...
No time for rest
No pillow for my head
Nowhere to run from this
No way to forget
...
After today, I was determined to avoid conferences for the rest of my life.
I didn't have the luxury of sleeping in this morning. FRIDAY woke me up at eight o'clock sharp, announcing in rapid fire that Steve had called a meeting between the Avengers (which—oh, joy—included me now, too), while I was still half conscious and my only rational thought was I. Need. SLEEP.
Muttering a groggy "Ok" to FRIDAY just to make the AI shut up, I slid out of bed and massaged my scalp, making my bed head even worse. Not that I cared.
I knew I wouldn't be able to get out of not going to this meeting. It most likely had something to do with our upcoming attack on The Dragon's Eye base, which would also hopefully include a strategy where I wouldn't die, because over the past week the adults had been not-so-subtly hinting that it was probable. And I really didn't want to get killed before I started junior year. That would be a bummer.
Wow, the way I'm describing this makes it sound like I'm completely calm and perfectly ok with dying. Spoiler alert: I wasn't. My heart had adopted a new beating speed, one that was so fast I was surprised Wanda hadn't poked her head in my room and asked me to keep the noise down. I felt nauseous whenever I thought about fighting in an actual fight, one that involved guns, knives, and psychotic Korean generals. My hands got clammy whenever I thought about using my powers against someone with the same abilities but with more experience.
Speaking of clammy, I wiped my sweaty palms on my PJ bottoms, not realizing until now that I had been meditating on these unpleasant thoughts. I shook myself. The last thing I needed to do right now is get worked up.
I went over to my nightstand and checked my phone. I hadn't been on it in the past few days, what with upper-level training, a looming high-percentage death battle and whatnot.
There was a missed call each from my two older siblings, six missed calls and twenty-seven texts from my parents, and two "Scam Likely"s. Of course I could've cared less about the last one, but the missed calls and messages from my family made my heart ache. I glanced at the clock at the top of my phone screen: 7:42. I had time.
I speed-dialed my parents' number, my face falling and a single tear pooling in my eye when the call went straight to voicemail. I stood there staring at my phone screen for what I thought was only a few seconds but was evidently ten minutes because FRIDAY alerted me through the ceiling speakers that the meeting was to start soon, nearly making me drop my phone.
"Like I care," I muttered, a newfound bitterness boiling in my chest due to my parents not taking my call. I immediately tried to push that emotion away. It wasn't their fault they didn't answer. They were busy with their jobs, my mom the drama director at my school and my dad an antique weapons collector/salesman (I know, my dad has the coolest job in the world, right?)
I plugged my phone back in and set it gently on my nightstand and walked over to my closet. I didn't know if the meeting was casual, formal, or if we were supposed to wear our battle armor, or why I even suddenly wanted to know. I quickly threw on a sleeveless white shirt, black denim capri overalls, and brown lace-up ankle boots and headed to the main floor of the Compound.
From the glass walls of the conference room, I could already see everyone assembled (geez, another bad pun. I'm on a roll, aren't I?)
To my surprise, I even saw Strange and T'Challa. This must be an important meeting.
"Ah, Autumn, you made it," Steve said with a smile as I slipped into the room.
"Well it's not like I had a choice." I smiled back and slid into a chair next to Sam.
Steve's expression wavered ever so slightly at my comment.
"Ok." Tony moved and stood at the front of the table. "I assume everyone knows why we're here."
I, in truth, did not, but I didn't want to risk the possibility of a 30 minute lecture about the meaning of the conference. So I just nodded along with everybody else.
Tony tapped something near the end of the table, and a blue holographic map of North Korea appeared. My eyes widened. No, we can't be. . . Not yet. . . It's too soon, surely. . .
I catch everyone staring at me, awaiting my reaction. I took a deep breath, hoping I didn't look as terrified as I felt. "So we're finally getting back at those dirtbags, huh?" I said coolly.
Tony actually grinned. I heard Sam chuckle next to me.
"Yes, to put it simply, we're getting back at those dirtbags," Tony confirmed. "And we're doing it tomorrow. Thank you, you all've been a great audience." Tony did a small mock-bow and sat down, leaving me rigid with shock. Ok, so I was right. We were attacking The Dragon's Eye base, and we were doing it soon. I just didn't realize that by 'soon' the Avengers meant 'tomorrow'.
Steve rolled his eyes at Tony and stood, taking Iron Man's place. He zoomed in on the holo-map near the tip of the country, bringing the city into focus. Some distance away, in an unpopulated area was what I assumed to be our target's base. It was hard to tell on the projection, but the evil HQ was a collection of plain rectangular buildings on a field of concrete. Tiny black squares dotted the landscape, which I presumed were military vehicles. All in all, it looked pretty drab and unimpressive. But I've learned that looks can be deceiving, especially when the deceiver in question is seemly innocent and insignificant.
