Hey guys, so this is the last chapter of part 1(plus an epilogue), but don't be scared. I'm continuing part 2 right off of this story so if it's on your alert list or bookmarked, just keep doing what you do. I'm thinking maybe 4 parts in total, depending on whether I feel like it needs to be longer or not, so you guys can plan on that.
Should I up the story to M rating? There isn't really any sexual content but I'm wondering if I should because of the violence. I'll think about it but I want to hear your guy's thoughts.
Also, I want to thank everyone for any sort of support you have given me, whether you've reviewed or just lurked and read through the chapters. I really appreciate it. Reading your guys' reviews and getting emails whenever someone favorites my story makes me so happy :) I love all of you.
If you have any questions, don't be afraid to PM me.
"STARK!" The tower shook with thunder as Thor advanced on the all-too-calm billionaire. Tony's hand tightened around his glass of whiskey but kept his face neutral.
"Thor, stop it," Saniya called out from the other side of the room Bruce was keeping her trapped in. Well, not trapped, but he was holding her hand so it was essentially that. But, when Thor grabbed Tony by the collar, she decided it might be best to intervene, even if it meant letting go of Bruce.
Bruce grabbed her by the waist before she could get anywhere. Perhaps he was right in keeping her from getting between Thor and Tony, but she still slapped his hands away. "Thor!"
"You claimed that this is the safest building in all of Midgard," Thor seethed. "You've boasted of your ingenuity, but still did not stop a threat from entering your own home."
"Trust me," Tony wheezed, "I'm just as upset about it as you are."
Steve's eyes widened as he walked in the room, only to see Thor pressing Tony into the wooden bar. "Let go of him," he ordered. And when Thor didn't make any move to do so, Steve began making his way towards them. Thor pushed Tony away and began pacing.
Jane held out a hand to Thor but he brushed her off.
Steve narrowed his eyes at Tony, who only held up his hands. "I honestly didn't do anything. I'm sure Jarvis filled you in on the bomb situation."
He nodded. "Yes but—"
"Stark," Thor boomed, "you have failed. I have relied on you to keep Lady Saniya, Lady Marsha, and Jane safe. There is a complex security of this tower I do not fully comprehend, but it was thwarted by a simple box!"
"If it's anyone's fault, it's Pepper's for making me go down and get the box in the first place," Saniya spoke up. The glare Tony shot her was hotter than the sun. She frowned. "Okay, you know what? It's not even her fault. It's whatever jerk that sent the package in the first place. So, instead of trying to scare Tony, you superheroes find a way to track that person down."
He gritted his teeth but the tension in his brow was lifting. "If Stark Tower was as magnificent as he had claimed it to be, that fiend would have never entered the building."
Tony downed the rest of his whiskey. "I'll work on it. You're not the only one here with people to protect." He reached behind the bar for a refill. "I'll make Happy go through every incoming package if I have to."
This time, Thor let Jane embrace him. He rested his forehead on the top of her head. "I will feel better if this is remedied now."
"Sure, big guy. We can brainstorm for a bit and maybe do a little detective work. Brucie? Coming?"
The scientist glanced towards Saniya. "Will you be alright?"
Saniya leaned against Marsha. "Yeah. I'm just going to take a nap."
One simple nod and then he left, along with Jane, Thor, Tony, and Steve, all to reassess the security of the tower. Hopefully, they'd also find whoever made the "bomb". That would ease weight off of everyone's shoulders.
Marsha wrapped her arms around herself. "I never knew how terrifying Thor could be," she confessed.
"He didn't mean anything by it. He's just a giant... teddy bear... who makes buildings shake with his yells." A frown of her own crossed her lips. "Not scary at all."
It was a little scary, they both later admitted. She was infinitely glad Thor was on their side.
Agent Klemmer stormed down the length of the warehouse with an uneasy agent trailing behind. The ferocity behind the slap of her shoes was powerful enough for everyone to fall silent as she passed. When the silence passed, whispers began. Agent Klemmer had to hold herself back from turning around and showing them what she thought of their irritating whispers.
