When more Chitauri start pouring through the portal in the sky, Steve starts giving orders on where to go. It's down to me, him, Natasha and the Hulk.
"Crest and Romanoff, us three will stay on the ground, keep the fighting here. And Hulk?" The green beast turns to us and Steve nods at him, "Smash."
He then grins wickedly before jumping up and smashing every alien he sees in sight. I split away and start fighting side by side with Cap.
"Got anymore secret powers?"
I laugh while I punch an alien and grab his weapon, skewering him with it.
"Plenty!"
"Might be time to bring them out soon!" He shouts while throwing his shield through 6 of them. I catch it on the other end and use it to kill 4 more, then toss it back to him.
"Roger that Rogers."
With an eye roll, he smiles and pats my shoulder before we resume positions. The music in my ears light me up, fast paced EDM songs coursing through my nerves. I grab one by the head and throw him into a line of others, then jump up to kick one in the head.
Pulling my knives out I use all the focus I can have and the rhythm of my music to guide me through the mesh of alien scum. I feel like I'm gliding. That's until I notice Natasha struggling. She's run out of ammo and doesn't have the time to grab more from her pockets.
She knocks a few more out just with her hands and assassin skills, making me grin but when I see a larger group coming for her I huff and feel my anger and protection rise.
I gotta get us away so we have time to strike on them again.
Running towards her I shout at Cap to give me a lift. He kneels and lifts his shield so I can jump off it. Mid-air I shift into my lion form and tackle 2 aliens in front of Nat, ripping them to shreds.
Natasha stands with her hands protectively over her head but pulls them down when she feels no impact. When she sees Kaden in lion form a warmth fills her up, forcing a smile to her surface, thankful to see the golden-furred hero. The lion rips all the aliens around them to shreds and finally turns to Natasha. Their eyes meet and Natasha reaches a cautious hand out, to which Kaden allows to be placed on top of her mane.
"Thank you," Nat whispers and yelps with Kade grabs her suit with her teeth and tugs gently, nodding her large head to her back. She takes the hint and climbs onto the lion's back, grabbing the Chitauri weapon from a corpse in time.
The lion carries Natasha to a safer spot all while they fight off aliens along the way. When they're alone, Natasha climbs off and catches her breath, glancing up at the sky. Pressing a finger to her comms she speaks up, "Captain, none of this is gonna mean a damn thing if we don't close that portal."
"Our biggest guns couldn't touch it."
"Well maybe it's not about guns." Nat smiles up at the Chitauri chariots, to which Lion Kade and Natasha see Steve in the distance look up and catch on.
He turns to the two Avengers, "You wanna get up there, you're gonna need a ride."
"I got a ride. I could use a lift, though," She smiles down at Kade and places her hand atop her head again, rubbing slow patterns on the fur.
"You sure about this?" Cap frowns nervously, not wanting to see his friend get hurt.
Still, she is Natasha Romanoff, after all. She has no fears when it comes to a good fight.
"Yeah, it'll be fun."
He nods in approval and salutes before continuing his fight. Nat turns to the lion and bends down to meet her eye-level.
"Alright big girl, think you can help me out?"
Kaden notices blood on the ex-assassin's head and lifts a paw to wipe it, nuzzling her head under Natasha to get her on her back once more.
"Let's do this then." She pats the lion's side and the two take off down the streets.
"There!" Nat shouts, pointing up at a chariot. Kade huffs and picks up pace before leaping into the air, allowing Natasha to jump off her back and land on the chariot.
When the lion lands she rushes over to help Tony but overhears comms of Fury notifying him of a missile. She roars at him to go while she tears more up, but gets beaten up repeatedly. The lion pounces away but tumbles when a blast hits her. She rolls and shifts back into human form during.
Groaning, I glance up and see Chitauri coming for me. In the distance I see Steve and Thor fighting off their own but Steve gets hit, falling to the ground.
"Come on. You're a Greek god. Find the power. Let's go."
I breathe in the sunlight and allow my body to heal as fast as possible before I torch up my fists and lift punch my way through. I run towards the fighting men and close my eyes.
