Half of the universe: gone.
Half of my friends: gone.
We failed.
We couldn't stop him.
We couldn't stop Thanos.
My name is Tori Lowe. Since the day I was born, I've been different. I planned on hiding it, but fate had other plans. I joined a team, a team of people like me. We thought we could save the world. Through all the chaos, betrayal, battles, and fractures, I've walked back alive. I know it's because of the love of my life, Steve Rogers.
The past week has been hectic. Half of everything is gone.
Maybe I should back up farther.
After all, a lot of things lead up to the Decimation. I think that's what Thor's calling it.
I was born in Chicago, Illinois. But I came out of the womb different. Before that, I had been exposed to ultrasounds several times. Normally ultrasounds cause no harm, but I guess I was lucky.
I'm feline. I have retractable claws. I have enhanced senses. I'm particularly agile.
This lead to...complications in my childhood. Deadly complications.
I had loving parents and a good life in Chicago despite my differences. But it didn't last.
When I was six, we were attacked. I don't remember much other than fear, grief, and a malicious voice with an Australian accent.
Later I was told by SHIELD that we were attacked by a man they called Dingo. He was the leader of an underground organization of assassins, and was particularly interested in enhanced personages. SHIELD managed to keep Dingo from me, but didn't keep him from my parents.
Because of Dingo, Harry Josiah Lowe and Jessica Ann Steed Lowe, two innocent people, are dead.
SHIELD relocated me to Cody, Wyoming. I know, you probably haven't heard of it. That's the point. Everything happens in Chicago or Cleveland or Las Vegas or Miami or Las Angeles or San Francisco or San Diego or New York. No one looks in places like Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, or Wyoming. Wyoming has the smallest population of any state in the United States of America. Cody is a small town, unless you're a Wyomingite. If you are, it's a decent sized city. For geographical reference, it's in the Bighorn Mountain area in northern Wyoming.
SHIELD put me in the home of Henry and Caroline Powell. They were former members of SHIELD, but health concerns forced them to retire early. Yes, they've raised me since I was six. They've fed me, housed me, and clothed me. And I'm grateful for all they've done. I don't mean to be an ingrate, but I've never had that marvelous of a relationship with them.
My childhood was very lonely. I tended to isolate myself, not wanting anyone to know about me. SHIELD hadn't even told Henry and Caroline about me! I only told one person, the one friend I had.
Thomas Remus "Tommy" Weston has been my best friend since I was six. I never intended on telling Tommy, but fate had other plans. For years, Tommy has been the only one outside of SHIELD that knew.
My powers developed, but I never truly could control them. All I could do hide them, not use them. I didn't want them. I wanted to be normal.
Fast forward to my senior year of college. Tommy and I were attending Utah State University in Logan, Utah. There is a perfectly fine university in Cheyenne, Wyoming, but I kind of wanted to go outside of Wyoming.
After years of saving up for it, I had bought myself a Jeep. I walked out of the store I had been shopping at and got in the driver's seat, setting the groceries in the passenger's seat. But I wasn't alone.
"Miss Lowe?" someone said behind me. A man in a suit and shades was in my backseat. He had a black briefcase on his lap with a familiar logo on it.
I sighed. "What does SHIELD want?"
"To warn you."
I sighed. "What happened?"
"Dingo is in eastern Idaho. The number of enhanced individuals in the Rocky Mountain area is quite low."
I rolled my eyes. "You think he's after me again."
"We can't be sure. There's ten in Utah, twenty in Idaho, ten in Wyoming, and ten in Colorado. We're warning all fifty individuals, Miss Lowe." He stretched out his hand for us to shake. "Agent Phil Coulson."
I nodded gravely. "I was planning on going back to Cody once I graduate. Maybe I should go somewhere else."
"You are studying to become a software engineer, correct?"
"I am."
"You would be surprised how little non-Utahns know about Silicon Slopes."
"You think I should go to Lehi?" I asked. Silicon Valley is a valley in California that is full of the computer industry. But as California grew more leftist, it became less appealing to young capitalists, hoping to become entrepreneurs and gain a profit. The rolling mountains of Lehi, Utah have recently attracted entrepreneurs to the newly dubbed Silicon Slopes. I would doubtlessly be able to work my way around there.
"I do mean Lehi," Agent Coulson said. "Y'know, Utah is a fairly safe state. No one thinks of it, despite it's marvelous history and immense potential. The most people think of it is Mormonism."
