Disclaimer : I do not own the rights to The Avenger, the characters, or any of their affiliates. This story is fan based and purely fictional. All original characters are a product of my own imagination
Author's note : This was originally going to be a one-shot story and not a short story. Author kmccartneyyyy did such an amazing job with her short story "Rescue Me". [You can find that story on my favorite story list!] I was so inspired and intrigued by stockholm syndrome that I decided to develop a story of my own. Chapter one is rather lengthy because it sets up the story line. This is my first go at an actual short story so please bear with me. I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to comment & rate it. Thank you !
She was sitting in complete darkness. Her knees pressed up against her chest, trying to make herself as small as possible. She pushed her back so forcefully onto the wall in the hope that maybe she'll be swallowed by it. For some brief moments, she couldn't tell if her eyes were open or closed. She blinked, indicating that she was awake and that this was real. Noises of pipes rumbling and a leak echoed around her in the darkness. Her own mind was her enemy. Creating monsters, traps and scenarios that immobilized her with fear. Her hands were sweating and her heart was beating so fast that she could have sworn that it was causing the rest of her insides shift. Crying would be the most rational reaction to have, but her eyes weren't glazed with tears. She kept on replaying her captivity. Analyzing every step, detail and possibility on why it was her and not somebody else. Perhaps if she moved faster. Perhaps if she wasn't stunned by the horror of destruction. Her thoughts were interrupted by thuds that came from right side of the vast emptiness. She clutched her legs tighter and waited as the thuds grew louder. The equivalent feeling of this anticipation would be the jolt of fear that spreads all over you when, at the top of the first heart pounding roller coaster drop, you look at how many feet your body is going to be descending at an incredible speed. A light poured into the room, infecting everything in its path. She squinted at the brightness and realized that she was looking at the silhouette of a tall slender man who appeared to have horns growing from his head. She was too disoriented to notice that she was being held prisoner in a basement. She was too frightened by the figure to care where she was anymore. The man's steps were amplified by the bareness of the room. As he approached her, he couldn't help but have a little smile at the image of a helpless daughter of Midgard at his feet.
"Stand up!" He barked. Slowly, she did what she was told. She couldn't remember what her captor looked like. He was faceless, which increased the terror that was filling her up already. He could be anyone. Anyone is probably capable to do anything. She could die the next second and no one would know. This thought encouraged her to speak up and try to at least find out if the man was willing to negotiate. She wanted to know if she had a fighting chance. She wasn't done with life yet. There were many more experiences to have, places to visit, people to love and life to enjoy.
"Please. Let me go." Her voice was small and frail. He immediately snatched her, clamping his sturdy hand around her arm. He forcefully guided her into the light and practically dragged her up the stairs.
* * *
The train ride home was normal and boring as usual. Andrea wanted nothing more than to just go home and crawl back to bed. As the train cradled its passengers, some closed their eyes in defeat. Andrea's eyes fluttered in a desperate attempt to keep awake. Others, masked the same neutral, bored and tired expression. Facing forward, trying not to make eye contact with anyone else. Andrea imagined how her summer should have gone. She thought about how she should have hung out with her friends. She thought about how she should have gone to the beach. She thought about all those wild parties she had missed. Instead, Andrea had to wake up at 6 am to get to class on time. She wanted to take advantage of a free summer class that would help get her prerequisites out of the way. Not only did this class save her time, but it also helped her save on money. Andrea came from a humble middle class family. Her father wasn't a drunk. He was a hard working man that enjoyed watching football matches while drinking a cold beer when he came home. Her mother wasn't a junkie. She also worked hard and enjoyed watching talk shows while drinking a cold Pepsi, even though she was diabetic, when she came home. The relationship she had with her siblings was ordinary. Siblings fight and love each other. Andrea didn't have a hard life. She was a normal 18 year old whose current problem was how she was going to pay for college.
School drained her energy completely. By the time she arrived home, she didn't want to come back out again. All she wanted to do is continue the slumber her alarm had interrupted. The train came to a violent stop. Her head, as well as the other passenger's, all bobbed either to the left or right. The train's doors violently glided open. They stayed open for about 10 minutes. Andrea slumped into her seat an inch more. Her eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. She had to get home quick in order to cook dinner. The fact that she couldn't immediately repose as soon as she got home annoyed her. The delay just added salt to the wound. Another train pulled up from the other side of the track that answered the crowd's puzzled and annoyed expression. The New York City subway system has a reputation for its trains not waiting for another at a transfer station. It's also notorious for delaying trips up to an hour. Conductors would often give a dry apology and state that there was train traffic. People quickly dashed across the platform to board the trains. Both trains idolized for another 10 minutes. The AC was buzzing and everybody's eyes were scanning their environment to try to discover why the trains weren't moving. A voice roaring with confidence pierced the silence.