Within seconds giant beams of light from the sun shoot down, killing nearly 50 Chitauri all at once. I heave, leaning on my knees afterwards, catching my breath and look up at Thor and Steve.
"Good timing for a new trick."
Smirking, I look up when I hear Nat through comms.
"I can close it! Can anybody hear me? I can shut the portal down!"
"Do it!" Steve shouts but I stand up straight, "No. Wait. Tony?"
"I got a nuke coming in. It's gonna blow in less than a minute."
Glancing over at Steve, I track down the nuke and see it in the distance, Tony trying to get it.
"I know just where to put it," I breathe out and lift my body off the ground.
"Crest what the hell are you doing!" Natasha shouts in my ear.
"Crest, you know this is a one way trip, right?" Steve warns me but I just chuckle and continue flying through the air, zipping passed the Chitauri.
"Gonna miss me, Captain?"
"Kaden," Natasha's voice has gone softer, I can almost feel her fear just through the little speaker in my ear. Smiling to myself as I grab the nuke and pull it upwards, I sigh.
"Was a nice run, Doll."
Natasha POV
Kade soars up and through the portal, causing me to swallow a huge lump in my throat. Please don't kill her. Please don't die. I can't explain it, the fear I have of losing her despite the fact we just met. I feel drawn to her. She calms me, makes me feel looser than my usual stiff, strictly-business self.
"Come on, Kade."
I notice that all the Chitauri begin to collapse, seemingly every single one of them dying off in front of our eyes. A giant blast is seen through the portal, my chest tightening even more than it already was. I clench my fists at my sides, waiting to see Kaden flying back to me-I mean us.
But there's nothing.
"Close it," Steve instructs.
No. I can't. Just another few seconds.
"Natasha! Close it!" He shouts now, fear lacing his voice, worried more will come.
Crap.
"Please Kaden, please."
"Romanoff, it's time." Tony's voice is apologetic, he knows I don't want to leave her stranded in space.
I have to close the portal.
"Fuck," I whisper and shove the scepter all the way inside, watching as the beam disappears and the portal begins to close. I watch with teary eyes, knowing that it's my fault she can't come back.
When the portal is fully closed, I see something, though.
"Son of a gun," Steve chuckles in astonishment.
A body is flying back down. It's Kaden. She made it.
"Oh thank god," I huff and smile brightly until I notice that she isn't slowing down.
"She's not slowing down," Thor points out.
That's when Tony flies in and grabs her, bringing her to meet me on the roof. I stare at her now pale face, wiping some blood off her skin.
"Come on, you can't do this," I mumble and listen for a heartbeat.
Nothing.
No.
Everyone meets us on the roof and stares down at Kaden solemnly. That is until Hulk grunts and roars in her face, causing her to shoot up in alarm and gasp for air. My arms fly around her to hold her upright, smiling down at the woman I thought was dead.
The woman who saved us.
"What the hell? What happened? Tony please don't tell me you kissed me."
He chuckles and shakes his head, patting her on the shoulder, "You did good, Crest."
"We are not finished yet," Thor announces and we all turn to see Loki groggily sitting up from a beaten state.
"If it's all the same to you. Think I'll have that drink now." His voice is exhausted, he understands his defeat. Looking over at Kaden, she smirks and gets up to walk over to him, signaling for us to follow.
Kaden POV
"Well that was fun," I say as Natasha and I walk around S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. She rolls her eyes and follows in step.
"If that was your definition of fun then you need to seek help."
"Maybe so. You know, when I woke up, I could've sworn I saw some tears in your eyes. Were you worried about me, Doll?" I nudge her playfully, expecting another eye roll but instead she blushes? Did I just make her blush?
"No. It would just be a shame to have you die before I get to kick your ass myself first."
"Right, right. Sure thing."
"You saved us, you know," She mumbles it, almost so that I can't hear. But I do.
"Anyone would've done it."
"Yeah, but you stepped up. You sacrificed your own life to save the world."
Now she's being too nice. Should I be concerned? I thought Natasha Romanoff was a hard ass? Never let anyone see a softer side to her. It's almost scary. I stop walking and turn to face the ex-KGB assassin with a skeptical look down at her shorter frame.