He's right. Say what you want about Mormons, but they make GREAT cookies. "I suppose that is true. I'll see what I can do." Agent Coulson gave his farewells and left my Jeep.
A month later I graduated USU with a 3.6 GPA. Tommy graduated at the same time. I had told him about Agent Coulson's recommendation of Silicon Slopes. We packed up and went south to Lehi. I became a software engineer, he became a forensic scientist at the LPD.
I know I'm rushing through this, but this isn't the story of an Infinity Stone. This will just help you understand how I became an Avenger.
A few years passed, and all was fine. I had minimum run-ins with SHIELD. There was no sign of Dingo.
But, alas, it didn't last.
And thus a new chapter of my life began.
I was staying at my job late into the night. Not many others were in the building. I looked at the clock on my screen. 11:00 pm. I sighed, knowing I was about half an hour away from finishing my code. I stretched and returned silently to my work. At 11:05 I heard a sound. I swivelled my head around, searching for the source of the sound. Upon seeing nothing, I went back to my work, assuming the sound was a figment of my imagination. I heard some more sounds, but they were from the room next door. I figured my coworker, Leonard Miller, was getting ready to leave. I decided I could finish the last few minutes of my work the next day. I saved my work and prepared to leave. The door opened. I assumed it was Leonard, coming to say farewell. I bent down to grab my things. "Hey, Leonard, I'm leaving now." I straightened my body and put my coat on. I glanced at my computer and effortlessly turned it off. I glanced at the darkened screen and saw Leonard's reflection.
Except it wasn't Leonard Miller.
I had never seen that man in my life.
Before I could ask who he was, he slammed his fist into the side of my head. I fell off my chair, my vision blurry. The last thing I saw was my attacker standing over me, a smug look on his face.
I woke up in a car. I was lying down on the back seat. My head ached. The coat I had been wearing earlier was draped over my body. I tried to sit up, but something stopped me. I looked to see what could be prohibiting my movement. The seatbelts of the three seats were wrapped around my body. Upon trying to undo them, I discovered my wrists were bound together with strong ropes. I struggled against them, but they would not budge.
"Good morning, or should I say afternoon," the man in the driver's seat said.
"Who are you?!" I asked, my voice hoarse. I tugged against my restraints. For a split second I thought he might be Dingo, but I shook my head. I could never forget that malicious voice of the evil Aussie that haunts my dreams.
"You can call me Frostbite," he said. "I'll reserve my identity for another day." He smirked. "I'm sorry about the...inconveniences. I doubt you have too big of a head injury. As for the bonds, I don't feel particularly inclined to be attacked by an enhanced on the freeway."
"What do you want with me?!"
Frostbite shrugged. "Not much, really. Wait and see." He remained silent for a long while, and so did I. My head felt awful.
After some time, the car came to a stop. Frostbite turned in his seat to face me. "I'm gonna go out," he said, holding a half full plastic bottle of water in one hand. "Scream, and there'll be...dire consequences." As he finished his sentence, with a flick of his wrist he froze the water in the bottle. The water crackled as it froze solid. My eyes widened in fear. Frostbite too was enhanced. "Understand?" I nodded in fear. "Good. I'll be back in a few minutes." He got out and quietly closed the door.
I craned my head to see where I was. A gas station. Frostbite came back ten minutes later with a small bag.
"Where are we?" I asked, fear leaking into my voice.
"Snowflake, Arizona. Won't be here for too long." Frostbite started the engine and we drove off. He continued driving for an hour before he stopped on an empty forest road. He turned the engine off. I tensed, not knowing his intentions.
"What are we doing here?" I asked, not bothering to filter fear out of my voice.
"Don't fret! I won't hurt you unless I have to, Victoria."
"Please don't call me that." It hurts to hear my given name. Reminds me of my parents.
"Whatever you say! No harm will come to you, on the condition that you behave."
"Then why are we here?"
"I've been driving for fifteen hours almost non-stop. You haven't eaten for almost thirty hours." He turned to look at me and my surprised face. "Yes, I know when you ate. Bagel yesterday for breakfast. Oh, and a Pop-Tart last night, but that can't have done much for you."
"How long have you-"
"Been watching you? Since Sunday." It was Friday. That rocked my world. Before I could respond, Frostbite left the car. In a few seconds, he was standing by my ankles, tying some rope around them despite my ferocious kicking. He leaned over and unravelled the seat belts, picking me up and throwing me over his back. I struggled against his grasp, but his grip was firm and unbreakable. His whole body was cold to the touch.
