The stairs lead them to the back of the building, and Clint was desperately hoping that the first set of stairs at the entrance would go downstairs to the basement.
"Okay," Clint whispered as the door to the stairwell closed behind them. "I think, I mean because clearly this floor isn't fucked up and is probably safer… That it might be a good idea to split up."
"Since when is splitting up a good idea?! Didn't we go over this?!" Bruce's eyes were wide as he looked between Tony and Clint. Clint paused a moment, thinking.
"Here," he unlocked Tasha's phone and typed in a number before hitting call and holding it up to his ear. Almost immediately, Bruce's phone started buzzing in his hand, causing him to flinch.
"What purpose does this serve?!" He demanded as he answered the call, holding the phone to his ear. Bringing Tasha's phone back down to look at it, Clint quickly made it a three-way call between himself, Bruce and Tony.
"We won't be too far. If we stay on the phone the entire time, we'll be able to be split up and still know what's going on with the other two. Understand?"
"This is the stupidest idea ever," Tony rolled his eyes, his phone to his ear anyway.
"We'll cover more ground this way and you know it," Clint argued, his phone to his ear again. "Just stay on the phone. If you see something, tell us and we'll come running. Okay?"
"I don't like this," Bruce whined softly.
"I'll go this way," Clint pointed down one of the three halls. "Tony, you go that way. Bruce, you go the other way."
"I don't like this at all," Bruce whined again, staring down the hallway Clint had given to him.
"We'll… Be fine, Bruce," Tony sighed heavily, knowing that splitting up would speed things up, wanting only to get out as quickly as possible.
"Also!" Clint glanced between the other two. "Any door that leads to outside: check to see if it opens. I'm sure they will, but… I don't know, this place is clearly fucked up, and I'm suspicious. If we know they don't open now, that'll at least give us a little time to figure out how to get out." Taking a few steps back, Clint glanced behind him at his hallway. "Alright, are we good?"
"Go team," Tony replied less than enthusiastically, turning to walk down the hallway Clint assigned him.
"I still don't like this," Bruce hesitated before turning his body to face his hall.
"Just stay on the phone, and you'll be fine," Clint assured him, turning around and starting down his hall.
"Is it too late to say I have to pee?"
"Bruce."
"Just trying to defuse the tension."
The next few minutes that followed were spent stumbling down the dark hallways, each with one hand against the wall for guidance and balance.
"I feel… Like I'm blind," Tony noted quietly as he almost walked straight into a wall, not realizing he had reached a corner. "...Who put this wall here."
"Probably the architects who made the place."
"Clint, I'm pretty sure it would have been the construction workers, not the archi-"
"Shut your whore mouth, Bruce."
"-tects okay." Bruce pressed his lips together, walking in silence for a few moments before hearing a whisper.
"Bruce…"
"...Yeah?" His eyebrows furrowed slightly, trying to figure out which of the boys had said his name.
"What?" Clint glanced at the screen of his phone for a second to check the time before putting it back to his ear.
"Why'd you say my name?"
"I didn't say your name…?"
"Okay… Tony, why did you say my name? What did you want?" Bruce asked, shaking his head slightly.
"I didn't say your name either, Brucie," Tony paused, feeling the room number on the front of one of the doors.
"Very funny, guys," Bruce said bitterly.
"Bruce," the voice whispered again, this time closer to Bruce. Flinching slightly, Bruce stopped walking- still convinced it was one of the two- trying to figure out which it was. "Bruce!" The whisper came louder,
"Wait, no, I heard that, too…" Tony said slowly, his eyebrows furrowing as he stopped. "Clint, you swear it isn't you?"
"Why would I be trying to spook Bruce?"
"Bruce!"
"Wait," Bruce tightly closed his eyes, trying to place the voice. "It sounds… It sounds like Thor!" He said excitedly before opening his eyes again, trying his best to see where Thor could be.
"Bruce, be careful…" Clint warned, turning to look behind him even though he couldn't see a thing.
"Bruce? Bruce, where are you? Stay there, I'm coming to you," Tony's voice sounded more worried than anything as he turned straight around, walking much faster than before, shining the light from his phone every few seconds in front of him to see where he was going.
"Bruce…"
"Thor? Thor, where are you?"
"Bruce, help me!" Bruce started walking forwards again, towards the voice.
"Help me help you, Thor. Where are you? Just keep talking!"
"Bruce…. Bruce, help me…" the voice kept repeating as Bruce came nearer.
"Bruce," Tony said urgently as he held his phone to his ear again. "Bruce, stay where you are. Don't go closer to the voice!" He started jogging down the halls, not caring anymore if he ran into a wall, just so long as he got to Bruce quickly.
