Zoë Aetós: Starting & Dying Action

Chapter Six


Zoë opened her eyes with a pained groan. She looked around as much as she could, seeing mainly large metal containers. Bruce was beside her, breathing heavily. He was facing her; his hazel eyes having turned green.
"You're okay," she whispered. "Bruce, it's okay."

She struggled to get lose from the rubble covering her. She let out a small whimper and Bruce looked at her. She gave him a tiny smile as she noticed him trying to control his rage.
"Bruce, you gotta fight it," she said. "This is just what he wants. We're gonna be okay."

Two soldiers came running around a corner and she tried her best to wave them away. They nodded, taking off again.
"Bruce, I promise," she said weakly. "I'll get you out of this; you'll walk away and never—"
"You promise?"

As another explosion shook the carrier, sending Bruce flying away. His eyes met her terrified ones then the lights went out.
"Bruce," she croaked out, pleading. She looked away from him as his clothes began to tear and managed to free her foot from the rubble.

She froze as the Hulk turned, yelling at her. She maneuvered to her feet and almost collapsing when she put pressure on her left foot. She jolted up the stairs as the Hulk chased after her. She rolled under a turbine, crawling within the maze of pipes. She nearly gasped when the Hulk pulled at the pipes, making her fall through them. She ducked under the catwalk, barely sneaking away.

After crawling for a little, she stopped. She had to catch her breath and calm her racing heart. Of course, calming down wasn't in the cards for her. The room vibrated in three loud booms, and she pulled out her gun. Slowly, she walked out onto the catwalk, spinning around to see the Hulk. He roared when he caught sight of her, and she shot a pipe above him.

The pipe was full of liquid nitrogen, and it hit the Hulk in the face, enraging him into destroying the pipes. She started running through a maze of corridors. For some reason, Zoë didn't remember there always being this many doors and walkways.

While she ran, the Hulk tore at the hallway, chasing after her. She turned to look behind her and cried out as he hit her into the wall. She dropped to the ground, feeling something pop as she whimpered from the pain. She curled up into a ball, not caring anymore. She couldn't fight him and win.

Having come to grasp with her fate, she was surprised when an attack didn't come. She opened her eyes, watching as Thor tackled the Hulk into the next room. She shakily got to her feet, ducking behind something to protect herself as she popped her shoulder back into place. She bit down on her lip to keep from groaning aloud.

Don't let them see your pain. That was the first rule at the academy and already she had allowed both Loki and the Hulk to see her at her lowest points. She had been given the assignment at Calcutta because of her natively. She had stupidly believed that Bruce wasn't capable to attack her when he was in his Hulk form. She had been wrong. Wrong and stupid.

Closing her eyes, she listened to Thor and the Hulk until it went silent. She wiped at her cheeks, forcing herself to get up again. She had to check the damages. Make sure everyone was alright and that there was nothing that needed to get done.

She was stopped in her tracks when she heard Natasha's voice in her ear.
"Z, I'm going after Barton. Detention level."
"Copy that," Zoë acknowledged.

Because of where she was located on the Helicarrier, she was the first to reach Clint. He was alone and she got up behind him. He spun around, nocking an arrow and she ducked out of the way. Natasha dropped out of the shadows, wrapping her legs around Clint's head.

As he flipped Natasha off him, Zoë rushed at him, ignoring her pain. He flicked out a knife and she grabbed his wrist, fighting for the knife. He swung out his foot, hitting her bad leg. She hissed, stumbling back as Natasha kicked him in the face.
"Zoë! Now!"

Using all her momentum, Zoë jumped off the wall, wrapping her legs around his neck. She got him onto the ground, slamming his head onto a pipe. He fell the rest of the way down, landing practically on-top of her.

For a moment, she saw his eyes change colors.
"Zoë," he managed to get out. Natasha knocked him out before Zoë could say anything. Zoë was breathing heavily, pushing Clint off her. She winced as she hobbled to her feet.
"What's broken?" Natasha questioned.
"Nothing," Zoë answered, rolling her foot gently. "It's just bruised."

Striding forward, Natasha grabbed Zoë's face. She looked at every cut, muttering in Russian. Most of them curses, but some had a motherly undertone to them.
"I'll clean them," Zoë said, shoving her hands away. Tapping onto her comms, she listened as Fury's voice cut through.
"Agent Coulson is down."

His words made Zoë stumble slightly.
"Paramedics are on their way," an Agent said.
"They're here… They called it." Natasha's eyes darkened and lowered as Zoë slid back down to the ground.

They knew the risks. Wasn't that what Sara had told her just days before? She had lost friends before in this business, but none like Coulson. He was a rarity. Keeping his composure and humor even when no one else could.

Oh god, Sara! She was gonna be torn apart. She had just gotten Coulson into her life and now he was ripped away much like her childhood. She was going to be struggling. She looked down at Clint then up at Natasha.
"Go find her," Natasha ordered. "I'll let you know the moment he shows signs of waking up."

With one more shaky breath, Sara got to her feet once more. She didn't know exactly where Sara was, but she knew she'd find the agent. She had been friends with the girl since their time in the academy. They had joined the same year, six years in age difference, but Sara was determined to get ahead, and Zoë hadn't argued.

While many of their friends were out partying in their early days, Sara, only sixteen at the time, had all but forced Zoë to be the good scholar. Sara had graduated two years ahead of Zoë, but by the time Zoë graduated, she didn't need a supervising officer and was sent almost directly into the field. She owed her accomplishments to the younger woman.

They had lost contact several years ago, with Zoë disappearing underground and Sara off in Russia, but now that they were reconnected, Zoë felt an urge to keep it that way. She needed Sara and some part of her believed that Sara needed her too. And if not always, then at least today.

Zoë found Sara sitting in the containment room, staring at a blood-stained wall. She was an emotionless wall, nothing happening as she just sat there. Zoë sat down beside her, body aching from the continual up/down movements.
"Is there anyone can I call?" she asked softly.
"Melinda May?" Sara whispered. "She'd want to know."
"Do you—"
"I don't want to talk," Sara mumbled. "Don't push it, Z."

And so, Zoë didn't. She just laid her head on Sara's shoulder. Offering as much comfort she could. She knew what it was like to lose a father in a horrific way. She knew how it felt to lose everything all at once. And she knew what silence did. She knew what was spoken in the unspoken.


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