This chapter was originally going to be muuuch longer but I ended up splitting it into two. So now Chapter 9 is partly written so hopefully I'll be able to post it quicker than usual.

FutureOlympian: you're so sweet thank you for all your kind words :) honestly I'm not getting annoyed and am so grateful that you're taking time out of your day to leave a review. And omg I thought your last sentence was so funny. I'm glad people caught on that Greg might be getting tricked into a Hydra tattoo.

With a groan, she rolled onto her stomach and spread her limbs like a starfish. Her eyes shot open when her hand landed on something soft. In a blurry haze, she ran her fingers through it. It felt like... hair.

Saniya opened her eyes, squinting in the dull morning light to make out the form next to her. Bruce laying in the bed next to her. A painful fire lit ablaze on her cheeks when she realized she had woken him up. He blinked several times as his dazed eyes focused on her.

"If it makes you feel better, this isn't the first time I mysteriously showed up in someone's bed," she blurted. She shook her head. That wasn't what she was trying to say. "It happened to Clint and Natasha, too. I mean, I sometimes sleepwalk into bedrooms I'm not supposed to be in."

His face said it all: she was talking far too fast this early in the morning. She'd be surprised if he caught half of what she said. "It's okay," he said finally. "I... I noticed when you sleepwalked into here. I didn't mind."

She raised an eyebrow. Below the sheets, she was wiggling her toes with nervous energy. "Why didn't you say anything?" she asked.

Bruce moved the pillow between their bodies behind his neck. "The bed has to be comfier than the couch. I understand why you'd rather sleep in here."

The mere thought of the couch made her back ache.

"In fact," he continued with a gulp, "maybe tomorrow night you can sleep in the bed again."

She shook her head. "I'm not kicking you out of your own bed." The offer was tempting, though. Who wouldn't want to sleep in comfort?

Bruce raised his eyebrows. "That isn't what I was saying."

After two beats of silence, she caught on. Bruce was flirting in his own way. Saniya turned on her side to face him, a smirk on her face. "There is plenty of room for two." Her eyes flickered to his lips then back up. Screw being 'just friends', she wanted to kiss him. Badly. Maybe she was reading all the signals wrong, but it seemed like he wanted to too.

She leaned in with clear intentions but stopped halfway. Bruce was making no attempt to lean away but wasn't moving towards her either. Their eyes locked. An unfamiliar emotion passed over his face. A second passed in pure silence, then they practically pounced on each other.

Bruce cupped her face with both hands while she threaded her fingers through his hair. Their lips molded against each other like perfect puzzle pieces. She lifted one of her legs over to straddle him. It wasn't until a strategic grind of her hips -a move that was notorious for driving men crazy- that he pushed her away.

The edges of his eyes were turning green. "Saniya..." he gasped.

"Are you okay?" she asked frantically.

He held up a finger. They didn't so much as breathe as he pressed his fingers to his pulse point. Together, they waited for his heartbeat to slow to a normal rate

Bruce ran his hands down his face. "That was too close," he muttered, more for his benefit than hers. "I can't ever do this with you."

Her face drained of blood. "What?"

"I can't have sex with you. I can't be intimate with you. I can't do it ever," he told her with an edge of panic in his voice. "I need you to understand that."

It felt like she had swallowed a large pill that refused to go down. A clear line had been crossed. "I'm sorry," she said, words tumbling out of her mouth.

Bruce gulped. His movements were slow as if she were a skittish animal about to bolt. Eventually, he came to a sitting position. "No, I'm sorry that I scared you. I shouldn't have let things go that far." He was refusing to look her in the eye.

There was a long, agonizing moment of silence. "You didn't scare me," she admitted, though her rapid heartbeats said otherwise. "You don't scare me." There was a brief moment of panic that went through her when she realized he didn't believe her. Saniya scooted towards him until her knees were touching his legs. "Bruce, you're in control. Nothing would have happened."

Still, he didn't say anything.

Saniya dropped her head. Her nails picked at the sheets. "I'm sorry for pushing you," she said quietly.

Bruce shifted awkwardly. "It wasn't your fault. You didn't know that the Other Guy set boundaries like that."

"Now I'll know for next time."

