Inferno Eyes (avengers fanfiction)

7. "Pulling strings"

Song: Avatar soundtrack - shutting down Grace's Lab.

Steve hadn't really seen the extent of what happened to Y/n until tonight. When he saw her shaking, propped up against the wall, that's when his brain fully grasped how badly she got hurt, because of him.

But it's like she's forgotten now, like it didn't even happen. She just sits at the breakfast table with that cold expression.

Alissa and Peter are smiling and laughing. They're happy together and it sends a pang through Y/n's chest. She used to be that happy with Steve. It makes her weary of Peter though, because if Steve can change, so can he.

There's only one difference, Peter now knows about Alissa. There's nothing to betray her over, Steve did have some motive, it was a shitty one but she still lied to him.

Peter glances at Y/n, she feels herself giving him a reassuring smile. She does like Peter, he's kind to Alissa, he makes her smile like she hasn't done in years.

Steve glances her way and sees the smile. He feels disappointed that it's not directed at him. He realizes that it probably will either take a while until he has that privilege again, or that he will never even receive it.

She almost catches him staring at her, he quickly turn away his head before she can, or so he thinks. Y/n already knew he was staring, it's something she's quite used to from him.

Her phone rings then, she uses the opportunity to rush away from the table and towards the device. She quickly answers.

At first there's a small smile from seeing the contact, but that smile quickly fades, shocking Alissa. That can't be good.

'What do you mean? When?' If this is a fucking joke it's not funny, Cole...' she speaks into the phone. 'No, she couldn't have...are you sure- yes I did...last night... I'm coming back, hide if you can, they might still be there...' she ends the call.

'What's going on?' Alissa asks worried.

'I need you to stay here okay? Don't go into the city... just stay inside...' She quickly gets her jacket and bag.

'I'm going with you-'

'Okay...' she replies to Steve, to his surprise she doesn't fight it.

He gets up and gets his own coat before pulling on his shoes. 'Peter, Alissa, do what she says and stay inside...'

'We will...' Peter assures him.

'Let's go...' Y/n tells Steve, she's already stepping into the hallway with Steve now trailing her.

•••

A silent care ride is what got them there. To Y/n's base or shelter, whatever people want to call it. She hurriedly gets out before rushing towards the building.

Steve rushes after her, he's confused. He has no idea what's going on but judging by her behavior, it can only mean nothing good.

Her eyes scan the rooms. Everything is trashed. Broken glass breaks under her boots, the smell of gunpowder hangs in the air.

'Cole? It's us...'

'Define us...' comes a voice from down the hall.

Y/n moves through the mess to get to the last room. She opens the door. 'It's Y/n...i brought someone with me... so don't be alarmed...' she tells him.

Then the closet door opens and Cole steps out, he looks disheveled, heartbroken and mournful all the same.

'What happened?' She asks him as she gives him a long and tight hug.

'I.. I don't know.. I got here and then I found the whole place trashed... I.. I opened your room and...' he chokes up.

'And?' She asks softly as she lets him go. 'Cole.. did they steal something?'

He shakes his head while tears stream down his face. His breaths are shallow and fast, he still can't comprehend what he saw. But Steve now can.

Steve opened that door and was greeted with the most horrific sight he ever had to witness. And he has seen a lot in his younger years.

His father wasn't as good as hiding the files and cases that he brought home with him. Being a homicide detective, he really should've been more careful.

He pulls the door closes just as Y/n rounds the corner, Cole won't tell her and so she needs to see for herself.

She reaches for the knob out Steve immediately places his own hand on top of hers to stop her, knowing what it could do to her.

'Y/n don't... trust me on this...you do not want to know what's in there..'

'I do Steve, stop babying me..' she snaps at him.

'I am not... Y/n you do not want to see that...'

'Fine...' she nods at him, the second he lets go of her hand however, she turns the knob and pushes open the door.

She audibly gasps before she lets out a cry and slips to her knees, or at least she intends to but Steve holds her upright. He wraps his arms around her and she allows it, too shocked to even care.

She has seen a lot of horrible things in life, many at the hands of Justine, but nothing will ever be more horrible than this.

The room is trashed as well but that's not the worst part. It's the fact that they gathered her friends, then murdered them in cold blood.

'I am going to kill her!' She screams.

'Cole close the door please...' Steve asks him as he pulls Y/n further into the house again. Away from her old room.

She's suffocating, so it feels. She can't breath, she forgot how. It's like her mind has forgotten everything. She feels dizzy and she feels sick, the image stick in her mind.

'Y/n, breathe for me okay? Breathe...' Steve whispers softly to her. His mind goes back to yesterday evening. How Alissa handled the situation.

'Y/n can you name 4 things you see around here?' Or was it 5? He can't remember.

'Uhm...Uhm... glass... wood..'

'That's good, keep going...' he assures her by rubbing her back soothingly.

'Carpet... shirt...' her fingers dig into the fabric of the latter. Her breath gets caught within the next few minutes, what remains are the salty tears leaving her eyes.

'I know, baby...' he pulls her closer against him. He kisses her head. 'Let's get you out of here-'

'Can't leave them...' she croaks out.

'He's right Y/n, it's not safe...' Cole speaks, his voice hoarse from crying as well. Seeing Y/n react like that reopened his floodgates.

'You can come with me as well...' Steve tells Cole. 'Wouldn't want anyone else getting hurt...'

'No we wouldn't...' Cole replies.