I motion my hand up, gently waving my fingers into a fist as the branch lowers to me. I grab some of the berries and fruit off of the tree, placing them into a basket I have woven from vines. I take my time, placing them neatly and orderly on one side of the basket. Once I'm done, I wave my fingers in the reversed direction, causing the branch to go back to its original place.
I saunter over to the lake, putting down the basket and closing my eyes, taking a deep breath. I open them, my eyes tingling as I forcefully push my hand forward, causing the water to be pushed back. I hold it, seeing three fish flopping on the rocky sand where the water once was. I take my other hand and forcefully push it like the other, killing the fish and causing them to stop flopping around. I then turn my palm up and start to raise them, before pulling them closer to me. I take a few steps back once I let the water go, a wave coming crashing at my ankles and bare feet. I learned the hard way before about not stepping back when I did that. I place the fish on the other side of the basket, before picking it up and walking over to my garden. There, I pick some carrots and corn, placing them on top of the berries.
Once I've collected all of my food, I pet the rabbit that came to my side while I was picking the vegetables, before looking down at her, "You have to stay here, mate."
The bunny's ears go down, making me chuckle. I open the door to my house and walk in. I take the food to the kitchen, placing one fish, two carrots, and a handful of berries on my counter. I go to the table set up on the other side of the room, placing the basket filled with the food I am going to sell at the market down there.
I go back to the counter and pull out a pan, placing the fish on it and turning on my stove. I turn again to grab a cooking utensil, but I jump out of my skin when I see someone I don't recognize standing in my kitchen. He is tall and dressed in the nicest suit I have ever seen, a Black Sabbath T-Shirt under his jacket instead of a nice shirt. He has tinted glasses on and a beard the covers his upper lip and chin, a smirk on his face. He saunters over to my basket and pulls out a berry, popping it in his mouth. He speaks, his voice telling me he's American, "Can I get some of these to-go?"
"Who are you?" I demand, my fingers curling into a fist at my sides. I feel the roots and vines surrounding my house as we stand there, him having no idea that a sharp branch is ready to come straight through my window and go right through him at my command.
"That's insulting," He points at me, walking back to the position he was in before, "I'm pretty, what you call-," he ponders, "Famous."
"Is that suppose to impress me?" I ask, which causes him to smile, "Is the twig threatening to come through the window supposed to impress me?"
How did he know that?
"I'll ask you again," I threaten again, "Who are you?"
"Tony," He shrugs, looking out the window, "You can put down you flora friends, Adelaide."
"How do you know my name? How did you find me?" I demand, but he rolls his eyes, "I know everything about you. I can catch you up on the jet."
"I'm not going anywhere with you," I shake my head, shocked at his entitlement, "Why the hell would I go with you? I don't even know you."
"Because I have a team of super people, much like yourself," He motions to me. "And I want you to join us."
"How did you know about me?" I ask.
"I know everything," He says, which kind of shocks me. "Is that your superpower?"
"No, someone posted a video of you stopping a tree from falling at a small market," he says and I curse at myself. I was positive no one was around then. I could of let it go but I didn't want it block the road. Plus, there was a family of chipmunks living under it and the fall would of surly killed them. "Seriously, that stick is crippling me with fear."
"You expect me to just drop everything and get on a plane with you?" I shake my head, not letting go of my roots just yet.
"Yes," He says simply, "But I guess I'll show you what I've got."
He pulls a device out of his pocket, pressing on the screen until a blue hologram is in front of us. The video of me stopping the tree is playing on thin air, making my eyes widen. How did he do that?
He swipes the hologram, showing a video of people fighting, a group of six in the middle and fending off the guys destroying the area. Wait- those don't look human. "This is my team."
I gasp when I see lightning strike the ground, "Was that lightning?"
"Yeah," He scoffs, "Thor's a showoff."
I watch as a man throws a circular piece of metal and then catches it immediately after. I watch as a woman kicks one of those creatures in the back and then shoots another one without even looking. I watch as a man with a bow and arrow fires at them effortlessly, not missing a single shot. I watch as a man in a metal suit fires light from his hands as he flies through the air. I watch as a giant green monster jumps from building to building, throwing the creatures as he goes.
I let go of my roots as I watch intently, my eyebrows furrowed. "What are those things?"
"Aliens," He answers, "You've never heard of the Battle of New York?"
"Oh," I say, "I remember reading about it briefly in the paper at the market. But I didn't have the resources to look into it."
"We're the ones who ended it," He puts the hologram away, "Well, technically I'm the one who carried a nuke into a wormhole in space but it was a team effort, really."
My brows furrow as I look down. This is my ticket out of here. I have to take it. Worse comes to worse, I just kill him if he crosses me.
"So," he starts, taking a step closer. "What do you say?"
