Chapter Eleven ~ Fresh Hell
Chapter Eleven
Fresh Hell
“I need you to talk to me Katie-Kate.” Clint begged as he knelt in front of her. She was still clutching her stomach and not saying a word. Tony was standing behind him willing Kate to speak or to do anything except what she was currently doing.
Finally, she released a deep breath and unrolled herself and leaned against the couch’s back cushions. Visibly trying to get her breathing under control, she locked eyes with Clint. “I’m good, just a pain. Took me by surprise and knocked the wind out of me.”
“Contraction?” It was the question on everyone’s mind, but really only Clint had the right to ask it.
Shaking her head, “I don’t think so, it was just a pain. It hurt…a lot.”
“Just in case, let’s be safe.” Tony cautioned. “FRIDAY start a timer please.”
Sam appeared with a glass of ice water and handed it to Kate. She graciously accepted it from him and placed it on the end table next to her. Clint was just about to direct Kate to drink the neglected water when Jade Conner entered the room with Bruce.
Seeing the two ‘experts’ enter, Tony called over, “Here”.
Neither needed Tony’s assistance, it was clear who the medical request was for. Between Tony summoning Jade followed by the blanket request for a medical team, it was safe to assume Kate needed help.
Standing next to Clint, who was still kneeling in front of his wife, Jade introduced herself. “Hello Secretary Barton, I am Jade Conner. Can you tell me what happened?”
“She just fell over holding her stomach.” Clint supplied before Kate could even open her mouth to speak.
“Thank you Agent Barton.” The nurse replied, then asked Kate again, “Secretary Barton, can you tell me what happened.” The woman emphasized the word ‘you’, making it clear she wanted the information from the source.
Kate looked at the woman, she wasn’t dressed like a member of her father’s medical staff. They usually wore scrubs with either a logo for Stark Industries or the Avengers embroidered onto the left scrub top pocket. Jade was dressed more businesslike, a light gray pants suit and matching heels. Her hair was in an updo with hoop earrings on. Something wasn’t right here, but it appeared the lady wanted to help, so Kate was mindful of her tone. “I’m sorry, who did you say you were again?” She saw both her husband and her father eyes widen at the question. Whatever was going on, they both were in on it. “Clint? Tony?”
Tony had taken on the responsibility of informing Kate of Jade’s role since Clint would be gone and Kate would take advantage of that fact with hired help. The psychology behind Tony taking the heat was that Kate would be warier of dismissing Jade if Tony, the person who hired her, was around. It wasn’t the best idea, but it was all they had in an effort to reduce the hostility Kate would show to the nurse. “I will tell you later, just answer the question please.”
“I was walking over here to the couch and suddenly I felt an intense pain.”
“Where was the pain?’
“Lower stomach, pelvic area.” Kate rubbed her hand over the areas as she identified the locations.
“I see, how much water have you had today? Are you consuming the recommended two liters a day?”
“I have been drinking water.” The expectant mother quickly defended herself to the stranger. “The day has just been hectic and busy. Plus, there is water in coffee, right?” Kate posed to the room, looking for backup. “I know there is because I pour it in the machine.”
“Yes, there is water in coffee.” Jade looked to Clint as the picture started to form for her what happened. “How many cups of coffee would you guess you have had today, and how much water?”
“Maybe four cups, but also like four bottles of water.”
Clint hung his head down at the admittance, the caffeine was probably more than a small factor in the scenario they were in now. “Kate, the doctor said one.”
“Does right now look to be the right time to yell at me Clint?”
“Can I see your right arm Secretary Barton?” Turning behind her, “Dr. Banner, the medical bag please.”
“Why?” Kate asked with her attention to Banner. This was the first time she had laid eyes on the man who was also the Hulk. The man who chased her daughter down yesterday.
Tony had enough with the talking, now was time for action. “Damn it Kate, just give her your arm, she isn’t going to run off with it.”
Kate lifted her right arm as Jade opened the bag and pulled out a blood pressure monitoring device and wrapped it around the patient’s upper arm. As everyone waited for the numbers to appear, Jade was moving up and down Kate’s lower arm, squeezing gently and letting go, watching the skin color change when pressure was released. When the beeping of the machine showed the final results, Jade unwrapped the cuff and stored it back away.
