Sandra Ellis knocked loudly against Kayla's door, waking the two women from their slumber. Kayla whipped the sheets to the side and scrambled to the door, having slept little since yesterday. When she opened the door, her mother swept into the room, handing Kayla another slip of paper.
Grab your things. Let's go.
Kayla mumbled "What time is it?" to which Sandra didn't answer, she just pulled back the blanket over Tiffany. She rubbed the girl's arm, waking her gently. Tiffany wasn't nearly as light a sleeper as Kayla.
When Tiffany opened her eyes, Sandra put her finger to her mouth and motioned toward the door with her head, guiding her daughter and friend out the door and down the stairs of the Residence, their packed bags in tow. Sandra pulled out a key fob and unlocked one of the black vans that secret service drove. Kayla silently opened the passenger door and Tiffany hopped in the backseat with the bags, watching and waiting for some kind of instruction.
As Sandra got in and buckled up, she pulled open the glove compartment and grabbed several passports and a small bag full of professional looking wigs. She handed it to Kayla as she started the vehicle. "Wear your glasses," was all the First Lady said as she pulled the throttle into reverse and backed out of the parking spot.
Kayla flipped through the passports, realizing they were fake, but well done. She passed a long, dirty blonde wig back to Tiffany alongside the passport, then continued to forage through the bag for her own things. She set aside the black wig that was meant to be her mother's, finding an auburn wig styled in a braided updo with messy bangs that would cover Kayla's face. She passed back a wig cap to Tiffany as she began to pull her hair back slowly, taking care not to tangle it and make the wig sit weird. Kayla pulled out a container of bobby pins, looking to her mother out of the corner of her green eyes.
"Little curls, flat against your head. Get started, there will be a lot of them."
Kayla began to do what her mother instructed, taking small pieces of hair and making rings around her head until her scalp would surely have set off the metal detector by how many bobby pins held her hair in place, had Sandra Ellis, former CIA, not thought to make sure the bobby pins were plastic instead of metal. Kayla finally pulled the wig cap over her head, then the wig, pulling down the visor mirror to see how she looked. With her glasses and no makeup, she was virtually unrecognizable.
"And the retainer. Your smile is too recognizable." Sandra muttered quietly, never taking her eyes off the road. Kayla pulled the bag open further and found a retainer with braces placed on it. Kayla was thankful Steve hadn't come along, she wasn't ready to take him back to her brace face days.
Sandra parked the car in the cell lot, taking the wig cap and wig from her daughter before sliding on her own fake teeth. She moused the bangs of her black wig, using an eyeliner pencil to color in her lids, giving the First Lady a dark look that didn't fit her description. She passed it to her daughter, "Freckles. And phones."
Kayla sighed and did as she was told, handing her mother her cell phone before dotting her face until she wasn't even sure who she was anymore. She handed the pencil back to her mother and she tossed it into her weekender bag, then passed the large bag back to Tiffany. Sandra drove the black van toward the airport, parking it at the drop off zone and turning to Tiffany and Kayla, "Let's go."
Kayla flew the door open and grabbed her bag from Tiffany, then helped her friend with her mother's large bag as the tall woman led her family through the automatic doors, leaving the van unattended. Sandra passed out boarding passes as they approached security. "Got your IDs?"
"Yes." Kayla mumbled, looking to the lane next to her where Tiffany breathed slowly as she approached the security agent. They studied her passport, then Tiffany's anxious face.
"Nervous flyer." Tiffany said truthfully, looking around at the busy security lines. With Christmas only a few days away, everyone was trying to fly home for the holidays. Tiffany just hadn't expected flying coach when she took the job as the First Daughter's assistant.
The security agent handed back her passport and smiled, "Have a nice flight." Tiffany thanked her, looking over her shoulder at Kayla and Sandra as the former clicked her teeth together. They studied the passport, then Kayla for a moment, most likely thinking she looked familiar after being on the cover of November's Cosmopolitan. Finally the man gave Kayla her passport and she continued down the line to catch her mother.
"Just have to get past security and it's smooth sailing from there." Sandra breathed and Kayla nodded, looking down at her sneakers. "I wiped your phone's location settings, but you still can't make any calls. I'll give it back once we're inside. Is there anything in your bag that might trigger security?"
Kayla huffed, "Lucky for us I had no reason for all the lube, so, no, I'm good. Just swimsuits and sundresses. I'll throw out the sunscreen."
"Get it done. We don't want any unnecessary attention." Sandra muttered, flinging her weekender bag onto the conveyor belt. She unzipped it and pulled out a baggy with her liquids, setting it down next to the bag before she pulled off her shoes. Kayla frowned in disgust and Sandra just snapped her fingers, pointing to Kayla's shoes, "Get moving."
