More Tony Snark, Please I'm Dying

Mia felt goosebumps break out all over her body the second Tony’s heavy hand rested on her waist, effortlessly maneuvering her through the crowded room toward the exit.

She usually wasn’t the type of girl to go home with a guy she had just met. But after walking in on her now ex-boyfriend in bed with his coworker—the girl he told Mia not to worry about—all she wanted to do was forget. All she wanted tonight was to lose control. She just hadn’t expected to do it in the company of none other than Tony Stark.

Once they stepped outside, a sleek Audi was already idling at the curb. Happy Hogan stood waiting by the passenger door, his expression shifting to pure surprise the moment he caught sight of his boss and his companion.

When was the last time he’d seen Tony with a random girl instead of Pepper? Three, maybe four years? Did this mean Tony was crashing back into his old playboy habits? Happy was well aware of the brutal arguments that had been tearing Tony and Pepper apart lately, but he hadn't known if they’d officially called it quits. Looking at the way Tony was staring at Mia—like she was the only person in the world who mattered—it was clear there was serious trouble in paradise.

Guess I might have to get rid of that ring, Happy thought grimly, remembering the diamond he’d been carrying around since 2008 when Tony and Pepper first started dating. He really thought they would be the endgame. 

“Happy, Tinkerbell, over here will be coming with us tonight. Mia, this is Happy Hogan—head of security and my personal driver,” Tony said, introducing them. Happy nodded politely as Mia extended her hand. At least this one has manners, Happy noted to himself.

“Nice to meet you, Happy,” Mia said with a playful smirk, sliding effortlessly into the backseat. The shimmery fabric of her dress caught the crisp interior lights of the car.

Tony climbed in right after her, pulling the door shut with a heavy, solid thud that instantly sealed out the noise of the city. The privacy glass tinted the world outside into a blur of passing neon lights.

“Where to, boss? The tower?” Happy asked as he hopped into the driver's seat, catching Tony’s gaze in the rearview mirror.

Tony just nodded. There wasn’t a single other place he wanted to be with her. As much as he wanted to devour her right then and there—especially with the way she was staring at him, biting her lip right next to him—he wanted her all to himself. No prying eyes. No distractions.

“Tower it is,” Happy said.

Tony reached over and pressed a button on the door panel, raising the black privacy partition and cutting them off from the front seat entirely.

Mia truly was in a reckless, dangerous mood tonight. Before the partition had even finished sealing, she slid across the leather and climbed right onto Tony’s lap, completely taking him by surprise. His breath hitched, but his hands instinctively found a home on her hips, gripping her tight.

She smiled down at him, her dark brown eyes gleaming in the dim cabin light. “I think you can touch more than just that by now, don’t you think?”

Tony’s eyes darkened, the last bit of his restraint snapping like a fragile wire. “Are you trying to push your luck, Mia? Because you are playing with fire right now.”

“Good thing I like getting burned,” she whispered, leaning down so her lips brushed against his jaw, her hands sliding into his hair.

Tony let out a low growl, his grip shifting from her hips to the bare skin of her lower back. His palms slid up over the inked flowers blooming across her skin, pulling her flush against his chest. The contrast of his tailored clothes against her shimmery, backless dress was intoxicating, and the sheer feeling of her weight on him drove him wild.

He didn't wait. He brought his mouth back to hers, capturing her lips in a kiss that was a hundred times more desperate and possessive than the one on the dance floor. Mia gasped into his mouth, shifting her hips against his lap, and Tony nearly lost his mind right there in the moving car.

His hands traveled lower, mapping the curves of her ass through the thin, sparkly fabric of her dress, lifting her up slightly just to anchor her harder against him. He wanted to leave marks. He wanted to make her forget whatever had driven her to the bar tonight, and he wanted to forget the ghost of Pepper completely.

Mia moaned against his lips, her fingers tightly gripping his shoulders as the Audi smoothly navigated the city streets, carrying them closer to the tower. Tony pulled away just an inch, his breathing ragged, his thumb tracing her lower lip, which was now swollen from his kisses.

“We’re almost at the penthouse,” Tony warned, his voice a gravelly, commanding whisper against her skin. “And once we’re behind closed doors, Tinkerbell… I’m not letting you go.”

