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She’s not sure whether it’s because her body has actually become a dowsing rod for danger or she’s finally letting the cynicism that has taken root in her mind run wild, but when Ava wakes up with a restless energy crackling through her, she already knows that whatever the day will bring is not something she wants. It’s a day like any other. Her noisy upstairs neighbour gets ready for work, she hears the sound of children walking to school outside her window, and the green light that indicates that the battery packs for her suit are fully charged blink at her.
When she checks her phone, she has no new messages. No missed calls. Exactly like any other day, really. Ava lives a solitary life. Everything about her was contained in whichever inconspicuous safehouse O.X.E put her in between missions. She woke up, carried out missions, slept and that was the extent of her life.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a conversation with a human being who wasn’t on the other side of a headset or working retail.
Her laptop pings with a new email before she can spiral into thinking about her sad, sad life. Another mission briefing from Val. It’s tedious, but it guarantees her treatment, and it breaks up the monotony of her days, so Ava isn’t too upset. She needs to put all this energy somewhere.
Dread settles in the pit of her stomach as she reads the briefing. It’s too easy, and the payment too high.
Final Mission it says in bold. After this you are free to go. All further treatments, and research for a cure will be conducted free of charge.
The part of Ava that knows this life like the back of her hand knows it’s a trap. She couldn’t trust Valentina as far as she could throw her. Valentina always made sure she gained more than she gave away, but Ava can’t see what she gains from this.
Sure, this was no small ask — everyone knew Taskmaster was an impossible opponent to beat, and the only advantage Ava had on her was the molecular disequilibrium — but letting go of the infamous Ghost had never been on O.X.E’s cards, no matter how many times Ava had asked for a way out.
Ava does something she hasn’t done in year. She picks up the phone and calls Valentina.
“Ava, it’s so lovely to hear from you. I take it you saw my email.”
Valentina is as unbothered as ever, and Ava can see her pacing around her office with that all-knowing smirk on her face.
“What’s the catch, Val.”
“This job makes you cynical, Ava. I promise there’s no catch. I’m turning a new leaf, and I think you should be allowed to as well.”
Ava almost laughs, but the sense of foreboding that hangs over her stops her. There’s something she’s not seeing, and for the first time in a long time, this job has her scared. She thinks about all the things, she hasn’t done yet, the people she needs to talk to and the time she’s wasted avoiding them.
“I want something. Upfront,” she blurts out.
“Ava, when have I never paid you.”
Valentina almost sounds offended.
“Not money, Val. I want a phone number. Bill Foster’s.”
As the static crackles between them, Ava can’t help feeling like she’s given Valentina leverage, an extra length of rope to hang her with when the time finally comes.
“After you complete the mission, I’ll give you his address and pay for the two of you to have the beautiful reunion I’m sure you dream of–”
“No Val. I want his number now. I’ve seen the footage. You’re sending me after one of your most dangerous operatives, I deserve some payment upfront. Phone number now, money after.”
Ava taps her foot while she waits for Val to think it over, and when almost a minute passes with no word, she adds: “I won’t go at all if I don’t get that phone number.”
“Fine. You know you’re really quite soft under all that, Ava. I never would’ve guessed–”
Ava hangs up before Valentina can finish her observation, then climbs back into bed as she waits for Val to deliver.
She wakes up to one new message. It’s from Val. Bill’s contact card and nothing else.
Now that she’s staring at the numbers in front of her, her gut churns with anxiety. She’s been alone for so long that her body had grown used to ignoring its need for some form of companionship and now she didn’t know what to do. Would Bill even want to talk to her? He’d risked his life, his career, his good standing to keep Ava alive and she’d fallen back into the type of life he never wanted for her. She was no longer the young, naïve girl she’d been when she was first turned into this weapon, and his sympathy might have run out.
Ava knows she should’ve called him earlier, but she’d been paralysed by fear, imagining the look on his face when she realised she had aligned herself with O.X.E. The thing that hurts is that he won’t even be disappointed. Sad, understanding — maybe even pitying — but not disappointed. He’d been there with her through the worst of it. He’d seen how low desperation could bring her and he’d still loved her through it. To him this would be one small hurdle on her way to happiness, and Bill Foster had more than shown that he could handle these small hurdles.
She hits dial before she can convince herself to delete his number, then ends the call when he picks up almost immediately. She watches the phone ring as he calls back. Once, twice, thrice, before he gives up and leaves a voicemail. When his voice crackles through her little studio she lets out a little sob, and its like her whole body aches with the need to see him again, to hug him one last time. If she’d known that they’d be seperated again, she might never have let him go.
She replays the voicemail — nothing too long, just him letting her know when he was easiest to reach if she needed to call back — and then drags herself out of bed so she can prepare herself one last time.
She calls him when she’s en route to the airport. The sky is inky black and the world outside her window is asleep, along with Bill. It’s easier this way because she doesn’t have to hear the relief in his voice when he finds out she’s alive. His love feels wasted on her, and she’ll never know how to repay him and something in her breaks every time she remembers watching him work himself to the bone to save her.
She waits patiently for the phone to ring itself out, grits her teeth against the stinging in her throat when she hears Bill’s voicemail as she prepares her message, then starts speaking at the tone, nice and slow as her vision blurs slightly.
“Hi Bill. It’s me, Ava. I’m sorry I haven’t called but I wanted to let you know I’m alive. In some pain,” she laughs, “but still alive. I hope you’re not too worried about me because I know what you’re like, and I hope you haven’t been working yourself too hard.”
The lump in her throat grows as she gets closer to her destination, and she takes a shaky breath as she continues.
“I know it’s not what you wanted for me, but I work for O.X.E now. I’m being treated… sort of. I’m not sure they’re looking for an actual cure, but the pain isn’t as bad as it used to be. Anyway, I know you’re probably busy, you don’t have time to listen to me ramble, but Valentina promised me that this was my last job.”
She sighs, leaning her head against the window.
“I’m scared, Bill. It’s too easy. Well, the target won’t be easy to kill but she’s said all I have to do is kill one person and I’ll no longer be a fugitive or bound to the organisation but I’ll still get treatment. I think if you were here you’d talk me out of it or maybe find another way, but I’m not smart like you Bill. I can’t see the other side of this without going straight through, and maybe Valentina’s not lying. Maybe I’ll come out of this alive, and if I do, I promise I’ll come find you first thing, and you have to give me one of those really tight bear hugs you were so fond of. Yeah, that’s all I think. I’ll see you soon, hopefully.”
And then just in case she dies, she adds, “I love you Bill, thank you for everything,” and hits the hash before she can delete the recording.