I opened my eyes, startled from sleep by a terrified scream. I looked around wildly, but couldn't see due to an unnatural darkness brought by a strange night. It was foreboding, and instantly told me it was a dream. Through the darkness I saw figures, lots of them, but three in particular were struggling against assailants.
I ran towards the commotion, cursing when my feet felt like they were running through water. The shouts grew more and more frantic, and I hurried my approach. The shadows formed distinguishing details; Nick Fury was standing at the back of a van, its back doors swung open wide, ready to swallow the three prisoners. Tiara, Annie, and Summer struggled in vain against the strong arms that held them, calling to Fury.
"She saved us from AIM! She's not a threat!" Summer shouted.
"Please, she's only running because she thinks you'll hurt her!" Tiara added.
"Just let us go tell her! She won't hurt anyone! Please, you have to listen to us!" Annie's cry echoed above the chaos of agents around her, "It's not her fault! Don't make her suffer for trying to live peacefully!"
"She saved us! Don't you understand?!" Tiara hollered, silencing when she was shoved into the van.
"We need information that she has, and we can't get her… She'll come willingly for you three." Fury's voice responded coolly to the three girls' pleas, "And if she doesn't, she'll never see you again."
Summer was roughly thrown in after Tiara, no longer able to be heard.
"You're making a mistake! You don't have to-"Annie's voice cut off when she too was inside the van, and the doors shut tightly behind them and the agents that followed.
"If they don't know anything themselves, then Kanin will have to come to take their place." Fury told the woman at the van's wheel as he jumped into the passenger seat, "Her fight with AIM has proven she'll rather die than see the three girls get hurt. We have her now."
The van's engine started and began to roll away into New York. I frantically called out to the truck, trying to run faster, but the dream refused to release its slowing grasp.
Suddenly, the dream dissolved, and pulled back together into my nightmare. Everything was black and red, and bodies were spread out everywhere. I could see clearer than the first time I had the dream, and felt my stomach churn from the gore that surrounded me. My human hands were soaked with the blood of many SHEILD agents, and my clothes were drenched with sweat and blood. The red liquid was dripping form my mouth and I spat it out, horrified from its metalling tang and warm thickness as it slid, either, down my throat or down my chin. I gagged and was on the verge of throwing up the blood, but stopped at the feeling of something unthinkable behind me. I turned around to see my friends, all dead, lying on the steps of the SHEILD heli-carrier bridge. Nick Fury was lying beside them, a gun still held in his hand as he bled to death from a rip in his throat.
"No… No!" I backed away from everything, tears beginning to stream down my bloody face and my heart beating faster as I hyperventilated, my breathing getting even more sporadic when the cold laughter rang from every direction. Suddenly, everything started to shake, and the heli-carrier started to fall through the air. I was thrown from my feet and started to slide to the large front window. A large slab of metal fell when the airship tilted downwards, smashing the window. I screamed, unable to get a handhold due to the slickness of my blood-covered hands, and could only watch the jagged opening come closer.
"NO!"
I awoke to Loki shaking my shoulders roughly, his green eyes staring into my wide, fearful, blue ones.
"Canine, it's just a dream!" he hurriedly wrapped his arms around my shoulders and forced me to lean against his chest in a comforting hug, "It was only a dream… calm down… Breathe… it was only a dream."
I sobbed and trembled uncontrollably against his arms, shaking my head disbelievingly from the vividness of the nightmare. "No… No, they're dead! They can't be!"
"Canine! Listen to me, it was a dream! Your friends are still alive!" Loki tried to calm me down, "Whatever it was didn't happen. You're ok now… You're ok…"
I finally started to take several deep, shuddering breaths, slightly banging my head against Loki's chest to let me know I was awake. Eventually, I was able to breathe normally, and I looked up slowly. It was nighttime. I had slept all day.
"L-Loki… why do I get these dreams?" I wondered, my voice still shaky, "Why do I keep dreaming of death and destruction?"
"I don't know…" He rested his chin on my head, "I don't know."
Five minutes later, I recovered, and quickly, with blushing cheeks, pushed myself out of Loki's arms. "I-I'm sorry… I didn't mean to get-"
"You don't have to say sorry. I don't expect you to steel away your emotions," Loki reassured me, stepping back to give me space but staying crouched on one knee as to speak at my eye level, "I won't ask you to describe your dream. I can guess it's similar to your last nightmare… but I will ask what happened today to get yourself so battered." He motioned to my singed clothes.
