Kimmy: 3

Thanks to everyone who has followed and reviewed this story! It's been a lot of fun to write. Sorry it's been a while since I've last updated, I went to Disneyland for a piano competition…and let's just say I'll probably stick to writing. Keep those reviews coming! Thanks for reading!

During Kimmy's hesitation, the dark-haired man seized her by the hair and dragged her back into him again. This time, she didn't resist. What was the point? She was surrounded.

Steve stepped in, followed by his companions, plus two unfamiliar people, a man with a bow in his grasp and a scarlet-haired woman with what could be interpreted as a bored expression, but Kimmy could see the danger that glittered in her eyes. "What brings you back to Earth?" Steve questioned coolly, shield in relaxed position by his side.

The new blonde man swung his hammer and gestured to Loki. "I received word my brother had escaped incarceration and travelled back to earth." He regarded the dark-haired man coldly. "What is your business with this young maid?"

Loki chuckled. "What concern is it of yours, Odinson? Perhaps I need a little amusement in my dismal life."

"We're taking her with us," said Steve authoritatively.

"I'm not going anywhere," Kimmy growled, trying to twist free, but Loki held fast. "Let me go!"

"You clearly have a gift, child," said Loki in a low mutter in her ear. "Surely you want to develop and mature your abilities and be free from this mortal torment." His voice became silky. "I can help you, you know. My knowledge far exceeds that of these clumsy bumblers. They want to cut you open, exploit your power for their own gain."

Dr. Banner spoke up from around Steve's shoulder. "Ms. Miles, don't listen to him. He is dangerous. We only want to help you."

"Liars!" Loki spat, hands tightening around Kimmy's arms. "They will hurt you. I will help you become your greatest potential. Use your gifts, and together, we shall escape, and change the universe."

Kimmy struggled to think clearly. The heat she had been forcing back from her hands was now pounding in her skull, striving to break free from the confines of her will. She felt a gentle tug in the pit of her stomach and realized the water in the pipes behind the walls was also fighting to break free.

She didn't know who to believe. Loki had broken into her bedroom and threatened her, but he was also voicing the fears in her head, the reasons she had for fleeing. Dimly, she could hear Steve, the figure in the red-and-gold iron suit, Dr. Banner, the bow man, the red-haired woman, the hammer-wielding man, and the dark haired man holding her arguing loudly, heading pounding like a sledge.

She opened her eyes. One was now a brilliantly fiery orange and red, the other a crystalline blue. Thor was the first to notice. "Young maid, are you alright?"

Resolve flared through Kimmy like an explosion. She was not going to be taken by anyone. She allowed the heat to overcome her body.

A cracking sound preceded the splitting of the cheap walls and the pipes exploded, shooting water around the room and hurtling toward Kimmy and prompting Loki to release her with a cry of shock as it swirled around her. Flames leaped off her fingers and joined the wave of water, turning it crimson and boiling hot as fire danced across the surface. All the people in the room watched in awe as Kimmy raised her arms high above her head and let pointed toward Loki.

The results were spectacular. A jet of fire and water encircled him, spinning wildly into a vortex and forced him to keep his arms firmly at his sides to avoid being burned. "What are you doing?" he shouted, trying to conceal his fear. "Stop that at once."

"Leave me ALONE!" Kimmy roared, flicking her hand. The jet sent Loki crashing out the window and out of sight.

She then turned to Thor, who raised his hammer warningly. "Stay calm- "he tried, before being sent reeling out the window as well, surrounded by water and flame. "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" Kimmy screamed.

Before she could do anything else, however, a sharp pain exploded in the back of her neck. Her vision flickered, blackened, and she felt herself sinking, hands seizing her as she went down. "No," she gasped, fighting weakly. "No…"

0o0o0

Steve stared into face of the young woman laying on her back on the sparse cot in Stark Tower, eyes closed and face peaceful, before looking back at the case file Director Fury had procured from the girl's caseworker hours before. She had been unconscious for quite some time after expelling Thor and Loki from her apartment through the window, seeming to have collapsed in a fit of weakness.

