So it goes with saying that only things I own with any connection to MARVEL I bought on Ebay or Etsy. MARVEL COMICS & MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE are their own creatures and I have nothing to do with either of them aside from the fact I enjoy reading or watching them, and am grateful for the ability to play in their world. I claim nothing, and I receive nothing for this, expect the pleasure of putting something out into the world.
You can also find this story on ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN under the same title and pen name along with a place to post suggestions.
Don't forget to check out the Photobucket album listed on my profile page too. (My apologies. I didn't realize FF removed the links. I have corrected the problem in what way I can, so for those who like the visual additions, feel free to check them out.)
DAY FOUR
CHAPTER NINETY FIVE
FRIDAY, MAY 4TH 2012
0847 HOURS
UNMARKED SEMI TRAILER #2
UNKNOWN HIGHWAY?
AR(NORA)
It felt like... getting hit with a red hot ball of metal thrown by a professional pitcher. Heat and solid crushing force collided with my chest without touching it at all. I barely even moved an inch from the 'blow', because whatever it was didn't actually touch me. The pain that followed made me move much more.
It felt like I had a crack in my sternum with heat bleeding into it, and these bastards wouldn't stop trying to hold me down!
The truck was different, I knew that somehow even though I don't recall the first truck at all. Erik's voice, like it was filtered through water, is in my head, telling me he will see me soon.
Erik isn't here now. Even with phantoms trying to dance in from the edges of my peripheral I know that. None of the scientists are here now, just the soldiers. now there's one less.
"Her skin, watch her skin!" I don't know if what I did was enough to kill him, all I know is he is on the grounds swearing through clenched teeth.
These aren't my clothes. At some point in my unconsciousness someone redressed me, and given that I can feel leather and metal I imagine it was Loki. he was wrapping me in his colors to display me later. That's not important at the moment though. What does matter to me is that this outfit has no sleeves, and a skirt that leaves the lower half of my legs exposed. I intend to use every inch of that generosity to my advantage.
"Dammit! Hold her still!" When I first started thrashing the IV in my arm ripped free of the bag. Then someone's boot stepped on the tube as well so it ripped the rest of the way out of my arm. That means I'm bleeding and I intend to use that too. Which they know.
The fact that they do puts me at a disadvantage. I'm still weak. Between what they gave me which still has me disoriented, and my magick was being drained to heal Loki from these men are able to out muscle me. "The gloves! Where are the rubber gloves?" And they know that.
I learned that thanks to HYDRA, and thanks to HYDRA's old files so did they. My magick can affect organic matter. It doesn't affect minerals or synthetic matter though, only things capable of cell division. Rubber is synthetic. Its how those monsters were able to do what they did to me and live.
Not all of them started with gloves on, but there were still enough of them to bodily keep me on the weapon crate long enough for more hands to join the effort. They are going for limbs first, and one of them is trying to cuff my ankle to the crate, the metal already around my ankle.
Another tries to restrain my head, one of hands fisting in my hair and the other aiming for my neck. He fucked up by grabbing my hair first because he assumed I wouldn't put myself through that pain. I ignored the burn in my scalp as a section of my hair tears out and I sink my teeth into his arm below the glove.
The sound of one of them screaming distracted the men holding my legs down and allowed me to free one. I immediately used it against the bastard trying to chain me down, driving my heel into the side of his head and pinning his skull to the side of the trailer. I could see the thin metal bowing a bit under the force before a baton comes down on my knee cap.
Then there was the sound of metal screaming.
FRIDAY, MAY 4TH 2012
0849 HOURS
VELES TAXI
W 72ND ST & AMSTERDAM AVE
DUNCAN AKA ALEXANDER
We rolled out the the second they entered the Lincoln Tunnel on the Jersey side, and when they came out, I was waiting on the 10th St bridge with a tracker gun.
Courtesy of the modern age I didn't have to worry up DIY'ing a bunch of GPS trackers because there's an app for that on most phones. We just had to go grab a half a dozen burners. So once the beacon was hot I slipped into my own cab with a passenger.