The metal stairs rattled with each stomp. The man behind her looked like he was about to faint or throw himself down the steps to avoid her wrath. She nearly shattered the glass in her office door when she flung it open. Agent Klemmer plopped in her chair while the agent sat in front of her.
"You went against procedure. You are trained better than this," she snarled. "Milhouse, you will look at me while I'm speaking!"
Agent Milhouse pried his eyes off of the ground. "Ma'am, may I explain?"
She leaned back in her chair, it squeaking as she did so. Milhouse flinched at the sharp noise. "Please. Tell me your explanation of why you threw all care out the window and did not take alternate routes or even bother to check if you were followed."
His Adam's apple bobbed. "The bomb wasn't actually a bomb, so we didn't see a threat in it. It was a false alarm."
Agent Klemmer found herself blankly staring at Milhouse. She steepled her hands to keep herself from lashing out like she so desperately wanted to. "Yes, a false alarm designed to distract. People do not leave fake bombs in buildings for no reason. And, because of you, you may have led a dangerous felon to a SHIELD base." Her lips curled in a sneer. "SHIELD did not become as powerful as it is today by naïve agents doing whatever they want. I will have your job for this."
His mouth fell open. "B-But, don't you think that's paranoid to think it was to distract us? I-I think the threat was more directed towards Stark. I need my job. I really do!"
"Get out of my office." Judith flicked her hand towards the door. He slowly rose from his seat, mouth opening and closing. "Out!"
The door slammed shut, leaving her alone at last. She rubbed her temples. SHIELD was an organization of espionage, not careless oafs. If Milhouse was followed, they would have a large problem on their hands. SHIELD had a lot of enemies that would jump at a chance to find the warehouse. She was tempted to fire Milhouse immediately.
But, she wasn't heartless. Right before her eyes, his heart had broken at the thought of not being a part of SHIELD and it struck a chord in her. Deep down. Really deep.
The fact was that she wasn't sure if someone had followed him or not. It was all assumptions. Would it be right to fire someone based on a maybe? But, the chance was too huge to ignore. Anyone, even a curious bystander could have followed him, leaving them compromised. She sifted through the files on her computer until she pulled up the 'request for termination' template. Yes, she decided, Milhouse would have to find a new job.
"Klemmer!" A woman in her late forties, her name either Mabel or Martha, burst into her office, face red from running. "The back door was broken open several minutes ago while Garth was taking his smoke break. There's someone in the building."
She stood by her desk. Milhouse was definitely fired. "Set off the silent alarm. I want everyone accounted for." The woman nodded. "Don't spook the intruder. I want this done quietly."
"Of course."
She pulled up any security footage she could find on the backdoor. Her mouth dropped open in shock when she looked through the footage from several minutes ago.
That couldn't... that didn't make any sense.
This was too far above her skill set. Agent Klemmer called the first person she could think of. She'd know how to handle this.
Saniya was telling the truth when she said she was going to take a nap, but it wasn't her fault that she couldn't fall asleep. She was so mentally tired. Unfortunately, that exhaustion didn't seem to translate into the physical sort. Almost a half hour after Thor's outburst, she was lying on the couch, eyes glued shut but mind wide awake.
"Klemmer, you're making no sense."
She almost bolted up from the couch at the sound of the name.
"She's dead. Don't you don't understand what happens after you jump out of an airplane midflight?" Natasha said.
There was a long pause. "Fine. I'll head over to the warehouse but... Was that gunshots? Stay where you are. I'll be there soon."
Saniya shut her eyes as Natasha ran past the couch to the elevator. She heard Natasha stop at the foot of the couch. Several seconds later, she was walking to the elevator. As soon as she heard the doors shut, Saniya was on her feet.
Indali. It had to be Indali.
The dread growing in her stomach didn't help to calm her nerves. She knew it was her. Ignoring the comment about jumping out of planes, Saniya still would have known. She didn't believe in psychic premonitions or anything, but she felt a sort of alarm in the back of her head. Indali was going to be in a lot of trouble.
