《The Darkest Star》
One
¡°What is that building over there?¡± A girl, around five,asks.
¡±It¡¯s a nuclear plant. They have to keep it out of the city in case something goes wrong.¡± A woman says, glancing over at the building in the desert.
¡°Oh.When will we get there?¡± The girl asks.
¡°Still 40 minutes.¡± The woman laughs.
She turns on the radio.
¡°I love this song!¡± The girl says.
I awake from the nightmaresweating. I¡¯m in the hospital. Like usual. Like I have been for the past week. The accident really banged me up.Two broken ribs, damaged vocal cords,a twisted ankle, and an infection in the cut on my forehead. Not to mention my mental issues. I jump as the door slams shut. Two doctors and one tough-looking guy with an eyepatch walk in.
¡°This is her?¡± The Eyepatch Guy says.
The doctors both nod. They show him a few things on the computer and walk over.
¡±Hi.¡± A doctor says. ¡°I¡¯m Daisy Willows, the other doctor is Janice Jackson, and he¡¯s Nick Fury.¡±
That¡¯s it.Theyrun some tests on me, and suddenly Fury speaks.
¡±Are her vocal cords repaired enough to talk?¡± He asks Jackson.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
She shrugs.
¡°Maybe. We can try.¡± She says, and nods to me. ¡°Try saying your name, since we don¡¯t know that.¡± She says.
¡°My...¡± I pause.
I clear my throat, noticing how husky and unused my voice is.¡°My name is..... Ka-a-¡° and then I start coughing. Jackson jabs a needle into my arm, and everything goes black.
One week later
¡±Hi, Cassie.¡± Willows says as I come to. ¡°That¡¯s your name, right? Cassie?¡±
I look up at her. That name makes me feel a pang of regret and sadness.
¡°What about your last name? Wait, don¡¯t talk. I¡¯ll try to guess.¡± She pulls out a piece of paper. ¡°CassieWalker? That¡¯s the name we found on your tablet. Cassie Rose Walker.¡± She says, and write some something down.
She doesn¡¯t see me shake my head. Katie. Katie Elisabeth Wilson. Cassie is dead. Cassie is dead.I think, and a tearstreamsdown my face. Then something amazing happens. I speak my first normal-sounding sentences since the accident.
¡±I¡¯m not Cassie. I¡¯m Katie. Cassie is dead. I should be too...right?¡±
The next day I take my first steps. I¡¯ve been hounding Willows and Jackson with questions ever since I got used to talking again. They explained everything to me.
After the accident, I waited near the car wreckage. A plane sent to collect the bodies found me. They quickly discovered how radioactive I was and made a call to S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D took me to their best doctors, Willows and Jackson, who were very puzzled about my radiation. Then they found a shard of glass from the nuclear plant in my arm, and once they removed it, I returned to an almost normal amount of radioactivity.
I woke up a week after I got here. And I remember the rest. They didn¡¯t want to tell this to me until I was able to talk. I wanted to know everything about S.H.I.E.L.D, but Jackson said no. Finally Willows said, for every three steps I take, she¡¯d tell me something about S.H.I.E.L.D. So far I know that S.H.I.E.L.D is a sort of army place? And they said Fury wants to speak with me. I wonder why. By the end of the day, they¡¯ve run out of things to say.
So I ask them, ¡°Why am I still here? I¡¯m fully healed, even if I should be dead. Why am I still here?¡±
Two
The woman and the girl listen to the reading in the car. They dance to the music and have a great time.
¡°How old are you?¡± The girl asks.
¡°I¡¯m eighteen. How old are you?¡± The woman says.
¡°Six.¡± The girl says.
Then the radio changes to someone talking in an urgent voice.
¡°...City near road 332, I repeat, bombers approaching Kansas City near road 332. Everyone must evacuate immediately.¡±
I sit in the hospital lounge, processing what Willows and Jackson told me. I should be getting to bed, but I can¡¯t. They told me that if the bombs and explosions didn¡¯t kill me, the shard of radioactive glass should have. And yet I sit here, feeling quite alive. Finally I get up and walk around the building, trying to find Fury. He wanted to see me anyways. I find him an hour later, in his office.
¡°You wanted to see me.¡± I say.
He turns away from his many computers.
¡±I didn¡¯t know it would be this late. But ok. Sit down.¡± He says, and gestures to a chair. ¡°So, Katie Wilson, was it? You look fresh, considering that you¡¯ve been in the hospital for almost two months.¡± He says, looking me up and down.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
I realize he¡¯s right. I did take a shower this morning, but I haven¡¯t touched makeup or exercised at all. Strange. Fury waits for me to answer. When I don¡¯t, he pulls up something on a tablet.
¡°You¡¯ve heard of the Avengers, right?¡± He asks.
I nod. ¡±Of course, everyone has.¡± I say.
¡°They want to meet you.¡± He tells me.
