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VALOR
xvi. VALOR
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THE 2012 BATTLE OF New York was the first fight that truly traumatized 11-year-old Riley O'Dair. She didn't remember much of it, but somehow, that was worse than remembering everything. The dark spots in her memories forced her brain to yearn for the pieces to be put together, like a big jigsaw puzzle. All she remembered was the fighting, the ugly ass Chitauri aliens, and the pain that came afterward — both, physically and emotionally.
Shortly after Phil Coulson's death, Steve Rogers and Tony Stark managed to discover that Loki had his followers set up the Tesseract on the Stark Tower. It was time for everyone to get suited up, including a newly rescued Clint Barton, and fight for the safety of the planet. There was just one minor catch.
Riley had been in her room, processing Phil's death, when Steve went knocking on her door. She had tried to force herself to cry, but all she could feel was blind anger. Instead, she had been alone and filled with frustration that she didn't know how to deal with.
She furrowed her eyebrows together after Steve told her to suit up. Riley found herself more concerned about something else that didn't involve fighting Loki. "So..." she began, "we're not telling Fury about the Tesseract's location?"
Steve hadn't been anticipating her response. After everything, Riley was still prepared to be Fury's loyal dog? "I think you're the last person I'd expect to advocate for Fury right now," admitted Steve.
Riley shook her head. "Fury's annoying, but he's not totally awful. Besides, I'm not advocating," she corrected. "Just curious. Aren't you the guy who's been yapping on and on about teamwork and being united for the past few days?"
Steve wasn't sure how to reply. He could sense her hostility from miles away. Maybe he needed to be gentler, more sympathetic. "You lost a soldier today. If you're not ready to head into battle today, I understand. You're too young to fight in wars," Steve said.
Riley's eyebrow cocked upward, her frustration boiling in her veins. "You know, Cap, you're no better than the rest of us," Riley declared. "You're just like me. Cursed with a gift that got you somewhere you weren't planning. And, by the way, we're not soldiers. We're just people trying to make things right in a world that makes no sense. Phil had a choice to be here and he died because of that choice. I might be upset about it, but don't talk to me like I'm a kid because of my age, Steve. I've seen more than half of the people here combined."
Steve hesitated. She had a point. He knew she did, but he couldn't bring himself to look past the fact that she was a child. She wasn't even a teenager yet, after all. But nonetheless, she had a point.
"You're right," admitted Steve. "I might think you're a kid, but you're more than that. You're a fighter. That's why you survived the accident instead of your parents. That's why you have those powers. You were destined for more." He turned toward the door, his back facing her. "You can stay here and be pissed at the world, or you can come with us and avenge your losses. It pains me to send a child to war, but I have a feeling we'll need you."
Riley scoffed. "Save the motivational speech for someone who needs it. I was gonna come anyway," she insisted, rising to her feet and dusting herself off. She forced a smile. "Loki pissed off the wrong kid."
Steve eyed her, fully facing her once more. "I thought you weren't a kid?"
Riley shrugged. "It's okay when I say it," she mentioned. "Hey, when we're down there, can I throw the shield?" Steve looked baffled by the sudden question. "Pleaseee?"
Steve shook his head. "You know, you sure are polite," he pointed out.
Riley shrugged again. She was beginning to notice that Roman was rubbing off on her. "I wasn't given much respect, so I figured I'd try to be better than the asshats around here," she explained. "So, is that a yes?"
Steve paused. "...Suit up, Agent."
And with that, the Avengers gathered to secure the Tesseract. Although it wasn't blatantly obvious, they knew this wouldn't end without a gruesome fight. Riley just wished she would've been warned about how the result of the fight sooner. This was the fight that changed everything for her, after all.
After stealing an aircraft from S.H.I.E.L.D., the Avengers were on their way to New York City. However, rather than traveling with the others, Riley was dragged off by Tony to fly in ahead of the others. The entire flight consisted of them arguing over how dangerous it was to make Riley essentially just hold onto him for the whole flight, but Tony just kept arguing with, "YOU MAKE FORCEFIELDS! I DON'T SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS!"
Honestly, Riley was pretty sure Tony just missed hanging out with her.
They managed to locate Selvig and the Tesseract on the rooftop of Stark Towers, but it was impossible to get through to him when he was still brainwashed. Instead, they shifted their attention to Loki as he waited for Tony on the tower's balcony.