“I need to see it to believe it, Stark,” she whispered, her voice a low, daring challenge that vibrated against his skin.

“I told you, Tinkerbell, be careful what you wish for,” Tony growled. He didn't wait for a rebuttal, burying his face in the crook of her neck. He breathed her in, completely intoxicated by her scent, losing himself in the sharp, frantic gasps escaping her lips. He couldn't stop the images flooding his mind: the sounds she’d make once he finally had her, the way her voice would break as she begged for more, and the way his name would sound falling from those plush lips.

He shifted her, urging her to grind against his lap. As if she could read his mind, she leaned into him, letting out a small, jagged moan that vibrated right through him. “Tony—”

Lucky for both of them, the car finally drifted to a smooth stop, the low hum of the engine echoing in the private silence of the Tower’s underground garage.

“Come on,” Tony rasped, palming her ass with a possessive squeeze that left no room for doubt. “I need you in my bed before I fuck you right here in these seats.”

Mia reluctantly slid off his lap, taking a quick second to smooth down the shimmery fabric of her dress and fix her hair before the door opened. Happy stood there, his expression a practiced, professional mask, as he held the door for them.

“Take the night off, Happy,” Tony said, not even looking back as he led Mia toward his private elevator.

The elevator doors slid shut with a silent, metallic hiss, sealing them into the mirrored box. The second the lift began its high-speed ascent to the penthouse, Tony was on her again. He pinned her against the handrail, his hands finding the bare skin of her back, his fingers tracing the inked lines of the flowers as if he were trying to memorize them through touch alone.

“The penthouse is seventy floors up,” Tony murmured against her ear, his teeth grazing the lobe. “It’s a long ride. You think you can wait that long, or should I start proving it to you now?”

Mia’s breath hitched, her hands tangling in his dark hair, pulling him closer instead of pushing him away. She looked at their reflection in the polished chrome—the billionaire in the expensive suit and the girl with the glitter and the tattoos, looking like absolute chaos together.

“I think the world’s smartest man can figure out how to multitask,” she challenged, her eyes dark and blown out with desire.

Tony let out a low, dark chuckle. He loved the fire in her, the way she didn't flinch under his gaze or his reputation. He moved his hand from her back to the hem of that tiny, sparkly dress, his knuckles brushing the soft skin of her thigh.

“You’re going to be the death of me, Mia,” he muttered, just as the elevator chimed, announcing their arrival at the top floor.

The doors opened to the sprawling, floor-to-ceiling glass view of the Manhattan skyline, but Tony didn't even glance at the view he usually took so much pride in. His eyes were only on her. He stepped out, pulling her with him into the dim, expansive living area.

“Welcome to the inner sanctum,” he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous, velvet tone as he turned her around to face him. “No more audiences. No more distractions. Just me and you.”

“Just me and you,” she murmured against his lips before pulling him back into a breathless kiss.

Tony didn't waste another second. He scooped her up, letting out a low grunt of satisfaction as she automatically wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her straight into the bedroom, lowering her carefully onto the center of his mattress.

Tony stood back for a fraction of a second just to admire the view. The flimsy, shimmery dress had ridden up completely, and her dark hair was sprawled wildly across his crisp sheets—looking so perfect it felt as if that was exactly where she belonged.

He hovered over her, his mouth instantly reclaiming hers while his hands blindly traced the hem of her dress. He slid his palms upward until his fingers brushed against the damp, thin fabric of her thong, finding her already slick and burning for him.

“I need you naked,” he rasped against her lips, his hands shifting to her waist to guide her up and maneuver her until she was on top of him.

Mia sat back, straddling his lap with her hair wonderfully wild and the club glitter catching the dim light across her face. She smirked down at him, a dangerous glint in her eyes. “Your wish is my command, Mr. Stark.”

Tony’s gaze was locked on her as her hands traveled up to the delicate straps holding her dress together. With one smooth tug, she undone the knots. She grabbed the fabric at her hips and pulled the dress completely up and over her head, tossing it aside and leaving herself fully exposed to him.