I stand there in shock. ¡°What? Why do they want to meet me?¡± I ask, and Fury shrugs.
¡°I have no idea. They just said that they¡¯d like to.¡± He says.
¡±All of them want to?¡± I ask suspiciously.
He shrugs again.
¡°I guess they just want to know how you survived.¡± He says, and turns to his computer. ¡°While you¡¯re here, I should ask you. Are you going to move back into your old city? Or will you stay here?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t go back to my old life. It would be too much. But I don¡¯t have a job here.¡± I say, and think about my possibilities.
Fury stops me short.
¡±I can offer you a job here. You could be very useful. You¡¯ll start training next week Monday, 8:00 AM, Training Hall. Give this¡±-he gives me an envelope-¡°to the Head Coach there. I¡¯ll see you around, kid.¡± He says, and dismisses me before I can ask what job it is.
The next day I find a sticky note on my nightstand. Strategy room, 12:00. I have over five hours until then. So I go to the gym after a quick breakfast. I want to be in good shape when my training starts tomorrow. When I get there, there¡¯s only a few people in the massive gym. And it¡¯s not like any gym. It has obstacle courses, shooting points, stuff like that. I think I can even see a swimming pool.
I spend around two hours lifting weights, running, and swimming. I¡¯m surprised at how easy it is. Ok, it¡¯s not easy, but it¡¯s not as hard as I expected. Weird. I spend the last hours before noon at the public library across the street. I borrow a few books and head back. I realize I¡¯m 10 minutes late, so I run to the Strategy room with my bag of books.
¡°Sorry I¡¯m la- hi.¡± I say.
Everyone else is already here.
Three
The announcer continues updating the woman as she drives a bit faster.
¡°What is that man saying?¡± The girl asks.
¡±Nothing important. The military is having a drill, that¡¯s all.¡± The woman says.
She turns the radio off and drives yet another 10 miles above the speed limit. Then she sees the planes.
¡°Do you want to play a game on my tablet?¡±
¡°Hi. I¡¯m Katie Wilson, as you probably know.¡± I say, to the room full of people.
Some of them wave.
¡°You¡¯re late.¡± Fury says.
¡±Hey! Only ten minutes!¡± I reply.
He just shrugs. ¡°So, Avengers, here she is. What did you want, anyways?¡± Fury asks them.
¡°I think we just wanted to see her. Unless she¡¯s some sort of alien, she should have died. She seems perfectly alright, though.¡± Black Widow says.
¡°That depends. She¡¯s been in the hospital for almost two months.¡± Fury says, ¡°Although she has done really well in the gym since then.¡± I raise my eyebrows.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Either he has no idea if I¡¯ve even been to the gym at all, and he¡¯s just guessing, or he¡¯s been spying on me.
¡°Well, whatever were going to talk about, we¡¯d better get started.¡± Captain America says.
I leave the room feeling happy. Fury finally revealed my mystery job as one of their agents. I have no idea why he¡¯s giving me a job like that. I was expecting something like ¡°librarian¡±. But what surprised me even more is that if I do a good job, I might get to work with the Avengers sometimes. Which would be cool. The rest of the time we mostly just chatted and they asked me a few questions about the accident. They were pretty cool. We all had a good laugh when Thor made a joke about Earthen toilets. It doesn¡¯t seem funny anymore, but it did at the time.
I head to the cafeteria and order a sandwich and coffee. When I get back to my room, I¡¯m surprised to find an iPhone 8 on my bed. There¡¯s a sticky note on it that says; This is yours for the time being. Keep it until you can buy your own. I spend about an hour setting the phone up, and surf around on the net. I¡¯m surprised to find that I¡¯m everywhere. Everywhere there¡¯s news about the ¡°miracle survivor¡± from the nuclear plant bombings. I¡¯m learning everything I can about it, when I come across something that makes me really mad at Fury.
The video was published just this morning. And it features me in the library. Fury wasn¡¯t only spying on me, he has been posting videos of me on YouTube. He himself said that he made sure no one knew who I was. I find more, too. Videos with captions like: Katie Wilson fully recovered: spotted in S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters. Videos that only Fury could have posted. I get so mad at him that I get up and go to o his office. He¡¯s not there. I sit and wait for him. After about ten minutes I leave and bump into him in the hallway. I let out my anger at him. He keeps a straight face.
¡°What, So you¡¯re not even going to admit it was you?!¡± I shout.
He looks around, probably for security cameras, and then turns to me.
¡°Agent Wilson. Katie. Look at me. I didn¡¯t post those videos.¡±
We¡¯re quiet for a second. Then it hits me like a blow on the face. If he didn¡¯t post them, someone else was. And that person could be two things: an outstanding hacker, or a double agent inside S.H.I.E.L.D.
Four
¡°Yay!¡± The girl squeals with delight.
She plays games on the woman¡¯s tablet while the woman slows down and watches the planes fly above her, closing in on the nuclear plant. She knows they can¡¯t escape in time. She pulls to a stop.
