The Siren's Mark (Loki Romance)

Chapter Three

Blood splatters all over the floor when a third robot appears behind me, leaving a gash on my shoulder from one its bladed appendages.

I cry out painfully as I topple over to the right, leaning against one of the pale, metallic walls of the training pit. Two robots already in front of me followed—preparing to strike again. "Time out, time out!!!" I scream at the walls, where I know the cameras are watching.

Nothing happens.

Shit. The lesson immediately pops into my head—I might get injured on duty, but there'll be no 'time outs,' and I'll have to keep fighting.

Wetness spreads across my backside, and I ignore the mind numbing pain and stinging as I fork out several more maneuvers, ending the fight just as quickly as I possibly can—still a few moments too early, and my shoulder burns as blood trickles down my backside.

The double doors open as soon as the last robot hits the ground, and I collapse with it to the floor. My hand hovers over my left shoulder as it burns, but I don't dare to touch it, and there's no comfortable position that I can assume to assuage the pain. So I wait as a couple of the agents come and help me up, and take me to the medical wing of the facility.

It takes a bit of time and delicate effort to replace my suit with the medical robes, and Nat and Clint don't come to visit until after I'm all stitched up and perched on one of the small beds—ready to leave, after they come talk to me. I look over at them as they cross the small hall toward me, following them with my eyes as I cross my legs underneath me.

"Well, that was sloppy," says Nat. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I nod. "I know, it was stupid, I should've been keeping an eye on my surroundings."

"Yeah you should've. Mistake like that can cost you a whole lot more than a cut on the back of your shoulder."

I frown as I look down at the floor, and in the corner of my eye, I see Clint tilting his head slightly. "What's the matter with you?" I blink up at him, seeing his disapproving expression as he crosses his arms. "You've got your first mission in a week's time and, what, are you freaking out or something?"

Nat turns and looks at him over her shoulder. "What mission? That thing's not going to heal overnight, we can't send her out there."

Damn. I forgot about the mission—my first 'undercover' gig with A.I.M. Of course, given that A.I.M thinks I'm also working undercover for them, it's more of a sting operation on S.H.I.E.L.D's part. Earning A.I.M's trust was a tricky manner, and I have no doubt that they continue to watch over me, but my dalliances at Stark tower and at the facility are much more plausible to them now—especially with the carefully controlled 'insider' information that I provide them.

Both of them are quiet for a moment, until Clint looks over at Nat again. "What about that serum stuff that Stark mentioned? The regenerative one?"

She shrugs. "It's only a prototype."

"Does it work?"

"Worked on who they've tried it on so far."

"Okay," Clint nods toward me. "Let's try it on her too, then. Do they have some here?"

Nat shakes her head. "There wasn't much after the trial was done, and I think Stark took it with him. If anything it'll be in the tower now, but he's still out of town, I think."

Clint glances at me. "Alright, well let's stop by there anyway. We can drop you off after," he says to me. "But Thor's staying there, we can catch up while we're at it."