Archive of Our Own ^beta

 

Right now I'm feeling very confused. Awestruck but confused. Scared but confused. Mother-effing numb…but confused. Also kind of aroused. Why is the Black Widow half-naked again? Not that I'm complaining. Any self-respecting bisexual would agree that Scarlet Jo has a place in their top ten celebrity crushes. I’m no different. 

 

This brings me to my second problem. Am I looking at the Avengers or the Avengers cast? Because at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised at either.  I run my eyes over each of the five extremely ethereal individuals. Holy smokes, they are hot!

 

 Captain America looks like he wants to eat me for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Can't say I'm opposed to that. The Winter Soldier is straight-up growling, his steel-blue eyes boring into mine. I can’t say I like it, cuz I'm feeling something funny. Not only do I feel the urge to bare my neck again, but a small whine also escapes my mouth. I immediately slap a hand over my mouth, horrified. However, the action causes me to lose my grip over my shield…err pillow, and it falls to the ground with a soft plonk. The green lasers from the guns held by the armed men fall directly on my chest. Again. What is their deal? I clear my throat.

 

“ Mister angels? You can lower down the lasers. I’m already dead, there’s no point in shooting at me. I can’t get more…dead.” They don’t listen. Well, it was worth a try. I turn my attention to the superhero squad. How the hell do you interact with the Avengers? My social skills weren’t very good in the first place, but now they have completely left me. Great. Lifting my hand to wave hesitantly,  I smile at them awkwardly.

 

“ Uhh hi! B-Big fan! I saw all your movies! I even have the merch. Thank you for escorting me to Heaven. I-If that's where I'm going. I-is that where I'm going? “ God Kiara! Keep your trap shut!

 

The cast or team whichever it is shares a look among themselves and then Mark Ruffalo steps forward. Instinctively, I shuffle backward. I'm not scared or anything, but I am caught in an uncanny situation, and I have enough common sense to be cautious and wary.  The seven Ph.D. holder ( I'm still not over that.) raises his hands in a placating manner, a sweet smile pulling on his face. 

“ Easy kitten. I mean no harm. I’m Bruce. “ He gestures to himself. Ok, so it's not the cast but the Avengers.  I snort derisively in response. “ There are seven guns pointed at my chest. It doesn’t look harmless to me.” 

 

At my complaint, the two super soldiers immediately jump into action. Captain America growls deeply in his chest. Kind of creepy but very hot at the same time. “ Stand down. That's our omega you are threatening.” Bucky backs him up with his warning rumble. “ Don’t make him repeat himself. “ He swiftly positions himself between me and the armed agents...Which also means that I catch more of his wonderful scent. 

 

Mmhm. Leather and aftershave. It's making me kind of woozy. Trying to be inconspicuous, I lean forward a little to inhale more of that mouthwatering smell. It's making my lady parts tingle. I failed horribly because I can see Tony Stark giving me an amused smirk from the side of my eye. I give a small eek and jump back to my original position, looking away and fussing with my tangled hair to hide my blush. I hear him and Hawkeye gives a short laugh. Which if I'm not wrong, sounded very affectionate and teasing, rather than degrading. 

 

Bruce steps forward again, but this time I don’t skittle away. I stand my ground, my eyes watching his every move. He stops less than a foot away from me. “ What’s your name kitten?”

I debate on answering him but then finally give in when the staring gets too intense. “ Kiara Arora. nice to meet you.” I mumble quietly. I look around and see that the armed men have left, and the Avengers are now standing inside the room. And they closed the door. My eyes widen in panic.

 

“ Oh no! Why did you close the door?!” I pause, brushing past Bruce to get to the door. “ Now I'm locked again, and these stupid angels are probably deaf and can’t hear me. Dear God! Can a girl not go to Heaven peacefully!” I pull at my hair roots. This situation is getting a little too confusing for my tastes and I'm starting to doubt if I'm even dead!

 

Natasha steps forward gingerly, sweet affection in her eyes. “ We’ve been meaning to ask love, but…why exactly do you think you are going to…Heaven?” She scrunches her face a bit at the end of her question. Damn, she looks cute!

 

But I've never been one to beat around the bush, so I quite bluntly say,” Because I'm dead, and I haven’t done enough bad shit to get me into Hell.” However, I didn’t expect all five of the Avengers to start growling and grunting at me for saying that. This is getting creepy. This is not how they acted in the movies. 

 

“ Sweetheart, you aren’t dead. You are in SHIELD. Some agents found you unconscious at the site of an energy surge.” Clint speaks up from where he stood, a troubled expression on his face. I chuckle nervously, trying to find an escape route. This is getting out of hand. Dead or not, I don’t feel very safe here and I want to leave.

 

“ The fact that I'm talking to fictional characters in a fictional world doesn’t really help me believe your point.” 

“ Kiara we are not fictional. We’re the Aven-“

“Yes, I know who you are. That’s precisely why I'm saying this.”

Steve interrupted me before I could say anything else. “ Then why do you think we are not real? Doll I understand you must be confused-“

“ Oh, I'm way past that!” I finally explode. “ You are fictional because you are comic book characters! You know what? Whatever. Let me out this instant.” I bang on the metal door violently.

 

I was surprised at how quickly things took a turn. I was just now starting to feel the hysterics. Ever since I had woken up, everything has been weird. I don’t know if I'm really dead or not. I don’t know if they are the real Avengers or not. Fuck! I don’t even know If I'm real! All I can think about is getting outside and seeing for myself what the reality is. I’m not going to believe anyone (even myself) before I see proof. 

If the truth is that I'm dead, then I want to know what happens next. But if I'm not dead…then I want to know why the fuck are the Avengers real, and where I am. I ruled out the possibility of them being the cast actors because I saw Natasha’s back, and she doesn’t have the tattoo that Scarlet Johansson has on her back. Yes, I'm observant!

 

I was about to continue banging on the door like a raving madwoman when Steve Rogers grabbed my shoulder and tried to pull me back. Gently…kind of. I think he forgot that he is a super soldier and that his 'gently' is my ‘roughly’. With a yelp, I went crashing back into his chest. Oh, what a sturdy chest it was. His mouth came next to my ear and his tree-trunk arms locked around my middle, “ Settle Omega.” His voice had gone a shade deeper and more dominant. It sent chills down my spine. The good kind.

 

I wanted to argue and tell him to get off me, but something in me just froze at his command. The repetitive urge of baring my neck finally showed itself, and to my horror, I tilted my neck to the side and whined pitifully.

 

Oh, God! Open up the ground and swallow me!

 

I felt another presence come behind me, and by the cologne, I could tell it was Bucky. He ran his nose along the column of my neck and placed a light peck at a spot just behind my ear. My eyes rolled to the back of my head, and I felt a pleased rumble come from the assassin. I was freaking aroused now! Great! I discreetly rubbed my thighs together to relieve some of the heat. Captain America brushed my other ear with his lips,” Sleep omega. We’ll protect you.”

 

Now, many people have tried to put me to sleep (Especially my mother), with way more violent methods than the captain’s (Like her chappal), but never once have I obeyed as fast as I did now. No sooner had he finished his sentence than I fell unconscious right there in his arms. 

 

Weird.

Guess I was tired then.

 Or maybe, this time I was finally dead.

 

 

---

 

 

Warmth

 

The word itself is delicate. The way it rolls off your tongue. Warmth. Smoothly, softly, gently. The word is attractive but the feeling of it- is blissful. Warmth in the way the heat of the fire or light of the sun enraptures the body. Warmth within the embrace of a lover. The warmth that brings compassion, adoration, affection. Warmth when one peppers your heart with tender touches. All of it is warmth and there is no better way to experience it than to awake in warmth.

 

I feel myself stir, the flutter of eyelashes against my cheek as my eyelids peel open slowly. Those few moments when everything is blurry, and you know not your own name are pure ecstasy. The world is gone and it is just you in your half-consciousness.

 

Then you wake up fully and are flooded with thoughts, memories, worries, and reality. Man, I wish I could sleep forever! When I come to, I notice that I'm no longer in what I dubbed as the ‘Afterlife HQ’. For one, the bed is not floating, and the mattress is a million times more comfortable. I sit up, rubbing my face groggily. The blanket falls off me and I realize that I'm no longer in that white cotton fabric. Rather, I am in a loose black tee and Bermuda shorts. It smells of gunpowder, roses, and something feminine. This must be Natasha’s. I look around the room and find it well furnished with a T.V., a walk-in closet, a mahogany desk, lounge chairs, and a coffee table. I know where I am. I’d be dumb not to. The floor-to-ceiling windows give away the fact that I'm in a skyscraper. Hundreds of feet above ground in the Stark Tower penthouse.

 

I swing my legs over the bed and stand up on wobbly feet. I can practically feel the taste of my morning breath and I scowl disgustedly. I enter the lavish bathroom and look under the sink for a spare toothbrush. Luckily, I even find toothpaste there. Not my preferred brand, but oh well! Beggars can’t be choosers. I look up in the mirror and have to physically stop myself from barfing over my appearance. 

 

Dear God! I look like a train wreck!

 

I freshen up, pulling the lenses out of my eyes. The world instantly goes blurry once more. Shit! I forgot that I was half-blind. I take a quick shower, lathering myself with a body wash that was called, 'Omega Plus' and the description said-“ Enhances your scent up to 25%”. I don’t pay much attention to it. Weird world. Weird soaps. Makes sense. I wear the same clothes I found myself in, scrunching my nose when I have to wear the same cotton panties I have been wearing since that date back in my normal world. I explore the room, checking every nook and corner in hopes of finding something useful. Nothing at all. This room was as impersonal as my Aunt Nadia’s house. Who's dead by the way.

 

I flop down on the bed. I’m not going to go outside the room until someone comes to get me. Not because I don’t want to, but as I don’t have a game plan yet. I close my eyes in concentration. Ok.  Let's see what all do I know till now-

 

I'm not in my world. This is something else. Multiverse? Some weird in-between place between life and death?…The MCU? I have to physically hold myself from snorting at my thoughts. I need therapy and probably a psychiatric evaluation.

 

The other thing I know is that the Avengers are real. At least in this world. Also, they do not behave like they do in movies. For one, nobody in the movies growled. Number two, I don’t think Clint and Tony were in a romantic relationship. But here, I saw Stark placing a smooch, not a peck, a smooch on Barton’s neck.

 

The thing I am most curious about is the insane need to bare my neck in front of certain individuals. I do not have any theories about why I would want to do that! Also, why did I immediately obey when Steve Rogers told me to sleep. Why did Bucky touching the back of my neck with his lips, not creep me out but instead arouse me?

 

I know my questions but now, I need answers. As if reading my mind, a knock sounds on the door and a delicious voice speaks up, “ Doll? Kiara? Would you open the door, please?”

 

I take a deep breath in, walk to the door, and twist the lock. Time for a confrontation.

 

 

 

 

Natasha was getting cranky. She had had a rough night with the Russian mafia interrogation and she had just wanted to sleep. But as soon as she stepped inside to take a shower, Tony had come barging in, claiming they found their omega. So of course, the pack had stormed the S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters with their noses up and sniffing to find their sweet omega. Natasha’s inner alpha purred at the memory of seeing her omega for the first time. Immediately a feeling of pure contentment and fullness had invaded her. Even though her alpha senses had gone berserk, she had not felt more at peace in her life. 

 

Almond-shaped eyes with irises as black as coal, auburn hair that shined brighter than diamonds. Olive skin that glowed and called for Nat's touch. The cotton dress that hung loosely over her well-formed breasts, teasing and testing Nat’s control. Her pink lips were thin and dry, but with a little help from the pack could be swollen and glistening with saliva. Her neck, long and slender, Nat’s alpha couldn’t wait to bite it! Kiara was beautiful. Their omega was beautiful.  A megawatt smile lit her face at the recollection. She was sure that Kiara’s heart was as endearing as her appearance.

 

Then it all went downhill. 

 

Kiara thought she was dead and was making absurd claims about them being comic book characters. Natasha could feel the panic build up in her omega, and so could her other mates. That’s why Steve alpha commanded Kiara to sleep. As Head Alpha, it was his duty to use any means necessary to prevent harm to their mates. Although Nat didn’t feel happy about forcing Kiara into an unwilling sleep, she trusted Steve’s judgment. He was Captain America after all!  That was when Fury had marched in, demanding to put their omega in an interrogation room. Tasha had to breathe in deeply to calm herself. Naturally, the pack hadn’t been too keen on that suggestion. Fury had protested that she was a stranger with no records or identification whatsoever, and posed a threat to national security. Not to mention, she had magically appeared in a barren lawn after a massive energy surge in Washington DC.

Agent Romanoff agreed with her Director but Alpha Nat wanted to strangle him for insinuating Kiara was anything but a saint.

 

After a long argument filled with loud growls, Nick had decided to let Kiara be free, but under heavy observation. Maybe he understood that a pack of angry and protective Avengers was more of a security risk than an unconscious teenage girl. Fury had tasked Bruce with inserting a tracker in Kiara’s arm, and it had taken all of Natasha’s willpower to stop him from Hulking out. The suggestion was not well received by the rest of the pack either. However, for the sake of compromise they had begrudgingly agreed to it.

 

Which brought Natasha to now. Their omega was up after six long hours, but she wouldn’t come out of her room. J.A.R.V.I.S had kept the impatient pack updated of Kiara’s activity after Nat had put her to rest in their guest room. She was the one to change her omega’s clothes, dressing Kiara in her own nightwear. It had been hard for her to control her desires, but for the sake of her omega’s privacy, she had resisted the urge to peek at Kiara’s exposed body. Natasha valued privacy immensely. In the Red Room, they were never left alone. The handlers played on the inmates' vulnerabilities and made them mentally weaker. Nat shuddered at the memory of foreign hands touching her without her consent. She never wanted her omega to feel the same. Kiara was unconscious and vulnerable in a room full of strangers. Being her mate didn’t give Natasha the right to invade Kiara's personal space.

 

Tasha slowly took a sip of the vodka swirling in her glass. She turned her head, letting it rest on Tony’s shoulders. Her billionaire mate had decided to join her on the bar and was gulping a drink of his own. Natasha scowled. Tony had barely got rid of his alcoholism, she didn’t want him falling back into it. She swiped at Tony’s hand when he reached to take another sip. He gave her a sheepish smile and tugged at her waist, bringing her closer to him, and laid a loving peck on her hair. Nat sighed at the blissful contact. 

 

Suddenly, Bucky stood up from his place on the sofa, carefully setting aside Clint who was sprawled on his lap. “ I can’t take this anymore! J.A.R.V.I.S told us she’s up, why isn’t she coming out!” His alpha surfaced and his voice went deeper,” I want my omega!”

 

Bruce hugged Bucky from the back, stroking his muscular chest in a soothing fashion. Steve laid a hand on Bucky’s shoulder and replied,” Patience Buck. You can’t overwhelm our doll with that attitude... But you are right. I don’t think she will come out unless we take initiative. Calm yourself and I'll see if I can persuade her to join us. “ Bucky growled in approval and turned around to bury his face in Bruce’s neck. He embraced the scientist, his fingers digging possessively in his bottom. 

 

The pack held their breaths in anticipation, as Steve knocked on Kiara’s door.  “ Doll? Kiara? Would you open the door, please?”

 

 

---

 

 

Steve crossed his fingers as he waited for a reply. His sensitive ears caught the sound of Kiara’s footsteps stopping right before her door. He heard the knob click and waited with bated breath for the door to open. 

And it did. There she was, their omega. Kiara. He tasted the word on his tongue and instantly fell in love with how it sounded. His doll. His dame. His Light. His omega.

 

She looked like a Goddess dressed in Nat’s clothes. He could see she was nervous and gave her a warm smile to placate her. He stepped aside to let her through and guided her to the common area with light pressure on her back. All he wanted to do was bury his nose in his Omega’s scent gland and drown in her smell, but he had too many questions he wanted to be answered. He knew Kiara wanted that too. She sported an impatient expression and looked like she would burst if she didn’t get her answers soon enough.

 

When they came in view of the pack, everyone gave her a welcoming smile. Kiara hesitantly smiled back. Clint wordlessly cleared a seat for her and the pack settled opposite to her. Facing her. Clint didn’t want an inch of space between them, but he didn’t want to overwhelm her. If giving her some space would make her more comfortable, so be it.

 

Kiara cleared her throat. One.Two. Three times. Then she did an awkward half-wave, “ Hey guys! I’m Kiara.” 

 

Well, that broke the tension, and the pack chuckled lowly with fond expressions. Steve took the lead and asked their omega in a soft voice, reserved just for his mates. “ Hello, Om-Kiara. I’m Steve Rogers... We know you have questions. Go on ask them. We’re here to answer.”

Tony chimed in.” Besides, it looks like you’ll explode if you don’t.” Clint gave him the stink eye. Tony Stark and his humor.

 

Kiara needed no further probing. She jumped right in. “ First question. Am I dead or not?”

“ You are VERY much alive!” Natasha said with a serious expression. “ You are physically healthy with no internal injuries. And no you’re not dreaming.” Bruce added. Kiara nodded a few times before asking,” Are you…the Avengers? Like the real ones or are you, actors?”

 

“ We’re the Avengers….the real ones? Are there fake Avengers too?” Clint answered unsurely, a little confused by Kiara’s question. Kiara distractedly shook her head. Bucky could hear her heartbeat rise but it calmed down after she took a few deep breaths. The pack sat patiently, allowing her to collect herself.

 

Tony cleared his throat.” Should we... introduce ourselves?” He looked like he had never done that before, and there was a huge possibility that he hadn’t. He was Tony Stark after all. He didn’t really need an introduction. Kiara waved her hand dismissively.” I know who you guys are. The difference is, in my reality, you aren’t real people.”

Steve leaned forward.” Doll what do you mean by your reality? Are you not from here?”

Kiara shook her head violently.” No, no, no. I ask the questions first.” The alphas scowled at the disrespect but ignored it, considering the situation at hand. Steve nodded stoically. Kiara continued,” Ok so where are we? What year are we in? What was the place I was at before? Why am I here? HOW am I here?” Her volume increased as she spoke.

 

“ Woah! Easy there sugar.” Clint said with his hands up. “ One question at a time please.” He ordered softly.

Bucky sat up on the couch. He stared intensely at Kiara, making her shift a little in her seat. He broke off eye contact at her discomfort. A brief flicker of sadness crossed his eyes at the thought of his omega being scared of him, but he chased it away quickly. He felt Natalia squeeze his thigh.

 

“ Kiara.” She shivered at his voice. “ We are in the Avenger’s Tower, New York. Our pack lives here. It’s April 19, 2017. It's six hours after you woke up in the S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters. That was where we found you.” He let her absorb this and then carried on in an even baritone. ” We brought you here because you are our mate and we don’t want you to be treated like a prisoner. As for how you are here, some agents found you unconscious at the site of a massive energy surge, in barren land in Washington DC. That was yesterday. “

 

Nat jumped in. “ Why you were there..., I think you know that better than we do.” She hated herself for sounding so suspicious, but if their Omega really was a threat…no, she didn’t even want to think about it. A pang shot through her heart at the thought. Let’s just say the US Govt. wasn’t known to be nice to hostiles. Especially not S.H.I.E.L.D.

 

The pack observed helplessly, as they saw their omega slump against the sofa in shock. She was blinking repeatedly as if she was processing the information that was just given to her. They fought against themselves to comfort her when they saw tears build up in her eyes. Bruce couldn’t take it anymore when her breathing got heavier. He briskly walked to the kitchen, filled up a glass of water, and offered it to Kiara. Slowly, he sat down next to her and rubbed her upper back soothingly as she gulped down huge sips. Bruce was the best at dealing with overflowing emotions because he struggled with controlling his anger daily. Over the years he had learned to calm himself through meditation and relaxation mantras. His endeavors proved successful as Kiara’s breathing got back to normal, and she put herself together. 

 

After a few moments, she squeaked,” It’s 2017? Not 2021?” The Avengers were baffled but nodded instead. The super soldiers caught her mumbling under her breath-“ That's…okay. It's okay. We are in a different universe and also in a different time. And in a different city. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” Steve bristled at the use of ‘fuck’ but resisted the urge to call her out and say “Language”. Tony would never let him live it down.

