4.
Nikita leaned against the door, gasping for breath. Something heavy slammed into the door behind her, flinging her forward into a wall. She banged her head hard, and she reeled for a second or two, and then slumped to the floor. She still couldn't see a thing, her head throbbed, and she felt as if she was spinning around and around. She knew Loki would have the door down any minute now. She tried to drag herself to her feet but she was too dizzy, she simply dropped back down to her knees again. A wave of resignation swept over her.
'Please don't.'
That was Loki's voice. The banging had stopped. Nikita frowned. He wasn't talking to her.
'I still need that.'
Who on earth was he talking to? Nikita carefully got to her feet.
'This doesn't have to get any messier.' Came Nick Fury clear, deep voice.
'Of course it does. I've come too far for anything else.' Loki replied.
Nikita wondered what Fury was trying to take. She knew she should move off. A sliver of light was coming under the door, and Nikita's eyes were beginning to get used to the darkness. She reached out and touched the opposite wall, keeping both hands on both walls. There was a narrow corridor to the left of the door, but it was entirely dark. Not a speck of light. Outside, Loki was introducing himself to Fury. Suddenly she heard Erik's voice. At least he was alive.
'We have no quarrel with your people.' Fury's voice came again.
'An ant has no quarrel with a boot.' Loki retorted. Nikita winced. Ouch. Fury wouldn't like that. He didn't like to feel or be referred to as small and insignificant in any way. Loki rambled on. It seemed he wasn't joking about ruling the planet.
'I come with glad tidings…of a world made free.'
'Free from what?'
'Freedom.'
Nikita snorted. He's going to be a bundle of laughs, I can tell. Loki rambled on further. Wow. This bloke is really boring. If he does end up ruling the world, I hope we don't have to listen to his speeches.
'Sir, Director Fury is stalling.' That was Clint. 'This place is about to blow…' Nikita couldn't catch the rest.
'He's right,' Erik's voice came again. 'The portal is collapsing in on itself. We've got two minutes before this goes critical.'
Uh oh. Time to go. There was a gunshot, and Nikita heard Fury yell. She didn't dare go to see if he was OK, she just began to run as fast as she dared down the dark corridor. After about a minute of frantic, blind running, she collided with a ladder, and climbed as fast as she could.
At the top of the ladder, Nikita banged her head (again!) on a metal covering. Thankfully it was loose, and she pushed it away and stuck her head up. She instantly ducked down again as a large black four-by-four bore down on her. Nikita hesitantly looked out. She was in the middle of a road, outside the building. She turned and gasped. Loki was on the back of that four-by-four. She guessed – correctly, as it turned out – Clint and Erik were also in the car. She hauled herself out of the hole, sensibly replaced the cover, and limped over the side of the road. No sooner had she sat down than Nikita watched with horror as the building in front of her collapsed in on itself with a blue explosion. A single helicopter rose above the wreckage, having made it in the nick of time. Nikita squinted. Was Nick Fury in there? Probably not, it sounded like he'd been shot. Now what? She thought in despair. This was bad news, this Loki fellow. I suppose this isn't something I can just walk away from. Although…they don't really need me. I bet you any money they're not going to pay me. What about Clint? She paused, biting her lip, torn between two courses of action.
'Just go,' whispered the criminal inside her. 'They might try and pin this on you. Don't forget, you know what they really wanted the Cube for. Nuclear weapons, remember? I wouldn't risk it, I really wouldn't.'
'No, no, no!' the other side of her personality, the honest scientist, shouted. 'What about Clint? Are you going to abandon him…wherever he is? And Erik! If this Loki guy really is going to try and take over the world or whatever, Erik and Clint are exactly the sort of people he needs. You have to stay. The world needs you!'
Nikita gave a short laugh. "The world needs you". Rubbish. She'd disappear, like she always did when she got into trouble. They wouldn't miss her; they didn't want her here anyway.
Nick Fury looked down from his helicopter, high above the wreckage. He looked down wearily. Millions of dollars gone down the drain. And all they'd done is bring a…a…mad, power-hungry alien here! Movement down on the ground caught his eye. A girl was sitting on the verge of the road a little way away from the destruction and chaos. It was the hair that did it. He immediately got his walkie-talkie out.
'Hill?'
'Yes, Director?'
'It seems Dr Romanoff has found the alternative exit out of the lab. You know where she'll be?'
'Yes, sir.'
'Go get her.'
Maria Hill hesitated. She disliked Nikita and didn't want her to be in on whatever was going to happen next.
'Well…do we really need Dr Romanoff, sir? Several scientists have already survived and are fit to work. I suggest we just let her go.'
'No,' Fury snapped. He was in pain, tired, and majorly stressed out. He also, unsurprisingly, had a headache coming on. 'I don't have the time or patience to deal with your petty rivalries, Hill. We. Need. Nikita. Romanoff. Next to Erik Selvig, she's the best person we could have. Also, she has something very important. A memory stick.'
Maria Hill set her jaw to keep from making a remark. An order was an order. 'Yes Director.'
'Get a move on. I have a feeling she might try and run for it. Bring her to me when you get her.'
Maria Hill felt slightly better. Nikita had tried to run for it when she saw her coming. Tired as she was, and despite what she'd just been through, trying to stop Clint and Loki escaping, Maria still easily outstripped Nikita, and tackled her to the ground. She'd then forcibly dragged the furiously protesting scientist all the way back to the van in which Nick Fury had set up an office to sort out the chaos. She manhandled Nikita into the van, deposited her in an undignified heap on the floor, wrenched the memory stick out of her hand and passed it straight to Fury.
Fury fought back a smile. Nikita's face was as red as her hair, which was currently sticking up in every direction imaginable.
'There's no need for that face, Dr Romanoff.' Fury addressed her. 'You shouldn't have tried to run.'
'If looks could kill...' Maria interjected sweetly.
Nikita shot a truly evil look at her. 'You could have just asked for the memory stick.' She snapped.
Fury smiled. 'I could. But it's not just the memory stick I need.'
Nikita raised an eyebrow. 'Oh, you need my help now, do you?'
'No. I need Erik Selvig's. But, as you can see, he's not here. You're the next best.'
He stopped, inspected the memory stick, twisting it between his fingers. 'Clever girl,' he commented, tapping it. 'Getting hold of this. He didn't notice. I tried to take the Cube. That's what he's after.'
'Don't tell me,' Nikita said sarcastically, 'he did notice that.'
Fury nodded wryly. He indicated a hard plastic chair. 'Sit.' He ordered.
Nikita was tempted to say she didn't want to sit, but considering she was still sprawled on the floor, with Maria Hill standing over her like a jailer, she decided a chair would be the more dignified option. 'What is it you want?' she asked. Once again, opting out of this job did not seem to be an option.
Fury was silent for a few moments. 'You hacked into my computer files.' He said bluntly.
Nikita drew in her breath sharply but said nothing.
'Didn't think we knew, did you?' Fury continued, his face unreadable as usual.
'How could you know? I didn't leave a trail.'
'No, you didn't. But you forgot to look over your shoulder while you were doing it.'
Nikita mentally slapped herself for the second time that day.
'Clint Barton.' She muttered.
Fury nodded.
Nikita was furious. She felt betrayed. Silly, she chided herself, of course he told on you. It's his job. Did you think he was going to be a loyal friend? Stupid.
'Anyway,' Fury continued, 'as you read my secret files, I take it you know about the Avengers Initiative.'
Nikita's jaw dropped. 'Don't tell me you're going to…'
Fury nodded. 'It's our only hope. And you're going to help me.'
Nikita wondered if Maria Hill would intercept her if she tried to make a run for it.
She did.
