( avengers: infinity war )
★
CHLOE'S GRIP ON Alex's wrist was tight as she dragged him through the halls of the compound. Her heart pounded in her ears, and her fingers were in the right position to feel Alex's own heart― they really didn't have time to check if he was having an asthma attack, however.
Tall blue aliens will mess that up for you.
Silent red sirens rang through the empty hallways, meaning one of two things. One: the small percentage of assassins at the DC compound had evacuated and were calling a quarantine on the area. Two: the twenty-five to thirty assassins who were present were gathering their equipment and started to build their barracks in the common room― which only made her heart start to beat faster. Her colleagues were not dying because she had something to do with the time stone, whatever that was.
Chloe tried to ignore the ragged breaths behind her, hoping to anyone listening that Alex could continue for just a moment longer― but since when had anything gone her way recently?
"Chloe― we need― need to stop," Alex choked out from behind her, falling over his feet.
The assassin looked around nervously, her brain going on autopilot. Choice one was to drag her cousin to the common room beside the consequences, and choice two was to hide in the vents― which went against every screaming instinct in her.
She could hear the distant drumming of the woman chasing them and realized she didn't have many options. The twenty-one-year-old looked to her left, where one of the smaller momentoes rooms were placed. Looking in, the girl could see an array of ancient swords and gadgets used by past assassins. Above the duo in the hallway were vents that led to the common room, and a plan quickly formed in the brunette's mind.
"Use the cart over there to boost yourself up into the vents and get to the common room. If people are still there, get them out," the Frye ordered, tying her hair back away from her face. "I'll draw her away."
"Chloe, no―"
"―Alex we do not have time to argue," she shoved him in the direction of the vents and started backing up to the mini-museum. "Go!"
Her cousin stared at her and nodded slowly, his breath slowly coming back to him. He was still wheezing, but all she could do was hope that he made it in the end. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "Alright, stay safe."
Chloe smiled despite the circumstances, hearing the silent message. Squeezing back, she gripped the ninja star that sat outside the room. "Love you, too."
As Alex made his way to the vents, the Assassin threw the star at the alien as she rounded the corner. Hearing the growl that came from the blue alien almost brought a smirk to her face, the general sound of frustration music to her ears.
It was a small rebellion.
"Come quietly, and your friends will be spared," she spoke, twirling her sword in her hands. "Failure to do so will―"
"―Result in total obliteration, I figured," Chloe bantered, flexing her fingers. "You're acting like I haven't faced anyone like you before."
"Assassin, you have faced none like me," Rams boasted, her eyes lighting up in a kind of pride. "I have never failed my master, and you will be no exception."
The duo was fully in the museum by now, and Chloe was backed up against a table, a sword behind her. A grin took over her face, and the Assassin gripped the hilt of the weapon behind her. "Always a first time for everything."
The blade of the alien's sword met the sharp steel of the one in her hands. Blocking the hit, Chloe rolled away from the giant, grabbing a set of hidden knives and smoke bombs from the table to the right and stuffing them in her holsters. She took one and threw it, only for it to be sliced in half by her opponent.
The fight continued, blade hitting blade, move conflicting move. The Assassin and alien were both evenly matched. During their battle, Chloe maneuvered herself in a way that she was able to collect her lost items that were in her locker across the building. By the time the Frye rolled away from a slice on her bad arm, she had managed to get an archery set, a sword, a hidden blade, a few smoke bombs and throwing knives, and a very old pistol.
Rams smirked, swinging her sword yet again. "I was told your kind were talented."
"Do you realize where you're standing?"
The woman looked down just short enough for a smoke bomb to roll beneath her feet, a pool of white smoke quickly filtering through the room. The Frye used the distraction to her advantage, throwing a hidden knife from behind just fast enough to land a blow on Rams' back.
The alien hissed in rage and pain, reaching behind and ripping the knife out of her back. As Rams threw it behind out of rage, the metal managed to spark just enough to light a table stand on fire.
Chloe never guessed old materials from pre-history were flammable.
(Chloe very well knew. She took a wild guess that Rams didn't, however.)
The Assassin dodged a hit from the shield and ran forwards, sliding on her knees to slice the alien's legs. She managed a hit before the shield flew into her, causing a chain reaction. First, Chloe slammed into the ground at just an angle that caused her pain in various places (her shoulder, for one) but didn't do any major damage. Second, the fire that kept growing licked at the edges of the room, grabbing onto anything in its way.
The third, however, would haunt Chloe for the rest of her life.
The vents above them rumbled, and a crashing Alex came like a vengeful angel from the heavens, a knife in his hand and protection in his eyes. Landing on top of the alien, her idiot cousin drew his knife into where Rams' neck met her shoulders, tearing through a tendon and most definitely hitting a few veins.
The blue woman roared in pure anger, grabbing onto the back of Alex's shirt. The two cousins managed a brief eye-contact. Green eyes met green― one with pure acceptance and one with pure panic.
Alex managed to mouth two words before he was thrown into a wall, his neck snapping with a loud crack.
Don't die.
The rest of the actions went by in slow motion, events blending together. As the fire claimed the room and her cousin, Chloe took her chances and jumped through a window, rolling to deflect the possibility of broken bones.
Her wounds and limbs stung, her heart beating at a rate that was faster than normal, and her head filling with white noise. The building in front of her exploded in fire, and a roar followed shortly after.
The Frye felt like she couldn't breathe. Her hands were clammy, and she never registered the familiar hands around her shoulders lifting her up. A red mist surrounded the building to contain the fire, and a blonde man in a blue uniform grabbed her face and yelled something― but no noise came out.
Chloe Frye staggered to the Quinjet of the rogue Avengers, now realizing she was truly alone in the world.
★
um, oops?
if i said my finger slipped, would that start the angry mob forming at my door?
oh look. they're here. guess not.
thank you all so very much for 17k reads. that's insane. i love you all so much.
peace,
aidan.