Hacky Sack ~ An Avengers Story

Thirteen - Shawarma

/*/*/Two Months Later/*/*/

After a few more rounds of Steve kicking my ass and me taking Steve down one more time, I was finally set free to escape to my bedroom. A hot shower was exactly what I needed and you bet your ass it was the first thing I did. Once the shower water was at a comforting temperature, I stripped my clothes and walked into the cascade of hot water.

As soon as I stepped out of the shower, I felt something tugging at my gut. It's been quite some time since I've been faced with this warning. So long that as soon a I felt it, I nearly screamed. Something's wrong, I know it. Immediately after the feeling became present, I grabbed my laid out clothes and pulled them over my still damp body. 'There goes my plans of a relaxed afternoon', I thought to myself. I had intended on showing the fossil boys some Netflix shows I like, but I guess that's being postponed to another time.

"Jarvis, do you know if there's any danger in the area? Anything going on in the Tower?" I questioned as soon as I squeezed remaining water out of my hair onto my towel.

"Not that I've picked up on, no. Is there something wrong Miss Cedar? Should I alert the others?" He replied as I stepped into the elevator.

"No, no don't do that. Just, take me to wherever there's the most of the team." I requested, "Please."

"To the lounge it is. Is there anything I can do to assist your worry?" My foot began tapping nervously against the tile floor. If there's nothing wrong, then what's going on with me?

"No, I'm okay. Thank you Jarvis." I attempted to calm my breathing as he replied with a "My pleasure."

The elevator dinged as the doors opened to the lounge where a few avengers sat. My eyes scanned the room until they landed upon Tony. Letting my feet carry me to him, the feeling in my gut dissipated.

He greeted me with a smile before that too faded as he brought a hand to my forehead, "Are you okay Cedar? You look pale and worried." He noticed, moving his hand to the pulse in my wrist to feel my rapid heartbeat, "Cedar what's wrong?"

"N-Nothing. I just..." I brushed a hand through my still drying hair, "Just feeling a little under the weather, that's all."

He looked at me skeptically, "You're a horrible liar, you know that right?"

I sighed as I looked around the room. The others seemed to be busy in their own conversations, but Steve's eyes glanced in my direction every so often with concern yet curious written all over them. "Can I talk to you somewhere more... private?"

"I know just the place."

/*/*/*/

"Tony a Shawarma joint isn't exactly the most 'private' place." I gave him a blank, unamused stare.

"What? I was hungry, and you look like you need to eat." He pointed at me as he took a bite from his plate of food. I rolled my eyes, "Now, tell me what's bothering you kiddo."

I took a moment to gather how to tell him this without him thinking I'm being over dramatic. "I have a very keen sixth sense. It's never wrong; at least I've never been in an instance where it's wrong. An example of my sixth sense is a feeling I get in my stomach when something bad is about to happen, or is happening."

Tony nodded slowly, "I'm guessing you got that feeling?" He asked, in return I reciprocated his nod. "Do you know what's going to happen?"

I shook my head, "No, I don't. I asked Jarvis if he knew of any danger in the area or in the Tower. He said he didn't pick up on anything. It's got me a bit on edge you know?"

"Don't worry Cedar. Whatever it is, we'll ta-"

"Tony we have to go."

He looked at me wide-eyed. My eyes weren't on him though, they were on the Hydra agents a few tables behind him that were staring directly at me, "Like, now."

"What is it?" He asked, slowly standing.

"Not what; who." I corrected him. Realization flashed across his face.

"Hydra." The word pushed it's way through his lips, followed by the nod of my head. "Did they see you?"

"They did more than that. They know who I am because I was friends with a few of them."

Before Tony could respond, gunshots resonated throughout the shawarma joint. Tony grabbed me and pulled us behind a booth for cover. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure friends don't shoot at you."

"M-Maybe they weren't shooting at me?" I tried to find any other circumstance why three Hydra agents would be shooting up the place, but none seemed logical.

"Cedar, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way." A man that I knew as Agent Reeves called out to me. I let my head leaned up against the booth,

"Okay, maybe they are after me. You wouldn't happen to have your suit on you, would you?" I asked hopefully, only to have my hope crushed by his shaking head, "Then we are seriously outnumbered."

"It's two v three. We're not that out numbered." He rolled his eyes.

"They have guns and probably back-up. We have a middle aged man and a twenty-one year old girl with powers and still wet hair how the fuck is it still wet?" The last part I said to myself as I ran a hand through still dampened locks.

"Doesn't matter. We need to find a way out of here. Jarvis, ca-" more gunshots cut off Tony's request, blowing apart our barrier between us and the agents.

"Tony they'll kill us if I don't g-"

"You are NOT giving in to them. There's no way in hell I'd ever let you do that. We'll escape, okay? I'm not losing you that easy." He looked at me with a dead serious look. I only frowned. There's no other way. Knowing Hydra, there's probably teams surrounding the area. Any back up that we call in wouldn't get here in time. We're screwed. "I don't like that look you're giving me." He narrowed his eyes. Just then, a smoke bomb rolled our way, going off as soon as it bumped into the table beside us.

I felt my arm being grabbed but not from Tony's side. I fought against them and looked around for any energy source I could manipulate, but I couldn't see anything. Next thing I knew, there was a bag over my head restricting my sight, cuffs around my wrists restricting my movement and powers, and I was being thrown into a van as it sped away.