A distinct sense of duty washed over her as if Marsha had been the one in trouble. Indali may scare her, but they were still sisters. And if she had the ability to stop her, it was her responsibility to do so. Or, at least, make sure SHIELD didn't put a bullet through her head.
Indali may have been a murderer, but she deserved more than that.
She hesitated on calling the number. Would she answer? Probably not. Would it hurt to try? No. Saniya lifted the phone to her ear. And much to her surprise, Dorie actually answered.
"Saniya, oh my god, you're still alive. I heard about the bomb and some people were saying it went off while others were saying it was a dud," Dorie gasped into the phone. "You don't know how happy I am that you called. I wanted to call first but I just got back from the helicarrier."
"It wasn't even a bomb," Saniya said softly. Dorie inhaled sharply at the sound of her voice. "It was this weird alarm clock thing that Jarvis thought was a bomb."
"Are you okay? Nobody's hurt, right?"
"Only Stark's pride." Saniya switched ears. "I need your help. I know we're still sort of mad at each other but you're the only person I can think of at the moment."
"I'm not even mad anymore, honestly. I spent the last half hour coming up with things I would say at your funeral, so I'm not in the mood to yell. Whatever you need, you got it."
"I need a ride to a SHIELD warehouse to stop my crazy sister from killing everyone."
"What."
She dug her toes into the carpet in a circular motion. "Can you please just come to the tower and give me a ride. Do you know where any SHIELD warehouse is?"
"There's only on in the city and I do. I... I don't know. I'm not supposed to do things like that. It's a classified location for a reason."
"Dorie, you said whatever I need and I need this."
Dorie sighed. "What is so important in that warehouse?"
"Unfinished business," Saniya said. "Please, Dorie. I called you because I knew you could do it."
She imagined Dorie was not so happy to hear from her anymore. "Fine. I'll do it. But how're you going to get out of the tower?"
Her eyes drifted to the balcony. "Let me handle it.
And that was where Marsha found her ten minutes later. The bra that Natasha had given her several weeks ago that was supposed to protect her from knives jabbed into her bruises. Saniya couldn't stay still without her ribs aching. Her body was half off the railing and she was twirling a grappling hook around her finger. She weighed the pros and cons of escaping via grappling hook.
One major flaw, that Marsha made sure to point out, was that the rope wasn't long enough. She'd have to free-fall several stories, which wouldn't be that big of a deal if Marsha didn't look terrified at the idea. Plus, it'd probably take more than five seconds, so any mistake she made would be fatal.
But, unfortunately, she didn't have much of a Plan B. The grappling hook was pretty much her only option.
She banged her fist on the elevator door. "Jarvis," she whined, "please. I won't tell anyone if you let me out."
"I apologize, but you are not authorized to leave the tower."
"I know. You've said that at least twenty times." Saniya stopped banging on the metal for a moment, a thought coming into her head. "Do I still have authorization for the lobby?"
"Ms. Potts has forgotten to revoke your access. A memo has been created to do so."
Marsha stared at the ceiling. "Can I go to the lobby with her?"
"No."
Saniya swore. Marsha wanted to come with her, but she was running out of ideas and they were on a time limit. It might be better to leave her behind.
"What floors does she have access to?" she asked.
"The cafe on the second floor, the labs, this floor, and the gym."
Maybe she'd get to use her grappling hook after all. Saniya pressed the down button. "We want to go to the cafe. We're really stressed and need a cup of coffee."
"To battle stress, I do not recommend caffeine. Perhaps scented candles and a bath instead?"
Marsha's eyebrows came together. "We don't have time for coffee."
"Trust me on this," she told her. Saniya tried to soften her face so she didn't look as frustrated as she felt. "Coffee will help calm me down, Jarvis. I promise we'll get decaf if that makes your robot heart happy."
"Very well."
Marsha and Saniya rode the elevator down to the cafe, a place neither of them had been before. Saniya was thinking over any way they could escape, ways that matched with her capabilities. Several came to mind, each more elaborate than the rest. But the simplest was them was to leave Marsha behind, go to the lobby, and bum rush the front doors. She'd be upset, but she'd get over it. Right?