He gently dropped me on the ground next to a ring of decently sized rocks. I was shivering. Upon seeing that, Frostbite went back to the car and grabbed my soft brown coat and covered my trembling body.
He went back to the car and grabbed some stuff from the trunk. He was on the other side of the car, out of my sight. While he was there, I contemplated using claws to cut the rope and escape. But I knew that if Frostbite caught me red-handed, I'd regret it. I decided to wait until I had a better opportunity.
When my train of thought ended, Frostbite came back with the bag he had gotten at the gas station. He sat down cross-legged next to my curled up body. This was the first time I got a good look at him. He had short dark hair and piercing eyes. He wore jeans, hiking boots, and a black jacket. He made the temperature around him drop by just being there. He took his jacket off and set it in his lap, revealing the navy blue long sleeve shirt he had been wearing underneath the jacket. He gently grabbed my head with his frigid hands and lifted it, placing it in his cold lap. I tried to fight my way away, but Frostbite wouldn't take any of it.
"Calm down! I just want you to eat!" He took some food out of his bag and tried to get me to eat a sandwich. I refused. He rolled his eyes. "It's not poisoned! I just got it out of the wrapper. You need to eat!" Reluctantly, I ate a few bites. I knew Frostbite wouldn't leave until I got a few calories in. "I didn't say you only had to eat a few bites! Eat the entire gosh darn thing!" I sighed and finished it.
It was getting dark and I got even colder. I wondered if this was Frostbite's final destination, if I'd be stuck here. Frostbite went to the car and came back with some blankets. He wrapped them around my shivering body tightly, restricting my movements even further. I was warmer, bit still shivered a bit. Frostbite threw some wood in the fire pit and lit a match, setting fire to the wooden teepee.
"Why did you bring me here?" I asked. I still had no idea what Frostbite wanted with me.
"I told you, we need a break before we can continue in the morning," Frostbite answered with a sigh.
"Then where are you taking me?"
"Safford, Arizona."
"Why?"
"Money, why else?"
"You're being paid to drag me off to who knows where in Arizona?"
"Yep, I am."
I couldn't believe it. It made everything worse. I could maybe have lived as Frostbite's captive. But I was being sold to someone I didn't know a thing about. Like a slave.
Frostbite looked at a watch I hadn't noticed before. "Nine o'clock." He looked at me with seriousness. "You aren't hydrated. You are going to drink this bottle of water, whether I force you to or not." He uncapped a plastic water bottle. He lifted my head high enough for me to effectively drink and put the bottle to my lips. He poured a bearable stream of icy water into my mouth. I tried to signal that I was good, but he ignored it until the the bottle was empty.
What I didn't know was that Frostbite had slipped a drug into the water.
After a few minutes I drifted into unconsciousness.
The first thing I knew when I woke up was that I was cold. I shivered under the blankets that were on top of me. I curled up in a ball, as if I was in a snail shell. That was when I realized my wrists and ankles weren't bound.
My eyes flew open, but they didn't help too much. It was extremely dark. I was lying on the floor in a small, dark room. Two blankets were piled on top of me, giving me some warmth. I sat up, wrapping the blankets around me. Where am I? was my only thought. I saw a door and tried it. It was a heavy door, and I had a hard time pushing it. Unfortunately though, it was locked. Defeated, I leaned against the door and sat down, wondering if I'd ever see the light of day again. Just then, something was slipped under the door. A small box and a note. The note read:
Welcome! This is your first test. You have an hour to get out. If you go over your time limit, we'll negotiate what happens next.
I looked at the box and opened it. Paperclips and bobby pins.
It all clicked.
When I was out, Frostbite had taken me to Safford and sold me. My captor locked me in that infernal room, expecting me to be able to pick the lock. But what did he mean by test?
I grabbed a paperclip and straightened it. Lucky for me, Tommy was in forensics. He had dealt with crimes committed with these. One day when we were both bored, we learned how to pick locks. I knew I could figure this lock out.
After roughly fifteen minutes, I shoved the door open all the way. I ended up in a dark hallway. I walked down it cautiously, my footsteps barely audible. Part of me hoped I could sneak out unscathed, but I knew that was unlikely. My captor wanted me to get to where I was; I didn't break out. Whatever was down the hall, it wasn't an exit.
