Monster of a Ghost | Avenger's OC|

Cruelty of Nature

Hi readers! So of course with most stories you try to keep things going in chronological order and of course that's what I'm trying to do here but I also thought why not add a little from the real world. So the event driving this chapter does actually happen in real life if anyone is curious. 

For a while after Kelsey's revelations everything felt awkward. But all the members of the team did apologize and things eventually went back to the team's version of 'normal'.

As the weather changed, life as an Avenger was actually rather mundane. Missions were few and far between thankfully.

Every now and then there were hostage situations which usually sent out Nat or Clint with Steve and very rarely with Kelsey. But there was never anything huge to deal with that required more than three members of the team at a time.

Bruce and Tony always seemed to be busy working on some knew science development which kept them from going on the missions.

Instead of focusing on training Kelsey had focused herself solely on trying to help the public as best as she could.

Everything was on the down low of course, with Tony and Bruce were working together on research. Natasha and Clint were always busy doing something Fury told them to and Steve had begun to hang around with Kelsey at her library just helping her with the small things like maintenance or spending time with the children that came to the library and in return Kelsey did her best in her free time to help him catch up on different things he'd missed when he'd been a Capsicle.

The one thing Kelsey had been good with in school was history and she had no issue with filling the super soldier in on historical and cultural changes.

Unfortunately the months went by too quickly summer quickly being replaced by fall, as the city got colder and leaves started to change colors, disaster also struck.

Late in October, Hurricane Sandy ripped through New York City and Long Island.

It had flooded the subways and the streets, trees were torn from their roots blocking roads or crashing into buildings, whole houses were ripped apart, flooded beyond belief or just completely obliterated.

Kelsey was beyond thankful that the library was raised off the ground high enough so that it avoided flooding.

With that out of her head, Kelsey had dawned her face mask and pulled her hair up and set out to help with the relief efforts. The extent of the damage left on the city and its neighboring island  forced Kelsey to reluctantly to go out during the days to help in any way she could.

She couldn't stay in the shadows anymore, the disaster was just too much, too much to wait for the night to go out.

Of course, the other avengers did their best to help out too but Kelsey was the one who spent the most of their time out with the relief effort. Even when the national guard was called into action Kelsey did not take a break.

She wouldn't even think about it, she had been lucky to escape damage in the Battle of New York only months earlier and same could be said with the hurricane. That plagued her the whole time, she was not going to stop until she wasn't able to physically move a step further.

What had made her so special that she'd escaped without damage when other people lost almost everything?

Most of the time she spent with the effort was going into houses to help people and their pets who were trapped in houses with no escapes. Maybe a week into working her body had finally been pushed to its limits and Kelsey allowed herself be pushed into a seat by Clint who'd been helping her in the relief effort that day. Her whole body simply had given out underneath her.

Well it actually wasn't a seat it was into the bed of a pickup truck they'd been using to carry around supplies given to them by the Red Cross for the relief efforts.

"I'm calling Bruce to come pick you up." He said sitting on the edge of the truck staring intensely at the girl as she struggled to keep her eyes open. Her body was covered in mud and her clothes were clinging to her, Kelsey had probably not even taken her face mask off in days. And lord knows, it would not be pleasant when she did.

"Clint I'm fine, I'll be up and running in a few minutes. I just need a minute to breathe."

"No Kelsey, what you need is to go home, shower, eat an actual meal and sleep." Clint said sternly.

"I'm not a child Clint."

"Well you sure as hell are acting like one right now. So, you are going to be treated like one."

Without a second look Clint had hopped off the bed of the truck and walked away with the phone against his ear. As soon as his eyes weren't on her Kelsey quickly made a move to get off the truck when another person swooped in a blocked her way.

"Hello, I am Elizabeth Delery of News 5 for Long Island. We'd like to ask you a few questions, do you mind?"

"Actually I..." Kelsey started looking wearily to the all dressed up rather annoying looking reporter only to be cut off.

"Great! And we're live in 3...2..."

"Hello it's Elizabeth Delery and I come to you live from Long Beach, Long Island with an exclusive interview with a possible member of the Avengers." The women began to speak making Kelsey let out a sigh.

"During the Battle of New York, there were many sighting of a woman whose description is almost identical to you. Please tell us and all the viewers watching right now, was that you?"

The reporter was getting way to close to comfort and Kelsey could barely shift back to get away from the lady.

"Yes." She responded uncomfortably.

"And is it true that you are an Avenger?"

"Yes, but at the time of the battle I had yet to join."

"Then why were you fighting?"

"Why was I fighting?" Kelsey looked to the reporter in shock greatly offended by the question. "I was out on the streets for the exact same reason that I spent weeks afterwards trying to help with damage control and why I am out here now."

"I was there because people needed someone to help them. My concern has always been to keep civilians safe and out of harm's way. Someone to help when their whole worlds are crumbling around them and when their lives are in danger. That's why I began to do this type of work. I was once a victim just like people were then and as they are now. By crime or natural disasters, I've experienced it and I don't want people to think they are alone in the endeavors. I was given abilities and to not used them to help others would be selfish and an act of utter stupidity."

Looking past the camera, Kelsey saw Clint watching her exchange with Bruce beside him.

How'd he get here so fast?

"Well um wow. That was beautifully said. So uh... I am sure I speak for everyone when I ask this, what do you call yourself?" The lady said kindly but there was definitely and underlying layer of bitchiness hiding in her eyes.

That question also stumped Kelsey, but it was less of shock and more of disappointment. She never wanted to get to the point where she took a name, she never wanted to be on interviewed for television, it was not what she had ever planned to be when she first started all those years ago.

"I never gave myself a name. I just tried to be something that stayed in the shadows kind of like a ghost. I'm sorry but I've got some more work I've got to do, have a good day." Kelsey said in absolute pain as she walked away from the interview towards Clint and Bruce but not stopping in order to avoid drawing attention to the two.

"Let's go." She sighed reaching the pair and slipping into the car they were waiting for her with. Closing the door behind her Kelsey let out a shaky sigh burying her head in her hands.