Saniya glanced at her sister. Her face was set with a determination she had never seen in Marsha. Saying no to her was harder than before. There had to be another way out of the tower for the both of them.
Her fingers brushed against the grappling hook hanging by her side. The gears in her brain rotated. Maybe she could make good use of it after all.
"They're going to be angry," Marsha said. "Especially since this is right after the bomb, Thor's going to be upset."
It was not her intention to upset Thor, but Marsha was right. If she continued with this, he was going to be angry with her.
She must had seen her face, because Marsha grabbed her hand. "He'll understand," she said. "I'm sure he feels the same way about Loki. He'll get it."
Saniya looped her arm through hers. Together, they walked into the cafe and simultaneously wrinkled their noses at the smell of bad coffee. Clint could make a better batch in the coffee maker upstairs, and that smelt horrendous.
Other than the stench, it was a typical coffee shop. Men and woman, some with lab coats and others in pantsuits struggled to keep awake. Some were so tired that even the sludge incorrectly called coffee was appealing. Then, there were those few peppy employees who happily scarfed down scones. Awake or nearly asleep, everyone was in their own world. The only person who bothered to look their way was the barista.
Saniya took out her grappling hook and attached it to the leg of a table. Then, she opened the window. She felt a slight resistance as she widened it. Maybe Jarvis was still keeping tabs on them.
Marsha glanced towards the concrete outside. "Please tell me we're not doing what I think we're doing."
She pressed the table against the wall below the window. Her hand had to keep Jarvis from closing the window completely. "We're on the second floor. It's not that high up. We could jump and be just fine."
"I suppose."
The barista lifted his eyebrows as they held onto the grappling hook. Saniya wasn't sure if it could hold two people at the same time, but they were very soon about to find out.
"How does this work?" Marsha asked.
Saniya shrugged. "I think we just jump."
Marsha set her jaw with a determined nod. Saniya pulled roughly on the line. The knot she tied didn't come loose, so it was most likely okay. Probably.
The table dug into the wall as they leaned out the window. The couple closest to them began to give them weird looks. Somewhere in the back of the cafe, there was murmuring.
The barista came out from behind the counter. "Come on. Get back in the building before I call security."
Before he could reach them, they jumped. The line caught, letting them repel down at a manageable speed. Saniya smacked into the building while Marsha smacked into her. Together, they slid down the side of Stark Tower. That is until the grappling hook jammed and sent them falling the rest of the way.
Saniya looked up to see it dangling five feet above her. Dang it. The barista and several customers stared down at them with wide eyes. An elderly woman was covering her mouth with her hands.
She tugged Marsha to her feet. "Are you okay?"
Marsha gave a loopy grin. "That was sort of fun." She straightened her clothes. "Where's... um... I think her name is Dorie?"
Saniya shielded her eyes from the early afternoon sun. "She has to be somewhere."
A standard SHIELD car, black with tinted windows, pulled up next to them. She didn't question it and got in. Dorie lifted a pair of sunglasses, resting them on the top of her head.
"Nice ride."
Dorie smiled. "Thanks. I'm sure that it's bugged. But it was free, so I'm not complaining."
Her mouth fell open as she rubbed the leather seats. "SHIELD gave you a free car? They didn't offer me one." She had to force herself from getting distracted by the car. If she had the same job as she did four-ish years ago, she'd be dying to take it apart. "So, warehouse?"
Dorie drove away from the tower just over the speed limit, but it was still too slow for Saniya. Her fingers were tapping on the steering wheel. "I'm not sure about this. People from work are saying that something bad is happening there."
"The same people that told you a bomb exploded in Stark Tower?"
She scowled. "But every rumor has a grain of truth."
Marsha leaned forward in the backseat. "I don't care if something bad is happening. We have to help our sister."
She pressed a tad too hard on the brakes. Saniya winced as her seatbelt locked.
"Sister? Our sister?"
"I'll explain later," Saniya promised. "Can you just drive? Please?"
Though her face had morphed into a mean scowl, Dorie kept driving in what Saniya hoped was the right direction. Her feet kicked at the lining on the floor of the car.
