Avery's pov
"Nat?" I hear a males voice say.
I stay very, very still. My muscles frozen, tense and quaking, my body locked in place as a group of people draw closer. I want to run. I want to get away, I want to scream and scramble into hiding, but I can't move. A man speaks but I can't hear anything, my heart pounds, panic rolls through me, I can hardly remember how to breathe as they come closer. I beg myself to run, but I can't. A tall lean man holds out his hand for me, panic thrashes cruelly in my chest, my mind blanks as a scream tears out of my throat.
"No! Don't -don't touch me!" I scream flinching away from the man.
Tony's pov
The girl's eyes were wide, her breathing fast and shallow, her whole body trembling in uncontrollable fear.
"I'm not going to hurt you", I said gently, taking the girl by the hand and holding it firmly. Our eyes meet.
"Listen to me. You're safe and they aren't ever going to hurt you again. Trust me, I won't let anyone hurt you"
I almost expected her to yank her hand away in her panic, but she didn't; instead, she relaxed a little, tears forming in her eyes she let out a breath.
"Can you stand?" Nat asked. The girl nodded shakily, trying to pull herself to her feet. Just as soon as she managed to get upright, her knees buckled.
Avery's pov
My vision went blurry as I tried to grab the wall or anything really, to stop myself from falling.
Nat catches me before I hit the ground, she helps me sit back down.
"S-orry" I stutter
"It's ok," Nat says slipping a hand under my legs and another behind my back. Then she picks me up easily.
"It's ok, I've got you".
I slowly drift off into a deep sleep.
I coughed up water, blearily opening my eyes and I immediately wished I hadn't. I knew someone had hauled my small fragile body into a dark room. I started to crawl away hoping there was a chance to escape but a pair of arms grabbed my shoulders pushing me back down. I scream out in pain as I get beaten.....
"Hey, hey, hey. Kid, what's wrong?" A man with a goatee asks.
I shuddered from the nightmare, startlingly vivid. Of fighting and faces, and the icy clench of betrayal in my chest already fading into consciousness and yet I couldn't stop crying. My shoulders shook and I sobbed uncontrollably. Nat gathered me close, tucking my head into her chest and making soft, soothing sounds.
"Bad dream, huh? It's alright nothing will touch you while I have you".
My icy blue eyes meet her emerald green ones. I want to say thank you but instead, I look away taking in my vast surroundings. I was in some sort of ship?. Slipping off Nat's lap I wander over to a weird hammer thing. I wrap my tiny hands around it picking it up effortlessly. I hear shocked gasps making me jump. I fall onto the ground hitting my head making me pass out.
I'm curled up inside of my cell after a torture session, knees and forehead touching the wall, in flimsy clothing. Unhurried footsteps echo in the corridor. I tense up, pressing against the stone, as if trying to pass through it, fingers digging into the wall, breath hitching. Just walk by, please, please walk by I desperately think. The footsteps recede, and I let out a shuddering breath and I cradle my hand with bloody fingertips with my other hand. Suddenly the doors swing open and Dr Neiman enters. I start to tremble immediately, shutting my eyes, curling up on myself and pressing against the wall again. Dr Neiman kneels next to me. Gently he tucks a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. A tear escapes my tightly closed eyes. Dr Neiman wipes it away with mock tenderness.
I wake up with a start. I hadn't even known I was screaming, I take a deep breath trying to calm down. I hear comforting voices making me look around for them. I note that I'm in a different room. Not a ship but a room. I look around in awe mostly disregarding the nightmare I just had. I sit up with a stunned expression on my bruised face. I notice goatee man smirk.
"it's a nice place, isn't it. My name is Tony Stark by the way" he smiles
"Avery," I say quietly.
"Well, little Avery would you like something to eat," Tony asks.
My tummy rumbles at the thought of a decent meal.
Tony chuckles "I guess that's a yes then".
He puts his hand out for me to grab, I hesitantly take it flinching a little at the warm touch.
Tony's pov
I noticed Avery flinch a little at my touch but pretend not to notice. We go on a mission and come back with a fucking whole ass child!. We couldn't just keep her there if we did she would be dead by now. We make our way to the kitchen and I grab out an already made sandwich. Avery hesitates before taking a small bite. Letting her finish I walk over to Steve who is looking sadly at the little girl.
"What are we going to do with her," he says
"Adopt her"
I turn around and see Natasha walking over to me. She ignores me and goes over to Avery.
"Hey little one you finished eating," she asks.
Avery nods and says thank you.
"Let's go get you cleaned up and wrapped in warm clothes," Nat says to the little girl.
I watch as Nat picks up Avery and walks out of the room giving me a side glance as she walks past. I turn around to meet Steve his blue eyes stare back at me
"Sounds like we are adopting her" I smile.