Bailey let out a stifled scream as Natasha applied cold snow to the burn on her right shoulder.
To say that this was one of the most painful injuries that Bailey had ever received, was a major understatement. Something about the energy beam that hit her just made it feel like her skin was slowly being eaten at, molecules at a time.
Natasha gave her a disappointed look, and let the snow fall back to its spot on the ground.
"I'll just wrap it up, and we can get it looked at when we're back," she informed Bax.
A gauze was then pulled out from a backpack that sat in the otherwise empty quinjet, and she wrapped it slowly across the wound.
"You did a good job at getting yourself in trouble," Nat laughed.
When she looked up from Baileys shoulder, the mistake was made and their eyes were connected.
Blue looking into green, emerald staring at topaz.
Their breaths could be seen as steam flew from both of their mouths, they were heavily breathing. Bailey didn't think her breath was hitched because of the fight anymore...
A gunshot then caught their attention, and Nat's head whipped to see where the source of the sound had come from. Their own Agents had come to join them in battle, rallying up the leftover Hydra.
"We're locked down out here," Nat then informed the team, her hand never leaving Bailey's shoulder.
"Then get to Banner, time for a lullaby," Steve gave the orders.
Bailey gave Natasha a sympathetic look, no matter what tough façade Nat pulled off, Bailey could easily see just how scared the woman was of the green monster.
She raised her hand, and placed it over Nat's that sat on her right collar bone, and gave a gentle squeeze. A silent conversation took place, while the woman just shared looks of concern for each other,
'You'll be okay?' Nat seemed to ask.
'Only if you will,' was a good enough reply, and the red head made her way to the monster reigning down terror.
Bailey saw this as an opportunity for an escape plan, and looked over to the sleeping Clint next to her. No one was able to tell her 'no'.
Finally.
So, she gathered her strength and went after Steve.
Bailey watched as Captain America kicked an agent into the hallway, blocking Strucker's escape route.
"Baron Strucker," he stated with a large amount of distaste pouring out, "Hydra's number one thug."
Bailey silently applauded the man for his updated slang.
"Technically, I'm a... thug for S.H.I.E.L.D," Baron Shot back at the Spangles.
Without skipping a beat, he replied, "well, then technically you're unemployed."
"Bam Bitch..." Bailey whispered under her breath, not giving away her position at the stairs just yet.
"Where's Loki's sceptre?" Cap asked him.
"Don't worry, I know when I'm beat," Bailey noticed that Strucker didn't look at her Captain, but more so in her own direction.
She held her breath, had she been caught?
"You'll mention how I... co-operated, I hope."
"I'll put it right under 'illegal human experimentation'."
That's when Bailey realised he hadn't been watched her, but the growing shadow creeping up behind her.
The shadow passed her, not noticing the Black dressed woman that blended in with whatever darkness she could find around her.
"How many are there?" before Bax could call out to Steve in warning, the woman came up behind him and seemed to throw a form of red energy into his face.
The Man-Flag rolled down the stairs she was on, and passed Bax. He quickly recovered, and started running back up to get to the other enhanced human.
Unfortunately, he got distracted by a head of white hair, and that brief split second allowed the Red-Witch to get away.
Before Steve could shout at her, she clicked on her mic that allowed her to communicate with the others.
"We have second enhanced," she whispered, indicating for Steve to not give her away using lame hand gestures. She pointed to where Strucker was standing, and how he was easy to reach.
"Female. Do not engage," Bailey whispered more information.
"You have to be faster than..." Bax cut him off as she jumped onto his back.
She phased before impact, leaving him terrified, and kicked Cap's shield up off the ground. The owner himself then kicked it in mid-air, and right into Strucker's nose.
Baron fell to the ground, his eye piece left in glass shards, and Bailey caught the shield before it hit the floor.
"Bailey... you are so grounded when we get back..." Steve shook his head, but never the less thanked her and took his shield back from her. That things heavy! No wonder he has massive muscles!
"Wait," Nat spoke out, "Bailey's with you?" She reprimanded.
"Guys, I'm thirty!"
"You can barely dodge a laser," Steve raised his eyebrow and glanced at her shoulder.
"This was one time..."
"Doesn't matter. Guys, we've got Strucker," Steve turned his back to the woman, which resulted in an exasperated sigh from her followed by an eye roll.
"Yeah, I got something bigger," Tony spoke for the first time in a while.
Steve gave Bax a glance over his shoulder. He held a hand to his earpiece, which meant he was having a private conversation with someone.
"Yeah, I'll bring her," he sighed, and let go.
"How do you suggest getting to the quinjet?" he asked, and Bailey gave a smirk.
"We fly, of course," the Defrosted Chicken then began to refuse.
"No, no, no, no. last time you flew with me, we broke a wall."
"That was replaced-"
"And a window," he gave her a look.
"Tony's got a fat wallet-"
"And we knocked out sixteen staff members."
"Okay, now I see your point. But come on, trust a little Steve," She poked him.
"I do trust you, I just don't trust your skills," he jabbed back.
"Harsh. Oh well, we're doing it anyways," she quickly grabbed the man's waist and pushed him off the stairs with her.
He held his shield in front of his face while Bailey glided between trees, dodging any that came too close to them, and made way to the black jet that sat with a certain Widow waiting for them.
