Elemental Mimicry

2: Two days

Ruby and Crystal chuckled to themselves as they left their local Starbucks each sipping their own hot beverage. The elder woman held a Hot Chocolate in her hand while the younger female held an earl grey tea in her own. Together they made their way down the warm streets of New York, dodging business people as they hurried past them with their phones attached to their ears. "Some people are so rude!" Crystal huffed as another person pushed past her, knocking her into Ruby slightly who caught her while still balancing her sweet drink in her other hand.

"You're worried."

"What makes you say that?" Ruby questioned.

"You aren't looking at me, or talking to me." The younger woman pulled her white cardigan slightly closer to her as she tried to avoid more people and talk to her best friend. "You're really distracted."

"I'm fine." Miss Evans stared in disbelief. Sighing the blue eyed girl grabbed her green eyed companions arm and pulled her into a near by alleyway. "We have six days Crystal, six days to find the sceptre then that's it! You've seen what happens to those who don't complete their missions in time. Strucker is counting on us." Crystal hummed once before taking her friends spare hand into her own. However, before any more could be said a gunshot rang out from above them.

On the buildings either side of the alleyway where the pair were hidden stood several HYDRA Agents, all with their weapons pointed down towards the pavement in front of the structures. "What are they doing?" Crystal muttered, watching the group of eight aim towards the streets. The blue eyes woman shrugged before climbing up one of the fire escapes. The sixteen year old soon followed suit, climbing up the opposite side and rolling onto the roof as someone took a shot in her direction.

"Watch it." Ruby warned, glaring at the young Agent who had taken the shot. "What are you lot doing here?"

"Our mission doesn't concern you Miss Jackson." A male with brown hair replied, stepping up to stand beside the seventeen year old. "But we have a message from Strucker for you."

"Go on."

"Your deadline has been moved, you now have two days to retrieve the sceptre and return to Sokovia." He explained earning a panicked look from the pair. "He has a new assignment for you straight after you have completed this one, said he needed you back sooner."

"Why?"

"Wouldn't tell us Miss Evans." Another Agent piped up. "But he seemed pretty irritated when we tired to ask him." Crystal and Ruby turned to face one another completely, their eyes wide.

"Thank you." The latter replied before jumping down the fire escape, landing perfectly on her feet in the alleyway once more. Taking a more safer approach Crystal climbed back down to the ground before turning back to her friend who was once again pacing back and forth. "Two days, what could he possibly want that's caused him to shorten the deadline?" Frustration was heavy in her voice.

"R we need to go, people are beginning to stare." The curly haired blonde urged, tugging Ruby from the alley and hurrying down the street. "We need to change tactics to find a base, this key card is getting heavy in my pocket." Both hummed in thought for several moments, unsure of the best way to find the base and sceptre. Suddenly a female with brown hair stumbled into the young pair, causing them all to fall to the floor in a heap and groan in pain.

"I'm so sorry!" The woman spoke up, jumping to her feet before helping the blondes off the floor as well. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

"It was an accident, no one was hurt." Ruby soothed, holding her hand out for the brunette to shake as an apology. After they pulled away the woman smiled softly before hurrying down the street, taking care to avoid others in her way. Once she was a fair way down the road Miss Jackson took Crystal's arm and gently tugged her down the road, in the direction the elder woman had just ran off to.

"What are you doing?" Miss Evans asked skeptically.

"She had a S.H.I.E.L.D keycard on her, it was poking out of her pocket slightly. She works for S.H.I.E.L.D." The curly haired female nodded and the Duo hurried down the street quickly. Twenty minutes after following the woman they stopped, watching as she disappeared into an ordinary looking office building, most of the walls replaced with windows. Slipping into an alley way the pair stood still for a few moments before shaking themselves slightly.

Light surrounded the teenagers for several seconds before fading and leaving them dressed all in white with golden accessories. Crystal fluttered her wings to stretch them slightly while Ruby scooped up the keycard that was on the floor. "Get in, find the sceptre, leave. That's it, in and out as fast as we can."

"I'll give you a boost when we're leaving." Crystal replied, passing the older female an ear piece before slipping one into her own ear. Ruby nodded.

"You go up, chances are it will either be really high up or really low down. I'll take the bottom floor and basement, you work you're way down."

"Right, got it. Take out anyone that tries to stop me?"

"Knock them out first unless they put up too much of a fight." Ruby countered. "Killing them might draw too much attention, they'll see us as a large threat if we kill. They won't send as many people after us." Crystal nodded and took off into the air, circling around a few times before diving into the top window, sending shared of glass flying as the window shattered around her. Her wings wrapped around her body to protect her, stopping the glass from cutting her skin as it rained down.

Ruby watched for a few moments before taking off herself, using the keycard to quickly get inside the building. The lobby was empty as commotion sounded from high floors, shouting and gunshots ringing around the building, giving the the blonde time to search the lower floor before more came up from the basement.