Hoping for a Hero - part II of II [COMPLETE]

Chapter 3: Suit Up

At some point during the night, I had managed to fall asleep because I startled awake to the sound of Thor rummaging through the refrigerator. "Oh, you're awake," he said across the room. "They're meeting down the hall." With that, he left.

The poor guy hadn't been himself the last few weeks after what happened. Fell into a kind of depression that I feared would stick to him longer than it should. Of all the things to bring the god of thunder to his knees, it didn't seem right that despair would seal his fate.

When I stood, I accidentally kicked the book that lay open on the floor. I didn't remember how many pages I had read. Heck, I didn't even remember what I had read. With a sigh, I left it on the ottoman and walked into the meeting.

"Where's this garden?" I heard Steve ask.

No one noticed my presence as I stood in the doorway. As I looked around the room, my eyes caught my reflection in a nearby wall of glass and I cringed at the sight. My hair was tousled and I still wore my pajamas. I was grateful the glass was far enough away that I couldn't see the bags under my eyes.

While I was distracted by criticizing my appearance, I missed some of the group's conversation, but I quickly refocused my attention.

"Thanos is there," Banner said. "And he just used the stones."

I peered at the holo-image projected at the center of the room as their conversation continued.

"He's still got the stones," Rhodes stated.

"So we take them," Danvers shrugged. "And we use them to bring everybody back."

Banner seemed skeptical, "Just like that?"

"Yeah," Steve agreed. "Just like that."

From what I pieced together, it seemed a little far-fetched.

"If there's even the smallest chance we can undo this," Natasha looked around the room. "Then we owe it to everyone who's not in this room to try."

"Even if we do this, how do we know it will end differently than before?" Banner prodded.

"Because before, you didn't have me." I looked at Danvers and admired her confidence, but part of me also loathed it.

"Hey, new girl," Rhodes piped up. "Everybody in this room is about that superhero life. And if you don't mind my asking, where have you been all this time?"

"There are a lot of other planets in this universe. And unfortunately, they didn't have you guys." A slightly suck-up thing to say, but it seemed to diffuse the situation.

It was then that Thor finally stood from the table where he ate a snack. He walked to Danvers and stretched out his right arm. Still tried and true, his axe flew into his hand on a course that nearly grazed the side of Danvers' head, but she didn't flinch. He evaluated her for a second and concluded with a nod to the group, "I like this one."

Silence stood a moment as Steve looked at the holo-image again. "Let's go get that son of a nutcracker."

"I'm sorry," Rocket lifted his paw while stifling a snicker. "What did you just say? Nutcracker? That totally ruined the moment."

"Everybody suit up and meet at the ship in thirty minutes," Steve ignored the comment and turned to leave the room. When he did so, he saw me in the doorway. "You're up," he said quietly as he walked past.

I followed after him, "Yeah, no one woke me. Why? I missed important information."

"You haven't slept enough lately, I wasn't going to disturb you."

"I don't like that you made that decision for me. I'm part of this team too, you know."

"You are," Steve stopped walking and let out an exasperated sigh, "and that's why I need you to be fully rested. Everyone needs to be in good form for whatever's next."

"Are you, Steve?" I accused him. "Are you rested and in good form because I don't think that's possible for any of us right now. I'm not the only one with bags under my eyes. Everyone in that room is just as exhausted as we are. Take a minute and evaluate yourself before trying to protect everyone else, okay?"

His brow was heavy like it was last night, but I still couldn't decipher the cause of its weight. "I'm okay. Really."

The look I gave him indicated my skepticism which was probably why he continued to dodge the subject.

"Suit up. We have about twenty-five minutes left before we leave."

"Aye, aye, Captain," I muttered under my breath as I watched him disappear around the corner. His behavior confused me, but I refused to let it become a distraction. Instead, I went back upstairs to my room and drew my hand across the wall of my bedroom. It wasn't long before my palm found the hidden plate that pressed in and activated a secret compartment. The mechanisms clicked as part of the wall raised to reveal the case that held my suit.

A glance at my watch told me I didn't have much time. I quickly slipped into the suit, restocked my sheaths with daggers and checked that my pistols were loaded. No knowing what we'd need on this trip.

I placed a hair tie around my wrist as I left my flat, looking back at it for what I prepared myself to be the last time. "See ya maybe," I said quietly before closing the door.