Chapter Seventeen:
While Stark, Banner and Vivian worked on un brainwashing Polaris with Alexander's help. Steve, Thor, Natasha, Clint, Agent Hill and Fury all had a big pow wow about what to do with Loki now he was on 'our' side leaving me the only one not at the pow wow to babysit said demi god.
Needless to say my foul mood from the day before was back with a vengeance which again didn't take a mind reader to pick up on,
"What has you in such a foul mood?" Loki asked. We were sitting in the canteen while everyone had their pow wow
"Don't take this the wrong way cause I'm glad you're on 'our' side now but why the hell am I the one who's stuck playing babysitter?"
"I did ask if Miss Rose would sit with me but I hear she declined rather verbally" I remembered Fury asking her this morning and Vivian stomped off cursing and swearing about 'puny gods'
"Yeah she's not a morning person" I laughed, "I'm a tad confused as to why I'm even babysitting in the first place. I mean I'm not exactly native" I continued
"I noticed. South Carolina wasn't it?" Loki asked
"Very good who did you ask?"
"Thor"
"Yeah I had to explain it to him" I said slumping down in my chair, "So I suppose you want to see the sights"
"Actually I'd prefer to stay here" Loki said with a glance towards the door
"If you're waiting for her to come in I wouldn't hold out much hope I already told you she has eyes for someone else"
"But you won't tell me who"
"Because I like my face the way it is" I said standing up and stretching, "right well there's no point moping around here. Might as well go and get lost. Come along then" so Loki and I left the base and headed out into the city and thankfully he had the sense to change from his armour and curtain into a suit with a green scarf so we wouldn't stand out.
Or at least that was the intention. The best laid plans of mice and men and all that
It was hard to un-brainwash a person that was unconscious. Vivian had left the lab to check on the patients in the med bay. She walked past the canteen noticing a still very grumpy Alice sat talking to Loki who noticed her as she walked by. Most of the patients were recovering, the fever had gone down and only one patient had reached the stage of secreting the metal substance and he was still unconscious. The antivirus they had created was a success. Vivian had earned some respect among the nurses, they did constantly seem to ask if she felt safe around doctor Banner with which she always replied 'yes' he hasn't as terrifying as people were led to believe. Though it was obvious they didn't believe her.
"Miss Rose" one nurse called, the one patient that had shown signs of the metal stage had woken up.
Vivian sat down next to him and took his pulse
"What's your name?" she asked knowing full well what his name was,
"Cameron Klein" he answered slowly, watching the small woman inspect the slivery patch on his wrist
"This might be a little difficult but don't touch this at all under any circumstance" no sooner had she said those words Klein's hand wrapped itself tightly around her arm digging his drill like nails into her skin drawing blood. The metal substance had spread quickly across the agents hand and half way up his arm, "shit" Vivian cursed under her breath as of yet they hadn't found a way to stop the metal infection after it started moving she took matter into her own hands "Sedate him and we're going to amputate his arm to stop the infection spreading." the nurse that was present issued the sedative whilst the doctor prepared the equipment.
They had to work fast before the infection spread to his torso. Vivian couldn't do much with the vice like grip around her wrist, when the doctor had sawed through the bone; Vivian was left with half an arm hanging off her arm.
The metal part was pried off and stored in a used organ storage container; she quickly set to filing down the sharp pieces of bones before moulding the skin and muscle over the stump.
"Now you best get your wound looked at" the nurse joked gesturing to Vivian's lower arm and hand which had several small puncture wounds,
"I'll be fine with some plasters" she laughed noticing she was now slightly covered in blood she was going to need to invest in a pair of new jeans.
The other patients had seen the shocking turn of events and scrutinizing the small scientist as she walked out the room, rolling down her sleeves over her arms. By the time she reached the lab again, Havoc was clutching Polaris's hand crying,
"What happened?" Vivian asked Tony who was stood back from the table,
"I have no idea actually, kid just sat there talking nonstop for like forty minutes while you were off slacking somewhere and she just woke up"
"Sounds like Disney material" she joked,
"Where were you anyway?" Stark asked noticing her blood splattered jeans and shirt,
"I was in the med bay and we had to amputate an arm to stop the infection killing him"
Doctor Banner joined the conversation leaving Havoc to talk to the dazed Polaris
"Now this is sorted you should go get some rest" he looked at the state of the British girl "And change apparently"
Vivian opened her mouth to argue but she didn't bother and left grabbing her bag on the way past.