Tony’s eyes flared with pure delight, but then his gaze anchored on a detail he hadn't expected at all. Her breasts were perfect, her nipples perked beautifully, and each one was pierced with a sleek metal bar. Once again, he found himself internally thanking whatever gods were looking out for him for putting this absolute masterpiece of a woman in his lap.

“See something you like?” her voice purred, snapping him out of his trance.

Tony sat up, the ache in his pants growing entirely unbearable, but he wasn't going to rush this. “Like? Oh, sweetheart, mark me as completely obsessed.”

He cupped her breasts in his palms, his thumbs flicking over the cool metal of her piercings before he leaned in and took one swollen peak into his mouth. Mia let out a loud, ragged moan, her fingers digging into his shoulders as he sucked and teased her, driving her straight into cloud nine.

“You are the hottest little thing that has ever crossed my path,” he muttered against her skin.

“I think… you’re way too overdressed now,” Mia gasped out between shallow, ragged breaths.

Tony let out a low, dark laugh, his hands anchoring her hips as he leaned back. “You’re entirely right. An oversight on my part. Let’s fix that.”

Working with a frantic, practiced speed, Tony ripped at his tie and tossed it blindly over the edge of the bed. Mia watched him with hungry, heavy-lidded eyes, her hands eagerly moving to pop the buttons of his dress shirt, pulling the fabric off his shoulders to reveal his chest.

Her eyes immediately traced the arc reactor embedded in his chest. Its bright, hypnotic blue glow flared to life, illuminating her face to absolute perfection as her fingers lightly brushed over the glass casing. There was no judgment in her gaze, no heavy, suffocating worry like Pepper always had—just pure, unadulterated desire.

The cool touch of her fingertips tracing the edge of the glowing reactor sent a jolt straight to his core. Any remaining ghost of his past, any lingering bitterness from the argument with Pepper, burned away entirely under the heat of Mia’s stare. She wasn't afraid of the mechanic, and she wasn't trying to change the hero; she just wanted the man.

“Beautiful,” Mia whispered, her voice dropping into a breathless hush as the blue light reflected in the dark depths of her eyes.

“That’s one word for it,” Tony murmured, his voice thick with a sudden rush of emotion he wasn't prepared for. He caught her hand, pressing his palm flat against hers, locking their fingers together right over the pulsing light of his chest. “But right now, you’re the only beautiful thing in this room.”

He didn't give her a chance to reply. Tony arched his hips, the friction of her bare skin against his zipper eliciting a sharp, needy gasp from her lips. He reached down, unbuckling his belt and discarding the rest of his clothes with a reckless impatience until there was nothing left between them.

When he settled back between her thighs, the sheer heat of her skin meeting his made his brain short-circuit. Mia arched into him, her arms wrapping securely around his neck, pulling him down until he was buried in the scent of her hair, her perfume, and her desire.

“Tony, please,” she begged, her confident demeanor finally fracturing into beautiful, raw desperation.

He smirked against her neck, his hands sliding underneath her thighs to lift her, aligning them perfectly. “I told you, Tinkerbell. I’m a very quick learner. Now let me show you exactly what happens when I lose control.”

Tony didn't hesitate. Guiding her hips down, he slid completely inside her, biting back a fierce, guttural groan. Sweet lord, she was tight—wrapping around him so perfectly it made his entire chest tighten.

Mia arched her back, her eyes snapping shut as she took the full length of him all at once. A loud, broken moan ripped from her lips, her fingers digging desperately into the muscles of his bare shoulders. “Tony… oh god, Tony.”

Hearing his name like that—completely unprompted, dripping with pure, unadulterated pleasure—was the final nail in the coffin for his restraint. He began to move, establishing a slow, punishingly deep rhythm. Mia gripped his chest, her nails scraping lightly against the skin right next to the glowing arc reactor. The stark blue light cast sharp, mesmerizing shadows over her face, catching the messy glitter around her eyes and illuminating the sheer ecstasy written across her features.

She met him stroke for stroke, her hips lifting in a desperate, sensual cadence. She wanted to drown out the memory of her cheating ex, and he wanted to escape the suffocating weight of his own life. Right here, wrapped in the dark of his penthouse, they were just two fractured people finding exactly what they needed to survive the night.