He still couldn't get over the absurdity of it all. A sixteen-year-old girl, living in his own neighborhood, had managed to keep abilities like that hidden all of this time. Steve supposed she was no stranger in keeping a low profile. He noted the deep cut on her cheek that hadn't been there when he and the squad had confronted her at her school and wondered if it came from her escape.

Suddenly, she stirred feebly, a soft groan escaping her lips. Steve braced himself, but was still startled when she shot upright, blinking wildly and looking around, disoriented. When her eyes landed on Steve, they narrowed mistrustfully. Steve held up his hands in what he hoped was a peaceful-looking gesture. "Relax. You're safe now. We're hunting down the man that came into your bedroom, Loki, right now and he'll be back in prison where he came from soon."

Fear flickered in her green eyes. Kimmy attempted to rise and took a few wobbly steps toward the open door to the left of the cot, knees buckling. Steve hastily stood and put a supporting arm around her middle, holding her steady while she regained balance. He could feel her breathing shallowly and tried to use his most soothing voice. "It's okay, Miss Miles. We're not going to hurt you. Just lay back down."

"Why should I trust you?" Kimmy demanded shakily, turning to look him square in the eye. Despite the fierce expression, Steve could see a little vulnerability in her gaze and felt sorry for her.

"I guess you have no reason to," he replied. "All I can say is that we just want to help you, if that is any consolation."

She pushed him away and swayed on the spot. "It's absolutely no consolation at all. I don't need help."

Steve caught her again as she started to crumple and pushed her back onto the bed. "Please," he said, making sure she saw his face. "I promise on my honor and my life that I personally will not let anyone harm you in any way. Do you believe me?"

Kimmy stared long into his eyes, and was startled to see the intense sincerity there. Wordlessly, she nodded and inwardly prayed she wouldn't regret it.

With a relieved smile Steve sank back into the straight-backed chair and regarded her with interest. "I feel like we should start over," he said, extending a hand. "My name is Steve Rogers. What's yours?"

She hesitated before answering. "Kimmy Miles."

"Where are you from, Kimmy?"

"I've been told I was born in San Francisco," she said softly. "I don't really remember. I've lived all over."

He glanced at the file again. "That's right, you're a foster kid. Do you know where your parents are?"

"No."

"That's okay." Leaning forward, Steve cautiously reached a finger to prod around the cut on her cheek gently. "How did you get that?"

Kimmy looked away, reddening. "I tripped."

Dubiously, Steve studied it longer. "It looks like a slash wound. Are you sure you tripped? You didn't have that at school."

She shifted nervously and folded her arms protectively over herself. "It's fine. It doesn't hurt."

At that moment the door open, sparing Kimmy from Steve's questioning, and in walked Director Fury, looking as grim and intimidating as ever with his long black coat, eye patch, and intensive expression, and Bruce, now wearing a white lab coat over his usual khakis and plaid shirt and carrying a clipboard. Kimmy tensed inadvertently.

"Good to see that you're awake," the eyepatch man said flatly. "We haven't been introduced yet. I'm Nick."

"Whoa, why does she get first name basis?" Stark said, walking into the room behind them, a can of coke in hand. "The rest of us get 'Fury' at best."

"That's Director Fury to you," Nick said with a small hint of amusement before turning his focus back on the anxious-looking girl. "Kimmy Miles, sixteen years old, living in the foster system, has a knack for engineering, and can throw fire and water around. Am I correct so far?"

Kimmy instinctively opened her mouth to deny it, but sagged. What was the point? They'd already seen her in action. Instead she nodded stiffly. Fury continued, his one dark eye boring into her two. "I won't mince words. You've caused quite a stir the past couple of days. How long have you been able to do what you can do?"