"This is where we're going," Steve said, his voice echoing throughout the conference room authoritatively. "The headquarters of The Dragon's Eye. Our satellite scans confirmed that the other host of the Dragon's Blood serum, Viggo Ramirez, is strong and fully trained in his powers." He briefly glanced at me. "General Xang is preparing a direct attack on the Compound, and we can be sure that the rest of New York won't be far behind. Our plan is to sneak into the base and get the information about Xang's attack. One team will infiltrate while the others keep The Dragon's Eye soldiers busy."
Steve looked at me again, and I got the feeling that I wasn't one of the infiltrators.
"Along with the plans, we need to get the file on the Dragon's Blood serum. If we take it, Xang won't be able to copy it and create more enhanced super soldiers to use to his advantage. This is the most critical part of the mission. If anything goes wrong, the rest of the world might be at stake."
Natasha suddenly spoke up. "Don't forget that this mission also doubles as an assassination."
I whipped my head around to stare at her, trying not to let the fear show in my eyes.
Nat shot me glance out of the corner of her eye, smirking slightly. "Yes. That's your job, Autumn."
I resisted the urge to scream and incinerate the conference room. The Russian agent stood and moved to the front of the table as Steve sat down, pulling up a holographic image of a man with finger-combed black hair, a square jaw, and gleaming dark eyes, who must've been Viggo Ramirez.
My breath caught in my throat. It was only now I realized how young the Sokovian was, in his mid-twenties at most. That just made the situation worse. Not only was I having to fight someone with my same powers, but also someone near my own age.
"Like Steve mentioned earlier, Viggo is incredibly skilled in his abilities. We don't stand a chance of getting inside the base without keeping him occupied." Nat shot me a look close to sympathy. "Unfortunately, Autumn, you're the only one strong enough to fend him. The match between you two should be even, minus the obvious height difference. With you keeping Viggo busy, we should be able to get inside, snag the information we need, and make it out, preferably alive." With that, Nat went silent, gazing around the room, leaving the rest of us to bask in her slightly disturbing plan.
"And about the assassination," Nat added almost casually, "Autumn, while you're fighting Viggo, try to kill him without dying first. With him out of the way, we will definitely stand a better chance of completely this mission."
My whole body went numb. My mouth went dry. Now, I wasn't one to get scared easily, but my personal assignment sent a shock of terror through my nerves. A few minutes ago, I was nervous just having to fight in a real battle, against real bad guys. Now I was appointed to assassinate my inevitable nemesis. What were they going to have me do next, take down the rest of HYDRA all by myself?
"We can't forget about Xang," Scott said, everyone turning to stare at him. He gave us an 'how did you even forget about this guy?' look. "He started all this, didn't he? He's the evil mastermind behind The Dragon's Eye. We might stand a better chance at getting the files with our heads still intact if he's taken care of."
The adults nodded thoughtfully. Peter looked a bit nauseous.
"If Xang's dead, he won't be able to mind-control Viggo," I spoke up quietly, realization dawning on the others' faces.
"Exactly," Scott said, leaning back in his chair as if he had just won an incredibly difficult chess match.
"But Xang's bound to be surrounded by bodyguards, or some sort of security system," Col. Rhodes pointed out.
"Then we wipe out the guards," Bucky said. "We've delt with situations like this before. You get rid of their security, and they become vulnerable."
"Except this time we're dealing with a super high-tech terrorist organization that can turn into fire-breathing dragons," Stephen argued. "Xang's a former Korean army general, he's not stupid. Even if we manage to isolate him from his bodyguards, he'll be able to hold his own in a fight. Our best bet is getting someone in on the inside."
"To do what?" Clint demanded. "Poison his tea? Shoot him in the back of the head via an air vent or something?" His voice was dripping with sarcasm and scorn.
"No," I said softly. "We lure him out of his fortress, into the open. We try to put as much distance between him and his troops as possible. Limit or hopefully restrict his immediate resources. Like Stephen said, we isolate him from his agents. Then it'll just be all of us (assuming I survive my fight with Viggo) against him."
Nat smirked at me. "When did you become an expert in advanced battle strategy?"
I shrugged. "Thirty seconds ago."
Tony grinned with what I thought might've been pride.
"Autumn's right," Steve agreed.
I gave him a pleasantly surprised 'excuse me?' look.
"If we're able to somehow corral Xang away from his base, we might actually succeed."
