A House Cat (August 1998)

Ava groaned a bit as she started to awaken. Her body ached and her head throbbed. She slowly began to open her eyes and she blinked and flinched against the light. Her vision began to clear and as she realized she did not recognize where she was she began to remember what had happened. She had been fighting Remi when a man she did not know had appeared and taunted her. She had moved to attack him and then all she remembered was the feeling of being stunned.

As she sat up she winced in pain. She did not know where she was or how she had gotten here. Panic suddenly came over her when she didn’t feel the amulet at her hip, but she looked over and saw her belt on a chair next to the bed. She was still in her White Tiger suit and she reached back and pulled her face mask back. Thick, black hair cascaded down her shoulders and back. She put on her belt and gently touched the green amulet. The feeling of it was a comfort to her. Cautiously, she opened the door to the room she was in and poked her head out. She didn’t feel threatened here, but she remained on her guard. She had no idea where she was or who was here with her.

“Hello?”

The bulk of the tower was decored in a very modern look. The kitchen area was Art Deco for the most part but the rest of the area was marble tiled flooring, soft white adobe walls and thick, dark wood beams in the ceilings with track lighting. There was a large, brown leather sectional seating area in the large space beyond the hallways. Seemingly in the center of the floor. An elevator was at the end of the main hall though nothing she did made it open or respond to her.

Tony, Isabella and Serena were in their apartment having their morning, family time. Steve and Logan were in the basement gym working out. When she moved that way she'd here an occasional grunt and the sound of machines being worked.

Ava wandered through the main living area. No one appeared to be around, although she saw some dirty dishes in the sink. The area appeared homey and she had not been restrained so she doubted she was being held prisoner. She spotted the elevator and she walked over and hit the down button but to her frustration nothing happened.

She moved deeper inside and eventually made her way towards the gym. She could hear grunting sounds and the sounds of machines being used. She could also smell a musky sweat scent and knew there was at least one man in there.

She cautiously stepped inside and spotted two men. She immediately recognized the blonde haired man as Steve Rogers. He had been recently found in the Arctic and unfrozen. However, she didn’t recognize the other man. He was shorter and very solid looking.

“Where am I?” she asked to get their attention.

Steve stopped his bench press set immediately upon hearing a voice. Logan did not and continued to finish his. Steve sat up and used a small, white towel to wipe his hands. Then Logan sat up. The woman in the form fitting cat suit that he had brought in was right there. "Well hello to you to...Ava," Logan said neutrally. Steve actually stood up and shifted his hair with his hand to be more presentable. He smiled warmly at her as he came up to her.

"Hello Ava, my name is Steve and this is Logan. You caught us working out. We do this almost every morning. To answer your question you are in the Stark tower. Frank Castle brought you here in Lieu of dropping you off for the police. If there is anyway I can assist you I will. Are you hungry or thirsty?" He asked politely. His bright blue eyes seemed kind though Logan's brown eyes looked annoyed with her. Both men found her attractive. Logan was actually looking at her middle. Not leering exactly but obviously looking and not hiding that he was looking. Steve was more circumspect and kept his eyes respectful.

Even though Ava knew who Steve was, she was naturally cautious and suspicious and eyed him as he approached her. The other one, Logan, didn't seem quite as outwardly friendly. In fact, he seemed annoyed with her, which only made her annoyed with him...particularly when he started openly looking at her body. Ava was in incredible shape and her nicely sized breasts were enhanced by the suit she was wearing.

She crossed her arms over her chest as she looked at the two men. "You want to help me? Then get me out here so I can find Gideon Mace. I was so close to getting Remi to talk when that asshole...Frank or whatever his name is...interrupted me. I'm going to make Gideon pay for what he did to my family and then I'm going to make Frank pay for what he did to me."

Steve had extended his hand to her but then took it back when she didn't take it. "Well missy, that's an option, but the only place you'd be going is to jail. The police practically busted down the doors to take you into custody. Tony told them you were under duress and was trying to escape those men and women you put into the hospital yesterday. Some were in serious condition. So Steve, how much time would that be? Alot I bet," Logan said with a grin. Steve rolled his eyes at Logan's words.

