END-GAME

Maria met him in a secure location in New Jersey; he didn't want to remain in the States any longer, and as Maria herself was to tell him, the stakes were gradually getting higher by the moment while he stayed.

“You think people won't recognize Captain America, Steve? The hood is good and all, as long as you're running from a cop,that is”.

Steve raised his chin and bit his tongue. Hiding wasn't something he could easily do, not forever at least. They were to meet in a certain seemingly abandoned building, located in an area that was vacated for a long time now.

They sat down on an old wooden table; air was huffed inside as the wind began howling loudly. It was a rather cold night.

“I'll take precautions”,he simply said, not in the mood for a chatter.

Maria smiled and motioned her eyebrows, choosing not to drag the matter any longer, but instead get to the chase. She placed a flash drive on the table, her finger on top of it to press it down as she kept on looking to his eyes.

“Seeing how you were the one to make the request, I believe explanations are not needed for this one,Steve. SHIELD is still trying to recover it's loses,although Daisy did a great job while we were gone..”

Steve didn't care enough to comment on anything Maria said. That much, she knew. But Maria herself was a rather cunning woman; and her curiosity always took the best of her. A constant need to push people to the edge; she wouldn't know the reason behind that urge of hers, although it could have easily get traced back to many,many things, she thought.

“She'll assist you”,she then said, much to his surprise.

Steve raised both eyebrows at her, leaning a bit forward. “Who? Quake? Why?”

“So many questions,Cap. Keep 'em one at a time”,she hummed, although she soon figured out that this wasn't the place, nor the time.

“Yes”,she huffed out. “Quake- Daisy, will assist you on the mission in Belgrade”.

“Care to share the agenda here, Hill?”

Maria smiled as she lowered her eyes.

Steve wasn't naive, nor was he stupid. If anything else, he was suspicious, always and of everyone. She guessed, however, that anyone who'd worked so many years alongside Nick Fury was to be like that.

“I'll be straight with you Cap. Daisy is a level 10 agent, whom would have stayed as Director if it wasn't for her endless loyalty and respect for Nick”,she arched an eyebrow. “You yourself are a level ten confidentiality status case,Steve. Just because you got heartbroken and chose to go off the radar, doesn't mean that SHIELD is gonna let you roam freely. You're Captain America- with, or without the shield”.

Steve sighed, letting a big huff of air escape his lungs. He opened his mouth for a second, but seeing how this wasn't exactly an unexpected turn of events, he closed it again. For a few seconds there, they remained in absolute silence; Maria chose not to be the one to make the first move. She wanted to listen to what he had to say.

“So..”,he eventually sighed, “SHIELD wants to keep a leash on me. That's what you're saying”.

“Don't act surprised. After all, you already packed a deal with Barnes”.

Steve took the flash drive off her hands; he eyed it for a few moments, studied it in his palm. Then, he put in in the inside pocket of his coat.

He immediately stood up, adjusted his hat and coat and got ready to leave, not bothering himself with saying so much as a goodbye.

Maria's lips curved to a grin as he passed right through her. She spoke one last time, her position never changing, her eyes and body still looking the other way around,while Steve was almost by the doorstep, or what was left of it.

“You might see this as a second grade career plan,Steve.... but that one is a high profile mission you got your hands on. Many lives are at stake. Don't take it lightly- Captain, or no Captain, you still bear responsibility. That's not a vacation you're going to”.

Steve didn't do much as even shake his head at her. He simply continued walking; as Maria figured, he had no need to be told something like that. Steve would never take a mission lightly,no matter the variables.

Loki almost dragged her to the heart of the party, already dancing as he walked towards the center of the square. He turned his head to the side, and Theo could spot the tension on his neck as he looked down on her, intertwining their arms.

They were side by side, and although Theo had never danced this dance before, it was far too late for anyone to notice.

“Allow me to say ,agent Bennet, even when dancing, you are rather predictable”.

“And how's that exactly? Don't like my dancing, Loki?”

Loki narrowed his eyes at her, lowered his gaze as it seemed like he was looking to spot the evidence. A faint smirk appeared on his lips, as he realized her tone was more provoking and challenging than anything else.

“I wouldn't say that”,he whispered.

“Then how do I dance?'”

“Strategically. Every step counted, every breath shortened to be saved”,he said in a deep voice. “Every touch firm, enough for you to measure me down, but not too much as for you to not have the time and get away on the first chance”.
“You have really put some thought into it, haven't you? Must be truly bored, as I said,Loki”.

Loki merely smiled, intentionally leaving that comment to float a little. Theo figured that was a thoughtful choice, as thoughtful as Loki could possibly be. It didn't take much longer for her to see the others slowly joining in the feast with the corner of her eyes.

Even Tony, in all his one legged glory, tapping the cane against the ground, was having a blast. Pietro on his end didn't seem to be losing any time either; he'd already found a partner, or two as it seemed to Theo.

“Aren't we supposed to switch? “,she asked while looking away. She wasn't about to lose posture, not when she was finally beginning to get a grasp of the right movements at least.

“So eager to leave my care?”

“Yes”.

