Abduction

All the next day I displayed my skills and honed my abilities in the training area. The only special occurrence that day was the arrival of a fancy envelope. I opened it and discovered a paper announcing the wedding of Reed Richards and Susan Storm. About time they let the world know. All you have to do is look at their eyes when they look at each other to know how they feel.

"What's that?" Bobbi, Mockingbird, asked. She shortened her staff and leapt onto a ridge on the wall. Never can I do something like that.

"Oh, just a wedding announcement for my sister and her boyfriend," I answered. "It's at the end of June."

"Cool! Are we invited?"

"Yep, it says all your names on the envelope."

Right after I explained everything to Bobbi I resumed my training like nothing happened. I trained all day so Tony and Clint couldn't have me help them with their New Year's Eve party plans. I already knew I was having my party at the Baxter Building. Before I left home Sue warned me about their parties, as she did not want me attending them. Coupled with Wasp's, I realized they weren't joking. The rumors were true. On New Year's Eve Jessica drove me to the Baxter Building. I ran inside past the huge Christmas tree in the lobby and into the decorated elevator. When the doors opened I bounded to Reed's lab where he and Sue spent most of their time. Both Sue and Reed were hunched over a microscope. "Guys, guess whose home!" I called out.

Sue ran over and hugged me. "How is Avengers Mansion?" she asked, keeping her hands on my shoulders.

"You won't be seeing much of me!" I answered. I explained in detail the mansion, the members, receiving the letter, everything. She couldn't believe I beat pretty much everybody at Dance Dance Revolution. When Johnny came home I told him everything too. He chuckled and asked questions when I finished. All day I checked and rechecked my party plans to make sure everything was perfect. That year's party would be our biggest yet, since Johnny had more friends and girls to invite. My guest list was about the same, but I knew everyone would show. Nobody wanted to miss out on the second biggest party of the year. The Avengers always claimed top spot. It can't be helped.

That night we had an epic party. Johnny invited almost every superhero we ever fought with and all our friends. At midnight after the toasts Sue brought out my cake. She ended up using a force field to transport it through the crowd. The thing was huge. We ate it, partied some more, and went to bed soon after.

The next morning I woke up in the bathroom. Half my body was in the tub draped over Iceman. I must have been having one of my famous highs. If I have anything with sugar or caffeine, I end up bouncing off the walls. Cake overload. That must have happened without me knowing it. I quickly cleared the bathroom and tried to help make breakfast. I was both tired and hyper, not the best combo for a kid. After kicking everybody out I cleaned the building, prepared for school the next day, and fell asleep extremely early, around 7:30. The next day at school while waiting for the teacher my ID card fell out of my pocket, interrupting my discussion with Kati about the night before. She lasted longer than me and took some pictures and videos. I quickly picked my card up, but some people saw. Kati stopped talking and stared at my pocket where I stashed my card.

"Nikki, what's that?" she asked.

"Oh, that is my Avengers ID card," I explained. I pulled it out to show her. Kati eagerly grabbed it and held it up to her face. Her almost blindness is a running joke in the group. "Tony gave it to me so I can call for help when I need it. I just put my finger on the picture and speak into it. Each member has one." My teacher summoned us inside her room, forcing me to put my card away. Another day filled with favoritism and Twilight obsessions. Over the course of the day many of my friends asked to see my membership card. Each person seemed extremely curious about my new life. I answered each inquiry, trying not to give away any secrets. It made my brain hurt, watching everything I said. January, as well as the rest of the year, passed as quickly as fifth grade.

Over the summer I assisted my teammates with various activities. Wasp is a fashion designer, so I generated ideas for clothing and accessories. I was a failure with sewing machines, so I stopped there. I also aided Tony with his armor designs and Hulk with his science experiments. Hawkeye gave me archery lessons and Black Panther taught me some new moves. Mockingbird instructed me on athletic activities and staff lessons. Most of the athletic lessons ended with me either pinned against the floor or sent flying at a wall. Ant-Man lent me a hand with my back-to-school languages project. Thor let me have an interesting conversation with him about Asgard, his home. Overall the summer was highly enjoyable.

o8o

The first week of school, after figuring out where each of my classes was in the much, much larger middle school, I introduced my alter ego to my teachers. Not the Avengers one, but the Fantastic Four one. Simply Nikki. The whole reason why I wanted a mask was so I could have some privacy. My sixth grade teachers loved my accomplishments and were thrilled to have me as a student. During Labor Day weekend I was taking a walk in a local park. Reed and Sue were at some science convention for the four day weekend, and Johnny was either at a dirt bike competition or hanging with girls, so I was alone. Before Sue left she called Dad so he could stay with me for the time being.

Suddenly a strange man melted out of the shadows. "How'd you do that?" I asked. Only somebody with powers or extremely advanced technology could do that. Come to think of it, Tony Stark could have done it. I didn't remember any hero I knew having superpowers like that, and I know a lot of heroes. Only Entantress could have any power she chose, but why would she sneak up on me? She was not the type to play tricks. She hardly knew me in the first place. When the shadow man tried to grab my arms I blasted him with a sparkling ball. Every warning everybody told me about strange men with powers flashed through my mind. Before I just scoffed at them, but by then my attitude had changed. New York is a dangerous place to live, even without people with powers. Everybody knows that. The man deflected the ball with ease and grabbed my shoulders, breaking through my barrier.

