Emerald Storm [Loki]

Chapter thirty-five

'So Sergio wants your attention. Why?' Steve asked on full Captain mode. His eyes trained on me. As he looked at me I looked back, there was something different about him.

'Did you forget to shave this week?' I raised a brow and he rolled his eyes.

'Focus.'

'No, seriously Steve.' I could here myself talking but I couldn't stop myself. America's golden boy. Steven, clean cut, well spoken, well mannered, God's gift to the world Rogers, had a beard? What?

'Alright, yes. I didn't shave while on the mission undercover and I'm planning on keeping it for a while. Now can we please-'

'I didn't know you could even grow a beard Steve.' Bucky interjected.

Clint coughed and stood up calmly. 'Guys my wife and kids are out their somewhere suffering while we are stood around contemplating Steve's beard. Please or please can we focus?'

'Yeah. I'm sorry Clint.' I apologised feeling bad for my childish actions. I place as hand on his shoulder and he put a hand on top of mine and gave me a sad smile and a wink.

'Thanks for trying to inject humour Kat, I appreciate it.' He thanked me and I nodded.

'So again, why the attention Kat?' Steve asked again.

I shrugged having no idea. When thinking about all the possibilities of why Sergio would want to contact me, I came up with none.

'Power? Does he need a fighter?' Bucky suggested.

'Maybe money? She's an avenger working for Tony Stark?' Sam laughed.

'Nah he took the book. If he needed money he could've sold a first edition.'

As everybody discussed possible reasons for Sergio's sudden contact, I thought about the information Strucker laid on us a few months ago.

'He put the Callisto Gem into me.' I suddenly said what was on my mind, capturing their attention. 'It was Sergio's idea. Maybe he wants the Gem.'

'He needs to get in line.' Tony mumbled before receiving an elbow to the gut from Natasha and defensively asking 'What?'

'Then he'll know it can't be removed right?' Bucky shrugged.

'Not necessarily...' Tony toyed with the screwdriver, twirling in between his fingers.

'What do you mean?' I asked.

The engineer shrugged. 'Shuri easily designed that technique and device to magnetically connect the Gem and a vibranium tool to remove it. Hydra could've designed something similar or more...ruthless.'

'Then let's contact this bastard and see what he wants.' Steve swore. Natasha nodded and began typing on her computer.

'Hydra use private chat rooms and emails that can't be traced to communicate with persons of interest. Let's see if we can find him.'

Moments later Natasha had found him and his location and we were up in the air in one of Stark's fancy new jets.

Everyone of the team had been alerted of the events that had occurred, even recent members like T'Challa, Shuri, Dr Steven Strange and Scott Lang, both of whom I had yet to meet. Thor and Loki were back on Asgard and so we couldn't contact them.

'We're landing now.' Clint said as he lowered the jet somewhere in rural Canada.

We stepped out into the sunny field and began our journey towards the Hydra facility. As we walked through a heavily wooded area, I noticed the building. It was almost identical to the factory that myself and Loki went to months ago, when Bucky shot me.

'I've seen this before.' Bucky mumbled confused. His eyes darting back and forth as he recalled some memories of his Winter Soldier past.

'So have I...' I confirmed. Bucky looked at me confused and I told him 'It's where we found you.'

'That was when-'

'When you shot me yeah, let's move on.'

As we prepared are practised breaking and entering, an alarm began blaring. Natasha put her hands over my ears and threw me to the ground. 'It's a high pitched alarm that only people in the area can here! It's meant to demobilise us, we have to push on.'

She made us put earbuds in and took lead. Her classic Black Widow front in full swing. Her leadership skills were impeccable and the former Russian knew it.

Breaking down doors and busting into each individual room and closet, we began searching the property.

'Nothing.' I shrugged, my arms hitting my thighs in defeat. I looked to Natasha and Bucky. 'What-'

'Turn around, Miss Maximoff.' A voice came over the PA system. A dark menacing voice that I recognised as Sergio's.

Slowly shifting on my heels I faced a black wall. Seconds later a sheet lifted and a glass window showed us the true picture.

Sergio stood before three chairs. Attached to those chairs with rope and wire were Wanda, Peter and Laura. All of which were unconscious.

I sped forward only to be pulled back by Natasha and to have Bucky step in front of me. Sergio held a remote control in his hands a wicked smile on his face.

'Where are the kids?' Natasha spat viscously at him.

'They're safe, for now Natalia.' He smiled as familiarity passed through Natasha. Only a hand full of people are aware of her real name.

'You were there.' She gasped. 'The red room. You were.' She tried not to hyperventilate at the traumatic memories of the horrific red room.

'I was.' He smirked. 'Now, let's get back to the matter at hand. I have your friends children somewhere in this building. Kat, until you agree to come with me tonight, I will begin blowing up sections of this building until those kids are nothing but dust.'

'Fine, I'll go with you.' I shrugged. 'Let them go.'

Sergio had a look of bewilderment on his face. 'That was...easy. Alright.' He threw the remote on the floor and began mumbling to himself before picking up my book from the floor.

He smirked and opened up the back page. When Strucker gave you this, he wrote some codes in the back. He knew either you or your sister would keep it safe.'

'That's a copy.' I shrugged.

'Is it?' He raised a brow before kicking Wanda in the leg. The girls eyes shot open and she let out a harsh gasp.

'Wha what did you do?!' Her speech was slurred. Her eyelids heavy and mascara smudged under her eyes emphasising her dark circles.

'What did you do Wanda?' He smirked. He grabbed her by her chin and turned her head to look at me, Nat and Bucky. 'Tell your sister what you did. How did you get her book.'

'What?' Wanda asked with worry and panic in her voice. Sergio got annoyed and sent a sharp slap across her face.

My anger flared and so did my powers, sending a blast at the wall before us. The glass shattered and Sergio fell to the ground in shock. Bucky and Natasha took this as an opportunity to run at him.

Bucky held him down while Natasha took the remote control. She opened it up and looked at the wires. The 'detonate ' button and the 'off' button had been switched to trick us and Nat smirked. She pressed the off button and and a voice came through the speaker. 'Bomb terminated.'

Seconds later, as I was untying Laura after helping Wanda and Peter, we heard a huge explosion.

Smoke blocked out vision and it was as though someone had turned of the sound, my hearing was gone.

I spotted Wanda's ginger hair and reached over to her. I wrapped an arm around her and threw her to the ground and used my body as a shield.