“Well?” Clint asked impatiently.
Jade released a small reassuring smile to the father as she closed the bag. “I need to speak with her doctors, but I believe it is a clear-cut case of dehydration.”
Repeating his earlier question, “Contractions?”
“I doubt it.” Speaking to Kate, “Any more pain?”
“Not since I sat down.”
“There are a lot of muscles in that particular area. Dehydration along with physical activity can cause cramping.” The nurse told Clint, “She simply over did it without proper hydration.” Returning to Kate, “I was under the impression Secretary that you were on bedrest orders?”
“Stuff happened.” Kate answered refusing to look at Clint as she did so, knowing this was a perfect opportunity for an ‘I told you so’ from him.
“It sure did.” Jade confirmed and retrieved her cell phone out of her pocket. “I have already entered Honeycutt and McCoy’s number in my phone, didn’t think I was going to have to contact them so soon, but it’s a good thing I did. I am just going to step out quickly and make a phone call about how they want to treat this.”
“You can call from here, no worries.” Tony offered. “And don’t feel bad about putting it on speaker while you do so.”
“The privacy of my patient is one of my chief concerns Mr. Stark.” Jade needed Kate to trust her and conversing with her doctors in front of a room full of people on the patient’s father’s orders wasn’t a proven method to achieve that goal. “It will only be a minute. I’m sure they are just going to order an IV treatment.”
“No they won’t.” Kate confessed which got her a look from Clint. “Yeah they will probably order the treatment, but Hank already warned me this morning if anything like this happened, I would be admitted.” The look on Clint’s face was an expression that Kate could only described as relief. “Don’t look so happy Clint, I have things to deal with. Magneto is out there.”
Clint was worried as well. They had a new player on the field. Well, not new to Kate, she knew about this. However it was news to him and his team. He had to take it one step at a time. Currently Charlie was in French class if he remembered the child’s schedule correctly. He hadn’t heard anything from the agents assigned to the other children, and Pepper was on a field trip with Nate. His family was safe and protected for the time being. Kate on the other hand was not. Her health had to be the first thing he dealt with. “I don’t care who is out there, if they say you are admitted, you are admitted.”
Jade held up her phone to stop the discussion before her charge became upset and it became an entirely different matter than dehydration. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves yet. Excuse me, I will be right back.”
No one spoke as the nurse left to step over the broken glass all over the floor to be able to get out on the patio for her phone call. Once she was out of the room, Rhodes countered his boss. “In all fairness Kate, you knew he was before he even contacted Charlotte. She is at the school, she is safe. My concern is that yes, Charlie was used to send a message, but we aren’t clear yet on why he felt the need to send one other than the federal and international interception of the weapons.”
Steve stepped forward. There was almost an invisible barrier around the sitting area that only Clint, Kate, and Tony could pass. Everyone else stood around the perimeter encircling the family. “Magneto was involved in that?”
“He is the leader of the Brotherhood.” Rhodes informed the group receiving a raised eyebrow from the Secretary due to him sharing privy information freely.
Steve asked the obvious query, “Who is the Brotherhood?”
Clint actually knew a little bit about the group, it was the way Logan attempted to be included in on Clint’s meeting with the Professor. “Logan talked to me yesterday about them, apparently they are some kind of radical anti-human, pro-mutant organization.”
“I wouldn’t go as far as to call them an organization.” Kate dryly remarked, at last grabbing the glass of water Sam had given her. “More like a little club with big dreams of enlarging their membership.”
“Is that why Magneto approached Charlie?” Tony questioned with dread. “Did he somehow find out what she had said and was trying to recruit her?”
“The mutant community is a small one, word gets around.” Rhodes explained as he broke the ‘perimeter’ by stepping into the sitting area. Putting his hands in his pockets he bluntly pointed out to Charlotte’s parents, “Just because Charlie said that stuff at home yesterday doesn’t mean it was the first time she had ever said it. She could have very well been talking propaganda for a while and the wrong person heard it and brought it to Magneto’s attention. There could be someone in the school placed there for the sole purpose of recruitment for the Brotherhood.”
