Natasha expected at least a week of notice before the three of them imparted to find the SHIELD, but Clint insisted that it had to be done as soon as possible, if not the very next day, and all plans of preparation were squelched in the time period of two hours.
The next day started early, nearly four in the morning, after a sleepless night for nearly all of them, though none cared to admit it. Loki had somehow learned about D-day breakfasts back in World War II from Steve and attempted to recreate it for the rest of the team as his surreptitious way of thanks. Somehow, there was something about 'insert bread slices in toaster and slide down the switch' that completely boggled the otherwise clever prince, and one fire extinguisher later they settled with cereal and no serious burns thanks to Pepper's intervention.
Arranging the matter was no smoother. The plan was shoddy at most, considering one third of the team couldn't exactly communicate and the others' inputs contrasted rather than contributed (Loki's original plan involved one fake rampaging bilgesnipe too many and the others scrapped it promptly), so in the end Steve took the reigns as his role of captain and pooled a tentative plan for Natasha, Clint, and Loki.
"Here we go," said Steve, flattening a map of the SHIELD headquarters on the table. The others crowded around him. "All typical entrances to SHIELD are heavily guarded. That means, metal detectors, face detectors, thumb prints and eye recognition, all that to keep away outsiders. Since we don't exactly want casualties, we're not taking people's eyes out."
All heads turned to Loki.
"These logs are checked regularly, so if Natasha and Clint enter that way, it'll be obvious," said Steve. "And while they're welcomed into the headquarters at any time, they'll definitely be suspected of taking the staff considering the situation of Loki living under the same roof as them. Which, quite honestly, is a logical suspicion because that's going to be the truth."
"What are we doing with our lives?" Clint said under his breath.
"That means you have to enter through a different way. Like a window, or a shipping garage," said Steve. "I'm thinking the delivery centers, where boxes of whatever SHIELD needs goes from the trucks they came from to those elevator shafts that takes them to the basement for checking, which is on the same level as the scepter, isn't it?"
"It is," said Natasha. "But shipments from anywhere will be just as checked as people coming in."
"Not unless you can take a bit of a detour somewhere between the shipping entrance to the place where people receive them," said Steve.
"Not sure if that'll work," said Clint. "X-ray and heat signatures on the elevator shaft. They'll detect it immediately."
"Depends," said Tony. "Hey Loki, did you fix JARVIS yet?"
Loki rolled his eyes and nodded.
"JARVIS will be taking care of that little hiccup for you," said Tony. "He'll disable them for the time in between."
"SHIELD's security will pick up on the intrusion immediately," said Natasha.
"Not unless I tinker around," said Tony. "It's like a picnic. You get a mosquito bite, you spray some bug spray all over yourself. But while you're doing that, you don't notice the squirrel stealing your sandwich. And after you deal with that, you got distracted from taking care of the wind flipping over your blanket."
"You're going to be able to keep a tab on all of that?" said Clint.
"Genius, remember?" said Tony. "Besides, you'll all have earpieces. Even you, Loki. And I'll be listening in outside of SHIELD."
"Whoa, wait—you're coming with us?" said Clint.
Tony shrugged. "I'll be on the way there. I'll be your getaway car, and that archetypal sidekick in the back of a suspicious van outside of the target spot with all the computers wired in. I'm not going to go in because—yeah. They wouldn't be too happy to see me, and I can't say I wouldn't let them take their anger out on me if they try."
"A suspicious van is not going to go well with SHIELD. You know how paranoid they are."
"Ugh, you really think I'll go into one of those things? No way; I'm going with the Lamborghini," said Tony.
Clint nearly choked. "The Lamborghini? How do you expect to have a low profile with that?"
Tony shrugged. "Acquaintance of mine said that it's a lot subtler."
"Rich bastard," said Clint.
"What about Loki?" said Natasha. "How's he getting in? Or is he going to stay with Tony?"
Loki poked her hard on the arm. She gave him an icy glare.
"No one ever said you had to get into the nitty-gritty of the mission," she said.
"I think you'll find Loki to be rather useful," Thor said. "Especially with disguises."
Loki rolled his eyes and Thor nudged him with his elbow.
"These heat signatures—do they measure body heat?" said Thor.
"That's it," said Steve.
"Do they have it at every entrance? Windows, even? At the doors?"
"Not the doors," said Natasha. "Nor the windows. Just where potentially suspicious imports come in."
Thor shared a glance with Loki. A small smirk tugged at Loki's lips.
"But your magic, Loki," said Thor.
Loki shook his head and showed off his free wrist. Tony never reapplied the cuff on his wrist, after all.
"Just don't overexert yourself, all right?" said Thor.
"Okay, what's going on?" said Bruce.
"Ah—well, you needn't worry about how Loki will enter the headquarters," said Thor. "He will meet you at the basement."
"Whoa, don't we get any details?" said Clint.
Loki's eyes twinkled teasingly.
"Okay, we make it to the basement. Or potentially between the basement and ground floor," said Natasha. "If we get out of the elevator fast enough, we can wheedle through the ventilation."
"And Loki can pull open a place for you to get out of," said Steve.
"Seriously, how are we sure he's not going to get caught?" said Clint.
"Worry about that later. Okay, let's get back on track," said Steve. "You guys end up on the basement, security is probably high, so you've got to be sneaky. Don't resort to violence."
"Kind of hard to resist that temptation," said Natasha.
"Come on, now. How is the room secured?" said Steve.
"Most likely body identification and a password, if not with voice recognition," said Natasha.
"And it's only Fury, Hill, Selvig, and this Vulk person that can get in?" said Steve.
"Correct."
Tony squinted and rubbed his chin. "Okay. If it's a thumbprint, we can get it easily. Some latex gloves and chemistry will do the trick. If it's an eye or something, however…"
Loki shrugged. Steve shot a warning look at him.
"We're not resorting to any violence," said Steve.
"He's only jesting, Captain," said Thor.
"Right," said Steve, his eyebrows furrowing. "We've got to find out now, if possible. Can JARVIS check the system?"
"JARVIS, hack into SHIELD's security system as underhandedly as you can and tell me about room B21," said Tony.
"Coming along, sir."
"God, how I missed a functioning butler," said Tony.
"Suppose, for instance, that it is voice recognition or something whose copy we can't outright steal," said Clint. "How will we deal with that?"
"Depends if JARVIS can disable the security," said Steve.
"SHIELD's technology isn't that weak," said Natasha. "Any tampering on that particular room will trigger a response almost immediately."
"The cameras," said Thor. "Briefly disable the cameras."
"What good would that do?" said Steve. "One, someone's obviously going to notice if the cameras are being tampered with if they shut off. Two, that doesn't fix the problem about getting in the room."
"I can mess with the cameras, no big deal," said Tony. "All you need is to manipulate the time signature and then have a playback of past hours or even minutes, if it's an empty room. But I don't see how you expect that will help you get into the secured room any better."
Thor stole a glance at Loki, who raised an eyebrow at him. With a brief shrug of the shoulder, Loki turned and fixed his eyes directly at Tony. In less than a blink, it was as if a shimmer passed through him and everyone cried out immediately.
