On the Run (An Avengers Fanfiction) ✔️Completed (under editing)

Some Rescue

We had all made it as far as the hangar when it happened. There was a distant blast, from deep within the base itself. The shockwaves shook the whole structure and the walls around us began to crack. Small pieces of debris and rubble rained down around us as we ran, fearing another explosion and the collapse of the entire base. Those who had survived poured down the corridors and hallways in their haste to escape. The group that we had freed must have numbered about three hundred, though it was almost a miracle many had survived there could only have been around fifty people who had made it out in to the open when the second explosion shook the complex so violently that it knocked us from our feet. Having hit the gravel, a piercing ringing in my ears, I reeled as I tried urgently to get back to my feet. More people still fled out of the exits but it was clear that time was quickly running out. It was likely that the base was being destroyed by the remaining H.Y.D.R.A. soldiers in an attempt to better cover their tracks, to make the retrieval of evidence far more difficult... There would already be countless bodies trapped beneath the layers of the collapsing lower levels. Pulling Amy and Daken to their feet with Luca's help I turned and ran straight back in through the nearest exit.

"Astrid, what are you doing? Wait!" Yelled Luca after me.
I couldn't wait for him. I needed to get more people out. We hadn't saved enough... We never would. Saving them all was an impossibility but this was still not even half of the prisoners. The air inside was now thick with dust and sirens sounded screaming warnings of imminent death. I blundered on, setting up a shield for myself once more. I soon came across a group trapped by fallen debris in the hallway which prevented their escape. Using my powers and strength I shifted as much of the debris as was needed for them to slip out. I pointed them the way out and waved them on hurriedly. I slipped past the half fallen barrier of concrete and steel and on into the darkness. There were more people, they were everywhere. I managed to free about a dozen more people before a third and final, much closer explosion blasted me to the floor again and shook the whole structure. The groaning and snapping of the metal support beams spurred me into action and I scrambled to my feet, running for the exit once more. I had to get out this time. As I rounded a corner I collided with someone and stumbled. Coughing from the lack of air and peering through the murky darkness I could not believe my eyes when I realised who it was.

"Loki," I exclaimed, still in shock.
He groaned slightly as I pulled him up off the floor.
"We have to go, now!" I urged, practically dragging him after me.
"Yes. I was coming to get you but as it transpires you seem to have things under control"
"Well, It's the thought that counts... I suppose" I replied.

"Get down!" He yelled as he suddenly pushed me behind an enormous half fallen concrete wall.
He crashed to the ground over me. Before I could process what was happening and protest I felt a smaller but much closer blast followed by scorching heat. The sounds of shattering glass filled my ears as. I strained to see what was happening. I felt the heat of the fireball extremely close to my face.
Loki grabbed my hand and yanked me back up to my feet and used his ice powers to put out he fire in front of us so that we could get through. Where the ice touched the flames it hissed and threw out clouds of steam.

We were about halfway to the exit when I heard crying. Immediately I stopped by the nearest door. It was blocked by debris which I heaved aside with telekinesis. Kicking down the door and advancing in to the dark room where the air was thick with dust I noticed two small figures cowering in the corner. Loki shadowed me. We pulled the two weak and weeping children from the rubble and Loki unearthed another, unfortunately we soon realised that this other body was their dead mother. I got the older one to climb on my back and cling on as Loki held the much younger one in his arms and we blundered back out towards the light of the exit. Amy suddenly appeared in the corridor beside me, ushering a couple more people outside. We had barely cleared the building when the last explosion crippled it and sent it crumbling down under it's own weight. Again I was thrown to the floor, the gravel grazing my limbs and face and ears ringing.

We both handed the children to Luca and Daken as we recovered. The building was now mostly a heap of debris, much of which was engulfed by flames and a cloud of dust from its sudden collapse. There were cries of pain and horror as it became clear that this group of no more than seventy people had been he only ones lucky enough to get out in time. The thought of the survivors perishing in the fire, trapped, forced me to turn my back on the sight of it, I couldn't save anyone else... I was lost in my sudden grief as sadness and rage flowed through me. I didn't even snap out of it the whole time that Loki dragged me, kicking and screaming, away from the danger. Everyone else also retreated further from the buildings as the fire spread and the thick acrid smoke got too much to bear. Once we broke the tree line and came to a large clearing, I involuntarily sank to my knees and continued to weep. It seemed all the survivors mourned the loss, the raw emotion of the chorus of howling and wailing was painfully obvious. I was by no means the only one who wept.

Loki sat beside me and tried to comfort me but I blamed myself. I could have saved more, I could have warned them if only I had thought, if only I had predicted H.Y.D.R.A.'s drastic last card to play. I don't know how long I was locked in that state but after collapsing into Loki's arms I had blacked out at some point.
"It's my fault, I brought this on them. I couldn't save them," I muttered repeatedly as I succumbed to the dark.