Chapter Text
Thomas’s body ripples as if it couldn’t hold it’s shape, spasming and tearing as if glitching apart before a bright flash of light obscured him from sight.
Their core was painfully splitting apart, going back to many instead of one. He could feel himself being pulled away from the others, losing that mental connection of thoughts and feelings as they are forcefully unfused.
He could feel the others around him as their bodies formed, hear them breathing harshly through the pain that is always present during this process.
Virgil gasps for breath, forcing his lungs to quickly start working again. There isn’t time to let everything settle, they are out in the open with a stranger in front of them. A stranger that just witnessed them all split.
They need to get out of here before this causes them more trouble. Even if the stranger helped them a second ago, with what just happened he’s sure they aren't going to want to anymore...Or with the even more alarming fact the stranger isn’t alone anymore they might be planning to harm them.
Though both seem vaguely familiar, one more than the other, he doesn’t trust this situation at all.
A man with some strange red and gold metal suit stands next to the archer, the two intensely talking to each other. The archer waved his hands a lot as he spoke, using sign language along with his words.
“...now explain to me Clink why am I wasting resources on a group of kids, couldn't we have let shield just deal with this group of agents? Or even just cap instead of the whole team?”
“They aren't just kids Stark, I- Just trust me on this. I can’t let them-We couldn’t let them get into Hydras hands, They’re obviously not human.”
The guy in the metal suit sighs pinching the bridge of his nose before the two continue their conversation. Virgil tunes them back out for the rest of it, he doesn’t know what this shield or hydra agents, or who this cap guy is, he doesn’t care. It’s not important right now.
He turns to the others making sure to keep a cautious eye on the strangers as he looks over every one’s conditions.
Logan appears to be sporting the head injury they got as Thomas, its sluggishly bleeding on the side of their forehead, but isn’t too serious. Can be patched up later. Dean is swaying looking close to fainting. Roman has a couple scrapes from running into tree branches, and finally, Patton, sitting there hugging himself and just with a few bruises. They are all banged up but that’s what happens when you’re running from people shooting at you.
Virgil stands, ignoring the swarming black dots in his vision trying to shake his head to get rid of them as he pulls what little shadows he can into the broad daylight around his family’s and his feet protectively.
Those two adults sound to be still talking to each other almost arguing now. Good means they are distracted. He gets to work helping everyone to their feet, tensely aware that the strangers attention could turn back on them.
“...ould take them back to the lab and give them checkups…”
Virgil freezes, the black under his eyes darkening and growing, the shadows he’s pulled around them doing the same. Lab?! The word keeps repeating in his head, bouncing around his skull. He has to clench his jaw to try and keep himself in reality. Fight back the screams that want to rise with that word.
He growls forcing himself to move again. they wOULD NOT BE TRAPPED IN A LAB AGAIN! He lifts a hand up into the air and the shadows move as one with him as they stretch over them and wrap around all of them. There’s shouting from the strangers that goes ignored but a flash of red launches right towards them before darkness envelops and they vanish.
They land in a completely different part of the forest, the shadows receding immediately after as they try to get their bearings. Virgil shudders heavily as his energy leaves him... to much power at once. His legs give out as he falls on all four wheezing and trying to catch his breath.
Roman stumbles forward and faceplants into a nearby bush with a startled grunt unable to catch his footing, the only trace of him, is the frightening sight of the butt of an arrow standing straight up from the bush.
Logan and Dean help Virgil to his feet, checking him worriedly to see if he is alright, while Patton helps roman stand up and yanks the arrow of his jacket giving a thankful sigh when he realizes it wasn’t actually shot into Roman.
With every one back on their feet once again, they swiftly make haste to return home.
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Hours later the crew gets back to the house and Logan starts giving orders. Enacting their emergency plan they had discussed years back for situations like this. “Virgil backpack of clothes and essentials from the bathroom. Patton, Dean pack the duffel thermal bag with food and perishables, And Roman go collect up the camping equipment for cooking and sleeping.” He commands sharply as he starts collecting papers together.
Virgil furrows his brows, something catching his eye as Roman turns to leave, before Roman can leave the room he grabs him and pins him to the wall.
“Stay still.”
Roman loudly protests at the sound of his coat ripping, only to fall silent with his eyes widening.
“Tracker.” Virgil states show off the device to all
Logan looks at it with a huff. “Then the timetable has been moved up, Go now, collect!” He orders loudly, waving his hands to hurriedly shoo everyone to do as told.