"Ava...we are not your enemy. And I don't know much about Frank Castle. Isabella could maybe tell you more about him. But you are here now. I know there are some blueberry muffins and fresh coffee upstairs," Steve said trying to diffuse the situation as usual. "Awww, come on Steve, I love a good train wreck. It makes for good television. Reality TV is a new thing and I think I like it," Logan said as he looked at her chest though her arms were covering her breasts right then.

Logan's words made Ava tense up and her eyes narrowed at him. Anger bubbled up inside of her. "You know nothing about me or what I've been through. Screw you," she growled at him before she turned and walked away. Isabella and Tony were just emerging from their living quarters when she saw Ava walking their way. She smiled at her.

"Good morning Ava. Would you like some...?"

"No," Ava replied cutting her off and then storming past them back to her room.When she slammed the door closed Isabella sighed and then turned to look over at Logan who had followed Ava with Steve. "What the hell did you say to her?" she asked, knowing it had to have been him.

Steve just shook his head. “What? Like ‘she’s’ the only one that lost someone around here?” Logan said and he was loud enough for her to hear him. “Everyone thinks that their loss is the most important thing. But she hurt a lot of people that probably have families. And tried to get one of them to give her what she wanted. Sounds criminal enough ta me!” Logan said in his usual flair. “She’s just a girl with super powers and a bad case of tunnel vision. You let her go and she’ll hurt a lot more people until she gets what she wants. Since she’s adamant on her own death I say just throw her to the wolves. See how she likes the inside of a jail sell for the next 5 years,” Logan said as he poured himself a coffee.

“You know what Logan!” Steve said in irritation. “No...what?” Logan said with a scowl. “Ya don’t need to be a dick everyday of your life!” He said and then stalked away toward his room. Logan just shrugged.

Isabella stood there next to Tony as she held Serena. She sighed and shook her head at Logan as Steve walked away. Steve didn't curse. So for him to say something like he had to Logan meant that he was pretty upset. "He's not wrong you know," she said before walking away.

Isabella waited a while before she went to go talk to Ava. She brought her some breakfast and some coffee. She was in there with her for a while before coming out. She asked Happy to drive her to Ava's apartment to get her clothes and a few other items. Ava did not come out for most of the day, but Isabella convinced her to come out for dinner. Ava had changed into some jeans and a tee-shirt and the amulet hung on a chain around her neck. Isabella knew Tony was fascinated by the amulet and wanted to study it.

Tony poured the wine and so far, the meal had been...civil. Meaning that Logan did not tear into her like he heard he had the day before. "So, the amulet is...magical?" Tony asked her. "What kind of magic?" he asked.

Isabella had prepared lemon chicken with roasted vegetables. She had given Logan a look when Ava had sat down at the table with them that would tell him to behave...or else. Isabella served the food and poured the wine. Ava felt uncomfortable, but she was hungry and the food smelled delicious.

"It is the Jade amulet of power...a talisman of the Tiger God. It has been in my family for generations and grants special abilities to whoever possesses it. It was worn by my father and then by my eldest brother Hector before I became White Tiger."

Tony was fascinated by what she said. "A talisman, where did it come from? Is there books with information on this? It sounds...ancient. And this Talisman grants you your power? Are you human otherwise?" he asked her. Logan said nothing though he was listening. Steve was intrigued as well.

Ava took a bite of the chicken. It tasted even better than it smelled. She shook her head in response to the first question Tony asked. "There is no information in books about the Talisman...at least none that I'm aware of. I don't know where it came from originally. It has just been passed down from one generation to the next in my family. I am human otherwise. It is the amulet that grants me power. It is apart of me now. If I become separated from it my body will suffer from that separation."

"Like a drug withdrawal?" Isabella asked.

Ava nodded a little. "I suppose you could compare it to that yes."

Logan sighed and handed a dollar to Steve who took it from him and pocketed it. Logan had bet Steve that she was a mutant. Steve did not think so and so they made a friendly wager on it. "This chicken is wonderful," Steve said. And it was. Everyone was eating and asking for seconds.

