The Mission

Short #1:

Evelynn awoke, groggily. Her hands were cuffed behind her back and her feet were cuffed to the legs of the wooden chair. It had been years since she was this groggy after a…shit! In an instant it all clicked, where she was, why she was groggy, and how little control she would have over her powers. She immediately struggled against the bonds, desperate to get away. She had escaped once, she just needed to get away before they could drug her again.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” a male voice said as he entered the room with a manila folder. He pulled another chair from the corner of the room to meet her in the center. He turned it to face backwards and leaned his elbows on the back of the chair. “So Ms.…Dixon…” he flipped through her file.

“I don’t go by that name any more. Or maybe you haven’t heard, the Dixons only have a beautiful normal son.” Evelynn scowled.

“Ms. Evelynn then.” The black man in front of her had a patch over his left eye, which made his glare feel all the more menacing. “Do you know where you are?”

“If I say yes does that mean I’m too aware of my surroundings and you’ll drug me again for fear of me escaping a second time?”

“Second time? You’ve never escape once.”

“What?” No, had they put her on new drugs? Ones that made her hallucinate? Did she not go to see her parents with her brother Jason? “This is Striker’s facility at Alkali Lake, isn’t it?”

The black man looked down at her, disapprovingly. “No. This is SHIELDs headquarters. Though you and I will have a talk about this base at Alkali Lake and William Striker.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. She didn’t want to talk about all of the horrors that went on there. “My name is Nick Fury and I’m the director here at SHIELD. You’ve been making our life a pain-in-the-ass with all of your little antics…”

Before Fury could continue, another agent, blonde and meek stepped into the room. She whispered in his ear and he frowned. He glared at Evelynn, “Stay put. I’m not through with you yet.”

“You’ve made it quite clear that I’m not to move.” Evelynn nodded her head towards her cuffs. Fury hummed in disapproval and walked out of the dimly lit room. Evelynn looked up at the cameras and then set her gaze on the one-way mirror in front of her. Idly she wondered how many agents had their guns pointed at her from the other side, but she dared not attempt to use her powers to discover the covert information—she was afraid that they may have put more signals in her just like Striker’s men did. Fury said she was at SHIELD, but what was SHIELD? Were they the good guys?

Fury returned moments later with a man in an electronic wheel-chair. “Hello Evelynn. My name is Charles Xavier. I’ve come to tell you about my school.”

“No.” Charles cocked his head in disbelief.

“I can help you.”

“No one can help me. And I’m not stupid. You don’t run a school; it’s an institution for crazy people.”

/You’re not the only one with gifts, Evelynn…/ His calm voice echoed against her mind. Her eyes widened in shock.

/I thought I was the only one./

/Of course not. But you must believe me when I tell you that you must do everything I say. I’ve bargained for your life to teach you at my school. The men here at SHIELD are prepared to do far worse to you than you’ve experienced with Striker./

/So I’m a prisoner?/

/Think of it more like…/ “You’ll be on probation, essentially, while you’re learning to control your powers. As long as you don’t fall back into these old habits that have landed you here, then you’ll be fine. I don’t take prisoners or war-criminals or bad people, just lost souls who need guidance to set themselves on the right path.” She knew he was talking aloud again for the benefit of Fury.

“I know how to control my powers,” Evelynn countered slowly.

“There’s so much potential you have yet to unlock. You’ve just barely scratched the surface. The brain is a muscle and it needs to be trained and exercised just like any other muscle in the body. I can teach you to control your powers rather than letting your powers control you.”

“So if I go with you, they’ll be no more running? No more drugs to sedate me while they experiment with my genes?”

“Correct,” Charles responded calmly. “You’ll live in the mansion with my other students.”

The sixteen-year-old nodded. She was going to have a home again, and a mansion at that! She couldn’t believe it. “I’ll go with you.”

Charles smiled. He nodded to Fury who unlocked her cuffs. Fury handed her off to one of the agents standing outside of the room. Huh, there’s only two agents guarding the room. I thought there’d be more. Evelynn mused to herself. Charles Xavier stayed behind to debrief with Fury.

“I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“She confused, hurt and scared. She’s a typical teenager rebelling against her parents, but the key difference here is that she has telepathic powers to use in her rebellion. And her parents disowned her. But she’s not an evil person. I have met evil people and I can tell you that she isn’t one of them.”

“You better be right. I could lose my badge for this if it blows up in my face.”

“It won’t, Nick. You sometimes just need to trust people.”

“The last person I trusted made me lose my eye.”