I made a turn and found a door. Uncertain of what to do, I slowly pulled it open, having nowhere else to go. I had no clue as to what I'd find. I prayed I'd live through it. I stepped inside the room.
"You came sooner than expected," a voice sneered. A voice with an Australian accent. I audibly gasped and Dingo chuckled. "So you do remember me." Dingo sat in an office chair, facing the wall. He spun around to face me. "I've waited years to speak to you face to face." My face was pale and I started to feel sick.
The worst possible outcome of Frostbite selling me is what happened. I belonged to Dingo. I trembled in fear and anger. Fear for my life. Anger seeking retribution for my parents' deaths.
I was speechless, so Dingo continued. "SHIELD made it hard to find you. I knew you were in the American West, but that's much too vague. And switching from Cody to Logan to Lehi!" I was petrified. "It's several years too late, but I believe we've already begun. You picked the lock."
"W-why me?" I managed to croak just barely.
Dingo laughed. "Why not you? Your abilities are splendid. You'll learn from me quickly. I can teach you how to control your powers, but it'll be long and difficult."
"I expect I won't have much of a choice, will I?"
Dingo chuckled. "No, you don't have any choice in this matter, my soon-to-be assassin." He stood up, making him much taller than I. I backed up a little. "You'll be part of the family, Tori. You lost yours years ago in Chicago and you didn't gain a new one in Cody. You'll now join us and have a new family."
"I'd rather not."
"You'll change your mind." Dingo advanced toward me and I panicked. I quickly backed up and he grabbed my shoulders and stopped me. I writhed under his grip, but his strength was unimaginable. Dingo leaned closer to me. "You'll make a wondrous assassin. You already are stealthier than some professionals. You're agile, and you senses and claws are magnificent."
"Yeah, well, what if you're wrong."
"Oh, anyone can become an assassin, given the correct training. And you'll certainly receive the correct training." He removed his hands from my shoulders and used them to cup my face. He pulled my chin up, forcing me to look directly in his malicious eyes, which I had been avoiding. "When your training is done, we could kill the entire Pentagon."
"I would prefer that we not massacre the Pentagon!"
"And I doubt we will. But we could." His eyes were desperate. "I need you. I need you to become an assassin."
"I'm not a murderer!" I said in desperation.
"For now you aren't, and I won't expect you to kill for some time. But you learn rather quickly. You completed the first test in a quarter of the time I expected. Only God knows when you'll be ready." Dingo placing an arm around my shoulder, pinning me to him. He lead me to the back of the room and shut the door behind him. I felt even more trapped. He took me to the swivel chair and somewhat gently pushed me on it. "You have much to come to terms with. I'll give you twenty four hours until the next test. Go through that door to find your quarters." Dingo turned to exit the room. "Stay in these two rooms. You won't be able to escape, so don't try." Dingo left, locking the door behind him.
I sat in the chair, paralyzed, for half an hour. I couldn't believe it. My worst nightmare had come to pass. I didn't want to kill, and I didn't think I could kill. But it wasn't like I had a choice.
I eventually stood up and walked into my quarters. It wasn't extravagant, but still more than the cold, hard floor and two blankets I had come from. There was a twin bed with a chest full of covers at its foot. A small dresser held some extra clothes. A small shelf held books and stationery. A door lead to an adjacent bathroom with a toilet, sink, tub, and mirror. Personal hygiene was supplied.
I grabbed some clothes and went into the bathroom. I took a bath, washing out all the dirt, sweat, and tears that had clung to my body. The entire time I trembled, curled up in a ball.
I got out and dressed. When I went to my bed, someone knocked. Not knowing what to do, I let them in. I immediately regretted it. It was Frostbite!
"You! You sold me to him?!"
"Indeed I did, Tori. Sit on the bed. You will eat."
"I'd prefer not," I said defiantly.
Frostbite rolled his eyes. "It's not poisoned, just eat. You can return to your existential crisis when you're done." When I didn't move, he gently pushed me into a sitting position on the bed. He threw a bag from McDonald's in my lap. "In the name of all that's holy, just eat! How are you not dead yet? You ate barely anything in a week!"
"I just don't have much of an appetite," I said indifferently. "And you're just gonna stand there and watch me eat?"
"Uh, yeah! If I don't you won't eat, and we can't have that, can we?"
I sighed and continued eating in discomfort. "Why are you still here? You brought me here, so why stay?"
"I have a few more things to do 'round here. Drink the water too."
