I looked around at the scorched, black earth surrounding me. The sounds of the Chitauri just above my head. I stared in horror at seeing New York City in shambles.
I slowly walked and took in the destruction that was currently happening in front of my eyes. I felt my foot hit something and I fell face first into the scorched ground. What did I just trip on?
I looked behind me and my jaw dropped seeing a broken red, white, and blue shield with the star in the middle. The broken shield is still attached to its owner.
"Cap!" I scrambled to move over to him. I moved him to his back and I could see dirt and blood covering Steve's face.
"Cap, wake up! Come on!" I shouted and shook him. No response. Tears began to form in my eyes. Steve Rogers was dead.
"Sparks?" I stood up hearing Tony's weak voice.
"Tony?!" I yelled and stumbled in the direction his voice came from.
Nearby some rubble I spotted the red and yellow armor. I rushed over to Tony's side. His helmet was off and his Iron Man armor was broken. He too had dirt and blood on his face.
I kneeled down next to Tony and grabbed his hand, "Tony, hang on! You have to hang on! You'll be okay! We'll get out here!" I said frantically.
Tony's eyes looked dull and the last remaining bit of life on a thread. "We needed you, sparks. What happened to you?" Tears fell down my cheeks as I gripped his hand.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't get back. I couldn't be here for you. Any of you." I held back a sob. I softly gasped as Tony's hand and head went limp. His eyes no longer showed any signs of life.
"Tony! No, you can't leave me!" I yelled.
"What a shame." I turned my head around to see Thanos.
Anger quickly replaced the grief I was feeling. I stood up and glared at the Mad Titan.
"You…you did this!" I yelled.
"I restored balance to this planet. All of your friends that stood in my way, are gone." He gestured around us. I looked around and the scenery was different now. My heart dropped seeing all of the Avengers bodies surrounding me. Everyone…
"You could have helped them, but you abandoned them." I shook my head.
"No, I didn't want to leave." I said softly at first, "I didn't choose to leave!" I yelled.
I shot up in bed now wide awake. My chest heaved as I took frantic breaths. I looked around to see that I was in Bruce's bedroom. I could see sunlight shine under the black out curtains. I sighed in relief. It was just a nightmare. Images of the Avengers' bodies flashed in my head. A very realistic nightmare at that.
I took a shaky breath and rubbed my face with my hands. It had been a while since I've had a nightmare. This was a new one though. I hadn't had this one before.
"Mel?" I was broken out of my thoughts hearing Bruce's voice. I looked over my shoulder to see him squinting at me. He had just woken up himself.
"Something wrong?" He asked out of concern.
I swallowed, "Just a nightmare. I'll be fine." Bruce frowned and pushed himself up with one arm.
"Do you want to talk about it?" I looked back down at my lap and fiddled my fingers.
I shook my head, "Not really." I spoke softly. I heard the sound of sheets moving and felt movement.
I felt Bruce's arms wrap around me and kissed my temple, "That bad?" He asked quietly.
I bit my lip as the image of Tony dying in my arms popped up. I could feel my eyes start to water just thinking of it. I simply just nodded my head.
Bruce moved one hand on my head and pulled me into him. I leaned into his embrace and I felt him hold me tighter.
He kissed the top of my head, "You're okay. It wasn't real." He soothed softly.
"It felt real." I muttered.
"I know, Mel. I know." He comforted me. His thumb gently rubbed on my arm in a soothing way.
We stayed like that for who knows how long. Neither Bruce nor I said anything. He's talked about having these same kinds of nightmares in the past. He knew exactly how real they felt and how terrifying they could be.
Bruce's phone going off interrupted the silence in the room. He gave out a sigh through his nose. He leaned back and grabbed his cell phone from the nightstand.
"Bruce." He answered. I couldn't really make out what exactly the other person was saying.
"Alright. I'll be right there." He hung up the line and placed his phone back on the nightstand.
"That was Fox. The suit's done. He wants me to head over to Wayne Enterprises. Are you going in today?" Bruce asked and loosely placed his arms around me again.
I shook my head, "No, Mr. Fox told me to take an extended weekend. I don't have to go in until Monday." Bruce nodded slowly.
"Will you be okay by yourself?" I smiled and leaned over to briefly kiss him on the lips.