They all separate to do their tasks, grabbing their bags and stuffing them carefully with the items they were told to collect. The house is full of tense silence as they bustle about instead of the usual happy contentedness that usually surrounds their home. If all goes according to their emergency plan. They shall take their bags, stay a few nights at Joan's before take off to hide away in the woods for a while...they never determined for how long but however long it would take to be safe again, one would assume.
After some time, they manage without a problem to get their bags all packed. They assemble back into the living room checking they got everything only to freeze, a knock coming from the front door.
“Pizza delivery!” a voice calls.
They all look to one another with confusion and suspicion, none of them had obviously ordered a pizza. Virgil steps up, taking upon himself to get close to the door. “We-...Er...I didn’t order a pizza.”
“Your neighbors sent it over.”
Virgil furrows his brows and opens up the door cautiously to tell the poor delivery guy to go take it to their neighbors or something, only to freeze. That wasn’t a delivery guy with pizza! It was the archer standing there with his arms crossed! “Can I come in?”
Virgil slams the door shut, fastening all the locks “We gotTA LEAVE NOW!”
Everyone scrambles together, running for the stairs. The only way back out the house is out the window on the second floor and climbing down the tall tree in the backyard.
Virgil gets the window open only to freeze once more. The archer had somehow beat them to the tree, perched idly in the branch giving them a wave “Right, you gonna run again or you gonna finally let me in?”
Virgil glares at him with a growl, backing up and keeping everyone behind him as the archer steps in.
“You know, you guys really give a whole new meaning to kids in a trench coat.”
Virgil huffs at the joke, not at all pleased with the probably dangerous stranger in their home… any stranger is dangerous if he’s being honest.
The archer crosses his arms with a sigh looking to them all expectantly “... Really? Nothing? You kids don’t remember after all this time? And to think I chose my hero name after the nickname you gave me...”
Virgil furrows his brows. They all stand there confused looking at the man. He's dressed in purple leather gear with a quiver of arrows and bow on his back. When did they know any heroes? Let alone give a nickname to one??
That is when Patton perks up recognizing him at last. “Wait Mr. Hawks!”
Roman’s eyes widen “Wait… like… Mr. Hawks from…” He looks to the others as looks of realization sweeps over everyone’s face. All at once, they begin trying to shout over one another.
“Why the hell did you shoot Roman?!"
“You chose a hero name based on the nickname we gave you?”
“Why were you with that weird guy in the metal suit?”
“How did those assholes from the facility find us?”
”What’s with all the leather?”
Hawks puts his hands up “Whoa, whoa calm down. I had only shot him with a tracker arrow, no harm done. I just wanted to be able to find you kids. I haven't seen you in years, and last time I was saving your asses from Hydra goons. I had to make sure I could find you again.” He puts his hands down, using one of them to rub the back of his neck. “As for the whole other guy being there, I’m kinda part of a team now that works to keep the world safe? Pretty sure everyone’s heard about them on the news. Especially with the whole alien invasion we came together to stop in the first place.”
“Wait...you stopped that?!?!” Roman exclaims
“Ah well no, it wasn't just me. I uh… I was actually kinda brainwashed for the beginning of it and helped cause it but that’s besides the point. I had a team helping me.” Hawks corrects.
They all looked at him with awe, almost the same kind of look they gave him when they were all so small and he’d rescued them from that Hydra facility.
Hawks clears his throat awkwardly. “R-Right, so… I know you’re probably not going to like this idea, but I think you all should come with my team and I back to the tower. Hydra obviously somehow found you guys again and it would be safer than hiding out in the woods.”
Virgil frowns glaring. Hawks may have rescued them twice now, but that doesn’t mean he’s completely trustworthy. “This same tower that the metal suit wanted us in to go to his lab?”
“Ok, he doesn't work on people first of all. He only works on machines. And secondly, he just wanted to get you guys patched up. You are all battered and bruised, you need some medical care.”
Dean huffs stepping forward to Virgil’s side “And what’s to make us believe that he doesn’t use his machines on people? Or that we would be safe in the claimed tower of yours?”
Hawks sighs “Look you have a whole team of superheroes living there, plus all of Stark's expensive security. Just… Come back with me to the tower and as soon as you wanna leave, I'll help you get out without anyone noticing, even help hide you away somewhere in the forest”
Virgil hums and looks to the others, they all share a few looks silently thinking it over together. After a moment, they each give a nod to Virgil and he sighs. “Alright fine. We’ll go…”