"Banana Pecan pancakes tomorrow," Logan announced. "The bananas need to be used," He added as he popped a cherry tomato into his mouth.

"Hmm, well that's too bad. I bet there is an interesting story behind it. I know of ancient civilizations that had such talismans. Different ones ofcourse but never a white tiger. Maybe Incan or Aztec considering where it came from, He said thoughtfully.

"So without the fancy green jewel, she's just like you two without your suits...just less experienced and not as smart," Logan said finally in between bites. He hadn't even looked at her either.

Isabella frowned a little when she saw Logan handing a dollar to Steve. Clearly they had made some sort of bet regarding Ava. Ava had noticed as well, but she didn't say anything, especially after Logan announced that he was making pancakes in the morning. She had begun to believe that perhaps he was starting to be nicer towards her...that is until the next words came out of his mouth. Isabella nearly dropped her fork onto her plate at what Logan said! She just sat there in shock and then looked at Ava to say something, but Ava got there first. She stood up and glared at Logan.

"And what are you without your quips and comments? You're nothing but an insecure, short, ill tempered, pig of a man who, as far as I'm concerned, could drop off the face of this planet and the world would be better for it. Gideon Mace slaughtered my parents, brother, and sister in front of me. My brother Hector and I were the only two that escaped. We survived as best we could. We were all each other had until Gideon murdered him as well to try and get the amulet. I have NOTHING now because of him. I've been alone for the past year but at this point I would rather go to jail than to spend another SECOND with you!"

Logan stood up and shrugged off Steve's hand that moved to settle him back. His blood was red hot. For some reason her being here was affecting his calm and his demeanor and not for the better.

"So why do you think that makes you special? Steve lost everything and everyone he knew. Striker experimented on me, murdered my pregnant girlfriend, my memory, my entire life! You don't hear me whining about it! I'm fucking sorry you lost your family but you can't just go around and hurt people to get to those responsible. That's just selfish vengeance. We can't stop people from making bad choices and doing bad shit Ava. But we don't have to make those same bad choices. We aren't the same as them. That's why we're here. You have an opportunity here. You can make those deaths and that Talisman really mean something. Or you can sully what the White Tiger stood for and take your vengeance. That's what the Avengers are about. We use our pain, our experiences and Avenge those that can't fight for themselves," he said and seemed to calm down, a little. His dark eyes were still quite intense though and he had looked into her eyes.

Ava wanted to scream and cry and throw things at Logan. Not just because she was angry at him...but because he was right. She had never fully grieved the deaths of her parents and siblings. There hadn't been time. She had been forced to fight to survive. She felt lost and utterly alone. She felt tears come to her eyes, but she refused to cry in front of Logan and give him something else to get on her about. She turned and walked away from the table and to her room. She closed the door behind her.

Isabella said nothing to Logan. She just stood and began to clear the dishes. She wanted to give Ava some space to work out her feelings. The young woman clearly hadn't grieved properly and that was feeding into the other emotions she was feeling.

Later that night, much later Logan was watching an old Humphrey Bogart mystery movie. It was black and white and he had a 6 pack of beer and a bottle of some of the best rum he had ever tasted. He was just drinking from the bottle had for a little while, he managed some semblance of drunkenness. He had to continue to imbibe to maintain it but he felt good. He was on the couch slouched back. He heard and smelled her come out of her room. Everyone else had gone to sleep but he never slept much. He looked up at her approach then looked back at the screen. "The Maltese Falcon...ever see it? It's a classic," He said. When she just seemed to stand there he sighed and hefted up the bottle of rum toward her.

"I'm not much of a rum guy but this stuff is amazing. Tony picked it up...I forget where," He said.

Ava had cried until she didn’t think she could cry ever again. Her body had shook with her sobs and her eyes had turned beet red. She had eventually calmed down and had felt better after finally grieving properly.

She found she couldn’t sleep and she decided to go to the kitchen and get something to drink. As she approached the living room area she saw the tv was on and Logan was sitting there with beers and a bottle of some kind of liquor. Her first instinct was to turn around and walk away, but she didn’t. She stood there trying to figure out what to do. However, as Logan hefted up the bottle of rum she realized that he was making a kind of peace offering. She took the bottle from him.