"What the blinking hell?" Clint said, gaping at Loki—or at least, who they all thought was Loki. "What just freaking happened?"
Natasha rubbed her eyes—and then rubbed them again. Surely it was a mirage, if not a hallucination, though borderline nightmare. There was no possible way that there were two Tony Starks in the room, one of them standing exactly where Loki was just seconds ago. Unless a mirror magically popped out of nowhere, it couldn't be possible.
Tony, on the other hand, looked mildly pleased.
"Damn, I knew I was good-looking," said Tony. "But where did Loki go?"
Tony's doppelganger waved its hand. Tony gaped, leaning a little closer to his own face.
"Wait—Loki? You're Loki? I mean—I'm Loki?"
Loki—or Tony—shoved Tony on the chest. Everything about him was the perfect carbon copy of Tony—the dark eyes, the signature stubble, even the cocky straightening of the shoulders. It was more than as if Tony had a twin brother—Loki was Tony through and through.
"Loki is a master at shape-shifting," said Thor with an unmistakably proud smile.
"Why the hell is everyone a shape-shifter nowadays?" said Clint.
Tony was too tongue-tied admiring himself—or Loki—to say anything coherently. He rapped his knuckle against Loki's chest—the metal ting of a magicked arc reactor was muffled underneath Loki's shirt.
"Holy hell," said Tony. "You can do all this? Damn. When we said Loki wasn't trying to lie low back in Stuttgart, he really wasn't trying to lie low in Stuttgart."
"Why didn't you do that while we were in Stuttgart?" said Clint to Loki. "Instead of gouging some poor bastard's eye out."
Loki's jaw twitched, but whatever thoughts or confessions went through his mind did not shine as clearly through Tony's dark eyes as they did with his own.
"So if Loki shape-shifted into someone else's body—say, someone who has access into the room, he'd have their identifying prints to get in?" said Steve.
"He must see them, first," said Thor. "You cannot command him to shape-shift into a creature if he has no idea what it looks like."
"Fair enough," said Tony—the real Tony. "Well, he at least knows how Fury looks like, or Selvig. Maybe not so much Hill or Vulk, though."
"Don't go for Fury or Selvig," said Natasha. "Fury being such a high-ranking agent would make it too risky."
"And Selvig's in New Mexico right now," said Clint. "He's not due to be back for another two weeks. If someone runs into him, they'll know something was up."
"So that leaves Hill or Vulk," said Bruce. "Do you remember how Agent Hill looks like, Loki? You know, dark hair, blue eyes, a woman who's always at Fury's side…"
Loki shook his head.
"JARVIS, pull up a picture of Agent Maria Hill for us, won't you?" said Tony.
"Yes, sir."
In less than a second, a holographic screen appeared on the blank wall in front of them. Agent Hill's identification photos from SHIELD flickered before them. Loki furrowed his eyebrows (or more accurately, Tony's eyebrows) at the sight of her before closing his eyes. Tony's façade washed away immediately like waves smoothing out marked sand on the shore, and immediately a perfect replica of Agent Hill stood before them.
Tony gave a low whistle. "You can be a man and a woman? Have you ever taken advantage of that?"
Loki kicked Tony in the back of the knee.
"JARVIS, check Loki's thumbprints and see if they match Agent Hill's," said Bruce.
A red glowing screen opened up before the wall. Hesitantly, Loki placed a thumb against the plastic. JARVIS scanned the thumbprint, a copy of it appearing on the screen.
"It appears to have a match, Mr. Banner."
"Excellent," said Bruce. "This is beyond useful."
"Wait," said Clint. "So if this is shape-shifting, then does that mean that the Chitauri can do the same thing?"
"More or less," said Thor. "Quite honestly, Loki's prowess is much more advanced than that of the Chitauri, if I do say so myself."
"Either way, that's a freaky thought," said Clint. "They can be anywhere right now—anywhere. And we'd probably never know it."
"Let's focus on one scary thought at a time," said Tony. "I don't think Loki should enter the headquarters like this, especially if Hill already checked in and is walking around. But once you're in and in the basement…"
"What are the chances that we'll run into her when he looks like this?" said Clint.
"Not if we can help it," said Natasha. "Could we get rid of Hill now, please? I'd rather have normal Loki back."
A brief smile showed on Loki's lips before the countenance morphed from Agent Hill to the all familiar god of mischief. His face was grayer from the magical exertion and he swayed on his feet, but he kept himself upright nonetheless. Natasha's lips tightened.
"Let's avoid using it for as long as possible," said Natasha. "If shape-shifting is just as grueling as healing, I don't know if we can be lucky the second time."
"All right, so we get the staff, assuming there isn't more security checks in the way," said Clint. "Chances are they'll eventually notice the staff missing."
"Loki's good at projections. He can shape a new one and no one would notice the difference," said Tony.
"All this magical exertion will be detrimental," said Thor, his face somber.
"Maybe Loki could put on the arc reactor the moment he gets a hand on the scepter," said Clint.
"I don't want to risk that," said Bruce. "We aren't entirely sure if the scepter is the answer to our problems. Better do it, you know, not in SHIELD."
"How are they going to get out?" said Tony.
"We could take up the ventilation system again," said Steve. "If not, then lay low and Tony can mess with JARVIS to clear up the space."
"Impromptu fire drill. It can work," said Tony.
"And if because of a really unfortunate stroke of bad luck, Loki gets possessed by Thanos in the middle of SHIELD…" said Clint.
"We're trying to improve morale here," said Tony. "And if anything, just use the scepter to bash his head in and drag him back. No offense, Loki."
"But that's not the ideal situation," said Bruce. "Just…be careful with the scepter, though. Who knows if SHIELD's studies of it tampered with it or something? Or it still has its effects?"
"What do you mean?" said Steve.
"It's just…" Bruce said, rubbing the back of his head. "I just remember that one time we were all in the helicarrier, and I was getting extremely worked up over the situation, and without even realizing it I grabbed the scepter. I don't have any logical reason why I would consciously do it, so I just wonder if—well—the scepter's influence had anything to do with it."
"Is that the truth?" said Thor. He turned to Loki. "Does the scepter have that sort of power?"
Loki's eyebrows knitted together, but he gave no visible answer.
"We'll just need it long enough to get an idea of how I can replicate it," said Tony. "After that, we'll put it under lock and key if we really have to."
"Do you think SHIELD will have records of their studies somewhere where JARVIS can hack into them?" said Bruce.
"No chance," said Tony. "Don't you think I've already tried?"
"Point taken. Tony, you'll keep an eye on them and wherever they exit, pick them up and get them the hell out of there before anyone catches on. You have the earpieces for them?"
"Hell yeah." Tony pulled out a small metal box and pried it open. Inside were several flesh-colored buds nestled in the black foam. He scooped them out and handed them to each one of them. Natasha inserted the bud into her ear and helped Loki with his after he stared blankly at it in his palm for a good half a minute. "These things are intense. They'll pick up what you say even if you barely breathe out the words, and they can't be interrupted by outside radio waves. Whatever you hear, I hear. Whatever you say, I hear. Whatever I say, you better believe that you can hear it."
"Are you sure we shouldn't have another day of clearing up the plan?" said Natasha.
