Chapter 1 : The unpleasant news
It's been a week since the invasion. The town started recovering from the massive destruction, the news kept talking about the group of heroes who saved the world and everything seemed to continue flowing like nothing happened.
The ones that lost someone dear to them mourned, but soon that mourning passed and they continued living, patching their lives and making their best effort to fix what could be fixed. Everyone did something to help, to give their contribution and to help the so-called Avengers after they helped them greatly and saved the whole world.
At the outskirts of town, in a small motel that was at the edge of crashing down and turning into a pile of rusted metal and woods, Bruce Banner woke up that exact morning.
As soon as the sun appeared on the horizon, and when the first sunlight hit his face, he stirred and his eyelids opened slowly. He stared at the ceiling, trying to adjust his eyes to the light that only became stronger with every passing second. He blinked for a few times and examined the room with his eyes careful and calculating.
When he recognized the place he was currently living in, a frown escaped his lips.
Another motel, another small, dirty room for him to live in...
No, to survive in.
Because the life he led couldn't be called a life. He only did what he had to to survive and to make it though another day.
He sat up lazily, rubbing his eyes and trying to wipe out the sleep from them. The dark circles were forming under his eyes from the lack of sleep as the horrible nightmares haunted him every night. No matter how many of them he had or how many times they repeated themselves, he still couldn't get used to them. No one would.
He brushed his hand through his dark locks and with an emotionless mask on his face he proceeded to the bathroom to start yet another monotone day.
The months passed and his day fell into the same routine: take a bath, brush your teeth, eat, read newspaper and start some dull research on the non-existing or rather pathetic equipment.
And no matter how much he wanted to change that, how much he wanted to get out of that life, to live, to breath!...
... He didn't believe he deserved it.
He believed that he deserved the suffering and nightmares. That it was his way to pay for all the lives he took and all the places he destroyed.
That was the only thing that kept him from changing something in his life.
He was snapped out of his thoughts as the phone rang, it's ringing echoing through the silent room. He placed the mug filled with tea on the table and lazily moved towards the phone, looking rather skeptical about it.
"Hello?" He whispered hesitantly as he picked up the phone, waiting for the person on the other side to speak.
"Dr. Banner, we need you to come in."
He immediately froze as he recognized the voice on the other side of the line and almost dropped the phone at the seriousness of the other man's tone.
Nick Furry
"Sir, why do you need me? Is there another invasion?" Steve asked in a slightly panicking voice as his eyes examined the city for a few seconds. He was currently in his apartment as he had just returned from the morning jog.
He searched for any sign of threatening chaos and alien invasion, but as nothing was seen, he shifted all his attention on the person on the other line, still tensed and alarmed to a certain degree.
"No, Captain, there is no invasion. However, the Avengers need to have a meeting." Fury's stern voice was heard from the other side and Steve relaxed only a tiny bit.
He wasn't happy to admit that the whole 'Avenger' thing was too much for him.
Trying to fit in, in the world, was hard, but trying to fit in with a group of people with extraordinary powers and issues was even harder.
With world, he can lock himself out in his apartment and stay isolated, but with the Avengers he has to be the strong, all-mighty leader... And sometimes he hates being that.
He hates being the one to pull the strings, to keep everyone in line and to be their support.
Sometimes he needed someone to be his support and backbone.
"Sir, and why do we have a meeting, if I may know?" He asked, politely as always, as the man on the other side of the line waited for him to speak.
"You will see. Just be at the Stark Tower in three hours."
With that, the line went dead and Steve continued staring at the phone with empty look in his eyes.
Tons of thoughts filled his mind, but after pushing them back into the dark corners of his mind, he snapped out of that mood and started packing his stuff, not wanting to waste any more time or come in late and ruin his reputation.
Glancing at the clock on the table a few feet away from him and calculating how much time he would need to get to the Stark Tower, he decided to take a quick shower and pack only the needed things.
Something deep inside him told him that he would be needing the clothes for a few days.
The sun moved lazily over the horizon and by the time he was done, two hours had passed and he was driving towards the Stark Tower. The now busy streets were filled with traffic but he enjoyed the free time when his mind could wonder around, taking everything in.
But that particular day, something was eating him inside out. He had a bad feeling and his whole gut started spinning since the moment Fury called them in.
It was hard for him to admit that even though he was never the one to disobey the rules, he wanted to skip that meeting so badly. He wanted to stay home, to wallow in self-pity and then to welcome the blissful sleep without dreams.
But the sense of duty and honor was too strong and he found himself on his motor bike before he realized what he did.
The sharp sound of sirens snapped him out of his thoughts and pressing the brakes, he realized he was in front of the Stark Tower.
Well Steve, here comes nothing.
Taking a deep breath, he parked the bike and taking his beg he reached for the door, entering the massive building and spotting the smiling receptionist.
"Mr. Stark and the others will come here shortly. Would you like something to drink?"
"No, thank you." Natasha replied shortly and flashed a fake smile to the young employee who smiled back at her kindly and skipped over to the elevator, going back to her work-place.
The smile dropped from her face as the young woman got out of her sight and she collapsed on the couch, rubbing her sore shoulder with a slight grimace on her face.
The bruises and cuts ,that were now safely wrapped with bandages, were fresh, only a few hours old.
You can imagine her reaction when Fury called her after a mission and inquired her presence on the meeting.
It included a lot of swearing. In Russian.
She closed her eyes for a second, after determining that no one was near, and a sigh escaped her lips. She tried to hold her mask on all the time, but after the whole invasion thing, it only got harder.
She was more aware of her emotions, such as love, anger.. fear.
She can say for sure that for the first time in her life she was afraid of what might happen on the meeting. And no matter how much she wanted to hide it, the all present feeling of weakness was eating her out.
At a faint sound of footsteps, she snapped her eyes open and her eyes met with Clint's careful one. With one glance they exchanged a silent greeting and he sat next to her, waiting for the others in silence.
The room started filling with people, and of course the one who came the last was Stark, with a glass of scotch in his hand.
"Stark, you're late."
"Hey there, Eye-patch. I had an important meeting, Pepper wouldn't let me skip it so I had to stay." He flashed them a wide smirk and placed himself next to the slightly nervous Bruce Banner. He only cast him a glance and a small smile, which was returned with a faint nod from the nervous doctor.
"Now that we are all here, I have some news for you."
"There is no threat, right Sir?"
"No Rogers, there is no threat. This is about something else." Fury said, his voice becoming quiet at the end as he paused to look at each one of them. Most of them squirmed under his gaze, except for the two trained assassins.
"Well speak up before I fall asleep." Tony's witty comment was hear which earned him a groan and a 'shut up' from a pissed off red haired woman.
Casting one last look towards his new team, Fury closed his eye and took a deep breath.
"From this day on, the six of you will have to..."
They leaned forwards in their seats, waiting for him to finally say it out loud.
"... Live together."
And all hell broke lose.
A/N: I am so sorry for the late update. Although I had this chapter prepared in my head, I had some family problems and I couldn't write. But I hope I'm back for good. Anyways, I need your opinion. I want to know which POV you would like to read in the next chapter. You can vote for four days (the voting ends at 15 November) because then I have to start writing it.
Also, I need at least four review to update. Sorry, but that's the deal. More reviews, faster update.
Peace out :)
Horizon.