Finally, she looked up. A soft blush settled on Bruce's cheeks and he began to fidget. "Next time?" he struggled out.

Saniya raised an eyebrow, feeling a devious smile come to her lips.

Bruce leaned forward, eyes widening. "I'm too old for you!" he said after several stutters.

"I've dated older." His eyes widened comically. She shook her head with a grin. "I'm kidding." On the inside, though, she cringed at the memory of a man she had dated for several weeks that was a few decades older than Bruce. In her defense, he didn't look a day over forty, but that was beside the point.

She scratched at the back of her neck. "Do you..." she began. Saniya inhaled sharply. If she didn't say it now, she knew she'd never have the courage to ask later. "Do you even like me? I mean, romantically."

Bruce sighed. "I can't give you everything a better man could. I can't have children."

Her face scrunched. "I don't want children."

"I can't have sex." If Bruce expected some violent reaction, he didn't get it. "I'll never be able to."

"I don't care!" she exclaimed. His eyebrows raised with disbelief. "Okay, I care a little bit, but 'no sex' isn't a deal breaker. I'm not that shallow."

Bruce reached out to her, for the first time since the near-Hulk-incident he was touching her. "I didn't mean to imply that. I just–"

Saniya shook her head. "Why are you avoiding the question?" she loudly interrupted. "For once, can you give me a clear answer on how you feel about me?" When he didn't reply, her stomach began filling with butterflies hyped on cocaine. "It's okay if you don't like me," she said softly. "I'll understand."

The creases on his face lengthened with thought. "I care about you," he answered after a painful pause.

"Romantically?" she asked with blatant hope on her face.

A brief smile flashed on his face. "Yes."

"So," she began, leaning towards him, "is it okay if I do this?" She gently held his chin and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. In all, it hadn't lasted for more than two seconds.

Bruce cleared his throat. "I suppose that is okay," he said with uncertainty. He looked past her at the clock sitting on the nightstand. The smile on his face faded somewhat. "We're supposed to meet Pepper and Maya soon."

At the very mention of Pepper's name, her body was on high-alert. Bruce had the tendency to make her forget about her worries. And as much as she wanted to stay in bed with Bruce and figure out this new stage in their relationship, duty called.

Plus, she was almost certain he brought it up so she'd get out of his bed.

Pepper had chosen a hotel that reflected her tax bracket. The hotel itself was large with a green awning stretched over the entrance. It was the type of hotel she would never have been able to afford if she still had her job as a waitress. An eager valet stood under the awning twirling the keys of a red sportscar. She greeted them with a smile while tucking a large tip into her pocket.

The lobby made Bruce and Saniya feel like they had crawled out of a swamp and rolled in a dumpster for fun. People were certainly looking at them like they had. Correction: they were looking at Saniya like she was the bog-monster, not Bruce. He was the neatest of the two. His hair was uncombed and his glasses smudged, but his green button-down shirt and khakis were presentable. Saniya, on the other hand, was a mess. She hadn't brushed her hair since yesterday and she was still dressed in Bruce's clothes. The sweatpants, though pinned to a manageable length, dragged on the floor and her boots weren't clean either. It wasn't until a woman in a sundress made a dramatic, eye-boggle at her chest did she realize that everyone could see her bra.

"Where do we go now?" she asked Bruce.

"It's on the fourth floor. I believe she said the elevators were to the left."

When they found Pepper's room, she answered almost immediately. They could hear Maya in the bathroom brushing her teeth. Pepper was running a comb through her hair and still wearing the same clothes as yesterday.

She gave them a strained smile. While she looked far better than before, there was an unmistakable worry on her face. "We'll be down in five minutes. Maybe after breakfast we can buy new clothes," she said to Saniya.

Saniya locked eyes with Maya, who had just come out of the bathroom with a toothbrush sticking out of her mouth. She attempted to push down the uneasy feeling in her throat. "Pepper, do you want me to stay up here with you until you get ready?" Saniya offered.

Pepper shook her head. "There's a bar downstairs in the restaurant. You can wait for us down there."

If Bruce hadn't been standing next to her, she would have started to argue her way into the room. She inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her mouth to calm her nerves. Pepper's face softened. "I'm still on edge from what happened too," she admitted. "It's okay."