"No amount of preparation's going to make this job any easier, honestly," said Bruce. "Waiting for an opportune moment is just another way of losing what we've got."
Natasha cast a glance at Loki, wondering about his thoughts on the situation. There was hard determination in those eyes, and she couldn't help but grudgingly reason with herself that she should have expected it from the stubborn prince.
"Are you sure that I cannot aid you in any way?" said Thor.
"Sorry, Point Break," said Tony, fastening a headset over his ears. "You're more than conspicuous, and I'm not going to lie, but the less people we have involved in this the better. Don't worry. I'll be everyone's binoculars and earphones. People don't trust me, but that doesn't mean I won't do a good job."
"We trust you, Stark," said Natasha. "Or, we trust you as much as we ought to trust a playboy."
"Har har," said Stark. "The Lamborghini's set and ready to roll. Are you guys?"
Loki and Clint nodded. Tony turned his gaze to Natasha.
"You?" he said.
"Oh," she said. She cast a second glance at Loki and Clint. It was not that she had never been on dangerous mission with people she cared for before. God knows how many missions she and Clint nearly lost their lives in, or how many times she and the Avengers faced a terrible threat that could have easily ended them all. "Yeah. I'm ready."
"Clench up," said Tony.
The car ride to downtown was silent and still. Loki was constantly trying to adjust the earpiece, the foreign object in his ear bothering him. Tony was unusually less talkative than usual, and Clint wouldn't stop rubbing his shoulders. He didn't bring his bow and arrows in case the weapon would draw too much attention and Natasha could only imagine how naked he felt without them.
Natasha, on the other hand, felt a gnawing pit in her stomach. This was certainly not an unprecedented mission, nor was it a highly dangerous one, but never had she been set on a path of virtually betraying the very agency that had taken her in after nearly killing her. Loyalty was never anything she downright considered herself guilty of, but even a dog that lashed out on its owner mulled on its second thoughts with its tail between its legs later.
What does it matter to you? her conscience chided. It isn't as if you've never betrayed anyone before, anyway.
She gripped her hands into fists.
This is different, she said. This is for the greater good. Earth could be doomed if they didn't try this—if she didn't try this. SHIELD may eventually find out, but if they know the whole truth, they'll understand. She had to do this.
She guiltily stole a sidelong glance at Loki in the seat next to her. Loki felt her gaze and gave her a small nod of reassurance.
Don't be afraid, said his eyes. You'll be all right.
But she wasn't afraid for herself.
"Five miles away from the headquarters," said Tony. "I'm going to drop you off two miles away and then I'm going to circle around the blocks nearby as to not draw attention."
"I think you already failed on that part," said Clint. Outside their tinted windows, several teenagers gawked lustily at the blood-red sports car.
"Never listening to that damn playboy billionaire again," said Tony. "Everyone ready? Okay, testing the earphones. Testing, testing."
Natasha could hear Tony's voice blare in her right ear. She winced and shot a glare at Tony through the rearview mirrors.
"JARVIS, lower the volume just a tad. Now whisper something so I can make sure this thing works fine."
"Testing," said Natasha, her lips barely moving. Tony nodded and flashed a thumbs up.
"Good. Okay, two and a half miles away. Loki, whatever voodoo you're going to pull to sneak into the headquarters, I suggest you do that soon."
"Are you going to drop him off the same time you're dropping us off?" said Natasha.
"Depends. Loki, are you going as a human?" said Tony.
Loki shook his head.
"Then I guess it won't hurt," said Tony. "Two miles and a quarter. Get yourselves ready."
Natasha felt for the only weapon she was allowed—a taser. Steve made them promise not to try harming any of the agents, and she couldn't help but feel fractious that he expected her to hurt her colleagues. Clint turned around in the passenger seat and gave her a nod.
"Two miles flat. Get your asses out of here."
Immediately Loki disappeared from his seat, a mockingbird replacing his body on the black leather. The doors of the Lamborghini opened and the small bird took off immediately, dodging lampposts and taxis. Natasha climbed out after him, keeping her head low to avoid attention.
"A mockingbird? Really?" muttered Clint as he stepped out of the car. The doors slammed shut immediately after them and Tony took off, melding into the traffic. "He couldn't have gone with something more inconspicuous like a pigeon."
"Who would want to be a pigeon?" said Natasha. "Imagine the possibilities: Pigeon-Eye."
"Not the same case," said Clint.
"Stop bickering and get yourselves down an elevator chute," Tony's voice crackled in their ears. "JARVIS, pull up all security cameras of SHIELD and set the tracking device on."
"Tracking device?" said Natasha.
"On your earpieces. So I know where you guys are in case the security cameras don't help. And I see that you guys haven't even started moving yet. Don't let the little bird beat you."
"Caw, caw," said Clint. He and Natasha began walking, dodging the pedestrians as they made their way toward SHIELD headquarters. "Do you still have a track on Loki if he's a bird?"
"All things that Loki has on his body comes with him in his form," said Tony. "Why else do you think he doesn't walk around buck naked after changing back?"
Natasha snorted. "Great mental image, Tony."
"Oh please. I bet you enjoy that thought immensely."
"Whoa, hey, can we please get back to business?" said Clint.
Natasha quickened her pace, the back of her neck burning. She could only imagine Loki's reaction, considering he was probably able to listen to every word they said right now.
"Get to the back of the headquarters, facing west," said Tony. "I see a truck of shipments waiting in the garage. They haven't started loading their boxes into the shafts, but you might want to get in before or after they do."
"On it," said Natasha. "Let's hurry up."
She and Clint slunk from the main road and squeezed into the spaces between the buildings, dodging the alleys of metal trash bins and parked vehicles. She could hear the roaring of the truck's engine echoing in the large garage and she pressed herself against the building, edging closer to the opened entrance. Clint just barely let himself look around the corner, his sharp eyes noting everything.
"Stark, we're close by," he said. "How long do you think you can disable the head signatures and everything within the elevator chute?"
"If SHIELD updated their systems since the last time I hacked into Coulson's files, I'm going to estimate about ten minutes tops," said Tony. "If they didn't, then you get yourselves some extra leeway. Have you got a clear idea of how to get yourselves in there?"
Natasha craned her neck to see around the corner. The uniformed men were checking the boxes off, toting clipboards and scanners. Once the cardboard boxes and crates were deemed acceptable, they were wheeled to the square opening in the back of the room where they were hefted into a dumbwaiter and sent downward.
"If we could have a distraction of sorts, we can get down from on top of the elevator," said Natasha. "They'll open up into the entire system midway there, like an actual elevator system, and we can get out through there and find a vent."
"Distraction, distraction…okay, got it. Stand clear."
Natasha withdrew from the corner and leaned against the wall. In less than five seconds, a low voice came through the overhead speakers.
"Agents," said the robotic and all too familiar British voice. "Please exit the grounds and make your way to the main lobby. The garage will now be off limits in preparation for an upcoming event. Please exit the grounds and make your way to the main lobby. Thank you."