"AIM took everyone captive at Annie's house. They were waiting for me when they got there. I saved them all, but couldn't stop injuries, even at my near demise. Annie was shot by Maxis, the AIM secretary, and Summer and Tiara were beat up pretty bad. I was near electrocuted to death. Any normal human would have died from it… Loki," I looked up at the god of mischief, "They know you're here… they know exactly where we've been staying… Maxis nearly gave it away to the girls in an attempt to break my spirit. And…"
"Do they know?"
"Yes… They know now. I had to transform to drive AIM away, but they're my friends, they embraced it happily. They're safe now…" My already tired and tear-streaked face grew more foreboding when Loki frowned slightly. "What? Loki, what's wrong?"
"Your friends… they might actually not be safe right now. I was returning from my errands and happened to come across a kidnapping…"
"I-It can't be-"
"They were hauled into a SHEILD van by Fury and his men and were taken to the heli-carrier. Fury said he was going to keep them until you showed up to save them."
My breaths caught in my throat, choking me slightly, the images from my dream hitting me again with full reality. "No… that can't be… It's exactly like I dreamed… Loki, what am I to do?! There's no way to reach them by now!"
"What about doing what Fury wants and just give yourself up?"
"I-I couldn't do that… he want's information. I would never tell him where you-" I stopped there, surprise at the words that I had just said. Loki raised an eyebrow questioningly, but I could see the slight amusement in their depths.
"Would you really keep my presence a secret?"
I shook my head with slight regret, "I- I don't know… I owe you everything, despite how frightened I feel with the idea of being with the most wanted criminal of more than just this world. You've given me a new chance, and I… I trust you. A friend doesn't betray a friend… but…" I sighed and leaned my back against the building, letting my head lightly thud against it in an attempt to knock the right words through my head and onto my tongue, "I don't know what I would do… Betray the one friend who saved my life, or betray the three that have risked their lives to keep me safe."
"I have the solution," Loki whispered reaching out and grabbing my hands to help me stand, all the while staring intensely into my eyes, "I can get you onto the heli-carrier so you can save your friends. You save them, and keep me a secret. Problem solved."
Hope bloomed in my heart, warming my chest.
"Of course, when you never show up tomorrow, they'll suspect our actions and will have the Avengers on guard… and your friends will possibly be killed." Loki mentioned.
"Fury wouldn't kill them…" I muttered, trying to convince myself more than Loki, "He's better than that…"
Loki gave me a sorrowful look. "I would think so as well, but at the same time he would be better than blackmailing. He's kidnapped your friends. What will stop him from killing them?"
I nodded slowly in agreement, not liking what I was being told. "But, the fact still stands that the Avengers would be looking for me by the end of tomorrow…"
"I doubt they'll be very far from the girls before then either…" Loki added.
"Then, what can we do?" I asked, losing my hope.
"We start now and head to the heli-carrier before anyone has a chance to prepare," Loki answered, a glint of mischief in his green eyes, "You break in and take care of the Avengers before they can become a problem. Once that's done, you'll be free to save your friends."
"If I attack the Avengers, won't SHEILD set guards on my friends?" I asked, trying to iron out the details.
Loki paused to think, but answered solidly. "I can disguise myself as you and free them as you keep the Avengers busy. They'll think you've saved them, I stay a secret, and you get your friends back."
I thought through the plan, rolling every step over in my mind. Finally, with hope returning, I nodded in agreement.
A smile spread over Loki's face. It reminded me of a child excited to finally be going out to play, and I couldn't help but to smile with him. What I felt now was something I had never experienced before. It felt dark, stony, and detached from my normal emotions, but it burned inside me like an icy-hot fire; it felt good. My friends were being threatened; and I wouldn't let that go easily.
"We ready to go then?" he asked after I had shared his strange smile.
I looked deep into his green eyes and answered with an unfamiliar tone. "Let the Avengers and Fury pay for what they have done."
With no other words spoken, Loki turned and strode to his hover-craft. I followed eagerly, jumping on to stand on his right side and staring straight ahead. He aimed the craft into the sky and started it forward, willing it to pick up speed until we were hovering right under the dark clouds of night. We rode forward; no words were spoken between us as we traveled closer and closer to the SHEILD heli-carrier. The wind picked up as we got nearer to the ocean, whistling in my ears and brushing through my hair.
Suddenly, the air ship came into sight through the lower sea clouds, hovering over the ocean water. I saw it and immediately felt a soft rage burn through my body. I let it run, and grinned when I felt strength pool in my limbs as I half transformed. I felt doubt try to push its way into my thoughts, but I shoved it back, sending it reeling into the farthest part of my mind.