 

“ Ok and- Wait! Back up little. Did you say ‘pack’? and ‘mate’? Like friend mate or….soul…mate?”  Tony slumped back in shock and exasperation. This was worse than he thought. It looked like their omega didn’t even know what ‘mates’ were.  Which meant, she knew nothing of the social structure of the world. He blew out a breath.

 

They were going to be here all night. He looked over at Natasha and frowned.

 

She should have let him have his drink.

 

 

---

 

 

Fuck. My. Life.

 

My brain feels like it was electrocuted and then deep-fried in hot oil. Not only am I stuck in a different universe with comic book characters, but the social structure of this world is more bizarre than I could ever imagine. I had to pinch myself repeatedly during Tony’s overview to make sure I was not dreaming. Now that he has finished with his explanation, I think I would prefer it if I was dead instead. 

 

This fucked up version of the MCU is premised on a system of society wherein humans are divided into a dominance hierarchy of dominant "alphas", neutral "betas", and submissive "omegas”. Not unlike the social hierarchy found in animals. 

 Apparently, all three have certain characteristic features that define their status. The Alphas are ranked the highest. They are known to be extremely protective and possessive. They exert dominance over their Beta and Omega mates, which helps them balance their emotions and not get aggressive. 

 

Betas are basically what normal humans in my world are like, but with some exceptions. They act as a mediator between the Alphas and Omegas and their ‘scent' is calming to both. 

 

Omegas however got the worst of the lot. They form the base of the system and are submissive to both Alphas and Betas. They crave appreciation and validation from both tiers. They have to frequently be ‘ dommed’ to keep their hormones in check. Like Alphas, unbalanced emotions can lead to something called a ‘drop’ which is fatal for them. 

It sounds like a life with no control over yourself but at the mercy of the dominant Alphas. Limited independence doesn’t sound that appealing to me. I pity whoever gets to be an Omega in this world.  

This brings me to another astonishing fact. You don’t get to choose what you want to be. The designations present themselves after you have hit puberty. Scent glands develop on the back of your neck and emit a certain odor that determines your designation. I was already floored by the time Tony had presented this information to me, but the biggest shock was yet to come.

 

Soulmates exist. That's right. Every person in this world has one or more soulmates that are given to them by birth. Usually, people are paired in groups of 3-5 mates, but there can be groups having more or less than the ideal. These ‘groups’ are what Bucky called packs. He said ‘Avengers Pack’ which means… the Avengers are soulmates. Each pack has a symbol that is pre-decided by nature and is tattoed on the base of your neck when you reach puberty.  Also, I don’t need Tony to mention this, but soulmates have romantic relationships with each other. So basically the Avengers are in a polygamous relationship. 

That's…great! Very normal.

 

It had been a few minutes of deep silence after the pack had finished explaining. I was dumbstruck and surprised, but oddly a part of me felt that this was not absurd but…right. Like it was meant to be. But I couldn’t really focus on that part because it was buried beneath heaps of anxiety and fear. Yes, I was afraid. Not of the Avengers, but of the situation I had landed myself in. I don’t know how to proceed from here. I can’t just stand up and go home because I don’t have a home here. Not in this universe. Also, I’m in a different year in the past which doesn’t help. I can’t run away because that would be foolish. Bucky said S.H.I.E.L.D. is on the lookout for me and I have no idea how to hide from them. My only hope at solving my problems is the Avengers pack. Strangers or not, they have been nothing but welcoming and supportive. Maybe it's too soon to say, but my gut tells me that I can trust them with my life. And mom always told me to trust my gut. A terrible pang of longing hits me at the mention of my mother, but I shove it to the back of my mind immediately. I will have time to reminisce about my past when I have figured out my future.

 

I massage my temples to soothe the headache building up. “ So…I’m your….soulmate?” They answer collectively with a solemn nod. “ And you all are soulmates too.” Nod. “ You…are MY soulmates?” Another more excited nod. I shift my eyes to Tony,” You said you all have designations in this world, right? So what are yours?”

 

Steve lays a hand on Tony’s shoulder and answers the question for him. “ I am Head Alpha. Bucky and Nat are both Alphas too. Tony leads the Betas along with Clint and Bruce.“

“What do you mean Head Alpha?” 

Nat answers,” Even the packs have an internal hierarchy. Head Alpha is the one with the most authority, followed by the other Alphas. Then the Head Beta leads the Betas in the pack. That's Tony like Steve said. Lastly, we have our Omega. There is usually only one Omega in a pack, and they are the ones to finally complete the pack."

 

I cock my head to the side. All of them are either Alphas or Betas. Where is their omega then? “ Where is your omega then?” I repeat my question out aloud. The pack looks at each other, and then Bruce clears his throat hesitantly. With an earnest expression on his face, he purrs softly,” It's you, kitten. You are our Omega.”

 

Like I said,

 

Fuck my Life!

 

 

 

 

 

The air was so thick with awkward tension in the room, Clint swore he could cut through it with the tip of one of his arrows. All of them had comical looks on their faces, and if this was a sitcom, the fake audience in the back would be laughing right now. Kiara was gaping at Bruce like he had told her, that the Earth is flat. Pure disbelief and denial were etched on her face. Wordlessly, she bent forward and reached for her half-emptied glass of water and gulped it down in one go. Clint felt like he should probably have one too. His throat was dry and his tongue had stopped functioning. For a man trained to deal with extremely stressful conditions, feeling this gobsmacked and empty-headed was disappointing. His only relief was that he wasn’t the only one. Tasha’s face was scrunched up in a sheepish expression, Stevie was chewing on his lip and avoiding eye contact. Bucky had opted for his 'Winter soldier’ visage. Completely emotionless. Well, that was not a good sign. Bruce was totally engrossed in studying Kiara’s expressions, and as for his other Beta mate- Tony- was struggling to hold back his laughter. As expected. Sarcasm and humor were his coping mechanisms for awkward and tense situations. Tony’s ability to find humor in a completely serious situation could be both a boon and a curse. He wasn’t sure if their omega would appreciate laughter right now, though. After all, she had quite possibly been handed the biggest shock of her life.

 

He sighed. They all have to get a move on. This is getting nowhere. He was all for being silent, but he had took great effort in searching for his hearing aid implant today AND putting it on, so pin drop silence wasn’t high on his priority list. Besides, he was more in the mood for loud, high-pitched moaning, grunting, and rough lovemaking- Let's not go there! He chastised himself promptly. Not a good idea to get a raging hard-on in the middle of an emotionally taxing first meeting with their omega. That would be even worse than Tony dropping his witty ill-received comments.

 

Slapping his thighs, he spoke up. “ Look sweetness, I understand you are pretty mindfucked right now-“ 

“ Language!” Growled Steve. Clint discreetly rolled his eyes, continuing,” BUT- you have been staring into space for the last ten minutes right now, and I'm starting to get hungry!” That was probably not the best thing to say. Clint was trying to make humor of the situation a little, but he supposed he should leave that to Tony. At least his words weren’t met with a death glare from his ‘mega.

 

“ Oh pardon me! Is my world getting tilted off its FUCKING axis getting in the way of your stomach?” Kiara retorted harshly. She roughly threw her hands out, her lips curling in a snarl. “ By all means, have a fucking pizza! Bring popcorn and cola while you’re at it too! Because apparently, my life has turned into some shitty marvel dystopian fan fiction!” ( A/N- Sorry! I couldn’t resist breaking the fourth wall! XD)

 

She stood up abruptly, her perk breasts ( not confined in any sort of lingerie- might he add) bouncing as she did. Her breathing was heavy and her cheeks were flushed in anger. Clint’s words had finally been the tipping point for her emotions, and now her myriad of feelings bled into one another, coming out as red, boiling hot anger. 

“ You know what? Fuck it. FUCK IT I SAID! Fuck this Goddamn bullshit, I'm outta here. You are the Avengers, right? Then get me back to my own fucking world! I. Want. To. Go. Home! Or I swear to God, I will throw a temper tantrum my two-year-old niece would be proud of. And let me tell you that she is a BRAT! And when it comes to manic fits, she makes you want to pull your own hair out! I'm not kidding, I WILL be worse than her! I don’t care who you are! Or what I am to you, but you will get me back home!” She stomped her foot in rage. Her words were biting and the pack would be lying if it didn’t hurt them to their very soul. Their Omega didn’t want them.

 

“ Omeg-“ “NO!” Bruce flinched back at the pure ire in her tone. “ I am not your fucking ‘Omega’ or whatever. I am tired of making sense of this absurd situation and all I want is to go back home. I want to go back! I want to go to my mom!” Tears were filling up fast in her eyes, and her body was shaking. Steve feared that she would drop into Omega Space because of a panic attack. He wanted to intervene and calm their Omega down but she gave him no room to talk. She did not want to have a conversation anymore! Her dam of suppressed emotions had finally broken, and now she was letting it all out. Unaware, that she was drowning in it.

 

“ I want my ma! I need my mom!” Kiara sobbed heartbreakingly. Then her eyes went wide as if she had just realized something. “ Ryan! Oh dear God, is he here too? Did- Did he die? Where is he? H-How could I not think about him? My best friend!” She shuts her eyes tightly and then opens them again, a pleading, desperate look in her black irises. She clasped her hands, and prayed, “ Please! Please Lord Krishna let this be a dream! Please wake me up! I am sorry for whatever I have done! But please get me out of this! Please Bhagwan! P-P-please!” She hiccuped her last words through loud wails. The pack watched in shock and agony, as Kiara’s knees gave out and she slid to the floor crying. She was scratching roughly at her arms, leaving behind angry, red scratches. She was shaking her head furiously, repeating- “ Make this stop!” and “ Wake me up, please”. 

 

Kiara was in the midst of a full-blown panic attack. Bucky, Natasha, and Steve’s Alpha instincts immediately took over at the state of extreme distress of their Omega.  The Alpha’s surrounded their omega and sent out waves of comforting aura. Bucky, although distraught at hearing about Kiara’s dislike of them, understood her. Related to her even. When Steve had first introduced him to the pack, he had been so overwhelmed, that his Winter Soldier side had taken over. He had made a huge mess that day. Later that day, he had completely broken down in Steve’s arms, wishing he was back in the forties and that the past seventy years had all just been a bad dream. James sympathized with his omega. His heart hurt for her. And damned be him, if he lets her go through the same soul-crushing agony he underwent that day. No. He would handle this as a real Alpha does. He WOULD NOT let his omega drop in such conditions. Her first drop would be a pleasurable experience for her, not fatal like this. She would be over his lap, safe and protected. Loved and cherished. Only then would he coax her into Omega Space. 

 

Natasha held on to her hands, preventing her from scratching her inflamed skin into a bloody mess. Bucky gently coed at her, he promised her that she was safe and they would help her. That they meant no harm. He repeated that over and over again, in a softly dominant voice, hopefully calming Kiara, or at the very least the Omega inside her. Steve placed his hands on her upper back, stroking it lightly, lovingly. He whispered praises in her ear. He reassured her. He swore on his Ma’s memory that they would do their best in finding her family. In being her family- he internally vowed as well. She was their omega. They would take care of her.

 

The Betas formed a protective circle behind the Alphas. Each of them concentrating on letting out calming and soothing pheromones.  Bruce wanted to crush his mate into his chest and take away all her pain, absorb it if he could, but unfortunately, that was not how the world worked. He stood a little to the side, hating himself for not participating actively in helping Kiara. But he knew that was for the best. The Hulk inside him was getting angry at the distress of their omega, and he was roaring to come out! God knows that would do more harm than good!

 

Eventually, her loud crying had died down into sniffling, and the pack breathed in relief when her attack ended. Thanking God for not letting Kiara drop. 

Their interaction so far had taught the pack one thing- Direct confrontation was not the way with Kiara. They had to try a different approach, and this time THEY would be in control of the conversation. Alpha Rogers had had enough of letting their Omega do things her own way. He had no doubt she was capable of making wise decisions, but right now she was extremely emotional and confused. Giving her the reigns to the conversation had only aided her panic, not subdued it.

 

Steve readied himself and sat his omega on the couch again. This time, he pulled a chair and settled close to her, his knees locking her thighs in place. He held Kiara’s small hands in his own and rubbed light circles on her palm with his calloused fingers. He ran his baby blues over his omega’s face- puffy eyes and a red nose. A little drop of water dripped down her nose as a residue of her tears, and he wiped it away gently with his thumb. 

 

So pure. So innocent. His inner Alpha preened with joy and love, completely forgetting the state of matters at hand for a good second.

 

Clearing his throat,  a stern yet still warm expression on his face, he stated,

“Let's try this again, Omega. And this time, we ask the questions.”

 

---

 

 

I can’t believe how freaking self-absorbed I was. How could I forget about Ryan? How come my first thought on waking up, wasn’t about his safety? He had taken care of me, loved me, supported me, ever since I had stepped foot in America. How could I just- Arghh! Maybe I deserve whatever is happening to me. For being an ungrateful piece of shit. 

What's more, I had completely embarrassed myself in front of the Avengers. Not to mention, that I was super rude and disrespectful. All of them were at least a decade older than me, if not more. And I had just shouted at them. Cussed at them. And what had they done? They had helped me through a panic attack. Calmed me. They had given me an opportunity to be in control of the situation and I had messed up my chance with hormonal blubbering. My mother would be disappointed in me. Fuck that! Every Indian mother on the planet would be disappointed in me. I had just failed to do the one thing I was taught all my life- “ Respect your elders and be polite to strangers.”

 

“ Kiara, are you ok, doll? Do you need something?” Captain Roger's question broke me out of my reverie. What was I doing, calling the Avengers by their pet names? Even in my mind?! They were all celebrated heroes- SUPERheroes! No more. It’s about time, I started remembering my manners. I nodded my head in answer to Cap, wiping my nose on my shoulder. God! Could I be more pathetic and unhygienic? Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Mr. Stark scrunch his nose a little in distaste. But he quickly neutered his expression. Of course, he would find that disgusting! He is a refined gentleman. A fucking billionaire. It was rich of me to assume that my peasant habits wouldn’t bother them. I switched my attention back to Steve. He was concerned and attentive. I do not deserve that- I wanted to scream at him. I do not deserve to be in your presence!

 

“ Yes. I'm fine. I am extremely sorry about my uhh…outburst- I do not know what I was thinking.” My cheeks heated up in humiliation. I looked at the pack, each of them in the eyes and then I apologized. “I really shouldn’t have been that disrespectful.” Looking directly at Bruce, who I had screeched at during my monologue, I bowed my head in shame. He had been nothing but kind to me. And I had put him under such stressful conditions. Despite knowing that the Hulk would want to break free in such a situation. How difficult it must have been for him to control himself!

 

I was a terrible Omega!

….

….

....

What? Where had that thought come from?!

 

The Black Widow tipped my chin up with one long beautiful finger. Her touch sent fire sizzling through my veins. She waited patiently till my eyes leveled with her dazzling emerald orbs. Her plump lips painted red curved into a soft smile. “ Don’t feel sorry sweetie. Everything’s forgiven.” 

 

“ Ok doll.  Let’s start with the basics. Where are you from?” Steve inquires, a hint of authority in his tone.

“ Washington DC. My mum and I migrated to the States about six years ago.”

“ Very good love. How old are you now ?”

“  Nineteen.”

“ Earlier you said, you are in a different time. What…time are you from?”

“ In my world, it’s 2021. It's the same day and month, but the year is different.” I scratched at my head in confusion.

 

Natasha took over. “ Куколка*, we need you to concentrate and tell us everything you did in the 24 hours prior to you waking up in S.H.I.E.L.D. “ 

 

I thought deeply, recalling everything that I did that day. “ My morning was completely uneventful. I was at home with my ma. Most of my day, I spent reviewing my college applications, redecorating my room, watching telly. Then my ma left for her night shift at the hospital- She’s a doctor.” I gulped before continuing with my story. Somehow, I had the feeling that the next part of my day wouldn’t garner a positive reaction from my audience. “ After she left…I had a date…so I got ready for that. Ryan and I had dinner together-“ I paused when I felt Steve’s hands press a little harder on my palms. Bucky’s vibranium arm had shifted from holding my shoulder, to cupping the back of my neck possessively. I looked around and saw that the rest of them had dark looks on their faces. I shivered a little. Was this reaction because of my date? No, it can’t be.

 

Then it clicked in my brain. What had gone wrong. Or rather, since when had things started to go wrong. I gasped. “ That psychic bitch!” Natasha lightly pinched me in reprimand, but I paid no attention to it. “ I know who did this! After my date with Ry, I insisted that we go to this shop ‘round the corner. Mrs. Fitzgerald-that crazy old hag- owns it. At first, she was just playing with us but then she went absolutely bonkers. I don’t know what she did to me, but something in me had changed.” I looked at Steve, and asked him,” Remember when I..uhh... tilted my neck back in that room? I had felt that feeling for the first time in my life when I had entered her shop.”

 

“ Ryan had to literally carry me back home. I was in so much pain, but I had no injuries. We were both still reeling from that incident when an earthquake happened. It was a pretty bad one, I could literally feel my house fall apart. We both took shelter under the dining table, but it didn’t hold. I must have passed out before the debris hit us.” I take a deep breath in, finally finishing my side of the story. “ When I woke up, I was no longer in my world.”

 

I take in the expressions of the pack before me. They were all shocked and amazed, but luckily none of them seemed to be disbelieving. I wasn’t sure if they would believe me. After all my shit about comics and movies, I wouldn’t have been surprised if they locked me in a mental faculty.

 

Tony cleared his throat. “ Wow! So you got voodoo-ed here huh? Pretty crazy backstory.” Bruce intervened. ”We believe you, kitten. But what’s done is done. Our priority is to make sure you are safe and healthy now. Stevie will make sure we get to the bottom of how this happened. We promise you that.”

Steve nodded in affirmation. “ For now, I want you to relax and take care of your health. Bruce will have to do a medical check-up on you.” I open my mouth to protest, but he presses his finger to my lips, instantly making my throat go dry. “ I'm afraid that’s non-negotiable, princess. “

 

Nat smiles warmly at me. “ This has been one hell of a talk! But I think that's enough surprises for a day.  We’ll continue with this sometime later. That ok, sweetie?” I grin shyly at the pet name and bob my head in agreement. 

 

Clint clears his throat awkwardly,” So…anyone up for a pizza?” He glances at me, with a little hesitation in his eyes. I can see that he feels guilty for setting me off earlier, but really he shouldn’t. It wasn’t his fault in the slightest. I let my shy grin turn into a mischievous smirk. Who was I to turn down a peace offering from Hawkeye himself?

 

“ Bring popcorn and cola while you’re at it too."

 

 

---

Translations

 

Lord Krishna- Lord Krishna is a Hindu God. ( Personally, I am not very religious but I have always prayed to him in times of need. )

 

Bhagwan- God- in Hindi ( Hindi is one of the 22 official languages listed in the Constitution of India.)

 

Куколка- Little Doll in Russian ( This is Google translate- I don't speak Russian)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wasn’t awfully shy by nature, but I wasn’t boisterously loud either. So, the setting at the Avenger’s dining table made for a comfortable environment. Staying true to Natasha’s word, no more questions were asked for the evening. The floor-to-ceiling window provided a breathtaking view of the city. I had never been to New York before, I was not a big fan of crowds and loud noises. I got plenty of that when I lived in India. But for this view? I'm seriously reconsidering my priorities. Maybe when I get back, I could send an application to NYU. 

 

Tony had ordered four delicious-looking pizzas; I literally had to check to see if I was drooling.  Three large pizzas for the pack, and one regular one for me. My pizza had a special order for no jalapeños as I was severely allergic to them. I didn’t have my EpiPen with me, and I really wasn’t keen on dying because of an anaphylaxis shock.  God! that would be so humiliating. I had survived a bloody earthquake, and I die because of a fucking jalapeño allergy. Pathetic.

 

To break the awkward tension in the room, I had complimented the building. Surprisingly, it proved to be a great icebreaker. Mr. Stark- Tony- as he asked me to call him, had an impeccable taste in decor. He was proud and smug when I told him I was a big fan of his character back in my world. I wasn’t lying though. I was a massive Iron Man fan. After my initial craze for Spiderman went away when I entered my pre-teens, I became a devout Ironhead. From my schoolbag to my keychains. My T-shirts to my onesies- everything was Ironman merch. I did eventually come out of my crazy Tony Stark fangirl phase though.

