Private Avengers RP{Isadora and Sesquipedalian}

[Isadora Sheolclan]

Axcel didn't know what to think. Then again, she didn't know if she had just been arrested or...something else. The reason why she had been brought to the place had not been given to her by the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who had picked up. And now she was in a strange room onboard a giant aircraft. She felt a little giddy at this, even though she could fly, in one form or the other. Axcel swung her feet slightly as she waited for something to happen. She probably hadn't been arrested. After all, she wasn't alone in the room. There were two other girls and three boys also sitting about. They looked close to her age, maybe a smidge older but not by a lot. Axcel couldn't help but wonder what they might be doing there. They couldn't all have the same reason...right? That would be strange. Although, strange seemed to be the new norm these days. S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers hardly scratched the surface it seemed. But this waiting...it would kill her.


Zephyr maintained a rather blank and disinterested expression. By now he had already presumed much, if not everything. Although, even he did not seem to know the reason for six...adolescents, including himself, to be brought aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier without so much as an explanation. Zephyr figured if he didn't know, then no one knew. He had barely taken a glance at the other occupants before he knew just about everything concerning each individual. Just by their varying postures and facial expressions could he tell what kind of people they were as well as their natural physical and mental strengths. Most simple properties as such were easy to deduce for someone who did such for the majority of his life. Zephyr, however, could not tell of their separate 'special' factors, if they had such. His abilities did not extend so far. Now if only he could obtain more information concerning their being in this place.


'I shouldn't be here, I shouldn't be here.' Aurik repeated in his mind, bordering panic. He couldn't stop fidgeting as he was extremely anxious. Not nervous, he was full of anxiety which showed plainly in his behavior and expression. Even an oblivious person would be able to see just how uncomfortable he was. He alternated between biting his lip(which he regretted every time) and pulling at his pantleg with longer-than-normal fingernails. He would be biting his nails if he hadn't learned from multiple past experiences that he would only be left with a sore jaw. Aurik's dull crimson eyes darted frantically about the room, sometimes glancing at the other five teenagers and other times he would just stare at the door. There were no windows in the room, but even if there were he wouldn't dare jump. After all, they were miles up in the sky floating on a giant airship. Why were they there though?

 

[Sesquipedalian]

Skyler sat somewhat tensely aboard the helicarrier, her bi-colored gaze roaming over the room and its inhabitants. Subtly, she observed each one of the other adolescents, trying to get a read on them. Observing, analyzing, and assessing were all habits she had created after four long years with Hydra. Only recently had she been freed of the organization, when she had been captured by SHIELD. The capture ended up being a rescue of sorts, but that didn't mean Skyler felt any more comfortable now than she had while under Hydra's command. On the contrary, she was possibly even more alert now than ever before. All her senses were always fine-tuned, and there were few moments when her guard was down. Likewise, there were few people who could sneak up on the teen.


Currently, she had no idea where this helicarrier was headed, and that bothered her. She hated not knowing what was going on, as that always made her feel anxious. From what she could tell, it seemed that some of the others felt similarly ill at ease. Well, at least she wasn't the only one who had no clue what was happening.

xXx



​

Zack spent the first few minutes of the ride glancing at his companions, but it wasn't long before he had produced a mini screwdriver from his backpack and began to tinker with an arrow. He didn't get the impression that the group would be arriving at the mystery location anytime soon, so why waste the time just staring at someone? He had other things to work on, and much more productive ways to use his time. While he would have liked to spark a conversation with someone, everyone seemed a little on edge. Well, except for one or two of the teens. But he would let someone else break the silence, while he prodded at the spring mechanism in one of his custom arrows.

xXx

​

Montage tapped her fingers on her knee impatiently. Everyone was just sitting around, silently, and this was getting rather boring. She supposed that some people were shy, antisocial, introverted, or had any other number of similar personality traits, but they could have at least introduced themselves instead of sizing each other up with cautious stares. Montage herself had barely glanced around. She didn't feel the need to really observe her companions right now. She also was quite familiar with the layout of a helicarrier, since she had been on helicarriers on multiple occasions since joining SHIELD.


You know what, enough of this. While Montage didn't know where the group was headed or what everyone was here for, she might as well introduce herself. Maybe she could start up a conversation.


