damn-stark

[damn-stark]

When Bob and mc both describe each other as the sun then what??

Moon Star

[damn-stark]

Do you want to know what happens next??!! Catch up first!!

Chapter 11 The Trail we Blaze

Chapter 11 of Moon Star

A/N- its long but I do hope you all enjoy :)

Warning- ANGST, FLUFF, swearing, violence weapons, LONG CHAPTER

Pairing- Bob Reynolds x fem!reader, Marc Spector x daughter!reader

When does it take place?- Thunderbolts (0:00:00--0:48:32)

(Let me know if you want to be tagged)

————

“TODAY YOU ARE WATCHING CHANNEL 5, FROM INSIDE THE COURTHOUSE WHERE IN A COUPLE OF MINUTES THE CIA DIRECTOR VALENTINA DE FONTAINE IS GOING TO START HER HEARING. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE COURTROOM IS ALREADY FILLED WITH OUR CONGRESSMEN AND WOMEN, AS WELL AS OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS READY TO HEAR THE START OF THIS TRIAL. LUCKILY—LOOK CONGRESSMAN BARNS IS WALKING IN, LET'S GO ASK HIM SOME QUESTIONS.”

The camera pans and in frame is the ever-so-handsome Winter Soldier who is now otherwise known as Congressman James Buchanan Barnes.

“Hey, so why do you think people voted for Congressman Barnes?” You ask your dad who’s at the other end of the FaceTime call as he insists on watching your boss's trial with you for moral support…and to prove you right about his skepticism about her. “Do people really trust him?”

“Do you?” Your dad redirects. “He does represent that state your school is in.”

You scoff. “No, I don’t trust him. I would have voted no. He might not be the Winter Soldier anymore, but there has to be some form of skepticism for him. He’s no Sam Wilson.”

“No,” your dad agrees. “But we ought to put some faith in him. What happened to him wasn’t his fault. He’s trying to do better.”

You hum before you take a sip of your hot simmering coffee and watch as the camera comes to a stop before the obviously nervous congressmen.

“Not like your boss,” your dad quips and you roll your eyes lightheartedly and set the mug down as the news anchor starts to address the congressmen.

“Representative Barnes, as a freshman congressman, any words on today’s hearing?”

“Well, I’m not on the impeachment committee,” Congressman Barnes starts off smoothly, captivating your attention. “But the rumors of wrongdoing are very worrying.”

You hear his following comment and start to snicker.

“They are very, very concerning and uhm, worrying. And I think that my Brooklyn constituents deserve better, so we’re gonna get to the bottom of this uhm,” he clears his throat. “Worrying issue.”

You begin to laugh and take another sip of your coffee before you start to work on the finishing touches on your scarab.

“Thank you,” Congressman Barnes brings an end to the interview and breaks through the crowd to walk into the Courtroom, leaving the woman to also bring an end to the segment before the camera view changes to inside the courtroom where the hearing begins with a few hits of the gavel.

You pause what you’re working on and watch as the crowd takes their seats, letting you finally see Valentina sitting at the center of attention with her assistant that you always forget the name of. Not like she matters at the moment, all your focus is on Valentina and how nonchalant she is able to look. You almost believe that everything against her is in fact a lie when you know it’s the truth.

“Now, today, the committee is meeting to examine this officer who sits before you,” Congressman Gary starts the hearing. “Articles of impeachment have been brought against her. And when we vote in favor of the impeachment, she will be removed from her post permanently. Please state your name for the record,” he gives Valentina the floor.

“Valentina Allegra de Fontaine,” she states with a fake innocent smile plastered on her face.

“Now, Miss Fontaine—”

“No,” said woman cuts him off to correct him. “It’s “de Fontaine.” You forgot the “de”.”

You roll your eyes and continue working while you also keep listening, catching your dad's comment on the matter. “Ay, no.”

“She has a point,” you comment, making your dad rebuttal.

“You can’t defend her.”

“Mr. Anderson, for example,” Valentina keeps going. “Is Secretary of Defense, not secretary of “fense,”.”

That earns a couple of chuckles from the crowd but a groan from your dad.

“Miss de Fontaine,” Congressman Gary corrects himself. “At this moment, you are serving as a director of the CIA, correct?”

“That is correct.”

“Now before that, you were chairwoman of the board of OXE Group?” Congressman Gary asks for the record and Valentina answers quickly, leaving no space to be doubted.

“Yes. Although, I have fully divested in OXE since taking office. I now sit on the board in a strategic guidance capacity.”

“And following this strategic guidance, the OXE Group maintains significant holdings in unregulated labs in foreign countries and rumored human experimentation.”

You stop and look at the TV screen at the mention as you can’t help but think of Bob.

“All part of an illegal operation to develop your own super…person,” Congressman Gary stammers over how to address the matter, making you sink deeper in your chair the more you think about Bob and how betrayed he must have felt when you just disappeared without a word.

If only you could tell him that you’re closer than he thinks.

“Is that what she had you doing?” Your dad interjects and follows by saying your name to demand an answer, but you pretend to have missed his question and listen to Valentina as she speaks up

“May I speak now, Congressman?”

“Yes.”

“First of all, I don’t have time to entertain these rumors and this gossip. Right now,” she says confidently. “There are multiple rogue nations with technologies that far exceed our own. And you’ll recall that our last president turned into a bright red superhuman monster who nearly destroyed this city.”

“She has a point,” you mutter.

“The Avengers are not walking through that door,” Valentina proclaims as she stands up. “We have no reliable heroes. That is why the onus is on me, on us, the American government, to shield its citizens. And you know,” she pauses as the gavel is hit before Congressman Gary tries to get her to stop.

“Madame Director.”

“Anything I have done in my roles both at OXE or at the CIA,” Valentina ignores him. “Has been done with that goal in mind.”

“Order. Madame Director,” Congressman Gary tries to order, but Valentina continues to defy him.

“I officially reject these articles of impeachment,” she claims as she sits down hoping that would get some fire off her, but if you were clueless you would only suspect her more. Which isn’t so smart on her part.

“This is a partisan waste of time,” Valentina continues to say. “And your hunt will come up empty no matter how many nooks and crannies you happen to stick your nose in.”

“So you don’t mind if this committee continues this investigation?” Congressman Gary rebuttals.

“Oh, of course not.”

You scoff softly at her response and then turn away from the TV, letting the hearing play out as you grow uninterested. It’s not like you’re at risk. Sure, you were working for her and OXE Group, you managed to actually get the Sentry project to work, but she doesn’t know that so all evidence that could have pinned you to the matter is getting burnt to ash. All except for Bob.

That’s why you haven’t been able to go save him because you needed him to be transported to Valentina’s black site first. That way there’s no trail and she doesn’t have a chance to find out about Bob.

“Look, Baby,” your dad steals your attention off your scarab and makes you turn your camera so he can look at you. “You don’t need her anymore, okay? Go and finish this school year on campus. You will be better off.”

You glance over at the TV as the hearing nears its end and then look back at your dad with the same nonchalant technique Valentia used at the start of her hearing.

“It’s because of her that I’m able to graduate this year,” you bring up, hoping that it doesn’t sound like you’re defending her because you’re not. You’re simply pointing out that because of Valentina taking you on as her tech specialist, you are able to graduate early.

Whether your dad likes it or not she opened the door to many unbelievable opportunities you otherwise wouldn’t have gotten.

“Yes, I know, but she’s under fire now,” your dad argues. “There’s no need for you to go down with her.”

“I won’t,” you assure him. “But even so, you have nothing to worry about. Did Steven get that?” You ask knowing the man you mentioned is overthinking this matter for the both of them.

“He heard,” your dad assures you. “He—we just want what’s best for you.”

You nod. “I know. If she falls I won't. Simple as that. And I get to go to campus,” you reassure him, hiding the fact that you’re not even in Washington D.C.. You’re actually close to where they took Bob, and your dad doesn’t know that. He thinks you’re home, waiting to hear whether they found Valentina guilty or not. He thinks you’re worried, but he doesn’t know that you’re more worried about the “project” Valentina sent you to save.

Layla, your most trusted confidant doesn’t know anything either, and Steven, well, he knows what your dad knows and that’s nothing, which is probably a bad thing just in case something goes awry, but you don’t think about what could go wrong. You just think about Bob, your secret. Your Bob.

If you knew your dad would understand why you’re risking your life for Bob, you would have told him, but you know him. He’ll get upset. He’ll say you’re risking your life for someone you shouldn't have gotten attached to. For a job. And as much as he understands love, he wouldn’t understand why you love Bob, or why he’s worth risking your life for. So maybe you’re putting your relationship at jeopardy too besides your life, but never do you waver at the thought.

Then again there’s a more important secret that is also jeopardizing your relationship, but right now, you don’t even think about telling him. All you think about is Bob, your guilt for having to leave him behind, and the hope that you’ll reach him in time.

You also hope that he somehow knows you’re coming, but knowing him he probably thinks you’ve abandoned him when it’s far from the truth.

Can’t he know that abandoning him never crossed your mind though? Even before when your days were made of keeping him company as he was in his coma and your feelings were undeveloped? And through all those busy days you tried to get his powers to work?

He must know. He has to understand.

——

*SOMETIME LATER*

Cameras looping?

You pull out your scarab and turn it on so it can fly out of hiding and approach the cameras. When you don’t catch even a glimpse of it on your smartwatch, you slowly come out of hiding and face the great eyesore that Valentina’s black site is.

Anyone with a mind would immediately clock how suspicious this is, no? It’s on top of a damn mountain!

Anyway, the cameras are looping and your suit omits any body signature any extra security measures might pick up, so you have your scarab land on the control panel and let it hack into the system to open the grand doors for you.

However, before you do make your way inside, you use your very own nanotech that you made and have it form into a fly that you keep over the entrance so it can work as your very own security camera.

Once that is up and working you finally make your way inside with your scarab leading the way just in case there’s any potential danger ahead.

Luckily, you reach the elevators without trouble, so you then make your way to the vault that resides one mile down the mountain, feeling anxiety creep in the further down you get. The black site is just so big and lonely and the combination makes it deafening and haunting. That’s not even mentioning the fact that you’re deep underground.

If this place collapses that’s it. There’s no way out! That’s terrifying! And it’s not like you’ll die next to old relics and ancient history. You’ll die in a bland vault! That’d be such a boring way to die!

You’d prefer to be killed by those Heka priest zombie creatures than die down here. That's why when the elevator reaches the intended floor you scurry out and at a quick jog, you make your way to the vault the same way you came into the black site, by hacking the system and opening the door.

Yet when the doors to the vault open you’re not welcomed into some cave of wonders, you walk into a room littered to the brim with evidence that would be able to lock Valentina away all of her life, making your plan to quickly find Bob that much harder.

Great! Just what you needed! More time in this trap of a vault!

Anyway, you don’t hesitate to start looking while your scarab flies over all the junk in search of a capsule that Bob might be in.

The vault itself isn’t so big and it’s just one room so it won’t be hidden miles away, or in a different room. If Bob is here he'll be nearby.

“I could help you look for him,” Denwen’s voice creeps in. “I have an amazing sense of smell like that of a snake, some would say.”

“No,” you deadpan stubbornly.

“Oh, and she talks,” Denwen quips as he manifests himself outside and leans against a tower of boxes in his monstrous form. “This would be so much quicker if we worked together.”

You ignore him and thankfully an alert comes through your smart watch that tells you that your scarab found a suspicious capsule, so you quickly abandon your search and run to a corner of the vault, coming face to face with a capsule.

Valentina can’t possibly be trying to destroy other super-humans so this has to be him. You just have to wake him up and open it.

However, just as you’re about to tap on the control pad, an alert comes through your watch that warns you about a singular person in a suspicious black tactical suit and a white mask approaching the black site.

“Shit,” you hiss. “Shit!”

“Come on, let me in,” Denwen insists almost in a tempting way, but it’s not enough to tempt you. Instead, you leave the capsule and look frantically for a tall stack of boxes.

Once you find some just nearby another alert comes through your watch and your security fly warns you of someone else walking in. This time though, as the suspicious figure approaches you actually recognize the bright blue, red, and white suit he’s wearing. That’s John Walker, the failed Captain America!

“What the hell is going on?!” You grumble and work at a quicker speed to surround yourself and capsule with tall stacks and singular boxes to hide behind, adding to your time inside.

“They’re after you,” Denwen pesters you as he can’t do anything but watch you move like crazy to try and hide you and Bob so you can get him out in secret while the intruders come. For what exactly?

They can’t be here to rob Valentina if they work for her, and you only know John Walker works for her because one time Valentina had you work on the shield he’s carrying. She didn’t directly say it was for someone who worked for her but you pieced it together rather quickly because she warned you not to be inquisitive and just work.

So what are they here for? Is Denwen right? Are they here for you?

“Secrets are our downfall if not kept right,” Denwen hisses in such a soothing way as he returns inside you.

“Shut up,” you bark back and notice that you get another damn alert of someone else in a stylish black suit and a white mask approaching the damn site!

“<Damn, damn, damn!>” You curse in Spanish before you use more of your nano tech to make more flies. This time you have them discreetly patrol the halls for you while you drag over the last stack of boxes, getting yet another damn alert of a short blond woman approaching the site which makes this ordeal much weirder.

They can’t be after you. Please, please let that not be true.

Nevertheless, you don’t abandon your mission, with quick glances at your little screen to watch for the four intruders, you return to the capsule and find that there’s no security wall of any kind keeping you from waking up Bob. You just tap on the right buttons and it starts the waking-up process, leaving you time to focus on the blond intruder finding her way to the vault first.

You watch her walk out of the elevator with her gun pointed at the open doors that welcome her inside the vault of evidence. All while just down a different hall, John Walker slowly approaches the same vault in the same careful and threatening walk as the blonde who creeps inside and starts to look around the piles of useless junk.

And as if premeditated, the intruder who reached the black site first also starts making their way toward the vault of evidence, turning this into a rather intriguing turn of events. More so when two of your security flies come together in the same room as John Walker at last joins the fray not going unnoticed. The blond woman catches John Walker just as he starts raising his gun and uses a hard-shelled case to block the case of bullets he sends her way.

When John Walker reloads his gun you watch as the Blonde woman throws her case at him, forcing him to use his heavy shield to shove it away when it reaches him. She then pulls out her gun and shoots, but ultimately her bullets are blocked by the shield whilst he also pushes forward, getting close enough to kick her wrist and make her drop her gun, leaving you quite amused.

John Walker then throws his leg again, but he misses this time and the Blonde moves in, capturing his arm and using her elbow to hit the back of his neck before she flips him onto the ground with a loud thud that shakes the metal ground.

You start to smile thinking that the blonde is going to gain the upper hand, but he then manages to use his strength to kick her away, causing her to crash into the ground a few feet away.

After that, they both get back up and meet in the middle to continue fighting with her finally addressing him in a Russian accent.

“You’re not even my target,” you hear her say as you look at the capsule and see that Bob should wake up in a couple more minutes. That's why you focus back on the fight happening past the tower of boxes.

“You’re mine,” John Walker retorts before he manages to disarm again, causing her to slip away to get another weapon on the floor and go exchange more blows that ultimately lead to her getting thrown to the ground again!

How impressive you do have to admit. Do they know that the first intruder is now just around the corner?

It doesn’t seem like it because John Walker stomps toward the Blonde, but never reaches her because he’s then thrown to the side, leading you to abandon the thought that they’re after you. The idiots are after each other!

You should have come before to avoid this mess Valentina most likely created, but you didn’t even have an idea that she had so many people working for her. Now you know and have no other choice but to watch the fight and hear the first intruder address the Blonde while the capsule opens.

“I’m not here for you,” the first intruder says with her mask open, letting the Blonde see who she is before hiding again and going after John Walker.

However, as they battle it out you quietly turn to the capsule, catching Bob’s eyes fluttering open before he focuses on the dark ceiling and then finds you and stares hard in disbelief.

“Hey,” you whisper with a faint smile tugging on your lips.

Bob blinks and parts his lips as he still looks at you at a complete loss for words, wondering if you’re a dream or really here. He doesn't know, but all too quickly the realization that this is real is forced upon him when he hears a different voice in the same room.

“There you are.”

“Now what?” You hear John Walker complain and when you look at your watch you see that the intruder with the stylish black suit suddenly appears in the room almost out of thin air, but not exactly, you see glimpses of them before they fully appear inside and join the group of lost intruders.

“Oh get over yourself,” they quip in a feminine voice and a British accent before she commences yet another fight whilst Bob breaks his silence.

“Hey,” Bob whispers and focuses back on you with confusion as you focus back on him with a warning look—“What—”

Before he can finish you put your finger against your lips to shush him and he listens, letting you grab his arm to help him out of the capsule. And since he’s pretty tall you have to unfortunately make him crouch immediately so you’re not caught and turn the fight towards you.

“Are you okay?” You ask as you grab his shoulders and then slide your hands up to his jaw. “Can you walk? We have to get out of here fast,” you let him know in a whisper.

“Yeah,” he makes sure to whisper back as he steals glimpses at the fight projected on your watch thanks to the security flies still in the air. “I-I’m fine. W-what are you doing here? Where are we?”

“I’ll explain everything later. Just be ready to run, okay?” You warn him and he nods as he meets your gaze and shows the relief and disbelief that passes through him as he has you in front of him after he thought he’d never see you again.

He wants to say how confused, sorry, happy, and relieved he is at this very moment, but he also hears the commotion and understands what he needs to do, so he takes your hand as you offer it to him and trusts you to lead the way.

However, as you start to move some boxes to make space to sneak out, through the screen, Bob sees that John Walker throws his shield so hard that as it hits the table, it manages to hurl the table towards the boxes surrounding you. Thus as the table crashes into the boxes, Bob throws his arm around your head and shoves you down as the boxes come tumbling down just mere inches behind him.

“Fuck,” you gasp and peer over at him. “Nice catch,” you say through pants, earning a flustered smile and a soft nod before you peek behind him, noticing that you’re still luckily covered by the other boxes, so you keep going as they keep fighting and manage to move the boxes just enough that you and Bob can slip out, leaving the doorway as the only obstacle left.

However, if only the exit were covered too, it'd make this escape easy, but it isn’t. It’s exposed to the other four, so you have to stop and wait for the right moment, watching as the blonde throws her dagger at the stylish intruder, but failing to hit her as she catches it and throws it at the first intruder.

The first intruder then hits it and redirects it towards John Walker, but he manages to catch it before he finds the blonde and shoves away the box she was using as cover, capturing her in that moment and pinning her to the ground where it becomes a struggle to keep the dagger from piercing the blonde.

It's also at this moment, as the struggle is happening, that you notice that the blonde is using a similar gadget that Natasha Romanoff used to use. She’s using a gadget around her wrists to try and electrocute John Walker in the same way the Black Widow would shock her enemies. Is the Blonde a…red room assassin just like Natasha Romanoff was?

It’s possible. If so, that'd be so cool! You always wanted to meet one. Mainly Natasha Romanoff, but the blonde will suffice too.

Nevertheless, as the struggle continues, and the other intruders are busy fighting each other, you capture Bob’s attention and point your head at the exit, letting him know that it’s time to run.

In response, Bob tightens his hold around your hand, but just as you’re going to move, the first intruder loses the stylish intruder and makes her way towards John Walker and the Blonde.

The first intruder gets close, but ultimately before she can reach the pair on the ground, the other intruder once again appears out of thin air but this time right before the first intruder, using the element of surprise to shoot her through the head, causing the pair on the ground to pause their fight to see, and leaving the exit open again.

Thus before they can turn, you move forward and try to pull Bob with you, but he doesn’t move, instead, he lets your hand go and starts to gag. You snap your head around and catch him throwing up just between you.

“Sorry,” he says between his struggle and puts his hand up, but you turn away to avoid throwing up along with him.

Yet it's a struggle to keep your food down as he gags again, undoubtedly giving you both away. Or at least him. Either way, it doesn’t matter, now you have no choice but to face them.

“Stay with me,” you instruct Bob as you pull your gun out and then walk out of hiding, revealing yourself and causing the three remaining intruders to all snap around and point their guns at you while you point your gun at them and have your scarab fly to your side to threaten them as well.

The flies made out of nanotech return to you, and Bob comes stumbling out of hiding, breaking the tension by addressing what just happened.

“Is she actually dead…” he trails off however as he sees the three intruders all point their guns at the two of you.

“Come on, let’s go,” you tell Bob over your shoulder as you keep your gun and your scarab pointed at the intruders.

With no question, you hear Bob turn and run towards the door so you walk backwards, making sure not to lose sight of all the guns pointed at you.

Nevertheless, just before you and Bob can make it out, the door along with all the doors close shut, trapping you inside and making Bob return to your side as you're forced to keep your guard up as the guns all point back at the two of you.

“Whoa, whoa, oh, no. Hi. Hey,” Bob nervously chuckles as you scowl quietly. “I’m—I’m Bob!”

Oh, sweet man. Sweet, sweet man.

“She,” Bob now turns the attention to you. “She’s my—no, she’s her. She’s—”

“It doesn’t matter,” you cut him off before he can reveal your name.

“Who are you?” The stylish intruder says without that white mask in the way, revealing to be quite pretty underneath.

“I’m—I’m Bob. I told you. She,” he points at you and reveals your name nonetheless. “And I’m, uh…yeah,” he chuckles nervously again. “Bob.”

“Jesus Christ,” John Walker snaps. “Stop saying, Bob.”

“Who sent you two?” The blonde now takes her turn speaking.

“Nobody!” Bob exclaims nervously. “Right?” He then asks you.

“Right,” you mutter with your scowl still painted on your face and your aim still on the intruders.

“Yeah, see why would we be sent?” Bob continues to say. “Were you all—You were all sent?”

“Okay,” the stylish intruder interjects as the Blonde makes some heavy eye contact with you and Bob, making you quite uneasy, and making you move towards Bob even if you have the gun.

“I'm not sure what’s happening here,” the stylish intruder says. “But you’re all exhausting and my job is done, so—“

“Ah,” the blonde cuts her off as she moves to point her gun at the stylish intruder. In doing so, making John Walker turn his aim toward the ladies as they threaten each other.

“But you see, my job is to keep an eye on you. So, no, you are not gonna go anywhere anymore.”

You scoff with amusement and look at Bob as he looks at you, sharing an amused smile before you keep your eyes on the intruders again since they’re still hostile.

“So you’re keeping an eye on her, huh?” John Walker cuts in. “That’s a halfway decent cover for somebody stealing assets from OXE.”

Oh, and you are right. They’re here for each other and it’s all because of Valentina.

“Can I have a gun?” Bob asks as he sees that you have another one in a different holster.

“Oh? Uh,” you hesitate as you look at him. “The scarab is keeping an eye out. It’ll shoot at them if they turn on us,” you assure him. “Besides, I have my other gadgets and stuff, I got us covered. I got you,” you say and pat his shoulder, missing his slight disappointment over being unable to help protect you the same way you’re protecting him.

“Okay,” he sighs and you focus back on the others, hearing the Blonde interject.

“Okay, it’s clear we have all worked for Valentina in some sort of shadow ops capacity.”

“Yeah, so?” John Walker questions her.

“So, all of this stuff is OXE’s secrets. But so are we.”

“Which makes us liabilities that no one would miss," the stylish intruder continues for the blonde as she figures out what is being said.

“Oh, speak for yourself,” John Walker retorts.

“We are the evidence and this is the shredder. She wants us gone,” the blonde exclaims.

“Your theory’s flawed,” John keeps arguing.

“Oh, please,” the stylish intruder quips. “Go on.”

“We should go,” Bob whispers and grabs your arm as he starts pulling you away.

“Yeah, okay,” you give in as they all have dropped their guns, letting you drop yours but keep your scarab watching them as it follows you and Bob.

“Okay, well, look at the facts,” you hear John Walker say. “The infamous Ghost. A shield reject on the run from 15 nations?”

Is that who she is? Ava Starr? You’ve heard about her.

“The dead one over there, she destroyed half of Budapest.”

“Don’t talk about her like that,” you hear the Blonde interject in the intruder's defense, but only gets talked about next.

“And you, former Red Room assassin. God only knows the blood on your hands.”

“Pretty ludicrous coming from the dime-store Captain America,” Ava Starr makes a good and funny point.

“I’ll have you know I was actually the official Captain America, so…” John gets defensive.

“Yeah,” the blonde scoffs. “For like two seconds.”

“Before you publicly murdered an innocent man on the streets. Do I have that right?” Ava Starr continues for the blonde.

“Really? Define, “innocent”,” he rebuttals, making you roll your eyes as he goes on and you lead Bob around the vault in search of something he doesn’t ask about because you’re both also listening to the conversation.

“Hey, look,” John Walker continues. “I’m a decorated combat veteran, okay? I have a loving wife and a son. Let’s be honest, you guys are just cheap mercenaries, okay?”

Damn.

“So, I—clearly, I’m supposed to bring you in,” he says, making both women laugh.

“That was funny, thank you. We needed that,” the Blonde says as she keeps laughing along with Ava Starr. In doing so, as you’re listening in, Bob also joins in on the laughter, making them go quiet and turn their attention back to you, causing you to stop walking and slowly turn to face them.

“It’s getting so tense in here for a second,” Bob interjects and grows nervous as the tension comes back and they all glare at you both.

“I’m not leaving here without completing my mission,” John Walker states as he starts approaching you and Bob with a menacing look, making you lift your gun once again.

“Valentina gave me a clean slate guarantee,” he continues. “And I’m not screwing that up. But this weirdo and this girl weren’t part of the job, so I gotta know…how’d you get in?” He asks and as you fail to immediately answer as you glare back at him, Bob interjects first.

“I don’t—I don’t remember.”

John rolls his eyes. “Terrific answer,” he sasses and then points at you. “And you?”

You shrug. “I found my way in,” you answer sarcastically, making him scowl before he nods.

“Great. Thank you.”

You hum and he turns around.

“All right, uhm…Tie yourselves up. You too,” he points his shield at you. “I’m not believing your shitty answer.”