But then I immediately became a part of the Loki fandom. I chuckled under my breath. I change loyalties like people change underwear. But I don’t blame myself, It's Loki for Odin’s sake. 

However, Tony didn’t need to know that. I was more than aware that everyone on MCU Earth hated Loki with a passion. I didn’t want to give them any more incentive to lock me up or kill me. They already had enough.

 

Steve had offered to sit at the dining table, but my mother had always taught me - never sit for dinner formally with the family of someone you have just met. Something about being respectful. Although I could not eat, I was famished; I figured the couch and the coffee table would be more informal. Out of respect for me, the pack had kept their hands to themselves, even though I could literally see them itching to touch each other. I felt waves of guilt hit me. I didn’t want them to be uncomfortable. But I also knew that, if they did start being touchy I would become uncomfortable, so I swallowed my guilt and kept mum. 

 

We had stayed away from any topics that could bring up the event- as I called it. Overall the meal was quite amicable. We had a lighthearted discussion about our favorite colors, and I beamed when Natasha told me she too had a preference for royal purple. Steve’s favorite color was a complex shade that I couldn’t remember the name of. He spoke passionately of its vibrancy and importance to the color palette. I figured it was the artist in him. To be frank, I had always imagined his favorite colors would have been red, white, and blue. The man seemed to ooze patriotism from his pores. When I told him the same, he along with the whole table burst into laughter. Clint carried the joke further exclaiming,” He’s basically just a walking, talking American Flag!"

 

All of their gazes were light and (if I'm not wrong ) unburdened. Now, I wasn’t a great behavior analyst, but even to a novice, their posture seemed relaxed. Happy…content almost. They all had shared little snippets from their past. Some of them I didn’t know, but some I was already aware of because of the movies. I tried hard to make sure my expression didn’t give away my knowledge of their lives. I could only imagine how creepy that would feel. I was a stranger, yet I knew of the horrors they went through. I had seen their worst moments and intruded on their most private memories. Even if it was unknowingly. I felt immeasurably guilty of violating their personal space. 

 

After filling our bellies, Bruce had suggested a house-or rather penthouse tour for me. I had nothing better to do so I agreed. I figured, if I have to make an emergency escape, I should at least know the basic layout of the place I'm staying at. When it came to the question of who was going to take me, they left it open for me to decide. It was probably the worst thing they could do to a person having social anxiety. I certainly did not like being put on the spot, but somehow I managed to murmur out a small “Natasha?”. Thankfully, she took the lead from there.  She led me through the double doors on the right, and so our tour began. As expected the tower was breathtaking. It screamed rich and privileged. But I didn’t judge too harshly. If one has money why not use it? And God knows these people are not privileged. They have braved through horrors, I can’t even dream of experiencing. If anything, they deserve THE most luxurious items the world has to offer. 

 

   I smile slightly. If my counselor at school heard this she would have rambled on and on about how money doesn’t give happiness, and while I do somewhat agree with that ideology, unfortunately, money does play a big part in making us happy. My family is a prime example. Every day we suffer the consequences of my mother being underpaid, even though she is overqualified for the position she holds. Why? Oh well, that’s just because she is a brown immigrant who is also a single mother. And it is no secret that the American workforce is great at exploiting financially struggling, people of color. To Mr. Briggs- my mom’s boss, our situation was just too damn convenient to take advantage of. I huffed.  That man had a serious superiority complex. Just because he was white, it didn’t make him God, or in any way higher than other people. I sincerely hoped someone could knock that fact in his thick, dumb skull. The chances of it happening are low, but it doesn’t hurt to hope right?

 

“ …And that’s the tennis court. Tony had it made after he lost a bet with Clint. He loves tennis. Do you play any sports sweetie?…hmm? Kiara?” I snapped out of my mental reverie at Nat’s question. Squinting I tried to recall what she had asked, but I really wasn’t paying attention. My mom had always said that I was too much engrossed in my world to pay attention to reality. Well, at least that’s something that still hasn’t changed. Although I guess it would have been nice to be more attentive…Shit! I’m spacing out again. I smile apologetically at Nat and ask her to repeat her question. Thankfully, she does not appear to be mad and continues with the tour like nothing happened. 

 

After a good two hours, we came back to where we started- The Avengers common room. The men had scattered, except Bucky, who was sprawled on the couch reading ‘ The Subtle Art of not giving a Fuck’. A classic. On seeing us arrive, he set the book aside and sat up straight. Nat walked over leisurely to him and laid a loving peck on his grinning lips. They both broke away and looked at me, their love shining bright in their eyes. I blushed furiously and looked away. Why did my heart flutter when they kissed? Bucky cleared his throat, got up, and walked over to me.  “ How do you like our home, doll?” Was that a tinge of Brooklyn accent I detected? 

 

“ Oh, it is beautiful! I really like the concept! It's kind of inconsistent, but somehow it goes well together…” I tilted my head to the side, and enquired,” I'm assuming you guys had it personalized according to your aesthetic?”  James nodded, a small smirk pulling at his lips. “ That's very observant of you.” He hesitated a little, but asked anyway,” Did you figure out who designed what?” I bobbed my head excitedly, proud of my knowledge about my favorite characters. When you have spent so much time obsessing over fictional characters as I have, it's not that difficult to figure out something as simple as their personal preferences.

 

I grimaced at the thought. I knew that I had to stop thinking about them as characters now, though. Because they aren’t. They are real people with real emotions and real-fucking-trauma. I remembered how casually I and my friends used to discuss Bucky’s brainwashing, Clint's mind control, or even Tony’s kidnapping. Of course, we never had any bad intentions, but still, we talked so flippantly about the heart-wrenching shit these superheroes have been through. It's all real now, and I feel terrible about having such leverage over all of them. I hold the knowledge to their worst fears.

 

Shaking my head, I push all negative thoughts to the back of my mind and smile widely at Bucky. I'm sure he can tell it's fake. He’s a goddamn spy for fucks sake. I'm glad he didn’t point it out though.  Making up a lame excuse about feeling tired, I bid them goodbye and retreated to my room. I needed to be alone for a while. For even though my mind is a little less confused about my situation, my heart is still left feeling as heavy as ever. 

For the first time in my life, I'm completely out of my comfort zone. Back home, I was the brave and daring one of my friend group. Phoenix and Ryan used to call me a ‘Little Lioness’. But I don’t feel like that anymore. Right now I feel more like a small defenseless kitten left stranded on the street on a cold winter night. 

 

 

       

---

 

 

Steve Rogers was tired. He was fucking done with this Captain America business. Especially the paperwork part. He let out a heavy growl and raked his fingers through his disheveled blonde hair.  Two days! It has been two days since he’s got a proper night’s sleep. S.H.I.E.L.D. has been calling the Alpha nonstop and interrogating him about the girl. His omega. Fury had put her on the threat list and it took Steve all of last night to convince him to drop her name from it. Which had been a huge struggle since Steve had no proof of her innocence. She had quite literally dropped from nowhere. Kiara Arora, his beautiful, precious mate did not exist in SHIELD’s database. This was surprising because if she was born on Earth, she would have been there. Even Bucky, HYDRA’s most well-kept secret had some sort of information on him in SHIELD’s files. Which led to only one plausible explanation- their omega was telling the truth. She is from an alternate universe, where they don’t exist. At least not as real people, but as strange as it sounds- comic book characters.

 

In his rage and annoyance, Steve had ordered J.A.R.V.I.S. to block any incoming calls from Fury or, S.H.I.E.L.D. He was going to get a lot of shit from Fury because of his actions, but right now he couldn’t care less. All he wanted to do was snuggle up to his mates and breathe in their familiar smells. He wanted to scent and mate them again and again, till he fucks out all the frustration from his body, and all that is left is a pleasurable haze of afterglow. Maybe then he could deal with the nuisance called Nicholas Fury. 

He craved to be around Kiara. The Alpha in him called for his Omega. His dominance demanded her submission. But not right now. At the moment,  he didn’t even want anything sexual. He just wanted to listen to his omega talk, laugh, sing- fuck-breathe! The Alpha within him was so desperate, he would be content with just inhaling the same air as their omega. She hadn’t been here for more than a week, but he knew that she had all the pack wrapped around her little pinky.  Lost in the fantasies of his omega, he didn’t even realize that he had left his office. Well, he was hungry anyway.

 

Steve strode over to the kitchen and grabbed a heavy protein shake from the refrigerator. He closed his eyes and gulped it all down in one go. A deep sigh of relief left his body, as his empty stomach got some nutrition. Being a super-soldier came with a highly increased appetite. He was almost always hungry, but for now, the grumbling of his stomach had stopped.  Steve saw someone approach him from his peripherals, and slid his baby blues to them. His gaze connected with sharp, chocolate brown eyes. Tony.  

 

“ Out of the Alpha den, Capsicle?” Tony joked, but Steve could see the concern in the billionaire’s eyes. It warmed his heart to know that his mate cared for, and loved him. It was clear from the longing in his gaze, that his beta had missed him. The Alpha in him whined a little at the thought of his mate being sad. Steve hoped he hadn’t ignored his mates in his excitement of finding their omega. 

Steve offered Tony a gentle albeit tired smile. Gathering his shorter frame close to his muscular, more prominent one, he apologized,” ‘M sorry Tones. Fury’s been buggin’ me ’bout our 'mega without pause.”  The blonde super soldier dug his head in the crook of Tony’s neck, “- I didn’t mean to ignore you.” He felt Tony hug him closer, plastering their front together. “ Don’t fret, Cap. I know you didn’t. We’re all excited about our lil’ Bambi. Also, fuck Director Eyepatch! He’s a pain in the ass anyway.” Steve clamped his mouth on the juncture of his beta’s neck and slapped his bottom in reprimand. “ Language” He growled, his Alpha voice slipping in. But it was soon forgotten. Steve was too busy nibbling and sucking at Tony’s neck. Nothing could compare to the feeling of his mates against him. He growled an expletive, with his nose still buried in Tony’s scent glands. Tony mewled at the dominance in Steve’s voice. 

 

The dark-haired genius had been busy studying the nature of radiations from the night of Kiara’s arrival when he felt the pent-up tension of his blonde Alpha mate through their bond. He knew if Steve didn’t let out his Alpha soon, it may build up and come out on their omega. He didn’t want that. No, not because Steve would hurt her. That would NEVER happen,…but the soldier might become a little possessive and…touchy with her. Tony was well aware that their young mate was not ready for such a thing, and she might freak out.  

 

All his other mates were occupied in one way or another. Bucky, Nat, and Bruce were having a fun threesome in the pack room. Clint was with Kiara, and they had gone out in the city shopping. The Alphas were initially against Kiara going out of the tower, but she proclaimed she needed clothes and her essentials. When Bucky protested, she had cut in and pointed out that she wasn’t entirely comfortable wearing somebody else’s clothes. It had hurt them, but they understood. This was a new world for her, and she had absolutely nothing of her own. Not even clothes. She wasn’t trying to offend or hurt them, she was just trying to make herself more comfortable. That itself was enough to appease the pack. She was trying to adjust to them because she trusted them. Her trust had filled Tony with a bashful feeling, and he happily basked in it.

 

Coming back to reality, Tony pulled away from Steve and silently pouted his lips for a kiss. Steve spared no quarter and immediately smashed his mouth against Starks’. Cap bit his lip none too gently and thrust his thick tongue to taste the hot cavern of his mate’s mouth. His rough hands gripped the beta’s neck and caressed the back of his neck, where Steve's mating bite lay. Tony broke away from his lips and moaned breathlessly at the pleasurable sensation.  “ Tones?” Steve whispered, just barely biting licking at his earlobe. Tony shuddered.

“ Yes, Alpha?” he mumbled.

“ Countertop. Now.” Steve demanded. Effortlessly picking up the shorter male, Steve eagerly deposited him on the expensive marble. Tony’s back hit the wall roughly... sensually. Pushing his knees apart, so he could stand between them, Steve reconnected their lips with feverish urgency. Tony worked Steve's pants open, pulling both his briefs and jeans down in one experienced move. Steve bit out a moan when Tony sucked the skin between his teeth, tongue lapping at it gently. Tony hummed as he continued his ministrations, nipping at Steve’s neck. His hands settled on Steve’s back, hips pressing against his own most erotically.

 

“Missed you.” Steve panted with a sensual kiss, a roll of his hips accompanying the movement. Tony moaned loudly, dropping his head back.

“Just fuck me already.” Tony grunts when Steve's hips roll again. Steve clicked his tongue, head shaking. He unbuttoned Tony's jeans and slipped a hand in his black boxers, grabbing his cock in his hand. He hums appreciatively when he sees that Tony is leaking precome already.

"No, not yet. I’m gonna get you off and then fuck you in our bedroom.” Steve says all too casually for what his hands are doing. “My precious mate. Trapped against the wall, moving at my pace. How do you feel, baby?” Steve purred as he thumbed over the head of Tony's cock. Tony moaned and arched into the touch, hitting the wall for the third time in under five minutes.

“So beautiful,” Steve murmurs as Tony rolls his hips. Tony blushed at the compliment and Steve revels at the full-body flush of his mate. “Love that you’re getting off on me Tones. So hot.”  Tony wants to say something in return but the only thing that leaves his mouth is an unintelligent ungh. His fingers are gripping Steve's hoodie tightly, knuckles turning white with the force of it, and his hips seemingly have a mind of their own. The Alpha doesn’t seem to mind, accepting each roll and thrust of his hips. 

“ Stevie! Ahh-Alpha-“ Tony growls wantonly when Steve’s hands do something particularly dirty. His vision goes white and he’s pretty sure he shouts because Steve's lips are on his again, telling him to be quiet, that it’s okay. He's hot. He can feel it work its way up from his toes to his thighs, wash over his cock and belly until his cheeks are as red as blood. He thrusts wildly into the tight grip, yelling out when his Alpha's tongue touches his pulse point.

“You’re so...I’m not gonna…Captain.” And he’s coming into Steve's hand with a ragged breath. Tony's fingers are leaving bruise marks from where they’re pressing into the soldiers' biceps and he has left a pretty decent hickey on Steve's neck. Funny, he doesn’t remember doing that. 

“Was that good?” Steve asks when Tony comes down from his high, and their eyes meet. The billionaire’s peering at him like he hung the fucking moon and then--oh, God.

Tony licks the come off his hand and Steve drools a little bit. The Alpha in him purring contently.

“So good, Alpha.” The dark-haired genius says lamely. “You’re still gonna fuck me, right?” He asks nipping at Steve's bottom lip. Steve quirks a brow but grins darkly when Tony’s gaze averts to his throbbing member. 

“So hard, babe. You won’t know what hit you.”

Finally, I was in my natural habitat!  I cannot express in words, the cosmic relief and rush of belongingness I felt when I entered the Indian restaurant down the street. It was modestly decorated with a red and white interior.  Perhaps to anyone else, the restaurant was too small and plain to notice. I on the other hand was attracted to it like a moth is to a flame. I had immediately slipped my hand into Clint’s and began tugging him harshly towards the shop. In my excitement, we had barely avoided getting hit by a car and a guy on his skateboard. The archer admonished me with a scowl;  in response, I simply sent him a beaming grin and fit my hand in his even more snugly.  

 Clint pushed open the double doors to the diner and I entered behind him. Even though the interior of the restaurant was nothing too majestic, the delicious smells that wafted through our nostrils, certainly made up for it. I breathed in deeply. Mhm. It felt like home. I closed my eyes and was instantly transported back to my house in India. My grandma in the kitchen, stirring a pot of spices and herbs. Soothing, devotional music playing in the background. She wipes the sweat off her brow and readjusts her spectacles. I come running to the kitchen, my sensitive nose catching the aroma of freshly made chicken curry. Nani smiles over at me, her wrinkled face glowing and shining.  The perfect picture of peace and contentment... I struggle to let go of the bittersweet memory that tauntingly plays through my mind. Reminding me of a time gone, that shall never come again.  

My sweet precious Nani. I loved her. I loved her so much. Years have passed since her untimely demise, and still, I miss her with all my heart.

 

Someone cleared their throat behind me. I turned around to see a tall, heavy middle-aged man smiling at me from behind his bushy mustache. A yellow turban sat proudly on his head. “ Good afternoon! Welcome to Singh’s Dhaba. Myself, Paramjeet Singh. If you can’t pronounce that- you can call me Parry. “ He said jovially.  I laughed a little and greeted him good-naturedly in Punjabi.  His eyes lit up when I mentioned that my birth town was Chandigarh. He exclaimed that he hailed from Amritsar- which was a one-hour drive from my hometown. We were practically neighbors!  An instant connection formed between us. Our interaction energy shifted from that between a manager and a customer to that between an uncle and his long-lost niece.  

Parry had just asked me about my family pack when Clint brought attention to his presence with a firm, solid hand at my upper back. I smiled gratefully at him. I wouldn’t have known how to answer Parry’s question. The turbaned man’s eyes immediately widened as he sheepishly apologized for ignoring his other customer. The blonde archer waved away his apology easily and directed the conversation to the restaurant and its origins. Fortunately, Parry fell for it and went on to elaborate on the history of his family and their love for food. Said every Punjabi ever.

 

 

The meal was fantastic! Parry’s wife, Melanie, a beautiful black woman in her forties had insisted on making it herself. She was an Alpha, an unconventional one, according to Clint. Apparently, that was because Alphas didn’t cook. That was usually left to the betas and omegas. I arched one unplucked eyebrow at him. He raised his hands in the air and defensively argued that he didn’t agree with the conservative ideology, but that’s just how it was. I hummed unconvincingly. This reminded me way too much about the gender disparity in my world. The only difference is that instead of being a male-oriented society, this world is more of an Alpha-oriented society.

 I wondered if any resistance movements were going on here to oppose the power imbalance. I made sure to compliment Melanie for making such a delicious meal. Not only was she a great cook, but also a brave woman for doing what she wants, despite society’s judgment. I admired and respected that. 

 

Time flew by and I didn’t even notice. All kudos to Clint for being such an amazing dinner partner. I had always liked his character back in my universe, but with just one 45 minute meal with him, I realized that there was so much more personality to him. The movies wouldn’t even classify as the tip of the iceberg regarding his character's depth. We conversed joyously for hours. He never ran out of topics, and there were no awkward silences.  Although Clint hadn’t said it, I couldn’t help but feel like this was a date. He sat relatively close to me ( yet still not invading my bubble), and sometime around the dessert, his arm had come to rest at the back of my chair. I had pretended to ignore it, but I couldn’t keep the act up for too long. I rested my back comfortably against the chair; my back pressing against his muscular forearms.  

 

By the time we left, the sun had gone down. I promised Parry that I would come back again, and thanked him and Melanie for the beautiful day. Instead of taking the crowded streets, Clint and I escaped to some deserted back alleys.  I smiled gratefully at him. I was a little disturbed at how he knew, I didn’t like crowds without me telling, but I ignored it. At this point, he could uncover my whole childhood sob story with one look in my eyes; and I wouldn’t be surprised. Like everything, I would just chalk it down to him being a spy. Natasha had called him around six times since we had left the tower. I wondered why she called him so often? Was there a problem back at the tower? Perhaps she wanted to check on Clint? I shook my head. None of my business. I shouldn’t be prying.

 

But when have I listened to my good ol’ brain?

 

“ Hey, Clint? I don’t want to overstep, but why does Natasha call you so much? Is everything…okay?” I looked up at him. There was a hint of stubble on his jaw, and every nerve of my body prompted me to run my palm across the roughness of it. I fisted my hands tightly to control my urges. Get a grip on your hormones!

 

“ Pack rules sweetness. Whenever one of us goes outside, we keep in touch to ensure the safety of our mates. We ain’t exactly leading a civilian life. Nat doesn’t usually call this much, but I guess it's because you’re with me, she’s a little more protective.”

 

“ Because I'm with you?” I ask confused. “ Why?”

