Beneath Me 》 Loki Laufeyson《 [UNDER HEAVY EDITING]

19. 》Flicker《

"Here, I made you some coffee.", Natasha said, returning to the couch she and Kara shared when they entered the cabin. Clint simply sat in the chair across them, glancing at Kara from time to time.

"Why are you being nice to me?", Kara asked, a towel still wrapped around her shoulder. Natasha placed the mug of caffeine on the table in front of them and sat at an appropriate distance from the young lady.

"What do you mean?", the redheaded agent inquired, crossing her legs and leaning back on the sofa.

"This. Taking me inside, bringing me a towel, making me coffee, it's jut weird.", the brunette responded, staring at the coffee mug. "A few days ago, you made it clear how much you didn't want me around.", she added softly. 

Natasha and Clint exchanged glances. 

"Listen, about that...", Natasha trailed off. "I would like to apologize. We- I haven't been the best of hosts to you."

"Well, it seems not only you.", Clint interjected, his eyes shifting to Loki, who had just entered the cabin. 

Natasha and Kara sensed someone behind them, so they turned around to look at Loki, as well.

The god had a cross expression on his face, which was replaced by a concerned look once his eyes were fixed on Kara. "Are you all right, now?" Kara gave him a nod and slight smile. Before she could say anything else, Loki nodded and turned his heel, storming away to his room. 

Kara bowed her head down. 

"I guess Loki had to stand up to all of you for you to realize how you treat us, huh?", she spoke, tilting her head a bit to look Natasha in the eye. The redhead sighed heavily. 

Natasha cautiously brought her hand up to Kara's shoulders. The brunette flinched at her touch, but relaxed soon after. "I've watched you from afar, Kara.", Natasha mused. This made Clint arch an eyebrow. 

"Okay, now that's weird.", he muttered, earning a glare from his partner, and a soft chuckle from the neophyte.

"I don't know what you experienced back in Strucker's lab-" Kara shut her eyes at the mention of his name. "...but I would just like you to know that, I- I feel you." The brunette now had her eyes fixed on the woman beside her. 

"I've been abused in my past, too. Did horrible things which I regret, because I worked for a maniac who wanted blood. Got a lot of red in my ledger.", Natasha added. 

"But you know what? This idiot...", she pointed at the agent in front of her. "Hey!", Clint protested. "He was the only one who believed in me.", she spoke sincerely.

Clint being Clint, dramatically put his hands over his chest and fake-cried. "Natasha, stop. My mascara's running." The female assassin rolled her eyes and hit him square in the face with a throw pillow. A muffled 'oof' was heard.

Kara smiled at their actions, and shook her head. Natasha noticed this and scooted closer to her.

"What I'm saying here, I guess, is that I want you to know that I'm here for you. Now that you're here with us, the Avengers, I can assure you that I will be one of those people who will believe in and stick with you till the end.", she assured the young lady beside her. 

"Cheers to that!", Clint raised his glass of iced tea. 

"Tha-thank you, Ms. Romanoff." The redhead smiled. "Call me Nat from now on."

"And call me whatever you like, just not idiot.", Clint uttered, glaring at his partner. 

"I'll keep that in mind.", Kara replied, taking the mug in her hands and sipping on her coffee.

-x-

"Is she not yet ready?!", Werner yelled at one of his scientists, grabbing his collar and lifting him from the ground.

"Sir, she is in the final phase. About any minute now-"

"F**king get on with it!", Strucker boomed with impatience. He set the scientist down harshly on the floor. His colleagues cowered in fear, sweat beads on their foreheads as they focused on their different tasks.

Werner approached the glass wall that separated him from Experiment 111-F, who was currently sedated. "You...", he said, caressing the glass. "... will be my right-hand woman."

The lights flickered on and off, the machines started vibrating rapidly. Warning sirens were echoing throughout the laboratory.

"Everyone, get out!", one of the scientists screamed. Werner watched furiously as they proceeded towards the exit.

"Guards!", Strucker yelled. His goons immediately blocked the group of technologists, pointing their guns at them.

Experiment 111-F appeared to be having a seizure. Her convulsions were extremely violent that she began to break the glass wall that surrounded her. Sparks were flying in her chamber, wires started to snap, and she started to slip in and out of the visible spectrum. Strucker and the others watched all of this unfold before them. 

"Sir, Phase 3 was unsuccessful. Her body refused to accept the energy from the Chitauri weapons, which must be the cause of her spasms-", the scientist was cut off by a shard of glass puncturing his leg, making him scream in agony. Werner's eyes widened and he took cover, along with the rest of the group. 

A few seconds later, the glass chamber exploded. All power went out, and an eery silence filled the air, along with a huge amount of smoke. Strucker coughed and tried to see through the gas, where bodies of some of his goons lay dead on the floor. Fragments of glass pierced different parts of their body. 

Werner walked vigilantly further into his lab. His eyes landed on Experiment 111-F's  cell, which was now empty, smoke emitting from it. He stopped dead in his tracks when he heard some breathing a few feet away. 

Strucker came into view with what seemed like a silhouette crouching. When it sensed the man's presence, the figure slowly rose up and met his gaze. She had piercing grey eyes, and her frame was all-black.

Like a shadow.

Experiment 111-F then looked at her hands and feet, possibly pondering why she looked that way. With one wave of her right hand, her original skin tone returned, so did her ash-colored, curly hair. She tried snapping her fingers, and instantly, the lights went back on. She snapped them again, and they shut off. 

Werner was awestruck at the sight of her. "Experiment 111-F...", he trailed off. The woman looked warily at him. 

"Don't be afraid.", he added, pointing to himself.  "I created you."

The woman's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Strucker extended his hand for her to reach. "Together, we will do great things." She slowly brought her hand up and touched his.

Instantly, her appearance shifted to match Strucker's own. The same blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and the intense glare. It was looking at a mirror.

Werner was startled, yet he smiled devilishly at her, to which she responded to with a slightly confused smile.

"You will be... my Shadow."