Loss and Loki

chapter 2

I sat, leaning back in my chair and idly sipping a good ass rum and coke (courtesy of Tony.) Steve was looking as on edge as he had when he'd come to retrieve me from the cell room. Natasha was silent and looked deep in thought. I was growing more bored by the second.

"What's up with you soldier?" I asked, leaning over to flick his arm. For a moment he didn't answer me but his eyes locked with mine, before flitting down to my neck. I subconsciously raised my shoulders, wondering if the marks from my only slightly violent encounter with Loki were showing.

"Steve," I prompted. Snapping my fingers in front of his face.

"You shouldn't have been given this mission. It's too dangerous." He said flatly still not moving his eyes from my neck. I opened my mouth to retort when Natasha came to my aid. "She's fine Steve. She can handle herself." I nodded at Natasha before beginning my own little rant.

"Nothing happened! I'm literally sat on my ass for hours for god's sake. What the fuck is dangerous about that." I laughed, swirling an ice cube around my glass. "What's dangerous is him Ace. He strangled you."

"Which I handled...? With a more than expertly aimed kick to the balls may I add." I replied smirking. "Plus how did you guys even know about that?" I regretted asking that immediately as my eyes landed on a little monitor that was currently displaying what looked like Loki, pacing about in his cell. "oh."

Steve opened his mouth, about to argue with me but Natasha interrupted again. "Training, Ace?" I nodded and leapt to my feet, making my way to the door after Natasha. I hated how protective Steve was over me. How was I ever going to fight alongside them if he thought playing minecraft for hours in the same vicinity as a criminal was 'too dangerous.'

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I growled in indignation, slapping the floor with my palm as Natasha released me. We'd been training for hours and I'd had my ass handed to me more times than I'd care to admit. "You're distracted again Wilson." She voiced flatly, holding out her hand to help me up.

I ignored it and pulled myself up, spitting the blood from my mouth onto the floor. "Oh fuck bring up my sleeping routine again I dare you." I panted, walking over to my towel to dry the sweat off my brow. Natasha only laughed "Maybe I will. You tend to fight better when you're mad." I shook my head, grinning, and glugged some water from the bottle I'd brought

"Then by all means, bring in Steve to rant about my safety a little more. I'd work amazingly." She let out a low laugh and walked over to me. "You should've seen him when you'd decided to zap yourself right into the cage with him." She stated, raising an eyebrow at me. I snorted. "Ha, I'm surprised he didn't storm in, waving his little frisbee around."I retorted, smirking as I pictured Steve, flinging a tiny plastic frisbee to bounce off Loki's head.

"He almost did....I had to physically restrain him and drag him back to the monitor to show him how you'd got out relatively unscathed whilst Loki's sperm count had dropped considerably." She admitted, sending me an approving smirk.

"Thanks," I nodded at her, grateful for the fact she let me handle myself and fight my own fights. I got up, dusting myself off and backed up into the centre off the training room. "Well now that little moment of sincerity is over-" I began, flexing my shoulders as she too got up. "Care to get taken the fuck out?"

She laughed once, then lunged, aiming a kick to my head which I dodged swiftly. I focused on my strengths of being able to dart around people given my short and slight figure and I ducked under her right hook. I slid under her outsretched arm and delivered a strong punch to her side which knocked her off balance. I took advantage of this slight open window, twisting her arm behind her and attempting to knock her knee in so she'd fall. Instead she tightened grip on the arm i was using to hold hers and effortlessly pulled me in front of her on my knees. Thinking quickly, I grabbed hold of her ankle and pulled with all my might, sending her onto the floor. I quickly straddled her, kneeling on her arms as I pushed my forearm into her neck, panting. I'd won this round.