Shifted | Marvel

13. Suit up (2012)

"You don't sound like you. You're a spy, not a soldier. And now you want to wade into war? What did Loki do to you?" Clint questions, his eyes very serious.

"He didn't, I just-" Natasha looks at the ground.

"I've been compromised. I got red on my ledger and I'd like to wipe it out," she says, sadly.
"He's also the reason we lost Andie."

"Andie? You brought her here?" Clint asks, surprised.

"We didn't. She brought herself," she shrugs. "And she's not here anymore.   We don't know where she is. We can't track her watch anymore," she look worriedly at Clint.
"She could be dead, Clint."

Clint looks at Natasha, smiling reassuringly at her.
"She's not dead. Really, it's Andie. She doesn't die until she wants to."

Natasha scoffs, knowing that what her best friend says is true.

Clint walks to the restroom to wash his hands, leaving Natasha with her thoughts. Two people fill her thoughts. Loki and Andie. One of them she wants gone, one of them she wants back.

Suddenly, Steve enters, completely suited. Natasha stands up from the bed.

"Time to go." He says, looking at the woman.

"Go where?"

"I'll tell you on the way. Can you fly one of those jets?"

"I can," Clint says as he enters from the restroom, looking at the captain.

Steve looks at Natasha, who gives him a subtle nod.

"Then suit up."

On the hellicarrier, the team prepares for their first fight together.  Clint takes his bow and arrows, Natasha powers up her Widow's Bite, which light up. Tony is repairing his helmet, and Steve straps his shield onto his back.

Not long after, Steve is walking through the lower hangar bay with behind him Natasha and Clint. They walk into the quinjet, startling one of the engineers.

"Hey, you guys aren't autorised to be in here."

Captain America puts up his hand, silencing the engineer.
"Son, just don't."

The three sit themselves down in the cockpit.

On the bridge, Fury is holding Couldon's trading cards, while looking over the air deck.

Maria joins him.
"Sir. I believe those cards were in Coulson's locker, not in his jacket."

Fury keeps staring ath the cards.
"They needed a push."

Two pairs of eyes dart up as the quinjet and Iron Man take off towards the city.

"Get our communications back up, whatever you have to do. I want eyes on everything," Fury says, still ooking outside.

"Yes, sir," Maria responds.

...

(First person Pov)

"How will we ever find Loki in this forest made of stone?" Thor asks looking up at the skyscrapers of New York City. 

I look up aswell, and I am stunned. I have never been to New York, surprisingly. I've always wanted to, so this is a dream come true. 

"You just missed the perfect opportunity to call it 'the concrete jungle'," I say turning my head to look at him. 

"Let's get on top of that one." Thor says, pointing his hammer at the nearest (and coincidentally tallest) skyscraper, getting weird looks from some passers-by.

"Oh, it's quite tall isn't it? I mean, we could just wait until he blows something up, we'll hear it," I say. I'm not really afraid of heights, but standing on top of one of New York's skyscrapers? I'd rather not.

"Oh fear not, you've fallen from higher," he says, laughing. Before I can protest, he grabs me around my waist and swings his hammer up, sending us flying. I groan all the way up. Once we land I forget most of my anger. The view is absolutely beautiful. I can see everything; Central Park, Empire State Building, Stark Tower. But what catches our attention most, is the large strea of blue light that suddenly shoots into the sky. 

"I think Loki is there," I say sarcastically, looking from the beam to Thor. 

"Let's go," he says, holding his arm out to me. I sigh and wrap my arms around him. As he launches us up, I can see the portal slowly opening,  and hoards of aliens flying through. 

And fear hit me. This didn't look that bad watching this in my room, covered with blankets and a big bowl of popcorn on my lap. But right now, I'm in the middle of it all. At this moment, thousands of people are in dangers, and there are six people about to save them all.