The teen stood up, clapping her hands together once to get everybody's attention. "Hey everybody. While I'm sure you're all having a lovely time silently judging each other, we are probably gonna be here for a little while, and I think we might as well introduce ourselves. I'll start. Hi, I'm Montage. If I ever claim otherwise, call somebody. Seriously. Get a SHIELD agent with at least level five clearance to help you out. That's all I'm gonna tell you for now, since I don't know if I'm ever gonna see any of you again, or if we're gonna go our separate ways once we get of this helicarrier. So yeah. I'm Montage. Who's next?"

 

[Isadora Sheolclan]

"Me!" Axcel spoke up after the girl name Montage had introduced herself. "I'm Axcel, what's shakin'?" She chuckled then realized no one was in a laughing mood. Shrugging nonchalantly, she just turned her curious gaze to the other four still silent. She was glad someone had finally got the ball rolling, so to speak. Axcel wasn't one to enjoy tense silences yet she was also not the type of person to speak up first, especially in a situation she knew nothing about. She didn't consider a whole lot of options since this wasn't a battlefield. When lives aren't on the line, she has a habit of tuning out a lot, even if it's inconvenient for other people. That and she despised serious situations. While she still knew nothing about the situation for each of them individually nor for all them as a group, Axcel had a feeling they were going to be seeing a lot of each other. Then again, she might just be thinking too wishfully. What were the chances they were all there for the same reason. Even with her perception turned off for the most part, Axcel pegged at least two of them as the criminal sort. There was on of the other girls, not Montage, the one with different-colored eyes, who just seemed edgy. And then there was one of the boys who looked like he had been caught committing a murder and pleaded innocent. Although, now that she thought about it, one of the other boys who was currently tinkering with an arrow looked a bit suspicious as did the third boy who almost had the same distant look on his face as the currently unnamed girl. Or maybe she was thinking too much.


~~~~


Zephyr closed his eyes briefly when one of the females, whose name they now knew to be Montage, began speaking. Personally, he preferred silence. The atmosphere never bothered him, sometimes he reveled in it as he could 'read' people even better. His eyes cracked open when Montage asked 'who's next'. A smirk had begun to crawl onto his face. There were two possibilities as to who would dare speak up. He started counting calmly in his head and as he stopped at 3', one of the two did indeed speak. It was the girl and now they knew she was named Axcel. Zephyr made a small sound in the back of his throat, satisfied with his deduction as well as being correct. The two possibilities were the girl and the boy who was currently working on an arrow. He had assigned the boy about 65% to the girl's 35%. While he wasn't surprised in the least that the smaller percentage spoke first, what did surprise him was what came next. "My name is Zephyr. I have nothing to hide, on the other hand." His jaw clenched as he finished although his expression and body language was carefully neutral. No need to give away anything about himself. Not like there would be much to tell. Outside his actual ability to adapt to environments and situations, he was rather decent at blending in and not drawing unwanted attention to himself. However, Zephyr had not planned on speaking up so soon. Why he did so was something which he currently contemplated.


~~~~


Aurik swallowed hard, his throat feeling like sandpaper. When the other began to speak up, he seemed to wince at the sudden break in silence. He had been so used to it with only the thrum of the aircraft's engines in the background, that the closer and higher-pitched voices startled him. The engines were already loud enough, even if they were nowhere near them. His enhanced hearing was even picking up on the tap-tap of fingers on a keyboard clear across the ship, but only when he was focused. Now he was distracted. They were exchanging names? Figuring he must have zoned out and missed most of what was going on, Aurik looked wary at the following shorter silence after one of the other two boys offered his own name along with a rather conceited comment. "Er, I'm Aurik...I suppose it's nice to meet everyone..." He trailed off, not because he was shy, but more because he had nothing else to say. An underlying feeling in his gut told him he was usually more peppy and outgoing, but he didn't feel like that now. Aurik was mostly worried that he was going to be tossed in a prison cell once they got to...wherever it was they were headed. He didn't know about the others, but he had been physically forced aboard the ship by Iron Man since he kept breaking away from the regular S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

 

[Sesquipedalian]

Zack looked up when everyone began introducing themselves. So, there was Montage, Axcel, Zephyr, and Aurik. Zack was actually surprised to find himself to be one of the last two people left. Usually, he was one of the first to greet new people. Huh. He resisted the urge to make a Finding Nemo reference as he began to speak. Or rather, started to resist the urge, then decided why the heck not.


