Gale Alexis Ericsson sat on the exam table in room two sixty six waiting for the doctor to come in with her lab results. Her head was hung, her slender shoulders were hunched in, making it look as if her body was trying to collapse in on itself. Her lavender colored eyes were on her hands, tightly fisted in her lap. Her long dark hair slipped over her shoulders like a silk curtain, hiding her pale face from view as she tried to think of several possible ways out of her current situation.
She had discovered about a week ago that she had cancer. A nasty aggressive one with a survival rate of just under ten percent. But that didn't mean that she was dying. Not yet at least. And it certainly didn't mean that she was going to just give in to her fate.
No, not her.
Gale was what she had been named after, a force of nature. Swift, aggressive and merciless (but only when backed into a corner). She simply didn't know how to lay down and die. Not for people. And certainly not for any damn disease. Chewing her lower lip she thought wryly, I guess it's a good thing I don't know the definition of defeat.
And it was since she'd probably be feeling pretty defeated right now if she had known.
The door across the room creaked and she perked up, automatically shoving her troubled thoughts aside as she straightened her spine and stared straight ahead almost blankly, but if the doctor had bothered to look at the expression of defiance on her face as he stepped into the room with her file, he would have taken a step back in shock.
She was no simpering miss in need of rescue. She was Gale. Nature itself in human form.
And she would not be defeated!
(************************************************* ************************************************** ***********)
Ironman slammed into the side of a car, the screech of metal hitting metal and bowing under the weight of his armor assaulting his ears as he swore. "Ah! Dammit, Jarvis activate-" He was cut off by Captain America's voice as he landed on the semi crushed vehicle next to him.
"Ironman! Are you alright?"
Ironman made an irritated growling sound and twisted his body over onto his stomach so that he could see his friends, each of them were engaged in combat with a member of the gang of thugs who called themselves the wrecking crew. Muscle bound morons with delusions of grandeur. A hand came down on his shoulder, reminding him of the Cap's presence as he was asked again if he was alright.
Nodding, Ironman yelled out, "Hulk!" Causing the large green monster of a man to turn and look at him as he shoved his opponent hard enough to send him sprawling to the pavement head over feet several times.
If he say's Hulk smash, I'm going to hurt him. Hulk thought a moment before Ironman yelled, "Smash those bozo's!" Baring his teeth at the irksome armor wearing millionare/leader of the Avengers. Oh he was going to smash someone alright. But it wasn't going to be the wrecking crew. It was going to be Stark if he didn't watch his tone.
He could even already imagine what would be on Stark's tombstone.
Here lies Tony Stark, smartass.
Ironman issued the command again just as Hulk was charged by another one of the gang and was tackled while in the middle of flipping Stark off. He hit the ground with all the force of ten tons, shaking the ground underneath his body as if it had just been hit by an earthquake as he grappled with his enemy.
(************************************************* ************************************************** *********************)
Gale was in the middle of hearing what her doctor had to say when the whole hospital started shaking. Putting a hand up to quiet the doc, she tilted her head and looked towards the window. She couldn't see anything at first. Not from her current vantage point. But then she was sitting on a table in a hospital on the fourth floor.
Jumping down she quickly moved over to the window as the building started to shake violently, large cracks appearing in the glass and the walls around it as plaster fell from the ceiling overhead. Oh shit. She thought in disbelief as she saw the all out brawl taking place down on the street across from the hospital. The Avengers were fucking up the city again with their inhuman strength and high tech weapons.
She could clearly see Captain America tossing a large man up into the air and then knocking him down, pushing his body through the pavement. Ironman was using his armored suit to blast away one guy while Hulk picked up a large truck and held it over his head for a moment and then threw it at the guy he was facing.
However instead of hitting his intended target, the truck flew straight into the hospital lobby. Followed by screams, shouting and the blaring of alarms that could be heard from every corner of the building as she turned to the doc and snapped, "Start evacuating the hospital!"
"Wh-Wha?" The terrified man asked stupidly, his mind going blank. He didn't understand what was happening! What was that loud crashing sound? Why was the building shaking? He could barely stand!
"Evacuate the goddamn hospital!" Gale yelled at him as she reached out and grabbed him by the front of his shirt and jerked him up from his semi vertical stance against the wall.
He was about to shake his head and tell her that he couldn't. It was much too late for that when there was a loud booming sound like something blowing up, coming from right under their feet.
He and Gale looked down, both of their faces ashen, their eyes widening in horror a mere moment before she threw him towards the door and fell through a large hole that had appeared out of no where.