"I'm almost there, buddy," Bruce ignored Tony's warning as he inched closer still to the voice. Hitting a corner, Bruce slowly felt a door in front of him. "Thor?"
"Help me, Bruce! Help me!" The voice came from behind the door.
"Bruce? Bruce, don't trust it!" Clint joined in on Tony's warning. "You can't see! It could be the monster. Remember how good it imitated Steve?"
"Thor, I'm going to open the door, okay?" Bruce continued to ignore his friend's pleas as he felt around for the doorknob.
"Robert Bruce Banner don't you open that goddamn door," Tony's voice was hard as he rounded a corner, at a full-on run, now.
"Bruce...Help me…" Bruce carelessly dropped his phone to the floor, the light from the screen dimly illuminating the corner of the hallway. Finding the doorknob more easily with the new light, he turned it slowly, opening the door to what he discovered was a janitor's closet.
"I'm here, Thor, don't worry," he said soothingly as Tony rounded the corner down the hall from him.
"Bruce!" Tony held his phone tightly in his hand as he ran down the hallway towards Bruce, watching helplessly as his friend walked into the dark closet, the door slamming shut behind him. Reaching the door, he immediately tried to open it, only to find it locked. Dropping his own phone and slamming on the door, he shouted. "BRUCE! BRUCE, SAY SOMETHING. OPEN THE DOOR. BRUCE." But the only thing he could hear was Clint faintly yelling over the phone, trying to figure out what had happened.
Trying the doorknob again, Tony's fingers slipped, suddenly finding it easily able to turn. Quickly opening the door, he burst into the closet, finding only cleaning products, rags, brooms, dustpans, buckets and mops.
"BRUCE?!" Tony helplessly shoved around the chemicals and brooms as if they were hiding Bruce from him. "BRUCE!?"
Reviews:
ilikehats2: :( Wouldn't Clint have seen the cop cars in the garage? They'd have been on the ground floor. They're most likely dead.
Poor people. Poor Tasha, she's gonna be so traumatized by this if she lives.
Not going to lie, I have no idea what I'm going to do about the police yet. Not a clue.
wolftattoo: I'd rather Steve live than Natasha ilikehats2
woah now. woooahhhhh now. Natasha is the best okay
TotalNerd376: Yeahhhhh I love this I love how realistic they are like I have always wanted an avengers sitcom and this is like the Halloween episode (if it turned out to be a prank, but at the moment it doesn't feel like you're heading in that direction since you already did that ending) anyways, I can't wait to see the next chapter
I'm pretty sure this was my favorite recent view an Avengers sitcom oh my god. Oh my god. And ahhh thank you I've been tryyyying to make them at least a little realistic x)
RoxasGuyXIII: Even if you have no idea what you're doing, it doesn't really show. I enjoyed the chapter, it kept cranking up the tension. I'm looking forward to the climax. I really want to know what this thing is.
Except I know exactly what I'm doing now. Heh. Heheh.
RandominatorOwl: IT IS LATE AND I AM SITTING IN THE DARK THIS ISN'T OKAY HELP.
I'm pretty sure about 90% of the reviews I've gotten for this are like "I'M ALONE IN THE DARK AHH" and it's just so great it is so great 3
TayAnn961: That has to be the weirdest apartment building ever! Brilliant chapter once again, please update soon ;-)
Yeah it's a lil fucked up~ (no but honestly I have no actual hallway layout for this building at. all. cany'a tell. oops)
(Guest): Ahhhh I hate anything scary, but this is so intriguing but its so scary and ahhhhh I hope it's a prank because that is just terrifying. But this is awesome :D
Oh, okay, I forgot another one of the main things I get in reviews for this is "I normally hate anything scary but..." Like you hate scary but like my story I am so honored I get to terrify you
LittleLair183: OH MY GOD. I love this story. Honestly this fic is my favorite that I've read in ages.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. AHHH. AHHHH. THAT'S AN AMAZING THING TO SAY TO AN AUTHOR OKAY I LOVE YOU.
GabycatStark13: Mother of god! Where are the fucking police? Is Steve dead? Please! Continue soon! Greets for Mexico ;)
Police? *shrug* Beats me!
...Holy cow that was a lot of review responding but no okay you guys seriously everyone that reviews I love you all it makes my day every time I get a new one ahhh 3 And yes, I know where I'm going with this story now, I had a break-through moment while in the shower the other day and whammo I know exactly what to do. Let's just hope I know how to properly execute it! Anyways, thank you all so much for reviewing/favorite..ing! -E