ANGRBODA ※ Tony Stark [1]

13 - SHAPESHIFTER

"HOLY SHIT."

"Can't believe I'm saying this, but I feel bad for the Chitauri that'll be in your line of fire."

Angrboda chuckled and walked past the row of targets she had just destroyed. She put the training sniper back on the rack before turning to Natasha and Clint who stood observing her.

For someone who could barely hold a gun a week ago, she sure had learned fast. Shooting was the only thing that cleared her mind these days and God knows she needed it.

She wiped the sweat off her face with a nearby towel as Natasha went on about some maneuver to change the cartridge faster.

At the beginning she only asked to learn because shooting was the only type of training that didn't put too much pressure on her shoulder. Obviously, being relegated to executive work was out of the question, so it had been her last resort.

But now, she had to admit that her initial dislike of firearms had changed. After all, she had a better chance of taking down Chitauris with a machine gun than her bare hands. And so she agreed to let Natasha and Clint take her in charge. They had been like children on Christmas morning, teaching her to aim, shoot and load a gun with maximum lethal efficiency.

On other times though, when she wanted to go back to something that was more in her scope, she went to train with Steve. His range of combat skills were closer to hers and the man definitely lived up to his status of super-soldier. Technically she wasn't supposed to fight because of her injury; but, in all honesty, even the physio himself didn't believe she'd stay away from it completely.

As for Steve, their relationship had mellowed quite a lot, even becoming casual and friendly. In fact, the whole team's spirit had lifted greatly in the short week since the attack. The entire organisation was getting back on its feet.

Obviously, the black dot in all this was that Tony still hadn't decided to show up. He might've left without a warning but they all knew he'd be back eventually. No matter what happened, he wouldn't disappear at such a critical time. He simply wouldn't.

Angrboda, on the other hand, was starting to get seriously sick of everyone waiting around for his grand return. Her mood tended to plummet every time his name was mentioned. She just had no time for this nonsense. If Tony was remotely interested in the future of his own planet, he'd be here. That was all.

⁂

Later that evening, after having dinner with the rest of the team, Angrboda went back to the shooting range for another round before heading off to sleep.

The room was empty, which she preferred by far. She went to the rack full of practice guns to choose her weapon. Lately she particularly favored an AK56 model with a short barrel, large muzzle and synthetic grip. It was lightweight and easy to handle, very convenient for her injured shoulder.

S.H.I.E.L.D had been developing energy blaster guns at light speed since knowing the fight with the Chitauri could break out at any moment. For once, she was on board with it. Most of them were still prototypes but they were more far more destructive than any of the more commonly used firearms.

Angrboda tied her hair up and grabbed her favorite model. She selected the 'multiple offensive' option on the panel board and tuned out the world around her.

The first round of targets began appearing one after the other. She managed to knock out every single one, judging by the gaping holes in the middle. But then it became tougher as the targets increased in speed and number. She was completely absorbed in her effort, barely aware of anything outside of her gun and the marks.