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After Butcher broke in my home and ordered me around, I couldn't stop the foreign feeling crawling into my skin. I didn't respond to him immediately - not really - but he left me a small note with an address, urging me to go there. Honestly, I did want to go there, maybe just to see what would happen. But again, I was still contemplating, pondering what would happen if I let my intrusive thoughts win.
Meanwhile, Annie was still asking me too many questions, and interviewers were still trying to get a single shot of my face. The team was going to missions without me, and Vought was sending me more and more emails each day - yet something had changed. The confidence wafting off of them was getting disrupted. Press conferences started looking chaotic of some sort, and the temmates stopped masking their annoyance.
It definitely took a while for me to come clean to myself - yet I did. I took a step forward. I knew what i wanted, and I knew that if I stood where I was, I would never reach where I strived to be.
That was how I ended up right at that address. It was a bunker - almost looking like a haunted house. It was a secluded area, almost fully blocked with trees. The pathway was blocked, with many obstacles ranging from small rocks to dirt and to pieces of broken off trees.
I knocked on the metallic door with my trembling fingers. Every cell in my body was screaming to go back and act like I never even considered disobedience to Vought - yet the beaming curiosity was taking hold of me. That was the same curiosity that got me out of my bed today. I waited for a while. My legs shook, and I tried fanning myself with my hands. It was as if the minutes had turned to hours. The place was eerily quiet, and I was starting to feel myself awful by each passing second.
My feet started going backwards to run away - until I heard some footsteps nearing the door. I felt my breaths quicken. I was either going to follow my curiosity and push down my responsibilities as a superhero or run off quickly, try to forget about Vought - and try protecting Annie at all costs. As the door suddenly swung open, revealing Butcher, I felt an unmistakable urge to admit my embarrassing curiosity. "I want to know more."
I was bracing myself for mockery or downright humiliation - yet the wide grin that took over his sharp features screamed understanding. He seemed so calm, so confident, and so damn knowing. It was obvious that he was aware.
He knew that I would come.
He knew that he had me, exactly where he wanted.
"Course, Sunny, come on in." I mumbled while following his long strides, "It's Sunkiss, not Sunny. " My protest did surely reach his ears, but he didn't comment. Instead, he continued to lead me through long and narrow hallways until we ended up in a huge common room. "So here's Sunthin,' I told y'all 'bout." My eyes narrowed as I eyed the room warily. There were several sorts of guns and machinery, broken pieces of the building itself, chipped walls, thrown and crushed cola cans, wraps of leftover burgers, and an infecting stuffiness. I felt my nostrils widen involuntarily, and my lungs burned from the smell - the drenched air itself.
I felt my nose wrinkle in disgust, although i tried keeping my actions in check. Scanning the room, I saw three younger guys, a girl and a man who looked probably as old as Butcher. My eyes latched on him instantly, almost zooming on his reckless figure. He seemed too alienated, almost like in his own world. He was calmly eating a burger and was somehow managing to look so detached from the others. His dark chestnuts covered his forehead, casual sweats on his broad body. He was watching the TV and chewing obnoxiously. I inhaled once, hard. His face seemed familiar. I had seen him somewhere... but where?
"Wanna take this eye-fucking to somewhere quiet, dollface?" I felt my face flush - cheeks almost catch fire. My eyes widened, and I gulped down a lump of shame. He turned his head towards me and tilted his head. I darted my irises quickly to others, as if nobody had heard his thick remark. And maybe if I acted casual enough, nobody would.
"Hm?" He provoked. Tested me. I could feel his gaze linger on my face. But I didn't dare look back at him. His gaze felt intense, intimidating, and heavy - almost as if he was seeing right through me. Exploring my ugly truth, shallow lies, and burning anxiousness. I breathed deeply, "Keep your gross thoughts to yourself."
He chuckled lowly, not minding me spitting out my words to him like a venom - like a striking poison. The only girl among them chuckled and started moving her hands quickly. She had long black hair tied up her head and widened pretty eyes. Her laugh made me tilt my head cause it was really - really genuine - and I felt like I missed something.
The guy beside her chuckled as well, making them get lost in their own bubble. "Why are they laughing?" I turned to Butcher, completely ignoring Soldier Boy. Butcher uncrossed his arms and shrugged before shoving me down to the half-broken couch. "Sit. And as for Kimiko and Frenchie...well you will get used to it." Another man with huge arms and a neatly trimmed short black curls appeared behind him. "Yeah, you will."
