Disclamer: I do not own the Avengers

Chapter 1: Dreams and Mornings

Erica felt safe. So very, very safe, as though she knew that a thousand warriors were prepared to fight to the death to protect her. She also felt loved, as though her family entire family was near. She was comfortable in some kind of silk gown and sleeping in a giant, gold cradle. Her surroundings were magnificent, an enormous golden room with decorated with carvings and tapestries alluding to legends and bedtime stories. Erica would have been perfectly fine with staying in this moment forever.

Suddenly, the door at the other side of the room flew open. A giant warrior clad in battle armor and a red cape ran to Erica and picked her up like she weighed nothing. The warrior then carried her out of the room and down an enormous hallway.

Erica began to squirm in the warrior's arms. Although she felt as though being carried by him was nothing new (in fact, she felt that his arms inspired memories of comfort), she did not like that fact that he was running with her.

The warrior looked down on her lovingly and said –

Erica's alarm clock went off.

Erica really, really, REALY hates her alarm clock. Part of it has to do with the fact that even in September it plays an annoying jingle bells melody. A few years ago her alarm clock had crash-landed off her dresser and as a result her choice in alarm sounds and been set to default. Unfortunately, Erica had thrown away her directions for that clock a long time before then and didn't know how to change the sound. Despite that annoyance, the real reason Erica hates her alarm clock is because of mornings like this, when it interrupts and amazing dream.

Erica has had that dream for as long as she can remember. Usually it just ends with the warrior picking her up, but recently she has managed to go farther in the timeline of the dream. Now, her alarm wakes her up just before she can hear the warrior speak. It's very annoying.

Erica untangled her right arm from the sheets and searched for that stupid off button. Not wanting to open her eyes, she felt for he hated timekeeper with only one hand. Suddenly, an ark of static electricity riveted down her arm. She must have tossed and turned in her sheets more than she realized. The alarm stopped bleeping, even though Erica didn't remember actually hitting the button.

Erica was just starting to let herself drift back to sleep when her mother opened the door. "Erica! You have to get ready for school!" Erica's mom shouted. Groaning, Erica rolled off her bed and stared to walk to her closet to decide what she would wear today. On the way, she tripped over her alarm clock, which had lost all its power.

Strange, Erica thought, I don't remember throwing it across the room today.

After dressing in jeans and a t-shirt she went downstairs for a quick breakfast. When she got there, she saw that Lily was already there chewing on a piece of toast. Erica had met Lily in Kindergarten. Erica had seen a bunch of guys making fun of Lily for her second-hand backpack and had told them that they were being mean. The guys had just laughed at her and walked away.

"Don't worry," Lily had told Erica, "I'll just get them back later."

Later that day, Erica noticed Lily tactfully situating her feet so that when those boys were forced to walk by her desk they tripped over her feet. Erica decided that it would be a good idea to stay on Lily's side so she wouldn't be subject to Lily's revenge. 10 years later, Erica knew that she had made the right decision.

"Well, sleeping beauty has finally come down!" Lily taunted. Despite being best friends and practically sisters, Lily still had a tendency to tease Erica. A lot.

"Yeah, well, not all of us wake up at the crack of dawn to make ourselves purty for James," Erica countered. James is Lily's crush.

"You know, the occasional skirt wouldn't kill you. Or at least, something other than a t-shirt."

"I don't have anything against nice clothes occasionally. They just are constricting. I need to be at the top of my game as much as possible. Suppose a Chitauri pops out of a bush on our way to school. I would be more capable of fighting it off in this outfit than in yours."

Lilly gave Erica a very concerned look. "Has anyone ever told you that you're crazy?"

Erica smirked. "Yes, all the time. And I don't care."

Please review. This is my first Fic, so feel free to tell me how to improve.