Disclaimer: I do not own The Avengers, nor am I associated with Marvel Comics. The Dark Heroes 'verse is from the depths of my mind though.
AN:This is a vague crossover with a world I'm developing that is rather dark. I was thinking about it and I realized that the kids from that 'verse would really get along with Natasha, and then this story was born. The working title for this was Puddle Jumper, for reasons.
He ran as hard as he could, ducking down different streets and back alleyways at random. No matter which way he turned, he could hear them behind him. There was a little satisfaction in the fact that they were as running hard as he was. Unlike when they had first shown up outside the little café he had entered to buy a sandwich, back then he could practically hear their smug arrogance, their confidence that they would catch him in their footsteps.
He refused to look over his shoulder as he ran; he had seen far too many people caught because they slowed to look behind them.
He turned down an almost pitch-black alleyway, hoping he could hide and escape that way.
"You'll never escape us, boy," someone shouted. "Keep running though, we wouldn't want it to be easy would we?"
Their laughter was as ugly and as cruel as their hearts.
He risked a glance over his shoulder, and something happened.
The world flipped upside down for an endless moment and then he was running in broad daylight. He crashed into someone who tried to grab him. "No!" The word flew out of his lips before he could really stop it. He threw himself backwards, and hit someone else, "No, I won't go back!" He shouted twisting to strike at the person who now held him.
He fought as hard as he could, but the person blocked every hit and managed to subdue him. "I won't do it!" He gasped. "I won't kill. I won't."
"Then you won't have to," a firm, female voice said.
He stilled and took a moment to really look at his captor. She was slender, but strong, with incredible red hair and dark eyes. "I don't?" He asked.
"You don't have to kill anyone," she said firmly.
Relief hit him like a punch to the gut and he burst into tears.
