Starlight
You walked calmly through the empty alleys, you could smell the booze from the party a few blocks over.
Your flight to LA hadn’t been too bad but it was a shame that your first time in California after finally settling down in New York was spent waiting for something that wasn’t even guaranteed to happen.
Was it likely? Yes, very much so.
But not certain.
You weren’t the most patient person but you knew you’d only have to wait a few more minutes.
Most politicians and socialites couldn’t boast having much of a brain but the cowering man planning on making illegal weapons deals in the middle of some musty old alleyway less than a minutes flight for someone with a genius-level intellect and a suit that could kick the hulk’s ass clearly had no head on his shoulders.
But, he surprisingly had enough sense to avoid an alleyway with a dumpster. yay.
At least you wouldn’t have to deal with all the avengers at once, it would be safest to approach them one by one
Right on cue Iron Man dropped into the alleyway, you tuned out the action and decided to wait at the mouth of the alley knowing Stark would notice you, or at least your movement.
“Who are you?” a metallic voice rang out. Ah, so Iron Man had gotten what he needed.
Slowly, carefully you turned. “Hi Mr. Stark, I have a proposal.”
After one almost repulser to the face, you were met with an outstretched hand, “well just call me Tony, Starlight.”
—————————————————————
“Welcome back Tony, who'd you bring with you?”
That was all you managed to hear through the motorcycle helmet, your eyes trained on the floor, not daring to look up. You were surrounded by some of the most powerful, famous, and legendary people on the planet. You were an orphan, you were just Y/N, Y/N L/N, and you would make damn sure that none of them will ever see your true face, your civilian face. Not yet at least.
“Hey everyone I’d like to introduce you to our newest avenger.”
You had been picking at the loose threads in your sweatshirt and athletic shorts, as long as you wore long sleeves or at least kept your back covered no one would ever be able to identify you, the motorcycle helmet ensuring that even the best facial recognition software was obsolete.
Inhale 1… 2… 3… 4… 5...
You step forward and look up.
Tony was standing to your right still but sprawled across the couch in front of you in various states of relaxation were Hawkeye, Black Widow, Captain America, James Barnes, the Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, and the Falcon. Leaning against the wall was War Machine, hanging from the ceiling in a hammock was Spiderman while Vision hovered between them.
You could smell one more person in the room despite not being able to see them, Dr. Banner most likely.
Your suspicions were confirmed when you heard a gentle shuffling of footsteps. You tilted your head allowing your peripheral to pick up the calmer counterpart of the hulk.
“Hi! It's nice to meet all of you” you say, keeping your voice as clear as you could, knowing it would be distorted through your helmet.
You could feel the weight of their gazes, assessing you, like little pinpricks trailing across you, making your hair stand on end. They were sizing you up. Not one to waste the opportunity you studied each of them in turn.
Tony Stark and Captain America were skimmed over, their faces being plastered all over the news you didn't need to spend too much time assessing them.
Hawkeye, the Black Widow, and Barnes were all trained assassins and you figured if they were gonna kick your ass you might as well just let them since they probably could if they really wanted to.
The Falcon was from the military just like the War Machine and you didn't know much about them from the news. You could smell that they were baseline humans, and like Tony got most of their heavy-hitting from their suit and wings.
The Vision was composed and that was really all you could get from his facial expressions.
Spiderman, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch all smelled like something akin to mutants, you'd seen their powers first hand although not up close and in your civilian form no less but you could still pick up on their distinct scents.
After about 30 seconds of silence, almost to the point of suffocating the black widow speaks up.
“So, Tony called us 10 minutes ago saying a new teammate with supernatural powers found him, mind telling us what those powers might be?” The Widow spoke calmly, her voice betraying nothing but surprisingly it wasn't harsh or biting.
You turn your head fully towards Tony and cross your arms, knowing that he cant see your face you make sure your body language conveys just how unimpressed you are with his lack of description.
Rubbing his neck sheepishly he turns to look at you then back at the avengers “So this is apparently a unique situation, they approached me and explained how they'd done their research and had a skill set that would be useful to the team but they had 2 requirements and a reason for them but wanted to say them in front of everyone before they show us their ability.”
Barnes raised an eyebrow “So you're saying that you brought someone who is potentially strong enough to be an Avenger to the tower and you don't even know what they can do?”
The look on Tony’s face makes you feel bad for the guy and you clear your throat, drawing everyone’s attention back to you. “I have 2 conditions, first and foremost should I be accepted I will not be living in the compound full time, I’ll split it 50/50 between here and my apartment. This is for the second reason. NONE OF YOU and I mean NOT A SINGLE SOUL can know who I am. Not now at least. You will know my abilities but you cannot know my civilian face.”
“And why can't we know your identity?” Rogers leaned forward while everyone else seemed to tense.
“Three Streams.”
“What?”
“Three Streams.” you repeated, “that’s where I'm from.”
