AN:Thanks for taking the time to read this! I haven't written fiction in many years, so please forgive me if I am a tad rusty. Also, the story will get darker in the upcoming chapters with possible trigger warnings. I will make sure to add a note before these plot lines take hold. Until then...happy reading.
I do not own any of the Marvel characters...just the OCs and the plot.
It's Always the Eyes
It seemed like an eternity starring into her eyes, but suddenly the fear of time lost did not arise; he only knew that he could not break contact, for if he did he would surely lose her.
Captain Steve Rogers had been frequenting the Helicarrier for the last few weeks, trying to gain more information. He knew that SHIELD was up to something and after losing faith in Fury's integrity, he couldn't trust the actions of the organization to be benevolent. Having already been scheduled to meet with Fury and the other Avengers in an hour, he took this time to do some old-fashioned snooping. Well, as discreetly as a gigantic, patriotic icon traipsing through the halls in his dark leather jacket, and endless supply of plaid button-ups, could be. Still, a super-soldier with the metabolism of a hummingbird, had to eat and at that particular moment the growls of his stomach gave away any stealth he contained. He rounded the corner, almost ready to find the always helpful Coulson, we he spied a kitchenette from the peripheral of his vision. AHAH! Surely there was something in there, but what he would find was nothing he had expected. He combed through the fridge, finally finding a block of cheese and bread. Well that would have to do. As he set about creating the meager sandwich he did not notice that another with a hankering for sandwiches had just entered the kitchen, and then suddenly slammed into the colossal Captain himself. He dropped the bread on the counter and the visitor dropped a book onto the ground while rubbing her head. Feeling rather sheepish, she dropped to her knees with many apologies.
"I am so sorry-I-I-didn't…see you," she looked up to see the Captain had already picked up the book and was rather curiously staring at her. It seemed like an eternity starring into her eyes, but suddenly the fear of time lost did not arise; he only knew that he could not break contact, for if he did he would surely lose her. It was only until she asked if he was all right that he was able to pull away and see the entirety of the young woman before him. She was short, fairly young looking, with dark curly hair, and she wore SHIELD-issue training clothes that were a bit baggy on her, but none of that seemed significant in contrast to her eyes. Light, almost jade, green eyes with vibrant gold circling her pupils. He had never seen eyes with those colors before, and especially not with the deep wisdom that he felt arose from them.
"Are you all right?" She asked again with half a smile, but mostly confusion. Steve realized she had taken the book from him and was gently placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah-yes. I am fine, you just startled me," he rose to his full height and towered over the newcomer.
"Sorry about that, I guess I really should keep my nose out of my book." She rose and placed the book under her arm. "My name is Anna." Steve shook her outstretched hand and smiled: "Steve…Steve Rogers." The eyes widened in shock and almost fear as realizations set-in. "Captain Rogers?" She questioned.
"Yeah, Captain Steve Rogers…"
"You're Captain America. I just body slammed Captain America." She repeated to herself in embarrassment. "Did I mention-uh-I am so sorry Captain. I'll leave you alone…you're….um…yeah."
"Wait," he stopped her before she could leave. "It's all right. I should have heard you come in. Really, it's not like someone of your size could do much damage…not that your size isn't okay…it's just short-shorter than me." Seeing that she wasn't the only who could be socially awkward, Anna smile warm heartedly.
"Don't worry, I understand. But you know what they say. Explosive things come in small packages-like dynamite," Anna was about ready to mentally slap herself (seriously did she just say that to Captain America) when Steve began laughing.
"You're right. I should be more careful," he said as she joined in laughing.
"Can we start again?" She asked. "I'm Anna."
"Steve." Another handshake followed, although this one lasted longer. As they continued shaking hands, Anna look from side to side. "Nice to meet you," she said laughing and continued shaking. Steve got the hint and quickly withdrew his hand.
"So.." She started, but both continued to laugh nervously.
"Would you like to join me," he asked pointing to the sandwich materials "It's not much, but I'm sure we could get another sandwich out of this." Just as Anna had opened her mouth to reply, the ever-serious and professional Coulson entered the kitchenette with 5 SHIELD agents.
"Captain," said Coulson stepping in front of Anna. "We thought we had lost you." The agents flanked themselves behind Coulson.
"No, just looking for lunch. Actually, I accidentally bumped into this lady right here," Steve gestured to behind Coulson, but as the agent stepped aside, he realized that Anna and the 5 other agents had left. Steve looked back to Coulson quizzically.
"I am sure that you will meet her again. For now, you need to report to the bridge. Most of the other Avengers have arrived."
"Agent Barton and Romanoff have reported that the threat has been neutralized and that most of the crazed man's records have been discovered," concluded Fury.
