Natasha's POV

One would think that going to Paris is an exciting once in a life time event. But let me just say I was not excited about going. Sure it'd be great to hang out in an amazing city but two things really pissed me off. Number one being the fact that I felt like shit. Number two being the fact that we had little idea of what would be waiting for us.

Steve had done most of the packing and we now stood in front of the helicarrier. "I'm not sure if I should be happy about the trip or not."

Steve chuckled wrapping an arm around me. "If we're lucky we can maybe have a date."

"That sounds good but let's be honest neither of us are particularly lucky." I said smiling lightly. He rolled his eyes and took my bag going to claim spots for us on the plane.

"This is awesome I've never been outside of the country well I have but still!" Peter said jogging backwards and talking to Scarrlet.

"Peter you'll trip and I'm going to laugh." She said with a smile.

"No I won't I have impeccable balance." Peter said his heel clipping his own foot and sure enough he fell backwards. Vision floated by and looked down at Peter.

"You should listen to her more. She often knows what she's talking about." He said before grabbing Peter and pulling him back to his feet. Peter dusted himself off and gave Vision the thumbs up.

"Thanks man!" He said running again but this time facing forward. "I call shotgun!"

"It's a damn plane Peter there isn't a shotgun!" Tony said walking past me as well. Thor emerged last of all having probably slept in. Seriously no one can wake him up unless he wants to be woken up.

"Ah to the city of Paris!" Thor boomed swinging his hammer around as one would with car keys. Scarrlet rolled her eyes and made her way over to me.

"Not on the plane?" She asked. "I thought you would be the first."

"Yes well...." I shrugged and Scar's smile faltered. She glanced about before taking my arm and pulling me aside. "What?"

"Nat does this have to do with what we talked about?" She asked quietly glancing over her shoulder.

"What? No!" I scoffed crossing my arms. Scar's eyes narrowed. "Okay maybe a little. I still don't feel good but I'm sure it's nothing."

"Don't be stupid about this okay?" She warned.

"I'm not. You'll be the first person I'll talk to." I said and Scar smiled lightly.

"I know." She sighed. "Now come on we have a ride to catch."

I nodded and we jogged over to the plane. The ramp closed behind us and the engine roared to life as the thrusters were tested for functionality. I claimed my seat towards the front of the carrier next to Steve.

"What took you so long?" He asked watching Tony and Peter fight over shotgun.

"I got here first!" Peter said sitting down. Tony rolled his eyes.

"I'm older now get up!" He said picking Peter up easily and setting him aside. Maria who was the pilot looked like she was about to Sparta kick then out of the windshield.

"I was talking to Scar." I replied leaning on his side.

"About what?" He asked digging through his bag and pulling out a movie player that Peter had gotten him for his birthday.

"About the trip and how we're gonna die of boredom." I lied.

"Well if you want we can watch a movie I got a whole bunch." Steve smiled opening the second pouch to his bag. Inside were a bucket load of movies.

"Did you just take every movie from the screen room?" I teased selecting one from his supply. "Here let's watch this one."

"The Adventures in Babysitting?" Steve asked reading the title.

"It sounds dumb but it's actually pretty funny especially when the little girl goes to the mechanics shop and she thinks the worker is-" Steve pressed his lips against mine cutting off my sentence.

"You're doing it again." He said pulling back and smiling.

"Doing what?" I questioned.

"Spoiling the movie." He chuckled putting it in the tray and pressing play. He shifted into a better position his back up against the wall and me leaning back on his chest tucked between his legs. Steve let me hold the movie player like always. He asked me to pause it every now and then to explain certain things.

"That feels nice." I smiled as he played with my hair.

"I know." He smiled kissing my cheek. I glanced up from the screen to see Peter watching Scarrlet and Vision playing a game of chess. Thor was by himself polishing his hammer. Tony was jamming out to music with Maria.

"How long do we have left?" I asked over the music.

"Like three hours!" Maria called back. I groaned hating long trips especially if one wasn't sure what awaited them once they got there. Steve laughed as the credits rolled to the movie.

"It's not too bad." He said trying to be optimistic. I rolled my eyes and rolled over resting my head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around me lightly and sighed looking around. I could almost tell what he was thinking. That it was quiet, peaceful, and there was the smallest of doubts in the back of his head that it wasn't going to last much longer.

"We'll be okay." I said taking his hand in mine. He gave me a thankful smile. We stayed like that for the rest of the flight.