“So the message wasn’t just that Magneto could get to Charlie, it was he could take her.” Kate deduced from the creditable motive Rhodes had voiced. “He would not only be obtaining a person who has been predicted to eventually be as powerful as Jean Gray or Wanda Maximoff, but also Xavier’s favorite. A child the Professor had a hand in raising since she was a week old.”
That was enough for Tony, with his face locked in determination he started to walk away from the group. “Where are you going?” Steve called after him
Spinning on his heels, Tony was shocked that anyone had to ask. “To the school and grabbing my granddaughter, if there is a mole in the school feeding members to the group, then she needs to not be there. I know Clint feels torn between making sure Kate is alright, protecting Charlie, and the damn HYDRA mission. I am taking one thing off his plate.”
The dehydration was taking its full effect on Kate with every second that passed by. Her head was aching, and it hurt to even think better yet speak. “Tony stop.” She commanded from her father as she moved a hand up to cover her eyes, the light playing a part in her headache that she was slowly believing to be a migraine.
“No, I am going to bring her back. It should just be a half an hour.”
“Hold on.” Natasha requested as she move to block the escape route of Tony’s. “Rhodes, how did he know they were going to be at the park.”
Taking his hands out of his pocket, Rhodes folded his arms across his chest. “I concur with Tony on this one, there is a mole in the school. Charlotte may have spoken before about Clint often taking her and her siblings to that park and they reported that information back to the Brotherhood. Magneto may have had someone on her to let him know when it was an ideal time to confront her. That person either deduced that Charlie would be at the park, or like I said, she was being watched. Admittedly, both options are a reason to be concerned and cause to have a discussion with the guards.”
“You told me this morning that you were sending the X-Men to get the group.” Clint recapped to his wife and at the same time, letting their audience know that there had in fact been some movement on a physical encounter with this extremist group and it wasn’t going to be by the Avengers. “What is to say that whoever is inside the school won’t retaliate and do something to Charlie. The people who you left Charlie with will be gone fighting the Brotherhood.”
Sam had to agree with Clint. Sequestering Charlie in the school while the X-Men were off doing God knows what while the threat of a mole was within the school’s walls wasn’t the best idea. Then there was Cooper, Lila and Nathaniel to consider. There hadn’t been any mention of their safety and how to maintain it. This could all be a matter of ‘watch the hand’, the con artist tells you to watch his right hand all the while deceiving the ‘mark’ with the actions of the left. “Even if Charlotte isn’t at the school, it’s no secret where she lives. Kate is a Secretary in the Presidential Cabinet. The address will be the first result up on any internet search. We aren’t even sure that is the game here, recruitment and retaliation. It could be just an old school intimidation gesture, going after someone’s children has been a proven method for bad guys to get what they want.”
“Sorry I took so long.” Jade called out while once again carefully watching her steps due to the broken glass door. When she passed the mess, the nurse took up more of a hasty pace to reach the patient. “You called it Kate, you are to be admitted.” Kate was about to protest but Jade pushed through with the information. “While Dr. Honeycutt would like you immediately brought to St. Michael’s due to the prenatal staff and NICU in case of early delivery, Dr. McCoy believes that those extreme measures aren’t necessary at this moment. He would prefer to give you the choice between the school or compound’s medical center. In the case of early delivery, either location can quickly send you over to the hospital. I am to call back with your decision. I was also supposed to tell you from Dr. McCoy: ‘gave you a week and you couldn’t even go two hours.’ Whatever that means.”
“I think this is great news. Our dilemma sorted itself out all on its own.” Posing a question to Jade to cement his idea Tony asked, “Does it have to be in the physical medical wing here, or could she stay in the residence the family has on the third floor?”
“As long as I am present, she follows as instructed, and I am able to contact the staff in the case of an emergency, I don’t see any reason why she couldn’t. Probably be a lot more comfortable then a hospital room.”
Clint could see the wheels turning in Stark’s head. “What are you thinking Tony?”