The people at the garage exchanged puzzled glances but asked no questions. They pushed the carts and boxes to the side and filed out of the garage. Natasha and Clint sank into the shadows of the corner before they could be seen, and just before the garage doors closed they slipped inside the darkening room. The heavy metal door sank shut the moment they tumbled in, locking them in complete darkness with only their footsteps echoing against the cement.
"I had to disable the lights of the garage," said Tony. "Can't have JARVIS be too obvious just yet. Can you get yourselves to the elevator?"
"Yes. Disable the securities for it," said Natasha. She felt around for Clint and her fingers met his sleeve. Gripping it tightly, she tugged him toward the back of the room, grazing her fingers across the wall to feel for the opening. "And turn on the elevator. We have to go on top of it, not in it."
Immediately, the pulleys groaned inside the wall. She could feel the elevator box slowly move downward; the moment it sank low enough she and Clint climbed on top of it, sinking deeper into the darkness as the wall closed up above their heads. The air felt frigid under the ground, and when she gripped the long poles she found them slick and black with oil. She squinted, trying to find Clint's face in the darkness.
"Do you see the ventilation system anywhere?" said Clint.
"Not yet. Dammit, we should have brought some sort of flashlight," said Natasha.
The narrow way soon opened to a massive jungle of pulleys and poles, dragging up dumbwaiter systems and mechanics that functioned underneath SHIELD's headquarter. Just beyond their reach Natasha could see the opening of a ventilation system within the wall and her heart jumped.
"There—over there, Clint." She pointed, only to remember that the elevator was taking them lower. "Stark, stop the elevator, won't you?"
"Say please," said Tony. Before Natasha could curse at him, the elevator jerked underneath them and came to a halt. Natasha gritted her teeth; even from here the jump would be impossible.
"Let me give you a boost," said Clint.
"How are you going to get up?" said Natasha.
Clint shrugged. "Climb? This is definitely not the hardest obstacle I've had."
"Fair enough."
Clint knelt on the edge of the elevator box, cupping his hands. Natasha took a deep breath before running forward and stepping into his hands. He pushed her up and she immediately caught on the edge of the opening of the vents, her fingers nearly slipping on the metal and from the oil still on her fingers; she quickly pushed herself up and her torso into the vent before she could slip off.
"You okay?" said Clint.
"Got it." She pulled the rest of her body inside, sidling deeper down the tunnel. The air conditioning made goose bumps run down her skin underneath her leather sleeves. "Stark, how are we doing?"
"Not as fast as I hoped, but that's okay," said Tony. "Loki's at the headquarters already. He's inside."
"As a mockingbird?" said Natasha.
"Not that I know of. I'm looking at the security cameras and I don't see any birds. He probably changed forms."
Natasha groaned. "Loki, if you can hear me, conserve your magic. If you pass out somewhere in the middle of SHIELD, we're screwed."
Clint jumped and caught the edge of the vent, pulling himself up behind her. "Okay, Stark, where exactly are we in the basement?"
"West side, still," said Stark. "The room is in the south side and—whoa, wait."
Natasha held her breath at Tony's sudden change in topic.
"Loki, what are you doing?" said Tony.
Her heart jumped. "What's going on?" she said.
"Just a minute, disabling and erasing SHIELD's security camera tapes," said Tony. "Okay, good. Tapes are rerun, they haven't seen a thing."
"What happened?" said Natasha.
"Loki's magic flickered or something. He changed back out of his disguise in the middle of an empty hallway."
"Where?"
"Ground floor, east wing. I still have access to what the security cameras can see. Loki, dude, you okay? Thumbs up if you are, thumbs down if you aren't."
A beat. Then— "I'm going to take that as an 'I could be better.'"
"Does he need help?" said Natasha.
"I think we ought to get out of the vents before anything else," said Clint behind her.
"Loki, do you need—? Oh, he's giving me a major thumbs down now," said Tony.
"Loki doesn't even know how to get around, especially if he's in his own form," said Natasha. "Someone might walk in on him."
"Nat, you can't go to him now," said Clint. "Two people are easier to walk in on than one."
"Same for our case, isn't it?" said Natasha.
"Loki's giving an extremely dramatic thumbs down," said Tony. "He's walking now. Baby steps, Bambi. Baby steps."
"We need to meet up with him somewhere," said Clint, "so he can become Hill and get us in that room."
"He doesn't even know the layout of this place, does he?" said Natasha.
"Oh, he looks offended," said Tony.
"Well, even a person with photographic memory of a map can get a little sidetracked," said Natasha.
"Natasha, Clint, get moving."
Natasha army crawled through the metal wormhole, the cold air rushing past her skin and making her shiver. She tried to slide as silently as possible in case someone could hear them through the walls. She wondered if Loki was right above them and she moved faster.
"I guess this is how the basilisk felt in book two," said Clint behind her.
"You really are a fan of those books, aren't you?" said Natasha.
"Whoa, whoa, Loki, mayday," said Tony. "A line of agents coming in around the corner."
"Shit," said Natasha, putting her hand to her earpiece. "Stark, unlock a hiding place for him."
"What am I to you, a funhouse? The doors in this hallway are old-fashioned. Lock and key, baby."
"Well, do something!"
"Natasha, you mind moving and talking at the same time?" said Clint.
Natasha didn't notice that she had stopped crawling and immediately picked up her pace. "Sorry."
"Don't worry about it," he said. "Let's just—let's get to that scepter."
"Loki, don't think about it, don't use—oh. Wow. I can't believe I didn't think of that," said Tony's voice.
"God, Stark, do you have to commentate on everything?" said Natasha. Her elbows were cramping from the constant crawling.
"He just went through an open door and stayed in the room as the people passed. Wow. This job is no longer necessary."
"Stark, focus," said Natasha. "We still need to get him down here."
"Damn, the elevators are full of people constantly, and the stairs have people around as well. Maybe we can squeeze him into a vent."
"Oh yeah, join the party," said Clint with a grunt. "I swear, if he magicks himself into air and comes in here…"
"I got it," said Tony. "Clint, get out of the vent now. No one's in the west wing, though there are people in the north. What you need to do is clear a pathway for you guys to get through once you've got the scepter. My first assumption would be the vents, but that might be a little difficult for three grown people and a magic stick to get through."
"How do we do it, then?" said Clint.
"That's for you to figure out. Loki, once you get out of the room, I'm going to be leading you to the stairs—no, stop giving me that face, I know you think you know how to get anywhere, but unlike you, I know which places are clear and which places have people in them."
"What about me?" said Natasha.
"Keep yourself far and away from people. Don't want to risk you getting blamed for what you technically did do. I'm going to need you to find something long and pointy."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Loki's magic needs as much rest as it can get—stop making that face, Loki. It'll be easier for him to disguise something to look like his scepter than to make one out of thin air."
"Long and pointy. Got it," said Natasha, though she couldn't help but feel like she was given a filler role in the grand scheme of things.
"Oh, and make sure to keep a perimeter around room B21 or wherever that scepter is. Make sure no one is in there or around there. If there are, distract them. But don't let them know you're there."
"Thanks for the specificity, Stark."
"So we have to split up?" said Clint.
"Can you get out of a vent?" said Tony.
"Yeah, I can get out of a vent," said Clint. "Gotta love how we're not even halfway through the plan and something's already been messed up."