She shrugged, voice soft. "I don't know. As long as I can remember."

"Do you know how?"

"No, sir."

"How does it work for you?" Bruce asked, taking a pen from behind his ear and readying it over the clipboard.

Kimmy thought through her answer before speaking slowly. "Well, I guess that when I get upset or scared, I feel this heat in my hands. That's the fire. If I don't want to use it I push it back, but sometimes I guess I can't control it."

Bruce made a note. "What about the water?"

"That's a little harder," Kimmy said hollowly. "If there's water nearby it's a little easier, but I have to focus hard. It's slippery to hold on to, and it kind of drains me. Fire feels lighter. I can create an air pocket when I'm underwater though so I can stay there for hours."

Fury folded his arms. "Interesting."

Stark took a swig of coke before interjecting his question. "Wait, so you can create fire with your hands, and breathe underwater and control it? Do they ever clash?"

Kimmy nodded. "It wipes me out when I use both at once. I usually stick to fire unless it's a good day." She hesitated. "I try not to use it though."

"You want to keep it hidden," Bruce inferred knowingly.

"I didn't want to attract any attention," she said bitterly. "Not that it did any good."

Steve noticed her hands starting glow faintly like they had before and quickly intervened. "It's okay, Miss Miles. We just want to understand it so we know how to help you. Maybe you can learn to control it better."

Her hands balled into fists and glowed a little more brightly. "I don't want to control it. I want it gone so I don't ever have to worry about it again."

"We might be able to help with that too," Bruce told her. "I'm going to run some tests on you, if that's- "
In an instant, Kimmy was back on her feet, flames leaping from her fingers, eyes blazing. "Don't," she ordered. "I don't want to be anyone's experimental lab rat."

Stark took a step back, but Bruce held his ground. Steve mentally prepared to knock her out, if needed. Instead, Dr. Banner held up his hands in a gesture of submission. "You're right. You're not a lab rat, and I will not treat you as such." He took a step forward. "Did you notice that I'm not quite like other people either? I have a green monster as an alter ego. When I first realized I was transforming into this raging Hulk, I didn't want to be dissected like a frog in a high school biology class, but I did think it was important to know what had happened to my body so I could hopefully get rid of it." He sighed. "Well, it's permanent, but at least I can control it better."

Kimmy started to relax as she considered the logic of his statement, the flames starting to die out. "And you think you can help."

He shrugged. "If anyone knows about crazy bodily abilities, it's me."

She glanced over at Steve, who gave a nod, before nodding herself. "I guess."

"Is that a yes?" Fury inquired.

Kimmy looked around at the faces of all the people in the room. She didn't like this. Not one little bit. It was betraying every instinct she had possessed since her childhood, to keep her powers hidden and to never tell anyone. What assurances did she have that these people genuinely didn't want to hurt her or exploit her gifts?

Then again, the man beside her, Steve, had given his word that she wouldn't be harmed. Kimmy didn't generally trust people. They were too greedy, too easy to have their wills changed, but something about Steve Rogers made her believe his word. The same went for a few of the others she had encountered, like Doctor Banner. She knew he was telling the truth about his giant green alter ego, she had seen it firsthand, so surely he must know a thing or two about strange abilities and their reasons.

At last Kimmy nodded again, throat too tight to speak.

"Excellent. We'll leave you in Dr. Banner's capable hands," Director Fury said, turning toward the door. Steve rose to go, giving Kimmy one last encouraging smile before he followed Fury out the door and into the hallway, leaving her with Dr. Banner and Stark.

The latter leaned casually against the wall. "Before Bruce begins his torture, do you want a coke or something?" he asked with a glint in his eye. Kimmy shifted uncomfortable.

"Shut up, Tony," Bruce said with a roll of his eyes. "It's just going to be a few simple tests for now."

As Dr. Banner prepared a needle to draw blood, Kimmy tried to calm her nerves, praying this wouldn't be her fatal mistake.