“I am thinking of moving the family back into here. Sam is correct, this could easily become a threat against all the children, not just Charlie. Your home does have security, but we saw how well that worked yesterday. Staying here is the answer, everyone is safe, Kate is still with the children and receiving round-the-clock medical care, and you can go about doing your mission with the knowledge that your family is protected by people you know and trust.”
Rhodes stepped into the conversation to offer his suggestion about protecting the Barton children. “I would recommend that the Secret Service bring the children to school from now on, and it would probably be a good idea to increase the agents on-call. I can take care of it all”
“How do you feel about that Clint?” Steve carefully asked. He felt bad that his mind was still set on the mission while Clint’s wife could have gone into premature labor. The Captain felt even worse hoping for the archer to agree to continue with the plan and leave before mentioned wife and carry on as intended.
“I don’t know Steve. I feel alright that Kate is on forced bedrest with Miss. Conner watching her and the kids all here.” Speaking to his wife, “If I still went out, I would only be gone for a day or two. Returning Saturday morning at the latest. If I did go, I need to know that whatever you think you are going to be able to do while I am gone isn’t going to happen. Too many people will be watching you. Bedrest isn’t a negotiation, doesn’t matter if I go or stay. You are staying here, and you are staying in bed. Rhodes can still come up and brief you about work, I’m sure he would appreciate not having to go to the house every morning. You will also have Diana and Jade with you, so you really don’t have any choice here but to accept your life for the next month.” Since Kate had yet to utter one single word against anything Clint had said, he decided to press his luck. “Please contact the Professor and tell him that Tony is coming to pick up Charlie after school.” Clint was still undecided about flying off, but just in case asked Tony, “Can you grab Cooper and Lila as well?”
“Not a problem. I guess I should bring them by the house and get what they need. Wanda already made a bag for Charlie, but the other three will need their stuff, also Kate.”
Now Kate had something to say, “I can go pack their stuff up.”
In a very condescending voice Clint inquired, “How are you going to do that from your bed?”
“Come on Clint,” Kate pleaded then whispered her predicament to him, “I need specific things that I really don’t want Tony to have to find, go through and pack.”
Not seeing the problem with any of it, Clint threw out his solution. “Alright, make Diana do it.”
In the same hushed tone Kate pointed out, “I don’t pay her to pack my underwear.”
Tony had heard the whispering between the pair, “Technically, you don’t pay her, the taxpayers do.”
As a woman, Jade knew she wouldn’t want her own father to pack a bag full of clothes for her and didn’t expect her patient to suffer through that. “I would think in this particular circumstance; Secretary Barton could be allowed to go home and pack what she will need to create a comfortable and stress-free environment for herself. I will go with her and monitor.”
“If there is a threat of the enemy attacking, I shall accompany you.” Thor volunteered, always being a sucker for the damsel in distress. Also, he was feeling surprisingly uncomfortable with not having anything to add to the discussion until now. Stepping into the sitting area, he faced Kate, “I am Thor Odinson Lady Barton, I offer my services.”
Kate didn’t move in the slightest, just her eyes darted back and forth between Thor and Clint until she at last stopped and asked her husband, “What kind of fresh hell is this?”
Finally feeling alright with not having to be right in Kate’s face, and the crouched position was killing his legs, Clint stood. “Sorry, didn’t get to do introductions at the start because you decided to drink an entire pot of coffee.”
Now having to tilt her head up when speaking to Clint, Kate disputed, “There are twelve cups in a pot, and I said I only had four.”
“Yes, you said you only had four, but that doesn’t make it true.” Clint alleged, not paying any mind to her and turned away to the two men he needed to introduce to his wife. “Anyways, Kate, this is Thor as was just established, and this is Dr. Bruce Banner, don’t touch him.”
Kate merely nodded to each new introduced man and laid her head back against the couch with her hand back over her eyes. Jade saw this movement and asked for an update. “Secretary Barton, any new pain? How are you feeling now?”
Removing her hand, Kate straighten up, unmistakably an attempt to appear fine to the group. “I’m good thanks. Can we go now?”
The looks exchanged around the room between the Avengers told Jade that none of them believed Kate but weren’t going to fight it. Fortuitously for them, Jade was being paid very generously to do just that. “Do you have a headache?”
