Heartless

Chapter 83

We were on the jet, heading to the warehouse. I had a migraine from sorting through Warren's personal information.

"You sure you're okay, Mon?" Steve asked.

I groaned. "Steve, stop being the Mom friend and shut up." I put my head on my lap and groaned.

"Maybe you should stay on the jet while we go in the warehouse," Bucky suggested.

"Hell no! Ow, shouldn't have yelled. Ow, pain."

"Mon, I agree with Barnes on this one," Sam said. "I'll stay here with you."

"I'm going. There's something dangerous in there. I couldn't tell what it was because it's in a vibranium case, but it's dangerous."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Fine. But I still want to stay."

- - -

The jet landed and we climbed out. We trudged through the snow to the warehouse doors.

"Who puts a padlock on a warehouse door?" I wondered out loud. I pulled a bobby pin out of my hair and snapped it in half. Kneeling down in the snow, I stuck the two pieces in the lock. "Everyone shut up."

"But we didn't-" Tony began.

"Bup!" I focused on the tumblers in the lock and wiggles the pins around until I heard a pop and the large steel lock opened. "Voilà."

Steve pushed the door open and all ten of us walked in. Sam and Rhodey stayed behind to make sure the kids (Pietro, Wanda, and Peter) stayed on the plane. We didn't want them getting hurt. Steve tossed us all flashlights and we flicked them on. Vision used the gem in his head to light his path.

"So, what exactly are we looking for?" Bruce asked.

"A vibranium box with a number pad on it," I said. "It should be on a low shelf."

"What is around it?" Thor asked.

"A... silver bell and an old clock. Do not, I repeat, do not, touch either."

"Why not?" Tony whined. "What if I wanna touch it?"

"Well, do you want your limbs to be rearranged?"

"No."

"Then don't touch the clock. And do you want your ears to melt off?"

"No?"

"Then don't touch the bell."

"Got it."

"There's also one of those 'the cow goes moo' spiny thingies. You know the thing I'm talking about?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Katherine said. "What does that do?"

"I have no idea, but not touching it would be a good idea."

"Guys, I found it!" Clint called from one of the aisles. When we joined him, he whispered, "God, this is like that show, Warehouse 13." He went to blow a blue dust off the top of the box.

"Wait!" I said. "That's not normal dust. Don't touch it, don't breathe it in, don't get it in the air."

"What is it?" Steve asked.

"I don't know," I sighed. "But that color is so unnatural. It looks like blue eye shadow." I took the box from Clint and looked at the keypad. I focused as hard as I could on figuring out the numbers, but my head just felt pressurized and painful.

"Monica, put the box down," Steve said, worry laced in his voice.

"Why?" I asked. "I can get it."

"Mon, your nose is bleeding," Nat said. She took the box from me. "You need to relax."

Bucky took the box from Nat. "And besides, we can figure it out back at the compound."

Thor took the box and started examining it. "This craftsmanship is familiar."

"Guys, maybe we should put it in a bag or something," Katherine suggested. "We don't want the powder getting into the air until we know what it is."

Unfortunately, being Asgardian does not make you completely sophisticated. The box slipped out of Thor's hands and hit the floor. We didn't know it at the time, but the fall made the dust float into the air and get into our airways.