Invisible, Riley followed behind Tony as his suit was taken off of him. She continued to mumble to herself about how stupid he was for removing his suit, but she figured Tony had some stupid plan in mind.
Loki strutted through the building with confidence oozing out of him. In his hand was that damn scepter he never parted with. "Please tell me you're going to appeal to my humanity," taunted Loki. Seeing him up close again just reminded Riley of how badly she wanted to kick his ass.
"Uh, actually, I'm planning to threaten you," Tony retorted. He didn't seem worried, but Riley knew him better than that. He could fool most people, she'd give him that; however, Riley liked to think she knew Tony like he was family. Or something like that, at least.
"You should have left your armor for that," Loki remarked.
Tony made his way down the stairs to meet Loki, leaving Riley to silently trail after him. She was prepared to protect Tony at any moment. "Yeah, it's got a bit of mileage, and you've got the glowstick of destiny." Tony motioned to the bar. "Would you like a drink?"
Though Loki faltered for just a moment, his smirk remained. "Stalling me won't change anything."
"No, no, threatening," Tony corrected. "No drink? You sure? I'm having one." As he began to serve himself, he added, "What about you, Tink?"
Riley rolled her eyes. Seeing that she was being outed, she turned herself visible and shook her head. Loki seemed pleased to see her. "That was a test," Tony continued. "You passed. Underage drinking is for losers."
Loki turned toward the large windows. He didn't understand why the two were always bantering. "The Chitauri are coming. Nothing will change that," he reminded the so-called heroes.
"Have you looked outside, Mr. Loki? We can clearly see that, asshat," Riley sassed with her squeaky voice. She motioned to the skies where clouds were forming, preparing to open a portal to the other end of space.
Tony glanced over his shoulder. "Hey, watch your damn mouth, Tink." He leaned against the counter, sipping his alcoholic beverage. "She thinks she's all high and mighty 'cause she graduated high school last year."
Loki sneered at the heroes. "What have I to fear? A tin-man and his fetus friend?" Riley just stuck her tongue out at the demigod. Maybe she really was spending too much time with Tony and Roman these days.
"The Avengers," Tony answered. Loki stared at him, puzzled. "It's what we call ourselves. Earth's mightiest heroes kinda thing."
"Seriously, get with the program, you homicidal reindeer," Riley chirped from behind Tony, arms folded over her chest.
Tony shot her a look. "Stop stealing my jokes and making them better, fetus."
Though Riley wanted to laugh, she pouted and returned, "Fine, Tin-Man." Then, she turned herself invisible.
Loki's smirk returned to his face. "Yes, I've met your... Avengers."
Tony nodded. "Yeah. It takes us a while to get any traction, but let's do a headcount here," he suggested. "Your brother the demigod, a supersoldier who's a bit of a living legend..." While Loki was turned around, Tony slipped on a pair of silver cuffs. "A man with breathtaking anger management issues, a couple of master assassins, a brooding teenaged alien, and my personal favorite, the 11-year-old who could kick any of our asses whenever she feels necessary. And you, big fella, have managed to piss off every single one of them."
"That was the plan."
"Not a very good plan, if you asked me," Riley commented. She could practically feel Tony's eyes on her despite the fact that he couldn't actually see her. "But no one has... so... uh, I'll be over here..."
Tony walked forward with his drink in hand. "When they come—and they will—they'll come for you," he finished.
"I have an army," Loki warned.
"We have a Hulk," Tony countered. "There is no throne, no version of this, where you come out on top. Maybe your army comes and maybe it's too much for us, but it's all on you. Because if we can't protect the Earth, you can be damn sure we'll avenge it."
Loki walked forward with his glowing scepter in his hand. "How can you be so sure your friends will be fighting me when they're so busy fighting you?" he questioned. Then, he reached up and tapped his scepter to Tony's heart, or rather, his arc reactor. Loki furrowed his eyebrows together when he realized his little magic trick wasn't working. "Huh... This usually works."
Tony shrugged. "Performance issues, what can you do about them? Honestly, I'd rate yours maybe one out of five—"
Interrupting him, Loki grabbed Tony and threw him to the ground. "JARVIS, any time now," Tony spat, grunting as he rose to his feet. "Stand down, Riley!"
