Animo - Avengers {Completed}

Chapter One: Kidnapped

          I straightened out my body and backed away, gingerly moving my foot. The guy’s face was hard! My room was so dark I couldn’t see who was standing there. I could only make out faint shadows, but I could clearly see that there were more people than just him standing near.

          “Who are you? What are you doing here?” I demanded, reaching for my lamp. I turned the switch and was momentarily blinded by the brightness of the light. When my vision cleared, I saw five people assembled in my bedroom, where most of the space was taken up by my queen-sized bed. The man I’d kicked was rubbing his jaw.

          “Okay, hold up.” I stared at him, a faint flicker of recognition burning at the back of my mind. “I know you.” I looked at him for another moment, and the answer came to me. “Where’s your suit of armor, Iron Man? My kick wouldn’t have hurt quite as bad.” I said, sarcasm flying off of my lips.

          “How’d you recognize me without my suit?” Playfulness laced through his words, even though his eyes were shocked.

          “Just seems like that’s who you are.”                 

          His eyes narrowed and he nodded. “Then who is everyone else?”

          I turned my attention to the man standing next to him. He had short, light blonde hair, a stern gaze, and a rigid stance to make any military officer proud. I’m sure he did, back in the day. Way back. “Captain America,” I said, nodding in respect to him.

          A woman stood on the opposite side of the room, her bright red curls falling gently to her shoulders. One fist was pressed against her hip; the other one covered her yawn. “Black Widow, right?” She smiled in affirmation, a sly smirk.

          “And, Hulk, if I’m correct. Why aren’t you green?”

          The man I’d spoken to was dressed in normal clothes, just like the rest of them. It looked strange on him, however, because he wasn’t giant and green and angry like most of America and the world was used to seeing. “That’s only temporary,” he said softly.

          Thor was easy enough to identify. Even in jeans and a t-shirt, a blind person could see the air of power he held around him, the muscles that he sported. And his long blonde hair. “Thor?” The grin he gave me made my heart thump. Gorgeous.

          I looked around. “Where’s Hawkeye? Shouldn’t he be here too?”

          “I am.”

          I turned my head to look behind me. There stood Hawkeye, perfectly balanced on the headboard of my bed. How had I not woken up when he obviously had to get on the bed in order to be up there? “How are you not breaking my bed? And why are you up there in the first place?” I snapped, getting defensive over my lack of observation.

          “Are you calling me fat?” he asked, stepping off and landing lightly on the floor. “That’s not nice. I can see better from higher up. Not as much turning of the head.”

          I sniffed in indignation and sat back down on my bed. A quick glance at my clock told me that it was after eleven at night. Still my birthday, I thought with a smile. I leaned my head against my pillows and closed my eyes.

          “Don’t you even think about going back to sleep!” Iron Man’s voice entered my ears like a bunch of angry wasps.

          “Who do you think you are, telling me what I can and can’t do?” I growled, opening my eyes again. I sat back up and glared at all of them.