Aye lovelies. It's Rose. As many of you may know, I began this book almost three years ago. Since then, my style of writing has changed and my grammar has improved. I've started to edit both of the first two books and am still writing the third.
The editing process is vv slow, but you guys deserve the best I can offer. Much of this book is unedited, and I am working to improve it now. The main plot will stay the same, but rewording and grammar fixing is taking place. Just a warning for y'all :)
Please enjoy the story and happy reading!
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In honest truth, I never wanted to be in that elevator, not when I needed to be somewhere else. It had been a last minute request from my former superior officer to accompany him to New York in the hopes of finding a consultant in a previously rejected candidate. I knew for a fact that getting Stark involved was in SHIELD's best interest considering the situation, but I didn't think I'd be tailing along for it. Two hours ago I had finally managed to wash the blood out of my hair and was preparing to be sent on a rescue mission. Now I was staring at two metal doors with Phil demanding to speak with the billionaire himself.
I let my fingernails tap rhythmically on the railing as the elevator continues its ascent towards the balcony of Stark Towers. Coulson keeps fighting with the socialite over the phone as I roll my eyes. Typical egotistical geniuses. They all have there own pretty little 'schedules' to attend to, and saving the world never seemed to be on them.
I find the elevator has stopped and the sliding doors open to spacious room holding Mr. Stark and Pepper, CEO of the company and girlfriend of the famous man, with a bottle of wine and glasses in their hands.
"Security breach!" Stark calls, probably for JARVIS. Pepper shoots him a quick glare she assumes we can't see as she gets up.
"Phil, Sienna! Come in!" She says, greeting us. I notice Stark's unhappy expression at our arrival, but choose to ignore it. He gives me a glare and I don't return the scowl, remembering our last meeting. Instead, give a small smile Pepper as her companion frowns at us.
"Wait," Mr. Stark grumbles, trailing behind his girlfriend, "Their first names are both Agent."
Stark and I were acquaintances and barely tolerable ones at best. I met him at his expo last year when I was on assignment as backup up to Natasha. When Hammer's droids took over, I disabled a few in order to end the crisis. Sadly, I didn't make it into the movie. He wasn't my last encounter with the candidates. I was nearly killed by Thor when he was trying to get Mjolner, his beloved hammer, but the exploit is certainly off topic. At the end of it all, most things relating to the Initiative, including knowing Stark, were a bleaker part of my life. Sure he was Iron Man, but also rather annoying in the long run and the lack of respect was mutual.
Pepper ignores him and his sour demeanor, still smiling despite the tension, "Come in, we're celebrating!"
"Which is why they can't stay," Stark mumbles. Pepper tries very hard to discreetly shoot him another look, before jubilantly grinning at us again.
An unfazed Coulson promptly hands out a vanilla colored file to Tony, "We need you to read this."
Stark wrinkles his nose in disgust, eyeing the folder with criticism and wondering how it was relevant, "I don't like being handed things."
That's an awkward pet peeve to live with.
Pepper, without fail, attempts smiles again, "Well that's great, because I love being handed things, so let's trade."
After a long round of switching things around (in which I somehow end up with a wine glass) Stark finally takes it. He breaths in, annoyance a prominent emotion.
"Official consulting hours are between four and five every other Thursday."
I resist the urge to make an unflattering remark but just inwardly sigh. His immaturity continues to amaze me.
"This isn't consultation." Coulson replies, composure not lost just yet.
"Is this about the Avengers?" Pepper asks, but then recoils when my eyebrow shoots up in question to the slip, "Which I know nothing about."
So the billionaire told her.
"The Avengers Initiative was scrapped, I thought," Stark goes on, distancing himself farther from us, "I didn't even qualify. Little Miss Firman made sure of that in your report, didn't you Cinna?"
"Just doing my job, Mr. Stark." I reply, taking in the new information. Yes, I did write a preliminary report on him, but I didn't know Fury scratched him off altogether. It's somewhat comforting I'm not the only one they laid off the Initiative.
"I didn't know that either." His assistant pipes.
"Yeah, apparently I'm volitale, self-obsessed, don't play well with others."
A direct line from Romanoff's follow-up evaluation.
Pepper nods, spinning on her heel as they retreat to the back of the room, "That I did know."