Clint smiled placatingly at me. “ Alphas are usually very protective and possessive over their omegas. Very few packs allow their omegas to step out of the house without an Alpha by their side. Our Alphas allowed us to go today because I'm perfectly capable of taking care of and protecting you. But still, we just found you a couple of days ago. Their Alpha senses are probably going berserk right now.” Clint laughed a little. “ That's why the six calls.”

 

I gaped at him. I was so shocked that I didn't even realize that I had come to a stop. There were so many things wrong with what he said. I ran my eyes over his handsome face, he looked as if everything he said was right and completely justified. Did he not see the injustice of the power imbalance here?  “ What the hell?! ‘Allow’ me?  What do you mean by 'allow me' ?” I whispered harshly. “ I may not know much about this world, but let me make this clear Mr. Barton, I don’t need anyone to allow me what to do. I can go out whenever I want AND alone, without having to ask for anyone's permission. I'm an adult with my own free will. Just because I have somehow crossed worlds, it doesn’t mean that I have lost my basic human rights! “ I fumed quietly. I wanted to say it loudly for more impact, but screaming in a back alley was only going to get me unwanted attention. 

 

Clint clamped his jaw shut. His lips pursed and brows furrowed. A few moments passed in silence, and I wondered what was going on inside his head. I was expecting an argument, but he just stiffly nodded his head and replied,” It wasn’t my intention to offend you, Kiara. Of course, you have your human rights. No one is taking them from you. Least of all us.” I looked at him quizzically. His face was unreadable. I gave up quickly and gave him a small, polite smile. I didn’t want to drag the issue any further. The rest of our journey back was fairly silent, yet I couldn’t shake off the bitter taste of the argument we had. I had a feeling this topic wasn’t laid to rest and is one of the firsts of many disagreements I am going to have with the Avengers. 

 

 

---

 

Bruce wiped off the little sweat collecting on his brow. He had been slaving away in his lab for the past six hours. He refocused his microscope and zoomed in on the blood sample he had collected from his omega.  Fury wanted a report of any abnormalities in her system. The shy scientist had been very careful and thorough with his examination and research. His reports could classify Kiara as a world-class threat, or remove her from Fury’s red list. And he very much preferred the latter.  Now, he wouldn’t lie, he did find some pretty mind-boggling alterations in his mate’s DNA. However, the nature of these variations was not threatening in nature…at least not to his knowledge.

 Her bloodstream had residues of powerful gamma radiations, which had somehow not affected her adversely. Unlike him. He mused silently. The frequency of the radiations matched the ones recorded by S.H.I.E.L.D at the location of her arrival. Other than this, Kiara was pretty much normal. She had a healthy RBC count, good immunity, her hormone levels were balanced. Her omega genes- Bruce’s eyes widened. He reread her test results. Holy Fuc- Her omega levels were haywire. Compared to a normal healthy omega of her age, the omega levels should have been significantly lower. Her sub drop count was zero, and her omega distress hormones were inactivated. 

Bruce fell back on his chair with a thud. Kiara’s readings resembled those of a preteen omega on heavy suppressants.  Bruce knew from her tests that she has no drug history. Also, no visible signs of suppressants were found in her body. Maybe it was some new variant of suppressants? He rubbed his forehead tiredly. There was only one way to find out.

 

“ J.A.R.V.I.S. deliver a message to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Medbay facilities, tell them- Dr. Banner requires the S.D.U*  machine at the Avengers tower within an hour. Access code GRNHLK01."

 

 

(A/N: S.D.U. ——> Suppressant Detecting Unit )

---

 

Nat smacked her lips together, tasting her cherry red lipstick.  She carefully set her curled red locks with hairspray. Tasha had to leave for an intel mission in an hour. Her sources had informed her that the Italian Mafia would be present there tonight. Nat was posing as one Ms. Carolina Brägt, a seductive heiress to a gold fortune. The mission was fairly simple. Seduce the right-hand man. Gather intel. Kill him. Erase evidence. Fury had gone easy on her this time. Dare she say, if all went well, she'll be in her mates’ arms by morning.

 

Her painted nails, lazily caress the spot where one of her knives is kept. A dozen more are hidden carefully beneath the sexy, black velvet gown she has on. Smirking, Tasha puts on a scent masker, covering her Alpha pheromones. Instead, she opts for a neutral beta scent. 

Fake designation perfumes, courtesy of Tony Stark’s genius. Very bloody useful in these missions. Makes seducing clueless Alphas a hundred times easier. Her heels click as she sways over to the common room.  Tony is in the bar making himself a cocktail and having a one-sided conversation with J.A.R.V.I.S. Steve is at the dining table, reading mission reports. Bruce is in the lab, and Clint is having a briefing with Agent Hill in the conference room.  Her heart warms at the homely picture in front of her. Yet the feeling she gets, when she sees Bucky and Kiara together on the couch, can only be described as her soul rejoicing at being complete. 

 

Her two mates are huddled close together on the couch. Bucky is leaning back on the couch with his legs spread, and eyes staring intensely at their omega mate. Whereas Kiara is sitting cross-legged beside him, her knees touching the brunet’s outer thigh. Her beautiful, small hands are playing with Bucky’s dog tags that hang around his neck. Natasha observes lovingly as Kiara tilts her head up at Bucky, asking if she could read what’s written on them. Bucky nods enthusiastically, sitting up a little straighter. He removes them from his neck and hands them to her. His metal hand falls to rest on her crossed ankles, lightly gripping them. Nat narrowed her eyes. Bucky’s eyes had taken on a predatory gleam. His posture, though relaxed screamed dominant. Her eyes traveled down to his flesh forearms. The veins were so prominent, they looked like they were about to burst. All telltale signs of an Alpha’s rut. He needed a domming session. Soon. Maybe Bruce could help him with this one, Kiara was not ready yet, and the pack didn’t want to rush her.

 

Tasha broke out of her reverie on hearing a shy giggle come from her omega. Bucky and Kiara were wearing twin grins.  The super soldier Alpha took the dog tags from her, as she playfully whined and made grabby gestures with her hands. He put one back around his neck and held the other away from Kiara. Placing a warm hand around the back of her neck, Bucky pulled the omega closer to him and latched his second dog tag around Kiara’s neck. The military tags from WW2 hung on her prettily. They were resting deliciously on her generous bosom. Diffusing the sexual tension in the room, Buck playfully ruffled Kiara's hair and indulged her in a conversation about dog tags and their history.

 

Nat felt a hand on her shoulder and spun around to see Tony with his cocktail in hand. He was smiling gently at her. “ That was cute, huh?” Nat grinned, looking back at Buck and Kiara. “ Yeah. It was.” Tony ran his hand from Nat’s shoulder to her lower back and then down to her curvy arse, and squeezed. “ So, where is my Alpha going looking like a snack?” Tasha smiled and turned to grip her shorter beta’s neck with her long manicured fingers. Stroking the ends of his hair, she purred,” Just a small mission. Gathering intel.”

Tony nodded and took a sip of his cocktail. Trying hard not to shiver at the pleasurable squeeze of his neck, he inquired, “ Who’s the target?”

“ Damien Rossi."

Tony frowned,” Pervy Rossi? That child predator?”

“ Mmhm. Also the right-hand man to Luca Agosti, the head of the Italian mob.” Nat growled under her breath.

Tony furrowed his brows in concern.” You sure it's that easy of a mission? When I met the bastard, he didn’t as much as let out a squeak.” 

Nat smirked, “  I think I can handle him. You underestimate me, Родной.”  Tony craned his neck, and addressed his favorite A.I.,” J what insult did she call me by this time?”

J.A.R.V.I.S  answered in his posh British accent,” Sir I believe, Ms. Romanoff has called you ‘ Dear soulmate’ in her native tongue. It seems to be a Russian endearment.”

 

Tony blushed prettily, and Nat let a laugh bubbled from her throat. Removing her hands from his neck, she reached up to pinch his slightly red cheeks. “ Cute” She murmured. Their interaction had gained Kiara’s attention. The young girl was dressed casually in lounge pants and a matching crop top. Black nerdy glasses sat at the tip of her nose. Bruce had them made for her, as soon as she admitted to being unable to see without them. The scientist had been pretty urgent about it. Something along the lines of- Only people wearing spectacles can understand the pain of being practically blind without them.  Kiara had thanked him profusely and even went to hug him, but she stopped at the last minute and offered him an awkward handshake. Nat chuckled under her breath. That girl was far too adorable for her own good.

 

“ Hello, Natasha.” Kiara greeted quietly, a small blush dusted on her perfect cheekbones. It had taken the pack days, to persuade her to call them by their names. Now, it wasn’t that Nat didn’t like her omega calling her Ms. Romanoff or Ma’am. She did. She enjoyed it immensely, however, Kiara had not yet been introduced to that side of their relationship, and Nat didn’t want to rush her. 

That didn’t mean that her arousal didn’t pool at her center whenever Kiara called her that. Even Steve had to adjust his pants when one day she had innocently addressed him as Captain Rogers. Tasha could barely suppress her amusement at the bright red flush that had come over her dear Head Alpha. 

Nat smiled back at her omega, who was blissfully unaware of the inner turmoil she was causing to her mates. “ Hi, sweetie. How’re you doing?”

“ I'm good. Bucky and I were just talking…” She hesitated a little, her eyes raking over Nat’s figure. Nat watched Kiara’s throat bob as she gulped. There was no mistaking the sheen of lust and admiration that had crossed her omega’s eyes. Kiara continued sweetly,” You look g-good. Are you going somewhere?” 

“ Thankyou Куколка. Just attending a small event. “ 

Kiara’s lips formed a small o in realization. She looked so cute, Nat had to physically hold herself from going there and kissing her senseless. A mental image flashed through her eyes. Kiara’s swollen, thoroughly kiss-bruised lips wrapped around a gag, as she knelt submissively for her Alpha Nat. Nat breathed heavily and turned her head away from her intoxicating omega. Kiara Arora was going to be the death of her.

 

Just then, a small yawn burst from Kiara. She blinked repeatedly, trying to chase the sleep away. Nat smiled at her sympathetically. Kiara was prone to getting sleepy at random hours. Bruce had explained her erratic sleep schedule to be a probable side effect of her mysterious appearance. He had advised proper rest at any time she felt tired. According to Bruce, it was the body’s way of asking time to heal. Kiara had not been resistant to the idea. 

 

When a second, bigger yawn made its way past her mouth, Tony left Nat’s side and walked over to Kiara. Gently holding her arm, he ushered her through the common room, presumably taking Kiara to her room. As she passed by Natasha, the younger girl brushed her hand against the redhead assassin’s and gently squeezed her palm in farewell. Kiara smiled sleepily at Natasha and muttered a small 'goodnight and good luck. Then she followed Tony and disappeared behind the doors.

 

Nat blinked dazedly. This was the first physical contact Kiara had initiated with the female Alpha, and it left Nat feeling a euphoric high. The Alpha in her preened and purred at the show of affection from her omega. However Nat didn’t have much time to mull over it, for as soon as Tony and Kiara left, Bruce came storming in. His eyes wild and his hair ruffled. There was no mistaking that he felt as tired as he looked. 

 

Raising his arm, he pointed to the papers clutched tightly in his hands. “ Guys you have to see this! We need to call for a pack meeting as soon as possible. It's about Kiara. I think she’s in danger."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve was anxious. He was so very anxious. Bruce’s frantic exclamation of Kiara being in danger had taken his breath away, and not in a good way. His heart skipped a few beats and then started thumping like a drum. He thought he heard a furious growl coming from one of his mates, but he couldn’t figure out who. His senses had gone completely numb. All he could think about at that moment was Kiara…in danger. His lovely mate, his precious little omega, the one he had dreamed about ever since he was a skinny boy fighting bullies in back alleys. The last piece of his soul- was in danger.

 But then the numbness faded away and was replaced by red hot anger. Protectiveness washed through every fiber of his being and the Alpha growled heavily, ready to eliminate any danger to his omega. He didn’t need to speak up for Bruce to understand that his alpha was on the verge of snapping. This was no time for surprises and cliffhangers. Steve’s eyes spoke it all. He needed to know. Now. 

 

But Bruce insisted a pack meeting be called,  where he could reveal the danger to Kiara. Which frankly was the better approach. Natasha had to go for a mission in less than an hour, Clint wasn’t here yet and Tony had just left to put Kiara to sleep. The safety of their mates wasn’t a topic that required only an Alpha’s input. The whole pack was involved. No matter how much his Alpha gave him the death glare, Bruce knew that this was to be a collective pack discussion. So he stood his ground. Steve wasn’t easy to convince, but after a while, when his rage and overprotectiveness calmed down, he understood. He was proud and grateful to have such a levelheaded beta as his mate. The shy scientist had always been the pack’s voice of reason when the Alphas got too lost in their hormones to think clearly. Even though Bruce was never the most dominant or assertive of the Betas, Steve was glad to know that when push comes to shove, Bruce knew how to make his voice heard. 

 

So here he was, eighteen hours and a sleepless night later. Body tense and mind wary. His mates surrounded him, their emotions mimicking his. As requested by Bruce, a pack meeting had been called at the earliest. Steve's pack had assembled in one of the conference rooms, breaths held for what was to be declared. Bruce didn’t want to scare Kiara, so the pack lied to her and said they were having a confidential Avengers meeting.  As Head Alpha, Steve didn’t appreciate lying to his mates, but this time was an exception. Their omega was already stressed out enough with the world flipping changes in her life (Literally.).She didn’t need to be burdened with the knowledge of being in danger too. A deep rumble resonated through Steve’s chest. He would not let anything harm his omega. 

 

But first, he needed to know the nature of the threat they were facing.“ Bruce, tell us.” He commanded, his Alpha seeping in with a growl.

The beta straightened up and professionally started to explain, “ I was running blood tests on Kiara yesterday, on Fury’s orders, when I found that her omega levels were not looking good.  Basically, her sub hormones are inactivated as her pituitary gland has never commanded the release of OSH.” At the blank look on his mates’ faces, he subtly rolled his eyes.” OSH means Omega Stimulating Hormones. This, as it is, is very dangerous, because it can cause various hormone imbalance disorders. By now she should have been showing symptoms of hyposecretion like- Nausea, headache, restlessness, anxiety- you get the point.”

 

" But the concerning part is that her body isn’t showing any of them. Her physical state and her test results don’t match at all.” Bruce paused to judge the atmosphere of the room. No growling Alphas. Good. This was not the time for an accidental Code Green. Strangely enough, the Hulk was somehow controlling his anger. Which until now had felt seemingly impossible. Even Nat had only ever been able to calm down the Hulk after he had raged. It was a far-fetched thought, but perhaps the Hulk too was on some level concerned about the omega. Huh. 

 

“The only explanation to her situation could be that she is on heavy- and I mean HEAVY suppressants. But then I checked her reports again, and there was absolutely no trace of suppressant abuse.” Bruce paused theatrically and the pack listened on with bated breaths. “ So, I called in a favor and borrowed the SDU from Dr. Cho. “ Steve tensed and held up a finger to interrupt Bruce. “ Bruce, we were keeping this confidential. Why did you involve Helen?” Shaking his head, Bruce simply waved away the Alpha’s words. “ I edited the reports to omit Kiara’s personal details. Also, I told her the case was on someone Fury was looking into. Dr. Cho knows not to question Fury’s personal business. Everyone does.”

 

Bruce craned his head and addressed J.A.R.V.I.S, “ Open Kiara’s file on my personal server, please.” The AI complied and promptly displayed a wide array of documents and medical results on the widescreen. 

“ I figured the SDU would help me figure out what I was missing- and I was right. It did. The SDU can reveal the complete history of the patient, related to designation abuse. Whether that be suppressants, enhancers, serums, and even heat/ rut control pills. From birth till the present day. This is Kiara’s report. Check it out. “ Tapping on one of the displayed documents, the scientist brought the pack’s attention to a graph that occupied the majority of the sheet. Suppressant abuse versus time, read the Avengers.

 

“ So the reason why I couldn’t trace any suppressant remnants in her system was that Kiara never consumed any chemical suppressants” Bruce explained, stretching out the word ‘chemical' for emphasis. 

“ But that ascending slope on the graph right there? It clearly shows the presence of an external agent suppressing her designation. I have never seen such a potent suppressant before. Had this been ten years back, I would have deemed it impossible. But now with the whole aliens, magic, and outer space thing going on?” The Beta shrugged and gestured to the hologram screen, “ This might just be undiscovered science or even magic!”  

 

Tony squinted at the screen. With a practiced movement of his hands, he brought the hologram closer. “ It's an exponential curve.” He observed, and then his eyes widened as he understood Bruce’s concerns.” Shit! It's an exponential curve!” The billionaire stood up abruptly, his chair toppling over in the process. “ Her- let's call it- magical suppressant intake has increased exponentially over the last,” He checked the screen,” 15 years. But that doesn’t make sense?! Designation characters only show after puberty. There’s no use for suppressants before that? And who would give five-year-old such heavy suppressants? The number of health complications that would lead to would be astronomical! But Kiara’s perfectly healthy.” Tony shook his head, his brain running at a hundred miles per hour. “ No, this- if this were true, Kiara would be dead! Or at least in a hell lot of pain!”  The Alphas didn’t take very kindly to the last remark, and loud growls reverberated in the spacious conference room. That, added to the distressed pheromones let out by the pack, increased the tension in the air tenfold. 

 

The betas instantly submitted, craning their necks and displaying their mating bite for their alphas. Tony apologized and sat down, a little calmer than before but no less confused. Bruce took over again. “ As much as I hate to say this, Tony is absolutely correct. Going by logic, Kiara should be be- well, she should not be so…unperturbed?” Bruce winced, but continued quickly,” But you missed a thing Tones. The graph increases exponentially, but only up to this date- 18th April 2021.”

Bucky tilted his head,” That's the day before we found her.” Bruce nodded, pushing his spectacles up his nose. “ That’s right Alpha. On this day, the curve flattens abruptly. She is on suppressants one moment, and then completely relieved of them the next. Kiara’s is the first case of its kind. But our problem arises after this. By that I mean- Withdrawal symptoms.”

 

 Bruce took a moment to continue further. All this talk of their mate being in danger was making him angry, and he could feel the Hulk revving up for action. It was exhausting him severely, fighting with his instincts, but Banner knew that he had to get this done with. He didn’t think he would be able to have this conversation again. At least not with him in charge. He needed to get all he knew out of him today so that all left for him would be passive involvement. 

 

“ Suppressants work like normal drugs. You are pretty much fine when you take them, but as soon as you start the process of deaddiction- withdrawal symptoms appear. They can be psychological or physical, depending on the severity of the drug abused. The former is much more dangerous than the latter.  Withdrawal effects could be immediate or take a while to show up. In Kiara’s case, her suppressants although unknown should be considered as dangerous as Level 1 abuse.” Nat sucked in a breath at the mention. The pack- minus Bruce, looked at her, surprised at the audible reaction by the usually stoic-faced assassin. Gulping hard, Natasha spoke. Her voice was hoarse and scratchy, “ They used level 1 drugs back in the Red Room to control and punish the omega inmates. The withdrawal symptoms of a Level 1 drug are enough to kill you. And it's not pretty death.” A wave of cold dread passed through the pack. Bruce looks about ready to burst. He was barely reigning the Hulk in. His control was ready to snap. 

 

“ Kiara’s not showing any symptoms now, but that isn’t really a good sign. The more delayed the symptoms, the more dangerous and fatal they are. I can only call this ‘healthy’ period of hers the calm before the storm. Kiara is in real danger. Once the symptoms start to show up, it would be near impossible to control them. We have to act before that happens. There is no time to waste. I- Oh God! I can’t hold him back anymore.” Bruce’s voice ended in a heavy growl, as his skin rapidly started to turn green. Tony immediately alerted the tower of a Code Green situation, sending the whole place into lockdown. Natasha hurriedly leads the beast to the ’Smash Room’ (as Tony liked to call it), trying to calm the Hulk’s rage. 

 

Clint fell back into his chair, as green lights and loud alarms blared over their heads. His head swam with the information he had just received. The chaos in the tower perfectly replicated the chaos in his heart.  His soul cried at the thought of their omega in danger. But it was no longer a thought, was it? It was reality now. His worst nightmare had come true. His mate was in danger, and with startling horror, he realized, that he doesn’t know how to protect her from it.  His archery and physical prowess are useless in this situation. This was a battle between Kiara and her own body. He could not win it for her. 