"Hi, my name is Zack, and I haven't eaten a fish in seven months."


Hopefully, at least one person would appreciate that reference. The crowd looked pretty tough, though two of the three girls seemed rather cheerful. Good, he didn't know what he would do if everyone was serious all the time.


Not that it would necessarily matter, since they might not even be heading to the same destination. But it was nice to have the mood lightened a bit.

xXx



​

Since everyone else had introduced themselves, Skyler found herself as the last person remaining to do so. Most, if not all, eyes had now turned to her. The other teens would be expecting her to share her name, just as they had done.


After a moment's hesitation, Skyler spoke.


"You can call me Brook."


Her name, her true name, had become rather special to her. Only those who she considered friends were allowed to use it. Well, friends and teammates. These kids were neither, so they didn't have the right to use her actual name. Her alias would have to do.

xXx

​

Montage grinned at Axcel's enthusiasm, and was pleased when each of the adolescents in turn introduced themselves. She appreciated Zack's joke, as well as Axcel's introduction. It seemed not everyone was as stern and suspicious as they acted. Of course, a couple of the teens did seem rather suspicious, particularly Aurik and Brook. But, in a group of six, there was bound to be one or two shady characters.


"Great, now we know each others' names. Anyone have any idea where we are headed?"

 

[Isadora Sheolclan]

Axcel couldn't help but snicker at Zack's Finding Nemo quote. She gave him a thumbs-up and piped up quickly, "Hi, Zack." Just to play along. Her grin remained as she listened as the others introduce themselves. When the last girl gave her name, Axcel furrowed her brow in confusion and spoke up. "Brook? I don't know why but that sounds really familiar... Really. Like a river? No." She tapped her chin and folded her arms, pondering. "Oh, maybe I'm thinking of 'Rook'? No, that's a chess piece, isn't it? The castle one. Yep, that was it." Axcel looked like a lightbulb went off above her head then. "I got it! It was 'brook' as in the small stream, or creek." She beamed widely at Brook as if she was really proud at figuring out what she just said. "I might call you flumen sometimes. Or...parvus flumen. I don't know what 'stream' is in Latin yet, but I just learned 'river', which is flumen. Parvus is small. So, 'small river'. Although, since you're a girl, I should probably use 'parva'. Flumen is still neuter though and I can't change the gender of nouns. Hmm..." Axcel laughed lightly although she was entirely serious. At Montage's inquiry, she shrugged. "I thought I was being arrested for something I clearly didn't do, but no one told me anything. Sorry."


~~~~


Zephyr sighed deeply as the girl known as Axcel began to ramble, half of what she was saying in Latin apparently. He tuned her out yet drew his attention back in when Montage spoke in question. Frowning at Axcel's useless response, he responded. "It's impossible to tell in this room. There is no way to tell even in which direction we're traveling. I propose we simply wait patiently...and quietly." Even as he said this, the barely-noticeable movement of the helicarrier came to a stop and the sound of the engines thrumming changed, indicating that the aircraft was descending. Zephyr arched a brow at this occurrence. Perhaps not too much patience would be required after all. Although, it had taken them quite a bit of time before they had begun to speak which the ship had wisely spent speeding towards whatever their destination was. The movements of the helicarrier stopped completely then and Zephyr could only imagine it had something to do with them probably landing, hopefully on land. Not that he didn't like the water, but he'd rather not have it revealed just what he could do, and it wasn't like he could control his adaptability when the situation demanded it, such as being completely submerged in water.


~~~~


Aurik found himself zoning out again, or rather, his attention kept being pulled in various other directions. From a 'plink' sound in the engine room to various footsteps and other completely insignificant sounds. However, besides the voices of those in the room, he couldn't seem to pick up on any other conversations. Perhaps no one was speaking? Or it might be a type of technology? Then how could his hearing extend so far with trivial noises? Aurik snapped back to the happenings of the room when the ship slowed and then descended. He grew even more tense now. They had arrived already?! Where had the time gone by? His knee began to bounce with his nervousness. He couldn't stop thinking about where he would be put. Did they have a special holding cell for someone like him? If Aurik's skin could get any paler, it would have. As he felt the ship settle and then quiet, Aurik jumped out of his seat and nearly a foot in the air when the door to the room suddenly opened to reveal the suit-clad Iron Man. Also, the one who had been able to subdue him and force him aboard the ship. Aurik shrank back, rubbing his arm absently. Stark had to grab him rather hard, and while the injury had healed to nothing by now, he could still remember actually feeling pain.