You shrug and scoff as the other girls protest.

“Wow. No.”

“Oh, my God.”

“And good-bye,” Ava Starr adds and tries to leave, but you know that won’t work now that you know what she can do, so you lower your gun and turn to Bob.

“Cover your ears.”

You mirror each other by covering your ears and seconds later a high-pitched alarm screeches and Ava Starr is unable to phase out. Just like it was intended to do, proving that this is what Valentina wanted this for.

“Oh, you guys hear that?” Bob addresses the others as they’re also left frazzled by the high-pitched sound.

“Had you asked and stopped being dicks I would have warned you about it,” you finally say more than a couple of words as you holster your gun.

“What?” John Walker quips as they all turn to look at you.

“Sonic system. Valentina had me make them. I didn't know it was for you until today,” you tell Ava Starr.

“Who are you?” The blonde asks as she takes a step toward you.

“Valentina’s tech specialist,” you share without hesitation or deceit, but John Walker doesn’t believe you.

“Sure,” he chuckles. “Then why are you here?”

“I came here for him,” you point at Bob as you glance at him. “Turns out there was someone here to steal OXE assets. Not like she knows—or knew. I’m collateral now. Not like you. You’re here to die,” you direct at John Walker smugly, making him scoff in disbelief.

“Don’t believe us then, but it’s the truth. Guess all those metals weren’t enough to make you as important as you think, ey?”

John narrows his glare and you smirk, taunting him more. To the point he fists his hands and starts stomping towards you with his lips parted to most likely throw some insult. You’re sure, but he doesn’t get to reach you because in a matter of seconds, without thinking of what could happen and ignoring how well equipped you are, Bob cuts him off as he steps in front of you to shield you from the big threatening man.

“She’s very smart. She’ll help us find a way out.”

You take a step past Bob and interject after him. “I might,” you play nice because he’s protecting you and vouching for you which does make your heart flutter and makes you less hostile.

“It’ll take time,” you add. “As long as you stop threatening Bob I’ll help you all get out. Maybe then you can then ask Valentina why those metals weren’t enough, Mr Walker?” You direct at John cockily before you look at the blonde. “We all know each other except for you.”

“That’s right,” Ava Starr turns her attention to the blonde.

“Yelena,” the blonde answers bluntly and walks back before she turns away from the group, but not without looking between you and Bob, making you then turn around to continue finding what you need.

Bob doesn’t linger behind, he turns around and follows you, leaving the others to their own devices.

“Thank you,” you tell Bob as you wait for him to catch up. “For standing up for me just now.”

Bob stares at you dumbfoundedly so you grab his arm and squeeze it gently.

“Really, thank you,” you press. “I know I have a habit of getting myself in trouble, but when I don’t have to avoid it it’s quite fun picking on men like him because they always take the bait.” You laugh softly and he finally breaks from his stupor to smile shyly at the ground before he addresses the matter.

“I know I don’t have any weapons, but I still wasn’t going to let him come attack you,” he says softly and lifts his gaze, locking his eyes with you right away since you never once dared to look away—“I can be…useful too you know? Especially when it comes to you know…you,” he finishes in a whisper and darts his eyes away as he grows as flustered as you.

“You can help me find a way out then,” you whisper as your heart somersaults like mad and butterflies dance their happy dance.

Bob nods and a boost of confidence hits him as you trust him to help you even if he knows you’d be able to do this with your eyes closed.

“Okay.” He nods. “What are we looking for exactly?” He asks.

You let go of his arm and glance around for what you’re searching for. “A box. I can’t say what color it’ll be because I don’t know, but it’ll be hard to miss because it’ll be on a wall. It’s what gives power to the sonic system that stopped that cool ghost lady. It’s an independent power source, but the wires run through the wall so I’ll be able to use my nanotech to make bugs crawl alongside the wires through the walls and have it connect to the door, the incinerators above our heads, and the elevators.”

“Wow, that’s a pretty tall order,” Bob notes nervously, knowing that your escape depends on finding this box.

“Yeah, but it’s our only way out now. We can’t open the doors any other way.” You sigh and spot a grate on the wall so you run over, but when you reach it, you just find the vents. Thus you and Bob keep searching without actually straying too far from each other.

“What if we can’t find it?” Bob asks as he lingers behind you in the mess.

You peer back and correct him. “We will and if we don’t, well, we’re not alone. We can come together and brainstorm like a ragtag team.” You chuckle and continue to search, coming across the trio that is all busy independently trying to find a way out.

“So you girl, why are you here? You look too young to be Valentina’s specialist?" Yelena asks as you pass by her.

“Too young?” You mock. “There’s no age expectancy to being a genius, and I’m old enough,” you argue, but your eyes betray you. Not like that you care to notice that fact.

“And I told you, I came for Bob,” you answer curtly. “She was going to get rid of him so I came to get him out using my suit and my technology,” you repeat yourself, making her nod stiffly.

“Do your parents know you’re here?” John Walker butts in as he tries to mess with the door.

“Haha,” you feign a laugh. “And father. I don’t have a mother,” you mess with him and when you peek over you see him give the same ashamed reaction everyone gives you when you mess with them that way because they conclude your mother's dead.

“Anyway,” you roll out and come to a stop before you can walk out of sight, almost bumping into Bob, but stopping him by putting your hand on his chest and pushing him back gently—“Miss Yelena, you’re a Red Room Assassin, right?”

“Yelena,” she corrects you. “And…yes. I was.”

You nod and begin to smile. “Like Natasha Romanoff?” You ask with a childlike wonder that captures her attention. “You know about her? The Black Widow? She was a red room assassin too.”

“Yes, I know…about her,” she deadpans.

You nod and begin to grin. “Pardon me because I’m about to geek out a little, but she was always my favorite avenger,” you share and pique Yelena’s curiosity and wonder. You swear you see that glimmer in her eyes.

“I thought she was very cool and now after two years…I find it quite hard not to almost worship her.”

Yelena swallows thickly and probes. “Why is that?”

“Because,” you sigh and your smile fades as your eyes fill with ache. Usually, you wouldn’t share something so deep from your heart to strangers, but you’re almost desperate to share the words you’ve harbored for the past two years and have replayed in your mind every day.

However, besides desperation and gratitude, you also don’t know if today is your last day on earth. Everyday since you came back from being snapped away you have always feared that the day you're living will be the last day. You're tormented by that fear and sometimes you do welcome it, you want it, but that's why you can’t go on not sharing what you have to say even if Yelena has an inkling of a connection to that very special savior.

“…She sacrificed herself for half of the population. For me,” you whisper softly. “She’s the reason I came back, so every day since I found out, she’s a reason I fight to survive. To make her sacrifice worth it.”

Yelena’s eyes flutter and she mutters. “Cool.”

You smile sweetly and as Yelena looks at you, you catch the quiet sound of her breath hitching and notice her lips show a quick sad frown before she turns away.

You cluelessly then move along to continue searching and luckily this go around Bob finds the box you need, so you tear the box open and find the treasure.

“And now,” you pause as you form little spiders that start to crawl alongside the wires with the command to reach the other wires that connect to the incinerator above your heads, the doors, and the elevators that will take you up because you know Valentina has now messed with them too to keep you—them all trapped inside.

“You know,” Bob interjects as you finish setting the command on your smartwatch. “I didn’t think you’d come. I thought you…forgot about me.”

You snap your eyes off your screen and look at him softly. “How could I?” You argue and lower your hand to turn and face him with an apologetic look. “I know it took long, I’m sorry it did, but I needed to find the right moment and it’s been hectic since Valentina started getting investigated, but I never forgot,” you make it known and passionately so because the moment came to explain yourself and you’re taking it because that’s all that’s occupied your mind since you left him behind.

“If I had it my way I would have taken you with me the day they forced me to leave,” you share, making him look at the ground with regret. “But just as I was going to bust through those doors I knew I had to think rationally. I’m sorry,” you say again and gently press your hand on his chest as you tilt your head down to try and meet his gaze.

“And Bob—”

“You’re here now,” he cuts you off before you could continue with your apology and the rest of what you needed to tell him regarding…well, all this mess.

“That’s all that matters,” he says as his gentle dark blue eyes slowly scale up to meet your gaze, making you both move your heads up in sync.

“I…shouldn’t have doubted you, I’m sorry I did, I just…never had anyone care enough to come back,” he reveals with a break in his voice. “But you did…I’ll never doubt you again,” he whispers and grabs your hand, keeping it pressed against his chest, and making the corner of your lips mirror the tender smile that glimmers in your eyes.

“I’ll never give you a reason to doubt me again,” you whisper back as you step closer, closing that already small gap, and making every breath unfurling over your lips a temptation to connect intimately once again.

“Because I’ll never leave you alone again. I promise,” you say and gently clutch onto his chest.

“Okay,” Bob whispers with a sweet growing smile.

You smile giddily and once again he’s the one who steals a kiss, proving he’s not as timid as he looks.

Albeit once again you both know where you are so you just prolong the moment for a little as you kiss him back ever so gently, like getting a taste of that forbidden sweet before bed, knowing in the back of your mind that you’ll have more again soon. You just have to wait.

“Help me put this last piece together,” you whisper against his lips before you pull away and grab your scarab from the air.

“Okay yeah, what do you need me to do?” He asks excitedly.

“You see those wires here?” You ask as you point to the intended wires. “I need you to connect the scarab's front legs the moment I cut the wires, okay? It has to be fast before it loses power.”

Bob nods and lets out a deep and shaky breath.

“Here,” you say and hand him the scarab as you grab one of your crescent moon daggers and quickly cut the wires, causing Bob to fumble for a second before he manages to connect the scarab to the wires, giving you almost complete power, but not completely yet.

“Great!” You praise him and put your hand out so he can meet it with a high five. “And now we wait for the spiders to connect to the incinerators, the doors, and the elevators. Once that is done I shut what needs to be shut, open what needs to be open, and turn on what needs to be powered back on from my watch! Isn’t that so cool?!”

Bob smiles at your enthusiasm and you grin at him.

“Thanks, honey.” You praise him again and then go and wait in the center of the room where you can see the others, choosing to take a seat on one of the many boxes while Bob looks around, and John Walker strains himself to try and open the doors.

“Okay,” Walker says as he finally gives up trying to force that door open. “I can confirm that the door is unliftable.”

You snicker and Yelena quips. “Wow, thank you we did not know!”

“For the hundredth time,” you interject. “This room is supposed to keep you in. It’d be a pretty shitty trap if you could force it open.”

“Okay, sure,” he scoffs, still in denial. “Well, at least I’m trying to do something about it unlike you or you know patient zero over there.” He says and without looking up you know he’s referring to Bob.

“I am trying to do something,” you argue. “Why do you think I’m on my watch? I’m just waiting on—”

Yet you go ignored when Yelena cuts in to address a different matter. “Hey. Job or not, can you have some respect, please?”

You glance over and see Ava rummaging through the dead intruder's weapons. Which somehow offends the blonde.

“Yeah, jesus,” John Walker quips as he approaches Ava and the body before actually doing the same thing as Ava—“Hold on a second.”

You look away as he takes a weapon after being judgmental and see that your spiders are getting closer.

“What?” You hear John remark. “She’d want me to have it.” He chuckles dryly. “I need it.”

Nevertheless, seconds later the lights suddenly turn off and an alarm blares before intimidating red lights brighten the room and a doomsday clock begins to countdown, meaning only one thing, Valentina turned on the incinerators.

She also definitely knows you’re here and doesn’t care!

Shit, shit, shit!

Your dad was right!

Okay, okay. You got this.

“What the hell is that?” John remarks as you hear the incinerators come on.

“That doesn’t sound like a shredder. It’s an incinerator,” Ava comments and you jump off the boxes you were on to run to the power source box.

“Two minutes,” Yelena points out and unknowingly piles on pressure to your already tense shoulders. “Then Valentina’s slate is wiped clean.”

“Come on, come on,” you mumble as you tap your watch as if that would make your spiders crawl any faster.

“You don’t know that for sure,” John argues completely in denial. “Could be for anything. Could be for when they come to pick me up.”

You would laugh but you’re stressed out at the moment so he misses out on your cruel reminder. Instead, Ava takes the job for you.

“Do you feel that? The temperature rising dramatically as if heat was involved?”

“Okay, it’s an incinerator.”

“Oh, boy,” you hear Bob chime in. “That is no way to go. But—”

“Well, how would you like to die today, Bob?” John interrupts him with annoyance.

“Well—”

“Okay, Ghost Lady,” Yelena cuts Bob off.

“Ava,” said woman lets her know.

“Sure. Whatever. Don’t care. We need to get you through the walls, so that you can open the door.”

“She tried that,” John Walker reminds Yelena.

“I know she did, but we haven’t tried shutting down the sound barrier.”

Before they could all go on Bob yells out your name, stealing their attention as well as yours.

“What?” You call in confusion and he goes on before he can be ignored.

“She knows how to shut it down. We found the independent power source.”

“Well, why didn’t you say that sooner, Bob!” John shouts before you hear three pairs of running footsteps come toward you, and a quiet voice left behind.

“I tried,” Bob whispers his response before joining the four of you.

“It’s here I’m just waiting on my—”

Before you can finish, just like before, and the same way they’ve been treating Bob, they ignore you.

“I can override this,” Yelena yells over the panic of the counting-down clock.

“But,” you try to input, but before you can say that you’re working on it John comes barging through.

“On your left!” He shouts and from one second to another, before you can say a word, he rams his tacky shield through the box, breaking your connection just as the spiders were about to finish.

“Or that works, I hope,” Yelena says whilst you gape in a loss for words before rage blinds you, causing you to throw out words before you can think.

“<YOU FUCKING STUPID BAFOON! IDIOT! STUPID!>” You shout in the first language that comes to mind, French.

“What?!” John yells back and you turn to him to throw your finger at him. However, before you can shout at him you then spin around on your heels and rip your scarab from the wires it was hanging from.

“<I should’ve grabbed Bob and just left guns blazing>,” you now ramble in Spanish as you walk in a rage, hearing Bob in the distance telling them that you had found a solution.

“<I should’ve left them. But no I tried to be sneaky and now. Ah!>”

“Accept my help and I can get you and your lover out of here,” Denwen adds to your annoyance by pitching in so without caring that you’re being heard, you spat back in English.

“No, you stupid idiot, I'm not taking advice from a three-thousand-year-old god who’s been trapped longer than he lived.”

“Nice job, Walker,” you hear Ava say. “You broke her. She’s talking to herself now.”

“No,” Bob defends you. “It’s actually an Egyptian deity.”

You miss their looks but when you turn to face John you can tell that they didn’t believe Bob.

“So were you born with a smooth brain?” You snap at John Walker. “Or did that super soldier serum give it to you?”

He turns in a flash with his eyes narrowed in a glare he pierces into you. “Excuse me?” He hisses.

You wave your hand to ignore him and walk to Ava. “You. I need you to take this,” you say, and grab her hand to give her the scarab. “It's already on. You just need to press this against the door's control panel and it will unlock the doors for us, okay? It’s that simple. You can’t open it any other way once it’s in this mode and I don’t have the passcode, so this will unlock the doors.”

Ava takes her hand away and clutches onto the scarab before she nods without actually looking reassuring. “Sure, kid.”

“Go, go, go,” John Walker pushes her as she’s running toward the door.

You sigh deeply and then run to the door, catching Ava disappear outside the room using her cool abilities with 22 seconds left on the clock.

“You think she’s coming back?” Bob asks as you fearfully watch for the door to open, but the clock keeps counting down and the heavy doors remain shut.

“She…” you trail off before you can try to be positive, feeling the stress, and the anger wear that positivity out, leaving you doubtful and fearful.

“I should have seen this coming,” John Walker mutters and the incinerators get uncomfortably hot while the clock only reminds you how close you are to dying.

Yet there is one ray of positivity that breaks through that dark cloud raging over you and that’s Bob.

You look at him after you steal another glance at the clock and you know one thing for sure, you don’t fear death. Death is a thought that has lurked in the dark corners of your mind, but a part of you always feared it until today. Right now. At this very moment, because of Bob.

Maybe he feels the same way or maybe he doesn’t. You don’t know, and you don’t ask, but he does look at you as you’re looking at him, and he gulps with tears glistening over his eyes full of so many things left unsaid. Things he regrets not saying sooner. Things he hopes are spoken and heard by seeking out your hand and securing it gently as if he holds the fragile world in his hand.

And maybe he does. Maybe to him, you are the entire gentle world. And maybe to you, he is hope, life, and everything that makes life worth living. You hope he knows that by the way you squeeze his hand in the same way you also hope that by holding his hand you won’t lose each other in the afterlife.

After that is settled yet unspoken, and before you can welcome death, you look at Bob in his gentle eyes one more time and offer him a tender smile.

Bob does his best to mirror it and before raging flames could rain down on you, you both close your eyes and wait.

Yet death doesn’t come. Salvation at long last arrives as Ava Starr gets the doors open at the last second, making all of you still inside sprint out.

However, as you reach the door, you can’t run fast enough to avoid the force of the fire that comes pouring down, so you’re all thrown out by the force, and darkness comes either way the moment you hit the wall.

——

*LATER*

“Little wolf. Little wolf,” soft muffled whispers echo in your mind before the sound startles you awake to see the dark piercing eyes of Denwen above you.

“You almost killed us in there,” he says as he stands up.

“I told you to stop calling me that,” you grumble and only push yourself to your knees because a pounding headache from the back of your head makes it hard to move.

“I have never once heard you say that,” he rebuts as he stands there and watches you.

“Well,” you groan and rub the back of your head. “Stop.”

He scoffs and throws his hand out, offering his help, but you shove it away. “I don't need your help,” you mutter and finally see clearly enough to look around, catching Ava Starr watching with her blank white mask.

“I’m not talking to myself. It’s an Egyptian god,” you mumble as said god makes himself scarce and you look around for Bob, finding him behind you sitting up.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” you hear him direct Yelena before he looks away, finding you right beside him.

“Hey,” he whispers as his eyes go wide before he flips around to crawl over to you. “Are you okay?”

“I think so,” you say as you pull your hand off your head. “You?” You redirect and study him, noticing nothing concerning. You just see him looking quite upset.

“Yeah, I’m okay” he assures that he has no physical wounds, but you see something troubling him.

“You sure?” You press and he nods before he grabs your arm and helps you up.

“Look at me,” Bob instructs whilst the others are talking in the back.

You do as he says and he studies you hard, letting you take this opportunity to try and ease his spirits since you really can’t go in depth about his feelings as of now.

“I see,” you interject as you look into his gentle eyes. “Pretty dark blue eyes.”

Bob blinks in surprise and a slight smile then breaks on his serious demeanor, making you smile with pride.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” He asks again and his worry returns.

You nod and offer him a soft smile. “Yes, Bob, I’m sure.”

He steals one last hard look at you and once he doesn’t notice anything physically concerning he nods and steps back, letting you get a view of the others trying to find a way to open the elevator.

“It won’t open,” you break the silence and walk over to join Ava Starr trying to pry the doors open. “This floor is most likely in lockdown mode. Cutting off all power to any way out.”

“Well, Bob over there said you’re a genius, so what do you suggest we do?” She queries as she backs away and stands by you.

“Well,” you scoff. “Smooth brain over there,” you point back at John Walker, making Ava snicker. “Cut off the only connection I could’ve had to make the elevators work. So now the only way would be for you to go in and try to open it that way.”

Ava shakes her head. “The doors are too thick. I can’t walk through, I'll get crushed. Something else.”

“An explosion…”

“Would only damage the structure further,” she finishes for you. “That’s not mentioning the fact that it could damage the elevator itself.”

You nod. “Yeah,” you whisper. “I got that…well we’ll have to ask John Walker to make a hole through the doors.”

You both look back and catch said man running his mouth. “Everybody’s got a reason for being here except for weird and weirdo,” you catch him saying, making your face contort.

“I told you,” you repeat yourself as you walk over to join him and Yelena. “I came here for Bob.”

John Walker shakes his head. “You see I don’t believe you, but if you won’t tell the truth. I’ll make him. Hey, Bobby,” he directs at Bob as he takes off his helmet, revealing the same face you’ve seen on TV before.

“Less talking to yourself, more talking to us,” John exclaims and when you look over at Bob you see him ignore John and continue muttering, making you walk to John to stand up for Bob.

“Leave him alone. He already told you what happened.”

John sighs. “I’m tired of this bullshit,” he says and pushes past you to storm toward Bob.

“Hey Walker,” Yelena tries to stop him, but the man ignores you both.

“You tell me how you got in here right goddamn now,” John Walker demands in a harsher tone, making you take a step forward to try and storm over, but before you can, a hand hits your chest and pushes you back.

You look over and see that Yelena is stopping you.

“Don’t,” she warns.

“But…” you trail off and look at Bob with worry while you look at John with anger.

“I swear, man,” Bob finally responds. “I-I just woke up in this place. One minute, I was, you know, getting my blood drawn for this medical study, and the next I’m here,” he says and chuckles nervously. “In my pajamas. I don’t know what’s happening.”

“Walker, leave him alone,” you warn him but your voice goes unheard by him throwing a demand at Bob.

“Okay, then show me where you woke up!”

“In—in there,” Bob points back at the closed door. “My—she,” he adds and points at you over John’s shoulder. “She woke me up.”

“He’s telling the truth,” you back up Bob and step forward, making Yelena’s hand slip from your chest. “I woke him up from a capsule inside.”

John looks at you over his shoulder and rolls his eyes before he continues to argue. “Where everything’s on fire. That’s real convenient.” He says and turns around to walk off.

“Walker, relax,” Yelena tells said man whilst you finally meet up with Bob.

“Just ignore him,” you try to suggest even though you know it’s hard.

“You don’t remember anything?” Ava asks, making you and Bob peer over. “Bag over your head? A needle in your neck?”

“No.”

“Choke hold? Nerve pinch?” John chimes in.

“No.”

“I think he’s just a civilian,” Yelena proves to be the only rational one. Albeit she is wrong, but still she’s still the only one being kind.

“If he’s a civilian, he knows too much,” John exclaims. “If he’s an agent, he sucks. Either way, I say we throw him and her back into the fire.”

“Watch yourself,” you warn him and turn to Bob, catching him start to chuckle. “Bob,” you warn him softly, but he doesn’t let it go.

“Sorry. Look—you said you were Captain America?”

“Why are you laughing?” John asks in a more menacing tone than the one he was using before.

“Just ‘cause you’re an asshole,” Bob remarks as he continues laughing. “You know?”

John feigns a chuckle and then makes his way over, so you try to put yourself in front, but Bob moves away as if looking for trouble.

“It’s just funny, I mean…” Bob doesn’t get to finish before John grabs him by the collar and shoves him against the wall.

“Hey!” You exclaim and storm over, getting caught by surprise in that moment as you see the way Bob’s eyes glow gold again like that time before he fell into that coma.

It seems that John caught it too so he stops fighting, letting you grab his arm and push him back as you hiss at him. “What the hell is your problem? Seriously?”

“My problem?” He snaps and meets your gaze with fury. “What’s your and your boyfriend's problem?”

You get ready to fight back. You even get one of your gold crescent daggers out, but you see the way he falters as he looks past you, so you look back and see Bob’s eyes glow a brighter gold.

“Bob,” you call out softly, gaining his immediate attention and making his eyes lose that radiant gold in a second, so you then look back at John to flash him your dagger and throw out your threat. “Back off asshole.”

“Hey, whoa. Okay, okay,” Yelena comes cutting in. “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” she says and pushes John back. “We swung our tiny dicks. It was a lot of fun. You two go find a way out. Bob, come with me,” she says and takes him by the arm, leaving you behind.

Bob looks back at you as he walks with Yelena, and you swallow thickly as you feel a familiar fire start burning within.

However, you remind yourself to breathe and that your lives are currently in danger so you look away from Yelena dragging Bob to the side of the room. Instead, you look around and notice your scarab still attached to the control pad outside the vault, so you run over and save it before you return to deal with the elevator, making Bob follow your every step when you walk by, while you glance at him before you fist your hands and walk by faster.

“You need to make a hole through the wall,” you direct at John as you swallow your vengeful rage to be able to get out. “It’s the only way to open the doors.”

“I’m sure there’s a button here somewhere,” he completely ignores you. Again.

“Just listen to the girl,” Ava backs you up, making John groan before he finally listens to something you said and brings his mighty shield back.

“Stand back,” he warns and shoos you both back, so you both take one step backward. Yet when he slams his shield against the thick stone he only manages to break through one layer of stone.

Now he didn’t say his intention, but you know he was planning to break through with one swing, so you and Ava actually meet each other's gaze and share an amused look and a stifled laugh.

“Performance issue?” You’re the only one who says something, making him pause. “Is that why you’re here?” You tease, making him scoff.

“Aren’t you like twelve?”

Ava chuckles. “Good one, Walker.”

“22, but not like that matters. Try again or Valentina will find us and finish the job. We can turn around if that works.”

He rolls his eyes before he turns to swing his shield again, managing to actually make a gap through the doors.

“Tens across the board!” You exclaim and Ava follows your lead and claps.

“You guys done with therapy yet?” John addresses Bob and Yelena, making you look back.

“I think I found a way out.”

“I? Excuse me?” You quip.

“We,” he whispers under his breath before he walks into the elevator with Ava.

You linger back and look back at Bob, seeing Yelena and him still talking so you bite your cheek and look away while you wait.

When Bob reaches you he brushes his fingers on your arm, taking your attention.

“You okay?” You ask as you look for any sign of his powers.

“Yeah,” he whispers and walks into the elevator with the others, leaving you back where you almost fuel the fire, but you remind yourself that you don’t want jealousy to control you, so you blow it off with a deep breath.

Nevertheless, before you can walk after Bob, a hand pats your back. “Are you okay?” Yelena asks in her Russian accent.

“Me?” You ask and think about it, but besides the headache that goes from pounding to annoying, you feel nothing. “Well, if I start convulsing then no.” You mess with her earning a worried look so you gently pat her shoulder. “I’m fine. Minor headache. It’s all good. You?”

