YA Fic: The sun has spread its wings, Part 5
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Eli wiped his sweaty palms on his pants as he walked down the long stretch of hallway that led to the front door of Kate’s penthouse apartment. His nose wrinkled in distaste as he saw the ornate, sterling silver door knocker before he reached out and used it. He turned to look down the way he’d come as he waited for a response, taking in the view of the artfully designed space, dotted with tasteful paintings in heavy oaken frames that bore familiar signatures and capped off with an aquarium that took up the far wall. He shook his head. He was here at her house, and yet she’d never felt so far away.
He heard the door open behind him and turned quickly, “Mr. Bishop, I’m sorry to have to-” He stopped, coming face to face with a butler. “Oh. Probably should have expected that.” He coughed. “I’m here to see Mr. Bishop?”
The butler nodded, leading the way into a thickly carpeted office where Mr. Bishop stood, shouting into the phone. “Listen to me, your department is a piss poor example of a police force. I demand that you find my daughter. I don’t care if every policeman in the area is on riot watch, I will give you one hour to get results or I will-” The older man looked up to see his guest, and a vein popped up in his forehead. “You.”
Mr. Bishop hung up the phone unceremoniously. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Eli cleared his throat, nervously adjusting his eyemask. “I’m sorry sir, but your daughter is missing-”
“I know my daughter is missing, you idiot. What the hell do you think that phone call was about?”
Eli’s eyes narrowed. “-Your daughter is missing in action. As I’m sure she has informed you, her duties as Hawkeye often put her in the line of danger, and I’m sorry to say that we are unable to locate her at this time.”
“Don’t toe that bureaucratic line with me,” Mr. Bishop spit. “You think you can hide behind that scripted response? I know who’s responsible for this, it’s you. Your team is a joke. What happened to my daughter?”
Eli’s face hardened. “She’s been kidnapped.”
“Kidna-” Mr. Bishop pressed a fist against his mouth. “What do they want? Money? Just tell me how much, I’ll pay it.”
“We don’t know, sir. I promise you, we’re doing everything we can.” Voice filling with conviction, he added, “I swear we’ll get her back. I’m not going to let anything happen to her.” His lips thinned as he fingered the edge of one of his throwing stars. “Trust me.”
“Trust you?” shouted Mr. Bishop. “If we’d left it up to you, she’d have been dead at her sister’s wedding! She needs to be found, now, she’s incapable-”
Eli snorted.
“Exactly what, Patriot,” sneered the older man, “is funny about this to you?”
“The fact that you used the word ‘incapable’ to describe your daughter.” Eli clasped his hands behind his back, shoulders straight. “Kate is the most capable person I’ve ever met. If you can’t trust me to guarantee her safe return, trust her.” He looked her father straight in the eye, voice lowering. “Because I do.”
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[“So Tommy just walked out the door?’]
Cassie sighed as she and Vision stepped into the elevator in the Kaplans’ building. “Yeah.”
[“And you couldn’t stop him?”] asked her teammate curiously.
“Honestly?” She leaned against the elevator wall wearily. “I probably could have if I’d wanted to. But I didn’t want to.”
He leaned next to her, their hands brushing. [“Do you think that was wise?”]
“Do you?”
The android shook his head puzzled. [“It certainly wasn’t rational.”]
Cassie’s smile was small as she studied her uniform. “Yeah, well. Sometimes the people who care for us don’t always understand why we have to do the things we do. Doesn’t mean it’s not the right choice.”
The elevator dinged as the doors opened onto the hallway. The Vision stepped out and turned left, knocking on a door before he realized that Cassie had gone the opposite way.
She called down the hallway, “They moved, remember? They’re on the side of the building that didn’t have a giant hole blasted into it.” She laughed at his sheepish expression, waiting for him to join her before knocking.
Mrs. Kaplan answered the door with a smile at the second knock. “Cassie! It’s good to see you again. And, oh. Hello.” She directed a more hesitant smile at the Vision. “That’s quite a uniform.”
