Into The Shadows
Chapter Fourteen
Bruce managed to clear everyone out, saying I needed some rest, but Steve and Tony stayed with me. After about five minutes, I could construct a few jumbled sentences.
"You... Heard?" I asked Tony, and he nodded.
"I had the audio on you the whole time Claire. I'm sorry."
"Anna and... Loki?" I managed to get out. He nodded, and looked across me to Steve, who squeezed my hand.
"Have...Find... Her..." I ordered, trying to sit up. Steve and Tony instantly pushed me back down onto my bed. I tried to struggle with them to no avail.
"Claire, you can't. That drug is still in your system." Steve soothed, but I pushed him away, mumbling something incoherent, even to me.
"My... Sister..."
"Claire, we're doing everything we can to find her," Tony tried to reassure me, but I shook my head, trying to push him away.
"My sister." I snapped bluntly, my words slurring.
"Claire,"Steve soothed in my ear, wrapping both his arms around my waist and dragging me back into the bed, "We're looking for her, and as soon as you wake up you can do the same. Right now though, you can barely even sit up. You need to rest, okay?"
I don't really remember much after that. I'm pretty sure I drifted off to sleep in Steve's arms, still trying to struggle.
I was sitting in Tony's workstation, watching as he ran some tests on Denearmul. He glanced up at me and smiled gently.
"What?"
"Girl in the shadows."
I remembered the nickname Loki had given me. "Yeah?"
"Shadow. Got a ring to it."
I rolled my eyes.
"No, I'm serious Claire. You need a name. A superhero name. We've got Hulk, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and me, Iron Man. You're just Claire."
"I'm Agent Reynolds." I reminded him with a ghost of a smile.
He pulled a face. "Way too military for you. Anyway, there doesn't seem to be a problem with it, from what I can tell. You can take it back now."
I picked Denearmul up and sheathed it again. "Thanks, Tony."
"You do realize I've got to work on a costume for you now, right?"
I laughed and shook my head, not bothering to reply as I walked out, almost bumping into Pepper as I did.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, looking me up and down. I shrugged and told her that I was fine, and the two days of rest Bruce had ordered for me had worked. She said she was glad, and gave me a quick smile before walking into Tony's workstation.
I was looking through Tony's large selection of books when Steve came up behind me and rested his chin on the top of my head, wrapping his arms around me. "You seem tense."
I smiled in spite of myself. "Yeah, well I've had a pretty crappy couple of days. My sister just happens to be working with a psycho Demi-God, who tried to blow up half of New York last year."
Steve inhaled deeply, hugging me tighter. "Yeah, well I'm here, if that's any consolation."
I closed my eyes, leaning back against him. "It's a big consolation, Steve. You're amazing."
He chuckled and kissed my cheek. "How about I make dinner?"
"You?" I turned around and tilted my head, wrapping my arms around his neck. "No offence, Super Soldier, but you aren't the best cook."
He pouted, "I made toast last week."
"Correction. You put bread under the grill and turned it into soot."
"Okay, so I left it on a little longer than I should have." He shrugged, "No-one's perfect."
I smiled, "The offer is very sweet, but I think we should order a take-out."
"Chinese?" He asked, stepping away from me and over to the coffee table. We were in one of the may Living Rooms of the Stark Tower. One thing always remained the same, whichever one of them you were in; there were a handful of Take-Out menus on the coffee table, regardless.
He picked up a menu and examined it, holding it out for my approval.
"That's Sushi, Steve." I laughed, standing on tip-toes and kissing him on the cheek. "JARVIS?"
"Yes, Miss Reynolds?"
"Can you place our usual order at The Lucky Cat?"
"Yes Miss Reynolds. How will the bill be paid?"
I shrugged. "Put it on Tony's tab."
"Of course, Miss Reynolds."
I dropped down onto the sofa, exhaling and closing my eyes. I felt the sofa sink a little as Steve sat beside me, pulling me in for a hug.
"We'll find them," He promised, "And we'll cut whatever mind control Loki's using on her. She won't stay that way for ever."
I sank into the hug, feeling my nerves relax like I was drinking Chamomile Tea. "I hope so."
When I woke up the next morning sunlight was bursting through the open windows. I yawned and stretched, feeling the bed next to me for Steve. When I didn't find anything I looked over to the armchair in the corner.
Steve smiled at me, his sketchbook resting on his lap. "Morning."
"Every time I see you like that I get the impression you're drawing me." I told him, sitting up.
"No idea where you'd get that impression." He closed the book and stood up, allowing me a moment to admire his fine toned physique.
"Miss Reynolds, Captain Rogers?"
"Yes JARVIS?" I mumbled, catching the sweatpants that Steve threw me.
"Mr. Stark requests your presence in the kitchen. He says it is of utmost importance."
"You'd think he'd be old enough to know how to turn on the oven." I grunted, tugging on the sweats and throwing Steve a grin. "He's more inept than you."
Steve let out a low whistle, pulling a grey t-shirt over his torso.
"Miss Reynolds?"
"Yes, JARVIS?"
"Director Fury is also present in the kitchen. He requires your presence and Captain Rogers' immediately."
I frowned, standing up and pulling on a hoodie. "Must be important."
"Must be. Did he say what it was about, JARVIS?"
"That it was urgent, Captain Rogers."
I shrugged and opened the door. "Let's see what they want, shall we?"
Steve opened his mouth to reply, but I never got to hear what it was. Something crashed into the building, sending everything flying, including us. Windows exploded, spraying tiny shards of glass across the floor, and overhead, the fire alarm started.
