I'll MEET YOU AT THE END OF THE LINE • MARVEL AVENGERS

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Lion Skin by Hands Like Houses

ADRIENNE BARTON

Fury followed Adrienne out of the room and before she could turn and tell him to stop, she smacked into someone. Technically she was about ready to fall over until a pair of strong hands from said person held her in place. Causing Adrienne to look up into some beautiful blue eyes. She cleared her throat maneuvered her way out of his hold and turned back to glare at Fury, to make it seem as if she was uncomfortable, stopping him from saying anything that would try to make her stay. She tried to be a hero and failed miserably. She didn't like the guilt she felt resting nauseatingly in the pit of her stomach. So going home and forgetting the entire day happened was exactly what she wanted. "You said if I helped, I could go home! I did what you asked, and, in the process, I destroyed things, so I would greatly appreciate it if you had someone fire up one of those fancy planes and send me on my way."
Adrienne imagined she looked small standing in front of Steve, so when she waved her hand back, talking about the jets, he just stood there trying to figure out what was going on and why Adrienne was trying to leave. In his mind, now that her secret was out, she would join them in getting her uncle back safely. He misread the situation. Adrienne didn't even acknowledge the idea of him touching her and sending shivers down her spine. The distraction had her mind on important things like getting her the hell up out of there. She really wasn't ready to talk about it, about how her first and last mission made her feel out of place like it wasn't right. It was all so unnatural, there was no way she could have experienced that and believed she was absolutely cut out for risking her life for the sake of a world who would never attempt to understand her.
"And now that you helped, I would like to invite you to join the team." Fury's eyebrow raised slowly. And Adrienne didn't think he would bother asking, just by her own expression. Her eyebrows lowered, her eyes squinted slightly so she would be sure she was barely seeing and hearing things right, and the right side of her lips, along with her nose arched up in a questioning expression. Adrienne thought Fury was definitely playing a prank on her now, if he wasn't before.
"I'm sorry, what?" Steve and Adrienne spoke in unison, his eyebrows were up, hers were down. Which made Adrienne slowly turn her head and look up, showing she was just as stunned and confused as he was. Steve's thoughts of her becoming part of a team that was not yet assembled was hypothetical, he already had it figured out that Adrienne wouldn't have wanted to be part of a team anyway because her fears were far greater than anything else. She was still trying to comprehend it all when she stared for a minute again. Fury couldn't have been serious. Adrienne searched his face to see if he was joking, and she searched his face for about fifteen seconds before realizing he wasn't. And if he was, his poker face was immaculate.
"She's a child," Stark added as if somehow her age had some valid point in her ability to become part of something short of a team Fury was just randomly throwing together. He walked up behind them, eyed Adrienne before she could look at him then gave his focus to Steve. Unless he assumed Adrienne was younger than she was, she felt it shouldn't have mattered. If that were really the case, then he shouldn't have had the idea of joining on his mind because he was in no way a team player, according to her personal experience, for it only being a day, Tony Stark only cared about himself so why would he even care about others joining if he wouldn't? Besides that, he was old "What is she? Like, seventeen? Eighteen?"
"I'm twenty-six." Adrienne scoffed, not even thinking about the idea of Steve still standing behind her, not believing she was even offered a position considering how terrified and unprepared she was. Adrienne was siding with him on that. What were they going to do? Make her a personal servant with an official title. No thanks. Adrienne would decline that offer as well. Unless she was to get paid more than she would have while working for Stark, then that could be discussed.
"Still, she has had no proper training." He pointed out the obvious, and when he did, Adrienne didn't think she would ever stop rolling her eyes at the man, and obviously, the rush she got from meeting him clearly expired. Adrienne was definitely over his arrogant attitude and smart remarks. If he were to be a part of this team Fury mentioned, and Adrienne stupidly agreed to join, she knew the two of them would hate each other. There was not a single thing the two of them had in common. There was a possibility Adrienne and Stark would never agree on anything.
"And my powers do way more bad than good," She added, only to help his argument. Who said Adrienne wanted to be on the team anyway if he was included? She wouldn't even put her worst enemy through that sort of treatment. Adrienne shook her head to shake off his comment and agreed with him, clearly, she spoke too soon, and she made sure she was looking at Fury when she said it. Adrienne was trying to give that man every reason to change his mind.
"Are you giving him reasons why you shouldn't be on the team?" Steve was confused because he would think by the way Adrienne sounded, the last thing she would ever do would be to agree with the narcissist that was Stark. But it was he who questioned the idea, same as Adrienne had, and it wasn't like she was agreeing with him, Adrienne already knew she wouldn't be a good fit. She didn't need anyone else telling her what she already knew. It was why she was already so frustrated.
"Yeah, because I don't want to be on the team." She snapped her head back at Fury. "I have bills to pay and putting my life on the line, putting my own life in jeopardy for anybody else, doesn't really pay them. So, thank you for the offer, but I'm going to have to decline."
She tried to walk off to find a way off the carrier but was stopped once again.
"Adrienne, please. You may see yourself as destructive but you're not." Fury's face was still serious, but there was nothing he could say that would make her stay. Or there was, he just hadn't said it yet. "You'd be a great asset to this team."
"The world saw me bury a dozen men alive. I don't see that as a win for me. That makes me a murderer." If Adrienne wasn't clear about how she felt, she was then. They weren't listening to her, they were only coming up with solutions that would have been the best choice for them, so that meant Adrienne didn't really matter, her abilities did. She was merely a transaction, and she wasn't seeing any assets. So, it was volunteer work for her. It was either that or they weren't acknowledging what she did as wrong. Adrienne couldn't see why they would believe what she did was right.
