"So how is it with the hero?" Amaro asks as we clock out.
"Huh?" I pretend not to know what he's talking about, but he gives me a look, like he already knows. "It's fine. She's working a lot right now."
"Ah, she's already giving you the work excuse and she's only seventeen?"
"I'm pretty sure saving the whole city is a good excuse." I raise my hands in sarcasm and Amaro laughs.
We walk out of the parking lot and to our cars parked next to each other. "Alright dude, I'll see you later."
As soon as I get in my car I call Maddie. First call it goes to voicemail, but second someone picks her phone up for her.
"Hey Carisi... It's CJ. I was actually gonna call you." CJ?
"Wait? Why do you have her phone?" I ask, automatically having a bad feeling in my stomach.
There's a long pause before she answers, "umm... I think you should come to her house."
"Wait- what- why? Is she okay?"
"I don't think so..." She says quietly, as if it she didn't want me to hear.
"WHAT? What happened?" Worry and anger fills me.
"Just get over here now." She hangs up. I start my car and race to her house, biting my cheek the whole way there. I can't stand the thought of anything bad happening to Maddie. I can't stand thinking about her in pain, or being hurt or being scared.
My hands grip the steering wheel tightly as I speed through the streets to her house. When I get there the door is unlocked and I can hear noise coming from the living room and kitchen. I walk there and my eyes are automatically glued to a sleeping Maddie wrapped up in blankets. CJ sits on the floor in front of the couch while the group of superheroes stand around the table in the kitchen.
"The boyfriend made it." Clint Barton addresses my arrival and everyone's attention snaps to me.
"Hey." Is all I can say as I walk over to my girl.
I sit on the edge of the couch next to CJ. I move a strand of hair from her face and when my hand brushes her cheek I feel her temperature. I put my hand on her neck and her temperature is far from normal.
"Why is she so cold?" I turn towards the group, needing answers.
They all just look at eachother, not sure of how to answer. "Loki found her today." Tony finally answers.
"What? I thought that wasn't for another few days?" I stand up to walk to the table to get the answers I need, and CJ follows behind me.
"He found some way to heal faster and chose to go after her today." Natasha answers.
"Go after her? What did he do? Why is she so cold?" I ask again and bite my cheek hoping they say nothing too bad.
"We didn't have her talk yet, she hit her head pretty bad and seems shaken up..." Bruce sighs. "She's not in the best shape right now."
"Obviously." I mutter. "If she's in bad shape why didn't you take her to the hospital?" My tone is sounds harsh at this point.
"I TRIED." Bruce responds. "She refused to go for the sake of the innocent people there. She didn't want Loki to find her there and cause chaos as usual."
"Of course." Of course she put other people's lives before her own. I turn to look at her. Curled up on the couch, her head buried in the pillow. She always looks so peaceful asleep despite the things she goes through. "Well- well how did she even get hurt in the first place?"
"She couldn't get a signal up to us in time. Loki had already gotten to her." Steve says.
"Why did she need a signal? Weren't you watching?!" I ask sternly, my voice raised. How could they have not been watching? No one responds and they just stare towards me in silence. "You were supposed to protect her!"
"Carisi... They did. Look, she's home safe." CJ tries to calm me and turn my around by pulling my arm.
"No." I take my arm from her grip. "She could have gotten seriously hurt. You knew how dangerous this was, why weren't you more careful? What if Loki-"
I feel my hand intertwine with someone else's. I snap my head to the side, about to ask CJ, what's up with her, but have a sigh of relief when I see who it really is.
"It's okay Risi." Maddie has her hand intertwined in mine while the other holds my forearm. "I'm okay." She smiles up at me weakly.
"Hey kid, nice of you to finally wake up." Clint says to her.
"Perfect timing too, your boyfriend was about to Hulk out on us." Tony adds and Bruce scoffs. I roll my eyes, but can't help the cheeky smile coming on my face.
I chuckle and kiss her temple before pulling a chair out allowing her to sit. "Are you okay to talk about what happened Maddie?" Steve asks.
"Yeah..." She seems uneasy and I instinctively start rubbing her back lightly with my finger tips. "Umm, I had this headache during class and when I went outside Loki appeared out of no where. He tried to get me to join him. I said no, he tried that faint thing again..." She pauses trying to remember what happened. "I hit him with air and but that did nothing. I tried to send a flare... But... He took it..." She trails off before finishing.
Took it... The first thing that pops into my head makes me cringe and I pray that she doesn't mean her v-card. I know she said Loki might have wanted her for those purposes. "Took what?"
"My fire." She puts her hand in front of her and flex her palms up. A tiny little flame, like a candle light appears. "Thor, he took my fire... th- this is all I can do..." You can hear the fear and uneasiness in her voice.
"Your powers will return in time. Your strength and the gem of Sovidia protected you from any permanent damage my brother could have caused to you." Thor explains to her and she sighs in relief. "You are very fortunate Lady Madeline."
She chuckles and CJ tries to hold in her laugh from Thor's vernacular. Her laugh makes me smile and I can't help but think she's like a drug to me. I can't ever get enough of her, even on her worst days and I'd like to think she feels the same about me.
"Thank god." She purses her lips together. "Uh- thank you guys. For saving me today... Loki really scared me."
I frown when she admits that. Maddie, scared? She may be nervous, or unprepared, but rarely ever scared.
"Don't thank us kid." Tony raises his eyebrows. "We got you now."
"Where is Loki?" I ask.
Every Avenger sighs as if disappointed. "Unfortunately the God of Mischief picked the right place, right time, right crowd... We couldn't get him." Steve shakes his head.
Maddie's breath hitches and she shakes her head.
"Hey kid, you broke the connection. He can't come after you. Nothing to worry about." Clint notices her uneasiness.
"I know... But what if he doesn't need the connection to get to me? He's smart..." I've never seen her this way. Maybe cause she's never been in this situation, but I never thought it'd be possible for Maddie to be shaken like this. She's so strong.
"We're gonna catch him. And this time we're not holding back." Steve assures her and follows with a dangerous question. "Wanna help?"
