Avengers: Legacy

Chapter 1

Claire came home to a silent house.  No children screaming, no television playing.

Heart already pounding from the sight of her student literally disintegrating before her eyes, she drops her backpack on the floor and takes a few tentative steps inside.  "Mom?  Dad?  Thad?"

As she makes her way to the living room, she hears quiet sobbing.  "Mom?"

Her mother is sitting on the ground, rocking back and forth slowly.  Relief floods her, chased quickly by crushing dread.  "Mom."

"Claire," her mom looks up.  "Are you real?"

"Yes, Mom.  Where are Dad and Thad?"

This brings another wave of tears from her mother.

The truth sinks in.

Claire falls back onto the couch.

Whatever the strange thing was that took her student took her dad and little brother.

From the texts lighting up her phone, she knows they aren't the only ones.

She curses as her eyes fall on a family photo.  For once, her mother doesn't scold.

Claire picks up her phone.  Her friend group chat is blowing up.  So far, five of seven are accounted for, including her.  She lets them know she's okay, then proceeds to post on every social media platform that she is okay.

Well, almost all.  Her Facebook seems to be down.  Probably too much traffic on the site.

The news is flooded with pictures and video of destruction.  Planes downed, a helicopter took down a sky scraper in New York City, Kim Yo Jung on the brink of war with the US.  A child crying in the middle of the street.  Mayhem at a supermarket, where people are grabbing any bit of food they see, just because they can. 

A scientist reporting that current accounts are indicating that at least one third of the world's population seems to have disappeared into thin air.

"Among notable casualties are Kim Jong Un, President Yvonne Cho, King T'Challa, the Falcon, War Machine, and esteemed national hero Nick Fury.  Entirely unaccounted for are Iron Man, the disgraced Captain America, and New York's beloved Spider-Man.  More updates after this short message."

The news continued its downward spiral.

"It is now estimated that half of the world's population, about four billion,  has utterly disappeared from the face of the earth.  An additional estimated sixty-two thousand have died as a result through crashes or other related incidents.  Vice President Walter has issued the following statement."

The tall, graceful Vice President takes her place and reads a speech aimed at calming the masses.

Claire sits in shock, ignoring her still-rocking mother.

What happened to her planet?  What happened to the world?  What she saw can never be explained by science.

She has to find the answer.