Project 2512125: The Crusade of a Team of Heroes

Never A Normal Life

Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe

Belle had put on a pair of grey trackpants and a black t-shirt over her lyrca suit. She was sitting on the floor of the Young Avengers hq. The awkwardness hung in the air.

"Do you want anything to eat?" Eli called out from the kitchen. The team could smell something burning, and it didn't smell very appetizing.

Belle shook her head. "Um, no thanks."

"Good choice." whispered Tommy from the couch.

Kate poked her head from around the doorway. "Belle, your room's ready."

"Thanks." Belle smiled and joined Kate. And that left Tommy, Teddy and Billy victim to Eli's 'great' cooking.

Tommy sighed: "She's so hot." he brushed his white hair from his face.

Teddy slung his arm around Billy. Billy huddled closer. "In your dreams, she's way out of your league."

Tommy poked his tongue out at them.

Kate and Belle had come back laughing. The boys looked at her properly for the first time. Her toned body, her dark brown hair that was streaked silver. In some ways, she was irresistable.

"I think it's time we had introductions in place." Eli announced from behind the counter.

He walked back from the kitchen and joined them on the couch. Belle sat in the single chair, looking at them all. A delicate finger twirled a strand of her hair.

Kate looked at Belle. "You okay?"

Belle shrugged, "Yeah, I just don't know how to thank you guys. I don't even know your names."

Tommy stood up, walked up to Belle and offered her a hand. "Tommy Shepherd, Speed, and the coolest person on this team."

Billy shook his head in dismay. Will he ever learn?

Belle shook his hand. "Speed, I like it."

Billy stepped forward. "Billy Kaplan, Wiccan, and this is Teddy Altman, Hulkling." he announced. "And yes, before you ask- we're together."

"Aw." cooed Belle. "Your so cute."

Billy blushed slightly. "Thanks." he said sheepishly.

Tommy played along and grabbed Billy's cheek. "Aw," he repeated as Teddy growled.
"Your adorable when you blush Billykins." he mocked.

"I'm Kate Bishop, Hawkeye." said Kate. interrupting Tommy's little act.

Belle raised an eyebrow, the name a sudden reminder of her past, which had yet to be revealed. "Hawkeye, as in like Clint Barton?"

"No," Kate corrected, "Cap have me the name and the bow. I'm the only one here without powers."

"If only I could share mine." muttered Belle. She received some looks from her new team-mates, but they still didn't get it. She was waiting for when they would; yet again, she didn't. She wanted to live a proper life until it all got taken away.

Eli spoke: "Eli Bradley, Patriot. And I'm the leader of this team."

Belle nodded. She looked around. "Is someone missing?" she said. "The girl who wears Ant-Man's costume except for the really weird helmet which I never saw the point of, and the Vision?"

"Oh," said Billy "Right, that's Cassie Lang. How do you know the Vision? We never really say his name when you think about it, unless your some Avengers nerd like all of us and probably remember the other Vision."

"Let's just say I was very well educated in the ways of the Avengers." Belle said. She put her head in her hands. "Ugh, I can't explain to you guys about my past."

"Why not?" asked Tommy.

"Because it's the the past. I've had a horrible- make that terrible upbringing. Tony Stark, Reed Richards-" she ranted, her personality switching yet again. "Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Cap, Hawkeye, Human Torch, Daredevil, the X-Men, Spiderman-" she cut herself off- her eyes full of tears.

"Are you alright?" asked Eli. He stood up and put an arm on her shoulder. "Do you feel like talking about it?"

Belle shook her head, gave an apologetic smile which lasted a fraction of a second and then she flashed out of the room. It took a few seconds to register what had happened.

Tommy sighed. "I'll go get her. She's probably out of the country or something." He sped off in a gust of wind, leaving the team really confused.

There was silence. No one spoke for about a minute or two, until they realized what had just happened.

"What just happened?" Kate remarked. "Billy?"

Billy shrugged. "Not a clue. Somethings really up with her."

"Where is she?" asked Eli, worried. "Can you cast a locating spell?"

Billy closed his eyes for a second. The glowed the familiar blue. He opened them again. "Who the hell sits atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge...In Australia?"

"On the harbor bridge?" Eli whistled appreciatively. "Is Tommy there yet?"

"Yeah." Billy put his head on Teddy's shoulder. "Let's just hope he figures out what's wrong with her before it's too late."

Sydney Harbour Bridge, Australia

"Belle." Tommy called out. He slowly stepped across the bridge, trying not to fall. It'd be one hell of a death, not a very noble one at that.

Belle knew it was Tommy. It had to be him. Her hand flew out to her left and a force-bubble appeared on either side of him.

