A/N: Sorry for the delay. Work, life, writers block and all of that. The next update should come much faster. Enjoy!
Tina Sjann- I have every intention of finishing this story. Stick with me guys!
Beca was bored. There was nothing but miles and miles of white beneath her. She was growing annoyed with Jarvis telling her every fifteen minutes that it was time to report back to Fury. Seriously, they were in the middle of nowhere. What did Fury expect her to see? She was on her seventh trip back with nothing to report. She chuckled when she saw the line of snowmobiles beneath her. Cynthia Rose waved at her from the front of the pack, letting Beca know she saw her. Aubrey and Stacie flanked Fury's left and right. Jessica was right behind them, followed closely by Lilly. Chloe brought up the rear. Beca couldn't pass up this opportunity to alleviate her boredom.
Reaching her hand out, she grabbed a fist full of snow as she passed the top of a tree. Swooping low, she sped by Chloe, releasing the snow as she did. Direct hit to her left cheek. Looking dazed, Chloe did her best to shake off the offending particles of ice. Passing by her opposite side, she hit Chloe on the right. Deciding to step up her game, Beca passed by the front of Chloe's snowmobile, pushing on it with both hands and sending it into a spin across the top of the snow.
Beca laughed to herself when Chloe came to a stop, ripping the hood of her jacket from her head in obvious frustration. She looked around, spotting Stark as she approached her again, no doubt intent on tormenting her some more. Chloe was ready for her this time. As she passed by, Chloe shot a string of web from her wrist. When it connected with Beca's suit she used it to pull herself to the girl, clinging onto her suit.
"What the hell?" Beca said, whipping to the left instinctually, trying to shake the girl. Chloe clung to her effortlessly, even when Beca went into a violent spin. Chloe maneuvered around Beca's suit with the agility of… well… a spider. Next thing she knew, Chloe grabbed onto her left ankle. With a strong jerk she bent Beca's leg at the knee, the rocket at the bottom of her left foot sent her into an uncontrolled spin, heading for the ground. Beca tried to use to jet's on her hand to straigten herself out and keep them from hitting the ground. All to late Beca realized her hands were bound tightly to her sides, the work of Chloe's annoying webbing. With an ungraceful thud, Beca and Chloe finally hit the ground, plowing into a snow bank.
The first thing Beca did was free her face from her helmet, shaking her head to clear herself from the daze. She heard Chloe's high pitched laughter, a beautiful contrast to the silent forest around them. She ripped her hands from her side, releasing herself from the webbing. Beca looked to her left and saw Chloe wiping snow from her eyes. Beca tried to keep the façade of being annoyed, but she couldn't. She caught herself smiling before she knew what she was doing.
"Ok fine," she heard herself say, "You won that round."
"You can't win with me Stark!" Chloe replied, standing up out of the pile of snow.
"Maybe no one else can," Beca replied, "But I can."
"And why would you think that?" Chloe questioned.
"Because I'm stubborn," Beca shared, taking a few tentative steps towards Chloe, "And I know you want me."
"Someone is full of themselves," Chloe replied.
"I'm not," Beca retorted, taking another step, "Well yeah. I am. But that's not why I'm saying this."
"Really?" Chloe asked, "So why are you saying this?"
"Because I know," Beca answered, stepping right into Chloe's bubble, "I know you want me." They were face to face now. Inches away. Beca knew if she leaned forward, Chloe would let her. She was currently hanging on every word Beca was saying. She couldn't say if it was out of curiosity, or a genuine want, but at this moment Beca would take either.
"How do you know that?" Chloe inquired.
"If you didn't want me you would have never let me get this close," Beca pointed out. Chloe's eyes widened in realization. She tried to step back but it was to late. Beca had her right where she wanted her. In one quick motion Beca brought up her right arm and smashed a handful of snow right into her face. Chloe stumbled back, surprised by the action. But she laughed. She shook her head free from the snow and looked at Beca with those piercing blue eyes.
"You are insufferable," she said, right before she through a snowball right at Beca. The next few minutes was a flurry of snow and laughter. It was one of the best battles Beca had ever been a part of because she knew winning or losing would only get her further with Chloe. When the ground suddenly trembled beneath them, both Beca and Chloe froze. A loud crack rang through the surrounding trees followed by the sound of an explosion. Beca and Chloe looked in the direction the rest of the group had continued in just in time to see a flaming pine tree flying high above the treetops.
"Seriously!" Beca exclaimed, "We left them alone for all of five minutes." Beca pushed off the ground. Without a word Chloe jumped on her back, clinging to her as she took off. Once they cleared the treetops they could see the chaos taking place roughly two hundred yards in front of them. She saw Aubrey first, in all her green glory. No doubt she was the culprit for the flying tree, though Beca wasn't sure where the flames came from. In fact, besides Aubrey's enlarged state and the now smoldering tree next to her, Beca couldn't see a problem whatsoever. By the time Beca landed, Aubrey was a small, petite, very naked blonde again.
"What the hell happened?" Beca asked as Chloe's feet hit the ground next to her.
"What happened?" Aubrey growled, advancing towards the brunette, "I'll tell you what happened. While you were busy playing kissy face we were getting attacked!"
"Aubrey it wasn't like that," Chloe defended herself.
"It doesn't matter what it was like," CR scolded, "You were supposed to be keeping watch Stark."
"Was it them?"Chloe asked.
"It had to be," Amy answered. "How did they find us?"
"Wait where is_?" Beca began.
"They got them," Aubrey cut her off, "Jessica and Stacie."
"No one has ever survived_," Fat Amy began.
"Not a good time," Stark began barking orders, "Split up. They couldn't have gotten far."
"We shouldn't split up," Aubrey argued.
"Don't worry Banner," Beca threw over her shoulder, already heading for the tree line, "Just throw another tree if you get in trouble and I'll come running."
"This is not a good idea Beca!" Fury gave her opinion, even though she was moving towards the tree line herself.
"It's our best chance to find them!" Amy supported the idea. Beca had already disappeared, unable to defend the plan any longer. Chloe watched everyone disappear from the clearing in a haste to find their missing members. She took a moment to study the area. Taking a few moments to survey the scene, Chloe noticed the path of disturbed snow everyone else had overlooked. She moved stealthily through the trees, following the footprints.
She heard the twig snap before she saw anyone. Turning, she barely dodged the heel of a black boot as it swung next to her ear. The second kick found its way into the palm of her hand as she grabbed and twisted, sending the owner of the leg flying. As the figure hurdled towards the snow, Chloe recognized Stacie's long dark hair a moment too late to break her fall. Instead she called out to the girl before she could panic. "Stacie it's Chloe!"
"Chloe," Stacie breathed, brushing snow out of her hair as she stood, "Thank God. I thought you were one of those things."
"Things?" Chloe asked.
"Well they were men," Stacie answered, "But they were short and smelly and excessively hairy."
"No one has ever seen the Il Popolo and survived," Chloe pointed out.
"Well they've never messed with Black Widow before."
"And Jessica?" Chloe asked. Stacie's face fell immediately upon the mention of Captain America.
"I couldn't get to her," Stacie admitted, "I tried. I put up so much of a fight they eventually couldn't handle it and they just left me."
"What about the Captain?" Chloe pressed.
"Last I saw… they were dragging her. She was unconscious."