¡°I¡¯m going to take a break from driving.¡± She says as she watches the bombs drop.
On Monday I go to training. I immediately notice that they¡¯ve disabled the security cameras. I find the Head Coach. She greets me with a smile,and I give her the envelope. She reads the letter inside and nods.
¡±Hi, my name is Xanthe.¡± She says.
¡±Hi.¡± I answer.
She nods. ¡°You probably know that I know your name. Should I call you Katie, Agent Wilson, or even just Wilson?¡± Xanthe asks.
I shrug. ¡°Katie is fine. So what are we going to do here?¡± I ask her, and look around.
¡°Let¡¯s start with seeing what you can do. Here, let¡¯s do some obstacle courses.¡± She says, and we walk over to them.
After about an hour, she lets me take a break. She writes a few things down on her clipboard. After my break we head to the swimming pool. At first she makes me go back and forth, but after that she says I can leave. Altogether that was only an hour of training, and I have no idea what to to for the rest of the day. So I naturally go talk to Fury.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
¡°You¡¯ve got to stop bothering me 24/7, Wilson.¡± He says when I get to his office.
¡°Sorry. But it¡¯s not like I can talk to anyone else. Anyways. Where will I live when Jackson and Willows are done with me?¡± I ask.
Fury thinks about it for a minute, and then he seems to have remembered something. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. You¡¯ll either live in one of the apartments across the street, where lots of agents, including Cap, live. Or you can feel free to buy a house. Either one works for me.¡± He says.
¡±Ok. Willows said she¡¯ll be done with me in a few days. How much is the rent for one of the apartments?¡± I ask, expecting it to be very expensive.
¡±For a normal person, very expensive. For all agents, half-price. Courtesy of me and Coulson. Is that all?¡± He tells me.
I nod. ¡°¡®Bye.¡± I say.
Four days later I move into one of the apartments across the street. I¡¯m on the top floor, and it¡¯s super luxurious. I have a balcony that is almost as big as the house itself. It¡¯s so modern, and expensive that I can¡¯t even imagine what the original price was. The only problem is that if I were ever needed, it would take awhile to get from the fourteenth floor to the first.
Since I don¡¯t have any furniture yet, there¡¯s nowhere to sit. Except for a few chairs on the balcony. I bring two inside and put them in the living room. I wonder where I¡¯ll sleep tonight. After I explore the house, someone knocks on the door. I open it. No ones there. There¡¯s just a package. I take it inside, wondering how they delivered it. When I open it, I find a few things.
Snacks, a couple blankets, an air mattress and most importantly, a uniform. It¡¯s one piece, and even the gloves are attached. The neckline is up to my neck, and the fabric seems really durable. So, naturally, like a child, I wear it the rest of the day.
Five
...
...
...Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
¡±...No one will survive, we are coming to collect the bodies. Luckily only a few people died, plus those in the plant...¡± The radio drones on.
The woman sits up, remembering everything.
¡°I should be dead. But I¡¯m alive..... wait. CASSIE!¡± She shouts, and runs over to the remains of the car.
Six
Nothing. Nothing is there. No one, dead or alive, sits in the back seat of the car. ¡°Cassie? Cassie? Cassie Rose Walker, you¡¯d better be here somewhere!¡± The woman shouts, and breaks into tears.
She find the remains of her tablet. And she waits.
¡ªTIME SKIP¡ª
I¡¯m lying in a bed. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s mine, unless someone moved me there. I can¡¯t remember... what happened? Everything seems hazy, straight out of a...
¡°Katie.¡±
...dream. What? That didn¡¯t happen in real life. I look around the dark room for anyone. I seem to be alone. Now I can see that I most definitely am not in my room. I¡¯m in...
¡°Katie, listen. Concentrate.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
...a room with a desk, a bookshelf and a shower curtain hanging to the left of me.
Wait. It happened again. The voice.
¡°You can do it. Good. Now try answering back.¡±
It says again. But this time I pay attention. I find it rather hard to remember what they said, now that they¡¯re not saying it anymore. But I answer the call. (A/N: if speech is marked like ¡®this¡¯ it¡¯s Katie thinking back, and if it¡¯s like ¡°this¡± it¡¯s the mysterious voice.)
¡®Who are you? Why can I hear you?¡¯
¡°I don¡¯t know. I assume it¡¯s because you¡¯re dreaming.¡±
¡®No I¡¯m not, I¡¯m awake...¡¯
¡°Are you sure?¡±
I pause, considering the fact that I may be asleep.
¡®No...¡¯
¡°Exactly. I think you are having a dream, a deep one, as if you wouldn¡¯t be able to wake... And that would allow us to communicate.¡±
¡®That... kinda makes sense? Wait, how do you know my name?¡¯
¡°I¡¯ve had dreams about you, Katie. Glimpses. It reminds me of when I had glimpses of my... actually, I¡¯m not supposed to tell you yet.¡±
¡®What? Do I know you or something? Tell me your name!¡¯
¡®Hello?¡¯
¡°Look for me in your dreams...¡±
Seven
¡°Jackson? Jackson, come take a look at this.¡± A nurse beckons over to a doctor.
