Avengers x Reader // Just Different

Chapter 9

You slid out of bed the next morning and rubbed your crusty eyes. 6:00 AM. Though you didn't have training with Clint, there was no point in going back to sleep. You were sore and the bruises from yesterday's training made it impossible to sleep. You put on some of Wanda's hand-me-downs, the only clothes you had, and weaved your (Y/H/C)  hair into an intricate braid. You weren't hungry, so you ditched the protein shake and walked out of your room. You were the only source of noise in the silence of the hall, so you crept downstairs and entered the gym.

You expected to find Clint or one of the Avengers down there punching or running or doing something, but even the gym was silent. Your muscles begged to be rested, but you ignored them. The only way to get stronger was to push harder. 

You had to prove yourself worthy. You had to give yourself a chance at a new life. You couldn't let your past define you.

So you jogged over to the shooting range and put on earmuffs. Aiming the gun, you fired away. You shot at your past and those who abused you. You shot at the lonliness. You shot at everything that used to define you.

Something about SHIELD and the Avengers felt odd to you. It made you angry and fueled, yet it also made you feel at home.

You dropped the gun, not even checking to see if you hit the middle of the target. You just walked over to the treadmill, set it on the fastest setting, and sprinted. You stopped when you became lightheaded and collapsed on the ground, heaving in air. You pushed it away and ran over to the punching bags, letting your hands become bruised and sore.

"You're an early riser. What are you doing here?" a voice asked. Steve.

"Punching," you responded, not stepping away from the bag.

He came up to you and watched. You gave him a quick look, but didn't step away from the bag.

"Stop," he said. You gave him a glare but kept going.

"Stop!" he yelled this time, urgency lacing his voice.

"Why?" you asked, panting.

He grabbed both of your hands forcefully and pulled you away from the bag.

"You're hurting yourself!" he said.

He crouched down to you, and question filled his eyes. His brows furrowed with concern, and you could tell that he silently wanted to ask: Why? 

Instead, he told a story.

"Before I became Captain America, I was small. I didn't fight. But I silently wanted to change things. But I couldn't. I was small and couldn't fight. I was nothing to the world because of one small thing."

You nodded, but were unsure about where he was taking this. 

"When I joined the Army, I was looked down upon and wasn't confident. But I used what I believed in as fuel, and used my brain and what I had to get through it. When they injected me with the Super Soldier Serum, I didn't know whether or not to take advantage of the situation. Did I want to be the new me or the old me?" he sighed and continued. "But I realized that I wasn't gonna let my past define me. I was there and I couldn't change anything about my past. And along the way I did great things. Met people, too."

"What are you trying to tell me?" you asked. 

"Don't be afraid of your past or how you were treated or how you feel. Use that as fuel. You're a smart and strong person, (Y/N). Don't be afraid to use that here. That's what we do."

Warmth filled your chest, and you almost remembered what it felt like to have a family and some love. You nodded as he stood up, out of the phase of being a 'father' to you. Back to Captain.

"Now, I'm afraid I need to tell you what I'm really here for," Steve continued. Panic stabbed you in the gut as your eyes widened, concerned.

"The rest of the Avengers have tracked down a possible HYDRA gang and we're leaving now to track them down. We should be home by tonight."

The happiness you just felt faded away, but you quickly tried to hide the sadness with a smile.

"Oh... oh okay," you responded weakly.

Cap smiled and ran out of the room, not noticing your hesitation.

But you also couldn't help but notice the word HYDRA, again.

Maybe Cap was right. Maybe it was time for you to embrace your past and use what you had to make a better future. Besides, you had all of Tony Stark's lab to yourself and you had all the tools you needed.

"The Avengers have just taken liftoff, all Agents to the control room," a loud voice boomed over the intercom. Not you either. 

You ran up to your room to change out of your sweaty clothes and bandage your hands. As you walked in, you noticed a new white t-shirt and a SHIELD leather jacket lying on the bed with a note:

(Y/N),

Thought you may want more than my hand-me-downs. Clint and Natasha got the jacket.

See you after our mission (hopefully),

Wanda

You grinned as you lifted up the jacket and found your last name imprinted on the back of it. You slid on the new tops and put on a pair of jeans.

Like Cap said: you just needed to embrace the past and work towards the future.

The first step you were going to take was figuring out who your parents really were and how they died. They played a role in all this somehow and it was time for you to figure it out. Besides, Cap did say to embrace the past.

So to the lab you went.

Sorry for the shorter chapter!

I feel like I need to add more character/Avenger interaction soooooooo I'll work on that soon.

Thanks!