Call to Action

I look down at the man Regan knocked out. There is a pain in my heart as I take in his features; many of which he shares with our father.

I turn to the blonde next to me, “go help Jason. I’ll handle him.” I say, pointing to the man laying on the floor. She just glares at me, as if I dared to order the queen. “I’m not as helpless as Jason makes me out to be. I can handle on knocked out henchman.” She doesn’t say anything else and walks out, just in time for our little friend to come to..

“What happened?” He mutters, looking around the nearly empty VIP room, then his eyes fall upon me. He immediately jumps to his feet, ignoring the pain that’s probably shooting through his skull at this moment. “Austen, what are you doing here? Are you on a date?"

“I could be asking you the same question.” I turn it around, crossing my arms across my chest, ignoring the date question.

“Who was the chick that knocked me out?” He asks, “are you officially done with men now? God, really Austen?”

“I’m not here on a date,” I reply to him, addressing the date question, “I’m here on business. And even if I were into girls, she's the furthest thing from my type.”

“What kind of business?” He asks, rolling his eyes.

By this time, I notice Regan has returned, this time with Jason by her side. Jason is looking at my brother with distrust; at his side Regan raises her hands and slides them together. I'm not going to snap my brother's neck, so I do the next best thing “I’m sorry, I have to do this Frankie but it’s for dad’s sake.” Without any more warning, I cock back my arm before delivering a blow that knocks him unconscious; surprising not only myself but I’m sure everyone in the room.

“A friend of yours?” Jason questions.

“Something like that, but he'll be useful.” I sigh, looking down at my brother. Afraid to know how and why he got involved with the enemy. “We should take him back to the quinjet, he’s here for a reason."

"Who would've guessed," Regan snorts as Jason steps closer and leans down, pulling Francis up.

**

“What does it matter?” He questions me as Jason handcuffs him to the chair once we get back to the quinjet before walking out of the room with Regan. “So what if I’m working for him?”

“I’m after Cade, Francis,” I inform him. “Your boss has kidnapped some very influential people.”

“He’s just trying to scare a kid out of hiding by kidnapping his rich daddy, nothing big.” He shrugs, “that doesn’t explain why you’re here.”

“You don’t know do you?” I ask as realization sets in. “You don’t know who Cade kidnapped, like at all?”

“The only name I got was Frost, that’s it!” He replies, “that’s the only name Cade mutters whenever he talks about his plan.”

Jason snorts, sidestepping from where he had been leaning against the wall and out of view, "I'm Frost. So why don't you think a little harder on what Cade's been muttering about or the next fist to hit you will be mine."

“Jason, don't." I stop him before he can get any closer, "Francis that Frost, Jason, Cade keeps muttering about is the son of Tony Stark.” I inform him, his blue eyes widen,

“As in the Tony Stark?” He questions, going to move, “as in Iron Man?”

“Do you know many men named Tony Stark?” I question him, snapping at him, “he’s not the only one that Cade managed to snag. There are three other people with him. Dr. Banner, Captain Rogers…” I sigh to myself, not wanting to finish.

“Who else does he have, Aust?” He asks, probably already knowing the answer..

“He has dad.” I reply, earning an eye roll from my brother. “I get that you and dad haven’t been close but really Francis?” Jason senses that there is going to be a family moment and walks away, leaving me with my brother. “How can you do this to dad? What has he ever done to you?”

“Austen, stop acting like you're the only one that's ever been hurt because of who their father is," Francis yells to me as I turn my back on him. "I get that you've been hurt and nearly destroyed but that's fucking life for us. We'll never be able to have a normal life because our dad is an Avenger. Hell you have to go under mom's maiden name for school, just so people don't know who you are. So don’t give me hell for doing something that’ll make a name for myself.”

"That doesn't justify why you are working for the enemy." I snap, turning to face him. "I thought we'd always look out for each other. You'd have my back and I'd have yours. Working for the guy that kidnapped, drugged and raped me isn't exactly how I pictured you having my back. Francis, what possessed you to work for this creep? Is your relationship with dad that bad? Please help me to understand."

