When We Lie

The HQ is silent. Everyone except you and Shun are gathered in the kitchen for lunch. Since you're not prone to murdering people anymore, you've been allowed to move back to your room.

"So, what do we do now?" dr. Banner says. His voice sounds unrealistically loud in the silence.

"It wasn't Shun's fault, but he's still, you know, controlled," Clint mumbles. "Can we hunt down his puppeteer as well?"

Natasha stands up. "I'll go ask the good doctor for information again."

No one says anything as she leaves, though Vision and Clint follow after her.

Cap looks at Loki. "How are they?"

"They refuse to speak," he sighs. "Won't read, won't watch TV, won't draw anything... They just lay in bed, staring at the ceiling or looking out the window."

Mr. Stark nods and leaves the table.

"Where are you going?" Cap shouts after him.

"I have an idea!"

"Wanna bet what it is?" Loki snickers. "Are they close?"

"Tony and...? Well, yes." Cap leans back against the chair and crosses his arms. "He took them in a few years ago, to help expand the company, I think."

Dr. Banner nods. "Stark makes them laugh a lot. They're like parent and child."

Loki smiles faintly. "Good. Then maybe he can make them smile again. Oh, and by the way..."

***

Mr. Stark opens your door and smiles at you. In return, you stare back grumpily.

"What do you want, mr. Stark?"

"Call me Tony," he says for the millionth time.

"Uncomfortable."

He ignores your comment and sits down on the bed. "Let's see here, I have some card games, DVDs—all Disney of course, though they're in English, sorry—and a kid's book, the one you saw in the store a few months back, remember?" He proudly presents it to you. "Again, in English. Sorry. It's impossible to get a hold of Swedish copies in such a short amount of time."

You look at the stuff he's spread onto the bed. He's trying to cheer you up, but there's nothing that's going to stop you from replaying Kazuto's death in your mind. How could he be so calm? He just met his brother after the gods know how long, and his brother shot him. Granted, against his will, but still! It makes your blood boil thinking about how many times similar things have happened because of Hydra.

"Hey, stop thinking about that." Mr. Stark pokes you on the forehead. "Listen here, kid, you did everything you could to help that boy. He died knowing his brother was alive and by your side."

"So? That doesn't change the fact that he's dead! And what are you gonna do with Shun, huh? Recruit him?"

Mr. Stark shakes his head with a tired expression. "Of course not. Shun is, as S.H.I.E.L.D. would say, compromised. It's not safe having him here for too long."

"Then...?"

"We don't know. We haven't figured it out."

You groan and hide your face in a pillow.

Shun can't be kept here forever. That's not a life and he would be miserable and scared, waiting for the next blackout. He couldn't handle killing his brother and he damned sure won't handle even trying to hurt anyone else.

But at the same time, you can't let him leave, all for the same reasons. He'll be forced back to Hydra or Kattanja or whatever organisation has custody of him. There, he will be made into one of their agents.