N I N E | ' into the fire '

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Near 20 minutes had passed since Rogers had left and in that time I had picked up three things in total from the conversations of several SHIELD officials as they hurried past my cell. On a side-note, not one of them had paid a second thought to the fact that the door to said cell was swinging wide open. One, I was not in a building. I was aboard a SHIELD helicarrier, which explained the vibrations I'd noticed, and we were currently being attacked by an unknown assailant. Maybe one of Loki's associates, maybe HYDRA. Two, the Hulk was loose. Were my powers in action, I would be grateful for such a perfect distraction but right now green Dwayne Johnson was more of a threat than a friend. Three, something had happened to Fury. I suspected it was an assassination attempt but I'd only heard that he was out of commission and not on board the carrier. Considering the timing, I doubted it was coincidental. The idea that Loki could be working with HYDRA came into mind but I doubted it. From what I'd read about him it was unlikely he would align himself with mortals, no matter the end game. 

Every so often a tremendous roar erupted outside, often followed by the crunching of metal. And every time, it sent shivers down my spine. My powers were returning gradually and while my wounds had finally closed, attempting to shapeshift was fruitless. 

A horde of 5 or 6 agents dashed into the room and I let out a groan. I couldn't catch a damn break.

"Hands where we can see them!"

A woman ordered and I rolled my eyes, raising my arms as far as the chains would let them go which, for the record, wasn't very far.

"Not a lot of wriggle room, boss." I flashed a mocking smile. 

Under her instructions, one of the guards unlocked my handcuffs, almost dropping the key in his hurry, and another removed the shackles around my ankles. Immediately, I kicked the man behind me in the chest, my hand in the air to strike the woman to my left when I heard the sound of guns cocking. A warning bellowed from the speakers and I let my hands drop to my sides, biting the inside of my cheek. Quite literally powerless, I would be stunned or shot before I made it out the door, never mind off the ship. The guard I had struck rammed his gun into my back with a sneer and pushed me through the door.

I held back the urge to ask where we were going as I was jostled through the vast expanse of the helicarrier, past endless corridors and twisting staircases. The entire time the ship was shaking vigorously and I could hear the sounds of nearby battle. Eventually, we paused before a reinforced steel door and the two leading agents locked themselves in deep discussion. One looked openly anxious whereas the other concealed her nerves far more effectively.

As we neared, I caught the tail end of their conversation.

"It's the only cell capable of holding one of her kind. Look, they're both murderers, I'm sure they'll have plenty to talk about." The latter said, dismissively.

"That's precisely what I'm afraid of." Her male counterpart replied and she cut him off with a shake of her head. Something about that woman seemed oddly familiar.

We passed by the bolted door and disappeared down a small staircase that receded into an even smaller room, containing only what looked like a vertical glass coffin and a control panel. It was a lift, I realised, as two guards grabbed me by my arms and shoved me unceremoniously inside.

"Hey, some clean clothes would be nice. You know, as a parting gift." I goaded, not expecting a response.

"I hope you're a fan of orange jumpsuits." Said the female agent, positioning herself behind the control panel on the far side of the room.

"I have a collection.

To my shock, the lift burst into action, wiping the smug look off my face as it climbed through an opening in the ceiling. Panicked, I threw myself against the glass but was sent flying into the opposite wall as the helicarrier trembled again. I closed my eyes and pressed my palms against the walls to catch my balance. Against all expectations, I'd always had a nasty fear of tight spaces and right now my claustrophobia had set off a new sense of urgency. 

I tensed my muscles, struggling to conjure up something that would help. But my mind came back blank and all I got for my exertion was a faintly blue hand. What the hell had they drugged me with? 

"They're both murderers."

With the memory of what that woman had said, any remaining calm was thrust out of my system.'They'. I pressed my nails against the glass, reluctantly accepting the idea that the woman could have been referring to-

The box jolted to a stop and nausea overwhelmed my senses. Beneath my touch, the four glass walls began to move, sinking back into the ground. Disorientated, I forced down the bile rising in my throat.

"I'm sure they'll have plenty to talk about."

Hesitantly, I forced my eyes open. I was encircled in a massive panel of glass, surrounded by a metal platform but thankfully, alone. A sigh of relief escaped my lips and the bare hint of a smile settled on my face. I was alone. Safe, at least for now.

"And what are you supposed to be?"

Ah, shit. 

Sucking in a deep breath, I pivoted on my heel, masking my terror in the carefree expression I'd perfected over the years as I looked the monster behind me square in the eye. There, towered the Norse God of Mischief himself.

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