When the carrier landed there was a collective sigh of relief. Vision packed up the chess game, Peter immediately asked for a bathroom, Thor was excited to see what food there was to eat, and me? Well I was just happy to be off the damn plane.

Standing was a little weird at first my legs were stiff and didn't want to work but a moment later I was skipping off  the plane. Maria filed out last.

"Alright guys I know you're glad to be off the flight but I have orders to relay." She said her hands clasped behind her back.

"Why do you ruin all the fun?" Peter asked slinging an arm around her shoulders. A smile threatened to break Maria's serious face. Peter was the type of person who could always ruin a serious mood. He made tough times seem easier.

"Peter you've been off the plane for two minutes. You haven't even had fun and I thought you needed the bathroom." Maria said.

"Actually I'm good now." Peter said before glancing down, blushing a little, and pulling the zipper up more on his pants.

"I don't even want to know." Maria said pulling his arm off of her.

"He's just being a boy." Tony said.

"Why do I have the feeling you also used the bathroom?" I asked with a shiver.

"Because your intuition is correct." Tony said with a smirk.

"Okay no more bathroom talk." Maria said sighing. "You have one hour to get settled into the hotel. After that we have an all access governmental pass into the catacombs. Don't be late."

"Thank you Maria." Vision nodded.

"Yes thank you and fly safely." Thor said.

"No problem if you need anything contact via earpiece." Maria said pulling a small case form her belt and opening it. Inside were small glistening objects. I was the first to take one and place it in my ear. The others took one each and did the same.

With that Maria walked back into the carrier and the ramp closed behind her. I watched as the wind kicked up dirt and debris swirling it around in a tornado. Slowly the giant beast of metal rose into the air and faded from sight.

"Well guess we have a hotel to find." Scarrlet said. Maria's voice cut in through the earpiece.

"I believe I forgot to tell you where to go. My bad." She laughed before relaying the directions on where to go. Steve and I followed Vision who lead the group to a small hotel. It certainly wasn't as nice as the tower but I had stayed in worse places before.

We collected our room keys and dispersed to our areas of the hotel. I made note of where the others were staying just in case.

"So we have an hour." Steve said opening the door. "I don't think it'll take us this long to unpack."

"Well you never know." I said shrugging. "I get distracted."

"I know." Steve chuckled shutting the door and tossing his bag aside. I tossed mine onto the far bed turning to look at him.

"We have time." He said glancing at the clock before kissing me. I couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Calm down Soldier." But in all honesty I didn't care. Wrapping my arms around his neck he pulled me closer to him. His hands tangled in my hair as I kissed him roughly. My hand slipped under his shirt my fingers brushing his side lightly. A small shiver passed through him and I laughed quietly.

"You think that's funny?" He asked his eyes dancing in the light.

"Just a little." I said kissing his cheek. He rolled his eyes before pressing his lips to my neck and tickling my sides.

"No stop!" I laughed jumping onto the bed and hiding behind the pillows. He laughed pulling me out form behind my fluffy defense wall. Smiling I kissed him again, he shifted slightly so his weight wasn't completely on top of me.

"What the hell? You're supposed to unpack!" Tony's voice said and I looked over Steve's shoulder to see him standing mortified in the doorway.

"How the hell did you open the door Tony?" I growled reaching down and pulling off my boot.

"I hacked it." He said simply. "I mean really Steve? I said unpack not undress."

"That's it." I said throwing my shoe at Tony. He yelled and sprinted away Steve laughed letting me go and I chased him down the hall. Tony had a look of fear on his face as he pounded up the stairs to the second floor. Halfway up I tackled him to the ground.

"Hey get off me!" He said squirming.

"Nat drop. Drop." Peter said having walked down the stairs.

"I'm not a dog, Peter." I frowned.

"You want to know what I saw? I saw her and-" I punched him hard in the mouth before he could finish.

"Not another word." I growled standing up. Tony rubbed his jaw and winced.

"Fine fine." He said.

"Well we got to go." Peter said. "Takes half an hour to get there."

"I'll get the others." I said getting up and going to Scar's room first knocking on the door unlike Tony.

"Time to go?" She asked opening the door.

"Yeah." I nodded she smiled then glanced over her shoulder.

"Come on Vis." Vision was reading what looked to be a hotel service manual.

"Why is he reading that?" Scar laughed along with me.

"Don't know he likes reading anything." She walked over took the manual out of his hands, and pulled him to his feet.

"I was reading that Wanda." He said flatly but got up anyways.

"Head downstairs I'll get Thor." She said walking down the hall leaving Vision and I alone.

