Love, Kitty. [Avengers]

Chapter 9

*Back in Rachel's apartment*

"What is this even supposed to do, Tony?" Natasha complained, looking at the monitors spread out over the kitchen counter. "We've been here almost an entire day and we haven't made any progress in finding this woman. Plus, now we know Loki is now involved along with his weird woman sidekick clone."

"Look, I'm trying to track her down but it's hard because this isn't like the timeline we came from. Different numbers, different buildings. I'm trying." Tony complained, shifting in his seat. "Can someone tell the popsicle 2.0 to stop brooding in the window, we're next to another set of apartments and I don't want anyone to see him."

Bucky rolled his eyes, stepping away from the window and closing the blinds so Steve could turn on the light. Thor was pacing, looking angry and upset while everyone else looked down as they just sat around waiting to do something. After a quick investigation, it was made evident that stepping out of the building into public will cause attention which is something that most definitely might ruin the timeline. They had to work remotely and try to locate Rachel without stepping out of the building, and then when they did, they needed to work out how to get to her without bringing attention to themselves.

"You know, she could be dying right now and we're just sitting here on our asses." Bucky brought up, huffing.

"Well, we know you want to get back to your little one-night-stand girlyfriend but I'm working as fast as I can. Can you please stop breathing down my neck!" Tony complained, batting the other man away as he was getting obnoxiously close to him.

"Bucky." Steve said firmly, frowning and looking worried. Bucky let out a sigh, moving back towards his best friend as they leaned up against a wall, observing everyone. Tony was clicking away on the computer whilst Bruce watched carefully, Natasha was also observing but with some distance as Clint sat next to her looking around the apartment. Thor was still pacing, its as if he wasn't hearing any of the conversation that just happened, Wanda was reading through some books she was pulling off the shelf. It seemed like they were comic books and Bucky was almost drawn to go read them too but he stopped himself every time he thought about why they were there.

Breaking the silence, there was a knock on the door and everyone quite literally shit themselves as this wasn't in the plans. Bucky looked at Steve, who only shrugged, eyebrows raised. Natasha pulled out a gun, walking silently over to the door as Clint shadowed her until she peeked out the door and she stood back looking confused.

"Whose there?" Tony asked almost silently but Natasha swung open the door and everyone's jaws dropped.

"Well, let me in will ya?" The familiar blonde woman pushed her way in, looking frazzled with a winter coat on (weird as it wasn't winter) and even had snow on her.

"Rachel?" Bucky exasperated loudly, looking surprised.

"Yes, that's me!" The woman cheerfully said. "Might not be the one ya'll know though. Didn't exactly plan on being in this timeline for a while, didn't seem too interested in this variant if I'm bein honest."

"What?" Tony deadpans, "I thought I told you only use the remote if you're in danger?" He complained.

"Did you not hear what I just said, metalhead?" The woman complained, "The Rachel ya'll know is not me. I'm a whole other bag of cats." Tony snickered at the words she used whilst everyone else seemed to be muttering to each other.

"What on earth is even happening?" Steve whispered to Bucky, the latter only looking like a kicked puppy that had its only toy taken away from them.

"Okay... so not Rachel? Why are you here?" Clint questioned, looking guarded at the woman and his hands didn't leave the holster he had on his hip.

"Well, long story short. Pretty sure, Loki is here for lil ole me. A couple of timelines ago I ran into the two of 'em. Wasn't exactly a rollercoaster if ya know what I mean."

"What?" Bruce questioned. "You know Loki is here? And Sylvie, is that the woman?"

"Yup!" She said cheerfully, taking a seat on the now empty couch. "I guess they new I was travellin, meeting up with all my variants so takin this Rachel would lure me out. It worked I guess but since ya'll are here I guess I could do with some help."

"What's the TVA?" Wanda questioned, looking confused at the petite woman who was now making herself at home. The computer was now left alone as Tony and Bruce put all their attention on the newcomer.

"Time Variance Authority,. A whole bunch of dicks." The woman scoffed. "They look after the timelines, if ya wanna hide something from them, It'll never work. They know what happened even before the decision is made. Incredibly hard to escape."

"So how have you escaped?" Natasha asks suspiciously.

"I work for em." The woman shrugged. "I have free reign on the multiverse as long as I do some dirty work for em. Especially if I'm really not changing anything in timelines which I don't. I may look for my variant, but I never meet them face to face. That's too dangerous."

"So, do you know how to find this Rachel? My brother does not play games." Thor spoke up angrily, gripping Stormbreaker tighter in his hand.

"Of course I do, who do you think I am?" She responded with a sly grin.