Chapter 9

I kept running up Broadway until I reached the intersection with W91. My feet felt like they were about to fall off. I wasn't a runner, and always came last in races when I lived in the Fringe. This was one physical aspect they didn't test ready for the stimulation. I looked around me and didn't recognise the part of the city; it was somewhere I hadn't been able to see from the tower. The street was dark and grey, and long shadows were cast by the tall buildings. A look down the nearest alley showed over flowing bins and scuttling rats who looked at me. I spent backed and jogged into a café over the street. Like everywhere, it was abandoned. There was running water in the kitchen so I found the mug with the least chips in it and filled it with water. It tasted of the lead pipes, so I spat it out, no matter how thirsty I was. I didn't want to die of lead poisoning due to a stupid mistake. I hadn't heard anything from Natalia yet and I was starting to wonder if they were still going to contact me. Maybe Pierce had found them out. I wasn't sure.

I dug through the cupboards and managed to find a bottle of water. I gulped it down greedily and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. I slumped against the cupboard door and panted heavily, letting my mind wander. I thought of Skye and how little I actually knew about her. Thinking about it, it'd only been about a week since I'd accepted the job prospect. So much had changed since then. I'd gained friends but then lost them, found out about my mum and had my whole world turned upside down so I'd changed as a person. I wonder if I was still recognisable. The stimulation was only 2 days in but there were only 6 people left. The thought of that brought me to my senses.

I got some food out of the vending machines in the front of the café, and then had a look out the window. The occasional bird flew past but other than the rats, they were the only sign of life. I spied a set of stairs and headed up them, hoping to get a better view of the city. I ran up about 2 flights before reaching a skylight. I had to use a chair to boost me up so I could see out but once I was up, I had a good view of the whole city. Looking towards café 86 I could see tendrils of smoke dancing their way up into the dusk sky. Gambit or Bucky must have lit a funeral pyre. I pang of guilt shot through me. I should have been there. I looked east and tried to spot Tony's team but couldn't. I cursed and hopped down off the ledge where I was perched. I jumped down the stair well, not bothering to waste time taking the steps. I landed in a crouched with a thud and went back to the vending machine, getting enough food and drink to last me a day. If Natalia hadn't contacted me by the evening I would head back to the tower my team had stayed at on the first night. I wasn't sure if Bucky would be there, but I would face that problem when it came.

As I walked out the door I felt a presence to my right. My hand edged toward the knife attached to my belt but the presence beat me to it. "You're not going to use me as target practise again princess." The nickname made it obvious who it was.

"Why did you follow me? Why not just leave me alone so I can get on with surviving and doing what we're paid to do?" I said angrily, shoving past him. He grabbed onto my knife arm, stopping me from going anywhere. No matter how hard I tried to pull away I didn't have to heart to kick him so he would let me go.

"Princess, calm down! I followed you to check you were okay and to say that Bucky doesn't blame you." I stopped tugging and looked at him in amazement.

"She's dead because of me. Why doesn't he? I'm a bad person, a very bad person…" I repeated it like a mantra, tears starting to stream down my face. Gambit tried to hug me but I began to claw at his face. "Leave me alone! I don't deserve your sympathy!" I screamed at him. He just sighed heavily and dragged me towards the wall.

I put my heels down put it didn't help; he had at least 40lbs on me. I suppose it made sense, considering the fact he was at least 6ft and grew up in Society, compared to my 5ft 5 and Fringe childhood.

He pinned both my wrist against the wall above my head with one hand and came close into my personal space. I fidgeted but couldn't get loose; I was tired and wanted to preserve my energy so gave up. He rested his forehead on top of mine and his face seemed ages older than the 17 I knew he was (his files came up when I searched the server but I didn't really pay attention to anything except the basic details). His long hair flopped forward, partially covering his face. He'd lost both his team members, and then he had had to kill all of Thor and Clint's men. He had lost a lot more than me but he'd still managed to carry on. When he looked into my eyes, although they were slightly hidden, his eyes didn't glow their normal bright red but a dull maroon, as if the life was fading out of him in red tendrils.

