ROMANOGERS: PAST TO PRESENT

Chapter Thirty Four

Natasha's POV

I heard the intercom blast the final word signalling the departure of the invasion forces. The word felt like a bullet to the heart. There would be no way of  leaving, no way of helping them. What was worse, Steve was now gone with them, he wasn't coming back, even if he wanted to there was no possible way. He'd get killed on the spot. What angered me the most was how I'd pushed him away. If I didn't make it out of this my last words to him would be hateful. That's what you get for trying to protect people. I wasn't worried about the reactor chamber, I was worried about who or what I would meet there. Anyone in their logical mind wouldn't leave the main power source left alone, let alone  the one thing that could destroy your facility unguarded. Not to mention that even though I had faced Viper it didn't mean he was gone. But Viper wasn't my main threat what I was more terrifi- concerned about was the Overseer. She was out there somewhere and waiting. She had taken an interest in me, had seen me personally before I was taken and eventually set free by Steve. She had even taken interest in me at a young age.

Coming to an end in the air shaft I slipped out not caring if anyone saw me. The enemy forces were concentrated on their destination. Sure enough the halls were deserted. It was a feeling I had felt in situations like this before, immense emptiness. It had never bothered me before but there was something eerie about it. You're on the right level, just find a map, or interrogate a guard. Moving from dim lighted hall to dim lighted hall it took what felt like years to locate a map. It was on a billboard, a small diagram depicting the twists and turns of the floor level. In the center was a large circular room labeled Authorized Visits Only: Power Core. Taking a  few mere seconds to memorize it I jogged down the halls completely disregarding stealth. There was no point to it anymore and to be frank I no longer cared.

My heart grew heavier with each step. I imagined Clint and Hope flying off to a battle that was hopeless, I saw Steve trying to fight but failing, Scarrlet warring against her friends. Tony trying to shoot Hope and Clint out of the sky alongside Thor. Bruce succumbing to rage and terrorizing cities. It was almost enough to break my spirits, almost enough to overwhelm me into submission. For so long I had fought down the reality of what was happening and every now and then it flooded back in. Each time the wave got stronger. I knew before to long I would either shut everything out, or I would curl up in a ball and cave. I had no idea which I would prefer.

With the diagram in mind I knew I had only three more turns until I arrived at my destination. I ignored the soreness of my body. How each breath shot rockets of pain through my torso. The continuous flow of blood down my shoulder, my pounding head, the achiness of my cuts and bruises. I needed to steel myself. Equipping the last gun I had with the small amount of ammunition I had left I rounded the last corner. A large vault door blocked me from the power core. It was massive and easily two times as tall as I was. The metal was obviously thick and I imagined it was more than a foot in density. It was monstrous and it was obvious I wouldn't be able to bust through. Glancing around I didn't spot a single key pad that may have been of use. There was no way to open the enormous wall of metal in front of me.

Hesitantly I approached the beast of a door. With the people that organized this place I wouldn't put it past them to have some grotesque traps set up. As I got closer my caution faded. Up close the metal appeared smooth, it was glossy, with some sort of strange finish on it. There has to be a way in. There's no other entrance. Scanning the glossy surface I couldn't see a difference in the metal that would indicate a hidden button of sorts. Let's try the old knuckle test. Stepping even closer I pressed me ear against the metal and wrapped my knuckles on it lightly. There was a dense ring that responded. Sighing a moved slightly doing it again and again. Each time the same noise sounded back. Reaching the other side and having done another sweep though not as slowly I realised there wasn't a button. At least not one I could hear or see. Angry I racked my brain for the answer. Think what did you see coming in. Focus on the details.