Until I Found You

six

~ ABBY ~

My first thought as I open my eyes, is that I can't understand why it's so damn bright in here. I wince as the harsh light invades my vision, setting my brain on fire. It feels like someone used my skull for batting practice.

My second thought is, "Where the hell am I?"

After a few moments, my eyes start to adjust to the lighting. My head was still throbbing, but had relented enough for me to squint at the room around me. I was surrounded by four white walls in a tiny rectangular room with no visible door. The grey chair I had apparently been put on by someone else was tucked into a matching grey table with two chairs on the opposite side. Other than that, the room was empty.

I try to make sense of my current predicament, but it's hard having so little information. There were pretty much two options. The first was that I had been taken by the guys who had tried to kill me at the casino. Given that I was still alive and that my hands weren't cuffed or tied in any way, I figured it was probably more likely to be the second of the two options. After I had been shot with some kind of dart that made me pass out, I had been taken into custody and placed into some sort of cell by the Avengers.

I'm not given any more time debate the likelihood of either of these scenarios, because a hidden door to the room opens and a man in a lab coat makes his way in. There's no handle on the inside so I'm assuming there are more people on the other side, both to let him out when he's done and to listen to our entire conversation.

"Oh good, you're awake." He says as he begins to walk around the edge of the table, a briefcase in one of his gloved hands. I back away on instinct, pushing my chair away from the table as he starts to get closer.

"Oh god I'm so sorry!" He freezes in his place immediately. "I'm a doctor, I'm uh- Dr. Bruce Banner. I was going to check to make sure you don't need any more medical attention."

He puts his briefcase on the table and opens it so I can see the contents. There's what looks like a stethoscope and some pill bottles. I can't make out everything but it all seems relatively harmless.

On top of that, I've finally realized why this man looks so familiar. Jonah had pointed him out to me the day before outside of Stark Tower. He was an Avenger, the one that turned all green and stuff. I'm not exactly comforted by this realization that my suspicions were correct about where I had been taken. I'm also not exactly keen on being trapped in a room with a man who can turn into a giant, green, rage monster, but I suppose this was probably better than the alternative.

"Sorry I didn't mean to frighten you." He says calmly. "Is it okay if I take a look?"

I'm not big into doctors. They've always freaked me out, ever since I was little. I'm especially wary given the current circumstances but I nod my head in agreement anyway. Despite the fact that one had already shot me with non-lethal weapon, at this point it seemed highly unlikely that an Avenger was going to do anything worse to me than lock me in prison. They were the good guys after all. They were the heroes everyone loved to idolize, the celebrities people paid good money for autographs from. I may not be a fan but I didn't think they were murderers. Besides, if I was about to go to prison, I should take the free medical checkups while I was still being offered one.

"So I heard you hit your head pretty hard." He says, pulling something out of the briefcase and making his way over to me. "How are you feeling?"