 

[Sesquipedalian]

Skyler half listened to Axcel's comments. Honestly, the other girl could call Skyler whatever she wished. Skyler had become quite flexible when it came to names. They didn't matter much to her, as each name was just a title, and only one name actually held any meaning for her. So, for all she cared, someone could call her 'spongebob' or 'purple ninja.' Not that either of those names made any real sense, but, whatever. A name was just a title.


xXx


Montage hadn't really expected anyone to know anything, so their answers weren't particularly shocking. Besides, the helicarrier was slowing, indicating a landing or at least hovering.


Then, Tony Stark himself strode into the room, clad in his iconic red and gold armor.


"Anyone want to explain to me why a SHIELD helicarrier is hovering invisibly a few hundred feet above my building?" The man slid his faceplate up, scowling at the assortment of teens, as if they were to blame.


"Sup Stark," Montage called, raising her right hand to give a half wave. She had met Tony a couple times, when she had been looking into AIs. That, and anyone working with SHIELD was bound to meet the billionaire eventually.


"Scrapbook? What are you doing, hanging around with this group of delinquents?"


The girl shrugged. "Dunno. An agent told me to get on board, so I did."


Speaking of SHIELD personnel, Nick Fury entered the room as well. Tony rolled his eyes in an exaggerated fashion. "Look who it is."


"Stark," Fury stated coolly. "We have a matter we need to discuss."


"Official consulting hours are every other Thursday."


"I need to speak with all of the Avengers. Since they aren't out on missions at the moment, I am going to assume that everyone is gathered here. I have a new assignment for the team."


"So, what mess of yours do you need us to clean up this time?"


The director was not amused. "I want everyone gathered in less than two minutes. We are having a team meeting. This is a matter that cannot wait."


"Fine. Everyone's already on the main level. But don't touch anything." With that, Tony flipped his face plate back down and went back to his building.


Fury turned to the group of teens. "Alright, everyone, follow me. We can't land a helicarrier on a tower, so we are going to fly down on a Quinjet. That can get us close enough to hop onto the roof without anyone getting hurt."


After scanning the group with his single eye, Fury swept out the door, heading for the Quinnjets.


xXx


Zack watched the exchange between Fury and Stark with amusement. This was pretty cool. What was even cooler was that, if he was understanding things correctly, he was about to meet the Avengers. Including his role model, Hawkeye. Awesome. The seventeen year old tucked his tools and arrow back into is backpack, got to his feet, slung his quiver and his bow across his back, and picked up the small backpack. He followed after the director's retreating form, not wanting to be left behind, and trying not to get too overly excited.

 

[Isadora Sheolclan]

Axcel openly stared when Iron Man and then Nick Fury came in to talk to each other and them. Where she lived, and 'worked', the Avengers were those never-seen-but-always-talked-about heroes. They've saved the world together and individually have performed quite the amazing feats. But she had never seen them in person, or even at a distance. Besides them being obvious heroes, Axcel didn't know much about them, nor did she carry a set opinion. Sure, she thought they were cool, but how could she judge them by only their heroic actions? Bouncing a bit in excitement since they were finally at their destination, she grinned widely and marched out of the room after Fury. "Can I fly myself? Not one of the Quinnjets, of course. Just fly, by myself. I won't take off or anything, I promise!" She tried to persuade the S.H.I.E.L.D. captain.


~~~~


Zephyr didn't look impressed. Even though it was quite the sight to behold, both the infamous millionaire, Tony Stark and the great Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. But he had his own image to keep up so he maintained as disinterested of an expression as possible. Huffing a breath, Zephyr followed after being instructed, not too fast, but not quite dragging his footsteps either. He didn't have to pretend with this action. They still had not been given any details as to their individual or group situation(s) yet they were still expected to simply follow along like lambs. Whether or not they were about to meet with the entire Avengers team was beside the point. Zephyr had kept himself under the radar for too long to just be dragged into such a situation. Well, he had thought he had been extremely careful. He supposed it just goes to prove that S.H.I.E.L.D. monitors everything and everyone and keeps all their findings on file until they are ready to use such information.


