THEY WERE RUNNING OUT OF TIME. the building shook and creaked under the stress of each attack, its foundation unable to withstand the weight of the upper floors collapsing on each other. the gas lines had been broken, starting fires along the walls and creating plumes of smoke trapped inside with them. they shouldve gotten out the moment the ceiling had began to cave, cut their loses and get out while they had the chance. anita glanced at the woman and child huddling together under a heavy desk, covering them from any falling debris. both had their nose and mouth under the collars of their shirts, trying to lessen the amount of harmful smoke getting into their lungs.
steve couldnt leave them behind, neither could she. fuck. with the ceiling collapsed in and the floor underneath them taking on all that weight, it was only a matter of time before the whole building collapsed in on itself. the only person walking away from that would be the captain and they both knew it. the problem with playing hero was being forced to make hard choices about innocent lives. she was SHIELDs executioner, her kind of justice came in a bullet. by the time she was sent out, innocent people were already dead and she was evening the playing field.
“ we dont have that kind of time, ” she called, watching the captain push at the slabs of concrete and metal, trying to make a big enough opening to escape the rubble without it all caving in on itself. they could make it out. make sure the civilians were covered and help find them but they wouldnt be good to anyone stuck inside with them.
the ground under them shook again, metal creaked as pipe lines burst and bent. with another glance at the kid curled into his mother, anita made her way over to where steve was using everything he had to push against the rubble, fighting against the weight of it all along with the vacuum the heat of the fires recreated. usually she explained the way her magic worked, what to expect and overall consent to what she had to do but beggars cant be choosers.
she placed her hand on his arm, letting the death magic inside her seep into his body, searching for the power in his veins. the serum was as much a part of him as his flesh and blood, creating superhuman energy that hummed like a generator under his skin. that mixed with the stubborn goodness that was steve rogers was enough. her magic took that inhuman strength and heightened it, looping it through the necromancers body like an electrical current, getting stronger each passing moment. it was a numbing high, her limbs no longer feeling heavy, the smoke no longer filling her lungs. she was in tune with his energy, their power free flowing between them.
she took her hand back, placing it onto the concrete next to his own. her dark eyes glowed blue for a second, mirroring his own, until it faded to the darkest of black. “ on three, ” she said.
yeah, she had a stubborn streak too.