"You... Heard?" I asked Tony, and he nodded.
"I had the audio on you the whole time Claire. I'm sorry."
"Anna and... Loki?" I managed to get out. He nodded, and looked across me to Steve, who squeezed my hand.
"Have...Find... Her..." I ordered, trying to sit up. Steve and Tony instantly pushed me back down onto my bed. I tried to struggle with them to no avail.
"Claire, you can't. That drug is still in your system." Steve soothed, but I pushed him away, mumbling something incoherent, even to me.
"My... Sister..."
"Claire, we're doing everything we can to find her," Tony tried to reassure me, but I shook my head, trying to push him away.
"My sister." I snapped bluntly, my words slurring.
"Claire,"Steve soothed in my ear, wrapping both his arms around my waist and dragging me back into the bed, "We're looking for her, and as soon as you wake up you can do the same. Right now though, you can barely even sit up. You need to rest, okay?"
I don't really remember much after that. I'm pretty sure I drifted off to sleep in Steve's arms, still trying to struggle.
I was sitting in Tony's workstation, watching as he ran some tests on Denearmul. He glanced up at me and smiled gently.
"What?"
"Girl in the shadows."
I remembered the nickname Loki had given me. "Yeah?"
"Shadow. Got a ring to it."
I rolled my eyes.
"No, I'm serious Claire. You need a name. A superhero name. We've got Hulk, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and me, Iron Man. You're just Claire."
"I'm Agent Reynolds." I reminded him with a ghost of a smile.
He pulled a face. "Way too military for you. Anyway, there doesn't seem to be a problem with it, from what I can tell. You can take it back now."
I picked Denearmul up and sheathed it again. "Thanks, Tony."
"You do realize I've got to work on a costume for you now, right?"
I laughed and shook my head, not bothering to reply as I walked out, almost bumping into Pepper as I did.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, looking me up and down. I shrugged and told her that I was fine, and the two days of rest Bruce had ordered for me had worked. She said she was glad, and gave me a quick smile before walking into Tony's workstation.
I was looking through Tony's large selection of books when Steve came up behind me and rested his chin on the top of my head, wrapping his arms around me. "You seem tense."
I smiled in spite of myself. "Yeah, well I've had a pretty crappy couple of days. My sister just happens to be working with a psycho Demi-God, who tried to blow up half of New York last year."
Steve inhaled deeply, hugging me tighter. "Yeah, well I'm here, if that's any consolation."
I closed my eyes, leaning back against him. "It's a big consolation, Steve. You're amazing."
He chuckled and kissed my cheek. "How about I make dinner?"
"You?" I turned around and tilted my head, wrapping my arms around his neck. "No offence, Super Soldier, but you aren't the best cook."
He pouted, "I made toast last week."
"Correction. You put bread under the grill and turned it into soot."
"Okay, so I left it on a little longer than I should have." He shrugged, "No-one's perfect."
I smiled, "The offer is very sweet, but I think we should order a take-out."
"Chinese?" He asked, stepping away from me and over to the coffee table. We were in one of the may Living Rooms of the Stark Tower. One thing always remained the same, whichever one of them you were in; there were a handful of Take-Out menus on the coffee table, regardless.
He picked up a menu and examined it, holding it out for my approval.
"That's Sushi, Steve." I laughed, standing on tip-toes and kissing him on the cheek. "JARVIS?"
"Yes, Miss Reynolds?"
"Can you place our usual order at The Lucky Cat?"
"Yes Miss Reynolds. How will the bill be paid?"
I shrugged. "Put it on Tony's tab."
"Of course, Miss Reynolds."
I dropped down onto the sofa, exhaling and closing my eyes. I felt the sofa sink a little as Steve sat beside me, pulling me in for a hug.
"We'll find them," He promised, "And we'll cut whatever mind control Loki's using on her. She won't stay that way for ever."
I sank into the hug, feeling my nerves relax like I was drinking Chamomile Tea. "I hope so."
When I woke up the next morning sunlight was bursting through the open windows. I yawned and stretched, feeling the bed next to me for Steve. When I didn't find anything I looked over to the armchair in the corner.
Steve smiled at me, his sketchbook resting on his lap. "Morning."
"Every time I see you like that I get the impression you're drawing me." I told him, sitting up.
"No idea where you'd get that impression." He closed the book and stood up, allowing me a moment to admire his fine toned physique.
"Miss Reynolds, Captain Rogers?"
"Yes JARVIS?" I mumbled, catching the sweatpants that Steve threw me.
"Mr. Stark requests your presence in the kitchen. He says it is of utmost importance."
"You'd think he'd be old enough to know how to turn on the oven." I grunted, tugging on the sweats and throwing Steve a grin. "He's more inept than you."
Steve let out a low whistle, pulling a grey t-shirt over his torso.
"Miss Reynolds?"
"Yes, JARVIS?"
"Director Fury is also present in the kitchen. He requires your presence and Captain Rogers' immediately."
I frowned, standing up and pulling on a hoodie. "Must be important."
"Must be. Did he say what it was about, JARVIS?"
"That it was urgent, Captain Rogers."
I shrugged and opened the door. "Let's see what they want, shall we?"
Steve opened his mouth to reply, but I never got to hear what it was. Something crashed into the building, sending everything flying, including us. Windows exploded, spraying tiny shards of glass across the floor, and overhead, the fire alarm started.
