the strongest avenger (0.5)

one

"What's wrong with him?" The girl asks as she watches Clint Barton come off the jet on a stretcher.

"He'll be fine." Dr Cho tells her. "Don't worry."

Talia looks up at the doctor. "Just curious."

Cho's brows furrow and she shakes her head before turning to her coworkers. Talia rolls her eyes at the doctor as she leaves and starts speaking Korean.

"Lab's all set up boss." Maria tells Tony in the jet.

Talia adjusts her position and leans against the wall, waiting for the rest of the Avengers to unload. Thor walks out holding some sort of scepter, it immediately grabbing her attention.

"Hello, Talia." Thor nods at her.

"What's that?" She gestures to the scepter.

"It was my brother's, and was in the hands of the wrong people. I'm taking it back to Asgard."

Talia just nods and watches as Thor heads somewhere unknown.

"...Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Twins." Hill's voice filters out as her and Steve exit the jet. "Orphaned at 10 when a shell collapsed their apartment building. Sokovia's had a rough history. Hi Talia." She says as her and Steve pass her.

The girl flattens her lips into a straight line, an attempt at a smile.

"Their abilities?" Steve asks as him and Hill round the corner.

Talia pushes off the wall and decides to trail after them, too curious and bored for her own good.

"He's got increased metabolism and improved thermal homeostasis. Her thing is neuroelectric interfacing, telekinesis, mental manipulation." Steve looks at her, a little confused. "He's fast and she's weird." Maria clears up.

"Well, they're gonna show up again."

"Agreed. File says they volunteered for Strucker's experiments." Talia jerks back slightly at Maria's words.

She's confused at why anyone would sign up for experiments voluntarily. Normally they're painful.

"It's nuts." Maria says.

"Right." Steve gets in the elevator and Talia pushes past Maria, joining him. "What kind of monster would let a German scientist experiment on them to protect their country?" Talia tilts her head, realizing that the Maximoff's and Steve aren't that different.

"We're not at war, Captain."

"They are."

The doors close, leaving the girl and Steve alone in the elevator.

"You know," Steve says, turning towards her. "we could use your help."

"No."

The man sighs. "Why? You've got all these talents. Why not use them for good?"

"They're a curse," Talia looks down at her gloved hands. "You wouldn't understand."

⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️

"Did you eat?" Bruce asks the girl as she sits on the couch of the living room, watching the news.

She shakes her head no in response.

"You need to eat."

Talia scoffs and rolls her eyes. "No, I don't."

"Yes you do. You're a growing girl."

"I've went months without eating." She says, glaring bullets at the scientist. "I'm not hungry. Now leave."

Bruce sighs and shakes his head. "We'll be in the lab if you need anything."

Talia ignores him and turns back to the TV, opting to be entertained by that instead. She resists the urge to lash out at something, her annoyance taking over.

She's been living here for three years. Three. Stuck doing useless homeschooling and putting up with these idiots. They barely know what they're doing, only causing more problems for everyone.

As soon as she's sixteen, she's out. Talia's asking Tony to get emancipated so that she could be on her own, free to do what she wants. She won't have to follow any of these rules and can be done with everyone here.

Only a little over a year left. She's lasted this long, might as well finish it out.

Her curiosity taking over, Talia gets up and makes her way to the labs, finding everyone by Clint. She watches them, feeling slightly left out.

If only she had a heart, one not broken after years of abuse, she could find the will to be nice to these people. She could find the motivation to do more and help out.

She could try and be passionate.

But that's not her.

Instead, she stares, feeling nothing as she watches everyone crowd around their injured teammate. A
minuscule part of her wants to join, but she knows that she would kill the vibe. Their smiles would melt from their face and they would be confused as to why she was there.

So, she turns around and goes back to her bedroom. Hiding in isolation from her so called family.