Eris ▷ s.rogers [1] ✔️

8.| BLOOD IN THE WATER

CROSSBONES DIDN'T LOOK IMPRESSED to see her.

Eris was escorted by two armed guards into the abandoned warehouse, rolling her eyes at their antics. She could have blown the doors open if she wanted. This was a courtesy.

Rumlow waited inside, arms crossed.

She stepped forward and raised her jaw. "I got in."

"Took you long enough."

"Would've sent a postcard but I didn't have the address. Oh, and the Avengers are a little cautionary."

His eyes only narrowed. Something ate at the back of her mind and Eris uncrossed her arms.

"Is something wrong?"

"Where's the Mind Stone, Schmidt?"

"Currently? In the forehead of one of the Avengers. A new recruit or something. I think he's quite attached."

Rumlow's eyes flashed. She narrowed her own.

"I'll figure out a way to get it."

"That won't be necessary."

Eris tensed, gazing at the man. "I'm sorry, why not? Didn't we have a deal?"

"We did."

"That sounds a lot like past tense."

The men behind her shifted and she heard the audible sound of their guns loading. Eris's blood went cold and the shadows pulled into her feet. She clenched her jaw.

"Choose your next move wisely, Crossbones."

"I got a better offer."

"I promised you the Avengers."

"Yet I had to wait eight days for a single word on the success of the mission. How do I know you're not getting attached? Getting emotional?"

Her heart twisted darkly. "Because I know better."

"Apparently not."

The sound of the gun firing echoed off the ceiling above.

Eris dropped to the ground and the bullet sailed over her head. Wrapping the surrounding darkness around herself, she rolled and shoved herself back up again.

The soldier who fired hurried to reload.

She ripped the shadow straight from his back.

The sound was like the tearing of fabric and his scream was something from a nightmare. Eris flicked her wrist and tossed it away, melding with the other shadows. The man dropped to the ground, lifeless.

She'd discovered this ability shortly after she'd woken up.

Honestly, it was quite useful.

The other soldiers open fire and she barely managed to dodge. The shots ricocheted off the walls, a few catching one of her attackers. He yelped and went down— leaving three left.