"How do you even know where the warehouse is?"
Dorie sighed. "I was demoted and now I see hundreds of papers each day. Someone came in to file a map from the 90's and now I'm an expert on 20th century New York."
She wanted to focus on the part where Dorie was leading them based on outdated information, but she was stuck on the fact that she was demoted. "The hell? You're the smartest person there. You should have been given a promotion."
Dorie shrugged. "I have less pay and benefits, but I like my job. All I have to do is read all day. Sometimes Fury calls and asks about old mission papers. It fits me better."
"Demotion though?" Saniya scowled through the window. "The next time I see that Fury jerk, I'm complaining so much that he'll promote you to the director of archives or something like that."
Marsha tilted her head. "Is that a real job?"
"I don't know!" she threw up her hands. "But mark my words, that'll be your new job."
Dorie hid a smile. "Thanks, Sani. I'll... What the?"
The warehouse was familiar. It was where Agent Klemmer took her after Christopher's kidnapping attempt. This time, instead of appearing vacant, it was surrounded by people in riot gear. Several black vans provided cover from the windows, and must have been doing a good job based on the number of bullet holes. Several of the windows were shattered. Pieces of glass scattered the outside of the warehouse, along with a gruesome blood stain. Natasha and Clint were talking into a headpiece and wearing bulletproof vests over their SHIELD uniforms. They, along with a couple of unknown agents stood behind the vans.
Marsha covered her mouth, eyes soaking in every detail. "What did she do?"
Dorie's fingers brushed against the end of her coat in a failed attempt to yank Saniya back in the car. Marsha followed soon after, reaching for her hand like it was the only thing keeping her alive.
Clint saw them first. His trained eyes narrowed on them. He tapped Natasha's arm. The Black Widow was just as overjoyed to see them as Clint was. They gestured to them with a sharp flick of their fingers. Quite reluctantly, the two women made their way over.
Natasha raised an eyebrow. "I can't tell whether to be proud or to slap you for being so idiotic. You broke out of the tower and came here, of all places."
"We're sorry," Marsha blurted, "but we had to."
Clint spun an arrow between his fingers. He used it the pointing end to gesture to someone behind them. "Let me guess, Hughes helped you with your breakout."
She glanced behind her to see a paling Dorie under the assassins' glares. Dorie cleared her throat. "I just drove them here," she defended. "I didn't know what was happening."
Natasha pinched the bridge of her nose. "Hughes, go somewhere, anywhere else. We will deal with you later." Dorie looked like she was about to snap back, but she dipped her head and did as she was told. "Why are you two here?"
Saniya managed a wry smile. "Surprise. I have another sister."
Clint threw back his head. "If you say it's Indali I'm going to—"
"It's her."
"Crap." He rubbed his face. "And, what? What are doing here, then?"
Before either Marsha or Saniya could answer, an arm reached out of one of the shattered windows and sprayed bullets with a machine gun. Natasha pulled them closer to the vans as the rest of the agents scrambled for cover. Clint notched an arrow in his bow. There was a small click as the last bullet was shot. He leaned over the hood of the van. And, with expert precision, lodged an arrow in the person's hand.
Saniya's blood froze as she heard the familiar howl of pain, feeling her own hand begin to throb. She locked eyes with Marsha. "I'm going in."
"I'm going with you," Marsha rushed out.
It wasn't like she could say no. Especially with the hopeful she was giving her. So, Saniya nodded and grabbed her hand, determined to keep Marsha as safe as she could.
There wasn't a plan further than run into the warehouse. She wasn't even entirely sure what she had hoped to achieve by coming here in the first place, but she still acted. Natasha yelled when they ran out from behind the vans but didn't chase after them.
The hand reached out of the window, covered in blood. Her legs pumped faster when she saw the glint of a gun. For a moment, time slowed. Everything crawled like snails but she was fast. Dragging Marsha behind her was like running with a parachute.
Dust sprayed upwards as the bullets crawled out of the machine gun, hitting the ground around them. Saniya ducked just in time to avoid being shot in the head. When they pushed open the door of the warehouse, her chest was on fire.
