It was early morning in my garden, surrounded in trees and flowers and leaves and certain fruit trees that were in full bloom. I was currently picking grapes whose dark green vines were intertwined against a shady cedar tree. They sparkled in the dew of that hot morning the dark purples and greens mismatching on the tight , waxy fleshes of the fruit clusters. The smells all over the area were sweet and tingly and earthen and I heard a sharp barking of my two dogs and whistled low and they came to, obviously shaken. "Lead me on." I said and they wound around me, their tails held high, brushing against my iridescent, insect like wings and then darting forward. I followed with quick,silent, deer like steps until I saw a man from behind the bush I was hiding from. Well, kind of a man. Tony Stark in fact. I did a double whistle and a black blur flew out of the trees and landed on my neck. I knelt down and slid my bow out from under a rock shelf and strung it carefully before jumping into plain sight, trying to look bigger than mt 5 foot 2 hight. I raised the feathers on my head that made up my widows peak. There were only 6 main ones but you could easily identify me with them. The biggest one was in the center of them and it was a golden yellow while the others were a soft green.
"Why are you here Stark?" I shouted loudly and he looked up in confusion. "Did you come for Quazo?" I snarled, aligning the arrow with his forehead. The black dragon on my neck opened its mouth in a quiet roar that was about as intimidating as a baby turtle. It flicked its black tail back and forth.
"What? No," He held his hands up. "Clint, take out the dogs," I immediately turned to my dogs and saw the arrow speeding towards them and quickly bent water from the pool and spinning a protective shield around the two. They barked in panic and their hackles raised. I spotted the archer and raised a stream of water and swung my body low and brought them up and then violently down, knocking him out of the tree and freezing him together. "Obviously you want an explanation..."
"If you want to talk you can stop trying to hurt my companions. Thats a good start." I melted the water shield with an unclenching of my fist and they stalked towards Tony and pushed him forwards. "Now why are you here." I melt 'Clint' and walk to a bunch of lounge chairs. "Sit down." I command him and he remains standing.
"Who is Quazo?" He asks curiously. I gesture for him to hold his hand and my black dragon, no bigger than a vulture, land on his hand and clicks his tongue before spewing a small jet of fire at a bee. "This little guy? He is a dragon. You have a dragon?" He demands and I nod.
"I am supposed to raise him and when he gets big enough which shouldn't be long at all, I am to ride him." I smiled as he jumped to the ground and started to preen. "Science is amazing isn't it." I talked calmly as Clint started to make his way up some stairs. I ignored him and started snapping, watching the flame flicker on and off.
"It is. Now I am sure you realize your potential as a person with your abilities and seek training to further your abilities," he started and I tilted my head. What was he getting at? "And I am sure you have heard of the avengers initiative."
"What makes you think I wanna join?" I quipped to no one in particular, and the dogs sensing my relifted agitation, raised their hackles as well. I shushed them. "But I will do it anyways. GIve me 8 hours and I will be all prepared to go." I heard a door open and I looked up to the back door that led to the elevated deck and the rest of the Avengers came out as well as Pepper Potts. "Teach me to fly and we will be solid." He nodded and welcomed Pepper with a hug and kiss of the forehead.
"Pepper will help you get ready." I nodded and shook her hand.
"Virginia Potts. But you can call me Pepper."
"Bernadette Lightwood." I said shortly and smiled but i'm sure it came across as a grimace. I led them inside and up to my room so that they could help me pack. Thor barely fit through the door and immediately tripped on a colored pencil. I leaped on a high stool in a bird like crouch to make room for the 7 other people. They surveyed the room as I surveyed them. They all seemed calm and unimpressed. I tilted my head in confusion at Thor.
"Why is Thor here? Didn't he leave to Asgard?" I questioned with a bird like twist of my head. I trilled and Quazo flew in clumsily and brought in the dogs who had been lounging in the living room. "Is this why you need me?" I asked and a ginger lady with a pretty appearance and cold demeanor stepped forward.
"Loki is back and no one is able to locate him. But we feel that you have the skills to bring him down this time." I quirked an eyebrow.
"This time?" My eyes flitted to Pepper who was pulling clothes from my closet and drawers. "But you stopped the attacks last time?" I threw myself onto the bed and lifted and arm in a dog like fashion. "This means that something bigger is happening." I sat down. "It always does." THey all shifted uncomfortably (Except for Ginger-LAdy and Clint) and Thor opened his mouth to speak and then shut it, then opened and shut it again.
"Well. Lady Bernadette," THere was a pause. "He is back. And significantly more dangerous than last time."
"Do you have anything other than t-shirts?" I looked a Pepper. Do I? I thought for a moment. Uhm. Yeah. The other closet right? I never did anything nice actually so therefore no nice clothes.
"Other closet." I answered dutifully. She went and threw some shirts at me.
"We are going shopping when we get to New York. You have no clothes that are suitable for any occasions or important public appearances."
"Why should I? It isn't like I have things to do besides work." I whistled for the dogs to jump on the bed with me. "I honestly have gone nearly two weeks without talking."
"That is quite a feat. I don't think many people have done that." I looked to a nice looking guy with glasses and smelt like science. I eyed his dark,disheveled hair and neat appearance despite the unneat cut. "How often do you actually get out?"
"In the winter mostly. Thats when the earth is resting and..." I don't bother finishing the statement. "Or when I go run errands or grocery shopping or the dogs want to go to the park." They barked once and I looked at Mo, the large yellow lab. He thumped his tail and I patted his head and responded with a short trilling sound. I could feel the focused gaze of someone new this time. I looked up to a blond guy. Forties appearance. Nice guy. I saw his eyes focusing on me, his hand rubbing the side of his head in thought. I continued to stare at his unfocused blue eyes with my blue and green ones, eyes stretched wide in curiosity and in a strange focus. I wasn't sure how long the staring went on for but the unfading concentration was enough to weird out the others. They talked in hushed whispers about a fury. I tilted my head, feather flopping up in response to a spiked curiosity. I continued to remain stock still.
Then he moved. It wasn't much, just a twist to the side to ask a question but it sent me into a frenzy. I snapped out of it in a recoiling shock and hissed and barked while rapidly blinking my eyes. I sprang backwards and landed on my haunches, shaking my head of all primal thoughts. Fight. Attack. Prey. Defend. Intruder. Attack. I hissed and all commotion stopped and Mr. Blue eyes was at my side asking if I was alright. I rubbed my eyes and snarled that I was fine. I ran a hand through my hair, messing up my multi colored bangs and stimulating the hair on my head.
"Bernadette?" Gingerlady was ushering them out of the room. I could hear their mumbling about it and their curiosity and Mr. Blueeyes asking if he did something wrong and I could smell them and their fear. They were scared of me. I shook my head. I needed to calm myself. I was a human with animal characteristics. Not a animal with human characteristics. I kept my eyes on hers and something spoke in my mind. Hunter. One of us. I tilted my head and I could feel my self returning back to a civil person instead of a crazed animal.
"Bernadette." Her voice was soft and rough. "Take deep breaths." She raised a hand and I filled my lungs with air for four seconds and then she lowered her hand for the same amount of time. "Good." I continued to do so until I reached equilibrium. "Now do you want to tell me what just happened?"
"Jeez. Where should I start?" I patted Snickers, a large wolf-collie mix, on the head and he pressed into my leg with his soft head. "We better sit down for coffee for this tale."