Girl At War

Big Bomb - 30

Tony was talking to her in slow, short sentences so she could hear, "Is. Steve. There?"

Her reply was so choppy and split up Tony asked her to repeat. She shortened her answer. "Yankee."

"Yes?" Natasha and Clint looked at each other, shrugging. 

Tony landed next to the pair. "Are. You. Both. Good?" He lowered his faceplate.

"Uh, negative." Bucky appeared from nowhere to silently stand on Tony's other side. "Steve Hotel Uniform Romeo Tango."

"Great!" Tony looked like he was mentally face-palming. "Steve's hurt! Location?"

"Use 'acker ...Lint lut .... 'rlier." She dropped talking in code, her voice broken and staticky.

"A tracker?" Tony was confused. "Lent loot earlier?"

"Clint!" Natasha cried. "The tracker you put on her!"

***************

Steve and Eloyse had heard Tony's warning about HYDRA destroying the building. They had been in the basement. Since he could run faster, Steve had grabbed Eloyse and took off. The blast caught them halfway across the room. They'd been separated in the confusion of dust, debris, and ceilings caving in. When Eloyse opened her eyes again, she had been alone, completely alone. And blind. Or so she thought, until she realized it was just dark. She made a little light and looked around. 

A huge beam had fallen next to her, saving her from being crushed. The comm didn't work, although she could hear static and catch an occasional word. She had called out, wildly at first, then gained control of her panic. She had heard Steve moaning, and fastening her light around her wrists, followed the sound. Crawling under, through, and over things, all the while trying her best not to cause anything else to shift and fall. Even the fifteen-year old's inexperienced eye could see that the rubble pressing down upon them was unstable, and likely to fall more. She moved extra slowly because of the pain in her side. Probably broke that stupid rib AGAIN.

She found Steve under a slab of concrete. His shield was over his head and chest, but his legs were pinned. Eloyse tugged futilely at him, then pushed the concrete, but couldn't free him. She shifted around a little, clearing out a tiny space in which she could kneel. Her head almost brushed the concrete above her, and her left shoulder rubbed the slab that was over Steve's legs. She hung a ball of light from the highest point, but still left the light-bands on her wrists.

"Steve?" she brushed some dust off his face. He groaned softly, turning his head away from her. Eloyse looked him over as far as she could. Several cracked ribs, head injury, broken leg, severe concussion. and dislocated hip. 

She tried her comm, and got a clear, if unhelpful, answer from Tony: "What?"

She spelled out "alive" using the airplane call words. Then ignoring them, she turned her full attention on Steve. She would have to wait on his leg, seeing as it was being physically held in an unnaturally position by the rubble. She cleared out a slightly bigger area, and that was when she discovered the chunk of concrete teetering precariously, ready to fall into their little hole at any second. She eyed it dubiously, then scooted away. Tony was still talking to her, and she automatically answered as her gentle fingers worked over the only open wound she could find. She used her powers to wash it out, then neatly close it up. He would be fine once she was finished, but for now.... well, having a building fall on somebody was never good for their health. She tugged the shield away from him, holding her breath when the ceiling it had been holding up groaned and crumbled slightly. She gingerly set the shield on her other side.

Eloyse put her hands on his ribs, feeling his heart faintly pounding. She couldn't quite reach where the break was on his other side, and stretched a little. Instantly, her own injuries made themselves known. She let out a gasp of pain and leaned back from Steve. Tears unwillingly sprung to her eyes, but she fought them down. Closing her eyes, she just concentrated on breathing.