A/N Hey! This is my first fic and I've been workin on it for a while, but I've finally decided to just post it. Because this is a shared account I'm Jenell, so hello again. Don't forget to give me a review to tell me how you like it! I will probably post the next chapter tomorrow or the day after so look forward for more to come!
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone or anything but Erica.
She opened her eyes to a blinding white light. They quickly adjusted to realize, it wasn't a light, but everything surrounding her, her thin harsh blankets, her cushionless pillow, the metallic walls, concrete flooring, even her skin, they were all as pale as white blank pages.
She stood up moving her hand along the cool railings of her bed. She could see the sheets of black hair falling past her waist, grabbing it, Six studied its color. This hint of black was most of the spectrum she saw some days.
Her legs moved her to the shower, while her mind buzzed like a broken television. She moved her arms unconsciously, following the routine she had since infancy. As she ran the transparent shampoo through her hair, she heard an unfamiliar noise. The water from the shower head was now sputtering, and eventually stopped.
Six quietly stepped out, her wet feet dripping on the white tiling, and wrapped a towel around herself. She could hear the soap suds in her hair, as she looked to and fro the small room, once again that unfamiliar noise going off, muffled, in the distance. Trying to focus her ears she is startled by the loud rush of water coming back on in her shower. Six decides to push her curiosity aside and continue with her usual routine. As she rubbed the last of the water from her damp hair, "Six enter room 5," echoed throughout the building. The machine's unisex voice was out of sync today, obscure and distorted.
Inquisitively, she walked into the room labeled "Trial Margin." She can hear another peculiar noise go off, much like an explosion, this time closer to her. She stopped in her tracks, aware that every one of her muscles had tensed up and her cells were now screaming at her. Ignoring the intimations her body was sending her, she strapped herself to the cold metal bed in the right corner of the large room. She heard a violent spinning noise above her head and closed her eyes tight. The air from the machine made her long hair fly around her face.
BOOM
Six was flung into the nearest wall, eyes shut tight. She can feel the blood swelling around her head, her body mangled on the floor, momentarily helpless. Hardly conscious she looked up to make out figures running toward her, through an enormous hole in the metal wall, its edges still burning. She can see the moon lit sky, bordered with the rising flames, their beautiful colors dancing together through the night. She was able to distinguish the silhouette of a helicopter floating in the air, men falling from ropes. Her nose picked up a million of foreign smells, drying her throat. Her eyes being to water due to the exotic colors coming from the outside. Her brain felt like it could catch fire trying to process all the new information.
Erica Adler woke up with a gasp. She incoherently looked around her room, dazed by the colors surrounding her. She was hit with a swarm of memories, stinging her eyes; she whispered to herself for reassurance. "Your name is Erica Adler. This is your room, where you live with grams and gramps. They're people," Erica said aloud to herself, "people..."
She sat up, wiping off the cold sweat, that was currently plastering her short hair to her the edges of her face. Erica took the end of her bed sheet between her fingers, feeling the fine cotton. She slowly took in a deep breath as she looked to her clock. "3:47," she let out a long sigh and hugged her knees.
Erica left her bed, sheets thrown about, pillows now covering the floor, and walked to the kitchen. It's pastel blue walls were a comfort to her, as usual. She went to the refrigerator and opened it's door, it's small light, illuminating what corners of the kitchen it could. Quickly she grabbed a bottle of water and screwed open its cap; she leaned her body against the, now closed, door of the refrigerator. Eric silently drank, while looking at the moonlight that seeped from the closed blinds of the window above the sink. Moonlight, in all its beauty, wasn't actually made from the moon just a mere reflection of the sun's glory. It was fake and everything special about it was made so by other, more glorious and free, objects. What a pity.
Erica hardly noticed her water bottle is empty as she stared into the moonlight. Finally she broke from her grim contemplative state and stepped onto the wood flooring of the living room. She sinked into the old, recliner and picked up the book on the desk near it. What was gramps reading before he went to sleep? "Pride and Prejudice", undoubtedly granny was forcing him to read it again. She flipped the book open to the first page, pausing she debated with herself. Shall I turn on the light? No, it is okay, I do not need it anyway.
By the time she had turned to the last page the doorbell rang. Erica quickly strode to the door, and pulled the handle to reveal Agent Hill, leaning against the doorbell in what Eric could tell was exhaustion. She could see a jet behind the tired agent.