"Maybe I'm doing it because I'm sick of how dad handles things," he sneers, "he would have let Cade walk away, alive; the guy that destroyed his little girl. I'm only here to make things right."

"What are you going to do, kill him?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.

"He hurt my family, he needs to pay."

"As sweet as that is, Francis, if anyone deserves to kill him it would be me." I inform him. "I don't want you working for him and getting yourself into deeper shit. SHIELD is after this guy, he did kidnap the Avengers for fucks sake."

"Like Fury will punish me," Francis scoffs.

"You're working for the enemy, Frankie," I sigh, kneeling down in front of him, "Fury isn't going to look the other way this time..." Francis looks away from me and I stand up straight. I take one finally look as I walk out of the room, immediately greeted by the sight of Jason sitting close to the door. The smirk on his lips grows as my blood pressure rises to dangerous levels.

“Yeah, I know, eavesdropping won’t get me points anywhere. But you were shrieking rather loudly.” Jason stands up, “I’m not your brother’s biggest fan, nor he mine, but we have one thing in common: we’re both brothers. He’s lost a sense of control, seeing you at your worst and he can’t protect you. It’s a shit feeling, because you’re always going to be his baby sister, no matter what you do. And he failed you. Remember that before you...do whatever.” He makes a offhanded gesture toward the door and myself, “Parole mai morire, ma vivere per sempre le azioni, yanno?”

I look at him in awe, this has to be the single most kind and inspiring thing he’s muttered since I’ve met him. There is no snide remarks or sarcastic undertones. This is genuine advice.

“Your turn.” I simply say before grabbing my jacket and heading outside, I need to get away.

**

While Jason and Regan are busy trying to get information out of my brother, I stand outside the quinjet, a cigarette placed between my red painted lips and my white Bic lighter twirling between my fingers; a nervous habit of mine. My cellphone vibrates against my chest, telling me I’ve got a call coming in. Shoving my lighter into the pocket of my leather jacket, I pull my phone out of my bra and answer it; knowing only one person has the number at the moment. Before I can speak, Uncle Barney walks out of the shadows; holding up a flash drive.

“You found stuff on him?” I ask as he nears me, putting my phone back in its hiding spot.

“As much as I could, he has a small criminal background but nothing major.” He replies, “nothing that’ll make him untrustworthy. He’s your typical trust fund kid.”

“So basically Tony Stark Jr?” I ask, earning a nod from my uncle. Then everything fell into an awkward silence.

“What’s wrong, squirt?” He asks, “you suddenly got quiet.”

“You knew about Francis working for Cade, didn’t you?” I ask before taking the last drag of my cigarette then throwing it on the ground, smashing it with the toe of my heeled boots.

“It was all on the flash drive I gave you.” He replies, averting his eyes from mine.

“Why didn’t you tell me!?” I cry out, “I had to find out about what Francis has been doing for myself. Couldn’t you have at least told me?”

“He begged for me not to tell you.” He replies, “I respected his wishes. He’s family, I’m not going to betray his trust.”

“So you lie to me instead….”

“I never lied to you, Austen,” he states, “I just didn’t tell you everything. How was I suppose to know he’d be there tonight with Cade?”

“Because he tells you everything!?” I yell, “he’s closer to you than he is with Dad.”

‘Which is why I didn’t want to betray him,” he explains, causing me to roll my eyes. “Austen, I love you guys so much, I don’t want to see either of you get hurt.”

Before I can say anything, we hear Francis screaming out in pain, a flood of curses flowing from his lips and echoing off the walls. Barney just looks at me, narrowing his eyes into a glare. “Austen what are you doing to your brother?”

“Getting as much information as I can on the whereabouts of my dad and the rest of the Avengers.” I snatch the flash drive out of his hand. “Thanks for the help but I don’t think I’ll be needing it much longer.”