“Look at me,” Tony commanded softly, his voice thick with lust and utterly breathless.

Mia forced her eyes open, her gaze locking onto his, completely blown out and hazy with desire. He picked up the pace, his heavy hands gripping her plump ass, lifting her just enough to drive himself agonizingly deeper inside her. She cried out, her head tossing back as her wild, dark hair fanned over his chest, her ink-covered arm clinging to his neck for dear life.

Every friction of her skin, the soft, feeling of her nipple piercings against his bare chest, and the slick, friction-heavy heat of her body was driving him utterly insane. She was completely at his mercy, and he was completely, unapologetically obsessed.

“You’re so damn beautiful, Mia,” he growled. 

In one swift, powerful motion, he flipped them, catching her completely off guard as he pinned her wrists above her head against the mattress. Hovering over her, he didn't miss a single beat as he drove into her harder, faster, wanting to fill her entire world until she couldn't possibly think of anyone else's name but his.

Mia gasped at the sudden shift in power, her chest heaving as she looked up at him through a heavy fringe of dark hair. Being pinned beneath his solid weight, completely surrendered to his strength, only added fuel to the fire raging inside her. She choked out another ragged sob of pleasure as he hit her deep, her hips instinctively tilting up to meet every relentless, heavy thrust.

“Tony—please, I can’t—” she cried out, her voice breaking as the friction built into an unbearable, blinding heat. The world outside the penthouse didn't exist anymore; there was no heartbreak, no betrayal, no looming expectations. There was only the weight of Tony Stark, the hypnotic blue glow of his chest, and the intoxicating pace he was forcing her body to keep.

“Yeah, you can,” Tony rasped, his eyes burning with a possessive intensity as he stared down at her. He released her wrists, his hands sliding down to frame her face, his thumbs wiping away the sweat and stray glitter on her cheeks. He leaned down, capturing her mouth in a chaotic, deep kiss that drank in her breathless moans. “Come on, sweetheart. Break with me.”

That was all it took. The raw command in his voice pushed her right over the edge. Mia shattered beneath him, her inner muscles clamping tightly around him as a high, breathless cry left her lips, her body trembling violently under the wave of her release.

Watching her come apart was the beautiful, chaotic distraction Tony had been begging for all night. The tight, pulsing friction of her climax tore the last shred of his control to pieces. With two more deep, desperate thrusts, Tony buried himself inside her as far as he could go, letting out a low, roaring groan as his own release hit him like a freight train, filling her completely.

He collapsed against her, his forehead resting in the crook of her neck as both of their chests heaved, trying to catch their breath in the quiet, echoing aftermath. The arc reactor hummed softly against her skin, casting a gentle, serene blue light over the tangled sheets, wrapping them both in a peaceful silence neither of them had expected to find.

"Before we get started," Steve said. "Does anybody want to let her out?"

Apparently the answer was no.

The guy in front of Cap extended his taser stick and attacked, while someone grabbed Katie from behind and pulled her back toward the glass.

An arm wrapped around her throat and Rumlow's voice growled in her ear, "Butterscotch, Frenetic, Poignant."

Almost the instant Katie opened her mouth to ask what the hell he was doing, synapses in her brain started to connect, freezing her in place.

"Ablaze, Nylon, Carrying."

The fight faded into the background. A spark of blue caught her attention and she relaxed in Rumlow's arms, eyes focussed on the elevator control panel. She could almost see the circuitry underneath the panel, see the electricity flying.

"Filament, Reboot, Proxy."

Everything snapped back into focus. Including the electronics in the elevator. Every piece of tech was...singing to her, calling to her; and something inside her was responding. She could feel everything with a circuitboard, everything electronic. Well. Everything nearby. Most of what she felt within the Triskelion she felt through interconnected circuitry and.... The WiFi. She could feel things through the WiFi signal!

Someone hit the emergency stop button, bringing the elevator to a screeching halt, and she felt it, felt the electricity moving through the panel, even with her eyes closed.