¡°What is it? It looks, it looks like-¡°
¡°Yes. Pure Energy.¡±
¡°How? I thought pure energy was found only in-¡°
¡°Shh. Not here. They¡¯re listening. Look.¡± The nurse points at the ceiling, where a fly buzzes around the light bulb.
¡ªTIME SKIP¡ª
I sit on the floor in the back of the truck, just as I have for the past few hours. I wonder where we¡¯re going next. I look out the small window at the blurry fields we¡¯re driving past. Earlier today I was taken from my ¡°room¡± (more like a jail cell) and brought to this truck. Im thinking about the last time I saw my friends, when suddenly I see a blur of red outside, and a thump on the roof of the truck.
I stand up quickly, taking my hidden poisoned dart out of my shoe. Suddenly I hear the sound of metal against metal, and a piece of the roof falls into the truck. Cringing from the sound, I drop the dart and clamp my hands over my ears. I look around.
¡°Hi, are you Katie Wilson, also known as Viper?¡± Says a voice that sounds a few years younger than me.
I look up, seeing a figure in a red and blue suit with a mask on.
¡±Yes. Who are you?¡± I ask.
As he opens his mouth to answer, I jump as I hear shouting coming from the front of the truck.
¡±No time to explain. We have to leave before the drivers find out I¡¯m here. I heard this belongs to you.¡± He says, and pulls out a black skateboard with no wheels.
I smile.
¡°I¡¯ve missed that. How will you follow me?¡± I ask.
¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have a way. Let¡¯s go.¡± He says, and quite literally jumps out of the truck onto the roof.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
I take the flying board and follow him. It turns out he can shoot webs from his wrists, and manages to keep up with me on my skateboard. We go really fast, and I feel the wind in my hair as we zoom over the almost-empty road in the middle of nowhere. I laugh with joy, I haven¡¯t ridden this for more than 6 months.
¡°So who are you?¡± I ask.
¡±Well, you can call me Peter I guess. But to civilians I¡¯m Spider-Man.¡± He explains.
I laugh.
¡±Spider-Man? Why haven¡¯t I heard of you?¡± I ask.
¡°I only joined the avengers last month. You were in captivity for 7.¡± He says.
I lose my smile. 7 months. Of being in captivity. What else has changed since the battle 7 months ago?
¡°Oh.¡± Is all I manage to say.
We¡¯re silent for a moment, the wind rushing past us as we get closer and closer to the city.
¡±So... are you going to tell me your story? I¡¯ll make it easy for you. Why and how did you join the Avengers?¡± Peter asks.
¡±well, at first I was just an agent. After a few months, I started developing powers. I can convert energy like friction into a shockwave. Fury had me join then.¡± I tell him.
He nods.
¡°Ok. Cool. How did you end up at S.H.I.E.L.D.?¡±
¡°Oh. Um. Well, I was babysitting my best friends¡¯ daughter, Cassie. I was driving her home, and N.B.D. bombed a nuclear plant nearby. They took me to S.H.I.E.L.D., because I should have died.¡± I say.
He studies me closely.
¡°You don¡¯t look much older than I am. How old are you?¡± He asks.
¡°I turned 19 last week, actually, assuming it¡¯s the middle of July. Anyways, why did they send you to retrieve me? Why not like, an adult?¡± I ask, a bit teasingly.
He looks uncomfortable.
¡±Well, Fury is probably organizing a team to retrieve you right now. We only learned your location yesterday. But I sensed that it wouldn¡¯t work, so I went myself.¡± He says.
My heart pounds in my chest as we near the city. Soon enough I can see the headquarters. I land, picking up the board. Peter immediately runs off somewhere when we arrive, leaving me in the entryway. I start walking towards Fury¡¯s office.
¡°Katie? Katie, is that you?¡± Says a voice.
I turn around, face to face with my personal trainer and best friend, Xanthe. I run over to her and we embrace.
¡±Xanthe, it¡¯s so nice to see you!¡± I say.
Then someone behind me coughs. I turn around to see Fury.
¡°Hello, Wilson. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back. Will you come with me?¡± He says, and starts slowly walking away.
I follow, waving goodbye to Xanthe.
¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you until tomorrow. Well, I guess now we won¡¯t have to worry anymore. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll have Stark give a talk to Parker today. Go to your apartment, get cleaned up, and head to the meeting room at 13:00. You have 2 hours. See you then. Oh yeah. It¡¯d be better if you wore the suit.¡± He says, and enters his office.
I head to my apartment, excited to be home. As I finally arrive at the top floor, I have a moment where I can¡¯t find my keys. But then I remember that I didn¡¯t take them with me to the battle, so I didn¡¯t have them in captivity. I try to think of ways to break in, and finally realize that the front door is open. I step inside.
