Blind

Kennedy’s jaw locked, the two rows of teeth grinding together, as she was led up the ramp of the Quinjet. The entire left side of her torso was smarting with pain. Every step she took sent another shockwave of pain radiating across her torso. It was getting to be unbearable.

But she didn’t say anything. She shrugged, violently, away from anyone who went to check on her ribs. That only caused her to feel more pain. Sooner or later she’d pass out from the pain. She was hoping it would be sooner rather than later.

As she cleared the ramp, Kennedy could see where Freyja was tightening the straps that bound Loki’s arms to the seat. Her sister’s blue eyes lifted to meet Kennedy’s gaze before she tightened the strap and stepped away. She didn’t glance at Kennedy again as flag man strapped her into the seat.

Her hands curled and uncurled into fists slowly once the arm restraints had been tightened. She could still make a fist anyways. The straps pressing against the left side of her body made her eyes water. When she breathed, she could feel the bones grating together. There was at least two or three broken, if not more.

“Let’s get this show on the road, Agent Romanoff,” Stark said as he climbed on.

The ramp door was raised, sealing them inside as the Quinjet was started. Stark, Freyja, and flag man stood near the cockpit of the Quinjet, occasionally throwing the odd glance in Loki and Kennedy’s direction. Agent Romanoff, the only other woman onboard and red-haired, was in one of the cockpit seats with the pilot.

Uncurling her hands once more, Kennedy rested her palms on the arm rests. She left them limply lying there, her gaze taking in Loki’s form. At the moment, he was relaxed. Almost like he wasn’t at all that bothered to be here but still irritated that he was here.

His head turned, emerald eyes catching her eyeing him. Silently, one of his dark eyebrows rose in question. Kennedy shrugged before her jaws locked again, teeth cutting into her tongue. Without a word, she leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes as nausea rolled over her. If her ribs had been protesting before, they were screaming for blood now.

Kennedy tasted blood from where her teeth had cut her tongue, the metallic taste only serving to nauseate her more. Breathing through her nose, she struggled not to take deep, long breaths. Those would only cause her ribs more irritation and more pain.

She did anything that she could think of to distract herself, to draw her mind from the pain. There was no hum of the Quinjet engine to distract herself with; the thing was practically silent. Occasionally, Loki would shift and the leather he wore creaked. It was a, surprisingly, comforting sound.

Feeling a pair of eyes on her, Kennedy let her eyes slide open slowly. So sure that she would find Freyja watching her, she was surprised to see flag man instead. He’d removed his mask, revealing a vaguely familiar head of well-groomed blonde hair and blue eyes as well as a strong jawline.

He was the guy who’d brought her wallet back; Steve Rogers.

“Son of a bitch,” she murmured.

Even that quiet murmur earned Stark and Freyja’s attention. They turned to look at her but Kennedy was already looking away. Her mismatched eyes stared impassively at the opposite row of seats. Her jaws were clamped together while a muscle on the left side of her face jumped in irritation.

“Everything alright back there?” Romanoff called, glancing over her shoulder.

Loki and Kennedy remained silent, staring everywhere in the Quinjet but at someone else. Kennedy could feel the eyes of the others watching them, expecting them to respond somehow. Instead, they only remained silent until Stark called a response and nothing more was said.

Freyja moved away from Stark and Rogers, walking over to the opposite row of seats. She lowered herself into one across from them, blue eyes watching in silence. Kennedy avoided Freyja’s gaze just as much as she had before.

She could hear Rogers and Stark talking quietly between each other. She listened to the conversation while her gaze slid around the small area of the Quinjet. There were, surprisingly, few places to look. But she managed to find one to focus on while eavesdropping.

“I don’t remember it being that easy. This guy packs a wallop,” Steve muttered, his back turned towards she and Loki.

Kennedy lost interest in the conversation as it turned into Stark making snarky remarks at Steve. There was a peal of thunder in the distance which caught her attention. Discreetly, she glanced over at Loki. His green eyes had glanced up at the ceiling of the Quinjet with something like worry in them.

Glancing over at Freyja, Kennedy saw that the blonde was beginning to smile. Her lips were turned upwards at the corner as she watched Loki. Shifting, Kennedy glanced around before straining forward against the chest restraints. Outside the Quinjet, lightning flashed and the sudden storm rocked the ship.

