I know I said that I did not mind staying in the tower for a few days, but several hours later I am quickly taking that statement back. It is less the fact that I am bored, even though I very much am and that is a slight factor, but more so the fact that I want to see the kids. I need to at least make sure they are ok.

I know that Tony said that they are somewhere safe, but my mind has been in a frantic panic and I know that it will not stop until I make sure of it for myself. I know that I shouldn't go out, it's not safe, but the only thing occupying my head for the past several hours has been the kids and their safety rather than mine.

These are most of the thoughts running through my head right now, even as most of the Avengers and Co. are sitting around playing games, clearly trying to distract from everything else that has happened within the last 24 hours. The day so far has been hectic, and there has always been at least one person near me at all times, and I am starting to think that it may not be just because I make amazing company.

After school, Peter came by the tower and joined in the chaos and the beginning of our games, but then left just a little while ago. His excuse was homework, however, I know he is most certainly not doing homework right now and is instead swinging around Queens taking names, and kicking ass.

Currently, we are playing Monopoly, and Ms. Romanoff and I are both winning by a landslide. After taking another $200 from Tony, he is seconds away from flipping the table. Then, directly after my turn it is Ms. Romanoff's and she instead takes $240 from him, which causes him to go bankrupt. This then causes him to absolutely lose it.

"That's it! We are done with this game! It isn't fun when you guys cheat!"

"We are not cheating Stark. You are the one that tried to pay with real money instead of the game money. You are just upset you can't be in the 1% all the time." Ms. Romanoff fires back.

Ms. Romanoff really reminds me of MJ. I know that they would instantly get along if they were to meet, but I would honestly be terrified if they ever did. If they teamed together I am sure they could take over the world within a night. Now there are two people I need to get Ms. Romanoff to meet, Scarlet, and MJ, although the latter is still debatable and depends on if I value my life.

Still huffing and puffing, Tony stands up. "Nope, we are done with this. My tower, my rules, and I hereby ban Finnley and Nat from playing Monopoly."

"Well, in that case, I have something else we could play," Clint says with a smirk that promises chaos, and I smile, liking where this is going.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"I'M A BARBIE GIRL IN THE BARBIE WORLD

LIFE IN PLASTIC IT'S FANTASTIC

YOU CAN BRUSH MY HAIR UNDRESS ME EVERYWHERE

IMAGINATION LIFE IS YOUR CREATION

COME ON BARBIE LET'S GO PARTY"

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

Scott and Sam are loudly singing along as Clint and I are absolutely DESTROYING it at Just Dance doing Barbie Girl by Aqua. When the song finishes both me and Clint bend over, resting our hands on our knees, trying to catch our breath. There is a round of applause that then causes me to stand up to bow.

Since this was our 10th round of Just Dance, everyone is exhausted, and since it is getting late, everyone decides to put on a movie. However, not even forty minutes into Night at the Museum almost everyone is asleep, completely dead to the world.

When Tony, who is sitting next to me, finally falls asleep, I look across the room to the only other person now awake, Loki. I crawl out from the blanket and quietly creep across the room to sit by Father. When I almost trip over Pietro who is sprawled across the floor, we both have to hold back a snicker.

When I sit down next to him, I look around the room once more to make sure that everyone is asleep. When I confirm that they are, I speak very quietly. "I need your help with something."

"What would that be?" He whispers back.

"I need to cover for me while I go see the kids."

Father quickly turns his head toward me. "Lulla, no."

"What? But I-"

"You can't, you will get arrested the moment someone sees you. It's not safe yet, you can't."

"Father, I need to."

"No, Lulla, I can't let you do this. We need to wait until everything settles down and then-"

"Why are you doing this? You don't get it, I need to make sure they are alright- just please."

"Look, I don't like Stark, but I know that he is doing everything in his power to make sure those kids are safe like he said. They are fine, you need to look out for yourself right now."

I glare at him for several seconds with an angry scowl on my face. "Fine." I seethe through my teeth. I then roughly stand and storm off to my room. When I got to my room I tried to go to sleep, I really did. I tried to listen to what Father said. I understand his concerns, but my mind has other plans.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

I rush up the stairs, stumbling up them and skipping half the steps on my way up. I can hear shouting and other sounds that my brain is desperately trying to block out from upstairs. I try to push myself up the stairs faster, even with my legs threatening to give up, but the stairs only seem to grow taller with every step. The closer I try to get to the top, the further away it grows.

After what feels like hours of futile effort to get up the stairs, I make it to the top. Even as my chest aches and my throat burns with breath, I do not break my stride. Without faltering for a second, I sprint to the room with the door laying on the ground, knowing what will happen if I hesitate and am too late.

When I burst into the room, my eyes instantly land on Scarlets who are already staring directly at me, eyes boring into me. Her head moves back behind Ms. Santina's body that is standing in front of her, her hands around Scarlet's throat. I try to move closer to her, but I can't. My feet are stuck to the floor, directly across the room from where Scarlet is standing motionlessly as Ms. Santina takes the breath from her. Tears roll down her cheek as she looks at me, an expression on her face that seems too difficult to place. I try to do everything to get my feet to move, I scream at my body begging it to let me save her, but it does not budge.

