The russian one

Chapter 44 : This is not the end

Silence had returned to the building, no sound could be heard except those of medical machines, footsteps and the wind in the broken window. No one dared to break this natural silence. No one dared to speak. Everyone went about their work without saying a word. They were too afraid to speak up and say what everyone else was thinking. At the same time, no one dared to look into each other's eyes out of fear of reading their own thoughts.

It was just another day, it was very hectic, but it was almost their daily routine. So where is all this tension in the air coming from? The tension is rising while the pressure is falling, it doesn't make sense. What is going on here?

In this heavy silence, one could almost hear the heartbeats of the living beings occupying this building. You could hear them beating in unison. One would then understand that all these beings are in a state of panic, their bodies are trembling, their breathing is discreet and short and their hearts are beating at full speed. Are they afraid? Why are they afraid? What are they afraid of?

They are in a huge building and yet everyone knows what happened and they all share the same feeling of anxiety and insecurity. They feel at first helpless and small, then dependent and weak. They could have died and they understood that.

Relief. This is something they would like to feel right now, after all, it's over. But is it really? Deep down, they know it's not really over, it's just the beginning. That's what scares them. They know they are not ready for what comes next, and they wonder, will THEY be ready?

All these people have many questions, and it is the fear of finding an answer and of seeing the truth in the flesh that prevents them from speaking or looking at others. However, they must face the facts, they must admit it even if it is frightening. They cannot deny it indefinitely. The sooner they accept it, the sooner they can move on. But how do you do that? How do you accept something so senseless? It's not possible, no one can believe it!

They then made their way to the assembly room, where there was a stage and seating in front of it, just like in the theater. All sat in the chairs, in the greatest silence this room has ever known. If you didn't hear the sound of their hearts, you could almost hear all the questions in their heads rushing around. Then, as a man took his place on the platform with a woman, all thoughts stopped, breaths were cut off, hearts were silenced. The man took his place in the middle of the stage, facing his audience, his face was serious. He didn't show it, but in his eyes, the same anxiety as his subjects could be read. Then he took a deep breath before saying aloud what everyone was afraid to admit.

"The Avengers... almost lost."

~~

"Listen to me carefully!" shouted Director Fury.

"We're going to have to be very vigilant from now on! Since the Avengers have been considerably weakened, the enemy could attack us at any time. I'm going to ask you to be very careful about who goes in and out of this building, no one goes out or in without my approval. We will have no contact with the outside world until the threat is over! You will not return home either! We can't afford any mistakes!