“No I do not have a headache.” Kate answered the blunt question from the woman she had just met. What stopped Kate from going any further into who and what the woman was, was a combination of the woman’s previous backing of Kate to be able to pack her own bag and Clint’s worried blue eyes staring into her own. Her head did hurt, and maybe this nurse could arrange some medication for her to relieve the pain. Kate would give just a little, “But I think I have a migraine.”
“I thought she said she was well.” Thor asked Sam and Steve who were next to him.
Sam leaned to the right where Thor was and murmured, “Kate speaks a different language that really only Clint and the mutants are fluent in.”
Thor believed the woman was speaking Midgardian English. He understood the words, but deceptively the context was different in her language. “Ah, I too have studied many tongues on Asgard.”
“That…is…great?” Sam complimented, having forgotten that Thor had a habit of taking things literally. He would need to pull the man aside later and explain what he meant.
The picture was becoming clearer and brighter as the minutes rolled by to the nurse. “When was the last time you ate?”
Clint once again volunteered the answer to the question. He wasn’t even thinking about it, just replying to what was asked. Kate didn’t lie, but that didn’t mean she told the truth. There was a gray area in between where Kate liked to hang out in. “She didn’t eat breakfast.”
Jade had experience with spouses answering the medical questions posed to their partner. It was part of the job. However, again, she needed it from the source. There would be little the nurse could accomplish if she didn’t have communication with her patient. “Secretary?”
“I haven’t had much of an appetite today.” Kate acknowledged. It was the truth. She woke up worried about her doctor’s appointment in addition to the problems at work. She was feeling better towards the end of her appointment with hospitalization being postponed at least a week, then the Magneto and Charlie incident occurred.
Tony couldn’t do a lot at the moment; Kate was in more than capable hands. That didn’t relieve the anxiety building up inside of him. With Kate’s confession of not eating that day, finally there was something he could do to help his daughter. “I will call the cook to make something.”
Kate felt the need to gag just at the prospect of food being placed in front of her right now. She had food aversion at the start of the pregnancy and severe morning sickness, there were days she couldn’t eat anything and if she did, she was sick for the rest of the day. The last thing that was needed right now with everything going on was her head over a toilet. “Thank you Tony, but like I said, I really don’t have an appetite. I don’t think my stomach could handle food right now.”
“You have to eat.” Her husband told her. Without Kate voicing a single word, Clint understood the problem. He had known Kate a long time, when she was upset, she didn’t have an appetite. He knew she was fighting with every part of her being to stay in control and not get upset or stressed. Now with the added personal threat against her family, Kate was losing the fight.
“What is the use of forcing her to eat just to have it come back up in five minutes.” Jade interjected. Kate sharply turned her head to the nurse at the unexpected support. “Dr. McCoy will be ordering an IV saline solution to treat the dehydration. He hasn’t sent in the order yet, waiting on where the Secretary will decide to receive her treatment. When I notify him that she will be remaining here, I will ask him to add something to ensure she has the proper nutrients in her system as well. She is already going to be hooked up anyways, what’s one more thing in the solution? Hopefully after the treatment and a few hours of rest, Secretary Barton will be fine to eat dinner later. I will bring her up a meal this evening once the treatment has completed and we will see if she can stomach it.” Jade didn’t reveal that she was also going to be asking McCoy to add a mild sedative to the treatment to guarantee that her patient rested that afternoon.
This woman may not be all bad, Kate thought to herself. This was now the second time she had backed Kate. She then shocked the group with her willingness to comply, “Alright, but may I go pack before we start the treatment?”
“Your stuff isn’t going anywhere, you are dehydrated and running on an empty stomach. Take care of yourself first, then afterwards, you can go pack.” Tony commanded, sensing that Kate was running a long con to get out of medical.