*********************
Short #2:
In classic Tony Stark style, nothing in the Tower was small. Even still, the violent push that Tony had given Evelynn knocked her directly into Steve’s chest. His strong arms caught her and steadied her back onto her feet. Outside of the door, she heard a faint click of Tony locking them in. He ordered JARVIS to set a timer for seven minutes.

Evelynn inhaled deeply. “So…” she flattened her hands against his chest, smoothing out the fabric of his shirt against it. Nervously she continued, “Tony has a timer set via JARVIS, so we’re stuck in here for the next seven minutes.”

The closet was dark and she couldn’t make out all of Steve’s expressions. “Tony thinks he’s funny.”

Evelynn hummed in agreement. “Yes, well…” she slipped her hands up under his shirt to feel his warm, toned skin beneath her fingertips. She captured his lips in hers. Tentatively, Steve open his mouth to hers and kissed her back. She bit his bottom lip playfully and Steve failed to suppress his moans. “Shh,” she cooed. “Tony will never let us life this down if we’re loud.” As she spoke she undid the buckle of his belt and tossed it on the ground.

Steve braced his arms on either side of Evelynn’s face, effectively pinning her between him and the door. She slipped her hands into his pants and he let out another soft moan. Steve nuzzled her neck and repressed a shutter as her hands gently stroked him.

He pulled her face towards his and captured her lips once more in a desperate and hungry kiss. She smirked against his lips and continued to rub her hands against him. As she circled her hands around him, giving light strokes, she felt another presence.

Her eyes shot open. “Steve, Tony is outside of the closet,” she whispered, repositioning herself to face the door. Steve repressed a shudder as her ass rubbed against his crotch. As the door creaked open, Tony’s disappointed face greeted them. “Hoping to catch us in the act?”

“I just cannot believe that you and Captain America can be stuck in a closet for seven minutes and still have both your clothes on.” Evelynn glanced sideways at the belt sitting on the floor. With her powers she slowly buttoned up Steve’s pants.

“Tony, my tolerance for your arrogance not-withstanding, should you ever come between me and kissing Captain Rogers again, I will have you believing you’re a six-year-old girl.”

Tony eyed her curiously, “You can do that?”

Shutting the door of the closet with a wave of her wrist, she called through the closet. “I’ll have Pepper braid your hair.” She turned around to face Steve again, her body rubbing against his. Steve moaned. She reached up and gently pulled Steve back to her lips. She trailed kisses along his jawline…

“Did we win?”

“Win what?”

“The game.”

“I get the feeling you’re not enjoying yourself, Captain.” Even in the darkness, Evelynn could tell that he was blushing.

“I…uh…it’s just that I thought we…er…you don’t have to stay in here with me if we won…I mean…this is swell…”

Evelynn rolled her eyes. His chivalry was always getting the best of him, no wonder Tony picked on him so much. “Swell? How do you mean ‘swell’?”

“Y’know…swell…”
***************
Short #3:

Tony Stark had left out for the day. He was in the dog-house with Pepper again and Evelynn had suggested that he take her out to try to win her over. But as the two of them were leaving, she could tell that it wouldn’t be an entirely pleasant afternoon. Tony had messed up royally, which was saying a lot because he was the king of pissing Pepper off. If he wasn’t making some snide remark about his gallivanting or making her worry sick while he partied in his Iron Man suit above the territory of two warring nations, he was giving her 12% of the credit she deserved on projects she did for his company. Evelynn couldn’t imagine what he did this time to piss her off so badly.

As the heated couple stormed out of the apartment, Evelynn took her standard issue StarkPad up to the island in the kitchen. Steve Rogers was sitting on one of the bar stools, drawing lazily. “You’re really good.” Steve smiled in thanks. Evelynn sat down next to him and pulled up a game of minesweeper on the Pad. “Who is that?”

“Bucky. He was my best friend, and more like a brother to me.”

“You must miss him.” Steve nodded.

“Do you ever miss your family?” Steve asked her as he continued to draw. As Evelynn responded, she didn’t look up from her minesweeper game either.

“Nope. They gave up on me, so I gave up on missing them. I have a new family now….well what’s left of it. It’s really just me and Storm and sometimes Logan.”

“I think your family would regret having given up on you if they saw you today.”

“Doubt it.”

“Why?”

“Because they had a perfectly normal child to dote upon. I doubt they even remember me. When I went to visit their house after escaping from the lab, all traces of them having a daughter had vanished. There were no pictures of me, no records, nothing. They were perfectly happy without me. I was so angry and hurt.”

“They didn’t know what they’re missing.”

“I’m glad you think so, but my brother is a poster child of normal. He’s wildly successful and the only reason that they’re still alive.” She muttered the last part under her breath.

