The Power Within

Chapter 24

El's POV

Approaching the building, I already had an uneasy feeling about it. It seemed to appear normal, blending in with the other houses that surrounded it. A quiet neighbourhood, yet somehow these people took the boys. From the details I caught on the drive over here, the girls were working with a group called HYDRA. The name sounded familiar, but I can't remember where I have heard it.

Both vans pull up in the back alley behind the building that the boys are being held in. I still had this weird feeling that something was off, but I just could not figure it out. Communications went live between the two vans, and from what I could understand, Clint was sent to go to the top of the building and see if he could see anything.

Clients communication buzzed and Steve played it live. "From what I see, there are these strange disk things that are blinking and have all these wires sticking out of them. Maybe they have something to do with this but I'm not sure."

I remember how on the ride over here Clint had mentioned how it was strange how Caspian had not used his powers to transport himself and the boys out of the building. I think to how this could be related to the strange things Clint found, and I put the pieces together. Snatching the communications mic from Steve, I buzz Clint and he answers immediately.

"What's wrong Steve?" He asks.

"It's me, Ell, and I think I know what those disk things are. I think they are power disrupters, which is why Caspian could not transport to safety."

"Okay, well how do I cut the line than?"

I try to file through my brain and find information on the books that I had read about cutting wires. "What colour wires are there?"

"There's a red, white, yellow, and it looks like a black, but it could be blue."

From what I remember from reading, the colours should go from lightest to darkest. "Cut the wires in this order, okay? White, yellow, red, and then the black."

"Okay, got it. The light has stopped blinking, so I think that it is disarmed."

Steve grabs the mic back from my hand an sends a message over to the other van. "The disrupters are cut, but we still have no way to get in there and save them."

Silence comes back from the other van, which means that they don't have a plan either. I climb into the passenger seat so I can get a better view of the backside of the building. I catch a reflection of a window, just small enough for me to climb through.

"I know how were getting, but only I can do it." I tell Steve, Bucky and Natasha. Steve gives me a look to say as if, but I explain further.

"That window over there, I can climb through and get to the boys. You said yourself that it looked like they were in the basement right?"

Natasha speaks up before the men can. "Ya, that's right. But were not sending you in there blind. It could be booby-trapped or something."

"But I wont go in blind," I tell her, "I'm taking Bucky with me as backup incase anything goes wrong." Bucky looks at me curiously, but does not deny it. Natasha is hesitant, and buzzes over to the other van to fill them in on the details. Steve just keeps glaring at me, making me feel uneasy, but he will have to trust me sooner than later if he wants to get his son back. As Natasha hangs up the mic, she fills us in on what the other van said.

"They agreed, but you are to only go in there and release them. Than tell Caspian to transport everyone out of there and outside here. Got it?"

I nod in response. I look towards Bucky and nudge my head, as if to say, 'let's move out'. He is first out the door followed by me. With his back to me, I am able to see his full outfit. Even though it is dark outside, his arm shines under the moonlight. The outline of a gun in his hand, along with a knife along his side cast a reflection on his outfit. I lead the way over to the window, motioning him to be quiet as we approach. I crouch down low enough for me to crack the window slightly, just enough for me to fit my body through it.

"I'm going in, keep an eye open for anything suspicious while I'm in there." I tell Bucky. He nods in response.

I lower myself down and through the window. The space has just enough lighting for me to see the outline of 5 boys tied to chairs in a row. Hanging above their heads are an assortment of rifles and guns, attached to a wire that but detonate them to go off. First, I follow the wire with my eyes, and the lead right over where I am standing against the wall. Slicing the wire would release the pressure on the guns, making them useless so they would not go off. I pull out my staff, which has now transformed into a knife, and slice the wire. They were safe, but I still had to get them out of here without anyone knowing. I quietly sneak up behind James, but I must have startled him because as I was trying to cut the rope that bound his hands, he began to struggle against me. I release his hands from mine and whisper quietly in his ear, just enough for him to hear it.

"Calm down stupid, I'm breaking out out of here, just like before." I catch a glimpse of a smirk as he lowers his head.

"Thank God it's you." He whispers. I got back and cut the rope which sets him free. As I am about to speak, he motions me to stay quiet and nudges his head over to the corner. There, in the shadows, it the outline of those twins. My breath hitches, but James grabs me by the arm and motions for me to set the others loose.

Once everyone is out, I explain to Caspian what he is suppose to do, and with that, we are out of the building and standing back where the vans are located. Before I can climb back into the van in which I had come here in, James grabs my wrist and drags me outside.

"I just need to ask her something really quick, then we'll be right in," he tells his father, who nods in response.

"What are you doing?" I ask him.

"Getting an answer." He responds

"To what?" I tug my arm out of his grasp, rubbing the spot where he had grabbed me. I don't think he realized how hard his grab was, as his eyes softened when he saw the bruise that it would be leaving.

"I'm sorry, I just need you to answer one question."

"Okay, shoot." I tell him.

"What did you mean back there. When you said 'I'm breaking out of of here, just like before.'"

"Oh, nothing. Just forget I said anything." I begin to feel a bit uneasy. I hadn't even noticed that I had said that, but I must have since I was remembering the past. I begin to walk away, but James stands in front of me, blocking my path. He crouches down to look me in the eyes and says, "Are you starting to remember,El?"