She thinks and then nods. “I am not bleeding so yes.”

You scoff with amusement and at the sight, she smiles before you head in and get immediately interrogated by John.

“Okay, genius, how do you get this to work?”

You meet his very blue eyes and share a dry laugh. “Oh, now you ask? Well, I’ll tell you, I can’t because you destroyed the only connection I had to open the doors from down here. The first floor holds the power to the elevator and the way to hack it.”

“Great, Walker thanks,” Ava mutters and sighs in frustration.

“Then what do you have there?” Yelena asks as she points to your holsters, your shiny chain hanging over your hip, and your shiny dark silver vibranium-made bracelets that start at your wrists and travel down your forearm.

“Oh,” you mouth quite excitedly as you’re finally able to ramble about your gadgets. “My daggers and guns,” you point at your holsters and then drag your fingers to your chain. “Nanotech that I am able to make into tiny missiles, paralyzing agents, electrocuting gadgets, smoke bombs,” you mutter and then point at your bracelets. “And Vibranium bracelets.” You grin smugly, earning surprised looks from everyone but Bob who already knew all about your cool gadgets and such.

“Where did you get vibranium?” John asks.

You avert their gaze and mutter. “I stole it for Valentina. It’s a very long story, but that’s the gist,” you say and look up as you swing your hands and clap. “I didn’t have a lot so I upgraded the bracelets I already had.”

“Well, can any of that help us out?” John remarks and you shake your head immediately.

“No. Anything I make won’t be able to boost us up or be strong enough to carry us.”

“You should’ve led with that,” Yelena mutters under her breath before she looks around at the group. “Only way is up. Come on.”

With that said John opens the hatch and climbs out of the elevator first to be able to hold it open as Ava climbs up next. Bob pushes you to go before him so he gives you a boost so you can reach the opening and pull yourself up. You then help him up, making Yelena the last one to join you above the elevator.

Once the hatch closes you look up at the only way out and realize at the same time as everyone else how dreadfully long one mile is.

“So,” Yelena interjects, making you look down to look at her whilst your mind starts to run different ideas by you.

“None of us fly?” Yelena asks and looks at every single one of you hoping to get a yes, but you all stay quiet.

Bob can fly. The Sentry serum gave him that ability but it seems he’s only been able to manifest powers when he’s upset, and getting him upset for the sake of revealing his powers is something you won’t do. So you just glance at him and stay quiet.

“What, do we all just punch and shoot?” Yelena piles on the questions and gets no response, so John cuts in.

“Okay. Don’t worry I got this.”

You part your lips to question him, but John then steps in the middle so you get your phone out and quickly start recording. Seconds later, using the strength given to him by the super soldier serum, he hurls himself high up the tunnel.

He’s not seen for a moment but you know he won’t be able to jump high enough to reach the door, so you press your hand on Bob’s chest and push him back against the wall as you also walk back and wait.

Seconds later, after a second of silence, gravity brings John back down and he slams on the ground right on his hard shield, making you smirk as you caught all of it on camera, and making Bob cover his mouth with his hands while Yelena snickers, and Ava snips at him.

“You should try that again.”

“We’re pretty far down here,” John states the obvious between groans, causing Yelena to start chuckling while you stop recording and put your phone away before you step forward and offer John your hand.

Said man is hesitant to take your hand, but he accepts your help nonetheless and lets you help him up to his feet where he immediately shares another idea directed at Ava.

“Hey, okay, why don’t you walk up through the walls or whatever and then just throw us a rope down?”

You roll your eyes and cross your arms over your chest at his thoughtlessness, watching as Yelena agrees before Ava interjects with the truth.

“Okay, well, first of all, someone other than you would have to ask me. And second of all, I have to know where I’m going ‘cause I’ve never been able to hold it longer than a minute. So I’d just get lost in an ocean of dirt, and then I’d be crushed to death. All right?”

“Okay.” You nod and look up again with your hands on your hips.

“Just a minute?” John manages to take this time to mock her.

“Oh, shut up.”

“That was a stupid joke,” you mutter after Ava’s remark.

“Oh, my god. We suck,” Yelena mutters as she holds her head.

“Ah,” Bob finally breaks his silence. “I have an idea.”

And thus after that, you find yourselves climbing up the wall in a rather risky but effective position. You’ll have to give Bob his props for thinking of linking your arms and climbing up the tunnel together in a rather tight human circle.

“Very effective, great plan Bob.” You praise him after a while of climbing in silence.

“Oh, thanks,” he says quietly.

You would peer over at him but you can only catch a glimpse of him from the corner of your eyes and nothing more, besides, your watch then begins to beep, making you glance at your wrist and barely see that your security bugs notify you of all of Valentina’s armed goons filling in outside the building.

“What was that?” John asks for the others.

“Valentina sent back up,” you let them all know. “They’re parking outside the entrance.”

“Great,” John grumbles and you breathe out deeply in agreement.

With that impending danger waiting for you outside, a tense silence blankets over all of you that drags on for some time with Bob only telling you what leg to move as you move up. It’s not until Yelena speaks up to complain that the tension eases.

“Ew, which one of you is wet?”

“I, I run hot. Sorry,” Bob apologizes before John also cuts in to complain.

“Someone’s got a weird, hard butt.”

“That’s not my butt,” Ava speaks up in her defense. “It’s my suit.”

“Well, you need a new suit,” Yelena quips.

“Oh, pardon me for the inconvenience,” Ava sasses. “I mean I only spent my entire life in labs hooked up to machines so I could create this physical cage to keep my material body from disintegrating at all times. So yeah, I’m so sorry about that!”

“You do not want to start the whole sob story game,” Yelena rebuttals with a chuckle as if this is some sort of competition. “I win. Enslaved child assassin over here.”

“Well, you were just a kid, so,” John actually offers some kind words which catch you by surprise.

“Oh? So that’s a good thing now?” Yelena remarks so John adds on to his comment.

“I just think it might be nice to know that you didn’t really know any better.”

“Thanks,” Yelena says sarcastically. “I feel way better,” she says before John fidgets, making the entire link move.

“Hey, quit it!” Ava exclaims, bringing you all to a stop to catch your breath. Unfortunately, though there are still some ways to go so you keep climbing because your lives do depend on it.

After some time, you finally see the damn door.

“Oh shut up!” You exclaim between pants. “I see the door! Finally! It’s taking everything in me not to take Walker’s tacky shield and throw it down. It’s so uncomfortable.”

“Tacky?”

“It’s crazy,” Ava blurts. “I can’t even see the floor.”

“Can we not talk about how high up we are?” Bob cuts in. “I’m just not great with heights.”

“Well,” you say and look up. “Just look up then, we’re almost there.”

“Okay, ah,” Yelena pants. “Now what?”

Well, you are tightly knit and if any of you let go you all fall.

“I would just like to let all of you know that if you let me go and I plummet to my death, my watch is registered to send a message to my dad,” you threaten them. “And he will hunt you all down. So think before you act. Walker.”

“Who's your dad?” Ava asks in confusion.

“A very scary man.”

“Okay,” John brushes you off, not taking you seriously even though you’re being completely serious.

“Well tell your old man not to get excited yet,” Ava says. “One of us should go…first?”

“Yeah, then we all immediately fall!” You point out.

“Ah, shit!” John says between his teeth.

“Sorry,” Bob stammers out. “I-I, yeah I guess I didn’t…I didn’t really think this far ahead.”

You part your lips to assure Bob, but John blurts before you can speak. “Genius plan, Bobby!”

You remember why you’re pestered by the man and quickly jump in to defend Bob as he mutters to himself.

“Always making things worse,” Bob whispers to himself.

“That’s not true, Bob,” you assure him before you yell at John. “It’s not like you had a plan, Walker! Bob was the one who got us up here so why don’t you stop being a dick.”

“Ah, these bloody boots!” Ava shouts. “I don’t think I can hold this much longer!”

“Okay, hand me your baton,” John yells over his shoulder. “I can reach it.”

You furrow your brows and Yelena protests your exact thoughts. “What?!”

“Yeah.”

“No way, you’re just going to leave us. Okay. Spin us around, and then I can…I can latch us on.”

“Yes please!” You back her up as it sounds like a plausible plan.

“I’m not spinning us around. Somebody’s got to go first.”

“Cucumber, cucumber, cucumber,” Bob suddenly shouts, making you all immediately drive your attention to him.

“What the hell is happening?” Yelena asks.

“Growing up somebody told me that you can stop a sneeze if you confuse your brain. I always just yelled “cucumber”,” Bob speaks quickly.

“Okay?” Yelena doesn’t understand.

“I have to sneeze,” Bob shares the obvious. “But if I sneeze then I’m going to lose control.”

“This is insane, okay?” John’s obnoxious shouts echo through the tunnel. “I can get us all out of here. I just need to go first.”

“No,” you protest. “There must be another way.”

“Oh, no,” Bob gasps and starts building up his sneeze, so you quickly snap your head his way and try the trick he just shared.

“Cucumber! Cucumber!” You yell along with everyone else in hopes he doesn’t lose control and make you all fall.

“All right! Come on! Okay, just give me this. I got it!”

Before you know it, before anyone could react, and before Bob could sneeze, you feel John turn his body to take the baton from Yelena, letting go of her and Ava in the process, and because he let go, the link breaks and you all free-fall back towards the vault.

You proceed to yell, feeling your heart basically drop to your throat as you feel gravity try to claim you for death, but you rebel. Instead, you proceed to pull out daggers to hook them into the wall.

However, the daggers slip from your hands with how fast you’re falling as you try to make contact, so you continue falling, hearing Bob yell out your name, and then seeing him reach out his hand as if that was all you needed to stop. It wouldn’t work, but in your panicked state, nothing felt safer, so with fearful eyes that match his, you stretch out your hand and realize how close you are as your fingers brush.

Thus using the air, you push yourself down and manage to grab his hand, and as you do something wraps around your ankle and brings you to a sudden stop. You continue to grip onto Bob with all the strength you can muster and so much more you didn’t know you had, while he grabs onto you with all his might to avoid falling.

“I won’t let go! Just hang on!” You yell at him and with a panicked look, he nods in comprehension. You then look up to see your savior, and see that it was Yelena who caught you with her wire as she hangs onto Ava, after Ava managed to hook something into the wall.

“Thank you,” you whisper in disbelief as Bob can’t help himself and sneezes—“bless you,” you say breathlessly.

“Thank you.”

“I got you,” Yelena whispers with relief softening her eyes while you nod as you breathe out heavily and keep looking at Yelena with a deep gratitude, feeling your heart soften, and knowing for certain that from now on you will harbor no ill feelings toward her. Whatever jealousy you felt is forever forgotten and a strong admiration grows in its place.

With that said, after John throws an emergency hose, you’re able to climb out, but not without letting him hear it.

“You selfish prick,” Ava snaps as you see her disappear over the floor.

“Yet, you’re all safe,” he rebuttals, which is true, but it was still selfish and stupid.

“I made a tactical decision to secure my own safety and ensure all yours,” he adds to his argument which doesn’t do anything to actually win you over—“pretty ungrateful if you ask me, but…” he trails off as Yelena climbs on and disappears, leaving you to be helped by him next, but you’re petty so you help yourself up onto the floor.

“Wow, nice upper body strength,” John says as he watches you get up without help.

“Asshole,” you snap and before you walk off you crouch over the edge and wait for Bob with your hand out

“You gonna make it, Bobby?” John yells at Bob as said man struggles to climb up.

“Looks like you might have missed arm, leg, and chest day,” John teases as he watches Bob shake as he grabs onto the floor before he takes your hand and John's to let you both help him up.

“Take lessons from her,” John laughs.

“Come on,” you encourage Bob as he’s the last one to make it on the floor. “Are you okay?” You ask right away as you leave John behind doing well, whatever he stayed back to do.

“It was crazy,” Bob says as he looks around the unknown place. “But yeah. Are you?”

You sigh. “Ask me tomorrow.”

He chuckles and you come to a stop, bringing him to a stop soon thereafter.

“Bob I know I came for you, but there’s still a choice you can make now that you’re free,” you say softly, selfishly disregarding the promise you made to give him a choice he deserves to have. One you weren’t giving him to keep him close.

“You can either go with Valentina and finish your tests there if that’s what you want, or you can…come with me. I know we haven’t known each other for long, but I know how precious time is, so I am certain of how I feel about…you. So if you want the same thing, we can leave together.” You smile sweetly and grab his hand.

However, now that you’re not in danger of burning alive, or dangling from a mile-long tunnel, he disregards all that he knows he feels because here you stand, heart pounding and breath heavy after you almost died. Not once but twice. All because of him, so should he really curse you like he curses everything he touches?

Being with you was a nice dream, but maybe he doesn’t deserve to live it.

“I,” is the only thing he says before you both give your attention to John Walker as Yelena calls out for him as he approaches the edge of the elevator tunnel.

“What the hell are you doing?” Yelena queries as he’s too close to the edge.

John then looks back and realizes the same thing, lingering there for a moment before turning away.

“I’m fine,” he tells everyone, so you don’t bother to worry. You worry about going without a response from Bob. You know you'll know eventually and that is why you don’t press even if you really want to.

“All right, let’s get out of here,” Ava says as she opens the door that leads to the exit, making you all peek over the wall and get greeted by the sight of Valentina’s army waiting outside.

“I told you,” you comment and walk away from the wall before everyone else follows.

“Okay, we need to come up with a plan,” Yelena tries to take charge, but John cuts in at the same time.

“Here’s what we’re gonna do.”

You narrow your gaze and look between both people.

“Oh, you’re the boss now?” Ava remarks John. “Cute.”

“Well, yeah, it’s our only chance of getting out of here so,” he argues

“Okay, I think I might just surrender, probably,” Bob says, causing you to snap your head towards him and protest.

“Bob?”

He averts his gaze and shakes his head. “I’m not letting you risk your life for me anymore.”

You shake your head, denying this selfish and stupid choice. “No. We’re leaving together. I decided.”

“You give me a choice,” he argues and meets your gaze with some small intensity. “This is my choice.”

“No—”

“Shut up,” John blurts. “Stop. Don’t do that here. Save your lovers' quarrel for later. After the rest of us get out.”

“Why should you be in charge?” Yelena argues. “You almost killed all of us right there.” She points to the elevator and he doesn’t give up.

“Well, let’s see. I’ve been in the trenches of every war-torn country on this planet, rescued God knows how many hostages, and shook the hands of two US presidents. What else?”

You shake your head and sigh.

“Ah, oh! High school state football champs back-to-back-to-back. Go Bears.”

You try not to but you snort.

“Oh wow,” Ava answers sarcastically while Yelena takes this time to share too.

“Wow. When I was five, I was in a peewee soccer team called the West Chesapeake Valley Thunderbolts sponsored by Shane’s Tire Shop. We won zero games, and one time, this girl, Mindy, she did a poo at midfield.”

“Ew,” you say in disgust.

“Anyone else have any pointless childhood stories to tell?”

“Grew up in a lab prison,” Ava says so you continue after her.

“When I was five,” you say and point at Yelena. “I was so upset that I couldn’t score a home run in my baseball game, so I got home and rigged a baseball bat.” You share with a half smile. “Next game my bat malfunctioned and instead of a home run I accidentally hit my coach so hard I broke his nose.”

“Meth-addicted sign-twirling chicken,” Bob shares last. “It was a summer job.”

You hum even though you knew that already.

“Right. Okay, here’s the plan,” Yelena takes the lead. “We set off an explosion to bring them in.”

You shake your head and immediately argue. “Oh, no, that’s terrible. Too many variables with an explosion.”

“Okay, but they’ll turn on night vision,” she keeps going on and you nod at that. “You handle the first wave,” she points at John. “But you wait for me after I’ve blinded the remaining troops.”

“So I’m just gonna wait for ya?” John protests.

“It will only work if you wait,” she presses.

“Terrible plan.”

“Yes, I agree,” you’re forced to agree with him.

“Ava,” Yelena ignores you both. “You find an escape vehicle,” she says and the second she finishes Ava already disappears, leaving Yelena and John with something to do, but leaving Bob and you jobless.

“What about us?” Bob asks.

“You two stay behind me,” she says, completely ignoring your capabilities and not even considering either of you. She just proceeds to exhale deeply and activates her bomb as she starts walking off. “Let’s do this thing.”

You and Bob look at each other and share a confused look before you chase after Yelena.

“I told you once and I’ll say it again the explosion will leave too many variables,” you insist in hopes Yelena will listen. “Blinding them is smart, but you will fry those wires with an explosion.”

You fall by her side to hear her response but her eyes remain ahead.

“Did you hear what I just said?” You query.

Yelena turns and finally grants you her attention. “Cover my six then.”

You purse your lips together and nod before an explosion goes off in the distance that makes the floor shake and the lights flicker off. When you look at your watch, you see what you assumed, the army broke in.

“The soldiers just broke in,” you let Bob and Yelena know.

“Okay good, Bob hold this, “ Yelena says and hands Bob a flashlight as you turn the corner and come across the control room where you’re left to watch Yelena’s six because they don’t believe you can help.

Not even your father treats you this way.

“In one minute, these all go back on,” Yelena says as she flips switches on the control boards.

“Okay,” Bob says for the both of you as he looks around before he tries his luck at being able to help. “Maybe I should have a gun?”

Yelena turns to look at Bob and hums before she turns him down too. “No, I don’t think so.”

Bob peers back and probes you, but before you can grab your gun Yelena snaps and points at you harshly. “No.”

Your scowl and remark. “Excuse me?”

“We’re gonna need to fight, right?” So,” Bob insists.

“Mhm-hm,” Yelena agrees. “I will fight. You two stay behind me.”

You roll your eyes and mutter under your breath. “Stay behind me.”

“You know, the medical trial was supposed to make me better, and I don’t know, I feel like maybe I could help,” Bob presses, making Yelena look at him suspiciously before she approaches, causing you to keep a curious eye on them.

“I thought you said that you didn’t know anything about it.”

Bob looks back at you, making Yelena steal a glimpse before Bob answers. “No, not much. Just her,” Bob points at you. “And that they said it was for people who wanted to make something better of themselves.”

Yelena hums in comprehension and you can’t help but look at Bob with pity.

“You can trust me, Bob,” she tries to assure him, but he questions her.

“Can I?”

Yelena questions herself before she contradicts herself. “No, not really.”

They both share a nervous laugh as you question why she would contradict herself when she’s proven to be trustworthy already.

Alas, you don’t interject, instead you continue to listen to Bob as he keeps sharing with Yelena most likely in hopes of gaining her trust enough to be able to help.

“I’ve always had these episodes since I was a kid. There’s…there’s a high, then there’s a big low, and then my memory just goes blank,” he says before Yelena continues working on the control boards. “But this time, I feel like there’s…I don’t know, something bad happened or I did something bad,” he says and piques your curiosity.

“I mean, everyone here has done bad things,” Yelena says, but he continues.

“I think this was like a whole new kind of—”

Before Bob can finish and just as he looks over at you as he was sharing his thoughts, Yelena’s alarm goes off, making Bob go quiet before he can finish, and leaving you curious to hear what happened.

Did he use those dark powers again?

“Lights up,” Yelena says and lifts the lever, but the lights in the room just turn off. Just like you knew they would.

“No. Why…why did that not work?” She questions before she walks down the room to mess with the boards while Bob walks to the lever and you do as she says and watch her six whilst you repeat ‘I told you so’ in your head.

“Well, you got to turn the power back on,” Bob says as he looks at the board to see what went wrong. “I mean you gotta blind the guys.”

“Yeah, I know that, Bob. And you, do you have something smart to say?” She directs at you and you only shake your head as you look around.

“No. I’m watching your six, remember?”

“Petty little thing.”

You smirk and she huffs.

“This was your plan,” Bob adds, making Yelena shout back.

“You’re not being helpful, Bob. Give me that,” she says as she walks to him and snatches away the flashlight. “Follow me.”

You leave your spot and continue to tail the pair, but not as quickly as before.

“I hate to say it, but I think Walter was right on this one,” Bob brings up while you begin to slow down.

“His name is Walker, Bob.” Yelena corrects said man as he’s startled by something sparking overhead, and while you slow down to a complete stop when they turn the corner.

Once you don’t hear either of them call out for you, you make a beeline back to the control room and insert your scarab into the slot beneath the touchpad on the boards.

“I told her so but she didn’t listen,” you grumble to yourself as you quickly hack into the system on your watch since you're connected and the boards aren’t working.

“Next, why not try listening?”

And with the last keys punched in you’re in!

“And let’s really get out of here,” you whisper smugly before you turn on an activation protocol that causes ‘Renegade’ by the Styx to start playing on the speakers in every room and hall in order to overwhelm the soldiers, while the lights start to flash to disorient them.

“Come on,” you tell your scarab and yank it out of the boards to shove in your pocket before you use your nanotech to make a mask and cover your face before you set off with your gun in hand.

Gunshots echo in the distance, followed by more gunshots so you quicken your pace. Eventually, when you start to see smoke rolling down the hall, you realize you’re close, so you slow down to a stalking walk.

Because of the loud music playing overhead, you can’t hear if anyone is yelling, so you can’t pinpoint where they are by sound. Luckily, you don’t end up needing their voices because when you turn the corner you find Bob tied behind Yelena.

Thus, since he’s facing the corner you turn, he notices you walking out of a cloud of smoke with your gun raised.

You don’t know if he says something, or if he tries to. You don’t even know how he reacts because of the mask on his face, but he points at you before he’s yanked as Yelena kicks back a soldier. Another soldier then approaches her with a rifle, but you hit your trigger and pierce them through the head, making them fall and letting Yelena take the rifle to hand it back to Bob.

“Take this!” You hear her yell so she can be heard over the music.

“Yeah!” Bob exclaims whilst you gain momentum by sprinting forward before you slide down on your knees to get ahead of the pair and hurl crescent moon daggers at two soldiers leading the way.

“How do I use it?” You hear Bob ask over the commotion.

“Point and shoot!” You and Yelena tell him at the same time before Yelena moves past you and takes out a soldier who charges at you.

More continue to move forward so you push yourself to your knees and charge forward as you take out one more crescent moon dagger. Before you can reach the soldiers you slide down between them and stab one in the leg before elbowing the back of his knee, letting Yelena finish him off before you spin up and grab the second soldier to slam his face in the wall before you take a paralyzing agent and shove it in his neck, making him drop on the floor.

Bullets go off in the background so you peer over and see Bob shoot a soldier on the foot, so as Yelena spins around, you pull out a dagger and turn on your heels to hurl it at the glass on his mask as Yelena swings her leg and kicks him, making a great combination between the two of you.

“That was awesome,” Bob praises with his rifle pointed at Yelena as she slips off the hose that she had used to tie Bob to her.

“Not at me!” She remarks before she grabs your arm and yanks you behind her as another soldier appears around the corner.

You want to help, but using the rifle Bob is still holding onto she turns him and shoots at the soldier that begins to shout.

“No! Stop! Stop shooting!”

You stop the protocol on your watch, making the music and flashing lights turn off. That’s when you make out a shield through the smoke.

“It’s Walker!” You shout so Yelena stops.

“It’s me! It’s John! Stop!” He bellows and rips his mask off so you can see.

“Where were you?” Yelena yells back as she rips off her mask.

“Where were you?” He redirects.

“The explosion fried the wires!”

“She told you! Too many variables. I knew it!”

“And then, you didn’t wait!” Yelena shouts back.

“I did wait, but the lights didn’t turn on, so I improvised in the dark until the lights began to flash and music blasted through the halls! Hadn’t it been for that I would have gotten swarmed because you didn’t listen!”

“Oh because…”

You tune them out and walk back to look at Bob. “I think we did good,” you tell him softly compared to the other two arguing.

“I think you did good,” he redirects sweetly, making you smile before you put your hands out and high-five each other.

A second later John stops yelling all of a sudden and looks into the distance. The three of you all watch him in confusion until he speaks up a lot quieter.

“Okay. We probably got about 60 seconds until they mobilize,” he reveals. “And if ghost lady actually did what she was supposed to, maybe we’ll all get out of here alive.”

You nod and then look around at the bodies on the ground. “Okay, well it’s a good thing there’s so many spare suits,” you say as you watch Bob's mask slip and fall back over his face. “That will be our only easy way out.”

“The girl is right” John actually seconds what you say, but you repay that favor by repeating your name.

“You can either use that,” you refer to your first name. “Or Spector. Not girl. I don’t like that.”

“Well, you are a girl—”

“Yes, but I don't like it. People have never meant it kindly when they say it referring to me,” you mutter as you undress a soldier. “Cursed mind or whatnot.”

Silence follows after your comment and Yelena, Bob, and you disguise yourselves in the suits before you make your way out right towards the enemy hunting you down with Yelena and John carrying Bob out while you limp behind them, hoping that following your fellow comrades doesn’t raise any questions.

“I don’t really want to be carried anymore,” Bob complains.

“Shut up, Bob,” John remarks. “You’re injured, remember?”

You all pass by Valentina, and all three of the people in front of you look, raising suspicion.

“Don’t look,” you hiss. “We’re a part of the team.”

They all look away at the same time, letting you drive all your focus back to Ava as you approach the stationed trucks and no Ava.

“We need a truck,” John points out.

“Where’s Ava?” You say with worry and dart your eyes around the grounds, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.

“She’s gone,” John says pessimistically. “Of course she’s gone.”

Nevertheless, before either of you could come up with a different plan a car rolls up behind you, making Bob probe. “Now what?”

You all look back and see what seems to be a self-driving truck until Ava proves John wrong as she appears in the driver's seat.

“Hey! Get in.”

You smirk with pride and smack John’s shoulders. “Have you tried not being so pessimistic?”

“Okay, girl.”

You shoot him a glare and then walk past him and head toward the back of the car without argument, feeling too tired to drive or deal with anyone up front.

Bob then joins you, leaving Yelena, John, and Ava up front.

“You two gonna be okay back here?” Yelena asks as she throws her rifle in the back.

“Yep!” You throw your thumbs up.

