Avengers: Liberation

Chapter 1- Her Bare Skin

Five years later.

It’s been six years since I last saw Liberty. It’s strange how much had changed within that time. I had moved my Lab into Stark tower, which is now officially called the Avengers tower. I rolled my eyes as I carried another box into the glass room. This reminded me of the labs on the S.H.I.E.L.D helicarriers, but they were long gone now, along with S.H.I.E.L.D. I sighed and placed the large cardboard box down on the counter. I sighed and looked out the window over New York, I pulled my microscope from the cardboard box and placed it on the work top, I continued to stare out of the window, not at anything in particular, but just what was there.

“You ok there Bruce?” I quickly twisted around. I shook my head and smiled at Tony,

“Yep, everything’s fine.” Tony nodded and looked at me with a sympathetic look.

“You were starting to think about Liberty again, weren’t you?” I nodded, it was hard not to. She was one of the few people who I was comfortable talking to. She didn’t judge me, she didn’t even judge the hulk. I sighed,

“Yeah I miss her.” Tony patted my shoulder and nodded,

“I know how you feel.” I looked down at the bottom of the box to see the note she made Tony give to me when she left. I guess it would have hurt her too much to say good bye. I sighed and picked it up and folded it once again into a quarter of its original size, slipping it into my back pocket. No one had heard anything from Liberty. Now and again a supposed picture of Liberty is posted in a newspaper or magazine, but it’s never her, something’s always off. Her lips aren’t the colour of pink roses, or her hair isn’t jet black just a dark brown. But most of all none of these women have green and silver eyes. It’s a feature so unique, that no one else in the world has it. I sighed and leaned against the work top, as Tony paced through the room.

“I got to say, I think I’ve done well.” I looked over my shoulder and raised an eye brow,

“What do you mean you’ve done well?” Tony shrugged and looked through the window down at New York.

“Well I did pay for this.” He gestured around him, and then he saw the small microscope.

“Ok I didn’t buy that, why is that here?” he looked at it confused, he knew what it did, and how it did it. But the thing that was puzzling him was why it was here. I grabbed the microscope and looked at it.

“It’s sentimental, it was my first microscope.” Tony rolled his eyes causing me to chuckle.

“Whatever, the large electron microscope will be here hopefully by tomorrow.” I nodded and smiled at Tony.

“Do you think Liberty will ever come back?” Tony shrugged, and gave a smirk.

“I hope so, I did give a speech say she will be back when we need her.” I nodded and pushed my glasses further up my nose.

“Are you taking about the city of New York or us?” I asked sternly, Tony sighed and rubbed his hand over his face.

“I meant the city of New York Bruce, ok? Liberty Left for her own person reasons, but I know that no matter what when New York is back in danger she will be back, and that’s a promise Bruce.” I nodded, and crossed my arms,

“Let’s just hope that she will come back.” Tony gave a hard nodded and replaced his smile.

“Well now that we’ve finished in here, how about some shawarma?” I rolled my eyes and smiled at tony,

“I think I’ll just stay here.” Tony gave a fake pout then it broke, revealing a chuckle,

“Suit yourself Bruce, I’ll see you later, and by the way if any more stuff comes for the lab, Jarvis will sign for them.” I nodded and smiled lightly at Tony. He knew how to flip a conversation quickly, but I guess that was to protect him from hurting himself. Liberty was a tender topic especially after all the investigations the X-men are pursuing; apparently she is a very special mutant, something about being over an omega level. I tried not to get involved, I hated the conflict between us, but I tried to keep on good terms, so did Tony after the whole magneto throwing him through a window fiasco. I sighed and looked around me, I was quiet hungry but the whole overly crowed and aggressive city wasn’t very good for my friend. I walked out of the labs and towards Tony’s office. He kept a fridge fully stocked with anything and everything. I grabbed two slices of brown bread and the pack of ham. By the time the sandwich was created there was no ham left. I threw the plastic container into the bin, and took a large bite.

I dug my hand into my pocket and pulled out Liberty’s note. Tony didn’t know I had kept it; I unfolded it as I placed the majority of my sandwich on the work top. My eyes began to scan the hand written piece of paper.

“To Bruce Banner,

I am so sorry to do this to you. I have to leave, it’s not because of you, it’s because I need to be alone, and I don’t want to cause any more pain, especially to you.

I promised Tony that when New York is in danger I will be there, and I promise you Bruce I will always be there, even if you don’t think I am. I will always care for you; it may be a few years before you see me next, but I promise you I will be the same Liberty Davis, the woman who died twice, and the woman who saved the earth, and even though the public will never know that you always will and that’s all I care about.

I’m sorry but by the time you read this you won’t be able to stop me, this is why I didn’t give a personal goodbye because I know you would try and stop me.

This is my goodbye to you, Love Liberty Davis.”

I felt tears fall over the edge of my eyes and spill onto the paper causing the dried into to be soaked up my salt tear. I quickly dried my tears and placed the note on the work top. Many other similar ink dots covered the page, many from me, but a few from Liberty. I sighed and took another bite of my sandwich.

“It seems you’ve missed me Bruce.” I choked violently; I looked to my side to see her. She stood there in a silver and bronze haze, suddenly Jarvis spoke up.

“Hello Miss Davis.” She smiled lightly and looked at one of many cameras in the room.

“Hello Jarvis, it’s nice to hear from you again.” She brushed a piece of black hair out of her eye line and looked at me with her silver and green eyes. She walked forward; she wore a simple strappy floral dress, and a pair of black high heels.  “Liberty…” her name fell clumsily from my mouth as I quickly walked towards her. It had been so long, she smiled up at me as we stood toe to toe.

I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close to me. Tears rolled down my cheeks and landed on the soft skin of her bare shoulder. I felt her tears soak into my white cotton shirt as we stood there in each other’s arms, strangely for the first time as I could touch her bare skin.