The Vision extended his hand. [“A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Kaplan. I am the Vision.”]
She shook his hand warmly. “A pleasure to meet you, too.” She laughed in wonderment. “I swear, you kids and your costumes. I thought Billy’s was elaborate. Come in, come in.” She led them into the living room.
[“In point of fact, this is not a costume, merely the robotic shell for my-”]
Cassie placed a hand on his arm, shaking her head as she whispered, “Let’s spare her that whole android headache, huh? It’ll be easier if you just pull a Pinocchio and pretend you’re a real boy.” She raised her voice, “Mrs. Kaplan, the place looks just like before. It’s great.”
Billy’s mom smiled widely. “It does, doesn’t it? My husband and I felt it was important that we provide a sense of stability for the boys. The floor plan’s all the same, so if you want to wait for Billy, his room’s where it’s always been.”
[“Wait for him?”]
“Yes, I think he spent the night at the Tower again. He knows that we like for him to call and let us know when he’s going to be sleeping over, but with everything Teddy’s been through…Well.” She smiled fondly. “To be honest, I don’t like for Teddy to be alone either.”
Cassie exchanged stricken glances with the Vision. “Mrs. Kaplan, I…I don’t know how to tell you this, but Billy’s not at the Tower. He’s missing.”
“What?” Mrs. Kaplan slowly sank onto the couch, tears springing to her eyes as she absorbed that information. “Oh, god. I knew this would happen.”
Cassie sat next to her, her face reflecting her confusion. “What do you mean?”
“I heard the news yesterday, along with everyone else. Billy’s been so distant lately, and that article-well, now I know why. But how?” Mrs. Kaplan choked up. “How could he think that we aren’t his real parents? How could he leave his family to go after somebody he never really knew?”
“Oh, Mrs. Kaplan, no.” Cassie bit her lip, unsure of how to deliver the news. “He didn’t leave. He was kidnapped.”
“What?” gasped the older woman. “No, no, not-”
They were interrupted by a sudden pounding on the door. Mrs. Kaplan looked up hopefully before hurrying down the hall, “You see? That’s probably him now, you must be wrong, that’ll be him at the door, it’s-” She pulled the door open. “Oh my god, Teddy, what happened?”
The blond boy leaned against the doorframe, the blade of bone still skewering his shoulder. Blood had caked on his arm, turning it a dull, dark red and he panted heavily. “There’s-ow-too many people at the Tower. And,” he gestured weakly towards his shoulder. “Can’t exactly fly.” He mustered up a contrite smile. “I’m sorry I tracked blood down the hallway. And that I had to knock out your doorman.” He breathed the last of his apology, before finally succumbing to darkness.
“Oh God, Teddy? Teddy, wake up.” Mrs. Kaplan caught him as he slumped, wrapping both her arms around the boy. “Teddy!”
The Vision gently pulled her away before picking Teddy up, cradling his friend against his chest. [“Is there some place I can lay him down?”]
Mrs. Kaplan nodded, shell-shocked, staring concernedly at her son’s unconscious boyfriend. “Yes, of course. Put him in Billy’s room. Cassie, I’ll find you the first-aid kit.” The girl nodded, and the two hurried away to search the closet.
The android turned, striding towards the bedroom door, entering a room wallpapered with rocket ships. He was just about to put Teddy down when Mrs. Kaplan appeared in the doorway. “Oh, no, I’m sorry, Billy’s room is across the hall.”
[“Oh.”] The Vision glanced around before smiling sheepishly. [“Of course.”] He carried Teddy out and into the correct room, laying the injured boy down on the bed.
Mrs. Kaplan followed, holding back tears. “He was looking for Billy, wasn’t he? That’s why he has that thing in his-”
The android placed gentle hands on her shoulders, guiding her away from the sight of Teddy’s blood. [“Mrs. Kaplan, maybe you’d like some time to call your husband? And if you don’t mind me suggesting, you might also want to bring Billy’s brothers home from school. Just to err on the side of caution.”]
