The Nikki Wolf Chronicles || Avengers

CHAPTER (15) FIFTEEN

Steve walks into S.H.I.E.L.D., going through another way to avoid front desk security. Nikki lays limp in his arms, and he'd just managed to catch her before she crumbled to the ground. He supports her head against his chest.

The moment reminds him of the war. The people who died, the people he carried to their families. But Nikki's not dead.

As he walks swiftly to a hospital-like room, he recalls the rest of the conference. Thor has no idea why he's here, which Fury takes as another sign; or maybe Odin just struck him down. The whereabouts of Loki are unknown. Thor and Natasha have both been encountered and taken by people who supposedly work together. Bad gangs are after Tony.

Nothing too new. Nothing anyone here can't handle, Steve thinks to himself.

He had decided to go hunting for Nikki when she wasn't there the next morning. There were, and still are, no cars or any other means of transportation, so Steve put on a hoodie, some jeans, and went on an afternoon stroll like any other New Yorker-- which, of course, is still a new concept he's managing to grasp.

He hadn't walked far, maybe four miles, when he saw a beautiful young woman sort of straggling onward. Recognizing her as Nikki, he'd called out, and she'd looked around her then started to fall. Steve had raced forward, and no one, of the sparse amount of people, seemed to realize what was going on.

Nikki shifts in his arms, then awakens, groggy and completely confused.

"Where was I? Before, I mean?" She blinks, and tries to sit up, but realizes she's suspended above the ground. A light blush tinges her cheeks when she sees Steve. He smiles down at her, but looks forward again and continues walking.

Nikki can hear the gentle thump-thump-thump of his heart in her ear, and she has a sudden urge to fall asleep. But she can't. Not until she has more answers.

Tony rounds a corner and sees the both of them. He rushes forward, and Nikki gazes up at his gorgeous, hazel eyes.

"You found her," he breathes out.

She grins weakly, then asks, "Who are you?"

He feigns a hurt expression while walking next to Steve. "Why, I'm Tony Stark. Iron Man!"

Steve tightens his grip on Nikki just a bit, as he senses her moving about more. He can only imagine what she's thinking, what with being beat up and meeting another super hero. After all, she thought Tony as just that rich STARK guy, and only that rich STARK guy. All this information jumping out at her worries Steve.

"Iron Man," she replies, blankly. Tony frowns, wondering if she has something against his suit of armor. Steve shakes his head at him, but not in a condescending way. His eyes say he'll explain later, and Tony presses his lips in a thin line.

When they finally reach a room, Steve settles Nikki onto a bed, then sets off to find a nurse. Tony stays by her side, making sure nothing else happens. Only a few minutes later, Natasha comes rushing in. Steve hasn't come back, but Natasha pulls some things out from a cabinent and sets to work cleaning the wounds.

"She won't need stitches anywhere, but she has quite a few bruises. I'm not sure if we should give her any more of that healing medicine right now... I mean, it hasn't even been a week since she last had a dose."

Tony nods his head in agreement, continuing to stand there. Despite Nikki's attempts, she eventually drifts off, her head turned sideways. The shallow cut on her forehead will heal nicely, she thinks, and she wipes away any residual blood.

After washing her hands, her and Tony leave the room to find Fury, as well as any of the other Avengers they come across, to let them know Nikki will be okay.