 

His mind was so deep in agony, the blond archer didn’t even realize when a lone tear escaped his eyes and slid down his face.  

 

 

 

 

---

 

This was interesting. 

 

So resistance movements were going on in this world. Ha! It appears many of this world’s citizens are not so happy with the blatant misinterpretation of the social hierarchy. A system created by nature to keep order had been turned into an excuse for humans to abuse the power divested to them. Typical, I huffed. Even in an alternate universe, humans stay true to their disgusting nature. Greedy and power-hungry.

 

Tony had given me a high school textbook that taught children about designations. Apparently, it was a compulsory subject that had to be taken all through your schooling process. Glorified sex education- I thought. 

The textbooks seemed… standard- to put it politely. But if I were to be honest, I would describe the text as orthodox and misleading. It painted the Second Gender ( an alternate term for designations) to be the best thing that happened since solid chocolate. Apparently, through designations man was able to connect to their primal side. It was nature’s way of making sure that humans don’t forget their basic instincts. 'What makes them human'- it read.

The next part was funny. Funny in a Gen Z humor way, that is. By that, I mean Dark humor. The textbook described ‘The basic instincts of man are’ -

1. Survival
2. Mating
3. Breeding

That's it. That was the entire purpose of designations, summed up in a three mark, short answer question. The rest of the book was filled with the same, boring, Wikipedia-copy-paste nonsense. Nah, mate! That kind of learning ain't my style.  Especially since I just recently graduated high school, and I am not ready to face that ‘memorize-by-heart’ bullshit again. I will not be undoing my mental progress, by experiencing that hell-hole again. 

 

So I decided to gather knowledge my way.

And by that, I mean, surfing the web. To my generation who spent their high school years quarantined in a tiny ass house, the Internet was our saving grace.  Fuck Thor and Loki, Google is the true God for us Midgardians. Ah! and social media.

 In fact, my personality to a great extent has been shaped by what I have seen and learned on social media and online platforms. Which could be seen as either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on what side of the web I explored. (Which by the way, I did both.)  Internet’s good side could be a well of knowledge; a platform to raise awareness about the various injustices happening around the world. It could be a safe space to share your opinions with like-minded people and have an opportunity to debate with people having a different perspective. The internet invariably brought the world closer.

 

But it also has a dark side. The one that spreads gossip and untrue rumors. It's the side that allows sickos to harass innocent women/men/children sexually, emotionally, and mentally. It allows racists, misogynists, body-shamers, grounds to judge and humiliate a person without fear of consequence. Just to name a few- Online bullying, harassment, stalking, hacking, threatening and unchecked pedophilia are the cons of internet accessibility.

 

There was also the lighter-dark side. Which was friendly and monitored, yet a tad creepy. Wattpad, AO3, and the most deadly of them all, Tumblr. I snorted. I wonder if we had Tumblr here?  I could only imagine the delicious, sorry *ahem* atrocious things the users would have to say about the Avengers. Is there any fan fiction about them here? Should I give them a read? I violently shake my head. I have to stay focused. Plus who knows who could see my search history? I really don’t want the Avengers to know I was reading smutty fanfictions about them!

 

I took a deep breath in and typed ’Second Gender’ in the search engine. Before the results could be displayed, loud alarms began blaring from the speakers. I scrambled to stand up, my ears perking up in alertness. Heavy metal blinds dropped down, covering the windows, making me yelp and jump in fright. I tried to open the door, but it was locked. Panicking, I addressed Siri 2.0 ( J.A.R.V.I.S), “ J.A.R.V.I.S.? What’s going on?! Why is my door locked?”

 

The smooth voice of the A.I. butler replied,” Mr. Stark has activated Code Green, madam. Dr. Banner appears to have Hulked out. As per protocol, the tower has gone into lockdown to ensure the safety of the residents.”  

That made sense, but now I was concerned about something else. If I went by the movies, Bruce had pretty good control over the Hulk. He had to be really angry for him to just Hulk out without warning. In fact, a few times no matter how angry Bruce got, he wouldn’t turn into the Hulk. 'Avengers- Infinity War' was enough to prove that.  

 

 So, what had made Dr. Banner so mad? When will he turn back? Will he be okay? Could Nat help him- like in the movies? Was there a fight between the Avengers? Oh my God! Was a repeat of the Civil War going to happen?! Are the Avengers going to disband? Split up like One Direction- the boyband?  What's going to happen to me? Would they kick me out? Leave me to fend for myself? Or will they force me to choose a side? Is the government going to imprison me? Were they going to torture me? Is Bruce going to be okay? 

 

“ -rora!...Miss Arora, please try to calm down! You are having a panic attack.”  J.A.R.V.I.S.’s posh voice broke through my jumble of thoughts, tethering me back to reality. I took a ragged breath, trying to prevent the onslaught of panic. Stumbling towards the wall, I placed my hands flat on the painted surface and began counting my fingers. 1,2,3,4,5; 1,2,3,4,5… again and again till the repetitive action was the only thing in my mind. The solid feel of the wall helped ground me, and slowly my heart rate and breathing returned to normal. “ Very good Miss Kiara. You did well. You have been very brave.”  The A.I’s praise-filled me with pride and, some part of my subconscious- that I was slowly realizing to be my inner Omega- preened happily at the approval.  

 

Blushing, I awkwardly cleared my throat. “ I- I am going to take a nap…can you wake me up when the Code Green stops? I would l-like to talk to Dr. Banner? If he is in the mood, that is. “ I request softly.

“ Certainly, Miss Arora. May I advise you to have a glass of water, before you rest? It would help soothe the dryness in your throat.”

“ Oh yeah s-sure. Thanks, J.A.R.V.I.S.”

“ Your welcome. Have a good rest, madam.”

 

 

---

 

 

 It was mid-afternoon when Bruce was able to turn back. And it was late evening by the time Bruce was in a presentable state. He was still a little ruffled, partially because of his Hulk out, but mainly because of the metaphorical sword of danger dangling precariously above Kiara’s head. Tony was already in the lab trying to find out more about Kiara’s situation. No doubt, his other mates were doing the same. They needed all hands on deck for this. 

However, because of Bruce’s ill-timed anger burst, the pack had diverted their attention onto a scumbag like him. Even if it was momentarily, it shouldn’t have happened! Bruce should have had better control over the Hulk. Why did he have to be such a burden? Bruce sat in the silence of his room, clutching at the roots of his hair. He yanked at them roughly. Why couldn’t he be more useful? As a mate? Or even as an Avenger? All he could do was SMASH SMASH SMASH. Maybe he should smash his fucking skull somewhere. But he couldn’t even do that. The Hulk would never let him. He had tried. Several times.

 

Sometimes he wonders, how did his mates ever fall for him? Why was he even in this team of incredibly, capable superheroes? 

Bruce berated himself harshly and pulled on his hair even more aggressively. How could he be so daft to hope that Kiara would love him too? He should be happy that she is not hurling insults at him for being a disgusting monster. 

Bruce winced. These thoughts were not new to him, especially not after a Code Green situation. His mates had helped him out a lot, and his mental health was gradually improving. But there were still times when all progress would be lost, and he would be back to square one. Feeling worthless with suicidal thoughts swimming in his head. Like now. Massaging his temples, Bruce focused on putting up a stronger emotional block. He didn’t want his mates to be distracted at such a crucial time because of his silly feelings. So, he blocked communication through the pack bond.  He could just tell them, it was because he wanted some personal space. It was a good enough excuse. There were far more concerning matters to take care of. 

 

Suddenly, a knock sounded on the door. Bruce walked up sluggishly and twisted the doorknob, opening it slightly to peer in the hallway. His eyes widened, as he saw Kiara standing outside. Her one foot was crossed over the other, and she was wringing her hands nervously. Her almond-shaped eyes connected with his, and her sweet lips parted to blow out a soft breath. 

 

“ Can we talk?"

“Kiara? Y-Yeah sure. Come on in.” Bruce opened the door wider and let me in. Phew! At least that’s done with. I was afraid he was going to shoo me away. I bristled a little at my thoughts. Shoo me away? What was I, an annoying housefly? I really gotta have more confidence in myself. 

He was dressed in a half-buttoned, light blue shirt and baggy pants. His hair was tangled, and standing up in all directions. It could be that he hand combed through his hair a lot, or maybe…he was pulling at the roots? It's something my ma used to do when she was angry or frustrated. Kind of like a punishment to herself. I hated it when she did that. It would leave her scalp red, inflamed, and raw.

From what I knew, the scientist didn’t have the best mental health. Or at least he didn’t in the first Avengers movie. If I recall correctly, he said, that he had tried to kill himself multiple times, in various ways. However, the Hulk had ‘saved’ Bruce from all of them. I am not sure if Bruce saw it as saving though…Just another form of torture.

 

“ Would you like to sit?” Bruce asked, his melodic voice echoing softly in my ears. I smiled nervously at him.  I am really not the best at starting conversations, or carrying them or ending them. Basically, I am terrible at communication. My slippers slapped against the expensive wooden flooring, as I made my way over to the edge of the bed. Smoothing over the knee-length, black skirt I had on, I plopped down as gracefully as I could. I patted the spot next to me and gestured for Bruce to accompany me. 

 

Licking my lips, I expressed,“ I don’t really have anything serious to talk about, to be honest. I just thought you might like some company…”

“ Is this because of what happened earlier in the day?” Bruce asked quickly. His sentence coming out as one long word. He was feeling hesitant and insecure. I could hear it in his voice.

“Umm yeah? Kind of? I was really worried-“

Bruce interrupted me quietly. “ Don’t worry. I would never hurt you. Not even when I have lost full control over the Hulk.” His shoulders were slumped, and his head was bowed. He looked defeated. Dejected. I couldn’t bear to see him like this. I replied quickly, my words coming out strong and resolute. “ What?! No! That's not what I meant. I was worried FOR you. Not for me.”

 Bruce tilted his neck a little as if confused by my reaction. Oh, poor baby! I felt a whine come up my throat and, I didn’t bother to hold it back. Somehow, I had the feeling that it would help me express my point better. 

 

“ You have great control over your anger! Far, far better than any person I know. Fictional or real. Not that I'm saying you are fictional !- please ignore that. You had to have been really angry or stressed for you to Hulk out!” I exclaimed. Hesitantly, I lifted my hand and placed it on his back. Soothingly, I stroked his upper back with feather-light touches. I didn’t want to overstep any boundaries. I felt his back tense a little, and then gradually relax under my touch. I continued quietly,

“ Anger can take a toll on our health... You know, when I'm angry, I can stay in a bad mood the whole day? Back home, my friends didn’t like that very much. Mainly because if my mood was bad, I had the tendency to be a bitchy, overly- sarcastic brat.” I laughed a little. "So to prevent that, they used to sit by me and let me vent till I was exhausted. Or sometimes, they would just quietly offer me companionship. Both would help my mood from souring further.” I craned my neck to look at Bruce. His dark brown eyes were already focused on my face. I blushed lightly at the intimacy of the action. Locking eyes is very stressful. I hate doing it. But somehow, with Bruce, it didn’t feel so nerve-wracking. If anything, it gave me the confidence to speak further. He was listening to me, and my words were affecting him. Good.

 

“I just wanted to offer you some company. Maybe even friendship- if that’s okay with you, of course. Ever since I came here, you have been very kind to me. I appreciate that tremendously, and I am very grateful… Also, I really loved your character back in my world. Talking to you is just a huge honor for me!” I gushed out the last part. My face felt like it was on fire. Fuck! Kiara why can’t you ever keep your bloody trap shut!

 

Luckily it made Bruce laugh heartily. A low rumbling sound came from him, as he smiled adorably at me. His teeth slightly peeking out between his grinning lips. “ Thank you kitten! That means a lot to me. You’re right, my mood is getting better with you here. And- I’d love to be your friend!” He cheekily held out a hand. Giggling I placed my smaller, cold hand in his larger, warmer one. I couldn’t help but notice how perfectly they fit together. As if they were made for each other.  

I snorted. With us being literal soulmates? They probably were.

                                                                                                                                                            

 

I had been talking to Bruce for about an hour now. Mainly, it was just me recounting my daring adventures with my friends, while Bruce listened on attentively. I wasn’t disappointed about him not talking as much. I had an inkling that he had a quiet, observing kind of personality, and I didn’t mind it. He was a great listener after all. And I loved talking. Yapping, more like- my bitchy subconscious amended. I wanted to distract him from the events earlier in the day, and if possible, remedy his mood by replacing the bad memories of today with more fun, happy ones. By the looks of it, I think I was succeeding. My inner omega showed her presence more, as she preened and cooed in pride at being able to care for her mate. I was still uncomfortable with that thought. The word 'Soulmate' gave me the heebie-jeebies. I paused- 

Wait! Hadn't I just friend-zoned my soulmate not less than an hour ago? 

                                                                                                                                                             

 

“- nd once they even set our chemistry lab on fire! Phoenix and Ryan claimed it was an accident, but Courtney and I know better. They did it because our lab professor didn’t pass them in the practicals. I used to think, you’d have to be really dumb for you to fail in practicals, but then again what do I know? After all, I have never performed chemistry practicals. I was exempted from it. Doctors orders. “ I chuckled. 

“ You never gave practicals? Why?” Bruce inquired lightly, genuine curiosity shining in his deep-set, brown eyes.

“ Oh, that is because I am allergic to some of the chemicals in the lab. The few times I tried stepping into the lab, I came out either unconscious or with a very severe migraine. Also, chemicals smell awful. I have a very sensitive nose y’know?”

“ Aah! Well, that’s unfortunate” Bruce frowned, “ I have spent half of my life in a chemistry lab. I am a scientist after all.” Bruce puffed his chest a little. Aww, he looked adorable! 

“ Oh yeah yeah. I know you have seven PhDs and whatnot. Stop boasting Dr. Banner.” I teased, nudging his shoulder playfully. 

“ Hey! Don’t forget my work on anti-electron collisions. it is one of my best.” Bruce teased back. I smiled widely. I understood that reference! 

 

“ I agree.” I grinned, and quoted Tony, “ It’s unparalleled.”

 

“ Oh hey, that reminds me! Do you wanna listen to some Marvel jokes?”

“  … marvel jokes?” Bruce scratched his head, looking puzzled.

“ That’s what we call your universe in my universe. MCU or the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So,” I clapped my hands together, like an overhyped little girl. “ Do you wanna listen to them? i have some pretty cool ones.”

“ Yeah…sure?” Bruce half-replied, half-asked.

 

I chortled deviously. Oh, mama! My time has finally come!  “  Okay so, first one! Why are the Avengers so handy with tools?”  Bruce shook his head amusedly and asked, “Why?” “ Because they’re always assembling.”   It took a moment to register, but then Bruce burst out laughing. Before he could recover, I spoke again. "What do you call the King of Asgard when he lives in Williamsburg?... A hips-thor.” 

 

“ Which Avenger is always in a hurry? Black Widow; ‘cause she’s Russian…Rush-ian, Russian, got it?” 

“ What do you get when Iron Man takes off his suit? Stark naked.” I said with a straight face, only to crack up by the end of the sentence. Bruce’s laughter that had sobered down to soft giggles, livened up again. 

"What does Hawkeye like to wear with his suits? A bow tie.”

"Who dons an eye patch and cannot feel cold? Nick Furry.” Bruce choked. I know he was wondering how I knew Fury, but I couldn’t explain right now. I had some more puns to get out of my system.

“ What was T’Challa’s nickname as a baby? Black Pampers.” 

"Which Avenger is always out in the sun? Cap-tan America!”

"Which superhero loves to run in marathons? Irun Man."

 

 I was laughing so hard- my tummy hurt. Bruce strained to speak, as he too was doubled over, guffawing like a mad man. I assumed no one had ever told these Avengers superhero puns. Well, I was here to rectify that. I am going to bombard these superheroes with my abundant knowledge of puns and memes. I held up a hand and tried to control my raucous laughter. 

“ I-I have one more!” I gulped back my snickers as I delivered the next one.” Why don’t The Avengers use The Hulk to advertise their services?”

Bruce’s eyebrows furrowed as he attempted to think of an answer but soon gave up. “ I don’t know, why?”  “ He’s essentially just a giant Banner.”

 

That was his breaking point. Bruce fell down on the floor, clutching his stomach as peals of loud, painful laughter echoed in the room. I too was curled up in the bed in a foetal position, making every effort to manage my boisterous cackling. The door to our room flew open, as Nat and Clint hurried inside, presumably to see what was going on. They looked dumbly between the both of us, trying to gauge the situation. I lifted my teary eyes, to look at Bruce. “ Hey, Bruce?”

“Y-Yes?" Bruce’s muffled laughter came in form of a reply.

 

"What did Black Widow say to Hawkeye? You make me quiver.” And we howled in amusement once again. 

 

---

 

If the punching bag could die, it would have suffered a thousand painful deaths by now. 

Bucky relentlessly beat the material till it flew off the hinges and burst, scattering sand everywhere. So much for its high-strength endurance features. Absolute failure! Unwrapping his knuckles, he threw the crumpled-up tape into a waste bin. In mere seconds, his slightly bruised knuckles healed, leaving fresh raw skin in its place. Still, as pack rules demanded, he applied some cooling antiseptic to soothe the inflamed flesh. 

Discarding his clothes, Bucky stood wide-legged in the shower, his mismatched hands supported by the wall. The ice-cold water slithered down his rock solid abs, a few drops stilling momentarily at his belly button. If anyone were to see him right now, they would call him dangerous, animalistic, and unhinged. Especially if they took in his facial expression. Jaw clenched, nostrils flared and eyes wild.

But that’s not how his mates would describe him. They were among the only ones who saw through his unwelcoming exterior and discovered a heart of gold. A heart that bared its true emotions. Bucky didn’t feel unhinged. If anything he felt conflicted, enraged... helpless. 

If Kiara were to see him..., well, she would just call him a breathtakingly arousing, dripping wet, sex god.  In fact, it is highly likely her eyes wouldn’t stay on his face for long. After all, she would have been rather preoccupied paying attention to his other head. 

 

It had been over seven decades since Bucky had had to deal with an Omega’s heat and its symptoms.  And most of his pre-war encounters with omegas are fuzzy memories at best. He has recently started getting more and more flashbacks of his earlier life. But most of his reclaimed memories have Steve in them. It made sense though. Besides his Alpha mate, there was nothing awfully exciting or memorable about his life in the forties. As for his family, Bucky tended to push those flashbacks to the absolute back of his mind. Steve had encouraged Bucky to go meet his family. Even though none of his immediate relations were alive, his successors were living peaceful lives. But James couldn’t. He was not Steve. Unlike him, reconnecting with his past would not give him closure. Never seeing his baby siblings again, or his ma or pa was not a reality he wanted to face. That hurt too much.

 

Shaking his head, Bucky tried to dislodge the lump that had formed in his throat. This is exactly why he liked to avoid his past. It brought nothing but pain to him. But right now, any knowledge on Omegas would come in handy. He didn’t even mind if that meant remembering depressing memories. He just wanted to help his omega the best he can. James could not stop replaying the pack meeting in his head. Granted, he did not understand half of the scientific terms Bruce had used, he knew enough to tell that Kiara’s situation is not looking good. 

Tony had contacted a really well renowned second gender doctor, who himself was an Alpha. Steve had gone to meet Fury to update him on the current circumstances and gain permission to involve an outside party. It was a formality really. Even if the Director said no, it wasn’t like that would stop them from getting the best treatment for their soulmate. Natasha was busy gathering background information on the doctor. Sure, Tony would make him sign an NDA and whatnot, there was no complete guarantee that the guy wouldn’t go blabbering about their omega to all the wrong people.  So Tasha was hellbent on having every information on his shit. ‘ Easier to blackmail him if he dares to open his trap.’- she had said, and Bucky couldn’t agree less. 

 

Drying himself off, Bucky popped his rut control pills. Having no clue as to how Kiara's upcoming heat would affect the Alphas; it was a unanimous decision made by the pack for Kiara’s safety. All three Alphas were to start with a mild dosage of rut control and Alpha suppression pills to help them keep control of their primal instincts. 

“ J.A.R.V.I.S. where is Kiara right now?”