~~~~


Aurik's heart raced like a jackrabbit being chased by wolves. Iron Man, Nick Fury, and now the Avengers?! He felt faint, and not in a good way. It wasn't that he was excited, he was just growing rather worried. They were about the enter Stark Tower, but all at once. Double-checking his wrists, he confirmed that no one had placed cuffs on him, like last time. Was that a good sign, he pondered as he hesitantly followed the others out of the room. Maybe he wasn't in trouble or going to be locked up after all. That would be a huge relief. Aurik hadn't known he could stress so much over the possibility of being locked up forever just because of something he couldn't control. As he began to calm down further, he couldn't help but wonder just what they might all have to meet with the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. for.

 

[Sesquipedalian]

Fury glanced at Axcel. "No." A concise answer, but one that left no room for argument as the group clambered on board a Quinjet.


Skyler wasn't sure what to think. They were going to the Avengers tower? Why? Were they going to meet the Avengers? What for? Nothing seemed to make sense, but in this line of work, hardly anything ever made sense. In fact, when something made sense, you knew you were in trouble. That was simply the nature of the beast, so to speak. So, Skyler silently moved along with the group, taking a seat on the bench on the left. She scooted to the far end, making room for at least two other people to join her on the bench. There really wasn't much need for her to squish to the end, but she wanted to keep some space between her and the other adolescents, with whom she was unfamiliar.

xXx

​

Zack slid onto the bench on the right, beside Montage, waiting while everyone got settled. Fury went to stand up in the cockpit, seemingly ignoring the group of teens. The jet lifted off once everyone was situated, only to descend towards the rooftop of Avengers Tower. Only when the jet was in position did Fury turn back to face the teens. "One at a time, you will each jump down onto the roof. You all should know how to land without hurting yourselves. Once on the roof, we will proceed to the elevator, which will take us to one of the main floors. Am I clear?" The man's single eye swept over the group. Zack nodded, standing up once more in preparation, as the ramp was opened.

xXx

​

Montage also nodded, and once the ramp was open, she barely waited before leaping out of the jet. She rolled once she landed, then sprang to her feet, and waved cheerfully to the next person in line. Though she had no idea what was going on, she was eager to find out, and more than happy to partake in this little adventure. Especially since it meant going inside the Avengers Tower, designed by one of the most brilliant people alive, and possibly meeting the Avengers themselves. This was all quite exciting, if you asked her, and she appreciated the fact that it gave her something to focus on.

 

[Isadora Sheolclan]

Axcel stuck her bottom lip out in a pout, but she knew better than to argue further or complain out loud. Bounding into the Quinjet after the director she waited until Skylar boarded before she plopped down on the bench beside the other girl. Axcel gave Skylar a big grin and looked like she was going to say something but she never got the chance. Once the others were on and the Quinjet took off as Fury began to give them instructions. She listened and held in a laugh which turned to a snicker in the palm of her hand when he mentioned being able to land without hurting themselves. Axcel found it funny for the sole reason that due to her accident-proneness she had a tendency to get hurt walking through a wide doorway. But she nodded in affirmative regardless. When the ramp opened Axcel waited until Zack and Montage had made it before she flung herself out, letting out a yip of glee. It wasn't as fun as skydiving since they were so close to the landing pad, but she made the most of it. Due to her lack of equilibrium, she stumbled when trying to right herself and ended up on her hands and knees before she clambered to her feet pretending it didn't happen.


~~~~


Zephyr watched as the others tossed themselves from the jet with all their trust, reluctant and otherwise, in the director. Frankly, he didn't really like the situation, but he had no other choice, right? If there was another, he would have not only found it, but chosen it. Sighing, he stepped out of the open Quinjet door and plummetted. Even with the relatively short jump, he felt his body's ability activate. This would have to be what he most disliked concerning his 'skills'. They were completely unwilling. Yet, concerning history and his mild study of evolution, adaptation in animals and humans didn't exactly happen because they willed it. It was purely for survival, not even on the instinctual level. It was something deeper, and it was currently causing the bones of his legs to thicken and become more dense as well as the muscles toughen. Zephyr had no clue what type of adaptation this would be called, but it was under the surface of his skin. When he landed, he didn't even bounce, and there was a rather loud 'tum' sound. Then it was over. He was on solid ground again and the danger averted. Absently, he felt his leg construction return to normal, with much relief on his part.


