The Rogue Mage

Chapter 4

    Within a week of Kai's arrival, she'd managed to set off the fire alarms in the compound four times, smuggle an injured porcupine into her room, somehow bring the temperature down enough at night that Tony Stark's electronics started malfunctioning, and had also managed to completely gain Natasha's respect. The latter was something it had taken Steve much longer than a week to do. 

  Kai seemed to carry with her a deep mistrust and distaste of everyone, along with a dozen daggers tucked into various pockets all around her person. She had permanent dark circles under her eyes; eyes that seemed to be constantly changing colors. Steve had spoken to her twice since her first day at the compoud; the first time to ask her to please stop dropping the temperature at night, and the second to ask why Tony was digging porcupine quills out of his arm. Other than occassionally venturing out of her room to eat, Kai seemed to prefer solitude to the company of the team.

   As inclined as Steve was to let her have her way, this was a team, they needed to be with each other. It was this that drove Steve to visit Kai's room.

   He knocked hesitantly on the door, "Miss Kai?"

 There was no response, but the door wasn't closed all the way, so Steve slowly pushed it open. It was freezing inside Kai's room, cold enough that frost clung to the walls. The small twin bed was pushed against the wall and looked as though it hadn't been touched, much less slept in.

    In the small space between the wall and the foot of the bed, Steve found a small pile of blankets. Was Kai sleeping on the floor? He could understand not being able to sleep on the bed, after so much time sleeping on the ground, it was like sinking into a marshmallow. 

   Other than the blanket nest in the corner, Kai hadn't unpacked anything. Her bag was shoved against the wall right next to the blankets, as though she wanted to have as little impact on the room as possible. 

   Satisfied that Kai wasn't there, Steve left, pulling the door closed behind him. He'd assumed that she rarely left her room, was there somewhere else she was hiding?

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    Steve found Kai on the roof. Standing on the edge of the roof to be specific. Looking like she was considering flinging herself off. 

  When it became apparent that Kai had no intention of jumping, Steve stayed where he was, not wanting to startle the mage. Kai looked at peace, standing with her toes on the edge of a building. The wind whipped around her, sending her choppy black hair flying. The cloak she wore whipped around in the wind. 

  Steve cleared his throat, "Kai..."

 In that exact instant, Kai tipped forward, off the roof. A bolt of horror shot through Steve as he sprinted to the edge, "Kai!"

   There was a particularly strong gust of wind, and with it came Kai; flipping over Steve's head and landing as delicate as a cat on the roof behind him.

 He spun around, "What was that?!?" 

 "What was what?"

 "You just flung yourself off the freaking roof!"

"Nah, I let the wind carry me." Kai shrugged, smoothing her hair down with one hand. "I'm not going to fall." She turned, starting to walk away, "Besides, why do you care? You don't know me."