Chapter 7
The team had been in the living area for a few hours, mostly in silence, thinking over the events of the day. Suddenly an idea came to tony and he asked his AI, “FRIDAY?” Tony called out into the silence, slightly startling Bruce. “Can you run a name through the system please? It’s Dean Winchester.”
Tony turned to look at his team. “What the hell was that?” He asked, to no one in particular, finally wanting to discuss it with someone other than his brain. “The kid took down twenty aliens by himself and collapsed?”
“Then got back up easily after surgery and proceeded to floor one of the best fighters we know,” Bruce added, ignoring the slightly embarrassed look on Clint’s face.
“His body…” Natasha whispered, so quietly that the team almost didn’t hear her.
Thinking back to the scars and bruises littering the young boys skin left the team feeling the need to throw up.
“I know,” Steve started. “It was bad.”
“Bad?” Bucky added disbelievingly, “He looked like he’d gone ten rounds with a fucking tiger or some shit.”
The team were silent for a moment, before the sound of FRIDAY’s voice filled the intense atmosphere.
“I have found everything I can on a one Dean Winchester.” she began.
“Tell us,” Steve and Tony called out at the same time.
There was a slight pause before FRIDAY spoke up again.
“In 2008 there was a house fire involving the Winchester family. It seems that the mother, a one Mary Winchester, died in the fire, but her two sons and husband, one John Winchester, made it out.” Friday paused for a little.
“That could be how he got the burns and scars,” Clint posited.
“No the burn scars aren’t twelve years old, and besides, a fire wouldn’t cause the other scars we saw,” Bruce replied calmly.
“Please continue FRIDAY,” Tony said.
The AI quickly started again, “That’s all I could find on them until about 2 years ago. I found a CPS file with the names Sam and Dean Winchester. CPS were referred to the boys by a teacher who noticed continual bruising on Dean and reported it. In the file it said that CPS sent two social workers to the residence the boys were staying in, a motel. Once the social workers knocked on the door and Dean answered, they explained themselves and Dean immediately tried to get them to leave.” FRIDAY took a short break to let the information settle.
The whole team were rapt with attention, listening to every detail FRIDAY told them.
“Well? Go on,” Tony said impatiently.
“It is noted that Dean had fresh and healing bruises covering his face and arms.” FRIDAY continued. “It is said in the report that the social workers managed to talk themselves in and they met the brothers in the living room. It is said that Dean denied every accusation towards their father, but the younger boy told them everything, about how his father hits Dean and Dean protects his brother.” FRIDAY took another short break.
“Jesus,” Clint muttered to the room.
“If they got help from a social worker then how come Dean still had fresh bruises and a broken rib?” Steve asked.
“Perhaps there’s more to the story,” Thor interjected. “Please FRIDAY, carry on.”
The AI took a moment before carrying on with her explanation. “It is said in the file that the social workers left and came back the following day to try and extricate the boys, but when they showed up at the motel, it was empty, with a small splatter of blood across the carpet.” The AI finished with sympathy in her voice.
“Fuck,” Tony mumbled.
Steve and Natasha stayed silent with the same look of anger and sadness plastered on their faces.
Bruce continued to stare at the ground, an unhappy look in his eyes.
Bucky seemed to be forcing his anger into a slew of curses directed at John Winchester while Thor had the same sad look in his eyes as Bruce, as he quietly mumbled to himself.
“Is that it FRIDAY?” Tony asked, as he seemed to be the only that could speak normally at the moment but anger still trailed after each word he spoke.
“Well, I know you didn’t ask for this, but I put his face through facial recognition to see if I could locate him,” The AI began once more.
“And?” Tony asked, “Did you find anything?”
“Yes. I didn’t locate him at this present moment, but I have two more things to share with you,” the AI continued.
The team just waited in anticipation before the AI started to speak again.
“I picked up his face in New Jersey three days after they disappeared from the motel. It was on a hospital camera and it seems he was admitted under a fake name as there were no records of a Dean Winchester being treated there. The boy looked to have been seriously hurt and was in a coma for a week and a half.”
Natasha’s almost silent gasp filled the room as everyone else was completely silent.
“It seems the boy woke and left the hospital a few days later, against the advice of the doctors.” The AI finished.
“And the second thing?” Steve asked expectantly.
“The boy seemed to have only left the hospital a few hours ago with a slight concussion and a broken leg. He seems to have used another fake name as when I looked into it, again there were no records of a Dean Winchester. There was, however, forms with the name ‘James Brown’ matching the boy’s injuries.” The AI completed.
“A few hours ago?” Tony parroted. “We need to help that kid, shit seems real bad.”
The avengers let out collective noises of agreement before they all turned to each other, ready to discuss a plan of action.
“First we need to find the kid,” Steve began.
The team came up with a plan for FRIDAY to keep a look out for Dean’s face over any and all cameras and what they would do once they found him. The team fell asleep in the living room, all of them unwilling to give up on the kid they barely even knew but would fiercely protect already.