Teeth (READ DISCLAIMER)

Chapter 17: Heart in my hand

"Nicely done Romanoff" Tony said as Natasha shrugged.

"At least we know there's one human around here" Steve commented.

"Right, let's try that again. Up we go" Tony said happily as they got back into the lift and started their ascent.

Natasha observed Wanda fiddling with her rings as she often did when she was anxious and gently squeezed her arm reassuringly, earning her a timid smile in return.

Tony spoke to his AI and managed to confirm that there was no one on the top floor with the weapon.

"No one at all?" Steve asked.

Tony shook his head.

"Nope, just us it seems"

"That guy looked like he was on his way out. Maybe they've done what they needed to do" Nat commented, thinking out loud.

No one responded as the elevator doors opened, revealing a room filled with stainless steel tables, white boards, vials, glass beakers and unknown substances, but no people. They stepped out tentatively, careful not to touch anything around them. The room was well lit with floor to ceiling windows on one side of the room and bright lights on the other.

All four of them could feel a hum of energy radiating from the far corner of the room and they moved towards it in unison.

The bomb itself was smaller than Natasha had imagined; around 3 foot in length and rectangular. The device lay idle on the table and seemed to be void of the cliché countdown clock or ticking noise one would usually associate with something like this.

The trio stepped backwards and allowed Tony, who had removed his head gear, to get a better look at it.

"What's your assessment Stark?" Steve asked.

"I've never seen anything like this before. It's an adapted, condensed version of a thermonuclear bomb. Powered by uranium or plutonium typically. But something this small can be detonated by hand or by a remote controlled device, rather than being launched, yet it doesn't lose much power. Not relative to its small size at least." He muttered, shaking his head.

"In English Tony" Steve sighed.

"Basically it's a mini hydrogen bomb. Without knowing what's inside and without being able to calculate the ratios properly I can't tell you the damage it would cause. I'd say it could wipe out the city." He said.

"Is anyone getting Deja vu?" Natasha asked.

"Deja vu?" Wanda repeated, looking confused.

"We dealt with similar a few years ago right here in the city. Except we fought Thor's brother and an army of aliens. Plus a big hole opened in the sky which Tony flew through with a missile to save New York." Steve explained as if it was the most normal story he had ever told.

"Glad I asked." Wanda said as Nat snorted with mirth.

"So, is it set? Do we have a time limit?"

"It’s set. Any tampering it goes off. If they press a button, it goes off."

"Guys, Muller is in our eye line, he's sprinting out of the building next door!" Sam shouted through their ear pieces.

Sam's voice was suddenly drowned of by a high pitched screech coming from the device on the table and the group collectively covered their ears.

"Has it stopped?" Nat asked, wincing.
Cap nodded and they moved further back from the table.

"Tony how long do I have?" Wanda asked, slightly panicked.