¡°It¡¯s good to be home.¡± I say to myself.
Eight
¡°So you¡¯re saying that she might lose control?¡±
¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying. Eventually the balance will get disrupted.¡±
¡±How will we know the symptoms?¡±
¡±Oh, we¡¯ll know. She¡¯ll lose control completely. Outbursts of anger, even turning against the team members.¡±
¡±What will we do?¡±
¡±Well there¡¯s only one thing we can do. Let it happen, and hope for the best.¡±
I¡¯ve just finished making pasta when someone knocks on the door. I take the pot off the stove and go to open it. It¡¯s Peter.
¡±Hi again. I said to Aunt May that I made a new friend and she told me to hang out with you. I also just wanted to stop by before the meeting. Mind if I come in for a sec?¡± He asks.
I smile.
¡°Sure, come on in. Do you want pasta?¡± I ask, gesturing to the kitchen.
¡°Weeeeelll, ok, I guess.¡± He says.
We eat the pasta and talk for awhile. We become really good friends, and soon were laughing our heads off. Before we know it, it¡¯s time to leave to the meeting.
¡°Hold on a sec, I¡¯m gonna get changed.¡± I say, and grab my old suit.
It¡¯s a one piece, shoes and all. It¡¯s all black. The right arm has a black glove attached, and on the left side there isn¡¯t a sleeve, but a glove with no fingers that reaches my elbows. All of it is bulletproof. For good measure, I bring the accessories. Two pin-sized filters that go on my nose to help me breath in smoke or gas, a tiny ear piece with my own personal Jarvis; Jubilee, and contact lenses with special features.
By the time I come back into the living room, Peter is already in his suit.
¡°Um, the window is open...¡± I tell him.
¡°Oh, actually I had this on under my clothes the whole time.¡± He explains.
I nod.
¡±Let¡¯s go, then.¡± I say, and grab my keys from off the table.
¡°Wait, aren¡¯t you going to bring your skateboard hover board thingy?¡± Peter asks. ¡°It is part of the suit. Also I think it¡¯s really cool and I want to see it.¡± He says, kind of laughing.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
¡°Oh yeah.¡± I say, and hold out my arm.
One second later, I¡¯m holding the board. ¡°Cool, right?¡± I say.
He nods. ¡°Oh shut up Karen.¡± He whispers.
I look at him quizzically. ¡°My name is Katie, not Karen.¡± I tell him.
¡±I know. I was talking to my own Jarvis, Karen.¡± He explains.
¡±Oh. I have one too. Jubilee.¡± I say.
He smiles. ¡°When Mr. Stark gave me this suit, I thought it was so cool to have Karen. Now I¡¯m thinking he gives one to everyone.¡± He says, and we both start laughing.
¡°So, Peter, are you going to the party? You know, the one Stark is hosting.¡± I ask.
¡±I might,¡± He says, shrugging, ¡°Are you?¡±
I nod. ¡°Maybe. It should be fun, but I don¡¯t really want to deal with the drama. Ok, let¡¯s go now. The meeting starts in 5.¡± I say, and we walk out of the house.
As usual, people stare at me as we walk on the sidewalks. With the help of my earpiece, I hear conversations everywhere. Soon people ask to take pictures with us. A few pictures and comments later, we make it to HQ. Fury is waiting for us at the doors.
¡°You¡¯re just in time. Come on in.¡± He says.
¡°Hi. I¡¯m Katie Waters, AKA Viper. You all know my backstory. Seven months ago, during the battle, I was captured by an organization known as CERBERUS. They took me to a far away headquarters. There, they experimented on me. I had just began to show my abilities, and they wanted to expand them.
¡°They would give me tonics or gas to improve my strength or healing speed. Then they would make me run a mile, or they would cut me. Just to see the results. They tried to brainwash me, but it didn¡¯t go as planned. By then they had already expanded my healing abilities so much that I could reverse even mental injuries, and I subconsciously reversed the effects of the brainwash.
¡°So they continued with their experiments. They put flakes of vibranium into my bloodstream, and embedded it into my skin, so I would be able to save energy from wounds, and release it in a shockwave. They had me fight with different weapons to see which ones work best with me. They decided on throwing knives and made two special ones. I never got to use them though. While I was being transported, I got rescued. And that¡¯s pretty much it.¡± I say.
Everyone is quiet for a moment. Then Fury speaks.
¡±Thank you, Wilson. This should be our plan of action; find out who CERBERUS is, and where they operate from, find out what their mission is, and find out why they only took Wilson. Any questions?¡± He asks.
¡±Yes. Wouldn¡¯t Wilson be a threat? She¡¯s been gone for several months. She could be on CERBERUS¡¯ side.¡± A man asks.
Fury thinks for a moment.
¡°Good question. Until we have proof, though, we¡¯ll just have to believe and trust her.¡± He says.
