Rip My Heart Out (Avengers Age of Ultron)

Prologue

The square was buzzing with people today. Its always baffled me how there can be so many people in one place, yet everyone is completely unaware of each other. The bench I sat on was one of the many that lined the square. The square was the concrete park in the center of the city, complete with a waterfall and all. It was a place meant for relaxation in a city that never seemed to stop, yet it ended up just being a shortcut from one side of the street to the other.

            So many people crossed paths here everyday, but they were all too busy on their phones or too concentrated on their destinations to notice. I could never be like that. It was in my nature to notice everything. I have never been able to ignore even the smallest detail. I see every face, every scowl, every worry line. People can't seem to stop worrying these days.

            I can't say I blame them. We live in a changed world. I mean, after the Chitauri invaded New York, everyone had to completely change their worldview. For many, religion didn't make sense anymore, for others, it was all they had to explain their new world. Some thought it was a hoax, while some gloated that they knew about aliens all along. Either way, I think its safe to say everyone was stunned. Of course, everyone was frightened too.

            So many people died that day. It was terrible. I lived just far enough out of the way to see the smoke and hear the crashes and screams. I felt terrible. I wanted to help. I wanted to do something, but what could I do? All of those people were dying, and I was useless.

            Of course, someone did stop it. The Avengers, a new team of super humans saved New York, and most likely, the entire planet from absolute destruction. This was news to everyone too. I mean, first we find out aliens are real, and then we find out that there is some top secret spy organization hiding deep in the government that is not only tracking and stopping alien threats, but also developing a team of people with special abilities to fight them.

            It was a lot for people to take in, to say the least.

            Yet, as we always do, the people of this world adapted. We accepted our new world, and tried to get our lives back to normal. And, just when things were getting back to normal, another atomic bomb of new information was dropped on us. S.H.I.E.L.D. had been infiltrated by a group called Hydra. Apparently, they had been lurking in the dark corners of S.H.I.E.L.D. since WW2, and had finally decided to strike, in a big way.

            Anyway, after more chaos and destruction, S.H.I.E.L.D. was disbanded, and the people of this planet were left, yet again, to pick up the pieces.

            That's when my life changed in a big way. That's where this story begins. Because, a few weeks after S.H.I.E.L.D. was taken down, I was in the square. I was sitting on the west side, watching the people and trying to let my mind wander. I was looking for an escape, but what I found instead was a very sad looking man. He was sat almost directly across the square from me. He too, was watching the people, but I could tell that he wasn't really seeing them. He was looking for an escape too.

            His eyes are what caught my attention first. I could tell, even from the distance I was at that his eyes were heavy with grief. I can't say that I'd ever seen someone so upset.

            So, I did the only thing I could think to do for someone so sad. I noticed them. I started walking across the square, towards him, not knowing what I was going to say or do when I reached him, only knowing that I had to try something, because no one should have to feel the way I could tell he did.

            Halfway through the square, I saw an ice cream trolley. It was one of those old fashioned ones with the bold stripes that only serves the classic flavors. I decided that ice cream was as good as any of a way to start my mission of helping this man, so I purchased two vanilla cones and walked the rest of the way to him.

            I stood in front of him for a moment without saying anything before he looked up at me with a questioning look in his eyes. I stared back at him for a moment, not knowing what to do, before holding one of the cones out to him. He didn't make a movement to take the cone for a few more moments, clearly wondering what I was up to.

            "You looked like you could use some cheering up." I said quietly, regretting my decision to come over here at all. This was none of my business. There is a reason people don't usually notice each other, right?

            After another slight pause, his muscles relaxed a bit and he slowly grabbed the cone from my hands. Without another word, I sat beside him and silently ate my cone.

            We both sat there, watching people, looking for our escapes, for about an hour before he sighed, leaned forward and put his face in his hands.

            I put my hand on his back and just watched him, hoping the right words would come to me. They didn't. Instead, we sat in silence again.

            Finally, when the sky had darkened and the night had chilled, he sat up.

            "I'm Steve." He said, without even looking at me.

            "Emelia." I said back.

            He just nodded.

            "Are you going to be okay?" I asked.

            "I don't know." He said. He ran a hand through his blonde hair.

            Again, we sat there for a while without saying anything. I crossed my arms over my chest in an attempt to stay warm in the cool night air.

            "You're cold." He said, finally looking at me.

            "I'm alright." I said, although I clearly was cold.

            He smiled ever so slightly. "Thank you."

            I smiled back. "You're welcome."

            Steve stood up and grabbed my hand to help me off the bench.

            He smiled again before starting to walk off. He stopped though, about 50 feet away and said, "I owe you an ice cream, you know? Meet me here in a week, say noon?"

            "Yeah, okay." I replied smiling.

            He gave me a slight wave before turning again and walking off into the night.

            That is how I met Steve Rogers, A.K.A Captain America. I didn't know at the time who he was, or what this would mean for me. All I knew was he needed someone and I was the only one who seemed to notice that. So, we started meeting weekly for ice cream in the square. Sometimes we just sat in silence. Sometimes he talked, sometimes I talked. Some weeks were good. We would laugh and joke around. Some weeks weren't so good.

Steve told me about some stuff that had happened with S.H.I.E.L.D. and how he had lost his best friend recently. He never told me about specifics (of which, I never asked), but I could see what the events of the past years had done to him, and it was tragic. After several weeks, we became really good friends, and I couldn't help but think of him as the big brother I never had. We opened up to each other and found the escapes we were looking for so desperately that first day I'd seen him.

A/N: I know this chapter is short and a bit choppy there at the end, but this is just the set up for the story! The real action starts in the next chapter!! Stay tuned!

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