"So why are you still worrying yourself with me?"
Frostbite shrugged. "I dunno. I like you, I guess."
"Less than money though."
"Perhaps." A minute of silence. He reached his hand out to me. "We were never properly introduced. Zach Hill." I hesitantly shook his hand. "Ya ever need help out in the field, I'm a known friend of Dingo. Assuming I'm in the area."
"At what price?"
Zach laughed. "Normally that would be negotiable. But since I like you, there'll be no cost."
"Thanks?" How am I respond to that?
"It's nothing. But I've gotta be somewhere. I swear on all that's holy, I will make your life hell if you don't eat regularly."
"You already have!" I mean, it could've been much worse, but I may be a little dramatic.
Not bothering to respond, Zach left, closing the door behind him. I continued to have an existential crisis. I grew exhausted and eventually fell into a restless slumber.
I woke up, curled up in a ball. An energy bar and note were placed in front of my face. I yawned as I sat up and grabbed them. I tore the wrapper off the bar and read the note.
Test #2 awaits you. Come by 9:00 am.
I looked at a small digital clock that had been placed by my bed during my sleep. Ten to nine. I finished the bar and went outside of my quarters. There stood Dingo.
"Ah, my feline friend," he greeted. Chills went down my spine. "Ready for the second test?"
"Nope."
"It's happening anyway. You see that bucket?" He pointed at a small white bucket behind me. I nodded. "You're gonna need it." Before I could ask why, Dingo pulled out a pistol from a concealed holster on his hip. Before I could register what was happening, he cocked the gun and pulled the trigger.
I fell down in a crumpled heap, a shout escaping my lips. I moved my hand to my thigh and felt warm blood spread down my leg and arm. "The heck?!"
"You might want to patch yourself up," Dingo said before he left the room, locking the door behind him.
Through tears I looked for the bucket. I half crawled half dragged myself to it. Inside were medical supplies. I pushed the bucket to the wall and pulled myself to it again. I grabbed some scissors and cut my pant leg off four inches above my knee. I tore the jeans off my leg and tossed them aside. I grabbed a tool that, based off my many hours of watching M.A.S.H., I knew was meant to pull bullets out of tissue. I steadied my arm somewhat pulled the bullet out of my leg, not quite managing to stifle my yelp of pain. I pressed guaze against the wound and used antiseptic wipes to clean it. I wished I had payed attention to Caroline, my foster mother, when she wanted to teach me how to sew. I needed to stitch my wound. I breathed in and out, trying to calm down. When I could stop my arm from shaking, I stitched up the shot wound to the best of my abilities. When I was done, I wrapped my thigh up tightly in bandages.
I grabbed onto the wall for support and hobbled to the bathroom. I knelt by the tub and cleaned the blood off my leg and arms. When I finished, I hobbled off to the shelf to grab a book and over to my bed to rest. I knew I shouldn't be on my leg, and Dingo had neglected giving me painkillers.
I lied down and sobbed. My leg throbbed in pain I couldn't alleviate. I tried to read the book, Animal Farm by George Orwell, but the pain was so intense that I couldn't focus on the political fable. The printed black letters were blurry to my tear-filled eyes. The tale of Animalism was sickening. It told the story of Stalinist Russia, the terrors of communism and totalianarism, the corruption brought about by power, and the toll on the people. Part of me wondered if I was Boxer and Dingo was Napoleon, if I was the working Russian and Dingo Stalin, fighting at the Battle of Stalingrad against the Nazis. The dogs, or KGB and NKVD, may have 'won' the Battle, but Boxer, the citizens of Stalingrad, paid the cost in blood. Dingo may win in whatever scheme he had with me, but I would be worse off for it, maybe lose my life. At least this isn't the USSR, I thought. I wouldn't know, but I'm assuming it was worse their, especially if you were a Ukrainian farmer. Slowly the tale of the animals of Manor Farm slipped out of my mind as I fell asleep, tears rushing down my face.
I woke up every once in a while with food next to me. From checking the clock I knew I was sleeping for long periods of the day. I think Dingo put something in the food, a drug that kept me under. I could taste it. Not that I complained. Every waking moment was agonizing. I lost track of time. I had no clue how long I was in that ungodly room.
