Winter

Chapter 3

The good sign was that the helicarrier was still in the air, the bad sign was the dead bodies littering the ground as they jumped off the jet. Raptor didn't need the reek of death to tell her no one had been spared. She followed Captain America towards the door, which was singed around the edges like an explosion had gone off there. Inside only looked worse. The halls were puddles of blood, bodies, and weapons that they waded through up to their ankles as they walked deeper. Despite the fact Pietro had helped her control not wanting to tear into dead bodies of people, or fresh ones at least as she hated day old food, but all the blood was making her more primal instincts act up and she looked at some of the mangled bodies hungrily.

"Alright!" Cap's voice distracted her somewhat and she looked up at him. "Split up, Falcon come with me, Vision take Raptor, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch look for whoever did this with War Machine."

Raptor felt Quicksilver give her a millisecond hug before she turned and walked off with Vision, well she walked and he glided over the blood. As they wandered through the maze of blood filled halls he got a concerned look on his face though he never spoke. She paused suddenly as they went down to the lower level and took a deeper breath, she could smell someone's scent just over the stench of blood. She glanced at Vision but if he sensed anyone he didn't show it.

"Who ever it is, the smell is coming from down here..." She didn't know why the criminal, if that was who they were, was hiding out down here if they'd won the battle but she decided not to question it too much.

"Wait." Vision stopped and hovered over one spot as he looked at the corner ahead.

Finally, I was beginning to think he couldn't speak! Raptor thought sarcastically, glad he couldn't get into her head to know what she was thinking.

Vision started floating forward slowly. "They're right around the corner."

She would've shifted forms to ask who they were but she also didn't want to be unprepared for an attack if she did. Instead Raptor stepped closer to the wall, glad for the darkness of the windowless level, and slowly made her way forward in the dim lights that remained unbroken. A shadowed movement made her freeze for a moment before she leapt forward and took the person to the ground. They struggled beneath her and released the body they'd been dragging before managing to unbalance her. Raptor growled threateningly at them as she watched the now blood soaked man get back to his feet.

"So S.H.I.E.L.D. has a new monster now." The voice sneered. "I always knew they liked keeping dangerous pets but to go this far? They have become desperate!"

"Who are you?" Vision demanded before answering a second later once he went through S.H.I.E.L.D. files. "Loki, adopted brother to Thor... you attacked New York with an army of aliens and were said to have been killed by Dark Elves when Thor returned."

Loki smirked. "He always was a fool."

Raptor finally noticed how the man Loki had been dragging was dressed and with a flinch of shock realized it was Thor. She didn't know what killed the Asgardian but it didn't look like a normal weapon... and that meant either Loki was more dangerous than he appeared, or there was another person here.

"Why are you here?" Vision questioned, pained by the death of Thor and everyone on the helicarrier.

"It isn't on my own will if that's what you mean." Loki hissed and glared at them. "Once Asgard's precious Thor returned his warrior friends told him of my trickery, as the eldest and rightful son of Odin he banished me from ever returning to Asgard. I should thank him really, if I hadn't been banished here Red Skull would've killed me too. As it was, he found me and allows me to live as long as I help kill you pathetic Avengers... How could I refuse that?"

Vision blasted him using the Infinity Gem on his forehead. Loki slumped to the ground against the wall and Vision started flying away. "Let's go find the others."

Raptor nodded and ran after him, leaving Thor's body and adopted brother behind. They were wandering the bleak hallways, avoiding the bodies that were starting to smell even worse as the minutes went by, when Captain America's voice came over Vision's communicator.

"He says to head to the control room." Vision repeated what he heard before turning down another hall. "Follow me, I know the way."

When they got there Cap and the others motioned for them to stay silent as they crept up to them. Raptor shifted into human form and stayed by Quicksilver as he grabbed one of her hands and nodded towards the small window in the door. She arched her neck up and peeked over the edge to see a man with a red head standing with his back to them, she looked back at them with a confused look for a moment before her eyes widen.

"Skull..." She whimpered, the HYDRA agents had talked of their first leader with praise and his plans scared her. "I've heard stories of him..."

"He should be dead." Captain America muttered bitterly.

"Well then, I guess this is an unpleasant surprise." A man walked down the hall and War Machine scowled.

"Hammer." War Machine held up a glowing palm and activated all his weapons to aim at the man. "You should be in jail."

"Funny, it seems when you know the type of people I do you can leave without worry of facing trial." Justin Hammer grinned and was joined by Loki and an oddly dressed man. "I believe you know Loki, fallen prince of Asgard, and this is Baron Mordo, a magician."

Raptor felt Quicksilver's grip tighten as all the Avengers tensed up in preparation for a fight. However, she noticed that Hammer stood there unthreateningly, Loki looked like he would rather be anywhere but where he was, and Mordo just looked at them with boredom.

"What are we waiting for, let's get them!" Falcon started to stand up but stopped as Cap held up his arm.

"No, we don't know what their capable of together." He replied to his friend.

Hammer just gave all of them a pleasant smile. "Shall we go meet up with an old friend? It would be rude to keep him waiting when he expected you."

"Of course they knew we were coming." War Machine spat sarcastically at the man who'd build robots to attack him and Tony years earlier.

"Oh please." Loki hissed. "We attack S.H.I.E.L.D. and you Avengers will come running after us like dogs."

Raptor glared at him. "I think we are slightly more dangerous than dogs."

Loki gave a disbelieving huff. "I'd love to see you prove that... beast."

Raptor started to lunge but Wanda and Quicksilver held her back. She relaxed in their grips but kept her venomous glare pointed at Loki as they were led into the room with Red Skull. Hammer forced them into a straight line while Mordo and Loki stood off to the side and Skull turned around with a creepy smile to great them.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my old nemesis Captain America." He sneered as he glared at the Avenger's leader.

"How did you survive?" Cap snarled and held his shield tighter.

"I was lost for many years... but my thoughts of revenge kept me alive until I regained my feet." Red Skull walked down the line until he met Raptor. "Ah, I saw your files... the incomplete failed experiment. Now that I'm back we can finish it."

She flinched back from him in fear but felt Mordo's cold hand grab the back of her neck and push her forward. Red Skull grinned as she shook slightly under his threatening gaze; she didn't like the odd headed man at all, especially considering he led HYDRA. The other started to attack Mordo and Loki but both magicians easily fought back and shoved them from the room. Leaving Raptor alone with Red Skull and Justin Hammer, both of them gave her cold criticizing stares.

"You made a very bad mistake." Raptor growled at them before shifting forms and lunging at Skull's face.

She felt her claws sink deeply into his chest before multiple gunshots went off and the world went black.