Kayla groaned and pulled off her sneakers, then pulled off the rings that decorated her right hand, depositing them into a bin and shoving it through the scanner along with her passport and boarding pass. Kayla walked through, setting off the alarm. She looked around in panic, seeing Tiffany and her mother safely through.
"Ma'am, can we see you over here, please." A woman gestured off to the side at Kayla, running the wand over her as Kayla's heart pounded. When the wand reached her chest, it started beeping wildly and Kayla sighed.
"I'm so sorry." She mumbled, reaching into her cleavage and pulling out a long metal chain holding a set of dog chains. "My boyfriend's. I never take them off, I didn't even think about it." Kayla pulled off the chain and held it off to the side while the woman ran the wand over her again, finding nothing and telling Kayla she was good to go.
"Which branch?" She asked casually as Kayla pulled her sneakers back on.
"Army." Kayla said honestly, thankful the woman hadn't asked to see the tags. "Did a couple tours oversees."
"Is he home now?" Security asked, making conversation to ease the frazzled redhead.
Kayla nodded, standing straight and pulling the chain back over her neck, "Yeah. We still do long distance though. He travels a lot for work. He wasn't able to get off to go home for Christmas."
"Where's home?" The agent asked, and Kayla swallowed, slinging her duffel over her shoulder.
"Wisconsin. Somehow even colder than here." Kayla chuckled, showing off her brace-covered teeth. "Speaking of which, I better go, flight leaves in forty-five minutes. I'm cutting it close today."
The woman nodded, and Kayla scurried away, meeting up with her mother and Tiffany.
"What the hell, you had to give your whole life story?" Tiffany hissed as Sandra led them to the correct terminal. Tiffany huffed, pushing the long blonde strands away from her face, "Wisconsin."
Sandra guided them onto the tram, finally turning to face her daughter with a smirk, "I'm more curious about the dog tags. You told that woman he was your boyfriend. Is there something you aren't telling all of us?"
Kayla opened her mouth, toying with the chain where it fell along her neck, "Birthday present. He told me to keep them as long as I care for him."
Sandra's smirk grew into a full smile, "You haven't sent them back yet."
"I haven't stopped caring for him yet. He's a good friend." Kayla countered, dropping the chain and looking out the window, "But never say never."
"Hey. You safe?" Mathew Ellis said quietly into his phone, alone in the Oval Office for the first time since yesterday. "How long until you reach the safe house?"
"There isn't one. I don't trust any of my contacts right now. We're going to lay low here in the city until this all blows over. I took both girls." Sandra said quietly as she looked both ways, then crossed the street from LAX to where the taxis sat. "You'll join us soon?"
"I'll meet you under the mistletoe on Christmas Eve." Mathew said as his Vice President entered the office. "Love you all."
Mathew ended the call and looked up to Rodriguez, "Phase one is complete, my wife and daughter will move to the safe house tomorrow afternoon." Mathew explained, taking a quick drink of his water, "They're in LA."
"We'll fly you out to San Francisco tomorrow afternoon so you can be with your family." Rodriguez promised, smiling down on the President, "Where will you meet them?"
"The only person who knows where we are headed is my wife, and I'd like to keep it that way." Ellis responded, pushing himself to stand, "If you excuse me, I have a press conference at two."
As Ellis left the room, Rodriguez pulled out his cell phone to call Aldrich Killian. "Yeah, I convinced him to send his wife and daughter to LA before heading north to meet up with him... you have until tomorrow afternoon to get the girl, she'll be able to help you stabilize it..." Rodriguez watched the door, making sure Ellis wouldn't return, "I've been in contact with Nick Fury several times a day, Cap's not going anywhere, I've made sure of it... Take her quick, she's a feisty one, but she'll do the work once we get her dad. She'd do anything to protect her family."
Rodriguez hung up the phone and slipped it away, picking up a stray rose petal from the couch that had fallen the day before. He looked at it for a moment, imagining how devastated Captain America would be when the President's Daughter was taken hostage by the Mandarin.
Steve stomped into the SHIELD base that morning, frustrated that he had to be there instead of with his- with Kayla. Agents greeted him with echoing calls of 'Good morning, Captain Rogers' and 'Morning Cap' and starstruck waves to the soldier, but Steve didn't respond to any of them. He wanted to get in, do his job, and get out.
Steve took the elevator up to Fury's office, tapping his foot impatiently. He should have taken the stairs.
When the doors opened, Steve strode toward the Director with a dirty look on his face, unable to even pretend to be happy. Fury looked up and scoffed, "I see you're in a good mood, Rogers."
"Why wouldn't I be? There's nowhere else I'd rather be." Steve purred sarcastically, placing his hands on his hips, "You have a mission for me?"