Everyone inhaled sharply.
The Three Streams disaster was one of the most horrifying things to have happened since the founding of hydra, the ten rings, and other terrorist organizations.
The small town of just a meager 5,902 had been one of the largest bases for an organization that had an interest in illegal testing on mutants, enhanced, and other supernatural beings to create weapons and soldiers that were sold to organizations like HYDRA and AIM.
The entire town was in fact their testing facility, no one knew who the occupants had been since the whole town had been leveled in an explosion and fire when the Avengers and authorities had arrived on the scene.
“But there were no survivors of Three Streams, hell not even some of the search and recovery teams survived that place.” Hawkeye pointed out, voice somber.
“No.” You breathed, “there was one. There was me. I escaped four days before it happened. I was a test subject for a symbiote but I was also a natural-born mutant and the symbiote bonded to me and became a part of my mutations. The scientist didn't know that though and I managed to escape because they put me in the wrong type of containment unit. My files were destroyed like all the others and no one knew I ever existed. ”
Needing to drive the point home you plowed on.
“I want a chance at a normal civilian life. I escaped when I was 8 and built a life for myself, an identity, and I can help make sure no one goes through what I did.”
You stare them down, knowing they can’t see your face but you let your resolve settle in your voice, they need to understand and this is your only chance to explain it.
“There comes a time in life that transforms us, and all we can do is choose how we are changed.”
“I had no choice in my change.”
“In my pain.”
“My pain came whether I was ready or not.”
“My grief will always be absolute, and so will my guilt.”
“What they made me be, that burned up with the town.”.
“But if I can do something to keep someone else from experiencing what I did even for a day would make my pain worth it.”
You could smell the sharp ozone scent of shock, the nose-holding rotting fish quality of disgusted horror, the overly sweet honey-like sympathy, the soft understanding.
You had long grown used to the idea of what had happened to you but it was the first time you had ever shared your story with anyone.
You’d never dared.
“I think that’s reasonable.” Dr. Banner spoke, everyone turned to look at him and he shrugged. “Ross was interested in doing the same to me and the big guy, and you remember how many lives he destroyed in his attempts to get hold of us.”
“I can leave and let you all mull it over,” you turned sharply on your heel and strolled out of the room, continuing to walk until you could no longer hear the hushed conversations. Your sense of smell, excellent from your mutation and wolverine-like from the experimentation picked up the emotions that lingered in the room, mostly peace and content, the perfect place to wait. Dropping gracelessly onto the worn red leather sofa you found you finally let yourself loosen.
A few minutes later the avengers stood in front of you, you sat silently awaiting their verdict and you didn't have to wait long until Rogers spoke. “Uhm I-we decided that your terms are acceptable given your circumstances.”
“Awesome! I'd like to properly meet you guys now so please don't freak out!” you say letting your mutation spread over you.
The black substance that had been trickling over your shoulders started swirling over your arms and legs wrapping you in biological armor, once belonging to the symbiote you had absorbed. You watch them step back slightly startled and you nod your head at them, hoping it would act as a minor reassurance. The motorcycle helmet morphed into a head with massive fangs and eyes that resembled those of spiderman. You chose to keep it to your smaller form so as not to scare them all instantly.
You offer a small closed mouth smile then say the same words you had said to the scientists all those years ago, an homage to the symbiote who died in your fusion. “ We are Venom”
Everyone was staring at you and you saw hints of armor appearing on Tony as well as a blade and gun from the former Winter Soldier and Black Widow respectively.
Putting your hands up you try and placate them “sorry sorry didn't mean to scare you, I even went for one of my smaller forms, damn the teeth have gotten bigger that pry hasn't helped much? Well shit. Okay, don't kill me, please? I can change back or to a different form…” you continued to ramble noticing how the stinging smell of fear was decreasing, they needed to make the connection you were still you and not some mindless killing machine, they had made that mistake with the Hulk a few years prior and it wasn't the best thing to have happened.
Spiderman had somehow ended up on the ceiling which was honestly quite funny and said “so what can you do?”
“Well, that depends? Mind any company?” you say relieved that someone was talking.
“Ummm no?” he squeaked out
“Great” Shooting up one of your four tentacle webs from your back you quickly pulled yourself up onto the ceiling where you hung upside down in a pose that was so iconic to spider man that you got to watch the hero do a double-take.
And to everyone's absolute delight and amusement, you all got to watch spiderman fall off the ceiling in shock.
The roars of laughter felt like coming home, everyone was relaxed and quicksilver actually had tears in his eyes from how hard he was laughing. Most of the avengers were in similar states, gasping for air even the most stone-faced of them managed to huff out a laugh.
Dropping neatly to the floor you let Venom's appearance draw back into your helmet and back, disappearing from view.
“What no repulsor to the face this time Tony?”
The laughter began (again) and so did many friendships.