Before We Rise

Chapter 2

"You'll have to go around the side to get to it. Once you get to the entrance, you take the tunnel down and it should lead you somewhere." Clint reminded me of my part of the plan as I dodged the blast that was fired at me. I shot the man and hide behind a tree.

"It should lead me somewhere? You don't even know!" I said to Clint as I turned and fired my gun again.

"I didn't have all the files for the building, Riley. You have to make due." Clint answered back to me. I rolled my eyes and raced away from the tree I was hiding behind. The bucker that was firing at me, shot back. I rolled under the blast then jumped over the next one.

I was shooting back at the bunker when Stark flew above me towards the building. I yanked off a grenade off my belt and threw it at the bunker. It exploded and some of the rubble hit me.

"SHIT!" Stark cursed.

"Language." Steve responded. "Jarvis, what's the view from upstairs?"

"The central building is protected by some kind of energy shield. Strucker's technology is beyond any other Hydra base we've taken." I heard Jarvis answer.

"Loki's scepter must be here. Strucker couldn't mount his defenses without it. At long last." Thor said as I started to run towards the building. I kept running until I was forced back. I bounced on the ground as the energy shield had thrown me back.

"Okay, that one hurt." I groaned out in pain. I got up and grabbed onto the tree next to me for support. I held out my arm and shot the man running at me.

"At long last is lasting a little long, boys." Nat's voice hit my ears. I forced myself off of the tree and picked up a few sticks. I walked around the shield, shooting people who came running at me and throwing sticks at the shield.

"Yeah, think we've lost the element of surprise." Clint replied back. We never have the element of surprise anymore. You know when we're coming.

"Wait a sec." Tony spoke up. "No one else is going to deal with the fact that Cap just said 'language'." I laughed slightly, smiling.

"I know. It just slipped out. Riley, how are you doing getting to the tunnel?" Steve asked as I came up on it. I glanced down at my last stick and chucked it at the tunnel. The shield zapped and shot the stick back at me. I squealed and quickly moved out of the way as the stick lodged itself in a tree.

"Tunnel's blocked. I can't get to it until the energy shield is down." I reported back to him. I heard him sigh.

"Stark." He responded.

"Got it." Tony replied back to both of us. I heard energy being pulled together and I held my arm out behind me and took the shot. The gun exploded probably in the man's hands as he screamed out in pain. Serves him right.

"Sir, the city is taken fire." Jarvis said. A stick broke behind me and I turned around, seeing about five guys, aiming at me.

"Gentlemen. Why don't we play nice with no weapons?" I held up both of my guns and I dropped them. They immediately shot at me and I moved out of the target place. I jumped over the blast, flipping, and kicking one man in the face. I sidestepped a fist, and it punched the man behind me.

I grabbed onto the material of the arm next to me and twirled under it, twisting the arm behind the man. I kicked away the man who coming at me. I ripped out wire from my bracelet and wrapped it around the man's arm. I forced it around the man's neck that I just kicked then ducked as a foot came close to my face.

I jerked the wire around that man's foot and locked them into place. I shoved them away from me and they fell to the snow, struggling to be released. Two arms wrapped around me and lifted me up off the ground. I placed both feet on a tree and shoved us both back. The man groaned as he hit the ground. I rolled away from him and stared at the last two as the man stood up.

They both attacked at the same time as I dodged their punch and kick to the knee. One of them struck me and then the other yanked my head back by my hair. He punched me again and I rammed up my fist up into his area. He instantly went down, taking me down with him. I flipped back to my feet and jumped up. In midair, I twirled, kicking the last man in the jaw.

I landed on my hand and knee as I looked up, seeing the man I just punched in the area, stand right back up. I raised an eyebrow at him then I full on sprinted at him. I climbed him like a tree, wrapping my legs around his neck. I turned, flipping as I snapped his neck. I landed on my feet as I looked at the three struggling, laughing slightly. I left them there as I walked away.

I barely made it ten feet when I felt something grasp my leg and I was forced to flip. I landed on my stomach but I quickly shoved myself up. Then two hands were placed on my back as I was shoved face first into a tree. I grasped the tree before I actually hit it. A hand forced itself under my back strap and pulled me backwards. I landed on my bottom and I looked up. A man with silver hair was standing in front of me, smirking. Looking proud that he took down an Avenger by himself.

"Having trouble there, draga?" He asked, his accent shining through as he spoke. I slowly reached back and unsheathed a knife. I smirked and raised a brow at him.

"No, not at all." I quickly threw the knife at him and it nicked him on the shoulder as he moved away. He reached up to touch it as I stood up. He looked at his blood on his fingers then up at me.

"Well then." Then he zoomed off, not coming back. I looked at the spot he just zoomed off from, confused. Then quickly ducked as a blast flew past my head, hitting the energy shield behind me. I yanked the knife out of the tree and chucked it at the man. I heard him gurgle as the knife imbedded in his jugular.

"We have enhancement in the field." Steve announce to everyone.

"Clint's hit. Somebody want to deal with that bunker?" Nat asked. I heard the roar of the Hulk then I felt the ground shake under my feet.

"Stark, we really need to get inside. Especially, Riley." Steve told Tony.

"I'm closing in." Tony answered. A few seconds later, he spoke again. "Jaw bridge is down, people. Go Riley."

I was already running for the tunnel before he even said people. I climbed up and over a few things as I got to the tunnel. I ran down it, the water splashing up and on my feet as I did so. I stopped running as I came to a gated door. I didn't want to risk being heard by shooting it, so I kicked it open. It swung open and I caught it before it slammed against the wall.

"Clint's hit pretty bad, guys. We're going to need evac." Nat said in my ear. I ignored her as I snuck my way further into the building. I walked down some steps and down a hall and my eyes widened at what I saw.

Aliens from the New York battle hung up on the wall, from the ceiling. Tables of limbs of the aliens laying everywhere. What the hell were they planning down here? I glanced around and in the middle of the room, was Loki's scepter.

"Find the scepter." Thor demanded. I already found it.

"And for gosh sake, watch your language." Tony mocked Steve. I heard Steve sigh in embarrassment and shame.

"That's not going away anytime soon." Steve responded.

I walked up to the scepter and reached for it but pulled back, seeing the blue glow around it. Then I noticed something odd. Red mist was floating around me and the scepter. I frowned as I followed one of them then I jerked around. A girl was standing there, the red mist coming out of her hands.

I went to attack her when the red mist moved from her hand, and into my head. The girl smirked as her red eyes turned back to a deep hazel color. I was forced to the ground as my knees weakened. I felt myself begin sucked away from reality before it went all black.