The Field Trip Chapter 1
‘Hello small Midgardian’ Thor greets as I storm into the penthouse
‘Got to kill Stark’ is all I mutter under my breath but admit defeat on finding the illustrious Iron Man within seconds and crash onto my bed instead.
Its dinner when my secret finally comes out. Once a week Tony forces us into a team supper and it takes only 5 seconds into the meal for Clint to pass Tony a small slip, I recognize.
‘Hey Metal Man, Red here has had a little surprise at school she needs permission for’ the spy states and the rest of the table gather around to read it.
‘you are in deep shit’ Clint points out among other comments. I sink my head into my hands
‘Lord lend me patience or a handgun’
A gun is thrust into my field of vision by a long slender hand I blink quickly. Bucky is passing a small silencer my way.
‘Absolutely not. Creepy Russian sensibilities away please.’ Stark counters snatching the gun off the smirking man
Clint tries to slip me a knife but Steve catches him at it and confiscated the weapon.
‘nope, no weapons for small children today’ he states, but misses Val finally pushing a taser into my hands
‘Okay so, team meeting on Thursday-the day before the trip, everyone but Red is invited. FRIDAY create a protocol called ‘Mission Possible-Embarrass Red AKA revenge is a dish best served cold’ Tony laughs mirthlessly. I slip into a pit of despair and do not leave it until Friday.
***
On Friday morning I wake up to a small rustling in my vents. I groan inwardly and yell out-still half asleep
‘Clint Barton get the hell out of my vents or you may be getting one of my throwing knives lodged in an uncomfortable location’ I bellow.
When I get no reply I send a stream of Dawn directly to the hinges holding the vent in place. With a huge crash and a pile of metal the archer comes smashing to the ground. He bounds up again and winks
‘well that was harsh’ he signs furiously at me
‘but necessary’ I sign back, then roll my eyes ‘you lose your hearing aids again?’
He frowns ‘Peter webbed them to the ceiling cus I crashed his Mario cart meaning Nat won’
‘Okay’ I sign back ‘Go bribe him with Bucky’s cookies-and leave’ I push his out of the room with a wall of dawn and roll over closing my eyes again but FRIDAY’s voice rings out
‘Sorry but Mr Stark says ‘Up Twinkle fingers or I’ll send Clint in again’ I groan (outwardly that time)
‘Tell Old Man I say-you sent him? Traitor but I’m coming on the bribe of cookies for breakfast’
FRIDAY pauses for a moment then replies in Stark’s voice
‘Whatever means necessary to get you out of bed and to school in time Red, see you soon’
I roll out of bed and search through my wardrobe for something to wear. I decide on grey jeans, a plain white top with a tiny bee on it and a random hoodie that says ‘Superhero is disguise’ that Nat got me as a joke a few months ago. And walk into the kitchen, the whole gang is there. Peter sitting on the ceiling, Steve and Bucky at the stove and Tony and Carol sitting around the table.
After a few minutes of frenzied eating (3 people with high metabolism are hard to feed) I speak up.
‘So I know you know I have a trip here today. And I also know you are my family’
‘Indeed that is correct young bean’ Stark booms, peter snorts into his orange juice
‘and you are all nice people’ I continue glaring daggers at him
‘Debatable’ Peter grins
‘So will not embarrass me in front of my class’
‘Yep-nope’ Clint states simply. I consider face slamming into my scrambled eggs
***
As the bus draws up outside, I release a shaky breath
‘it’ll be fine’ Alex reassures, and I nod noiselessly
Everyone streams out of the doors, overly excited to see the place where superheroes live. Mrs Scott is the teacher with us, tall, blunt, and shockingly homophobic at times, I grimace as Alex and me, long with the popular gang are placed in her group
‘ha’ Izzie calls out ‘now we’ll finally be able to prove Piris’s internship is a fake’ the class laughs as we pass through the big glass doors. At once the two receptionists-Luke and Harriet leap up
‘hello and welcome to the Avengers compound, our names are Luke and Harriet, and we will be taking you around today’ Luke grins at me and adds
‘hey Red’ and winks. Izzie is almost speechless.
‘So, we are going to start by handing out all the visitor badges, they will give you access to floors 1-50.
Here at Stark Industries we have 10 levels of badges. Level one tours and guest, you’ve access to floors 1-50. Level 2 is for paparazzi, who are the same as tours but can take pictures. Level 3 are janitors and other staff like that. Level 4 are Interns and temporary scientists, like me. We have access to levels 1-60 which is the same as you but includes the labs. 5, 6 and 7 are just normal staff, higher level interns and scientists. but at level 8 are the SHEILD agents and temporary guest living quarters access floors 1-80. Then we get onto the exciting stuff. Level 9 gives access to the Avengers who don’t live here like King T’Challa, they have access to all floors 1-90, 70-90 are training rooms basically and Mr Stark and Dr Banners private labs-so everything except the penthouse, who are Level 10, the penthouse is floors 90-100 and are living quarters to Mr and Mrs Stark and the other Avengers that live here, on sight as well as the 3 heirs, their badges are customised but recognizable by the gold rim.’
