I folded the covers over me and lay in bed letting the sleep overcome me.
Worst mistake ever.
I saw my father, with a bottle in hand.
"You think that you can make a difference in this world? You're nothing! A weak girl! A useless brat!"
I lay in the corner in the room, making no attempt to to shield myself from the slashes he was making in my skin with the broken bottle neck.
"I'm sorry" I whispered.
"Who cares if you're sorry? You're still eating food, using up resources that could've gone to someone that deserves it!"
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry".
Someone was screaming my name and I bolted into a sitting position.
You're in the Avengers Tower. You're safe.
I became aware that there were tears streaming down my face and I swiped furiously at my eyes. Tony Stark was kneeling at the side of my bed with a concerned expression.
"What happened?" he asked softly. "Are you okay?"
"Nothing" I said, taking deep breathes. "I'm fine Howard" Tony tensed up and I quickly realized my mistake.
Tony, not Howard you idiot. You're speaking to Tony.
"How do you know Howard Stark" he asked slowly. "He was dead before you were born."
I sighed and gestured to the chair in the far corner of my room.
"You may want to sit down". He did just that.
I opened my mouth like I was about to explain, than I bolted out of the room, shutting the door behind me.
"Wait Mavis!" he called after me, but I was already entering the elevator.
Jabbing the button for the lobby, I began to twitch nervously as the elevator began to move.
"Quickly JARVIS, please"
JARVIS must have heard me because the elevator began moving at a speed that I'm pretty sure were against safety regulations.
Just as the elevator doors began to open, I slipped past them and bounded out of the building.
I began to race down the streets of Manhattan, passing Bert.
I should explain, Bert was a friend. Sort of.
I passed him everyday when I went on my morning walk. As in my walk, at 4 in the morning.
Everyday I bought him a blueberry muffin, a coffee and a newspaper from the cornerstone, because he was allergic to the cinnamon in their scones.
He lived on the corner, just a block down from the Avengers Tower. He was homeless.
Everyday, he said to me "Top of the morning!" in a bright tone, happy for someone without a home.
Everyday, I smiled and wished him well.
He must have seen the red haired assassin chasing me and clued in to what was going on, for as Natasha as passing him, he stuck out his foot and she fell in the most comical way. She gave him a glare and he smiled at her, unfazed.
"Top of the morning!" he said. I wanted to laugh, but I was to busy running from the rest of the Avengers.
I ran as fast as I could, ignoring the constricting feeling beginning to grow in my chest. I ran through the alleys, twisting and turning, using my knowledge of the streets of New York city.
Clint Barton had somehow gotten in front of me, standing in the narrow alley way, trying to prevent me from passing.
"Sorry Mr. Barton" I whispered as I kicked him in the groin without slowing down. He groaned and fell to his knees.
I rushed past him, ignoring the fact that it was becoming more and more difficult to breathe.
Steve Rogers waiting a little further down, arms outstretched like he was going to catch me. Unlikely.
I feinted to the left, and then to the right, and after tried to slip past him on the left.
But he was too fast.
He caught me and tossed me over his shoulders. I began to struggle, pounding on his back, trying to get him to let me go.
"You don't understand!" I screamed. "I can't stay here! You have to let me go!"
Without any hesitation, Steve kept walking, ignoring the looks from the people around us. As it was becoming impossible to breathe, I stopped struggling and remained limp.
"Steve", I croaked, surprising him with the sudden use of his first name.
"Steve...asthma...need inhaler" he understood and began to rush towards the tower. I had no control over the tears that were pouring out of my eyes and beginning to soak his shirt.
It turns out that Steve still had an inhaler from when he had asthma. My lungs began to clear and I lay on the couch in the living room, taking deep breathes.
"You have asthma?" asked Clint.
"Yes she does" Natasha answered for me. "She has asthma and a pacemaker".
"But she still managed to outrun the avengers for ten blocks" said Tony coldly. I winced.
"Tony, we need to talk" I said.
"Yes, we do" he said with a bitter tone.
"In private please" I spoke pointedly at the other avengers. They all got the message and left the room.
"Tony", I whispered. "I need you to look me in the eye." He looked at me, his brown eyes meeting my blue ones.
"I'm sorry Tony, I promise that what I'm doing will only benefit you" he looked at me with a confused expression.
I looked into his eyes, gazing into his mind.
You will forget I said anything about Howard. If the others ask what we talked about, you will say that it was private.
His eyes glazed over and his pupils dilated.
"I'm sorry Tony" I said softly, as his eyes began to focus.
I'm sorry.