Tasha: The next morning I awoke early, preparing for battle. Something I noticed, is that when you are preparing for a battle when everyone you know could possibly die, there is no way to prepare. You just have to hope you don't puke.
"We leave in 10 Tasha," Romanoff told me.
"Are you ready for this?" Tony asked, "Because you don't have to be."
"Save the speech," I said, "I'm ready. I just need to make sure you are."
I've gotten to be a better liar.
We loaded into a plane. "Think like he'll do the worst," Carol was saying.
"That seems to be a theme," I said. The team looked at me funny. All except Steve, who just looked ahead. "Never mind," I said, my eyes locked on him. My dad looked between the two of us, but didn't say anything.
"Good luck, Soldiers," Steve said, "Just keep your eyes open. We all know who we're looking for." We sat quiet for a few moments.
"Should we talk about where we should eat after this now, or is in the middle of battle more our thing?" Tony asked. They all rolled their eyes.
"Did I miss something?" I asked.
"The Battle Of New York," Steve said. I nodded.
We landed in DC moments later. A man I recognized as head of secret service stood by where the plane landed. "Avengers," he said, "The president wanted to thank you. He has been taken to a secure location."
"Glad to here it," Steve said, "I need the entire US military that is stationed in DC right now."
The secret service man nodded and began rushing around. Moments past before the National Guard showed up, along with the Army, Marines, Air Force, and anyone else willing to help. "Here's the man we're looking for," Carol said, while Tony put a picture on each man's phone, "Find his and we'll shut this guy up so hard he wouldn't want to talk for the rest of his natural life."
"CUTE," the voice boomed, "THE HELP OF THE MILITARY. PERFECTLY WHAT I HOPED WOULD HAPPEN. I ALMOST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU! AND THE ENTIRE MILITARY FELL INTOTHE FATE OF BEING MY MINDLESS PUPPETS, WITH ONLY ONE PURPOSE. KILL THE AVENGERS!"
I watched as hundred of guns suddenly turned on us. I closed my eyes. Maybe my armor was bulletproof, but I knew most of this team's wasn't. Including Steve's. "The heck with bad," I said. I pulled back my helmet and pressed my lips to his. A moment later I pulled back. "Use that shield right or else I swear to personally murder you," I said, filling out my helmet again. Then I took off.
Tony: What? Just what?! Steve Rodgers is a dead man!
Tasha: I flew over the crowd of people. Everyone of them was shooting at me. Good thing my suit was bullet proof, or else I would be more perforated than notebook paper.
"AVIS," I said, "Is anyone not shooting at me?" This was my thought process. He would want to put himself in a place where he could see the action front and center right? He would also want to find a place we weren't looking for him. Among a crowd of possessed Military men. It made sense.
"Laterally everyone is shooting at you or another one of the Avengers," AVIS said.
"Any of them that match our Storyteller?" I asked.
"Him," AVIS zoomed my vision in. She was right. I swooped down and grabbed the man. Then I brought him to the roof of a tall building. I landed and shook the man. "Found you."
"Yes," the Storytellers voice said, not booming over my ears. But it didn't come from the soldier. "But you're looking at the wrong man. Pretty good if you ask me." I dropped the soldier and looked up. The Storyteller from the picture sat on the edge of the roof, dressed in a sweatshirt and baggy jeans.
"You're the Storyteller?" I asked before I could think. The man, or more boy laughed.
"Not all of need a fancy suit to be intimidating, Natasha," the boy said.
"You know my name?" I asked.
"I know everything," he said, "And I also know you're reaching for that collar you want to put on me. But you are a curious being, you won't put it on my until you find my motive."
I clenched my teeth, "I wouldn't put it past me."
The Storyteller laughed, "Whatever Natasha." I looked down on the men fighting.
"Why them?" I asked, "Why innocent soldiers who only do good."
"Natasha, how young you really are. You think these men are innocent?" the Storyteller asked,
"At least their fighting for the right side," I said.
"Who's says I'm not fighting for the right side?" the Storyteller asked, "SHIELD?"
"You blew up a city," I said.
"I did that to make a statement. The same reason I picked the Military. Because what it better than the best weapon a person has being turned against them," the Storyteller said. I looked down at my suit.
"What's your statement?" I asked.
"SHIELD never wanted me. Said I was too much of a risk. Said that I was unstable. So I wanted to show them what they did," the Storyteller said, "There's a saying. A person is a person, no matter how small. I guess my statement is a super is a super, no matter how powerful. And I am powerful. Powerful enough to scare Director Fury."
"You're proving them right," I said, "You're doing exactly what they said you were going to do."
"Careful Natasha," the Storyteller said.
"Why?" I asked, "I'm right and you know it."
"Don't pretend to understand things you don't," the Storyteller said. I lunged forward. The Storyteller spun.
"TONY STARK WATCHES ME!" the Storyteller said, "AND HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO REMEMBERS THE DAUGHTER HE NEVER HAD!"