I scream. I scream louder than I thought possible, it is a scream that you could feel in your bones, a scream that rattles your entire body and soul. It is of pure desperation. I try to pull at my feet, trying to move them from the floor, even if that means ripping at the skin on the bottom of my feet that is glued to the creaking hardwood floor that I always hated the color of. But my feet still stay unmoving just as Scarlet's eyes on me stay unmoving.

I can do nothing but stare at her as I watch Ms. Santina pull the last remaining life from her chest, and I watch as Ms. Santina smiles as she does. My scream rattles the entire building.

I fall to my knees on the floor at the same time Scarlet falls to the floor, limp.

My whole body aches and even the tears falling from my eyes can't soothe that pain. Then, without thought, my body stands up on its own, the force keeping it stuck to the floor is long forgotten. I feel my hand clench around a knife in my hand, my palm rubs against the hard plastic textured handle. My thumb traces over the smooth flat edge of the blade, admiring the polished shining surface.

Ms. Santina looks at me over her shoulder as I approach her, but she does not move, wearing that same disgusting and overjoyed smile that makes the blood in my veins boil. That smile is what drives the knife into her back.

I don't waste a second, I don't have time to waste a second. I push the knife into her back and hold it there, but she doesn't even flinch, I push it deeper and she still doesn't move. She just continues to smile at me, it is like a knife in my own chest. She twists the knife when her smile twitches up even further and she looks absolutely thrilled.

When I blink I am in Scarlet's place, pushed up against the wall, flailing as Ms. Santina wraps her hands around my throat. Behind Ms. Santina I see Scarlet staring at me. As Ms. Santina squeezes the breath from my lungs, Scarlet slowly walks up to me, her pace leisurely.

When she gets close to the side of my head she whispers to me with a smile on her face. "Can you feel it? The tightening in your chest? The burning in your lungs? I know I can."

I try to gasp out her name, but the sounds get stuck in my throat that is begging for air.

Scarlet gently grabs my hand, so tenderly, and then she presses the handle of the knife into my palm. She slowly lifts up my hand loosely holding the knife up to her chest, just above her heart.

"Go on, kill me, just like you did before. You killed me when you didn't save me, when you weren't there for me like you promised. Come on, you can do it again."

I try to shake my head, but it is hard to do with Ms. Santina's head still wrapped around my throat. Tears and pain flood my eyes as I try to pull the knife away. Scarlet holds my hand in place, pulling it closer, the blade just piercing her skin.

"Come on, you can do it."

I try to scream, but I have no breath left to.

"You loved killing her," she tilts her head towards the person slowly dragging the life from my chest. "I bet you will love killing me too."

Scarlet pushes my hand holding the knife deeper in her chest. My eyes look down to see as blood soaks her shirt, her chest that was rapidly moving up and down with breath stills. Her eyes never leave me.

Ms. Santina leans her face directly next to the side of my head and softly speaks in my ear as she gently strokes my cheek with the back of her blood-stained hand. "Good job, you did so well. You are just like me. I am so proud of you."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

I jump up in my bed, my body instantly sitting up, away from my sweat-soaked sheets. I don't even realize that I am screaming until several seconds later. When I finally catch my breath, it is taken away once again as I am choking on my sobs. I bury my head in my hands, my fingers weaving in my hair and pulling at it.

"Boss, you seem to be showing an extremely high heart rate and signs of a severe panic attack, would you like me to contact someone?" RUBY speaks through the speakers in my room and I am now regretting installing her into my room.

"No, no, don't do that." My words stumble out frantically.

"Are you sure? I would highly recommend-"

"NO RUBY!"

"Yes boss," RUBY speaks in a tone that I swear almost sounds concerned, something I didn't think was possible.

I spend another few minutes collecting my breath. Once I have enough air in my lungs to function, I speak up. "RUBY, I do need you to do something."

"Yes, boss?" She sounds hopeful.

"I need you to hack into FRIDAY and find out where Tony has the kids placed."

"I don't know if-"

I cut her off. "Don't even try. Just do it."

There is silence for a few minutes before RUBY speaks up again. "They are 15.6 miles away from here on the outskirts of the city, would you like me to pull up directions and the fastest route?"

"Yes."

"They have been sent to your phone."

I slowly raise myself out of the bed and walk over to the door. I listen, making sure that I don't hear anyone wandering around, even if it is nearly 2:00 in the morning. When I don't hear anyone I slowly open my door as quietly as possible and sneak down the hall, thankful that there are no creaking floorboards every few steps like in the orphanage.

I creep through the halls and eventually get to the elevator, which I take down to the ground level. When I finally get to the unoccupied lobby of the tower, thankfully unnoticed, I pull my hood closer around my head and start my way toward the kids.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───