What Matters {B.Barnes Daughter} ✔️

~Thirty-Seven: Alive~

"Where is she?" the God hissed.

Stephen's eyes were wild with fear as they darted across the room, landing anywhere besides the blue iris' of his friend. He felt panic rising in his chest, and found it difficult to breathe.

"Stephen..." Loki said, his tone harsh with warning.

"I-I don't know!" Stephen cried, throwing his hands up frantically. He shot up from the bed,  his breath wavering with fear as he exhaled. "I-I don't even know what I saw!"

"Alright, calm down," Loki said, placing an unsure hand on the doctor's shoulder. "I can see into your memories, Stephen. At the coffee shop, you saw her..."

"Yes, I did! But it makes... I don't understand..." the doctor rambled, shaking his head.

"It's alright, my friend. I know you don't."

Stephen took a deep breath, but suddenly froze in place. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion, and slowly turned his head to face Loki.

"You knew she was alive... didn't you?"

Loki's eyes were locked onto Stephen's as he opened his mouth and answered with a stern, "yes."

Stephen's eyes widened, and he grabbed Loki forcefully by his shoulders and slammed him into the back wall.

"Why didn't you say anything?!" he growled, pinning the God's hands to the wall.

"Because I was as lost as you are! I was clueless, bewildered. And then I found something."

Stephen quirked an eyebrow at the God, still breathing heavily with anger. 

"Allow me to show you."

Stephen hesitated, but after a moment he released Loki, clutching his horribly trembling hands to his chest. Loki stepped around him, and walked over to the television in the room.

Suddenly, a VHS tape appeared in his hand, and he slid it into the television after turning it on. "Sit," he commanded Stephen, motioning to the bed. 

He timidly obeyed, and Loki soon took a seat beside him. He rewinded the tape, and when he stopped, Stephen recognized the video. He tensed up, frightened. 

It was that day; the day of Lizzie Barnes' death. She was basically holding Stephen up as the two stood in the doorframe, HYDRA agents surrounding them from every direction. 

Stephen felt his heart break in two as he watched the last moments of a truly wonderful little girl... her last moments that were spent saving his life. 

He watched himself disappear from the footage, and then he watched, horrified, as the agents all attacked Lizzie, throwing punches and kicks, but not ever firing a single gun.

Stephen groaned and screwed his eyes shut, looking away from the television. 

"Now, watch," Loki said, pressing a button on the remote. 

Stephen reluctantly pulled his head up, shyly glancing at the surveillance footage. 

It was now showing the view from a different camera overlooking the back of the facility. There was a large truck, that already seemed to be running, placed just outside the facility door, and Stephen quirked an eyebrow.