21.
New York City, 2016
She was never going to outrun the guards and agents on foot, even if she were invisible.
The invisibility was certainly an advantage for her, but it wasn't like it helped her move faster or swifter or help her pass through walls or anything, any of those which would be very helpful right about now. She'd have to talk to Tony about those options later...
She very nearly took out many guards and agents a few too many times as she zig-zagged her way through the halls of the building - she did bump into one person, greatly startling them by the looks of it when they couldn't see the source of the collision.
"Kass, can you hear me?"
"Tony, I'm here," she responded through the radio.
"Good. I'm going to help you get out of here."
"Thanks, I appreciate it. But we'd better move fast."
"Agreed."
He started giving her directions of the layout of the building, helping her head for the nearest exit while she continued to try and evade the agents and guards after her.
"Okay turn left here."
"Okay - there is no left turn here."
"What do you mean?"
"It's a dead end."
"What? How?"
"There's a wall!"
"Where are you?"
"I don't know! Some hall!"
"Describe it."
"Uh, it's long, with doors and lights..."
"Thanks, that narrows it down."
"I thought you were tracking me through the Invisi-tech!"
"I can't."
"What do you mean you can't?"
"That one doesn't have a tracker, it's too small, I haven't figured out how to add a tracker to something that small yet."
"Well you'd better get on it, Mr. Tech Genius!"
"We've been busy!"
"Well you'd better figure it out right after this! If I make it out of here..."
"You will - but you'll have to deactivate the tech so I do an overall scan of the building and find exactly where you are."
Sighing, she deactivated the invisibility mode. "You'd better hurry, this place is crawling with people who want to arrest me."
"Okay... Scan complete, I see you!"
"Good, so now what?"
"You're going to head back down the way you came and there should be a door at the end leading to a staircase."
"Got it."
She started heading down the hall according to his directions. She was stopped along the way, however - it was Agent Ross. He held a gun pointed at her.
"I know you weren't bluffing back there."
"Huh?"
"Ulysses Klaue is dead."
His words hit her like a wave. "What?"
"I got back from Wakanda a couple of months ago - he was killed by a Wakandan exile, his body brought into the country."
"How do you know? Did you see the body?"
"No, but I know this guy would have made sure the job was done."
"So then what were all the theatrics for back there? Just for fun?"
"I needed to see if you knew. But you clearly don't."
"No, I don't! That's what I said!"
"And since he is, dead that is, that means someone is still doing his bidding, keeping his work alive."
"And you thought it was me."
He nodded. "But now I know it's not."
"Good."
"Any idea of who it could be?"
She shrugged. "It could be anyone - he has contacts everywhere."
"Which is why you needed to know this, so you can be aware."
"Yeah, well, thanks, I guess."
If it were really true - and it sounded like it was - that meant that she was an orphan, with both her biological and adoptive parents gone. This realization hit her in a heavy wave.
"You'd better go, get out of here and far away. Get to the bottom of this - or Secretary Ross will just arrest you again-" Footsteps and shouting signalling more approaching agents and guards got their attention nearby. "Go!" Ross hissed, and she went invisible again. "Nothing over here!" he called to the other agents, luring them away.
Kass continued to make her way through the building, her head spinning. Klaue is dead... He's dead... He's really gone...
"What was all that about?" Tony asked, his voice in the radio startling her.
"How much of that did you hear?"
"Bits and pieces."
"I'll tell you once I'm out of here - it's a long and complicated story."
"Okay, on the note of getting out of here - head down to the basement to the garage."
"Roger that."
He continued to direct her until she was in the basement.
"Now get yourself a ride out of there."
"Cool, I have some selection..." She peered at the various cars and trucks - and motorcycles.
The door made a loud blaring sound as it opened.
"Did you do that?"
"I sure did."
"Cool - and I am out of here." She put the bike in gear and sped towards the door.
There was another loud blaring, this time with a red light flashing, and the door began to close again. She was going to get cut off.
"Tony!"
"Keep going!"
She wasn't going to make it - she wasn't going to make it-
She braced herself for the impact of the bike striking the huge metal door - an impact which never came.
She dared crack her eyes open slightly to see free road ahead - she'd made it. Looking in the side mirror on the bike, she saw the door had stopped mid-close. Throwing a look over her shoulder, she saw the door had been stopped and held by a red and gold suit.
She threw back her head and laughed. "I love you, Stark."
"I love you too. All right, Kassy, ditch the bike and get off the bridge."
"Uhhh..." She was in the middle, railing on either side, so there was no easy or quick way off the bridge and onto the main road.
"Go off the side."
"Excuse me? It sounded like you told me to jump off a bridge."
"I did."
"And I was hoping I misheard you."
"Do it, I've thought this out, I promise."
"So what, I just plunge into the river below?"
"We'll catch you, you have my word."
"'We'll'?"
"Kass, now!"
"Okay, okay! Going!" Without giving herself any further time to think it through, with only her trust for her boyfriend, she threw down the bike and leapt over the railing off the side of the bridge.
The next thing she knew the wind was rushing past her and she plunged downwards, nearing the river-
But then, she suddenly stopped falling, just like that, as though she were suspended.
Looking up, she saw what Tony had meant by 'we'll'.
"Hey Ms. Konstantin!"
This escape scene was inspired by Cap's escape in 'The Winter Soldier' :)
Sorry if there's some confusion with the timeline - I'm a little confused myself! If I remember correctly, 'Black Panther' takes place about a week after 'Civil War', and then Klaue is killed, so I guess he's not alive during this story, cause this takes place after 'Homecoming' which is several months after 'Civil War'... *Confused staring at computer screen*
Thanks so much! Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! :)