Note* Chapters 14-18 will be Extremis Parts 1-5. Look forward to it!
Chapter Fifteen:
Extremis Pt.2
Clint and Natasha kept to the shadows of the halls as they made their way down the hall, watching the different groups of guards going by. They knew Hydra and AIM were searching for them, so they knew they had to be extra careful not to be seen.
"Did you hear Modok has a new experiment going?" one guard stated as they walked by.
"Yeah, on one of those prisoners that escaped."
"Think she will live?"
"Did any of the others live? More than likely we will just be dumping her body along with all the others."
"Shame, the girl was a real looker."
As they kept on walking, Clint and Natasha glanced at one another, a mutual understanding crossing their expressions. They dropped down behind the two chatting guards and before they knew what hit them, had rammed their knees into their guts and pressed them against the walls, knives against their captives throats.
"Where is the girl and Modok", they demanded.
"Like I will tell you anything, honey", the one Natasha barked out.
Nat was not impressed and made sure to show it as she slammed the butt of her knife into his head.
Clint gestured to the man Natasha was standing over as he looked back at his own captive, the really talkative one.
"Want to join him?" he asked.
"N-No, I will tell you. They are in the labs, Modok took her there while Red Skull took the other two."
Natasha frowned, coming closer to them, making the man being held against Clint's arm get even more nervous. "T-The one called Captain America and the Hulk."
Clint frowned and Natasha scowled.
"Where did they take them?!"
"I don't know, honest. I only dealt with Modok who sent out word to try and find the rest of you. I swear, that's all I know."
Natasha nodded and Clint rammed him into the wall, knocking the man out cold as he fell to the floor.
"We need to find Thor. He didn't mention him, so I assume he is still free."
"Should we get to Toni first?" Clint asked.
"I am afraid it may already be too late", Natasha whispered as the lights above their heads flashed.
AVNGRS
Thor, for the hundredth time, pulled Hammer and the cowardly Baron to a stop as more guards passed by. They had overheard some mentioning that the Baron was wanted as a traitor, so the man was none too eager to be found by Hydra. He had been the leader! He was angered that with Red Skull's sudden appearance, everything had gone to pot. That being said, he knew his best bet at staying alive was with these so called Avengers.
Thor on the other hand was not at all pleased that he had to be the one to babysit these mortals. He merely wanted to find his friends and return back home.
The sound of voices once again coming down the hall, had him backing into the shadows. He sighed in relief however when he noticed two other shadows following them close behind. He was about to cause a distraction, when the lights overhead went out with a shatter and the two guards grunted as who he could only assume to be his friends, knocked them out.
"Friends?" Thor called to the dark.
It was silent a moment, before Clint called out.
"Thor?"
"Yes Friend Barton", Thor said cheerily, "might I say I am glad to see you…if I could see you."
Natasha solved that problem right away as she pulled out a flashlight one of the men had, had tucked away on his person.
"Thor, are you well?" Natasha asked, looking him over.
Thor nodded as he turned to show the two following behind him. Hammer merely glowered at them and the Baron backed up, cowering behind Thor's broad back. While the Baron didn't trust the Avengers, he definitely didn't trust the two assassins most of all.
"We just overheard some guards talking about Toni, Steve, and Bruce being captured. We need to move quickly."
"Stark was captured?" Hammer asked, frowning.
"Yeah", Clint replied, glaring at the man, "We need to hurry, though it might already be too late."
AVNGRS
When the five reached the labs, Natasha and Clint took point. They could hear a voice mumbling behind the door, but they couldn't tell whose it was. Clint caught Nat's eye, confirming when to move in. Natasha nodded and raised her fingers, counting to the number three.
"1…2…" Just as Natasha was about to put up her third finger, a scream echoed through the door and down the hall. Fearing the worst, the assassins and those behind them rushed into the room, only to stop dead at the sight that greeted them.
"Oh my God", The Baron whispered, "Modok…is dead."
Clint, Natasha, Thor, and Hammer could only gape at the sight. Toni stood at the side of a surgical table, her skin nearly white and her eyes staring down at the corpse. Her brown hair hung in stringy strands around her face, nearly reaching her waist as a young face turned to greet them. It was obviously Toni, but it was also obvious that she had both de-aged again and that something was very, very wrong.
Toni's usual milk chocolate brown eyes were glowing gold and she seemed to stare at them without really seeing. If Natasha had to wager a guess, Toni was now around fifteen years old definitely possessed by something.
"Toni?" Clint called taking a hesitant step forward, "Stark can you hear me?"
Toni didn't even blink as she watched him.
"Clint, stop", Natasha whispered and Clint listened, instantly freezing.
It was only when he had stopped and took note of Toni that he realized she was shaking and very slowly backing up from him.
"Toni, we are your friends. We won't hurt you. My name is Natasha and this is Clint and Thor."