The woman nodded, her gaze lingering on Teddy’s still form before she left to gather her family, passing Cassie on her way out, who offered up an encouraging smile.
The blonde girl hurried over and sat on the bed next to Teddy, gently wiping his arm clean with a damp cloth. She circled the wound with the warm towel gingerly. “Why isn’t he healing? Doesn’t he usually just shapeshift over clean?” she whispered to the Vision.
The Vision nodded. [“Yes, and I don’t think we have anything to worry about. He’ll heal just as soon as we remove the blade.”]
Cassie wrinkled her nose. “You can do that.”
[“How generous of you.”]
Cassie smiled. “I’m a giver.”
[“I’ll take note of that.”] The Vision grasped the blade with both hands, lips curving at Cassie’s blush.
“Was that…? You just flirted!” she said accusingly. She looked down at her hands, eyes far away. “God, he really did rub off on you.”
The Vision slowly began pulling. [“I wouldn’t go so far as to compare me to Tommy just yet.”]
Cassie shook her head as she studied the Vision’s profile. “I didn’t mean Tommy,” she said warmly.
The last few inches of the blade pulled free with a wet grating noise, and Cassie hurried to press another damp cloth against the freely flowing wound. He watched her fuss over Teddy, eyes curious as he said carefully, [“Cassie, I apologize if my words or actions bring up any unpleasant memories.”]
She shook her head, concentrating on staunching Teddy’s blood. “No. I mean, yeah, I only have a few memories of him, but,” she shrugged, “none of them are unpleasant.”
The Vision nodded then leaned over Teddy, gently waving her hands aside. He pulled the towel off to reveal the smooth, closing skin underneath and shared a smile with Cassie. [“Ladies and Gentlemen, the Incredible Hulkling.”]
//end Part 5//
Eli wiped his sweaty palms on his pants as he walked down the long stretch of hallway that led to the front door of Kate’s penthouse apartment. His nose wrinkled in distaste as he saw the ornate, sterling silver door knocker before he reached out and used it. He turned to look down the way he’d come as he waited for a response, taking in the view of the artfully designed space, dotted with tasteful paintings in heavy oaken frames that bore familiar signatures and capped off with an aquarium that took up the far wall. He shook his head. He was here at her house, and yet she’d never felt so far away.
He heard the door open behind him and turned quickly, “Mr. Bishop, I’m sorry to have to-” He stopped, coming face to face with a butler. “Oh. Probably should have expected that.” He coughed. “I’m here to see Mr. Bishop?”
The butler nodded, leading the way into a thickly carpeted office where Mr. Bishop stood, shouting into the phone. “Listen to me, your department is a piss poor example of a police force. I demand that you find my daughter. I don’t care if every policeman in the area is on riot watch, I will give you one hour to get results or I will-” The older man looked up to see his guest, and a vein popped up in his forehead. “You.”
Mr. Bishop hung up the phone unceremoniously. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Eli cleared his throat, nervously adjusting his eyemask. “I’m sorry sir, but your daughter is missing-”
“I know my daughter is missing, you idiot. What the hell do you think that phone call was about?”
Eli’s eyes narrowed. “-Your daughter is missing in action. As I’m sure she has informed you, her duties as Hawkeye often put her in the line of danger, and I’m sorry to say that we are unable to locate her at this time.”
“Don’t toe that bureaucratic line with me,” Mr. Bishop spit. “You think you can hide behind that scripted response? I know who’s responsible for this, it’s you. Your team is a joke. What happened to my daughter?”
Eli’s face hardened. “She’s been kidnapped.”
“Kidna-” Mr. Bishop pressed a fist against his mouth. “What do they want? Money? Just tell me how much, I’ll pay it.”
