Nobody has reviewed the last chapter, so I don't know if anybody likes it yet... anyway, here is the next chapter. I promise, if you can stick with it a few more chapters, there will be lot more Avengers mentions. I'm kinda trying to build up a backstory. Please enjoy this, and maybe leave a review? Thanks :)

'Ruby, could you explain to me why I am having people remove the hair on my legs with hot wax?' I asked, the tears from the loss of my leg hair prickling the corners of my eyes. This was more painful than my daily training sessions. I wondered why my supervisors hadn't decided that hair removal was a viable option for torture.

'It's called the price of beauty, darling.' Ruby put on a fake French accent as she said it, making me smile. I could speak flawless French, and I knew for a fact that nobody ever said "darling" in their everyday talk.

I looked over at the woman who was giving me a manicure, and at the beautician standing over me as she "fixed" my face. According to her, my skin was perfect, but I should have never let my eyebrows grow the way they had. She and Ruby were discussing their beauty regimes- Ruby had revealed she spent an hour in the bathroom every morning preparing her makeup.

She and the beautician bonded almost instantly over the impractical amount of time spent in the bathroom. I now understood why so few women were at Camp Z- the men would never be able to get anything done. I had eventually tuned out as she chatted, only really listening at the end.

'And, I bought a pair of jeans and the awesomest shirt. It'll suit you heaps.'

I groaned internally. Not only had she used a word that was not in the dictionary, she had chosen clothes for me. Even worse, jeans. The thought of the blue, thick constrictive material that did not allow for the concealment of weapons without serious thought being put into it made me shudder. I had what Mel called a "pet hate" of jeans.

She looked at the woman hovering over my face, who was removing the last of my eyebrows- the wayward parts of them anyway- and grinned at me.

'We've got an appointment with a makeup artist and hair stylist in ten minutes. Can you go get changed?'

I nodded in defeat, causing Ruby to clap excitedly and pass me a designer bag that looked like the money spent on a shirt and a pair of jeans could be used to fund an entire trip to Paris- spending money included. I quickly decided that Ruby was rich- very rich. She had paid for the entire makeover, plus the clothes.

I slipped into the shopping centre toilets and pulled the clothes out of the bag. There was a pair of stonewashed jeans which I accepted with a nod of my head, and then I pulled out the shirt- a tight fitting camouflage t-shirt.

I ignored the colouring and pulled the jeans and the t-shirt on.

I walked out of the toilets to stares from the crowd. Ruby tugged me into the beauty salon and sat me in front of a man and a woman.

'This is Alexis. Can you make her pretty?' Ruby asked. The two beauticians nodded enthusiastically and set to work.

'My face feels weird, Ruby,' I said as we stopped in the food court to buy something edible. We had about twenty minutes before we had to get to the school- which was two minute walk away- and we were planning on meeting the three boys here.

'Do you want anything?' Ruby asked as she stepped up to the register.

'Whatever you are having,' I said, noticing the two scowling businessmen from the café sit down in two of the various seats around the food court. I froze, knowing that this could not be a coincidence. The men looked up and glared at me again.

So, there was definitely a lot of anger there, and definitely not coincidence.

Somebody knocked into me, their shoulder sending me to the floor.

'Hey!' Ruby exclaimed, glaring at the person who had knocked me down.

'Oh, I'm sorry,' the person said in deep male tones, picking me up and setting me back down on my feet. I recognised that voice.

'This time of day is usually the busiest. Sorry if I caused any inconvenience.'

I gaped at the owner of the voice – a tall man, 6"3' at least with jet black hair and piercing green eyes that seemed to x-ray me.

The phrase was also a familiar one- we are being watched and the enemy is nearby. Almost every time we were in public, that phrase was used.

'Wolf?' I asked.

The man gave me a sad smile.

'Not anymore.'

He pressed a cool metallic item into my hand and reached up toward his ear, miming what I should do.

'Operation 273 begins in two minutes,' he said, whisper soft, as he brushed away the hair that had artfully been placed around my face.

'I…' I began, but he disappeared.

'Well, that was weird.' Ruby appeared beside me.

'Tell me about it.' I accepted the box of takeaway food that she held in her hands, peeking inside. Chicken strips and over-salted chips stared back at me. I smiled. Something bad that Mel hated. I don't know why, but I immensely enjoyed annoying Mel.

Zane, Dan and Mike walked over toward us.

'Whoa,' Mike exclaimed when he saw me. I did not really appreciate the way he looked at me after that.

That was when I heard the gunshots.

There were screams all around me as people ducked for cover.

I pushed Zane, Ruby, Mike and Dan down to the ground and pulled out the metal device out of my pocket.

I examined the earpiece that sat in my hand and lifted it up to my ear. The mouthpiece slotted out of the earpiece until it came to rest just beside my mouth.

'Alpha Team, this is Pixie. What is your situation?'

'Pixie, can we get a read on your position?' Wolf's voice was instantly in my ear, the sound oddly comforting, placing me back within my element.

'The food court, next to the Pie Shop,' I said, watching Ruby's eyes bulge out of her head when I pulled a knife out of the knee-high boots I wore, and a Glock out of the other, looking for the threat that was lurking nearby.

'Eagle will relay instructions to you from me. He has secured the nearest store to you.'

I looked around and spotted the smallest hint of a shadow that would come from a standing man.

'Eagle, this is Pixie,' I spoke quietly into what I knew was a whisper sensitive mike.

'Pixie, it's nice to hear from you again after so long. I have a bag of equipment for you.'