Riley felt her heart stop. She knew what Loki was capable of. If he could kill Phil so easily, then he could kill Tony, too. She already lost one person that was important to her. She could not, under any circumstance, lose Tony, too. She would never forgive herself. She'd probably never recover.
Loki marched forward and grabbed Tony by his face. "You will all fall before me," Loki sneered.
"Deploy!" Tony called. "Deploy!"
With that, Tony was thrown out the glass window of Stark Towers. Eyes widening, Riley screamed, "TONY!" She watched as one of his suits went flying after him to save him, which relieved her to some extent. Then, Riley turned to Loki with a fire burning in her eyes.
"You're gonna regret that."
She stomped forward and brought her tiny fist up to Loki's jaw, causing him to fall onto the ground out of surprise and drop his scepter. She made herself visible once more, kicking him in the stomach.
Mid-kick, Loki grabbed her ankle and tossed her away from him. In response to this, Riley created a forcefield behind herself to stop her from getting too far. Riley, then, created a forcefield around Loki's scepter. This prevented him from retrieving it.
Riley leaped forward to grab the scepter, but between those few seconds where there was no longer a forcefield blanketed over the weapon, Loki had retrieved it once more. Riley froze in her place with her hands raised. Heart racing rapidly, the child huffed and puffed quietly.
Loki studied her for a moment. "Hm, how peculiar," commented Loki. "You, my child, are one of the few Midguardians to have Valor."
Riley stared at him blankly. "I might be smart, but I'm still a kid, which means I have no idea what that means," she sassed again.
He sighed. "It means to show courage in the face of danger, fetus," Loki unenthusiastically explained. "I've been keeping my eye out for you ever since Agent Barton mentioned you. You've shown fierceness and bravery for someone of your age."
Riley remained silent as he stood directly in front of her, towering over the child. Loki held his scepter and placed it where her heart was; however, he found that his trick failed once more. Riley's eyes bled a shade of purple, similar to ultraviolet rays. A forcefield had taken form over her most vital organ.
"You might be some kind of monster, but listen here, tough guy," she sneered, "the sun will shine on us again." She paused. "You're going to throw me out the window like you did to Tony, aren't you?"
Loki shrugged. "If that is what you wish."
With that being said, 11-year-old Riley O'Dair was flung out the window without another word. The only thing that could be heard amongst more glass shattering was a loud, "You... suck...!"
As Riley's body sliced through the air, she managed to turn herself invisible and break her fall with a forcefield, mid-air. Tony went flying past her at the same time to face Loki. Riley was about to make her way back up the tower when she noticed something in the skies.
Up above the skyscrapers, where the clouds had gathered and darkened, a circular wormhole had opened up. Riley adjusted her suit to pull her mask over her face as she stared at the sight in awe and fear at the same time. Now visible again, Riley floated in the middle of New York on her forcefield, with thousands of Chitauri aliens pouring out of a goddamn wormhole in the sky. Riley felt her heart sink down in her chest as she watched them, alone.
"This is the worst surprise party ever," Tony sarcastically said into her comm, to which Riley actually laughed. She laughed.
Because this time, she wasn't alone. She wasn't fighting alone anymore. She had Tony. She had the Avengers. She had her courage to guide her. Riley puffed her chest out, prepared to fight to save the Earth for the first time (and hopefully, last time) ever. Riley could do this.
"You mean, this isn't what you asked for? Because I didn't ask for a gift receipt, you know," Riley bantered back.
With that, the two went into battle. Tony flew into the wormhole head-on, whereas Riley strayed closer to the ground to protect the civilians from the sudden blasts. She remembered always being instructed to focus on defense, but honestly, when a bunch of aliens are coming at you, it's a little hard to just duck and cover. Riley wished she could fly like Tony, but for now, leaping to and from her forcefields would have to be enough.
"Stark, Riley, we're on your three, headed northeast," Natasha Romanoff announced.
"What, did you stop for a drive-thru?" Tony immediately asked. His stress was evident in his voice as he spoke. Honestly, Riley was in too much shock over the fact that she was fighting actual aliens to process her stress. "Swing up Park. I'm gonna lay 'em out for you."
