A Girl of the Future Page 20

  Foster's assistant, Darcy Lewis." She smiled whilst sticking her slender hand out to Darcy.

  "Yes I am, it's an honour to meet you Miss Potts. I wrote a paper on your work as CEO of SI for my political science degree, you're amazing." Darcy gushed whilst shaking Miss

  Potts hand.

  "Thank you and please call me Pepper. If you don't mind me asking how did a Political science major end up working for an astrophysicist?" She inquired a small smile stretching

  the corners of her mouth.

  "She was the only applicant." Jane interjected with a fond smile on her face.

  "Ah, anyway you must be tired I'll show you to your rooms and the labs, Thor seen as you've been here before I'm sure you and Barton can entertain yourselves until I've

  finished with the tour." She stated

  Thor kissed Jane's cheek and took her bag with him and Barton to the elevator.

  "Now let's get on with the tour so you can relax and freshen up before dinner. I apologize in advance for anything offensive Tony says or does." She says whilst walking

  towards the elevator.

  The elevator was reminiscent of the glass elevator in Charlie and the chocolate factory. So far everything that Darcy had seen of the building took her breath away, it was a

  testament to the architect how beautiful the building was considering all she had seen was the lobby and the elevator.

  "Good afternoon Dr Foster and Miss Lewis." Darcy froze and surreptitiously looked around the elevator trying to find the person the voice came from but it was only Pepper and

  Jane inside the elevator. Jane looked equally as puzzled but Pepper seemed unfazed by the mysterious voice.

  "Oh that's JARVIS he's the A.I. that makes sure everything runs smoothly through the building." Pepper explained in return to the unasked question. Darcy's lips quirked up at

  the corner.

  The elevator stopped and the door opened on a new level. Pepper walked along a corridor and Darcy and Jane quickly followed her. The corridor had glass walls either side of it

  that looked out onto what looked like laboratories.

  "This level is where your lab is situated; your lab will be next to Dr Banner's and opposite from Tony's workshop." Pepper smiled whilst placing a key card on a patch next to the

  door handle and pressing her hand on top of it afterwards. She gave the key card she used to Jane and an identical one to Darcy.

  "Here are your key cards to get into the lab; there is also a fingerprint scanner to get in which should recognise your fingerprints by the end of the day." She said whilst

  opening the door to the lab.

  "And this is your lab."

  The lab took up what looked like a quarter of that floor. The dwindling sunlight from the floor to ceiling windows glinted off of a large metal desk with three clear screens

  around it, there was an exact replica of it facing Dr Banner's lab. All of the large scientific equipment that Jane had sent in advance was in cardboard boxes on a workbench in

  the middle of the room.

  Jane slowly walked into the room, Darcy and Pepper stayed near the door letting the scientist get acquainted with her new lab. "There is a set of protocols that you can set in

  place if you need to limit Dr Foster's work hours, only you or I would be able to change the protocols. I'm not sure whether it's just Tony and Bruce that need reminding about

  normal human functions or it's just a mad scientist problem." She smirked in a quiet voice.

  Darcy smirked back "That sounds very useful; whenever Jane does science without sleeping for a couple of days her math tends to go …um what's the word..."

  "Skewed." Pepper supplied.

  "Something like that." She laughed. "Better show her to her room before she gets too settled, I do not want to deal with a sleep deprived jet lagged Jane tomorrow."

  "Right let's show you to your rooms, they are on one of the upper private floors." Pepper remarked loudly enough to get Jane's attention. She walked with Darcy out of the lab,

  Jane following reluctantly.

  "Dr Foster said that you had your own accommodation in the city; please feel free to stay here tonight or any night if it's too much of a trek to get to your residence." Pepper

  said, covertly asking about Darcy's accommodation.

  "I'm staying in an apartment in Brooklyn which I should probably go and settle into once Jane's finished settling into her rooms and unpacked the lab equipment." Darcy

  remarked seeing that it was reach five o'clock on her watch.

