Their Missing Piece: An Avenger's Soulmate Story

Chapter 1

Xavier Carter spent an awful lot of his spare time alone in bookstores. It was something about being surrounded by alternate universes, any of which he could find himself immersed in, that calmed him. He was in one of these moments, sitting in the local bookstore, when his sister, Arryn, burst in the store and slumped into the chair next to him. Before he could even ask her how he day had been or what had gotten her so angry she started the conversation for him.

"Why are people such idiots? Actually don't answer that, customers are so annoying, like madam, you have just ordered your food it isn't just going to apostate in front of you, it'll take a few moments before its ready, yes this is a fast food restaurant but no, it wont be that fast in less you want be to put it in an incredible hot vat and burn it or you could have the chicken raw. What is their not to understand? Fast doesn't mean instantaneous it just means quicker than an ordinary diner, I just wanted to hit her in the face, it then I'd get fired and I need the money. Ah why is life so hard?" Okay so Arryn didn't start a conversation she started ranting to her brother.

"Please don't do anything you'd regret," he responded, "I'm not sure Arryn, she did seem like a bad customer but how was the rest of your shift?"

"It was okay I guess not the quietest shift ever, but not the busiest either, although that encounter was during one of the busiest times of the day, after which my manager let me go into the kitchen, instead of staying on tills she saw how riled up I was getting, and I swear I saw the equipment beginning to shake, I might just find a new job and quit. Anyhow, what books are catching your fancy?" She quipped trying to change the subject before she lost her temper over an interaction she couldn't change.

"There are a few here that look interesting," Xavier announced while simultaneously picking up a few of the novels from a stack of books that lay at his side, waiting to be bought. "I found a few historical murder books, one about the five known victims of Jack the Ripper, and one based on a podcast by Benjamin and Rosanna Fitton called 'They walk among us' which I'm thinking of getting as they sound intriguing."

"Go for it, you deserve a break with all the work you have been doing, talking all those extra shifts to cover expensive, wait a second, I just got paid today so use my card, you know the PIN number, my treat." Not one to decline an offer of free books, he got up out of the seat he was sitting in, taking his selection of books to the counter to make his purchase. The last book had been scanned and his total had been delivered, but as soon as he went to plug in the four digit code to confirm his purchase the bell above the door sounded, signifying a new person in the store, he didn't think as much into it as his should have, as he wasn't able to see the entrance, and continued with his transaction. It was complete, taking his purchases and the card, from the reader, he went to make his way back to his sister. He was almost at the table when a gunshot when off. He turned around to see five figures masked in black waltzing around the store, guns blazing. Two of the figures, started to drag customers to their knees demanding anything valuable: necklaces, earrings, money; anything they had on them at this very moment. Xavier's eyes flickered to look at his triplet sister, and the colour left his face, jaw dropping to the floor. Slowly but surely Arryn inched up from her seat. A sense of dread wavered through Xavier as he saw Arryn's slight smirk grace her face. What was she doing? She's going to get herself shot, he thought to himself, making sure to keep a watchful eye on his sibling. One of the figures who wasn't currently occupied with rounding up customers clocked onto the movement and quite quickly had her gun aimed at Xavier's body, as if to warn her what another movement would cost her. What these leather cladded figures didn't seem to cotton onto was how far Arryn would g to protect one of the last remaining members of her family. Not only that but how much she hated bullies, and these robbers certainly classified as bullies in her mind. There was no way in hell she was going to give them what they wanted no matter the cost. In Arryn's mind their request where null and void as soon as they started to threaten her by aiming a gun at her triplet.

"No!" she exclaimed, "Nobody will give in to your requests. You wont be getting anything from us today madam' and sirs'." She turned to sit back down. However, she hadn't expected one of the members of the robbery gang to be situated behind her. As she turned she heard a yell coming from a female gang member,

"Crazy-face, NOW!" Before she could even blink a seven inch blade appeared, which she could only assume was concealed within the inner pocket of the man's coat, and lodged itself in her stomach. The hand which had injured her suddenly froze, as though the owner realised their mistake. A clang echoed throughout the store and repeated screams of "run" got increasingly quieter to Arryn as all of the robbers sprinted out of the store. Fading in an out of consciousness, Arryn felt multiple presences surrounding her as she slumped to the floor. Luckily for her Xavier was near, as she felt her skin knitting itself together as soon as she touched her stomach. It was in this moment when she was extremely glad for her brother's ability, she didn't want to die without meeting the ones she was meant to be with, those whose names graced her wrist. She felt arms lifting her up snapping her back to reality, while she was both healed internally and externally, thanks to her brother, the pain from the attack still resided, she looked up, recognised the familiar mop of hair, that which belonged to her brother and leant into his hold. With a steady grasp on her making sure she was stable, he grabbed his bag, making sure he had the books that had just been purchased, slung it over his shoulder, and made their way out of the bookstore.

"Thank you," he told the employees and other customers in the store, "I can take it from here, I'm going to take her home now so she can rest up, I hope you are all safe and okay, thank you again for the help and the books, I will probably be back here soon." And then they left, exiting the store together. Making their way home. It was only a ten minute walk back to the apartment that they shared with their older triplet, Alaska, but it seemed to take ages with the duo walking in silence.