00 || battle of new york

"It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow up to be."

New York, New York, May 2011-

When aliens burst out of the sky and decide to attack a huge city like New York, being in a subway is not the best idea. But there Kira Marnell was, tapping her foot impatiently as the subway train rattled on.

Her daughter, Alison, was enjoying the ride. Shoving her way through the other guests of the metal car, Alison jumped on the poles, sliding down them with the glee only an 10 year old can express. "Mom, mom! Look at what I can do!" She shouted gleefully, attempting to try and whirl her way down a pole. In the end, she only succeeded in irritating the men around her.

Kira clicked her tongue disapprovingly at her daughter. "Ali, you need to stay close to me. You don't want to irritate New Yorkers on the subway." Pulling her daughter close to her in the kindest- and firmest- way possible, Kira gave a sigh.

No checking her phone, no work at the moment. She was left in the dark, left to hear the shaking of the ground above them, not knowing what was going on. For a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent like Kira, it was rather irritating.

Of course, that was the least of her thoughts when, seconds later, an alien burst through the ground for the subway, thudding onto the side window of the subway car. The Chituari, which no one knew by name, banged against the glass, trying to break into the subway car. Kira pulled her daughter even closer, hearing her daughter shriek as the alien rattled off an inaudible language outside.

"Alison, Alison, you'll be just fine." Kira cooed, squatting down to meet her daughter's eyes. The deep chocolate eyes of Kira never failed to soothe her daughter, and most certainly didn't fail today. "We're just on an adventure, right? An adventure in a new city."

Alison looked up at her mom, giving a small nod. "New city, New York." She agreed, reaching out to touch her mother's hand. Her look of worry molded into one of safety, knowing that her mommy would always protect her.

Kira gave an almost sweet smile, letting her young daughter's small hand rest in her worn out one, calloused and worn out, a small silver scar lingering on the edge of her palm. "Everything will be just fine, Ali. We're going to get off at the next stop, and then we can go figure out what mommy has to do at work today."

Of course, Kira had never told her daughter what she did. Now, as she grew older and now had an 10 year old daughter and a 8 year old son, the wild days with her old S.H.I.E.L.D. partner were over, but her ferocity on the smaller missions and desk work that were assigned to her.

Still, when a text had come up only a day before, telling her to get her ass on a train to New York, Kira could only guess at what was going on. After all, getting a vague text from a number that hadn't been contacted in ages meant only one thing- and Kira wasn't sure if she was ready for that.

Moments after reassuring her daughter about her work, a subway raced past the window where the Chituari alien was screaming and breaking in. The speed of the other train threw the alien off of the other subway.

"See?" Kira pointed to the now alien free window in front of them. "Everything will be just fine, mommy declares it so." She stood up from her squatted position in front of her child, opting to grip onto the very same pole that Alison was holding onto minutes before.

Alison gave her mother a tiny nod, looking out the subway doors. "Mommy, please tell me this subway ride is almost over." Her voice quivered, the older facade of calling her mother, "mom", quickly fading. The underground train and its tracks shook even more violently than before.

Before Kira could respond or soothe her daughter, the subway screeched to a halt. "Okay, we're going to get out here." Kira told her daughter, talking over the positive and not that pleasant- at the moment- subway voice.

Alison just nodded to her mother, taking ahold of her mom's hand again. "Mommy, I'm going to hold onto your hand tight and never let go." She informed her mother, squeezing Kira's hand even tighter than before.

Kira gave a tight lipped smile, anxious to get out of the underground subway before it collapsed on top of them. With a sudden ding, the doors opened, and Kira pushed her way out of the train, and out of the station. Scaling the stairs quickly, Alison barely keeping her grasp onto her mother's hand, Kira's eyes were shown a battlefield of chaos and burning fury.

Giving a small and involuntary gasp, Kira's spare hand fluttered to her mouth. She had expected damage, yes, from what the incredibly vague text that a Level 10 S.H.I.E.L.D. agent had sent her, but not this level of destruction.

Alison looked alarmed at the burning buildings and wreckage all around her. "Mommy?" She asked, her small heart beginning to race faster and faster. "I don't think that this is your work, is it?" Alison looked up to her mother, searching for an answer in the depths of her mother's eyes.

Kira looked at Alison. How could she possibly flip this situation to make it seem okay for her daughter? There really wasn't any great way to do it. "No baby, it isn't. It's... a detour to work. But we're going to start heading over there, okay? Mom just has to take a few precautions while we're walking down the street, okay?"

Alison's eyes widened as her mother brought out a pistol out of the back of her jeans. "Mommy, that seems a little more than just a precaution." She stated the obvious, looking at the pistol.