Everyone starts talking at once. Fury jerks his head towards the door. I follow him out of the room.
¡°Is it true, what you said?¡± He asks.
¡°Every word.¡± I tell him.
He nods slowly. I suddenly have an idea. ¡°Uh, Fury? Would it be possible for me to get a few throwing knives to train with?¡± I ask quietly.
He nods slowly.
¡°Yes, that could be a good idea. I¡¯ll make it work. Bye, Wilson.¡± He says, and walks away.
I head towards the cafe, wanting to grab a snack. As I¡¯m walking there, Peter catches up to me.
¡°I didn¡¯t see you leave.¡± He says.
I shrug.
¡°Everyone was shouting at eachother. Who would want to stay? I¡¯m just headed out for a snack, even though we just ate pasta, I know. Want to get something at the cafe?¡± I ask.
¡°Sure.¡± He says.
The cafe isn¡¯t very crowded. We head straight to the counter. I buy a pastry and hot chocolate, and Peter buys a sandwich. We sit at a table while we eat, talking.
¡°Karen thinks you¡¯re a show-off, and she¡¯s a bit jealous of Jubilee.¡± He says randomly.
I laugh. ¡°Okay.¡± I say, and the conversation begins from there.
Nine
¡°Why are you telling me this?¡±
¡±Because you are the head coach, Rivers. You will train her, and write notes.¡±
¡±What kind of notes?¡±
¡±Notes that capture every detail. You must write down every detail. What she says, how she reacts. And since you two have similar personalities, I want you to write down everything you would have done diffferently.¡±
¡±That¡¯s a lot of notes.¡±
¡±Well, that¡¯s the idea.¡±
The next day I get a call at 5AM from an unknown number.
¡°Hi, Katie Wilson here.¡± I say.
¡±Hi Katie. I¡¯m Maria Hill. I think we¡¯ve seen each other in HQ. Sorry for calling you this early. We have important information to share with you, and 5AM is the only time that it¡¯s safe to discuss.¡±
¡±Why? I didn¡¯t know we had security problems. Wait, why isn¡¯t Fury calling?¡± I ask accusingly.
¡±Good questions. It¡¯s not safe to tell you on the phone. And Fury¡¯s phone is watched. Meet you at the front doors. Bye.¡± Hill hangs up before I can ask anything else.
¡°What does she mean by ¡®Fury¡¯s phone is watched¡¯? That makes no sense.¡± I say to myself, walking out of my room.
Surprisingly, Jubilee answers from my speaker, which scares the crap out of me.
¡±I believe she will explain everything to you. You will be perfectly safe with Fury, Hill and me to guide you. But be careful what you say. You never know when... actually, that¡¯s probably not safe either.¡± She says wisely.
I roll my eyes. ¡±Jubilee, you¡¯re making no sense. Now tell me what you were going to say.¡± I command her.
She lets out a very fake-sounding and robotic sigh.
¡°Oh, alright. I was saying that you never know when someone might be, um, believing everything anyone says. That¡¯s definitely what I was going to say. No doubt.¡± She says quickly.
¡±You know, for a robot, you¡¯re really bad at lying.¡± I say, but I leave it at that.
If Fury, Hill and Jubilee are worried about something, it¡¯s definitely not nothing. So I grab my keys and phone, and leave quietly. I plug in my headphones and pretend to be listening to music. But really I¡¯m just listening to Jubilee. She tells me if anyone is watching me, what people are saying, and if anything suspicious is happening.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
And usually she has quite a lot to say herself. Like her opinion on that woman¡¯s pants, the best movies of 1978, stuff like that. But today she¡¯s oddly quiet. She only chats about how beautiful it is outside, and how it was such a good idea to go for a walk at 5AM.
¡°Jubilee, are you okay? You are acting really weird.¡± I tell her.
Maybe I should take her to Stark to get fixed.
¡°I¡¯m fine. Here, um, why don¡¯t you use your earpiece? You can probably hear me better with that.¡± She says brightly.
We both know that I can hear her better with headphones than the earpiece, but I trust her. I take out the headphones and put in my earpiece.
¡±Okay, why did you want me to put in the earpiece?¡± I ask.
¡±You¡¯ll see. We¡¯re almost there. Don¡¯t talk, just listen. Trust me.¡± She says. ¡°Okay. So, this morning, about two hours ago, someone hacked into SHIELD¡¯s security system. They¡¯re watching everyone¡¯s devices, even yours. Your earpiece is the only place it¡¯s safe to discuss anything, really. Oh look, here we are.¡± She tells me.
I look around to see if anything is watching me. I¡¯m about to unlock the doors with my ID card when I hear a voice coming from behind me. It¡¯s Maria Hill.
¡±We won¡¯t need to go inside. Follow me, and make minimal noise.¡± She says and starts walking quickly away from the building.
