Avengers: Altruism [N. Romanoff]

28. Brace for Impact

CHAPTER 28
Brace for Impact

Claire tightened her grip as she desperately hung onto Thor's arm.
Amid the chaos and smoke, their vision and hearing impaired temporarily, he had still managed to grab her before she fell two floors down- just like Bruce and Natasha had.
God-like reflexes, she wondered how often that would be saving her life in the future.
"Thor," she sighed in relief, then felt his other arm grab the clothes on her back.
In one swift move, he pulled her up and over his head like she was lighter than a bag of flour. The therapist fell to the ground of the smokey room, her vision still blurred but she could make out his strong figure leaving.
"Where are you going?" she asked, "The scepter!"
"The scepter fell," he boomed back to her, "she is going to need our help."
Claire's eyes fell to the hole she was just rescued from, only imagining the panic surging through Natasha if she was left defenseless against a very angry scientist.
"What do we do?" she looked back to Thor, ready to risk everything in that moment.
"I need backup," it was almost like he was insinuating he needed her. He had a sudden change in heart for her abilities.
"You want me with you?"
Thor scoffed, he played a dumb look on his face, "Uh, yes. Duh," his odd accent and dull tone matched his dumb look.
A God needed her help, she was adding that to her resume.
"Okay, well let's find them!" she shouted to him as the wind blew louder.
Claire ran over to the back of the lab, holding onto a table to avoid being sucked out of the windows. She reached out and grabbed two sets of comms for her and Thor.
She threw them over to him and rushed her way back. They both tucked the small metal into their ears and listened for orders.
"Somebody's got to get outside and patch that engine," Maria Hill updated their situation.
"Stark, you copy that?" Agent Fury assigned to Tony and whoever made it to his side of the explosion.
"I'm on it," Tony informed.
"Coulson, initiate defensive lockdown in the detention section then get to the armory," with most sections shut down or terminated, they didn't know for how much longer they would have Loki imprisoned for.
"Romanoff?" Fury then shouted for.
"We're okay," her voice cracked, she huffed trying to catch her breath, "We're okay, right?" she then worriedly asked Bruce who must've woken up.
"Where are you guys?" Claire jumped into the conversation, "I'll come get you."
"O'Connor?" Fury asked, "Glad you're alive. Who is in the lab with you?"
"The Stark and Captain have wandered off, I am left with the girl," Thor answered for her, rather loudly.
Claire gave him a look, he clearly hadn't used these comms properly before, and she also didn't appreciate how he had chosen to address her.
"Thor, you're on worst case scenario watch. Follow Doctor O'Connor downstairs, watch her back. Under no circumstances will anyone be hurt under your protection; do you understand me?"
"I do understand," he replied, he sounded out each syllable like he was speaking to a toddler.
Thor made a grab for his hammer lying a couple feet away from the pair, and gave it a swing to get comfortable with his weapon. In the meantime, Claire ran over to her cat who was cowering in a cupboard.
"Hey Bud, you okay?" she coo-ed as she scooped him up.
He gave a train of meows in exaggeration, nuzzling into her chest as she coaxed him in love.