Winter

Chapter 15

Nothing moved as Bucky, Raptor, and Steve got into position to begin their plan. Wanda had brought up a suspicion that Red Skull knew they were here because of the utter lack of security but Steve had just assured her it was because of how new the base was... Raptor wasn't so sure though. After all, it would make sense to put up security as soon as possible, but she wasn't about to start an argument.

"Alright, once you see Skull make a move jump him." Captain America ordered those remaining behind. "Until then, stay out of sight."

Raptor waited beside the Winter Soldier as Cap ran out of hiding, faking an injury as he stumbled a few time. She shifted forms and gave a rumbling growl before sprinting after him, making sure Bucky was still keeping up with her. A moment later she launched herself in the air and slammed into Captain America's back, sending him into the ground, before jumping to the side to avoid his shield. As soon as she was out of the way though, Bucky took her place to attack.

They let Steve escape and run a few more feet before bringing him down again, this time allowing him to get in a few hits. Raptor gave an enraged shriek before grabbing his arm in her jaws, careful not to damage his skin too much, before flinging Captain America down a rocky hill where he landed with a thud. She glanced at Bucky before staring over the edge... he was playing dead now.

"Cap!" The Winter Soldier rounded on her, fake anger in his gaze. "You killed him!"

She snarled at him in rage before crashing into him, using her skull to knock him onto the ground before slashing her claws at his face, giving him time to grab it and escape the attack long enough to get back to his feet. Their battle went on for a few more minutes before movement reached her eyes as a blur slammed into her, causing her to tumbled across the ground. The remaining Mutt was on her with a vengeance in its attacks for the one she'd killed. Raptor screeched back before lashing out with her claws and cutting into its eye, earning a clubbed tail to the leg. She fell to the ground as she felt the bone shift beneath the skin. She was saved from another attack however as Captain America's shield flew by her and whacked the Mutt in the head before Quicksilver and Wanda came to her aid as well.

Raptor took this opportunity to retreat as Mordo and Red Skull distracted the others. She came to a stop and stared at a tree, Loki was behind it... she could smell him. As if noticing, the trickster walked out with a smirk on his face. She growled in response.

"Now you don't want me to send you back to my daughter's realm you should do as I say." He chided her.

Raptor snarled at him one last time before shifting back into her human form, pain flashing through her head. "A-alright. What do you need me to do?"

"Get me home." Loki looked out at the battle. "I need you to get the tesseract from inside the building, I can get you in there but I need to stay out in the battle to prevent any suspicion."

"They'll notice I'm gone." She gave him a look.

"They won't be looking for you once you're dead... or they'll think I killed you." Loki responded casually. "Once you give me the tesseract I want you to kill Red Skull and Mordo, Hela expects their souls and I wouldn't want to disappoint her after you've gotten this far."

"What are we waiting for then?" She morphed back into her other form, staggering slightly as another bout of pain crossed her mind and leg before taking off for the building, praying Loki was using his magic to hide her and fake her death.

Once inside the building she looked around, trying to figure out where Red Skull would be keeping the tesseract. Sensing a slight disturbance, Raptor limped off in the direction the disturbance seemed to be coming from and ended up in a plan room with nothing in it. She shifted back into human form, falling to one knee, and continued to observe the empty space around her... there had to be something here that would give her a clue as to where it was. Then she saw it, barely visible and well hidden, but it was there... a slightly off line in the pattern on the wall. She limped over to it and brushed her hand over the area until she felt the wall cave in slightly, which in turn opened up a hidden compartment that emanated a blue glow. Staring into the compartment, Raptor saw the tesseract... it projected power and she had to force herself not to grab it with her bare hand.

Taking a container and glove from where they lay in the compartment, she carefully moved the glowing cube into the container before taking off the glove and placing it back in the compartment before closing it and running out of the room as quickly as her leg allowed. Outside was complete chaos now. The Avengers had taken out the Mutt and Mordo wasn't going to last much longer thanks to Vision and Scarlet Witch, but Loki was causing confusion as he fought both parties. She went into the cover of the trees before anyone could see her again and caught her breath as she waited for Loki, which didn't take long much to her surprise. Raptor glared at him before handing the tesseract over.

"Take it and go back to whatever meat locker you came out of before I decide to kill you and Skull." She growled.

Loki just gave her a slightly amused smirk. "Now, now Beasty... I saved your life. Kill me and I'm sure Hela will take your soul."

Raptor lunged at him but the man was already gone, disappeared in a haze of fading gold light. Stupid Asgardian... She limped back towards the fighting, shifting forms as she went despite the pain, before feeling something slam into her. Raptor screeched in pain and blinked to see Tony standing on the ground ready to blast her again.

"Traitor." He snarled, the helmet distorting his voice a bit. "You were working with Loki!"

She felt blood running down her side as she shifted back onto her feet, it was getting too painful to keep switching forms but she had to once more so she could speak to the idiotic billionaire. "No I'm not!"

"I saw you give him the tesseract! You might've been locked in a cage when this happened, but he tried taking over the world with that and an army! What do you think he's going to do now? Do you think he's really just going to let us go?"

"I owe him my life so it isn't like I have a choice!" She snapped before running off, using the trees as cover... Stark wouldn't understand let alone believe her.

Raptor could feel blood running out of her wound as she ran, leaving the others behind to kill Red Skull if he wasn't dead already. By now Stark would've relayed her 'betrayal' to the others... she could probably get away if Pietro didn't come after her. She stumbled a bit as she shifted forms to grant a faster speed and kept to the thickest of shadows and hiding places as she ran. Her destination was anywhere they wouldn't find her... that would be hard to do. She had to keep going though, she couldn't stop for anything, and if Pietro did come...

We finish him off. Raptor seemed to perk up at the thought.

"No, we escape, knock him out if we must, but don't kill him." She responded back, her limp getting worse. "I will not kill him."

Raptor continued running, never looking back as she made her escape. Perhaps one day she would be able to rejoin them but until they realized, or she had a chance to explain, that she hadn't betrayed them, she had to run... to run and hide faraway where they couldn't find her.  

This is the end of book 2 but book 3 will be coming out so keep this in your library for the announcement of War!

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