ONE:
Barton BBQ

THE FARM LOOKED completely different. Well, it was a lot more clean and a whole lot less chaotic than the last time Alison had seen it. Granted, she had also charged into the farm by getting teleported there with no warning on Thanksgiving. In her mind, Alison thought that Clint still deserved that after lying to her.

The farm was busy, and there was no denying that. Kids ran around, or at least Clint's were, and Jackie was talking with some of the other adults from Laura's family. The woman seemed happy, actually letting her hair fall in soft waves instead of her normal tight pencil bun, a smile donning her face. The scene was one that had smoke wafting through the air, making the whole farm just a little smoky. Just beyond the picnic tables and fold out tables that had been hastily set up was a small banner that was hanging in front of the barn stating-

Barton BBQ July 2017

Alison still stared at the sign with shock. In all honesty, she still couldn't believe that Clint was her uncle (even after the Christmas card and presents he sent her the year before) or that she was related to an Avenger by blood. Alison thought that part of her suspicion was because she had been told by a crazy Asgardian that was only in New York to cause trouble. Well, until that said Asgardian left.

Charles was still right beside her, unsure of what to do or who to talk to. He was more awestruck at the sights around him, looking at the family of an Avenger and the few relatives of that Avenger that came to the barbecue. One of those relatives also being him.

A frizz of brown hair could be seen bounding towards Alison and Charles, who were lingering by the entrance of the barn. They had been there for at least seven minutes, but were to scared to move. As the person moved closer and closer, the smile on the person's and Alison's face grew wider and wider.

Without the slightest bit of hesitation, Christa jumped onto Alison, holding a pretend air microphone as she sang along to a song. "If you wannabe my lover!" She sang teasingly, squealing as she hugged her friend/ technical cousin and put down her air microphone.

"You've gotta get with my friends." Alison finished the greeting and song lyric, hugging her friend tightly back. The song was a joke that Alison had never been able to outgrow, especially after admitting that she had loved the song since she was a child. Christa thought the song was a bad 90's piece and had made fun about her ever since.

Releasing from the hug, Alison looked at Christa with a slightly surprised look. "I thought you were doing courses for high school in California!"

"Yeah well, I couldn't exactly miss this." Christa threw her hand to showcase everything going on. "Especially since you were going to be here this year. Normally it's just us, Clint and Laura's parents, and maybe Laura's siblings and their kids. It's pretty boring sometimes."

"Well this year, it won't be boring. I guarantee it." Alison laughed, slinging her arm over Christa's shoulder. "I'm here now, and this is going be a lot more trouble for Clint and the rest of his family when they find out that I have super speed."

"You mean if they find out." Christa corrected, pivoting Alison towards the snack table, laughing as she dragged the girl towards the table decorated with a red and white checkered tablecloth. "Because if I don't tell, and you don't, will they ever really know what's going on?"

"Touché." Alison laughed, looking at the wide array of food in front of her. "There's so much food!" She exclaimed, seeing the large assortment of food. There was barbecue, with ribs and brisket on one platter, with countless barbecue sides scattered around the table.

"Okay, Clint may of gone a little overboard with  his cooking." Christa admitted, looking at all of the foods in front of her. "But can you blame him? This is is first time he's had people over in a really long time that weren't illegal."

"House arrest has been that hard, huh?" Alison muttered, grabbing a plate and looking at Christa do the same. "He's really been having that hard of a time with you gone?"

"I wouldn't say that he's been having that hard of a time, but he's supposedly missed the sarcastic comments throughout the house." Christa answered, taking some of the brisket off of the main platter.

"I should just send Charles over there." Alison laughed, grabbing some ribs and a corn on the cob piece. "The teenage years are finally striking and I have no clue what to do. Neither does Jackie."

"I'm sure that Clint would be all over that. Having Cooper and Charles would be hilarious to see. Him dealing with more than two teenage boys? Impossible." Christa laughed, shaking her head at the thought.

"He dealt with two teenage girls together for a night." Alison shrugged, grabbing a few other sides, waiting for Christa after she had finished. "How hard can it be to manage two teenage boys for a weekend?"

"Harder than you think." Clint interrupted the girls, pecking Christa's forehead as a greeting. Squeezing his niece in a tight side hug, he looked happy. Donning a corny dad apron, sauce smeared on his face, he looked in his element. "I'm pretty sure I'd have him and Cooper out shooting in the makeshift range I made. Couldn't handle their testosterone all the time."

"Hey Clint." Alison smiled at her uncle, looking at Christa, who just shrugged. "It's nice to see you again. Without a crisis going on, of course."

"I told you, call me Uncle. It's not Clint anymore, since that secret's already been spilled." He remarked, wiping a smudge of barbecue sauce off of his nose. "Anyways, I'm glad you guys could make it."

"I am too, Uncle Clint." Alison tried out the new name, giving a strange face when she said it. Still balancing her food in one hand, Alison shook her head, getting a laugh out of Christa.  "Nope, that doesn't work. Still gonna be Clint."

