The Before [Prequel- Part 1]

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~~~Catherine's pov~~~

I closed my eyes and thought about Ultron.

When I opened them, I was standing in a wrecked train car with the destroyed robot on the ground.

I stalked towards him, holding a ball of magic in my hand. Ready to kill him once and for all.

But first, I had some questions.

"What information does Hydra have on me?" I demanded.

"You're still curious. Why? Are you scared they'll come back for you?"

My lips pressed into a firm line. "That wasn't my question."

He sighed. "They have a mountain of information. Whole server rooms full. Do you know they're still tracking you? They are coming to take you back, whether you like it or not. But I wonder if you can take it again. In the end, will you comply? Will you comply, Catherine? Will you be happy to-" I cut him off by pulling his metal heart out of his chest.

"Will I be happy to what? Kill you? The answer is yes. Very happy." I tilted my head, content with my work.

I felt a jolt, and suddenly, the train fell.

The city was falling. And I was falling with it.

Feeling weightless, I floated inside the train car, trying to find a way out.

I needed to get out of there and back to the helicarrier.

Back to my dad, the team.

Back to Loki.

I tried to teleport to safety, or at the very least, solid ground, but I just landed in the open air.

It wasn't safe to keep teleporting. I could send myself under a huge piece of rubble that could crush me.

I started to panic, and I tried using my radio, but it wasn't there. I must've lost it back on the train.

I screamed as I continued to free fall. I tried dodging the falling debris, so I wouldn't get crushed but failed.

The wind was rushing around me, and I was close to unconsciousness from lack of oxygen.

This really was how it was going to end. Killed from a 7,874-foot-thousand drop off a flying city.

Not the worst way to go, I guess.

Soon, my breathing became more shallow, and I felt the overwhelming urge to close my eyes and just drift off to sleep.

Then, out of nowhere, I felt someone grab my hand, and I turned to see...

Loki.

He was falling beside me.

"Don't worry. I've got you." He said, his voice soft as he pulled me closer. I was surprised I could even hear him over the rushing wind, but his voice was as clear as day.

And if I'm being honest, I was so thankful for the rescue I almost cried. Almost. I somehow managed to contain myself.

Within seconds, the sound of rushing wind stopped, and I was standing on solid ground.

I looked around and saw that Loki had teleported us to an empty storage closet on the helicarrier.

"Are you okay?" He asked gently, his eyes filled with concern as he looked down at me.

I nodded, still trying to calm myself down despite the increasing pressure in my chest. Was I having a heart attack? "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Thank you for saving me." I managed a few quick sentences.

"I will always save you. No matter what. I meant what I said. I really care about you." He placed his hand under my chin, making me look up at him.

I felt my cheeks heat up at his gesture, and the feeling in my chest continued to build.

Finding myself staring into his eyes, I realized that this pressure, this unexplainable feeling that we've both been experiencing, it was special. Something unique and exciting.

Tentatively, I took a single step closer to him, and he dropped his hand from under my chin and let it fall to my waist, pulling my ever so slightly closer.

My heart was hammering inside my chest, believing that at any moment I would wake up and this would all be a dream.

As if it was a reflex, when he pulled me closer, my arms circled themselves around his neck, our lips a mere few centimeters apart.

I swallowed, building up some confidence before I could speak. "What are you waiting for?" I gave him a small, wildly not convincing, smirk, and apparently that was all the green light he needed.

Not even a millisecond later, he kissed me. Hard. But I kissed him back just as readily.

I had been waiting for this for what felt like forever, and I was going to make the most of it.

But the feeling when I kissed him was indescribable. Like we were made for each other, perfect puzzle pieces fitting together seamlessly.

And that feeling in my chest? That pressure? Gone. Blissfully, gone. And in it's place, a feeling of warmth and love spread throughout my entire body.

He brought his hands lower, to the small of my back at the same time my hands had found their way into his hair, making the kiss infinitely deeper.

Eventually, and sadly, we had to part, because, y'know, we kinda need air to survive.

"I've been wanting to do that for a long time now." He said after pulling away, his voice a bit husky, making my legs want to give out from under me, but thankfully, his hands were still on my waist, keeping me standing upward.

"Believe me, so have I." I breathed, exhilarated from the kiss, saying nothing but the truth.

Before I could say anything else, our lips found their ways to each other again, like two magnets that couldn't help but connect.

I guess our friendship did evolve into something more.