I Kneel to No One

A Danger in Disguise

I stood in the middle of a formal party, surrounded by a group of people dressed in finery. Night was visible in glimpses between the deep red, velvet curtains, held off by the many lamps that cast a warm glow to the party. As I made my way through the crowded room to the stairs, my swishy red dress brushed against my legs. The concealed gun holster beneath my wrap dress chafed against my hip as I walked, but it was a comfort knowing the protection it provided was present. However, the fact that I had a gun on my person would not work in my favor if anyone looked too closely.

I was finally- finally- on my first mission. After saving Ria's ass in the fight with Ultron (though she insisted that she didn't need my help, of course), Director Fury had to admit that I could handle myself in a fight. So now I was undercover at the Nomad Restaurant, decked out in golden, high-heeled sandals, looking for someone involved in a human trafficking ring that specialized in Enhanced individuals: a person named Eleanor Decrani.

From the dossier SHIELD had given me, I knew she was a six-foot-two black woman with elongated, solemn features with a strange element of cleverness to them. Her voluminous hair was pulled up in an afro puff the size of a soccer ball, but had likely been changed since the photo was taken. The woman was clearly no fool, and since she hadn't been caught before now, she obviously was skilled at staying hidden.

My mission was to find her, detain her, and bring her into SHIELD custody. After training for more than three years on the helicarrier with Ria and Nat, I knew I was ready for whatever she could throw at me. As I approached the spiral staircase, I pushed the subtle earpiece Ria had given me deeper into my ear. Hopefully if anyone saw it, they would think it was an AirPod.

I reached the stairs and started down them, my hand running along the smooth wooden banister in a tight spiral. Just two steps away from the bottom, my left toe caught on my right, and I toppled forward with a yelp.

My boots left the carpeted steps as I fell forward, my hands held out in front of me and my eyes squeezed shut for the impact.

It never came.

A hand grasped my wrist, pulling me back up before I could fall the last few steps to the ground. The hand released me as I regained my footing. I looked up the steep stairwell to see a tall man standing above me with a glass in his hand. He stood in shadow, blocking the light from the sconces on the floor above.

He leaned forward, illuminating his face. He had reddish-gold hair that was swept back softly just behind his ears. The stranger's light hazel eyes sparkled with faint amusement, and his perfectly tailored, navy blue suit contrasted nicely with his fiery crown.