ninety year old brainwashed assassin

       Sam turns a corner and carries me down a different hall, where I think the bedrooms are located. Through a slightly cracked door, I see a long haired girl around my age who looks to be rewatching some old news footage of a building exploding. Sam notices me watching her and comments, "That's Wanda. She's been watching that old footage ever since we got here. Can't seem to move past what happened."

       "What exactly did happen?" I question. Then reality hits. She must have blew up the building. Red tendrils had been swirling through the building before it blew. Having been away from televisions for so long, I haven't heard much news, except the few times the UN volunteers came. "Never mind." I say quietly.

       "Yeah. It's rough. But hey, we've got a top notch therapist on our hands. Maybe you could talk to her?"

       I reply, "Sure." He's right when he says they now have a therapist on their hands, but it's such a different realm when you're helping people with supernatural powers. It seems beyond my expertise, but how can I ignore such a pained human being?