A Tale of Mischief and Mutants

Stunning and Deadly

—-Loki—-

I watch from across the room as Sam timidly listens to Barnes. I had figured she would be afraid of him but he seemed to have some understanding that she had been through something and was soft spoken with her. I suppose he would know something about being used as an object rather than a person and can sense that something similar to his own situation happened to Sam.

She lets him lead her to the gun racks across the room probably getting the same feeling about him. Normally she'd put me between herself and any man she doesn't know. Barnes seems to be an exception. Though we don't ever really talk or anything he's one of the Avengers I get along with a bit better than the others. I'm glad Sam isn't completely intimidated by everyone on the team.

He shows her some of the weapon choices and she takes her pick then he opens up a storage locker and seems to ask her a question. She points to something in the locker and he gives her an armored S.H.I.E.L.D uniform. She goes into a changing room and puts it on. When she comes back out she has pulled her hair into a messy bun. The uniform complements her figure perfectly.

She looks stunning. Stunning and deadly. She picks up the weapons she chose and puts them in their holsters. I see her give Barnes a small smile then she comes back across the room to me. I see a look of confusion on Barnes' face as she takes hold of my arm. Apparently he didn't know about us.

—————————————————————

When we reach the city it's pure chaos. It resembles New York. We're dropped off near the edge of the fighting. Along with another group containing Thor, Peter, Wanda, and Rhodes. They will be in the same area but more focused on destruction than on containment.

We are hit with our first wave of the soldiers. Sam to my surprise is just fine. I've never seen her fight in a combat situation before but I realize now that she is more than capable of handling herself against any mortal man. I also now realize that how she ended up kidnapped was an incredibly implausible circumstance won over by the pure luck of her captors.

I start taking the Badoon out using illusions and such to distract them long enough for Barton to shoot them. Sam shoots them from a distance unless attacked in close range. When she is she fights them hand to hand using her abilities and her daggers until they are weakened enough or tire enough they don't give chase then she shoots them.

She's an incredibly good shot and shoots them when they're nearly a mile away. Easily identifying them as the enemy through the scope. The Black Widow lands on a hover craft the Badoon are using to get around knocks it's rider off the craft and takes control of it herself. She swoops near to the ground then smiles at me mischievously.

"This is like New York all over again!"

I chuckle. Though the comparison stings I can't let her know it does. I steal Barton's usual line about Budapest, whatever may have happened there, exchanging the city's name.

"You and I remember New York very differently."

She laughs and flies away shooting at the Badoon as she glides around the city block.  Sam and I are fighting some Badoon hand to hand when we hear a scream.

"Help someone please I'm stuck!"

We are trying to quickly finish up the Badoon so we can begin to look for the source of the sound there's a baby crying now and an even more panicked cry for help. Thor appears at my side he helps us take down the rest. We all begin looking for whoever is calling out for help. The three of us come across a woman trapped under some rubble. She's holding a baby in her hands.

The woman is in pain but trying her best to calm her baby. I back off the situation this woman is in a panic and I will only scare her more. Thor walks over and begins moving the rubble off of the woman. I see Sam bend down to talk to the woman I can't here a word suddenly the woman cries out in fear.

"Your one of them aren't you?! You're a mutie! Get away from me! I don't want your kind of help!"

I'm angered by this woman's display of intolerance especially the use of a slur but stepping in now will only escalate the situation. I'm genuinely trying not to get into any trouble on this mission so we don't have to visit S.H.I.E.L.D HQ with a write up. If I step in I know I will loose my temper and end up with one. Thor lifts the last of the rubble off of the woman. It's clear that she won't be able to walk her legs have been severely torn from the rubble.

It's not anything that will take more then a week to be able to walk on again but she's not going to be walking today. Sam looks hurt by the woman's words but she persists. Stepping closer to the woman and kneeling down. The woman slaps her and in that brief half second of contact Sam takes her injuries crumpling to the ground in pain.

I'm livid that she laid hands on Sam. 'That's it!' Sam sees me step out of the shadows to confront the woman and lifts her hand up to stop me she shakes her head at me. I reluctantly stand down. The woman looks at her bloodstained but completely healed legs in awe then sees Sam's uniform soaked through with blood.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!"

The woman starts crying realizing what Sam just did for her although she treated Sam with hatred.

"Is there any way I can ever make this right?!"

Sam speaks to her it's so quiet I can barely hear it.

"You want to make this up to me? Get that baby to safety."

The woman nods.

"Thank you! I'm so sorry!"

The woman runs off and I'm at Sam's side. Thor who silently watched the whole scene play out looks deep in thought at Sam. It's odd behavior from him but I ignore this, Sam needs medical attention.

—————————————————————

A helicopter arrives and were taken to a hospital in Modesto. I refuse to leave her to continue fighting. I can't leave her alone with strangers in a hospital. I watch the news and see that we've won in the time it took to get her out of there and to the hospital.

She's on pain meds and a bit drowsy from it, she looks up at me and gives me a small smile. I can't help but return it. She's a foolish mortal for putting herself in danger for someone who despises her. I can't wrap my head around what made her help that woman. I move a loose strand of hair out of her face then take her hand I know hospitals scare her immensely.

Minutes later she's asleep. I start to think about the secret I'm keeping from her as I look at her sleeping peacefully. I need to tell her. I've been trying to but every time I think about telling her I imagine her running from me and not having her there anymore, her leaving me and me being left alone again. The fear always wins, but I don't want to keep this from her any more and decide that when we get back home I'm going to tell her.