Obviously, I don't own any Avengers characters.
Chapter 1
Mia honestly couldn't remember a time that she was this annoyed at life. The New York winter wind was brutal this morning. Of course, that is to be expected after the snowfall they got last night. It was almost 8am and the temperature was below twenty. Despite the poor suckers who had to be out and about in the adult world, all the other New Yorkers were cozied up in their way too expensive residences. Well, the poor suckers and Mia it seems. She had to walk the seven blocks it took to get to the bank to deposit her check so she could keep her own overly expensive abode. Mia supposed she should just be grateful that snowfall wasn't so bad it shut down the city.
"Really Mia," She huffed out, "You are way too old to keep having these crisis bank runs."
At twenty-seven you'd think she'd have already mastered responsibility. It was humorous really how she hasn't seemed to figure out how to be an adult yet. Mia liked to think she could blame it on never really having a good role model. Passing the blame off on a bad mother wasn't working anymore. Her mom's actions didn't have to be her actions. That's what Mia's past therapist use to say anyway.
"This is the last time." Mia promised as she turned onto the street the bank was on. "As soon as I get home and pay off my utility bill I'm going to write the next dates down in my planner. It won't sneak up on me again."
Hurrying her steps Mia cleared the first few steps in front of the bank's entrance. After getting her planner all sorted out perhaps her next Get Mia's Life in Order decision could be moving to a state that didn't get cold in winter.
"Excuse me, Ma'am?" Mia looked up at the random male voice. Standing in front of her, blocking her way, was some stranger in a strange getup. His warm coat, gloves, jeans, and work boots were normal enough for the weather. What struck Mia as weird was the baseball cap with the bill smashed low over his face. He also had giant sunglasses that covered almost his whole lower face. He looked almost homeless. She'd almost buy it if the condition of his clothes weren't so well kept.
"Yes?" Mia asked warily. She wasn't about to be held up in front of a bank right? No one was that stupid. The cameras that covered this place would catch the whole thing. Of course, the man's face was covered so well he might not get caught. Swallowing nervously, Mia clutched her purse more tightly towards her body. This guy was going to have to pry her latest paycheck outta her cold, dead hands.
The man seemed to notice her nerves, he held his hands up in quick surrender. "I'm just trying to tell you that this bank isn't in open right now. You'll do better if you find someplace else."
"Uh…" Mia tipped her head to look inside the obviously lit up building. If she squinted hard enough could see the office hours of 8am-5pm Monday-Saturday. Mia turned back to her possible mugger. "Okay, thanks for the tip. I'll take my chances." She took a hurried step around the man, but he grabbed her arm tightly.
"I'm telling you Ma'am. You'll do better finding another a bank to go to." The man whispered harshly.
Okay, what the-was this guy trying to hit up this bank? At 8am on a snowy December day? Mia sucked in a huge breathe. Just as she was trying to remember that SING move she saw on the Miss Congeniality movie once she watched the man tilt his head and lift a hand to his ear. An earpiece! He had an earpiece so he could stay in contact with his other bank robbers buddies!
Mia didn't have a clue what to do. There weren't any people or cars around. Now that she thought about it that was kind of strange. The snow wasn't so bad that it would stop true New Yorkers from getting about their day. It was almost 8:15am now. Why was this place so dead?
Had this guy's buddies held them up too?
Thinking fast, and without too much contemplation really, Mia reached up with the arm that the man wasn't holding and ripped the honking sun glasses off the thief's face. Shocked blue eyes and an admittedly very handsome face looked back at her. Mia had dealt with her share of hot crazies before though. With one huge jerk of her arm Mia managed to lunge herself towards the right. The guy didn't let go her arm and shifted his own body towards the left. The move had opened the left side of his profile towards the cameras above them.
"I don't know what kind of idiot you are." Mia spoke up with boldness she wasn't sure where she usually kept. "You better let go of me right now though! Go get your buddies and skedaddle!" Mia pointed her up towards the camera above them. "Say hello for you close up buddy! Really, what are you doing trying to rob a bank at 8am in the morning!"
The man scrunched his brows before pointing his face up towards the camera and then back towards Mia.
"What! No, I ain't robbing this bank! Who would do something that—"
"Let me go!" Mia cut off his excuses tugging on her arm. His hold was iron though. "Let me go! Help! Help—" Mia started screaming in a panic before the man smashed his free hand down over her mouth.
