Just An Echo

9: Things Get Strange

We stood in the hall as the temple was destroyed around us. We walked backwards until we were against the wall, our eyes wide with fear. A few hallways down we hear the motor getting louder heading straight towards us.

"Whatever that is I don't think it's a friendly." Sam yells over the noise peering through the dusty air to try and see what's coming.

"I don't care what it is! I'm not leaving without that scroll!" Bucky tries to grab my arm again but I duck out of the way running across the hall to the fountain. I look at my covered wrist and pray the stone is burning-waterproof before ripping off the bandage and sticking my hand in. I wait a couple seconds before reopening my eyes and finding the water has moved out of the way leaving my hand completely dry. Before I can get to excited the mystery of the motor is solved when a large black bulldozer comes around the corner stopping in front of us. I reach down further and I grab the scroll quickly shoving it, and my glowing wrist, into my hoodie pocket. The dust in the air settles and we see armed men jump out of the truck but they surprisingly don't seem to be bothered by us. They begin to scope out the ruins they caused looking for something. I don't spend too much time worrying about it because after one of the men gave a signal none other than x-face steps out of the bulldozer. My hearts practically beating out of my chest and I stand frozen in fear gripping the scroll in my pocket. He walks over the fallen stones his nose upturned as he looks at the relics overall unimpressed. My stones give me no hints on how to get out of this one so I look over to Bucky, Sam and Steve. They look like they want to grind this guys face in the dirt which I'm not opposed to but even they can tell this guy means business.

"This temple was rumored to be center of the world, did you know that?" His voice was exactly the same from my dream and the image of him shooting the guard was fresh in my mind.

"Could you skip the creepy villain speech and get to the point we have somewhere to be." Sam is somehow unfazed by this powerful man and he stares blankly at him, his arms crossed. I look from Sam to x-face completely ready to change into a tiger and rip this guys eyes out.

"Of course I understand you wanted criminals have quite the schedule." He chuckles at his own joke and continues closer to the group not having noticed me yet. Steve stands up straight somehow looking bigger and stronger in the process but this doesn't seem to bother x-face as he continues right past them. They look at each other confused as x-face picks up the half of the sword leftover handing it to a man with a hazmat suit on. With his back now to me I make eye contact with Sam and show him the end of the scroll. His eyes go wide and he decides not to question it nudging Steve and Bucky who look over to me too. I roll my eyes showing part of the scroll again and making Steve smile.

"Yep busy schedule, best be going." They start towards the tunnel to the outside that the bulldozer made and I try to slip out as well but the armed men now take interest in us. They point their guns at us and make a line blocking the exit.

"In this temple there is a small artifact, nothing much just a little scroll that has some ancient stuff on it. Happen to see it on your little adventure?" Though he said it like a friendly question I could tell it was more of a demand. Steve already knows we're not getting out of here without a fight but he catches my eye telling me to wait.

"Can't say we have but as you pointed out earlier we are wanted criminals and with that big explosion government agents won't be far behind. I don't really think you want the government mixed up in your business, do you?"

I send him a small smirk pretty impressed by him copying my reverse logic technique. Unfortunately x-face doesn't seemed convinced as he signals his guards to grab us and I feel the cold metal of a gun barrel on my neck.

"You three have made it quite far but I'm afraid now I have to dispose-" He stops abruptly when his eyes fall on me finally realizing I'm with them. He gasps and he order the guard to let me go as he walks towards me. I give a questioning look to the men but they look just as confused. He stops a few feet in front of me when I step back more afraid of him now the I've ever been. He gives me a sad smile rubs his hands together almost like he's worried he'll saying the wrong thing.