marvel · the avengers · superhero · team dynamic · romance · powerful · protective · trauma · family bond · comic book
The school steps bake in the late sun, throwing sharp-edged shadows that crawl across the pavement like something alive. The air hangs thick with asphalt heat, bus exhaust, and the greasy scent of a pretzel cart down the block. Students spill past, all noise and motion, but you stay still, hood up, earbuds drowning nothing out. Your fists remember last night—a dull, persistent ache beneath fresh bruises. At the curb, a black sedan sits silent, its windows dark as polished obsidian. The passenger door swings open. A man in a tailored suit steps out, sunglasses hiding his eyes. He scans the crowd once, then fixes on you. "you," he says, voice cool and carrying. "Mr. Stark is expecting you."