“Yeah. All good,” Bob proceeds to add.

“Yeah? Okay.” Yelena says before she closes the door, letting you take your mask off and exhale deeply.

Bob unmasks himself too and finds the inside of the car a good place to finally catch his breath the same as you. However, where he thought this place would be a good place to finally address this entire ordeal, you stay quiet and look out the dirty window with a crease between your eyebrow, your eyes slightly narrowed, and your cheek between your teeth.

Had he been anyone else he wouldn’t have known that you were upset, but he knew how to read you. He learned how to in those days you spent together, so he knows your mind is racing because of him.

“I made my choice. Like you said I could do” Bob breaks the silence as the car starts moving. “And that’s what I wanted to do,” he refers to the exact moment you were thinking about; him choosing to surrender himself.

“I know,” you whisper as you continue looking out the window with your eyes drooped.

“Then please say you understand. You look upset. I don’t want you to be upset.”

You draw in a deep breath and nod. “I understand. I just…thought you…it’ll pass.” You swallow thickly.

Bob sighs softly as he continues watching your troubled face, watching you unable to help the tears and your lips from trembling.

Thus before you could spill a tear because of him, he reaches out for your hand and gives it a gentle squeeze, earning your attention at long last.

“I did choose you,” he says as if you were interlinked and he knew exactly what your troubled mind and heart were agonizing over.

“I would again,” he adds softly, making you offer Bob a wobbly smile while your heart and mind wash over with relief, reassuring him and making him caress your knuckles.

“Identify yourself, soldiers,” you hear an unknown voice as the car rolls to a stop, letting you know to be on alert.

“Part of the medical team,” you hear John come up with a quick lie. “Need to get the wounded to the hospital.”

“Medical bay’s set up north side.”

“Shit,” you whisper and strain your ear to pay closer attention.

“Nah, medical bay won’t suffice. We were headed off-base,” John quickly comes up with a response.

“No one leaves the premises until mission is completed. Orders are no deviations from protocol. Identify yourself.”

Before you can hear John’s response, in that tense moment, Bob squeezes your hands.

“Thank you,” he whispers, making you look at him in confusion.

“What?” You probe.

He looks into your eyes as if memorizing every detail out of fear he’ll forget you, and then offers you a tender smile before he leans in and steals a sweet kiss.

You don’t even get to savor it or process what he’s done before he pulls away and replaces the warmth of your hands with a cold gun.

“Bob?” You call out panicked as you start to fear the worst, but he doesn’t look at you or respond. He just opens the doors and jumps out, leaving you stranded and in agony because you know exactly what he’s going to do.

.

.

.

.

A/N- Sorry it’s so long! It just didn’t feel right stopping anywhere else! I hope you all enjoyed and are excited for the next chapter

Tagged: @broadwaytraaaaash @jasminemohmed @padsdarlg @seninjakitey @anonoussy @mateihavenoidea @queenofthekill @scoliobean @gmmsos @mr-underhills-things

[damn-stark]

My dear Honoria, I have met the most extraordinary woman. Conchita Closson is as different from anyone in our family as a circus is from a library. I first met her in the Madison Square ballrooms. Her head was thrown back, laughing as though nothing in the world had ever been so funny. So unselfconscious, so fearless. Honoria, she makes me feel like the sun has risen. Conchita is luminous. When she dances, the world watches. And when she looks at me, it's as though I've run down a mountain. I'm quite certain I will love Conchita my entire life. And if that life were to end tomorrow, well, I'd die delirious and uplifted. To have basked in her glorious and gentle light. To have held her hand. Do send my regards to the dogs. Love, Dick.

[damn-stark]

Spoilers without context for chapter 12 of Moon Star

[damn-stark]

Chapter 11 The Trail we Blaze

Chapter 11 of Moon Star

A/N- its long but I do hope you all enjoy :)

Warning- ANGST, FLUFF, swearing, violence weapons, LONG CHAPTER

Pairing- Bob Reynolds x fem!reader, Marc Spector x daughter!reader

When does it take place?- Thunderbolts (0:00:00--0:48:32)

(Let me know if you want to be tagged)

————

“TODAY YOU ARE WATCHING CHANNEL 5, FROM INSIDE THE COURTHOUSE WHERE IN A COUPLE OF MINUTES THE CIA DIRECTOR VALENTINA DE FONTAINE IS GOING TO START HER HEARING. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE COURTROOM IS ALREADY FILLED WITH OUR CONGRESSMEN AND WOMEN, AS WELL AS OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS READY TO HEAR THE START OF THIS TRIAL. LUCKILY—LOOK CONGRESSMAN BARNS IS WALKING IN, LET'S GO ASK HIM SOME QUESTIONS.”

The camera pans and in frame is the ever-so-handsome Winter Soldier who is now otherwise known as Congressman James Buchanan Barnes.

“Hey, so why do you think people voted for Congressman Barnes?” You ask your dad who’s at the other end of the FaceTime call as he insists on watching your boss's trial with you for moral support…and to prove you right about his skepticism about her. “Do people really trust him?”

“Do you?” Your dad redirects. “He does represent that state your school is in.”

You scoff. “No, I don’t trust him. I would have voted no. He might not be the Winter Soldier anymore, but there has to be some form of skepticism for him. He’s no Sam Wilson.”

“No,” your dad agrees. “But we ought to put some faith in him. What happened to him wasn’t his fault. He’s trying to do better.”

You hum before you take a sip of your hot simmering coffee and watch as the camera comes to a stop before the obviously nervous congressmen.

“Not like your boss,” your dad quips and you roll your eyes lightheartedly and set the mug down as the news anchor starts to address the congressmen.

“Representative Barnes, as a freshman congressman, any words on today’s hearing?”

“Well, I’m not on the impeachment committee,” Congressman Barnes starts off smoothly, captivating your attention. “But the rumors of wrongdoing are very worrying.”

You hear his following comment and start to snicker.

“They are very, very concerning and uhm, worrying. And I think that my Brooklyn constituents deserve better, so we’re gonna get to the bottom of this uhm,” he clears his throat. “Worrying issue.”

You begin to laugh and take another sip of your coffee before you start to work on the finishing touches on your scarab.

“Thank you,” Congressman Barnes brings an end to the interview and breaks through the crowd to walk into the Courtroom, leaving the woman to also bring an end to the segment before the camera view changes to inside the courtroom where the hearing begins with a few hits of the gavel.

You pause what you’re working on and watch as the crowd takes their seats, letting you finally see Valentina sitting at the center of attention with her assistant that you always forget the name of. Not like she matters at the moment, all your focus is on Valentina and how nonchalant she is able to look. You almost believe that everything against her is in fact a lie when you know it’s the truth.

“Now, today, the committee is meeting to examine this officer who sits before you,” Congressman Gary starts the hearing. “Articles of impeachment have been brought against her. And when we vote in favor of the impeachment, she will be removed from her post permanently. Please state your name for the record,” he gives Valentina the floor.

“Valentina Allegra de Fontaine,” she states with a fake innocent smile plastered on her face.

“Now, Miss Fontaine—”

“No,” said woman cuts him off to correct him. “It’s “de Fontaine.” You forgot the “de”.”

You roll your eyes and continue working while you also keep listening, catching your dad's comment on the matter. “Ay, no.”

“She has a point,” you comment, making your dad rebuttal.

“You can’t defend her.”

“Mr. Anderson, for example,” Valentina keeps going. “Is Secretary of Defense, not secretary of “fense,”.”

That earns a couple of chuckles from the crowd but a groan from your dad.

“Miss de Fontaine,” Congressman Gary corrects himself. “At this moment, you are serving as a director of the CIA, correct?”

“That is correct.”

“Now before that, you were chairwoman of the board of OXE Group?” Congressman Gary asks for the record and Valentina answers quickly, leaving no space to be doubted.

“Yes. Although, I have fully divested in OXE since taking office. I now sit on the board in a strategic guidance capacity.”

“And following this strategic guidance, the OXE Group maintains significant holdings in unregulated labs in foreign countries and rumored human experimentation.”

You stop and look at the TV screen at the mention as you can’t help but think of Bob.

“All part of an illegal operation to develop your own super…person,” Congressman Gary stammers over how to address the matter, making you sink deeper in your chair the more you think about Bob and how betrayed he must have felt when you just disappeared without a word.

If only you could tell him that you’re closer than he thinks.

“Is that what she had you doing?” Your dad interjects and follows by saying your name to demand an answer, but you pretend to have missed his question and listen to Valentina as she speaks up

“May I speak now, Congressman?”

“Yes.”

“First of all, I don’t have time to entertain these rumors and this gossip. Right now,” she says confidently. “There are multiple rogue nations with technologies that far exceed our own. And you’ll recall that our last president turned into a bright red superhuman monster who nearly destroyed this city.”

“She has a point,” you mutter.

“The Avengers are not walking through that door,” Valentina proclaims as she stands up. “We have no reliable heroes. That is why the onus is on me, on us, the American government, to shield its citizens. And you know,” she pauses as the gavel is hit before Congressman Gary tries to get her to stop.

“Madame Director.”

“Anything I have done in my roles both at OXE or at the CIA,” Valentina ignores him. “Has been done with that goal in mind.”

“Order. Madame Director,” Congressman Gary tries to order, but Valentina continues to defy him.

“I officially reject these articles of impeachment,” she claims as she sits down hoping that would get some fire off her, but if you were clueless you would only suspect her more. Which isn’t so smart on her part.

“This is a partisan waste of time,” Valentina continues to say. “And your hunt will come up empty no matter how many nooks and crannies you happen to stick your nose in.”

“So you don’t mind if this committee continues this investigation?” Congressman Gary rebuttals.

“Oh, of course not.”

You scoff softly at her response and then turn away from the TV, letting the hearing play out as you grow uninterested. It’s not like you’re at risk. Sure, you were working for her and OXE Group, you managed to actually get the Sentry project to work, but she doesn’t know that so all evidence that could have pinned you to the matter is getting burnt to ash. All except for Bob.

That’s why you haven’t been able to go save him because you needed him to be transported to Valentina’s black site first. That way there’s no trail and she doesn’t have a chance to find out about Bob.

“Look, Baby,” your dad steals your attention off your scarab and makes you turn your camera so he can look at you. “You don’t need her anymore, okay? Go and finish this school year on campus. You will be better off.”

You glance over at the TV as the hearing nears its end and then look back at your dad with the same nonchalant technique Valentia used at the start of her hearing.

“It’s because of her that I’m able to graduate this year,” you bring up, hoping that it doesn’t sound like you’re defending her because you’re not. You’re simply pointing out that because of Valentina taking you on as her tech specialist, you are able to graduate early.

Whether your dad likes it or not she opened the door to many unbelievable opportunities you otherwise wouldn’t have gotten.

“Yes, I know, but she’s under fire now,” your dad argues. “There’s no need for you to go down with her.”

“I won’t,” you assure him. “But even so, you have nothing to worry about. Did Steven get that?” You ask knowing the man you mentioned is overthinking this matter for the both of them.

“He heard,” your dad assures you. “He—we just want what’s best for you.”

You nod. “I know. If she falls I won't. Simple as that. And I get to go to campus,” you reassure him, hiding the fact that you’re not even in Washington D.C.. You’re actually close to where they took Bob, and your dad doesn’t know that. He thinks you’re home, waiting to hear whether they found Valentina guilty or not. He thinks you’re worried, but he doesn’t know that you’re more worried about the “project” Valentina sent you to save.

Layla, your most trusted confidant doesn’t know anything either, and Steven, well, he knows what your dad knows and that’s nothing, which is probably a bad thing just in case something goes awry, but you don’t think about what could go wrong. You just think about Bob, your secret. Your Bob.

If you knew your dad would understand why you’re risking your life for Bob, you would have told him, but you know him. He’ll get upset. He’ll say you’re risking your life for someone you shouldn't have gotten attached to. For a job. And as much as he understands love, he wouldn’t understand why you love Bob, or why he’s worth risking your life for. So maybe you’re putting your relationship at jeopardy too besides your life, but never do you waver at the thought.

Then again there’s a more important secret that is also jeopardizing your relationship, but right now, you don’t even think about telling him. All you think about is Bob, your guilt for having to leave him behind, and the hope that you’ll reach him in time.

You also hope that he somehow knows you’re coming, but knowing him he probably thinks you’ve abandoned him when it’s far from the truth.

Can’t he know that abandoning him never crossed your mind though? Even before when your days were made of keeping him company as he was in his coma and your feelings were undeveloped? And through all those busy days you tried to get his powers to work?

He must know. He has to understand.

——

*SOMETIME LATER*

Cameras looping?

You pull out your scarab and turn it on so it can fly out of hiding and approach the cameras. When you don’t catch even a glimpse of it on your smartwatch, you slowly come out of hiding and face the great eyesore that Valentina’s black site is.

Anyone with a mind would immediately clock how suspicious this is, no? It’s on top of a damn mountain!

Anyway, the cameras are looping and your suit omits any body signature any extra security measures might pick up, so you have your scarab land on the control panel and let it hack into the system to open the grand doors for you.

However, before you do make your way inside, you use your very own nanotech that you made and have it form into a fly that you keep over the entrance so it can work as your very own security camera.

Once that is up and working you finally make your way inside with your scarab leading the way just in case there’s any potential danger ahead.

Luckily, you reach the elevators without trouble, so you then make your way to the vault that resides one mile down the mountain, feeling anxiety creep in the further down you get. The black site is just so big and lonely and the combination makes it deafening and haunting. That’s not even mentioning the fact that you’re deep underground.

If this place collapses that’s it. There’s no way out! That’s terrifying! And it’s not like you’ll die next to old relics and ancient history. You’ll die in a bland vault! That’d be such a boring way to die!

You’d prefer to be killed by those Heka priest zombie creatures than die down here. That's why when the elevator reaches the intended floor you scurry out and at a quick jog, you make your way to the vault the same way you came into the black site, by hacking the system and opening the door.

Yet when the doors to the vault open you’re not welcomed into some cave of wonders, you walk into a room littered to the brim with evidence that would be able to lock Valentina away all of her life, making your plan to quickly find Bob that much harder.

Great! Just what you needed! More time in this trap of a vault!

Anyway, you don’t hesitate to start looking while your scarab flies over all the junk in search of a capsule that Bob might be in.

The vault itself isn’t so big and it’s just one room so it won’t be hidden miles away, or in a different room. If Bob is here he'll be nearby.

“I could help you look for him,” Denwen’s voice creeps in. “I have an amazing sense of smell like that of a snake, some would say.”

“No,” you deadpan stubbornly.

“Oh, and she talks,” Denwen quips as he manifests himself outside and leans against a tower of boxes in his monstrous form. “This would be so much quicker if we worked together.”

You ignore him and thankfully an alert comes through your smart watch that tells you that your scarab found a suspicious capsule, so you quickly abandon your search and run to a corner of the vault, coming face to face with a capsule.

Valentina can’t possibly be trying to destroy other super-humans so this has to be him. You just have to wake him up and open it.

However, just as you’re about to tap on the control pad, an alert comes through your watch that warns you about a singular person in a suspicious black tactical suit and a white mask approaching the black site.

“Shit,” you hiss. “Shit!”

“Come on, let me in,” Denwen insists almost in a tempting way, but it’s not enough to tempt you. Instead, you leave the capsule and look frantically for a tall stack of boxes.

Once you find some just nearby another alert comes through your watch and your security fly warns you of someone else walking in. This time though, as the suspicious figure approaches you actually recognize the bright blue, red, and white suit he’s wearing. That’s John Walker, the failed Captain America!

“What the hell is going on?!” You grumble and work at a quicker speed to surround yourself and capsule with tall stacks and singular boxes to hide behind, adding to your time inside.

“They’re after you,” Denwen pesters you as he can’t do anything but watch you move like crazy to try and hide you and Bob so you can get him out in secret while the intruders come. For what exactly?

They can’t be here to rob Valentina if they work for her, and you only know John Walker works for her because one time Valentina had you work on the shield he’s carrying. She didn’t directly say it was for someone who worked for her but you pieced it together rather quickly because she warned you not to be inquisitive and just work.

So what are they here for? Is Denwen right? Are they here for you?

“Secrets are our downfall if not kept right,” Denwen hisses in such a soothing way as he returns inside you.

“Shut up,” you bark back and notice that you get another damn alert of someone else in a stylish black suit and a white mask approaching the damn site!

“<Damn, damn, damn!>” You curse in Spanish before you use more of your nano tech to make more flies. This time you have them discreetly patrol the halls for you while you drag over the last stack of boxes, getting yet another damn alert of a short blond woman approaching the site which makes this ordeal much weirder.

They can’t be after you. Please, please let that not be true.

Nevertheless, you don’t abandon your mission, with quick glances at your little screen to watch for the four intruders, you return to the capsule and find that there’s no security wall of any kind keeping you from waking up Bob. You just tap on the right buttons and it starts the waking-up process, leaving you time to focus on the blond intruder finding her way to the vault first.

You watch her walk out of the elevator with her gun pointed at the open doors that welcome her inside the vault of evidence. All while just down a different hall, John Walker slowly approaches the same vault in the same careful and threatening walk as the blonde who creeps inside and starts to look around the piles of useless junk.

And as if premeditated, the intruder who reached the black site first also starts making their way toward the vault of evidence, turning this into a rather intriguing turn of events. More so when two of your security flies come together in the same room as John Walker at last joins the fray not going unnoticed. The blond woman catches John Walker just as he starts raising his gun and uses a hard-shelled case to block the case of bullets he sends her way.

When John Walker reloads his gun you watch as the Blonde woman throws her case at him, forcing him to use his heavy shield to shove it away when it reaches him. She then pulls out her gun and shoots, but ultimately her bullets are blocked by the shield whilst he also pushes forward, getting close enough to kick her wrist and make her drop her gun, leaving you quite amused.

John Walker then throws his leg again, but he misses this time and the Blonde moves in, capturing his arm and using her elbow to hit the back of his neck before she flips him onto the ground with a loud thud that shakes the metal ground.

You start to smile thinking that the blonde is going to gain the upper hand, but he then manages to use his strength to kick her away, causing her to crash into the ground a few feet away.

After that, they both get back up and meet in the middle to continue fighting with her finally addressing him in a Russian accent.

“You’re not even my target,” you hear her say as you look at the capsule and see that Bob should wake up in a couple more minutes. That's why you focus back on the fight happening past the tower of boxes.

“You’re mine,” John Walker retorts before he manages to disarm again, causing her to slip away to get another weapon on the floor and go exchange more blows that ultimately lead to her getting thrown to the ground again!

How impressive you do have to admit. Do they know that the first intruder is now just around the corner?

It doesn’t seem like it because John Walker stomps toward the Blonde, but never reaches her because he’s then thrown to the side, leading you to abandon the thought that they’re after you. The idiots are after each other!

You should have come before to avoid this mess Valentina most likely created, but you didn’t even have an idea that she had so many people working for her. Now you know and have no other choice but to watch the fight and hear the first intruder address the Blonde while the capsule opens.

“I’m not here for you,” the first intruder says with her mask open, letting the Blonde see who she is before hiding again and going after John Walker.

However, as they battle it out you quietly turn to the capsule, catching Bob’s eyes fluttering open before he focuses on the dark ceiling and then finds you and stares hard in disbelief.

“Hey,” you whisper with a faint smile tugging on your lips.

Bob blinks and parts his lips as he still looks at you at a complete loss for words, wondering if you’re a dream or really here. He doesn't know, but all too quickly the realization that this is real is forced upon him when he hears a different voice in the same room.

“There you are.”

“Now what?” You hear John Walker complain and when you look at your watch you see that the intruder with the stylish black suit suddenly appears in the room almost out of thin air, but not exactly, you see glimpses of them before they fully appear inside and join the group of lost intruders.

“Oh get over yourself,” they quip in a feminine voice and a British accent before she commences yet another fight whilst Bob breaks his silence.

“Hey,” Bob whispers and focuses back on you with confusion as you focus back on him with a warning look—“What—”

Before he can finish you put your finger against your lips to shush him and he listens, letting you grab his arm to help him out of the capsule. And since he’s pretty tall you have to unfortunately make him crouch immediately so you’re not caught and turn the fight towards you.

“Are you okay?” You ask as you grab his shoulders and then slide your hands up to his jaw. “Can you walk? We have to get out of here fast,” you let him know in a whisper.

“Yeah,” he makes sure to whisper back as he steals glimpses at the fight projected on your watch thanks to the security flies still in the air. “I-I’m fine. W-what are you doing here? Where are we?”

“I’ll explain everything later. Just be ready to run, okay?” You warn him and he nods as he meets your gaze and shows the relief and disbelief that passes through him as he has you in front of him after he thought he’d never see you again.

He wants to say how confused, sorry, happy, and relieved he is at this very moment, but he also hears the commotion and understands what he needs to do, so he takes your hand as you offer it to him and trusts you to lead the way.

However, as you start to move some boxes to make space to sneak out, through the screen, Bob sees that John Walker throws his shield so hard that as it hits the table, it manages to hurl the table towards the boxes surrounding you. Thus as the table crashes into the boxes, Bob throws his arm around your head and shoves you down as the boxes come tumbling down just mere inches behind him.

“Fuck,” you gasp and peer over at him. “Nice catch,” you say through pants, earning a flustered smile and a soft nod before you peek behind him, noticing that you’re still luckily covered by the other boxes, so you keep going as they keep fighting and manage to move the boxes just enough that you and Bob can slip out, leaving the doorway as the only obstacle left.

However, if only the exit were covered too, it'd make this escape easy, but it isn’t. It’s exposed to the other four, so you have to stop and wait for the right moment, watching as the blonde throws her dagger at the stylish intruder, but failing to hit her as she catches it and throws it at the first intruder.

The first intruder then hits it and redirects it towards John Walker, but he manages to catch it before he finds the blonde and shoves away the box she was using as cover, capturing her in that moment and pinning her to the ground where it becomes a struggle to keep the dagger from piercing the blonde.

It's also at this moment, as the struggle is happening, that you notice that the blonde is using a similar gadget that Natasha Romanoff used to use. She’s using a gadget around her wrists to try and electrocute John Walker in the same way the Black Widow would shock her enemies. Is the Blonde a…red room assassin just like Natasha Romanoff was?

It’s possible. If so, that'd be so cool! You always wanted to meet one. Mainly Natasha Romanoff, but the blonde will suffice too.

Nevertheless, as the struggle continues, and the other intruders are busy fighting each other, you capture Bob’s attention and point your head at the exit, letting him know that it’s time to run.

In response, Bob tightens his hold around your hand, but just as you’re going to move, the first intruder loses the stylish intruder and makes her way towards John Walker and the Blonde.

The first intruder gets close, but ultimately before she can reach the pair on the ground, the other intruder once again appears out of thin air but this time right before the first intruder, using the element of surprise to shoot her through the head, causing the pair on the ground to pause their fight to see, and leaving the exit open again.

Thus before they can turn, you move forward and try to pull Bob with you, but he doesn’t move, instead, he lets your hand go and starts to gag. You snap your head around and catch him throwing up just between you.

“Sorry,” he says between his struggle and puts his hand up, but you turn away to avoid throwing up along with him.

Yet it's a struggle to keep your food down as he gags again, undoubtedly giving you both away. Or at least him. Either way, it doesn’t matter, now you have no choice but to face them.

“Stay with me,” you instruct Bob as you pull your gun out and then walk out of hiding, revealing yourself and causing the three remaining intruders to all snap around and point their guns at you while you point your gun at them and have your scarab fly to your side to threaten them as well.

The flies made out of nanotech return to you, and Bob comes stumbling out of hiding, breaking the tension by addressing what just happened.

“Is she actually dead…” he trails off however as he sees the three intruders all point their guns at the two of you.

“Come on, let’s go,” you tell Bob over your shoulder as you keep your gun and your scarab pointed at the intruders.

With no question, you hear Bob turn and run towards the door so you walk backwards, making sure not to lose sight of all the guns pointed at you.

Nevertheless, just before you and Bob can make it out, the door along with all the doors close shut, trapping you inside and making Bob return to your side as you're forced to keep your guard up as the guns all point back at the two of you.

“Whoa, whoa, oh, no. Hi. Hey,” Bob nervously chuckles as you scowl quietly. “I’m—I’m Bob!”

Oh, sweet man. Sweet, sweet man.

“She,” Bob now turns the attention to you. “She’s my—no, she’s her. She’s—”

“It doesn’t matter,” you cut him off before he can reveal your name.

“Who are you?” The stylish intruder says without that white mask in the way, revealing to be quite pretty underneath.

“I’m—I’m Bob. I told you. She,” he points at you and reveals your name nonetheless. “And I’m, uh…yeah,” he chuckles nervously again. “Bob.”

“Jesus Christ,” John Walker snaps. “Stop saying, Bob.”

“Who sent you two?” The blonde now takes her turn speaking.

“Nobody!” Bob exclaims nervously. “Right?” He then asks you.

“Right,” you mutter with your scowl still painted on your face and your aim still on the intruders.

“Yeah, see why would we be sent?” Bob continues to say. “Were you all—You were all sent?”

“Okay,” the stylish intruder interjects as the Blonde makes some heavy eye contact with you and Bob, making you quite uneasy, and making you move towards Bob even if you have the gun.

“I'm not sure what’s happening here,” the stylish intruder says. “But you’re all exhausting and my job is done, so—“

“Ah,” the blonde cuts her off as she moves to point her gun at the stylish intruder. In doing so, making John Walker turn his aim toward the ladies as they threaten each other.

“But you see, my job is to keep an eye on you. So, no, you are not gonna go anywhere anymore.”

You scoff with amusement and look at Bob as he looks at you, sharing an amused smile before you keep your eyes on the intruders again since they’re still hostile.

“So you’re keeping an eye on her, huh?” John Walker cuts in. “That’s a halfway decent cover for somebody stealing assets from OXE.”

Oh, and you are right. They’re here for each other and it’s all because of Valentina.

“Can I have a gun?” Bob asks as he sees that you have another one in a different holster.

