"No one's gaurding the door."
"Yes,Jemma it's empty. Don't jinx it."
"How do these work exactly?" Thor seems confused by the gun in which he examines.
"Why don't you just stick with Mjinor?"
He smiles and nods.
Fitz pushes through the doors of the White House and stands in the foyers,staring at it in awe."Can you believe it Jemma? We're in the White House."
He seems like a child opening a gift he's wanted on Christmas.
"We have orders from Captain Rogers."
"Right. Orders,"Fitz nods and sighs."Where do we even begin looking for the prisoners. If there are any."
"Thor why don't you guard the door for us while we look around."
He nods and Fitz and I run to the office at the very end of the long corridor."Smells like blood and perfume."
I eye the corpse on the ground near the bookshelf."That's a Hand uniform!"
"This is her office."
Fitz snatches open drawers,rummaging through papers,frantically looking over them and throwing them onto the ground. He runs to the bookshelf built into the wall,flinging books to the ground searching for something."What are you doing? We could be caught if anyone hears us."
"No one's here,Jemma. Plus we've got the god of thunder watching out for us. We're safe."
"I just don't like how easy it was. To get in here."
"They're all out there battling it out with The Avengers."
"What is it you want to find?"
"A map. The president has to have a way of escaping when Aliens invade."
"You mean you think he has a bunker of some sort?"
"Not a bunker,but a-a safehouse maybe."
"Below the White House?"
"Sure. Where was Yelena keeping Tony all that time?"
"She surely wouldn't have trusted him enough to just lock him up in the master bedroom."
He flips through books and I begin to help, searching through the desk and through the files. "Did you know that JFK was a mutant?"
"It's just a theory."
"Magneto was falsely convicted. They thought he killed him,but he was trying to save him."
"Focus,Jemma. I did say a little while ago that we're safe,but we can't be to sure. Look,so we can get them out of here and get back to S.H.I.E.L.D-"
"I've got it,"I squeal in delight.
"No way."
"Yes way. Get over here."
He takes the map from me looking over it."There's no way we'll be able to get down there. There has to be some weird way he gets in and out. Like a retena scan or something."
"You gave Natasha Romanoff her legs back-"
"Temporarily-"
"I think you'll get us in."
He sighs."Come on. Let's see what we're dealing with."
Fitz and I follow the map down to a small secluded door which is in the basement of the White House. It is bolted shut and and like Fitz had predicted,it requests a retina and thumb scan.
"Is it possible that maybe Dottie changed the scanner to let her in."
Fitz nods."Sure. But how are we going to get her eyes and her thumb print?"
"You're right."
Fitz picks up a fire extingusher and bangs at the door until he dents it."Well don't just stand there! Help me!"
I pick up the extinguisher."This will never work,Fitz. It's a waist of time."
"Caving the metal will bend it well enough for us to slip through."
I continue banging until there is an opening large enough to enter through where the door would most likely slide back for the president.
"See."
I follow Fitz in and find a space void of light or sound. "Fitz?"
"I'm here. Just,"The light from the flashlight slices through the menacing darkness."Their cells."
"To hold people in."
"Why would the president need these?"
Fitz and I exchange glances,and I shudder at the possibilities."Looks empty to me-"
"Who's there?"
Fitz's eyes widen."Does that voice sound familiar to you?"
Fitz takes off down the dark halls in which are lined with holding cells and kneels down at one. He sticks his head through the bars as if getting a closer look."Agent Barton?"
He coughs violently.
"No,that isn't possible. She shot you three times in the chest."
"I pulled through. Once she shot me,they dragged me back down here to die,"
"How is this even possible."
"I used the lose nails to pull the bullets out. The blanket as a bandage. And the bed to rest."
"But you died."
"You notice how she shot me in the chest when she could've just shot me in the head like everyone else and finished me."
"Well,yes. It bothered me for some time after the initial broadcast."
"She didn't want me dead. No,no. Not the president either."
"What is she planning? Do you know?"
"She's going to kill every single last Hand Soldier in New York and DC with the push of a button."
"So? What does that have to do with you? With the president?"
"She needs someone to kiss her feet."
"Simmons,he doesn't have much time left. From my perspective maybe a collapsed lung? Two? We have to get him back to S.H.I.E.L.D."
"What about the president?"
"He's dead,Agent Barton."
I look over at the next cell,to find the copse silhouetted by the light that does manage to make it to his cell.
"Come on,help me get this open."
Fitz jingles with the lock and pushes open the cell door. Together we lift Clint off the ground. His head hangs and he groans."Just leave me here,"He rasps."I'monna die anyway."
"Don't talk like that ,Agent Barton."
"Look at me,Simmons. I'm not exactly the prettiest site."
"Nor are you the deadest. Now we have to get you to the quinjet and get back to S.H.I.E.L.D."
Clint nods weakly and Fitz and I begin hauling him up the metal steps and outside to the quinjet.
