Vengeance [Avengers Fanfiction]

[Chapter 7]

    "So," he paused after chewing on a piece of bacon. "I never got to formally introduce myself. Tony Stark. Playboy, billionaire, philanthropist. Oh, and don't forget genius."

    I took a bite out of my muffin, finding that it was blueberry.

    "Quinn. Vigilante, dangerous, takes-no-shit. Oh, and don't forget can-kick-your-ass-any-day."

    At that moment, Clint Barton slid into the seat next to Stark, a slight smirk on his face, probably having just heard our conversation. I popped the rest of the muffin in my mouth and took a swig of water as Stark chuckled.

    "Man, I sure am glad we have someone on the team who actually has a sense of humor." He sent a pointed glance towards Barton. "But I wouldn't be too sure about that last part, sweetheart." His grin grew because he knew I was glaring at him.

    As Barton began eating, he sent a quick look at me. "Aren't you going to eat more? You're going to need more than that to get through today's training."

    "Not hungry." I answered, my tone clipped. The truth is, I haven't been truly hungry since I was locked in my basement for a year and tortured. After what I've seen, I don't think my appetite will ever come back.

    "Well," Stark said, lacing his fingers behind his head, "we have some time to kill before we have to report to training. Want a tour?"

    Since I had nothing better to do, I shrugged and gave a small nod. Getting the layout of the compound could actually help me. Standing, I walked behind Stark who had finished his breakfast and was currently patting his mouth with a napkin. A quick glace down told me that only the two back legs of his chair were touching the gray-tiled, linoleum floor as he leaned back in his over confident, cocky manner. I took this chance as I walked by to swiftly hook the tip of my boot around the back of his plastic chair leg, then sharply tug forwards.

    Stark started in surprise as his chair tipped backwards, hitting the ground with a loud thunk. The eyes of the agents turned towards us as they surveyed the scene; many looked amused at Stark's current situation, including Barton.

    "Be sure about that last part, Stark." I quipped as I stalked out of the room, thinking about our earlier conversation. The scraping of the chair against the linoleum filled the room. In a fluid movement, I deftly turned and caught the water bottle that was aimed for the back of my head, having been thrown by Tony.

    "You forgot your water!" He called from behind me.

    I threw the half empty bottle into a nearby trash can and waited for Stark. The hallway was bustling with agents and workers. A scientist could be spotted here and there in the crowd, their crisp white coat a speck in the sea of black.

    The doors behind me swung open, and Stark sauntered into the hallway.

    "Now let's take that tour, shall we?"

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    "And these are the labs!" Tony Stark announced with a flourish, gesturing to the large, pristine, white room. He had taken me around and had shown me the air hangar where all of the fighter jets, choppers, and stuff of the like were stored, the warehouse where all of the terrain vehicles were kept, the weaponry, the gathering hall where large meetings were held, and many more places within the S.H.I.E.L.D. compound. Trust me when I say they have everything, and then more. Now, he was showing me around the labs, where he and Dr. Banner spend most of their time (even though Tony pointed out he preferred his private lab at home).

    Scientists in lab coats scurried about, taking notes on small vials of liquid and examining charts and papers, occasionally sparing us a glance.

    "Bruce has his own lab in a separate building not far from here, and that's what I usually use when I'm here for Avenger reasons. Come on, I'll show you. Bruce could use some company, even though he won't show his appreciation to us for coming. He's a bit of a loner, but really he's just a big softie. One that can turn into a giant green thing and rip you to shreds, but nonetheless a softie."

    He sounds charming.

    We walked outside in the chilly air on a series of concrete walkways until we reached another building. It looked similar to the others with its concrete walls and metal doors, but it was only two stories high and the second story was mostly made up of wide windows.

    Stark opened the doors and we entered, the warmth of indoors hitting me the instant we stepped in.

    "Bruuuuuce!" He called, his voice echoing in the fluorescent-lit room.

    "Up here!" A voice from above answered. We ascended a tall, spiral staircase to the second floor. As I walked, I observed my surroundings. Machines lined the walls, monitors flickered and beeped. The top floor was the same, full of technology that probably cost millions, if not billions, of dollars. Which seemed to not be a problem for S.H.I.E.L.D.

    Dr. Bruce Banner sat at a desk that faced the large windows. He glanced up from the computer screen he was studying intently as we entered the room, giving a small grin at Tony and a nod at me.

    "Quinn, was it?" Banner asked, removing his glasses from the bridge of his nose and placing them in his shirt pocket.

    I nodded and continued my silent observation of the room, my eyes lingering on the equipment.

    Stark sat down in a spinning desk chair and swirled his way over, acting in his characteristic childish and mischievous way.

    "She doesn't talk much. Mostly nods." He swiveled his way over to me, and then spun around me in a circle.

    "She's the strong, silent, gloomy and depressed type. Hence the the lack of color in her wardrobe and the creepy hood."

    I repressed an irritated scowl and Banner rolled his eyes, returning to typing on his computer.

    "Sadly, you get used to him after a while. Doesn't mean he's any less annoying." Banner said.

    Now it was Stark's turn to roll his eyes. I looked out the window and saw S.H.I.E.L.D fighter jets streak across the sky, probably a training routine.

    "Almost time for training, Quinn. We should be making our way down there. Fury gets grumpy when we're late. See you in a bit, Bruce!"

    Banner didn't look up from his work, just nodded absently.

    As we walked out of the lab, Stark turned to me.

    "By the way, Fury wants all of the Avengers to watch you fight. See how good you are, your tactics, catalogue if you're a possible threat, etc."

    "I better give him a show then."

    Stark grinned. "That's the spirit. Show him that you can fight to match your kick-ass attitude. By the way," he glanced at me as we strolled outside by the various compound buildings to get to the main building. "You probably shouldn't trust Fury, not many of us actually trust him fully, including me. His secrets have secrets."

    "What was your first clue, the trench coat or the eye patch?" I asked dryly.

    Tony chuckled. "I was thinking it was more of the 'I can send people to kill you in your sleep' vibe, but that's just me."