"I'll spin for you like your favorite records used to."
IN WHICH a light-hearted and playful agent of S.H.I.E.L.D is paired with the humorless patriot of right and wrong, Captain America. Both despise each other with a fiery passion to start, but wh...
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DEVOURING FLAMES ENGULFED THEM from all sides with a deafening roar as the building collapsed. Chunks of cement slammed to the ground, crumbling and echoing with thunderous booms. Their ears exploded with sound, and all turned to chaos as darkness, rock, and fire surrounded the trio. Steve, Emersyn, and Natasha were huddled together under one shield. As the crumbling stone continued to bury them, Steve's agonizing scream rose above all else. He single-handedly took the weight of the crashing cement with his shield held firmly above his head. He gritted his teeth so hard that his jaw ached, and when he screamed his voice was raw and strained. A never-ending weight continued to press down on him, but his determination to save his friends' lives persevered. Steve fought against the pressing rock and screamed for release. After what seemed an eternity of pain, the debris settled and blocked out the bright glow of the flames, enclosing them in darkness. Steve gasped for air but only choked on smoke. It stung his eyes so he could not see, and the heat of the fire irritated his lungs and parched his mouth.
There was silence once the last of the cement had fallen and ash coated the ground. Steve braced himself with clenched fists and pressed his broad shoulders against the concrete above him in a desperate push to escape. With his shield above him, he squeezed his eyes shut and lifted the cement off with all his strength. Steve groaned as the weight threatened to crush him and the smoke made him cough. He finally was able to get to his feet and push the block of cement to the side with a loud crash. His body fell against it, chest heaving, and shaking with a hacking cough. Soot and dirt plastered his skin, and ash caught in his throat with every breath. He turned around shakily and kneeled at Emersyn's unmoving body. He grunted as he fell to her side and blinked dust from his eyes as he looked at her worriedly. Her smooth skin was caked with grime, and her red hair was strewn messily across her face. Tears left stains on her cheeks where dirt could not reach. His anxiety spiked as he searched for any sign of life, terrified of seeing her unmoving body. He pressed a quivering hand to her chest and sighed in relief. It rose and fell shallowly, but Emersyn was still breathing. Steve shook her shoulders to see if she would wake, but she did not respond.
A roar of jets came from the distance, a reminder of the approaching agents coming to find them. S.H.I.E.L.D was there. Steve quickly turned to find Natasha, also unconscious, and hissed from pain as he made his way over to her. He brushed away chunks of debris that had fallen on her and shook her quickly, muttering, "Come, on Nat." Her head only lolled from side to side, so Steve hauled her limp body into his arms and carried her out into the open. The fire still crackled and ate debris on the floor, leaving the air full of smoke. He set her down with a grunt and returned to get Emersyn. Steve pressed a gentle hand behind her head to support her as he grabbed her legs. As he was about to lift Emersyn, he froze at the wet, warm substance he felt on his hand. Steve's worried eyes gazed onto his open palm, now stained with blood, and saw her hair matted together by the gash on the back of her head.
