Between the Lines

Now what?

"This changes nothing." Fury stood in his office, Maria, Loki, and Kathy sitting back in the seats they'd occupied, not moments before.

"You ARE kidding?" Maria was the only one who dared speak. "Sitwell was Hydra, and we had no idea. Was THAT who you were going to flush out, Kathy? One meeting and you sussed him?"

Kathy nodded slowly feeling slightly awkward. "I've met enough informants and snitches in my time to read their body language. I wasn't 100% sure, but I was pretty sure he was hiding something. I wasn't counting on him being a martyr, though." She sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't just say it now."

There was a general murmur of "it's ok, not your fault, not to know" and the like.

Maria got to her feet and walked over to stand beside Fury, now looking out the window. "What do we do now, Boss? There's no one to smoke out. Trail is dead. Literally." She turned and leaned against the window, back to the street.

Fury sighed and rubbed his head. If only he had hair left to lose over stuff like this.

"Well, there's no way Sitwell was working alone. He wasn't that smart. Or that connected. There have to be more. We go ahead as planned. If they really are preparing to go global, losing Sitwell is just collateral damage to them."

He looked at the remaining figures in the room. "You ever heard the phrase there's a madman in every group, if you can't see him, it's you?" He smiled, but it was more of a grimace, "well do any of you see the madman?"

They all took a breath. They were in danger of turning on each other. Paranoia driving them apart.

Loki spoke first. "I'm going to take Kathy to the apartment. She'll stay there until tomorrow. " he stood up as Fury started to object. " It's non-negotiable, Fury." His face and tone left no time or space to argue. Fury realised he was fighting a losing battle. No matter how dangerous it was going to become, he knew Loki was probably her best chance of survival in a pinch.

"Ok, back here at noon for a briefing before showtime. I hope you're really as good as he says you are Miss Green. Otherwise, we're going to see the REAL shitshow unravel before our very eyes."

Kathy bristled. She may be a lot of things, some none too polite, but she was good at her job. Damn good. Anyone who implied otherwise could take a running jump. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it rapidly when she saw Loki's face.

He grabbed her arm and virtually frog-marched her to the lift. Only when they were descending to the garage level did he let go.

"Get in the car." He ordered her tersely. "Don't argue, just get in the bloody car." She'd never seen him quite like this before. Not angry as such, more stressed.

"Loki..." she started to speak, but he silenced her with a growl.

"Quiet" he hissed, "I'm thinking."

"Sorry." She muttered, sounding none too sorry.

Fifteen minutes later, they drew up at a nondescript brownstone in the Upper West Side. She looked about her. It was like a movie set. All front steps and wide street with trees and fire hydrants. Somewhere, a couple of cats yowled and knocked over the bins.

"We're here." Loki switched the car's ignition off and took her hand. She had the dark, swirling feeling again, and they were instantly sitting in the living room of one of the houses.

"The bathroom and bedrooms are through there. This, as I'm sure you can see, is the living room and the kitchen is next door. I'll be back in the morning. Don't answer the door or the phone. If I need to speak..." he paused as she looked at him, horrified. " What?"

"You - you're leaving me here? Alone?" Suddenly, she was scared. Really scared. "I don't want to be alone. Loki, you think I'm brave and feisty and that I can look after myself. Yes, normally I am. But this..." she stood up and walked to the window. This isn't normal not by a long shot." She sat on the window ledge and hugged herself, tears starting to run down her cheeks. Seeing Sitwell on the tv had been the final blow. This was way beyond not just her pay grade but anything she had ever anticipated. She was truly scared.

Loki stood and walked to the door. Turning, he looked at her, and she realised he was still blue. Still connected to her. For a moment, he paused, seeming to consider the situation.

"Ok, change of plan. You're not staying here. Come on. " his face softened, and he held out a hand. "Don't be afraid, Little One. Never be afraid."

She stood and walked over. He took her hand, and its strong coolness enveloped not just her hand but her soul, comforting, calming.

"Thank you." Was all she said as they walked back out to the car. Getting in, she turned to Loki. "Question?"

"Yes?" He looked at her with mild curiosity. She was infinitely surprising. Even in the face of fear, she was still curious, questioning.

"If you can teleport, why do you drive?"

Loki burst out laughing. She really was a reporter through and through.

"Oh Kathy, you are so cute, you know that. All the questions you could ask of me and THAT makes it onto your list?" He smiled, and she could see the real Loki again; open, funny, charming, and very VERY hot. "To answer your question, I rarely teleport over longer distances unless I have to. Takes a lot of energy. Energy I'd rather save for other things." he paused, perhaps slightly longer than was really necessary. "Are you too scared to eat?" he looked at her as they drove out of the parking garage.

"What?" she screwed up her face.

"I said" he repeated as if she was mentally deficient, "are you too scared to eat?" the corners of his mouth threatened to twist into a smile.

"No." she shook her head "Sorry, it was just a bit random, that's all. No, actually I'm VERY hungry."

"Good. I like a woman with a healthy appetite." now he did smile "for food... for life.... for...." His sentence was cut short by an almighty bang and the car lurched sideways, tires screeching. Glass showered them and Kathy screamed in fear, putting her hands over her face. A large black SUV had rammed them from a side street. Deliberately too, as it drove on, pushing them across the road. It happened in milliseconds but felt like slow motion.

The vehicle came to rest at the side of the road and for a split second there was silence. Then the sound of a horn blaring. Loki was crumpled forwards, unconscious against the steering wheel, blood running from a cut on his forehead. The airbag had failed - or been disabled, who knew. This looked like a planned attack. The location secret. Someone must have followed them, been watching.

Kathy was covered in little cuts from the flying glass but other than having had the breath knocked out of her, unhurt. Her mind kicked in, they had to get our, they were sitting targets. Just as she started to undo their seatbelts, her door was hauled open and she was dragged from the seat by a large figure clad in black combat gear. None too carefully she was thrown to the ground. Instantly, fired by adrenaline and anger, she tried to scramble to her feet.

"LOKI!" she screamed "WAKE UP!" Loki didn't move, just moaned. He too was dragged out of the car and she could see him being thrown to the ground and restrained.

The large man who'd dragged her out pointed an automatic assault rifle at her.

"On the ground, NOW!" he barked at her. She tried to look at him, see who the attackers were. All she saw was the muzzle of the rifle and in the background, on his chest an emblem. But not a red emblem, no. If she thought she was scared before, it was nothing to the abject terror coursing through her now. A large hand, containing a white cloth clamped itself over her nose and mouth and the air became sweet with chloroform.

Valiantly, she struggled and tried to stay awake, trying to see who their attackers were. It was of no use, and as she slipped into drugged into unconsciousness

The last thing she saw, adorning the gunman's flak jacket was the silver grey eagle of SHIELD.