We came to hover above the carrier's landing bay, where Loki started a careful descent downward, using his illusion abilities to disguise our approach. He stopped at the point where I could jump off and looked into my eyes in a temporary farewell. I nodded a hope of good luck to him before leaping off onto the heli-carrier landing bay.
Immediately, now out of Loki's protective illusion, I became visible, and alarms started to blare at the sudden presence of an unauthorized presence on the deck.
I ignored the loud alarms and stalked to the door that led inside the heli-carrier, examining the lock on its frame only for a second before shredding it with mutantly strong claws. The metal door opened suddenly and I ran through, charging at the security agents that had arrived to attend to the alarm.
They started to raise their weapons but never got them high enough. I came in on them, grabbing one to balance my weight while I kicked the other in the gut. The man I used I threw against the wall, whacking his head hard against the metal surface.
The first two were finished, but more agents came in their places. I didn't want to risk getting shot so I ran as fast as I could to get inside their defenses. I barely made it, nearly avoiding the two guns before reaching out and smashing the two heads together with enough force to only knock them out.
The last agent that had stayed behind the first four tried to shoot me away from him, but only succeeded in scorching the metal walls. His shooting was sporadic, and I dodged easily until I could reach the gun point and direct it away from me. I twisted the gun from his hands and used it like a club, knocking him out swiftly with a single blow.
I looked around the hall and soon spotted what I wanted: a small camera, tucked away in the top of the metal wall. "Fury, you wouldn't waste your agents on me, and I don't want to waste my time on them. You know why I'm here, so give me what I want. You release my friends and I won't kill you. It's simple. I hope it won't take long for you to make the smart decision." Finished, I reached up and dug a claw into the lens, smashing it and the delicate machinery behind it. "Let your precious Avengers come. Loki will be ready to save Annie, Tiara, and Summer. When they realize what's happened, it'll be too late!"
I charged through the long hallway, not caring where I went, as long as I kept Fury's attention. The path finally split into three directions and I paused to decide what way to go. I sensed someone to my right so I opened the door and walked in slowly, looking around for the hidden person.
A foot shifted against metal above the door, making a sound that barely caught my attention but my large wolf ears flicked to its source. I spun around just in time to sidestep a headlock from the Black Widow, her red hair flipping against my face with how close we came. She recovered as quickly as I had expected, coming at me professionally with no hints of hesitation. I dodged and weaved from her attacks, barely avoiding getting hit, until my back slammed against another metal door halting my progress.
With no other alternative, I experimentally jabbed out at Natasha's face, wincing as she retaliated with a sharp slap on my wrist. I focused on defending myself, using my superior senses to estimate her next moves and counter them.
She stepped sideways to avoid a sidekick, and her weight shifted into one of her own. I flipped my weight over to dodge her kick as she had done to mine and threw my fist out to jam her knee. She pulled back to fast for me to hit her, leaving me to pull back just in time to duck under a right hook. With the downward momentum I somersaulted behind her and stood up, stepping backward quickly enough to avoid a crushing downward sweep of her foot. Knowing she was aiming for another kick I could only turn and run forward, making sure I stayed well out of reach.
Suddenly I felt cords wrap tightly around both my ankles and I cried out when I landed heavily on my shoulder. The cords recoiled a moment later, leaving me hardly any time to recover from my fall. I felt the floor vibrate form Natasha's footsteps, and I could only turn onto my back before having to grab hold of the agent's wrist, keeping her fingers away from my throat. She pulled her hand away, but knelt down on my left leg and leaned against the same, extremely sore, left shoulder, keeping me on the floor. Her other hand now hovered above my face threateningly.
"What are you doing here?" She asked bluntly, staring straight into my eyes.
"That should be obvious…" I grunted, trying slightly to push against her pinning hold.
"You're only sixteen, why would you even think about storming in on the SHEILD heli-carrier? And how on earth did you get here in the first place?" Natasha continued to ask without emotion.
Instead of answering, I relaxed under her weight and asked my own question. "Why would you think to take me on alone?"
She opened her mouth to respond, but I chose that moment to interrupt. I reached within me and called to the wolf, allowing myself to transform fully. Within seconds I was a large black wolf with Natasha just about falling off of my chest. I tossed her against the wall with an irritated turn, flipping over to stand on my paws. My ears rubbed harshly against the ceiling and I quickly realized that I would never be able to fight in such confined spaces as my above six-foot tall wolf shape. With regret, I hurriedly transformed back into myself, once again standing before Natasha as my black eared, tailed, and white fanged self.
"Why don't you give up, Natasha?"
"I won't do that. You know I won't, Tinora."