“So you’re going to rely on your friends at Rising Tide?”

“They don’t keep things from me,” I simply say before walking back onto the quinjet, closing it behind me. A sigh escapes my lips as I slip the flash drive into my bra, it’s best that Jason doesn’t know what I got from my uncle.

My brother’s screams sound out once more I just roll my eyes as I see Jason and Regan torturing my brother.

“Jason, when I said it was your turn, I didn’t give you full permission to torture my brother.” I state as I take off my leather coat, “that’s my job.”

“If he’d talk, the torturing wouldn’t be need.” Regan says, smirking at my brother.

“Something tells me you don’t mind the torturing, am I right?” I ask my fellow blonde. Her eyes glow for a brief second as her grin grows even more.

“She’s a mutant, of course he loves the torturing.” My brother scoffs.

“Not everyone is a mutant, Francis,” I tell my brother, shrugging off the mutant comment.

“You don’t know much about the people you’re working with, do you baby sister?” His smirk is scary. It’s the same smirk I saw when we were kids right before he tore off the heads of my Barbie dolls and told me Santa wasn’t real. The smirk that tells me, he knows something I don't.

“Francis, how about you spill something useful?” I ask my brother, crossing my arms across my chest, “we don’t have all night. Lives are at stake here.”

“You’re not even a bit curious about these two?” He jerks his head, motioning to Jason and Regan. “You don’t care that you’re working with a mutant and an art majoring frat boy?”

“I’ll probably never see these people again once this mission is through,” I inform my brother, “so why should I know unneeded details about them? Just tell us what you know about Cade? That’s why you’re here Francis.”

“That’s not going to happen baby sister.” He smiles, cockily at that. “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”

“Please, Francis you know I can easily kick your ass from here to kingdom come.” I shrug, “Nat’s been training me since I was 16.”

“And look where that got you,” Francis smirks, knowing he struck a nerve. My brother and I may be close, but that’s sometimes the problem. When we’re on opposite sides, like we are now, we know exactly how to strike those nerves. He might be working with Cade to protect me, but he’s fiercely loyal; he’s not going to rat out his boss. I should have known he would never change.

“Throw him in a field, let Cade have the task of finding him.” I mutter to Jason and Regan, before grabbing my coat and walking out off the quinjet; I’m not going to let anyone see how much that comment bothered me. Especially Jason.

I lean up against the quinjet, a cigarette in my mouth as my hand shakes. I’m not shaking because of the cold, or even the rage that’s building up inside. I’m shaking because of the memories I tried so hard to repress.

”Where’s your daddy now?” Cade purrs in my ear. His lips brushing against my ear lobe before falling to my neck. I let out a whimper and try to pull away, only to be stopped when he grabs a fist full of my bloody, matted hair. “Your daddy is no where to be found, precious. No one is going to save you.” I struggle against him as he pushes me towards the table; flinging me on top as his men pin me down.

“All your previous training with the Black Widow can’t save you now, my little birdie.” He kneels down in front of me, a twisted grin dancing across his lips. He slowly brings a knife up, examining it as my eyes go wide. “You’re the perfect little prize aren’t you? Beautiful like your mother but stubborn like your father. And like your parents, you can be easily broken. Lincoln Slade did it with your mother and Loki did it to your father. Both of them were broken.”

“You obviously heard about what happened to them, didn’t you?” I spit out, earning a slap from him.

“The difference between them and me is that I’ll always be in your life, Austen,” He smiles at me, pushing some of my hair back, “always…” He stands up straight and heads to the other end of the table. I let out a whimper as the cool air hits my back as he lifts up my shirt. Seconds later, my screams fill the warehouse as I feel the knife carving into the lower left side of my back…

Subconsciously my hand moves under my jacket to the lower left side of my back. Even through the material of the dress, I can feel the scars of where he carved his initials, DC. He was right about one thing that day, he’ll always be in my life. Always. But he was wrong about one thing, I’m not easily broken...