I follow her quickly, struggling to keep up. We walk for around 30 minutes through the nearby fields and forest until we arrive at a muddy stream.
¡°Wait here.¡± Hill says, and walks upstream a ways.
After a few minutes of searching, she pulls a chain out of a hidden hole in the ground, that simultaneously pulls a metal gate in front of the water, blocking it¡¯s path.
¡°What is that for?¡± I ask.
¡±You¡¯re about to find out.¡± She replies, and walks past me.
Now that the dam is in place, blocking off the water, I see that there is a metal trapdoor in the damp ground where the stream used to flow. Hill takes a key out of her pocket and inserts it into a slot. The trapdoor slides open.
¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be more secure?¡± I ask.
¡±It is more secure. If anyone on the ¡®bad side¡¯ were to steal my key and climb down that ladder, the rungs could tell that their handprint isn¡¯t one of the handprints I¡¯ve approved, and kick them out. Does that make sense?¡± She explains.
I nod slowly.
¡±I think so. But how would it kick them out?¡± I ask, wishing I wasn¡¯t so clueless.
¡±I¡¯ll show you. Come on in.¡± She says, and climbs down.
She waits for me at the bottom.
¡°There are two doors here. One of them is the real room that we¡¯re trying to get in. The other leads to a trap that sends an alert to my phone once it¡¯s been used. See, this one-¡° she points to the door on the left ¡°-is locked. The other one isn¡¯t. Ok, this is getting confusing. So, the one on the left is actually a faux bathroom. It¡¯s always locked, and if you touch it is alerts me. The one on the right is a long passageway with a locked door at the end. If you touch that door, the floor falls away and you end up in a pool of tar. The trick is the doorframes. If you put the key in a hidden compartment in the doorframe and knock seven times, the trap is disabled. You can open the door and enter the hideaway. Got that? Key in compartment, knock seven times.¡± She says quickly.
I nod. ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± I say.
Hill opens a seemingly invisible compartment in the bottom left corner of the frame and knocks on the door seven times. She waits a few seconds and turns the door knob. Lights flicker and turn on in a long, long hallway.
¡°After you.¡± She says, and gestures to the foreboding yet neat passageway.
I step inside. We walk silently for what must have been 10 minutes before we reach a second door.
¡°The moment of truth.¡± I hear Hill say to herself.
She turns the door knob. Nothing happens. We step inside. Fury stands at the center of the room.
¡°Finally, I¡¯ve been standing here for an hour.¡±
Ten
¡°That¡¯s it, isn¡¯t it.¡±
¡±What?¡±
¡±The activator.¡±
¡±I¡¯m still not catching on.¡±
¡±It was the nuclear blast. It activated the magnets.¡±
¡±You think so?¡±
¡±Yes.¡±
I follow Fury and Hill into a room full of computers. Peter and Tony Stark are waiting inside.
¡±Why are they here?¡± I ask.
¡±We are the only avengers with Fridays or Karens or Jubilees.¡± Stark answers for me.
¡±Exactly,¡± Fury says, ¡°You three are the only ones with secure lines that go straight to me.¡±
¡°Yes. So, you all play a bigger part in this than the other avengers.¡± Hill says.
¡±If I may say so myself,¡± says Stark, ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re very qualified for this. I mean, Parker is literally 15, Wilson is 18 and doesn¡¯t have much experience, and I¡¯m not really sure that¡¯s good for whatever mission this is.¡± Everyone is quiet for a moment.
¡±Anyways... your mission is simple. In fact, it¡¯s more of an off and on mission,¡± Fury says, ¡°Stark, I¡¯ll tell you your mission once everyone else is gone. It¡¯s for us only. Got that?¡± We all nod.
¡°So, Parker, Wilson, your mission is to report,¡± Hill continues, ¡°Tell us everything out of the ordinary that happens. Like, if someone knows something they shouldn¡¯t, like about this place, or about you, they¡¯re probably part of CERBERUS. Tell Karen or Jubilee to take a picture through your earpiece or contacts, and report here. I will give you keys for this lab. Oh yeah. You should wear your earpiece and Wilson, your contacts whenever possible. Is that clear?¡±
¡±Yes.¡± I say, while Peter nods.
¡±Good. Now if you two and Maria would go wait outside, I hear there¡¯s a nice living room somewhere in this lab.¡± Fury says.
We exit the room. As soon as the door clicks shut, we bombard Hill with questions.
¡±What about the other Avengers?¡±
¡±yeah, I literally live upstairs from Steve.¡±
¡±Do they even know where we are?¡±
¡±When do we get to go home?¡±
Hill sighs.
¡°Actually, you won¡¯t get to go home until Stark, Fury and I have checked your homes for cameras.¡± She says.
Peter goes pale. ¡°But Aunt May! She¡¯ll be so worried!¡± He practically shouts.
¡±We¡¯ll take care of that. You two need to stay here.¡± She replies calmly.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
¡±Why, because we¡¯re children? I¡¯m old enough to drive! I¡¯m an adult, too!¡± I say.