“We don’t know, sir. I promise you, we’re doing everything we can.” Voice filling with conviction, he added, “I swear we’ll get her back. I’m not going to let anything happen to her.” His lips thinned as he fingered the edge of one of his throwing stars. “Trust me.”
“Trust you?” shouted Mr. Bishop. “If we’d left it up to you, she’d have been dead at her sister’s wedding! She needs to be found, now, she’s incapable-”
Eli snorted.
“Exactly what, Patriot,” sneered the older man, “is funny about this to you?”
“The fact that you used the word ‘incapable’ to describe your daughter.” Eli clasped his hands behind his back, shoulders straight. “Kate is the most capable person I’ve ever met. If you can’t trust me to guarantee her safe return, trust her.” He looked her father straight in the eye, voice lowering. “Because I do.”
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[“So Tommy just walked out the door?’]
Cassie sighed as she and Vision stepped into the elevator in the Kaplans’ building. “Yeah.”
[“And you couldn’t stop him?”] asked her teammate curiously.
“Honestly?” She leaned against the elevator wall wearily. “I probably could have if I’d wanted to. But I didn’t want to.”
He leaned next to her, their hands brushing. [“Do you think that was wise?”]
“Do you?”
The android shook his head puzzled. [“It certainly wasn’t rational.”]
Cassie’s smile was small as she studied her uniform. “Yeah, well. Sometimes the people who care for us don’t always understand why we have to do the things we do. Doesn’t mean it’s not the right choice.”
The elevator dinged as the doors opened onto the hallway. The Vision stepped out and turned left, knocking on a door before he realized that Cassie had gone the opposite way.
She called down the hallway, “They moved, remember? They’re on the side of the building that didn’t have a giant hole blasted into it.” She laughed at his sheepish expression, waiting for him to join her before knocking.
Mrs. Kaplan answered the door with a smile at the second knock. “Cassie! It’s good to see you again. And, oh. Hello.” She directed a more hesitant smile at the Vision. “That’s quite a uniform.”
The Vision extended his hand. [“A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Kaplan. I am the Vision.”]
She shook his hand warmly. “A pleasure to meet you, too.” She laughed in wonderment. “I swear, you kids and your costumes. I thought Billy’s was elaborate. Come in, come in.” She led them into the living room.
[“In point of fact, this is not a costume, merely the robotic shell for my-”]
Cassie placed a hand on his arm, shaking her head as she whispered, “Let’s spare her that whole android headache, huh? It’ll be easier if you just pull a Pinocchio and pretend you’re a real boy.” She raised her voice, “Mrs. Kaplan, the place looks just like before. It’s great.”
Billy’s mom smiled widely. “It does, doesn’t it? My husband and I felt it was important that we provide a sense of stability for the boys. The floor plan’s all the same, so if you want to wait for Billy, his room’s where it’s always been.”
[“Wait for him?”]
“Yes, I think he spent the night at the Tower again. He knows that we like for him to call and let us know when he’s going to be sleeping over, but with everything Teddy’s been through…Well.” She smiled fondly. “To be honest, I don’t like for Teddy to be alone either.”
Cassie exchanged stricken glances with the Vision. “Mrs. Kaplan, I…I don’t know how to tell you this, but Billy’s not at the Tower. He’s missing.”
“What?” Mrs. Kaplan slowly sank onto the couch, tears springing to her eyes as she absorbed that information. “Oh, god. I knew this would happen.”
Cassie sat next to her, her face reflecting her confusion. “What do you mean?”
“I heard the news yesterday, along with everyone else. Billy’s been so distant lately, and that article-well, now I know why. But how?” Mrs. Kaplan choked up. “How could he think that we aren’t his real parents? How could he leave his family to go after somebody he never really knew?”
“Oh, Mrs. Kaplan, no.” Cassie bit her lip, unsure of how to deliver the news. “He didn’t leave. He was kidnapped.”
