Chapter Twelve: Panic Attack

"That was not my first kiss since 1945. I'm 95, I'm not dead."

-Steve Rogers

Keep it together, Siren. Katherine told herself, but right now she might as well be telling herself to breathe under water, she wasn't able to be calm, she could feel her muscles tightening, her lungs working overtime, even her eye sight seemed to be failing her. She could hear screams inside her head, but whose screams?

Why was everyone shouting?" Why did it hurt so much? Where was she? Who the hell was she? Was that a baby crying? What were they doing to her? Please make it stop-

"Katrina? Miss Peyton are you all right?" a voice nervously asked.

Katherine's brown eyes opened and she removed her hands from where she had nervously clutched them to the side of her head. She was ok. She was safe. No one was hurting her anymore.

Had Katherine really run out of the cafe like that? Katherine noticed that she was in an alley and that Steve looked worriedly at her. Had he really run all the way outside? Most men would think she was crazy and leave.

"Miss Katrina?" his voice sounded hollow. "Are you sure, you'll all right?"

"I'm fine, Steve." She said. "I'm sorry, but I need to go-"

"I'll drive you," he insisted as he reached forward, slightly grabbing her wrist. "You really don't look well."

"Don't touch me!" she hissed pulling away.

"I'm sorry." He stuttered pulling away, "I didn't mean too, let me take you home."

Katherine put a hand on her forehead and forced herself to calm down. "All right, you can take me home . . . I'm sorry I just feel very unwell."

Steve nodded as he led her towards his car, a small black Lexus that Tony had given to him for his birthday even though he insisted he didn't want it. They drove home in silence until Steve stopped in front of a ruined set of apartment buildings that wouldn't attract too much attention.

"Thanks again, and I'm sorry." She said as she grabbed her purse. She was halfway towards her apartment door when she realized that Steve was following her. "I know the way, Steve."

"I know I just thought I should walk you home," he said. "It's dark, there's lots of muggers out there, and it's dangerous for a lady."

She smirked. "Believe me, I'm no lady and I can handle myself."

Steve chuckled, "I'm sure you're able to." He hesitated before he quickly kissed her on her cheek. "Good night, Miss Peyton."

Steve watched as Katherine walked inside, he couldn't help but remember that when she had pulled away her grip had been strong. Not human at all.

As soon as Katherine was behind closed doors, her anger returned. Not at Steve particularly, but at herself, the Avengers, the mission in general, and just her miserable existence. She angrily threw the coffee table against the wall, shattering the vase and a plate.

She rummage a hand through her dark hair. "Damn it, damn it!" her cover had almost been blown tonight, how pathetic could she be honestly? How could she had let hallucinations control her? This had never happened before back at base in Russia.

At first she had enjoyed them, now she found them less than pleasant. She wanted time to stop before they interfered more with her work and the only way to make them stop was to kill the Avengers once and for all.

"What the hell do you mean that your teacher may know, kid?" Tony demanded as he handed Clint and Bruce a glass of whisky even though Bruce was shaking his head "Were you stupid enough to show up at school in your spandex?"

"Of course not." Peter looked annoyed. "I'm not that stupid."

"Then what did you do?" Clint asked. "Hey does anyone want take out?"

"Really, Clint?" Bruce said wearily. "We're in a possible emergency and all you can think about is food?"

"What? I'm hungry."

"It's not an emergency," Peter elaborated. It was so exhausting trying to talk to these guys. "I just used some of my quick reflexes . . . with a little web."

"Yeah, she won't noticed at all kid, in that case you might want to use a cleverer name other than Spiderman."

"Will you stop calling me, kid? And I said it's a hunch." Peter looked around. "Where's Steve anyway?"

"On a date with said teacher." Peter wrinkled his nose. "Nice huh, so between us superheroes. Is she hot? Steve is so uptight he wouldn't spill the beans."

"I'm not answering that."

"Are you sure she will be able to do it, Charles?" Arthur, Charles' second in command asked. "I've never trusted Siren as much as you do, females have always been more emotional. What makes you think she won't feel guilty and not complete the job?"

"She will." Charles responded, not bothering to turn to him. "She won't stop until she kills them all, that's what she has been trained for."

Arthur didn't look convinced. "What makes you think she will complete her mission?"

"Because she always does."

-End of Chapter Twelve-