When trailing someone a general rule is stay at 3 least car's back. In a place like NYC cabs are plentiful so we could relax a little on that, plus these were mercs, not spies we were tailing. Only thing we had to worry about was them picking up on the same cab following them too long, or the cab being empty. That's why I have a Russian thug in the backseat, like the other four cabs. its also why we switch out occasionally, one of the other cabs swinging in from the side streets and taking the lead.
I was in the lead when it happened.
The shot came from the upper left, one of the roof tops. I could tell that much but I didn't have time to lock down the location before it hit its target like a cannon.
Whatever they fired tore through the engine block of the truck in front of me so hard the wheels buckled off the ground and sparks a shower of sparks formed. Then the sparks stopped. The whole truck jack knifed around the manhole when part of it fell in, and if I wasn't trained in combat driving I would have lost my windshield to the bumper beam.
On the other side of the trailer someone wasn't is lucky. it took out a taxi in the process. the driver tried his best to swerve but only managed to hit it broadside instead of head on, which made the trailer start to tip. then when the tail end of it hit a street lamp the trailer snapped free as the whole thing started to roll!
FRIDAY, MAY 4TH 2012
0854 HOURS
TRAFFIC ACCIDENT
W 72ND ST & AMSTERDAM AVE
AR(NORA)
It's strange how loud the quietness is, its just this piercing ringing in my right ear that my hand can't drown out. I have blood on my hand?
I was on my back a second ago, but now I'm pushing myself up with my hands. One hand was on something wet, warm, and solid while the other was yanking itself back from the jagged edges cutting my palm beneath my weight.
The movement made me fall back over off balance, but this time on my side instead of my stomach, and it made the body under me let out a groaning cough.
Man, men, enemies. I was in a truck with my enemies. This man with part of a broken handcuff in his chest is my enemy.
When he weakly tries to grab me I punch him in the face, and realize that hurt more then it should.
I have a piece of metal embedded in my shoulder. The shape of it confuses me for a moment before I realize it is the part of an IV stand that you hang the bags from. Well, they stuck me with it after all. I doubt the laughter would seem appropriate to anyone but me.
I can hear something now. A dull rhythmic noise with a punctuated thump. I think its the tires of the truck, its just strange that it's above me. There's another groan, but this one is from metal and sounds like it's coming from the end of the trailer.
God my knee really hurts. I think they cracked the cap a little, but that doesn't stop me from hobbling to my feet and straddle.
His rubber covered hands try to catch mine again, so I punch him in the face once more. The force I put into it actually makes me lose my balance, but the way his eyes roll back from the blow renders that moment of vulnerability unimportant.
So does the metal arm when I rip it out of my shoulder and grabbing his short hair start forcing it through the side of his neck until it clears the other. Nobody gets to hurt me twice, not anymore. Loki may have limited how much energy I have but that's okay because he gave me enemies. My fingers take its place when I pull the piece of metal out, and use the life left in his body to heal mine.
The cloth smells like almonds.
FRIDAY, MAY 4TH 2012
0855 HOURS
TRAFFIC ACCIDENT
W 72ND ST & AMSTERDAM AVE
DUNCAN AKA ALEXANDER
Oh she is gonna be so pissed when she wakes up. With the help of some of the witness, spurred by the sight of the bloody arm visible through the warped door and a few of the Russians we managed to pry open the bent doors on the back, a fact that took longer with the weight of the wheels crushing the frame. But we got it open just far enough for me to wiggle my way inside while they continued to work on the door.
When I saw her straddling a man, and sticking her fingers in his jugulars I decided I didn't want a repeat of that park. I took advantage of the fact she didn't notice me yet I chloroformed her. I don't know who exactly the shooter was, other than the obvious assumption that it was a HYDRA sniper but I saw what they took out the truck with. There was a rod sticking out of the engine, and if their packing a rail gun we really need to go!