"Which one of the crazed mad scientists is this again?" asked Bruce, AKA The Hulk, while studying the file.
"The scientist was involved with Hydra. I am sure that Captain Rogers can enlighten us.." Steve looked up to see all eyes looking at him.
"Huh?"
"Distracted Captain?" asked Fury. Steve was about ready to push the issue from his mind, but figured that he might as well ask.
"Has SHIELD recruited any new agents?"
"If it's Lareby you are asking about, I assure you that he was told to wait until after the meeting for you to autograph his Captain America costume," interjected Coulson.
"Jealous Coulson?" Tony, AKA Iron Man, inquired with his usual level of snark.
"Not at all. Lareby has only a costume, whereas I have the original-"Coulson stopped and cleared his throat. Steve raised his eyebrows at the agent; the Captain was not sure he wanted to know which of his personal items Coulson had procured during his collecting.
"No," Steve began after a moment. "I bumped into her, before the meeting. Remember the lady I was talking to you about Coulson."
"The Captain has finally acknowledged the opposite sex?" Tony asked in mock surprise. Steve narrowed his eyes at Tony and then tried again "Look I…"
"Truly Man of Iron, this is no jesting manner. Should our noble friend have sought a lady, it is no minor feat! We should celebrate this happy occasion," Thor boomed.
"Why are we celebrating that Capsicle finally has a date? I've been in a relationship with Pepper for a long-ish amount of time. That's worth a party," whined Tony.
"That is an accomplishment," Fury interrupted. "But in regards to your question Captain, Lareby is the only new recruit I know of."
"Then who-" before Steve could ask the question, the power in the Helicarrier went out.
"Stark," Fury growled "If this is one of your pranks, I will give you exactly 30 seconds to get off the Helicarrier before I-" However, Fury was interrupted with maniacal laughing.
"Hill, I need a status."
"Working on it." She responded. The agents on the bridge rapidly investigated the machinery, when sparks began to fly, frying all the technology in their sight. Gasps and sounds of scrambling filled the air as agent attempted to put out the small electrical fires. The air grew tense with sounds of moaning metal. The superheroes jumped to their feet and awaited whatever may come. The Captain grasped his shield from behind his chair; Thor held Mjolnir securely; Bruce attempted to calm himself; and Tony put on a set of two bracelets. The Helicarrier stopped suddenly cause everyone to jolt forward. Steve watched as his shield flew from his hand and into the debris of technology and agents. Suddenly there was a flash of blue light and jolting pain as everyone on the bridge had been electrocuted. Steve fell to the ground watching someone or something ripping away a section of the Helicarier and descending onto the bridge.
"A piece of cake," a male voice tusked. As he heard other voices join, Steve lost consciousness.
************************************************** **********************
"I will ask again," Steve's eyes opened to the harsh voice. "Where are they?!" Whomever the man interrogated, did not relent. There was a strike and groan. Steve slowly gained awareness of his surroundings. He was still on the bridge, but what a scene of destruction it had become. He was kneeling with his hands secured by his back, he could feel blood dripping from the side of his face. With tremendous amount of pain, Steve looked to his side; the other Avengers were similarly secured, save Bruce who appeared to be unconscious with a person standing above him, chanting some sort of gibberish. He looked to his other side to see Fury, Coulson and Hill kneeling next to a man he had never seen before. The man was old and small with a peculiarly long beard. His glasses were strewn to the side and from the marks on his face, Steve guessed that this was the man being interrogated. A flash of dark passed Steve's vision, and the sinister voice spoke above him.
"We can continue about this. In truth, your weapons are useless, your heroes." the villain pulled Steve's head by his hair. Steve could only seen the dark outline of a man. "Are incapacitated, and as for that beast, so long as we continue our incantations, he will never wake up. Everything you expected to keep them safe is gone. It won't be much longer before you too will not be there. So I ask you again, old man, tell me where you hid them!" The villain spat as he held the frail main by his shoulders.
"It is not mine to reason nor to divulge." The villain dropped him.
"Your maxims will not save you here. Tell me where they are. Where is the Wizard?" The villain shot the man with lightning. "Where is the King?" another shock. "Where is the Oracle?!" The man was continually barraged by lightening, but did not release any information.
"Perhaps, I am going about this all wrong," the villain mused while pacing. "I only require one of the three," he mused. The villain stopped in front of the man again.
"Where is the Oracle, surrender him and you can walk away from this." The old man remained silent.
"You try my patience. Do you wish to be broken? Do you wish to die?" realization hit the villain. "Or perhaps if your death does not matter, what of the lives on this ship? Would you risk them too?" The villain strode over to Tony who was as unconscious as the others; Tony let out a groan as he was hosted by the collar. "Does the life of this man matter?"