“Did he save their lives somehow? Is he a doctor?” Damn, forgot about the super hearing from that stupid serum. It’s just like hanging around with Logan. Gotta keep my thoughts to myself and not mutter anything under my breath.

“You don’t wanna know.” She protested.

“If I didn’t wanna know, I wouldn’t have asked, miss.”

Evelynn crossed her arms over her chest, defiantly. “Maybe I don’t wanna tell you.”

“Why not?”

“I was never a goody-two-shoes like you, Mr. “I’m Captain America and I am the pinnacle of honesty and righteousness.” I told you I was on SHIELDs radar in a bad way. And they were part of it.”

“You…killed your parents?” Steve asked incredulously. The disappointment in his eyes, despite it being unjustified, was piercing straight through her.

“No, Steve! Weren’t you listening?” She threw her hands up in the air. “The only redeeming quality about my past is that I chose not to kill them because I saw how happy my little brother was. I didn’t want to take away his family because he deserved better even though they deserved far worse. So the only reason they’re still alive is because I couldn’t bear to have him suffer any hardships of life without a family like I had to.” She was practically shouting. “They were the only mission I ever failed.”

“Mission?”

“I told you,” Evelynn looked away, completely ashamed. “I was on SHIELDs radar in a bad way. I know you’re outta touch but you’re not stupid. The only way to get on SHIELDs radar that way is to be working for some other organization that messes with the peace and harmony that SHIELD so acutely loves.”

“What other missions did you carry out?”

“I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“Did you kill people?” He pressed the issue.

“What do you want to hear?”

“The truth.”

“God, that would be your answer, you high-and-mighty bastard! Yes, okay? I killed a bunch of people. I was a hitman. I was so confused and angry and hurt. I wanted to get back at humanity for the way I was being treated and I thought it was justifiable if I was just wiping out the “bad guys.” Turns out I was working for the wrong organization for my conscious to be clear. I would tap into their minds and toy with them. I would drive them insane and watch them take their own lives. It was sick and twisted and I hate myself for it now, but I was young and alone and betrayed by my own family. Do you know what it’s like to have your own mother tell you that you couldn’t possibly be her child? ‘I wouldn’t raise a devil-child in my household. Take her away.’” She mocked her mother’s scathing words. “Do you know what it’s like to have your father try to beat the demons out of you?”

Steve was silent, his mouth agape.

“You should close your mouth, you’re catching flies,” Evelynn stated quietly. “If it helps eases your shock, I haven’t used my powers against anyone innocent in over a decade. I’m trying to stay straight. I only use my powers to hurt people if they threaten me, because then it’s self-defense. I can’t justify or make excuses for my sixteen-year-old self, but you can’t blame me for self-defense.”

“I don’t think you need to ease my conscious, miss.”

“Yeah well you’re disapproving look says otherwise,” she muttered in distain and with that she walked out of the room.

Steve watched her leave. She had killed innocent people. And worse than that, when she did kill them, she was a bully. He definitely didn’t see that coming.
***
For the next week, Steve actively avoided Evelynn. He would take his daily runs during the middle of the day to get out of the Stark Tower while she was awake rather than during his normal 5am time. He couldn’t believe what she had told him. And what’s worse, he found himself trying to justify it.

She had been tortured so she tortured people back. She was targeting normal humans in the same way that Hitler had targeted the Jews. She was creating a superior race and not even knowing it. Did the not-knowing make it better or worse? He wondered.

Steve picked at his dinner, not really in the mood to eat. Evelynn came into the kitchen, prepared a plate for dinner that night and walked back to her room. Tony and Pepper watched curiously as she and Steve awkwardly avoided each other’s gaze. When she was out of sight, Tony asked, “So you’re that bad in bed, huh?”

“What?” Steve asked astounded.

“I mean, come on! You two were so buddy-buddy and it’s clear she’s got the hots for you and then all of a sudden I come back one day from you two being alone and she’s not talking to you anymore.”

“It’s not like that.”

“I could give you some pointers,” Tony offered, shoving some mashed potatoes into his mouth. “I have been complimented by many a girl…I mean…” Tony fumbled over his words as he caught the glare Pepper was giving him. “Just by a few girls….not even, like guys….wait…no…”

Pepper shook her head. “You should talk to her. She can read minds, but you can’t. Whatever the issue is, it won’t be fixed until you both talk about it.”