"She shot at us," Marsha gasped. "Why would she do that?"
They flinched at the echoing of gunshots in the warehouse. She assumed everyone had evacuated given the empty warehouse. But, on the top of a set of metal stairs, a small sliver of light came through the crack in a door. A small splatter of blood sat at the bottom of the staircase, a reminder —if either had somehow forgotten— of the dangerous situation they put themselves into.
Saniya considered bolting back the way they came. "This wasn't a good idea," she whispered. "What were we thinking? She's going to kill us."
Marsha tightened her hand. "I'm not leaving without Indali. We came here for her." But, the hopeful glance she gave her looked more like a "you go get her". Marsha was brave, but not brave enough to do that.
Saniya scanned the room for a metal bar or something she could defend herself with. Her fist pumped in victory. They had won the lottery of abandoned weapons. She picked up a gun that someone had carelessly left in the middle of the warehouse. Saniya turned it in her hands. "Stay here in case anyone comes in. I'll... try to get her."
"Are you going to shoot her?"
She didn't want to look back at her sister. Instead, she focused on gathering enough courage to take steps towards the door. "Maybe."
"You can't!" Marsha cried. "She's our sister. Please don't shoot her."
The gun was heavy in her hand. Would she do it? Would she shoot Indali? The answer was easy. So easy that it almost made her feel bad that she didn't have the same repulsion to it that Marsha did. "I will if I have to." Her hand slid against the railing. "I'm not going to die because of her."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Marsha blanch and nod hastily. Marsha sister couldn't look at her anymore. She sighed. Why couldn't she understand that she might have to do it?
But, this made Saniya glad it was her going upstairs instead of Marsha. She hadn't seen Indali at her worst. She didn't know what she could do. Marsha wasn't prepared to do what was necessary. She didn't have it in her to pull the trigger.
In a way, Saniya did. The thought of putting a bullet in Indali's skull was met with a sense of uneasiness, but she was prepared to do so. She would do it, and maybe it was the willingness to do so that bothered her.
She wasn't a killer, so why was it such an easy choice?
Someone had shattered the door knob so it couldn't lock anymore. It pushed open with no resistance. The gun entered the room first with Saniya following. A woman leaning up against the desk, hand pressing on the hole in her leg, locked eyes with her. She began shaking her head.
Not just any woman. It was Agent Klemmer.
Indali was facing the window. She leaned forward to look at the surrounding buildings. In the sunlight, something flashed above one of the buildings. Sniper. Indali stepped away from the window and turned around. Her eyes, a soulless black, widened when she saw Saniya standing in the doorway. She leveled her machine gun at her head.
"Indali?" Saniya squeaked, her hands held out in front of her. Her feet shuffled backwards. Agent Klemmer smacked the back of her head against the desk and rolled her eyes.
The space between Indali's eyebrows creased slightly.
"I know you don't want to shoot me," she said. "Remember me? I'm Saniya. You really don't want to shoot me."
To her relief, the blackness began to fade to a dark brown. "How could I forget my sister?" Instead of being a rhetorical question, it sounded sincere. Indali dropped the gun on the edge of the desk. "I promise I will take you and Marsha away as soon as I figure out who killed Christopher." Taking the place of the gun, Indali twirled a dagger in her fingers. "I have to know before we can go anywhere together."
It was the movement of a predator, of a murderer, as she stroked the knife alongside Agent Klemmer's face, leaving a thin cut behind. "I hope you're done trying to run," Indali said.
Agent Klemmer's jaw clenched but not a word left her lips.
"I suppose so. One knife to the spine seemed to do the trick."
"Stop it."
Indali looked up and slowly rose to her feet. Her head tilted at an odd angle.
Saniya tightened her grip on the gun. "You don't have to do this."
"I do. I do. I do. I do." Indali inhaled through her nose. "These feelings I have are too powerful to fight. I do have to do this because if I don't, who will? When will Christopher get justice?"
"Maybe he doesn't deserve justice. Now stop it and I'll try to get SHIELD not to kill you right away," she snapped. Indali's face contorted into a grimace and her knuckles turned white from her grip on the knife. Behind her, Agent Klemmer was cautiously reaching for the gun abandoned on the desk.