"Ladies and gentlemen, there seems to be a -"
Suddenly, there was a thunderous noise and all the lights flickered until they stayed off. Faces were only being illuminated in a rembrandt fashion by the station's lights. Children and women screamed. Others looked up at the ceiling, trying to look for an answer. MTA workers were just as confused as the passengers. Their radios projected voices of annoyance, fear and confusion.
A tall, dark man was making his way toward the front of the train. His uniform was filled up with muscles. His face was decorated with a blend of a black and grey goatee. Along the way, other members followed him in the quest of trying to figure out what is going on. Passengers gave them hopeful looks as they navigated though the train however, none of the workers dared to glance back because of their lack of knowledge.
"Ay, Charlie. What's going on?" A low and husky voice that was dipped with a West Indian accent asked. The "control room" was dark. A faint light was coming from Charlie's miserable skinny flashlight. The MTA workers were all huddled into the tiny head car.
"I don't know, Vince. I just heard thunder and then BAM!" The conductor raised his arms for enfaces. "Now, my control board isn't working." Vince questioned Charlie's reasoning.
"What do you mean thunder? We're underground. You couldn't have heard thunder."
"Yeah. Well, maybe. I don't know! I just know that the backup generator won't last long in this station. Maybe one of the tracks snapped?" Charlie responded. A squeaky voice penetrated the conversation.
"I don't think a snapped track could have done all this." The conversation was interrupted once again by a panicked and shaky voice on the control board's radio.
"Everyone must evacuate the train! The city is being attacked! Iron Man sightings have been reported around your area. Everyone must evacuate the train! The city is being-" The radio's buzzing drowned out the voice and quickly became dead silent. The MTA workers all looked at each other.
"Iron Man? Do you think he's the one attacking the city?" Asked Melissa.
"No, Woman! Iron Man protects the public!" Yelled Anton. He was the worker next to her and behind Vince.
"That doesn't matter. We need to get these people out of here!" Vince barked. They heard rumbles that were sending little shock waves throughout the tunnels and trains. The station's lights flicked and everybody's eyes were concentrating on them. Praying to whatever God they believed in, that they didn't go out.
Vince snapped out of it and shouted "We need to move, people! NOW!" All of them ran out. Melissa and Charlie headed to the adjacent train to inform them of what was going on. Vince and Anton walked along the yellow tape that marked passenger's safety zone in a station. They were shouting out as loud as they could vague instructions to the rest of the public on either side of the platform.
"Ladies and gentlemen, evacuate the station in an orderly fashion! This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill! Everyone must evacuate the station!"
Andrea heard muffled voices and quickly pulled out her headphones. Once she comprehended what was being instructed, she shot up from her orange seat. Fear washed over her like hot water running down her body. Passengers from the front of the train and the neighboring train have already gotten out of their seats and started running towards the exit. Ignoring what Vince and Anton have been instructing, people were shouting, cursing and shoving other people out of their way. Andrea ran toward the exits with another wave of people that understood the announcement. They were like cattle rounded up to go into the slaughter house. Bodies were slamming into other bodies. Women's hair was being splayed around into people's faces while climbing up the stairs. Damp clothing was touching everyone's uncovered skin. Andrea didn't know if it was the hand of a pervert or the hand of a desperate mother that was pressing against her ass, shoving her up the stairs. When she tried to look back, the only image that she had caught was the one of a fairly old man falling down the stairs. Some just ran around him. Others simply stepped over him. The truly heartless, just stepped on him. Andrea gasped in shock and sadness. She turned her head and made sure her eyes and feet didn't miss a step. She didn't want to end up like the old fragile man. She wanted to get out and escape.
Manhattan was a battle field. Pieces of cement, steel and glass were raining over the city. Fire decorated a few buildings. Chunks of architectural art were being swallowed by the ground. Alien spaceships were polluting the sky. People scurried into stores, coffee shops, hotel lobbies or any building that wasn't being threatened for shelter. Suddenly, there was something else dropping out of the sky. These creatures landed with a boom and cracked the earth beneath their feet when they landed. New Yorkers stared at the beasts, frozen with panic . They all looked identical. Simple yet horrifying. Pure muscle was bulging out of their blue-grey skin. Their faces lacked fat and noses which made them resemble a human skull. Their yellow eyes charged with hate. The strange appearances, possession of a weapons and the world collapsing around everyone made a deadly combination. One creature fired his gun, releasing a bolt of blue light. Human flesh didn't stand a chance. Instant connection with the light resulted in a clean crater. The first victim dropped to her knees. Her torso quickly followed as smoke rolled off of her burnt skin. People were hypnotized by the shock and made them immobile. A woman's scream broke the trance and acted like the starting gun in a marathon. The creatures that were sprinkled around the streets of Manhattan started shooting. Humans speak of pulling together in harsh times however, when the time arrives to put these words into action, it is discovered that humans are animals too. Men were using other men and even women as human shields. Women clutched onto their children. It was chaos. There was only one person in Manhattan that took absolute pleasure and was filled rapture as his eyes scanned the city. Loki was perched at the top of a building and grinning. His heavy cape danced with the help of the hot wind and the misery of the people. Basking in the chaos, Loki stood tall and proud like a king. He knew that he was on his way to victory.