~~~~


Aurik felt his stomach perform a few flips and other acrobatic movements which matched what he was feeling. He wasn't even afraid of heights, and there was no reason for him to be, especially now. It wasn't like any fall would kill him now. Not that the drop was all that impressive. Yet he still felt sick to his stomach as he saw all the other drop and land, in one form or the other. His skin couldn't exactly turn green or any other color for that matter anymore, but he sure felt like he should be turning green right about now. Aurik noticed that he was the only one who had not jumped yet. Then he realized he was gripping the doorway so hard, it had dented and warped. Looking panicked as he didn't want to get into trouble, he finally jumped. Aurik saw the ground rushing up and kept his eyes open, maybe a little wide. Still, it was for no good reason for his behavior. He landed without a sound, lithely like a cat almost. Aurik straightened from his unintentional crouch and then peered at the others, waiting for some signal or direction of where to go. How were they going to get inside? They were on a roof after all. Was there a door?

 

[Sesquipedalian]

Skyler jumped second to last, following Zephyr. As the air rushed past her, she couldn't help wishing she was in wolf form. The canine was better built for acrobatics, and she would feel better about jumping and landing with paws instead of hands and feet. But, until she knew who these people were and what her relation to them was, Skyler didn't feel like telling them about what she was capable of. So, she landed on the roof, her enhanced senses helping her calculate the landing better, so she didn't fall or stumble when she rolled to absorb the impact and stood back up. Fury was last, landing and immediately striding towards the hatch in the roof that lead down by ladder to a small level with access to the elevator.

xXx

​

Zack watched the others leap out of the jet, and then the jet itself fly away to rejoin the helicarrier. As the jet became a grey smudge and then disappeared past the reflecting panels that gave the helicarrier invisibility, Zack turned away and instead followed Fury. He wasn't the first to climb down the ladder, but not the last either, and was careful to mind his bow and quiver as he descended to the small, empty floor. All it held was a small hall that lead to the elevator, promising access to the rest of the massive building. The doors opened automatically as the group approached, a computerized voice with an accent greeting them cheerfully. "Welcome to the Avengers Tower. I am JARVIS, and if you are in need of any assistance, please do not hesitate to ask. I have been instructed to bring you all to one of the main floors. Please step inside the lift, and I will transport you there."

xXx

​

Montage looked up, towards the direction the voice seemed to have come from. "Hi, JARVIS," she called, grinning. She would love to get her hands on the technology that created such an impressive AI. But alas, Stark wasn't sharing his secret, so she would just have to try to figure it out herself. Or, perhaps she could try digging around in some encrypted files or something. Hmm, chances were, Stark had any info concerning his most advanced AI hidden somewhere pretty secure. Maybe he didn't even have it recorded. Oh well, that was something to worry about some other time. For now, Montage stepped into the elevator, which was actually rather large. The group should have no problem fitting inside of it, though they would probably be in closer proximity of each other than some certain members would prefer.

 

[Isadora Sheolclan]

Axcel dashed after Fury as he led the way down the hatch and towards an elevator. When the disembodied voice spoke up, she jumped about a foot in the air and tried to find a body or something before just staring at the elevator. Beaming, she waved an arm enthusiastically. "Nice to meet ya, Mr. Ghost!" While she knew vaguely of the Avengers, she really didn't anything about them individually. It's not like there was an 'Avengers 101' class to take at school. And she really pay much attention to what was going on unless it directly involved her. Stepping inside the elevator, she ended up sandwiched between Skylar and Zak with her back against the far wall of the elevator. "Cozy." Axcel snickered, even if no one would find it funny. "Anyone else hear ticking?" This time she wasn't smiling or laughing, even though she wasn't serious. Someone once told her if she was ever stuck in a crowded elevator to say that and see how many people panic. While Axcel didn't think it would work very well, she was going to try because no one besides Montage even seemed to know how to laugh. Although, Zack did crack that Finding Nemo joke.


~~~~


Zephyr was not in a hurry, even if everyone else was. The farther they went into the tower, the more he suspected. It also seemed as though they were being recruited. Not for the Avengers, obviously. They were all kids, even him, as much as he hated to admit it. The Avengers were seasoned warriors, skilled tacticians, and practically each one of them could take out a small army alone. Besides what he knew of himself, Zephyr didn't think anyone else in their little group could face an entire army and survive, let alone win. Perhaps he was overthinking it, since such an action would be his specialty. Zephyr only glanced about when JARVIS spoke and directed them to the elevator. Huffing at having to be stuck with six other people in a small space, he reluctantly boarded it, remaining next to director Fury near the doors.


