Into The Shadows
Chapter Twelve
I felt Steve's fingers curl around mine and I glanced up at him. There was a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead, and his hair was starting to flop over his blue eyes, which were currently staring straight at me. There were a hundred things I wanted to say to him, but not with everyone else listening on the line.
"Guys, you're gonna have to make a move." Tony's voice interrupted us. "There are four of those guys coming your way. I'm pretty sure they're getting the same visual I am."
"Steve's grip on my hand tightened, and I nodded to him. He pushed off from the wall, pulling me with him. A bullet exploded somewhere around my feet, but I kept running, trying to keep up with Steve's longer legs. Another two bullets went off, and we ducked into the alley, skidding around the corner to the left, breathing heavily.
"You're okay?" Steve asked, checking me as soon as we were both around the corner, pushing my hair back from my face to check me, "He didn't get you?"
"I'm fine, really." I caught his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "We should go."
He paused for a moment, but nodded, "Okay."
As Steve was taller than me by several inches, he reached up and pulled down the emergency ladder on the side of the building.
"Who goes first?" He asked.
"I'll go." I grabbed a rung above my head and began to pull myself up.
"You got a good view there, Steve?" Tony asked.
"Shut up." He growled, and I heard Tony chuckle.
"Okay," I grunted, hauling myself onto the rooftop and lying flat on my back. "I'm up."
"What about the Cap?"
Steve's head popped up the side of the building, and he crawled next to me. "He's up too."
"Okay, up here I don't have a great visual, so I'm just going to have to navigate you blind. How are you with rooftop hopping?"
Steve gave an audible groan, and I smiled softly.
"Cap seemed happy. Okay, Claire, do you see a large apartment building with a big ass sign on it?"
"Advertising some film? Yeah I see it."
"Okay, well the high rise to the right of that? That's your sister's building."
Steve glanced at me, and I gave him a shirt, re-assuring smile.
"Alright then, let's go, shall we?"
"Ahh, " Clint turned to us as we approached, a smile quirking at his lips. "Glad you two could join us for the party."
We were across the street from my sister's building. Agent's were posted all around the street, and I knew for a fact that there were a lot more in the IT van parked nearby. Clint had offered to personally oversee the watch on my Sister's building, which was sweet of him. He'd been up on watch since 3 o'clock this morning, and was looking no worse for wear.
"Would have missed it for the world," Steve shook his hand stiffly.
"Took you both long enough to get here though. Trouble from the locals?" Clint's eyes went to the scratch on Steve's face and the graze on my shoulder.
"Nothing we couldn't handle."
"Well you might want to get yourselves cleared up. There's coffee and clothes in the van." Clint motioned towards the IT van, which we clambered into.
Natasha smiled at me from over on a beanbag cushion, where she was snuggled with a cup of coffee. She was dressed, uncharacteristically, in jeans and a baggy t-shirt. We were obviously supposed to look like civilians.
"I picked up your coat." She told me, motioning to two piles of clothes near us. "Get dressed in the Starbucks. That's where Thor is right now."
Steve gathered up the two pies of clothing, and handed me one, before stepping back out of the van and into the street again. We turned around, straight into Thor.
"How do I look?" He asked, seeming pleased with himself. He was dressed in a button down white shirt and jeans, complete with a pair of converse All-stars. His long blonde hair had been tied back in a ponytail, and he reminded me of an art student. All he needed was a pair of John Lennon glasses and the look would be complete.
"Very dashing, Thor." I told him with a smile, before stepping into the Starbucks with Steve. We made our way to the back, and out into the corridor that led to the toilets. Once we were on our own, Steve caught my hand, pulling me close.
"Claire..." He whispered, and I stopped him, gently tapping his earpiece. His face fell, and his jaw tightened.
I stood on tiptoes, and with my free hand, tilted his chin down, and kissed him. He wound the fingers from his free hand into my hair, kissing me more deeply.
"Awh, look at how cute you two are." Tony's voice made us both jump apart, and I turned to find the security camera he was watching us with. I found it, and glared at it.
"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. Carry on with what you were doing."
"You're insufferable." Steve growled, walking into the men's toilets. I glared at the camera one final time, before disappearing into the women's.
Steve was waiting for me when I walked out. I was dressed in dark jeans and a white tailored blouse. (An idea which I held Tony responsible for - my bra was black.) I was wearing the same biker boots, and had the long overcoat back on to cover Denearmul.