A loud grunt drew her attention to where Steve was locked against the side of the elevator by one of his wrists. Grimacing, Katie snapped her head right back into Rumlow's nose, elbowed him in the gut, and broke free of his grasp. She reached for the gadget holding Steve, felt the components inside it, followed the electricity. A snap brought her back to the present and she watched the clasp fall to the ground with a light ping of metal against marble.

Once again, someone's arm wrapped around her from behind as Steve fought the onslaught.

"What are you doing?" the STRIKE agent whose name she'd forgotten demanded, his grip around her chest tightening. The guy was a little taller than her, just a pure wall of muscle and anger, reeking of sweat and desperation.

"Could ask you the same thing, traitor," she snarled. Katie relaxed every muscle in her body and dropped free from his grasp, elbowing him between the legs as she fell.

As soon as she popped upright, a taser came straight for her face.

But she grabbed it, feeling the electricity flow through her as she followed it back along the circuits to cut the power before slamming it back into the STRIKE asshole and igniting the power again. The jerk dropped to the ground, convulsing as electricity danced across his neck and shoulders before fizzling out.

"Before we get started," Steve said. "Does anybody want to let her out?"

Apparently the answer was no.

The guy in front of Cap extended his taser stick and attacked, while someone grabbed Katie from behind and pulled her back toward the glass.

An arm wrapped around her throat and Rumlow's voice growled in her ear, "Butterscotch, Frenetic, Poignant."

Almost the instant Katie opened her mouth to ask what the hell he was doing, synapses in her brain started to connect, freezing her in place.

"Ablaze, Nylon, Carrying."

The fight faded into the background. A spark of blue caught her attention and she relaxed in Rumlow's arms, eyes focussed on the elevator control panel. She could almost see the circuitry underneath the panel, see the electricity flying.

"Filament, Reboot, Proxy."

Everything snapped back into focus. Including the electronics in the elevator. Every piece of tech was...singing to her, calling to her; and something inside her was responding. She could feel everything with a circuitboard, everything electronic. Well. Everything nearby. Most of what she felt within the Triskelion she felt through interconnected circuitry and.... The WiFi. She could feel things through the WiFi signal!

Someone hit the emergency stop button, bringing the elevator to a screeching halt, and she felt it, felt the electricity moving through the panel, even with her eyes closed.

A loud grunt drew her attention to where Steve was locked against the side of the elevator by one of his wrists. Grimacing, Katie snapped her head right back into Rumlow's nose, elbowed him in the gut, and broke free of his grasp. She reached for the gadget holding Steve, felt the components inside it, followed the electricity. A snap brought her back to the present and she watched the clasp fall to the ground with a light ping of metal against marble.

Once again, someone's arm wrapped around her from behind as Steve fought the onslaught.

"What are you doing?" the STRIKE agent whose name she'd forgotten demanded, his grip around her chest tightening. The guy was a little taller than her, just a pure wall of muscle and anger, reeking of sweat and desperation.

"Could ask you the same thing, traitor," she snarled. Katie relaxed every muscle in her body and dropped free from his grasp, elbowing him between the legs as she fell.

As soon as she popped upright, a taser came straight for her face.

But she grabbed it, feeling the electricity flow through her as she followed it back along the circuits to cut the power before slamming it back into the STRIKE asshole and igniting the power again. The jerk dropped to the ground, convulsing as electricity danced across his neck and shoulders before fizzling out.

"Before we get started," Steve said. "Does anybody want to let her out?"

Apparently the answer was no.

The guy in front of Cap extended his taser stick and attacked, while someone grabbed Katie from behind and pulled her back toward the glass.

An arm wrapped around her throat and Rumlow's voice growled in her ear, "Butterscotch, Frenetic, Poignant."

Almost the instant Katie opened her mouth to ask what the hell he was doing, synapses in her brain started to connect, freezing her in place.

"Ablaze, Nylon, Carrying."

The fight faded into the background. A spark of blue caught her attention and she relaxed in Rumlow's arms, eyes focussed on the elevator control panel. She could almost see the circuitry underneath the panel, see the electricity flying.

"Filament, Reboot, Proxy."

Everything snapped back into focus. Including the electronics in the elevator. Every piece of tech was...singing to her, calling to her; and something inside her was responding. She could feel everything with a circuitboard, everything electronic. Well. Everything nearby. Most of what she felt within the Triskelion she felt through interconnected circuitry and.... The WiFi. She could feel things through the WiFi signal!

