The Hollow (An Avengers FanFiction)

Chapter Twenty Three

I sat in my cage. That's all I was, wasn't I? A prisoner? I'd always be stuck in a cage whether I liked it or not. I was a prisoner of my own mind after all.

Bucky visited more often than the rest. He'd bring up updates on Sherlock's investigation on my dress. I honestly didn't care anymore. What was the point? Chip was dead, Jordan is too, and I'm stuck here. Bucky told me that Jordan passed away from injury.

If I was dead, maybe I could see them again. It was very unlikely; it was just a fantasy after all, but fantasy was the only thing I had going for me at this point.

Then I saw a tapping on my glass. I looked up to be met with orange eyes. My eyes widened; she was the prettiest girl I'd ever seen. Her wavy nutmeg hair fell past her waist and she held the kindest smile. I haven't seen someone look at me like she had since Chip and Jordan were still alive.

"Knock knock," she giggled. I observed her. I'd seen her before, but that was just a weird dream. "Stop staring at me like a weirdo," she giggled once again. Why was she giggling? She knows who I am, right? "You're confused," she states, "But that's okay. To be honest, I am too."

"Why are you confused?" I asked as I stood up to sit across from her. I wish I could've sat closer, but the glass between us kept me from doing so.

"I can see people's red strings. I can see the string between two individuals' souls," she explained. I was fascinated by the concept she was presenting. The fact that we have souls and that there's a matching one out there for each of us. "But because I have this power," she continued, "I can't have a string, but now, I know I'm not the only one."

"Do you mean that I don't have a soulmate?" I asked with clear concern. If I had a soulmate, then maybe there was a sliver of hope for me, but this news crushed that hope.

She clearly shook her head. "How are you here?" I asked. She was clearly not an agent or an Avenger.

"Because I'm not. I'm not here and neither are you, but you have to go back," she said before turning around.

"Wait!" I called out to her, "What do you mean?! What do you mean?!" I began pounding on the glass before I realized my splitting headache. I looked at my reflection in the glass and saw a yellow stone embedded in my forehead along with my matching yellow eyes. "What the--" I was interrupted by the feeling of arms around me.

My eyes shot open to see that I was being bound to a medical bed. That's when I realized that I hadn't been pounding the glass with my fist, but instead with my head. They were moving me out of my cage, but I needed to find that girl! I began struggling against the restraints, but I then saw Steve and Bucky. They quickly grabbed my limbs as I continued to struggle.

"Stop!" I called, but it must've only been a mumble since no one responded. "I need to find her! What does she mean?!" Once again, my call was met with deaf ears.

"Quickly, she's losing a lot of blood!" a nurse called.

"She needs a blood transfusion," a soft nervous voice said. Must've been Dr. Banner. "But if we don't give her blood with the super-soldier serum mixed in, she won't make it!"

"What blood type?" Bucky quickly asked.

"She either needs type O- or A+ mixed with the serum," he explains as they all run to the medical bay.

"I'll give her blood," Steve said as they continued running.

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I opened my eyes to find my arms and legs bound to the bed with Steve's arm connected to mine by a tube. There was blood coursing through it and it oddly reminded me of my vibranium arm with the red liquid pulsing through it, but I was surprised to see it gone.

I turn my head toward Steve. He was drawing in a small journal. What he'd been drawing, I had no clue.

"You're awake," Steve smiled as he turned his attention towards me, "Why were you banging your head on the wall?"

"There was a pretty girl, then she ran away, and I started banging on the glass," I explained, "I just didn't know I was doing it with my head."

"Pretty girl? What did she look like?" he asked.

"What were you drawing?" I ask. I didn't want to tell him just in case she did work here and she'd get in trouble.

"You. It's the first time I've seen you look so peaceful in a long time," he explained, "You sleeping reminds me of the time you fell asleep during movie night and Buck carried you back to your room."

"I don't remember that. I don't remember a whole lot of being here if I'm honest," I explained, "Why can't you guys just understand that that girl is dead? I'm not her."

"I know, it's just hard seeing someone who looks just like her and acts just like her be so not her," he explained, "That's how it felt with Buck. It was like he was him, but something was off."

I rolled my eyes. Why can't they just understand? I know I don't belong here, they obviously have a feeling I don't belong here, so why? Why am I stuck here? I don't even think I belong in this universe!

"All of this is just some lame joke," I chuckled. Steve looked at me, a concerned ora surrounded him. "I was put here as a joke! A joke for a sadistic bastard!" I cried in my laughter. I broke the bonds that held my limbs down. Steve clicked something in his ear before removing the tube in his arm.

"I need some back-up over in the med bay," he said before walking over to me.

"Everyone I've ever loved is dead! I don't belong here or anywhere!" I cried, "Don't you see Steve? The story ends when I die! This whole hell will end when I die!" I felt it. I look towards the giant window. My reflection showed bright yellow eyes that replaced my normal mismatched hues and a yellow stone was imbedded in my forehead once again.

Then I saw them, standing behind me with sad smiles. It was all of them; all of the people I've ever loved stood behind me. "This is it?" I asked. Ward nodded as he put a hand on my shoulder in my reflection. I smiled a real genuine smile.

"Logan, what are you doing?" Steve asked as he slowly approached me.

I turn toward him, "I'm going into the unknown," I smiled. I take a step back as I use full force to break the big canvas window.

Before I knew it, I was flying through the air.