"Since when do our plans never mess up?" said Natasha.
Clint took a different vent pathway from Natasha after bidding her good luck, the echoes of his body crawling through the metal tunnels echoing until they were too far to hear each other anymore. Natasha crawled onward, listening to Tony give directions to Loki on which path to take, still mulling over the fact that she was sent off to find something 'long and pointy' like a dog playing fetch. Once she found pinpricks of light in the dark vent, she kicked open the grating and slid out of the vent, landing soundlessly on the tiled floor.
"Long and pointy, long and pointy…"
It was hardly a challenge, settling for a construction lab where a metal yardstick was readily available. She filched it and surveyed the area for any obstacles or disturbances. The hallways were sterile—no one lurked long in the basement.
"Now take the hallway to the left," said Tony through the headsets. Natasha wished there was a way to mute his voice so he wouldn't continue interrupting her thoughts. "Keep going, keep going—no wait, don't. Field trip of trainees coming your way. Take the forked path to the right. That's good."
"I got the stick, Stark," said Natasha. "Clint, how's it going for you?"
There was a grunt for a response.
"Oh, crap, code red," said Tony. "That Winston asshole is coming your direction. Backtrack, Loki."
"Winston?" said Clint. "That stick in the mud?"
"I was under the impression that all people in SHIELD were sticks in the mud," said Tony. "Hurry, Loki, he's walking fast—oh God, no, stop, stop!"
Natasha clenched her teeth, half considering taking out her earphone. How was Tony expecting her to get anything done if she had to listen to him narrate Loki's predicament and let her imagination come up with the worse possible scenario for her?
"Three agents are coming from the other direction. Don't keep moving, Loki, I'll think of a distr—dammit, not again!"
"Stark, can you please stop that?" said Natasha. "You're distracting the both of us."
"Loki, you little shit, I said I was the one who would make the distraction!" said Tony. "You can't keep using your magic like that."
"Any way I can be of service?" said Natasha.
"Give me a minute, let me—"
Whatever Tony wanted to say was cut off by the blaring public announcement system that made her nearly jump out of her skin. She immediately pressed herself against the wall, arms held aloft to strike out of instinct.
"Emergency—this is a code silver," said the echoing voice. "Everybody, please remain calm and make your way to the main lobby and wait for your commanding officer. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill. Please remain calm and make your way to the main lobby and wait for your commanding officer."
High-pitched sirens screeched from the ceiling, making Natasha wince. Doors were opening and she had barely enough time to dive into a custodian closet before people could file out of the rooms and head toward the stairs. Even in the dingy and dim closet, the alarms were deafening.
"That wasn't me," said Tony. "I didn't do it. That wasn't me."
"Was it Clint? Loki?" said Natasha.
"I didn't do shit," said Clint.
"Loki?" said Tony. "He's shaking his head."
"What's the emergency, can you tell?" said Natasha.
"I can't. I don't see anything out of the ordinary. Empty hallway, empty hallway, crowded hallway, crowded room…Loki, this is your chance. The coast is clear—now book it."
"Which stairway is he coming down from?" said Natasha. "I'll meet with him."
"Stairway 6B, now get to it. Clint, where are you?"
"Can't you see me?" said Clint.
"I can see you from the tracking device, but not through the security cameras. You're southwest, aren't you?"
"I think? I don't kno—shit, just a minute."
"What's wrong?" said Natasha. Clint didn't answer and she cursed this form of communication. The suspense would literally kill all of them if they kept stopping short like this.
"Tony, where's Clint?" Natasha said, quickening her pace.
"I told you, I can't see him."
"You have a tracking device on him!"
"He's somewhere on the southwest wing, but he's not showing up through the security cameras. Barton, stop hiding from the cameras. You're freaking me out."
Natasha bit her lip, expecting Clint to give some snippy response, but there was nothing. She halted in her steps, half considering running back and finding Clint to put her nerves to rest, but then there was the problem of Loki wandering around the top floor, alone. How was she supposed to alleviate one of her stresses just so she could raise the tension of the other?
Finally, Clint spoke up again, his voice barely heard as he murmured into the earpiece. Her heart jumped with relief at the sound of him.
"Guys," said Clint. "Guys, I've been spotted."
"Are you serious?" said Tony. "You had one job, Barton."
"It's Vulk," Clint said. He spoke quickly, strained with time. "Don't come here."
"Clint, don't leave her sight," said Natasha.
"What?" Tony said.
"We're only afraid that he'll be accused of stealing the scepter should they find out it's gone," said Natasha. "If he's got an eyewitness—Vulk—to tell everyone that Clint was with her all the time and he has an alibi, he has no reason to be accused. You copy, Clint?"
"Agent Barton, of the spy division," said Clint.
Natasha paused. "What?"
"I was only hear to find some magical restraints for our—you know," said Clint, as if he never heard Natasha. "Stark requested them from me."
"Natasha, he's talking to that Vulk person," said Tony. "I'm toning out Clint's conversation so only I hear it."
"Got it," said Natasha. "Loki, are you at stairs 6B yet?"
The alarm was still ringing and Natasha swallowed down the urge to aim a punch at the blinking red bulb on the wall.
"Guys, we might have a bit of a problem," said Tony.
Natasha groaned. "How much more?"
"I can't stay close to the headquarters anymore. Some trucks are pulling in and their surrounding the area."
"Trucks? What trucks?"
"Police? Ambulance? I can't tell the difference between the two. I've got to scram for a mile or two."
"How are we supposed to run around New York City with a stupid glowing rod in our hands?"
"Dammit, I don't know. Just hurry. Something's happening and it's not a good sign. Whatever that alarm was for, it wasn't because of us, and it's definitely not a drill."
"You copy, everyone?" said Natasha, only to remember that the other two members of the conversation could not talk. She cursed and sprinted toward Stairs 6B. She shoved open the heavy metal doors, her footsteps clacking hollowly against the cement. The dim lights maid the stairs and walls look sticky with amber residue, and they did nothing to reveal Loki.
"Loki, where are you?" said Natasha.
No sound of descending footsteps.
"Stark, where's Loki?"
No answer. Natasha suddenly felt very alone. She hitched her breath and bounded up the stairs, gripping the metal meter stick defensively.
"Loki, you need to walk faster or something, because I'm at floor 6B and we can't stop and smell the roses at a time like this," she said.
She reached the top of the stairs without running into another sign of life and now her heart was racing. For all she knew, Loki could have been apprehended and was too mute to scream. Clint could have been brought to the authorities by Vulk and arrested under SHIELD. Tony could have crashed his Lamborghini.
Natasha was never one to panic, but that never meant she never worried.
"Guys," said Tony.
"Where the hell were you?" said Natasha.
"I'm tracking the heat signatures of people in the headquarters. Clint, you've got five other blobs of heat around you; probably security making sure everyone's getting out. Just stick with that Vulk woman and you shouldn't get in trouble. Grunt if you copy."
Natasha closed her eyes, waiting to hear Clint's affirmation, only to remember that only Tony could hear any noise from Clint's side.
"Shoot," said Tony. "Natasha, are you on ground floor?"
"I am now," said Natasha, pressed against the door of the staircase.
