A Reckless Soul | Captain America ✓

DANGEROUS BEAST

     AUDREY knew her father was crazy, but she never thought him to be a lunatic practically his whole life. She assumed at some point in his life he lost his sanity, now that she learned something new about him, perhaps he never was sane to begin with.

     What did mother see in him?

    The assassin's thumb slid across her dagger's blade, feeling the sharpness of it. Once satisfied with the knife's edge, she tucked the weapon away in her boot, sheathing it into a special scabbard sewn on the side of the leather within the black, nee-high combat boots she was adorned in. 

     When she heard the faint click, indicating that it slid into place, she straightened up. A mischievous smile crept onto her face. There was a delightful sensation that transpired in her chest. It felt good to be back in her old suit with her weapons. However, she had left out the electrical gloves—for personal reasons that is...

     A breeze lazily rolled by in their direction. Upsetting the leaves on the trees above them, and the hedges they—the Avengers, her brother and T'Challa—stood behind for cover as they spied from a distance in the bushes that bordered Doom's castle. The breeze was gentle and warm, yet had the after sting of a cool autumn nip. August had fast approached the world and the weather, even though it was still summer, began to shift, gearing for the fall.

     Audrey turned her head to the right and noticed a cluster of leaves on a tree changing to an awful, and slightly pitiful yellow colour. Either it was because of drought, or simply the collapse of fall upon the shifting greenery.

     "I see a handful of guards walking along the edge of the wall bordering the castle, a couple in the towers, and a couple in the small upper ward there," Clint said, pointing in the direction of one of the wards, a small courtyard enclosed by a curtained wall. "I'm not sure, I can't see the lower ward, but they're might be ten guards down there."

     "How are you seeing all this?" Zachary jabbed with his tone towards Hawkeye, lowering his black binoculars. "I," he started before replacing the binoculars to his face, "can't even make that much out with these."

     "He's Hawkeye," explained Thor in his deep burly voice, and with a wide grin as he happily set some emphases on his teammate's name. "He's got a bird's eyesight. Isn't that right Clint?" He slapped his grizzly like hand on Clint's shoulder, a tad too powerful for the bird it would seem. 

     Clint had to suppress a grunt from the impact of Thor's large hand that laid on him rather heavily, like a solid brick. "Sometimes I think you forget your strength big guy." He nudged Thor's hand off his shoulder, speaking the words through clenched teeth, and turned his attention to Zachary. "And yes. My abilities allow me to have a hawks view of things, hence the name Hawkeye." A proud smirk elevated the hero's mouth when he received awe in the eyes of the shape-shifter.

     "That is," Zachary began, "the coolest!" His head whipped around to his little sister, and in his crouched position by the bushes he looked up at her standing form, and lowered his voice, uttering to her, "I should shift into a hawk."

     Audrey laughed. "Slow down there little birdie." She rested a hand on his shoulder, a feather light touch compared to Thor's.

     "That isn't a bad idea actually," chimed in Steve, stepping out from behind a tree across from his team. The soldier had been observing Doom's castle from a distance in a different direction.

     A shiver spiraled up Audrey's spine at the mere tone of his voice. She forgot he was hidden some feet away from them. 

     "Zach, shift into a hawk and fly over the castle. See how many guards are stationed around and on top of it, and check for any openings where we could get into instead of the main gate."