Someone hit the emergency stop button, bringing the elevator to a screeching halt, and she felt it, felt the electricity moving through the panel, even with her eyes closed.

A loud grunt drew her attention to where Steve was locked against the side of the elevator by one of his wrists. Grimacing, Katie snapped her head right back into Rumlow's nose, elbowed him in the gut, and broke free of his grasp. She reached for the gadget holding Steve, felt the components inside it, followed the electricity. A snap brought her back to the present and she watched the clasp fall to the ground with a light ping of metal against marble.

Once again, someone's arm wrapped around her from behind as Steve fought the onslaught.

"What are you doing?" the STRIKE agent whose name she'd forgotten demanded, his grip around her chest tightening. The guy was a little taller than her, just a pure wall of muscle and anger, reeking of sweat and desperation.

"Could ask you the same thing, traitor," she snarled. Katie relaxed every muscle in her body and dropped free from his grasp, elbowing him between the legs as she fell.

As soon as she popped upright, a taser came straight for her face.

But she grabbed it, feeling the electricity flow through her as she followed it back along the circuits to cut the power before slamming it back into the STRIKE asshole and igniting the power again. The jerk dropped to the ground, convulsing as electricity danced across his neck and shoulders before fizzling out.

"Before we get started," Steve said. "Does anybody want to let her out?"

Apparently the answer was no.

The guy in front of Cap extended his taser stick and attacked, while someone grabbed Katie from behind and pulled her back toward the glass.

An arm wrapped around her throat and Rumlow's voice growled in her ear, "Butterscotch, Frenetic, Poignant."

Almost the instant Katie opened her mouth to ask what the hell he was doing, synapses in her brain started to connect, freezing her in place.

"Ablaze, Nylon, Carrying."

The fight faded into the background. A spark of blue caught her attention and she relaxed in Rumlow's arms, eyes focussed on the elevator control panel. She could almost see the circuitry underneath the panel, see the electricity flying.

"Filament, Reboot, Proxy."

Everything snapped back into focus. Including the electronics in the elevator. Every piece of tech was...singing to her, calling to her; and something inside her was responding. She could feel everything with a circuitboard, everything electronic. Well. Everything nearby. Most of what she felt within the Triskelion she felt through interconnected circuitry and.... The WiFi. She could feel things through the WiFi signal!

Someone hit the emergency stop button, bringing the elevator to a screeching halt, and she felt it, felt the electricity moving through the panel, even with her eyes closed.

A loud grunt drew her attention to where Steve was locked against the side of the elevator by one of his wrists. Grimacing, Katie snapped her head right back into Rumlow's nose, elbowed him in the gut, and broke free of his grasp. She reached for the gadget holding Steve, felt the components inside it, followed the electricity. A snap brought her back to the present and she watched the clasp fall to the ground with a light ping of metal against marble.

Once again, someone's arm wrapped around her from behind as Steve fought the onslaught.

"What are you doing?" the STRIKE agent whose name she'd forgotten demanded, his grip around her chest tightening. The guy was a little taller than her, just a pure wall of muscle and anger, reeking of sweat and desperation.

"Could ask you the same thing, traitor," she snarled. Katie relaxed every muscle in her body and dropped free from his grasp, elbowing him between the legs as she fell.

As soon as she popped upright, a taser came straight for her face.

But she grabbed it, feeling the electricity flow through her as she followed it back along the circuits to cut the power before slamming it back into the STRIKE asshole and igniting the power again. The jerk dropped to the ground, convulsing as electricity danced across his neck and shoulders before fizzling out.

"Before we get started," Steve said. "Does anybody want to let her out?"

Apparently the answer was no.

The guy in front of Cap extended his taser stick and attacked, while someone grabbed Katie from behind and pulled her back toward the glass.

An arm wrapped around her throat and Rumlow's voice growled in her ear, "Butterscotch, Frenetic, Poignant."

Almost the instant Katie opened her mouth to ask what the hell he was doing, synapses in her brain started to connect, freezing her in place.