“Oh? Uh,” you hesitate as you look at him. “The scarab is keeping an eye out. It’ll shoot at them if they turn on us,” you assure him. “Besides, I have my other gadgets and stuff, I got us covered. I got you,” you say and pat his shoulder, missing his slight disappointment over being unable to help protect you the same way you’re protecting him.

“Okay,” he sighs and you focus back on the others, hearing the Blonde interject.

“Okay, it’s clear we have all worked for Valentina in some sort of shadow ops capacity.”

“Yeah, so?” John Walker questions her.

“So, all of this stuff is OXE’s secrets. But so are we.”

“Which makes us liabilities that no one would miss," the stylish intruder continues for the blonde as she figures out what is being said.

“Oh, speak for yourself,” John Walker retorts.

“We are the evidence and this is the shredder. She wants us gone,” the blonde exclaims.

“Your theory’s flawed,” John keeps arguing.

“Oh, please,” the stylish intruder quips. “Go on.”

“We should go,” Bob whispers and grabs your arm as he starts pulling you away.

“Yeah, okay,” you give in as they all have dropped their guns, letting you drop yours but keep your scarab watching them as it follows you and Bob.

“Okay, well, look at the facts,” you hear John Walker say. “The infamous Ghost. A shield reject on the run from 15 nations?”

Is that who she is? Ava Starr? You’ve heard about her.

“The dead one over there, she destroyed half of Budapest.”

“Don’t talk about her like that,” you hear the Blonde interject in the intruder's defense, but only gets talked about next.

“And you, former Red Room assassin. God only knows the blood on your hands.”

“Pretty ludicrous coming from the dime-store Captain America,” Ava Starr makes a good and funny point.

“I’ll have you know I was actually the official Captain America, so…” John gets defensive.

“Yeah,” the blonde scoffs. “For like two seconds.”

“Before you publicly murdered an innocent man on the streets. Do I have that right?” Ava Starr continues for the blonde.

“Really? Define, “innocent”,” he rebuttals, making you roll your eyes as he goes on and you lead Bob around the vault in search of something he doesn’t ask about because you’re both also listening to the conversation.

“Hey, look,” John Walker continues. “I’m a decorated combat veteran, okay? I have a loving wife and a son. Let’s be honest, you guys are just cheap mercenaries, okay?”

Damn.

“So, I—clearly, I’m supposed to bring you in,” he says, making both women laugh.

“That was funny, thank you. We needed that,” the Blonde says as she keeps laughing along with Ava Starr. In doing so, as you’re listening in, Bob also joins in on the laughter, making them go quiet and turn their attention back to you, causing you to stop walking and slowly turn to face them.

“It’s getting so tense in here for a second,” Bob interjects and grows nervous as the tension comes back and they all glare at you both.

“I’m not leaving here without completing my mission,” John Walker states as he starts approaching you and Bob with a menacing look, making you lift your gun once again.

“Valentina gave me a clean slate guarantee,” he continues. “And I’m not screwing that up. But this weirdo and this girl weren’t part of the job, so I gotta know…how’d you get in?” He asks and as you fail to immediately answer as you glare back at him, Bob interjects first.

“I don’t—I don’t remember.”

John rolls his eyes. “Terrific answer,” he sasses and then points at you. “And you?”

You shrug. “I found my way in,” you answer sarcastically, making him scowl before he nods.

“Great. Thank you.”

You hum and he turns around.

“All right, uhm…Tie yourselves up. You too,” he points his shield at you. “I’m not believing your shitty answer.”

You shrug and scoff as the other girls protest.

“Wow. No.”

“Oh, my God.”

“And good-bye,” Ava Starr adds and tries to leave, but you know that won’t work now that you know what she can do, so you lower your gun and turn to Bob.

“Cover your ears.”

You mirror each other by covering your ears and seconds later a high-pitched alarm screeches and Ava Starr is unable to phase out. Just like it was intended to do, proving that this is what Valentina wanted this for.

“Oh, you guys hear that?” Bob addresses the others as they’re also left frazzled by the high-pitched sound.

“Had you asked and stopped being dicks I would have warned you about it,” you finally say more than a couple of words as you holster your gun.

“What?” John Walker quips as they all turn to look at you.

“Sonic system. Valentina had me make them. I didn't know it was for you until today,” you tell Ava Starr.

“Who are you?” The blonde asks as she takes a step toward you.

“Valentina’s tech specialist,” you share without hesitation or deceit, but John Walker doesn’t believe you.

“Sure,” he chuckles. “Then why are you here?”

“I came here for him,” you point at Bob as you glance at him. “Turns out there was someone here to steal OXE assets. Not like she knows—or knew. I’m collateral now. Not like you. You’re here to die,” you direct at John Walker smugly, making him scoff in disbelief.

“Don’t believe us then, but it’s the truth. Guess all those metals weren’t enough to make you as important as you think, ey?”

John narrows his glare and you smirk, taunting him more. To the point he fists his hands and starts stomping towards you with his lips parted to most likely throw some insult. You’re sure, but he doesn’t get to reach you because in a matter of seconds, without thinking of what could happen and ignoring how well equipped you are, Bob cuts him off as he steps in front of you to shield you from the big threatening man.

“She’s very smart. She’ll help us find a way out.”

You take a step past Bob and interject after him. “I might,” you play nice because he’s protecting you and vouching for you which does make your heart flutter and makes you less hostile.

“It’ll take time,” you add. “As long as you stop threatening Bob I’ll help you all get out. Maybe then you can then ask Valentina why those metals weren’t enough, Mr Walker?” You direct at John cockily before you look at the blonde. “We all know each other except for you.”

“That’s right,” Ava Starr turns her attention to the blonde.

“Yelena,” the blonde answers bluntly and walks back before she turns away from the group, but not without looking between you and Bob, making you then turn around to continue finding what you need.

Bob doesn’t linger behind, he turns around and follows you, leaving the others to their own devices.

“Thank you,” you tell Bob as you wait for him to catch up. “For standing up for me just now.”

Bob stares at you dumbfoundedly so you grab his arm and squeeze it gently.

“Really, thank you,” you press. “I know I have a habit of getting myself in trouble, but when I don’t have to avoid it it’s quite fun picking on men like him because they always take the bait.” You laugh softly and he finally breaks from his stupor to smile shyly at the ground before he addresses the matter.

“I know I don’t have any weapons, but I still wasn’t going to let him come attack you,” he says softly and lifts his gaze, locking his eyes with you right away since you never once dared to look away—“I can be…useful too you know? Especially when it comes to you know…you,” he finishes in a whisper and darts his eyes away as he grows as flustered as you.

“You can help me find a way out then,” you whisper as your heart somersaults like mad and butterflies dance their happy dance.

Bob nods and a boost of confidence hits him as you trust him to help you even if he knows you’d be able to do this with your eyes closed.

“Okay.” He nods. “What are we looking for exactly?” He asks.

You let go of his arm and glance around for what you’re searching for. “A box. I can’t say what color it’ll be because I don’t know, but it’ll be hard to miss because it’ll be on a wall. It’s what gives power to the sonic system that stopped that cool ghost lady. It’s an independent power source, but the wires run through the wall so I’ll be able to use my nanotech to make bugs crawl alongside the wires through the walls and have it connect to the door, the incinerators above our heads, and the elevators.”

“Wow, that’s a pretty tall order,” Bob notes nervously, knowing that your escape depends on finding this box.

“Yeah, but it’s our only way out now. We can’t open the doors any other way.” You sigh and spot a grate on the wall so you run over, but when you reach it, you just find the vents. Thus you and Bob keep searching without actually straying too far from each other.

“What if we can’t find it?” Bob asks as he lingers behind you in the mess.

You peer back and correct him. “We will and if we don’t, well, we’re not alone. We can come together and brainstorm like a ragtag team.” You chuckle and continue to search, coming across the trio that is all busy independently trying to find a way out.

“So you girl, why are you here? You look too young to be Valentina’s specialist?" Yelena asks as you pass by her.

“Too young?” You mock. “There’s no age expectancy to being a genius, and I’m old enough,” you argue, but your eyes betray you. Not like that you care to notice that fact.

“And I told you, I came for Bob,” you answer curtly. “She was going to get rid of him so I came to get him out using my suit and my technology,” you repeat yourself, making her nod stiffly.

“Do your parents know you’re here?” John Walker butts in as he tries to mess with the door.

“Haha,” you feign a laugh. “And father. I don’t have a mother,” you mess with him and when you peek over you see him give the same ashamed reaction everyone gives you when you mess with them that way because they conclude your mother's dead.

“Anyway,” you roll out and come to a stop before you can walk out of sight, almost bumping into Bob, but stopping him by putting your hand on his chest and pushing him back gently—“Miss Yelena, you’re a Red Room Assassin, right?”

“Yelena,” she corrects you. “And…yes. I was.”

You nod and begin to smile. “Like Natasha Romanoff?” You ask with a childlike wonder that captures her attention. “You know about her? The Black Widow? She was a red room assassin too.”

“Yes, I know…about her,” she deadpans.

You nod and begin to grin. “Pardon me because I’m about to geek out a little, but she was always my favorite avenger,” you share and pique Yelena’s curiosity and wonder. You swear you see that glimmer in her eyes.

“I thought she was very cool and now after two years…I find it quite hard not to almost worship her.”

Yelena swallows thickly and probes. “Why is that?”

“Because,” you sigh and your smile fades as your eyes fill with ache. Usually, you wouldn’t share something so deep from your heart to strangers, but you’re almost desperate to share the words you’ve harbored for the past two years and have replayed in your mind every day.

However, besides desperation and gratitude, you also don’t know if today is your last day on earth. Everyday since you came back from being snapped away you have always feared that the day you're living will be the last day. You're tormented by that fear and sometimes you do welcome it, you want it, but that's why you can’t go on not sharing what you have to say even if Yelena has an inkling of a connection to that very special savior.

“…She sacrificed herself for half of the population. For me,” you whisper softly. “She’s the reason I came back, so every day since I found out, she’s a reason I fight to survive. To make her sacrifice worth it.”

Yelena’s eyes flutter and she mutters. “Cool.”

You smile sweetly and as Yelena looks at you, you catch the quiet sound of her breath hitching and notice her lips show a quick sad frown before she turns away.

You cluelessly then move along to continue searching and luckily this go around Bob finds the box you need, so you tear the box open and find the treasure.

“And now,” you pause as you form little spiders that start to crawl alongside the wires with the command to reach the other wires that connect to the incinerator above your heads, the doors, and the elevators that will take you up because you know Valentina has now messed with them too to keep you—them all trapped inside.

“You know,” Bob interjects as you finish setting the command on your smartwatch. “I didn’t think you’d come. I thought you…forgot about me.”

You snap your eyes off your screen and look at him softly. “How could I?” You argue and lower your hand to turn and face him with an apologetic look. “I know it took long, I’m sorry it did, but I needed to find the right moment and it’s been hectic since Valentina started getting investigated, but I never forgot,” you make it known and passionately so because the moment came to explain yourself and you’re taking it because that’s all that’s occupied your mind since you left him behind.

“If I had it my way I would have taken you with me the day they forced me to leave,” you share, making him look at the ground with regret. “But just as I was going to bust through those doors I knew I had to think rationally. I’m sorry,” you say again and gently press your hand on his chest as you tilt your head down to try and meet his gaze.

“And Bob—”

“You’re here now,” he cuts you off before you could continue with your apology and the rest of what you needed to tell him regarding…well, all this mess.

“That’s all that matters,” he says as his gentle dark blue eyes slowly scale up to meet your gaze, making you both move your heads up in sync.

“I…shouldn’t have doubted you, I’m sorry I did, I just…never had anyone care enough to come back,” he reveals with a break in his voice. “But you did…I’ll never doubt you again,” he whispers and grabs your hand, keeping it pressed against his chest, and making the corner of your lips mirror the tender smile that glimmers in your eyes.

“I’ll never give you a reason to doubt me again,” you whisper back as you step closer, closing that already small gap, and making every breath unfurling over your lips a temptation to connect intimately once again.

“Because I’ll never leave you alone again. I promise,” you say and gently clutch onto his chest.

“Okay,” Bob whispers with a sweet growing smile.

You smile giddily and once again he’s the one who steals a kiss, proving he’s not as timid as he looks.

Albeit once again you both know where you are so you just prolong the moment for a little as you kiss him back ever so gently, like getting a taste of that forbidden sweet before bed, knowing in the back of your mind that you’ll have more again soon. You just have to wait.

“Help me put this last piece together,” you whisper against his lips before you pull away and grab your scarab from the air.

“Okay yeah, what do you need me to do?” He asks excitedly.

“You see those wires here?” You ask as you point to the intended wires. “I need you to connect the scarab's front legs the moment I cut the wires, okay? It has to be fast before it loses power.”

Bob nods and lets out a deep and shaky breath.

“Here,” you say and hand him the scarab as you grab one of your crescent moon daggers and quickly cut the wires, causing Bob to fumble for a second before he manages to connect the scarab to the wires, giving you almost complete power, but not completely yet.

“Great!” You praise him and put your hand out so he can meet it with a high five. “And now we wait for the spiders to connect to the incinerators, the doors, and the elevators. Once that is done I shut what needs to be shut, open what needs to be open, and turn on what needs to be powered back on from my watch! Isn’t that so cool?!”

Bob smiles at your enthusiasm and you grin at him.

“Thanks, honey.” You praise him again and then go and wait in the center of the room where you can see the others, choosing to take a seat on one of the many boxes while Bob looks around, and John Walker strains himself to try and open the doors.

“Okay,” Walker says as he finally gives up trying to force that door open. “I can confirm that the door is unliftable.”

You snicker and Yelena quips. “Wow, thank you we did not know!”

“For the hundredth time,” you interject. “This room is supposed to keep you in. It’d be a pretty shitty trap if you could force it open.”

“Okay, sure,” he scoffs, still in denial. “Well, at least I’m trying to do something about it unlike you or you know patient zero over there.” He says and without looking up you know he’s referring to Bob.

“I am trying to do something,” you argue. “Why do you think I’m on my watch? I’m just waiting on—”

Yet you go ignored when Yelena cuts in to address a different matter. “Hey. Job or not, can you have some respect, please?”

You glance over and see Ava rummaging through the dead intruder's weapons. Which somehow offends the blonde.

“Yeah, jesus,” John Walker quips as he approaches Ava and the body before actually doing the same thing as Ava—“Hold on a second.”

You look away as he takes a weapon after being judgmental and see that your spiders are getting closer.

“What?” You hear John remark. “She’d want me to have it.” He chuckles dryly. “I need it.”

Nevertheless, seconds later the lights suddenly turn off and an alarm blares before intimidating red lights brighten the room and a doomsday clock begins to countdown, meaning only one thing, Valentina turned on the incinerators.

She also definitely knows you’re here and doesn’t care!

Shit, shit, shit!

Your dad was right!

Okay, okay. You got this.

“What the hell is that?” John remarks as you hear the incinerators come on.

“That doesn’t sound like a shredder. It’s an incinerator,” Ava comments and you jump off the boxes you were on to run to the power source box.

“Two minutes,” Yelena points out and unknowingly piles on pressure to your already tense shoulders. “Then Valentina’s slate is wiped clean.”

“Come on, come on,” you mumble as you tap your watch as if that would make your spiders crawl any faster.

“You don’t know that for sure,” John argues completely in denial. “Could be for anything. Could be for when they come to pick me up.”

You would laugh but you’re stressed out at the moment so he misses out on your cruel reminder. Instead, Ava takes the job for you.

“Do you feel that? The temperature rising dramatically as if heat was involved?”

“Okay, it’s an incinerator.”

“Oh, boy,” you hear Bob chime in. “That is no way to go. But—”

“Well, how would you like to die today, Bob?” John interrupts him with annoyance.

“Well—”

“Okay, Ghost Lady,” Yelena cuts Bob off.

“Ava,” said woman lets her know.

“Sure. Whatever. Don’t care. We need to get you through the walls, so that you can open the door.”

“She tried that,” John Walker reminds Yelena.

“I know she did, but we haven’t tried shutting down the sound barrier.”

Before they could all go on Bob yells out your name, stealing their attention as well as yours.

“What?” You call in confusion and he goes on before he can be ignored.

“She knows how to shut it down. We found the independent power source.”

“Well, why didn’t you say that sooner, Bob!” John shouts before you hear three pairs of running footsteps come toward you, and a quiet voice left behind.

“I tried,” Bob whispers his response before joining the four of you.

“It’s here I’m just waiting on my—”

Before you can finish, just like before, and the same way they’ve been treating Bob, they ignore you.

“I can override this,” Yelena yells over the panic of the counting-down clock.

“But,” you try to input, but before you can say that you’re working on it John comes barging through.

“On your left!” He shouts and from one second to another, before you can say a word, he rams his tacky shield through the box, breaking your connection just as the spiders were about to finish.

“Or that works, I hope,” Yelena says whilst you gape in a loss for words before rage blinds you, causing you to throw out words before you can think.

“<YOU FUCKING STUPID BAFOON! IDIOT! STUPID!>” You shout in the first language that comes to mind, French.

“What?!” John yells back and you turn to him to throw your finger at him. However, before you can shout at him you then spin around on your heels and rip your scarab from the wires it was hanging from.

“<I should’ve grabbed Bob and just left guns blazing>,” you now ramble in Spanish as you walk in a rage, hearing Bob in the distance telling them that you had found a solution.

“<I should’ve left them. But no I tried to be sneaky and now. Ah!>”

“Accept my help and I can get you and your lover out of here,” Denwen adds to your annoyance by pitching in so without caring that you’re being heard, you spat back in English.

“No, you stupid idiot, I'm not taking advice from a three-thousand-year-old god who’s been trapped longer than he lived.”

“Nice job, Walker,” you hear Ava say. “You broke her. She’s talking to herself now.”

“No,” Bob defends you. “It’s actually an Egyptian deity.”

You miss their looks but when you turn to face John you can tell that they didn’t believe Bob.

“So were you born with a smooth brain?” You snap at John Walker. “Or did that super soldier serum give it to you?”

He turns in a flash with his eyes narrowed in a glare he pierces into you. “Excuse me?” He hisses.

You wave your hand to ignore him and walk to Ava. “You. I need you to take this,” you say, and grab her hand to give her the scarab. “It's already on. You just need to press this against the door's control panel and it will unlock the doors for us, okay? It’s that simple. You can’t open it any other way once it’s in this mode and I don’t have the passcode, so this will unlock the doors.”

Ava takes her hand away and clutches onto the scarab before she nods without actually looking reassuring. “Sure, kid.”

“Go, go, go,” John Walker pushes her as she’s running toward the door.

You sigh deeply and then run to the door, catching Ava disappear outside the room using her cool abilities with 22 seconds left on the clock.

“You think she’s coming back?” Bob asks as you fearfully watch for the door to open, but the clock keeps counting down and the heavy doors remain shut.

“She…” you trail off before you can try to be positive, feeling the stress, and the anger wear that positivity out, leaving you doubtful and fearful.

“I should have seen this coming,” John Walker mutters and the incinerators get uncomfortably hot while the clock only reminds you how close you are to dying.

Yet there is one ray of positivity that breaks through that dark cloud raging over you and that’s Bob.

You look at him after you steal another glance at the clock and you know one thing for sure, you don’t fear death. Death is a thought that has lurked in the dark corners of your mind, but a part of you always feared it until today. Right now. At this very moment, because of Bob.

Maybe he feels the same way or maybe he doesn’t. You don’t know, and you don’t ask, but he does look at you as you’re looking at him, and he gulps with tears glistening over his eyes full of so many things left unsaid. Things he regrets not saying sooner. Things he hopes are spoken and heard by seeking out your hand and securing it gently as if he holds the fragile world in his hand.

And maybe he does. Maybe to him, you are the entire gentle world. And maybe to you, he is hope, life, and everything that makes life worth living. You hope he knows that by the way you squeeze his hand in the same way you also hope that by holding his hand you won’t lose each other in the afterlife.

After that is settled yet unspoken, and before you can welcome death, you look at Bob in his gentle eyes one more time and offer him a tender smile.

Bob does his best to mirror it and before raging flames could rain down on you, you both close your eyes and wait.

Yet death doesn’t come. Salvation at long last arrives as Ava Starr gets the doors open at the last second, making all of you still inside sprint out.

However, as you reach the door, you can’t run fast enough to avoid the force of the fire that comes pouring down, so you’re all thrown out by the force, and darkness comes either way the moment you hit the wall.

——

*LATER*

“Little wolf. Little wolf,” soft muffled whispers echo in your mind before the sound startles you awake to see the dark piercing eyes of Denwen above you.

“You almost killed us in there,” he says as he stands up.

“I told you to stop calling me that,” you grumble and only push yourself to your knees because a pounding headache from the back of your head makes it hard to move.

“I have never once heard you say that,” he rebuts as he stands there and watches you.

“Well,” you groan and rub the back of your head. “Stop.”

He scoffs and throws his hand out, offering his help, but you shove it away. “I don't need your help,” you mutter and finally see clearly enough to look around, catching Ava Starr watching with her blank white mask.

“I’m not talking to myself. It’s an Egyptian god,” you mumble as said god makes himself scarce and you look around for Bob, finding him behind you sitting up.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” you hear him direct Yelena before he looks away, finding you right beside him.

“Hey,” he whispers as his eyes go wide before he flips around to crawl over to you. “Are you okay?”

“I think so,” you say as you pull your hand off your head. “You?” You redirect and study him, noticing nothing concerning. You just see him looking quite upset.

“Yeah, I’m okay” he assures that he has no physical wounds, but you see something troubling him.

“You sure?” You press and he nods before he grabs your arm and helps you up.

“Look at me,” Bob instructs whilst the others are talking in the back.

You do as he says and he studies you hard, letting you take this opportunity to try and ease his spirits since you really can’t go in depth about his feelings as of now.

“I see,” you interject as you look into his gentle eyes. “Pretty dark blue eyes.”

Bob blinks in surprise and a slight smile then breaks on his serious demeanor, making you smile with pride.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” He asks again and his worry returns.

You nod and offer him a soft smile. “Yes, Bob, I’m sure.”

He steals one last hard look at you and once he doesn’t notice anything physically concerning he nods and steps back, letting you get a view of the others trying to find a way to open the elevator.

“It won’t open,” you break the silence and walk over to join Ava Starr trying to pry the doors open. “This floor is most likely in lockdown mode. Cutting off all power to any way out.”

“Well, Bob over there said you’re a genius, so what do you suggest we do?” She queries as she backs away and stands by you.

“Well,” you scoff. “Smooth brain over there,” you point back at John Walker, making Ava snicker. “Cut off the only connection I could’ve had to make the elevators work. So now the only way would be for you to go in and try to open it that way.”

Ava shakes her head. “The doors are too thick. I can’t walk through, I'll get crushed. Something else.”

“An explosion…”

“Would only damage the structure further,” she finishes for you. “That’s not mentioning the fact that it could damage the elevator itself.”

You nod. “Yeah,” you whisper. “I got that…well we’ll have to ask John Walker to make a hole through the doors.”

You both look back and catch said man running his mouth. “Everybody’s got a reason for being here except for weird and weirdo,” you catch him saying, making your face contort.

“I told you,” you repeat yourself as you walk over to join him and Yelena. “I came here for Bob.”

John Walker shakes his head. “You see I don’t believe you, but if you won’t tell the truth. I’ll make him. Hey, Bobby,” he directs at Bob as he takes off his helmet, revealing the same face you’ve seen on TV before.

“Less talking to yourself, more talking to us,” John exclaims and when you look over at Bob you see him ignore John and continue muttering, making you walk to John to stand up for Bob.

“Leave him alone. He already told you what happened.”

John sighs. “I’m tired of this bullshit,” he says and pushes past you to storm toward Bob.

“Hey Walker,” Yelena tries to stop him, but the man ignores you both.

“You tell me how you got in here right goddamn now,” John Walker demands in a harsher tone, making you take a step forward to try and storm over, but before you can, a hand hits your chest and pushes you back.

You look over and see that Yelena is stopping you.

“Don’t,” she warns.

“But…” you trail off and look at Bob with worry while you look at John with anger.

“I swear, man,” Bob finally responds. “I-I just woke up in this place. One minute, I was, you know, getting my blood drawn for this medical study, and the next I’m here,” he says and chuckles nervously. “In my pajamas. I don’t know what’s happening.”

“Walker, leave him alone,” you warn him but your voice goes unheard by him throwing a demand at Bob.

“Okay, then show me where you woke up!”

“In—in there,” Bob points back at the closed door. “My—she,” he adds and points at you over John’s shoulder. “She woke me up.”

“He’s telling the truth,” you back up Bob and step forward, making Yelena’s hand slip from your chest. “I woke him up from a capsule inside.”

John looks at you over his shoulder and rolls his eyes before he continues to argue. “Where everything’s on fire. That’s real convenient.” He says and turns around to walk off.

“Walker, relax,” Yelena tells said man whilst you finally meet up with Bob.

“Just ignore him,” you try to suggest even though you know it’s hard.

“You don’t remember anything?” Ava asks, making you and Bob peer over. “Bag over your head? A needle in your neck?”

“No.”

“Choke hold? Nerve pinch?” John chimes in.

“No.”

“I think he’s just a civilian,” Yelena proves to be the only rational one. Albeit she is wrong, but still she’s still the only one being kind.

“If he’s a civilian, he knows too much,” John exclaims. “If he’s an agent, he sucks. Either way, I say we throw him and her back into the fire.”

“Watch yourself,” you warn him and turn to Bob, catching him start to chuckle. “Bob,” you warn him softly, but he doesn’t let it go.

“Sorry. Look—you said you were Captain America?”

“Why are you laughing?” John asks in a more menacing tone than the one he was using before.

“Just ‘cause you’re an asshole,” Bob remarks as he continues laughing. “You know?”

John feigns a chuckle and then makes his way over, so you try to put yourself in front, but Bob moves away as if looking for trouble.