"Works over. Not needed" she huffed, putting her headphones on as she walked through the base "Best go buy new jeans so I don't look like a murder" she thought aloud.
# Who's strong and brave here to save the American way? Not all of us can storm a beach, or ride a tank, but there still a way all of us can help. Who likes to fight for what's right like a man for what's right night and day? #
"Hello? Vivian?" I asked flipping open my phone, it wasn't often she called me while she was working,
"Are you in the city?" she asked sounding very upset
"Yeah I'm showing the butt hurt god around" Loki cocked his head to the side like a confused puppy,
"In the mood I'm in I'll even put up with him" Vivian said
"Where do you want me to meet you?"
"I'll find you" she said hanging up the phone,
"Word of advice for when she does show up. Don't be all 'my one true love' you'll scare her away" I said to Loki who seemed to brighten up.
It only took Vivian five minutes to catch up to us and she wore a face like thunder. Something obviously was wrong, "What happened? The girl still brainwashed?" I asked
"No she came out of it when her prince kissed her" Vivian scowled
"So what's the problem?" I asked
"I don't want to talk about it" she said, "I need new jeans, these are kind of destroyed" she said,
"Well you'll have to get them on your own or bring him with you. I have an appointment to keep" I said
"Fine. Come on" Vivian stomped off with Loki on her heels while I headed towards Central Park where I was supposed to meet a man who would give me something that would embarrass the hell out of Steve and give me a laugh and a Halloween costume for years to come,
"Are you Southern Belle?" a man asked once I reached the specified bench just outside the penguin house,
"I am. Are you OldRepublic75"
"I am"
"Great! Can I see it?" the man took a large parcel out of his backpack and unwrapped the brown paper around it revealing one of the star spangled dancing girl outfits from Steve's heyday, "Amazing! It's in such good condition"
"It belonged to my Grandma she was really proud of it" the guy said, "Can I ask why you want it in the first place"
"It's a running gag with my boyfriend and I" I said taking some cash from my purse and handing it to the man,
"Thanks" he said pocketing the cash and walking off leaving me with my new outfit, sending a quick text to Vivian I headed back to the apartment to try it on and make sure that when I saw Steve later that he got a real shock.
I let myself into the apartment and changed into my new outfit letting my hair hang down loose around my shoulders. When I exited the bedroom I noticed some things on the floor that shouldn't be there, there was also a slight trail of green slime around the window, I grabbed my gun and my phone and quickly dialled Vivian who picked up on the first ring,
"Thank god! Are you done with whatever you were doing? Cause well ..."
"We have a problem. How fast can you and Loki get to the apartment?"
"It'll take us about fifteen minutes why"
"There's green slime all around the window and it looks like people have knocked things over and tried to put them back so we wouldn't notice they'd been moved. Something's going on"
"We're on our way. I'm calling SHIELD as well"
"Hurry" I snapped the phone shut and loading my gun with the special armour piercing bullets Vivian made for me edged towards the window
"What happened? The girl still brainwashed?" Alice asked as Vivian caught up with the pair
"No she came out of it when her prince kissed her" Vivian scowled
"So what's the problem?" she asked back,
"I don't want to talk about it" she said, "I need new jeans, these are kind of destroyed" she said,
"Well you'll have to get them on your own or bring him with you. I have an appointment to keep" Alice said
"Fine. Come on" she huffed walking off with Loki at her heels.