  "Please stay for dinner it's the least we could do since you've been on a transatlantic flight and your apartments all the way in Brooklyn." Pepper requested touching the top of

  Darcy's shoulder in a reassuring gesture.

  "Um …ok maybe it depends what time it is. Plus there's this little Italian place down the street that does take outs that I wanted to try out the last time I was here. Also I

  don't think jetlagged me would be the best way to introduce myself to the rest of the avengers" Darcy responded unsurely.

  "That's ok I remember how daunting it was the first time I met all of the Avengers together but really they're just a big bunch of lovable weirdo's that you get used to." She

  laughed, her voice showing affection.

  "Well it can't be worse than our first meeting with Thor can it?" Jane said coming up behind Darcy and patting the duffel bag on her back.

  "I guess not" Darcy laughed pulling her suitcase behind her.

  "Oh I'm so sorry I forgot about your bags I can get someone to put them in the penthouse for you for later." Pepper apologised tapping something into her tablet whilst walking

  towards the elevator.

  "It's alright." Darcy remarked and walked into the elevator with Pepper and Jane.

  Once they got to the floor with Jane's rooms someone was outside of it waiting to take Darcy's suitcase and she reluctantly left her duffel bag with them hoping they wouldn't

  open it.

  They walked along the corridor in a comfortable silence until they reached a plain white door.

  "Here is yours and Thor's rooms Jane and here are your keys. Would you like to do the honours?" Pepper said handing Jane a silver key with a navy ribbon attached to it there

  was a duplicate that had a red ribbon.

  Jane looked at the keys with reverence before placing the key with a red ribbon into the key hole and unlocking the door.

  They stepped into the hallway of the apartment. The hallway led to a large living room with a plush leather sofa, two armchairs and an oak coffee table. Jane dropped her bags

  on the floor next to the coffee table and flopped down onto the sofa with a sigh.

  "I'll leave you guys to it, dinners at eight o'clock in the penthouse, Just get in the elevator and tell JARVIS you're going up for dinner. See you later; it was great meeting you

  Jane and Darcy." Pepper smiled backing towards the door.

  "I was nice meeting you Pepper I just have one question if you don't mind?" Darcy asked sheepishly keeping up the façade of a naïve college graduate.

  "Of course."

  "JARVIS doesn't record inside the rooms does he?" She asked.

  "No he only records in the labs or if you ask him to on specific occasions, why?" She replied nonchalantly.

  "I prefer to plan my murders in private." Darcy deadpanned.

  "She's joking." Jane said poking her head over the sofa before turning back around and mumbling "I hope."

  "I'll see you later." Pepper laughed at Darcy's warped sense of humour and left the room. As soon as she left Jane whipped her head round and glared at her intern. Darcy

  smiled back innocently sitting down next to her on the sofa.

  "What?" she asked.

  "Really Darcy a murder joke, you do know spies/assassins/super people live here right? This probably isn't the best place to joke about murder." Jane glared before rolling her

  eyes exasperate
dly.

  "Well I may as well get Pepper used to my sense of humour, she thinks I'm an innocent college graduate… the sooner I change that the better. What are you laughing at?"

  Darcy replied whilst Jane chuckled quietly.

  "Oh nothing it's just that you're definitely not an innocent college graduate, I didn't think you were innocent when we were in New Mexico before everything." Waving her hand

  Jane replied lolling her head onto Darcy's shoulder.

  "That's probably because you were on the receiving end of a lot of my sarcasm, dark humour and death threats when you wouldn't stop science." Darcy pointed out.

  "We had some good times, although I've got to say the death threats were a bit more convincing after I found out about your skills." Jane said avoiding using the A word

  (Assassin) she didn't like to think that her friend had killed people even though she had.

  "We did didn't we." She sighed looking at her watch and groaned. "If you want help unpacking the lab we better do it soon, I don't want you staying up half the night

  unpacking it." At the mention of their brand new lab Jane jumped up from the sofa and pulled Darcy along behind her.