I wanted to shake my head and shout a no, maybe convince them that this situation - me being with them - will never happen again. But each time I parted my lips, a different sound escaped from a different person. "What's up Kimiko?" The built man asked, my lips parted again, "She just said something funny." The male with a thin moustache leaned forward and shook his head. I decided to let it go and pursed my lips. Butcher sat beside me, trying to avoid the thick coils of the broken couch. I bit my inner cheek as i listened to them quietly. "Why the silence doll?" That annoying, overly confident man spoke up yet again. His long, cocky drawl made my skin itch. "Sunkiss, huh? Quite the fitting name for ya." He smirked.
With furrowed brows, I turned to him, "Who are you, man?!" He raised his brows, and a low whistle echoed between the dirty walls. His darkening greens were focused deep on mine. He clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth, "Feisty-" he nodded, almost talking to himself, "-and brainwashed as fuck not to recognise the best supe this country ever fucking had." My heart started hitting my ribs faster as I gulped and blinked a few times.
Because right at that moment, it clicked.
The man Vought kept hidden, banned, like a damn threat, although he was announced dead years ago.
The man I secretly watched anyway.
He was older now. Rough. Not glamorous, not playing to the cameras. His body looked still broad as before, but he grew out his beard a bit. He didn't have his uniform on, nor his mask.
I wet my lips while he put his remaining burger on the table,"Remember now, dolly?" My jaw clenched, and I shook my head on purpose - just to speak against him. "No, I don't know what you're talking about." Soldier Boy stood up abruptly, making his ironically small chair scrape the ground irritatingly. "Enough." Butcher spoke and stood tall. "We will all meet 'n greet to do shit now. Stop with the bitching. Everyone."
He spat out, and I had to pinch my nose in anger at myself. I hadn't agreed to anything yet, but if I backed out now... I don't know what they would do to me and the secret I am forced to carry. I exhaled harshly and turned to Butcher again. "So 'm Butcher, that girl there is Kimiko, near her sits Frenchie and behind us is standing MM and that man over there-"
Soldier Boy cut him with a loud grunt. "She knows who I am." Butcher's head twisted between me and him. He huffed in anger, "Whatever, mate, that ain't important now anyway." Soldier Boy hummed dismissively and got out of the room. I could finally breathe freely, without feeling his greens throw daggers at me, or his plush lips spit dirt disguised as...flirt?
Butcher shook his head and clapped his hands once. "So, here's the team. You will learn everything bit by bit. For now, we need you to go back to your workplac-"
"What?!" My shocked gasp cut in, "I don't wanna fucking do that! That's why I'm here, risking my damn life!" I was clenching my fists hard, hoping the pain shooting from my nails digging into my palms, to hold my tears in. Butcher nodded slowly as MM approached him and stood up as well, standing shorter. "Look..." MM spoke while putting a hand across Butcher's shoulders, "We have a plan and you-" He showed me with his pointer finger, "-are an important piece in that puzzle." I shook my head in disbelief and tried backing away but Butcher took a step closer to me for every step I took back. "Just trust us-"
I yelped, "Trust you?! I don't even know you guys!" My heart was drumming in my ears. MM pursed his lips, Frenchie giggled and muttered something I couldn't quite understand, Mimiko widened her pretty eyes and started stepping closer to us while Butcher snorted. "You didn't trust us, yet you risked coming here? You risked getting blackmailed or getting kicked out of your lovely-ass-team, huh? Well, Sunshine, guess what? I think you trust us more than you know."
A quiet whine escaped my lips, knowing he was right. Vought had crushed me so hard that any other escape route looked appealing. I approached it with a renewed hope. Sighing loudly, I raised my hands up in defeat. "Fine. Tell me." Butcher grinned and pulled me back to where we were, the tense air seeming to slowly vanish. Soldier Boy came back with narrowed eyes, and his gaze landed on Butcher's hand on my arm. A wiff of soap came with him, so i assumed he washed his hands. Yet his voice wasn't as pleasing as the smell of soap. He snarled, "Now remember me, hm?"
I looked at him and huffed while a new man burst inside with rugged breaths. "I have an idea!" All heads turned to him except mine and Soldier Boy's. He knew I recognised him, but I didn't want to give in and admit my teenage years. I mouthed him. "Nope."