“Where’s this coming from?” came Natasha’s rhetoric question as the pilot fought to straighten the Quinjet.

Stark and Rogers had both looked to where Loki and she sat. Kennedy looked at Loki to find him staring up at the ceiling once more. He didn’t look entirely thrilled to be here anymore.

“What’s the matter? Scared of a little lightning?” Rogers asked as it flashed outside.

Loki’s green eyes lowered to meet Steve’s blue ones. “I’m not overly fond of what follows.”

Kennedy’s lips twitched at the snark in his response though she said nothing.

“I can’t imagine that you would be,” Freyja replied quietly. “Especially if everything about you is true.”

Freyja rose, walking over to where Stark and Steve where. Kennedy shifted slightly, looking at Loki.

“You never told me what the beasty in the rain was,” she muttered.

A beat had barely passed before the entire Quinjet was rocked as if something had crashed into it. Or onto it.

“You’re about to find out,” Loki replied grimly.

The door to the Quinjet was opened, the storm outside howling into the ship. Thunder boomed outside, followed closely by a bolt of lightning that lit up the sky.

She heard Steve shout something to Stark before another figure appeared on the ramp. From where she sat, Kennedy could tell that he was big. He was tall like Loki but bigger, more muscular. A red cape billowed behind him, caught in the winds of the storm before he advanced inside the Quinjet.

His blue eyes were locked on Loki whose green eyes were staring at the muscular blonde. Kennedy was staring at him and the giant hammer in his hand. She didn’t even notice that Stark was advancing until the blonde swung the hammer and sent Stark crashing to the ground before grasping the front of Loki’s clothing. Easily, he jerked the Asgardian free from the restraints before flying out of the Quinjet.

“And now there’s that guy,” Stark growled as he climbed to his feet.

“Another Asgardian?” Natasha called from the cockpit.

“That guy’s a ‘friendly’?” Steve asked dubiously.

Kennedy looked at the empty seat at her left before looking back to Stark, Freyja, and Steve.

“He’s a friendly as long as you don’t piss him off,” Freyja responded, steadying herself by grasping onto the wall.

“Doesn’t matter,” Stark returned, advancing towards the ramp. “If he frees Loki or kills him, the Tesseract’s lost.”

“Stark, we need a plan of attack!” Steve yelled as Stark reached the end of the ramp.

“I have a plan. Attack!”

With that, Stark jumped out of the Quinjet. Still having not said anything, Kennedy turned and eyed Freyja and Steve silently. Steve was busy ripping a parachute free to strap on.

“I wouldn’t do that,” Freyja said as Natasha chimed in with, “I’d sit this one out, Cap.”

“I don’t see how I can,” Steve replied, strapping the parachute on.

“These guys come from legend, they’re basically gods.”

“They are gods.”

“There’s only one god, ma’am,” Steve said, looking at Freyja and Natasha. “And I’m pretty sure he doesn’t dress like that.”

Just like Stark and the blonde Asgardian, Steve followed suit and jumped out of the Quinjet. For a moment, Kennedy watched him go before the ramp doors were raised. She shook her windswept black hair from her face and looked to Freyja. Freyja was staring at the closing ramp doors.

“You aren’t following?” Natasha asked, glancing over her shoulder.

“Thor won’t free Loki or kill him,” Freyja replied. “I’d be more worried about Stark and Rogers getting involved.”

“Why’s that?”

“They’re in way over their heads if they think they’re going to take Loki back from Thor.”

Another roll of thunder jolted the Quinjet violently. Kennedy’s head snapped against the side of the seat and she let out a low groan. Squeezing her eyes shut, she winced as her tongue began to throb when she bit down on it. The taste of blood crept into her mouth again.

When she opened her eyes, she found both Freyja and Natasha staring at her. Natasha had unstrapped herself from the seat and was standing alongside Kennedy’s former sister. She met their gazes with raised eyebrows.

Freyja was watching her cautiously, as if she expected Kennedy to try some sort of escape. In Natasha’s stare, Kennedy caught a hint of concern that threw her for a loop. The concern wasn’t for Kennedy though, she knew that much.

Leaning forward against the restraints, Kennedy spat a gob of blood and saliva onto the floor. She relaxed back in the seat, her one green and one hazel eye watching the two women.

“I don’t have any superhero best friends to come save my ass,” she said, "so go find the four idiots who jumped into a storm.”