He trusted Belle. Completely. He didn't know why, but he did. He quickly walked to her and sat down.

The warm, but not uncomfortable Australian breeze moved her hair around. Her eyes were focused on the Opera House, her legs were swinging in some sort of rhythm.

Belle cast a look to Tommy. Her eyes quickly flashed back their original emerald shade. "Tommy." she nodded curtly

"What's wrong?" he asked. He put an arm on her leg, "Please everyone's really worried about you. You just stormed off."

"I beg to differ." she scoffed. "When I tell you my real history, you'll send me back to Iron Man like that." she snapped her finger, and a small flame appeared, and her eyes flashed a soft, mellow golden colour.

Tommy gave her a quizzical look. "Are you alright?"

She paused, only slightly. "Can I tell you something?" she asked. "I want to tell you first- the others might not react the same."

He absent-mindedly traced his finger up and down her thigh. "Sure, go ahead."

She took a deep breath, preparing herself. "Everyone gets their powers somehow, if it's by accident or they were born with it, or it was given to them by some means. For me, it wasn't any of them. I was created for my powers only." she paused for a moment to look at the silent speedster sitting calmly next to her.

"I'm not getting it." said Tommy. This girl was a mystery in itself.

"I have no collection of my past," she continued, closing her eyes. Her past to hurtful. "I know nothing of my life before I received my powers. And the reason I don't is because of Reed and Tony. They wiped my memory...a 'clean slate' if you like."

"You know, I'm still not getting what your trying to say Belle." Tommy said, confused to what she was trying to explain. She wasn't making any sense whatsoever. She might as well have spoken in riddles.

"I was created." Belle said loudly, her voice was carried along in the breeze. "Tony Stark and Reed Richards made me. They altered my genes to suit their own purposes."

"Can you start that again?" A blue hover disc slowly appeared in front of the duo.

And without a doubt stood Billy, his hands outstretched with an electrical blue light. Next to him sat an uncomfortable looking Eli and Kate. Cassie and Vision, unknown to all of them, were off with the Mighty Avengers as part of their part time team alliance. Their cover up was Vision was going to spend time with But, with Cassie's family. Teddy in his Hulkling form flying overhead- it looked pretty cool from Tommy's point of view.

"Billy? What are you guys doing?" Tommy tried to say.

Billy brought the disc they were on closer.

"We came to understand." said Kate. "We only came on this disc cause Billy didn't think it was a great idea just to teleport onto the harbour bridge cause we might scare the hell out of you. Oh and Teddy wanted to 'stretch his wings' out." she added as the team joined Belle and Tommy on the bridge. "And now I feel sick."

Billy shook his head in amusement. "We're here in one piece aren't we?"

"Only just." Eli grumbled.

"So I suppose you want to know about me, right?" Belle said. The Young Avengers nodded. "It started when I was 7 or 8, I don't really know. I don't remember anything, only what Susan managed to tell me. But when I was 7, Tony and Reed started to experiment on me."

"Experiment on you?" Teddy exclaimed. "How did they even get you in the first place? Why you? Where were you parents?" his eyes were full of concern.

"Like I said, when I was 7, Reed and Tony supposedly killed or kidnapped my parents-" she had a tear in her eye. They all noticed her sadness at something she couldn't remember.

Eli had a sympathetic look on his face. "Belle- We're sorry, we didn't know."

She wiped it away and continued, the team still silent, listening to her story. "With my parents dead, Reed and Tony had full range- no-one to stop them with their crazy plan." Suddenly, Belle made her hand burst into flames, the Young Avengers yelped in surprise.

"What are you doing!" Kate said, eyeing the girl carefully.

"Who does that remind you of?" she asked. "I'm making this slightly easier to understand."

"Johnny Storm, Human Torch." said Billy proudly. Tommy gave him a look of disapproval, shaking his head.

Belle nodded, "And what about my speed?" she questioned. Tommy would know this one straight off, she thought to herself.

Tommy put his hand in the air eagerly. "Oh! I got this one!" he said in excitement.

"Yes Tommy," said Belle. "Who do you think?"

"Quicksilver." he answered arrogantly. "Or as Billy would say, my uncle."

Belle's eyes widened at Tommy's comment. "You and Billy are the Scarlet Witch's twins?"

"Debatable," said Tommy. "If we're being held at gunpoint or being chased by evil authorities, no. But otherwise, yes we are."

"Well," she muttered, "That explains a lot."

"But was I right?" Tommy asked her. "Quicksilver? This is game is really fun...sort of."

"Yes," Belle answered. She didn't know why Tommy thought this was fun. It was serious. "Speed like Quicksilver." She looked around her, trying to find another way to tell the team about her. "Okay, what about this." she stood up and walked across the thin platform. It was only thin, yet she danced over it like a ballerina, not once stumbling or flinging her arms out for support.

"Cool." Billy remarked in awe as she did a small cartwheel and quickly jumped down onto a lower bar, swung upside down.

She grinned and used her upper body strength to swing back up and plopped back down next to Tommy and Teddy. "So what does that remind you of?"

"Where is this going?" Eli said bossily, "What are you trying to tell us?"

"I know this one!" Kate said, over ruling Eli's complaint. She poked her tongue out at Teddy who looked like he was going to answer. "Judging by your acrobatic skills - either Hawkeye or maybe the Daredevil."

Belle nodded. These guys were good. "You guys are complete nerds. But yes, Hawkeye and Daredevil."

"Can you tell us why your doing this?" said Billy.

"Because," said Belle slowly. "They're me-" the team gave her a look that was either of shock or they still didn't understand. "I said that I was a genetic project didn't I. Well, Reed and Tony collected genetic material from superheroes for a quite a while. Either by force, or willingly."

She looked again at the stunned team, wondering if anything she had said made any sense at all to them.

They didn't even blink. Well, at least they're breathing, Belle thought positively.

She sighed, how was she meant to join this team and put up with their lack of deduction skills? It was like talking to a bunch of kindergarten kids.

She couldn't deal with the suspense they were creating. "Reed and Tony collected genetic material from superheroes," she repeated. "They got a blank canvas, or in other words, me, and transfer ed the material somehow, and...yeah." she finished, pointing at herself lamely.

"Oh my god." whispered Eli, "Is that why-"

"Why I am so like many superheroes? Why I nearly burnt your asses when you first met me?" she finished for him. "Yeah, that's why."

"Now, that is cool." said Tommy in awe.

Belle shook her head, they didn't understand. "No, it's not."

Billy was surprised, "Why wouldn't it be?" If he had the powers she had, he'd be so excited.

"My life has been hijacked Billy- I've never had a normal life. I've never been to school, I've lived under the protection of Reed and Tony for as long as I can remember. At first their plan went wrong. I blew up Avengers Tower, which no-one noticed cause Wanda Maximoff fixed it, I trashed Iron Man's armour with supernova flames- I was uncontrollable." said Belle, not looking the team directly in the eyes. She was ashamed. "I also suffer from multi-personalities."

"Then what happened?" Kate asked, she was intrigued by her story. "How did they 'calm' you down?"

"They needed to make me more human, less machine. So Wanda volunteered to provide a base genetic personality, which I don't think is even possible cause last time I checked, personality is very little based on genetics, from herself."

Tommy and Billy fell unusually silent. The girl in front of them had the same base personality as their mother.

"The Scarlet Witch?" Tommy said placidly. "Yeah, her personality is so going to calm you down." he added sarcastically.

"Yeah," Belle said. "I know all of this is hard to deal with- that's why I'm going back to The Avengers Tower. You guys don't need a could be insane, wanna-be super villain to look after. I could change personality in an instant. Courtesy of Reed and Tony." she stood up. "I'll see you again...maybe."

"Belle!" Tommy said. A tiny hint of desperateness in his voice. "Don't do this."

"You can stay." Teddy sort of pleaded. "Just because you were created doesn't mean you can't join the team."

She once again, shook her head, the breeze whipping her hair from her face. "I couldn't do this to you. Reed suspects that I'm still alive- and he's probably blurted to Tony by now. Chances are that Tony will come to get me back, and you might get hurt."

"No." Billy said firmly, "We'll protect you." he announced. "We won't let Iron Man take you. There's 8 of us, including you...well make that 6 cause I can't guarantee what Vision and Cassie motives are-"

"In short." cut in Tommy. He stood up cautiously and faced Belle. "Don't go."

She smiled weakly. "Are you sure."

Kate nodded. "Yes, I mean Iron Man is some rich, big headed guy who made a suit of armor and claimed to be a superhero. How hard can he be?"

Please review if you want another chapter.

Note: This story isn't going to be overruled by Belle, and she won't become some Mary Sue character. She's going to join the team, and a lot of disasters to follow. I'm writing chapter 9 right now and this will eventually tie in with Avenger Children's Crusade, but with a slight twist and appearances from many Avengers and other characters; first will be from of course Iron Man and Mister Fantastic. If you'd like a particular character (Avenger, X-Man or Villain) to feature in the story, just tell me. Chances are they're already going to be in it considering the line-up I have.

So, I'm going to change the summary of this story frequently as soon as another chapter is up. Also I changed the title altogether, Project 2512125: The Crusade of a Team of Heroes. It'll make more sense further in the story. So, review!