The women was dress in black, it perfectly incase her amazing figure hugging all the right curves. Despite this natural wonder on two legs, no one beside the man by her side was their to apreciate her figure. Beside she was to busy struggling with a small hint of guilt on the inside, to really care in showing off.
The rain fell on the umbrella as she was staring at a pair of kids, one was a teen the other was a child no older then six. A mixture of sorrow and anger flash in her eyes, it was gones so quickly that no one else spotted it. The man by her side, gently place his hand on her shoulder giving a comforting squeeze.
"Is that then?" She said, her voice was beautiful almost musical to all who heard her.
"Yeah, that them. The last victims of collateral damage your past has inflicted. Do you want to meet them?" The man voice was soothing, no judgment or accusation in his tone, their was also a look of understanding that could be seen in his eyes.
"No, I've already taken enough from them. Has the charity organization been set up for them?" A slight shake in her voice, but with her mastery of her body no one but her detected it.
"Yeah, everything is set up. You know, its not technically your fault." The man said as he look over at the two coffins being lowered down. The two children clutching to each other as they lock their eyes on the coffins. Two adults standing right by there sides one man and a women.
"It might have as well been. The order was to capture them and deliver them, deep down I knew what was likely to happen to them. But I found comfort by telling myself that at least this time I didn't get any blood on my hands. Sadly it only later that it wasn't even remotely true, my actions was as good as if I was the one who loaded the gun, and gave it to the ones who pulled the trigger." If you payed attention to her voice, you could hear anger in her voice and disgust.
"I get it...we should go, its about time." The man said he slowly turn, stoping briefly he gave one last look at the pair, this was no doubt a dark day for them.
The women soon followed she pause briefly, Looking back she silently promise to look out for them if she could. She had taken enough from both, maybe she could give something back in exchange of what she had taken. Her new lease on life with SHIELD promise at least that much. On the tombs stones were the two coffins were being lowered were the names, Richard Parker and Mary Parker.
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These past few weeks I have been in a nightmare, I've hardly sleep. Looking down as the coffins that were being lowered, my eyes were bone dry from all the crying I've been doing. I have this weird vague sense of deja view, it propably meant that I had a similar lost, in my previous life. I could've happily remain ignorant on this detail about my past, this knowledge didn't help in any way with the currents lost of my parents.
Peter look up to me as he sofly tug at my pants. I look down placing my hand on his head. "What is it little bro?" I say in a gentle tired tone.
"Braden...did we do anything wrong? Was I not good enough, is that why mommy and daddy left use?" He starts tearing up as he looks up with a innocent lost look on his face.
I quickly knee down and hug him tightly. "No Peter, its not your fault. Mom and Dad love us allot, I'm sure we filled a really big part of their hearts. Its just that...some bad men took them away from us, its not your fault, its the bad men fault, okay budy?" As I say this, I feel him start crying in my arms. This is to much for me so I started too cry once more.
Memories of the day when SHIELD barge in are home in order to take possession of everything. Not even a hello or Im sorry sir, they just waved a mandate around like it gave them the right to toss my home upside down, as they took whatever they wanted. I remember Peter being scared as he hid behind me clutching my leg, while SHIELD sent an army of agents in tearing the place to pieces as they search for my parents work.
A few agents came up to me, wanting to questions me and Peter separately. I told them to go suck a lemon, since no way in hell was I going to let that happen. Only about a few minutes later, after allot of shouting on both sides did a senior agent arrive on the scene. I could tell by his frown that he wasn't please with his agents actions. He order his men to stand down, took us aside and apologized on behalf of SHIELD.
I was to grief stricken in caring that right in front of me was a iconic character made flesh, agent Phil Coulson. In the marvel universe, he was one of my all time favourite characters in the movie and tv show, oddly enought he look a great deal like the actor that played him only he seem even more plain and inoffensive then his counter part.
Unfortunately in my current state I couldn't care less. Still meeting him, I knew that I could finally give out my special gift to SHIELD. With him arround it would take almost all the heat off me and Peter, once the other sides heard about what I was going to do next.
"Are you agent Phil Coulson?"
I saw his iconic gentle smile and warm gaze as he nodded. "I am, have you heard of me?"
I gave a quick dip of my head, reaching in my pants pocket I took out a USB key. Handling it over, in the corner of my eye I spoted an agent that was paying a little to much attention on this exchange. I ignore him, the more eyes on this the better.
"My parents before they left, they told me to give this to you and only you."
I could see delight and surprise on his face, as well as sadness once he realize what this meant. Taking the key he thank me, excuse himself place another agent in charge and left. The few agent that had been spying on the exchange. They left quickly with a sudden need of placing a call to whatever emergency that came to there minds.