She stepped towards her. "What did you say?" Indali bared her teeth. "I thought you were a good person. I thought you would understand."
Saniya gulped, coming to the realization of how much she messed up with one sentence. In retrospect, she should have chosen her words more carefully. "Christopher wasn't a good man, okay? He—"
Indali lunged. Her speed and strength were incredible. Indali was pinning her against the wall and stabbing her stomach before she could register what was happening. The material of the vest poked at her torso but did its job to stop the blade. "You didn't know him like I did," she hissed, her eyes a deep black. "He was a good man. He was better than..." Indali blinked. The knife stopped putting pressure on her stomach. "Saniya. I... I didn't mean—"
Agent Klemmer lifted the machine gun and aimed at Indali's back. The aim was clumsy, but one unlucky bullet found its way through Indali's head and into the wall. Her sister fell limp against her.
She suddenly couldn't breathe.
"What... what did you... do?" Saniya held her sister close. Though she was being threatened just moments before, she felt her heart rip in two. Indali didn't deserve this. She didn't. The funny thing was that she knew she would be thinking the opposite if it was anyone but her sister. The small detail that they were related was the only thing keeping her from hating Indali.
She doesn't deserve this.
Her eyes drooped shut and time pulled back. She watched the bullet re-enter Indali's skull and exit back into the gun. Agent Klemmer's hand was inches away from it now.
"Saniya. I... I didn't mean—"
Using all the strength she could, she and Indali tumbled to the floor. Five fresh bullets zipped into the wall where their bodies had been. All progress she had made was gone, though. Maybe it was the fall or the sound of gunshots but Indali wasn't lucid anymore. Her eyes turned a startling black and she barely gave her a second glance as she bolted out the door.
Agent Klemmer's eyes narrowed on Saniya. She froze when she realized the gun was pointed at her. Klemmer's fingers skimmed across the trigger, then she lowered the barrel with a sigh.
They watched each other cautiously as Saniya picked up the gun she dropped during Indali's attack. Neither of them breathed until she backed out of the room.
Saniya followed Indali's path down the stairs. A high-pitched noise made her ears feel like bleeding. The concrete in the warehouse was cracking like shattered glass.A knife was in Marsha's stomach and
A knife was in Marsha's stomach and so much blood was oozing out. And that knife was held by a hand, and that hand belonged to Indali. It was a thoughtless action when she aimed her gun at Indali's head.
One breath. Two breath. Then she squeezed the trigger.
Suddenly, it made sense why the gun had been discarded. An unnatural clacking sound came from the barrel. Marsha fell to the ground as Indali looked up.
When you fail, try, try again. She pulled the trigger only to hear the same noise. Indali's eyes widened, slowly turning back to brown. "You were going to shoot me?" She stepped forward, her foot pressing on Marsha's chest. "Why?"
Saniya pulled the trigger again. Nothing happened. Tears began to run down her face. She'd use it as a blunt force weapon if she had to. "Look at what you did. Look!" she screamed.
And she did. Her mouth fell open as she saw a bleeding Marsha underneath. Marsha's eyes were brimming with pain. She wouldn't be conscious for much longer. Indali took several large steps away and realized that the blood on her hands was her sister's.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't know."
Saniya ran down the stairs. Immediately, Marsha reached out to her. Making her frown, the other hand reached towards Indali.
"Fuck you," Saniya spat. She pressed on Marsha's wound to try to stop the bleeding and silently contemplating whether it was better to leave the knife in or take it out. "If she dies because of you, I'll... I will..."
Marsha's bottom lip quivered. "Don't fight. Please don't fight." The breathy whispers were enough to make Saniya begin to sob. Silent tears ran down Indali's face. "If I... take care of Indali. We're family. You have to help her"
"Stop talking and save your strength," Saniya whimpered. "Okay?"
"Promise you will," she whimpered.
"No. I'm not making any last-promise-before-death because you're not dying today." Saniya glared at Indali. Her hands were shaking. "Get SHIELD. Tell them you're done with your killing spree."