I was taken aback by the use of my real name, but I wasn't surprised. I had known SHEILD would put the pieces together and match me, Tinora Kanin, with the mutant, Canine Stray.
"I also know you're too covered with red crimes to do anything besides what Fury tells you to do."
It was Natasha's turn to be taken aback, and her split-second of hesitation was all I needed. I took the chance to slip in one blow. I jumped at the Avenger and rapidly crouched, slipping my leg behind hers and swinging outward, sending her sprawling on her back. The sound her head made when it hit the wall then the floor made me cringe, but I knew it wasn't hard enough to be permanently damaging or fatal.
Leaving the stunned Black Widow behind me, I went through the door on the other end of the hall and found myself in a larger hallway; wider as well as tall. It led in three different directions, which all branched off a few yards later.
"Geez… SHEILD lives in a maze…" I muttered, randomly picking the hall to the right and walking straight. A few moments later a door came up on my left and I opened it, finding steel steps that led to a lower level. I descended and inhaled sharply when the sounds of footsteps rang through the door to the lower halls. Deciding it wasn't wise to exit there, I went even lower, running down multiple more flights before I had to stop; I was at the lowest level. The small window in the door in front of me opened up to the hull where crates upon crates of supplies were stored, and ladders and stairs led up into platforms for repair work on different parts of the ship. "Looks like a good place to hang out…"
I opened the door and stepped through, listening intently for any sounds of nearby enemies, but all I could hear were the sounds of the working agents. No one was directly in sight so I slunk quickly to the closest pile of crates. I craned my neck around to see over a crate, wondering slightly why the workers seemed to be quieting down and moving from the area.
"No one's nearby when there should be workers bustling everywhere…" I turned my head back to normal and glanced around suspiciously, "They know I'm here… and they've cleared the area. That could only mean-" Before I finished, I launched myself forward, rolling to deaden the impact to the metal floor. The sounds of arrows thudding into wood let me know I had moved just in time, but something still felt wrong. I stood quickly and started to run to the next crate pile, flinching as a loud sound of metal reflecting from metal resonated into my right ear. I dove behind the crates and knelt down out of sight, rubbing my ringing wolf ear vigorously. "I knew it! Long range attacks would be dangerous with workers around. Hawkeye and Captain America are here… Clint would be up high where he likes to be. It'll be hard to stay out of his sight… As for Steve, he's somewhere in the crates. Close by too, judging by his shield's angle. That super-soldier would be a good thing to avoid as well…" I shuffled around my crate pile, watching the area around me for any movement. "The only thing I would like to know now… would be if there's anyone else with the two men." Seeing no one, I dived behind the next pile, thumping my back against the wood to stay as close as possible. "Natasha's out for a while… Clint's here… Steve's here… That leaves Thor, Tony, and Bruce… or anyone else who happens to join the party."
Out of the corner of my eye I saw something move, and I ducked behind my crate in time before another arrow clatter harshly against the floor where I had been kneeling. "That was too close." I searched the area above me, scanning my eyes along the elevated metal walkways and beams in search of Clint.
Footsteps caught my attention and I turned my head to see Steve vanish behind the crate pile I had first hidden behind. "They're trying to box me in…" I realized, "I can't let that happen now, can I?" I looked around in a quick search for Clint before rushing forward to the crates behind me. I kept moving; diving, crouching, running, crouching again, running more; making sure I was never in sight or predictable enough to be sniped from above. Eventually, I had lost myself in a maze of crates and boxes, and had no idea where the nearest enemy was; hopefully that also meant the enemy had no idea where I was.
"I've got to get some high ground… something above Hawkeye… nah, that wouldn't help at all. His aim is deadly… there's no dodging one of his shots. Maybe if I-" My thoughts cut off when a crate next to me exploded into planks, splinters, dust, and burning hay. I tried to shield myself from the small blast, but the impact of broken wood planks sent me sprawling onto my back, the smaller splinters painfully stinging as they tore through my tight, long sleeve shirt and cut my skin. The crate behind me exploded, and I frantically got to my feet and ran through the hull, dodging around and behind stacks of the wooden crates to avoid the explosions. Eventually, seeing that running around the large wooden piles wasn't losing the current attacker, I started to climb. I jumped to the top of the topmost crate and launched myself into the air, landing neatly on the next crate pile. Now the air was starting to smell of burning wood and straw, burning my throat as I breathed harder. Now over the crates I could see the immediate area around me, and I quickly spotted a door. I leapt in its direction, only needing a few more jumps to be a mere two meters away.
