Natasha couldn't control herself. She knew that if Steve was here, he would be appalled at the language she was using. But screw his olden language rules, a building had just burst into flames, and, knowing her sister, Yelena was in there.
Rima pulled Natasha to a stop before she could force herself through the growing crowds and into the burning building.
"Think logically, Natasha! Going in there is a death sentence!"
"Yelena's in there! I can handle the fire!"
"You're not a god, Natasha! You could die! Again!"
Natasha flinched away from the fire. Yelena was right back then. She died. She left her. She wasn't a god, or invincible, or had armor. She was just a weak idiot who pretended to be something she wasn't.
She died. She could die again
Yelena's in danger.
She twisted out of Rima's grip, taking a deep breath. "Yelena can handle herself. But these people can't. We need to help them."
Rima and Adira nodded.
"We'll help you in any way we can. Just tell us what to do."
An explosion was a dead give away that the others had found something. At least, that's what Vaani said.
So Lila followed the others as they rushed out into the city streets, running to where the smoke billowing in the skies was coming from.
Dead giveaway indeed.
"EVELYN!"
Yelena had to yell to hear herself over the crackling of the fire. When the explosion had gone off, a chunk of the wall had hit the younger widow in the head, knocking her out. Yelena had half carried, half dragged her, to the nearest safe... ish... place she could find before trying to rouse the widow.
It wasn't working.
She shook the widow, probably not the best idea, and shouted her name again.
Shoot shoot shoot please don't die.
You were too late to save her. Too slow.
The younger widow's eyes cracked open with a groan.
Yelena felt the breath she was holding in release.
Her throat burned.
"Yelena?" Evelyn coughed, pushing herself up to slouch against the wall.
"Here," Yelena pulled a bandana out of one of her pockets, helping tie it so it covered the disoriented widow's mouth and nose. Then she did the same to herself.
What a handy thing a vest was. Very nice for carrying things one might need later. And Natasha hadn't believed her.
"Thanks," Evelyn said, wobbly sitting up further.
Yelena glanced around the room, her vision hazy and burning, "We need to find a way out of here."
"The man?"
"Gone."
Evelyn's eyes darkened, "There goes our lead."
"Tatyana might have found something."
Evelyn jolted up, "Tatyana! We need to find her!"
Right. No leaving others behind.
"Careful. Assess the situation first, Evelyn," Yelena warned.
Evelyn nodded slowly, one hand coming to cup her head for a second, drawing away with blood gracing her finger tips. She didn't physically react to that, instead just looking around the room. "We stay low to the ground, try to go back the way we came. There shouldn't be any doors in the way, so no worry about door handles being too hot. Should just be a straight shot."
Unless part of the roof had caved in.
"It might not stay that way for too much longer," Yelena said. She stayed low to the ground as she started moving out of the room and back into the hallway they had followed before.
Evelyn crept after her, careful to step only where she stepped. Yelena tried to move as quickly as she could. She needed to make sure wherever she was stepping wouldn't collapse and send them crashing down a few floors to the ground, (definitely would not be a cool death. The fire did add to the atmosphere of a possible cool death, though), but she also needed to go quickly. If they didn't move fast enough, the building around them could weaken and crash down on top of them.
Fun times.
Abrupt ending because uhm this fic is discontinued-
Yeah sorry. We just don't enjoy writing it anymore.
If someone wants to adopt the fic, I can send you all the notes I have for it.