Chapter Text
Life is the moments between decisions. The time spent dealing with consequences before the next fork in the road. A fact that Darcy Lewis knew better than most.
For instance, had Darcy taken up the family business, she never would have been put on the path to meet Jane. Another decision had come after New Mexico. She could have cut and run, and really who would have blamed her? Darcy knew how to disappear,well, figuratively speaking of course. What could she say? She had learned a rather uncommon skill set from her mother alongside the art passed down by her grandfather. And that’s not to mention the little “gift” her father had left her with.
It was his “gift” that had led her to choose Political Science over Engineering in the first place. So really it was his own damn fault she had wound up Avengers adjacent. A fact he lamented anytime she actually got to see him.
In fact, it could be further postulated that the situation Darcy now found herself in was his fault. Yes, Darcy could definitely get behind blaming her dad for the fact that she had caught someone who looked a remarkable amount like Dr. Banner with his hand reaching into her purse.
“Okay. You have four seconds to start explaining why you were trying to slip a…” Grabbing the card from the man’s hand she still had a grip on, she flipped it back and forth few times; the card flowing through her fingers with practiced ease and almost hypnotic quality. “... a tarot card with a meeting spot on it into my bag. Chop, chop, Dr. Banner look-a-like. I don’t have a lot of time before I’m running late and a bunch of super powered type people start getting antsy. One too many kidnapping attempts, ya know?”
Letting go of the man’s wrist, Darcy took a step back, keeping her stance loose in case of an attack, the tarot card seemingly limp between her fingers. Her father taught her better than to leave her guard down, and Nat would have her head if she let someone get the drop on her. Again.
Taking the time afforded to her while the man weighed his options, Darcy studied him, gleaning what information she could. Definitely not Bruce, the way he held himself was testament to that. There was a confidence there; almost arrogance, running under the surface, something that Bruce himself lacked. Maybe a relative? Or a mutant shapeshifter? The question was: Why Dr. Banner? Surely anyone looking to kidnap her would realize that she was close to all the Avengers and would not use one of them. Unless, of course, they were a complete and utter idiot.
Besides, her father’s “gift” made fooling her with appearances damn near impossible anyway.
Darcy was just getting to the point of impatience when the man before her finally spoke
“My name is Dylan Rhodes. And I need your help.”