We proceed to the desk and he hands everyone out visitor badges, excluding Al and I who are already logged on FRIDAY’S system. Mrs Scott notices this and asks quickly
‘excuse me, two of my students have not received any badges’
Harriet replies with a smile ‘Al and Red are already on the system; they have retina scans, badges and fingerprint’
‘Oh’ Mrs Scott replies simply and hurries us towards the scanner. Izzie, of course pushes to the front first.
‘Izzie Davids. Level 1 access. Welcome’ FRIDAY’s robotic voice rings out from the speakers, everyone looks around in shock
‘that’s FRIDAY the AI Tony Stark invented to help run the Compound. Please carry on going through’ Luke prompts. The students mill through quickly
‘Whitmore Kashuf. Level 1 access. Welcome’
‘Isabella Stephens. Level 1 access. Welcome’
Then Alex’s turn come
‘Alex Major AKA Al, welcome back Al. Access level 9’ FRIDAY states and the students look around. Izzie searches for an insult.
‘you get your nerdy friend to hack into the systems PIris’ she shoots at me from the other side of the scanner holding up my gold rimmed bi flag coloured card Val got me.
‘don’t get Al into this’ I say sadly stepping though the scanner, if possible, FRIDAY’S voice brightens if possible
Hello, Red, how are you’ she asks as I step out
‘good thanks, what about you’ I reply casually, as if is totally normal to have a conversation with an AI-which it is.
‘Great, thank you for asking. Level 10 access. Mr Stark would like me to tell you that he says welcome to your group and that you did not make your bed this morning; he is not mad-just disappointed. Ms Romanoff says she is home, все будет хорошо, детка, рассвет Или я убью людей, которые делают что-то не так and please can you stop leaving your school shit around the god damned tower, Clints tripped over it twice already today. Steve and Bucky have made cookies to make up for the message from Nat as they can assume it is something a) terrifying b) terrifying’ (Nat says: I'll handle anyone who makes this trip a problems)
I turn bright red and reply quickly ‘please tell Tony I am extremally sorry and Nat спасибо, и если это Клинт или Рози, я помогу тебе избавиться от тел, oh and thank Uncle Cap for the cookies’ I add, smiling slightly (Red says: Thank you, and if it's Clint i'll help you get rid of the body)
‘Message relayed. Would you like me to tell your girlfriend or boss you’re here’ FRIDAY suddenly asks calmly. The class gapes, they don’t know about Val, or that im gay or that I have anyone at all. I take a deep breath and reply, hopefully soundly calmer than I feel.
‘yes, please FRI’ I turn to my also speechless teacher ‘Mrs Scott do we have a break at all?’
‘at…at 10:30’ she replies, stammering slightly, I catch Al’s eye and bite back a grin
‘Please may you ask Val to meet me in the lounge at 10:30 and Nat to join us at quarter to’ I say as we begin walking down the corridor
‘no need Red’ FRIDAY replies, ‘The Black Widow is on her way to join you now, and will be accompanying you on the first part of the tour’
‘Thanks Fri, that’ll be all’ I call back as we reach the first door, and the guides turn around preparing to talk
‘any time, Red’ the AI replies ‘I’ll remind Brunhilde at 25 pasts’
The class explodes with questions ‘who is Brunhilde’ ‘why do you have level 10’ ‘you have a girlfriend?’ but I cut my voice over the rest
‘I have level 10 and my own room from my internship, most of the Avengers are close friends and Brunhilde Valkyrie heir to the throne of Asgard is my girlfriend’ I state quickly ‘any questions?’ for once the room is silent. Until a particularly obnoxious boy at the back calls out
‘yes, sure and I’m dating The Black Widow’ the rest snickers
‘Aw, I wish you’d told me, I would have brought flowers’ a voice dripping with sarcasm emerges from the shadows
‘well done мой ребенок, great explanation’ Natasha is leaning against the door, curly-red hair loose around her shoulders, dressed in her signature black cat suit, guns and tasers hung around her hips.
‘Auntie Nat!’ I close to squeal and run through the crowd to my mentor hugging her tightly. Nat has been away in Ecuador for a fortnight locking down a drug bust, and I’m been surprised how much I’ve missed her sneaking up on us, or Russian and pointe lessons. She gives me a little squeeze
‘рада тебя видеть, я надеюсь, ты не отставал от своего русского’ (good to see you too, I hope you have been keeping up with your Russian) she smirks
‘конечно’ (of course) I reply, laughing at Izzie’s surprised face.
‘Alright everybody’ Luke tries to call over the din, but it remains constant
‘Quiet’ Widow yells, taking her face at the front and switching into tough stony spy mode. At once the class hushes. I almost laugh.
‘all right everyone, first we will be looking through the museum then be taking you on a tour of the compound.’
We set off down the steel and glass corridor. Nat falls back, possibly to talk to Al and me but is intercepted by Izzie
‘Hey Nat’ she says mimicking my greeting to the spy and walking happily alongside the assassin. Widow stares ahead blankly and replies coldly
‘It’s Ms Romanoff, Agent or Ms Widow to you.’
I bite down a laugh as Izzie’s face falls. ‘but PIris’ she whines. Nat turns on her looking bemused.
‘мой рассвет is a close friend and colleague, she has earnt the right to know me.’ And with that the spy turns tail and walk directly to Alex and me.
‘exhausting child’ she whispers to us as we enter the museum and then vanishes wordlessly into the shadows.