"Why were you reading a manual about hotel service?" I questioned as we walked.

"I find it interesting to know as much as possible." He said his footsteps light like mine on the stairs.

Once we were all gathered in place we made the complicated process of going to the catacombs. I expected tourists to be crowding around the entrance but it was roped off by caution tape and security was keeping the curious crowd at bay.

It was getting late and the city lights began to blink into existence. We filed out of the small government car one by one. Reporters flocked about snapping pictures and asking questions. I kept my head down walking over to the man I presumed was in charge.

His posture was like a rod had been taped to his back, his hands clasped in front of him, the suit he wore looked expensive but was easily a cheap one used for another work day.

"So you are the avengers?" He asked an accent thick.

"Yes and you are?" Steve asked extending his hand.

"Riz. Governmental director of the observation system here in Paris for historical sites." He said his name sounding to be from some Israeli decent.

"Well it's a pleasure I presume you know why we're here?" Steve asked with a light smile on his face.

"Yes. It's in regards to the strange beacons decorating the earth as radioactive ornaments." Riz said flatly his eyes dancing with knowledge.

"You seem to be rather intelligent." I smirked and his gaze studied me as if he were trying to summarize me in a single glance the way I had him.

"Yes well I am highly educated." He said turning to the others. "Now let's go into the catacombs shall we?"

Peter smiled the first to follow Riz down a small bit of stairs and into a dark like tunnel. The others filed in one by one. I walked in last of all. The air was dank and almost wet.

"Do not touch anything it is a fragile balance here." Riz said glancing back pointedly at Peter. "You have access to all of the areas our typical tourists have access to. Do not go past the mapped areas or you risk collapsing the above world as you know it."

"Understood." Vision said as Riz handed out maps to each of us.

"Use a buddy system getting lost down here is dangerous." Riz said his gaze one of worry now.

"What's so bad about getting lost? Everything connects to everything." Tony said.

"Let me tell you Mr. Stark what it's like to be lost down here." Riz said taking off the thin spectacles that rested on his nose. "Everything begins to look the same. There is no more left or right. Forwards or backwards. Just walking. You will begin to hyperventilate first and sweat as you realize that all of those skeletal faces look the same. Then you will lose your senses. And last of all you will. Go. Mad."

Peter shifted nervously his eyes big. Scarrlet mumbled something under her breath earning a reassuring hand on her shoulder from Thor. Tony swallowed hard and watched as Riz walked back up the stairs.

"So....buddy system." Tony said breaking the silence. Peter gravitated over towards me almost subconsciously and grabbed my arm.

"She's my buddy." He said his voice less loud than normal.

"I'll go with these two." Vision said gesturing to Thor and Tony.

Scarrlet smiled walking over to Steve. "Will you be my buddy?"

"Of course I'll be your buddy." Steve smiled back.

"Thanks buddy." Scar laughed softly glancing down at her map.

"Okay we've got to split up. Meet back in about an hour to update." Tony said setting his watch."Hopefully the alarm goes off."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Peter asked worriedly.

"If it does it should be loud enough for all of us to hear it." Tony said. "If not...well we may not come back at the same time."

With that morbid thought we dispersed. Steve went left; Scar walking close to him her fingers twitching nervously. Thor, Tony, and Vision walked shoulder to shoulder going forward.

"Alright." Peter breathed starting to walk slowly glancing down at the map. As we walked the tunnel shifted from stones walls to morbid white faces. The pale bone stared back at us, empty eyes searing into our skin as we walked, it was horribly unnerving. "Do you know how they all died?"

"Paris faced problems. Overflowing cemeteries and numerous cave ins." I explained as we walked eyes peeled for anything unusual.

"Okay so how did they end up here?" Peter asked his hand still on my arm.

"Nightly processions of bones to the catacombs." The talking helped ease the nervous air that surrounded us. Acting like I knew things was a way to keep myself in control. "Six million people are in here."

"Six million?" He squeaked scooting away from the wall. A silence clung to us like an awkward third wheel.

Peter kept mumbling the clue over and over again until it was ingrained in my brain.

"Dead wait for the living. Dead wait for the living. Dead wait for the living." He whispered as we skirted around a corner. We walked for what felt like hours past walls and walls of expressionless faces.

"I don't think there's anything over here." I spoke at last. Peter nodded in agreement.

"Maybe a little farth-agh!" He jumped about a foot in the air turning upside down and hanging from the ceiling. We had turned another corner and what awaited us was surprising. A skeleton lay on the floor but it wasn't only a head. The entire body was there. The jaw hung open as if the person were mid yell.

