Frostbite

Five

Just as the elevator doors were closing, a hand squeezed its way between them, causing them to open back up. Rumlow and two STRIKE agents entered the elevator. I took a deep breath and rubbed my forehead, not wanting to deal with him.

"Keep all STRIKE personnel on site," Rumlow ordered the men. 

"Forensics."

"Confirmed."

"Cap," Rumlow greeted Steve, completely ignoring me, though I didn't mind at all.

"Rumlow," Steve acknowledged coolly. The elevator finally began descending.

"Evidence Response found some fibers on the roof they want us to see. You want me to get the tac-team ready?" Rumlow asked Steve.

"No, let's wait and see what it is first," he replied.

"Right."

I felt Steve tense beside me, but I couldn't figure out what it was that he was reacting to. The elevator stopped, and four more agents piled in, all of them carrying briefcases.

"Administration level," one of them said before going back to his conversation. Steve moved over, letting the agents squeeze in.

"Confirmed."

"I'm sorry about what happened with Fury. Messed up what happened to him," Rumlow sympathized.

"Thank you," Steve nodded to him. The tension that had filled the small area was unpalatable. Steve was looking around at them all suspiciously, but they weren't paying him any mind. The elevator stopped, yet another time, to let four more agents on, officially overcrowding the space.

"Records," one of the new men instructed. I was pushed closer to Rumlow as they ushered in.

"Confirmed."

The elevator doors shut, and everyone grew eerily silent. I looked at Steve in alarm, and he took a deep breath, looking up at the ceiling.

"Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?" Steve asked doubtfully, glancing around. No one spoke a word. Suddenly, they all moved into action, most of them going after Steve. One of them pushed the emergency stop button, halting the elevator.

Another guy shoved me into the glass, while Rumlow whipped out one of his stun rods. The air inside chilled drastically, and the glass frosted slightly out from the edges. I couldn't use my powers in here; it was too dangerous. I needed to get them under control. I could hurt Steve on accident, and they were counting on that.

"Agh!" I cried out in pain as Rumlow took the opportunity to jam the rod into my side. Shocks of electricity coursed through my body, and I fell to my knees, gasping. One of the other agents quickly clipped metal cuffs around my wrists while I was immobilized. Realizing that they were trying to cut off my powers, I growled in anger and grabbed onto his head.

I smashed our skulls together and shoved him aside. My skull throbbed from the impact, but I ignored it. Steve was now cuffed and stuck to the side of the elevator. His were magnetic.

Rumlow charged me, breaking my attention away. He grabbed me by the throat, snapping my head back into glass, causing it to crack loudly. My head exploded with pain, and my vision blurred for several seconds. Before he could make another move, I bit down as hard as I could on his arm, drawing blood.

He let go of me and cried out angrily. I lashed out, hitting him on the side of the face and causing him to stumble back a few steps. I stalked towards his hunched over frame, but he came at me again, grabbing me around the waist, lifting me up and battering my back into the metal wall. I crumbled to the floor, barely able to move from the shock my spine had just received.