I broke off the kiss, "I'll be fine. We worked hard on designing that suit. I'd like to see you wear it."
Bruce smiled, "I'm looking forward to wearing it." Bruce pulled me into another kiss.
He broke the kiss and got out of bed. I laid back against the headboard and watched as he got ready.
"I'll head back as soon as I can with the new suit." Bruce said. He walked towards me while adjusting his wrist cuff.
He placed a hand on top of the headboard and placed his other on my cheek. He gently turned my head to him and gingerly kissed my forehead.
"Take it easy today. I'll see you when I get back. I love you." He said gently.
"I love you too." He smiled and gave one last quick kiss before grabbing his blazer jacket.
"I'll never get tired of hearing that." He said and slipped his arms through the jacket.
"Better hope I don't get tired of saying it." I teased with a playful smirk.
Bruce chuckled with a grin, "I know you won't. I'll let Alfred know you're staying. He should be here soon." He said and left through the bedroom door.
I leaned back and listened as I could hear car keys being grabbed and the door opening then shutting. I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath. That nightmare made me think of what was happening over in my world at this moment. How many other members of the Avengers turned into dust like me?
I shook my head from the thought. I need to get that nightmare out of my head. I threw the comforter off of me and got out. I walked over to the dresser drawer that had my clothes in it. I opened it and grabbed a pair of workout clothes.
I know Bruce said to take it easy today but that was exactly the opposite of what I wanted to do. Tonight's the night we get Penguin. That and this will help me get over the nightmare.
Beads of sweat trickled down my forehead as I sent a set of punches at the sandbag. I had been going at it for hours now. My powers gave me a lot of energy which meant a lot of stamina. Most normal humans would have called it quits by now.
I had my playlist blaring over the speakers on the gym in the Batcave the entire time. The current one being played is Three Days Grace's Animal I Have Become. I gave the sandbag another series of punches before ending it with a hard kick.
"Any louder and you'll begin to go deaf, Miss Moser!" I heard Alfred yell over the music.
I turned to see Alfred standing just past the door with a silver tray. I gave him a sheepish grin and walked over to the remote. I turned off the music and grabbed the towel from the bench.
"Sorry Alfred." I wiped the sweat away from my face.
Alfred set the tray down on the nearby weight bench, "You've been doing your workout for hours now. I thought you might want some snacks and refreshments." I walked over and raised an eyebrow.
"Cookies? You do realize that's counter intuitive." I said with an amused grin on my face.
"Well seeing the pace you're going at it, the calories won't count." I chuckled.
"It'll be an after-workout snack." I stated.
I hung my towel over the barbell and walked over to the pull up bar. "Master Wayne has returned. He attempted to reach you but I believe you couldn't hear it over this ruckus."
I chuckled, "It's called rock music, Alfred." I jumped up and grabbed hold of the bar.
"It sounded more like noise than music." I rolled my eyes as I started my pull ups.
Alfred took his leave and I saw Bruce walk in as he left. "So much for taking it easy today." He commented with a smirk.
"We're going after Penguin tonight. I can't take it easy today." I grunted as I continued the pull ups. I didn't miss seeing Bruce's eyes following my body as it moved.
"How long have you been doing this?" Bruce asked as he walked closer.
"A few hours." I answered. I did one last set before dropping down from the bar.
Bruce raised a brow, "Hours? You're not tired?" He asked.
"I constantly have electricity flowing through my body. I could go for at least two more hours and just begin to feel tired. I'm basically the energizer bunny." I compared myself.
I walked back to the weight bench and grabbed the towel, "How'd you like the suit?" Bruce grinned.
"You and Fox outdid yourselves. That fiber you made is a featherweight compared to the Kevlar. I can move a lot faster now." Bruce stated.
"Good, that's what I was going for. I'm gonna hit the shower then we can go over the plan tonight." I hung the towel around my neck.
Bruce gave a suggestive smirk, "I think I'll join you. I got my own workout trying on the new suit." A blush flushed across my cheeks. Sure we had gotten intimate, and I mean very intimate, in my office the other day but not all of our clothing was removed.
I had my eyes closed as the warm water soothed my muscles from the serious workout. Bruce had yet to come in himself. He had gotten a call from work. Apparently the board is supposed to be meeting again soon.
My heart hammered against my chest and I could feel it tighten. Just at the thought of not being alone in the shower soon. I wouldn't seem like it but I'm pretty self-conscious with all of the scars covering my body. Sure, they were faint thanks to my accelerated healing but deep enough ones would still scar. I had stopped wearing a two piece swimsuit years ago to the beach because of them.
I jumped at the sudden feeling of a hand on my shoulder. I heard Bruce chuckle behind me, "I'm starting to notice a trend here. I don't mean to startle you, Mel."
"Someone as big as you should not be allowed to be that quiet at sneaking." I argued. I looked over my shoulder to look at him.
His dark hair was matted from the water hitting it. He had a small smirk on his face and his hazel eyes glinted with mischief.
"I wasn't even trying. When I'm meaning to be stealthy, you won't know I'm even there." He stated.
"My point still stands." I turned my head back around to face the water.
I felt a shiver go down my body when I felt Bruce trace my scar on my lower back. That one was by far my biggest scar. It started from the base of my spine diagonally across to my right side.
"I told you. I'm riddled with scars." I said softly.
"How did you get it?" He asked. He continued to trace the scar with two fingers.
"I got it when the Avengers spent months in Europe and Asia tracking down Hydra personnel. Guy had a knife and I saw it too late. Believe it or not but the scarring would have been worse if it wasn't for a medical machine that helped create new cells." I explained.
My breath hitched in my throat as I felt one of his hands trail up my spine. His other hand rested on my hip and I felt him trying to turn me around.
"You're not the only one riddled with scars, Mel." Bruce said gently.
I let Bruce turn me around to face him. He had several scars around his abdomen and sides. He probably had more along his back. Most of them looked like cuts but I could see what looked like a gunshot wound that scarred over long ago.
I lifted my hand and lightly traced the scar. I heard Bruce hold his breath and his muscles twitched from the touch.
"I thought your armor protected you from gunshots?" I questioned him.
"I sacrificed protection for more mobility in the last suit. I knew the risks. Gordon's family was taken years ago and instead of Gordon taking the shot, I did." My eyes widen slightly hearing that.
"Well now I feel even better knowing that spider silk fiber will offer better protection." I said as I laid my palm flat on the scar.
I could feel Bruce's intense gaze on me. I looked up and met him in the eyes. His eyes flickered down to my lips before returning back to my eyes. I leaned forward and put my arms around his neck to pull him down slightly.
Our lips met and the kiss started off slow. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled our bodies together. The kiss began to get more passionate and fervorous. I felt myself getting picked up and my back arched as it met the cold shower wall.
I heard a groan from Bruce feeling my body press up against his. He began to trail kisses and love bites down my neck. I leaned my head in a direction so he had better access. My hands were tangled in his wet hair.
A moan escaped from me when I felt him nip and suck at my skin on the crook of my neck. Bruce's mouth immediately went back to mine and I felt him press his lower half harder against mine. I felt something hard press into my inner thigh.
Before I could even register what was happening below, I could feel Bruce's tongue skim along my lips. I answered him by allowing his tongue further access. This enlisted a groan from the man. His hips buck forward and I let out a sudden gasp at the feeling of him at the entrance of my lower half.
Bruce stopped the kiss for a moment. He searched my eyes for permission. He had done the same thing back at my office as well. I gave him a slight nod.
He captured me in another deep kiss and at the same time he thrusted forwards. I moaned into the kiss at the feeling of him. He let out a groan of his own as he pressed me more against the shower wall. His hands were now roaming my body now that they weren't responsible for holding me up.
Bruce separated from the kiss and put his head at the crook of my neck. He started to move and set a rhythm. My hands went to his back and my fingers dug into the skin of his shoulder blades as he sped up.
He grunted and braced his hands against the wall to try and go deeper. I had my legs tightly crossed his midsection trying to achieve the same goal.
I could feel that familiar build up in my core. My body was wanting that release and I could tell from Bruce's fastened pace that so was he.
"Bruce." My voice moaned his name. I heard that familiar almost growl come from him.
He placed his lips on mine to muffle the next moan coming from me as he bucked his hips harder.
"Mel, if you say my name like that again. I won't be able to control myself." Bruce warned with a strained voice. I already knew what he meant by that. I really need to look into birth control.
At this point my body was begging for release and it wasn't happening. Bruce must have sensed my frustration because he took one of his hands that was braced against the wall and now placed between our interlocked bodies.
I clawed at his back when I felt his fingers touch the sensitive area of my lower half. He fastened and increased the strength of the rhythm. With those combined things I moaned and felt my body shudder as my body finally got the release it was wanting.
Bruce let out a groan at the feeling. He pulled out and grunted against my neck as his body reached his own release.
I unhooked my legs from his midsection and placed my feet back on the shower's tile floor. Bruce still had his head at the crook of my neck. I could feel his heavy breaths hit my skin. I trailed my hands from his shoulders down to his chest. I could feel his rapid heart beat against my hand. My body felt numb to the warm water still pelting us from the shower head.
Bruce moved his head and leaned his forehead against mine. I could see that his eyes were closed.
"You have no idea how amazing you are, Mel." He whispered.
"I think you stole my line." A grin broke out on his face. He opened his eyes and I could see the love they held.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
My lenses were zoomed in as I watched Penguin get into the white car. He said something to the driver and then the car pulled out onto the street. I was currently on an adjacent roof. Bruce was heading to a different roof top.
"He's gone." I said in the comms.
"I'm almost in position. Get ready to cut the power." I heard Bruce's unaltered voice in my ear.
"Got it." I jumped off the building and threw my board below me. I headed towards the back of the large skyscraper building. Penguin's penthouse home was at the top.
I hopped off my board and walked to the power box sitting next to the building. I could hear the hum from the electricity flowing through it.
"I'm here. Whenever you're ready." I stated.
"I'm in position. Call it out."
"Alright. Building going dark in 3," I lifted my hand towards the power box, "2," My electricity started to attach itself to the power box, "1." I placed my palm on the box. Electricity began to pour from out of the box and onto my hand and up my arm.
I could feel the power surge through my body as I absorbed all the electricity that's used to power the skyscraper. I looked up at the building and watched as it suddenly went dark. I pulled my hand back and the occasional bolt of electricity danced around my body. Signaling I was holding a significant amount of charge. Blue electricity crackled in my right hand as I built up a charge. I fired it at the power box to permanently fry it.
"That's your queue, Batman." I said into our comms.
I stepped back onto my board and shot back up to the sky. I could hear the sound of glass breaking followed by men yelling. Batman has made his entrance.
I flew around to the side of the building and I could see the broken window. Thanks to my night vision I could see Batman already making quick work of some of Penguin's security.
I lined up my board with the window, "Duck!" I yelled and instantly sent a burst of electricity to my board. I shot forward and Batman ducked down as I flew over his head. I raised my board up and struck one of the men in the head with it.
I jumped off my board and twisted my body for my foot to kick the board. I sent electricity to my foot to power up the kick. My board got sent flying and upper cut another one of the men. I held my palm out and my board immediately came back to me in its compact form.
"It's both of them!" I heard one guy yell.
Many of the men raised their guns at us. I quickly grabbed one of my magnetizing disks. I threw it into the air and shot a bolt at it. At the same time, I sent a stream of electricity to magnetize the guns in their hands. The sudden magnetic pull caused the guns to collect at my magnetic disk.
"Sorry but no guns allowed." I quipped as the men looked shocked.
Now that they were disarmed Batman charged in and quickly subdued five of the security guards with ease. I raised my brows behind my mask.
"Wow. You really do move faster now." I noted. Batman turned his head slightly to me. I could see the smirk on his face for a split second before it turned serious.
"Behind you!" His altered voice called out.
I turned around and ducked in time at the hit aimed for my head. I placed my hand on the man's abdomen before sending a quick electrical charge through my hand.
The man's body suddenly jerked back and went skidding across the floor. A trail of blue electricity faded in the air from the contact.
I looked over to Batman, "Thanks," Two men with knives charged for Batman, "now it's your turn." Batman raised his arm guards up and blocked both nine inch blades.
In one quick motion he broke off the blades with sharpened glaives of the arm guards. He sent quick punches to both of their guts. He elbowed one and punched the other in the jaw. Both the men collapsed onto the floor.
"Thanks." I nodded and looked around.