"Something's wrong. There's a huge blob of nothingness coming your way, and it's picking up speed."
"A blob of nothingness? What the hell?"
"It has no heat signature. Like, absolutely none. But it's definitely alive and coming your way, and it sure as hell isn't a gust of breeze."
Natasha swallowed and slid to the wall, holding the meter stick aloft. "What can it be?"
"Chitauri spy, maybe? I don't know their biological makeup. I can't see it in the cameras—it's got to be something out of this world."
She thought she could hear footsteps drawing closer. She braced herself and held up the meter stick.
"Let it come, then," she said.
She was not unused to Chitauri attacks, but to be the one cornered in the dark, to be the one waiting for the attack—
"Wait, wait," Tony said, his voice hasty. "Shit, wait, don't—"
The door swung open and immediately Natasha bounded forward, arms raised to thrust the meter stick into the body. It was only when she caught sight of the familiar pair of green eyes did she yelp and drop the stick, crashing into the figure until they tumbled down the flight of stairs, tangled in each other's limbs. They slammed against the wall, body bruised and aching from the stone descent, heads spinning mercilessly.
"Loki, I so did not mean that," Tony's voice said sheepishly.
Loki pulled himself off of Natasha, clutching his bruised head. The look on his face was the farthest thing away from amused. Natasha pushed herself off the ground, her elbows and back protesting, casting a guilty glance at Loki.
"Heh. Right. Frost Giants usually don't have a heat signature, do they?" said Tony. "Should have uh, remembered that and stuff."
"You okay?" Natasha said to Loki. Loki's eyebrow twitched in irritation and he brushed her concern off. He picked up the meter stick that had fallen with them and held it out to Natasha, as if to ask, what the hell would you have done with this thing?
The realization that she was so close to stabbing Loki in the chest made Natasha's stomach churn as she took the meter stick back.
"So, uh…yeah. No Chitauri after all," said Tony. "I really need to check out the problem with these security cameras. No offense, Loki."
Loki's lower jaw twitched but his face remained emotionless otherwise.
"We've got to get moving," said Natasha. "Clint's been apprehended—whether antagonistically or not, I don't know. But we should get the job done fast."
Loki gave Natasha a look that clearly said I hear everything you hear.
"Right," Natasha said, rubbing the back of her head. "And—sorry. For trying to stab you."
Loki's smile was ironic as he gathered himself onto his feet and pulled Natasha up off the ground. They hurried down the rest of the stairs, their footsteps a stampede in the silence.
"Barton's moving back toward the west wing, guys," said Tony. "Don't go there, lest you guys get spotted."
"What happens to our exit plan?" said Natasha.
"Wing it. You're good at that," said Tony. "I need to see if I can—"
There was a sharp intake of breath. "Oh, wow," said Tony.
"What is it?" Natasha said, nearly screaming in frustration. She was supposed to be the one who knew all the cards in the deck, the one in the middle of the web and could see and control everything around her. Not the dramatic audience that would be the last to know what would happen at the climax.
"I've been duped this whole time," said Tony.
"Duped? You?" said Natasha.
"I thought I was tricking SHIELD into accessing their security cameras and rolling over their own old ones," said Tony. "But someone had beaten me to it in certain cameras. That's why I can't find see Clint—the security videos of the south and west wing that I've been watching this whole time were the ones from five hours ago."
"What? Why?" said Natasha. "Who would do that?"
"Okay—let me fix all of these, all right?" said Tony. "I need to go through each of these and make sure they are correct…fix SHIELD's faulty security system for them…"
Natasha looked quickly at Loki. His face was drawn with thought and she felt her mouth go dry.
"What if they expected us?" said Natasha. "And they're several steps ahead of us?"
"Someone's ahead of us, but it's not SHIELD," said Tony. "SHIELD wouldn't play this way. They're a bit more obvious than this. Guys, you better get moving."
Natasha gave Loki a short nod before taking his hand and running forward. She could feel his hand tense up in hers but she gave it no thought. Time was of the essence and everything felt completely out of their control; she needed at least one thing in her hand she was certain of.
"Is Clint still at the south side?" said Natasha. "Is it safe to get to the room?"
"Clint, are you at the south side? Hum if yes, don't if no," said Tony. A pause. "I think you guys can get through."
Natasha led Loki through the empty, white hallways, each corner a potential snare trap that could topple the entire plan. She strained her ears for any sign of Clint echoing in the linoleum maze, but all that filled her ears was the clacking of their feet.
"Oh my God," said Tony, his voice fraught.
"What's wrong?" said Natasha.
"Everyone's crowded in the lobby. Everyone's armed," said Tony.
Natasha nearly choked. "Okay. Okay, we won't go through the lobby."
"No—listen—I just accessed the camera of a storage room on the second floor, north wing. It had been tampered with. Guys—there's blood everywhere. Blood, the paramedics, and a body bag."
Natasha halted in her running immediately, forcing Loki to crash into her back. She pressed her palm against her ear as if forcing the earphone closer to her brain would help her comprehend Tony's words.
"Stark, what's happening? Tell us everything," said Natasha.
"Trying," said Tony. "Caution tape everywhere, blood—there's Fury, and he's angry. He's talking with Hill and Winston—they're there too. I can't access what they're saying; these cameras don't have speakers. They're trying to look into security tapes but they can't. They're erased permanently by someone else. I can't get to them either."
"Someone's dead?" said Natasha, a shiver running down her back.
"They've been effing slaughtered," said Tony. "Chunks of hair, I think even flesh are on the ground. I—oh my God, they were tortured."
"Who would do that?" said Natasha, her voice dropping. SHIELD would never do anything of the like to their agents, or anyone. Their own headquarters was far from an ideal place for a murderer to enact and hide their crime. Loki—
No. Natasha knew it would never be Loki. Not like this, not anymore. She didn't notice that she was gripping Loki's hand even tighter now, and Loki's fingers did not protest.
"Loki, do you trust me?" said Natasha.
Loki turned to her quizzically, taken aback by her sudden question. She did not let her gaze on him waver and he consented to give a nod.
"Okay," she said, suddenly feeling very lightheaded at the gravity of the situation. "Stark? You've got to give SHIELD back their access to the cameras. All of them. As much as you can."
"What? What about you guys?" said Tony. "The moment they see Loki running around, they're giving themselves a culprit."
"But whoever did this might still be in SHIELD," said Natasha. "They need protection, they need preparation. We can't keep it from them like this. Loki—he can make himself disappear with his magic. We'll find another way into the room if we can't have him take on Hill's appearance. They won't see him."
She stole a glance at Loki, wondering if he was affronted, or even hurt. He only gave her a determined bow of the head.
"You asked for it," said Tony. "Going live in five, four, three—"
She watched Loki closely, as if to take in his sight before he disappeared in thin air.
"—two, one."
Immediately Loki vanished from the spot, shielded from all eyes. She could still feel his invisible fingers in her palm and she gave them a grateful squeeze.
"Better think of Plan B for that secured room fast," said Tony.
"Maybe Clint can find a way to get Vulk to let us in," said Natasha. "Can you see him yet?"
"Clint? No. Hey, watch out for the south wing, all right?"
