||BEHIND THE MASK SERIES: BOOK 3||
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"You can continue on with your life or
you can become someone who matters."
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In which Charlie Bridger forces
her second thoughts away to help
the Avengers defeat Ultron.
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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐂
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After walking alone through the snowy landscape for a short amount of time, Charlie came across the Jeep that she, Clint, and Natasha left behind. She quickly tossed her bow and quiver into the passenger seat before jumping into the driver seat and using it to get back to the Quinjet. Her eyes stayed glued onto the white forest as she drove in silence, occasionally glancing into the trees to see if she could spot the speedster they encountered. When she was greeted by nothing but trees and snow, The Bridger girl pressed on the pedal a bit harder so she wouldn't hold up their return to the Tower. As soon as she made it back to the jet, Charlie abandoned the Jeep and boarded the flying vehicle, taking one of the empty seats at the back of the plane.
The Avengers and their teammate-in-training soon began their journey back to New York in silence with different expressions plastered on each of their faces. When the lack of noise became too much to bear, Charlie started to fiddle with her fingers in her lap while keeping her eyes glued to Clint, who was lying on a med-table a few feet away from her. Her head was so busy with the thoughts of losing her mentor that she failed to notice Steve walking toward her until he was sitting in the seat next to her.
"You know he'll be okay," the Man Out of Time said, causing Charlie to glance up at him before her eyes landed back on the Barton man.
"Doesn't make watching him easier," she muttered while attempting to hide the fear that was once again bubbling up inside her before she let out a long sigh, "I should have done more."
"This isn't your fault, Charlie. Things like this happen."
"I know but-"
"This was your first mission and you did great," the blonde man interrupted her before she could argue any further.
A somewhat comfortable silence surrounded the two of them as Charlie went back to watching Clint. It wasn't long after that when the Bridger girl looked back up at Steve to find his eyes scanning over the mark on her neck. Charlie unconsciously brought her hand up to trace the bruise with her fingers before she let out a quiet sigh. "One of the enhanced pinned me to a tree."
"How'd you get him off of you?" the Rogers man asked with a hint of concern in his voice that seemed to go unnoticed by the young girl next to him.
"I used one of the tasers Nat gave me."
"Nice," the woman in question said with a smile as she walked away from her partner's side and over to Bruce. Charlie's attention fell back on her intertwined fingers as the spy and the scientist had a private conversation before the redheaded woman looked up at Thor. "Thor, report on Hulk."