Loki's lips formed a half smile, though he made sure not to show Theo. “I can guarantee, agent Bennet, you won't find a better partner in all of Asgard”.

She almost snorted at that remark of his. Wouldn't expect anything less, if she had to be honest. But something else was bugging Theo's mind at that hour.

“I thought you'd invited everyone”,she murmured. “And yet, apart from some random agents, only us are here”.

“Well, dear , that would be the case a couple days ago. But, as I am informed, people have things to do. Businesses to attend to. Low ranked agents were clear to join, while the Wakandan ones had their own messes to clean. Ah, and the Avengers got a free pass on duty day of course,considering how the war was won thanks to you. Good job, although and by the way, I failed to see any mention of my name in there,but anyway”.

“Hmh”,she clicked her tongue. “How about Fury? Or Daisy, at least”.

“I'm afraid I didn't care enough to ask about Fury”,he hummed. “But the earthquake woman, I believe I saw her a while ago in here somewhere..”,he then murmured.

Theo shook her head a little. Her post drunkenness migraines were making it awfully hard to think about conspiracies and suspicion. She could ask Daisy herself about it after the dance was over. Or, in the morning. Whichever came first.

She was beginning to follow on Loki's step with much more ease as the time went by; the rhythm of the lyre and the tapping were in perfect coordination. She grew a tad more confident, now swirling her lower back, changing the dynamic a little as she began guiding Loki instead of the other way around.

He took notice, of course, and as she figured, he wouldn't let it pass by. Loki was mesmerized by the need to push everyone to the edge. To make them uncomfortable enough to get a reaction worth of his manipulation. Theo, as it was obvious, wasn't very fond of that train of his.

“First time I met you, agent Bennet, you shot an energy blast on my right cheek from a six-mile distance”,he stated all of a suden.

Theo raised her eyebrows, turning her head to face him although Loki kept his posture and stance according to the dancing.

“If not by some hints of admiration there, i'd be quite angry,dare I say. Even Barton himself must have felt envious of that aim of yours”.

Theo's lips curved downwards on the mention of Clint's name. Hearing such a thing about a fallen comrade wasn't all that pleasant to her.

“Arrows and bullets are not one of the same,Loki. Even someone like you ought to know that”,she said in a low voice.

“Were you trained to do that, I wonder, or was it perhaps by chance that you hit me that time? You know, it still aches,sometimes”.

Theo let out a faint huff, a slight snicker. At least it hurt him,even by a bit.

“I was a navy SEAL sniper. Train is a far too loose word to describe what we did”.

Loki would have loved continuing this little game of his, but when he opened his mouth Pietro passed by, grabbing Theo's other arm as he swirled her around to go and dance with him.

Pietro motioned his eyebrows at Loki, whom in his place had stayed frozen. Only a faint smirk was still on his lips,eyes still locked on Theo.

“Till next time”,he whispered, grabbing the glass of someone who happened to pass by just to drink it all down at once.

But Theo wasn't in the mood to dance any more. She'd grown tired, as that kind of dancing required quite the stamina, and the after effects of the excessive drinking rampage she'd been on for the past two days had began taking place.

She placed her palm on Pietro's chest, forcing him to stop moving.

“Think I'm too fast for you?”,he teased her.

“Yes”,she motioned her eyebrows. “You're making me nauseous”.

Pietro smiled, huffed out some air as he raised both palms, cuing that she was free to go. Theo patted his shoulder sympathetically, which only made Pietro want to bite his tongue more.

She went back to the bar, only this time she only found Tony there. His back turned on her, he seemed to be busy with something. Theo approached,only to sit down next to him and cue Edith for another gin.

“This”,Tony raised his hand,holding a phone, “Has been ringing all night long,Theo”.

Theo immediately stood up, her eyebrows knitted together as she maniacally searched every pocket, every inch of her clothes.

“Why the hell are you holding my phone Stark?”

“Hmm... Curiosity?”,he grimaced at her.

Theo opened her mouth,eyed him with one arched eyebrow. He was grinning at her, still holding on to the phone. She kicked his cane,forcing him to lose balance and almost fall down, and while he was letting out a few exclamations, she grabbed her phone back,turned around and walked further from him.

“That was dirty Bennet!”,he shouted,trying to get up, although she gave him no attention.

She unlocked her phone, and as she saw there were several missed calls from her father, along with some messages.

Theo sighed and let out a curse from under her teeth as she opened them all.

“I hope you remember my flight arrives at 21:30 . Don't want to repeat the 2011 fiasco,haha”.

“Hey, Theo it's getting kind of late. You did remember,didn't you?”

“I can't believe you forgot to pick me up Theodora. I'm getting at your place, do you even know how much a cab costs to get you to Brooklyn at this hour? I hope you're ready to pay up, missy”.

“Okay, you're not here. I'm sorry, I guess something came up. Don't worry pea, i'll stay here,maybe cook you something. Could have warned me though, but it's okay. Call me when you see this”.

Theo brushed her hair behind.

“Shit!”,she cursed,biting her tongue.

In the midst of all that was going on, she had forgot to inform her father not only of her no longer being with Steve, but also about her no longer holding any gatherings as to the new apartment.

“Shit...”