“It’s just funny, I mean…” Bob doesn’t get to finish before John grabs him by the collar and shoves him against the wall.

“Hey!” You exclaim and storm over, getting caught by surprise in that moment as you see the way Bob’s eyes glow gold again like that time before he fell into that coma.

It seems that John caught it too so he stops fighting, letting you grab his arm and push him back as you hiss at him. “What the hell is your problem? Seriously?”

“My problem?” He snaps and meets your gaze with fury. “What’s your and your boyfriend's problem?”

You get ready to fight back. You even get one of your gold crescent daggers out, but you see the way he falters as he looks past you, so you look back and see Bob’s eyes glow a brighter gold.

“Bob,” you call out softly, gaining his immediate attention and making his eyes lose that radiant gold in a second, so you then look back at John to flash him your dagger and throw out your threat. “Back off asshole.”

“Hey, whoa. Okay, okay,” Yelena comes cutting in. “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” she says and pushes John back. “We swung our tiny dicks. It was a lot of fun. You two go find a way out. Bob, come with me,” she says and takes him by the arm, leaving you behind.

Bob looks back at you as he walks with Yelena, and you swallow thickly as you feel a familiar fire start burning within.

However, you remind yourself to breathe and that your lives are currently in danger so you look away from Yelena dragging Bob to the side of the room. Instead, you look around and notice your scarab still attached to the control pad outside the vault, so you run over and save it before you return to deal with the elevator, making Bob follow your every step when you walk by, while you glance at him before you fist your hands and walk by faster.

“You need to make a hole through the wall,” you direct at John as you swallow your vengeful rage to be able to get out. “It’s the only way to open the doors.”

“I’m sure there’s a button here somewhere,” he completely ignores you. Again.

“Just listen to the girl,” Ava backs you up, making John groan before he finally listens to something you said and brings his mighty shield back.

“Stand back,” he warns and shoos you both back, so you both take one step backward. Yet when he slams his shield against the thick stone he only manages to break through one layer of stone.

Now he didn’t say his intention, but you know he was planning to break through with one swing, so you and Ava actually meet each other's gaze and share an amused look and a stifled laugh.

“Performance issue?” You’re the only one who says something, making him pause. “Is that why you’re here?” You tease, making him scoff.

“Aren’t you like twelve?”

Ava chuckles. “Good one, Walker.”

“22, but not like that matters. Try again or Valentina will find us and finish the job. We can turn around if that works.”

He rolls his eyes before he turns to swing his shield again, managing to actually make a gap through the doors.

“Tens across the board!” You exclaim and Ava follows your lead and claps.

“You guys done with therapy yet?” John addresses Bob and Yelena, making you look back.

“I think I found a way out.”

“I? Excuse me?” You quip.

“We,” he whispers under his breath before he walks into the elevator with Ava.

You linger back and look back at Bob, seeing Yelena and him still talking so you bite your cheek and look away while you wait.

When Bob reaches you he brushes his fingers on your arm, taking your attention.

“You okay?” You ask as you look for any sign of his powers.

“Yeah,” he whispers and walks into the elevator with the others, leaving you back where you almost fuel the fire, but you remind yourself that you don’t want jealousy to control you, so you blow it off with a deep breath.

Nevertheless, before you can walk after Bob, a hand pats your back. “Are you okay?” Yelena asks in her Russian accent.

“Me?” You ask and think about it, but besides the headache that goes from pounding to annoying, you feel nothing. “Well, if I start convulsing then no.” You mess with her earning a worried look so you gently pat her shoulder. “I’m fine. Minor headache. It’s all good. You?”

She thinks and then nods. “I am not bleeding so yes.”

You scoff with amusement and at the sight, she smiles before you head in and get immediately interrogated by John.

“Okay, genius, how do you get this to work?”

You meet his very blue eyes and share a dry laugh. “Oh, now you ask? Well, I’ll tell you, I can’t because you destroyed the only connection I had to open the doors from down here. The first floor holds the power to the elevator and the way to hack it.”

“Great, Walker thanks,” Ava mutters and sighs in frustration.

“Then what do you have there?” Yelena asks as she points to your holsters, your shiny chain hanging over your hip, and your shiny dark silver vibranium-made bracelets that start at your wrists and travel down your forearm.

“Oh,” you mouth quite excitedly as you’re finally able to ramble about your gadgets. “My daggers and guns,” you point at your holsters and then drag your fingers to your chain. “Nanotech that I am able to make into tiny missiles, paralyzing agents, electrocuting gadgets, smoke bombs,” you mutter and then point at your bracelets. “And Vibranium bracelets.” You grin smugly, earning surprised looks from everyone but Bob who already knew all about your cool gadgets and such.

“Where did you get vibranium?” John asks.

You avert their gaze and mutter. “I stole it for Valentina. It’s a very long story, but that’s the gist,” you say and look up as you swing your hands and clap. “I didn’t have a lot so I upgraded the bracelets I already had.”

“Well, can any of that help us out?” John remarks and you shake your head immediately.

“No. Anything I make won’t be able to boost us up or be strong enough to carry us.”

“You should’ve led with that,” Yelena mutters under her breath before she looks around at the group. “Only way is up. Come on.”

With that said John opens the hatch and climbs out of the elevator first to be able to hold it open as Ava climbs up next. Bob pushes you to go before him so he gives you a boost so you can reach the opening and pull yourself up. You then help him up, making Yelena the last one to join you above the elevator.

Once the hatch closes you look up at the only way out and realize at the same time as everyone else how dreadfully long one mile is.

“So,” Yelena interjects, making you look down to look at her whilst your mind starts to run different ideas by you.

“None of us fly?” Yelena asks and looks at every single one of you hoping to get a yes, but you all stay quiet.

Bob can fly. The Sentry serum gave him that ability but it seems he’s only been able to manifest powers when he’s upset, and getting him upset for the sake of revealing his powers is something you won’t do. So you just glance at him and stay quiet.

“What, do we all just punch and shoot?” Yelena piles on the questions and gets no response, so John cuts in.

“Okay. Don’t worry I got this.”

You part your lips to question him, but John then steps in the middle so you get your phone out and quickly start recording. Seconds later, using the strength given to him by the super soldier serum, he hurls himself high up the tunnel.

He’s not seen for a moment but you know he won’t be able to jump high enough to reach the door, so you press your hand on Bob’s chest and push him back against the wall as you also walk back and wait.

Seconds later, after a second of silence, gravity brings John back down and he slams on the ground right on his hard shield, making you smirk as you caught all of it on camera, and making Bob cover his mouth with his hands while Yelena snickers, and Ava snips at him.

“You should try that again.”

“We’re pretty far down here,” John states the obvious between groans, causing Yelena to start chuckling while you stop recording and put your phone away before you step forward and offer John your hand.

Said man is hesitant to take your hand, but he accepts your help nonetheless and lets you help him up to his feet where he immediately shares another idea directed at Ava.

“Hey, okay, why don’t you walk up through the walls or whatever and then just throw us a rope down?”

You roll your eyes and cross your arms over your chest at his thoughtlessness, watching as Yelena agrees before Ava interjects with the truth.

“Okay, well, first of all, someone other than you would have to ask me. And second of all, I have to know where I’m going ‘cause I’ve never been able to hold it longer than a minute. So I’d just get lost in an ocean of dirt, and then I’d be crushed to death. All right?”

“Okay.” You nod and look up again with your hands on your hips.

“Just a minute?” John manages to take this time to mock her.

“Oh, shut up.”

“That was a stupid joke,” you mutter after Ava’s remark.

“Oh, my god. We suck,” Yelena mutters as she holds her head.

“Ah,” Bob finally breaks his silence. “I have an idea.”

And thus after that, you find yourselves climbing up the wall in a rather risky but effective position. You’ll have to give Bob his props for thinking of linking your arms and climbing up the tunnel together in a rather tight human circle.

“Very effective, great plan Bob.” You praise him after a while of climbing in silence.

“Oh, thanks,” he says quietly.

You would peer over at him but you can only catch a glimpse of him from the corner of your eyes and nothing more, besides, your watch then begins to beep, making you glance at your wrist and barely see that your security bugs notify you of all of Valentina’s armed goons filling in outside the building.

“What was that?” John asks for the others.

“Valentina sent back up,” you let them all know. “They’re parking outside the entrance.”

“Great,” John grumbles and you breathe out deeply in agreement.

With that impending danger waiting for you outside, a tense silence blankets over all of you that drags on for some time with Bob only telling you what leg to move as you move up. It’s not until Yelena speaks up to complain that the tension eases.

“Ew, which one of you is wet?”

“I, I run hot. Sorry,” Bob apologizes before John also cuts in to complain.

“Someone’s got a weird, hard butt.”

“That’s not my butt,” Ava speaks up in her defense. “It’s my suit.”

“Well, you need a new suit,” Yelena quips.

“Oh, pardon me for the inconvenience,” Ava sasses. “I mean I only spent my entire life in labs hooked up to machines so I could create this physical cage to keep my material body from disintegrating at all times. So yeah, I’m so sorry about that!”

“You do not want to start the whole sob story game,” Yelena rebuttals with a chuckle as if this is some sort of competition. “I win. Enslaved child assassin over here.”

“Well, you were just a kid, so,” John actually offers some kind words which catch you by surprise.

“Oh? So that’s a good thing now?” Yelena remarks so John adds on to his comment.

“I just think it might be nice to know that you didn’t really know any better.”

“Thanks,” Yelena says sarcastically. “I feel way better,” she says before John fidgets, making the entire link move.

“Hey, quit it!” Ava exclaims, bringing you all to a stop to catch your breath. Unfortunately, though there are still some ways to go so you keep climbing because your lives do depend on it.

After some time, you finally see the damn door.

“Oh shut up!” You exclaim between pants. “I see the door! Finally! It’s taking everything in me not to take Walker’s tacky shield and throw it down. It’s so uncomfortable.”

“Tacky?”

“It’s crazy,” Ava blurts. “I can’t even see the floor.”

“Can we not talk about how high up we are?” Bob cuts in. “I’m just not great with heights.”

“Well,” you say and look up. “Just look up then, we’re almost there.”

“Okay, ah,” Yelena pants. “Now what?”

Well, you are tightly knit and if any of you let go you all fall.

“I would just like to let all of you know that if you let me go and I plummet to my death, my watch is registered to send a message to my dad,” you threaten them. “And he will hunt you all down. So think before you act. Walker.”

“Who's your dad?” Ava asks in confusion.

“A very scary man.”

“Okay,” John brushes you off, not taking you seriously even though you’re being completely serious.

“Well tell your old man not to get excited yet,” Ava says. “One of us should go…first?”

“Yeah, then we all immediately fall!” You point out.

“Ah, shit!” John says between his teeth.

“Sorry,” Bob stammers out. “I-I, yeah I guess I didn’t…I didn’t really think this far ahead.”

You part your lips to assure Bob, but John blurts before you can speak. “Genius plan, Bobby!”

You remember why you’re pestered by the man and quickly jump in to defend Bob as he mutters to himself.

“Always making things worse,” Bob whispers to himself.

“That’s not true, Bob,” you assure him before you yell at John. “It’s not like you had a plan, Walker! Bob was the one who got us up here so why don’t you stop being a dick.”

“Ah, these bloody boots!” Ava shouts. “I don’t think I can hold this much longer!”

“Okay, hand me your baton,” John yells over his shoulder. “I can reach it.”

You furrow your brows and Yelena protests your exact thoughts. “What?!”

“Yeah.”

“No way, you’re just going to leave us. Okay. Spin us around, and then I can…I can latch us on.”

“Yes please!” You back her up as it sounds like a plausible plan.

“I’m not spinning us around. Somebody’s got to go first.”

“Cucumber, cucumber, cucumber,” Bob suddenly shouts, making you all immediately drive your attention to him.

“What the hell is happening?” Yelena asks.

“Growing up somebody told me that you can stop a sneeze if you confuse your brain. I always just yelled “cucumber”,” Bob speaks quickly.

“Okay?” Yelena doesn’t understand.

“I have to sneeze,” Bob shares the obvious. “But if I sneeze then I’m going to lose control.”

“This is insane, okay?” John’s obnoxious shouts echo through the tunnel. “I can get us all out of here. I just need to go first.”

“No,” you protest. “There must be another way.”

“Oh, no,” Bob gasps and starts building up his sneeze, so you quickly snap your head his way and try the trick he just shared.

“Cucumber! Cucumber!” You yell along with everyone else in hopes he doesn’t lose control and make you all fall.

“All right! Come on! Okay, just give me this. I got it!”

Before you know it, before anyone could react, and before Bob could sneeze, you feel John turn his body to take the baton from Yelena, letting go of her and Ava in the process, and because he let go, the link breaks and you all free-fall back towards the vault.

You proceed to yell, feeling your heart basically drop to your throat as you feel gravity try to claim you for death, but you rebel. Instead, you proceed to pull out daggers to hook them into the wall.

However, the daggers slip from your hands with how fast you’re falling as you try to make contact, so you continue falling, hearing Bob yell out your name, and then seeing him reach out his hand as if that was all you needed to stop. It wouldn’t work, but in your panicked state, nothing felt safer, so with fearful eyes that match his, you stretch out your hand and realize how close you are as your fingers brush.

Thus using the air, you push yourself down and manage to grab his hand, and as you do something wraps around your ankle and brings you to a sudden stop. You continue to grip onto Bob with all the strength you can muster and so much more you didn’t know you had, while he grabs onto you with all his might to avoid falling.

“I won’t let go! Just hang on!” You yell at him and with a panicked look, he nods in comprehension. You then look up to see your savior, and see that it was Yelena who caught you with her wire as she hangs onto Ava, after Ava managed to hook something into the wall.

“Thank you,” you whisper in disbelief as Bob can’t help himself and sneezes—“bless you,” you say breathlessly.

“Thank you.”

“I got you,” Yelena whispers with relief softening her eyes while you nod as you breathe out heavily and keep looking at Yelena with a deep gratitude, feeling your heart soften, and knowing for certain that from now on you will harbor no ill feelings toward her. Whatever jealousy you felt is forever forgotten and a strong admiration grows in its place.

With that said, after John throws an emergency hose, you’re able to climb out, but not without letting him hear it.

“You selfish prick,” Ava snaps as you see her disappear over the floor.

“Yet, you’re all safe,” he rebuttals, which is true, but it was still selfish and stupid.

“I made a tactical decision to secure my own safety and ensure all yours,” he adds to his argument which doesn’t do anything to actually win you over—“pretty ungrateful if you ask me, but…” he trails off as Yelena climbs on and disappears, leaving you to be helped by him next, but you’re petty so you help yourself up onto the floor.

“Wow, nice upper body strength,” John says as he watches you get up without help.

“Asshole,” you snap and before you walk off you crouch over the edge and wait for Bob with your hand out

“You gonna make it, Bobby?” John yells at Bob as said man struggles to climb up.

“Looks like you might have missed arm, leg, and chest day,” John teases as he watches Bob shake as he grabs onto the floor before he takes your hand and John's to let you both help him up.

“Take lessons from her,” John laughs.

“Come on,” you encourage Bob as he’s the last one to make it on the floor. “Are you okay?” You ask right away as you leave John behind doing well, whatever he stayed back to do.

“It was crazy,” Bob says as he looks around the unknown place. “But yeah. Are you?”

You sigh. “Ask me tomorrow.”

He chuckles and you come to a stop, bringing him to a stop soon thereafter.

“Bob I know I came for you, but there’s still a choice you can make now that you’re free,” you say softly, selfishly disregarding the promise you made to give him a choice he deserves to have. One you weren’t giving him to keep him close.

“You can either go with Valentina and finish your tests there if that’s what you want, or you can…come with me. I know we haven’t known each other for long, but I know how precious time is, so I am certain of how I feel about…you. So if you want the same thing, we can leave together.” You smile sweetly and grab his hand.

However, now that you’re not in danger of burning alive, or dangling from a mile-long tunnel, he disregards all that he knows he feels because here you stand, heart pounding and breath heavy after you almost died. Not once but twice. All because of him, so should he really curse you like he curses everything he touches?

Being with you was a nice dream, but maybe he doesn’t deserve to live it.

“I,” is the only thing he says before you both give your attention to John Walker as Yelena calls out for him as he approaches the edge of the elevator tunnel.

“What the hell are you doing?” Yelena queries as he’s too close to the edge.

John then looks back and realizes the same thing, lingering there for a moment before turning away.

“I’m fine,” he tells everyone, so you don’t bother to worry. You worry about going without a response from Bob. You know you'll know eventually and that is why you don’t press even if you really want to.

“All right, let’s get out of here,” Ava says as she opens the door that leads to the exit, making you all peek over the wall and get greeted by the sight of Valentina’s army waiting outside.

“I told you,” you comment and walk away from the wall before everyone else follows.

“Okay, we need to come up with a plan,” Yelena tries to take charge, but John cuts in at the same time.

“Here’s what we’re gonna do.”

You narrow your gaze and look between both people.

“Oh, you’re the boss now?” Ava remarks John. “Cute.”

“Well, yeah, it’s our only chance of getting out of here so,” he argues

“Okay, I think I might just surrender, probably,” Bob says, causing you to snap your head towards him and protest.

“Bob?”

He averts his gaze and shakes his head. “I’m not letting you risk your life for me anymore.”

You shake your head, denying this selfish and stupid choice. “No. We’re leaving together. I decided.”

“You give me a choice,” he argues and meets your gaze with some small intensity. “This is my choice.”

“No—”

“Shut up,” John blurts. “Stop. Don’t do that here. Save your lovers' quarrel for later. After the rest of us get out.”

“Why should you be in charge?” Yelena argues. “You almost killed all of us right there.” She points to the elevator and he doesn’t give up.

“Well, let’s see. I’ve been in the trenches of every war-torn country on this planet, rescued God knows how many hostages, and shook the hands of two US presidents. What else?”

You shake your head and sigh.

“Ah, oh! High school state football champs back-to-back-to-back. Go Bears.”

You try not to but you snort.

“Oh wow,” Ava answers sarcastically while Yelena takes this time to share too.

“Wow. When I was five, I was in a peewee soccer team called the West Chesapeake Valley Thunderbolts sponsored by Shane’s Tire Shop. We won zero games, and one time, this girl, Mindy, she did a poo at midfield.”

“Ew,” you say in disgust.

“Anyone else have any pointless childhood stories to tell?”

“Grew up in a lab prison,” Ava says so you continue after her.

“When I was five,” you say and point at Yelena. “I was so upset that I couldn’t score a home run in my baseball game, so I got home and rigged a baseball bat.” You share with a half smile. “Next game my bat malfunctioned and instead of a home run I accidentally hit my coach so hard I broke his nose.”

“Meth-addicted sign-twirling chicken,” Bob shares last. “It was a summer job.”

You hum even though you knew that already.

“Right. Okay, here’s the plan,” Yelena takes the lead. “We set off an explosion to bring them in.”

You shake your head and immediately argue. “Oh, no, that’s terrible. Too many variables with an explosion.”

“Okay, but they’ll turn on night vision,” she keeps going on and you nod at that. “You handle the first wave,” she points at John. “But you wait for me after I’ve blinded the remaining troops.”

“So I’m just gonna wait for ya?” John protests.

“It will only work if you wait,” she presses.

“Terrible plan.”

“Yes, I agree,” you’re forced to agree with him.

“Ava,” Yelena ignores you both. “You find an escape vehicle,” she says and the second she finishes Ava already disappears, leaving Yelena and John with something to do, but leaving Bob and you jobless.

“What about us?” Bob asks.

“You two stay behind me,” she says, completely ignoring your capabilities and not even considering either of you. She just proceeds to exhale deeply and activates her bomb as she starts walking off. “Let’s do this thing.”

You and Bob look at each other and share a confused look before you chase after Yelena.

“I told you once and I’ll say it again the explosion will leave too many variables,” you insist in hopes Yelena will listen. “Blinding them is smart, but you will fry those wires with an explosion.”

You fall by her side to hear her response but her eyes remain ahead.

“Did you hear what I just said?” You query.

Yelena turns and finally grants you her attention. “Cover my six then.”

You purse your lips together and nod before an explosion goes off in the distance that makes the floor shake and the lights flicker off. When you look at your watch, you see what you assumed, the army broke in.

“The soldiers just broke in,” you let Bob and Yelena know.

“Okay good, Bob hold this, “ Yelena says and hands Bob a flashlight as you turn the corner and come across the control room where you’re left to watch Yelena’s six because they don’t believe you can help.

Not even your father treats you this way.

“In one minute, these all go back on,” Yelena says as she flips switches on the control boards.

“Okay,” Bob says for the both of you as he looks around before he tries his luck at being able to help. “Maybe I should have a gun?”

Yelena turns to look at Bob and hums before she turns him down too. “No, I don’t think so.”

Bob peers back and probes you, but before you can grab your gun Yelena snaps and points at you harshly. “No.”

Your scowl and remark. “Excuse me?”

“We’re gonna need to fight, right?” So,” Bob insists.

“Mhm-hm,” Yelena agrees. “I will fight. You two stay behind me.”

You roll your eyes and mutter under your breath. “Stay behind me.”

“You know, the medical trial was supposed to make me better, and I don’t know, I feel like maybe I could help,” Bob presses, making Yelena look at him suspiciously before she approaches, causing you to keep a curious eye on them.

“I thought you said that you didn’t know anything about it.”

Bob looks back at you, making Yelena steal a glimpse before Bob answers. “No, not much. Just her,” Bob points at you. “And that they said it was for people who wanted to make something better of themselves.”

Yelena hums in comprehension and you can’t help but look at Bob with pity.

“You can trust me, Bob,” she tries to assure him, but he questions her.

“Can I?”

Yelena questions herself before she contradicts herself. “No, not really.”

They both share a nervous laugh as you question why she would contradict herself when she’s proven to be trustworthy already.

Alas, you don’t interject, instead you continue to listen to Bob as he keeps sharing with Yelena most likely in hopes of gaining her trust enough to be able to help.

“I’ve always had these episodes since I was a kid. There’s…there’s a high, then there’s a big low, and then my memory just goes blank,” he says before Yelena continues working on the control boards. “But this time, I feel like there’s…I don’t know, something bad happened or I did something bad,” he says and piques your curiosity.

“I mean, everyone here has done bad things,” Yelena says, but he continues.

“I think this was like a whole new kind of—”

Before Bob can finish and just as he looks over at you as he was sharing his thoughts, Yelena’s alarm goes off, making Bob go quiet before he can finish, and leaving you curious to hear what happened.

Did he use those dark powers again?

“Lights up,” Yelena says and lifts the lever, but the lights in the room just turn off. Just like you knew they would.

“No. Why…why did that not work?” She questions before she walks down the room to mess with the boards while Bob walks to the lever and you do as she says and watch her six whilst you repeat ‘I told you so’ in your head.

“Well, you got to turn the power back on,” Bob says as he looks at the board to see what went wrong. “I mean you gotta blind the guys.”

“Yeah, I know that, Bob. And you, do you have something smart to say?” She directs at you and you only shake your head as you look around.

“No. I’m watching your six, remember?”

“Petty little thing.”

You smirk and she huffs.

“This was your plan,” Bob adds, making Yelena shout back.

“You’re not being helpful, Bob. Give me that,” she says as she walks to him and snatches away the flashlight. “Follow me.”

You leave your spot and continue to tail the pair, but not as quickly as before.

“I hate to say it, but I think Walter was right on this one,” Bob brings up while you begin to slow down.

“His name is Walker, Bob.” Yelena corrects said man as he’s startled by something sparking overhead, and while you slow down to a complete stop when they turn the corner.

Once you don’t hear either of them call out for you, you make a beeline back to the control room and insert your scarab into the slot beneath the touchpad on the boards.

“I told her so but she didn’t listen,” you grumble to yourself as you quickly hack into the system on your watch since you're connected and the boards aren’t working.

“Next, why not try listening?”

And with the last keys punched in you’re in!

“And let’s really get out of here,” you whisper smugly before you turn on an activation protocol that causes ‘Renegade’ by the Styx to start playing on the speakers in every room and hall in order to overwhelm the soldiers, while the lights start to flash to disorient them.

“Come on,” you tell your scarab and yank it out of the boards to shove in your pocket before you use your nanotech to make a mask and cover your face before you set off with your gun in hand.

Gunshots echo in the distance, followed by more gunshots so you quicken your pace. Eventually, when you start to see smoke rolling down the hall, you realize you’re close, so you slow down to a stalking walk.

Because of the loud music playing overhead, you can’t hear if anyone is yelling, so you can’t pinpoint where they are by sound. Luckily, you don’t end up needing their voices because when you turn the corner you find Bob tied behind Yelena.

Thus, since he’s facing the corner you turn, he notices you walking out of a cloud of smoke with your gun raised.

You don’t know if he says something, or if he tries to. You don’t even know how he reacts because of the mask on his face, but he points at you before he’s yanked as Yelena kicks back a soldier. Another soldier then approaches her with a rifle, but you hit your trigger and pierce them through the head, making them fall and letting Yelena take the rifle to hand it back to Bob.

“Take this!” You hear her yell so she can be heard over the music.

“Yeah!” Bob exclaims whilst you gain momentum by sprinting forward before you slide down on your knees to get ahead of the pair and hurl crescent moon daggers at two soldiers leading the way.

“How do I use it?” You hear Bob ask over the commotion.

“Point and shoot!” You and Yelena tell him at the same time before Yelena moves past you and takes out a soldier who charges at you.

More continue to move forward so you push yourself to your knees and charge forward as you take out one more crescent moon dagger. Before you can reach the soldiers you slide down between them and stab one in the leg before elbowing the back of his knee, letting Yelena finish him off before you spin up and grab the second soldier to slam his face in the wall before you take a paralyzing agent and shove it in his neck, making him drop on the floor.

Bullets go off in the background so you peer over and see Bob shoot a soldier on the foot, so as Yelena spins around, you pull out a dagger and turn on your heels to hurl it at the glass on his mask as Yelena swings her leg and kicks him, making a great combination between the two of you.

