Ordinary (A Marvel Fanfiction)

Chapter One

"Emma! If you don't get that food out soon, Pete is gonna have to, and you know he ain't gonna be happy about that!"

I turned to look at Louisa, my arms already full of plates and drinks. I grimaced at the amount of food waiting for me to carry out, and nodded my head. Pete was not the kind of guy you wanted to make angry. I whirled out without another thought, hurrying through the mass amount of customers waiting to be fed. The fact that one of my shoes were untied did nothing to help the problem.

I dropped off the food at one table, took an order of another, and then ran back to the kitchen to grab another order. Louisa was frantically cooking, doing her best to keep up with the amount of orders that were coming in.

"The stew is burning!" I called to her over my shoulder as I bustled out of the room again. I had just enough time to hear her curse and run to the stove before the door swung shut behind me.

The rest of my shift came and went without a small break in customers. By the time I could sit and breathe a little bit, Nico was already waiting in the parking lot to pick me up and bring me back to my apartment. My small studio was within walking distance of the diner, but Nico always lectured me how bad it was for a girl to walk alone at night. I always reminded him that I kept mace in my bag, but it comforted him to drive me himself.

I pulled my apron over my head, tossing it in the laundry hamper beside the prep sink. I grabbed my bag, told Louisa that I was leaving, and then hustled outside to meet Nico, who was leaning up against the side of his Volvo.

"Hey, sweet cheeks!" He called over to me, a grin growing on his face.

"Your boyfriend is going to kick your ass one day for flirting with everyone!" I told him, laughing.

I climbed into his car and he quickly followed, saying, "Nah, Finn's a bigger flirt than me!"

I laughed, knowing he was right. The first time I met Nico's boyfriend, he immediately started hitting on me, until Nico finally smacked him on the back of the head. They have been together for 3 years now, and I've never seen a happier couple.

"Your apartment, or campus?" Nico asked, starting the car.

"My class was cancelled tonight, so I'm going home to relax." I said, pulling my hair out of my ponytail and shaking it out.

"You have to be careful not to work yourself too hard, Emma." He told me, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. I could practically feel the concern rolling off him in waves. I felt bad for worrying him, but I had been working two jobs and taking night classes at the same time for three years now; I was used to it.

"I'll be alright." I assured him.

He sighed, pulling into the lot next to my apartment building. I smiled at him, as I climbed out of the car.

"You coming in?" I asked, when he didn't move to follow me.

"Nah, Finn is in a certain mood, and I need to go help with that, if you know what I mean." He told me, winking.

I laughed loudly, a small blush covering my cheeks. Even after a lifetime of being best friends with Nico, I still wasn't used to his bluntness. I told him goodbye and raced into the building, shivering as the wind picked up. I yawned, marching up the steps — the elevator had been broken for over a year now.

When I reached my door, I could hear a loud yowling coming from inside. I rolled my eyes, unlocking it. I slammed my shoulder against the door (the only way I could open it anymore), and was immediately greeted by even louder howls. I rolled my eyes, staring down at the orange tabby, my hands on my hips.

"Can you ever just shut up?" I demanded, narrowing my eyes. He stared at me for a second, before meowing even louder and leading the way towards the kitchen. As soon as there was food in his dish, he fell silent. I sighed, and stood, petting him for a little bit, before making my way across the room to my bed. It was a small studio apartment, but it was home.

I quickly changed out of my uniform and fell into bed, asleep before my head even hit the pillow.

I woke up to a hand over my mouth, smothering any screams I was liable to make. I panicked, looking up into the eyes of the man, his rancid breath hitting my face. I screamed, but it was muffled. I lashed out at the man, but he was too strong for me. I wondered briefly where Banjo was — usually my tabby would be attacking anyone who dared enter my apartment — and hoped he was okay.

I was just mentally preparing myself to accept whatever was about to happen, when his weight was thrown off my body. I scrambled into an upright position, backing up against my headboard, watching as a dark figure stormed over to the man and bent down, snapping his neck without a sound.

I screamed again, muffling the sound with my own hand this time. I watched with fearful eyes as the dark figure stepped forward into the faint light of the moon streaming through my window. I met his vibrant blue eyes and gasped. He didn't move or make a single sound as I looked him over.

I felt myself pause as my eyes fell on his metal arm. I looked back up to his eyes again, gasping.

"Who are you?"