Tigress ➳ An Avengers Fanfic (Book 1 of the Scepter Chronicles)

4

        I stared at the ceiling, contemplating what to do. 

        I had two options: go and meet these other people or escape. Actually, I had three: meet the others, escape, or stay here and do nothing. So far, I had opted for the last one. But staring at the ceiling and getting lost in my thoughts wouldn't help me. 

        I ran through my options. I could meet those other people, but I was scared to. I had no clue where the exit was; this place was one gigantic maze. Plus, I was kind of clumsy and loud when it came to certain things. Doing nothing was too boring, and I couldn't hide here forever. So, I decided to explore. 

        I slipped outside, silently walking down the hall. I turned right, the way I had turned when I had bumped into Clint. It was now empty, so I walked freely, passing more hallways and different rooms. 

        I traveled for a few minutes, turning down halls and peeking into rooms. I came across a large door and pushed through it, my curiosity getting the best of me. 

        I was met with an enormous room filled with different weapons. Along one wall were bows, arrows with different colored bands along the shafts, an array of knives, and shields. What looked to be a giant obstacle course was against the opposite wall. Another wall had different sections of training, and a huge ring was planted in the center of the floor. Punching bags were in one corner, and a long metal bar ran across the top of the wall with the weapons. 

        I walked over and ran my fingers over the weapons, sliding them around arrows and bows and knives. 

        "Hey," a voice said, and I jumped, slicing my finger on a knife. Hissing, I spun around to see Clint and Natasha entering the room. I frowned. 

        "Were you following me?" I asked, pressing my bleeding finger into my shirt. 

        "No, we came here to spar. Want to watch?" Natasha offered, giving me a hopeful look, and I found myself nodding. They smiled and leapt into the ring. 

        I walked to the other side and lay my arms on the rail, resting my head on top of them. Both of them got into their fighting stance, and I grinned at the sight. 

        "My money's on Natasha," I informed them, and she laughed while Clint frowned playfully at me. 

        They waited for a few seconds until a bell sounded, and the two fighters ran at each other. Clint punched at Natasha's face, and she dodged, swiping his feet out from under him with a graceful twirl and a kick of her leg. It's official; she's a ninja. He landed on the ground and groaned, making me laugh. 

        "I fell for it too," I called. "At least I was stupid enough to land on my face." 

        He snorted and got to his feet, landing a punch to Natasha's stomach. She slipped under him as he tried to go at her again, making him fall into the side of the ring and land on his back again. He just lay there, looking up at her and scowling. 

        "Okay, okay, you win," he grumped. Natasha jumped out of the ring, and I high fived her, laughing. We smiled at each other, and I realized that I could actually like it here, even if I'd only been here for a short time. I thought Natasha and I could be good friends, and I was even forming a bond with Clint. 

        Maybe staying here wouldn't be so terrible after all.