~~~~


Aurik couldn't help but consider everything that could go wrong. They had made it onto the Avenger's tower and down inside, but then what? JARVIS' announcement didn't alarm him, but Axcel's reaction startled him. Maybe he was just as jumpy. At least he knew about Iron Man's AI system. Well, he only knew of it, not exactly much about it besides it being an AI system and practically running Stark tower as well as Stark's suit. Okay, maybe he knew a little bit more, but it wasn't much. Aurik slid into the elevator with the others, trying to squish himself into one of the corners and not touch anyone. For one, he didn't want to alarm anyone. His skin was colder than ice to the touch while he could barely feel temperature himself anymore. Second, the close quarters was seriously triggering his senses. Aurik resorted to pinching his nose shut with his thumb and forefinger of one hand and clamping his free hand over his mouth. Everyone in the elevator smelled...and not in a bad way, unfortunately.

 

[Sesquipedalian]

The group hadn't even been in the building for two minutes and already there was an obstacle, at least for Skyler. An elevator. Great. Just great. Why couldn't JARVIS tell everyone to take the stairs or something?


Taking a deep breath, Skyler entered the elevator, and found herself next to Axcel. You can do this. There are several other SHIELD agents with you, including the director. It's fine. Everything's fine. The mantra wasn't working. Skyler took another deep breath, attempting to calm her nerves. Then, Axcel had to go and make a joke about a bomb.


That did it. "I'm taking the stairs," Skyler announced, squeezing past everyone and out the doors just before they shut. "I'll meet you all on the main level."


xXx


Zack watched in mild confusion as Brook exited the elevator. Surely, Axcel's comment hadn't scared her? He himself was curious to see what would happen in, say, a mall elevator if someone asked about ticking. But why was she in such a hurry to get out? Perhaps she was just claustrophobic. Either way, there was now one less person in the elevator. The doors closed, and the lift began descending towards the main level. Someone had an odd taste in music, because instead of calm, boring elevator music, AC/DC was playing at low volume over the speakers.


xXx


Montage smirked when the music started up. No doubt chosen by Stark. He liked that sort of thing, and he was the only person she could think of who would play that music in an elevator. Speaking of Stark, Montage wondered why the Avengers were all gathered, and why the teens were going to meet them. Perhaps Fury wanted to expose the teens to people with advanced skills. Perhaps the Avengers were going to teach the teens a thing or two.


But that lead to another question. Why had Stark seemed so surprised to see everyone here? Did he not know what Fury was planning? It wouldn't surprise her in the slightest if that was the case.


"We have arrived," the AI announced, as the doors slid open. The Avengers, in casual wear, stood in a circle in the center of the room, seemingly quarreling amongst themselves about who knew what. However, upon hearing JARVIS' announcement, they paused, to turn around and look at the group of teens exiting the lift behind Director Fury.

 

[Isadora Sheolclan]

Axcel furrowed her brow in a concerned expression when Brook suddenly took off after her bomb joke. It hadn't been that bad, had it, she wondered. Now she felt guilty but as the elevator moved her frown turned into a grin. The music was right up her alley. She only listened to 80s and some older 90s. "Stark has some good taste in music." She commented out loud just as the elevator stopped and the doors opened, letting them out. Axcel walked off with Fury only to freeze when she saw the Avengers. For a second, she didn't recognize them. Then, grinning sheepishly she offered a slightly nervous wave of greeting. "Salvete." Axcel didn't even seem to realize she had slipped in a Latin word for 'hello'. Choosing to not run her mouth and say anything more, which was quite a change, she instead just awkwardly stood there with the others, wondering when they were going to be told anything. Because it seemed they weren't the only ones not informed, judging by the Avenger's reactions.


~~~~


Zephyr was actually glad for one less person in the small space, although it hardly mattered where he was standing. He paid little attention to much else as they descended. His thoughts were occupied with possible scenarios once they arrived. As it was but a few moments later, he didn't really have a chance to go through the majority even. Zephyr exited the elevator and peered around, eyeing the Avengers first. He didn't know what to think of them yet. They weren't in uniform, which came as a slight disappoint for him. It wasn't like it was everyday someone could see Thor's hammer or Stark's suit up close. Oh well, he thought. Another time. Zephyr turned his attention to Fury once again, waiting for him to explain. As it seemed even more apparent now, they were not the only ones in the dark concerning their presence. This arose more confusion and questions though. If no even the Avengers had been informed, then what was the reason for being here?