“ Miss Arora is currently with Doctor Banner, Agent Romanoff, and Agent Barton. They are in the common room.”

Bucky nodded.” Thanks, J.” 

 

 

 

Bucky’s senses were assaulted with the scent of his omega the moment he stepped foot in the common room. Not unlike a coke addict, he inhaled a deep lungful of the delicious smell. Gods! It was hypnotizing. Had he been a lesser male, he would have pounced on their mate and mated her. But even the notion of doing something as pure as mating with ill intentions sent a shiver of disgust through him.  It wasn’t that difficult to control his inner Alpha. He just reminded himself of the respect he had for omegas and just people in general. James’ need for dominance was nowhere near his need for moral decency. 

 

But even so, James couldn’t deny that Kiara’s scent was a little more pronounced than before. He hoped it wasn’t a bad sign, even though enhanced scent usually signaled an approaching heat. Tuning in to their conversation, Bucky caught the tail end of Kiara’s words. “ -worst President ever. I'm so glad his term is over. “ 

“ Who are we talking about?” Bucky announced his presence, flopping down on the couch beside Bruce. The Alpha took in the scent of his Beta mate. Bruce was giving out happy, joyous pheromones, but there was a faint foul smell that usually meant sadness, anger, and disgust. Bucky’s heart broke a little. He knew what kind of thoughts occupied his mate’s mind after a Hulk out. He made a mental note to spend the night snuggling and scenting Bruce. Maybe a little mating here and there too. 

 

Kiara responded to his question. “ Donald Trump. He was the US President. A very shit one, to be honest.” She blew an annoyed breath. “ He was a racist, sexist, xenophobic, misogynist, homophobic shitgibbon.” She counted off the insults on her fingers. Scoffing under her breath, she murmured,” Little tiny fingered, Cheeto-faced, ferret wearing fucknugget."

Bucky raised his brows amusedly. “ I sense some deep-rooted resentment.” 

“ Yeah, no shit Sherlock.” Kiara deadpanned. Bucky laughed. Natasha shook her head and voiced out his thoughts. “ Great! We have another Tony on our hands.”

 

For now, everything was peaceful and still. But all of Kiara’s mates sensed, or rather smelled the danger, that was lingering right around the corner. They had no idea how to face it, but that was almost always the case. They hadn’t been prepared when they fought the aliens in New York. Nor when they faced Ultron in Sokovia. Yet they had emerged victorious because they had worked together. As a team. As a pack. They could only hope that was enough for this obstacle as well. 

Fuck me sideways with a shovel, why don’t you?

Fate you little son of a bitch!

 Out of all the doctors in the world, he had to be the one to take my case. Mr. Briggs, or should I say, Dr. John Briggs. My mom’s asshole HOD. The absolute bane of her existence, and by extension, mine.  (A/N: HOD- Head Of Department)

 I grit my teeth. Just the thought of his hands on me, made me want to grab him by his hair and mop the floor with his idiotic face. Not gonna lie, the mental image of me humiliating him seemed way too appealing, for me to just ignore. Thankfully I still had some restraint left. I relaxed my clenched fist and smoothed out my expression. It was times like these when I was extremely grateful for my shitty childhood. At least it had taught me how to fake my emotions perfectly. Practice makes a man perfect, and I had had eleven years of practice. So, even though in my head, I had killed this sad excuse of a man a hundred times, I appeared perfectly poised and innocent as I sat across him on the examining table.

 

As our conversation proceeded, I quickly realized, that this man was not so different from Dr. Briggs in my world. They both were stupidly arrogant and had an unnecessary superiority complex. At least, this Mr. Briggs could blame his airheadedness on being an Alpha.

 I don’t know what he was expecting me to do when he announced himself as an Alpha, but it was evident that I didn’t deliver.  He looked me up and down subtly, and a light scowl took over his ugly face. One look at the Avengers behind me, and he was back to bootlicking. I assume his discontentment had stemmed from the fact that my clothes weren’t as modest as he would have liked. I huffed inaudibly. As if his opinion mattered. In my eyes, I looked beautiful. Period. I was clad in beige-colored pants with a flared bottom and a fitting black tank top. A strip of smooth, olive skin peeked out at my waist teasingly, giving the otherwise simple look a little flavor. The shape of my breasts was highlighted modestly by the stretchy material of my top. As the stupid doctor’s gaze lingered on them unprofessionally, I coughed,” My eyes are up here, doctor.”

Being the typical male he was, Dr. Briggs didn’t approve of me reprimanding him. His scowl deepened, contorting his ugly face. “ Would you like to repeat that, Omega?” He spat, stressing out my designation. I arched an eyebrow at him, unimpressed. I wasn’t going to dignify his pathetic comeback with a response.  Him trying to put me down when he’s the pervert? yeah, that’s not gonna happen. We have a saying in India, ' एक तो चोरी ऊपर से सीनाजोरी ‘. I couldn’t find a more appropriate metaphor for this man’s actions. It's basically his life motto.

 

a/n: [' एक तो चोरी ऊपर से सीनाजोरी ‘ - [Upon being caught stealing, the thief has the nerve to be arrogant.  ]

 

A heavy hand settled on my bare shoulder. The cool metal of Tony’s watch was a welcome relief on my bare flesh. I relaxed a bit under his hold. “ Start the examination, doc.”

“ Very well. Kiara- is it? Omega lay on your back, and roll up your sleeves-” The blind dunderhead paused. “Or not. Since there aren’t any." Dr. Briggs snarked. My eyes widened. The audacity of this bitch! Can he BE any more unprofessional? Is this really the best doctor the Avengers could afford?! Like common Stark! Man, you are a fucking billionaire, at least get me a doctor with some class.

“ Miss Arora. I would appreciate it if you call me Miss Arora.” I replied, my eyes narrowed. I dare this asshole to disrespect me one more bloody time. 

Of course, The knucklehead he was, he completely ignored me, and addressed my mates,” Mr. Stark, Sergeant Barnes, and Miss Rushman- you can wait outside. "

Hold up. I am going to be alone with this man? In a room with no cameras? And him having free reign over my body?  Oh hell Nah! I am not scared of him, but I am not going to allow him to get handsy with me, under the pretense of ‘ examination’. Yeah, my mother has prepared me well for these situations. Men like Briggs are never to be trusted. A doctor or otherwise. 

 

Before I could say anything, Natasha stepped forward crossing her arms. Even though the asshole doctor had a few inches on her, she still looked way more intimidating. " With all due respect, I will stay right here with Miss Arora, Doctor.” She emphasized. I held back a smile. She had stepped in at just the right moment. Almost as if she had read my mind. My heart warmed and fluttered. I would be lying if I said her raspy, authoritative voice had nothing to do with it.  

 

Dr. Briggs shrugged, craning his neck a little to the side in a show of involuntary submission. Yeah... he wasn’t too happy being ordered around. I bit my lip, I had the sudden urge to laugh. What’s up with these fucking mood swings?! Reaching up, I lightly pinched my earlobe. As I turned around, I saw Bucky’s eyes were already on me. He smirked at me with a knowing twinkle in his eyes. Bending slightly to reach my ear, he whispered conspiringly, “ Shh now. We don’t wanna laugh and bruise the little Alpha’s ego. I don’t wanna see his face get any uglier!” Me being me, I giggled loudly. And then immediately snapped my lips shut. True to Bucky’s word, Dr. Briggs's face turned an even uglier shade of red. Now he was angry and embarrassed. Great. Bucky gave me a  look as if to say- Now look at what you’ve done.

 

Ahh fuck. This medical is a train wreck and it hasn’t even started yet.

---

 

                                 Surprisingly, the examination wasn’t too bad. Turns out Briggs was actually fairly decent in his trade. He was careful, thorough, and professional throughout the check-up. However, that might have something to do with the female assassin looming dangerously behind me. Bruce had told me that he felt there were some hormonal imbalances in my system and that’s why we were going to this checkup. But he hadn’t elaborated much. Just that he wasn’t ’that kind of a doctor ' and the pack thought a professional opinion was needed. Briggs had taken my blood and urine samples to run tests. The whole thing was basically a normal physical. 

At least for the first half. 

 

“ Alright, then Miss.Arora. Now that the physical is done, let’s have a look at those fluctuating hormones of yours.” Dr. Briggs said, typing away at his computer. He stood up and walked over to the instruments table, and put on some gloves. He squirted some transparent gel onto his fingertips and came over to me. “ Hold your hair up, and lower your neck.”  Okay…I hesitantly did as he asked. It felt like a very vulnerable position. A wave of fearful anticipation ran through my body. As the shiver passed, a pungent smell permeated my nostrils. A split second later, I realized it came from me. Smelt like fear. My fear. My eyes widened. Holy fucking shit! I was projecting my freaking feelings?! Does this universe understand the concept of privacy?!  I heard Natasha’s menacing growl, as she took a step closer to me. Her hand flattened against my back, her pinky slightly curling around my waist.  The asshole doctor stepped back cautiously and raised his hands in the air. “ It’s part of the exam.” he shrugged trying to appear nonchalant. 

I turned to look at Nat. Her hypnotic emerald orbs bore into mine, willing me to remain calm. I took a deep breath, grounding myself through her protective touch and reassuring gaze. She will keep me safe.  I nodded at the doctor.  

“ Explain everything you do before you do it.” Commanded the red-headed beauty. I thought I heard the guy mumbling,” I was already doing that”, but I couldn’t be too sure. 

 

Rubbing his gel-covered hands to create a slight lather, he spoke,” This is a numbing gel I will be applying on your scent glands and pack mark. It’s going to keep you from going into sensory overload. According to the chart Dr. Banner sent, your omega is-“ He tried to fumble around for a suitable term,”- feeling antsy. On edge, if you will. “ He massaged the sides and back of my neck, coating it with a thick layer of the gel. 

“ Next, I'm going to inject you with a valium injection. Diazepam to be more precise. It will put your nerves to ease, and still your omega completely. She will be in a sort of suspended state- so to say.” “ Don’t worry, it’s completely reversible, and it won’t keep you under for long.” He assured, on seeing our growing trepidation. “ Makes it easier for me to see what’s wrong with little missy here.”  I groaned inaudibly. Not him with the degrading nicknames again! “ Are you starting to feel something, omega?” He asked, as the drug settled in my body.

“ Little drowsy and uh…heavy. “

“ That's good. Now I want you to focus on the omega within you. Bring her out. “

“ Wh-at? Ho-w? “ My words grew sloppy. 

“ By letting loose completely. Don’t try to control your sub-conscience. Rather do what your sub-conscience wants you to do. Orders you to do.” 

 

As I tried to comply with his instruction, I felt like I was about to float away. Let my subconscious order me? How the flying fuck do I do that? As the seconds passed, I observed that maybe I didn’t have to do anything. Maybe by doing nothing, I was doing what actually needs to be done. 

I cringed. I am starting to sound like a stoner. I idly wonder if Phoenix would be happy to see me get high? Back home, he was never able to persuade me to join his little drug escapades. This would be the ultimate slap in the face. My brain grinned lazily. huh? That’s not right…brains can’t smile, can they?  I felt the push at the back of my mind, growing stronger by the minute. Closer and closer, until I couldn’t hold it back anymore. I felt myself split. It was like I was not one, but two. Two halves of my conscious, one that fought to stay above, and the other that pleaded to let me submerge under. Under what? I don’t know. But it sounded like a damn good place. 

 

And that’s how I stayed, suspended in a state of semi-consciousness, as Dr. Briggs performed a series of scans and tests on me. Under the careful supervision of the Black Widow, of course. I wondered why I wasn’t panicking, but a fleeting memory of something about a calming drug settled my curiosity. I was aware of what was going on, yet somehow unseeing at the same time. My omega and I are in a temporary state of balance. An- what was it called? Ah! Equilibrium. 

Unstable equilibrium though.

Gahh!

 Too much thinking to do, yet far too little control over my thoughts. It was better to just stop and go with the flow. 

So that's what I did. 

Unthinking, unfeeling, unbothered- I floated on the edge of consciousness. 

 Until the drug wore off, and I was pulled back to the surface. 

 

What a motherfucking day!

 

---

 

                                             “ That was so fucking weird, I can’t even! Like did you see that? Man just gave me drugs, asked me to chill and get high. I mean, I hate the dude, but I gotta admit this is the best doctor’s appointment I’ve ever been to.” I sprouted out in disbelief. I was in the car with Natasha, and we were heading back to the tower.  Soon after, I-lets say- came to my senses, the asshole doctor wrapped up the medical.  He wanted to look over the results and informed us that the diagnosis would be out tomorrow. As we prepared to leave, he offered me a lolly at a job well done. That was... sweet? I mean lollies are for children, but who cares?! I never refuse food. Ever. Nor do I share my food. I’m very Joey Tribbiani, in that aspect.

 

I smacked my lips together loudly, savoring the taste of raspberry and sugar on my tongue. I swirled my tongue at the head of the lollipop, sucking in its rich flavor. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nat following each move of my wet tongue with dark eyes. Breaking away from sucking the lolly, I pinned her with an inquisitive look. Why are you looking at me like that, woman? Do you not know about my awkwardness with eye contact? To be fair, I did know what she was looking at, I'm not stupid. A nineteen-year-old, frazzled teenager, with drool dripping down her mouth, and forming a saliva bridge with a half-eaten lollipop. Not exactly a pretty sight. Unless you’re Megan Fox. Because, in that case, you look motherfuckin' awesome.  

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/298715387792406591/ (A/N: You're telling me you wouldn't drop onto your knees for that fine lady? Bitch you be lying!)

 

 Next, Mr. Stark's deep brown eyes met mine in the rearview mirror. Tony was at the wheel. His beautifully sculpted arms commandeered the vehicle. Veins popped out as he gripped at the steering wheel.  I blushed and averted my eyes. More out of concern for my safety, than bashfulness. Like, focus on driving, sir. You can make googly eyes at me later. I didn’t even bother looking at Bucky. If I did, I would die. My brain does not work when I’m surrounded by so much hotness. Which begs the question, how am I going to survive living alongside six glorious-looking humans, all of whom are literally oozing charisma? I'm a teenager at the peak of my horniness. Have mercy on me! Sweet Lord!

 As long as I’m here, I know my self-confidence will consistently drop below basement level. Which reminds me, how long am I going to be here?

 

“ Guys, did you find a way to get me back home?” I leaned forward from the backseat, popping my head comically between the two male avengers. They smell amazing!

They all tensed up. A foul odor of unease wafted across the car. Damn! My nose is on a roll today. I hesitantly withdrew from the front and shrunk when my back met the seat. Scratching my head tersely, I mumbled, “ Wrong question?”

                                                                                                                         

X

 

 

How does one answer a question, they aren’t sure they ever wanna find an answer to?

 

 Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. Merchant Of Death. Iron Man. Tony. Fucking. Stark. A man with extraordinary means. Yet one sentence and his heart shattered into tiny little fragments.  He snorted. All that power for what?

Home. A place where you belong. Kiara wanted to go back home. In the excitement of the past week, the engineer had conveniently forgotten that their little mate wasn’t from here. This wasn’t her home. They weren’t her home. From what he had heard, Kiara had been living a fruitful life before she was whisked away to their universe. In her words, she had ‘kickass friends’ and ‘ the best mama in the whole wide multiverse’. She even had that ‘Ryan’ character, she was on a date with. A boy she shared her past with. A boy important enough to her, to cause a panic attack.  They were her home. 

Not Tony.

A way back home? No, he hadn’t found a way to send her back home! To be honest, he didn’t even want to try. Too afraid that he actually might discover a path.  She deserves to live peacefully, away from you and the danger you bring! His insecurities vehemently argued.  But Tony Stark was not some self-sacrificial lamb. ( A/N- at least not yet!) He was one selfish son of a bastard. He wouldn’t try to find a way. Not today. Not ever. He could not, would not lose his omega. His soulmate. His Kiara. 

Steve had acclimatized to the 21st century, even though he belonged from a different time. Kiara would too. He would help her. The pack would help her. They’d be everything she needs. Lovers, friends, family. He would spare no expense in making her comfortable. He would make them Kiara’s home. She would never even want to leave. So what’s the point of trying to find a way?

 

But are you willing to give her that choice? By not even trying to find a way to send her back, aren’t you robbing her of the option to leave? Tony’s conscience made a rare appearance. That's not love, Tony, that's imprisonment.

Tony’s heart ached. He had suffered so much! They all had. Didn’t they deserve a chance to be happy? Bucky, Nat, Steve, Clint, Bruce, Tony. Yes, they completed the Avengers. But without Kiara, could they ever complete their pack? 

Unlikely.

Tony hardly knew her, yet he was certain that if she left them, not even the most desirable omega on the planet, could fill the void that she would leave behind. 

Why was it that their happiness came at the cost of hers?

 

Tony felt the realization settle like a boulder in his stomach. He despaired as his internal debate continued. Silence reigned in the vehicle, as it sped down the asphalt.

 Kiara never got her answer.  

After all, how does one answer a question, they aren’t sure they ever wanna find an answer to?

 

The elevator pinged on its arrival to the penthouse floor, capturing Steve’s attention. The mechanical doors whooshed open allowing four people entry into the Avengers’ living room. Natasha sauntered in elegantly,  hips swaying exaggeratedly on seeing her blond-haired Alpha.  Tony followed, eyes openly admiring the scrumptious backside of the redhead female.  Bucky and Kiara came last, their hushed whispers sounding loud to Steve’s enhanced ears.

 

“ 'Pineapple does not belong on pizza."

"Pineapple on pizza is good. Sweet, savory…"

"Mm-mm." Kiara shook her head. 'Pineapple is a fruit, old man. Fruit does not belong anywhere near a pizza.”  she added, voice dripping with incredulous disappointment.

 'Tomatoes are fruit. Peppers. Olives. And you don't hear anyone complaining about them on a pizza.'

'Olives are disgusting,’ The little brown-eyed beauty countered.

'But nobody argues they shouldn't be on a pizza.' Bucky waved his hands around dramatically.  

Kiara sighed in mock despair. “ You, Mr. Barnes, don’t pass my vibe check.”

Steve decided to cut short the cute banter between the two. “ Hello Kiara, Bucky.” He leaned forward to press a chaste kiss on Bucky’s stubble-covered cheeks and offered the lovely omega a genuine smile. Eyes twinkling and all.  He thinks she melted a little if her rosy cheeks were any indication.

“ You okay sweetheart? The checkup went well?” Kiara nodded thoughtfully. “ Yeah, it was okay.” She paused, ”I wouldn't know really. Half the stuff you do in this world is pretty cuckoo.”  Steve and Bucky laughed. Deciding to leave the topic there, he asked Kiara, “ So anything you want to do today? “

Kiara smiled sweetly but idly waved her hand,” No, no, I don’t want to impose. You must be busy as it is. Y’know being Captain America and all” Her voice takes a dreamy, fangirl-y tilt at the end. 

“ Well, it’s my day off.” It wasn’t but who cares. 

Kiara tilted her head curiously. ” You get days off?”

"Not before today” Bucky muttered under his breath, earning a playful smack on his head from Steve. The brunet scowled, his perfect pink lips turning downwards.  “Punk!” He grumbled.

“Jerk!” 

They both turned just in time to see Kiara’s adorable eyes light up in excitement. Releasing her bottom lip from the grip of her teeth, she spoke, “ Actually, if you really are free, then I do have something in mind!”

---

 

We sat in an almost circle. Me, with my back against the headboard, and feet tucked under my thighs. Bucky and Steve sat facing me, at the other end of the bed. We had decided to go get comfortable in my room. I really did not mind inviting these two in. Frankly speaking, it almost felt soothing. Something about enjoying mundane activities with two people that fate had entrusted to me, made my inner omega purr in delight. 

“ I was thinking Truth or Dare. But I'm not in the mood for dares. So basically just Truth or Truth” I blinked expectedly at the two. 

“uhh okay…we’ll do our best.” The Alphas replied, gearing up for…whatever was to come.

I clasped my hands together with a resounding smack.” Kay! First Steve! In the First Avenger movie, I mean- Back in the forties, why did you have to crash the plane?”