Nurse Conner looked at her patient. It was clear the woman was doing work this morning in addition to her appointment with her doctors. The Secretary was dressed in a beige tailored dress that had been let out around the waist to accommodate the baby bump, a basketball shape rounding of her midsection. A matching long jacket was over the dress with black leather covered buttons that matched the calf-high heeled boots she was wearing. It amazed Jade that the woman was able to walk in the nearly three inch heels in her condition. If the goal was for Kate to rest, it couldn’t be in the current attire. “I feel the Secretary would be more comfortable and able to rest in a change of clothes. Perhaps some sort of loungewear would be more suited to wear while she is hooked up to the IV in case she falls asleep.” Pointing to the woman, “I know I would have difficulties getting comfortable in a dress suit.”
Clint turned his attention to Thor, “You will go with them?”
“Aye brother, you have my word that no one will harm Lady Barton or your child. The nurse as well will have no cause to fear maltreatment.”
If she was called ‘Lady Barton’ one more time, Kate was going to lose it in a fit of giggles, not laughter, actual giggles. It was way too Shakespearean for her, and she had been with Professor Xavier for a decade, who was known to occasionally fall into ‘old English’. “My name is Kate.”
Steve took the tangent in conversation to push forth his own agenda to the archer. “Clint, I know you are worried. Kate now has in addition to her doctors, Bruce and Nurse Conner. Her medical needs are being seen to. By this afternoon, all your children will be here as well with not only us to protect them, but Secret Service and additional security to guard them. If it will help, Tony, Thor and myself can take shifts on the living room couch to add an extra line of defense if anyone gets far enough into here to walk through your apartment door. Everything that is being done, or even thought of being done, is going to be put into place.” Steve really did hate pressuring Clint like this, but he was the most experienced with stake outs and surveillance. “Our window for departure and getting into place is closing. If you leave within the next hour you can land and be in place before sunup. We need you on this one, but I’m not going to force you.”
It was evident by Clint’s ‘far off’ expression that he wasn’t looking at anything in particular, just weighing the pros versus the cons in his head. If it was possible to hate HYDRA more than Captain America, then Clint was that person. He had never by any means had a soft spot for the organization, and his years in S.H.I.E.L.D. proved that. However when the wipe was reversed and the extremes that HYDRA went to in order to tear his life and family apart were revealed, Clint had taken every opportunity presented to him to take out anyone associated with the group. He had made it over the last year his life’s mission to eradicate the terrorist organization from the world, even if it was one lone cell of agents at a time. Not only was it pay back for what they had done to his family, but protection for his children. Nate was a HYDRA agent’s child, and who knew if the organization would ever want to lay claims to Laura’s son to form a new generation of agents within the bloodline of the old. They still didn’t know where Lila came from, but it was starting to look more and more like she was also a product of the organization with every piece of intel discovered in an attempt to uncover her origin. Charlie had always been on their radar since they captured Kate in the Sandbox exposition and experimented on the newborn. Cooper’s name had already been floated by his step grandfather, Derek Bishop as a possible heir to the financial support to the organization due to his trust fund from the man and Kate herself. In order for his children to live their lives freely, Clint needed to eliminate HYDRA, and this mission was a small step in that direction.
When Clint didn’t say anything for a while, Steve looked to Kate and caught her eyes. Lifting his eyebrows, he bobbed his head slightly towards the woman’s husband. The message was clear, Clint would have to have permission from Kate to leave her. Rolling her eyes at the Captain for forcing her to do this, Kate grabbed Clint’s attention, “Hey Clint, look at me.” The man blinked a few times to escape his mind and did as requested. “We have been at each other’s throats for the past two days. Alright, maybe more me than you, but it’s been stressful for both of us, because we are both scared.” Kate admitting her fear was enough for Clint to tell Steve to shove this mission where the sun doesn’t shine. She went on, knowing that he needed to leave. “You need to get out, get your hands dirty, put boots on the ground for the betterment of mankind and all that. Like Steve said, everything that can be done here is being done. Even if I don’t like it or was even asked about. You have already hired me a nursemaid, I don’t need two, and that is what you would be if you stayed. You need to separate yourself from the situation.”
“Katie.” Clint interrupted, offended by the dismissal and referring to what was happening as a “situation’.