"Well, I tried." He sighed, throwing up his hands, looking over at Christa, who offered him a smile. "She doesn't seem to be going for it." Clint gave Alison a teasing glare, causing Ali to roll her eyes at her Uncle's antics.

"Told you she wouldn't go for it." Christa laughed, motioning with her hand towards her adopted father. "Now cough up the cash." The exchange of a few dollars was made, Christa pocketing the transaction with a satisfied look. "Now, Dad, if you'll excuse us, we've got to get eating. You made a crap ton of food, and if you want it all gone by the end of the day we need to get cracking."

"Far be it for me to stand between two hungry teenagers and their food." Clint answered, walking away from the girls to attend to the grill again. "Have fun! Don't forget to talk to everyone here, Christa!"

"Yeah, Yeah." Christa dismissed, waving goodbye to her dad. "No promises there. Don't want Grandpa Barney to start stretching out my cheeks again." She muttered the last part to Alison, rolling her eyes at the idea of even interacting with her grandparents.

Alison just shook her head, walking over to where Charles was eating with Lila, Cooper, and Nathaniel. Waving hello to her younger cousins and giving her brother's hair a ruffle, she sat down, Christa following suit. Seeing Charles' joy at interacting with his family members brought a smile to her face.

Beginning to dig into the food, there was a loud sound of laughter coming from the kids table, all the cousins finally interacting together. As the talking began to blur into candid conversations about things like Avengers (the boys loved to talk about their superhero relatives) and college applications, Alison smiled, realizing a simple but amazing fact.

For the first time in forever, Alison felt that everything was okay.

And that was enough, for now.

After all, what could go wrong?

TWO:
Victory Achieved

THE CHAMBER WAS SILENT. As Absinthe walked through the empty halls of the ship, clutching a visor in her right hand, the warriors around her cowered in fear, some bowing while others bowed before the woman.

Her feet followed the familiar route towards the throne room, the rhythmic beat of the clack of her boots the only sound that echoed. When she arrived, Absinthe threw open the doors, seeing the familiar shadow of a face in the room.

"Father." The woman bowed before her father, a small and sly smirk coming upon her face. "I have returned from Earth. After two years of service, my mission has been completed."

"You've located the time stone?" The man stated her mission, confirming that the tasks her required her do were completed.

"Yes." Absinthe replied, a firm nod confirming her statement. "It lies with the Master of the New York Sanctum Sanctorum, a pesky man named Doctor Strange."

"And what of the girl, what was her name?" The man asked, his left hand toying with some... weapon, a dagger, it appeared.

"Alison Marnell." Absinthe spat, her face wrinkling up in disgust at even the mention of the speedster girl that she had supposedly killed. "The teenager who could have had it all." She mocked, almost scorning the girl.

"Could of?"

Throwing the visor clutched in her right hand on the floor, the mask clattered as it slid towards the man Absinthe was serving. The blood spattered on the visor was unmistakable, human blood easily indistinguishable.

"A token of the kill, father." Absinthe looked down at the visor with satisfaction, her expression flickering with a mask of fear for less than a second before hardening again.

The bloodied mask of a superhero lay on the floor, the visor one of a New York speedster who was now dead.  Another mission complete, another step towards an inevitable victory. A smile of satisfaction lifted up on Absinthe's face, bowing before her father.

"Well done, my daughter." The words from the lumbering man in the stone throne echoed throughout the room. A smile was forming on the man's face, a look of genuine pleasure clear as day. "You've done me a service."

"Of course, father." Absinthe rose, her eyes meeting the steely look of the violet eyes of her father. "I could not fail you. This mission was important."

"Yes, indeed it is." The titan of a man rose, his scarred chin and purple toned skin coming to light as he lumbered down the steps. "It was. Did she die a painful death?" The titan questioned, his eyes cold with an emptiness like a void. "Or did you show her mercy?"

"Who has the time for mercy?" Absinthe answered back, her eyes flickering with something....regret, perhaps? "Yes, father, of course she died a painful death. All her loved ones taken from her..... it was a sight one could not forget."

The titan had a flicker of a smile at the edge of his lips, looking down at his daughter with satisfaction. His eyes were glinting with almost pride as he stared down upon her, a look never given to the daughter he had always put second. "Excellent."

Watching her father walk past her, not even speaking, Absinthe's eyes knit in confusion, starting to walk with her father. "Father, my lord, where are you going?"

"To the ship." The father to Absinthe looked behind at his daughter, his tone obvious, his expression mirroring his tone. "Accompany me?"

Absinthe's confusion folded into a smile, coming to be by her father's side. "It would be my honor to do so. What would we be doing?"

"Going to a place where we can finally start what we've been working towards all of those years ago." The man stated, his tone pleased and almost excited for what would occur next.

"Now we can begin our conquest."

BREAKOUT WILL RETURN