"Ablaze, Nylon, Carrying."

The fight faded into the background. A spark of blue caught her attention and she relaxed in Rumlow's arms, eyes focussed on the elevator control panel. She could almost see the circuitry underneath the panel, see the electricity flying.

"Filament, Reboot, Proxy."

Everything snapped back into focus. Including the electronics in the elevator. Every piece of tech was...singing to her, calling to her; and something inside her was responding. She could feel everything with a circuitboard, everything electronic. Well. Everything nearby. Most of what she felt within the Triskelion she felt through interconnected circuitry and.... The WiFi. She could feel things through the WiFi signal!

Someone hit the emergency stop button, bringing the elevator to a screeching halt, and she felt it, felt the electricity moving through the panel, even with her eyes closed.

A loud grunt drew her attention to where Steve was locked against the side of the elevator by one of his wrists. Grimacing, Katie snapped her head right back into Rumlow's nose, elbowed him in the gut, and broke free of his grasp. She reached for the gadget holding Steve, felt the components inside it, followed the electricity. A snap brought her back to the present and she watched the clasp fall to the ground with a light ping of metal against marble.

Once again, someone's arm wrapped around her from behind as Steve fought the onslaught.

"What are you doing?" the STRIKE agent whose name she'd forgotten demanded, his grip around her chest tightening. The guy was a little taller than her, just a pure wall of muscle and anger, reeking of sweat and desperation.

"Could ask you the same thing, traitor," she snarled. Katie relaxed every muscle in her body and dropped free from his grasp, elbowing him between the legs as she fell.

As soon as she popped upright, a taser came straight for her face.

But she grabbed it, feeling the electricity flow through her as she followed it back along the circuits to cut the power before slamming it back into the STRIKE asshole and igniting the power again. The jerk dropped to the ground, convulsing as electricity danced across his neck and shoulders before fizzling out.

"Before we get started," Steve said. "Does anybody want to let her out?"

Apparently the answer was no.

The guy in front of Cap extended his taser stick and attacked, while someone grabbed Katie from behind and pulled her back toward the glass.

An arm wrapped around her throat and Rumlow's voice growled in her ear, "Butterscotch, Frenetic, Poignant."

Almost the instant Katie opened her mouth to ask what the hell he was doing, synapses in her brain started to connect, freezing her in place.

"Ablaze, Nylon, Carrying."

The fight faded into the background. A spark of blue caught her attention and she relaxed in Rumlow's arms, eyes focussed on the elevator control panel. She could almost see the circuitry underneath the panel, see the electricity flying.

"Filament, Reboot, Proxy."

Everything snapped back into focus. Including the electronics in the elevator. Every piece of tech was...singing to her, calling to her; and something inside her was responding. She could feel everything with a circuitboard, everything electronic. Well. Everything nearby. Most of what she felt within the Triskelion she felt through interconnected circuitry and.... The WiFi. She could feel things through the WiFi signal!

Someone hit the emergency stop button, bringing the elevator to a screeching halt, and she felt it, felt the electricity moving through the panel, even with her eyes closed.

A loud grunt drew her attention to where Steve was locked against the side of the elevator by one of his wrists. Grimacing, Katie snapped her head right back into Rumlow's nose, elbowed him in the gut, and broke free of his grasp. She reached for the gadget holding Steve, felt the components inside it, followed the electricity. A snap brought her back to the present and she watched the clasp fall to the ground with a light ping of metal against marble.

Once again, someone's arm wrapped around her from behind as Steve fought the onslaught.

"What are you doing?" the STRIKE agent whose name she'd forgotten demanded, his grip around her chest tightening. The guy was a little taller than her, just a pure wall of muscle and anger, reeking of sweat and desperation.

"Could ask you the same thing, traitor," she snarled. Katie relaxed every muscle in her body and dropped free from his grasp, elbowing him between the legs as she fell.

As soon as she popped upright, a taser came straight for her face.

But she grabbed it, feeling the electricity flow through her as she followed it back along the circuits to cut the power before slamming it back into the STRIKE asshole and igniting the power again. The jerk dropped to the ground, convulsing as electricity danced across his neck and shoulders before fizzling out.