“No stop, you need to separate yourself from this situation, all of them. Me, the baby, the mutants, everything that is going on. The X-Men are going to bring in the Brotherhood, and the threat of Magneto will be dealt with, in the meantime, the children and I will be here, safely locked up in a tower. Take a few days to yourself to watch a HYDRA base with your best friend. When you come back it will be with a clear mind and fresh eyes. Hopefully everything will be sorted on the DMA’s end by then and we can go home.”
Tony stepped up if only to give Clint a push out the door. He was of the same mind frame as Kate, Clint needed to go. “If anything happens here, I will get word to you. Depending on the weather, it’s only a six or seven hour flight back.”
It was a horrible feeling, being torn between his sense of duty towards his family and duty towards his team. Natasha and Sam were more than capable of handling this on their own, but as Steve said, he was the best man for the job. If he stayed, he would be able to protect his family from the immediate threat, but what about the one reforming? Making up his mind he explained to Kate how to get a hold of him if she needed to. “Once we land, I won’t be reachable by phone. You will have to contact Sam. I will be checking in with him, so he is able to relay messages if you need him to.” Sam nodded to Clint’s statement. “Once we are there, we have a sixty-hour window before we have to take off again.”
Kate reached her hands out for Clint to help her stand up. Smoothing down her dress and fixing her jacket collar, she pointed out that the review in policy wasn’t needed with her. “I know, I am the one who created that policy.”
“That means I will be back Friday night, Saturday morning at the latest.” It would be roughly three days they would be gone, and anything could happen during that time.
Kate leaned over and kissed Clint. Moving behind him she placed a hand on each shoulder and gently pushed him to the shattered door that would take him to the jet. “The sooner you leave, the sooner you can get back.”
~~~
If the events of the past two days weren’t enough to send Charlotte’s head spinning in a whirlwind of confusion, finding Storm and Wanda waiting for her outside for final class for the day did. Wanda had Charlie’s rainbow graphic overnight bag slung over her shoulder and it appeared to be full. Walking up to the two women, Charlie decided to do as her father had taught her regarding bad news: rip the band aid off fast. “Where am I going?”
“Your grandfather is coming to pick you up today. You will be staying with the Avengers at the compound for a few days.” Storm informed her, plastering a fake smile on her face as she delivered the news.
Wanda lifted her shoulder, indicating the bag that hung there. “I already packed some of your stuff. Don’t worry if I forgot something. Tony is taking you all back to the house so that Lila and Cooper can pack their bags.”
Charlie stepped back as a group of students ran past her in the hallway. Once they moved by her, she asked, “Why didn’t you pack their bags too?” It was a great question that no one had anticipated being brought up, thereby didn’t have an answer for.
Storm motioned for the girl to start walking to the front entrance as she decided there was not a good reason to lie. Charlie knew what happened, she had been confronted by a man who probably wouldn’t have hurt her, physically at least, but was a danger to her none the less. Everyone’s fear was more regarding Magneto getting a second meeting in with the young girl and convincing her that her recent anti-human propaganda was valid and get her to act on it. “Because we originally thought that you would be staying here so we asked Wanda to go get your things. Your parents changed their minds and would prefer you to instead stay at the compound. It was only decided a little while ago. Your dad wants you to stay with your family. Since Clint is gone, your grandfather is helping your mom with getting your brothers, sister, and yourself moved into the compound.”
A wave of panic flashed on the child’s face. “Is this because I talked to magenta?”
“It’s Magneto, and yes, you went against the rules and spoke to a stranger.” Logan corrected walking up to the group who were coming down the hallway. “You know better than that pup. I don’t even want to get into the whole accepting a gift from an old man for no reason whatsoever.” Taking the bag from Wanda, because once in a full moon Logan could be a gentleman, he continued with his chastising. “I have always told you ever since you first learned to crawl and went straight for an outlet, use your God damn common-sense pup. Now because you didn’t, you have to go live with the Avengers because your father forced your mother to backtrack on plans everyone agreed with to make sure you are safe.”
“Logan…” Wanda started, not feeling it was the time or place to yell at Charlie or express his dislike for Clint. The child had been through enough.
“No, you have never been up against Magneto, Mystique or any of them. We aren’t talking about a serial killer robot that Stark made in his lab or a group of Nazis.” Logan came back with running down the list of ‘enemies’ the Avengers had. “You didn’t see what he did to Jean, or the Professor, or any of us. Because if you did little lady, you would be quaking in your boots along with the rest of us at the idea of him talking to Charlie.”