"What the..." I looked up at the dead end. Dozens of heads glaring back dangerously. It was terrifying and I could imagine them coming alive. I stepped over the dead body glancing down at it and feeling sick.

Peter crawled over head his curiosity getting the better of him. "Think we should get the others?"

"Yeah." I nodded and before I could say anything Peter scrambled off. The center skull seemed to be emanating a sort of aura. Curious I brushed it with my fingertips and the jaw opened. Flinching in surprise I watched as something long and black coiled out of its mouth. It hissed and dropped onto the ground coiling up.

"Shit." I said taking a step back the snake showing its fangs. It grew increasingly agitated and I froze not moving anymore.

"Nat we got a problem." Tony said running around the corner.

"Don't move." I ordered glancing at him and holding up my hand. His eyes settled on the snake and he paled.

"Guys freeze where you are." He said staying rooted to the spot.

"The center skull has something in it." I said catching the glint of an object in its mouth.

"Well figuring out what it is is going to have a slight problem." Tony said sarcastically.

"What's the problem?" Steve's voice was quiet taking his ques from Tony.

"Snake." Tony replied turning his attention back to me.

"If I come your way it'll lunge and hit the wall behind me." I spoke carefully.

"And risk getting bitten?" Tony scoffed causing the snake to hiss.

"Three...two...one!" I dove in Tony's direction and I could feel the snake lashing out. Landing in a roll I sprang to my feet and a loud bang sounded behind me. I turned to see Thor's hammer on top of the snakes head.

"Thanks." I breathed. Thor smiled back.

"Not a problem." The others shifted about a bit finding better space to move around in. I turned back to the skull and contemplated reaching into its jaw.

"Oh no you don't." Tony said walking in front of me and plunging his hand into the black hole. "If anyone is gonna die from being stupid it's me."

There was a popping noise and Tony retracted his hand and the skulls on the wall began to shift and rotate. Slowly the skulls began to disappear and a bare wall could be seen. A symbol all to familiar was on the wall. Underneath were the words Hail the Uniter.

"Well I'll be damned." Scar breathed. Beneath the writings were two bloodied hand prints. Between the two handprints was a small glassy box embedded in the wall. Tony took it out and tucked it away carefully.

"I think we found what we need. Let's go." I said turning to leave.

"That's the problem." Peter said anxiously.

"We can't leave." Thor said picking up his hammer.

"What do you mean we can't leave?" I asked. Steve shifted and pulled something out of his pocket. It was a small leather bound wallet. He tossed it to me and watched for my reaction.

I opened it up to see a picture of a man with the name of Riz. Only this man wasn't Riz. The nose was the wrong shape, the eyes were softer, the posture was more relaxed.

"The guy who received us wasn't Riz." Vision said and my gaze landed on the skeleton on the floor. It was immaculate and clean not aged more than a few days.

"That is Riz." I said and the others looked down at the skeleton on the ground. "Which means we've been played."

"The exit was gone when we went back to it." Scar said. Everyone glanced to Tony who looked confused before pulling the box out.

"Think this tells us what to do?" He asked. Steve nodded and Tony fumbled with the little clasp on the front. It popped open and he reached inside pulling out a slip of paper. "Place your hands on the prints."

"The bloody ones?" Peter asked his voice cracking from nerves.

"I'd assume so." Thor said kneeling down and placing one hand on each of the prints. There was a flash of light and the prints turned black receding into the wall leaving handprint craters.

"So you've decided to play." A voice said through the tunnels rattling around. It sounded like Riz's well-fake Riz that is.

"What the hell is going on man?" Tony yelled.

"Let the first game begin!" He called and the torches on the walls that had been lighting the way were snuffed out as flashes of black came and went. Shadow walkers. "Pass this and you can get the next part of clue one!"

"And if we don't want to play?" Steve asked in the dark.

"Then you die." Came the response. "Enjoy."

With that the catacombs were bathed in red, emergency lights turning on. I glanced at the others and a mixture of fear and anger was on their faces. Thor wielded his hammer, Tony's watch morphed into a repulsed, Scarrlet's hands ignited in red, Vision's mind gem glinted menacingly.

I glanced at Steve and we both raised our fists ready for whatever was to come. The sound of footsteps could be heard filling the tunnels and drawing closer.

Shadows danced in the walls; figures morphed and misshapen. Tony readied his blaster "So much for a simple vacation."