Steve glanced over his shoulder at the direction of her room. But I can’t be falling this hard for a bully.
***
Fortunately, he wasn’t the only one suffering emotionally through this newfound information. Evelynn sat on the floor of her rented room and burst into tears. She couldn’t get a hold of herself lately and she wondered if Director Fury actually wanted her to help Steve or the other way around. He didn’t trust her because of her past, and before last week, she had almost forgotten why. Charles had convinced her that she wasn’t an inherently evil person, but that she had had evil done onto her and retaliated. But Charles wasn’t here anymore to comfort her, and the one person who had been helping her cope with the loss suddenly realized that she was truly an evil freak-of-nature.

Evelynn picked up the silver flip-phone with the classic “X” on the back. She pressed the button to dial out for him. She couldn’t figure out why it mattered so much about what Steve thought.

“Hey kid,” Logan’s traditional greeting answered the X-phone.

She sobbed into the phone. She didn’t want to be an evil person and she was so regretful of all of the terrible things she did. Steve was never going to treat her normally again and she knew it.

“At least you remember what you did.”

“I wish I could forget.”

“No you don’t. It’s more painful not to know,” Logan protested. “Listen, kid. You fucked up, but that’s your past. You remember fucking up and you learned from it. You went to Charles and learned to control your powers in a positive way. How many innocent people have you killed since?”

Evelynn sniffled. “None.”

“Right. Now me, I’ve probably killed a ton of people and I don’t even know about it. There’s a warrant out for my arrest in Canada. Couldn’t even tell you why.”

“I don’t know why his approval is so important to me.”

“Because people like us, kid. We desperately wanna feel normal. Now go talk to him.”

“I wish you’d stop calling me kid.”

“Not a chance, kid.” Logan hung up the phone.
***
Evelynn stood outside of Steve’s room, her hand raised to knock on the door. She had been there for a good five minutes trying to work up the courage to knock. Knock, just knock already. C’mon, you can do it. She prompted herself. Inhaling one final time, she held onto the breath as she rapped her knuckles against the door.

“Come in.”

She pushed open the door just enough to peek her head in. Steve was sitting at his desk, facing the window and drawing. The record player next to him was playing classic 40s music and Evelynn briefly wondered where he in the world he acquired a vintage, working record player. “I…uh…hey…are you busy? If you’re busy I can come back later…or never. It’s up to you.” She was speeding through her words.

“I’m not busy,” Steve looked up from his drawing.

“You look busy. I’ll come back later.” With that she slammed the door and hurried back to her room. Just before she could open her door, a strong hand reached out and closed it. She gulped and turned around. “I’m sorry,” Evelynn whispered.

“For what?”

“For disappointing you. I am trying to be a better person, but I can’t erase my past.”

“You were a bully,” Steve states, matter-of-factly.

“I know,” she whispered. “Please, Steve. Don’t look at me like that. I know it’s terrible. I’ve got so much red on my ledger, but I’m trying desperately to wipe it out. And I can’t even explain why, but I really don’t want you to be disappointed with me…or hate me…” she added the last part even softer than the rest. She refused to look him in the eyes.

“I’m sorry,” hearing those words, made her heart stop. He was going to push her out just like everyone else. Unexpectedly, he gently cradled her chin under his two fingers and lifted it to meet his ice blue gaze. “I shouldn’t be judging you for your past. You’re not that person any more. I know what it’s like to be bullied so I guess I over-reacted. I just needed some time to think it all over.”

Butterflies flew in her stomach. She wanted to throw her arms around him and hug him and…kiss him. She restrained her urges though and calmly replied, “Thank you. I’m glad you feel that way because it was killing me to have you loathe me.”

“I wasn’t loathing you, I was angry at the situation and that the world would create such a scenario where someone like yourself would have to choose such a path.”

Instantly, the hurt returns. It was all just words, wasn’t it? He wasn’t actually forgiving her. “What do you mean ‘someone like me’?”

“I mean a beautiful, smart young woman shouldn’t have to go through so much pain.” His chivalrous nature was always getting the best of her. She blushed.

“Please don’t treat me any differently now that you know,” she requested.

Steve smiled. “With all due respect, I haven’t treated you any differently than any other woman after I found out about your powers. I don’t think it would be fair if I decided to do that now.”

“So you won’t avoid me any longer?” Steve shook his head. “Thanks. I’ve never had a normal person like me the way you do.”

Oh you don’t know the half of it. Steve thought, and instantly blushed hoping that she didn’t read his mind.

“I know you like to be all chivalrous and all, but any chance I can buy you an “I’m sorry” drink?”

“That’s not necessary.”

Evelynn shrugged nonchalantly. “I know. But it would make me feel better on multiple levels. And besides I figured you’d definitely decline make-up sex.”

Steve blushed profusely. “I…uh…well…you are beautiful…and I….uh…it would be…uh…”

“Let me buy you a drink,” she hooked her arm in his and marched towards the elevator.