Escape (An Avengers fanfiction) [ON HOLD]

Chapter Ten

(A/N: long flashback (sorry) and mentioning of self harm and attempted suicide)

I float in and out of consciousness for the next few days. While conscious one afternoon, Natasha feeds me applesauce with medicine mixed in.

"Hang in there kiddo, we all know you're a tough cookie. Loki's been asking about you."

I smile. "That's sweet." She smooths my hair away from my face. "Yeah, he kinda grows on you. Do you have any idea what is making you sick?"

I start to talk, but have to lean off the other side of the bed to vomit into a waiting trash can. Suddenly, I think of an idea. "J-James made me swallow a pill when I woke up. He probably has them at the house." She nods, smiles, and runs out of the room.

A few minutes later, all of the Avengers are in the bedroom and planning their strategy.

"You all know they're just pills right? Its not like it's a bunch of nukes just waiting." I laugh and Thor smiles. "Lady Anna, we are all just concerned for you. You need a healer." I wave my hand, "No, it's probably just the flu. Don't worry about me, I've had worse." I think back to when Mom and Dad died and how I had almost as well.

(Flashback)

I'd been spending the day with them at the lab where they worked learning about physics and other basic things. It was an off day at the school I attended and I wanted to spend it with them. They were showing me the view from the top floor of the tall building when the alarm went off.

Everyone was ushered out and down the stairwell. I was separated from them in the mob and was trying to find them. I had just reached them at the 6th floor landing when the ceiling rumbled and crashed down on us. Almost everyone died instantly but me and a few others. It had taken rescuers four hours to dig us out and by then I was hanging onto life by a thread.

I was wheeled to the hospital and was bleeding heavily through a long, jagged cut across my abdomen. The doctors had worked hard to save me and almost lost me a few times. The cuts, scrapes, and bruises had healed and turned into scars all over my body, but the loss of my family stayed.

S.H.I.E.L.D. played for all the medical bills of everyone affected, and I had started to get my life back to gather when the realization of never seeing my parents again hit me. I had started with making short cuts across my wrist with shards of glass, then I had dragged it along the length of my arm so I could join my parents.

Someone had found me lying in a pool of my own blood and taken me to the hospital. I was stitched up and taken to my rescuer's home to stay until I got better. But it didn't get better.

He told me he loved me then beat me. James was his name and he was evil. I couldn't go outside for three months, he had me locked up so tight in his house. Then I escaped.

(End flashback)

"Anna? You've be quiet for awhile." Clint says pulling me out of my memories. I jump a little and look up at everyone, now seeing they're all looking at me worriedly. "I'm fine, just remembering stuff." I say and put on a fake smile.

Dr. Banner walks over and trades places with Natasha and pulls out a needle. "I just want to take some of your blood for some tests." I nod and squeeze my pillow tightly because I'm afraid of needles. Loki, seeing my reaction, sits next to me, "If you need something to hold, I'm always available." He whispers kindly into my ear.

Dr. Banner gently pushes the needle in my vein and draws the blood. I reach out with my other arm and tightly squeeze Loki's forearm, whimpering quietly at the pain. Dr. Banner slides the needle out of my arm, puts a bandage over the spot it was in, and leaves to go run some tests.

I let go of Loki's arm and start to get up. "Woah, where are you going?" Mr. Stark asks. "I'm going to go get food. I'm getting hungry."

"Your stomach won't hold any and you're too weak to get up."

"At least I can try." I start to stand, but get light headed and fall into Loki's waiting arms. "On second thought, I can wait." They laugh and I'm gently set back under the covers and go to sleep.