Ghost - An Avengers Fanfiction

Chapter 10

Sophie Shepherd. Clint finally had a name to put with the girl. Now he could search through S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database and get the information he needed. Clint quickly tried to work out a way to discreetly get a message to Larson outside, so he could do the search, but Clint didn't want to leave the girl alone with Banner, and he couldn't use his ear piece or Sophie would hear him.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Sophie." Banner nodded to her, smiling. She gave a quick nod, then turned her attention to Clint. Banner went back to fixing her hand, the final few stitches going in. "Go ahead." She said flatly. Clint frowned, confused by her words. Seeing this, the girl gave an impatient sigh. "Go ahead and tell them to search my name. I know you want to." She explained, before turning to face Bruce again. Clint remained still for a moment, thinking about what she had said. Then he reached his hand up to his earpiece communicator, "Agent Larson, go find Agent Hill. Run a search on the name Sophie Shepherd." He ordered, his eyes never leaving Sophie's impassive face. "Yes sir." Larson's reply crackled with static as it came through Clint's earpiece.

"There we go. " Bruce finished wrapping a bandage around Sophie's hand. She inspected his handiwork, before nodding her thanks. "I'll need your help to take the stitches out in a few hours Doctor Banner." She said softly her eyes meeting Bruce 's. He looked surprised for a split second, before he remembered the accelerated healing they assumed she had. His eyes travelled over the multiple scars that were scattered across her face, reminders of the events of the night before. "May I?" Bruce asked quietly. The girl hesitated, then nodded silently. Bruce stood and stepped closer to her, his hands slowly reaching up. He inspected the scars on her forehead, running his fingers expertly over the scarred skin.

"Care to tell us about your accelerated healing?" Clint probed gently. The girl paused, her eyes glazing over as she thought. "I do heal quickly." She finally said. Bruce had stepped back and was now seated in front of her again. Sophie raised her injured hand slightly, the Ironband clanging against the bed as she did. "This will be fully healed within the next 6 - 8 hours." She explained. "That's why you want me to take the stitches out soon." Bruce mused. Sophie nodded silently.

"What about your -" Clint started, but the girl interrupted him. "You can stop asking your stupid questions." She hissed angrily. "I was awake when you both walked in, I heard everything you said. I would've thought S.H.I.E.L.D. would be smart enough to realise that sedatives and anaesthetics don't work properly on me." She glared bitterly at Clint. He matched her gaze, his eyes somewhat hardened by her outburst.

"Then you know what I want to know. What are you going to do about it?" He asked, his voice sounding harsher than he meant. She didn't respond immediately, her cold blue eyes glaring back into his. Then she sighed and ran her hand through her hair, suddenly looking tired and young again. She looked over to Bruce, who had been watching their exchange with a kind of awed fascination, but he quickly swapped this with a look of curiosity.

Sophie dropped her gaze to the floor. "Yes, I can teleport. I have been able to do so for a few years now. Yes, I was exposed to gamma radiation. That was part of the experimental process they did. I'm still thirteen, not fourteen like Doctor Banner suggested. I can tell you now, Agent Barton, that searching my name in whatever database you have won't find any real information on me, and yes, Doctor Banner, you may take a blood sample. I'm not really in a position to stop you doing so." She said all this quickly, her voice impassive. Clint took a second to process this new information, before nodding to Bruce, who looked a little shellshocked still. Bruce got up slowly at Clint's nod, and set about getting a syringe ready.

"Why won't we find any information on you?" Clint asked.

"My American records stop when I was four. There won't be anything after that." She replied cryptically.

"Why do they stop when you're four?"

"Because that's when I died."

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Short chapter sorry, but I liked the idea of ending it there. The next chapter will be another information chapter I'm afraid, but this is all setting up what will hopefully be a good story :)

Thanks guys!

- Ruby