The wave of people reached the subways first underground level. From a birds eye view, the scene looked like a family of ants beneath a rock that were being discovered by a little boy. Bodies were scurrying everywhere. The shrieks of women and the crying of children echoed throughout the station. Running up the second flight of stairs was just as chaotic as the first. The faint sounds of bullets, buildings crumbling, police sirens and cries fed the ears of panicked citizens. With the growth of the sound it also expanded fright and increased heart beats. People dispersed from the herd as soon as they reached the top of the stairs. Andrea didn't know where to run as soon as she resurfaced into Manhattan. She knew that if she stopped running, her body would catch up to her brain. Andrea couldn't let her brain poison her body with terror. Everything was just looking like a blur. She didn't know what was going on. Her only instinct was to run. As she kept running, her legs were starting to burn. She felt her calf's throbbing and growing with every stride she took. Andrea's right foot bumped into something and caused her to lose her balance. Her knees and palms were scraped and little pebbles buried into her skin.
"Fuck." She flipped over and sat down, bending her knees to examine the damage. It was then that she became aware of her surroundings. Andrea tripped over a dead body. She sat there in shock. She thought if she stared at him long enough she'll catch his chest rise, just the actors in a cheap movie. The body was splattered against the pavement and remained lifeless. His clothes were drenched with sweat and blood. His face will forever be paralyzed with angst. Andrea's eyes widened in horror. It was then that Andrea realized she was in the middle of a war. The heat from explosions accumulated in the air and turned up the temperature. Smoke and dust were invading her lungs as she took long deep breaths. Gun fire was ringing in her ears. She looked up and saw the crater in the sky, pouring spaceships that replaced clouds. Smaller aircrafts that resembled scooters were buzzing around. Alien beings were attacking and killing around her. The more she noticed, a scream started to flourish in the pit of her stomach.
Less than a mile away the Avengers were trying their best to cease the madness.
"Are you sure about this?" Asked Captain America panting. Black Widow threw him a determined look that was contradicted to her small and unsure "yeah." "It's going to be fine." Black Widow shifted her weight under her feet like a boxer. Her eyes were looking at the aircrafts and calculating. She had to get this just right. Natasha launched herself and within seconds she was stepping onto a hood of a car. Then she crossed over onto Captain America's shield. As soon as her feet touched his shield she bends her knees and prepared herself for a high jump. Captain America's muscles were the catalyst that propelled her body and shot her up like a bullet. Her hand managed to latch onto an aircraft and was whisked away.
Captain America was left to deal with the creatures on his own. A stray light-bullet broke the spell that had him staring at Black Widow as she became smaller with the distance. Another light-bullet was shot and Captain America used his shield to deflect it. He took a giant leap towards one of them and swung his right first as hard as he could. Making contact with the creature's face, knocking it out. Comrades began to inch closer and surrounded the Captain. Dodging light-bullets, throwing his shield to knock a few out more of the creatures out and engaging in hand to hand combat made him look like a dancer. Every move he made had to be precise.
Black Widow managed to take out the second alien aboard the aircraft by slicing the back of his heel. Once she weakened him, she climbed on to the 'craft and stabbed him in the chest. The monster gave a loud cry. Without skipping a beat she threw him over board and let gravity finish him off. Natasha moved on to the driver. She plunged two knives into his shoulder blades and tried to drive the aircraft through the alien. The machine swiveled as she was trying to figure out how to control it. Two other aircrafts emerged from the corners of the city and were on her tail. Inexperienced, she bumped the back of the machine into skyscraper. Sparks had flew and a small fire had sprouted.
"Turn, turn!" She grunted as she tried to dodge the light-bullets. Iron Man noticed that the aliens were shooting at their own technology. On Tony's dashboard a blue circle locked in on the situation and zoomed in. A slim figure wrapped in a tight black body suit was onboard and was flying an aircraft. Quickly recognizing Natasha, he extended one arm and aimed at the extraterrestrials. A beam of yellow and orange had burnt off the enemies that were tailing her.
Once Iron Man passed Black Widow he swooped down and helped Captain America with his swarm of enemies. His ammunition took out three aliens at a time. Tony's shooting didn't stop once he landed next to his team any words, Captain America held up his shield and Iron Man fired. The ray of light bounced off of Captain America's shield. Steve pivoted his body and deflected the tamed fire into the mob of aliens that were surrounding them.