I know I¡¯m being unreasonable, and that they probably have a good explanation, but I was up since 5, and haven¡¯t eaten since dinner last night.
Hill shrugs, ignoring my outburst. ¡±Wilson, you¡¯re not even old enough to drink. Besides, you haven¡¯t even trained for a situation like this. Just stay here, and don¡¯t get in to trouble. I¡¯m going to get snacks, and we can watch a movie.¡± Hill says, and turns back towards the kitchen.
Peter and I don¡¯t say anything for awhile. Eventually I sit on the couch and pull out my phone. But then I remember the danger, and I put it back again. Pretty soon, Hill comes back with popcorn and a few bars of chocolate.
¡°This place has food?¡± I ask, questioning how old the food might be.
¡±Yes, it has a cabinet that keeps food fresh. Here.¡± She hands me a chocolate bar.
¡°Thanks,¡± I say, ¡°Peter, what movie do you want to watch?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know. You choose.¡± He says, walking towards the couch.
Eventually we decide on To All The Boys I¡¯ve Loved Before. Or should I say, Hill and I did. Peter said he would rather explore. After the movie Hill sends me to find Peter. She also says to stay with him until the others find us. So I wander down the same hallway I think Peter went.
Eventually I find him in a huge, dusty gym. He¡¯s sitting up high on a metal beam that runs from one side of the gym to the other.
¡°Hi.¡± I say.
¡±Hi. How was the movie?¡± He asks.
¡±Pretty good. Find anything interesting?¡± I ask.
¡±Well, I found a chocolate stash in one of the many kitchens. This place is huge.¡± He tells me.
I look around at the windowless walls. Peter jumps down from the beam.
¡°What else have you done?¡± I wonder.
¡±Well, training I guess. Karen has been teaching me new moves.¡± He says.
¡°Cool. Are you excited for school to start in a few weeks?¡± I ask.
He laughs, and sighs dramatically.
¡±Dont remind me. But I guess there¡¯s some good things. I¡¯ll see my friends. I haven¡¯t seen Ned for awhile.¡± He says.
¡±Ned?¡± I ask, confused.
¡±Oh yeah, you don¡¯t know Ned! He¡¯s my best friend.¡± He explains.
¡±Well now I know everything about him,¡± I joke, ¡°does he know you¡¯re Spider-Man?¡±
¡°Yeah. He found out last year, I climbed in through the window.¡± He says, smiling.
I laugh. That¡¯s totally something Peter would do. We talk for a few minutes.
¡°So, how exactly do your abilities work?¡± He asks.
I sigh. ¡±It¡¯s hard to explain. Basically, I gather energy from friction and movement, like walking. I can convert that energy into power, I guess. Like this.¡± I say.
I stomp the ground. Peter¡¯s hair blows in the invisible wind. He loses balance for a second.
¡°I used a fraction of energy from the stomp to create a tiny shockwave.¡± I explain.
¡±That¡¯s awesome.¡± He says.
Just then the others walk in.
¡°There you are.¡± Says Hill.
¡±Ok. Now that we¡¯re all here, let¡¯s take a tour. This is the fourth gym. I had forgotten about it until now.¡± Fury says.
For a long time, we get a tour of the base. It is truly enormous. It takes 20 minutes to walk from one end to the other, at least according to Hill. We walk towards the corridor with a bunch of hotel-like rooms. Fury has us each choose one. I end up between Hill and Stark. Fury and Peter are across the hall from us.
My room is a bit smaller than my apartment, but well-organized. It has a bed in the corner, a table with four chairs, a couch, even a small, square TV. It¡¯s luxurious for an underground base. I get settled, and soon Hill comes in to ask if I could help make dinner. Could it be dinner time already? I check the clock, and sure enough, it¡¯s almost seven. Hill and I make eggs and bacon. Neither of us are good cooks.
¡°So, where is everyone?¡± I ask.
¡±Fury and Stark are planning something for a mission, and Peter wasn¡¯t in his room.¡± She says.
I sit at a table and start eating. Soon Stark and Fury wander in with Peter.
¡°Where were you?¡± I ask.
¡±He was listening to us. Luckily we caught him.¡± Stark says.
Peter rolls his eyes. We spread out over the two small tables in the room. Stark and Peter come to sit with me, while Maria and Fury sit together. We all eat. Luckily, the eggs aren¡¯t too bad, because I burned the bacon. Everyone eats it, and no one complains, so I feel accomplished. After dinner Stark calls my name.
¡±Wilson, I was wondering if you would come with me. I have something for you in the workshop.¡± He says.
¡±Okay.¡±
We walk for a few minutes until we reach the workshop.
¡°Wilson, this is your new suit.¡± He says, gesturing to something on the table.
At first glance it looks like my old one. When I take a closer look, I see that it¡¯s not. I gasp.
¡±It¡¯s amazing!¡±