The green eyes I have grown to admire, long to see at every moment throughout the day are near sparkling. I never would've guessed that I would see her so content: shoulders not up and stiff, hands not curled to fists, mouth not set in a stoic line, facial features soft and relaxed, eyes not stale and intimidating. She's relaxed, calm, happy, content. With the way she's looking at me I start to grow a bit nervous.
I haven't felt this nervous since I kept shifting to my lion form to scare Artemis when we were kids and she went and tattled on me to Zeus. Boy was that not a fun conversation. She may be my twin but I know I am definitely older and she can 100% be a brat sometimes. Always gets her way no matter what.
"You were impressive," She finishes, our bodies now turned towards one another's, her face tilted up at me in an angle that compliments her features well. I take this moment to mentally capture an image of her face to store away in my mind.
"Not too bad for someone with a lot of secrets."
"Are you implying that you don't have secrets, Doll?"
"Everyone has secrets," her voice is soft yet raspy, seeming like she doesn't want to speak too loud and ruin this growing moment.
Do it, Kaden. Do it.
My hand lifts up to cup her cheek gently, my thumb soothingly brushing over her soft skin. Natasha's eyes blink slowly as she sucks in a sharp breath. I can notice her bottom lip quivering as her gaze flickers from my eyes to my own lips.
Gradually, I lean down, pausing mere centimeters away from her face. I can feel her shaky breath on my skin, I can nearly taste her want for the contact.
So I grant her what she wants, what I want. Our lips meet and my body nearly melts into the floor. Colors burst in my head, I can feel the sun outside brightening, strengthening its warmth. Natasha releases the slightest sigh of satisfaction into my mouth. I keep my hand on her cheek when I pull away, not ready to open my eyes from that blissful sensation just yet.
When I do, hers are just about fluttering open slowly and surely. Our faces are still close to one another's and I do not plan on pulling away for a few more moments.
"Guess we can add that to our list of secrets."
Her lips curl upwards before she pulls them into her mouth and nods hesitantly. We stand there still and stiff for a moment before I clear my throat and pull my hand away, wishing that I had my music in this very scene of my life.
"I um..." She's at a loss for words, I made her nervous, that kiss made her nervous. Her cheeks are a bright, rosy red, hands now locked together as she sways on her heels.
"Sorry," I whisper but she shakes her head rapidly at me, grabbing my hands without even thinking.
"No no! It was great! It was better than great..." She trails off, shutting her mouth with widened eyes. She snaps her gaze to the ground as she rips her hands away from mine and clears her throat stiffly.
"It was nice."
A low whisper. She's already building those walls right back up.
"Natasha," I whisper back, more kind and warm than her tone, however. When I reach for her again she steps away, her eyes snapping up to mine, cheeks still red with embarrassment and nerves.
"I should go. I have agents to train," She nods respectfully at me, then disappears down the hall before I can get another word in.
My feet stand frozen in place, still attempting to wrap my head around what the hell just happened. Glancing up at the ceiling I groan and wipe my hands tirelessly over my face.
"Crap," I mumble before marching down the hall.
I knew it'd be a bad idea.
But it felt so good, I know that she felt what I did too. The way she looked at me, that feeling it brought to my surface, it felt like I was above all, like I was on a throne...like I was Zeus himself.
Natasha POV
What the hell was I thinking?
Letting her kiss me? Why would I do that?
Because I like her, I am drawn to her.
Oh cut the bullshit. I can't like her, she has so many secrets, there's so much I don't know about her. She knew Yelena, she has all these weird quirks to her powers, I don't even know anything about where she is from or who her family is. Nick Fury won't even tell me.
Still, that was a good kiss. It was raw, intimate, gentle and emotional all wrapped up together. I haven't had a kiss like that in some time...
No. I can't let her get to me. All she has been doing since getting here is pissing me off. Sure she flew through a wormhole and saved the world, sure she knows how to calm me, sure I feel protective over her, and sure her smiling at me makes me feel fuzzy inside but...that doesn't mean we should kiss. That doesn't mean I can let her see my vulnerable side. I don't just let anyone see that side of me. Especially not this stranger.
I have to stay focused. I have to find out who she even is.
__
A/N: Welllllll, how we like that??
Time jump after this ;)