Indali set her jaw. "But, Christopher—"
"You stabbed Marsha! She might die because of you!" Saniya cried. "This is your fault and you're going to fix it. Tell them we need an ambulance now."
Marsha blinked for an abnormal length of time. Saniya panicked and shook her shoulders, only to get a groan of pain in response. "Wake up. You have to stay awake." No movement. Was she still breathing? She stared at Marsha's torso for even the slightest sign of life. Marsha was breathing slower now. "You're going to be okay," she whispered.
Indali covered her mouth with her hand. Her eyes were glistening.
"Do something!" Saniya yelled.
She looked like she was going to say something but chose not to. With one last parting glance, she dashed out the door of the warehouse.
Saniya waited for the gunshots, but they never came. Surely SHIELD would react with violence if Indali showed her face. Something banged against the warehouse door. It sounded like a body being slammed into it several times.
Her eyes suddenly opened, like she was sleeping and trying desperately to stay awake. "Where's..." Marsha strained out.
"Someone will be here soon. They'll help you."
Her eyes fluttered shut again. "... hurts."
Saniya's hands were covered in so much blood. Too much. "Stay awake, okay? Open your eyes." Marsha didn't move. "Marsha?" Nothing. "M-Marsha?"
The warehouse was flooded with light. Men in riot suits dashed into the building, splitting off into groups. One tried talking to her. His mouth kept moving but she couldn't make out any words.
Someone was dragging her away. A woman took her place next to Marsha while two other people brought in a stretcher.
Marsha wasn't moving.
Why wasn't she moving?
"Let go of me." Saniya tried to yank her arm out of his grasp. "I need to— let go!"
"Ma'am, please stay calm."
She immediately got in his face "Don't you dare tell me to calm down! I need to get back—"
"We will take good care of her."
The stretcher rolled past her and towards the ambulance parked alongside the warehouse. Marsha was so still and lifeless that Saniya felt like dying herself.
She'd never been more relieved to hear sirens because they never use those for dead people. Everything was going to be okay, she hoped. SHIELD was going to help Marsha. They'd help her. They had to.
Some man with puffy cheeks shone a light at her, asked her to follow it with her eyes. She just glared until he went away. Then, a woman came over and did the same thing. They kept talking about shock and trauma. Saniya just wanted them to shut up. Eventually, she left too. For once in her life, she was thankful to be alone. It was easier to cry without people surrounding you.
"Medics say you aren't cooperating." Natasha leaned against the ambulance prepared for her "just in case".
"When can I see her?" Saniya demanded. She wiped her eyes.
Something strange flickered over Natasha's face. She sat next to her, shoulder touching to shoulder. "That isn't the best idea right now. Especially since we don't know what sort of injuries you have." She placed a hand on her knee. "You need to cooperate."
Saniya lifted her chin. "I don't have to do anything."
The assassin sighed. "If ignored, these sort of things get worse. I used to avoid any sort of medic like the plague. I could take care of myself, so what was the point?" Natasha told her. "But, one day, I fell off a building. I was fine. I felt fine, but Clint was hysterical. So, for him, I got an x-ray and even wore this horrible green cast for four weeks. He was much less worried after I talked to a doctor."
"Are you trying to tell me to get checked out for your sake?"
Natasha smiled slightly. "For Marsha's sake," she amended. "She'd be worried if she knew you are avoiding help."
Pure manipulation. After everything that happened, it was unfair to use her sister as an incentive, but Saniya saw her point. She nodded.
"Good. You can be alone for a little while, though." Natasha's sharp eyes scanned her face. "Get your thoughts together." She stood up but didn't look close to leaving. "I watched the footage from the warehouse. The SHIELD database has a wireless link to the cameras. I mostly skimmed through it, but you know how to handle yourself, Ramakrishna. You might not think it, but you're perfect for SHIELD."
Natasha gently patted her shoulder. "To quote Clint, 'hang in there, kid'. You're a survivor, so start acting like it."
Hang in there, kid.
Saniya nodded slowly. Natasha was right.
She was a survivor.