Heat of the New World - Book 2 (The Avengers)

Chapter 2 - Back At It

"You nervous?" Annabelle asked, leaning against the doorway.

"A little. It's been a while."

"About seventy years. And we did get stuck in the ocean and become fossils last time." He chuckled. "Just be careful, alright? You're only allowed to be but so rusty."

"Yeah. No pressure."

She smiled. "Just wish I could be out there with you. We made a pretty good team last time."

"We did. But with-"

"I know," she stopped him. "Fury has me set up for tests with Dr. Banner while you're gone."

"Safe tests?"

"I'll be fine, Steve. Just worry about you."

"Okay. Wish me luck."

"You won't need it." She gave him a smile before walking out of the room and to the lab. "Dr. Banner?" she knocked on the open door.

"Come on in." He finished what he was typing before looking up at her. "To be honest, I'm not exactly sure how to test you."

"Depends on what you want to know, I guess."'

"Guess we'll start with a simple exercise. That okay?"

"You're the boss."

"Please, don't call me that." She chuckled. "Bruce is just fine. From what I've heard, you touch someone and..."

"It's like I get flashes of their entire life. Sometimes, certain ones are longer, could be shorter. Happy, sad. But no matter what it is, I can feel everything. Everything. Physical, mental, emotions and it's like sensory overload."

"Well, maybe we can focus that. Put on blinders."

"Like a horse?"

"Yeah," he said, leading her to a chair.

She sighed. "To be honest, I'm up for anything. Anything to get... whatever this is under control."

"Well, I may not be the best test subject, but we're gonna use me anyway."

"No offense, Bruce, but are you sure the other guy's gonna like that?"

"Well, just don't piss him off," he smiled as he hooked her up to machines to monitor her vitals and other things.

"Comforting."

"It's okay. I've got him. You won't hurt me. Or anyone else." She took in a breath and nodded. He rolled up his sleeve and held his arm out. "Go ahead." She hesitated before placing her hand on his skin, gasping as different events from his past played through her mind like a movie going hundreds of times faster than it should. "Annabelle?" he asked as her eyes moved back and forth. "Annabelle!" He pulled his arm away and she panted as her eyes returned to normal. "You alright?" She nodded, trying to catch her breath. "I think we should take a bre-"

"No," she shook her head, regaining control of her breathing. "I want to go again. If you're okay with that."

He hesitated. "We'll do it differently this time. Try looking for a moment. A keyword. Like an index."

"Or Google?"

"I didn't know if-"

"Unlike my brother, I've gotten semi used to this new world. Internet's amazing, along with the food, and I only need to see things once to remember them. Helps when trying to figure out how everything works now."

"You have a photographic memory?"

She nodded. "Blessing and a curse."

"Can you remember everything you just saw?" She nodded. "Okay, let's work with that. Pick a moment you remember and try to find it again." He held his arm back out and she took hold, brows furrowing as she searched through his head, her heart rate increasing before returning to normal as her face calmed. "Can you hear me?"