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

16

        Leah's hair was in a mess, and she clutched her old doll in one hand. Tear stains streaked her dirty cheeks, and her eyes were red from crying. 

        "Mom? Dad?" she called desperately. She stepped towards the crowd. A man slammed into her, knocking her backwards. With my tiger speed, I was immediately behind her, gripping her shoulders to steady her and glaring at the man. 

"Watch where you're going, bucko!" I yelled. He whirled around. 

"How dare you call me bucko," he hissed. 

"How dare you knock over my sister," I snapped, slipping in front of Leah. He leaned forward and grabbed me by the shirt. He lifted me, and I kicked at him. My foot connected with his shin, and he dropped me, hissing. 

"You little b-" he started, but he was knocked over by a swarm of people. 

"Karma," I snorted before turning to Leah and grabbing her arm. I tugged her out of the crowd and down an empty street. I crouched behind a car and looked at her. She was staring at me in awe. 

"Caly?" she whispered, reaching a shaking hand up to touch my face. When her small palm rested on my cheek, we both broke down in tears. I hugged her tight, and she slung her arms around my neck. 

"I thought I'd never see you again," she whispered, and I laughed. 

"Me too," I told her. I pulled back and looked her in the eyes. 

"Where are your parents?" She sobbed and collapsed into my arms. I hugged her again. 

"We were separated. We were just w-walking and these c-creatures came and Mom p-pushed me under a car a-and told me t-to stay there and the creatures t-took them but there was a b-bang and someone s-screamed and-" 

I shushed her as she broke off into tears, I and rubbed her back in soothing circles. 

"Hey, hey, it's okay. We'll find them. Together." 

She looked up at me with watery eyes and sniffed. 

"Thanks, Caly," she managed, clutching my shirt. 

I peered out from behind the car to make sure it was clear. We sprinted down the street, my boots crunching over shattered glass and cracked asphalt. Leah struggled to keep up with me. I hoisted her onto my back and kept moving, stopping only to peer out onto the street to make sure it was clear. I set Leah down on the ground, and she looked up at me with tearful eyes. 

"Okay, Leah. We're going out there. I need you to hold tight. Don't let go, no matter what. Okay?" She nodded, sniffing and straightening, still trembling. "Good girl." 

I hoisted her onto my back again and slipped out into the crowd. I began running with the people around me, scanning the crowd around me. 

"Tell me if you see them," I murmured to Leah, and she nodded. I jogged along, turning down streets and alleys until Leah's grip tightened on my shoulders. 

"There!" She pointed to my right, and I pushed through the crowd. As I moved past people, I began to see them. The bearded man clutched the woman close to his side, their faces streaked with dirt and tears. 

"Mom!" Leah yelled. "Dad!" 

The woman's head snapped toward Leah, her eyes zeroing in on the little girl. She clutched the man's arm and pointed. I shoved past the last few people, and Leah jumped off my back. She sprinted towards her parents, and her father wrapped her up in his large arms. He looked up at me. I clasped my hands together, studying the ground. 

"Thank you." 

I looked up at him and smiled slightly. "I'm just helping a friend." 

Leah looked up at me. I winked at her. "I'll always be there for you," I told her, tugging affectionately on one of her curls. I stepped backward and slipped back into the crowd, their faces disappearing from view.