"But even if we don't manage to kill him," T'Challa said, "Autumn would have hopefully eliminated Viggo from the picture by then. If we get the files and get out unscathed without running into Xang, we can postpone his death for another time."
The way he made it sound so casual caused a shiver to xylophone down my spine.
Steve looked very apprehensive about this.
"Steve," Bucky chided, "this is most likely our best option." He glanced at me, silently adding a continuation to his sentence: To keep Autumn alive.
Steve sighed and glanced at Tony, who merely shrugged.
"Ok then," Captain America said, standing up and resorting to his former position. "We'll rendezvous in the hanger at ten AM sharp tomorrow morning, and head to North Korea to The Dragon's Eye base. Remember, our main priority is getting the files on The Dragon's Eye's next attack, and the formula for the Dragon's Blood serum. We kill Xang in the process, great, added bonus. But we can't infiltrate their fortress without their weaponized guard dog being distracted." He gave me an almost fatherly look. "You sure you're ready for this, Autumn?"
I nodded mutely, waiting for a witty comment to come tumbling out of my mouth, but it never did. Geez, this serious atmosphere most be really taking a toll on me.
Steve nodded as well in grim acceptance. "Autumn, Peter, you two are dismissed."
I left the conference room with the silence of a ghost, my eyes glazed over and thoughts elsewhere as I shivered from the cold, looming, ominous knowledge of what tomorrow will bring.
...
"I heard rumors that you wanted to see me," Nicholas Fury said, easing himself into one of the high-backed leather conference chairs. He crossed one leg over the other and steepled his fingers on his knee, his "I'm prepared for a long talk" posture.
"Fury, we can't send Autumn out, not now," Tony pleaded. "She's only been here what, two months? She's not ready for this, she's just a kid!"
"As I recall, Stark, that didn't bother you when you recruited Peter Parker for your team when you and Cap had your little 'civil war'." Fury put the last two words in air quotes. "When the boy was only what, thirteen?"
"Fifteen," Tony muttered.
Fury shrugged passively. "Listen, SHEILD has been monitoring Miss Tahhvang's progress, and we all agree that she is ready—"
"That's not your call," Steve snapped.
"—and can hold her own," Fury continued, ignoring Steve. "You may not realize it, but the girl is much more capable than she lets on."
"That girl has a name," Bucky snarled.
Fury shrugged again, but it was pretty clear how ticked off he was becoming.
"And what do you mean by capable?" Stephen demanded.
Fury sighed and leaned forward, proceeding to steeple his fingers on the polished surface of the glass table. "Do you know why Autumn Tahhvang was chosen for the Dragon's Blood mutant serum in the first place?"
The Avengers exchanged uneasy glances. In all the excitement of planning for their attack on The Dragon's Eye, they admitted the thought had never crossed their minds.
The director of SHEILD gazed slowly around the room. "From what our research tells us, the serum was programmed to target an individual with strong DNA, stronger than any other human being's. (Notice I said 'human beings' which explains why Thor, Valkyrie, or even Loki weren't chosen instead.)
"From what we deduced, Autumn has other-worldly blood in her veins. Half of her genetic code isn't human."
"And what exactly does that mean?" Bruce asked.
Fury was silent for a second for dramatic effect. "The truth is, doctor, we don't know." He fixed the Avengers with a hard stare. "And I'm not sure you want to."
...
I checked my phone after getting back from the conference (which was probably the most disturbing thing I ever had to endure), excitedly finding two missed calls from my parents. So they're still alive! Hallelujah!
I tapped the FaceTime icon in my mom's contact, hoping that she was home with my father.
By God's grace, she was.
"Autumn!" Mom squealed, nearly dropping her phone and immediately breaking down into hysterical sobs.
"Honey, what— Yīnghuā!" Dad's eyes became watery, his face alighting with pure joy.
"Mom! Bà!" I smiled at my parents, tears of joy pooling in my eyes. It had been nearly three months since I had seen them, and their faces and voices brought a sense of peace to me. A feeling like everything would be ok after all.
"How are you doing? Do you like it there? Do they know what happened to you?" Mom looked just as I remembered her. Big, seafoam green eyes, silky, shoulder-length brown hair, pale caramel skin, and freckles.
Dad had acquired a few more gray streaks to his jet-black hair. It was finger-combed to the side as usual, his intelligent dark eyes sparkling, olive skin nearly matching my mother's. It looked like he hadn't shaved in a while, his goatee nearly overgrown into a full beard.
I drank in every detail about them, in case this was the last time I'd see them on this earth.