“What?” gasped the older woman. “No, no, not-”
They were interrupted by a sudden pounding on the door. Mrs. Kaplan looked up hopefully before hurrying down the hall, “You see? That’s probably him now, you must be wrong, that’ll be him at the door, it’s-” She pulled the door open. “Oh my god, Teddy, what happened?”
The blond boy leaned against the doorframe, the blade of bone still skewering his shoulder. Blood had caked on his arm, turning it a dull, dark red and he panted heavily. “There’s-ow-too many people at the Tower. And,” he gestured weakly towards his shoulder. “Can’t exactly fly.” He mustered up a contrite smile. “I’m sorry I tracked blood down the hallway. And that I had to knock out your doorman.” He breathed the last of his apology, before finally succumbing to darkness.
“Oh God, Teddy? Teddy, wake up.” Mrs. Kaplan caught him as he slumped, wrapping both her arms around the boy. “Teddy!”
The Vision gently pulled her away before picking Teddy up, cradling his friend against his chest. [“Is there some place I can lay him down?”]
Mrs. Kaplan nodded, shell-shocked, staring concernedly at her son’s unconscious boyfriend. “Yes, of course. Put him in Billy’s room. Cassie, I’ll find you the first-aid kit.” The girl nodded, and the two hurried away to search the closet.
The android turned, striding towards the bedroom door, entering a room wallpapered with rocket ships. He was just about to put Teddy down when Mrs. Kaplan appeared in the doorway. “Oh, no, I’m sorry, Billy’s room is across the hall.”
[“Oh.”] The Vision glanced around before smiling sheepishly. [“Of course.”] He carried Teddy out and into the correct room, laying the injured boy down on the bed.
Mrs. Kaplan followed, holding back tears. “He was looking for Billy, wasn’t he? That’s why he has that thing in his-”
The android placed gentle hands on her shoulders, guiding her away from the sight of Teddy’s blood. [“Mrs. Kaplan, maybe you’d like some time to call your husband? And if you don’t mind me suggesting, you might also want to bring Billy’s brothers home from school. Just to err on the side of caution.”]
The woman nodded, her gaze lingering on Teddy’s still form before she left to gather her family, passing Cassie on her way out, who offered up an encouraging smile.
The blonde girl hurried over and sat on the bed next to Teddy, gently wiping his arm clean with a damp cloth. She circled the wound with the warm towel gingerly. “Why isn’t he healing? Doesn’t he usually just shapeshift over clean?” she whispered to the Vision.
The Vision nodded. [“Yes, and I don’t think we have anything to worry about. He’ll heal just as soon as we remove the blade.”]
Cassie wrinkled her nose. “You can do that.”
[“How generous of you.”]
Cassie smiled. “I’m a giver.”
[“I’ll take note of that.”] The Vision grasped the blade with both hands, lips curving at Cassie’s blush.
“Was that…? You just flirted!” she said accusingly. She looked down at her hands, eyes far away. “God, he really did rub off on you.”
The Vision slowly began pulling. [“I wouldn’t go so far as to compare me to Tommy just yet.”]
Cassie shook her head as she studied the Vision’s profile. “I didn’t mean Tommy,” she said warmly.
The last few inches of the blade pulled free with a wet grating noise, and Cassie hurried to press another damp cloth against the freely flowing wound. He watched her fuss over Teddy, eyes curious as he said carefully, [“Cassie, I apologize if my words or actions bring up any unpleasant memories.”]
She shook her head, concentrating on staunching Teddy’s blood. “No. I mean, yeah, I only have a few memories of him, but,” she shrugged, “none of them are unpleasant.”
The Vision nodded then leaned over Teddy, gently waving her hands aside. He pulled the towel off to reveal the smooth, closing skin underneath and shared a smile with Cassie. [“Ladies and Gentlemen, the Incredible Hulkling.”]
//end Part 5//