(takes place after between sections 6 and 7 of "Fallen")

Olivia

History class has never been my favorite subject. Learning about the French Revolution or the bombing of Pearl Harbor is one thing, those events are fascinating. But once history class enters into the 21st century, then it becomes about the Avengers. Everyone in class gets so excited; lessons become about epic battles between aliens, Stark technology, Thanos, and the infamous infinity stones. For other students they get to watch and learn about epic tales of heroism, badass battles, and super powers they wish they had.

For me, I have to sit in class and watch people romanticize traumatic events in my family's lives. I read articles about the organization that tortured my parents, I watch footage of Uncle T'Challa trying to murder Dad, I see photos of Mom saving people trapped under rubble after the snap. All of my classmates look at them like they're gods. Even now as we watch video footage of my family fighting off Thanos's army in Wakanda, I hear the person next to me whisper; "The Savage is so cool. I bet she could beat all the other Avengers in a fight."

The person behind me interjects. "Not Thor. She couldn't beat Thor."

"If she turned into a whale and sat on him then she would win."

"I mean if we're talking about her going up against Black Widow or Captain America, then sure the Savage would win. But Thor would kick her ass."

This debate keeps going on for some time. I've only met Thor a couple of times, and each time I was very intimidated by him. He's an actual god after all. I think Mom could beat him in a fight though.

Watching this footage makes me shake with anxiety. Of course I know nothing will happen to them, but watching my whole family in mortal peril isn't fun. Mom and Dad are fighting side by side near Uncle T'Challa on one side of the battlefield, while Uncle Alex, Uncle Khari, and Aunt Okoye are fighting on the other. Uncle Sam is flying through the air with Uncle Rhodey, shooting at the aliens below.

Stevie would love to watch this. He's just as bad as my classmates. He doesn't see this as our family is danger, he sees this as our family being kick ass superheroes. My brother has these rose colored glasses when it comes to our family. I seem to be the only one who sees the weight of our family's job.

"Alright, the bell is about to ring," My teacher says, pausing the footage much to everyone's displeasure. "Your homework assignment is to answer these questions about the Battle of Wakanda. It's three pages and I want them on my desk by Tuesday."

The person next to me groans. "Crap. That Savage versus Thor debate is going to bite me in the ass. I wasn't paying attention."

The person behind me shrugs. "Just look the footage up online. This assignment will be easy."

I chuckle lightly to myself. There was a reason I ace this part of history every year. They may be able to watch footage of these battles and these heroes online, but I live with them. I'd be happy homework was this easy if it also weren't extremely weird to do homework on my family. Even worse, people tend to notice how uncomfortable I get during class, then I have to make some excuse about a stomach ache. But alas, that's the story of my life; pretending to be Olivia Branson while trying to hide being Olivia Barnes.

-

Letting out a sigh, I begin clicking my pen, wracking my brain for the answer. Glancing around the living room, I try to find one of my parents to help me, but I don't see either of them.

"Mom? Dad? One of you?" I yell, trying to be loud enough they'll hear me at any part of the house.

I hear footsteps coming down the stairs and moments later Dad appears, sitting down at the kitchen table with me. He slides the paper towards himself, looking down at the question I'm stuck on.

"Name all three of the Children of Thanos present at the battle of Wakanda." Dad reads aloud, his eyebrows knitting in confusion.

I nod. "Yeah I don't know the answer either. But shouldn't you know? You were there."

Dad rolls his eyes, glaring at the paper. "Well, yeah but I didn't exactly ask them their names when they were trying to kill me. I didn't even fight any of them. Your mom did though. Sweetheart!" Dad yells.

I hear footsteps coming from the basement stairs, followed my panting and sweaty mother. She must have been dancing in the dance studio downstairs. That's usually where she can be found.

She pushes her hair behind her ear, leaning over Dad's shoulder and staring at the question. "I only fought one of them. It was Proxima Midnight. Nat, Okoye, and I fought her with Wanda. She got cut in half by one of those giant blades."

"That's really gross, Mom."

She shrugs. "As far as the other ones, I have no idea. Have you called Shuri? Or T'Challa?"

"How would they know? Aunt Shuri wasn't on the battlefield and how would Uncle T'Challa know anymore than you?"

"Why can't you just look the answers up on the internet?"

Dad raises his eyebrows. "Are we encouraging our daughter to cheat?"

"Liebchen, we were there. We saw these people with our own eyes and we don't know their names. I can't imagine how her other classmates are doing. I think this is a good time to use the internet. It's what it was made for."

"But if we don't even know their names then how does the internet have that answer? They probably made up the names."

I shake my head. "This is why I hate history class."

Mom tilts her head my way. "Because your teacher asks stupid questions?"

I look up at her, dropping my pencil on the table. "Because I have to sit in class and watch you both in a dangerous battle while listening to people behind me debate whether Mom could beat Thor in a battle. Then to make matters worse I come home and have to deal with this nonsense."

Mom leans down and plants a kiss on the top of my head. "I know it's weird, my darling. But just think, for the most part you get really easy homework."

Dad shakes his head, his eyebrows creased in thought. "I think if Thor wasn't using his hammer then you could beat him in a fight."

Mom rolls her eyes, but a smirk forms on her lips. "I arm wrestled him once and it took a solid eight minutes for him to beat me. If I shifted into a whale or an elephant I think I could kick his ass."

I sigh. "Steve will be mad you had this conversation without him. He'd have much to say."

Dad smiles to himself, looking towards the clock on the wall. "Well your brother will be home soon. Maybe you should ask him for an answer. I bet he knows."

He probably does. He doesn't feel as weird about our parents being superheroes as I do. "It's ridiculous that you fought these people and you don't know their names and yet you are positive your son does."

Dad shrugs. "These are strange times, honey."

Mom shakes her head. "If our son does know the names of those aliens I am going to write an anonymous letter to the school board and complain about their fabricated information."

Dad winks at her. "You go get em', sweetheart."

I let out a groan. "I'm just gonna look these answers up online."

"Make sure to tell your teacher that she is teaching false information to her students," Mom informs me, annoyance in her eyes.

Sharing Mom's frustrations with the public education system, I smirk at her, linking my fingers with hers and squeezing her hand. "I'll give her a thorough complaint, Mama."