"Looks like that's it. Penguin will be here in a half hour. You got the statue?" Batman reached behind his back underneath his cape. He pulled his hand out to show the ruby penguin.
"Now to find the rest of them." Batman stated.
"We probably want to move these guys out of the way first." I said and pushed one of the unconscious men with my foot.
"Here." I quickly caught the ruby statue as Batman tossed it, "You start looking for the other ones. I'll start cleaning this up." He instructed.
"You do all the heavy lifting? No argument there." I joked which earned a chuckle from Batman. Bruce's chuckle sounded very weird while being distorted from the voice synthesizer.
I held the ruby statue in one hand and began to investigate the penthouse. Now where would I keep expensive figurines of my favorite animal if I was Penguin? I stopped at the dark hallway and tilted my head as I looked down.
I slowly started to walk down the dark hallway. I came to a door that had a security lock on the outside. I placed one hand on the handle and the other on the security box. The dark hallway lit up as I sent an electrical surge through it. I heard a click come from the door and I turned the handle to open the door.
I let the door swing open and stood just under the door frame. A security locked office is a perfect place. There was a large desk in the center of the room with a closed laptop on it. Behind it were display cases.
I let out a low whistle. Penguin was not kidding when he said he had an affiliation with penguins. The display case was filled with multiple things that resembled the flightless bird. My eyes caught on the other three statues. The jadeite, gold, and diamond statues sat next to each other on one of the shelves.
I walked over and opened the glass door. I placed the ruby statue beside the diamond one. After all, Gotham PD thinks Penguin stole the ruby statue from Bruce. I closed the glass door and turned my attention to the laptop.
I pulled the office chair out and let the vibranium recede down to below my chin. I opened the laptop and powered it on. My face was lit up as the blue screen turned on. It was charged.
I pressed the spacebar and a password prompt appeared on the screen. Of course it would be. Too bad Penguin, passwords don't mean much for me. I placed a finger on the USB drive of the laptop and sent a quick jolt.
"Athena, bypass the password." I instructed the AI.
"Working on it." I heard the AI's voice through my earpiece.
I watched on the screen as it flickered before the desktop popped up. Of course the background was of penguins.
"What is with people in this world and going literal with their names?" I muttered under my breath.
"I heard that." I jumped hearing Batman's voice come from the left.
"Stop doing that!" I hissed at him. I didn't even know he walked into the room let alone standing next to me.
I could see the amused smirk on his lips, "I warned you didn't I?" I rolled my eyes and began to look in files.
"What are you doing?" He asked and looked at the screen as well.
"I was curious at first but now I want to see how much more dirt we can get on Penguin. The more the better. It'll mean a longer sentence in prison." Batman leaned his gloved hands on the desk and knelt down to see the screen better.
"Find anything?" I shook my head.
"Nothing yet. All done with clean up duty?" I asked but kept my eyes to the screen.
"They're in a broom closet. There," Batman pointed to a file, "Why does Penguin have a file listed under 'Arkham'?"
I moved the mouse cursor and double clicked on the file. Several folders popped up. All the folders had names on them.
"Why are there so many names?" I asked. Batman stayed quiet as he looked at the screen.
"They're all prisoners in the Asylum." I frowned and looked up at his face. He was focused on the screen.
"How do you know that?" Batman pointed to one of the names.
"Jonathan Crane. Scarecrow. I've fought him a couple of times. He was a psych doctor that used a fear toxin gas on his victims. He tried and almost succeeded in spreading that toxin all over Gotham. He now resides in the same place he use to work at."
"A fear toxin gas? That doesn't sound like a fun time." I muttered.
"It really wasn't." I scrolled through the names and stopped.
"Ryan." I whispered seeing the name 'Ryan Hayes' as one of the folders.
I opened the folder and a few automatic pop ups pulled up on the screen. They were mostly news articles. The articles talked about how Batman and Voltess defeated Cyclone. Another one stated he was transferred to Arkham Asylum and labeled as Gotham's first meta-human villain.
"Why is Penguin keeping tabs on all of them?" Batman asked.
I backed out of Ryan's folder, "Not sure." I frowned seeing one folder labeled only as 'John Doe'.
"John Doe? Is that actually somebody's name or are they unidentifiable?" I double clicked the folder. The first thing that popped up was a picture of a guy with dyed green hair with white face make-up, black around his eyes and red lipstick that went up his cheeks to form a smile.