Wanda had to pause and take in what she thought she had just heard. Did Logan, the Wolverine just admit that he was afraid? Looking down to the child in question, Wanda saw that Charlie too seem to have caught the comment and looked like she had seen a ghost. The idea of her hero, Logan, being scared of anything signaled the end of days in her eleven-year-old mind. Taking a page from Storm’s book, Wanda put on a phony smile, held out her hand and addressed the girl, “Hey Charlie, how about you and I go outside and wait for your grandpapa?”
Storm and Logan watched the two leave. The hallway was clear now with dismissal being over. Most of the students were either outside waiting for their rides, the recreational area, or in the dorms. Storm realized that Logan was still holding Charlie’s bag. “Hey, we will meet you out there in a minute with her bag!” She yelled after them.
Logan waited until Charlie was out of earshot before reminding Storm of his prediction a year ago. “I knew something like this would happen when Charlie walked out of here with that man.” Facing his teammate, “It hasn’t even been a year, and this is happening. He took her to a park and didn’t watch her. Magneto could have grabbed her, and she would be gone Storm.”
“I think everyone is being too hard on Clint with this one. Even Kate in my opinion. Did you see her run out of here after the Professor told her? Her security detail had to speed down the driveway after her because she did even tell them where she was going or allow a guard in her car. I was sure she was going to kill Clint.” Logan hadn’t witnessed the scene Storm described, but he didn’t doubt it. Kate knew the threat Magneto posed, and probably saw red once she was told the man had made contact with her child. “Clint did the same thing you or I would have. Once he saw Charlie was talking to a stranger, he ran up and grabbed her. Clint is a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Someone doesn’t last long in that field without developing a sixth sense of friend versus foe. He didn’t see any warning signs and sure as hell didn’t know he was Magneto.”
There was nothing Storm or anyone could say that would cause Logan to let Clint off the hook for what happened to Charlie. Well, if Clint wasn’t going to take care of his daughter, Logan would take back the responsibility. “Where are we with finding him?”
“It’s Magneto, the Professor won’t find him. Magneto has to know by now that we are looking for him, and he knows the means that we are going to use to track him. Man is probably sleeping with that damn helmet on.”
Logan checked out his surroundings and saw that they were the only adults around the main entrance, a rarity at dismissal. Usually Xavier was by the door bidding a farewell to his students. “Where is everyone now?”
“After Kate called, the Professor and Scott went down to Cerebro. I think that when she talked with Clint, some new information came to light. Something about Magneto trying to hurt another one of their kids so Clint would be distracted while Erik initiated contact with Charlie.”
“That bastard.” Logan internally admitted that he may have jumped the gun on condemning Clint. He didn’t know that Magneto had made an effort to get Clint to take his eyes off Charlie. He definitely didn’t know that the means Magneto used to achieve that was at the expense of another child.
Storm had known Logan long enough to know that the man was now reconsidering everything he had thought and said about Charlie’s father recently. “Told you I thought everyone was being too hard on Clint.”
“Fine, father of the year, whatever.” Logan conceded. “What about Mystique and the other two Kate was talking about?”
Storm started to walk again forgetting that they were to bring out Charlie’s bag, Logan got the hint and went with her. “The Professor knows who the players are in this game. Like I said, he has been downstairs all afternoon trying to find them. Best guess is that Magneto has everyone held up in a structure of some sort supposedly made from the same material as his helmet.”
“They can’t stay hidden forever. They sent a message to us through Charlie. They have a plan, so we need one and fast.”
Both were standing at the doorway looking out into the front yard of the school. A black SUV was pulling up which Charlie must have recognized because she started to wave. A horn honked in answer to the child’s wave to the tune of ‘shave and a haircut two bits’. Knowing that it was Tony Stark coming to retrieve his granddaughter, Storm reached to take the bag from Logan and as she did, told him their plan. “Which is why Xavier is hooked up. The moment any of them surface, we have them, and we go get them. Stay close, we’re on standby.”