Steve’s eyes widened, taken aback. Oh, yea he didn’t know I knew that. “ Uhh. There were bombs on board. So I couldn’t land safely in a populated area. “

“ Bombs on board. I see I see…” I nodded slowly, “ And you couldn’t have jumped out of the plane before you crashed it?”

Bucky’s head swiveled to the blonde. “ Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask the same.”

“….”

“ You didn’t think of that, did you?”

“…no…”

Steve shook his head, contemplating. After a minute, he grimaced,” I could’ve just jumped out of the plane, couldn’t I?”

I patted his bicep, sympathetically, and said “ But then, you wouldn’t have had the pleasure to become a frozen Capsicle for seventy years. Few can say they’ve had the pleasure.”

"Well being frozen isn’t really the best experience”  Bucky reminded me thoughtfully, referring to his own… pleasurable stay with the-agency-that-shall-not-be-named. I pointed to Bucky, “ That reminds me, how did you get the name Winter Soldier. Like who came up with it?”

“ Well, HYDRA I suppose. They never referred to me like that though.” Oh yeah. To them, he was The Asset. Or Soldat. I bristled. Fucking Nazi scum. 

“ I mean yea that I know, but like did they sit around a table with a notebook, and decide on it? Maybe they used the random name generator thing?” I shook my head sadly. This part should have been in the movies.

“ What about you, doll? Any superheroes in your world?” Bucky questioned back. I smirked inwardly.

“ Mmhm. They’re called The Gen Z. Although I'm not sure if they are superheroes or supervillains. “ I shrugged,” Bit of both I suppose. “

“  So who have they fought? Nazis? Aliens?” Steve inquired earnestly. “ Robots?” Bucky added, his head quirking to the side like an adorable puppy. 

“ The government.” 

“ The government?! Which one?”

“All? They’re pretty much the same around the globe. Rigid. Corrupt. Unfair.”

The super soldiers listened attentively. “ How many are there? These- Gen Z.” 

I struggled to keep my composure. Lowering my voice I said conspiringly, “ They’re everywhere!” 

“ So what are their methods? Maybe we could learn something from them.” Steve inquired in his 'Captain' voice. Typical Steve. Always determined to make himself better in all ways possible. I smiled genuinely despite the humorous situation. This is exactly what made Steve the brilliant leader he is. His willingness to accept change. To admit his faults and grow from them. No one could ever replace Steven Grant Rogers as Captain America. Not for me.  John Walker can go suck it!

“ Well their methods are a bit unconventional, but the fear they invoke is palpable. “ I chuckled evilly. Sometimes the acts of my generation really do make me feel like we are invincible. It's not true and most of us know that, but it doesn’t stop us from acting like we are. I guess we are superheroes in that way. Standing up for what’s right, no matter who your opponent is- isn’t that what heroes do?

I smiled. “ Back to me now. So what happens if you have to use the loo when you are fighting? "

 

TWO HOURS LATER

“ I'm telling you it's an old people thing! You guys do it and don’t even realize that you’re doing it!”

“ You guys?! Do we look like we’re old doll face?”  Bucky huffed, curling his arms behind his head so that his bulging biceps were basically shoved into my face.  Not gonna lie, they were pretty mouthwatering. Really tempted me to just latch my arms around them and nuzzle into his shoulder and inhale his wonderful scent. And then mate him. My inner omega surfaced, her metaphorical tail wagging in anticipation ( or lust). I shooed away the thought almost immediately. 

“ You are literally a hundred years old. “ I deadpanned. 

“ Yes…butttt ” Steve dragged out,” Do we look like we’re that old, is the question doll face.” Bucky nodded solemnly in agreement. They both pinned me with inquisitive gazes. Freakin' hell! DO they want me to spontaneously combust into flames out of sheer embarrassment? I cleared my throat, “ Anyways back to what I was saying-“

“Nuh-uh uh.” Bucky chastised. “ Answer the question love.” 

I huffed. “ You guys are too full of yourselves. As I was-“ 

Steve interrupted, “ You don’t get out of this so easily Kiara. C’mon doll, stroke our ego a little.” I can think of something else to stroke, Captain. 

My blush spread from my cheeks to my neck, “ Fine! Fine! Whatever you say! Happy?” I mumbled, my voice a tad bit shyer and dare I say flirty. Bucky shifted closer to me, his childhood love following his lead. 

“ Say it, Kiara.” It almost sounded like a command. An order that I realized, I wanted to obey. I dropped my eyes and accepted defeat then. “ You guys look exceptional for your age.” A backhanded compliment, but I am not saying anything else. My embarrassment quota for this day has been filled. Both the super soldiers looked awfully smug though. 

A rumbling purr vibrated through Steve’s chest. “ That’s a good omega.” 

 Ground? Swallow me whole.

 

---

 

 

Feeling that heavy collar wrap around his neck was something he didn’t have the words to describe. He’d tried to explain it to Tony in some way that he could understand but – Tony didn’t want to surrender the way he did. Tony would bottom, he liked impact play. He liked to be gagged and orgasm denial was a-ok. He even enjoyed degradation at times. But anything that took away his control – cuffing, bondage, blindfolding? All of it was a no-go. Tony liked control – in fact, sometimes he needed it. Even when he wasn’t getting off on it explicitly, he still needed to know he was able to leave a scene at any time if he wanted to, never fully able to trust even a safe word. 

But Bruce? 

There was a deep, soul-settling sense of peace within him when Tony gently tightened the collar around his neck and fastened it shut. He closed his eyes as Tony adjusted it, feeling nothing but the weight of it there, solid and real and so fucking good. Every single question fell away – What was happening with Kiara? Will she be okay? Would she want to love them? Him? How could he have better control over the Hulk? Did his mates love him or was it all just an elaborate lie? 

The questions were still there, of course – they always would be. But it was like hitting mute on the TV and all that shit in his head went silent and Bruce sank down on his knees again and leaned forward into Tony’s legs in relief. All he had to do was what Tony said. Tony knew what was best for him. Tony was going to take care of him. He trusted Tony. Tony was going to tell him what he needed. 

“There we go,” Tony said quietly as he stroked his fingers through Bruce’s hair, giving him a minute to take comfort in his presence. “It’s okay now. Did you remember what I said? That you are to do nothing but rest and take care of yourself?” 

“Yes, sir,” Bruce replied, his voice soft and easy. It had felt so good to follow through with Tony’s instructions. Before taking Kiara to the doctor, Tony had commanded Bruce to let go of his worries for the day and unwind. To be a good boy and wait for his mate to come home and relax him. In a much more sinful way.

Tony gave him a proud smile, running his fingers through his hair before offering his hand to help pull him up. 

“Get undressed,” Tony commanded gently. “Then I want you on the bed. All fours.” 

Bruce did as he was told and he heard Tony cross the room behind him once he was in position. When he returned he threw a coiled leash on the bed with a bottle of lube and settled in behind him. Bruce didn’t need anything other than the leash to get hard and he swallowed around the collar, feeling it tight against his throat.

Tony edged his legs apart a little, stroking his fingers up his thighs to his ass. Bruce had no idea what was coming and his body trembled slightly in anticipation. So when he felt Tony spread him and lick his tongue flat up against him, the moan that fell from his lips was a completely involuntary expression of surprise. 

Bruce knew Tony didn’t particularly care to do this but fuck if he wasn’t good at it when he was so inclined. He dropped his elbows into the bed, pressing his face down into it and trying not to rock back against Tony’s face, focusing on every sensation. God – fuck. His hands were working at the comforter beneath him as Tony brought his hand up to his ass, pressing his thumb right up above his balls, where he could feel it hard against his prostate from the outside as he tongued at him.

 

 

“ Partially…But also Kiara. I- I want her to- I hope-“ He let out a shuddering breath, “ I’m scared she will hate me. And I'm scared that you will all lose your chance with her. Because of me."

“ The hell we are,” Tony growled like he was ready to attack. “ We are never going to lose her.” Pressing his nose against the scientist’s nape, he asked,” Why do you think she will hate you?”

“Fury called," Bruce confessed against his chest. "He's intent on taking Kiara away. Since I refused to put a tracker inside her.” He gulped," I can't- I don't want to do that to her."

Tony seethed in silence for a while before finally, he spoke. "We'll talk to Steve about this, but rest assured, I'll kill that motherfucker if he gets within five miles of our omega."

"Tony!" Bruce exclaimed, surprised by the dark and violent way he said it – but unable to deny the reassurance it gave him. 

Tony cupped his mate’s face in his hands. “ She could never hate you, Bruce. She told you she loved you back in her world right? She knows you. She may try to hide her knowledge about our pasts, but I can see it in her eyes. As clear as day. I know you can too. Believe in her, love”

Bruce turned his eyes away. “ She’s a kid Tones. Kids like the action superheroes bring. Reality is far more gory and depressing.”

“ If that’s the case, then we should all be afraid. I have enemies as both Tony Stark and Iron man. Nat has the entire Red Room waiting for a chance of revenge on her. Bucky and Steve have Hydra. Clint has his own demons to fight. Should we just let her go then?”

Bruce floundered. “ No…I- We won’t be-“ 

 “- Complete” Tony finished. “ We won’t be complete without her. “

“We have to believe she would want us, Brucie. Fate gave us our soulmate. This beautiful angel dropped right in our laps. Shouldn’t we at least give ourselves a chance to be with her?”

Bruce shut his eyes tightly. It was exactly what he wanted Tony to say and he pressed his face harder into his chest. He was so thankful to have him. So fucking blessed. 

“ I love you,” Bruce whispered as Tony pulled his hands through his hair and held him close, keeping all the bad things at bay.

So, so much.

“ Shit! I’m definitely failing bio. “

“ Ry, calm down for fucks sake. You won’t fail.”

“Hey! Don’t shout at me! You’re so fucking rude Kie.”

“ This is the tenth time we’ve had this conversation since morning, Ryan. Why do you think I’m so rude?” 

 “…” 

“ Oh wait, I know!… It's because I’m fucking pissed!”

“ I know. I know. Sorry. I’m just very high-strung. “ The boy heaved a shuddering breath. His sweaty hands felt clammy in my cold ones. I clutched them tighter.

*sigh* "Listen... Ry- bubba- you WON'T fail. Okay?” 

“…”

 “ Fine, answer me this- Did you read the textbook?”

“…yes,”

“ Practice the question answers?”

“…yes, but-“

“Nope! you listen to me now. Did you revise the text?”

“ Yes.” “How many times?” “ Two…”

“ Then? Why are you so worried? We did the flashcards yesterday and you knew it all. Forget failing, you’re going to be acing this exam baba. “

The bell rang shrilly. The crowded hallways began to clear as the nervous examinees scattered to their respective halls. 

“We gotta go! You can do this Ry! Best of luck!“ 

“ Best of Luck! Hey!- I love you, Kiara! “ 

I pulled him forward and laid a smacking kiss on his forehead.  “ I love you too, you big idiot!”

 

---

 

The clock read half past three in the morning.  The room was pitch black, save for the periodic blinking of a small light on the roof. J.A.R.V.I.S.  Hot tears ran down my cheeks, pooling on the soft, expensive pillow under my head. Shallow, whimpering breaths escaped me as I bit harder on my lip to choke back a sob. My heart thudded so loud, I could hear it in my ears. Yet, it beat so slow, I feared it might just stop.  

My hand crept under my shirt to press harshly against my chest.  God! It hurt so much! 

Had I not known better, I would’ve thought it to be a heart condition... I guess you could call it that too.  It was just too metaphorical for my liking. My heart was in pain. Emotionally. My eyes screwed shut. 

Ryan. Ryan. Ryan. 

 Ryan Li. My first friend in America. The wonderful boy, who always had my back. It was crazy how well we knew each other. There were no secrets between us. How could there be? We knew something was bothering the other before they did. The girls drove themselves nuts with jealousy over him. Over us.  He was aloof, mysterious, handsome, and naturally the school’s heartthrob. He could’ve befriended anyone he damn well pleased. Yet in a crowd of thousands of beautiful young souls, we found each other. Almost as if it was fate. 

And if it was fate that brought us together, then I curse the goddamn fate. I curse it for our wonderful friendship. I curse it for our deep 3 AM conversations. I curse it for making us want to try for a relationship. I curse it for our stupendous date. I curse it for making us go to that psycho witch. I curse it for killing him in that earthquake. 

I curse it for making me the reason, my best friend was dead.

 

If anyone deserved to get a fresh start in life, it was Ryan. Not me. If anyone deserved to get six amazing superheroes as soulmates, it was him. Not. Me. 

What designation would he have had? I doubt he would’ve been an omega. Maybe a beta? Alpha is stretching it too far. Perhaps one of the other reasons we got along so well. He was always just so balanced. He was not a leader by any means, but if provoked he would go head to head with even the bulkiest of men to save his friends. His family. 

 

Neither of us had great experiences with blood family. He was an orphan, left to die on the streets as a babe. A children’s shelter took him in and raised him. Which I can’t imagine was the best experience, since he had permanent scars on his back from ‘punishments’.  

 

The orphanage was awful, but the real world was even harsher. It was filled with predators and pedophiles who would go to any lengths to fulfill their sick fantasies. 

One fateful summer morning, a broad white man had shown up and claimed to be Ryan’s birth father.  Which was weird, since Ryan was very obviously not white. On expressing their concerns over the difference in skin between supposed ‘father' and son, the man came up with a lame excuse of the mother being Korean. This was again super weird since Ryan LI was of Chinese descent not Korean.  The matter was resolved way before a DNA test was even required. Apparently, the man was a child predator who had developed a sick obsession with young boys. I shudder to think of what he would’ve done to Ry if he hadn’t been caught in his lie. 

Yet, Ryan stood strong. Perhaps because he had us- Phoenix, Courtney, and I. The bonds of friendship we created were unassailable and indestructible. Just last year, Phoenix in a fit of jealousy stole Courtney from her date and kissed her in front of a jam-packed restaurant ( and her date, of course.) They started dating soon after, and they seemed so happy. So in a fit of boredom and relationship FOMO, Ryan and I decided to give our friendship a chance to grow into something more. 

But life had a different plan. 

 

So here I am. Alone again. Without friendship. Without a relationship. Without my mom. Without a fucking clue on what to do, except go with the flow.

And what a flow it is! With each passing day, I feel myself changing. A part of my brain is taking over, a part I never knew I had. I know it has to do something with my omega nature. But fuck if I know what! 

My control over my life has already been snatched away, and now I feel my control over my body spiraling too. It scares me so much! I read that here omegas crave that loss- the emptiness, the floatiness. But I can’t find it in myself to feel anything but fear.  

Then there’s the Avengers. I don’t even know what to do with them. I can’t spill all my problems and expect them to solve them, just because they are superheroes. Also, there’s the fact that I still can’t seem to convince myself that they are not characters anymore. I feel physically safe around them because I trust their characters. The Marvel televised version of them. But that doesn’t count as ‘real’ trust, that’s just surface level. 

For me, to share my problems with them, I would have to trust them as a pack, as individuals. As real people. That just hasn’t happened yet.  And I don’t know if I can do it within a time limit. 

 

I raised my hand to wipe off the snot running down my face. Lethargically throwing off the covers, I dragged myself to the marble-floored bathroom. On turning the tap, cold water gushed out. I splashed my face with the chilling water, hoping to revive some feeling in my body. But perhaps it was foolish of me to think that the cold could chase away the listlessness in my heart. A loud whine echoed in my head, and this time I knew where it came from. My omega felt restless and sad. I don’t know when I started understanding those feelings, but for the past few days, I have been aware of the meaning of every whine, purr, and yip resounding in my head. And almost all of the time, my feelings have come with an urge of telling my mates about them. 

 

I look in the mirror to inspect my eyes. They are red-rimmed and puffy, no doubt from all the crying that I was doing. My cheeks have lost their chubbiness, and my skin its pallor.  I run my finger across my lips, feeling the dryness pinch my tips unpleasantly. My beautiful vibrant hair has lost its glow too. They are no doubt the same striking auburn that they always have been, but somehow they don’t carry the same appeal anymore. I lower my eyes, disappointedly.

I feel dead. Inside and outside. 

 

I knew I wasn’t going to be able to sleep, so I wasn’t even going to try. Maybe I could watch Netflix or Youtube or something, but I wanted to get out of my room for a bit. The room stank of distress, unhappiness, and guilt. The stench was starting to become unbearable. Even if I was the one who released the foul pheromones in the first place.

Pulling out a hoodie that I had just bought on my shopping trip with Clint, I left my room to go to the kitchen. The plan was to make myself some warm milk and grab a snack. I set the milk to boil and rummaged through the drawers for chocolate powder. I doubt they had my preferred brand of BournVita, but this late in the night, any brand would suffice. 

I turned off the flame when the milk began to rise and poured the hot liquid into a sweet-looking cup. I had accidentally made extra, so I took another cup and poured the rest into that one. I covered it and put it back in the fridge. I’d have that tomorrow. I mixed two spoons of chocolate powder and one tiny spoon of sugar for the perfect taste. I took a timid sip. “ Ahhh.” A throaty moan escaped my lips at the flavor. Utter perfection! I grabbed a few slices of fruit cake on a plate and turned off the lights. Now to find the perfect spot for a late-night snack.

“ J.A.R.V.I.S. ?”

“ Yes, Miss Arora?”

“ Would the rooftop be open to me?”

“ Of course, Miss. May I advise you to put on a coat before, it is quite windy at the top.”  Such a polite A.I. 

“ Thanks, J.A.R.V.I.S. Will do.”

 

From the elevator, I made my way to a heavy-looking door and pushed it open with all my strength. Sheesh! That fucking exhausted me. I sniffed at the cold. Good thing J.A.R.V.I.S. warned me to bring a coat. I pulled said coat tighter around my body, snuggling in its furry warmth. Making my way to the very edge of the skyscraper, I sat down and dangled my legs in the air. I leaned forward and absorbed in the view of the beautiful city. You would think it was Christmas with how the whole city was lit up.  I looked down to see the big ‘A’  on the side of the building. I laughed lowly. I’m sitting atop one of the most iconic buildings in the world of fiction. The crimes some people would commit just to be in my place right now. It’s unfathomable. I take a sip of my hot beverage. It feels kind of poetic. My life has been uprooted, and the foundations on which I stood have been destroyed. Yet, I’m seated at the top of the world. So high above, I feel like I’ve conquered everything. 

 

I stuff the entirety of the cake into my mouth. My heart had started feeling heavy again. I swallowed it down quickly and picked up another slice of the cake. Eat more. Food makes everything better. My grandma’s voice echoed in my head. I shoved the second slice into my already full mouth. Eat. Eat. Eat. 

 

“ Careful, or you’ll choke.”

I screamed like a banshee before spitting out whatever I had in my mouth. I gripped the railing and scrambled to turn around. Clint Barton stood there with his hands in his pockets, and a bow slung over his shoulder. My eyes traveled down his torso. He was in proper Avenger’s gear. Hawkeye suit and all. He smiled languidly and sauntered over to where I was sitting. “ May I?” He gestured to a spot next to me. 

“Y-yea sure. Come sit.” I offered him my plate of cake. ”Cake?”

“ Nah. I’m on a diet.”

“ You scared me right now. I wasn’t expecting you.” I laughed embarrassedly. 

“ I wasn’t expecting you here either. At 3 A.M. of all time.”

I shrugged, “ Couldn’t sleep.” I nodded my head at him,” What about you? I didn’t see you the entire day yesterday.”

Clint winked and gave me a lopsided smile.” Already missing me, sweetness?” 

I huffed playfully and rolled my eyes. “ You wish!”

His eyes bored sincerely into mine. “ I do.” Clearing his throat he answered, “ But no, I was actually on a mission. Just came home minutes ago.”

“ Shouldn’t you be getting checked up on or something?” I ran my eyes over his form for any visible injuries. He just shook his head. “ No need. I’m good.”

I left it at that. Curiously, I tilted my head and asked, “ How did you know I was here?”  Did J.A.R.V.I.S. snitch on me?

“ I didn’t. I came here for myself.” On my inquisitive stare, he elaborated,” I like to come here after missions. It’s quiet and peaceful. No noise, no movement. Just complete stillness. Feels nice after an adrenaline-filled day.” He offered me a glowing, genuine smile. Gosh, he is so handsome. 

He pointed at me, “ Your turn. Why are you up so late?”