Considering that Maya was one of the reasons she was still on edge, Pepper didn't quite understand like she thought she did. Still, her heart was in the right place and Bruce's hand on her shoulder was so warm and she couldn't find it in herself to fight back.

"My phone's dead, so just scream really loud if you need me," Saniya said.

They made the long, judgmental walk to the bar. It was empty except for the few day drinkers. Bruce and Saniya took a seat at the end of the bar.

She flagged down the bartender. "Two shots of your cheapest tequila please."

Bruce shook his head. "I don't drink," he said.

"They're both for me."

His eyebrows came together. "It's before noon." There was a distinct disapproval in his voice that made her shoulders droop.

The bartender slid the two shot glasses towards her. Saniya tapped her fingers on the wood. "I just really need a drink," she sighed. Maybe it was her defeated expression or the way the words plopped out her mouth like slugs, but he didn't say a word as she downed the two glasses. He placed a hand on her wrist, rubbing circles on her skin.

"Bruce," she said so softly he almost didn't hear her, "am I just being paranoid or do you also think something bad is about to happen?"

He paused in thought. Bruce watched her with knowing eyes. "Why do you think something bad is going to happen?"

With a groan, she dropped her head onto his shoulder. "I don't know," she sighed. "It's just a gut feeling." Happy would approve of her following her instincts, but it was driving her insane. The nagging feeling refused to disappear, and it seemed she was the only person feeling that way.

"Nothing bad is going to happen," he told her. "We're safe."

"But here's the thing," she lifted her head to meet his eyes, "I don't feel like we are. You know that phrase 'the calm before the storm'? I can feel it building up. Maybe," she drifted off as a spark flashed in her eyes, "maybe it's a Loki thing."

Bruce frowned. "Loki?"

"Yes, the evil bastard. I have the same energy signatures as him floating around my body." Bruce winced. "Maybe I have some extra danger sense," she said.

"Saniya," he said with clear hesitation, "I don't think that's it."

"What then?" she demanded. "Why else would I feel like this? It makes perfect sense."

The creases on his face deepened with concern. "It hasn't even been a day since the attack at the mansion," he reminded her. She pulled away from him. Bruce let his hand drop. "You're feeling paranoid because you still are–"

Saniya kicked at the bar with quiet thumps. "My mind's messing with me, isn't it?"

He nodded mutely.

"That makes more sense than me having an internal danger radar." Her eyes drifted towards the restaurant exit. The acceptance that her mind was locked in survival mode didn't ease the nagging feeling.

"If you ever want to talk about it...," he drifted off, letting it speak for itself.

She slapped her hands on the bar. "Okay. Okay. I just need to check on Pepper first." When Bruce opened his mouth in protest, she covered his mouth with her hand. "One check-up and that's it. After that, I'll stop myself from being paranoid."

Bruce could see the huge flaw –she couldn't exactly stop herself from feeling like the world was caving in– but he was supportive at least. "I'll wait for you down here," he said.

She brushed her hand along his shoulders as she left the bar. There was an impending sense of doom hanging over her head. It didn't make her feel better when she imagined ghost Tony haunting her if anyone hurt Pepper. And without Bruce, there wasn't anything standing in the way of her growing anxiety.

By the time she had reached the elevator, her heart was pounding like she had finished a marathon. Saniya jammed the fourth-floor button with her thumb.

"Go faster," she gritted her teeth as she bounced on her heels.

Saniya jumped through the doors as they opened on the right floor. She stormed down the hallway, only stopping when she noticed that Pepper's door was open.

"Pepper, Pepper, Pepper," someone cooed so faintly that if the hallways hadn't been so quiet, Saniya never would have heard. She strained her ears to hear the rest of what he was saying, but he was too far away.

I hope I'm not overreacting, she thought to herself as she readied her gun. Just as she had been trained, she stayed low and crept towards the door.

"Look, if you want to launch product next year, I need Stark," Maya rushed out. "He just lacked incentive. Now he has one."

That sounded dubious enough to make her round the corner with a death glare. Aldrich Killian whirled his head around. He was holding Pepper against the wall by her throat. The only sounds Pepper could make were short gasps and her face was losing color fast.

