Unfettered (Loki x Reader)

Chapter 21 - Secrets

"We don't know if they're sanctioned," Steve says. "They're probably a rogue militia bought and paid for by someone else."

"Yeah, don't sweat it Stark," Clint says. "Your summer home is probably just fine."

"Can we please focus!" Natasha urges. "Bruce is missing."

"Yeah, yeah okay. Sorry," you say, returning your attention to the single dark screen where Bruce's feed should be. But it doesn't blink. Doesn't flicker. Doesn't do anything.

I have to be able to do something.

"JARVIS," you say out loud. "Can you rewind the footage on Banner's feed?"

"Yes, miss."

Suddenly that dark screen comes to life, the footage playing quickly in reverse. "Okay, stop," you say as the quinjet comes into view. You narrow your gaze, studying the landscape. Bruce is on the ground, looking at the landing gear of the jet. His camera shifts as he stands, and walks to the front of the ship. Suddenly the angle changes, as if Bruce had turned out of surprise. But there's nothing there. Just an empty field, and the lowered ramp of the quinjet. Slowly, his field of vision turns again to look back at what he had been studying on the front of the ship, when suddenly, the feed goes dark.

"Damnit," you mumble to yourself. "JARVIS, rewind again. There has to be something there." JARVIS rewinds the footage. Over and over you watch the feed - at least six times. But you spot nothing. "Can you slow it down?" you ask. JARVIS puts the footage in slow motion. "Wait, wait what's that?" you question as this time, when Bruce turns around, something flashes off the chrome siding of the jet. Like a camera flash. "JARVIS, what was that light?" you ask.

"Unidentified," JARVIS answers.

"Slow it down more," you say.

The footage creeps ever slower, but you can't make anything out behind the flash.

"Can you filter out the glare?" you ask.

"Processing at 40% granularity," JARVIS says.

The footage grows fuzzy, before sharpening once more. This time, the colors are dull, and the footage is darker.

"Okay, try again," you say. "Rewind it and play it slow."

You hold your breath, and wait in anticipation as Bruce's feed turns. The flash. But this time...you can make out a figure in the reflection of the quinjet, behind the flash. Something long. Pointed.

"Tony," you say in horror. "Tony something bad happened."

"Speak up, squirt," Tony shouts.

"Someone took Bruce," you say.

"Who?" Natasha barks.

"I-I don't know," you say. "But...I think they shot him. That flash...it was off a rifle scope. Close proximity. I-I only saw one, but...Tony he could be hurt."

"No," Natasha snaps. "No, we landed far enough away. They wouldn't have armed guards out there."

"Unless...this isn't the real base," Steve says, grunting as in his feed his fist goes right through a man's jaw.

"Damnit, this is the proxy station," Tony barks. "Avengers, regroup. Back to the jet and start a grid pattern search. Well done, squirt. Excellent work. That's all we needed. We'll see you back at the tower."

"Wait, I can still help!" you plead. "Where are you?"

"No time, too dangerous," Tony snaps back.

"Then I can...I don't know - watch? Wait to see if the feed comes back on?"