Valorous (Book Three)

Chapter: 11

DAY: 123

Lark

I needed the antidote. Badly. My skin showed some signs of showing the grey patches, but they were hardly noticeable against the burns all over my skin. Eventually I won't be able to control it or be able to hide it with an antidote, that will wear off and become in sufficient to help me. That terrified me to think that soon the pain would be back and there was no way to get rid of it or cure it.

I couldn't sleep, that's a challenge that I've had to deal with for the longest time. No one came back, no one said a word to me. I was all on my own. I didn't mind it, the peace was fulfilling in it's own way.

Banner showed up later than what Natasha had planned for, meaning he came around midnight, so I am told. So someone, meaning Peter, had to wake me up and get me ready to see him.

But before Banner arrive, Peter showed up to offer a little comfort. Since he knew things were rough between me and Bucky, he told me that it was the least that he could do since I helped him escape from the Hydra cells. Peter sat and waited with me, barely speaking a word to me at all, but his presences made me feel a bit calmer.

"Lark, what the hell have you been through?" Banner walked through the doorway and stood off to the side, looking me up and down. "They weren't kidding when they said half and half were they?"

"Nope, they weren't kidding." I answered him.

Peter stood up and stretched his arms high above his head, "I'll leave you guys to it then." Peter left without another word. Banner sat himself on the cot beside me and pulled out a screen from a bag that I hadn't noticed was at his feet. Banner held up the screen just in front of my eye.

"So how are things with you and the team?" he asked.

"As well as you could expect it to be." I answered him quietly.

"When I came in Bucky barley said a word, he hopped on a bike and took off. Usually that guy's guarding you like a German Shepherd. Something happen?"

"Rough patch. We're not getting along as well." I answered him. Banner just nodded.

"That's understandable. I mean, you're both different people and you can't always put opposites together." he said. "You know what I mean?"

"Yes, I know." I said. Banner put away the screen.

"Your vitals are normal from what I gather." he said. "Mind if I check for breakage? It's just another device that I'll use, I just want to be sure that you guys didn't miss anything. All you have to do is lay down."

I nodded. Banner stood up and moved so that I could lay down, but it took just a little effort. Laying down reignited the horrible pain of the burns; flaky skin and open blisters, I didn't want to know what my lying down was doing to them.

"It'll only take a minute, then you can sit up or do whatever." he said. Banner pulled out a larger screen from the bag, it lit up, beeping twice before it when dark. Banner started at my feet and I kept myself as still as possible. As he moved the screen up I could see the reflection of my legs turning transparent and then showing the bones.

"So is it a no speaking thing between you two or is it no contact?" he asked me.

"I don't know yet. I haven't had a chance to ask him which one he prefers." I answered him. Banner shrugged.

"All in due time." he said.

As Banner got higher and higher, closer to my stomach, I got nervous and my heart began to race. The screen went right over and Banner didn't seem to noticed anything.

"Well, everything looks normal, so I wouldn't worry about any breakage." he said. I sat up a soon as he stepped back. "I want to take a blood sample, make sure you haven't developed any infections or taken on any other random diseases from masked vigilante."

Banner took the blood sample via-needle and sent half of it through a small device that he had on hand with him. Then he sent the other half through another device.

"Think he's brooding on a ledge somewhere?" Banner nudged my good arm. 

"He's probably off destroying some poor brick wall or tearing up the road on that bike."

"Fair enough." Banner adjusted his glasses on his nose, his screen flashing '50% Complete'. "Ever known him to get violent with you."

"No, he's never been violent." I shook my head, knowing he only asked with good intentions. "Maybe he squeezed my hand too tight, but that's as forceful as he's gotten."

"Well good. That's great to hear." The device beeped and he stood up to read the results. "Alright, everything looks okay... Good news is the Aether has gone dormant, despite the sudden spike I noticed in it's cells with your blood cells."

"How is that good news?"

"It means that as of right now, you shouldn't be feeling the effects of it." He gestured to my arm, "I know there are still patches here and there but those go away on their own."

"Yeah, slow as hell." 

"Now for the sorta bad news." He turned to face me, lowering the device to my eye-level.

"Sorta bad?"

Banner flipped the screen around, showing me a black and white image, it looked blurred in the middle.

"I found this during the scan. Do I need to explain it to you?" He asked softly, purposefully lowering his voice for any lingering ears. "I'm hoping you're going to tell me I don't need to."

I nodded to him, my eyes welled with tears I desperately wanted to cry. "I know what that is."