Sorry for the late chapter...but chapters won't be coming every single day. Also, watching the Hunger Games was kinda at fault. I just want it to be September 25th already, but I digress. Thanks to those who have added this to their alerts and have been reading. I do not own The Avengers. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter Seven

"What did these people look like?" Loki demanded and Willow pursed her lips. How could she describe them?

"They both wore masks or helmets of some kind, but the taller alien had purple skin and violet colored eyes. I don't know how to describe them very well," Willow managed, but Loki knew who she was discussing.

"What were they planning?" Willow explained what occurred to the best of her ability. When she was finished, Loki was deep in thought. Willow waited for him to respond and when he did, he touched Willow's cheek softly.

"It's not safe as I thought it would be. You were listening to Thanos and the Other plotting their attack on Earth and their mission to find the Infinity Gems to make Thanos the most powerful being in the galaxy. I must think about how to prepare for this." Loki got up and made Willow get under the covers to get some rest.

When Willow woke up again, it was darker outside and she wanted to stretch her legs. She opened the door to the bedroom and found the apartment silent and empty. With a sigh, she grabbed her cell phone and made her way to the elevator. Willow was tense as the elevator came to the main floor and she rushed out, dialing as she walked.

She didn't anticipate running right into someone. Willow turned her phone off before she finished dialing. That someone was tall and looked eerily familiar.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am," he said and Willow couldn't speak. She was practically frozen on the spot. It was Steve Rodgers.

When Willow didn't respond right away, he looked down at her strangely.

"You're…Clint's cousin, aren't you?" he inquired and Willow nodded quickly.

"Yeah, I'm Willow Crecy." Steve shook her hand and smiled.

"I had no idea I was going to run into anybody familiar. I'm just heading out to get something to eat. Would you like to join me?" Steve offered and Willow turned to look back at the hotel she had just escaped.

"Yeah, that'd be great," Willow agreed and followed Steve.

Loki came back to the apartment to find Willow gone. He groaned in anger and approached one of the large windows to find that Willow was outside, talking with someone. If he wasn't mistaken, and he was not, that was the soldier from the Avengers. Quickly, Loki summoned Ethan.

"I need you to find Willow and bring her back here immediately," Loki commanded and Ethan left after bowing his head. The boy would bring Willow back and she would be punished.

Steve and Willow had scooted into a small booth at one of the local places Willow ate at often. Pulling out her cell phone, she noticed that she had a call from Mimi. Looking up at Steve, she grinned and put her cell down. Mimi would have to wait.

"Thanks for coming to my rescue," Willow mentioned and Steve was confused.

"What happened?" She didn't know if she should tell him, but Clint said he was a good guy.

"Are you still in touch with my cousin and Director Fury?" Willow inquired cautiously.

"Yeah, of course I am." Steve didn't know where this was going.

"And…did they tell you that Loki is back?" Steve nodded, "but I suppose they didn't tell you he practically kidnapped me."

"Is that why you ran into me? Are you in trouble?" Steve wondered and Willow shrugged.

"He rescued me from SHIELD only to keep me in a hotel with a bunch of his henchmen. I'm pretty sure he'll have my head when he finds me," Willow explained and Steve let out a breath.

"Do you have a place to stay, Willow?" Willow was surprised by his question.

"Technically yes and no," Willow muttered, knowing her apartment must be monitored.

"You can stay at my place, if that's okay. I can contact Agent Barton tomorrow and tell him what's going on." Willow figured that was her best option. Loki wouldn't be able to get to her if she was with SHIELD and if SHIELD was prepared this time.

"Thank you so much," Willow replied and Steve gave her a smile.

They ate in silence and then hopped on Steve's motorcycle to head to his apartment. Willow looked over her shoulder every so often to make sure she wasn't being followed. If someone followed them, Willow wouldn't be able to stay with Steve. He was a nice guy for letting her stay over at his place.

Ethan had looked all over and then decided to visit Mimi. Perhaps she would be able to tell him where Willow was. Mimi answered her door quickly and smiled when she saw Ethan.

"Is Willow alright?" Mimi demanded and Ethan frowned.

"Well, she ran out of the hotel and I was wondering if you knew where she was," Ethan said and Mimi shook her head with worry.

"No, she hasn't called me. Are you sure she left? Maybe she was wandering around the hotel," Mimi suggested, but Ethan shook his head.

"She was across the street when she was last spotted and now she's vanished. If you hear from her, can you call me?" Ethan wondered and Mimi nodded.

"Of course I will," she responded and Ethan left her doorstep.

Steve's apartment was nice and Willow was surprised he didn't live in New York. As she looked around, the apartment was fairly plain. He hadn't exactly put his personal touches on anything and yet it was nice. Willow stood in the family room and watched as Steve went into the guest room he had. When he came back out, he gestured for Willow to follow him.

"There's a bathroom down the hall and I found a shirt you might be able to wear," Steve said and Willow nodded.

