Eye Contact
(Author's note- God, being sick sucks. But alas, I'm still here updating this stupid thing no one is reading... Enjoy!)
Melissa sighed, flexing her right arm and testing it for serious injury. One of the more competent goons had had the foresight to bring a gun to the skirmish alongside the Hand's stereotypical knives and swords. Only one good shot was managed, and all it did was hit the wall behind her and spray some shrapnel her way. No doubt the man regretted his decision when it earned him an arrow through the thigh.
Speak of the devils, one of the goons began yelling a threat from where he was tied up on the ground. Well, Melissa assumed it was a threat, it was hard to decipher through her hearing aids and the impromptu gag she had shoved in his mouth.
"Sweetheart, did me giving you a concussion, breaking your leg, tying you up, and gagging you not make you think, 'Hm, maybe she doesn't want to speak to me?'" the archer teased.
When the curses muffled by the rag continued, Melissa shrugged. "Oh well, I did warn you." A sharp blow to the temple with her bow promptly knocked the thug out, ending the yelling.
As Melissa was preparing to alert SHIELD for pick up and head home for a well deserved drink, a mechanical buzzing from the end of the alley put her on high alert. Notching an arrow, the agent was prepared to launch the explosive at the floating machine behind her before a familiar holographic person appeared.
Disgust splayed across Melissa's face. She sneered at the figure, "Wow Stark, you've moved beyond hiding behind a suit, to just plain not showing up at all. Why am I not surprised?"
"Please, Black Arrow. Hear me out."
The tone in Thalia's voice gave Melissa a pause. She sounded exhausted, the type of deflated someone is when they've been through something intense. The hologram stood beside armor that was sparking and completely ripped through in some places. Yeah, intense was definitely the right word.
The lack of interruption from the Barton allowed Thalia to continue. "I have a drop ship coming in a minute. I need you to get on it. It'll take you to the mansion."
Melissa mentally freaked out at thoughts of the mansion. Of having a family. Of her family being ripped away.
"No way," Melissa stated, "am I joining a B-list young Avengers. SHIELD tried to start that shit forever ago and look how well that turned out."
Frustrated, Thalia begged, "Listen Barton, that's not it. Please get in the ship, and I'll explain everything when you land."
Considering, Black Arrow finally answered, "Fine, but I'm not responsible if these guys get out while I'm gone."
An awkward silence enveloped the plane. The two inhabitants each grasped at something to say but always ended up dropping it. Because what do you say to someone you haven't seen in nine years? Thalia could have brought up Melissa would be carpooling
Fortunately for Melissa the silence was only contained between her and the other person in the ship. Unfortunately it was getting increasingly difficult to avoid looking at the bags under his eyes, the rips in his clothes, and the overall unhealthiness his body portrayed. God, out of all of them, Liam had really been the one to let himself go.
At least she had a crisp white bandage covering the small cut her arm had been sporting. While the exchange after she stepped into and sat in the plane and Liam had taken it upon himself to play medic when he saw she was hurt was uncomfortable, Melissa had to admit he definitely had his father's talent with medicine. No words had been exchanged besides the gentle prodding by Liam to "lift your arm higher" and "brace yourself, this might hurt. Sorry."
Neither had had the courage to look the other in the eyes.
Black Arrow briefly considered asking Liam about "the other guy," naturally curious about any recent occurrences, but thought against it when she remembered how little a young Liam had enjoyed talking about Powerhouse.
Thankfully, or maybe not depending on how you looked at it, turbulence caused the ship to begin rocking in the air at an alarming pace, forcing both inhabitants to actually interact with one another.
Melissa quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and dashed to the control panel as Liam closed his eyes and breathed deeply through the panic. Had it been anyone else with her, the archer might have been pissed about them not helping, but with a Banner, she knew how important it was that he kept his cool.
A particularly potent jolt hit the plane, causing Melissa's head to slam forward onto the plane front window and her legs to give out as she fell to the ground. While on the floor, another sharp turn ended with her flying to the back of the ship. Somehow she was able to twist in the air to land on her feet.
Trying to maintain her balance, she stumbled back to the front controls. White spots danced in front of her as pain emanated from her nose. She lifted a hand to her throbbing face, which then came away slick with blood. By this point Melissa was thoroughly pissed off.
Glancing around the console at what may have been causing the disturbance, she groaned when she saw what had come up on the radar unit. "For the love of-ugh! Why is she here?"
An answer came in the form of rough words through clenched teeth. "Black Arrow, run!"
Melissa turned to look at the source of the noise, and many inappropriate curses, most aimed at Stark, crossed her mind. Liam was kneeling on the metal floor, his left arm clutched tightly to his chest. Based on the painful bend it took right in the middle of the forearm, there was no doubt it was broken from being tossed around. Along with the huge cut on his forehead, the situation definitely wasn't looking too good.