"Ali." Kira Marnell sighed, looking down at Alison. "When aliens are raining down on New York during our vacation, I have every right to bring a laser blasting gun to the invasion party." Shaking her head, Kira loaded the gun with her free hand. "If not now, you'll understand someday." She muttered.

Alison kept her mouth shut, knowing the points her mother were making were good ones. "Okay mommy." She replied softly, slowly letting go of her mother's hand. "But if you're gonna protect me and you, you're gonna have to use both hands."

Kira ruffled Alison's hair, placing her released hand tenderly on top of her daughter's head. "Alison, if I don't make it to my work place-" She pointed up at the huge Stark Industries building, a huge blue light blasting out of the top. "You need to run inside and find someone to help you."

And in that moment, a roar of a huge monster could be heard, the echo bouncing off blocks away. "Mommy, what would that be?" Alison asked, confused at the dire situation around her.

"That," Kira huffed quietly, beginning to walk towards the huge building known as Stark Tower, "Was a creature that's known as the Hulk."

Kira led her daughter down the path of the ruined street, shooting down the Chitauri who tried to stop them and join them to the casualty list. Superheroes flew around them, hopping around buildings, the chariots of the alien race zooming around above them.

Chaos was a modest word to describe the ruin unfolding in front of the Marnell women. Screams of horror and civilians ruining in the opposite direction, Alison was bamboozled by the sight. She could see her mother through the crowd, she could see her mother and then-

Alison couldn't find her mother. The crowd was getting too tall for Alison to see through, and Alison wanted to see her mom. And the crowds cleared up, just enough for Alison to see her mom leading people to safety, blasting the Chitauri away.

She was running towards her mom, running and running and running until- her world stopped. Her mother, surprised from behind by a Chitauri soldier. A staff shoved through her chest, in an instant, the snap of a finger.

All Alison could hear was her own voice, her voice screaming for her mother as Kira Marnell dropped to the ground. Trying to shove her way through the crowd, Alison kept trying and trying and trying to make it to her mother, to say something, to do something.

But it was too late. Alison couldn't say anything or do anything to help her mother. Her mom's life had been taken, snatched away by an alien like it meant nothing. Something inside of Alison clicked. No, not clicked, sparked.

It was as if something in her mind had awoken, something that had been laying dormant in Alison's body and mind for eight and a half years. She was a wreck, a flaming ball of grief and fury. But she had to follow through with what her mother had told her.

Alison had to make it to Stark Tower. And so she started to run, past her mother's body, which she couldn't bear to even look at. Her legs weren't moving at the normal speed of a human's, no, she was moving faster than any human could.

Faster and faster and faster, turning corners to find the entrance to the huge looming tower, Alison kept racing past the destruction and chaos. She was but a tiny streak and a whistle of wind to someone in the craziness that was rushing past.

When Alison had finally made it to the Stark Industries Tower, her feet were stumbling over each other as she skidded to a stop. Alison almost tripped over herself, eventually finding the huge glass entrance doors to the place.

Pulling open the door, Alison waited patiently on a chair until someone would finally find her. After all, she was waiting for someone- she just had no idea who.

A few hours passed, the fighting stopping with a sharp end, and the Chitauri were vanquished. Alison was still waiting in the seat on the first floor, that is, until a small little AI voice detected her in the lobby.

"Excuse me miss," J.A.R.V.I.S. asked the young girl, his voice echoing through the empty lobby. "But who might you be?"

Alison searched around the room for the source of the voice, not knowing where it was coming from. When she gave no response, J.A.R.V.I.S. spoke again "Do not worry, kiddo," The AI stated awkwardly, "My name is J.A.R.V.I.S. , and I'm only here to help. If you tell me your name and why you're here, I'm sure Miss Potts or Mister Stark will be able to help you."

Alison gave a tiny and scared nod. "My name is Alison Marnell, and my mom just died."

<~*~>

A/N:

rewrite number one of like maybe fourteen done! I'm mainly focusing on getting the bad chapter out, and getting some good writing in at the beginning. In case you haven't noticed, this is a rewrite.

haha, sorry for any judges reading this, I just really needed to fix this monstrosity of a first starting chapter. And if this does disqualify me, sorry?

anyways, that's more for judging haha

HOPE YOU ALL GOT THE LIKE FOUR INFINITY WAR REFERENCES I PUT IN THERE

hehe im loki evil

anyways, give me feedback as I'm starting up the beginning of this book again! what would you like to see? what would you like me to omit? don't be afraid to let me know! IF I STILL HAVE TYPOS, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE TELL ME!!!

if you're rereading the chapter cause I rewrote it, comment something like 'gamora' I dunno man

and, if you're a first time reader, welcome! hi! I hope you enjoy this adventure that I've concocted from the tiny depths of my brain :))

enough said from me, I hope you guys all enjoyed and I'll see you in the next chapter you read! (or that I rewrite, haha)

bye

:))