Adopted by the Avengers

Hello, Sweetheart

I wake up only to feel the car heave forward as it comes to a halt. After blinking a few times, I realize that we are stopped at a red light in the shadowed underbrush of the concrete jungle they call the Big Apple. Tony and Clint are talking quietly at the front of the car while beside me, Steve is closely examining the headphone jack of his cell phone as though he's never seen it before. On second thought, he probably hasn't.

"Afternoon, kid." Natasha says from behind me, startling me a little considering I forgot there were people sitting in the back row. My neck aches from sleeping in such an awkward position and cracks a little when I crane it around to face her.

"Afternoon." I reply tiredly as I fidget in my seat to stretch without being obnoxious.

"You woke up right on time, we're just about here."

"Oh. Where even a- wow." I cut myself off in mid sentence when the gleaming windows of the Avengers Tower come blindingly into view.

"Ah, hello, sweetheart," coos Tony, and for a split second I think he's talking to me, until I notice his eyes glued to his tower. I sigh and chuckle to myself before gazing back at the skyscraper. Though I've come downtown for the occasional field trip at school, it's not a thing I'm used to seeing up close. In order to see the proper beauty of Manhattan, you have to look up instead of around. Travel agencies preach how great it is here, when really, New York is just like any other city, only with more noise and people. The yellow cabs honk at each another so much that all downtown seems to sound like is one long continuous honk and tourists buzz about yelling in their languages, causing the locals to glare from behind their cigarettes. Hopefully the tower is high enough to drown it out.

Tony's 'sweetheart' appears to get taller with every block we drive towards it, making me squint more the closer we get, however through my eyelashes I can understand why it gets a pet name. From both an architectural and an aesthetic point of view, the building is beautiful. The gentle curvature of the tower sets it apart of the rest of the city and the sun glints off the letter on the side of the helipad. The letter 'A'.

Soon enough, the frame surrounding the window doesn't allow me to see the tip no matter how much I strain and I realize we are directly underneath the building. The car slows as it turns to the right, beginning a short descent into an empty underground parking lot. The shadows loom over the black SUV while the sound of air gusting from the fans and other ventilation systems is loud enough to make me feel the vibrations through my armrest.

We come to a halt when the car pulls into one of the countless parking spaces. "Home, sweet home." Tony chimes from the front again. Clint opens his door, still huffy despite the hour long drive, and beside me Steve tucks his phone back into his pocket before following suit. I open the heavy door and clamber out of the car quickly considering Natasha and Bruce are beginning to insult 'Captain Freezie' for not letting them out from the back.

The air smells like a mixture of concrete and car fumes and the racket from the vents is even louder. Clint opens up the trunk to retrieve my suitcase for me while Tony makes a beeline for the elevator on the other side of the parkade.

"You couldn't have parked any closer, huh?" Tony calls sarcastically from halfway to the elevator.

"You need the exercise, you should be thanking me."

Once they are out of the car, Bruce, Thor, and Natasha start to follow Tony. I trail behind them hesitantly, feeling unsure of myself as the gravel of the car park crunches beneath my worn shoes. What if I do something that they don't like and get offended? What if they hit me? Although I know there's barely any chance of any of it happening, I can feel the anxiety building in my chest like a bubble I can't burst.