Girl At War

Big Bomb - 30

Heads up!" Tony shouted over the comms. "They're blowing the main building!" He was seen streaking up and away, blasters on full. "Their own building! And they're DESTROYING it! Shame!"

Clint hurriedly scooped up his bow and lit out running. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Natasha making a mad dash for safety also. They both knew when the bomb went off. It was like the small balls, only bigger. Way, way bigger. It shook the ground so fiercely that the speeding Pietro was sent to his knees. All cowered, covering their heads against debris. Even before the dust cleared, Tony was doing a team check from above. 

"Hawkeye, Black Widow?"

"Safe." They responded in unison. 

"Maximoff?"

"Safe." Pietro's was the only voice. For a long, unending moment they waited for Wanda to speak, but nothing happened. Pietro lost it. He began whizzing around, yelling for his sister. Tony gulped, switching to first names.

"Bucky?"

"Safe." the Winter Soldier panted. He had obviously been running.

"Steve?"

Only silence answered. 

"Steve, come in, Steve." he waited, straining to keep the panic out of his voice. He was hovering above the rubble of the once gigantic building. "Eloyse?" Still the comms were quiet. Tony took a deep breath. "Everyone to the lake edge." Landing, he paced, nervously waiting for the team to arrive. Bucky was first, then Clint and Natasha. Ironically, Pietro was last. They were all fretting. Tony quickly gave instructions before they headed out again. Although he could have done it over comms, the regrouping had given them a sense of security, safeness.

Wanda was found by the frantic Pietro. He was ecstatic despite informing Tony she appeared badly injured.

"Take her to the jet." Tony told him. The others continued searching for Steve and Eloyse. Natasha spoke up shortly, but only bad news. About five minutes before the explosion, she had seen them both go into the building, Eloyse leading the way. A few minutes after this dishearteningly realization, they came across the body of an albino girl. Natasha was the only one who was truly sad. She had seen how Eloyse had connected with the white-haired girl. She took a deep breath, looking down at the broken body. She remembered Eloyse's last words she'd paused to say before going into the building.

"If something happens, find Kanzia. She should be carrying some papers ya'll might be interested in."

Natasha knelt down, hesitating before gently opening the girl's uniform coat. On the inside edge of the coat was a pocket, bulging with papers. Nat quickly took them, not even looking at them before stuffing them in her pocket. She started to leave, but her conscience nagged her. She went back and tumbled some rubble over Kanzia's body, then she hurriedly left.

Pietro had not yet returned from taking Wanda. Most likely, he'd just stay with her. Everyone else still searched. A loud static noise in Nat's ear caused her to pause and turn her comm volume down. Faintly, she heard the far off words, only a jumbled static message, but unmistakable Elosye's voice. Clint walked over, high-fiving Nat. "She's alive!" He exclaimed, grinning ear to ear.

Natasha held up crossed fingers. Clint opened his mouth to ask what she meant by only hoping, when the message cleared slightly. It was still staticky, but they caught the words.

"Alpha. Lima. India. Victor. Echo."

"Alive!" Tony shouted triumphantly.

"Why is she using full words to spell?" Natasha frowned.

Clint explained, "Her signal is so bad, we would miss most of what she says. She must realize it and be trying to make herself easier to understand."