The Final Hope

Chapter 1

Pain.

Pain was all I felt. Nothing but pain. I kept blacking out because of the pain. The once clean metal table that I was strapped to was now sticky and hot with my blood. At that point, I would have been much happier being hurt by Doctor Doom.

"Are you having fun yet" the scientist inquired, sounding all too happy about this situation. I gritted my teeth and hoped that James was alright.

I wasn't religious, but I prayed to God, and all the gods I knew of, that my brother had called for help.

I wasn't sure how much longer I would last. My arc reactor was just barely glowing, I couldn't breathe, and I doubted that I was going to be saved. I hadn't completely lost hope, but I was close to that point.

In a while, I was going to bleed out and die. That would be a terrible way to go out. I knew that I would never die at an old age, but I couldn't die like this. It wasn't right.

I couldn't hear anything but the drill. It was a mind-numbing noise that would probably haunt my dreams if I lived through this. The drilling suddenly stopped when the door was kicked in.

Whoever kicked the door down also took out the scientist, and dragged them out to the hall.

"Dad" I whispered. I guess James had managed to call for help after all.

"Sorry, kid, but it's just me" Clint rushed over to me and started undoing the bindings. He tried to pick me up, but I let out a yelp. Clint immediately put me down and took a couple steps back.

"It hurts so much" I choked out "and I-I can't feel my right leg".

"Cap, I have Will" Clint said into his com "but there's one problem, I can't move her without hurting her even more".

He turned to me. "How long have they been taking stuff out of you" he asked.

"I don't-I don't know" I whispered. Clint turned to the metal tray in the corner. On the tray sat containers full of my bone marrow.

"Did all of these come from you" There was worry and fear in his voice.

"Yeah" I whispered.

"How are you not dead yet" Clint exclaimed. People always asked me that. I tried to shrug, but winced in pain.

"We need to get you to stop bleeding, and I think that these are bandages" Clint held up some strips of ragged cloth. He came back over to me and started to wrap my wounds. I heard footsteps echoing in the hall.

"Will" Steve breathed, running into the room. James was right behind him. Clint pulled Steve aside before he could get close to me.

"We can't move her" I heard Clint say.

"Then how are we supposed to get my daughter out of here" Steve was definitely more concerned about me than Clint was.

"Thor might be able to summon some portal and get her to the tower" Clint suggested.

"Hey sis" James said crouching down so we were at eye level with each other.

"How's your nose" I asked quietly.

"I'm fine, but you aren't. Seriously how have you not died yet" why did people always ask that. I never knew the answer to the question. I wasn't dead because I wasn't dead. The answer was as simple as that.