Artemis: The Final Battle ➳ Steve Rogers [2]

[ F O R T Y - T H R E E ]

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C A M I L L E

"There you are."

I turn towards the familiar voice to see myself staring back at me, only I knew that this wasn't me. Not really.

I straighten up immediately, my gaze meeting those of my evil self. Madame Hydra takes a step towards me, a smirk flirting at the corners of her lips.

"I was hoping I would see you again." She smiles- the same cunning smile that never fails to send a shiver down my spine, "You didn't think you could get rid of me that easily, did you?"

"What are you doing here? How did you even get here?" I asked, feeling the need to satisfy my curiosity.

For the first time since I exited the portal, I take a look around. The place was exactly what I had expected; it was dark and mostly empty, aside for the cluttered mess strewn over the floor, making it barely visible.

I whip around scanning the place, somehow remembering only for the first time that I did not walk through that portal alone.

Bruce had stayed in the lab just in case anything went wrong with the portal. Thor had gone through it first, followed by Clint and Nat, then Loki, Tony and finally, it was Steve and I. However, none of them was in sight. The only living person besides myself was standing right in front of me.

"Looking for sweet little Steven, my dear?" Madame Hydra's smirk is still wide across her face as she speaks, "Or is it that redhead you call your sister you're looking for?"

I shake the bad feeling in my gut away. If I'm going to fight this bitch without my powers, I'm going to have to do it with a clear head.

"Where are they?" I demanded, reaching for my twin blades.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She lets out a laugh.

"I killed you once, I can kill you again."

"Did you really kill me though?" She raises a brow at me, clearly finding this entire situation amusing, "If you killed me then why am I here?"

I consider her words for a moment, eyes darting to take in the scene around me before the answer dawns on me.

"No, I killed you. You're here because this isn't real." I mutter, "It's all in my head."

Panic rises in me and I start to pace, letting my blades cluttering onto the ground.

"I have to snap out of this." I mumble, the fear I felt was almost suffocating, "I have to snap out of this before I hurt someone."

A sinister laugh echoed through Knowhere and this time, an uncontrollable under starts to raise in me. I clench my fist, nails digging into the palm of my hands so hard that I'm sure it was drawing blood.

"Oh Camille, how precious you are." Madame Hydra says with a sigh, "Why do you try so hard to fight it? Just admit it. It feels good, doesn't it? The adrenaline that courses through you when you kill. The rush, the thrill of it- it's like a drug and you know that deep down a part of you loves that feeling. We aren't so different after all."