Chapter 1

"In a time of hate, love is an act of resistance."

This could not be happening. She was going to close her eyes and when she opened them New York would not be in the middle of an alien invasion. This could not be happening. But since it was she was going to beat the ever loving shit out of the freak with the golden horned helmet since he seemed to be responsible for all this. Sitting at the top of Stark Tower like he was freaking king of the world already. "Cocky, little shit."

"Stop grumbling and move, Jace! We can't just stay out in the open because you want to glare at the dude on top of the tower." Glancing over to her left to see her red headed cousin, Bryn, the whole reason they were in New York in the first place, give her the stink eye. Who picks a trip to NY over London, England anyway?

"I'm blaming you, Bryn." Grabbing the younger woman's hand she raced them through the maze of overturned cars, scared civilians and rubble. They needed to find someplace sturdy and without too much glass. Better yet, they needed to get the hell out of dodge.

They hadn't been running long when she felt the familiar hand of the redhead slip out of hers.

"Jace!" The distressed call of her cousin, her best friend, caused her heart to stop before she turned around. An alien that looked like a cross between a mummy and lizard had her precious family member by the throat.

Jace saw red. And if it wasn't for a random arrow lodging into, before exploding, the spine of the foreign bastard, therefore killing it, she would have shoved her whole fist down it's throat. Without thinking she hefted Bryn off of the floor and onto her back, glancing around for the person who had saved the crying redhead. "Shh, Bryn. I've got you."

"We have to find whoever shot it." Sending a worried glance behind her, nodding her acciqusence before running down the street where dozens of aliens lay dead with arrows lodge into some part of their body.

A group of the oddest, yet no less badass, dressed people she had ever seen stood gathered together in front of a tall building. Everyone of them had their eyes on her cousin and herself, sizing them up before just staring like they were crazy. Rolling her own orbs in annoyance before she jogged up to them, ignoring the astonished looks before placing her red headed family member in front of the dude with the bow and arrows.

"Go on, Bryn." While keeping an eye on her best friend/ family member she took a moment to look at the other's in the rag tag group.

She looked at each and every member up and down before gripping the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "So we have a super villain and now super hero's? Fuck a duck!" Jace winced when she felt a smack on the back of her head. Knowing very well who did it and why she chose to blatantly ignore her cousin in favor of rubbing her fingers across her clothed soul mark. Two set of words that wrapped possessively around her body, one set wrapped around her hips, in thick aggressive scrawl, as tribal markings, that she adored, swirled sensually around the words. Another set of words trailed the length of her spine, the writing itself was intricate with large swirls here and there, making it look somewhat similar to beautiful arabic script. She loved her markings that always brought a sense of peace to her whenever she touched them. They reminded her that she wasn't as alone in the world as she sometimes felt. Two people were waiting on her.

Her annoyance calmed at once, her thin fingers dragging softly along her clothes, not giving a damn about how she looked at the moment. She had to survive this, needed to make sure her cousin got to her soul mates as well.

"Ok, Bryn, I got this. Maybe. It's going to be a cold day in hell before I let that power tripping moose take us down."

"Your unhealthy obsessed with his helmet." The younger woman's dry tone did nothing to phase her angst towards the golden horned helmet.

"It's ugly as sin." Grimacing at Bryn's scowl before flushing slightly, cheeks turning a soft pink, as a deep baritone laugh sent shivers down her spine.

Turning her head to look at a man who donned a robot suit of sorts. He was older but no less handsome, sharp brown mischievous eyes and facial hair covering a chiseled jaw made her body heat up deliciously.

"Something funny, brown eyes?" Her mouth was moving before she could think to stop herself and when his eyes widened she stepped back instinctively. She felt more than saw Bryn move closer to her, hand gripping hers in case they needed to run.

"You've kept me waiting, sweetheart." Tears, she could feel the tears filling her eyes as she kept herself from latching onto the man in the suit.

Her soulmate.

Finally.

Finally.

The roar of what looked to be a space whale broke them out of their moment. Sighing in resignation, knowing that she would have to fight, since their was no way she would leave her mate here alone. It had definitely turned into one hell of a day.

"I'm still blaming you, Bryn." Sending her fuming cousin a cheeky smile before biting into her palm enough to draw the blood she needed. She prayed that her mate wouldn't freak out when putting together that she was a mutant but she didn't have time to worry about that for now.

She would protect him. She would make sure they all got home safe and sound.

"I take back what I said about the moose's hat. That is ugly as sin." A familiar smack followed a deep chuckle and she had never felt more content.

"Just kill it!" Bryn shouted and she had no choice but to obey.

"Yes, ma'am."

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