It clicked in my head as I stared at it. He looks like…"A clown? This must be the clown that Penguin mentioned when we talked." Batman looked down at me in alert.
"Penguin mentioned him?" I furrowed my brows. Why did he sound so tense?
"Only once. He said that Cyclone belongs in the Asylum next to the clown. I didn't know he meant an actual clown. Why a clown?" A shiver went down my spine, "I hate clowns." I muttered.
Batman stayed silent but I could tell from his body language that he was angry. His jaw was tense, his hands were now fists, and his whole body was rigid.
"Hey," Batman's eyes flickered to me, "You okay?" I whispered in concern.
He took a deep breath, "You remember me telling you Cyclone is obsessed with you?" I frowned but slowly nodded.
"Well this guy is my version of Ryan Hayes. He calls himself the Joker. He killed a lot of people trying to get me to unmask myself. Including…" He couldn't finish the sentence. He glared down at the floor and I could see his fists shaking slightly from rage.
This Joker guy did something really bad to get this type of rise out of Bruce. What or who could he hav…oh…oh no. My brain connected the two dots.
"He's the one that killed Rachel…isn't he?" He remained silent but gave a small head nod.
I looked back at the screen with a hidden anger behind my eyes. "You have a flash drive on you right?" Batman was snapped out of his daze.
"Yes, why?" I held my hand out.
"I'm going to copy all of this onto it. There's a reason why all these names are on here. There's no time right now to look into it. There is later." He pulled a flash drive from his belt and placed it onto my palm.
I placed the flash drive into the USB port and copied the files. I heard the sound of the front door opening. This grabbed mine and Batman's attention. My mask immediately covered my head once more.
I ejected the flash drive and handed it back to Batman. I closed the laptop and got up from the office chair.
"Hide in the corner." Batman whispered. I nodded and headed to the corner of the office. Batman hid in the one diagonally across from me.
"Where the hell did those lazy guards go? They think that just because a power outage happens they can leave?" I heard Penguin's voice.
"Bad news, boss. Power company says they have no idea what caused the outage." I heard a man's voice say.
"Then why don't you idiots go down there and check yourselves?! If the power actually went out the whole block would be without power! It's only this building." Penguin ordered.
"Yes boss." I heard the sound of shuffling footsteps and the door opening and closing.
"Morons." I heard Penguin scoff.
I stayed quiet as I heard Penguin and the clicks of his umbrella as he walked along the marble floor. The clicks got louder until they stopped. My eyes glanced at the doorframe and saw his foot and umbrella tip step into the office.
"I thought I closed this." He muttered.
He dropped his umbrella in the umbrella stand beside the door. Good, keep that thing away from me. I don't need another bruise from it.
He closed the office door behind him and walked over to his desk. He sat down on his office chair and opened up the laptop. The screen lit up the room slightly behind him. I noticed a small movement come from Batman on the other side.
Penguin stopped what he was doing and frowned. He looked over his left shoulder before turning to his right. I watched him freeze when his eyes caught a glimpse of the ruby statue in the glass case.
"How in the world-" Penguin was caught off guard as Batman appeared behind him.
He slammed Penguin's head onto his desk and easily picked up the smaller man by the collar of his suit jacket. Batman kicked the office chair away from them.
"You didn't think we'd just let you get away, right? Especially, not after your little stunt back at the Iceberg Lounge." I spoke up and walked out from the corner.
Penguin sneered, "It seems my men failed to kill the two of you." Batman reeled back his right arm and sacked Penguin in the jaw while holding him up with one hand.
He dropped Penguin to the floor before kneeling down and grabbing him by his collar again. "You're done, Oswald. You're going away for a long time." Batman growled out.
Penguin laughed, "You really think I'll be there for long? In case you haven't noticed, Batman. I'm rich and money talks here in Gotham. You can put me there but I'll be out by the end of the week."
"We'll see about that." Batman picked him up and I opened the door as he dragged the man out. We finally got him. Getting to him was the hard part, all it took was me getting captured to get the upper hand. Now I see why Nat's favorite strategy during espionage work was letting herself get caught. Bad guys tend to be more talkative when they think you can do anything to them.
