Hero [Ironstrange]

01 - Lobster Kid

Stephen
"STEPHEN!" My mother yells from downstairs. "WAKE UP." I jolt awake, getting up quickly. My alarm clock read 6:29 am. I sigh with relief. It wasn't like me to wake up late, but I was always worried one day I would.

I quickly throw on a blue T-shirt and jeans grabbing my red jacket and lucky necklace.

The necklace had a charm that had a bronze eye with a shimmering emerald green pupil. My grandmother gave it to me before she passed away, and it has been my prized possession ever since.

After getting ready I run down the hall, knocking on both Donna and Victor's doors, waking them up.

"RISE AND SHINE." I hear a muffled "five more minutes" from both rooms as I continue to knock on their doors. "We have-," I check my watch. "Twenty-two minutes until the bus arrives."

"Twenty-two minutes of our lives we should be sleeping." I hear from Victor who groans as he and Donna reluctantly get up.

With my mission accomplished, I head downstairs to see Mom standing with a cup of coffee, placing three sets of pancakes on the table. I sit down ready to destroy the pancakes in under ten minutes. My mom rolls her eyes as I start devouring them messily.

"Did you get your room ready for when the kid comes tomorrow?"

"Not yet, I'll do it after school." I reply, though with a mouth full of pancakes it sounds like "noff yeh, ell do if asfter scfool". She nods to indicate that she understood me.

"Good, this kid's been through a lot."

"You haven't even told us his name yet."

"I just found out today. Anthony, Anthony Edward Stark."

"Very regal," I say sarcastically. I wince as I felt a sharp pain shoot through me. I try to pass it off as nothing but Mom obviously notices.

"It's been the second time this week, I wonder what your soulmate is going through." I can see the remorse in her eyes as I scratch the soul mark on my wrist.

Everyone is born with a tattoo of an empty square on their wrist. The first time you hear your soulmate say your name, the square turns their favorite color.

I never really believed in soulmates. I mean, I knew everyone had one, I just never really thought it was necessary for me to ever meet mine. Though when experiencing pain like this, it's hard not to worry about.

Donna walks in, followed by a half-asleep Victor. They sit down and start eating their pancakes as I put my plate in the sink.

"Is the lobster kid still coming tomorrow?" Victor asks, obviously tired.

"Foster kid." Mom corrects. "I just got more information on him yesterday. His name is Anthony and he's the same age as Stephen."

"Maybe he's my soulmate," Donna says dreamily. Unlike me, Donna has always been interested in finding her soulmate. Fourteen-year-old girl problems. I sigh before replying.

"That's highly unlikely." I grab my backpack, checking my watch. Seven minutes. "You better not be flirting with him when he comes." She sticks her tongue out at me before finishing her pancakes and placing her plate in the sink.

"How do you guys eat so fast?" Victor was trying to eat faster, being the only one not finished.

"We only have two minutes, Vic."

"I knoooow." He gobbles down the rest of his pancakes, grabbing his backpack and following us out the door.

After a minute of waiting, the bus pulls up to the stop. I walk to the back of the bus and take a seat next to Quill, who was supposedly held back a year, making him older than the rest of our friends in our group.

"Yo, wizard." I roll my eyes at the stupid nickname as he starts rambling on about his soulmate in the grade above. I've never seen her but by his description, she seems a little scary. He shows me his soul mark, which is now a deep shade of purple.

By the time we get to school, I barely remember any of the nonsense Quill said. Why am I even friends with him? I walk into school and race to my locker.

"Wizard! What happened to no running?" I turn around to see Loki, wearing his usual smirk.

"Finally shake off that brother of yours?"

"Ugh, Thor's probably somewhere with the Valkyrie and her girlfriend."

"What a lesbian icon."

"Shut up, Wizard." I chuckle and grab my stuff from my locker.

Thankfully, I make it to first period a few minutes early.

"Doctor!" I hear Clint call from the back of the classroom. I take a seat next to him.

"I thought it was 'Wizard' now." I raise an eyebrow.

"Damn, I keep forgetting. Why do they call you that anyway? Doctor fits better."

"Why do they call you Arrow?"

"Pfft...obviously cuz I'm a great shot." He pretends to shoot a bow and arrow in the air. I roll my eyes. "Isn't that right, Winter?"

"First of all, it's Bucky, second, no, you're not." I laugh at the comment. Clint pouts, trying to act hurt.

"Hmph, why does Captain like you anyway?"

"Steve," Bucky corrects. He was pretty new to the group and was not a huge fan of the nicknames.

"Same person," Clint crosses his arms. Suddenly, Natasha lets out a huge gasp. "What did you have an epiphany or something?"

"I know why they call you Arrow!" she exclaims."Cuz  you're a pain in the ass." She smirks and high-fives Bucky, who is failing in trying not to laugh.

Clint turns toward me while Nat and Bucky start talking among themselves.

"I forgot to tell you but...," he pulls down his sleeve to show his soul mark, previously empty, now filled with a grayish blue color. I open my mouth, surprised. Before I can ask anything, the bell rings, signaling the start of class.

"Ok class, settle down, today we're going to be...," the teacher interrupts. Clint found his soulmate? wHAt tHE HeCK?

Who? I mouth to him, the teacher still talking.

Later, he mouths back, looking toward the teacher.

Exactly like Clint to leave my curious mind in the dark. I pick up my book and start reading. He better explain this to everyone at lunch.

- - -
A/N: I'm guessing most of you are from Aftermath, but if you don't know me - Hi, welcome to my story :)