Give me a sign!

1. Meeting - Where everything began

Ruins.

Around her, very few buildings were still standing, a sign of the violence of the fighting.

There was nothing left. Nothing but rubble, flames, ashes. She hated that word. She felt like that word had taken everything from her. Her mother. Her girlfriend. Her family. Her friends. Her world.

Because even though she was a heroine, she was still a fifteen year old teenager, with all the problems and worries of everyday life that implies. But that was before.

Now she had a mission. She had made a promise. She could no longer afford to be weak.

She had a mission to complete and a world to save. The world, I mean the entire universe, she had to save.
And she was determined not to let it down.

It wasn't going to make any difference if she complained about it. The Universe wasn't going to save itself!

But for now, she needed to get over her nerves and cry. She refused to cry. Not now. Not until it was all over.

But the uncontrollable rage that seized her made her lose her mind for a moment. Then she took off her white jumpsuit, which retracted into her bracelet, revealing a red, brown and gold jumpsuit. She put the bracelet-combi on the ground and raised her foot above it, ready to destroy it methodically and angrily, but at the last moment, she stopped.

She couldn't do this.

Tears welled up in her eyes but she shook them off with a shake of her head, before picking up the bracelet-combi and putting it away in a small pocket of her suit.

She suddenly had a hope and pressed her left earpiece. She knew the device didn't have much range, but more importantly, she didn't know if there would be anyone on the other end to answer her.

- He... Hello? she said blankly.
Can... Can anyone hear me? she almost shouted.

But only silence answered her, being this time worse than usual. It was emptier, bigger, sharper and more painful.

Then her hope collapsed.
And she almost collapsed too, but she didn't let it get her down.
Not now. She was going to make it.
One step at a time.

Then she threw to the wind:

- Asimov, where and when are we?

A robotic voice like a google voice answered her that it was Thursday, which surprised the girl.

- Again? Earlier it was Thursday and now it's Thursday again? I hate Thursdays! Continue.

The voice said that it was two years after the Sokovia Agreement, which had caused a lot of disastrous events, and said to refer to the previous week's history class.

The teenager did not flinch and the voice continued its explanation, placing the teenager geographically in a small town in Borduria called Bretzelburg, destroyed a short time ago by Chitauris, Chitauris who were currently fighting against a group of super-humans, according to its information. However, the artificial intelligence specified that it detected a survivor of the massacre, a child or a dwarf, given the size.

- Hmm... I see, the brunette replied thoughtfully, deducing that a small group of ex-Avengers, including the Black Widow, the Captain and the Falcon, were currently chasing the Chitauri around the world.

He had been told this story once or twice. Or three. Or four. Or more, but she couldn't get enough of it.

- Where is the survivor?

Her AI guided her to the person trapped under the rubble, whom she intended to rescue. She lifted a piece of ceiling which had collapsed. Underneath, there was a little girl in a nightgown.
The little girl had barely survived, but the AI confirmed the teenager's fears: her parents had not been so lucky.

The young heroine gently took the little girl in her arms, repeating the words that Asimov -her AI- whispered to her to reassure the child, telling her that everything was going to be all right, trying as much to convince the child as herself.
She asked the child if there were any other villages in the area, but the little girl shook her head, explaining that the nearest town was two days' walk north.

So she started walking.

But no sooner had she reached the exit of the village than a voice that sounded familiar rang out, asking if she needed help.

When she didn't answer, the Falcon -for it was him- thought she didn't speak English, but she surprised him by answering in perfect American and without any foreign accent.

- Hello. I'm going to take the child to safety. Her parents are dead, crushed by the ceiling after a Chitauri attack.
Oh, and by the way, she doesn't speak English.

- Who are you?

- Long story. Let's just say that I arrived recently and that I intend to help the little one, before going to save the Universe.

- Is this a joke?

- Do I look like I'm joking? she answered with the most serious look possible.

- And how were you going to get there? On foot?

- No, by flying, she answered sarcastically.

There was a brief moment of silence.

- Anyway, she continued, let's put the child down first and then we'll talk about it, okay?

- One moment, he asked before discussing discreetly with the rest of the team to summarize the situation, while the girl continued her walk in the direction of the city.

The adult exchanged a few sentences with his comrades before joining the girl to announce to her:

- I'm going to take the little girl and fly her to the village.

- I'm coming.

- I'm sorry?

- Are you deaf?
I said: I'm coming.

The man ignored her, spreading his wings before saying:

- I wasn't planning to go on foot.

- Me neither, she smiled enigmatically. I'm a big girl, I can fly on my own.

He looked at her in disbelief.

- No, but I mean really fly. You didn't really think I was serious when I said I was going to walk there, did you?
Dembline, did you get a good look at me?

The girl sighed before rolling her shoulders, making two large black artificial wings, resembling swans' wings, emerge from her back.

He looked at her again in disbelief and she sighed, exasperated.
Sam had not moved, too surprised to do anything.

- Well then?! What are you waiting for? Endgame?! Dembline! We're not there yet!

This remark startled the brunet who took off in his turn, before putting himself at the level of the young girl who then began to fly to the nearby city.

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« What are you waiting for? Endgame?! »
God, I'm sooo sarcastic it hurt.

* laugh and then realize they need a therapy. Soon. Very soon. Now in fact. *