Steve was dressed in a plaid shirt, tan jeans and a brown leather jacket. He'd fixed his hair too, so he now looked less like he'd been chased through the streets of New York by armed mercenaries. He gave me a brief smile when I approached him, and motioned towards my blouse.
"Not your ideal pick, I'm guessing?" He said, a slight ting of pink on his cheeks. I bumped his shoulder and grinned as I walked past him and back to the van.
When we were all back inside, Natasha handed me a coffee, and we sat watching the surveillance footage, waiting for Loki to show up. The minutes seemed to go on for hours as I sat next to Steve, with his arm wrapped around my shoulder. After about an hour Clint traded places with another Agent and came inside to wait with us.
"What's that?" Clint asked, peering closer to the screen.
One of the agents zoomed in on it. "It's a guy walking up the stairs."
A couple of people in the van laughed, but Clint peered closer. "No no... That's Loki."
"Are you sure?" Thor got to his feet and wandered over, peering closer at the screen. There was a long silence while he inspected it.
"That is Loki." He confirmed after a moment, and we all began to get to our feet.
"Stark, you getting this?" Clint called through his earpiece, opening the door of the van.
"Yep. Uh.. You guys may have a problem."
"What now?" Natasha asked from behind me, slipping on a jacket.
"There are more of those mercenaries. They're everywhere."
We all exchanged glances of worry.
"Okay," Steve murmured, straightening up. "Claire, she's your sister, so it only seems fair that you go in there for her. Thor, that's your brother in there, so the same goes for you. The rest of us will hold off the mercenaries and join you when we're done."
Thor gave a quick bow and nodded, plucking his hammer from the van and nodding to me. "You are ready?"
I nodded, and then glanced at Steve, who was loading his gun, but watching me carefully.
"You people are going to want to sort out a plan and act on it, Loki's on the move." Tony warned us, and we all moved into action. Thor motioned for me to follow him around the side of the van, while the other agents ran out into the street. I watched Steve's back disappear into the fray and felt something tug at my heart. Thor looked down at me.
"You are alright, daughter of rain?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"You and Captain Rogers, you are-"
"Thor," I interrupted him, "We can talk about this back home."
He nodded, "Yes, there are more important matters."
I grinned and unsheathed Denearmul. "Let's go then."
"Guys, you're gonna have to make a move." Tony's voice interrupted us. "There are four of those guys coming your way. I'm pretty sure they're getting the same visual I am."
"Steve's grip on my hand tightened, and I nodded to him. He pushed off from the wall, pulling me with him. A bullet exploded somewhere around my feet, but I kept running, trying to keep up with Steve's longer legs. Another two bullets went off, and we ducked into the alley, skidding around the corner to the left, breathing heavily.
"You're okay?" Steve asked, checking me as soon as we were both around the corner, pushing my hair back from my face to check me, "He didn't get you?"
"I'm fine, really." I caught his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "We should go."
He paused for a moment, but nodded, "Okay."
As Steve was taller than me by several inches, he reached up and pulled down the emergency ladder on the side of the building.
"Who goes first?" He asked.
"I'll go." I grabbed a rung above my head and began to pull myself up.
"You got a good view there, Steve?" Tony asked.
"Shut up." He growled, and I heard Tony chuckle.
"Okay," I grunted, hauling myself onto the rooftop and lying flat on my back. "I'm up."
"What about the Cap?"
Steve's head popped up the side of the building, and he crawled next to me. "He's up too."
"Okay, up here I don't have a great visual, so I'm just going to have to navigate you blind. How are you with rooftop hopping?"
Steve gave an audible groan, and I smiled softly.
"Cap seemed happy. Okay, Claire, do you see a large apartment building with a big ass sign on it?"
"Advertising some film? Yeah I see it."
"Okay, well the high rise to the right of that? That's your sister's building."
Steve glanced at me, and I gave him a shirt, re-assuring smile.
"Alright then, let's go, shall we?"
"Ahh, " Clint turned to us as we approached, a smile quirking at his lips. "Glad you two could join us for the party."
We were across the street from my sister's building. Agent's were posted all around the street, and I knew for a fact that there were a lot more in the IT van parked nearby. Clint had offered to personally oversee the watch on my Sister's building, which was sweet of him. He'd been up on watch since 3 o'clock this morning, and was looking no worse for wear.