~~~~


Aurik was more then relieved when the elevator finally stopped to let them off. He sucked in a few fresh breaths before calming down some. His eyes bulged, however, when he caught sight of the grouped Avengers. Seeing them all here, in casual wear, struck him as odd but they were no less impressive. Tony Stark, Thor, Bruce Banner, Hawkeye, the Black Widow, and Captain America. All in one room and they were about to meet them. Who wouldn't be overwhelmed. Aurik stole a glance to the others. In their own ways, they seemed to be in the same boat. Although the way Montage had been acting before, he wouldn't be surprised if she was more familiar with the Avengers and this setting than the others. Not knowing if he should say or do anything, he glanced about nervously and waited for Fury to finally explain. They deserved to know by now. They all did.

 

[Sesquipedalian]

The Avengers eyed the teens with both suspicion and confusion, though some hid it better than others. "What's going on here?" Inquired Natasha in an even tone, her arms folded in front of her as her gaze swept over the teens.


"Yeah. You know, I already am less than fond of you, but dragging a group of random kids into my building with no explanation is a new low," Stark commented.


Fury stepped forward a step, glancing over as Skyler appeared and quickly slid over to the group. He gave her a nod, before turning his attention back to the Avengers. "I apologize for not informing you earlier, but this seemed like the best way to avoid unnecessary hassle."


"Inform us of what?" Steve asked, his brow furrowed.


"I'm sure you all remember how you came together. The Avengers Initiative," Fury began, walking slowly and parallel to the groups in the space between the Avengers and the teens, pausing every now and then to emphasis a point or glance over somebody. The Avengers nodded in agreement.


"Well, after the success the six of you have had, SHIELD decided that perhaps putting together more teams like the Avengers would be beneficial in the long run. We can't trust everyone, but having a few teammates certainly helps. And having someone else who complements your strengths and covers your weaknesses is also helpful.


"This," Fury continued, sweeping his arm towards the teens, "is the Junior Avengers Initiative. And you are going to help them."


xXx


Skyler dashed down the stairs as quickly as she could, but didn't quite make it to the main level at the same time as the others. Fury gave her a nod as she slipped over to the rest of the group, one she returned with a half-nod of her own. Fury knew her reasons for choosing the stairs over the elevator, and while he didn't necessarily like them, he understood them.


Listening to the Director's speech, Skyler got a chance to observe the Avengers. Dressed in casual attire, you wouldn't guess that they were fierce warriors who saved the world every other day. You might notice something different about them if you saw them in the street, but you probably wouldn't think much of it. They still looked like rather intimidating people, and held an air of confidence, but they didn't look... Scary.


When Fury stated that the teens were the Junior Avengers Initiative, questions instantly began buzzing around her head. The prevailing question was why.





xXx


Zack was thrilled. There, not even ten feet away, stood his role model. Sure, Clint Barton was currently in a plain graphic tee and jeans, but still. He was THE Hawkeye. Awesome.


A.. What? Junior Avengers Initiative? What was that? Well, obviously, whatever it was, he was a part of it. So were the other five teens. So were, in some way, the Avengers.


If he was part of an Avengers Initiative, that meant that these people standing around him were going to be his team. With that information, he took another look around, trying to asses everyone. If he was going to be working with these people, he needed to know more about them.


xXx


Montage was quite possibly the only person not completely stunned by the revelation. That included the Avengers, who were currently either shocked, confused, angry at Fury, or a mix of all of those. Stark looked less than pleased about having this dumped on him, while Rogers just looked like he didn't know what to do.


Personally, Montage was excited. How cool was this? She was part of the Avengers, even if just the mini-Avengers, and she was going to probably spend a lot more time with the actual Avengers. This was gonna be great.