Meanwhile, Riley continued to work her way through the aliens that came her way. She was seriously beginning to regret her suit being the color white, as it was already covered in alien guts. Those Chitauri were horrifying creatures, and having their guts on her wasn't helping that fact that Riley was quite literally shitting bricks throughout her fight. Still, she kept reminding herself that she wasn't alone anymore, and that was enough to keep her going.
Over all of the noise, Riley could just barely hear what everyone was saying in the comms. "It's like Budapest all over again!" Natasha shouted, to which Clint and Riley responded with, "Shut up, Nat!" and "You and I remember Budapest very differently."
Riley's eyes widened as the Chitauri continued to fall from the skies. Cars exploded from every direction, buildings becoming demolished within seconds. Hell was raining down, and God did Riley wish she had brought an umbrella.
She used her forcefields to throw vehicles at the Chitauri. She didn't want to get close enough to the Chitauri to actually have to fight them with her fists. After all, she wasn't even five feet tall and these aliens were well over six-foot.
Riley ducked as one of the Chitauri got a little too close for comfort, swinging its strange weapon at her head. Before she could roll out of its line of fire, a body leaped over her and grabbed the Chitauri, finishing it off in seconds. Riley whipped her head back around to see Roman. His face was already dirtied with soot and Chitauri blood, but his smirk was still stamped on his face.
Riley straightened herself out, dusting herself off. "Hey, is killing these aliens like killing your family? 'Cause that's really messed up," she commented.
Roman rolled his eyes. "Not all aliens are the same, idiot," he hissed. "Word of advice?" He continued to speak as he possessed some of the Chitauri, using it to take out others. "It doesn't matter how big these guys are compared to you. Utilize your strengths and get in close. All opponents have the disadvantage of having to guard close if you get inside. And always go for the head. Got it?"
Riley nodded. "Got it!" With that, she slid in between the legs of a nearby Chitauri and jumped onto its shoulders. She wrapped her legs around its head, twisting its skull and snapping its neck instantly. "Like that?"
Roman glanced back at her and shrugged. "Basically."
Riley continued to fight through the Chitauri, feeling stronger now that she was with her teammate. "So, were you ever gonna tell me that your eyes change colors with your mood?" she asked. "I figured it out on the flight over here!"
Roman shrugged. "Didn't think it mattered," he mentioned. "Do you always talk this much in fights?"
Riley paused. "Not really, no," she admitted. "So, does that mean you're basically a big Mood Ring? Because I think that'd be a really good nickname for you!"
Roman scoffed. "I don't know what that is, but do not call me that," he stated. "Hey, can you catch this?"
"Catch what—? Hey!" Riley grunted as Roman threw an entire taxi cab at her. She just barely managed to catch it with a forcefield. With another grunt, she chucked it at another herd of Chitauri. "Thanks for the warning!"
"No problem."
"That was sarcasm!"
The two continued to fight back-to-back, utilizing each other's strengths to cancel out their weaknesses. Roman fought like he had been through this situation thousands of times before. He was a professional when it came to his line of work and it showed.
Soon enough, Riley and Roman worked their way to where Natasha, Clint, and Steve had gathered. Thor dropped from the skies to greet them, sending thunderbolts through several Chitauri all at once. Riley watched in awe. She wished she could use her powers like that.
"The power surrounding the Cube is impenetrable," Thor revealed.
"Thor's right," chimed in Tony. "We gotta deal with these guys."
Natasha glanced back at them. Worry enshrouded her green eyes as she asked, "How do we do this?"
"As a team," Steve affirmed.
"I have unfinished business with Loki," Thor reminded them.
Clint was securing a new arrowhead to his collection of specialized arrows as he remarked, "Yeah? Well, get in line." He sent a nod toward Riley. The two were relieved to be together again.
"Is that seriously your priority right now?" Roman snapped. "Not the Chitauri falling out of the goddamn sky?"
"Save it," Steve butted in. He gripped his shield. Riley watched him in subtle awe. This was the Captain America she grew up hearing about. "Loki's going to keep this fight focused on us, and that's what we need. Without him, these things could run wild."
Riley and Natasha exchanged glances, almost as if to say, "Aren't they already doing that?"
Steve walked forward, turning back to face the others. "We got Stark up to. He's going to need us to—" continued Steve.
