[ BEAUTIFUL CRIMES ]
chapter fourteen; in which international travel is free (almost)
❝ I think I have come up with a solution. ❞
IT'S DARK. Cheap disinfectant wafts through the air. There are sticky spots on the ground, probably the aftermath of a child's temper tantrum. The place is absolutely deserted.
Perfect.
Adelina had snuck into the supermarket with ease. She had grabbed a medical mask and some sunglasses that she had found in the man's truck. Her hair is tied in a bun, effectively hiding its length. She moves quietly, perusing the supermarket with ease. She holds multiple plastic bags in her hand, ready to be filled.
Adelina begins putting food into the bags. She doesn't choose many things; the goal is to be as portable as possible. The bags are light yet full with food and water. She even grabs a couple pieces of candy. She doesn't remember the taste of sugar, she's gone so long without it.
Adelina finds herself staring into space more frequently. She's stuck in her own head, and it's obvious. There's a roaring sadness in the back of her mind that seems to be growing stronger. It's probably the withdrawals.
You're marble. You're marble. You're marble. You're marble. You're marble. You're marble.
You're marble. You're marble. You're marble. You're marble. You're marble. You're marble. You're marble. You're marble. You're marble.
She drops the water bottle that she had picked up. It bounces at her feet, and it takes a moment for Adelina to realize that she had even dropped it. After a moment of silence, she stares at the bottle as her discombobulated thoughts swirl around her inside of her head. She shuts her eyes for a moment. She breathes. And then she picks up the bottle and continues to fill her bags.
She gets to the front of the store, slowly approaching the register. She slips a bobby pin from her hair before trying to open the register. It takes a few tries, but it opens with a pop! Adelina quickly grabs all of the money inside. She doesn't bother to count how much loot she had acquired.
Adelina sneaks through the back. She had unlocked the door with a piece of metal she had found on the ground, so getting out is easy. She returns to the stolen truck, placing the bags in the passenger's seat. She slips into the driver's seat, quickly speeding away from the supermarket.
You're a failure. Dreykov is mad. No he's not. I'm free. You're ok. Stop it. Go home. What is home?
Adelina continues driving, even if her feet feel like cinderblocks atop the gas pedal. Everything in the corners of her eyes are swirling around. All she can do is keep driving.
The sun makes everything better. She can actually see the ground below her. She can see any incoming obstacles. Thank God, there are none.
She ends up parking in front of a hotel. It's an average looking one, not too small, not too big. She looks at the bags of food and water. The money sits on top of it. Adelina pockets all of the cash before stepping out of the truck.
She goes inside of the hotel. So far, no one notices the girl with a slightly-crazed look in her eye. She looks around a bit, and no one suspects a thing. Adelina notices a door with a sign that reads "Employee's Only." She considers the emptiness of the lobby before stepping inside.
It's an average break room, with a couch against the back wall and a vending machine in the corner. A microwave sits on the counter, and the soft scent of cheap, lemon-scented air fresheners waft through the space. Adelina steps into the room, carefully surveilling the area. She pauses when the door opens.
Kill them before they kill you. They deserve it. Don't be merciful. Kill them.
She turns around. She has to act natural. This person can't panic too much.
At least, not yet.
The woman, whose name tag reads 'Courtney,' can't be older than 20. She looks new. Perhaps this is her first job. She still has an optimistic glimmer in her eye, like she doesn't know the hardships of the world just yet. Honey blonde hair frames her face, and her bright eyes stare at Adelina. "Do you work here?" She asks. She sounds polite enough. Courtney steps into the space, the door closing behind her. Mistake.
Adelina doesn't wait, grabbing the blonde girl by the collar. Her head strikes Courtney's in a perfectly executed headbutt. Adelina watches as the blonde falls towards the ground. She's not dead, Adelina can see her chest rising and falling with each breath. Besides, she doesn't accidentally kill people; if she wanted Courtney dead, she would be.
Her gaze falls on the dim glimmer on Courtney's waist. Keys. Maybe a master key. Adelina quickly removes it from Courtney's person before leaving the room.
She walks through the lobby like there isn't an unconscious girl in the employee's lounge. Luckily, it's relatively early, so few are there to notice. She moves towards the elevator, ignoring the throbbing pain in her nose. Adelina steps inside the shaft and lets it lift her to a random floor. It happens to stop on the third, which is convenient. Far enough from the ground floor to be secluded, not far enough to be suspicious.
She leaves the elevator quickly, her hands quivering nonstop. Her blinking is sporadic, and her mouth has run dry. She looks around the third floor, passing by different doors. She decides on a room with a sign that reads "Out of use." No one will notice the room with an "out of use" sign on it!
Adelina unlocks the door. She scans the room, and immediately identifies the problem. The stove is charred and black. The poor kitchen must've survived a fire. That won't matter, she has her own food. As long as the bed's intact. Thank God, it is.
She enters the bedroom expecting someone to pop out and attack her. Nothing happens. Silence takes over the entire room. Good.
Adelina lays on the bed. It's soft and freshly made, and she feels herself sink into the softness.
⧗ ⧗
As Adelina enjoys her new bed, the Avengers are searching near and far. Natasha is checking — hacking into — the cameras in the nearby area. Nothing. Clint checks the cameras in the compound. He watches Adelina go into the elevator and into the parking lot. He watches the girl choose a car before speeding off. Tony and Sam had flown off to the last location of the SUV. Maybe they'd find a hint. Maybe Adelina's still inside it.
As for Maria, Maria is on Natasha duty. She ends up having to calm down the redhead when she panics. Maria eventually puts her hands on Natasha's shoulders. Natasha looks up at the brunette with tired eyes.
"Stop." Maria calmly instructs her. "You're running yourself into the ground."
"But she's out there and more people could be dying because of m-"
Maria cups Natasha's face. "You can't do anything productive if you're burned out, honey."
Natasha looks up at Maria with a shaky sigh. "She's gonna be ok." Natasha nods, pushing stray auburn hairs out of her face.
"I know that. But what about everyone else? She's been gone for hours, what if she hurts someone else?"
"And how do you expect to find her if you're in the middle of a panic attack?"
Natasha says nothing. "Exactly." Maria gives her a soft smile and a kiss on the forehead. "Go take a break. Get some food, I know you're probably starving."
"But-"
"I'll watch the cameras." Maria gently pulls Natasha to her feet. "Go. Bye."
Natasha lets out a soft sigh. "Thank you, Masha." She concedes while climbing out of the chair. Just as she turns to leave, Vision phases through a nearby wall. It used to surprise everyone; now, they continue going about their day like that's normal.
"I think I have come up with a solution," Vision holds a paper map of the New England states in his hands. A large, red circle is drawn in the middle. "Based on local speeding limits and how long Miss Valieva has been gone, I've narrowed down the areas in which she could be. However, this area could be growing with each passing second."
"Out of all the areas, where would she most likely go?" Maria holds Natasha's hands when she notices Natasha picking at her cuticles.
"Where did I go?" The redhead doesn't lift her eyes from the ground.
"You went international."
"And what country is closest to us?" Natasha lets her eyes drift to Vision and Maria.
"...Canada." Maria mumbles before letting out a long sigh. "The country closest to us is Canada."