The Field Trip Chapter 3
The tour carries in the down the stairs lobby with us slowly filing through the meeting and business rooms, the next is more interesting, as we make our way up to the labs FRIDAYS voice fills the elevator.
‘good morning all, I have a message for Red, you would like me to announce it now or wait until you are in private?’ a few students jump but I grin
‘that depends FRI, who’s it from’ I ask hesitantly
‘Steve’ is the AI’s short response I grin to myself as murmurs fill the elevator and a few people nudge each other
‘sure’ I reply (knowing Steve wouldn’t do anything to bad) and the AI quotes in the Cap’s voice
‘I know you said no embarrassing you kid, but it’s our job-or at least Starks told us to be there for your group- so see you and your friends in the lab, I’ll be with Banner. Oh, and Shuri’s arrived from Wakanda. Warning there’s three of us on all levels…. So be prepared’
I swear quietly to myself. He waits a second as if waiting for a reply then FRIDAY announces-still in Cap’s voice
‘language’
the message cuts off as the door opens, questions dying on lips as my classmates take in the scene in front of them, I smile to my self-remembering the first time I saw the lab floor.
The entire floor is a single room, rows of white desks, shelves and cupboards line the walls, people bustle around busily in long white coats chatting and sharing ideas. Al has been put on a different group, so I follow the gang in alone. Smiling to myself I notice my friends giggling and nudging each other as they spot Cap talking to someone across the lab. A few come over to me, still giggling-I resist the urge to roll my eyes.
‘PIris, you know the Captain right, or at least Iz says you do so…’ she doesn’t finish but another takes over
‘could you introduce us…. Pleeeease’ I grimace internally
‘fine I agree-but no more questions about me living here and Val and stuff’ I bargain leading the way across the lab
‘wait you live here-’but the question isn’t finished as I stop in front of Steve
‘hey uncle cap’ I say to him, hearing titters behind me at the name ‘these guys wanted me to introduce you’ the girls virtually pop out from behind my back
‘this is Lilly, Maggie, Sophie and JoJo’ with that I turn tail and leave ‘bye guys, bye cap’ I hear the girls asking eager question and some phone shutters going as well, but turn my attention to actually touring the lab like the others, even asking some questions to the few scientists who didn’t know me as Red Dawn, just a school kid.
A few people stop outside a frosted glass private lab
‘Why does it say, ‘gay disasters #2 and #3 and Straight boi but still a disaster?’ they question reading the plaque outside the door. I turn red, this is my, Val and Peter’s lab. I cut in before the tour guide can explain
‘They are just some very important interns, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if you looked’ I say trying to draw people’s attention off the embarrassing sign. I walk up to the door and place my hand in the space between the signs, FRIDAYs voice rings out
‘Hello Red, welcome to your lab, I have finished running the prototype for the Old Man and Little Red-Headed Murder Hood’
‘FRIDAY please change the names to Starksie and тетя нат’ I groan but the AI responds quickly
‘I’m afraid I can’t Miniboss my protocols are overridden by Mission Possible: embarrass Red AKA revenge is a dish best served cold’
The door opens and she class spills into the room, fan Girling over the suits layed out on the table and the arrows and Widow bites cluttering up my desk.
‘why is it disasters #2 and #3, who is #1?’ JoJo questions
‘Urmm, well Shuri is one and a few other people are 4, 5 and 6, its just a joke really’ I explain; it’s a joke and a god source of secret Santa presents for the group. Shuri has a t-shirt with #1 on it, Nat and Maria have mugs with 4 and 5 and even Carol has a little pin badge with 6
After about 10 mins Harriet calls the group to attention. ‘Girls-we have a very special guest today; she is one of the leading technical engineers in the country and runs one of the most efficient and powerful mines in the World-meet Princes Shuri of Wakanda’
Shuri walk through the doors-im not sure what the others were expecting but a tall skinny girl of about our age in khaki pants and a cropped top who squeaks when she catches sight of me is probably not what they imagined
‘Tiny White Girl-ROAD WORK AHEAD?!’ she yells running at me fill tilt.
‘I SURE HOPE IT DOES’ I scream back opening my arms and hug the small girl tightly but grimace slightly after a second and gasp ‘air Shuri’ and she releases me and turn the group.
‘hey everyone, im Shuri, one of leading technology directors in the world, Vine Goddess and I run the vibrainium mine in Wakanda’ she says in her strong accent looking at the group narrowing her eyes slightly. Maddie has her hand up already.
‘you have a question already-go ahead’ she states, as if unsure on what to say
‘I’m sorry but is this the Wanda in Africa that recently came out to the public as a tech super city-not a rural village like people thought?’
Shuri laughs slightly ‘yes, that’s us. My brother-King T’Challa or the Black Panther recently opened our city to the public to share our knowledge and technology’ she pauses, sending me a shit-eating grin
‘and its Wa-kan-da-repeat after me children’
The class looks surprised at being called children by someone only about a year older than them but slowly repeat
‘Wa-kan-da’
‘good’ is Shuri's response
‘If you call it otherwise I will steal your kneecaps’ the class laughs, but Shuri’s face remains a perfect mask
‘I am not joking-I have the technology to do it. And they cant even arrest me because I’m a princess’
Shuri handles the next 30 minutes splendidly. Balancing perfectly lecturing without soundly boring and answering all types of questions about both herself and home city and the technology the is world renown for. We finish with a proper tour of her lab and a few nerds even get a go in her sand table car simulation. Dr Banner interrupts for a bit and Shuri shares the spotlight both genii bouncing ideas off each other much to the delight of the group. We are interrupted FRIDAY calling out
‘sorry to interrupt Dr Banner and Shuri but this is a reminder to move onto the training floor or you may lack the time to see around the Avengers living floor’
‘thanks Fri’ the princess replies ‘you better get moving Widow, Thor and Hawkeye are sparring upstairs-you don’t want to miss that!’ she laughs at the class murmur their thank you
‘maybe next year you guys could come on a trip to visit Wakanda and my lab-the mines are incredible’ a few wows and woahs come from the STEM nerds but before we leave Shuri calls me back
‘Tiny White Girl, you really thought you could leave without a hug’ I fake groan and pull her into me
‘they don’t know do they?’ she whispers in my ear
‘nope’ I reply quickly-Shuri is the only person outside of SHEILD and the Avengers who know me as Red Dawn
‘and I heard about you and Val’ she says, holding me at arm’s length like a proud grandma ‘well done gal’ she sounds so genuinely happy for me I can’t help but smile.