"Mr. Stark, if you would listen," I intervene, not one for babbling, "This isn't about personality profiles anymore."
"Whatever," The billionaire shrugs me off, gesturing to Pepper, "Miss Potts?"
She goes to the other side of the room, joining her boyfriend as I lean over to whisper to Coulson.
"He doesn't know?" I inquire, hoping if he knew the gravity of the situation, it may influence Stark his decision when it comes to these delicate affairs surrounding the abduction of the cube.
"He will soon."
Compromised SHIELD base, 12 hours earlier
"Sir," I say, catching up with Director Fury as the group descends farther into the ground, "The truth is we don't know how bad it is."
This information doesn't deter Fury from his brisk walk towards the lab, barely acknowledging me until he speaks an order without any clear reaction to this news in his tone, "Find Barton. I want to get his viewpoint."
Hill and Coulson are not far behind the director as they continue down. I take a sharp left at the sight of stairs, fighting a current of busy agents to complete my given task and father away from the alien cube.
I head up metal stairs as I feel the ground tremble beneath my feet, letting me know that the situation isn't improving. This doesn't bring me any assurance of my safety, but I keep walking up anyway.
I hear Fury and Hill's chatter fade into the distance, but the silence is quickly replaced by the murmurs of the lab below me. I reach the balcony, slowing my steps to be more discreet and fade into the shadowed walls with ease. I make out of a shape and silhouette of a man, looking upon whatever is happening in the lab. I stay hidden, but my eyes travel around, eager to find out how the situation is progressing.
I watch as a person sits on the edge, looking, studying the scene before him. I stay the dim lighting for a few moments, not making a sound as my friend's eyes stay on the ground below. I finally move my hand to the side, him immediately picking up on it.
"Come out." He whispers, though I hear the small smile in his voice.
I gently get up, no sounds being made in the process, and sit down next to Barton, watching as chaos unfolds in the lab filled with frantic scientists worrying over an unstable energy source that could potentially make the already deteriorating go much, much worse.
"Good," I say, not making eye contact with my partner as I track the movements of those beneath, "You finally recognize my presence now, but only because I let you.
"Or you're just getting sloppy." A playful contradiction is uttered just loud enough for me to hear.
"As if, and if I was just messy, it'd be your fault for not training me properly." I continue meaningless banter as my attention finds the glowing, electric blue cube being put through one of many tests. I watch a scientist poke it with a metal rode. The energy reaches it's tendrils out like a lightning strike as if it's trying to bite the man's hand.
"Anything?" I ask with genuine curiosity.
He shakes his head without thought, "Nothing. No tampering, no IMs. Something's not right."
"We're dealing with the Tesseract, an unknown alien cube with endless power we have no idea how to handle. Something's always not right."
He smirks a little, never taking his eyes off the room below us, "Yeah, but this is not just weird. It just doesn't feel right. Something in the air..."
I nod in agreement, thinking through scenarios in my head to explain why an alien power would be reacting this way, "I've been playing with the possibility of space travel. This is a door, right? What if someone's trying to pay a visit?"
"I've been thinking that too. Makes sense, if the cube is a doorway to the other end of the universe. Doors can open both ways."
"But who's knocking?"
His brows furrow, a sign that he is in deep thought, "They're so many things out there we don't know. We have no idea how many species have connections or the power to control the cube. Right now, I'm up for suggestions."
"Little green men?"
He cracks an inevitable smile, "I only wish."
A voice fills the rather quiet space, abrupt orders coming through Clint's earpiece as our conversation is cut short, "Agent Barton, report."
"That's my que," He stands up quickly, passing by me to the rope he set up before this whole ordeal started. Before he descends, my friend shoots a quick look at me, "Si, heard anything from Natasha?"
I roll my eyes at Clint's childish question, knowing Romanoff left without warning, and probably without a goodbye to Barton, who always worried way too much when either of us went out alone, "Good, same as the last time you saw her two weeks ago. I'm sure she has that Russian diplomat under control."
He shrugs, "I know. Just curious."
I watch as he slides down the long rope, meeting up with Fury. I let my eyes wander to Selvig, the doctor in charge of the operation. He combs a hand through his disheveled hair. He's starting to grow increasingly worried. This is bad.
My mind runs laps as I think over the ideas I proposed. I roll out the Asgardians as an obvious choice, but let the idea play in my head. I hear a sound, which stops my train of thought.
