AN: Wow! All those reviews came from nowhere! Thanks so much to everyone who took the time to do that!

Alysiana: Which characters seem OP? OPness is one of my pet peeves, so I'd be more than happy to fix. Oh, and don't worry about being on the receiving end of any potatoes any time too soon (:

Faliara: hehehehehehehe ;3

Freight Bringer: ..?

Random007 & avengingwolf97: *blushes* here's the next update now! Enjoy!

ALEX

"No!" I screech, sitting up in bed drenched in a cold sweat.

This is the second night in a row I've had nightmares about the events at Area 51. No matter how much I try, I can't get the sounds of gunfire and screaming out of my head. Maybe I'm not cut out for this whole secret-agent-saving-the-world-business.

After about 15 minutes of tossing and turning, I decide I probably won't be able to fall back asleep. I turn over and look at the digital watch sitting next to my bed. It's just past 1 in the morning, which means I've only had about 4 solid hours of sleep. I slowly slide out of the bed's warm sheets and walk across my SHIELD dorm to the bathroom. The door inside it looks tempting to open. It leads to Dad's bedroom. Before I run into it for a reassuring hug, I remember Dad had said something earlier about a code red situation he needed to deal with.

Instead, I opt for a shower. That decision becomes a really good one after I notice myself in the mirror. My face is paler than usual, with beads of sweat around my forehead and bags under my eyes. I blow a strand of stringy blonde hair out of my eyes, then grab a towel and hop in the shower.

Once I've washed away the grime and nightmares, I put on a long-sleeved SHIELD tee, green tie-dye pajama shorts, and a pair of light blue fuzzy socks Dad randomly found in his sock drawer earlier today. I brush out my damp short hair, and decide to just let it air dry while I take a trip to the facility's lounge.

I carefully open my bedroom door, careful not to let it creak, and pad into the hallway, my socks not making a sound against the dark wooden flooring. A nearby directory of the building helps me remember how to get to the lounge. Once I find it, I make a beeline towards the coffee maker. I make a hot chocolate, then sit down at a nearby table to rethink my life. Most people probably think hot chocolate is totally not a summer thing, but I believe a warm mug of pure bliss deserves to be enjoyed at any time of the year. The chocolate has nearly put me back to sleep when I hear the sound of approaching footsteps. Too tired to hide, I simply sigh in defeat as the owner of the footsteps takes the chair across from mine.

Mr. Stark.

"Can't sleep?" he asks me. I notice he's holding a large black backpack.

"Sadly," I reply, taking a sip of my hot chocolate. "What are you doing up so late?"

"Agent won't let me go to bed," he huffs, calling Dad by his "first name".

"Why?" I ask as I stifle a yawn.

Tony pulls a file out of the backpack. "I'm probably not supposed to show you this but," he slides the file across the table and into my lap.

I skeptically open the file and am greeted by paper after paper of investigation updates into "Case #753 - Stolen Tesseract". That immediately reminds me of a text I had gotten earlier that day from Sara: "Off to steal the Tesseract. Text u later."

"This might have to do with Emily!" I think out loud.

"How?" Anxiety appears on the genius' face.

I lower my voice, since the room is probably bugged. "I got a text from Sara earlier today about going to steal the Tesseract."

"She obviously managed to do it," Tony remarks. His face suddenly lights up. "I think I know what they're doing!" He snatches the file from me and begins to rustle through the papers until he found the one he was searching for.

Tony begins to read the paper out loud: "Item description: The Tesseract is a bright blue glowing cube. It has been known to produce over 1 million megawatts of pure energy. Once, during testing, the Tesseract created a power surge and began releasing a dark blue mist that, when the mist came together, appeared to create a portal into space. All testing on the object has since ceased due to safety concerns."

"Portal..." I say to myself, then abruptly stand up. "I think I know what Sara's gonna do. Gotta go!"

Before I can run out of the lounge, Tony catches me by the arm. "Before you go," he says, releasing my arm and rummaging through the bag again, "I want you to have this."

He throws a wad of clothes at me. I lay them out on the table. There's a pair of black jeans, gold-colored lace-up boots, gold tank top, and a white denim jacket. "Woah," I breathe, "what's all this for?"

"Let's just say," Tony says, standing up, "I never want to see you wearing zebra-stripes again. All the fabric is pretty durable too, so you should be a little safer in combat."

"Thanks!" I say warmly as I gather the clothes somewhat clumsily and begin to leave.

"One more thing," Tony says, standing up and shouldering the backpack. "When you save my little girl, tell her I said hi."