"All life is precious." The old man muttered before falling to the ground face down. The villain released Tony. He crumpled down to the ground.
"Listen up, Oracle. I will leave this place and spare them, should you show yourself and cooperate."
"How do you even know that an oracle isn't already here," snapped Fury. "Maybe you already knocked him unconscious. Probably beating down an old man for absolutely nothing."
"Stupid mortal. With all your weapons, agents, and information, you seem to lack any kind of knowledge." The villain laughed and knelt to Fury's eye level. "You see, the Oracle can always be identified. It is always the eyes," he pointed at Fury's eyes with his pointer and pinky fingers. "If you see the eyes, then it is the Oracle. You can never mistake those eyes." The villain stood and addressed his surrounding. "I am sure you are looking with those eyes, aren't you? Can your weak heart stand watching what I will do to these people because of you? Show yourself, Oracle!"
"She is right behind you." Steve looked behind the villain and saw those eyes. It was Anna. What the hell was she doing? Steve tried to stand up, but was held down, by one of the shadowing henchmen who appeared to be comprised purely of smoke or maybe the electrocution truly did fry part of his brain. By that point, the villain began advancing upon her.
"How charming. My dear are you going to come quietly?"
"I don't believe I ever agreed to that," she said taking a step back simultaneously.
"You are in no position to negotiate my dear. Perhaps you would rather I harm all of these people now."
"Actually," she said. "I would rather fly."
"Curious, I don't believe that any of the Oracles have that power."
"I don't think we are that predictable," she responded. In a split second she had kicked her leg up sending the Captain's shield flying up into her arms.
"Novel. A shield for the Oracle-always the guarded never the guardian. Tell me, how does it feel to never be able to protect all of these people."
"Sometimes even a shield can be a sword."
"Enough. You will cooperate." Anna looked up to Steve.
"Don't worry Captain, you'll get your shield back," she said looking at Steve. She turned back to the villain. A half smirk graced her face. "Catch me, if you can," she said breathlessly. Everyone watched incredulously as Anna swung the shield toward the glass of the front bridge. As the glass broke and the shield fell down to the abyss, the Oracle ran after it, diving through the glass and out of the Helicarrier. The villain was dumbfounded for a mere moment before shouting frantically to his smoke-like creatures.
"Don't just stand there, get her! Do you hear me? Get her!" As some of the henchmen followed the young girl, the villain was taken by surprise by a newly untied and pissed off Captain America. He was soon joined by Fury and Agent Hill, brandishing their fire arms and Coulson with his legendary taser. Fury shot the first bullet only to find that fighting smoke with bullets was not effective. The bullets went through the henchmen and then ricocheted of the inside of the ship's hull.
"What are you trying to do, kill smoke?" the villain chuckled.
"Nope, we're going to put their fire out!" yelled a voice from above. Suddenly the sprinkler systems gushed out in downpours of cold water. The smoke creatures lurched away in agony. Two young men jumped on the villain above. One was dark-haired and immediately lunged for the villain, while a wild blonde began shooting off more fire in the direction of the other pipes trying to break as many water vanes as was possible. Fury joined the blonde in his desolation of the water pipes, Hill ran to untie the other Avengers, while Coulson tased the woman enchanting Bruce. Steve heard the old man muttering something frantically; the Captain helped pull the old man up, and was able to understand at last those few words.
"She can't swim…She can't swim." Steve place the man down as gently and quickly as possible and then bolted for the glass. He had only a moments hesitation as he found himself plunging head first into the choppy waters below. He hit the water with all the grace of an Olympic diver, but was unable to see Anna. His shield floated to the surface bobbing with the waves and a minute later a hand struggled to grab to the shield. She struggled to the surface, but to no avail. She could not hold onto the shield and so she it let go. Steve dove towards her, watching as her form begin to sink. He grabbed her and swam upwards. He broke the surface with the woman in tow and pulled her to the shield. She breathed raggedly taking in as much air as is possible as her whole body shuddered violently. Steve held her tight onto the shield, urging her to calm down and assuring her that she was all right. For a brief moment she looked up at her rescuer; fear flashed through her eyes and quickly she raised her hand. Steve suddenly felt the pressure of hundreds of waves fall upon them, and then it ended. He opened his eyes to see that they were nearly underwater save for Anna's hand, which created a force field of some sort that kept the tumultuous water from crushing them. With one finally bout of energy she thrust her palm forward, forcing the wave to change direction and leave them bobbing on the small choppy waves. Having adverting the disaster, Anna gave a deep sigh and lost consciousness being held up by her greatest idol and his shield.