After that, the rest of the day was a blur, I sat in the living room with Peter as we watch this group go into every room grabbing whatever tickled their fancy or whatever they thought might be relevant. Hours later once everyone left I stared at a piece of paper claiming we had to leave the house as it was evidence in a ongoing case. We were literally being kick out of are home, we also couldn't take anything inside either. I had check last night, all of my above ground accounts had been frozen or seize by SHIELD as well.
Uncle Ben and aunt May came barging in hours later, furious at are mistreatment apparently they only learn of this raid after it was done. They took use directly in their homes, I admit I never could understand why Ben and May were so damn poor. It only after all this happens did I understand why. Apparently someone wasn't satisfide with all they had taken from us, Ben and May's accounts were also frozen almost all there assets seize. For some mest up reason, someone was treating all my family like a bunch of criminals.
That memory about how my familly was treated in this crisis really boiled my blood. The worse was seing how SHIELD did nothing to reverse are status, or the very least give us back are family home. A week before we burried my parents the bank send a notice stating that my and Peter home was being seize, since we couldn't make any payment on it. I know that was some grade A bullshit, since I had help my parents finish all payments on are house years agos.
As time went on, I saw how the financial pressure was weighing down on Ben and May. I quit the dojos, hell the many things me and Peter use to do we had to be drop for the moment. Since we couldn't afford it, top it off are moral had never been lower, we receive one gut punch after another. Like for insistence Ben and May financial situation.
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Ben and May had to take drastic action in order to satisfy the bank demand, they had suddenly increase the amount they had to pay peer month. This was all after Ben manage to have them unlock their account. It was only after he took a look at his account that he realize they had taken almost all of the various assets. He had stockpile plenty of wealth over the years, and in a matter of hours the bank took it as collateral, the fricking greedy bastards.
I also learn that someone high up had reposition a charity, who's donation were meant for me and Peter. This would've gone a long way in helping use in paying all the new debt we had suddenly acquire. It had been infuriating in seeing all this injustice being dishing out on my famille. All so that the universe could mould Peter life into a close imitation of his origine story.
Uncle Ben had no choices but to go back on the work force, you might think that it wasn't such a bad thing. Thats is until you realize, he's a wounded war veteran with little to no education. So he can only apply for physically demanding work, not counting his age that was around in his mid forties.
Not many are hiring such a tricky combos of age and handicap, luckily he had a few army buddy's that hook him up with whatever they could pase over. What about his pension, well until the investigation on my and Peter parents was concluded his pension was suspended until further notice.
Whatever power or influence are familly once had, it had all gone up in smoke once my parents died. Hell not even any of my parents so called scientist friends came running to are rescue. It seem some kind of word had spread, making my familly a pariah from everyone else. It felt like we were suddenly being punish for a crime we had no idea of having committed. In short, the system had failed us in every one of its duties, we were left to fall through its cracks.
As the priest finish his speech that I hadn't been paying attention to. I came to a decision, if ever I manage to climb my way up the ladder of power. I wouldn't play by the rules, so far all I had seen of playing on that field was being backstab and kick when you were down at the best of time.
And being brutally beaten down and grinded down into dust at the worse of times. So if everyone else were ignoring the system that was set in place, why the hell should I bound myself to a thing that was so broken it was an act of insanity in following it.
Sure if you just remained a normal civilian then in your daily life you would be fine, but as soon as you enter the higher hierarchy of this world, or the lower seedier realm of it. You find a completely different world, one were suddenly the rules aren't so rigid.
Both had their up and down, as above you had no choice but to follow as long as you didn't have the power to make your own choices. As for below, any power you grab was only good until you ran into something higher up in the food chain.
The ride back home was quiet, we were all grieving are lost. Me and Peter it was are parents, as for uncle Ben it was his brother and a friend. May she lost two friends, one was her best friend the other her brother in law, to which she was close with.
I look at Peter who was clinging to my arm, ever since the news on are parents passing, he had been mortify of going to sleep alone. So now he climb into my bed every night, affraid of waking up and finding me gone.
I knew this would past, but it was heart crushing seeing a six year old suffer so much pain. All I could do was be present, comfort and reassure him as best I could. I knew that the financial situation was dire for Ben and May, my guess is that if it was only Peter. They wouldn't be so strap for cash, it was time I change that.
"Uncle Ben, can we make a small stop?"
"What is it Braden? Were do you want to go?" I could hear how tired he was, despite it he still gave me a warm smile.
"Could we do this another time Braden? Im a bit out of it right now." May said she was still silently grieving, aunt May and Peter were the one I worried the most about.
"It not far from here and its something me and Mom put aside for a rainy day."
Silence in car, Peter look at me with a small spark his eyes.