"Shh," he whispered in my ear when I screamed. "Behave, and you won't be seriously injured."

The guy hit my head hard with something metallic, causing me to black out. Normally I was a fighter, but the man caught me off guard. I woke up probably days later strapped in a chair typically found in a dentist's office. A table covered with scary-looking tools sat next to my chair, just out of my reach. Drills, scissors, and other tools of the like were just the beginning. One window let in some sunlight from the cloudy sky. Only one narrow door provided an exit route. What is this, the Human Centipede? I thought, straining. I tried to break my bonds, already terrified, but one of my worst enemies entered the room. The metal tools vibrated. His green cape swooshing around his ankles, Dr. Doom made a grand entrance.

"Why, hello, my dear Nikki. How nice to see you again," he smirked. Like always, his entire aura radiated power and confidence. God, I hate that guy.

"Doom," I spat angrily. "I know you hate us, but abduction? That's low, even for you." My attempt at humor sounded weak, even to me. My head throbbed where I was hit, and I probably had a concussion, not to mention a large lump.

"Reality, we have plans larger than you can imagine. You will experience extreme pain, but you will endure it all. Your treatment begins now." He walked over to the table with the tools and picked up a needle and a vial. "This is for your own benefit," he stated. Doom filled the needle with a clear, foul-smelling liquid from the vial.

"What are you doing?" I questioned suspiciously. "What is that?"

"This drug will cause your ability to concentrate to wane," he explained, still smirking. "Everything will make sense eventually. For now just let your mind go blank." He injected the fluid into my body slowly.

If what he said held true, then the slight sting of the needle would be the least of my worries. Slowly but surely the drugs traveled through my body, the effects making themselves known almost immediately. A little speck of blood rolled down my arm. Nothing at all like the shots you get at the doctor's office. My ability to concentrate started to drain away. As Doom went back outside the door to speak with a henchman, I struggled to regain my aptitude to think. It kept getting more and more difficult to form even a single word. Sounds of a conversation drifting under the entryway helped me.

"For the last time, I'll explain this to you, Contagion. We will take all of the DNA samples we've stolen from various heroes and splice them with the girl's. Diablo already calculated which strands will be with which, luckily for you. If we put in incompatible DNA, they will destroy each other, using her body for fuel. When we finish, we will brainwash her, and we will have the ultimate killing machine at our disposal."

"Okay. I won't ask again, Doctor. We shall begin as soon as the drugs take full effect."

"Very well. Don't fail me, Contagion." Doom's boots clanking against the metal floor signaled his dismissal. The man he deserted started muttering to himself.

Oh God, why me? Why would they choose an almost eleven-year-old girl for this disgusting project? What are they doing to me? The drugs took full effect, taking away my concentration ability as promised. My thoughts turned into broken strands. I couldn't think a full sentence, even if I wanted to. I most certainly did not want to. Suddenly the man identified as Contagion walked back into the cell, for that is what this dismal room is, prepared to start the splicing process. He picked up a thin flashlight from the table and put the blinding light in front of my eyes, making me squint.

"Hmm, dilated pupils, lack of energy. The drugs have taken full effect. Can you hear me, Nikki?" he asked. Before I could make any indication he began speaking again. "Nikki, I'm going to begin the surgery now. Try not to focus on the pain, maybe it will help. Now I'm going to move you to this table…" He unstrapped the bindings holding me in place and carried me to a lab table somewhere behind me. "This has never been attempted before, so I don't know why Doom wants me to do this. There is a possibility you won't live through this, but I've seen your genetic codes, and I believe you will. If you may, you can relax while I do the surgery."

Right away, from the first incision, I felt intense pain, even more intense than the fight with Death Angel, being hit by lasers, and random bouts of agony combined. Every cut and injection made me bleed buckets, more than my heart could replace. No clue why. Even with the drugs dimming the discomfort, the pain was almost completely unbearable. Already unable to take it, I screamed my head off. Contagion kept on working, ignoring my blood-curling shrieks. When he finished I felt like I was going to be sick. It felt like my DNA was rearranging into some new material unknown to man. Great. Exactly what I needed. To become a science experiment in some sick experiment. The pain subsided a little when he finished. The extreme agony cleared my head somewhat, and to take my mind off what had just happened, I questioned what Doom wanted to do with me. "Why… me?" I choked out, struggling to pronounce each word clearly.

Contagion cleared his throat and glanced around the room. "Doom wants to keep you in the dark, but I think you should know what he's doing to you. Over the past year Doom had his minions take DNA samples from various heroes. For a long time he's been searching for someone strong enough to live through the necessary surgery. After over a year of searching, you came along. Ever since you became a public figure, he's been trying to capture you."

"There are…plenty of…other heroes…stronger than me. Why not…someone like…Captain America or…Thor?" I gasped, each word sounding more garbled than the last. I wouldn't be able to talk much longer.

"No, no, you're thinking of physically stronger people," he laughed. "Though we are testing that, Doom is interested in your mind. While Captain America might be more physically capable, he doesn't have as powerful a mind as you. Your endurance rates are much higher than the average humans', especially for a child. After years of sifting through profiles for every super-human on the planet, we've finally found someone that meets all the requirements. You are extremely powerful the way you are now, but with the powers of other heroes? You'd be almost immortal."

"That's…reassuring." Even in my weakened state I retained enough of my old self to include some sarcasm.

"I must go soon to check on the patients. Before I leave, I need to tell you a few things…"