I sat cross legged on the loveseat of the penthouse. I had Bruce's laptop on my lap with the flash drive inserted into the USB port.
We had left Penguin in front of the Gotham PD building with a note. The note gave his address and real name. Martin could handle the rest from there.
"You're still up?" I looked up hearing Bruce's voice. He walked into the living room from the direction of the elevator. He had just changed out of the bat suit.
"I'm looking more at the flash drive. There has to be a reason why Penguin had this in the first place." I answered. I looked back at the screen while Bruce walked to the sofa next to the loveseat. He sat himself down and leaned against the armrest.
"You should try and get some sleep." Bruce stated.
I bit my lip at the thought of it. "I'm not tired." I lied. Truth be told, I was exhausted but the thought of closing my eyes to see that nightmare again…I didn't want to go through that again.
I heard Bruce sigh, "Mel." I looked up at him, "Is this about the nightmare you had last night?" He asked gently.
I said nothing and Bruce took that as my answer, "You can't stay awake forever, Mel. You need rest. You used your powers today, I know you have to be tired."
I closed the laptop screen, "I'm scared to close my eyes again." I said honestly.
Bruce leaned over and placed his hand on top of mine, "Do you want to tell me about it now?"
I swallowed hard, "I was back in my world in what use to be New York City. The city was destroyed, things were on fire, and the Chitauri were everywhere. I tripped over something and when I looked back it was Steve. The leader of the Avengers… he was dead. I heard Tony's voice and I ran where I heard him." I could feel my eyes begin to water and a lump formed in my throat.
"He was in just as bad shape as Steve. He told me that the Avengers needed me and why I left. He died in my arms after that. Then Thanos showed up and mocked us for trying to stop him. The Avengers…everyone…my friends were laying dead at my feet. Thanos mocked me for leaving and that's when I woke up." I felt a single tear escape and fall down my cheek.
"I'm scared that it's not just a nightmare. What if my world really is gone?" Bruce removed the laptop from my lap and placed it on the coffee table.
He moved over next to me on the loveseat. He sat sideways so he faced me. He said nothing as he wrapped me in his arms and pulled me into him. I laid my head just under his chin and gripped his shirt in my left hand.
"It was just a bad dream, Mel. I'm sure your world is still there. You told me this Thanos guy wanted to only wipe away half of the population. Not all of it." Bruce comforted and rubbed my arm.
"I hate that he won. Thanos won and the Avengers lost." I muttered.
"Things happen for a reason. It may seem bad now but it'll get better. We would have never met if you won." I deadpanned.
"Don't make me thank Thanos. That's the last thing I would ever admit to." I said in a monotone voice. Bruce chuckled and squeezed me slightly.
He lifted a hand and wiped away the tears that fell, "Everything will be alright as long as we have each other. I love you, Melody Moser." I looked at him with a small smile.
"And I love you Bruce Wayne." He smiled back and gently pulled me into a gentle and loving kiss.
He pulled and ran a hand through my hair, "Come on, let's get you to bed." He said gently. He stood up and offered his hand. I took it and let him lead me back to the bedroom.
Elsewhere…
No One's P.O.V
Tony Stark stood in his living room as he gazed at a photo above the fireplace. He held a glass of whiskey in his left hand with a wedding ring adorning his ring finger. His other hand tucked in his sweatpants pocket.
"Tony?" He turned around hearing his name. Pepper Potts stood at the base of the stairs with her nightgown on. His eyes traveled down to the small bump on her stomach.
"You coming to bed?" She asked her husband.
"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute, hun." Pepper nodded and headed upstairs.
Tony turned back to the picture on the fireplace. It was a picture of himself and Melody at one of the many events they attended. They had their arms around each other's shoulders and gave the peace sign. Melody had her usual teeth showing grin and Tony with his usual cockeyed smirk.
"I wish you were here, sparks. You would have made for one hell of an aunt." Tony went to finish the rest of the whiskey but stopped himself.
He stared back at the picture and placed the glass by the frame. Tony took a step away and a sad smile adorned his face. He turned his back and headed up the stairs to follow his pregnant wife.
AN: Sorry this took longer. This is my very first lemon scene I've written out and I wanted it to be mature but also not too graphic. I'm not sure if I'll write more or not.