I look over as something on the screen spikes, scientists rushing over to it. I see the cube's energy grow. More commotion. My eyes widen. Oh god.
Plumes suddenly explode from the cube, extending away from it. People are blown back as the blue energy reaches farther away. I flinch a little, but keep looking. The end of the plumes start to form a shape, a human. The energy suddenly implodes, sending a shockwave through the area that rocks through my core. It then rises as one entity to the ceiling, amassing all of the power in one place.
I direct my gaze down to see a man, dressed in a very old fashion way with green being the main theme, holding a scepter. His dark hair was slicked back, his skin white as a sheet. His eyes were wild, an electric blue. I could hear his heavy breathing from where I was. Not my average idea of an extraterrestrial. He was definitely not the little green man I was expecting.
Security rushes towards him. They position their guns, ready to fire. I watch as metal shoots from the alien's hand, the agents gripping at there throats.
"Sir, please put down the scepter!" Fury demands. A mischievous smile forms on the man's lips. God, what was our dear director thinking? He raises his weapon, explosive energy flying from it. Barton knocks both him and Fury out of the way, but only saves them. All hell breaks loose as more security come in, only to be blasted away by the alien's scepter. I watch as flames arise and bodies drop to the ground.
My hand is already on my gun. I pull it up and shoot at the man. The alien doges the bullet, then looks up at me, cocking his head to the side in a disturbing fashion. He then returns the fire by aiming for right under me and surely I will fall down. The floor gives way as I plummet to the ground. I land on my back, pain spreading through my body. I feel a sting in my shoulder. I probably broke something.
The man comes up over me, smiling, "A female? How quaint."
I grunt in distaste at his sexist view, and kick swiftly at his legs, making him fall as I get up. His hand slips on the scepter, maybe intended, and a burst of energy hits my shoulder that I fell on. I feel a burning sensation as I give a small scream of pain.
"Firman!" Clint says quickly, pulling up his pistol to distract the alien long enough for me to regain a foothold.
I breathe in deeply before hopping back up, glancing quickly at my shoulder. My flesh has burned away as well as part of my jumpsuit, the corrosion definitely going to leave a mark. I stager away to fetch the gun I dropped as Barton engages the man.
I watch as the alien smiles, grabbing my friend's pistol with ease. Clint tries to fight, but the man poises his scepter to Barton's chest, "You have heart."
I see Clint's eyes become infected by black, then an electric blue, matching the alien's own irises. His grip on his weapon loosens as mine tightens around my pistol.
Oh hell no.
What has this thing done? Not Barton, not him. Anger blooms inside me as I reload my pistol, ready to run and kill at this man who has clearly made himself an enemy. I quickly glance over Director Fury for confirmation to engage but see him packing up the Tesseract. He motions for me to go. I can't just leave Barton.
I watch as Clint puts his gun back into the holster, waiting for him to react. His eyes remain dead as the green thing uses his scepter to 'magicafy' other people. If I'm going to go, it's got to be now.
Barton would do the same if it was you, I think, mission first.
Mission first.
I make a break for the door to the way out, I have to buy Fury time for his own escape.
"Hey alien!" I yell. The man turns to me, pointing his scepter in my direction. I quickly aim my pistol at his arm, smiling when I see the bullet find it's mark. I whip out a poison-tipped knife off my jumpsuit and aim quickly. The blade finds a niche next to his shoulder before I disappear down a hallway, heading for the surface before the black hole implodes.
People swarm going up, almost knocking me down. I cringe as I feel a wind current caressing across my wounded shoulder, a burning sensation spreading through me when I reach the surface. I hear an explosion as I observe the innermost parts of the base begin to collapse.
"Firman!" I hear as I see Coulson load on to a truck. I run for it as the ground behind me starts to collapse, vibrations running deep under my feet before the ground falls. The truck has already started moving so it won't be swallowed up. I run faster, my feet leaving the Earth as it crumbles. I catch up to the vehicle, Coulson extending an arm to haul me in. I sit down alongside him, breathless from running and trying to figure out what just happened.
I peek outside the truck, only to watch the base get swallowed into an encompassing abyss.
Stark Tower, present
I see Stark open the files, holograms of images appearing all around him. He has a lot of homework.