"Stop! This isn't what you think! I'm telling you I'm not—" The man went dead silent suddenly. Mia felt his entire body tense in a millisecond before out of nowhere Mia felt herself being slammed down on the pavement beneath her. Ouch, even with the extra snow padding her entire right side flared in pain so bad tears filled her eyes. She came back to herself struggling. The guy was going to kill her—he was going to—"Stay down!" The man hissed.
Popping sounds filled her ears then and Mia's blood went cold. She knew those sounds perfectly from growing up on the wrong side of the tracks with her mother. Gunshots.
"Romanoff!" The man's voice suddenly yelled from beside her causing Mia to jump. "I have a civilian. I can't engage. Repeat, I am unable to engage!"
Mia wasn't able to hear the other side of the conversation but a few minutes passed before the man whispered in her ear again. "It's okay Ma'am. We're almost done here, promise."
What did that even—three quick gunshots rang out and then nothing else. The man seemed to hear some good news because he immediately rose up onto his knees and helped Mia sit up herself. Her panicked brown eyes found his calm blue ones. The man smiled.
"It's over now. You're safe." The guy promised.
"What—what…" Mia stuttered. She felt her hands shaking, her whole body was shaking really. What had just happened?
"Hey," the man whispered leaning towards her, "Are you hurt? You hit the ground hard. Sorry about that."
"Are you creating more paperwork for us, Barton?" A woman's suddenly asked from the right. Mia's head snapped up to look into the face of a beautiful, redhaired woman. She was caught by her unique face expression of fondness and wariness.
"You know it." The man—Barton quipped smiling. Mia had to blink at the brightness of it. The guy sure was handsome. He suddenly leaned in towards Mia. "I think she might be in shock Tash. She hit the ground hard."
"Hmm," The woman acknowledged stepping towards them and bending so her face was extra close to Mia as well.
"Who—" Mia swallowed, "Who are you guys?" She finally spit out. "What just happened?"
"She seems okay." The woman spoke up seeming to completely ignore Mia's question. "I'll call an ambulance. Coulson can handle it from there."
It?
"Tash." Clint argued with one word. He look displeased.
"Don't you dare Barton. You've already caused us an extra three hours of paperwork!" The woman growled pulling out her phone.
The man shot annoyed glare towards the redhead before turning back to Mia. "We are getting you an ambulance okay? The action is all over." He paused before leaning even closer. "We weren't trying to rob a bank. We were actually trying to stop—"
"Barton!" The woman snapped grabbing the man's shoulder and pulling him up and away from Mia. She shot Mia a look of annoyance next. "An ambulance will be here in four minutes." She instructed Mia. "Here, call this number and your hospital bills will be covered." She grabbed the man's collar again. "C'mon Barton. You're doing my extra paperwork."
Mia blinked as she watched the man and woman disappear. As she scrambled up onto her feet gingerly she got a good look at the business card the woman had given her. All that was written on was the name Bill and a phone number.
Mia sucked in a deep breathe. What had even just happened?
It took five months for Mia to finally understand what happened to her that morning. It had been a crazy couple months with the Chitauri's attack on New York and the newly formed Avengers team saving it. Not before Mia's flat and several other buildings had been flattened though. Mia was just glad to be alive.
Still, she'd almost forgotten about that morning completely until she saw the morning News in her new place as was racing around trying to get ready for work. It was coverage of a very familiar redheaded woman. Mia paused in pulling her heels on as she realized the News channel was covering an organization called S.H.E.I.L.D. and an information dump that had exposed of all the operatives that are associated with it. It took five seconds for Mia to put all the puzzle pieces together.
That day, the man Mia had been so sure was a thief was actually Clint Barton aka Hawkeye. The beautiful woman was Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow. Getting the realization that she meet superheroes should probably be what stuck out to her the most. What really had Mia plopping down on her couch though was the realization of how close she'd had been to being killed that morning.
The second realization came fast on the heels of the first, she now had a name to the handsome stranger's face. Clint Barton. It would be crazy to call him up though, right? She still had to think him for the save that December morning. It would be rude not to.
Mia couldn't help but smile at her TV screen. Yeah, she didn't want to be rude.