Baby Barton

Chapter 50 Chloe Barton

"I have never been so fucking creeped out in my life, and I've slept in the park. Drink?" You offer out your hip flask to Nat and Steve, taking a massive swig yourself.

Nat brought you and Steve to this weird underground bunker in New Jersey. There are pictures on every wall, even a couple of Steve.  Sometimes its easy to forget that Steve is away from his time.

Steve presses a switch that turns on the lights, the room is wide and echoey, you look at him, his chest puffing in and out, its also easy to forget that he is human, with the same fears and emotions.

"I've been here before." Steve looks at Nat for reassurance, his lips pressed together in a thin line.
She nods at him, not knowing what to say.

Nat places the USB device into a computer, the technical noise of the many screens causes you to shudder as it echoes throughout the room.
"I hope you know what you are doing." You take deep breaths, all you want to do is reach out for Steves hand, but he has his shield on one and his other is in his pocket. 
More and more of the computers and screens power up, Steve and Nat throw suspicious glances at each other.  You take another swig of your hip flask "the fuck guys? Why are you being so silent." Your heart races, feeling overwhelmed by the deafening silence from Steve and Nat, coupled with the diegetic sound of computer parts and operating systems. The smell of dust blows around the room itching your eyes and nose, its been a while since anyone has been down here.
You can't take this silence, the tension is thick like all of the oxygen is being sucked out of the room.
"GUYS!" You shout irritated
Steve throws his hand out "Shh Chloe!"
"Just shut up for a minute!" Nat snaps at you.

One of the old screens flickers on and off, a man appears on the screen in black and white, ugly, almost pig like.
You jump back startled, his hideous appearance sends unpleasant shivers up your spine.
You laugh nervously, tears of fear forming within your eyes "Oh god.  I just pissed my pants. Who is that dude?"
You turn again to Steve, who's mouth hangs open, eyes gaping wide. His free hand twitches inside his pocket, he pulls it out making a fist. "Arnim Zola, he was a HYDRA scientist." He pants, looking across to you "I might take that drink now" you hand him you flask.
"I don't understand." Nat stands transfixed by the screen in front of her, absentmindedly tucking a lock of hair behind her ear as she attempts to hack the mainframe.
"HYDRA and SHIELD are the same thing." Steve exclaims the apparent lightbulb moment seems to glow from his eyes.
Your heart sinks, you lock eyes with him, his face collapses as the workings of his inner terrors creep to the surface.
He clears his throat, turning his back, you catch him wiping a tear from the end of his nose. You want so badly to take him in your arms, but you can't bring yourself to do it, your own inner battle with rejection stopping you.
Be strong.
It takes a moment, but you have your own lightbulb moment, fuelling the spark in your pit of dread, "I've got a really bad feeling about this. Why would this place be left unmanned? Especially with all this information here?" You walk around lifting files marked 'top secret'.
Steve whips back around in agreement. His face chalk white, looking exactly how you feel, only worse.
The clicking of Natasha's fingers on the keys stops abruptly, as images flash simultaneously on every screen, blue prints of weapons, maps, targets, famous dictators, images from the second world war.
Struggling to make head nor tail of it you turn to Nat for answers, she wipes beads of sweat from her furrowed brow "genocide."
Steve gulps linking the information having been on the front line before, his worst fears and terrors coming together, and here he is at the forefront again.
"They have to be stopped." His nostrils flare, a haunted look etches itself on his face, unblinking.

Stopping yourself again from wrapping your arms around him, you take another swig from your flask.
Being stuck in the limbo of 'what are we' with Steve mixed with the raised tensions of whatever the fuck is going on with SHIELD causing your arms to itch. The all too familiar itch.
What you wouldn't give to get your hands on a needle, to allow it to tear a hole in your arm.
The euphoria of pushing the plunger, releasing its poisonous nectar into your body.
You close your eyes for a moment as the scattered memories of flying high soar throughout you, forgetting for just a second.

"GUYS! SHIELD launched a missile." Nat's alarmed voiced jolting you awake.
At the same time both you and Steve shout back "location?"
"Here!!" She yells, panicked as she stuffs her device back into her pocket.
"Who authorised it?" Steve begs.
"Probably fucking Sharon!" You scream back at him.
Who cares, SHIELD knew you were here.
You were sitting ducks.
Stupid question Steve.
The three of you make a panicked run towards the armoured door, before you can get to it, it slams shut.
"Fuck a duck!!" You scream.
Anxiety gives birth to fear.
Your mind goes blank.
Trapped.

Your hair is blown forward as the push of hot air comes from behind. 
Everything silent, searing heat nips your back.
Closing your eyes allowing it take you.