 

Do I tell him? My omega prompted me eagerly to take the first step. Come on Kiara, trust is built by sharing. Take the initiative. I inhaled deeply. “ I was feeling homesick-I am feeling homesick.” I amended. Clint looked at me sympathetically.  “Can I do something to help?” He asked. I shrugged lamely. What could he do? 

“ I don’t presume to know what you’re feeling, but would you like to talk- should you wish to tell me- should that be of some comfort to you?”

“ What makes you think talking about it would bring me comfort?” Clint parted his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. “The only thing that would bring me comfort is seeing them again. “

It was silent for a while. I ducked my head, only to feel wetness drip on the back of my hand. I raised my palm to wipe away the fallen tear from my cheek. I chuckled painfully. “ I'm sorry.” I sipped my cold chocolate milk. Eat more. Food makes everything better. I exhaled loudly. “ I’m tired…everything is so confusing…so...so out of my control! I feel so helpless.”

“ And every time I do, I can’t help but remember how good everything used to be. And why it was so good. My friends, my mum, Rogue- they lit up my world. And now that they’re gone- it feels like the light has gone too.” I gazed at Clint with teary eyes. “I feel so dark inside."

I felt him place his hand on top of my own, engulfing it in warmth. His calloused thumb ran soothingly on my palm. “ Then maybe talking about them, will bring some light back into your world?”

It was quiet again. The howling of the wind filled up the silence. Far below, cars honked and tires screeched. The lights from adjacent buildings highlighted Clint’s face. He looked breathtaking.

 

“ My mom- she was my hero. She raised me, loved me, and protected me from every danger the world threw at us. And she did so with a smile. We moved to the States because of me. She changed the entire trajectory of her life solely for my happiness. Who does that?... I’m so grateful to her for so many things, and sometimes it felt like I didn’t tell her that enough. How blessed I felt to have her as my mom. Now I might never have a chance again.” My voice cracked. Sniffling, I smiled, “ That’s not to say that she was a Disney mom or anything. She was strict and hard. She valued my education above everything else. Sometimes even my happiness. But I get it. She wanted me to be independent. You need to study for that. Which I did. “ I turned to look at Clint with a smile. “ I even got my acceptance letter into MIT a few weeks ago!” 

Clint returned my smile with a beaming grin. “ Tony would be so happy to hear that…I’m sure your mom was too?”

“ She was ecstatic! I think she was more excited than she was at her engagement. That irked Rogue for sure!”

“ Who is Rogue?”

“ My ma’s fiancee. Rogue Slade. He’s a business tycoon. They got engaged last year. The wedding was supposed to happen this November.” I fiddled with my fingers. “ I hope ma doesn’t postpone it.  But I know that she will. I’m afraid she might even cancel it.” Tears filled my eyes fast. She would obviously think me dead. God! She would be devastated. I whimpered, “ I hope she doesn’t do anything rash!”

Clint gripped my hand tight. “ She won’t.” He placated. “ Mothers have this intuition. I’m sure she knows you’re out there somewhere. She’ll have Rogue with her. He’ll take care of her, won’t he?”

I nodded. “ Yeah, he would.” Memories assaulted my mind. ” It's disgusting how in love they both are. Rogue, especially. You wouldn’t think of him as a sweet, romantic guy if you saw him. He looks like this weird mix between Aquaman and Superman, and his actions are like that of The Joker.”

Clint arched an eyebrow amusedly, “ He’s a psychopath?”

“ A sexy psychopath.” I corrected. 

“ Isn’t he like your to-be stepfather? And you’re calling him sexy?”

“ Facts are facts though. “ I shrugged. And then shivered.

Dang! The cold was getting to me. Clint saw this and reached up to my rub my shoulders. “ Come on let's get you inside. Your drink’s finished too.”

I hesitated. I didn’t want to go back to my room and be alone again. This felt nice. My omega was finally quiet, and I felt a little more like myself. I didn’t want to leave that. On sensing my reluctance, Clint proposed, “ We’ll carry our talk in the living room. Whaddya say, sweetness? You fancy another steaming cup of milk? I feel like having one.” 

And so we sat in the Avenger’s living room, our feet tucked under our thighs. Warm milk in our hands, and a plate of cake between us. We talked till the early hours of the morning when I finally fell asleep. And overcome with exhaustion, so did Clint.  Which is how the pack found us. Heads slumped together, mouths open and slumbering peacefully. 

 

 

 

 

They look so cute! - Bucky gushed over his two adorable mates. 

The slumbering individuals looked so peaceful with their foreheads supporting each other. The archer snored softly with his mouth open. His body was lax and his face tension free. A rare luxury for a man in his line of work. Bucky had often woken up to the sounds of Clint’s nightmares. His vibranium fingers soothing the creases on Clint’s forehead to ease him out of the terrible prison of dreams. They had sat together in the dead of the night, with his arms around Clint's chest and head tucked under his chin. For a while, the only way to get Clint a full night's rest was to fuck him boneless and exhausted. It had worked, but the pack soon realized that it was becoming an unhealthy coping mechanism for the archer. So Steve put a stop to it. 

To see his beloved soulmate so relaxed- filled Bucky’s cold heart with hope and joy. Bucky traced the arch of Clint’s lips with a featherlight touch, careful not to wake him. So precious. A tender smile graced his lips. He lightly touched the part of Clint’s forehead slumped against Kiara’s. His eyes followed his hands, coming to rest on the sleeping omega’s profile. She looked like the princess in that Disney movie. Sleeping Beauty. Her long lashes rested delicately on her unblemished cheeks. Her dark circles and under-eye bags suggested that she hadn’t been getting good sleep.  Her cheeks that had looked so rosy and round on the day that he met her, were now hollow. Her beautiful skin, so soft to the touch, felt rough and dry. He frowned. Kiara was not feeling well. 

He knew her condition had something to do with it. The pack was eagerly waiting for the results from the doctor. Maybe then they could decide their plan of action. Under his watchful gaze, he felt Kiara shift a little to get comfortable. Ok, let's sort out this situation first.

 

 

Nat raked her fingers soothingly through Bruce’s untamed curls. The beta made a little noise of contentment and snuggled further into the warmth of the redhead’s pillowy breasts. Steve meandered about quietly in the room, getting ready for his morning run. On his way out, he stepped carefully over a little invention Tony was working on- which lay unguarded on the floor. The genius himself was sprawled across the other side of the huge pack bed. Nat’s attuned senses could pick up his faint snoring in the quiet of the morning. Bucky came in through the door held open by Steve, his strong arms carrying a sleeping Clint. He laid him down in the archer’s preferred spot and kissed him gently on the forehead. Bucky turned to Nat, and with a deliciously deep morning voice, greeted her. “ Good morning, Natalia.” Her heart fluttered at the familiar name.  Natalia was a name she had buried along with her past in the Red Room. But Bucky, or rather the Winter Soldier had known Natasha long before that. From his lips, the name didn’t remind Nat of her bloody history. Instead, it filled her with the memory of feeling safe in a pit full of heartless killers. Shielded in the arms of the man, who was supposed to teach her the art of ruthless assassination.

 

“ Kiara is still on the sofa. Do you want to take her to her room?” Nat furrowed her brows at Bucky’s question. “ Why is she on the couch?” She asked quietly. Taking off his shirt to get comfortable, the soldier shrugged. “Found her and Clint asleep there. We’ll ask him later.” 

Nodding, Tasha carefully maneuvered Bruce away from the safety of her breasts and into Bucky’s waiting arms. Walking lithely, she entered the common room, to find Kiara deep asleep. Her mouth was half-open, and little purring snores escaped her lips. Bucky had presumably laid her down and put the pillow under her head. Nat slid her arms under the girl’s body, easily lifting her up. Kiara whined at the motion but settled pretty quickly. The omega tucked her cold nose into the warm crook of Tasha’s neck. Unknowingly scenting her. A pleasant shiver ran down the redhead’s spine.  She pressed the girl closer to her body.

 

On her command, J.A.R.V.I.S pushed open Kiara’s door. As the pair crossed the entrance, a strong waft of foul smell hit Tasha. Disappointment. Guilt. Anger. Despondence. She crinkled her nose. The Alpha in her roared in agony. Her protective instincts demanded her to know and eliminate the cause of her soulmate’s distress. Alas, nothing could be done until the brown-skinned beauty woke up. 

“J circulate fresh air into the room.”

Within moments, the room was free from the foul pheromones. Lowering Kiara down onto the bed, Natasha carefully tucked her in. All of a sudden, Kiara snored loudly, startling the Alpha. Tasha pursed her lips to stop a giggle from escaping. She lightly pinched the sweet girl’s cheeks. “ Cute.”

“ Monitor her J. If there are signs of distress, inform me.”

“ Noted, Agent Romanoff.” The AI affirmed.

The door closed with a soft thunk, as she exited the room. 

---

 

Steve wolfed down three plates stacked with banana pancakes. A satisfied hum left his throat as he washed it down with a large glass of juice. He wasn’t used to eating this much. In the thirties, the country was suffering from the Great Depression. So, he was used to going to bed starving. Even Bucky, who belonged to a (relatively) financially equipped family, had to occasionally end the day with a single serving of cornmeal mush. 

However, being a super-soldier came with certain requirements. One of them was- eating copious amounts of food. Steve didn’t find this to be a problem at all. The twenty-first century had a huge variety of eatables, and Tony’s pocket could afford them all.

Running a hand through his sweat-soaked hair, the Captain opened the Stark Computer to check his emails. Technology, like food, had also advanced. Tony had assigned J.A.R.V.I.S to help ‘Captain Grandpa’ through the painstaking process of working the computer. The billionaire was awarded a sore jaw and red buttocks for that comment. 

The laptop pinged to alert Steve. The supersoldier squinted his eyes at the notification that popped up on the screen.

Inbox- 3 unread messages

Steve opened his email. The first one was from Agent Hill to Clint, requesting yesterday’s mission report. The second one was from Fury. Steve decided to open that one later. Nick Fury in the morning was not good for his blood pressure. The last email made Steve tense up in dreadful anticipation. 

 

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject- Patient Kiara Arora -medical report

 

Steve clicked the link.

 

 PATIENT MEDICAL ANALYSIS REPORT

Patient name  : KIARA ARORA

Age: 19

Gender: FEMALE

Designation:  OMEGA

Pack name:  N/A

Guardian:  STEVEN GRANT ROGERS (temporary), ALPHA

Diagnosis:

 

For any further inquiries, contact me at 99XXXXXX63

Regards,

Dr. Jonathon Briggs

(Second Gender Specialist)

 

 

There were 3 other files attached to that one, which contained detailed instructions and accurate dosages of the suppressants and painkillers. The last file had Kiara’s physical reports. Steve chose to save that one as well. Fury was bound to ask for it sooner or later. 

According to the doctor, Kiara was to be dommed regularly during her heat. This worried Steve. Kiara did not seem like the type of gal to just agree to be spanked by a stranger. While to any normal omega, domming was just a requirement that needed to be fulfilled, Kiara would not see it like that. The blonde super soldier had no idea how she would take this news and contemplated on how to break it to her. Pinching his nose, he slammed his hand weakly on the marble countertop. 

 

---

Later that day…

 

“At least the situation is not completely out of our hands! “ Clint exclaimed. 

“ Yes, but it’s not exactly ideal either. I highly doubt Kiara is going to like what is in store for her.” Bucky argued. “ She might just think that we are trying to take advantage of her.”

Natasha nodded. “ Domming does sound sexual to those who have never experienced it. Also, the whole 'constant contact with an Alpha’ is going to really put her off.” The redhead paused and then turned to Bruce. “ I think you should be the one to explain the situation to her.”

“ Wouldn’t an Alpha put her more at ease though?” Tony interrupted.

“ Normally, yes. But Kiara isn’t your typical omega either. She would trust her rational mind way more than her hindbrain. Until she gets settled in this new way of life, she will always value her rational instincts more than her omega instincts. We should use that to our advantage. Kiara knows Bruce is a doctor. His words would put her more at ease.”

Steve nodded thoughtfully. What Nat said made sense. The Alpha fixed his eyes on his beta mate.” Bruce?” He questioned. 

“ I’ll do it. Explain to her about doming and her heat. I suggest we give her those omega lifestyle books. That would prove our credibility. Also, it should prevent her from deep-diving into the internet to find out how heats work. it’s literally the worst place to gather your information.”

Clint snorted. “ That wouldn’t stop her. Kids her age trust Twitter more than news channels.” 

Tony shrugged. “ Twitter is unbiased and allows freedom of speech. News channels are censored. I wouldn’t blame the kids.”

Bucky shushed his two mates. “ Stay on topic, you two.” Upon their silence, he turned to the Head Alpha. “ What is Fury’s deal?"

“ Fury wants to interrogate Kiara, S.H.I.E.L.D style. He warn-“ 

“ Captain Rogers, pardon the interruption, but there is an incoming call from the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D,”  J.A.R.V.I.S interjected. Tony rolled his eyes. “ Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.”

Massaging his temples, Steve allowed J.A.R.V.I.S to put Fury through. A hologram appeared at the front of the table. The call connected and Nick Fury’s sullen face came into view. Maria Hill stood behind him in proper S.H.I.E.L.D attire. The power duo looked formidable. Fury’s piercing stare landed on the blonde Alpha.

“ Captain Rogers.”

“ Director.” 

“ I suppose you have a good ass reason for not following through with my orders?”

“ The orders to imprison my omega? Those orders?”

“ Now, now. Let's leave the drama to Stark. I never said ‘imprison’. “

“ You implied it.” Bruce snarked. A little green seeping through the corners of his eyes. Fury averted his eyes from the Head Alpha to the beta.

“ Dr. Banner. You had your orders too.” Fury replied in the same monotone.

“ With no due respect, Bruce doesn't work for you Fury. Your orders are merely suggestions that he chose not to follow through with.” Tony snarled, glaring at the bald Alpha. 

 

Fury narrowed his eye, and sat up straight, letting out an aura of dominance and control that could be felt through the screen. “ Hear this then. I am not letting a possible enemy of the state roam around free, just because she happens to be your omega.  Think rationally, Captain. You know nothing about the girl. Think as a soldier, not an Alpha.”

The room fell silent. Natasha’s careful voice broke the silent tension. “ I’ll do it. I’ll interrogate her.” The pack’s eyes fell on her. Surprised yet understanding. A compromise would have to be met. It was better to set your own conditions first.

“No.” Fury declined. “It has to be someone unbiased.”

“ I don’t let my emotions come in the way of my job, Director,” Tasha replied, her voice still controlled and neutral. Clint, however, saw the clench of her fists below the table.

“ I’m well aware, Agent Romanoff. But soulmates are a tricky thing. The bonded can easily be manipulated. No, Miss. Arora will have to come here herself.” 

“ Kiara is not stepping out of the tower anytime soon.” Bucky stated strongly. His cold, blue eyes staring Fury down. Fury clocked his head to the side. “ Any reason for that Seargent?”

The pack contemplated on telling. After a brief pause, Bruce shortly nodded his head. Steve sighed. “ Kiara is going into heat for the first time. It’s going to be extremely tough. Supposed to hit pretty soon too.”

“ And why am I only now being told of this?” Nick drawled.

Tony scoffed. “ Let’s not pretend as if you were unaware of the situation, Nick. You probably got her reports before we did.”

Nick smiled slowly. With one hand, he reached below him and pulled out a familiar-looking file.  PATIENT MEDICAL ANALYSIS REPORT. Kiara’s file. “ Last night, actually.”

The pack let out several angry growls. Fury dropped the file on the table unceremoniously, and smirked,” Now, now. Don’t get your panties in a twist. You don’t follow my orders, I get others to do it for you.” Fury paused, and then said seriously. ”I’m sending Agent Coulson tomorrow. He will put the tracker in the girl. Since you refuse to put one on her yourself.”

Bruce shrank a little in his seat but with a flash of green in his eyes, he growled. “ You will not touch my omega. If and only if, she consents to have a tracker placed in her, will I do it.”

“ She doesn’t get a choice on that, Dr.Banner. It’s standard protocol.”

Bruce tipped his chin up. “ I said what I said. Fuck protocol.”  The pack watched the one-off between The angry Alpha director and the determined beta with a proud gleam in their eye.  The usual sweet and shy demeanour of the scientist filled their hearts with warmth, but this occasional burst of dominance from the beta lit a burning fire in their core. Assertive Bruce was undeniably hot. 

 

Fury raised an eyebrow challengingly, but didn’t push the topic. “Coulson will be at the reception at noon, tomorrow.”  With a nod of his head, Fury disconnected the call, and the hologram disappeared in thin air. Tony nursed his glass of whiskey, which had curiously appeared out of nowhere. Letting out a low groan, he tilted his head back. “ Motherfucker.”

 

“ So…how are we explaining this to Kiara then?” Clint questioned. 

At that very moment, a knock sounded on the door. A sweet voice called out from behind the barrier, “Guys? You…uh-in here?”

Bucky ran his cold vibranium palm down his face. Under his breath, he muttered. “ Perfect fucking timing.”

 

---

 

 

Another dimension is an entirely different plane of existence. It’s possible to be in one plane while still observing another. However, if you travel the multiverse and go into a parallel world, you will only perceive the world you currently reside in. If that’s confusing, here are a couple of analogies.

 According to  Dr. Anthony Droom’s multiverse theory, being in another dimension is akin to being a ghost. If you become a ghost, you exist in a different plane of reality, but you can still see the world you left behind.

Meanwhile visiting a parallel world is more like walking through a portal into a new destination. Imagine if you walked into a world identical to our world, except the sky is purple instead of blue. In the purple world, you would no longer see the blue sky of home. Your actions in the purple world would impact everyone there instead.

I scrolled further down the webpage, scouring the information. This particular site was full of articles published by Dr. Droom. I paused. Where had I heard that name before? I clicked on his profile. 

Doctor Anthony Ludgate Droom, who also went by the alias Doctor Druid. My eyes widened. Holy shit! Doctor Druid! As in Earth 616 Doctor Druid?! I remembered reading the comic book he was in, called The Amazing Adventures or something. Quite honestly, I had found the comic book to be fairly bland and had stopped reading it. I had only picked it up in my search for Doctor Strange comics when the first Doctor Strange movie had released. I honestly wasn’t expecting to remember him.  I looked back at the web page.

I guess in this world, he left the superhero path and was now writing articles on the multiverse and shit. I cracked a smile. Good for him! Go get that money Dr. Droom!

 

A light bulb went off in my head. Who will have the most idea about my predicament? Obviously, someone who knows how to deal with it. I excitedly typed in ‘Doctor Strange’ on the search bar.  Hundreds of links appeared with a click. All of them boasting about how good of a neurosurgeon he was, how wealthy he was, the perfect alpha blah blah blah. There were a lot of comparisons between him and Tony. Both geniuses. Both extremely wealthy, narcissistic, and egoistic. I snorted. Sounds about right. 

On a little more scrolling, I found the link to an AO3 fanfiction about Stephen and Tony, titled simply- ‘IronStrange’. I squealed inaudibly. However, as much as I was tempted to give it a read, I was in the middle of something far more important. 

Upon digging a little further, I found his email address. I fist-bumped myself at my victory. I knew there was a big possibility that he won’t read it, since I assumed he got a ton of fan mail, but I still decided to write him one. 

Just as I was about to start, I paused. Should I tell the pack about this? I mean technically I am writing from their email address. Were they even on good terms with Strange? Oh, God! What if they got mad, and told me to leave the tower? I would be homeless! Or worse- what if they decided to hand me over to S.H.I.E.L.D. I shuddered at the thought.  As much as I adored his character, I did not want to come face to face with Nick Fury. 

 

I hurriedly shut down the laptop, and skittered to my closet. A real one this time. Unlike the flimsy cupboard i had at home. Taking out a dress from the hanger, I quickly put it on. Tucking my stray hair behind my ear, I checked my appearance in the mirror. A black cotton dress hung prettily off my frame. A sunflower was embroidered onto it. I grimaced a little bit. Does this make me look like a child?

Shaking my head, I quickly made my way out of my room. Now to find the Avengers…

I craned my neck to look at a spot on the roof.

 “J.A.R.V.I.S? Where are they?"