"Would have missed it for the world," Steve shook his hand stiffly.
"Took you both long enough to get here though. Trouble from the locals?" Clint's eyes went to the scratch on Steve's face and the graze on my shoulder.
"Nothing we couldn't handle."
"Well you might want to get yourselves cleared up. There's coffee and clothes in the van." Clint motioned towards the IT van, which we clambered into.
Natasha smiled at me from over on a beanbag cushion, where she was snuggled with a cup of coffee. She was dressed, uncharacteristically, in jeans and a baggy t-shirt. We were obviously supposed to look like civilians.
"I picked up your coat." She told me, motioning to two piles of clothes near us. "Get dressed in the Starbucks. That's where Thor is right now."
Steve gathered up the two pies of clothing, and handed me one, before stepping back out of the van and into the street again. We turned around, straight into Thor.
"How do I look?" He asked, seeming pleased with himself. He was dressed in a button down white shirt and jeans, complete with a pair of converse All-stars. His long blonde hair had been tied back in a ponytail, and he reminded me of an art student. All he needed was a pair of John Lennon glasses and the look would be complete.
"Very dashing, Thor." I told him with a smile, before stepping into the Starbucks with Steve. We made our way to the back, and out into the corridor that led to the toilets. Once we were on our own, Steve caught my hand, pulling me close.
"Claire..." He whispered, and I stopped him, gently tapping his earpiece. His face fell, and his jaw tightened.
I stood on tiptoes, and with my free hand, tilted his chin down, and kissed him. He wound the fingers from his free hand into my hair, kissing me more deeply.
"Awh, look at how cute you two are." Tony's voice made us both jump apart, and I turned to find the security camera he was watching us with. I found it, and glared at it.
"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. Carry on with what you were doing."
"You're insufferable." Steve growled, walking into the men's toilets. I glared at the camera one final time, before disappearing into the women's.
Steve was waiting for me when I walked out. I was dressed in dark jeans and a white tailored blouse. (An idea which I held Tony responsible for - my bra was black.) I was wearing the same biker boots, and had the long overcoat back on to cover Denearmul.
Steve was dressed in a plaid shirt, tan jeans and a brown leather jacket. He'd fixed his hair too, so he now looked less like he'd been chased through the streets of New York by armed mercenaries. He gave me a brief smile when I approached him, and motioned towards my blouse.
"Not your ideal pick, I'm guessing?" He said, a slight ting of pink on his cheeks. I bumped his shoulder and grinned as I walked past him and back to the van.
When we were all back inside, Natasha handed me a coffee, and we sat watching the surveillance footage, waiting for Loki to show up. The minutes seemed to go on for hours as I sat next to Steve, with his arm wrapped around my shoulder. After about an hour Clint traded places with another Agent and came inside to wait with us.
"What's that?" Clint asked, peering closer to the screen.
One of the agents zoomed in on it. "It's a guy walking up the stairs."
A couple of people in the van laughed, but Clint peered closer. "No no... That's Loki."
"Are you sure?" Thor got to his feet and wandered over, peering closer at the screen. There was a long silence while he inspected it.
"That is Loki." He confirmed after a moment, and we all began to get to our feet.
"Stark, you getting this?" Clint called through his earpiece, opening the door of the van.
"Yep. Uh.. You guys may have a problem."
"What now?" Natasha asked from behind me, slipping on a jacket.
"There are more of those mercenaries. They're everywhere."
We all exchanged glances of worry.
"Okay," Steve murmured, straightening up. "Claire, she's your sister, so it only seems fair that you go in there for her. Thor, that's your brother in there, so the same goes for you. The rest of us will hold off the mercenaries and join you when we're done."
Thor gave a quick bow and nodded, plucking his hammer from the van and nodding to me. "You are ready?"
I nodded, and then glanced at Steve, who was loading his gun, but watching me carefully.
"You people are going to want to sort out a plan and act on it, Loki's on the move." Tony warned us, and we all moved into action. Thor motioned for me to follow him around the side of the van, while the other agents ran out into the street. I watched Steve's back disappear into the fray and felt something tug at my heart. Thor looked down at me.
"You are alright, daughter of rain?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"You and Captain Rogers, you are-"
"Thor," I interrupted him, "We can talk about this back home."
He nodded, "Yes, there are more important matters."
I grinned and unsheathed Denearmul. "Let's go then."