"What next?" I whispered softly. I looked at his lips, which were swollen from fighting earlier. They were slightly reddish, with a full bottom lip which had a large cut across it. I couldn't help looking at him as more than a friend….maybe it was the fact that he was basically pressing his body against me. I could feel the hard muscles of his stomach, probably from working physical labour jobs or working out. The arm holding mine us was made of pure muscle and rippled every time he moved. His whole body moved up and down slightly as he breathed, as he was panting heavily. I inhaled and breathed him in, he smelt of burning fires and cold nights. I looked up and down and when my eyes met his again, he was watching me expectantly, with a slightly amused smirk on his face. He raised an eyebrow at me when I blushed slightly.

"Done inspecting me princess? You know what I look like now?" He joked lightly.

"Well, not as much as I'd like." I left a suggestion hanging off the end of my sentence, letting him make the move if he wanted to. I felt slightly bad for doing this only a few hours after Skye had died, but who knew when I was going to get another opportunity?

"Let's get to know each other better then, shall we?" He leant down, whispering in my ear. He placed a feathering kiss between my jaw and ear, and began to place them all along my jaw until he reached the corner of my mouth. I turned my head to meet his lips. Kissing him was like kissing liquid steel, hot but cold, hard but soft. His lips were chapped slightly but still felt like velvet, and tasted of peppermint. I opened my mouth slightly in a gasp and he lightly nipped my bottom lip. He moved his other hand from where it had been leaning on the wall to around my waist, pulling me even closer to him. Every spot we connected at was a small bolt of electricity, firing every time we moved slightly. Whenever his skin left mine, it was like a small part of me had gone. I was hungry for him, constantly turning my head trying to get a better angle so I could have more of him. His tongue slipped into my mouth and mine went forward to meet his. They entwined and began an elegant dance between mouths, with his taking the lead. He let go of my hands and they instantly entwined in his hair, gripping him close so he would never let go. He moved his hand to the bottom of my top, rubbing slightly so it rose up and his hand connected with bare skin. I moaned and he grinned against my lips. I began to move my hands down through his hair towards his neck when a static crackle momentarily deafened my right ear.

"Alexis what the hell are you doing!" Natalia screamed into my ear. I put my hands on Gambit's hands and pushed slightly and he stepped away, looking hurt. I sent him an apologetic look, then out my hand to my receiver.

"So you finally decide to get in touch then? Do you have any idea of the civil war going on down here? Everybody's taking up arms and Skye was killed!" I screamed back at her. Gambit looked at me confused. I shook my head at him and mouthed 'not now' at him. He nodded slightly and pulled out his playing cards, fiddling with them.

"Don't you dar-" She began but Stark interrupted

"Sorry about Little Red, her tempers matching her hair today." A thud resounded across the connection, obviously Tony being punched by said red head. "The connection took a while to get back up 'cause Pierce had some sort of telecommunications barrier set up. With Loki and Bruce's help we managed to break through it. Speaking of Loki, with my help he managed to find the kill switch. It's quite well hidden but you'll manage to find it."

"Where is it Stark?" I hissed. I wasn't happy about their timing.

"Alright, don't turn out like Red just 'because I interrupted your make-out session. You could do better but-"

"STARK!" Gambit's head flicked up, looking worryingly at me.

My team is sitting right above it. If you can get close to them we can guide you from there."

"Fine where are they." I sat down on the curb and patted the space next to me. After looking around cautiously Gambit came and sat next to me. I leant on his shoulder and he stiffly put his arm around me. Damn them from interrupting.

"Go to the top of 91st and you should be at a park. Go left until you reach a place called the Sailors and Soldiers Monument. It's a ruin but most of it is still standing. The kill switch is under one of the fallen slabs next to where my team are. We'll contact you once you're near." I sighed and cut off the connection. Gambit looked at me expectantly.

"You have connection with your mentor." He said. It was more a statement than a question.

"Yes. I have contact with everyone." I said quietly. I didn't know what this information would mean to him.

"Why? Why don't the rest of us?" He sounded angry.

"Because I'm on a different job than the rest of you, one which requires a lot more thought and pressure." It was the simplest way of putting it.

"Still, are you getting paid more? What makes you special?" The last bit hurt, a lot.

"Compartmentalization I suppose." I got up and began to head up W91, and Gambit shouted out behind me, "Where are you going?" I turned around and saw him giving me puppy eyes.

"To finish my job. Are you coming?" He nodded and jogged up behind me, as he reached me he slipped my hand into mine.