I told them everything about living at the Avengers Compound, starting from the beginning. Collapsing unconscious at the soccer field due to the serum taking hold, waking up here, what powers I possessed, being in my dragon form for the first time, my first flight, all of it. By the time I finished, both my parents looked like they had been run over by a truck.
"But. . . you're ok, right? No one has hurt you?" my mother asked, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth.
I rolled my eyes good-naturedly. "No, Mom, I'm fine. The Avengers are very kind to me. They've taught me how to use and control my powers so I don't spontaneously combust at any moment." The last part was a joke, but Mom looked legitimately horrified. My dad, on the other hand, being the lighthearted and humorous person he was, understood and chuckled. "Well, that's good. A spontaneous combustion would've ruined our day."
I laughed along with my father, Mom looking between us like we were mentally unstable. She did that a lot when Dad and I shared a joke she didn't understand.
"How's everything going back home?" I asked.
"Oh, well, the usual," Mom replied. "We're rehearsing for the summer play next month, so that's been a little hectic. Everyone's been asking where you are, Autumn, so I told them you're at a summer camp. I can't tell people you've been kidnapped by the Avengers—"
"Rescued," I corrected her albeit roughly.
"Ok, fine," Mom conceded. "Rescued by the Avengers. I couldn't tell anyone that, otherwise it would arouse suspicion and put you in even more danger."
I nodded, knowing that what she was saying was true. Government inspection was the last thing we needed right now.
"Are Aaron and Amaya home with you?" I asked hopefully, aching to see my siblings again.
Mom and Dad both looked a bit pained at my question. Oh no. I hope nothing had happened to them.
"They're at work right now," Mom answered quickly upon seeing my crestfallen face. "But I'll have them call you as soon as they're free."
Another tear threatened to spill. At this point, I didn't even know if I'd been alive during their next break, much less available.
"Ok, thanks," I managed to choke out. My parents nodded silently.
"So, Yīnghuā," Dad began. I smiled at the use of his special nickname for me. He smiled back. "Have they trained you to fight with your superpowers yet?"
Being an ancient weapons salesman and a former martial arts teacher, my dad was always interested in stuff like this.
"Yeah, they have," I answered. "We trained like that yesterday, actually." Then I proceeded to tell him the moves Nat taught me, the techniques Steven showed me in order to pair those moves with my powers, how I learned to morph into individual parts of my dragon self during a battle, etc.
When I finished my little recount, Dad looked immensely proud. A warm feeling blossomed in my chest at the sight of my father's pleased smile.
"I'm so proud of you, Autumn." (See?)
"Thanks," I replied. "It was tough work, but I pushed through and I'm glad I did. Those moves might come in handy in the near future." Seeing my parents' shocked and slightly skeptical expressions, I hastily added, "With me being an Avenger now, that is." I had decided not to tell them about my upcoming possibly-fatal trip to North Korea. That didn't need more worry and stress on their shoulders.
I heard Mom's phone ring, and almost started sobbing. The call was probably about the play, and if it was (which was 99% going to be the case), it was very important.
Mom looked equally upset. "I'm sorry, Autumn. . . but. . . that's the assistant director. I have to take this, ok, sweetie?"
I nodded and mustered a smile. "It's ok, Mom. I'm glad I got to see you guys again."
"Oh, Autumn," Mom said, and looked as though she was about to hug the phone had Dad not put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We're so glad we got to see you again, too, Autumn. We missed our little girl."
I laughed lightly. "I miss you too. I love you guys. . . so much. Tell Aaron and Amaya the same thing, please."
"We will," Dad promised, smiling warmly.
I was about to hit the End button on my phone, but Dad spoke up again. "About your training, Autumn. . . if you ever feel like giving up, remember the Chinese proverb: 'The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed'. I just felt led to tell you that real quick."
I looked up at my ceiling and mouthed a 'thank you' to God, before turning back to my screen. "Thanks, Dad. I'll—I'll keep that in mind."
"Good," Dad said with a grin.
"We love you Autumn!" Mom shouted, waving enthusiastically and blowing kisses.
"Yes, we love you!" Dad joined her before the line went dead. I stared at my tear-stained reflection in the screen, wishing that my only superpower right now was the ability to travel through my phone's camera back home to my family.
Through the sadness-induced numbness of my head, Dad's words came to the surface like a lighthouse beacon, clearing away the fog. The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed.
My father had told me this many times, whether it was with kung fu, flips, or just schoolwork. The saying had always mildly annoyed me, but at the same time, helped me, even when I didn't realize it. Now, I treasured it, knowing that if the Spirit had put it on Dad's heart to share it with me, there was an important reason behind it. . . maybe even the key to my survival tomorrow.