Into the Snow || A Captain America Love Story

57

Steve

     "T-Tori?" I stammer.
     I hold Tori in my arms, away from the burning building. She coughs, but smiles.
     "I'm fine," she says weakly.
     "Bruce!" I call. "Bruce Banner!"
     "N-No, Steve," Tori complains.
     "You're hurt," I choke out, brushing a lock of burned hair out of her face. "We need help."
     Bruce comes sprinting to us. "What's wr-"
     "Tori's hurt!" I shout.
     "You are too, Steve," Bruce sadly mumbles. "Come here."

•••

"Steve, sit down." Tori orders me, pointing to the empty chair next to her.
I reluctantly sit down next to her at the breakfast table in the Avengers Tower. I wince when I set my hand on the cold wooden chair.
"See?" Bruce says. "You're burned too."
"I'll live," I spit.
Bruce bandages the last burned spot on Tori's right leg, gently pressing the end of the white strip to her. She winces as I did, but tries to hide it.
"Give me your hand," Bruce tells me, offering his own hand.
I hold my hand out for Bruce to bandage up. He puts a cold liquid onto it, burning my skin. I try my best to not take hand away from him because of the pain. My eyes start to water when he finishes with the bandage.
"The other one," the scientist commands me.
I take my hand back and give him the other one. Tori lays a hand on my shoulder while Bruce painfully does the same procedure.
"Done," Bruce finally huffs.
I quickly take my hand away and stare at them. Bruce puts the roll of bandage next to the bloody cloths on the table.
"Steve," Bruce grunts. "What did you do to burn your hands that badly?"
"Pulled away burning things to help people escape," I respond.
Bruce pinches the bridge of his nose, avoiding his glasses. "Steve, you really are an ambitious man."
"I know," I sigh. "But innocent children were going to die in there."
Bruce's expression softens. "O-Oh, I understand. But Tori, what did you do to your leg?"
"I was trapped and I tried to duck from the falling ceiling tiles. I fell on burning carpet." Tori explains.
"Hmm," Bruce ponders. "And I'm guessing Steve helped you escape?"
Tori and I nod. Bruce sighs.
"Predictable,"
I hear the elevator door open and rushing feet. Tony, Natasha, and Clint sprint into the room, their faces covered in soot.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., turn on the news." Tony pants.
Everyone sprints into the kitchen to see the commotion. The computer turns on the television and it shows a news channel. The female news anchor stands in front of the camera holding her microphone. Fires blaze behind her and hordes of people crowd her.
"-fires started at 8:15 tonight in New York City and burned two buildings. There are no deaths, but many injuries. Severe burns cover everyone that escaped the fire. No one is sure how or why this happened, but this footage was caught." the anchor says.
     The camera changes to a security camera's point of view. I spot a small red dot behind the front desk of the entrance of the first building that Tori and I went into. That little red dot erupts into a huge flame and starts to crawl up the building. The camera goes back to the news anchor and she starts to speak again.
     "Again, no one is sure how or why the fire started, but it burned the two buildings. On a happier note, everyone that was in the building escaped."
     I sigh of relief and continue to listen to the lady.
     "And this was possible because of the Avengers that left the safety of their homes and helped those that weren't capable of leaving the destruction. We have footage of two of the Avengers, one of them being an old time favorite and the other being a newly recruited Avenger."
     The camera shifts again, showing the outside of the building. I see myself bolt down the stairs with citizens and Tori taking them from me, then I rush back up the stairs.
     "Yes, Captain America and Mystérieux were a great help in this disaster," the anchor appears on the screen. "On a different topic, ice was found in the buildings. Yes, ice. It surely isn't natural, but it helped cool the fires. Citizens have said that the Mystérieux produced this ice from her hands."
     Tori stares at me with happiness. I smile at her and listen to the news anchor.
     "We sadly don't have proof of this from cameras, but it will be seen again soon if this is true."
     The camera changes to a table with two different news anchors sitting in chairs behind it - a male and female.
     "Thank you, Amelia," the female one says. "We have more information about the two Avengers from Massachusetts at 10:00."
     I glance at Tori nervously. Tony turns off the television and the room is silent.
     "Massachusetts is where Tori was held captive," Clint stutters.