𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗢𝗢 - 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗹

𝟬𝟵: 𝗥𝗨𝗡, 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗜𝗘, 𝗥𝗨𝗡

AEI: i don't love this chapter - not that it's horrible, it's just not that good? i've been putting it off for a while because i simply don't like writing fight scenes, but i've been desperate to write the chapter following this since i started 'graceland too'. so, i powered through and produced this!!

the good chapter is coming next. hang on in there!!

Mr Sitwell is a very important man in SHIELD, and even though I do not know him very well, I know that I don't like him.

He is short and looks a tiny bit like a weasel, even if that is not a polite thing to say at all, and he has a weird, stretchy smile. Like cheese in a can. He's not doing a whole lot of smiling at the moment, though. Probably because he just got thrown off a roof. I wasn't there for that bit. I only got to watch from the car. My foot hurt too bad to climb up all the stairs.

Now, I'm sitting in the back seat of the car, right next to the left window, with Nat in between me and Mr Sitwell because she doesn't want him near me. He said hello to me when he got in, and I don't know what she did, but he made a noise that sounded kinda like he was dying. At the moment, Nat's glaring at him, and Mr Wilson is driving us.

This car is getting kinda crowded.

I don't really know what's happening right now. We're just going somewhere with Mr Sitwell, and he is in Big Trouble because he was trying to blow us up. I think. Maybe. Nobody tells you anything when you're a little kid.

Mr Sitwell is super fidgety. Maybe it's 'cause he needs to pee or something. Also maybe 'cause Nat is trying to kill him with her eyes.

"HYDRA doesn't like leaks." He says nervously, looking at my dad. Mr Wilson makes a mean face at him in the mirror.

"So why don't you try sticking a cork in it?"

I wriggle my toes to see if my foot is still working. It is, but it hurts. I hope I don't have to do a whole lot of walking to save the world.

"Insight's launching in sixteen hours," Nat says, leaning forward to see out of the big window and reaching for my hand at the same time. I move away. I'm still mad at her for leaving me out at Mr Wilson's house. "We're cutting it a little bit close here."

My dad nods. "I know. We'll use him to bypass the DNA scans and access the Helicarriers directly."

I don't know what a Helicarrier is. Maybe it's like a helicopter. I don't like helicopters.

Mr Sitwell gets even more anxious. Maybe he doesn't like helicopters either.

"What?! Are you crazy? That is a terrible, terrible idea—"

Something goes thud on the roof. Everybody looks up.

Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no.

Sinking down in my seat so the seatbelt is nearly choking me, I watch as a huge, metal arm breaks right through the window, grabs the front of Mr Sitwell's and drags him right out of the car. Nat's eyes look like they're about to explode. I think mine probably do too, but I can't see my own face, and anyway, I'm too busy thinking about how bad this is.

The metal man. The metal man who I hate. The metal man who wants to kill us.

Oh no.

Before I can even scream or anything, the metal arm goes back through the window with a gun and shoots at Nat, but she ducks and drags me with her. I hug my backpack very tight to my chest.

"Gracie, get down!"

I don't think I really have a choice. Wriggling into the front, Nat shoves me down so I'm curled up on the floor, almost tucked underneath the seat in front of me. It makes me feel kind of like I'm being squashed, but I don't say anything. I think that now might not be the time.