The Seventh Avenger

Chapter 55: A Newfound Trust

I've been in a lot of crappy situations on missions throughout my time at SHIELD. Most of the time the missions that I completed, I had been forced to do so in not ideal conditions. Like this one. Nothing screamed bad more than being surrounded by the enemy at night when you can barely see a thing in front of you and you're bleeding from a bullet graze. Not to mention that James and I happened to be outnumbered, with there being only two of us and at least another twenty men. And most of them had guns.

Then again, so did James.

He now drew it quickly from his back pocket, whirling around on the spot to see which direction that the men were approaching us from. But giving the fact that the echoes of their shouts echoed throughout the space, I couldn't help but think that they were essentially surrounding us. When he does a full turn and sees that I'm standing upright, he sends me a harsh glare. "I told you to stay down."

"As if I'm going to let you deal with them on your own," I snap back. "You got us into this mess: I'm helping you get out of it."

I didn't think that it was possible for his glare to intensify at my words, but it did. He presses his lips tightly together, his blue eyes boring into mine before he then questions angrily, "What do you mean I got us into this mess?"

"Did you not hear the message I left? On the phone? These men are after you. You killed their leader, and now the brother's pissed off. He wants you dead, James. They cornered me in the corner store and asked me to tell them where you were."

I regret the words as soon as they leave my mouth, not realising the gravity of them until James clenches his teeth so tight that a tick appears in his jaw. "Did you try and get me here?" He asks, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

My heart sinks at his words, as I realise exactly what it was that he was implying. Though we had spent the past two weeks working and living together and had gotten to know one another to some extent, it was clear to me now that James still didn't truly trust me. That even though I hadn't turned him into the authorities so far, he still believed that there was a chance I would do so. And that hurt more than I thought possible.

I open my mouth to explain to him that this wasn't the case at all, but I never get the chance to speak. Four more men come out from the bushes and run towards us, murder in their eyes and their lips pulled back into a snarl. James and I both wordlessly and simultaneously take off, with James heading straight for the men on the left while I run towards the men on the right. I knew that my wound was only going to slow me down but I also knew that I couldn't leave James to fend them off by himself.

The first one lunges at me though I quickly move to the side and grab him by his jacket, twisting to shove him back behind me. Watching as he crashes against a tree, I barely have enough time to turn and kick a leg out towards the other approaching one, watching as he tumbles to the ground from the force of my kick as well.

Hearing the other one running towards me once more, I reach down and grab a broken but thick branch and swing it upwards, smacking it directly across the guys face. He grunts as his head snaps to the side, though he doesn't go down like I had hoped that he would. Thinking quickly, I swing at his face once more before then swiftly slamming the branch into his side, watching as he finally curls over and cries out in both shock and pain. With him leaning over in a vulnerable position, I give one last swing of the branch up into his chin, watching as he reels back before falling to the ground, unconscious.

I cry out in shock as I am suddenly lifted off my feet, the branch slipping from my hand in surprise. Before I have time to process what was happening, the man that I had kicked moments before slams me against the side of the tree, the impact causing for my wound to throb agonisingly and for me to cry out. He pulls away though he keeps me pinned to the tree with his hand, pulling his other one back as he clenches it. He then proceeds to move it towards my face, though I manage to move my head to the side at the last possible second, watching as he slams his fist into the tree instead.