Into the Mist. (Avengers FanFiction) Sequel to Away We Go

Chapter 14

Steve Roger’s a.k.a Captain America’s P.O.V.

The explosion was deafening. My hands instinctively flew up to cover my ears but the blast knocked me right off my feet. I hit the cement with a thud, raising my shield on instinct to protect my head from the hail of rubble. Ears ringing, I fought to right myself, to get onto my feet, to find her. My vision swam in and out as I attempted to push myself up, the hollow groans of the wounded permeating the air as I clambered to my feet. Nearly all of the agents laid sprawled across the floor, either dead or unconscious; for once I didn't care which. Anyone not on the floor was running for the doors or down hallways that presumably lead deeper into the compound. To my surprise, and relief, Loki was nowhere to be seen.

I looked around for the source of the blast but couldn't afford to give anything more than a cursory glance. If there were more bombs waiting to detonate, I didn't have any time to waste. I took off after the men running further into the compound, sending them to the ground with one throw of my shield. Stooping down to grab an access key from one of them, I lost my balance as another explosion ripped threw the air. It shook the whole building, dust raining down from the now unstable ceiling. 

“Dammit!" I spat, running toward the nearest door. I threw it open with enough force to crack the wall it collided with. All that stared back was an overturned office chair and a row of computers. I took a calming breath before moving on to the next. I lost count eventually– the hallways, doors, and increasingly frequent explosions blurring together into an endless stream of panicked disappointment. 'If you're here, I'll find you, Calypso. I promise.' 

It must've been the 100th corridor when I abandoned any semblance of stealth and took to calling her name. With the guards presumably gone or dead, I'd run no risk of being caught or being delayed. “Calypso!” Empty hallway. “Calypso!” Ten more empty rooms. Calyp..." My voice slowly faded into nothing as I encountered the hallway. It was unlike all the others– strikingly so. The walls and floors were lined with thick, black glass, the door was made of the same material. A lone keypad was placed just beside the door, nailed to the glass with titanium screws. Something was written above it in dark blue letters, practically invisible to anyone with less keen eyes. Or someone who didn't know where to look.

The closer I got the clearer the letters became until I could read out the label with no difficulty: Holding Tanks. I was instantly thrown into a flashback– thrown back to just hours before everything went wrong. I was sitting next to her on the bed, watching her cradle the fire in the palm of her hand, listened as she told me what had happened... "I've hated fire since that night, five years ago. It's what killed them, you know. I tried to break them out of the holding tanks, tried to melt the locks...". The tanks. This is where they held her...This was where everyone died...With a shaking hand I reached up and swiped the card, the affirmative beep sending a jolt through my person. 

Feeling bile rise in my throat I pushed the door open and was greeted by the stench of disinfectant and an unmistakable odor of something charred. The room was large and most of it was hidden in darkness, but the tanks were on full display. Even as I stumbled forward due to another explosion, my eyes stayed glued to the monstrosities. They were at leas 50 feet by feet, giant cubes of glass with crude doors fastened on by numerous locks. Upon closer inspection I could see faint black stains on the hinges– ash. 

Slowly, as if waking from a particularly deep sleep, I began to register the hissing noise. Forehead scrunched in confusion, I edged toward the closest tank and nudged at the door. It cracked open with a horrendous screech and the smell hit me instantly. ‘Methane’  I thought, hacking as I attempted to wipe the tears from my eyes. I turned my back to the door, straightened up, and held my arm over my mouth and nose as I tried to assess what was going on. Suddenly, the hissing noise behind me gave way to a dull roar and the reality of the situation dawned of me: These tanks were going to explode. I took one step towards the exit when the roar reached an unprecedented level, making my brain rattle in my skull. 

“STEVE!” 

I only had a second to register the shout, before I was tackled, a pair of arms wrapping themselves securely around my waist as I tumbled to the floor. In the next moment, my world erupted into the brilliance of fire.

Author's Note: :3 So...I think this story is drawing to a close! The next chapter might be the last chapter, I haven't decided yet... I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll have the next one out as soon as possible!