Disclaimer: I do not own The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America or anything to do with Marvel. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
This is Part 10 of an ongoing series. For maximum enjoyment please read the stories that came before.
*****
Waking with a start, Natasha Romanoff immediately knew something was wrong.
How did she get here?
Jolting upright the redhead blinked, eyes adjusting to her dark surroundings:
Recognising the cavernous bridge of the Helicarrier, Natasha felt a little more at ease; familiar territory was always useful, regardless of these strange new circumstances.
The advanced SHIELD airship had been in mothballs for years, sitting empty and silent, now only ever pulled out of retirement for the occasional world-ending scenario. Touching the cold metal floor with her hand Natasha felt no thrum from the rotors; so the carrier was grounded: At least that meant the World wasn't ending.
"Romanoff?"
Twisting to her right, Natasha was greeted with an even more familiar sight; Maria Hill staring incredulously back at her:
"What the hell is going on??"
Maria shook her head; One moment she had been assembling supplies for an off the books incursion, the next she had awoken here. Wanting answers she glared back at the astounded redhead. Before Natasha could reply however their conversation was rudely interrupted:
"NYPD, freeze!"
Rising on her haunches, Maria twisted in her tight grey jumpsuit, searching for this new adversary. Making eye contact with whomever had shouted, both instinctively reached for their holsters. But only one was armed: raising her handgun, the black woman grimaced, blinking groggily; Awoken here like everyone else:
Alerted by a chorus of groans, Natasha spun on the spot. Instead of the agents that usually crewed the helicarrier control room, she found herself surrounded by beautiful strangers. Beginning to stir, each gradually regained consciousness only to also discover their strange predicament. While Maria coiled, ready to strike out, Natasha crouched beside the nearest person:
Eyes blinking open, the girl flinched, scrambling away from Natasha:
"Whuhh?! What -where am I?!"
Hitting her head on the underside of a control panel, the redhead gasped, cringing:
"Owww!"
"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you."
Concern in her low sultry voice, Natasha grasped the girl's arm.
"B-but how did I get here?!" Blinking hard as she massaged her head, the girl glanced upward, bright blue eyes flickering with recognition:
"Black Widow?!"
Natasha nodded slowly, helping the girl to her feet.
"Hey!" Rising from a spot further away, another woman yelled from across the control deck, still regaining her faculties:
"What now?!" Maria snapped.
"Agent Madani of the CIA! You two are both under arrest for averting sanctions issued by over 100 countries!"
"117 actually," the girl beside Natasha murmured.
"So everyone knows us," Natasha shook her head; so much for anonymity, being an Avenger ruined that long ago:
"So who are you??"
A little dazed, the redhead shifted, nervously extending a hand:
"Karen Page: Investigative journalist for the New York Bulletin; bigggg fan of your work by the way."
"Well that's just what we need," Maria snorted derisively, eying her armed opponent, weapon still leveled at her from across the awakening bridge.
"Nice to meet you too," Karen replied dryly.
Striding toward them Dinah tried to take charge:
"So nobody knows how or why we are here??"
Groaning, a young asian girl in white sweats pulled herself upright, leaning on the nearest console:
"Nope."
"-And you are??" Maria and Dinah barked simultaneously, the brunette asserting herself over the indignant CIA Agent as they warily sized each other up.
Looking between the two, the girl rolled dark eyes, rubbing her forehead:
"The daughter of the Dragon."
"Seriously??"
Both women speaking at once, the Asian girl relented:
"Colleen Wing, I run a dojo in downtown Manhattan. So not an outlaw Avenger... But I can kick ass if called for."
Ignoring Colleen's defensive remark, Dinah cleared her throat:
"I really think I should be leading the questions here."
"How's that??" The NYPD officer finally reaching them, Dinah stood her ground, facing off against the taller woman as she introduced herself:
"Detective Misty Knight."
Maria smirked:
"Is that even a name?!"
The black woman scowled back at her.
"Well Dt. Knight," Dinah began, speaking condescendingly: "this is hardly your jurisdiction."
Misty laughed hollowly:
"You CIA clowns are all the same... How'd some Persian skank like you even get a badge?"
Clenching her jaw, Dinah suppressed her simmering temper:
"Wow, that was sexist, racist and demeaning to my abilities all in one sentence!"
"Well, I outrank you Agent." Maria stated frankly, stepping between the two.
"Pretty sure you don't: Ex-SHIELD Director Maria Hill," Dinah stated smugly: "That makes me the highest authority here."
"Really, cos the way I see it, this is all the rank I need!" Raising her weapon once more, Misty gesticulated with the gun, the other two women finally acquiescing: