The Soldier and the Spy.

Chapter 3

****Variel POV****

My eyes snap open, and I look around at my surroundings. I stare, confused, at the plain room with its military-grade bed and sheets. Then I remember... the man in blue, the dart, strange faces, and S.H.I.E.L.D.. Quickly, I jump out of the bed and wobble slightly, my body a little off balance from the sedative. I look around the room trying to find any cracks or weakness that I could use to my advantage, but unfortunately the room was sealed, and I didn't know the password to the door. I try not to lose my calm.

My mind is racing with all the possibilities. Would they torture me or inject me with a serum to do what they wanted? I know that sounds ridiculous, but it has happened to me before. I found a small bathroom and took a look in the mirror. I never thought I was pretty, and living in bad conditions didn't help. I had straggly blonde hair that was oily from not being washed in a long time, my skin was deathly pale, and I had huge bags under my eyes from constant nightmares. At least they hadn't changed my clothes. I couldn't bear the idea of someone seeing all my scars.

My thoughts went to the man dressed in blue. Who was he and where did he go? Was he bad like the rest of them? When I had looked into his eyes yesterday, they were filled with compassion and trust, and his smile was one of warmth and friendship. He truly had the nicest smile that I had ever seen, his lips spread across his face. I wonder how soft they are....Wait! Why am I even thinking about his lips? I don't even know his name! Anyways, he's the enemy. I've never even been interested in a guy before, and now I'm falling head over heels for someone who's probably going to end up killing me.

Heading out of the bathroom, I jump into the corner of the room as the door opens. A tall man at least 6'6" comes in. He is wearing scale-like armor with a red cape, and he has long blonde hair with a matching beard.

"Come, fair maiden. Your presence is required in the meeting room," he says with an outstretched hand. "My name is Thor, of Asgard."

I look at him suspiciously, fear crawling all over my body. I stare at the wall, hoping that if I ignore him he'll go away. When I don't come, he walks forward and gently takes my hand. I jump at the touch and look at him with eyes full of fear. He only smiles and leads me out of the room.

I walk with Thor, trying not to be confused by all the passages and corridors. They all look the same! What if I can never find my way out of here? Finally, we stop in front of a door. Immediately, I shrink back against Thor's gently prodding hand, fear rushing through me. I can almost feel the power of the superheroes on the other side. The man opens the door and gently leads me inside. I look around at the other superheroes, and at the table I see the man in blue. I look at him, flush, and quickly glance away. I take a deep breath. I refuse to let them see my fear. A tall, black man in a trench coat wearing an eye patch comes up to me.

"Alice Smith" he says.

I nod and say yes, even though that's not my real name- It's only the false name I chose for myself. My voice comes out strong, the exact opposite of how I feel. I raise my head defiantly.

"Why have you captured me? What do want with me? How did you find me? And finally, who are you?" the questions come pouring out my mouth.

The last question seems to insult one of the superheroes standing in the corner, a man in a red and gold iron suit.

He stands up and says, "You don't know who we are. We, Sweetheart, are the Avengers. Earth's mightiest heroes, you know? We saved the Earth from the aliens last year and defeated Loki. Do you really not know that this happened?"

I look at him in confusion. "When were we attacked by aliens?" I ask in astonishment.

The man stares at me in surprise, along with all the others.

"What?" I say, "I live far away from everything."

My legs wobble, and I hold onto Thor, my body still recuperating from the sedatives.

The man in blue jumps up and helps me into a chair.

"Thank you," I say gratefully, and as I look up at him, I am again reminded of how blue his eyes are.

"Miss Smith we need your help," The eye patched man says. "There is a potential threat to earth, and we need your powers and skills to fight it."

"How do you expect me to work with you when no one has told me who you are other than a vague mention of the Avengers? I need names at least!"

"Right. The man who lead you to this room is Thor, the god of thunder and lightning from Asgard. The man in blue and red with the stars and shield is Captain America, aka Steve Rogers a WW2 veteran and superhuman. The man in the gold and red suit is Iron Man or Tony Stark, a billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, genius, and former head of Stark industries. The man in the corner with the glasses is Dr. Banner, also known as The Hulk, who is his alter ego. He and Stark help with the science and technology aspect of the Avengers. The man sitting in the chair with the bow is Hawkeye- that is, Clint Barton, agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. There's another member who's not here yet- The Black Widow. I'll introduce you to her when she gets back."

I look in surprise at Fury. "Wow," I say. "So you aren't going to torture me or anything?"

Fury looks so shocked that Tony bursts out laughing and I blush madly.

"Of course not!" Fury replies,"Who do you think we are?"

Tony sidles over to me and wraps his arm around my shoulders.

"Oh Sweetheart you are too attractive for him to do that," he says with a wink.

I shudder at his touch and try to pull away. I've never been very good at human contact, and Tony is really pushing my comfort level.

Steve...Oh joy I know his name...snap out of it girl! must have seen my discomfort, because he says,"Tony you're making her uncomfortable, leave her alone."

Reluctantly, Tony returns to his seat.

I glance down at my hands and realize they're shaking. Quickly, I push out my chair and stand up. "I'll work with you as long as you give me protection," I say, and then I walk as fast as possible out the door.

I don't know how I found my way through the maze of corridors- maybe it was my inherent sense of direction. In the end however I make my way to the room I first came from, and I flop down on the bed panting. I change into pajamas and crawl under the covers. That's when the nightmare starts.

The world around me is black. I pant desperately, tired from clawing incessantly at the bars of my iron cage. Suddenly, I hear a noise, and I see that the cage is getting smaller. Panicking, I try even harder to get out, wearing my fingers to bloody stumps, but it doesn't stop. I hear a female voice call my name.

"Variel!" The voice seems somehow familiar, but I can't quite place it.

I try to answer, but no sound comes out of my mouth. The cage gets smaller and smaller. I can feel the cold metal against my skin, pushing in farther and farther. I can feel with a certain finality that I am going to die.