Saniya aimed her gun at his chest. Natasha's words of wisdom flooded back to her "Don't bother aiming for the head. You'll miss. Aim at the center of mass and keep shooting until they can't get up."

Her finger itched to pull the trigger. "Put her down," she growled

He smirked at her shaking hands. "Or what? You'll shoot me?"

She pulled the trigger. Maya screamed and scrambled behind the bed. Pepper dropped to the ground with a sickening thump. There were red finger marks around her neck and she was coughing up a lung.

Killian pressed his hand to the hole in his shirt as he staggered back. The entrance wound glowed. "You must be Saniya," he hissed. Killian straightened his shirt as if the bullet hadn't affected him.

He took a step towards her and she panicked. Saniya emptied the rest of the gun into his chest, but that didn't stop him. He snatched it from her hands and tossed it across the room. The picture frame above Maya shattered.

Saniya threw a punch towards his jaw. Killian caught her arm and twisted. His hand began to glow and the next thing she knew, her skin was burning. She screamed. Saniya tried to pull herself away. He wouldn't let go. A twisted smile was on his face.

Pepper struggled to her feet. Killian kicked her back down.

Every part of her recoiled when she first smelt the stench of her burning flesh. It shocked her back into action. Saniya clicked her heels together and jammed the blade into Killian's crouch. Through the pain, she felt satisfaction at his high pitched yelp. He fell to his knees, finally releasing her. She dragged Pepper from the room.

Pepper's legs wobbled. She was threateningly close to falling over. Saniya still tugged as fast as she could.

If she had been able, Saniya would have pried open the elevator doors herself. Pepper pressed the down button. The doors didn't open, at least not fast enough. Killian stumbled out of the doorway, eyes settling on them.

Pepper backed away. "I think we should take the stairs."

It wasn't up for discussion when Killian began limping towards them. They burst through the stairwell doors as fast as they could. Several times Saniya kept Pepper from tripping down the set of stairs. Above them, they could hear Killian's running.

"He's after me," Pepper rasped after they had gone down several flights.

"Duh!" Saniya yelled, jumping over several steps.

"Tony's still alive!" Pepper gasped out. "They want me as leverage!"

That almost made her lose her footing. Pepper caught her in time. "We are not talking about this right now!"

Their lungs were aflame as they reached the main lobby. One of Killian's men stood at the bottom of the stairs with a satisfied smirk. It began to falter when only Pepper slowed at the sight of him.

Saniya jumped from the steps and tackled him. Her heels clicked together. And without a second thought, she stabbed the blade into the man's side.

Pepper passed them through the lobby door, only looking back to make sure Saniya was following.

"Ow, crap, Natasha makes it look easy," she groaned as she moved back to her feet.

Pepper swore loudly as the man grabbed Saniya's ankle with a glowing ember arm. Her skin was burnt instantly. He pulled back her leg. Saniya fell and her head cracked violently on the bottom step. This was the sort of fall that people didn't get up from.

There was a growing puddle of blood dripping down her head and onto her limp hand. Every second that passed, she felt herself drifting away. Killian stepped over her, but she didn't notice. Pepper was crying, but she couldn't hear her. Saniya was disconnected from the world, only able to focus on the blood dripping from her head.

So this is what dying feels like.

With the last shred of strength within her, she blanked her mind and pulled. Blood flew up from the floor and back in its proper place in her body. Saniya was lifted through the air and back to her feet. Her bubbling skin turned smooth, the only evidence of the burn was the sharp phantom pain running through her leg. And when she couldn't pull anymore, she was mid-air.

The man fell as easily as he had the first time. He took all the damage as she put her whole weight on him.

There was no way she was making the same mistake twice. She grabbed Pepper's arm, ignored the pain, and ran past him. Pepper caught her as they rounded the corner. The room wouldn't stop moving like she was trapped on a never-ending merry-go-round. Saniya blinked her eyes to clear her blurry vision.

"Are you okay?" Pepper asked breathlessly.

"Just lightheaded," she answered truthfully. Bringing up the fact that she had almost died didn't seem right at that current moment.

