Beginning of the End | Laven

Peace

Allen was sure he'd died. He felt like he floating and couldn't see anything. Is this purgatory? Luckily for him, he soon started to smell something. It was overwhelmingly clean. It smelled like a hospital, so strong it was threatening to overtake him. Then he started hearing things. Light beeping at a rhythmic pace, the reassuring sound of someone humming under their breath. Then the rest of his senses melded together and he was awake. He didn't open his eyes, but he did feel something lodged in his throat. Lifting his hand, he made it probably up to his collarbones before something stopped him. A hand intertwined with his and slowly pushed it back down. Allen finally opened his eyes to see Lavi looking over him, Allen could've sworn there were tears in his eyes. Suddenly Lavi was replaced by a nurse who was looking him over and removing the tube from his throat. He was told to repeat a few phrases and asked how much he remembered. Then SHIELD agents took over, patiently asking him all that happened. While Allen was asked question after question, he was relieved to notice one thing. Lavi never left the room. He stood near the door, almost on guard. Allen noticed bandages on his knuckles and made a mental note to ask him about it later. Soon, the agents left followed by the nurse who stopped in her tracks and told him he was fine to leave as soon as his guardian discharged him. After they had left, Lavi made his way over to him.

"Never," he spoke as soon as he got close enough to grab Allen's hand, "ever do that. Ever again."

"Sorry." Lavi smiled at him.

"Sure you are. Spike is getting your paperwork done and then we're heading to the Avengers tower so they can meet Hope and then Hope can baby you." Allen smiled as Lavi sat next to him on the bed.

"What happened with your knuckles?" The redhead glanced down, as if he had forgotten they were there.

"I took up your job."

"Shit, really?"

"Yup." Then it was silent for like three minutes.
"Oh, and Alex is really worried." Allen's eyes widened. Oh god.

"Did she find out?"

"Well, Spike freaked out and messaged her before they found your camera. He may have outed you to her." Allen sat quietly for a second, before starting to laugh.

"Oh, nice one 'Vi. That's hilarious." Lavi put his hands on Allen's shoulders.

"I wasn't joking." Allen once again froze.

"When you say he outed me-"

"He told Alex that you're the Phantom." Allen nodded a bit before getting out of the hospital bed.

"Allen? Babe, what are you doing?" Lavi sounded amused as his boyfriend walked around looking out the windows and checking every nook and cranny of the room.

"She is going to kill me." Allen spun around and faced the door. "Why would be even tell her? That's not a normal conversation topic. 'Oh by the way, your friend is a vigilante.' What the fuck!"

Spike walked in, smiling until he saw Allen. To anyone else, a short teen in a hospital gown with a glare wouldn't do much. Allen wasn't the most intimidating person, but Spike knew Allen and how Allen operated certain things. It was easy to say that Spike was terrified.

"What the fuck, Spike?" Allen yelled suddenly in Spike's face. Spike looked over at Lavi and sent him a questioning look. The redhead merely looked away pretending not to be in the room.

"Oh," Lavi muttered, looking at an imaginary watch. "would you look at the time? I've gotta go call my grandma."

Spike looked at him, his face relaying what he couldn't say. Traitor.

"You don't even have a grandma!"

Lavi made it three steps to the door before he bolted. He's dealt with an angry Phantom before and it wasn't fun.

"You told her!" Fuck.

"Allen listen, she wouldn't believe me when I said anything else. She was gonna go to the cops she thought I was abusing you or something." Fuck. Now it was Allen's turn to be afraid. He was scared at what was waiting for him on his blog or email.

"What exactly did you tell her?" Allen sighed and grabbed the bag that Spike had in his hand that held a change of clothes. He started changing as Spike told him the story.

He had apparently looked through Allen's phone for any clues and saw the last message from Alex be a 'gonna call the cops if you don't answer' message. He's immediately sent her a text letting her know that Allen was missing and she doubted Spike. She'd even managed to call the police before S.H.I.E.L.D managed to stop her. Spike didn't want her to be told about Allen's night life by some agents. He told her through Skype and watched her pale slightly. She spoke softly for a while, before making Spike swear to let Allen visit. Reluctantly Spike agreed, he knew it would probably be safer for Allen anyways. If he went away for a week or two. And Allen needed to unwind.

Allen had finished getting dressed by the time Spike finished. He was grateful Spike had brought him comfortable clothes, a pair of gray sweatpants and large sweater.

"So I'm heading to Florida?"

"What?" Lavi had stuck his head into the room.

"Spike is sending me away to a boarding school in Florida." Spike bit the inside of his cheek so he wouldn't smile. Allen always was an actor and the way he said it was so convincing. His tone was broken and he had his head down.

"It's the safest option."

All was quiet.

"You do know that I was eavesdropping, right?"

"Damnit." Both Spike and Allen cursed before laughing.

"Well, I signed you out but you have to take antibiotics, you don't feel it right now but you were in a lot of danger there. They thought you had the same metabolism as Steve. Pumped you full of drugs." Spike said once they quieted down."

"So I'm taking drugs to fight the drugs."

"Yep."

"Okay then."

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The rest of the week had its ups and downs. Allen was placed on medication that would knock him out at times and he'd get lightheaded and tired easily. Training was completely restricted and he noticed that the Avengers were very wary of his surroundings. Since Lavi technically wasn't an Avenger (Fury really needed to clarify what he was.) he spent more time hanging out with him and Hope. Allen missed being able to hang out like this and he was glad he could without having to lie to either of his friends. He'd been messaging Alex for a while afterwards and already had a plane ticket to go down to Florida and hang out with her. There was something that he couldn't forget about though. Kira and Luka. Allen couldn't help but be paranoid after she'd said they'd meet again. Allen knew that they probably (he wasn't really sure he was very hopeful though) wouldn't hurt him. Allen didn't really go out much during the week he was recovering. He did realize though that he may not heal like Steve but he did have some sort of healing factor. The 'doctors' that had him weren't completely off.

Now the week was over and Allen was packing his bags, summer vacation was almost over and he didn't want to miss school so he was going to Florida as soon as possible. He said his goodbyes even though he knew Natasha or Clint would be going. They didn't tell him that, but he just knew it. As he boarded the plane he could've sworn he saw a familiar woman, with blonde hair. But it was just a glimpse. He looked around afterwards and couldn't find her again.

Must've been my imagination. Oh well, at least I'll finally get to relax.

This vacation of his couldn't go all that wrong. Could it?

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Lowkey dedicating this chapter to my friend SpaceBoyBookman bc they're sick as shit. Love you fam ❤