  Jane locked the door behind them and put the key with the red ribbon in her pocket and gave the navy one to Darcy. "Here just in case you need somewhere to crash or I lose my key. There's a guest bedroom and Thor already has his key." She smiled warm heartedly; Darcy hugged her quickly in a rare show of affection. They then headed down to

  the lab.

  Darcy's eyes were sore and tired when seven fifty came around. She cleaned her glasses and picked herself up from the floor where she was installing a piece of equipment in

  to the tower.

  "Jane it's nearly eight o'clock we can finish off in the morning. I'd quite like to go to my apartment." Darcy almost whined.

  "Just a little longer." Jane said distractedly from the swivel chair she was sat on.

  "No way, it's your first night at the tower as your friend I'm going to have to insist you go and eat with the avengers." Darcy replied sternly whilst pushing Jane's swivel chair

  towards the door before sticking her foot in front of it to stop it. Jane jumped out of the chair to stop herself from falling out of it, she glared when she realised she was in the

  corridor.

  "JARVIS Can you lock Jane out of the lab until at least ten thirty tomorrow or when I get here?" She asked whilst shutting the door to the lab and waiting for the click noise of

  it locking.

  "Of course Miss Lewis." JARVIS replied.

  Darcy smirked at Jane whilst she glared back. They walked to the elevator and relayed the message Pepper told them, soon enough the elevator doors opened up onto a large

  open area. There was a sunken part to the floor where Pepper, Thor, Clint and who Darcy assumed where The hulk/Dr Banner, Tony Stark/Iron man and Captain America/Steve

  Rogers.

  "Jane and Darcy are here." Pepper said standing up to talk to them. Everyone's heads perked up. Thor grinned at them from his seat next to Clint. Jane walked toward the

  seating area and meeting Pepper half way.

  "Hi Pepper." Darcy said smiling folding her arms over her chest in a slightly defensive stance.

  "I'm glad to see you managed to get out of the lab, Thor said we might have to remind you about dinner." She smiled back.

  "No Darcy managed to trick me out the lab in time." Jane replied with a playful glare.

  "I'm well practiced." Darcy replied snarkily. Pepper laughed whilst walking back with them to the seating area.

  "Well I hope you're hungry we ordered a lot of food." She smiled.

  "I was actually just going to head home I came to pick my bags up and drop off Jane" Darcy replied tiredly.

  "Ok well at least say hello first." Pepper insisted.

  "Alright." Darcy smiled following Pepper and Jane. She smiled at Thor and Clint. Jane looked excited, she walked down the steps to the seats and stood awkwardly at the

  bottom near Thor.

  Pepper sat down next to Tony with Dr Banner awkwardly on her right, Steve Rogers was sat next to Clint and Thor. "This is Dr Foster and her assistant Miss Lewis." She

  introduced them seen as they hadn't.

  "Hi" Darcy replied, awkwardly waving her hand at them. Jane still hadn't made a noise so Darcy knocked her elbow into Jane's arm.

  "Sorry it's just an honour to meet you I'm a huge fan of yours Dr Banner I've read all your work." Jane replied nervously, Darcy refrained from face palming.

  "I… uh… thanks your work on the Einstein- Rosen bridge and wormhole theories are very fascinating Dr Foster." Dr Banner replied nervously putting his hand out to Jane.

  "It's Just Jane." She said, taking his hand and shaking it.

  "Bruce."

  Tony cleared his throat. "Well that wasn't awkward"

  "It's nice to meet you Mr Stark." Jane smiled whilst awkwardly sitting down next to him on the larger sofa which left a space for Darcy next to Captain Rogers.

  "Likewise and Mr Stark was my father call me Tony." He replied.

  Jane carried on talking to Tony, Bruce and Pepper. Darcy turned her attention to Thor, Clint and Steve.

  "Hi I'm Darcy, Jane's assistant/babysitter." She introduced herself to Steve smiling, sticking her hand out.

  "It's nice to meet you Darcy, I'm Steve Rogers." Steve said his large warm hand enclosing her petite one.

  "I know, Thor told me about his 'Shield brother Steven'." Darcy replied impersonating Thor's voice, eliciting a laugh from Steve a deep chuckle from Thor and a snort from Clint.