“That was awesome,” Bob praises with his rifle pointed at Yelena as she slips off the hose that she had used to tie Bob to her.

“Not at me!” She remarks before she grabs your arm and yanks you behind her as another soldier appears around the corner.

You want to help, but using the rifle Bob is still holding onto she turns him and shoots at the soldier that begins to shout.

“No! Stop! Stop shooting!”

You stop the protocol on your watch, making the music and flashing lights turn off. That’s when you make out a shield through the smoke.

“It’s Walker!” You shout so Yelena stops.

“It’s me! It’s John! Stop!” He bellows and rips his mask off so you can see.

“Where were you?” Yelena yells back as she rips off her mask.

“Where were you?” He redirects.

“The explosion fried the wires!”

“She told you! Too many variables. I knew it!”

“And then, you didn’t wait!” Yelena shouts back.

“I did wait, but the lights didn’t turn on, so I improvised in the dark until the lights began to flash and music blasted through the halls! Hadn’t it been for that I would have gotten swarmed because you didn’t listen!”

“Oh because…”

You tune them out and walk back to look at Bob. “I think we did good,” you tell him softly compared to the other two arguing.

“I think you did good,” he redirects sweetly, making you smile before you put your hands out and high-five each other.

A second later John stops yelling all of a sudden and looks into the distance. The three of you all watch him in confusion until he speaks up a lot quieter.

“Okay. We probably got about 60 seconds until they mobilize,” he reveals. “And if ghost lady actually did what she was supposed to, maybe we’ll all get out of here alive.”

You nod and then look around at the bodies on the ground. “Okay, well it’s a good thing there’s so many spare suits,” you say as you watch Bob's mask slip and fall back over his face. “That will be our only easy way out.”

“The girl is right” John actually seconds what you say, but you repay that favor by repeating your name.

“You can either use that,” you refer to your first name. “Or Spector. Not girl. I don’t like that.”

“Well, you are a girl—”

“Yes, but I don't like it. People have never meant it kindly when they say it referring to me,” you mutter as you undress a soldier. “Cursed mind or whatnot.”

Silence follows after your comment and Yelena, Bob, and you disguise yourselves in the suits before you make your way out right towards the enemy hunting you down with Yelena and John carrying Bob out while you limp behind them, hoping that following your fellow comrades doesn’t raise any questions.

“I don’t really want to be carried anymore,” Bob complains.

“Shut up, Bob,” John remarks. “You’re injured, remember?”

You all pass by Valentina, and all three of the people in front of you look, raising suspicion.

“Don’t look,” you hiss. “We’re a part of the team.”

They all look away at the same time, letting you drive all your focus back to Ava as you approach the stationed trucks and no Ava.

“We need a truck,” John points out.

“Where’s Ava?” You say with worry and dart your eyes around the grounds, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.

“She’s gone,” John says pessimistically. “Of course she’s gone.”

Nevertheless, before either of you could come up with a different plan a car rolls up behind you, making Bob probe. “Now what?”

You all look back and see what seems to be a self-driving truck until Ava proves John wrong as she appears in the driver's seat.

“Hey! Get in.”

You smirk with pride and smack John’s shoulders. “Have you tried not being so pessimistic?”

“Okay, girl.”

You shoot him a glare and then walk past him and head toward the back of the car without argument, feeling too tired to drive or deal with anyone up front.

Bob then joins you, leaving Yelena, John, and Ava up front.

“You two gonna be okay back here?” Yelena asks as she throws her rifle in the back.

“Yep!” You throw your thumbs up.

“Yeah. All good,” Bob proceeds to add.

“Yeah? Okay.” Yelena says before she closes the door, letting you take your mask off and exhale deeply.

Bob unmasks himself too and finds the inside of the car a good place to finally catch his breath the same as you. However, where he thought this place would be a good place to finally address this entire ordeal, you stay quiet and look out the dirty window with a crease between your eyebrow, your eyes slightly narrowed, and your cheek between your teeth.

Had he been anyone else he wouldn’t have known that you were upset, but he knew how to read you. He learned how to in those days you spent together, so he knows your mind is racing because of him.

“I made my choice. Like you said I could do” Bob breaks the silence as the car starts moving. “And that’s what I wanted to do,” he refers to the exact moment you were thinking about; him choosing to surrender himself.

“I know,” you whisper as you continue looking out the window with your eyes drooped.

“Then please say you understand. You look upset. I don’t want you to be upset.”

You draw in a deep breath and nod. “I understand. I just…thought you…it’ll pass.” You swallow thickly.

Bob sighs softly as he continues watching your troubled face, watching you unable to help the tears and your lips from trembling.

Thus before you could spill a tear because of him, he reaches out for your hand and gives it a gentle squeeze, earning your attention at long last.

“I did choose you,” he says as if you were interlinked and he knew exactly what your troubled mind and heart were agonizing over.

“I would again,” he adds softly, making you offer Bob a wobbly smile while your heart and mind wash over with relief, reassuring him and making him caress your knuckles.

“Identify yourself, soldiers,” you hear an unknown voice as the car rolls to a stop, letting you know to be on alert.

“Part of the medical team,” you hear John come up with a quick lie. “Need to get the wounded to the hospital.”

“Medical bay’s set up north side.”

“Shit,” you whisper and strain your ear to pay closer attention.

“Nah, medical bay won’t suffice. We were headed off-base,” John quickly comes up with a response.

“No one leaves the premises until mission is completed. Orders are no deviations from protocol. Identify yourself.”

Before you can hear John’s response, in that tense moment, Bob squeezes your hands.

“Thank you,” he whispers, making you look at him in confusion.

“What?” You probe.

He looks into your eyes as if memorizing every detail out of fear he’ll forget you, and then offers you a tender smile before he leans in and steals a sweet kiss.

You don’t even get to savor it or process what he’s done before he pulls away and replaces the warmth of your hands with a cold gun.

“Bob?” You call out panicked as you start to fear the worst, but he doesn’t look at you or respond. He just opens the doors and jumps out, leaving you stranded and in agony because you know exactly what he’s going to do.

.

.

.

.

A/N- Sorry it’s so long! It just didn’t feel right stopping anywhere else! I hope you all enjoyed and are excited for the next chapter

Tagged: @broadwaytraaaaash @jasminemohmed @padsdarlg @seninjakitey @anonoussy @mateihavenoidea @queenofthekill @scoliobean @gmmsos @mr-underhills-things

[damn-stark]

Keep Gaza in your timeline. 🇵🇸

These innocent beautiful children are starving because not enough of us are demading Israel end their ethnic cleansing and genocide of Palestine.

Their children are our children. They way you treat children is becoming an obvious indicator of how you embrace authoritarianism.

[damn-stark]

Mc from Moon Star if she ever got abducted and had to send a video to Marc

[damn-stark]

Keep Gaza in your timeline. 🇵🇸

These innocent beautiful children are starving because not enough of us are demading Israel end their ethnic cleansing and genocide of Palestine.

Their children are our children. They way you treat children is becoming an obvious indicator of how you embrace authoritarianism.

[damn-stark]

NEXT CHAPTER IS GONNA BE GOOD!!!

So catch up, catch up!!

Chapter 10 Fate

Chapter 10 of Moon Star

A/N- HEHE!!

Warning- Angst, FLUFF, weapons, talks of depression, death, and physical abuse

Pairing- Bob Reynolds x fem!reader, Marc Spector x daughter!reader

When does it take place?- Before the Thunderbolts movie

(Let me know if you want to be tagged)

————

Bob’s silence upon hearing your deepest secret unsettles your already sensitive nerves so you pull your hands off his and sit back with your cheek between your teeth and your eyes settling on a spot on the table.

The cold air that hits Bob’s bare hands makes him snap away from the miles of information he’s processing, so to try to settle your obvious anxiety, he quickly throws out his response. “Had you told anyone else, they’d probably say you’re crazy, " you hear Bob say, making you drift your eyes up to look at him cautiously.

“But,” Bob continues and tries to pass you a reassuring look like the ones you offer him, but he looks nervous so you find no reassurance when you don’t know where he’s going.

“I’m here to get powers, and by all means, I think I do,” Bob continues to explain. “And outside of this, in our day-to-day lives, we’re seeing androids, aliens, and wizards. We’ve had actual Gods live amongst us so…y-you don’t sound crazy. I-I believe you,” he says but you still don’t know if he’s lying and just trying to please you or if he’s being honest.

Bob recognizes that by your distance and the way you haven’t moved a muscle.

“Besides,” he adds and leans in this time. “You haven’t lied to me. I don’t have a reason not to believe you.”

“I didn’t come that evening when we first met,” you bring up your own fault and he scoffs with a faint smile on his face.

“Yeah, but you just didn’t come through. It’s not the same,” he argues. “Because you are telling me the truth, right?”

You huff out softly and can’t help your eyes and lips from drooping as if something in you hurts. “I wish I wasn't," you say and take a deep breath before you lean forward and prop your elbows on the table.

“See,” he interjects. “I have no reason not to believe you. I just…want to know why you trust me with this secret.”

“Because,” you answer quietly and draw out another deep breath that lets you let go of all of the tension you held onto—“I like to think that,” you pause, not wanting to say the next words that you hold in your tongue because they feel wrong to say. Like a lie. “We’re friends and maybe you heard me or you didn’t but…”

“I heard you,” he cuts in before you can finish, making you sit up with your eyes softening. “Every time. I tried to at least. It still doesn’t explain why you trust me with this secret when you’re so close to your family.”

“That’s it,” you exclaim and slouch to put your head in your hands. “I can’t tell my family, but I also can’t live on with no one knowing. It only drags me further down that…”

“Void,” he adds and you hold his gaze and nod with a deep shaky breath.

“And I’m so sick of drowning, but even if my father can help me and would help me at the drop of a hat, Denwen offers me unfathomable powers and abilities that I can use to help. That can make me great,” you say shakily. “And I want to be unbelievable and he, his abilities can make me…”

“Incredible,” Bob finishes for you, saying the exact word that you were thinking but couldn’t utter.

“My dad fought so hard to get rid of the god that inhabited him,” you explain and lean your head on your hand. “And Layla only accepted a temporary deal with the god that wanted to help her, so I know how bad they can be. I know how terrible Denwen is, I mean he was imprisoned for wanting to kill all the other gods, but…I don’t want to throw away this opportunity and it’s not like he can control me.” You groan and use your other hand to rub your eyes out of frustration.

“So…what’s keeping you from using the power?” Bob asks the million-dollar question.

“He,” you pause and gulp, feeling a twinge of shame for what you’re going to say. “He pretended to be my friend when I craved affection the most. And maybe it was my fault for attaching myself to the first guy that paid me the slightest bit of affection, but,” you sigh deeply. “I couldn’t help it when he was kind,” you pause again and draw in a deep breath to try and push away the ball of emotions that was forming in your throat.

“He was interested in what I was doing and I missed having…someone to talk to,” you breathe out shakily, feeling a weight rise off your chest as you finally speak those emotions out loud. Albeit it isn't all that you needed and wanted to say so there’s still that tension gripping onto your chest.

“But then I found out who he was and how he tricked me to learn about me and I started to hate him. And when I hate someone, I hate with a passion.” You scoff and shake your head faintly. “Which is a flaw I hate, but it’s etched in me so I didn’t accept Denwen’s help because I was petty before I realized how dangerous he was. That’s why,” you feign a dry laugh.

“I wish there was another reason,” you continue. “But that’s it and now I know it’s better if he’s tucked away until I have no choice or I finally decide it’s time to lock him away again. Besides, he wants me to continue what he was doing so to do the opposite will be gratifying.” You say in your most lighthearted way as you still struggle between doing the right thing or not, catching Bob in that moment look at you with understanding. He has no experience in dealing with gods and such, but every bit of him understands the feelings you show behind your glossy eyes and shaky words.

He understands the need, the desperation, and the loneliness you said without outright expressing it again. He understands your soul as if he’s had years studying it.

“Do you think…” you swallow thickly and sit up with your eyes soft and glistening with tears ready to fall depending on his answer—“Do you think I'm terrible for keeping him?”

Bob holds your gaze and wants to reach out for your hands the same way you so easily reach out for him, but he can’t bring himself to be so daring. Instead, he just brings his hands close, to the point that when you drop your hands back on the table, your hands brush.

“I can’t judge you for something I would do. I mean I’m here, aren’t I? Being an experiment for something that might not work.” He says and laughs nervously, but you do what he couldn’t and slowly embrace his hands with yours and try to reassure him.

“It worked. We’ve seen it and I believe in the work that I did. It’ll take time to see all your greatness…Not like you weren’t great before. I think you were.”

He drops his gaze and shakes his head as you fill it with sweet words that he has a hard time believing.

“What a pair, huh?” He brings up with a half smile, making you chuckle.

“You said it,” you sigh. “So if you see me talking to myself I’m not actually talking to myself. It’s the god living inside me. He likes to pester me. I’ve ignored him but he’s learning how to push my buttons.”

“So how does this all work?” Bob asks and you make sure not to leave anything out. You let him know everything he wants to know, from the smallest twinge that Denwen makes you feel, to the great Egypt trip you took two years ago that led you to bonding with Denwen, and Bob hangs onto every word, finding your life quite fascinating.

He even says it’d make a great novel, and you laugh at that before you agree because your life has never been dull even when you say it is.

Regardless, besides it all, at the end of the day, Bob got what he wanted. He got you to stay longer and even if you had many opportunities to leave like you said you would you never actually find the excuse to leave. You get to know more about each other in the span of that night—well, he gets to know you more because he doesn’t think his life has been as thrilling as yours. You still got him to talk about himself, but he much preferred to hear about you.

“I’m so glad you chose to wake up,” you whisper to Bob as the sun is coming up and peeking through the gaps in the curtains, causing little spots of the sun to kiss your face as you find yourselves on the floor. Spots so bright and warm that Bob can’t help but look at you which in return makes you look at him and hold his gaze as tenderly as he holds yours.

“I had to,” he whispers, but he doesn’t refer to anything that had to do about himself. He was looking at the reason he woke up.

Call it rushed, but Bob can’t help what he feels when he’s never had a taste of it returned just as much as you return it to him. Because he’s not clueless either. He knows what’s unfolding just as much as you do. It’s just unspoken because he doesn’t want to ruin it just as he’s ruined so many other things, and you think it’ll last and won't get ripped from you as so many things have if you don’t touch on it.

——

*THE NEXT DAY*

DAY 18 OF THE SENTRY SERUM

Vitals: Escalated due to anxiety

Temperature: Normal

Side effects: He has toned biceps and a toned abdomen.

Notes: Bob has been overthinking and doubting himself ever since I came in so we set ourselves in a larger room with just him and me in hopes that will help him relax. And as much as I don’t want to revisit the past he made me see before waking up from his coma, we’ll try to touch on that ability. As to how that power developed? Consequence. Nothing is as easy as saying I’m going to give this person powers. The serum bonded with him. Every part of him. Bad and good. As of now that trip into my memory is all we know, but maybe he harbors more? I can’t tell yet.

-Spector, Day 18 2027

“Okay, Bob, remember today we’re working on the thought process, okay? We won’t just jump into it, so don’t overthink it. Don’t even try to force yourself, okay?”

Bob stops pacing and nods rapidly as he rubs his forehead.

“Don’t say ‘what if it didn’t work’, okay? That’s important. We have to go on thinking that we do have those abilities.”

Bob nods in comprehension, but he quickly forgets. “But what if I don’t? What if it didn’t work? I-I mean I don’t feel any different. At least I don’t think.”

You get up from your seat and walk over to him to stand before him, making him pick up his head to look at you with that doubt clinging onto him for dear life.

“It did work. I know it did because I’m smart and I knew what I was doing,” you say with a small laugh to try and ease his mind, causing him to mirror your laugh before he lets out a shaky breath. Thus you step closer to him and gently place your hand on his chest, feeling how hard and toned it feels underneath the baggy shirt.

“I want you to close your eyes for me and search within yourself to tell me what you feel. Tell me everything.”

Bob’s eyes twitch, but you press your hand harder against his chest, insisting him to listen, so he gives in and closes his eyes. You then glance at his chest and slowly peel your hand off him, but he quickly snatches your wrist and presses it back against his chest, causing your breath to hitch and your stomach to drop.

“No, I-it helps me stay anchored.”

A shy smile tugs on your face and you immediately feel embarrassed for getting so.

“I,” he pauses with his mouth parted and squeezes his eyes tighter before he continues. “I feel my heart racing beneath your hand,” he says and you can’t help but smile wider as your own heart starts to race.

“I feel my blood pumping. I hear it in my ears. I…feel my hands shaking and,” he pauses and holds onto your hand tighter. “I feel something else. Something different rushing through me. Something I haven’t felt.”

You nod. “Okay, good, see? That’s good. Focus on that. Describe it. Does it make you feel a rush, a warmth, or…”

“Strong,” he fills your silence and opens his eyes, looking at you with a different look. One not carrying so much of that initial anxiety. This looks seems firm and riddled with confidence as if that feeling is all he needs to blast into the sky.

“I want to try,” he blurts and lets your wrist go to move forward, causing your hand to slip from his chest, and making you stay behind him.

Before you have a chance to argue, he puts his hand out in front of him and points at your tablet, making you nervous because you have so much stored inside it.

However, you don’t protest. You step forward to fall beside him and use this moment as an excuse to keep touching him by putting your hand over his.

“Think of your power as something physical that you can push and pull. You won't always need to, just while you’re learning. Like training wheels?” You say in hopes that will help him understand better. “It will soon be second nature.”

Bob turns his head and drops his eyes on you, letting you feel the weight and burning sensation of his eyes on your face, and being unable to help from turning your head to lock eyes with his attentive gaze.

Usually Bob fidgets under your gaze, but this time he stands tall and only lets his eyes falter when he glances below your eyeline, causing a tingling sensation to dance on your lips as he stares longly before finding your gaze again and leaning in, making you part your lips instinctively to wait for what you ache the most.

You get so close. You feel his breath unfurl over your flesh, burning you up and tempting you to steal it by pressing your lips against his.

You want to. You never back away from what you feel, but right now there’s that hesitation that you discovered yesterday, so you turn your head away, making Bob mirror your every move to the point his head is hanging low too.

“Focus, Bob,” you say with a smile and look ahead at what his hand is pointing to, which is now the chair.

“Alright,” Bob clears his throat, knowing in the back of his mind that he doesn’t want to ruin the most precious thing that’s happened to him in a long time, so he doesn’t argue or keep trying. With longing still clinging onto you both, and with that same confidence, he locks in on the chair. He does as you said and pushes all that power into his hand to lift the chair.

Alas, the chair doesn’t even shake. The room is still which makes his failure deafening, and makes him deflate and fall like a balloon that flew too close to the sun.

“Damn,” he groans and fists his hand before he drops it as his side with a thud.

“Bob, it’s okay. That wasn’t our objective today anyway,” you try to assure him and gently pat his arm. “Let’s go back to our mind exercises, okay?”

With no other choice but to return to that man full of doubt, he agrees and follows you back to where you were.

DAY 21 OF THE SENTRY SERUM

Vitals: Escalated due to anxiety

Temperature: Normal

Side effects: None that I have noticed anymore.

Notes: Today we’re back to one one-on-one after he failed to perform under the eyes of the doctors. Instead, they watch from behind the cameras which he knows and probably adds to the pressure that holds him back. Look, I know he can do it. He has powers, he just holds himself back, but no amount of pushing or coaxing seems to help. I don’t want to fill his mind with visions of grandeur either so I’ll keep trying the way I have been doing.

-Spector, Day 21 2027

“Make him angry. Push him off the building,” Denwen suggests as you both watch Bob pace about the room wondering why he can’t get his powers to work.

“H-how did you do it when you worked with that one God, Khonshu?” Bob asks and spins to point at you.

“Well, I just knew I could do it,” you reveal, offering him the same advice you’ve been repeating over and over again. “But I had also seen my dad do it so it was different. But I focused on the strength I was given and the powers I knew I had and used that.”

“You were also in imminent danger,” Bob shares what he knew of your story.

“Well,” you sigh. “Yes, but I still did it because I knew I could.”

Bob nods frantically and walks back to the small table to point his hand at the pencil he’s been wanting to lift for hours.

You sit back and wait. Yet no amount of strain gets him to lift the pencil, making him drop his hand and sigh with frustration.

“Bob,” you interject and get up to walk over to him and grab his arm and his attention. “Deep breaths. And then I want you to view it as an extension of yourself.”

Bob holds your gaze and lets out that deep breath, using you to ground him and calm his racing nerves.

When he’s calmed his racing mind he focuses back on the pencil. You keep your hand on his arm and follow his line of gaze.

Bob tries to take your advice and tries to view his abilities as an extension of himself. As another limb to move that small pencil. He focuses hard to the point he clenches his jaw and pierces his gaze.

He actually makes something happen, but it doesn’t involve moving that pencil. The lights begin to flicker and everything around you begins to shake, including that pencil. At first, you all think it’s an earthquake. You look around frantically in search of somewhere to hide, but no alarm sounds and no alert comes in. The pencil on that table falls on the ground and the glasses on the desk soon thereafter crash on the floor too, stealing your attention and suddenly making it all stop

That’s when you realize it came from Bob. All his emotions and his frustration caused everything to tremble and made the lights flicker. Which is what he didn’t want to do, so with a deep and frustrated breath he drops to the floor and hugs his legs.

You watch him before you spin on your heels and fall beside him.

“You can’t overthink your failures. Learn from them and try again,” you try to offer him advice, but all he does is question you.

“Cursed mind or help books?”

You chuckle, helping him smile faintly. “My grandfather,” you share with a soft smile. “I get mad at my failures, and I used to get worse when I was younger, but he always helped me overcome them. He’s good that way. You’d like him and he’d like you,” you mention and steal a glance at him, catching his eyes dart to the ground and his smile spreads on his face.

“Layla also helps, and my dad,” you chuckle. “He tries, the gods know he tries, but it doesn’t come as easily…my grandfather actually expects you to go to Chicago,” you share shamelessly. You actually feel relief finally being able to say it, it’s been gnawing at you because you’ve needed him to know so there can be more excuses to see him.

“Really?” Bob asks with disbelief and slowly looks at you with his eyebrows knitted in confusion. “Why?”

“Because,” you say without shying away. “I like to talk to him about my day and you are my entire day.”

Bob gulps and you nudge him.

“So you better come, but don’t expect some deep dish pizza, we’re eating what he makes.”

Bob chuckles at the floor and you keep yourself leaning against him since he makes no effort to keep you away. He actually turns his head towards you and lets his chin rest on your head to pretend to be looking around.

“What if I don’t get better?” He asks with doubt and fear, seeking a genuine answer. “What if I can’t make this work and fail. Or make you fail. You spent all this time, all this effort, and for what?”

You breathe out softly and respond softly. “Then we fail. I’m still learning that lesson, but there’s no other way. Besides, Bob, I told you, you don’t need this to be this great person. You already are, so we accept our failure and move on. Together,” you whisper and tilt your head back, making him pull his head back to look at you.

“I suppose it won’t be so painful if we fail together,” you assure him, and are a bit successful. He feels less alone, he smiles at you softly, but that still doesn’t completely help him get rid of that doubt and insecurity.

“But it will work,” you whisper and bring your head back down, letting him bring his head down to continue resting his chin on your head while you hook your pinky around his, bringing you closer without crossing that threshold just yet.

DAY 23 OF THE SENTRY SERUM

Vitals: Normal

Temperature: Normal

Side effects: None anymore

Notes: Today we’re taking a break. He may not like it, but he needs it. He’s been straining himself too hard trying to prove himself and if he breaks under his stress that won’t do anyone any good. Perhaps the doctors and Valentina may not like it, but I’m in charge too and I say he needs it. Now we may not be able to stroll the streets, but we can make the best from what we have. Besides, I have to catch up on my homework.

-Spector, day 23 2027

“No, no thank you so much for letting me help! Thank you! Have a good day sir!” You exclaim through the phone.

“Good day, Spector. I hope you check our social media to see people’s reactions. Thank you and I hope we can work again.”

“Of course. Anytime!” You assure him and then end the call before you grin brightly with pride.

Yet when you look over at Bob, his anxiety and pressure rub off on you.

“Bob, honey, sit down. Please try to enjoy the day, okay?” You interject, earning his attention and noticing hesitation before he gives in slowly and sits down across from you.

“What…was that call about?” He asks as he notices the giddy look return on your face.

You set your phone down and then turn your tablet to show him the plans you worked on. “Clean water project,” you share giddily. “It's something I've been working on for so long and it's finally going to be brought to life next week in Chicago. Now I can’t cure terminal illness or make anyone rich, but I can improve lives, and with this project, clean water will finally be provided to parts of the city the bigwigs forget or they don’t bother fixing.”

Bob leans in closer and as he reads through the page he can’t help but smile softly and then look up at you with his eyes filled with admiration. “I bet your grandfather will be proud,” he says, making you smile timidly and turn the tablet around to lose your gaze on the screen.

“Yeah, he’s gonna be the one at the grand revelation for me and he’s sung his praises…He’s the reason I do it. I can’t be there to look out for him, but I can offer this and hopefully down the line I can help him and my city more. The plan is also to provide this clean water project to other places, but that will take time. As of now, we’re starting in Chicago.”

“That’s very good. Good job,” he praises you softly and when you steal a glimpse at him you catch a look of slight insecurity.

There’s nothing you can add to make him feel better. You say all you can, but it all depends on him.

You’ll continue to push him and comfort him, but as of now, you don’t say anything to make him feel any other way.

“Oh, you left this here yesterday,” Bob says moments later and follows up by putting your scarab on the table.

“Oh?”

You lay your tablet face down and lean over to pick up your scarab which is still a work in progress. You’ve been tweaking on it in between notes and trials. You usually try to take it with you every time you leave but you must’ve forgotten yesterday.

“It’s pretty cool,” he adds and you smirk and nod in agreement, noticing at that moment that the wing was fixed after you broke it the other day.