"What else do I have to lose?"
His eyebrows raise, "Seriously?" He shakes his head, "Wow, you took less convincing than Parker."
"I have to pack some things first," I add, which causes him to smile and nod.
I walk past him, through the little living room area and into my bedroom, which is the only other room in this house besides the bathroom. I walk past my old, really abused mattress and to my pile of clothes that are stacked neatly along my walls. I couldn't bring a dresser with me when I got here so this had to do. I take the duffle bag I used to move my stuff and pack it all back up, which too be fair, isn't a lot. Just some shirts and jeans, a pair of shoes (which I put on), and some underwear, bras and socks. I go over to the other side of my bed and pick up the picture frame of me and my mum. She would totally yell at me for even thinking about getting on a jet with a man I didn't know.
I stuff the frame in my bag before going into the small bathroom, grabbing the hairbrush and toothbrush I lifted from a shop a year or so ago. Not my proudest moment, but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.
I walk out back to where Tony is, seeing him eating a few more of my berries. I would be annoyed with him, but honestly I don't really care. It's not like I need them anymore. "You ready?" He asks, the fruit still in his mouth.
I nod, and he claps once while swallowing, "Outstanding. Now lets go."
He walks towards my door and lets himself out, but I am walking a bit more hesitantly. I look around what once was an abandoned house that I turned into my home for the past few years. I grab the food I had collected before following him out the door. I throw the fruit, vegetables, and fish around, on top of the twigs and branches that now covered the ground from when I had them at the ready to kill Tony, knowing that the animals near by will come around and help themselves. I turn around before standing there, shocked at the huge jet that is parked outside my house. How did I not hear that land?
"You really don't know who I am?" Tony asks as we walk in step towards the jet, and I shake my head. "Do you not have access to an internet connection?"
"I'm lucky to have access to running water," I retort, which makes his hands go up in surrender, "Fair answer, flora."
I roll my eyes as we walk up a landing strip into the jet where a woman in a black tight outfit is standing with her hands on her hips. Her hair is red with blonde tips and braided down her shoulder, some pieces framing her face nicely. I think she's from the video he showed me. "That didn't take long."
"Not sure anyone could resist this," Tony puts his arms out, but I shake my head, "No. Not why I came."
He waves me off, "Yeah, yeah. What else do you have to lose, I know."
I roll my eyes, the woman sticking her hand out, "I'm Natasha."
"Adelaide," I shake her hand, "But you probably already knew that."
She scrunches her face, before nodding. "Yeah, sorry. This is all probably a little strange."
"A little?" I ask, "A man who looks like he just walked out of a 90s movie was standing in my kitchen eating my berries as I was cooking."
"You were eating her food?" Natasha scolds him, making me smile. He gets defensive, "She's going to have plenty of food at the Tower!"
"The Tower?" I ask at the same time Tony says, "A 90s movie?"
Natasha laugh while I crack another smile. He waves off my comment, "Yeah. That's where you'll be living now. If you would, Ms. Romanoff." Tony gestures towards the front of the jet. "I think I have some explaining to do here to Adelaide."
She nods and walks past me. She presses a button and the door closing, locking us inside. She then goes to the front of the plane and sits down, buckling a belt around her waist. She puts headphones on and starts pushing more buttons around her. It's not until then that I see a man sitting in the seat next to her, sleeping.
"Who's that?" I ask.
Tony looks towards the man, "His name is Clint. He flew the majority of the way here so he's just getting some beauty sleep. You'll meet him soon."
Tony sits, motioning for me to sit in the seat across from him. I do, buckling the belt around me as well. Soon the jet starts to lift without any sound. Huh, I guess that's how I didn't hear it land.
"Where is this Tower?" I ask, having no idea whats going on. But I've never really been one to think long term.
"New York City," he answers, before my eyes widen. "You live in New York City?"
"The one and only," is his response, as if it's nothing.
"That's a long way from New Zealand," I say, shaking my head.
"It is, so you best get some rest," he motions at me, but I shake my head. "No, tell me who you guys are. What is this team you mentioned?"
"Well, we call ourselves the Avengers," he leans back into his seat, "Which is really cringey to say out loud, but I didn't name it."
I raise my eyebrows, so he continues, "Like I said, we're a group of superheroes. Some with enhanced powers, some without. We fight the battles that the others can't. We protect the world from extra-ordinary threats."
"How are you sure that I'm not a threat?" I ask, "Or how do I know you are not one?"
"If you were," he motioned towards me, "You would of made me into a Stark-kebab."
He has a point.
"And if I were," he shrugs, "Well, you wouldn't be sitting here."
Ominous, but comforting. I lean back in my seat, no more questions needing to be answered at the moment. It's not like we're running out of time for them to be answered. Like I said, we're a long way away from New York.