A hand passed me a duffel bag. I retrieved my body armour, and had strapped it in within twenty seconds.

It was armed with several knives, a bow and quiver full of arrows that would actually fold back into the armour, guns and a wrist cuff, which was jam-packed with technological functions.

'Eagle, what is the current situation?' I asked.

'Terrorist forces have broken into the shopping centre, and their men are taking the shoppers hostage.'

'Did you receive intelligence from Scopes?' I inquired.

Eagle looked over to me.

'Damn, I've missed you, Alex.'

We heard Wolf clear his throat over the comms. 'Secure the next three stores. If you encounter a hostile, do not engage. Our aim is to neutralise the targets and free as many civilian hostages.'

'Okay men, move out,' Eagle ordered as we filed out of the store silently.

And then Ruby screamed.

A man wearing a balaclava and holding a dangerous-looking gun was threatening my four new friends.

'Scopes, Wolf, whoever, this is Pixie requesting assistance.' It was strange how the music that played throughout the centre was still playing. It added soundtrack to the drama. At the moment, it was playing Fall Out Boy- the bass adding to that intense atmosphere.

'Request received, Pixie. What is your circumstance?' I almost could have kissed Wolf for answering.

'There is a lone hostile with four civilians. He is armed with a .32 shotgun and he looks to be well-trained in its use.'

'Stand down, Pixie. There will be civilian casualties. We cannot help that.'

Scratch that kiss. 'No, that is wrong.'

I heard him gasp over his mike. I had never ever questioned an order.

'Pixie, stand down.' Eagle said, pulling me back toward him. I wrenched myself from his strong grip and unsheathed my knife.

'Hey, over here!' I yelled, watching as the man turned, his eyes widening in surprise as he saw me.

'What is it you want, irritating child?' he asked in a thick Arabic accent.

'I want you to let the innocents go.'

He chuckled. 'I'm sorry, but that isn't going to happen.'

'I am going to give you one chance to submit. If you do, we will not kill you. If you do not take up my very generous offer, it will be or else.'

He laughed and grabbed Ruby, his hand grasping the back of her neck in a death hold.

'You should be scared of me,' I said, anger evident in my voice. His grip tightened on Ruby's neck. She whimpered, and he smiled, the bright white of his smile dazzling. It was sick and twisted.

'I will keep this one. She will be more fun alive.'

Ruby's eyes widened. Dan let out a primeval roar and pushed the man to the floor. There was a shot and Dan rolled off the man, blood blossoming from a wound in his chest. The amount of blood almost confirmed it was a fatal shot.

The man stood up and went to grab Ruby again, but Dan had given me the distraction I needed.

I seized his shoulders and threw him bodily into a wall.

'You should have just submitted,' I said, pressing up against him and adding pressure to the blade I had placed against his throat.

He crumpled to the floor.

'The building is secure. All hostiles have been detained and are in our custody. Good work, Alpha team.'

I heard Wolf's words before my eyes fell on Dan's body, which was lying beside Mike, Zane and Ruby.

'No!' I yelled, sprinting toward him and kneeling next to him.

'Alexis, please fix him!' Ruby begged.

I looked at her, tears shining in my eyes. 'It is fatal, Ruby. I cannot heal him.'

From the look on her face, I wished I could have been anywhere but there at that time.

'Can you at least try?' she whispered. I nodded and placed both of my hands on his chest.

Green sparks flashed from my hands and wove themselves around Dan.

I let the healing power go for a minute, waiting for it to take, but I knew that it should have taken instantly if there was even a small spark there.

'I am sorry…' I began, feeling a tear slide down my face, followed by several more.

Ruby wailed and pulled Dan's head into her lap.

I sobbed, feeling the unfamiliar sensation of grief wash over me. Arms wrapped around me and pulled my shaking body into their chest.

'It's alright, Alex.'

Wolf.

I held onto him tightly, scared that if I let go I would fall. He sensed this and drew me even closer.

Thoughts flashed through my head, though not in an order that I could make sense out of them. Safety and protection were two things I could pick up out of it.

I pulled out of Wolf's mind, smiling weakly up at him. He ran a finger along my jawline, smiling back.

Tiger cleared his throat, and Wolf reluctantly let go of me.

'We're here on important business. It involves you, and the Director.'

I unconsciously shuddered at his title. The Director had allowed people to experiment on me- allowed them to inject me with millions of specially made cocktails of drugs. There had been the time that Wolf had nursed me back to health after they temporarily neutralised my healing powers and then given me a terrible disease. Wolf had never told them.

'What does that bastard want?' I spat.

'Well, as you know, he was executed when you got out of base. But he'd already done the damage by that time.'

'What did he do?' I asked. Wolf shook his head and nodded toward my newfound friends.

'We cannot tell you with the civilians here,' Snake said.

I groaned. 'Can you tell me where we can meet and talk?'

'Certainly,' Fox said. 'You can get in the car with us, and we'll tell you on the way to your school.'

'Nice try, but I am not too keen on being kidnapped, thanks.'

Eagle smiled at me. 'We'll get you and your friends back to school. I promise that we will meet up with you later, perhaps with the foster parents?'

'They are trained in several martial arts. If they find you on the doorstep, they will not hesitate to kick your butts.'

'The regulars have arrived, team,' Wolf announced to the group.

I peeled off my body armour and handed it and all weapons to Fox.

'I will see you later then.'

'Yes, later,' Wolf said stoically. He leant forward and kissed me on the lips ever so gently. 'And I really like that look, Alex.'

I pressed my fingers to my lips as they left and disappeared into the crowd outside.

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