Saniya led the way to the bar as fast as she could. People were staring but no one stood in their way. Their faces told the whole story: they were terrified. She no longer had her gun and Pepper was not trained in self-defense. They were at a clear disadvantage and were painfully aware of it. The searing burn mark on her arm and forming bruises on Pepper's neck were proof of that.

"Bruce!" she yelled from across the restaurant.

He looked up. The blood drained from his face when he saw the state they were in. Saniya grabbed his hand and looked over her shoulder. Standing at the entrance of the restaurant was the man from the stairwell. Killian was undoubtedly not far behind.

She released both Pepper and Bruce's hands. Then, she stole a beer right out of someone's grasp and chucked the glass at the man's head. He ducked, much to her dismay.

"Who's that?" Bruce pulled her back.

"Later," she clipped.

Saniya grabbed Pepper and Bruce then sprinted towards the fire exit. A waiter carrying a stack of trays jumped out of their way. The plates shattered behind them.

They pushed through the fire exit. The hotel erupted with loud alarms. Saniya covered her ears. It was a sensory overload.

They needed a car. And there was no shortage of them. The parking lot was practically bursting with vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Problem was, they didn't have time for her to find tools and hotwire a getaway.

In a stroke of brilliance, she remembered the valet.

"Keep running across the parking lot. I'll get us a car," she said, already backing away. Bruce's forehead creased. Pepper and he hesitated. "He's right behind us, go!" she yelled.

Saniya ran the perimeter of the hotel. She didn't look back to see if they had done what she had told them to. Her eyes stayed forward and focused. Bless Agent Musa and her training; without it, she would have died in that hotel room.

It was the rigid training that kept her from collapsing with fear and unbearable pain. Each step was like stepping on needles.

Still, she pushed on because she had to. Bruce and Pepper were counting on her.

People were beginning to evacuate the hotel. The valet stood at the entrance nervously, holding a set of keys while a woman in a sleek dress berated her. Her stomach flopped. There were so many people. Killian was bound to have to have more men around. It would be naive to assume otherwise. Still, she didn't see a familiar face in the growing crowd. Maybe that meant that they were ahead of him.

She pushed through the crowd with no regard for other people. If they were in her way, they were pushed.

The woman in the sleek dress was calming down now. Her cheeks faded from bright red to a soft pink. The valet bashfully ducked her head, clutching the keys in her sweaty hands. Saniya yanked them from her.

"Hey!" she cried out.

The woman stared at Saniya like she was insane. "Young lady, I don't know where–"

Saniya moved past her as quickly as she could to the drivers side of the car.

"That's my car!"

"Not anymore," she muttered. She ducked into the front seat and locked all the doors. The woman yanked the door handle vigorously, screaming that she was going to call the police.

The car purred to life. It was an almost orgasmic sound considering that it was the most expensive car she had ever touched in her life. Saniya looked down at the pedals and thanked the heavens that Greg had taught her how to drive a manual.

With one foot on the clutch and the other on the gas pedal, she forced her way through the crowd of evacuated tourists. An unstoppable ton of metal was a good incentive for people to jump out of her way. Soon enough, she was making a u-turn and speeding back to where she had left Bruce and Pepper. Her hand was practically glued to the horn as people continued to get in her way.

Bruce was protecting Pepper, turning greener by the second. The Hulk was seconds away from making an appearance. Killian's man stood in a defensive stance with both arms glowing a bright orange. He took a step forward. Bruce and Pepper stepped back. It was an old-fashioned standoff.

"I'm going to Hell," she said as she rammed her car into the man. He rolled over the windshield to the pavement. Pepper screamed. "Get in!" she yelled and unlocked the doors. Pepper jumped into the passenger seat while Bruce took the seat behind Saniya. She looked in her rearview mirror as she sped away. The man was talking on a cellphone and pointing at the car.

A plan was already forming in her head, one that would make Clint and Natasha proud for the agent-like way she was thinking. Main objective: staying safe no matter the cost. She looked over at Pepper. Her skin had paled considerably and she was shaking. Bruce was struggling to keep himself under control. All this was caused by Killian and that man. He had hurt the people she cared about. And if staying safe meant killing someone for Bruce and Pepper, she was willing to do it.

At this point, she'd do almost anything for them, though she hoped it wouldn't get that far.