The Avengers Academy

Chapter I

The grass was green. As green as possible, the sky was cloudless, and the day was perfect. But somehow all of it filled you with an ominous "Watch your back or I may bite you" sort of feeling. Maybe it was because it was so quiet. The entire countryside was dead silent. You could hear a pin drop. It was terrifying, and yet some people did not seem to hear it, although you could tell they sensed the uneasy still.

It wasn't just that you couldn't hear the birds, but traffic was silent, 'rushing rivers' rushed quietly, and even though the wind blew, [even if you couldn't feel it]it had the frightening courtesy to do so silently. The only way you could tell was the waves, and the trees moving.

Looking down at the silent paved road winding through the countryside, you probably wouldn't notice the clean, white KIA. But then again, nor would anyone else. It was no cause of attraction, nor did it want to be. It was registered, neat, going the speed limit-no more and no less-but if it was anything else it would be dangerous. Because no one had the slightest idea that what it was holding what would probably change the world someday, let alone save it.

If you had been inside the car at that time you would have seen one boy, three girls, and a young female driver. As the girls chattered, the ground started to tremble,then shake, until the road cracked and the car wobbled. Then all of a sudden all the sounds that were supposed to be made that day were released in 3½ seconds of pure terror. Then it stopped as quickly as it started, and the world was silent and perfect again, as if it had never happened. But it had.

The tallest girl commanded the driver to stop. The car screeched to a halt. She stepped out of the car and took a quick look around, sniffed the air, swore, and got back in the car. By now more cars had stopped, and the other drivers were looking nervously around and at the wreckage of the road. The girl turned to the boy in the passenger seat, the oldest of the kids in the car, and said "Com'on out, I need your help."  He groaned loudly and also swore, but the girl ignored it and turned to the other girls in the car. She said, " You guys may as well come out too. It's as safe as it's going to get."

The three girls, the boy, and the driver got out of the car. The tall girl ordered the boy to "stand next to that car". As he did as she commanded, the people in that car, and all the people that could see them, watched in awe. The girl stood across from him, closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, cracked her knuckles, blinked a few times, and took a step back. As she stepped towards the boy he flinched, and closed his eyes. She took him by the collar and one arm,and hurled him at the closest car, leaving a serious dent in it. He immediately started to swear, and stood up and brushed himself off. The people in the car gawked at him. But in a flash all eyes were on the girl. Her eyes started to glow orange, her skin started to shimmer, her hair burst into flames, and her skin scaled over with a layer of lava and volcanic rock. She tilted her head up and scanned the sky. Seeing nothing, she jumped up on the roof of the nearest car and opened her mouth. Immediately her companions covered their ears and took a step back. Then, she screamed.

∞∞∞

Her scream was in no way deafening, because if it had been deafening, than it would not have been so painful on your ears. People who had made the mistake of getting out of their cars now fully regretted it. People closed doors, rolled up windows, and ran. Windshields cracked under the... well, I guess the weight of the noise. As soon as she had stopped, the three girls,the boy, and the woman driver uncovered their ears, and they all watched the sky. They seemed to be waiting for something.

They were...About 45 seconds from when she stopped screaming, a small rocket whistled through the air. It hurdled down and smashed into the concrete. The girl stepped up to it, with absolutely no fear in her golden-red eyes. She clicked a few switches and a screen came up. She lay her hand on it and something beeped.Hearing this they quieted, and the people who had gone back to their cars opened their windows, though only a little, in case she should scream again.

The girl ignored their movement, focusing completely on the machine in front of her. She took a deep breath, and spoke these words, clearly, yet quietly. Words that might mean everything to someone and nothing to another...

"Avengers Assemble"