One day, I woke up, moaning. The pain was duller, but I still couldn't stand on it. A small bowl of Spaghetti-O's and a plastic spoon was placed on the nightstand. I pulled myself up into a sitting position, pain shooting through my leg. Leaning against the wall, I grabbed the bowl and scooped some food in the spoon. I put it to my mouth, wrinkling my nose at the smell. It seemed...off. Hesitantly, suspiciously, I nibbled a little off the spoon. A strangely, extremely bitter taste burst into my mouth. A taste that was definitely not related to Spaghetti-O's.
Panicked, I spit out the food back in the bowl. "A lot of poisons have bitter tastes, Tori," Tommy once told me. "Some people have a more than average number of taste buds. They can sometimes taste poisons. The case I'm working on, this guy could taste poison in his Olive Garden food. You have even more enhanced taste than he did. If your food is poisoned, you'll know."
I set the bowl aside, certain there was poison mixed into it. I laid back down and tried to fall asleep without the help of Dingo's sedative he put in my food.
I woke up to the sound of my door being thrown open. I flinched and opened my eyes to see Dingo standing in the doorway. "This is the first meal you haven't touched. Is something wrong?" he said in a sinister voice.
"If you count poison as something wrong," I said, struggling to keep my eyes open.
Dingo chuckled. "Tori, I was planning for the third test to be you treating yourself after you're poisoned. This has gone in a much different way." He smiled. "You tasted the poison?"
"Just like how I tasted the sedatives in the rest of the food."
Dingo chuckled. "I should've known you were a supertaster. I'm not sure if you passed the test or not. You went against the operational definition, but I suppose it is better to prevent poisoning entirely than to have to learn the complex art of treating it. I'd say you passed."
"Yeah, great, yay!" I said, unamused.
"Perhaps poison will show up later, but not yet." He brushed his hand against my injury and I winced. I tried to push off his hand, but he grabbed my hands with his other hand and pinned them to my stomach. "It's healing remarkably. Once again, I'm surprised by your resourcefulness." He looked at his watch. "Give it a week. Then you'll be able to stand and take part in Test Number Four."
"And let's suppose something were to happen that would delay that...?"
Dingo chuckled. "My dear, it would cause you needless pain, make it much more difficult for you."
"And the harder route is usually the correct one."
"Nothing is black and white in this business. Everything is grey."
"Well, I'm not in this business!"
"For now. Delays are just delays. You can only slow this down so much, I'd doubt it's worth it." With that, he left.
I never did delay it. It was all just a bluff.
And so my life went on very similarly for months. I had long since given up hope that SHIELD would find me. Day after day I went through tests. Tests of strength, agility, my powers, and healing. Not knowing what else to do, I followed along. Dingo said it'd be another year or so until I'd be ready. It felt like twenty years had passed.
I resigned to this life, knowing I'd know nothing else. I'd never see Tommy or anyone else I cared about again.
But one day, something unexpected happened.
I woke up, startled. I had heard a loud crashing sound, one I hadn't heard hear before. Get up, Tori, I thought. It's gonna be another test.
I stepped outside into the hall. I had gained Dingo's trust just enough for him to let me out of my room for small amounts of time when I wanted. After all, I couldn't escape, so why try? I crept down the hall, silently. I couldn't hear my footsteps, and I have enhanced hearing. Then again, there was a lot of noise coming from the opposite side of the building. I heard fighting on the other side of the wall in front of me. What are you doing, Dingo?
I crept through the door, keeping to the shadows. There were sounds of gunshots just around the corner. Curious, I slowly walked to the edge. Hidden in the shadows, I peered around the bend in the hall. I gasped and came back to my side of the bend, hand covering my mouth.
I had seen Dingo's assassins fighting against men in black uniforms, carrying the logo with a bird with outstretched wings. SHIELD's logo.
SHIELD had found me!
I didn't know what to do. Do I run? Do I help SHIELD fight? There's probably still guards at the exits, so I won't be able to escape that way, and, gosh, if Dingo finds me trying to escape... I shuddered at the thought. But these are world class assassins. It's possible SHIELD will...lose. And if I fight for SHIELD...same result as tryna escape.
I bent down and leaned against the wall, cupping my head in my hands. What do I do?
I hear someone coming toward me. Instinctively, I raise my claws in their direction. Since living in Dingo's grasp, that has become an instinct.
"Scared of an old friend?" asked the approacher. I looked closer and saw who it was.
"Okay, Zach, we are not friends. What are you doing here?"
"I thought we had a connection, Tori! I was in the neighborhood when I heard gunshots and screams, so I naturally went in the direction I was told not to go as a kid: straight into danger," Zach said.
