Chapter 23: Tony Stark
Maria Hill walked briskly down the corridor toward the Shield' training center, still thinking about Fury's message and the weird supernatural situation with Trish and the demonic scimitars. As she reached the heavy training room door, she grabbed the handle and pushed it open, while her mind was occupied with Demons and other supernatural things.
'Coulson did mention about Blade the Vampire Slayer, so well I think Demons don't matter much now' She thought and suddenly, a scorching wave of heat rushed toward her.
"Maria, move!" Natasha shouted from inside, her voice filled with urgency.
Before she could react, a flaming slash from Agni's scimitar came flying directly at her. Maria's eyes widened in shock. She barely had time to throw herself to the side, the searing heat grazing her as the flames whooshed past, slamming into the reinforced wall behind her with a loud crack, leaving blackened deep scorch marks.
Maria scrambled to her feet, her heart pounding. She instinctively reached for her sidearm, her fingers trembling from the near-death encounter. Peeking inside the training room, she saw Natasha standing tense, gripping Agni's glowing, flame-engulfed scimitar. Her face was a mixture of frustration and worry and relief seeing her unharmed.
"I didn't mean to—" Natasha began, but Agni cut her off.
"Puny human, if you can't control me, you have no right to wield my power!" Agni's voice rumbled, fiery and contemptuous, reverberating through the room.
Natasha clenched her jaw, holding the scimitar tighter. "I'm trying! But you're not making it any easier," she retorted.
Maria, still catching her breath, cautiously stepped inside the room. "Is this... normal?" she asked, eyeing the still-smoking walls, not just the one blow that also almost scorched her, but the whole training room walls.
Natasha exhaled sharply, lowering the scimitar for a moment. "It's been like this for the last half hour. Every time I try to use the fire, it gets out of control."
"That's because you are weak," Agni snarled, flames flaring again from the blade. "You think you can command me? You should've burned with that first strike."