CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
RETURNING TO LIFE.

ALEXIOS WAS SO EXHAUSTED, emotionally and mentally and physically. None of the Avengers had spoken since the Battle of New York went down. Some returned to work and some were in the shadows keeping to themselves. The Avengers were not a team anymore and Alexios felt so alone now.

She had seen the same walls of her apartment for the past week. Alexios hadn't seen the sunlight or bustling city below her. She fell into a hole after losing her job and being mocked by civilians that were terrified of her. A hole that she was terrified she'd never crawl out of. Alex told herself she needed to face the fact that a world altering event like the Battle of New York was most likely never going to happen again in her life time, aliens and murderous robots and dangerous mutant people were stories told to children to scare them.

They scared her. Those plagued her mind when she slept and haunted her while she was awake. Alexios could still hear the screams of civilians as they were smothered by concrete or the whiny moans as they awaited death after being shot. There was really only one thing that made her smile, even then it was minute, and it was when that little girl had looked to sky and seen her personal hero, the woman who had actually saved her life.

Alexios slowly crept to her couch, sitting down and curling up. She reached for the remote, turning on some mindless tv station. She couldn't really focus on whatever was playing, instead staring blankly into space.

It wasn't uncommon for Alexios to feel like this or act like this anymore. She wasn't sure why she felt like this. Alexios and the Avengers had successfully saved the world from the World and had saved numerous lives in the process. That didn't matter to Alexios, all she could see was the death and destruction that had surrounded them.

She glanced up as she heard the word terrorist come over the TV. Alexios furrowed her eyebrows as she now focused on the news station as they discussed a man called the Mandarin.

Alexios sprung forwards on the couch, intrigued by what was going in the world. She sighed at the thought of the world being in trouble again.

Could she ever catch a break anymore?

The channel flipped from the Mandarin to a bombing at the Chinese Theatre in California.

Her hand flew to her mouth as she gasped, watching as the news channel panned around at the debris. She watched as a single body was carried away. Alexios swore she recognized him, but wasn't sure due to his state and his fuzzy image on the screen.

What was happening to this world this now?

•  •  •  •

ALEXIOS GROANED, WAKING UP to her cell phone ringing beside her. The darkness enveloped her besides the light coming off her phone. She squinted her eyes as she grasped the phone off the table and fought to read the number through fuzzy vision.

She decided against her better judgement and answered the call, her finger coming into contact on the green button. Alexios pressed the phone to her and nuzzled her face back into the cushions.

"Hello?" She murmured tiredly.

"Hi, I'm so sorry!" The voice apologized, "Did I wake you? Are you Alexios?"

"Yes, I'm Alexios. Yes, you woke me, but you're fine." Alexios shrugged it off, "Who is this?"

The voice laughed slightly, "I'm so sorry. This is Pepper Potts, I work with Tony. A situation has arrived, and he's talked about you more than the other Avengers. Can you come to Malibu?"

Alexios scoffed, "California? At three in the morning?"

"Our body was involved in a bombing, and Tony's going off about the Mandarin. He's invited him to the house and I'm worried." Pepper explained.

"What can I do?" She asked, "I can't do much."

Pepper sighed, "I need to talk Tony out of this. He's trusts you. If you accept, I can have a jet on the roof of your building in an hour."

Alexios sat up, the phone still pressed against her ear. Her features contorted into an expression of confusion as she attempted to make sense of the conversation.

"Wait, he trusts me?" Alex shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. "And you want me to fly to Malibu on a private jet to talk Tony out dealing with a terrorist?"

"Yes," the cringe in Pepper's voice was evident as she tried to remain confident.

Alexios sighed, "I'll be there. Lemme pack."

"Thank you, thank you." Pepper breathed, "The jet'll be there within the hour. We'll have a room for you at the mansion."

"Of course."

Alexios was quick to hang up the phone and stood up, shaking off the sleepy feeling. She went to her room, pulling clothes and a bag out in a hurry, not worrying about what she was grabbing. She shoved her things into her bag and flung it over her shoulder.

She left her bedroom and headed straight for her kitchen. Alexios obviously didn't care about anything at the moment as she flung the refrigerator door open and grabbed a water bottle. She eyed the four beers that sat on the shelf, but decided that she needed to be sober rather than intoxicated like she wanted to be.

Alexios glanced at the clock, and sighed after realizing that she had taken almost thirty minutes. She moved quickly and scrambled for her keys, finding them in some random place since her life hadn't been together since New York.

She gathered her phone and hurried out the door, locking it in the process and shoving her phone into her back pocket. Alexios glanced down the halls, both ways to assure that no one was around. With her keys secured in her right hand, she snapped opened her left palm, a flame igniting from her skin.

Alexios used the light from the flame as she tiptoed down the hall and up to the stairs. After five extra flights of stairs, she pushed the roof access door open with her hip and stepped into the chilly air.

A sigh of relief fell from her lips as they turned slightly up at the corners. She looked to the sky, finding peace in the stars as they twinkled brightly. Alex closed her eyes, allowing herself to get lost in the peace of moment while it lasted.

Minutes had passed actually, until she opened her eyes at the sound of a plane. She looked up and examined the sky, looking for the plane overhead.

Alexios scoffed to herself when she noticed the jet above her as it lowered down to the roof. A ramp access opened and a man stepped out.

"Alexios Rhodes?" The man asked.

She nodded, forcing a smile to her lips as she stepped forward. "That's me. Now, let's go. I just heard that a friend needs my help."

•  •  •  •

And, I'm back y'all!

I'm not sure when the next update will be since I don't own Iron Man 3, but I did rent it for the night. Hopefully my next update will be soon, but until then, enjoy this chapter as the introduction into this part!

I thank you all for being so patient with me as I update this story randomly, it means a lot to me. 😘