"What? I thought you were breaking into all the security cameras."
"I am, but that doesn't mean I was successful with all of them yet. I can't find him."
"Shit." Natasha's strides were nearly doubling in speed. Even with his long legs Loki had to work to catch up. "Wait, what's Clint doing with Vulk?"
"Were you not paying attention to my one-sided conversation?"
"No, that's not my point," said Natasha. "You said everyone's gathered up in the lobby and armed, and there's a murder scene on floor two. Why wouldn't Vulk be up there with them?"
Tony didn't answer. Natasha felt her grip mold into the meter stick in her hands as if it was a sword that fit perfectly against her palm. The rumor that she could turn anything she could get her hands on into a weapon was not far off.
"I'm almost near the room, Stark," said Natasha. They were approaching the south wing, as empty as everywhere else. She could only hear her own footsteps against the floor; if it weren't for Loki's hand in hers, she would have been convinced she was alone.
"What the hell are you doing?" said Tony. "Didn't I tell you to watch out for the south wing?"
"Why do I need to?" said Natasha. "There's no one there."
"What do you mean there's no one there, don't you remember what I said about the heat signatures?" said Tony.
"Not exactly, I was accidentally trying to impale Loki," said Natasha.
A beat. And then—"Natasha…you're saying you don't see anything?"
"I see nothing," said Natasha. "It's just Loki and me."
"Get out of there," said Tony. Natasha had never heard him speak so frantically. "You've got to get out of there, now."
Clint found several sizeable ventilation entrances, an out of order elevator, and a crack in the wall in the time that he was alone in the basement—all relatively possible mechanisms for escape. Though, he reasoned grimly, if Loki was armed with a magical staff that had the potential to level New York City, then certainly he had the power to perform some sort of spell to make the escapade much less complicated.
He paused in his walking, the hallway still ringing with the sound of his footsteps. He had thought he heard someone walking by, but perhaps that was only the sound of his footsteps rebounding off the smooth floor and walls and echoing faintly after him. He furrowed his eyebrows before walking again, keeping his eyes strained to catch unfamiliar reflections against the linoleum tiles.
"Oh, crap, code red." Tony's voice was like an irritating itch in between his shoulder blades that he was more than willing to beat the hell out of with a baseball bat to get rid of. Clint twisted the ear bud, trying to find a way to lower the volume but to no avail. "That Winston asshole is coming your direction. Backtrack, Loki."
"Winston?" said Clint. The captain that took Fury's orders almost literally and saw life as a black and white movie. "That stick in the mud?"
"I was under the impression that all people in SHIELD were sticks in the mud," said Tony. "Hurry, Loki, he's walking fast—oh God, no, stop, stop!"
Clint groaned, rubbing his forehead as he continued mentally mapping the area for their potential escape. He could almost picture Loki wandering aimlessly on the ground floor of the SHIELD headquarters, instigating havoc by just breathing the air. Why Natasha had given in to Loki coming, Clint would never know. He didn't prove to be detrimental to the plan, but he had yet to prove himself useful, either.
He tried to block out the rest of the others' conversation as he navigated the potential escape routes. He was rarely ever stationed in the basement during his SHIELD duties, but he had always been under the impression that there would be at least one other person that had to work underground. This stretch of emptiness made the game almost too easy and he couldn't help but brace himself for a can of snakes or a flying grenade that would shock the complacency out of him.
Already he had asked himself twice why he was doing this.
Because the whole damn world depends on it, that's why.
But for Loki's sake? Loki, of all people?
The entire universe is in danger.
If they get the scepter successfully, then what? Do they get another day to run away? Another round of cat-and-mouse before a war titan that apparently could wipe out an army with a flex of the arm could get his hands on all the gems?
Can't you be optimistic for once in your life?
Maybe if the whole situation didn't revolve around the fact that Loki was practically an honorary Avenger, Clint would have a better time digesting it.
He mentally punched himself. Stupid, he thought. Stupid. Didn't he get over this situation already? What's done was done. What really mattered was that Thanos and Co. was planning on launching an attack on everything that breathed and Loki was against him just as much as they were. The enemy of their enemy was their friend.
It was hard to imagine, much less swallow. Clint had fantasized shooting Loki between the eyes for a much longer time than he did imagining himself working alongside him. Now he was helping Loki get his hands on the very scepter that took over Clint's heart, that destroyed New York City, that started everything.
How did it sit so well with everyone else?
A blare of a tinny siren grappled with his head.
"Emergency—this is a code silver," said a voice on the ceiling. Clint halted in his steps. "Everybody, please remain calm and make your way to the main lobby and wait for your commanding officer. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill. Please remain calm and make your way to the main lobby and wait for your commanding officer."
Damn.
"That wasn't me," said Tony. Like hell it wasn't Tony. "I didn't do it. That wasn't me."
"Was it Clint? Loki?" said Natasha.
Clint snorted, unabashedly affronted.
"I didn't do shit," said Clint.
"Loki?" said Tony. "He's shaking his head."
What were the odds that Loki caused it on accident? Clint wouldn't hesitate betting a considerable amount of money on that. Loki was the one who exploded the toaster this morning when he thought he was making paninis, after all.
"What's the emergency, can you tell?" said Natasha.
"I can't. I don't see anything out of the ordinary. Empty hallway, empty hallway, crowded hallway, crowded room…Loki, this is your chance. The coast is clear—now book it."
Clint had the mental image of a lab rat trying to find cheese in the maze and he rolled his eyes.
"Which stairway is he coming down from?" said Natasha. "I'll meet with him."
"Stairway 6B, now get to it. Clint, where are you?"
"Can't you see me?" said Clint, waving his hands. Unless Tony was blind and mistook Clint for another floor tile, he couldn't see why Tony could miss him.
He spotted a fire escape staircase down the hall, he jogged toward it, sniffing out another escape possibility. He pressed his hands against the door, perceiving the heaviness of the metal before jiggling the doorknob. Locked, of course. He clenched his teeth and scanned the door cracks, noting the deadbolt sturdiness of the hinges.
He really didn't want to crawl around in a tight vent with Loki, if he could help it.
"Excuse me?"
He froze.
That wasn't Natasha, and that definitely wasn't Tony. He didn't even consider Loki for a second.
He turned his head, letting his hands fall guiltily to his sides.
A woman stood several paces away from him, peering at him curiously. She had thin, short blond hair that cupped her head like an egg shell and dazed eyes, as if the irises were colored with wisps of cotton candy. He quickly turned to full attention, taking a step away from the door as if any distance between him and it would lessen the suspicion.
"Are you—are you going up to the lobby too?" he said, his mind working fast. His eyes flickered to the badge on her uniform.
Ah, Agent Vulk. Fate was either kind to him or guffawing at him.
She smiled lightly. "Those stairs are always locked," she said. "They wouldn't give way even during an emergency."
"Oh, really?" said Clint. He turned around as if to give them a second glance, hiding his face from her. As quietly as he could, to the point where his lips barely moved, he spoke.
"Guys, I've been spotted."
"Are you serious?" said Tony. He spoke so loudly Clint hid a wince, wondering if Vulk could hear Tony. "You had one job, Barton!"
