Stand by you

The Avengers

Sunday 26th June 2022

Pain.

That's what Kate saw that morning when she found out her hashtag on twitter was trending because pictures of her after her rape years prior. She had pushed it so far into the back of the mind with self defence lessons and any alcoholic drink she could get her hands on.

Her phone buzzed but as soon as she saw it was in the avengers group chat. She turned her phone off. She doesn't want to know just how weak she truly was. Is.

She suddenly doesn't feel like getting out of bed and nobody is here to stop her. She's in the avengers tower which means she doesn't have much choice anyway, that is considering the fact that she would bump into all of them as soon as she leaves. That is if they are camped outside of her bedroom door.

"Friday?" Kate's voice rings out.

"Yes, how may I help you Miss Bishop?" The robotic voice of the AI asks.

"Deny access to everyone please Fri" Kate asks. The AI sounds almost hesitant with it's next words "even Miss Belova?" Kate thinks for a moment "Yes Friday"

///

Kate has lay in her bed for hours when she decides she has to eat. But she doesn't want to face her friends. She was a total train reck party girl with too much money and not enough parental control. She's never told Yelena about this or the Barton's. Not even her own mother knew. But then again Kate doubts she'd care for anything but the ruined social appearance for the family.

Kate was broken and she'd fixed herself, she'd had too because the next day she had to get up and go to school as though everything is okay. As though she hadn't sat in the shower for 3 hours crying as she watched the blood run off her thighs. Or as though she hadn't scrubbed her skin raw, literally. More blood poured from her legs and this time it was after the other blood had already washed off. 

Yelena wont love her anymore when she finds out how weak Kate had been. How she hadn't fought back. She should've just fought back.

///

The next day Kate decided to face the truth and go downstairs. Sure she only went down because she was gonna starve. Well not really but she was hungry. Really hungry.

And thankfully as soon as she gets outside of her room she isn't bombarded by the team of superheros.

That luck wore out as soon as she got to the common floor. She can hear the round of swarming voices. 

"I'm fine. Guys please" Kate says and they stop. Yelena walks to her girlfriend and lightly touches her arm.

"Kate, I think we should talk" Yelena says but Kate shrugs it off. 

"Why would we talk when there isn't anything to talk about. I already said I was fine." Kate grabs a pack of breakfast oak bars and then she turns away from them all. Grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge before leaving the room.

Kate goes and sit in her room before eating all of the food she grabbed and she drinks all of her water too. Then she decides to get changed into some leggings and a sports bra before making her way down to the gym which is thankfully empty.

She goes straight to the punching bag and every time that bastards ugly, sneery face fills her sight she hits harder than before. And it's like he permanently imprinted into her mind. She is so caught up in her make believe 'fuck up his face' session. It didn't even register in her mind that the others can find where she is easily. She doesn't realise she's crying until her legs give out and she just curls up on the floor crying. 

Then she's grounded again by strong arms wrapping around her and Kate just turns and hides her head in her girlfriends chest. She feels herself being lifted up in Yelena's arms and soon enough they are back at her room.

Yelena doesn't make her talk. Make her explain anything. 

However Yelena does grab the phone that she had abandoned on the side the other day. Kate starts to protest when she notices that Yelena is turning it on.

"'Lena. Please, I don't wanna see that. People must think I'm disgusting and such a bad role model now. I mean. What type of superhero can't stand up for herself against a man." Kate states and she feels Yelena tighten her hold on her.

"Kate. Nobody thinks that and after the initial shock wore off. The hashtag is still trending but not for the same reason." Yelena assures her girlfriend and then she shows that trending hashtag #PurpleHawk

Kate can't believe it as she scans through some of the tweets.

~Purple W1dow~ Mila

#PurpleHawk For the strong role model for young girls and boys all around the world. We stand with you Kate.

~Purple Hawk Strong~ StayStrong

We are here for you Kate. And we believe you ♡.

Stay strong. ♡♡.

~We believe you~ KateBishopfan

Remember that your past isn't you and you are strong despite all that happened and that is why you are many people's heros. Stay strong ♥

Kate has tears streaming down her face but this time it isn't from the fear of everyone hating her. She feels loved. By people that have never met her.

"Everyone loves you Kate. You are strong and always have been you just had a hard time and everyone has those. The avengers are confused and not quite sure if they want to guess what happened because there wasn't any context with the pictures. We all just want to know if you're okay" Yelena speaks softly.

Kate takes a shuddering breath "I-I spent so long putting it behind me, I never reported it because not even my own mother believed me. Called me an attention whore. But now its out on the internet. My weakest moment is online."

///

The next day she decides to tell the others.

She sits next to Yelena and is curled underneath a blanket while practically sitting of her girlfriend.

The others are watching and waiting although they still have soft expressions.

"I, I know that I've been very distant from the past couple of days. It- It was all too much for me and I thought that you guys would think that I'm weak and broken. I myself thought that I was broken because for so long I was. But I just went on with life and I thought I had moved past it" Kate starts before she takes a deep inhale in.

"I was walking home from a party when I was 17 and I, I was dressed very- I guess provocative. And I was in a mood with my mum so I didn't use the car she had sent for me to be picked up in. I took this back alley and I was so drunk that I didn't hear someone sneak up on me. But then he- he" Kate lets out a small sob and Yelena runs her hand up and down her back.

"Once he had finished he took photos of me while I was still so shocked and just in pain that I didn't even notice. When I got home I told my mum and all she did was call me an attention whore and say that I was lying because of our argument earlier and she said that if I reported it she would kick me out and so I showered and I think I took about 4 showers that night because I felt so gross. And I hardly slept that night, just couldn't forget it. But still I got up the next day and I got dressed in something that was very unlike me just because the idea of wearing a skirt made my stomach hurl. I went to school and pretended that I was okay until I stopped getting nightmares" Kate says and the whole room was silent and tense.

Then she was surrounded by the overwhelming love of her team. She was hugged by everyone and she finally felt somewhat okay. This wont fade away instantly but this time she has support.