"Is that Bruce?" Riley interrupted. She narrowed her eyes at the small man riding toward them on a motorcycle. The group approached him as he hopped off the motorcycle. His clothes didn't look like they belonged to him, for they were oversized and dirtied. Riley wondered where he had been since Roman flung him off the Helicarrier.
"So," greeted Bruce, motioning to the city, "this all seems horrible."
"I've seen worse," Natasha dryly returned. Riley could attest to that. She was still traumatized by waking up to the Hulk roaring in her face.
Bruce faltered, his messy raven hair falling over his face. "Sorry."
Natasha shook her head. "No, we could use a little worse."
Riley glanced between them. "Please tell me you're not flirting in the middle of a literal war," she begged, causing Natasha to roll her eyes.
"Tell Banner to suit up," Tony ordered. "I'm bringing the party to you."
With that, Tony went flying around the corner of another building just a few feet away. Following behind him was one of the largest aliens Riley had seen from the hoard that was attacking the Earth. It was large, almost like an elongated worm from hell. Sure, it was weird to think that she was terrified by an alien worm, but seeing it in person felt like a nightmare.
Her heart sunk in her chest seeing the thing fly toward them. "I don't see how that's a party," confessed Natasha.
Bruce turned away from the group, slowly approaching the large alien. "Dr. Banner," beckoned Steve, "now might be a really good time for you to get angry."
Bruce offered him a pained smile. "That's my secret, Captain," revealed Bruce. "I'm always angry."
Without another second to waste, Bruce transformed into the green rage monster that was the incredible Hulk. Then, he swung his fist back and pummeled the alien with ease. Riley raised her arms, propelling a forcefield around the Avengers as the alien flipped itself over them. Tony finished it off with a few rockets, securing its defeat.
Together, the eight Avengers stood in a circle. They each looked up at the world around them. It was uncontrollable chaos. It wasn't until then when Riley realized it: they were going to save the Earth, and they wouldn't be able to do it alone. The Avengers needed to stand as one.
As more of those worm-like Chitauri flew through the portal, Riley felt chills emerge all over her body. She wondered if Roman could possess those like he could the others.
"Alright, listen up," Steve urged, "until we can close that portal, our priority is containment. Barton, I want you on that roof. Eyes on everything. Call out patterns and strays. Stark, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks, you turn it back or you turn it to ash."
"Give me a lift?" Clint asked Tony, to which he replied, "Affirmative. Better clench up, Legolas." With that, the two were gone.
Steve glanced back at the remaining heroes. "Thor, you gotta try and bottleneck that portal," he continued. "Slow them down. You got the lightning. Light the bastards up." He motioned to Natasha and Roman. "The three of us stay here on the ground. We keep the fighting here." They nodded.
Steve's eyes shifted to Riley as he ordered, "Manhattan, you're on defense. I want you looking out for civilians and trying to keep the city as close to one piece as possible. Take out as many of those aliens as you can." He turned to the green monster before that. "And Hulk... Smash."
Natasha turned to Riley. "Stay focused," she told her.
Riley nodded. "Be safe."
With that, the Avengers parted ways and continued to fight to save the planet. Riley glanced up at a Chitauri flying overhead, an idea brewing in her mind. She grabbed one of the many weapons strapped to her body, a grappling hook to be specific. She shot it at the back of the vehicle the Chitauri was on and leaped upward. She created a forcefield beneath her feet and rode the streets of New York like it was a sled.
Riley worked her way through New York, creating forcefields as needed and taking down aliens as she went, when she overheard someone calling her name. "Hey, Tink, you said you needed friends, right?" Tony greeted.
She glanced back at Iron Man as he flew toward her. Behind him were a herd of Chitauri. She scoffed. "You asshole," she grumbled.
She climbed on top of a nearby car, another idea coming to mind. She created a flat forcefield, its shape reminding her of a giant frisbee. Then, as Tony flew over her, Riley flicked her wrist and threw the 'frisbee' at the aliens. She grinned victoriously when it sliced them in half, killing them instantly.
"Now, is that any way to treat your friends?" Tony queried with a little snicker.
Riley rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Dad," she taunted. "Has anyone ever told you you're annoying?"
"Love you, too, daughter," he mocked.
Although Riley was bantering with her teammates when she could, something about her felt uneasy. The explosions sounding all around her, the aliens, all of the innocent lives being taken — all of it was beginning to make her head spin.