"Thor, I got eyes on the prize," Tony had done it. He had finally retrieved what they had been searching for, for the past six months.
That meant when the two agents landed, instead of getting punched by Natasha, she received a hug from their victory. Although it hurt, Bailey bit down her complaints and rested her face on the Widow's shoulder.
All the avengers walked around the jet in silence. Natasha left her seat as co-pilot to tony, and went to check on Clint and see how he was doing.
A sense of calmness, and comfortability had floated in the air. No one was speaking, they were all just happy to come out in one piece.
Bailey was still ticked off about her shoulder though.
She sat in the smallest of corners, eyes fixated on the moving angel that swept the grounds, and took a seat next to Bruce Banner. The man slowly removed his head set that played the soft opera music, and looked up to the woman.
Bailey always felt bad about the man and his condition. She sympathised, and didn't really know how to comfort him. Here he was, stuck in a forever changing body, a mind-set he could never control, and living a life full of fear and anger.
At least when the Eidolon phased, or flew, she could still recall each of her memories and control her own thoughts. He could not.
"Hey, the lullaby worked better than ever," Natasha told him, a quick crack in her voice went unnoticed by everyone in the jet except Bailey.
Nat was truly afraid of the Doctor while he was green, but was brave enough to face him and comfort the man. He already hated how many people were scared, and one of his closest friends added to the list was not something anyone wanted.
He gave small, quick nods back to Nat, which seen turned into a head shake.
"Just wasn't expecting a code green," his rough voice replied.
"If you hadn't been there, there would've been double the casualties," Bruce made a quick eye contact with Bailey, and then looked down at his hands, "my best friend would've been a... 'Treasured' memory," Tash joked.
Clint had definitely dealt with the worse blow, Natasha didn't even have to mention Bailey's injury, and almost loosing Clint was way more important and the bigger scenario at hand.
"You know, sometimes, exactly what I wanna hear isn't exactly what I wanna hear," Bruce shook his head with a bitter smile.
"How long before you trust me?" the awkward question immediately kicked Bailey's interest in the conversation away. She didn't want to hear any more of it, what she had already eavesdropped was too much.
Instead she looked over to where Thor stood along, with a hand on his chin. He was deep in some thought, and Bailey didn't feel up to breaking it.
Luckily, Bailey wasn't the bad guy.
"Thor, report on the hulk," Natasha shouted out.
Box's eyes shot wide with concern, did Banner need to hear this?
Thor was fast with answering, "the gates of Hel are filled with the screams of his victims."
Thor looked too proud for Baileys' liking, and clapped his hands together as a congratulations. He looked over to where Bailey was sitting, shaking her head and waving her arms. Natasha looked traumatised, and ready to chastise the god for his comment.
Bruce groaned, and places his face in his hands. Nat gave a small head dip towards the broken man, telling Thor to improve what he said.
"But not the screams of the dead of course," he spoke fast, "no, no, uh- wounded screams! Mainly whimpering," The god looked over to Captain to see him holding back his disappointment.
Bax had to hold in a laugh as Steve looked up to the ceiling, as if asking god what he did to deserve this.
"-uh, a great deal of complaining," Thor continued to list, "and tails of sprained deltoids and- and, uh- gout." He finally finished, redirecting his focus to Clint instead.
"hey Banner," once again Tony saved yet another avenger, "Doctor Cho is on her way in from Seoul's, is it okay if she sets up in your lab?"
"Uh, uh yeah," Bruce replied, seemingly relieved in the change of topic as well, "she knows her way around."
Bailey looked over to Natasha, at the same time the woman directed her gaze to her, and they shared a small smile. Nat then looked back over to Banner while Tony gave a long 'thank you'.
Tony then told Jarvis to take control of the flying, and turned his chair to face the rest of his team.
"Feels good, yeah?" he cheekily said.
"We've been after this thing since S.H.I.E.L.D collapsed," he shared a look with Bailey. They knew just how much work and effort had gone into finding this object, they had initiated the mission together in the first place.
Tony rubbed his left shoulder, and Bailey narrowed her eyes at him. That arm has always been a problem to the billionaire for as long as she's known him.
"Not that I haven't enjoyed out little raiding parties," he blabbered on, "but-"
"No, but this- this brings it to a close," Thor interrupted, and glanced at the previous speaker.
"As soon as we find out whatever else this thing has been used for, I don't just mean weapons. Since when is Strucker been capable of human enhancements?" It was what the whole team had been thinking at the back of their minds.
What else could Baron Von Strucker have done?
"Banner and I will give it the once over before it goes back to Asgard. Is that cool with you?" he raised his hand to Thor, who just gave him a nod, not really knowing what was happening right now.
He seemed so clueless it was adorable.
"Just a few days till the farewell party," Tony shrugged slightly, "You're staying right?" he bumped Thor with his elbow.
"Yes, yes. Of course. Victory should be honoured with revels," he placed a hand over Clint's medication machinery.
"Yeah," Tony leant against the pod, "who doesn't love revels. Captain?" he offered the invitation.
"Hopefully this puts an end to the Chitauri, and Hydra. So, yes. Revels," he charmingly smiled, showing off just how much this was needed.
Tony gave a small nod, "Widow? Eidoe?" he asked the two woman, and raised an eye at Banner.
"Gotta love a good revel," Bax spoke for the first time, and stood up to join Tony's side.
"Couldn't have said it better myself."