Frostbite

Fourteen

We landed outside the facility. There was snow covering every inch of land surrounding the facility and it was still coming down heavily. The jet that Steve and Bucky had stolen was only several yards away, and the doors leading inside were open. Only silence and shadows lurked inside from what we could tell.

"Ladies first," Tony said cheerfully, waving me forward.

"Nice," I muttered while rolling my eyes. I cautiously stepped through the door and let my power dance around in my palm. It cast off enough light so that I wouldn't run face first into a wall. It was a small lobby. There were several doors, a stairwell, and a hall that branched off. Too bad there wasn't one of those 'you are here' maps to help. Tony followed behind me as we approached a set of stairs that wound down into even more darkness.

"Hey! You can see just fine in there; you should be leading," I hissed in realization. He chuckled as I shoved him in front of me. We quietly descended further and further into the base. The silence was almost deafening. I doubt even mice had been able to survive in here.

We finally reached the bottom and found ourselves in a straight hall with a set of double doors directly at the end and only one other on my right. I jiggled the knob, but it was locked. Where the hell were Steve and Bucky?

"I'll get the doors," Tony said, digging his fingers between the doors. He began heaving them apart slowly, creating an ungodly screeching noise. I prepared myself in case it drew anyone to us. They at last slammed open, revealing Steve and Bucky crouching defensively on a small stairwell across from us. I sighed in relief.

"You seem a little defensive," Tony teased, retracting his helmet and leaning against the wall. My eyes roamed over Steve, seeing no sign that they had found those soldiers yet. Bucky didn't move a muscle, keeping his gun trained on Tony as Steve approached.

"It's been a long day," Steve sighed. 

"We're not here for you," I assured Bucky, wishing he'd stop pointing his gun at Tony.

"Then why are you here?" Steve directed the question to Tony. He stopped a few feet away from us.

"Could be your story's not so crazy. Maybe. Ross has no idea we're here. I'd like to keep it that way. Otherwise, I gotta arrest myself."

"Well, that sounds like a lot of paperwork," Steve joked, lowering his shield, "It's good to see you, Tony." I took a step toward Steve, and he closed the distance between us, crushing me to him. "I hated leaving you there. You don't know how glad I am you're here," he whispered in my ear.

"Hey, Manchurian Candidate, you're killing me. There's a truce here. You can drop..." Tony ranted at Bucky incredulously. Steve signaled for Bucky to relax, and he finally did. I reached up and planted a soft kiss on Steve's lips before returning back to business. His eyes lit up, conveying everything he felt and didn't want to say in front of our brothers.

"So, I think I'm right in assuming you didn't find them yet?" I sighed.

"Not yet," Bucky replied, shaking his head.

"Well, then I guess we better keep looking."

Tony reengaged his helmet and we all crept down the hall to our left. It was the only way to go down there. It eventually opened up into a large darkened, chamber.

"I got heat signatures," Tony announced to the group.

"How many?" Steve inquired.

"Uh, one."

We entered the chamber, and the lights flipped on. My eyes glued to the capsules lining the walls as a hazy mist began filling them. There were people inside, but each had a single bullet hole lined up perfectly to their foreheads. They were all dead.