Fury leaned back in his chair, "According the the Vice President, the First Lady and First Daughter vanished this morning, three hours before Air Force One was supposed to be off the ground. The President doesn't even know where they are, which is why I'm asking- do you?"
"No. All I know is they are going somewhere safe where they can lay low until the Mandarin is found." Steve told truthfully, placing his hands on the back of a chair opposite Fury, "I want to catch him, Sir. I won't rest until the First Family is safe."
"I know. Which is why I suggested it to the Vice President this morning, but he said no. He wants you here. Says wherever they've gone is most likely more safe." Steve's brows drew and Fury opened his mouth in a grin, "See, that was my initial reaction, too. Apparently the administration wants the government to take care of the Mandarin, without SHIELD interference. So I ask you, with the Commander and Chief in danger, why would his own administration want to keep the Avengers out of it?"
Steve's jaw hardened, seeing what Fury was insinuating, "Sir, I'd like you to reconsider my request for a few days off."
Fury grinned, rocking back and forth, "I have a mission for you. Deep reconnaissance. We can't let the Mandarin get to the President. They are sending Colonial Rhodes after him, but I think you can find him faster. Suit up.." Fury winked at Steve and he sighed, turning to go change into his suit, but Fury's voice gave him pause. "If anyone asks, Cap, I gave you those days off you asked for."
Steve pulled open his locker, snapping the hinges clear off. He groaned as he sat the metal door on the ground, pulling out his stealth suit and combat boots. Perhaps Fury was right, Steve could find and stop the Mandarin faster than Rhodes, but Steve didn't want to sneak around. If he was caught somewhere he didn't belong, SHIELD wouldn't protect him. He was on his own, and everything was at stake.
After Steve emerged from the locker room, he found Fury standing outside the door, "Here's what we know. It isn't a lot, which means someone is hiding something, or there's something else at play. Figure it out, Cap. The plan is simple, and I think you'll be pleased with it." Fury turned and left Steve alone to flip through the file. Steve read the first page about the previous Mandarin attacks, then the transcripts of the Mandarin's television appearance yesterday. Finally, on the third page, was a hand written post-it note with direction for Steve.
He grinned, closing the file and heading to the garage to get his motorcycle and head toward D.C.
A tall, lean redhead strolled up Orange Drive toward Hollywood Boulevard on Sunday night, wearing Nike sneakers and an over sized Hulk sweatshirt that she'd bought at a cheap gift shop. When the Chinese Theater came into view, she paused to shove half an In-N-Out burger into her mouth, moaning happily. "Shit, this is amazing."
"One night of anonymity and you choose fast food?" Tiffany teased, slurping her chocolate milkshake as she finally caught up with her taller friend, "Slow down! What's the rush?"
"Mom said she'd meet us at Runyon Park when she found a place to stay. It's just up ahead." Kayla looked at the GPS then up at the towering theater, "We'll head West, then go up La Brea, that'll take us to the entrance. Oh! And past a B-Dubs!"
"I was gonna go to the beach. I was gonna get a nice tan, maybe meet a nice man. I was gonna get away from your crazy ass for a few hours, maybe even a few days if Steve had shown up. If I imagine hard enough, this milkshake tastes like baileys..." Tiffany rambled, gazing down the busy street dreamily, "When this is over, I'm gonna need a vacation."
"You can have New Years off." Kayla told her best friend, looking ahead as she shoved her hands in the pockets of her green sweatshirt. "With any luck, this will all be over and I'll be in New York with Steve. I'm planning to give him a New Years present he'll never forget." Kayla giggled, pulling the silver chain into her mouth to chew on casually as she grinned up at all the Christmas lights. "If I keep telling myself I'll be there New Years Eve, I can convince myself that we'll all be okay by then."
Tiffany grabbed Kayla's hand, giving it a squeeze as they continued down the street. Suddenly, Tiffany stiffened, "Kay. Someone's watching us." Kayla looked over her shoulder, noticing a man with a buzz cut in a nice suit watching them. He smiled at Kayla and started moving toward them.
"Tiff, run, get to Mom, I'll lead him away." Kayla pushed Tiffany, taking off in the other direction as fast as she could without running. She looked over her shoulder, seeing the man heading her direction. "Shit." Kayla pulled out her phone, and dialed Steve.
"Hey, I thought you weren't supposed to call?" Steve called over the roar of his bike, pulling off to the side of the highway. He heard Kayla's heavy breathing and what heard like a whimper, "What's wrong?"
"Someone's following me. I don't know what to do, I think they're coming after me." Kayla said as she spun around once, seeing the man stalking her slowly, not the least bit worried about losing her. Kayla continued walking away from the theater, "What do I do?"
