Away We Go. (Avengers Fan Fiction)

Chapter 19

“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. They trusted me, they all trusted me and I let them down,” she droned, one lone tear falling into her palms producing a single wisp of steam to drift upwards to caress her face. “I couldn’t control fire as well as I originally thought and before I knew it, it had caught onto the main fuel line running through the small building. I still remember that god awful hissing noise then that damned explosion. The doors had been locked and no one had any way to get out. They all burned to death. Their screams are what attracted the guards, but by that time it was too late,” she murmured, gazing absently into the fire. 

I had an overwhelming urge to hug her, to tell her it would all be alright, that it wasn’t her fault, that she was just trying to help. I had no idea that she was carrying around so much guilt. It would have crushed any normal person. But Calypso was stronger than any normal person could ever dream to be. 

But I refrained, not wanting to break her concentration. We sat in silence for a while, maybe seconds, minutes, possibly hours. At one point she extinguished the fire and allowed me to wrap an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a tight embrace. I could feel her tears staining my shirt but I couldn’t care less. She needed this. 

A knock on the door followed by Natasha worried voice broke us out of the small piece of tranquility. I slowly pulled away, drowsy as if I had just woken up. 

“Steve, we need you!” Nat called, not anxious but simply informative. Calypso turned on her bedside lamp so I could walk to the door without tripping. 

“I’ll be back,” I said, stilling as I placed my hand on the knob.

“Remember what I told you about the purple petunias?” she asked, completely ignoring my statement. 

“Yeah, you used them to tell your friend you were alright,” I said, turning to look at her. But she wasn’t looking at me, instead, she’d produced another small flame and was solely focused on that. “Why?”

She didn’t respond and I took that as my cue to leave. She was so lost in thought I doubt she’d know I was gone. 

“How is she?” the Widow inquired after the door had shut. 

“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. She was crying but I didn’t know if the tears were from fear, sadness, maybe the guilt she’d brought up. 

“We just need to go over the plans one more time,” she said, clearly not at all happy with my answer. Concern looked misplaced on Natasha. 

“Sure,” I acceded, following her back down the hall. Hopefully what we did would make a difference. It had to. 

Bruce Banner’s a.k.a The Hulks P.O.V.

I’d never thought of letting the Green Guy out again after New York. I thought that that was the last time I’d need him. I never could have expected something like this to come along so soon after that tragedy, something that could potentially call me to fight again. 

As I had anticipated, I was part of almost every plan, either as a back up or someone on the front lines of the action. 

At first I’d questioned if all of this was worth it. I couldn’t help looking at the situation from a hypothetical and statistical standpoint. If these people were able to pester a Norse God and track a nearly untraceable element bending girl across the world, what chance could we have? 

Our surprise attack would be Thor of course, because they couldn’t possibly be able to contain a God’s power, especially since they are unable to lift his hammer to get it away from him. He was our Ace up the Sleeve. 

“What about Loki? If he appears again?” I inquired, trying to fight the cringe that came from uttering that mans name. If he could even be called that. I knew he was crazy but strangle a young girl? Possibly kill her, had we not prevented it? 

It was one thing to sit by and watch a city burn, it was another to set flame to the buildings yourself. 

“I will deal with my brother. I have already alerted Asgard and they are on constant watch for his return. Heimdall is in charge of locating him. I will do my best to make sure he does not interfere again,” Thor reassured us, saddened at the prospect of fighting his brother once more. 

“If we do manage to get Calypso out of the first unavoidable scuffle, she is going to the base in Tuscon right?” Clint asked, and I nodded an affirmative. It was our second largest base and one of the most heavily guarded. She’d be kept in an underground safe house that doubled as a bomb shelter. I would be guarding her along with Thor if we both made it out alive. 

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose as everyone studied the tactics to be used. I vaguely wondered if Calypso would stay and fight, or try to hand herself over to avoid carnage. She seemed noble and more than courageous enough to do such a thing. 

“Do you think they’ll attack at twelve?” Tony asked, meaning that the new day technically started at that time. It was now nine forty-five which only gave us two hours and fifty-five minutes. 

“Most likely,” Clint replied, and it was only then that I noticed Fury standing on the opposite side of the room, still as a statue as he stared outside. 

With halting steps I approached him, stopping beside him without a word. 

“I know this is going to end badly,” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. 

“I know,” I said, staring straight ahead into the night. 

“I don’t want to lose my team, Banner,” he mumbled, and I swear I heard the beginnings of tears coming on, but when I glanced at his face it was as cold and impassive as ever. 

“I can’t promise you won’t, Director.”

“Is she truly worth all of you, Bruce?”

“Yes sir, I do believe she is.”