"And what are you gonna do now?"
"Keep you from doing anything stupid."
"Define stupid."
"Taking this as an opportunity to run." He crouched down in front of me. "Look, I get it, you don't wanna be here, neither would I. And I'm not saying I agree with Dingo or anything like that either. Just, I know what Dingo would do to you if he caught you, and I guarantee you would not like it."
"I know that."
"If you want to leave this dump, I won't stop you, but that's not the way."
I raised my eyebrow. "You were the one that brought me here, idiot."
"Ah, I was being paid that time. Not being paid to keep ya here. And, hey, you called me an idiot. I hear that's a sign of friendship."
"That's not how insults work!"
"It is if you don't care!"
I sighed. "Well, if you're so hot on helping me, how do you suggest I get out?"
"Those SHIELD agents, help them fight against the assassins. They'll find out pretty quickly that it's you, and you won't get any bullet holes in you."
"And we both know what will happen if we lose and Dingo finds out what I did."
"No, none of us know. We can only assume." That was frightening. "But the assassins' odds at winning aren't too high."
"And why is that?"
"All of the enhanced assassins are in Alaska right now. The non-enhanced are scheduled to transfer in a month. So that's two enhanced versus none."
"Two?"
"What, did you think I was just here for a pep talk?"
"Why are you doing this?"
Zach shrugged. "I'm bored, I need some action."
"How do I know you aren't lying?"
Zach peered around the corner and shot ice out of his fingertips. I looked to see what he had froze. In the center of the hallway was an assassin, inert on the ground, ice covering his chest. My eyes widened. "Is he...dead?"
"Maybe, we'll find out soon enough. Either way, he won't be stopping us now. Now you know I'm not lying."
The hallway had gotten quiet. Both SHIELD agent and Dingo's assassins looked at the man on the ground. They looked for where the beam of ice came from, not seeing Zach and I.
"C'mon. Let's go," Zach said, lightly pushing me forward. Not knowing what exactly to do, I attracted my claws and followed Zach into the fray, hoping against hope that it'd work out in the end.
Zach went first, shooting ice at assassins. SHIELD was surprised to be sure, but they went with it. They probably assumed he was like me: captured by Dingo and forced into this life. They assumed that of me too when I dug my claws into the face of an assassin. They figured that if we wanted to fight for our freedom, they weren't gonna stop us.
Where is Dingo? He wasn't anywhere to be seen, and he wasn't the type to run at the first sign of danger. Before I could ask myself more questions, an assassin pressed a blade at my chest. I flicked it away and made quick work or him. I weaved in and out of them, taking them down. I glanced to see Zach shooting frost across the room at assassins.
I got pressed backwards, as did Zach. We ended up back to back, leaning on each other for support. This is one of the moments I wish was in a movie, because I think it would look awesome. Zach shot ice and distant opponents and froze body parts of close ones, while I kicked, punched, and clawed opponents on my side.
"Not too bad, kitty!" Zach shouted over the noise of gunfire.
"Do not call me that!" I saw a few SHIELD agents cornered by assassins, unable to fight back. There guns were discarded a few feet away. "FYI, we're splitting up again!" I shouted to Zach.
Before he could respond, I dove through the mass of assassins and made my way to the defenseless agents. I attacked the assassins from behind and kicked their legs out from underneath them. When they fell to the ground, I pushed the agents away. I began contending with the assassins. They started backing away. I thought it was because I was intimidating, but I was wrong.
If he wasn't there, I wouldn't have noticed it until it was too late.
At that point we had expanded from the corner. There was plenty of room on either side of me. The assassins backed up, looking at the ceiling. Suddenly, I felt a large, masculine body run into me, propelling me forward and knocking me to the ground. I was on my stomach, and the man was on top of my back. I squirmed under his weight, but he didn't move. He leaned closer to me and covered our heads with a big frisbee shaped thing.
CRASH! I had no idea where the noise came from, but chunks of metal came flying past my face. The man moved his frisbee and I saw that a huge steel beam from the ceiling had fallen down. If it weren't for the man, the beam would've fallen on top of me. Who is this guy, and why does he have a frisbee? I asked myself. I knew it wasn't Zach; Zach's body is always just above freezing.