Toni looked at them in complete silence, which was very unnerving. Toni Stark was never, ever silent for any reason. Toni turned her glowing gold eyes onto the Baron and Hammer who hung back near Thor. Natasha and Clint followed her eyes.
"They are…"
"Enemies", Toni answered, her voice oddly monotone.
"They are working with us right now", Natasha quickly explained, "They helped lead us to you."
Toni turned back to look at Modok.
"He hurt me", she whispered in a low, flat tone.
"I know he did", Natasha answered with a nod, "We can help you, but you need to let us get near you. Will you do that? Will you let us touch you?"
Toni turned to stare at her, before switching her view to Thor and Clint.
"You are friends", she stated, though Natasha wasn't sure if it was supposed to be a statement or a question. Clint took it as a question.
"We are", he said taking another slow step forward. This time Toni didn't move away. "We want to help you. Can we?"
Toni stared at him a moment before giving a slow nod.
Clint smiled in relief before stepping forward, still at a slow calm rate. He didn't want to frighten her by rushing in, even if he was desperate to make sure if she was alright or not. He couldn't imagine losing his best friend because something some mad man had done to her before they could stop it.
Gently, Clint reached out and ran a hand across her head, brushing her hair back behind her ears. Toni watched him with very non-Toni-like eyes. It made him feel like anything he did could be quickly considered a threat and considering Modok now lies dead on the floor, he really didn't want her perceiving him as an enemy.
"I'm Clint. Do you remember me?" he asked.
Toni just continued to stare at him. Thor was completely confused. Just what was wrong with their friend?
"Toni, will you come with us?" Natasha asked, reaching out a hand to the girl.
Nat knew guards would be showing up soon. No one forgets about a boss for long and as soon as they figured out they had been responsible for killing the leader of AIM, well… Natasha definitely didn't want to stay around for that.
Toni slowly reached out her pale white hand towards Nat's tanned one. Her golden eyes however never left Nat's green ones. Natasha had to really control her facial expression when she took Toni's hand and felt how ice cold it was. Was Toni dead?
"Steve…" Toni whispered.
Nat froze and the others stared on in surprise.
"You remember Steve?" Nat asked.
Toni didn't answer however, so Natasha just looked at the others for guidance, but none of them knew what to do now. Steve was the leader and without Steve, the duty had always fallen to Toni. Without Toni, well…it rarely happened.
"Come on Toni, we need to leave before more bad guys show up", Clint replied stepping forward.
Toni turned her gaze to him and then titled her head to the side.
"Bad guys", she repeated like a robot, "they are coming."
"They are, so we need to move", Natasha agreed.
"No", Toni replied, "They are coming now."
AVNGRS
Toni could hear and see everything that was going on around her. She could see Nat and Clint standing in front of her and she could see the enemies coming from rooms away. It was so unreal just how many things she could now see, hear, and sense. It was as though she had tapped into the world itself and every movement sent a ripple through her mind.
While she knew she needed to follow her friends out, the sheer amount of power she was feeling was beyond anything she could have ever dreamed of and she didn't know what to do with it all. It scared her how much power she had now, but at the same time, it thrilled her.
Somewhere in the chaos of her mind, she could feel a small voice yelling out to her. She knew if she didn't focus soon, she would end up losing whatever remained of Antoinette Stark to the mass echo of space that had become her mind. Focusing on that still small voice, she finally put a face and name to its distinct and familiar tone. Steve Rogers…
"Steve", she heard herself whisper.
She didn't know what else was said, but she focused on that small voice.
"Steve", she whispered again, but this time the voice answered back.
"Toni?!"
"Steve", she whispered, dazed that the voice she was clinging to was answering her.
"Toni, you don't sound… what's wrong? What happened? How are you talking to me through…my mind?! I think this is my mind. Am I crazy are you crazy? Are we both crazy?"
Toni couldn't help the smile that crossed her face as she listened to him ramble. He sounded panicked, but on her own behalf.
"I am fine…mostly. I can see your location. We are coming. Hang on."
"… Toni, you don't sound like you. What happened?"
"Extremis"
"What?! Modok, did he…"
"He is dead", Toni replied evenly, "I killed him. Steve…what do I do. What…what should I do?"
"Do? Do what you always do. Lead the team."
"You are the leader"
"You are my second in command Toni. I know you can lead them to me. Bruce and I…we need you."
"You need me?"
"Always", he replied with a voice filled with absolute truth and a hint of concern.
"Then I will come", Toni replied and turned her attention off the voice and back to those in front of her.
Natasha and Clint stood in front of her, while Thor, The Baron, and Hammer stood around her. They were facing off against the guards that now surrounded them.
"Steve needs us", she stated in her monotone voice.
Clint shivered at the lack of life in it.
"Move out of our way", she replied, stepping past her friends.
The guards scoffed and started towards her.
"You were warned", she whispered.
A blood bath doesn't even begin to cover what the Avengers witnessed that day and for Toni, it would soon become another of her many nightmares that would haunt her every dream.