"It's Vulk," Clint said. For good measure, he knocked his knuckles against the door as if to test its solidity, distracting Vulk from his moving lips. "She was near the room. Don't come here. I'm giving her an excuse."
"I've seen you around before, haven't I?" said Vulk. Clint turned back sharply, pulling on a face of complete neutrality. "You've no badge of identification, though."
"Agent Barton, of the spy division," said Clint, saluting.
Vulk returned to her usual tight-lipped smile. "Agent Vulk. You're one of the agents stationed at Stark Tower to guard the AEsir prisoner, aren't you? What are you doing here?"
"I was only hear to find some magical restraints for our—you know," said Clint. Surely no one would object if they thought he was trying to subdue Loki. "Stark requested them from me."
"Very wise," said Vulk. "I heard the prisoner could be quite volatile."
"You know," said Clint, giving a casual shrug. "Better safe than sorry. Nothing else. I'm just going to get them and go back."
"Clint, I limited the convo so it's just you and me," said Tony, interrupting Clint's thought. "Stay with Vulk. If she can be your witness that you didn't steal the scepter, then you're in the safe zone."
Wait, so Tony and Natasha were just going to leave Clint in this awkward situation?
"Do you need help looking?" said Vulk, offering a hand.
"Er—I'm fine, really," said Clint. "They're around here somewhere. Besides—" He gestured to the ceiling. "Aren't we supposed to be going up to the lobby? Code silver and everything?"
"It ought not to be an emergency," said Vulk with a wave of the hand.
"You sure?" said Clint, furrowing his eyebrows. "I mean…they did say it wasn't a drill or anything."
"It will take a good hour or more to clear out an entire building of this standard," said Vulk. "They will not miss us. We can fetch you your binds and you can avoid the complications."
"I can do it myself," said Clint, the back of his mind itching. "Thanks—though."
"No, no," said Vulk, her voice light. "I know where they are. They moved locations since the prisoner incident. I know where they are. Come with me."
"But I—don't want to trouble you," said Clint.
Awkward turtles. Awkward turtles everywhere.
"No, come along," said Vulk. "So you won't have to go through the trouble of signing everything out."
Clint groaned inwardly before following the petite woman away from the hall. If this didn't completely overturn the original plan, then nothing would. He was never bad at improvising strategies to come out of a situation alive, but making split-second decisions to save his skin was never one of his hobbies.
"Clint, are you at the south side? Hum if yes, don't if no," said Tony.
Clint gave the briefest of hums.
"Gotcha."
"How is the prisoner, anyway?" said Vulk as the two of them navigated the halls. Clint felt uneasy in his own skin, as if he crawled into someone else's overlarge coat and he couldn't even move without giving away the fact that he was entirely out of place. "Is he tame?"
"He's—fine," said Clint. "He doesn't cause trouble. Really."
"That is difficult to believe," she said, clucking her tongue.
"That's what I started off thinking too," said Clint. "I keep thinking he'll turn around and screw us over but—but he's not."
A flicker passed across her face, but the emotion was gone as soon as it came.
"Look," said Clint. "It must be hard for you and the rest of SHIELD to believe, but he's not as destructive anymore. At all, really. He's trying to change. Like that incident with the Mind Gem—listen, he didn't mean that at all. I know. So don't persecute him for that. Persecute him all you want for other reasons, but not—that."
"The Mind Gem," she repeated. Her eyes flashed.
"It screwed up his magic so that even when we try to censor it the magic is unused to the change, or something like that," said Clint. "So tell Fury—or Winston, for that matter—to bugger off."
Her pink lips curled into a smile. "Of course," she said. She unlocked one of the doors. "Here—the chains are in here."
"I didn't know they only came in chains," said Clint.
"Is that not what you wanted?" said Vulk.
"Maybe in a less incriminating form," said Clint. "As much as I used to find it gratifying to see him all bound up, I have to say it wore off now."
"Oh, do you really now?" she said.
Clint's eyes flickered toward the ceiling. The alarms still rang above their heads. "Are you sure about this?"
"Of course," said Vulk, clicking her tongue.
Clint took a second glance at her. She stood patiently at the door, hand hovering over the light switch. He almost thought the alarms were growing louder.
"I better go and check with Stark if that's what he wants first," said Clint. "Let me make a phone call."
"Surely he wouldn't object," said Vulk.
He thought of taking a step back, but found himself too frozen.
"It's his house," said Clint. "If Loki throws a tantrum because of it, that's his house that pays the price."
"I can think of bigger prices," she said.
In the back of his mind, something told him that this was not going according to plan.
He needed to get out of here. Forget sticking close to Vulk, he needed to find Natasha and Loki and bolt.
"I might as well be safe than sorry," said Clint. He glanced around. "Where is this, anyway? North wing? West?"
"Oh, one of the four," said Vulk. She nudged the door open and switched on the lights. He could see silver shelves line the walls inside. "I'm sure there's something other than chains in here, but I don't know where they would be…"
Clint sucked in a deep breath before stepping in before her. The shelves were cluttered with unrecognizable metal, ranging from chains to metal knives. He didn't recall SHIELD having such a peculiar weaponry.
"I'll just ask Fury," said Clint. The air felt cold, and yet it suffocated him. "I have to report it to him anyway, so I might as well ask him."
He couldn't take his eyes off the dangling chain from the ceiling.
"Perhaps it's on this shelf," said Vulk, closing the door to reach the shelf behind it.
"Look," said Clint. He hesitantly touched the chain, coming up with no feasible reason why one would ever need it. "We ought to get back. Code silver and all, and a high-ranking officer like you should give a good example—"
"Clint," said Tony. Clint breathed a sigh of relief; despite not being physically with him, and the fact that he could be the most annoying face on the planet, hearing Tony's voice reassured Clint he wasn't alone. "Clint, you've got to get out."
"Why?" he murmured, barely breathing out the words.
"I found out what code silver was," said Tony. "Someone's been murdered on floor two. And when I say murdered, I mean completely tortured and decimated."
Clint stiffened. His ears were ringing.
"What happened?" he said.
"They just found the body that's been sitting there for who knows how long, and she's completely torn apart. Like, unrecognizable. Clint—Clint, you have to get away from that person you're with."
Clint felt the cold clutch his heart. He forced himself to breathe in and out steadily.
"What are you saying?" he said.
"I don't know who the hell you're following, or why I can't ever find you on the security cameras, but you have to get out now. That person you're with isn't Vulk. Do you copy? That person is not Vulk."
"How do you know this?" said Clint.
"Because Vulk was the one murdered. That's her body that was identified torn to pieces in the closet up on floor two. She's dead—Clint, do you hear me? Get away from that person, now!"
Clint turned around toward the door only to see Vulk staring at him with deafeningly dark eyes. The door was shut, locked, soundproof behind her. All amicability rotted away and she was watching him like a hawk ready for the kill.
That wasn't Vulk.
A monstrous grin ripped her face. Ripped her skin. Ripped her borrowed, dead façade. The room shrunk.
He felt the chain swing behind him against his back and he wasn't even able to draw breath to yell.
He felt the dagger pierce him before he could see it.