“Bob, did you,” you pause and bring it closer. “Did you work on this?” You ask and make the scarab open its wings so he can see what you’re referring to, causing him to sit back and grow small as if ready to be scolded.

“The wing is fixed,” you muse and bring it back towards you to turn it on and let it hover above the table. “It was broken yesterday.”

“I-I’m sorry, you know I couldn’t sleep and I found it and I knew you had broken it so…I touched it. I’m sorry I shouldn’t have—”

“No,” you cut him off. “I appreciate it. It works like a charm now.” You giggle. “Thank you, but how did you do it?” You probe with a soft questioning gaze, causing him to keep his eyes averted whilst his cheeks grow a rosy tint.

“I used the radio. It doesn’t work so I broke it apart and used some of the parts from it,” he explains, making you beam at him.

“Look at you, how come I didn’t know this part of you? It’s very cool!”

“Thanks. I used to pull stuff apart and put it back together to pass the time when I was young,” he says, making you hit the table and exclaim.

“No way! I used to do that too, but,” you breathe out. “I’d get in trouble.”

He chuckles breathlessly. “I would avoid it by taking junk home.”

You smirk and nod. “Yeah, I started doing that after. How come you didn’t say anything after all this time, hm?”

Bob shrugs and finally, he glances at you. “Well, compared to you—”

“No, stop that,” you cut him off. “Don’t compare yourself to me or others. It’s not the way to live, but I understand. Next time tell me. I mean look at us now? We have more in common.” You smile at him and then grab your scarab again to power it off.

“What is it for anyway?” He can’t help but ask, making you grow hesitant, so his curiosity piques and he nudges your foot with his.

“Well,” you whisper and interlace your fingers together. “Next year I’m going to Yucatán with Layla and my dad and we’re going to, you know, promenade through the jungle.”

“Oh,” he laughs as he gets your joke. “You said you stopped,” he reminds you teasingly, making you pout and drop your head.

“Yes, I know, but oh, Bob, I have this theory on this underwater civilization!”

He chuckles. “Like Atlantis?”

You nod. “Yeah, but with proof! Over the years there have been sightings of a K’uk’ulkan, the Feathered Serpent god. Only there have been reports that it’s not a Serpent but a man. While others claim it is him. But either way it all rounds up to the same conclusion, someone incredible is frequently at the coast in Yucatán,” you muse and pull up a picture of all your research on your tablet.

“Deeper in the ocean ships have gone missing and the sailors who have survived report to have seen sirens. That they pulled them into the ocean with their song. It can be delusion, dehydration, and starvation, but why are there matching sightings?” You continue to ramble. “Plus, back in Mesoamerican times, an entire tribe disappeared. Only their dead were left behind, but other that no one else was found when there should’ve been dozens more. It’s all…so incredibly fascinating that may lead to nothing, but,” you sigh. “It doesn’t hurt to go looking for fun. I don’t want anything out of it. I just want to see.”

“And loot?”

You laugh at Bob and shrug. “What’s an adventure without a little danger?” You quip. “And no, not loot, search. All the cool stuff is buried away from the human eye, so you have to get your hands dirty. And well, my scarab will be useful for other stuff too…maybe you can join us and see.”

Bob averts his gaze and shrugs softly with hesitation, so you quickly assure him. “Don't worry, my dad, Steven, is not that good at the adventure stuff, so we’ve promised to keep things as safe as possible. Which takes the fun out of it, but alas, he made us promise. And he has Layla, and Layla has him and Marc, so it’s all so boring all alone.”

“I…I’ll see next year,” is all Bob says, but you grow satisfied with that response because it’s promising.

DAY 25 OF THE SENTRY SERUM

Vitals:

Temperature:

Side effects:

Notes:

“What’s the emergency, Spector?”

You lean against the wall next to the elevator and very seriously answer Valentina. “I am running low on food funds.”

There’s silence on the other end before there’s a deep breath and then a response. “Food funds?”

You nod slowly. “Yep, I eat a lot which is a side effect of being so smart.”

“Uh-huh.”

“It’s true,” you argue as you hear her annoyance, catching the elevator ding at the same time and moving away from the wall to walk in—“I use up a lot of energy thinking, and I also exercise so I have to eat a lot to keep my weight steady.”

“Well in all that thinking have you figured out how to work my Sentry project?” She asks and you watch the numbers on the control pad go up the higher you move up the building, answering with silence for a moment until you answer with a question.

“What happens if it does work? What happens to the subject?” You ask and try not to sound obvious or like you're hiding something.

“We conduct more studies, bring him here to the states, and use him for what we made him for. It’s all so simple.”

“So they’ll be kept on a leash after being a lab rat?” You sass, making Valentina groan.

“Spector, we already discussed this and you already signed up for it, so don’t be a moral police now.” She snaps and you hang your head low as the elevator comes to a stop before opening the doors to your floor.

“No,” you counter. “I signed up to save your subjects.”

“And did you? So far I hear no improvement.”

You walk out and as you’re walking to the lab you catch Doctor Houston pacing outside, when he hears you walking down he snaps around and faces you with his face pale and his eyes widened with horror.

“Valentina,” you say breathlessly. “I’m going to have to call you back.”

Before she can respond you end the call and rush down the hall whilst Doctor Houston meets you halfway and immediately captures your arms with his hands. “Spector, it’s Reynolds,” he says and that’s all you need to hear to rush inside the lab without taking the needed precautions or noticing all the shattered beakers all over the lab. You just find the door to the meeting room open and the other doctors huddled around it.

“Bob?” You call out and push past the doctors to reach the room, finding Bob sitting at the end of the room hugging his legs close to his chest, and his head in between his hands.

“Bob, honey?” You call out and try to walk in, but you’re pulled back by a doctor and made to see the shadows of people on the floor by the door. Only there isn’t anyone but Bob inside to cast any of the other shadows.

“He turned them into shadows,” one of the doctors answers in your confusion.

“The room trembled and the lights—”

“Go back to work,” you say over your shoulder and drop your bag on the ground before pulling your shirt from the doctor's grip. “It's okay. I got this.”

“But—”

“Go,” you cut Doctor Houston off and then proceed to close the door behind you as you finally walk in, noting the long and dark shadows before you look back at Bob.

You don’t proceed to say anything though. You walk over to him and sit beside him, letting a silence fall over the room and letting it prolong without a demand for an explanation, without fear, or anger. You just sit next to him and unknowingly become the peace he needs to drop the tension from his shoulders and calm his fearful heart.

After a while of silence and finding peace in the sounds of your breaths, he finally breaks his silence. “I make everything worse.”

You turn your head to look at him and finally probe. “What happened?”

Bob lifts his head and his eyes immediately find the horrific scene at the other side of the room, so you follow his line of gaze and feel chills crawl down your spine at the sight of those lonely shadows.

“I tried to use my powers,” he explains with struggle as he recalls the moment. “I tried to move something, and they also wanted me to show them improvement so I tried to prove something and thought that maybe by the time you got here I would have done something, but,” he pauses and lets out a shaky breath and drops his head.

“I felt so useless and angry and then that happened,” he huffs and buries his head in-between his arms again. “I didn’t mean to do it,” his voice sounds muffled and distant as his face is between his arms and he’s talking to his knees—“It was an accident. I just wanted to…” his voice trails off before he gets loud again with a tremble in his voice. “I couldn’t. Instead, they’re gone. I’m sorry.”

You sigh and slowly reach over to take his shaky head, making him pick up his head to peek over at you as if ashamed to fully look at you as if he had done something to personally hurt you.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” you reveal, stealing his breath and making him feel surprised.

“I wish I had a good explanation. Something to explain why this set of powers also manifested, but all I can say is that the serum bonded to you and transformed while it worked inside you. For that I’m sorry.”

“You saved my life,” he mutters as he keeps peeking at you. “You didn’t do this. I did. It was me. It was my fault because I can’t do anything.”

“But you did,” you argue and move to sit on your knees so you can face him as he remains seated. “And I know it’s not the way you wanted it to work, but you did something and these people know what they signed up for. Don’t beat yourself up. Instead, let’s think of a solution. We can think of a way to fix it.”

Bob shakes his head and looks away before pulling his hand away so you wouldn’t hold onto somebody, something so terrible. “No, I don’t think I can—”

“But we can try first,” you cut him off and grab his hand again, but this time you bring it towards you, causing him to lower his arms so he can finally face you with surprise.

“If nothing happens then you can say you tried and I know it’s not really consoling, but that matters. Trying matters. Sometimes that’s the best thing we can do,” you say with your voice slowly growing soft and sweeter which has a way to calm Bob and lets him find some sense of relief even if you don't give him a way to reverse what he did.

“Is it?” He asks with doubt.

You nod softly. “Yes.” You say with a tender smile, making him squeeze your hand and causing you to caress his knuckles.

“Okay,” he says breathlessly and you smile wider before you can’t help but brush the hairs out of his face. “Why don’t we go back to the room. Take a break for today and listen to music or watch something, hm?”

“Are you sure?”

You nod. “Positive.”

And with that you leave the room, missing the way Doctor Houston watches Bob with horror that wasn’t there before, changing that enthusiasm to show greatness to a desperation to cut out the root of evil before it spreads its poison and spoils it all.

Whereas Bob finds his breath away from the horrifying scene, but that’s it. For the rest of the day, he’s stuck in his own head playing back what he did to those people. It plagues him, silences him, and isolates him.

All he wanted was to be left alone because he deserved it, but you stayed the entire day. You filled the room with small talk, music, and comfort when he didn’t deserve it.

You were like a rebellious ember in a pile of ash. You were warm and persistent. Radiant and pretty to look at. He wanted nothing more than to keep you alive so he wouldn’t have to be left abandoned in the cold darkness. He wants you close yet he doesn’t want to risk losing your light, so he keeps himself at a distance with nothing but longing.

That is until you draw close.

“Can I tell you something?” You speak softly, captivating all of his attention and making him worry.

“Sure,” he agrees and makes room for you on the bed. You’re hesitant to sit since you’ve always sat on a chair by his bed, or kept yourself on the floor while he was in his coma, but this time Bob pats the space beside him, so after some debate, you bring him into your fire.

“I know I’ve shared basically my entire life with you,” you say lightheartedly with a small smile that quickly disappears. “But there’s something I’ve failed to mention. Not because I’m embarrassed, but because I am quite protective.”

Bob's curiosity piques so he keeps quiet to have you keep going without interruption.

“And I’m still quite learning and growing accustomed to my new way of life.”

Bob's heart skips a beat as he thinks that this thing you’re going to tell him is about some romantic fling. He knows why he feels the way he does. He hasn’t said it, but he knows and thinks that maybe he should’ve crossed that threshold to avoid sharing his radiant fire.

“What is it?” Bob's impatience gets the better of him.

“My dad,” you offer Bob relief. “He has DID. Dissociative identity disorder.”

“Yeah,” Bob says. “I know what it is.”

You nod in comprehension and bring your knees to your chest.

“His other alter is Steven Grant, a kind British man that I didn’t know existed until two years ago…All my life I never knew that side of my dad until we reunited 2 years ago…” you trail off and look ahead, letting Bob see a flicker that threatens the fire.

“And I know you might be confused as to why I’m telling you this,” you say with a feigned laugh as you steal a glance at him. “But we are…friends,” you say that weird word again that feels weird rolling off your tongue. “And this is something you should know about me.”

“I… appreciate that you’re telling me,” Bob interjects to try and assure you so you don’t feel discouraged to stop sharing about your life and something he’s so curious about—“Are you and your dads alter close?” He asks.

“Yeah,” you scoff softly with a smile. “He’s dear to me now. To tell you the truth it took us both a while to see each other as father and daughter, but we’ve finally gotten there. It just took time.”

“Is he kind to you?” He asks with a hint of worry.

“Very,” you muse giddily. “He indulges me and spoils me rotten. He’s a dork, but he’s the sweetest. You’d get along very well.”

Bob scoffs with a faint smile that you share before you sigh and go serious.

“I…didn’t know why Steven existed, I knew how alters were made,” you confess quietly. “But I didn’t know why Steven was made. I didn’t ask my dad either, I didn’t know how to bring it up, so I asked my grandfather,” you pause and your eyes fill with tears and your voice grows feeble and shaky.

“He was hesitant, but I’m old now, so he told me…and when he did everything made sense…why my dad introduced me to my grandparents for the first time when I was five. Why he never walked into his childhood house, or looked my grandmother in the eyes, and why,” you pause swallow thickly as tears trickle out of your eyes. “…for years my grandmother told me he was a bad man. She…used to hurt my dad. She would blame him for an accident that took her son, his brother, and my uncle when he was a little boy.”

Bob's breath catches and his gaze falls as his mind wanders for a moment and then returns his attention to you with pity and lament.

“It wasn’t my dad's fault, but she still…hurt him. It was because of her that I pieced together why Steven was made,” you say, and wipe away your tears.

“Did she…ever hurt you?” Bob asks with concern.

You shake your head. “No. Never. I don’t think she saw me as my dad's daughter. Or she did. I don't know.” You breathe out and lay your head back as more tears fall out of your eyes. “She loved me though and I loved her so it hurt when she died and my dad wasn’t there for me. But now I know why. I just wish I could’ve asked why. Or I don’t know,” you sigh. “I don’t know if I hate her or still love her,” you can’t help but cry.

“I think it’s okay to feel both,” Bob offers some reassurance, making you turn your head to meet his gaze—“you can’t erase what she did to your dad, but you also can’t forget the way she treated you. I mean from what you say she was like your mother.”

You nod and he brushes his hair back and reassures you.

“You can love her for the way she treated you, but hate her for what she did to your dad. She was a part of your life and always will be.”

You take his words to heart and let that offer you some peace of mind after fighting with yourself on how to feel about a dark and painful truth.

Silence proceeds to return after that as you sit with your thoughts and Bob builds the strength to now share a dark and painful past he hasn’t been able to share, but he now feels like you should know.

“My dad,” he says and pauses for a long while, keeping your eyes on him the entire time and seeing the way his jaw flexes and his eyebrows knit and become undone with his struggle.

“He,” he continues with a deep breath and fidgety fingers. “He would hurt me and my mom,” he reveals, capturing your heart and making it ache for him and the pain in his gaze.

“I would try,” he scoffs and rubs his eyebrow. “I would try and defend her but she always said I made things worse,” he repeats those words he uttered just hours ago.

“And maybe I did,” he whispers. “Maybe that’s why he did what he did...”

You shake your head and whisper your argument. “No, that’s not why, some people are just…cruel. You didn’t deserve it though, Bob.” You tell him as you look him in the eyes and reach for his hand, making him grip onto you while also finding comfort in caressing your knuckles.

“I’m sorry you had to live through that,” you continue with each word spoken so tenderly he can’t help but feel comforted. “I’m sorry no one saw that you tried because you did. That matters despite all the cruelty given in return.”

He gulps and he can’t help his eyes from watering.

“And I know your life wasn’t kind after, but I hope you realize how important it is that you’re still fighting each day to live. Reckless as it may be, seeing another day is the best revenge because it means that you’re strong despite all the pain. And you’re kind despite all the violence and evil.”

Bob's lip quivers and his tears fall despite how hard he tries to keep them in. You don’t judge him though, you keep holding onto his hand and then lay your head on his shoulder, showing in that small gesture, all your affection and comfort without a need for words. All while Bob doesn't pretend to be doing something this time, he melts into your gesture and basks in your fire, letting himself for once indulge in something good.

It’s why after he’s composed himself, when the city around you is quiet and the stars and the moon rule the sky brightly, that he speaks from his heart, hoping to repay your kindness, and hoping to keep your warmth close.

He wants you close. He needs you close so he won’t wither in the cold abyss.

“I’m happy that it was you who walked into my room that day,” he says with struggle since the words, despite himself, don't come easy. “I don’t know what would’ve become of me if you hadn’t walked into…my life. I'd probably be dead,” he laughs nervously as you pull away from him and look at him with your eyes glistening with tears as your heart can’t help but feel full and weep at words that mean so much more than he thinks.

“I owe you my life, but you also mean so much more to me than that,” he adds sweetly and meekly with his eyes glimmering yet also expressing how nervous he is.

All while you weep until your breath is stolen by a sudden kiss on your lips.

You didn’t think he’d do it. He hadn’t made the first move in anything, but here he is catching your breath and surprising even himself.

However, he pulls away when you don’t kiss him back and immediately looks apologetic, but just as he opens his mouth to ramble, you smash your lips against his, molding your lips immediately as if you've found your other half and a kiss is what you needed to become one. And like a connected piece, you don’t want to part anymore. You breathe through your noses as you finally get what you’ve both been longing for since you locked eyes, finding yourselves full yet starving at the same time.

The only way to feed that hunger is by indulging in more, by pulling closer, and welcoming open-mouth kisses to keep trying to satisfy that hunger.

Yet it doesn't, so you kiss passionately as if there’s no tomorrow, crossing that threshold with no way to return. Not like either of you plans to. You get to know the making of each other's mouths and forever give your back to that threshold.

Yet no matter how tangled you both are and how much you ache to tear off your clothes, you bring yourselves to a stop as you remember where you are. Instead, you just proceed to burn for one another and ache deeply, but smile sweetly at each other, and satisfy your hunger by remaining in each other's arms and living off each other's warmth.

Now, you both knew you had to leave eventually, but as of now you stayed there with your head on Bob's shoulder and your hand on his chest where he secured it with his soft and larger hand.

——

*A COUPLE DAYS LATER*

“<Uh…pft…how much?>” You ask in your best Malay that you’ve picked up over the short time you’ve been here, but the middle-aged man leans over the fruit stand and counts your money before taking the amount you owe.

“That's it. Enjoy, Ms American” He says in his best English, using the nickname all the workers have given you since you frequent the market strip on your way to work every day.

“Thank you. See you tomorrow,” you say with a wave goodbye, receiving multiple goodbyes on your way out that bring a smile to your face.

After that, you make your way to your moped and just as you start your way to the lab, you receive a call from Valentina that you take without hesitation.

“Hello,” you greet loudly so you can be heard over the commotion of traffic.

“Spector, where are you?” She asks without her usual quick greeting that held little sincerity, but she always greeted you nonetheless.

“On my way to work,” you answer cautiously and with suspicion. “Why?”

“Okay, yeah, that’s what I thought. I need you to turn back around and head back to your hotel, collect your things, and return to Washington DC,” she says, letting you finally hear the urgency in her voice. “We have your tickets reserved, you leave in an hour.”

You scoff with disbelief and quickly find an empty alleyway to park and really pick on the matter without getting distracted. “What do you mean I’m leaving, I,” you pause and fail to reveal Bob and the fact that the Sentry Serum worked. At first, you didn’t know if he’d wake up, and then…you grew too close, knowing that revealing him to Valentina would take him away from you and make him hers too.

You could’ve sworn Doctor Houston would have told her though. He was talking to her the other day…

“Does it matter?” Valentina cuts in abruptly without questioning your silence. “Alive or dead the Sentry project failed, so I need you to come back.”

Failed? So that’s what he told her?

“The US government has launched an investigation against me, I need you to be here at my side now. If they find you in Malaysia it’ll be hard to cover up. Get on that plane and come back. We’ll figure out your school stuff here. Got it?”

You gulp and agree. “Got it. I’ll see you soon,” you say and end the call but don’t make your way back to your hotel. You head toward the lab with the knowledge that she doesn’t know Bob has his powers. Sure, he can’t work them out yet, but he can pass under her radar now thanks to Doctor Houston and you not mentioning the success of the project.

However, when you reach the floor and try to walk into the lab, the doors don’t open and the keypad flashes red.

You try again and again but each time you get the same response. It's on the fourth attempt of you trying to push your way in that Doctor Houston comes to the door, but remains on the other side.

“Doctor Houston, please let me in,” you say from the other side of the door as you grab onto the handle, but the Doctor looks at you apologetically and shakes his head.

“I’m sorry Miss Spector, but I can’t allow you to come in anymore. As you may or may not know, Valentina is now under investigation and thus now OXE group is also under investigation,” he explains what you already know. Only he doesn’t carry her same urgency or command. He sounds nervous and looks at you so.

“Okay yes, I know, which is why I need to go in there and get Bob,” you tell him and point at the room before trying to open the door again, but Doctor Houston swallows thickly and shakes his head.

“I’m sorry, but Robert legally cannot leave—”

“Valentina won’t know about him,” you cut him off with annoyance. “She doesn’t know about him because for whatever reason you didn’t tell her, so it’s okay. I won’t tell anyone.”

“You know why I cannot allow that,” the doctor interjects, making you look at him with a narrowed glare. “Robert knows what he signed up for,” he adds, noting how your face contorts slowly and menacingly—“You did a good job. You have a promising future, so return to school and stay away from Valentina. He is not your problem anymore.”

“No, you don’t understand,” you argue and put your hands against the glass by the door. “He is not a problem, he,” you pause as you don't know what you are exactly. You've shared intimate kisses and held each other tightly, but there isn’t a label. You just…know how you feel even if you haven't said it out loud.

“I want him with me, let him out. I’ll help him, please, Doctor,” you plead without actually dropping a single ounce of threat from your voice.

“I’m sorry Spector,” he stands his ground, making you breathe out deeply and step back.

You think Doctor Houston is going to walk off but he remains by the door as if ready to counter attack.

“Okay,” you whisper and fist your hands, feeling that cold and looming presence form behind you—“I will stop asking. Let me in, Doctor Houston,” you demand with your eyes full of desperation and your voice sharp and threatening. “I am going to get Bob out.”

Doctor Houston reaches into his pocket and shakes his head. “I’ve called security and if you try anything I will have to stop you,” he says with his words sounding shaky, letting you know he hasn't had to threaten many people, so you approach this calmly.

“Let me help,” Denwen offers with excitement. “Let me in.”

You ignore him and lick your lips before you point at the door. “Open the door,” you instruct the doctor. “Let me in and let me take Bob off your hands, okay? That’s all I want. I…am the only one who can help him.”

“That’s my fault,” he says. “I should have been strict, but now I will pay the price. I’ll tell him you had to leave. Be content with that at least.”

You shake your head and feel your heart skip a beat. “No, Doctor Houston, please. Please, just let me in. Please,” you beg softly and grab the door, but he flashes you his gun.

“Robert is OXE property and thus he has to remain here. Call Valentina if you want, but we both know what happens if you do,” he retorts, catching you by surprise at just how nasty he can be.

“Denwen,” you whisper and at the mere sound his large shadow replaces yours, startling the doctor and making him grip onto his gun.

“Let me—”

“Hands up,” voices surprise you and threaten you, pulling you out of that narrow tunnel, and noticing that security guards start to corner you with their guns all pointed at you.

“Cooperate or we will use force,” a security guard warns you, making you raise your hands and step away from the door, making the doctor believe you have given up, but your glare is still just as fierce and focused on the doctor as you debate on whether to accept Denwen’s help or give up.

If you use Denwen’s powers, you will be able to get Bob out, but it’d be impossible to stay out of the public eye. Valentina will find out what you were able to achieve and thus she will demand Bob to her side to continue her plans. She will then also find out about you and what you’ve been trying to keep in the shadows.

Bob won’t know peace and you won’t be able to lie, so if you return to Washington DC, and pretend you’re cooperating, Valentina won’t find out about Bob, your life will remain relatively the same, and you will be able to keep Bob's powers a secret.

You will have to use force when you come back, but you’ve never been afraid of that.

“Fine,” you huff and feign a smile, giving up hostility, and making Denwen disappointed before he returns to the depths of your soul.

“I’ll leave.”

“It’s the right choice,” Doctor Houston says and draws out a deep relieved breath.

You step back with your hands still up and look past the doctor's shoulders in hopes you will catch a glimpse of Bob to let him know it will be okay. You will come back. Not today and not tomorrow, but you will come get him out not because you feel bad, but because you care about him. More than anything else, that's why you will risk your life and break him out of the lab.

You wish you could tell him that, but he never sneaks a glance outside his room. He just waits for you inside, wondering why you didn’t show up or send a word.

Minutes turn to hours. Hours turn to days, and you don’t show up so what else can he do but give up hope that you’ll show.

Only if he knew that he consumed your every thought. He made you break promises without a second thought or a single care. All because you never gave up. You haven’t forgotten. You care, and every minute, every hour, and every day you are closer to being at his side again because you haven’t given up.

You are coming.

.

.

.

.

A/N- THUNDERBOLTS PLOT STARTS NEXT

Tagged: @broadwaytraaaaash @jasminemohmed @padsdarlg @seninjakitey @anonoussy @mateihavenoidea @queenofthekill @scoliobean @gmmsos @mr-underhills-things

[damn-stark]

I’d spoil something about mc in Moon Star and what’s coming but I feel like it’d give too much away so to those that like to be surprised I’ll contain my excitement!

Just know MC is gonna be scary!!

[damn-stark]

Thanks for your content and you gonna write Johnny storm please don’t go bald ahahaha

I will and it will connect to Moon Star!

I might open requests but if I do itll be until after im done with Moon Star!

[damn-stark]

I saw fantastic four today so just know I’m brewing up a storm between Johnny and mc!!

But I also have some cool stuff that’ll come even sooner with Bob!!!

Moon star

[damn-stark]

I’m bored so here you go a sneak peek for the next chapter of Moon star

Your Jake Lockley is showing and BOB BEING PROTECTIVE

[damn-stark]

Bob Reynolds x fem!reader MOODBOARD

Moon star

[damn-stark]

Chapter 11 of Moon Star in a song

[damn-stark]

https://www.tumblr.com/damn-stark/789272675024535552/seeing-this-makes-me-want-to-do-the-cliche-mc?source=share

Okay but like?? Idk if you will keep Eddie alive BUT if you do this concept I can see Eddie (or one of the other members of the party - mainly Dustin) go all Johnny Storm and be like "You are going to be a great mother!" At reader but then tell steve "and you are out of your depth but we're going to be the best uncles!" 😭

Its just so chaotic and found family and I love it sm

WE ALL KNOW ITS GONNA BE DUSTIN TEASING THE HELL OUT OF STEVE!!