Without warning, the next crate I landed on ignited, hit by the shooter, and suddenly detonated into a rather large explosion. Whatever noise I made was lost in the deafening sound of the blast as I was thrown across the short length to the exit door and landed hard on the harsh metal floor; tumbling over once before siding the rest of the way to the door.
Pain clouded my vision. My whole body was blooming with hurt from the smarting splinters, the impact with the floor, and the metal burns from sliding a meter to the wall. I could feel what exposed skin I had burn against the cold metal. Hazily I looked at myself and could see tears in my clothes; many were folded back revealing rubbed-raw skin and bloody cuts from wood bits.
I heaved myself up onto my hands and knees, grimacing at the harsh pain. Hot blood dripped down my arm and I looked to see a few large cuts striping my lower arm. The sight of one with a metal shard still stuck in my skin made me want to throw up, but I knew I wouldn't have the time. I shook my head to clear all thoughts of pain, grasped the metal shard, and pulled it out, grinding my teeth at the agony it caused.
"Won't cause any more trouble, now will you?" a familiar, cocky voice resonated metallically from above me. The voice was followed by the sound of metal clanking solidly against the floor.
"What happened to 'don't destroy everything', Tony?" another voice scolded loudly from the crates.
"Yeah, I also thought only the Captain and I were supposed to come down here." Clint's voice chimed from the hull's metal supports.
"I thought you needed some help," Tony replied, "We didn't see anything happening down here."
"That's because we were trying to not kill her," Steve snapped, coming out of the crates to scold Tony, "Our orders were to prevent her causing any trouble."
Tony's tone revealed how little he cared. "The girl's not dead. Look, she's listening to us talk," I watched as he raised his hand, gesturing towards me, "And she won't be a problem anymore."
"'Anymore', because you nearly killed her." Steve frowned.
I turned away from the bickering men to look at the exit door a few feet next to me. Needing all the focus and strength I could muster, I shut out their voices and forced myself to ignore the pain echoing through my body. As quickly as I could, I stood and grabbed the door, barely slipping through with only a single arrow grazing my shoulder and clattering to the floor at my feet.
Knowing I had no time to waste, I started my ascent up, biting my lip to keep myself from whimpering in pain as I limped quickly up the stairs and continuously disturbed the metal burns along my sides and limbs.
"Wait! Stop!" I heard Steve's voice call from the lower level, his footsteps starting to follow mine, "We don't want to hurt you!"
I shook my head to ignore the Captain's cries and went through the next door that appeared in front of me. Three SHEILD agents were waiting at the door, but I shoved past them, pushing two of them over. "Pain is only a distraction… Force it back…" I told myself, forcing myself to run faster. Going on instinct, I took corners and doors, not knowing exactly where I went; I didn't care where I went. I had to keep their attention so Loki could free Annie, Summer, and Tiara. If I stopped now, I'd be in trouble, and my friends would never know what happened to me.
I came back to myself after running for what I guessed ten minutes, noticing the fact that it was quiet where I was and no one was in sight. I slowed to a stop, gasping for breath while looking around for any sign of an ambush.
Nothing.
Adrenaline losing its affect, I slumped against the metal wall, exhausted and overwhelmingly sore, and looked over myself. I was surprised to see the deep cuts from the metal shards smaller than they had been and not bleeding. The splinters had reduced to an occasional twinge of pain, and the burns looked less red and didn't hurt as much. Despite what had healed, what hadn't was still painful, and I grimaced once I let the pain flow back into my mind.
Hurting, but still willing to save my friends, I looked around for a camera. I found one looking straight at me, and I tried to muster enough strength to do something despicable.
I failed before I even got to my feet. I was just too exhausted.
I looked around slowly, making sure no one was near, then I closed my eyes. I had to rest. I wasn't any help to Loki anyway.
I sighed and let my mind shut down, willing sleep to claim me.
"Canine! Canine, Wake up!"
My eyes fluttered open to see a pair of familiar green eyes staring at me, full of fear and worry. I opened my mouth to speak but Loki pressed his finger to my lips, silencing me.
"Sh. I'm disguised, don't say my name," he whispered, glancing over his shoulder. As I looked at him I realized that he did indeed change. He looked like a SHEILD agent. "What were you doing?!"
"I-I fought Clint and Steve… then Tony came and practically blew me up…" I murmured, trying to shake off sleep, "How long was I out?"
"I don't know. The only reason I found you as quickly as I did was because I saw the security cameras. Canine," he looked back into my eyes, and I saw his eyes fill with sorrow, "I'm so sorry…"
"What? What's wrong?! Lo- ahem- … what's happened?"
He hesitated before answering, "Your friends they… they're dead."
