Before We Rise

Chapter 10

Screaming. That was all I heard. I circled around, seeing a burning house in front of me. A woman stood in the doorway and I instantly recognized her. She held out her arms and came charging at me, screaming all the while. Her burning hot hands wrapped themselves around my neck and she squeezed.

I instantly shot awake, reaching for my neck. I felt around as I panted heavily.

"Riles." I jumped and saw Clint looking at me from the pilot seat. He gave me a 'do you need me' face and I shook my head. I unwrapped Steve's arms who was startled awake by me and stood up. I grabbed onto one of the straps and walked to the other side of the jet.

I felt the jet land and we all walked out. Clint lead us, holding Nat in his arms, up to a house. I followed up the rear behind Banner.

"What is this place?" I heard Thor ask.

"Safe house." Tony answered him. Clint opened the door and we all walked in.

"Honey? I'm home." He called out. A pregnant woman walked around the corner. "Hi. Company. Sorry, I didn't call ahead."

"Hey." The woman kissed Clint as he hugged her. I frowned in confusion.

"This is an agent of some kind." Tony said as he tried to gather what was going on along with the rest of us.

"Gentlemen, Riley. This is Laura." Clint introduced her. Tony gave her an awkward little wave as I nodded at her.

"I know all of your names." She said to us. She looked right at me for a few seconds before turning back Clint.

"Ohh, in coming." Clint said as two kids ran past me and into his arms.

"Dad!" The little girl said as he lifted her up.

"Hey sweetheart. Hey buddy. How you guys doin?" Clint asked them as he loved on them.

"These are smaller agents." Tony said as he didn't get that this was Clint's family.

"Did you bring Aunty Nat?" The little girl said. My eyes shot over to Nat as she smiled. She started to walk towards the little girl.

"Why don't you hug her and find out?" She said to the little girl as she ran into her arms.

"Yeah, we would have called ahead but we were busy having no idea you existed." Tony told her. I slammed the back of his arm and he gave me a look.

"Yeah, Fury helped me set this up when I joined. Kept it off S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files. Like to keep it that way. Figured it was a good place to lay low." Clint told us as he embraced his family.

I heard a crunch and I looked down. Thor moved his foot, showing the destroyed Lego house. He then swept it under the chair, looking at Steve.

"She is Nathaniel." Laura said while looking at Nat. Nat leaned down until she was leveled with the grown stomach.

"Traitor." She whispered to it. The little girl walked over and stood in front of Thor. She looked up at him as he looked down at her. I jumped when a toaster dinged, not expecting it. Thor looked at it before walking out, Steve following after him.

"Thor." He called his name.

Everyone soon separated and I looked around, feeling out of place. I walked outside and climbed up on the roof. I sat myself down on top of a window, having a good view of the land. The view reminded me of something I might never have. A home of my own, a family. I wiped a tear away off my face as I saw Steve and Tony start chopping wood.

"Thor didn't say where he was going for answers?" Tony asked as he slammed down on a piece of wood. Steve placed another piece of wood down and looked at Tony.

"Sometimes my teammates don't tell me things. Kind of hoping Thor would be an exception." Steve stated to him.

"Yeah, give him time. We don't know what the Maximoff kid showed him." Tony said back.

"Earth's Mightiest Heros. Pulled us apart like cotton candy." Steve told him.

"Seems like you walked away alright." Tony accused him. Steve stopped chopping and looked at Tony.

"Is that a problem?"

"I don't trust a guy without a dark side. Call me old fashioned." Tony said. Old fashioned, my ass.

"Well, let's just say you haven't seen it yet." Steve stated to him.

"You know Ultron is trying to tear us apart, right." Tony reminded. I looked down at my fingers, picking at my nail polish.

"Well, I'd guess you'd know. What if you'd tell us is a bit of the question." Steve pointed out.

"Banner and I were doing research." Tony argued back.

"That would affect the team." Steve accused him.

"That would end the team. Isn't that the mission? Isn't that the 'why' we fight? We can end the fight then we get to go home." Tony confessed. Steve ripped apart the chunk of wood he had in his hands, in anger.

"Every time someone tries to win a war before it starts, innocent people die. Every time." He reminded Tony. I saw Laura walked up behind Tony. I didn't pay attention to what she was saying but on what Steve said.

"Don't take from my pile." Tony said as I toned back into the conversation. Steve looked up and straight at me. I quickly shot up and moved myself through the window and inside. I laid down on the bed that was in the room and closed my eyes, being sucked back into the nightmare.