"Where are you? I'll come find you." Steve swore, climbing off his bike to stand, feeling his legs quake from under him, "Kay, tell me where you are."
"I'm in Los Angeles. The Chinese Theater. Tiffany's meeting my mom, but I don't think I'm gonna make it that far." Kayla cried as somebody bumped against her and she slipped, falling on the ground in front of a man with a man in a blue sweater over a grey hoodie. He had a long face and a thinning mustache, and he shook as he looked down at Kayla.
"Thanks for the assist, Taggert. Now you've earned your refill." The man following Kayla said as he grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet. He studied her with hungry eyes, and Kayla squirmed in his grip, "That's her alright. I'd recognize those green eyes anywhere."
"Give me the stuff." Taggert coughed, hands twitching as he looked around, "Let's go sit, please."
The man holding Kayla shoved her forward, not noticing how she snuck her phone into the front of her sweatshirt. She grit her teeth as he held her tightly, slinging his arm around her to look more casual. He leaned toward her cheek, his breath hot against her ear, "Scream, and all these people die."
Kayla swallowed, trying to wiggle away but keeping quiet as the two men stopped near the Christmas tree. "What are you going to do to me?"
"My boss needs your help. Rumor has it, you have a- certain expertise that could become useful. Perhaps with a little cooperation, the Mandarin would let your father live." The man sneered down at Kayla as he handed Taggert the briefcase. As they opened it, Kayla looked down, seeing several little vials. She looked to the man holding her, but he was too distracted by the man sitting on the bench, studying his wares, "You sure you can regulate?"
"Yes." The man mumbled, closing the briefcase and looking up. Kayla's eyes grew as she noticed the man's face glowing orange. "Thank you."
"Don't say I never did anything for you." He tugged Kayla away, just as a large man bumped into the man he'd given the case to. He turned back around, seeing all the vials on the ground. "Fuck."
He doubled back around and bumped into the large man in the suit, whipping around and beginning to taunt him, but Kayla just looked over her shoulder at the man on the bench as he squirmed, taking whatever drug was in the briefcase. When she looked straight ahead, the large man was holding a little silver container. They started fighting and the man with the buzz cut released her arm as he took a hard hit to the face. Kayla stumbled back a few steps as the small crowd gasped, then looked over her shoulder to see the man on the bench beginning to glow.
The man holding Kayla captive grabbed the man twice his size and threw him across the courtyard, then looked to Kayla and knelt down. She stood frozen, terrified as he knelt down and placed his own glowing hands to the concreted, melting the metal beneath her feet as she started to sink in.
"What are you doing?" She shrieked, realizing she was stuck.
The man smiled and shrugged, "I'll be right back. Just have to take care of a little pest problem."
As soon as the man turned and walked away, Kayla tried to wiggle her shoes out of the melted concrete, but it was no use. She heard a yell from the man who had helped catch her, seeing him screaming in pain. She bent down and pulled up on the tongues of her shoes, pulling out her feet from her socks that were stuck to the plastic bottoms. She took off running barefoot across Hollywood Boulevard until she was knocked off her feet by an explosion behind her.
Kayla gasped, scrambling onto her back to see what had happened, but the Chinese Theater was up in flames. "Oh my God."
"Kayla! Kayla what's happening? Kayla!"
She pulled out her cell phone, realizing Steve was still on the line, "This is Avengers level threat, definitely Avengers level threat!" Kayla shrieked as she saw a figure rise from the flames while everyone else ran away. She crawled under a car that had been abandoned, using it as cover as the man who had tried to kidnap her walked from the debris, glowing orange and seemingly regenerating as he moved toward her. "Steve, this guy has some sort of serum. It's why they're after me."
"Are you somewhere safe?" Steve asked, kneeling by the side of the road with his hand to his mouth, "Kayla, where are you going next, I can be there in the morning."
"I don't know. Only my mom knows where we're going. I don't even think Dad does." Kayla breathed as the man approached. She held her breath as he walked between the cars, not seeing her in her hiding place. She stayed silent until he passed, watching him fade to his normal coloring beneath the tattered suit. "He's gone."
"Get somewhere safe. Don't hang up on this call, I want to know when you're with your family." Steve directed and Kayla nodded, tears streaming down her face as the firetrucks arrived to douse the flames. "Kay?"
Her voice cracked as she cried, "Yeah?"
"When I see you next, I'm not letting you go."
Kayla smiled, looking down and away from the flames, "I hope I see you soon then." Kayla slid the phone into her pocket and crawled out from underneath the car, looking around to make sure the man was gone. She looked toward the theater, seeing her melted shoes ablaze, and a dozen shadows on the wall that could have been her. She felt her chest rumble as she looked west, slowly continuing her barefoot trek to Runyon Park.