"Take that, you ugly booger!" Riley yelled. She made a face at the goopy texture of the deceased alien. "Jesus fucking Christ, these things are gross."
"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Clint asked.
Without missing a beat, Riley denied, "Well, my mom's dead, so I don't think I do."
"Lord, Stark, you've really tainted the poor child."
Riley cocked a smile, even letting out a little laugh as she bolted to protect escaping civilians. She created a forcefield in front of them, wincing every time she heard another building fall apart, another explosion, and anything that so much as went:
Boom, boom, boom...
Riley shook her head. She wasn't sure why everything was suddenly getting to her. Was it because of how long they had been fighting? Was she just tired? Was that why everything sounded so much louder, why everything seemed so much scarier? Was her adrenaline finally wearing off? Earlier, she had been almost laughing through her nerves, not fully processing what was going on.
But this was very real. And now that Riley was properly processing what was going on, she was terrified.
"Hey, kid?" Roman's voice came in through Riley's comms. "You know what's kinda fucked up?" He didn't wait for her to reply. "I'm busting my ass trying to save a planet that isn't my own. I'm doing what I should've done on Asteria. Isn't that fucked up?"
Riley pinched her eyebrows together, leaning against a piece of debris as she caught her breath. "Come on, Mood Ring," Riley tried to tell him. "Things... Things were different then."
"Were they though?" Roman queried. "Fighting a bunch of Chitauri to save a planet alongside some soldiers... Isn't it the same?"
Riley shook her head. She swallowed her spit, hoping that it'd help parch her thirst. "You were alone then," she told him. "But this time, you have a village. Remember? We're a team now."
Roman paused. "I know. That's why doing this is gonna hurt like a motherfucker."
Riley hesitated. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I've got three of those big guys coming up on a group of evacuating buildings!" Clint suddenly barked into their comms. "Over on 23rd Street. Anyone have any ideas? A lot of people are gonna die if we don't stop them!"
"Leave it to me," Roman said.
Riley felt her breathing become hitched in her throat. "Roman? Roman, what the hell are you doing?" She stood up from her little hiding spot. She scrambled to the middle of the street, looking up at the three worm-like Chitauri heading straight for a group of skyscrapers. She couldn't quite see Roman, but she knew he was down there.
"Roman, what the hell are you doing?" Riley demanded. She couldn't shake the feeling that he was about to do something reckless. She began to race forward, pushing through the Chitauri and praying that she could get to Roman before he did something that could get him killed.
"I think I can possess these guys long enough to steer them the other way. If I die doing this, will you remember something for me?" Roman asked Riley. "Thank you for giving me the second chance I didn't deserve."
"Roman—!?"
"And if I don't die, this is gonna be really embarrassing. But I'm hoping it'll work itself out. I think you showed me that hope isn't a complete waste of time," Roman added. "Well, here goes nothing."
With that, the three Chitauri froze mid-air just before they collided with the skyscrapers. Riley watched, suddenly frozen in her place. Then, there was a great light that blinded them. It reminded Riley of a star's light.
That was how she knew something was wrong.
Because the few times Riley had seen Roman use his powers, never had she seen a light like that come from him before.
Riley felt the panic within her grow. "Roman? Roman, do you copy?" Silence. "Roman!"
"He's not... He's not down there anymore," revealed Clint.
"What do you mean he's not there anymore?" Steve demanded.
"I-I don't know," stammered Clint, "It was like... like he burnt out. Like, he turned into... light or something, I don't know. All I know is that he's gone. Right after those Chitauri killed each other, he vanished. Roman's gone."
Riley felt like she was going to throw up. She felt like she was going to pass out. What, just like that, he was gone? Roman actually sacrificed himself for a planet he didn't give two shits about? Roman couldn't even sacrifice himself for his home, but he could sacrifice himself for the Earth? It made no sense to her.
Her chest tightened just thinking about it. Clint's words echoed in Riley's head to the point where it was all she could hear. Not the gunshots, the cries of the innocent, the roars of the Chitauri. She couldn't feel the heat of the explosions around her, the pain in her limbs, her open wounds against the warm air. The world stopped turning the moment Riley truly realized that Roman was gone.
It felt so twisted. Why did the universe continue to give her people she'd been looking for her whole life, just to take them away? Why did the universe give people second chances, just to take away their life? First Phil, now Roman? Who was next?