Hawkeye was stationed on top of a structure and was shooting arrows ubiquitously. His job was to try to take out the creatures that were flying around. Every arrow he shot hit a target. Aliens were dropping dead like flies and spiraling down with their aircrafts. Archery was like an instinct that he had. This was his passion. This is what he needs to concentrate on and not on her.
Hulk was unleashed as soon as Bruce realized the gravity of the situation. Due to his muscle size and anger level, his duty was to take down the bigger spaceships that were giving birth to the smaller flying scooters. The bigger spaceships weaved through buildings like a worm squirming around in the dirt. Aliens that were stationed to protect the ship were being flicked off it by Hulk. None of their efforts to harm Hulk did them any justice. Thor was just a couple of feet ahead of Hulk. Thor was raising his hammer and slapped every creature with it against their jaw or temple. The blow to their heads was so immense that it gravity took a hold of them. Hulk dismembered the ship like someone peeling a banana. In one final swift blow, Thor wielded his hammer against the ship and it came crashing down.
Loki was still supervising the attack. All throughout Manhattan, he saw corpses of humans and aliens scattered along the city. Loki witnessed how his army was slowly deteriorating. He knew that he needed to get out of there before the Avengers caught up with him and cut his conquest short. They may have won this battle, but the war isn't over. Loki left the rooftop to collect his scepter that carried his precious tesseract. The battle wasn't completely in vain. At least he got to destroy Manhattan. This sector of the world is already for renovation.
Andrea sat very still. A chill ran up her spine as she felt a presence behind her. Her coffee-colored irises reluctantly swam to the right corners of her eyes. Slowly, turning her head she was being threatened by a monster. There wasn't anybody around. No police men, fire fighters or the Avengers to help her. Fear wrapped a dark blanket tightly around her and she bellowed out a howl. Before any other action took place, the sky was finally being released from the vortex that was tainting it. The alien looked up and roared in disbelief. His life was far more valuable to being worrying about scum. The creature ran past her. It wasn't until the pitter patter of feet became faint that Andrea finally stood up. Her white Ralph Lauren button down shirt was embellished with sweat, dust, grey stains and the man's blood. Her beige flats weren't made to be stepping over the ruins of a grand city. They weren't made to be stepping over innocent human beings that were casualties of war. Andrea walked on without knowing in which direction she was dragging her blessed body. Her shock was so eminence that she hadn't noticed the chase up above her.
Hawkeye caught Loki trying to get to the tesseract. He loaded an arrow into the arrow shelf. His arm muscles flexed as he pulled back on the bow string. 100 yards away was not a challenge. Clint could make this shot with his eyes closed. He breathed out and released the arrow that pierced Loki's luxurious cape. Loki smiled at Hawkeye in a taunting manner. How could Clint miss? He didn't understand why his mind and body weren't one. Loki's face quickly tightened as he noticed that the Avengers were getting closer. There was no time to fetch the tesseract. He furrowed his eyebrows together in annoyance. Loki glanced down and saw a beautiful opportunity to escape. Releasing his eyebrows and curling his mouth he disappeared.
"Look!" Shouted Captain America as he was being put down by Iron Man. Loki casted a long shadow beneath Andrea. The man was tall and sturdy like a tree. Iron Man, Thor and Hulk wasted no time in getting down to ground level. Black Widow and Captain America were left on the rooftop along with Hawkeye that was darting glances between the scene and Natasha. Loki quickly fastened his long arm around Andrea's slim neck. The jerk of her body was so unexpected that she almost lost her balance. Her arms immediately up to her neck and she latched onto Loki's arm. She smelled the leather and heard it squeaking between the crease of his elbow. Andrea's eyes widened and called out for help. Before her, three super heroes remained still. Anticipating Loki's next move.
"Brother! Let the girl go!" Thor stepped out of formation. Loki only smiled.
"I will, dear brother! Only if you let me escape with my tesseract."
Thor's jaw clenched and his grip on his hammer tightened. Iron man's suit was charging up to shoot Loki. Thor quickly shot Tony a look to stop him from firing.
"We will oblige, brother. Give me the girl and I promise you a safe passage out of this place." Steve was growing restless. What could they possibly be talking about down there? Natasha felt a pair of eyes burn through her body. She looked back at Clint and raised him an eyebrow. Natasha didn't understand why he was behaving peculiar. He had changed ever since he awoke from Loki's spell. "Damn it!" Yelled Steve. Natasha swiftly turned her attention back to the conflict below them. Loki was gone.
"Whe-Where did he go?" Her auburn hair pecked her face lightly as she looked around. Clint raised his arm and pointed to Loki who was five rooftops away. "There."
Loki never loosened his grip on Andrea. He always had her small figure pressed up against him. His fingers coiled around the golden staff and raised it in triumph. The vortex finally closed and the blue sky took dominance once again. With a blink of an eye Loki vanished along with the girl.