"You seem angry" Loki stated obviously
"Captain obvious" she led Loki to a shop labelled 'Hot Topic' "don't touch anything" she warned as she went straight to the jean section of the shop "Ah Christ, would be the case not in my size" she huffed,
Loki watched the small woman browse through the rails; she ended with skinny tartan trousers, a torn black top with tons of safety pins and a new black blazer. She ended up wearing them out of the shop chucking her blood stained clothes into the nearest bin, wrapping her super long scarf around her when the cold wind hit her "I hate cold weather" she huffed, "So Loki, where did she show you?" she pulled her skelanimal rabbit hat on protecting her ears from the cold, he was amazed she called him by name unlike Alice who had this strange habit of calling him 'the butt hurt god'
"Times square, Soho and the village?" he answered, looking at Vivian who was staring at the sky looking a bit forlorn "are you-" cut off by the sound of his stomach growling loudly. She stared at him with surprise and slowly started to giggle before laughing out loud,
"Hungry?" she asked with a smile across her face,
"Captain obvious?" he reused her statement from earlier sending her into another fit of laughter, which made him smile at her,
"Anything you want to try?" she questioned looking at him when spoke rather than off into the distance
"My brother has told me much but I will leave the decision to you, Miss Rose"
"Miss Rose? What am I your teacher? Vivian is fine" Vivian complained, "Well there's a nice cafe round here somewhere" Vivian led the Norse god to a small cafe wedged between a fancy clothes shop and a star bucks. The sweet smell of pastries filled the air and the sound of jazz could be heard. Loki stared at the horde of cakes and pastries in one of the cabinets with awe "They do sandwiches and things" she noticed he wasn't interested in 'proper' food "cakes it is then, that's my kind of lunch she laughed walking over to the counter ordering a mixed platter of pastries and two coffees. When the cakes arrived he asked the names of each one.
"Vivian" Loki stared at her as she dismantled a cream puff "I apologise for my actions at the shield base"
Vivian thought back for a moment "don't sweat it" she said eating the cream with a spoon
"No I must apologise, it was shameful of me to ask that of you." Vivian couldn't believe he was being so sincere, "You clearly have more self-respect than that Candi woman"
she couldn't help but chuckle "I think you have the wrong conception of me, not as bad as Alice or Candi but I can still count the men I've slept with on one hand. Just forget about it."
They left the cafe full from cakes, Loki grabbed her wrist and stared down at her, 'he has nice eyes' she thought getting caught in them,
"Vivian, can I ask-"
"Hold that thought" she said as her phone buzzed loudly in her pocket answering it on the first ring
"Thank god! Are you done with whatever you were doing? Cause well ..."
"We have a problem. How fast can you and Loki get to the apartment?"
"It'll take us about fifteen minutes why"
"There's green slime all around the window and it looks like people have knocked things over and tried to put them back so we wouldn't notice they'd been moved. Something's going on"
"We're on our way. I'm calling SHIELD as well"
"Hurry"
"Move it Loki, we need to get back to my apartment" Vivian dialled the Shield base and explained the situation. It was lucky that they weren't that far from the complex. Vivian almost barrelled the door down to be greeted with green slime everywhere and a tall willowy figure in a star spangled show girl outfit "Oh Alice you're alright! For a moment there I thought that Rodgers had turned into a woman."
"Viv you're back," in the corner there was a black heap covered in the same green slime "I think I might have killed him"
Vivian ran into her room and reappeared with a white lab coat and a large box of first aid equipment. She rolled the six armed man over onto his back finding his pulse it was low, barely even there, "Don't just stand there! I need a bowl of hot water" she ordered checking the body, several well aimed shots to his legs and torso had incapacitated him. Her main thought was remove the bullet before shield gets here because the contents of those bullets would get her into a lot of trouble.
"Looks my armour piercing rounds worked then"
"Super effective" Alice stated putting her gun down,
"I'm glad you're alright" Vivian said looking at her good friend who was miraculously in one piece "should I start calling you Lady Liberty? you can be Captain Americas lady fighting partner" she joked removing another bullet from the body. Bandages were applied to famine as the Shield team arrived. Steve burst through the door with fear on his face then caught one glimpse of Alice and went bright red,
"I'd say he likes that outfit" Vivian laughed tightening one last bandage.