"Thanks for doing this, Steve. I appreciate it," Willow said before Steve left the room.

Willow got ready for bed and sighed. She left Drax with Loki and no doubt he'd be yelling at the poor puppy. Getting settled into the guest room was harder than Willow imagined it to be. She was worried about Drax and the fact that Loki could enter her dreams made her fear sleep. For a few hours, Willow tried to stay up, but she eventually drifted.

The dress she wore was worn and the bottom was caked with mud. Willow moved through the woods, pushing tree limbs aside in order to pass. Suddenly, there was a howl in the distance and Willow turned her head instantly. A wolf was standing right behind her with its teeth showing. Time stood still as Willow faced the wolf. She took a breath and then bolted. Her dress got caught on twigs as Willow ran, but that didn't stop her. There was a clearing up ahead and just as Willow raced toward it, she stopped. It was a pond. Willow stopped at the edge and turned around to see the wolf at her heels. The beast growled at her and Willow looked around for an escape. The only way was to swim, but it terrified her. The pitch black water in the darkness didn't look safe.

Just as Willow was about to think about jumping in, a twig snapped and Loki stood beside the wolf. He was smiling at Willow with his arms folded across his chest.

"You are trapped, Willow." He was taunting her.

"If you're going to kill me, do it. I don't care," Willow stated with a calm voice. She looked down at the wolf and Loki placed a hand on its head. The animal walked away and that left Willow alone with Loki.

"Did you think you could run away from me?" Loki took a few steps closer and Willow took one step back toward the pond.

"No, I didn't think I had to run," Willow argued and looked back at the distance from the pond. She was about to fall in, but Loki's arm shot out and grabbed her.

"Where are you, Willow?" he asked, squeezing her arm.

Willow met his gaze and simply shook her head.

"Why did you go with the soldier? Do you believe he's safe? He'll send you back to the director to bait me," Loki explained and Willow didn't say a word. She closed her eyes and with the slightest bit of relief on her arm, jerked herself backward into the water.

Willow woke, gasping for breath. Her back ached and Willow cursed. She quickly pulled the shirt over her shoulders and heard cracking. Pain shot through her back and Willow bit back a scream. There was more cracking and she let out a whimper. When the pain ended, she turned her head back to see black feathery wings protruding from her back. It had been a while since she had to bear the pain of her wings, but falling into the pond in the dream had done something to tamper with her control. A tear streamed down Willow's cheek and she brushed it away. How would Steve perceive her abnormality? Clint was the only one who knew that she was cursed with wings. Her own brother hated her because she had the ability to survive the car accident because she was different.

There was a knock on her door and Willow took a deep breath before cracking the door open. Steve stood there with worry.

"Are you alright? I thought I heard something," Steve mentioned and Willow shook her head.

"No, I'm fine," Willow lied, but one of her wings came into view. Steve opened the door and gazed at her wings. He was stunned to say the least.

"I-I'm… wow," Steve managed to say and Willow bit her lip.

"Only Clint knows and I think Fury has an idea that I'm hiding something. Please don't tell Fury about this. He'll use me as a weapon and I couldn't bear it," Willow begged and Steve nodded slowly.

"How did that happen, if you don't mind?" Steve asked cautiously.

"I was unfortunately cursed when I was little and I've had to deal with it ever since. For the most part, I can control my wings, but something happened last night and they're apparent," Willow explained, reaching back to touch the feathers.

"So…you can fly?" Steve was very curious, but very polite about it.

"Yes, I can fly," Willow answered with a smirk.

The morning was spent discussing more about how Willow had been able to hide the fact that she could sprout wings and fly. After a while, Willow was able to recoil her wings and Steve gazed at what he took for scars on her back.

"Does it hurt…to unfurl your wings?" Steve had his eyes on Willow's scars.

"I don't think I can explain in words the pain that I feel, but it's awful. No need to worry. I've only unfurled my wings a few times," Willow assured him and there was a knock on the door.

Steve let Willow freshen up as he answered the door. Clint was standing there with Natasha, so Steve let them inside immediately. Willow came out and greeted Clint with a smile. She didn't really acknowledge Agent Romanov.

"So, you found me," Willow said, breaking the silence.

"Where did Loki take you?" Clint demanded and Willow sighed.

"He brought me to a hotel because he said it wasn't safe at my apartment. He has a bunch on men under his influence and I got out last night without being caught," Willow explained.

"I don't think there's anywhere safe for you right now. We're going to get you back to base and figure out what to do next," Clint explained and looked to Steve, "Would you like to come, Captain?"

Willow sat next to Steve on the drive to the extraction point where a jet would take them to the base. Hopefully, Loki wouldn't be able to get to them this time.

I took it as Loki gradually gets jealous and he's a bit posessive. I also took Willow's "superpower" in my own hands as well. If you hate her having wings...I'm sorry. I wasn't exactly satisfied with her only ability being that she had good aim. Any thoughts on her new wings?