"Those men were enemies of the state." Banner entered through the long hallway and brought a tablet along with him, showing every man Adrienne buried underneath the earth in small flashes. She stared at the screen and then stared at Banner from underneath her eyelashes, and her expression wasn't anything less but unaccepting. She wanted to suck on her teeth to him not digesting exactly what she meant, but she believed he actually meant well and tried to calm herself before continuing. "They agreed to work for Loki just in hopes to take down S.H.I.E.L.D. They weren't even under mind control when they tried to attack you."
"Wow, and is that really supposed to make me feel better?" She narrowed her eyes. And Loki? What in the frick kind of name was that? It probably seemed like Adrienne was the life of a party considering she was giving everyone a hard time. That was definitely Adrienne being sarcastic. She was on edge, she was scared, and she had freaking Captain America standing behind her breathing down her neck! Everyone had to know she was being sarcastic because none of them were taking it personally. Adrienne took it personally because it was her life and freedom at risk. She'd be stupid to not worry about that.
"What he's saying is these people chose to stand alongside Loki. Your uncle did not. And the way you handled it was how any of us would have handled it our first time. You have something special about you, kid. Which is why I want you on this team." Adrienne had a feeling she wouldn't change her mind. Fury stepped in front of her and looked Adrienne directly in her eyes, and at that time she wanted to cry. The tears were swelling up. Adrienne felt like she was under a microscope again, as others waited for her to give an answer. And even though Adrienne was thinking about how much of an opportunity it was, how great it would have been to be a hero, she didn't think she could accept it considering she needed an actual job. What were the benefits of being a hero? That was her main question. And all in all, by the looks of it, it didn't really seem like it paid to be a part of the team. So, Adrienne was risking her very existence, to save what-who? People who could either love or hate her?
"And I'm sure we could always do something about getting yourself a place with all the luxuries if you choose to join us." Natasha entered the conversation, and it seemed everyone else was coming from the room when they all could have stayed to have that conversation. Adrienne raised an eyebrow and thought about it. There was no possible way she was useful. No way anyone would ever do something like that for her. Seemed too good to be true. There had to be another catch.
"If that's what it takes to make your stay you can have anything you want." Fury was adamant and Adrienne didn't see the need for why. It was pushing her away more than anything else. She couldn't find any more reasons why she would want to, except maybe just to look at Steve and Sam, but she didn't even think that was enough. How could it be? Adrienne swore she was being fed a bunch of lies. Bullshit really.
"I need to think about it." Adrienne sighed with agitation. She didn't want to make the biggest mistake of her life, risking her life for others. Adrienne didn't see herself as a hero, and she didn't think she ever would. It was weird to think someone would ever look up to her one day. She didn't want to turn into someone like Tony Stark, that was for damn sure. The thought alone on the switch from bystander to hero didn't really feel authentic to Adrienne either.
"And while you think about it, how about we get you something to eat? You have to be starving." Steve came around Adrienne's right side and grabbed her attention immediately, it wasn't because of his attractiveness, it was the mention of food because he was obviously right. The idea of food sounded nice, but there was the initial fear of throwing it all back up.
"That sounds great, I would like something as well. Adrienne?" Stark reached deep into his pocket and grabbed his phone, hoping to talk to Pepper about all which was going on and how he wouldn't be joining her that evening, and at the same time, while he wasn't paying attention to Adrienne, she narrowed her eyes and raised her chin, sucking on her teeth with annoyance. If she hadn't showed that to Banner, she was definitely going to do that to Stark. He deserved the expression, after all. The mere thought of having to tolerate him made her head pound. Adrienne was really starting to grow to hate him, and it was genuinely hard for her to hate anyone. Not really, it was actually pretty easy. Adrienne just tried to give everyone a chance like she wished people would for her. She didn't want to give Stark a chance. A bad apple would always be a bad apple. This wasn't about Stark though, the only person Adrienne ever really hated was herself. Whom she'd become, and who she was afraid she was going to turn out to be.
"If I join the team, will I still have to work for him?" Adrienne was serious when she asked, spinning on her feet to face Fury in the process. Adrienne loved Stark when she learned he created Iron Man to help protect the city from bad guys, at some point she wanted to be him. But she changed her mind in a single day. Pepper could say Adrienne would get used to him and the way he spoke down to her, but honestly, she wouldn't want to. He was so full of himself and that was a trait Adrienne had no interest in getting to know. He was so damn deep; he would never have been able to pull his head out of his own ass. Who would want to deal with that? Bless poor Pepper Potts.
"No, you will be relieved of your duties from being anyone's personal assistant. Especially Stark's." Fury smiled and he couldn't help but to, it was actually rare when he did, and Adrienne could tell because of the strain Fury's lips made as they twitched. The thought of Adrienne not wanting to work for Stark and thinking about working for Fury just to get out of it, was comical to him. And it should have been. Stark was a horrible boss.
"Great, because I quit." Once she had gotten her answer Adrienne turned around quickly to face Stark, she didn't smile. The only reason she felt bad though was because she was going to leave Pepper high and dry meaning she was going to have to find someone else to tolerate her boyfriend if she hadn't realized already. She was the only person who could handle him so effortlessly.