  "Am I getting any better at it?" Darcy questioned Thor.

  "Aye, it was better than last time." Thor beamed. Thor and Clint carried on their previous conversation. Leaving Steve and Darcy to talk.

  "So…" She said awkwardly.

  "So" He replied.

  "Do you live at the tower?" Darcy asked not knowing what else to ask. Steve seemed to pick up on her unease.

  "I do but I have an apartment out in Brooklyn which I stay in sometimes. What about you are you staying in the tower?" He questioned rifling his hand through his short blond

  hair, she smiled. His Blue eyes looked at her face without taking any detours that some peoples may have.

  "I actually have an apartment in Brooklyn to. I needed a bit of space from Thor and Jane. Not that there's anything wrong with living with them." She quickly interjected. "Well

  not unless you like third wheeling a lot of the time or always running out of food." She added smiling, he laughed again.

  "So what do you do in your spare time Darcy?" he asked leaning forward.

  "I read a lot." She replies with a smile, her phone pings and she quickly looks at the message. Her smile brightened her tired face.

  "Something exciting?" Steve smirked.

  "Yeah just got a text from the storage place I was using for my bike telling me what locker it was moved to." She smiled wistfully, she had missed being able to ride her bike

  when she was in London. Steve looked surprised.

  "You ride a bike as in a motorbike?" He questioned.

  "Yeah, So?" Darcy replied slightly defensively.

  "Nothing it's just I ride a bike as well." He defended.

  "Really that's so cool what bike do you have?" She asked eagerly.

  "I've got a Harley Davidson what about you?" He said happily finding middle ground.

  "My Baby's a black Ducati." Darcy smirked remembering winning her in a bet. Their conversation was interrupted by JARVIS announcing the food to be here.

  "And that's my cue to leave." Darcy said glancing at her watch and wincing at the time. Darcy caught Jane's attention by tapping her on the arm. "See you tomorrow morning."

  she said in leeway of a goodbye.

  "You're going?" Jane asked.

  She walked through the dark streets of New York towards the bright lights of Stark (Avengers) tower. The blonde hair of her wig and the
lenses in her glasses reflecting the

  lights of the buildings above her. The noise of her heels clacking on the pavement was overpowered by the sounds of the cars passing her.

  She was content to be back in New York after having to rebuild her covers after what happened in DC. She would be safe from Congress behind the legion of lawyers Stark

  industries have. Her phone bleeped.

  Take out's here where are you? - CB

  She tapped a reply in whilst still walking.

  I'll be there in a couple of minutes make sure they don't eat all the food :) – NR

  She walked towards the entrance of Stark tower, her eyes caught on the site of a woman leaving from the other end of the entrance weighed down with bags. She had long

  curly brown hair with a purple beanie covering the top. She was wearing a grey suede jacket, black skinny jeans and folded down military boots. Natasha carried on walking

  toward the entrance when the woman turned around to hail a cab.

  Natasha stopped dead. The woman's face was as familiar as Natasha's own reflection. But that wasn't possible. The woman climbed into the cab with all her luggage and left.

  She slowly made her way into the lobby of the tower. Shaking her head she told herself that she was just a look alike. She couldn't be the girl she had cared for because she

  had died. And it was All Natasha's fault.

  'The hair colour was all wrong and so where the glasses and her accent and her hair was never curly either…' Natasha stopped herself before she got too far. 'There was no

  way it could have been her so stop thinking it'.

  She walked into the elevator at the back of the lobby and pressed the button for the top floor. She calmed herself and set her emotions aside.

  "Good evening Agent Romanoff, I trust you had a safe journey." JARVIS asked when she was in the elevator.

  "Yes it was JARVIS thank you." She said whilst taking the blonde wig off her head and unravelling the twist her hair was in, letting the crimson curls rest around her shoulders.

  Removing her glasses and the tall heels she was wearing she put them into her bag; taking out the pair of black flats she always kept in there and put them on. She decided