Riley didn't realize that question had an actual answer. The next thing she knew, in the midst of her killing spree of the Chitauri, Tony Stark was trying to fly a nuke through the wormhole. The only problem was that he couldn't do it without flying through the wormhole himself.
A one-way flight.
Riley couldn't find the words to call for Tony. First Phil, then Roman, now Tony? She worked her way through the Chitauri, hoping that she'd find Tony flying alongside her rather than through outer space. She found her way to Thor and Steve as the Chitauri fell limp and the wormhole shut. The two were staring up at the sky as the wormhole closed and Iron Man was nowhere to be seen.
Riley squeezed her eyes shut, trying to get her head to stop pounding. All the fighting was finally catching up to her. The losses were catching up to her. Riley couldn't lose Tony. She couldn't. Phil, Roman, Tony. It was too much for her to handle all in one day.
"Son of a gun," Steve muttered to himself.
Riley forced her eyes open, tilting her head back to see Iron Man limply falling from the sky. She held her breath as Thor realized, "He's not slowing down." He whirled his hammer around to give him momentum. This would help him as he flew through the sky to catch Tony.
However, just in time, Hulk managed to grab Tony and land somewhat safely on the ground. In an instant, Riley was already running toward Hulk before he even landed. Thor and Steve hurried after her, catching up in seconds.
They had done it. The Avengers had defeated the Chitauri. Blood was shed and lives had been lost, but they did it. The Avengers gathered around Tony. Riley couldn't focus on anything other than the man she considered her closest friend. She couldn't bring herself to think about what she'd do if he was truly dead.
Riley ripped her mask off of her face. She couldn't breathe. Or, at least, she didn't feel like she could. Steve kneeled beside Tony's unconscious body with Thor and Riley beside him. Hulk stood over Tony, as well. The atmosphere was tense. Everyone was silent.
"Come on, Stark," Steve muttered. Dirt and blood caked his and everyone else's faces, but all they cared about beyond their injuries was if Tony was going to survive.
Steve glanced back at Riley. He was still under the impression that she was just a kid who hadn't seen much, never mind death. She was just a kid—much like Steve once was a long time ago. Additionally, Steve knew how attached Riley was to Tony. He was concerned for Riley.
Yet oddly enough, Riley was stone-faced. After facing two deaths of individuals Riley grew close to, after fighting intergalactic aliens, Riley was completely stoic. Blood gushed from her wounds, ashes clung to her figure, and Tony Stark was on the brink of death. Yet Riley was a statue.
Even when Hulk released a roar to successfully awaken Tony, Riley just barely flinched. She was too shocked by everything that was going on around her to outwardly react. Boom, boom, boom echoed in her head. Roman's gone and Agent Coulson is down screamed in her ears. Was Riley mentally prepared to hear Tony Stark is dead? She didn't think so.
But then Tony inhaled sharply, revealing that he was alive. And still, when Steve glanced back at Riley, all he could notice was a very quiet sigh of relief.
Riley looked completely neutral. Was it because of her training? After all, Riley was never allowed to be vulnerable, to show her emotions. Maybe it was because she was in true, genuine shock? Anyone else would be.
Still, Steve was surprised.
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"Let me make myself clear. I don't like you. I tolerate you. And I want my revenge. That's the only reason why I'm helping you out. If I have to choose between you earthworms and my life, I'm choosing my life."
The taste on Riley's tongue was bitter. Processing Phil Coulson's death was exhausting enough, but now she had to process Roman's death, too? On top of that, Riley was pretty sure she had PTSD now. God, could her life get any harder?
"Hey, Roman, have you ever heard of a Roman Holiday?" Riley remembered asking him two nights ago.
Roman had made another one of his famous grimaces. "No, but it sounds stupid. What is it, a vacation?"
"A Roman Holiday isn't a vacation, silly," Riley had disputed. "It's more like... an occasion... yeah! It's an occasion where pleasure or profit is derived from others' suffering. Sounds fun, right? I heard it in a movie once."
How did Riley get so attached to a stupid, brooding alien so fast? She wasn't sure. But between Tony rambling on about Shwarma and arresting Loki in the Stark Tower, it was all Riley could think about.