Vivian continued to pull the bullets out of 'famine' while the rest of SHIELD poured into my apartment,
"Nice dress" Stark said swaggering through my door,
"It'll look even better on the floor don't you think?" I wasn't going to be intimidated or embarrassed by my outfit
"So what exactly happened here?" Nick Fury asked
"Was in the city. Bought a dress. Came home to try on said dress. Noticed green slime around my window and things were out of place. Investigated. Found that. Shot it. Got scratched. Vivian and Daddy Issues arrived and Vivian is examining the damage" I explained
"You'll need to get that checked" Banner said looking at my arm
"Ha ha no" I said sarcastically, "Last time I went to that med bay she tazered me and I almost attacked a nurse. And had to be carried out kicking and screaming"
Stark opened his mouth to speak but I glared at him and he shut it quickly,
"You wouldn't be going to the med bay. It's full up and the nurses have their hands full with the patients they do have. If you let me I'll have a look now" Banner said
"Fine. You can look in my room" I took Banner into my room and let him look at the scratch on my arm,
"Looks harmless enough"
"But things that look harmless aren't always so" I said making Banner laugh, "Can I ask. In confidence. Doctor, Patient confidentiality and all that. What is your honest opinion of Vivian?"
"She's an exceptional young woman. Very bright and extremely dedicated to her work"
"That's not what I meant" I said seriously, "that girl cares about you. She's never cared about anyone in her life. She and I are similar in that respect and I'm asking you now. Outright. Do you care about her?"
Banner didn't speak for a moment
"Vivian is a complicated young woman. She has a work ethic unlike anyone I've ever seen before. She's driven and like I say exceptionally bright. She's also outgoing and she cares a great deal about those people who have been injured thus far by Apocalypse's plans. She also has a childish streak and sometimes behaves like a teenager"
"Which I'm sure you've realised has more to it than it seems"
"Yes I noticed that when General Rose made his appearance"
"So the answer to my question?"
"I do care about her but I don't want to get her involved in any of this" he said gesturing to himself
"Trust me that girl can handle herself" I said standing up from the bed, "They'll be wondering what's going on. Just where do you think you're putting that needle!" I yelled prompting Banner to take a small needle out of his jacket and for Steve to come barrelling through the door probably afraid of what would happen should I make the good Doctor lose his temper,
"I'll just go see what progress has been made outside" Banner said slipping out of the room and closing the door,
"So do you like the dress?" I asked brightly changing the subject completely
"Where did you get it?"
"Bought it from a guy on craigslist. Belonged to his grandmother she was one of your dancing girls. He didn't give me a name. Probably wanted the money to buy Star Wars the extended directors cut with six seconds of extra footage or something" I said offhandedly moving closer to Steve who backed towards the door until we were almost touching
"YOU BETTER NOT BE HAVING SEX IN THERE!" I heard Vivian yell through the door,
"We'll finish this later" I said brushing past Steve and back into the living room
The body of Famine aka Peter Parker as he was more commonly known was transported back to shield when Vivian had removed all the bullets.
"Good job Winters" Fury praised, standing next to the much taller Loki who smiled warmly at Vivian
"Thank you for today Vivian"
She shrugged her shoulders as she folded her lab coat
"Whatever"
Nick looked amused
"And here I thought you were completely against showing Loki around"
"Somebody ran off to go get her showgirl outfit and I was left with Loki" she frowned, she hadn't hated her time with the frost giant, she'd found someone who appreciated cakes and Jazz just as much as she did so it was nice to not talk about work.
"You should probably buy a winter coat, you looked cold today" Loki advised, since Vivian had walked around in the blustery autumn weather in just a simple blazer.
She shrugged again, Loki noticed that Vivian wasn't looking at him like she had earlier but was glancing gingerly at the doctor who was stood to one side.
"Before I go" Loki strode across to the British arsonist wrapping an arm around her waist, cupping her face with his other hand and pulled her into a kiss. He whispered into her ear when they parted "I was going to ask but it seems that jealously overcame me. I look forward to seeing you again Vivian"
She couldn't look at him; her mind was going into panic mode 'Bruce saw that...it's over' Vivian left the apartment in a hurry keeping her flustered face buried into her scarf.
She spent that night on the streets of New York, trawling bars, drinking lavish whiskey and stuffing cherry bombs into the exhausts of police cars for fun and in the vain attempt to forget her one sided love.