"Ms. Adler" addressed Hill.
"Hello, Agent." Erica stood at the doorway staring at her.
Hill sighed and asked irritated, "Can I come in?"
"Oh. of course, sorry." Hill walked past Erica and slumped into the recliner. Lifting her bottom, Hill pulled from beneath herself, the book.
"Pride and Prejudice? Really?" Erica shrugged, "Eric, we need you to come in. The Tesseract has been stolen... Barton... has been compromised. The fate of the world is in the balance. You know the usual." Her last sentence came in with a tinge of irritation.
"Barton has been compromised?"
"Yes, this Loki guy, whoever he is, has put Hawkeye, along with some more of our own under some sort of... spell. He took them in the process of stealing the tesseract."
Extremely worried Erica asked, "Is Barton okay? How is Nat handling it?"
"Agent Romanoff, is capable of dealing with things like this. So does that mean you are coming in?"
Erica narrowed her eyes, as she weighed her options. Which were go with the exhausted agent or have to deal with Fury's, furry.
"Ugh, ma'am, where are the briefing files?"
"In the jet waiting outside. I have to leave now but go as soon as your things are packed."
"Yes miss." she saluted
Erica tried to hide her amazement of the helicarrier. It was a beautifully made ship, the light reflection panels, the four engines each a back up for one another. However her mind soon began to break down the mechanics of it. She murmured to herself what everything did. She felt a tap on her shoulder.
Erica turned around to see agent Coulson. "Miss Adler, its nice to see you. Fury is going to have you working in the lab, for now, searching for the tesseract. Follow me." She held on final glance at the huge exterior of the ship and entered its equally magnificent interior.
Erica studied Coulson for a bit. Like usual he seemed very stressed out, but he was currently strutting. As they walked Erica was curious about agent was. She had not see him in months.
"...December. How have you been Phil?" Asked Erica
"Well I have been very busy, with all the... recent events. Sometimes I wonder how this organization would function without me."
"I'm sure they would not. You seem happy about something Coulson... What is it?"
"Well... I had the honor of meeting Captain America. That was... err... awesome."
"Awesome? That is good."
"How are you doing yourself, Ms. Adler?"
"I am good. It has been a quite peaceful life for me in the last month. It is unsettling."
"You just maybe the only person who finds peace unsettling." Coulson said as he opened a door for Erica.
"Well I am just not too fond of the calm before the storm. I become over vigilant."
Agent Coulson lead her to a room filled with expensive lab equipment. Her eyes light up as she scanned the area. Coulson gestured to the lone man in front of her, "This is Doctor Banner."
Banner turned in surprise to hear someone's voice. He looked at the beautiful young lady in front him. Her choice in clothes clashed greatly with all the black leather and suits on the ship. She wore a skirt with bright button up and a large green jacket that went past her knees. He rubbed the back of his neck, a bit unnerved by her presence.
Erica quickly began to break down the Doctor in front of her. This was Bruce Banner, THE Bruce Banner, she had spent many afternoons reading his work. This was the man who turned into a great force with the rise of his pulse. With the over exposure to gamma rays the doctor was a living miracle. A genius living miracle, it was always one of her chief dreams to work with him.
It was evident the toll that the doctor's accident had on him. He looked thoroughly unhappy and stress. He had grown premature grey hairs in his curly brown locks and had many worry wrinkles. He had an unnatural tan telling Eric that he had probably live somewhere hot. He couldn't have been in the army from his posture. A third world country perhaps? She could smell a bit of spice coming from his herbal tea and parchment mix and decided India. Despite all the unhappiness curling off him Erica could help but feel beckoned to him.
Dr. Banner noticed her prolonged stare. He bit the side of his cheek. She was probably scared of him. Making sure he wasn't about to explode. Checking out the mask over the beast. She stared at him for quite a while before noticing his hand extended out toward her. Puzzled she looked at his hand to his face.
"Oh! Handshake." She thought out loud.
Dr. Banner grinned slightly amused at the fact that she had yet to shake his hand.
"Hello, Miss..?"
Realizing that she still hadn't introduced herself she quickly grabbed his hand, shook it violently and replied
"Miss Erica Adler. Although you may call me Eric, either is fine."
"Okay Eric it is." Banner flashed her a polite smile.
"Well I will leave you guys to your work. Goodbye Ms. Adler, Dr. Banner." Coulson left in a hurry
"Farewell Phil," she waved goodbye.