The man slowly got off of me. I twisted off my stomach onto my back to see who it was. He was the only one not wearing black. In fact, he wore navy blue and white with a white star on his chest. His "frisbee" was like a round American flag. I moved my attention from his uniform and to his face. He had bright blue eyes full of kindness. A helmet covered part of his face and his hair. But I knew who it was. At least, I knew who he looked like.
"Wait, what? Captain Amer—isn't he supposed to be dead?" I asked in confusion.
The man helped me up. "Do you know about anything that's happened in the last seventh month outside of here?" he asked kindly.
"N-no."
The man smiled. "We'll get you caught up. But, no, Captain America didn't die in the War. He lived, and I'm him."
"How-"
"No time to explain right now, Miss. But I promise we'll tell you once we get you somewhere safe."
Before I could respond, silence fell over the crowd of SHIELD agents as a new man entered. Every gun pointed at the man, and the few assassins left smirked.
"Off to leave so soon, Rogers? And Tori! Oh, please stay! We'll have some fun once I kill everyone!" Dingo said maliciously.
"Not yet," Captain America said.
"Move aside, Carlton. You've lost," Zach said.
"You too, Hill? You betrayed me?"
"It's not betrayal if you were never loyal in the first place. I only helped you because you offered a boatload of money," Zach said. "So, why don't you just waltz out and leave us to our business?"
"Not a chance."
Captain America lightly nudged me behind him. "Run!" he said.
Before I could leave, assassins sent to guard all the doors. We were trapped.
Captain America ran and confronted Dingo, or Carlton as Zach had called him. I wondered if that was his real name. I stayed away from the assassins and Carlton, not wanting to get involved with either. I watched Captain America contend with Carlton; he was Dingo's match. They were both supersoldiers after all. But after a few minutes, Dingo slipped away and headed toward me. Before Captain America or I could do anything, Zach jumped between Carlton and I.
"Tyson "Dingo" Carlton, it's over," he muttered, barely audible enough for me to hear. He shot frosty ice at Dingo's chest. Dingo kept coming forward, though he was slowed down. With a shout, Zach placed both of his hands in Dingo, one on his head and one on his chest, using as much power as he could. I could see him shaking from the exertion of so much energy. But it paid off.
Dingo dropped to the floor, his lips and fingertips a light blue, ice covering his head and chest.
I stood there in shock. I had never seen someone actually die. It was the first death of many to come.
Captain America looked at Zach suspiciously. "Who the heck are you supposed to be?"
"He's Frostbite, the mercenary," I heard some SHIELD agents murmur.
"Not quite a friend, but not quite an enemy," Zach said indifferently. He advanced toward me, and Captain America stepped between us, not knowing what Zach would do if he got close to me. "Chill, Cap, I'm not gonna hurt her."
"Why should I believe that?" Captain America asked.
"Tori, could you help me out?"
I sighed. "What the heck is it, Zach?"
"Come here," he beckoned. Not quite sure what to do, I hesitantly went forward. He wrapped his arms around me, almost like a hug, but not quite. He whispered in my ear, "Look, I did terrible things to you and let Carlton do terrible things to you, and I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you someday, I hope. If you need help, call me."
"So, suddenly we're supposed to be besties now?" I asked in annoyance.
"Hey, I knew I couldn't fight Dingo alone, I can't fight any of my hirers alone. Who do you think told SHIELD about this location?"
I was about to respond, but suddenly I realized the truth behind what he said. "Wait, you brought SHIELD?"
"Not directly, no. They didn't know it was me that told them. Usually when I do this I just let SHIELD handle it, but, I told you, I like you. You don't take crap and you get the job done. So I came to make sure everything worked."
"So all of your jobs are just-"
"My daily act of vigilanteism, yes." I felt something small be pressed into my pocket. "Keep that. It'll help you contact me if you need me. And something tells me you will one day."
"How?"
"You'll know when the time comes. For now, could you not tell SHIELD about my crime fighting? It would make it harder to do my job if it was out there that I'm not really a vigilante."
"What should I say I told you?"
"Tell them that I said something in some sorta code and that you have no idea what I said." He broke away from our sorta-hug. "Farewell, and good luck." He started walking away.
"And where do you think you're going?" an agent asked.
"None of your business, you can't stop me." he shouted as he left.
Captain America went to me and smiled softly. "Let's get you outta here, Miss."
Casting:
Tori Lowe • Willa Holland
Zach Hill • Wentworth Miller
Tyson Carlton • Manu Bennett
Phil Coulson • Greg Clark
Steve Roger • Chris Evans