Yo, how much money do you have?" She yells as I walk out the room, I can’t help it. turning around I reply "69 cents"
"AYE, you know what that means?" we are in a rhythm now
"I don't have enough money for chicken nuggets." I run out of the room to her fake crying
***
It’s after this that Mrs Scott pulls me back
‘Iris I would like a quick word’ she asks, but I know it is an order, Al looks like she is going to wait but I smile at her
‘You go on Al; I know how to work the lift’ this reassures her, and she turns heel and runs to catch up with the group. As soon as she’s left the teacher turns to me quickly
‘I don’t know what’s going on with you today Iris, and frankly I’m very disappointed in you’ the teacher recites
‘I know you had a hard time and then the crash, but that was over a year ago and lying to a government organisation is a crime’
Thought race in my head ‘what do you mean-I’m not committing a crime’ I stammer out, but the teacher interrupts me
‘I could just about stand you taking 2 whole months of school to recover from your ‘accident’, but this has gone on too long’
I am seriously confused now, a knot of terror building up in my stomach-I can’t be expelled, can I? this is just a misunderstanding.
‘I went on an internship course Mrs Scott, you saw the papers, they were signed I was interning, I was healed’ I plead but the teacher scoffs
‘we let you off because you had a hard time, Iris, now it is time to stop this lie and move on before Stark Industries takes legal action. The papers were forged, it is common knowledge you have to be at least 21 to have an internship for Stark and be in a good college at that’ she teacher virtually spits at me
‘FRIDAY’ I gasp as she pushes me against a wall ‘Initiate protocol Shakespeare in the park’ the AI remain silent
‘your hacked robot won’t help you now f*’ but the AI’s voice rings through the room
‘What level Red, remain calm’
‘Doth mother know you weareth her drapes’ I whimper
‘and then that robot you hacked; this is too much. You are suspended until further notice from Williamson’s school for hacking, forging, forcing a Princess to hug you and pretend to know you, to value you, to recognize you and lying to a government organisation. Be thankful that robot informed us all of your crimes, you don’t know the avengers. You don’t have an internship you are just a liar.
So, where is she then?’
Her voice has taken on a ruthless tone now, and I am huddled in the corner, wishing more than ever I could protect myself with my Dawn.
‘w…who’ I gasp
‘your precious girlfriend, king of nowhere’ the venom im Mrs Scott’s voice catches as a voice behind us casually announces
‘here Miss, sorry I’m late I was saving my girlfriend from a homophobic bitch’ Val is standing, doing the Asgardian lean against the door. She strides over to my fumbling teacher, hand outstretched behind her, as if waiting for something and continues talking
‘listen know it all.’ She threatens
‘I am Brunhilde, Valkyrie, Avenger, Shapeshifter and heir to the throne of Asgard. Not Knowhere, that is currently ruled by Minister Xiaoshan. Now, if you lay so much as a finger on Red again you will lose it.’
A distant for of crashes has been coming nearer and the sound of running feet. With a zoom a long case of turquoise lilac and gold flies to my girlfriends’ hand-much like thor hammer. In an instant Valkyrie has whipped out her Dragon fang sword and pinned Mrs Scott against the wall, blade to her throat.
‘I am now going to comfort my girlfriend. But remember, touch her again and you will not be so lucky.’ The teacher stumbles to the door, but the running feet have come near. Red hair flicks into Nat’s face as she blocks the doorway.
‘oh, мой ребенок’ she exclaims seeing me then turns to the teacher ‘nope, you are not leaving yet’ she growls.
Val skids to the floor beside me and hugs me tightly, picking up my hand and kissing it.
‘Shhh Cariad it’s okay’ she comforts, helping me to my feet ‘It’s okay’
‘Thank you, FRIDAY,’ I whisper hanging on to Val for dear life
‘Anytime Red, I’d do anything for my human family’ the Irish lilt replies softy
‘***
‘Act like nothing happened’ I explain simply to Val and Nat who appear to be brainstorming ways to kill Mrs Scott. They look at me aghast
‘Just for today, I don’t want even more attention drawn to me and my boss and girlfriend escorting a corpse out of the building will not help me fly under the radar’
Nat slowly spins her knife in her fingers and begins to pick behind her nails with it
‘If you ever hurt мой маленький ребенок again I will kill you in 107 different ways, even with the arm of your glasses’
By the end of our discussion we decide to leave Mrs Scott for the remainder of the trip. Val or Nat will tail me at all times, as well as FRIDAY recording me the entirety of the trip.
I take a deep breath as we leave the small room, she tormented me in and turn to the teacher
‘before we fake happy teacher-student I just want to say a few words. You fucking bitch, its 2020 grow up people can like however the hell they want’ I state then hug Nat tightly,
‘you gotta go-there are kids up there waiting for the infamous Widow’ I say, and she smiles softly before leaving in the last elevator.
Val stays stonily quiet and by my side as I walk to the second lift before ordering FRIDAY to bring us to the level of our group