A Reckless Soul | Captain America ✓

FIGHT OR FLIGHT

HER heels dug into the gravel below, slamming to a complete halt when her eyes saw such a sight outside. She witnessed as each Avenger came out from the dark shadows the forest was swathed in at such a late hour.

She could make out the Hulk's large green mass as he crushed Viper's henchmen merely with his fists. Gunshots from another direction were fired, and the flash at the end of the gun's barrel alerted the assassin. Audrey glimpsed in time to catch Natasha's firey red hair as she ran into more trouble, but instead of using her guns, she used her fists and widow's bite as weapons.

A guard had sneaked up from behind Audrey without her hearing his approach, he fell to her feet, and as he slammed to the ground—belly first, she saw an arrow protruding from his spine. She swiftly flickered her eyes towards the woods. She couldn't see any movement, especially in pitch black lighting, but she sensed Clint's eyes upon her and a smirk proudly atop his mouth. She was surprised he didn't shout, "You're welcome!"

At the same moment, something whizzed by in her peripheral vision. She whipped her head around in the nick of time to witness Steve's shield knock three guards down like dominoes. Then once more she was startled, but not from the people on ground, but from a flash of silver striking the skyline like a deformed and crippled hand. Thor touched down on earth none too gently.

The ground before him shook; Audrey feeling the effects of the forceful ripple touch her legs, and the soil upturning and cracking near the man's boots. A flash of lightning struck the ground, weaving through the cracks of dirt and zapping nearby henchmen. With violent convulsions they shook with the lightning for a few seconds until they flopped to the ground.

The show was intriguing while it had lasted, but Audrey knew they could handle themselves without her. The English was about to turn the other way when a huge shooting star caught her eyes. She had to give the sky a second glance, for she discovered that it wasn't a shooting star at all, but rather Iron Man soaring across the deep blue night sky descending upon his team.

She would have stayed to watch Iron Man make his grand entrance, except her heart nudged her limbs to move. So she left, running in the opposite direction of the fight.

____

"We have all of Madame Hydra's forces bound, and rounded up in the front ready to be flown back to Washington."

Taking his blue eyes off the dark bush, Captain America turned his attention to a SHIELD agent walking up to him. He nodded at the young man. "Good. We'll be leaving shortly from here." He made it clear he didn't have anything more to say when he turned his back to the agent, returning to surveying the woods for a certain person.

Suddenly the hedges jiggled, the leaves shaking as Hawkeye pushed past the leafy greens to head back towards his crew and SHIELD agents. "Find her?" Steve anxiously asked. Panic slithering into every limb of his.

Clint stopped walking and sadly shook his head. "No. Didn't see her. Even when Tony flew me above ground."

Steve worked a muscle in his jaw, turning away from Clint to look angrily out to another section of the bush. "Where are you Audrey?" he whispered to himself. He was troubled for her but at the same time, upset that she abandoned them yet again. Even after the fight he thought she'd show up. That perhaps the fight was too overwhelming for her and she flew back to Washington, but to his dismay when he phoned headquarters, they said she never checked in or was seen.

Why did you leave us? He thought. Why did you leave me?...

Pinching his light eyebrows together, Clint reached his friend's side. His back faced the bushes to gaze at Viper's base buzzing with SHIELD agents, while Steve looked on. "Did she say anything in the halls with you? Anything that would be a hint as to where or why she'd leave?"

A puff of air left Steve's parted lips. "No, not that I could hear." He paused, eyes still straining in the dark in hopes of seeing a curvy lean but muscular dark figure pop out. "All I got was that she wanted to be left alone and catch up to you guys in the fight. I—"

"Sir!" someone in the distance shouted, a feminine voice. "Captain!" they yelled again. Steve turned to see another of SHIELD's agents. This one was running along a dirt path to get to them. When she reached them she bent over to catch her breath, then straightened up holding what seemed to look like someone's suit, and in a slightly still breathless state, said, "Captain—I found something." She held up the piece of evidence in her hands. "Is this not Ms. Embers' suit?"

Gradually, Steve walked forward to touch the material as Clint answered, "Yes."

"Where did you find it?" Steve's head whipped up to the woman. Eyes wide and anticipating the answer.

"I found it around back. It was beside one of Viper's guards laying unconscious. We wondered why he was left with only his..." She paused but not without a smirk. "His underwear." Both Avenger's looked shocked, but the agent paid no mind to their expressions as she went on to say, "So we took a look at the untouched camera by the door. We have her on camera attacking the guard and swapping his clothes and leaving her own."

"Anything else?"

"No Captain. That was all we could see before she flew off in the guards clothes. We're still trying to locate her. If there is a place you could think of that she would go, please let us know."

Steve looked confused. "Why are you asking me?"

The woman shook her head. "Not just you but you too Mr. Barton. And we..." She sheepishly looked to the ground and fiddled with Audrey's suit. "We heard through other people that you two were close."

He eyed her, and in a single clipped response asked coldly, "Who?" His voice dropped a notch deeper than usual. Her eyes quickly flitted to Clint then back to Steve. The Captain's frown intensified. He discreetly glanced to his team member before swerving them back to the agent. "I see. I'll do what I can. Keep me updated on everything you find."

"Yes sir."

The minute the agent was out of earshot, Steve rounded on Clint and grabbed the man by one of his biceps so he couldn't sneak away so easily. "Why did you tell her Audrey and I kissed?"

A single sandy blonde brow arched at Steve. Utter surprisal written on Clint's face. "I didn't. I said you two were close. Which is true because she was mostly with you when at SHIELD. You just confirmed what we all were thinking. So you two did kiss huh?" The broadest of smiles broke Clint's mouth.

Steve let go of Clint's arm immediately once he realized he'd let something intimate slip from his tongue. Idiot! he thought. No one knew they had done anything, but his team wasn't stupid. They saw the telltale signs of a relationship begin to bloom, one that was closer than merely two friends getting along. Steve's words tonight only proved their theory.

Frustrated at this point, Steve grumbled something and walked on in the opposite direction. Leaving a Birdie to smile dumbly at his Captain. He tapped his ear and said to the rest of the team through the blue tooth device, "They did kiss."

Hoots and hollering were heard on the other end.

a.n

And that's it for now, thanks for reading and don't forget to vote and comment. It means a lot to the writer :)

-K