A New Avenger

Chapter 56

Expect the unexpected.
(If you expect the unexpected then everything is expected. Sorry I thought I'd just throw this in here.)

Word count: 1083

Harpers POV

A few days past and not much changed. I stayed in my room, alone, and was only seen by those who entered my room, only my parents were allowed. I cried, often, but I found small moments of happiness in it all. As much as I tried not to think of Loki I still had nightmares every time I slept and I hated it. I tried not to think about the evening Loki and I shared but if I'm honest, it was all I could think about. Loki was the most important person in my life and now he was gone, leaving a hole in my life that I didn't want to fill. My heart ached at the thought of Loki and it broke every time I saw Loki's lifeless body in my mind. It was a form of hell for me and I had no idea how to stop it.

"Harper, I've got lunch," said my dad as he pushed open my bedroom door. He saw the state of me and sighed. I was laying on my lounge, tissue mountains forming around me, absolutely covered in blankets and surrounded by pillows. The one thing nobody noticed was the little sun bear that was tucked up next to me.

"Come eat, please. You haven't eaten in days." He said and moved a few pillows so he could sit down.

My dad had seen me go from the sassy teenager who was clever, determined, independent and pig-headed in a good way to this vulnerable, depressed and weary teenager. I wanted to go back to being that independent teenager but it seemed like that was a different person.

"Harper, what can we do to help?" He asked me and put his arm around me. I rested my head on his shoulder and sighed heavily.

"Nothing. I'm alright. Tomorrow I'll clean up my room." I said and he smiled.

"You don't have to tomorrow. Just whenever you are ready." He said and kissed the top of my head. I smiled as he left, leaving the plate of food behind. On the plate were a ham and cheese sandwich, a cut-up apple and a nice amount of crackers.

I picked up a cracker and began nibbling away at my lunch as another tornado of grief hit me like a bus.

Time jump

When I managed to stop the tears I made sure to at least eat all the apple. It would make my dad happy and ease the hunger pain in my stomach.

I started watching random movies to distract myself from all the overwhelming feelings. It worked for a while and I sang along to the songs on Sweeney Todd. I loved most of the songs but my favourites were 'by the sea' and 'a little priest'.

As 'a little priest' began to play something felt wrong. Not with the movie or the song. Not in the Tower or the city below. Something was changing whatever had changed mattered a lot but I didn't know what it was.

I left my room, pausing tentatively in the door frame, and started running down the hall. I skidded into the living room and looked at Steve, Bruce and my dad, who were all sitting and chatting about who knows what. "Did you guys sense that?" I asked and they looked at me like I was a three-headed dog.

"Sense what? Are you alright Harper?" Steve asked and moved to see me better.

"I don't know what I sensed but something has changed," I said and stopped to try and feel it again. It came again and I shuddered. "Something is changing but I don't know what," I said and my dad walked over to me.

"Came have some rest then we'll talk about it later." He said and we walked to my room.

"I'm not crazy dad," I said and shrugged my dad's arm off of me. "Something changed," I said and walked into my room. I closed the door and tried to not second guess myself. Did I really feel it? What changed? Am I crazy?  I asked myself and slumped onto my lounge and all the pillows. "Am I crazy?" I asked myself out loud to see if something or someone would give me an answer. None came.

Clint's POV 

I went back to the living room to Bruce and Steve. "Is she okay?" Bruce asked me as I flopped back down on the lounge. I shrugged my shoulders and sighed. 

"She said she sensed something change but that's impossible, isn't it? People can't sense a change. It's just not what we can do, right?" I asked and they both nodded very unsurely about how to answer. 

"I did," Came a voice I adored. The three of us turned around to see Nat standing in the doorway. I looked confused and she repeated herself, something she does not do often. "I sensed when you were in danger that night." She said and I went to tell her that isn't possible. Humans can't do that. "Call in female intuition if you want." She added and walked away from us. 

I got up and ran after her because I needed more information about it. "Nat! Wait up!" I yelled and finally caught up to her. She stopped walking and we stood awkwardly in the hallway. "If you knew why didn't you come to help us. We needed your help! You could have stopped them taking Harper!" I said getting rather angry at her. If she sensed we were in danger why didn't she come home! why didn't she help us! 

She glared at me with a stare I hadn't seen for years and it scared me. This glare told me I had messed up and she wasn't happy with me. "Who do you think called Shield to save your ass?" She asked and I closed my mouth from its angry snarl. "I got there in time to save your dumb ass but not Harpers!" She said and I looked to the ground. "I would have loved to have saved her too and Don't you think for a second I didn't miss her every day she was gone." She growled and I felt like a child being scolded. "Unlike you, I didn't go off with someone else and start again." She added in a quiet whisper. I looked up from the shiny floor and to her face. 

A single tear rolled down her cheek. 

Published: 23rd May 2021