"Mommy left use something? Can we go get it please." Peter plea broke every argument, it had been a few days since he had such a spark of joy in him. The decision was made for everyone.
"Yes, lets go get what your mom left for use." May said as a small sad smile slowly spread on her face.
"Alright then, so directions." Uncle Ben said, I could see a light life coming back in his eyes. A faint hope rekindled in are dark cold stormy world.
"Take a left here." I gave out directions, leading them on for a few minutes. As we pulled over at a small Chinese traditionnal medicine shop. May and Ben look back with a questioning expresion, as for Peter he seem confused.
"Trust me were at the right place, give me five minutes. Il be right back." Quickly getting out of the car, I hear behind me three questioning shouts. But I was already inside even before they had completed there words.
Inside the shop it was an impressive display of thousands of medicine produce, layer in shelve on top of each other. Going up to the desk, after a few quick words with the shop owner. Two keys were slid over the counter toward me, after a few friendly parting words. I made my way to the back, there was a gate door that open after the owner press the button to open it from the front.
On the other side, was rows of lockers that went up all the way to the ceiling. They took all the wall space from left to right, their was about sixty locker in total. Seperated in one row on the bottom and one on top. Goin to two different lockers, unlocking both I took out a small duffle bag from each.
Passing back trought the gate door, I thank the shop owner for his business. As I payed him the amount needed in closing my rent on the lockers. I headed back out to the park car, as I walk back three par of eyes followed my confident fast walk back, they all notices the two bag in my hands.
Getting back in the car, looking up at the many question they all had. With a cheeky smile on my face. "So before unveiling whats in the bags we have to go home first." I grin as I hear a collective grumbling from all sides.
Uncle Ben just smilled shaking his head a little with a soft chuckle, May raise one eyebrow almost mimicking my mother look when she knew I was hidding something. Still she remain quiet on the way, her sadness forgotten for the moment silently trying in figuring what was in the bags. As for Peter the cheeky little monkey, he keep pestering me in telling him what was in the bags. On the whole way back he tried guessing, coming up with a few amusing answer.
Once we were all home in the kitchen sitting around the dinning table, all eyes were on me with the same burning questions, what was in the bags? Not prolonging the torment any longer, I open the two bags. Ben and May gasp in surprise, as Peter slouch back down in disappointment.
"Braden! Wha...what is this?" May stood up as she look at me in surprise.
Ben mimic her stance but he remain quiet as he tried wrapping his head around what he was seeing. I couldn't see one ounce of greed in either of their eyes, I sigh internally they really were two incredibly good people. Peter couldn't have ask for better guardian then these two, or me I should included myslef in this family as well.
"This is me and Peter money for tuition, or a back up plan just in case something horribly wrong was to happen."
I could see a mixture of complicated emotion on Ben and May as they stared at the two bags.
Looking up Ben motion with his chin. "How much are we talking about here?"
"Ruffly around 40,000$ in each bags making a total of 80,000$ all together." I sat calmly saying all this like it I was talking about something mundane like the weather.
Both May and Ben drop back down in there chairs, Peter was now bored. Money for him was such a boring foreigns concept that he lost all interest, he was back to being sad at the lost of his parents. Seeing Peter feeling down, I gently pulled him on my lap and wrap my arms around him. He smiled laying his head on my shoulder he quickly fell asleep. I look in disapproval as he drooled on my shirt, rolling my eyes I let him be. He had a hard day today.
"How?" May look between me and the bags, Ben nodded in agreement.
"You guys remember, me working as a financial consultant for my parents?"
They both nodded and suddenly I saw some understanding pass in their faces.
"Look, I'm not going to sugarcoat it. We all know how difficult its been on all of use. So I propose that we use one bag to pay off all the dept thats been accumulating. And use the other one for me and Peter when we need it for school. This money was put asside for if things ever got bad, I would say things are pretty bad right now."
"But, This is your and Peter money we can..." Ben started.
"You can and you will, uncle Ben you and aunt May took use in your home. This is the very least I can do in order to help. Beside we all know that no one else is going to step in and help. So take this and just make it so that me and Peter have a good home in which we grow up in."
Ben seem about to continue to argue, but May place a gentle hand on his arm. He stop as he look toward her in surprise, she gave him a warm smile as tears fell from her eyes.
"Richard and Mary prepared this for them, lets take this as there helping us out in a rough patch."
Ben didn't say anything his head when down as he took a deep breath. Looking back up he pointed toward one of the bag. "This one is only for you and Peter for when you go to university, deal."
"Deal, now if you excuse me, I need to put Peter to bed before he drown me in his drool." I got up and made my way up the staires. I didn't want to see both my uncle and aunt as they broke down in sorrow as the whole reality of their situation came crashing down on them.