“Sure you didn’t poison it?” she asked with a little grin before taking a slug straight from the bottle. Her eyebrows raised at the taste. “Wow, that is good.”

Logan nodded toward a seat near him. The couch had 3 spots and she could either sit next to him or one over from him. "I don't sleep much...I just don't need it," he said as he shifted and grabbed up a beer. He twisted off the cap, set the cap down on the end table then took a long sip. Logan was dressed in his usual blue jeans and white t-shirt. He had shaved this morning so there was a good bit of stubble on his face.

Ava thought about it for a moment before choosing the seat next to him. She took another swig of the rum and began to feel the effects from it pretty quickly. It caused her face to flush slightly with warmth and her body to start to relax. It was strong, but delicious. "I don't sleep much either...but that's because of the nightmares I have," she admitted.

Logan faced forward to the screen and didn't face her. "Yeah, well, gotta be rough to watch your family be murdered. I was gone...when it happened. I was a lumberjack in Canada and I smelled them but got there too late. They were just soldiers following orders but I killed them all anyway," Logan said and sipped his beer. "Didn't make any difference, she was still dead," he said then turned and faced her.

"That's what I was tryin ta say. "With your power you might get him. Get your revenge but after...after you're still empty inside. Empty and angry," Logan said. His eyes shifted down to her ample breasts then back up to her eyes. She was quite beautiful. And he liked larger breasts as well.

Ava listened to what Logan said and she had a feeling he was right. Avenging their deaths would not bring them back and she knew that with her powers she could do so much to help those that could not help themselves.

She saw Logan looking at her and despite his roughness around the edges she found him attractive, if in a rugged sort of way. She began to realize that she didn't want to be alone that night. She wanted...companionship. She wanted to feel alive again after feeling dead for the past year. She wanted...Logan.

Without a word she suddenly leaned forward and kissed him. Her lips tasted like rum. She felt tipsy, but she knew she wasn't drunk. She was well aware of what she was doing. She just hoped Logan wouldn't reject her.

The kiss wasn't expected and neither was that he kissed her back. He loved the taste of her lips. The rum suited him right then and he pulled her over atop him. She shifted to take in more rum but instead of swallowing it and kissed him and flooded both of their mouths. Logan set his beer down and brought his hands up to her wonderfully round breasts. There was no more need for talking, it was obvious what she wanted and Logan wasn't going to turn her away. He stood up with her attached to him and moved toward her room. All the while she continued to kiss him and grind herself against him. Logan grunted when he felt her hand go down into his pants then pull out to undo his belt. He shut the door behind them then turned so that her back was against the door. Her mouth was everywhere. His mouth, his neck and she even nibbled on his ear and chin. He shifted forward through the entry way and right into the bedroom where he dropped her down onto the bed then grabbed hold of the front of her pants and undid them. He pulled them off though she had to shift up to allow them past her bottom. Once they were off though he noticed the muscles in her legs. So not all of it wad the Talisman, he thought as he shifted her panties aside and began to use his fingers on her as he came to kneel above her on the bed so she could finish undoing his own pants.

"I want to see them," He said with a delighted grin.

Ava was relieved when Logan did not turn her away. She needed this...wanted this...and she could tell that he felt the same. It had been a while since she had been with a man and she felt her desire rising by the second. Her face was flush and her lips slightly swollen and pink. She didn't fight him as he picked her up and moved them into her room. She worked to get his belt undone, but it was difficult with him moving the way he was. She grinned as he dropped her down onto her bed and began to remove her pants. She licked her lips and eyed him like a cat eyeing its prey. She moaned as began to use fingers on her. As he shifted to kneel above her she moved her hands back to finish undoing his belt. She grinned at his request.

"Pig," she said and then she crossed her arms over her body and grabbed the hem of her shirt and lifted it up over her head. She had taken off her bra earlier to make herself more comfortable. Her breasts were completely natural and of a nice size. They weren't overly large, but were round, smooth, and perky. Her nipples were erect from her sexual desire. She grinned again at him. "So, what do you think?"