That wasn't what had Melissa scared though. What did was the memory of what happened to Banners when their heart rate was elevated. Which Liam's definitely was if the bright green colour snaking its way through his veins was any indication.
"Oh God. Um, Liam. It's, fuck, it's gonna be fine. You're gonna be fine. Just breathe."
Moving towards the struggling boy, Melissa flinched at the desperation in his voice when Liam shrieked, "No! Stay back! Agh!"
The green had now spread through his whole skin, tinting it a sickly shade. His eyes glowed, cutting through the tenseness in the air. The hand that was not broken pounded at the ground, and Melissa felt like throwing up when she saw it had dented the thick alloy.
When the finally stages of transformation had begun, Liam's body started grow in size, swelling with muscles. He arched his back with a chilling howl as bone and skin burst from between his shoulder blades, extending into long, jagged wings.
For the first time in nine years, Liam and Melissa made eye contact. A shiver traveled underneath Black Arrow's skin as she saw the pain and fear disappear and slowly be replaced by undying rage. Watching a Banner transform was still as horrifying as she remembered.
With a final roar that almost sounded like a sob, the onslaught ended. Liam-or whatever was left- lay on the floor, unmoving. Pulling out her bow and notching an electric arrow, Melissa was on edge was she made her way to the fallen figure. When she was within a couple of feet of him and still no movement had occurred, she took a risk and whispered, "...Powerhouse?"
It's… his… head snapped up. Melissa felt a scream lodge in her throat. She was so screwed.
Powerhouse's skin was thick and coarse, almost scaly. It was more of an olive tone then the bright green the Hulk's had been. All of Liam's clothes had ripped away, leaving only a few scraps to protect the boy's privacy. Blood ran down his back in rivers from the spots where the wings had emerged. The monster stood up, a towering seven and a half to eight feet tall, the wings expanding large enough to take up the entirety of the passenger bay.
Of course Melissa knew what Powerhouse looked like, but he hadn't emerged in six years. Seeing this now, a more grown version of him was overwhelming.
She struggled through the fear coursing through her to remember all she had known about the gamma beast. Had Hydra implemented any other extra powers other than the wings when they created him? Her mind turned up blank. Why couldn't they have cloned Banner like normal psychopaths, instead of also altering his DNA?
Powerhouse stood still, Black Arrow stood still, hell even the ship was finally not rocking about. Melissa took a gentle step forward, into a better position to launch her arrow.
The calm was broken.
Powerhouse roared so loudly the ship almost vibrated. Melissa was just about to launch the projectile when the beast unexpectedly ran sideways, smashing through the metal of the ship like it was paper. He dived through the hole, and Melissa briefly saw the large wings flapping to keep him flying.
Unfortunately her moment of observing Powerhouse fly away faster than a car could drive was ruined as powerful, freezing winds ripped through the ship, feeling like it was stealing the air from her lungs and peeling the skin off her bones.
There was the brief panic, the feeling of a strong vacuum, like being sucked through a straw; then nothing. Melissa was falling.
Now Melissa was no stranger to heights. She was a sniper at heart and was used to jumping out of buildings to avoid some threat or another. But there was a difference between jumping out of a bank window into a getaway car and being launched out of a plane hundreds of feet in the air with no way to avoid death.
So Black Arrow screamed.
Death didn't truly worry her, it was more instinct for the yells to rip through her chest and out her mouth. She had been threatened with an untimely end many times and was, in a sick sort of way, at peace with knowing she would see her parents soon. Of course she didn't expect to end up in the same place as them but that was okay.
The peace was untimely ruined by a strong hand grasping onto her unhurt forearm as she plummeted. The jolt of a rapid stop gave her whiplash. When Melissa was finally able to focus again and look up, she was, for the second time that day, thoroughly angry with who she saw.
The whooshing of a battle hammer being spun over and over again provided a backdrop for the ordeal. Said hammer was grasped tightly in the hand not currently preventing Melissa from meeting a brutal end. The battle armor reflected brightly in the five o'clock sun. The ruby cape and golden hair framed Melissa's saviour in an ethereal halo. Despite having saved the archer, there was no thanks to be had.
Melissa snarled, "Well I hope you're here to apologize."
A booming laugh shook the flying Ashardian. She asked, "I have saved your life. Should you not to be grateful?"
A red hugh painted over Melissa's face in anger. "Oh shut the fuck up Thrud, you're the one that put me in danger. Now put me down!"
Thrud began to descend downwards and again laughed, furthering Black Arrow's fury. "Very well," Thrud teased, "and hello to you too, Bartondottir. After nine years I would think a nicer greeting would be in order."
Melissa snorted bitterly. "Like Hell. The day I greet any of you guys nicely is the day I fuck my own bow."