Riley now stood in the lobby of Stark Towers. She was alongside Tony, Thor, and Loki (whose mouth had been restrained by Thor because he had been talking too much). Her mask had returned to her face and she was beginning to calm down after what happened. Sure, she was still upset, but at least she felt like she could breathe again.
She wasn't paying much attention to the officers talking to Tony and Thor. She was just ready to go home and sleep for the next three decades. Instead, she was distracted by a young reporter running up to their side. Honestly, Riley wasn't sure how the woman got through all the security, but she quickly decided that wasn't a thought she cared to dawdle on.
"Excuse me! Excuse me!" The woman went straight to Riley rather than Thor or Tony, surprising her instantly. "You just saved New York alongside some of the greatest heroes of our time. What can we call you!"
Riley looked around momentarily, only to realize that the interviewer was talking to her. "...What?"
"What's your name?" reiterated the reporter.
"Um..." Riley didn't deal with the press very often. Actually, scratch that. Riley didn't deal with the press ever. That was usually left to Fury or the Council. "...That's classified."
The woman didn't miss a beat. She was firing off questions one after another. "You sound young! How old are you?" she interrogated.
Riley glanced back at Tony and Thor. They weren't paying attention to her though, naturally. Riley peered back at the reporter. "Uh... I'm 11," answered Riley.
The reporter's eyes widened. "Really? You old enough to be fighting aliens?" She pushed her phone closer to Riley's face, hoping to catch every detail of their conversation acutely.
"Well, I did just save your life," pointed out Riley.
The woman chuckled lightly. "Fair point," she admitted. "Well, if we can't know your name, then what can we call you? You can turn invisible and create forcefields. Can we call you The Vanishing Woman? Invisible Girl? What's your superhero name?"
Riley faltered. She almost wanted to turn away from the conversation. She wanted to turn invisible and walk away. She didn't care for the press and she probably never would. But then something clicked in her brain.
Second chances. That's what Roman was going on about before he died. Riley gave him a second chance at doing what's right when he swore he didn't deserve it.
When this was over, Riley was supposed to go back to S.H.I.E.L.D. She was supposed to go back to working under Fury and the Council. She was going to be exported like a gun to become a humanized weapon for the United States Army. But... Riley didn't want that. She was more than a weapon. She was more than a soldier. She was a fighter, just like Steve said.
She wanted a second chance. She wanted the chance to choose her future again. She chose the Avengers, didn't she? She chose Roman, didn't she? Maybe this time, she could change her future and ensure that she'd be someone more than a humanized weapon. Maybe this time, she could give herself a second chance.
And this was her moment.
So, Riley looked up at the reporter with confidence in her gaze. Of course, the woman couldn't see her face, but that didn't matter. She merely smiled and said the words that would change her path forever:
"Call me Valor."
END OF ACT ONE; ROMAN HOLIDAY
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AUTHOR'S NOTE:
AAAAAHHHH OUCH???? i love roman so much - writing his death actually pained me more than i thought it would???
roman's main character arc has officially been completed. of course, there's more we'll see in misadventures in paradise, but this was his big arc. we started with an asshole, a selfish boy who was running away from his problems and feeling like shit because of it. but then, he ended up dying, sacrificing himself because a certain human taught him that everyone deserves a second chance, even when it feels like we don't. this is the message i wanted you readers to take from roman's character.
furthermore, i wanted roman's presence to feel short-lived, fast, but impactful. we learned that second chances are real, and we also learned that no one is truly alone. we have our own villages composed of the people we care about the most. roman and riley became so close so fast because, for the first time, they felt understood, seen, heard. his death is going to impact riley a lot, which we'll see in the next act.
this act was set up to show that riley has always felt like she didn't have a choice in how her life would pan out. her life has always been planned for her, her choices being made for her every day. but she's learned that she's more than what people expect of her. she's more than a weapon, a soldier. she can choose to be something more, and she's decided she wants to be a true hero. she's making her own choices and it's exhilarating.
the next act will cover how riley learns what being a hero means. she chose the hero life when she forced her way into the avengers initiative, when she told the reporter her hero name. but that doesn't mean things will get easier. now that riley's learning to make choices, she'll have to make harder ones, ones that can make everything go downhill. (example = team cap or team iron man)
i'm so excited for yall to read the second and final act of valor! please, leave comments and tell me what you think! thanks for being the best <3 i'll see yall in the next act!