Ágnostos

Chapter 10

Harley

The betrayal and heart break I felt seeing Misha torturing Althea to get to me was immeasurable. I was consumed by guilt.

I am the reason he's here. I am the reason he kidnapped Althea. I'm the reason he knows about Althea.

"You can't blame yourself, Harley," Wanda said as she entered my room.

"I told him about Althea. I thought I could trust him... and because of my foolishness Althea is being tortured and..." I cleared my throat to stop the tears that threatened to spill. "And I've broken Tony's trust...."

A silence passed between us. I knew what I had to do. I had to turn myself in. I had to trade myself for Althea's life.

"You can't turn yourself in Harley," Wanda said.

"Have they come up with any other plan?" I asked.

Her silence was the only answer I needed.

"I know where he'll be. I'm the only one who can do this."

I started for the window. Wanda grabbed my arm.

"Harley —"

I set that part of my body on fire causing Wanda to tear her hand away.

"I'm sorry. But this is something I have to do alone."

I opened the window and jumped out, flying far enough away from the avenger tower and out of the city itself.

"Okay Misha," I said to my phone. "Where are you?"

***

The address of the building was sent to my phone allowing me to arrive within the hour.

"I'm here, Misha," I said. "Now let her go."

He turned to face me, his bionic eye focusing on me.

"You actually thought I'd let her live?" he asked.

"But you said —"

"As long as she's alive, you will never truly be with me." He took a step closer. "That's all I want, Harley."

"If you kill her, I will kill you," I said through gritted teeth.

Misha laughed. "You haven't the power nor the courage to kill me, Harley."

Misha turned back to Althea who's head was hung low. She was bruised and bleeding and discolored. I had done this to her.

I went to flame up when the fire sprinklers went off weakening me.

"Let her go!" I said as I collapsed to my knees. "Please!!"

"I'll do it quick." He held a knife up over Althea. "For you."

Fear consumed me. I was completely helpless. I was here but I was helpless and I had to watch Althea die right in front of my eyes. Tony and Peter and all the others had to watch her die while I sat doing nothing.

This was all my fault.

I closed my eyes as tears rolled down my cheeks. I braved myself for her cry of pain. But nothing happened. 

"What the—"

Looking up, I saw the cause of Misha's confusion. The knife was mere millimeters from Althea's heart, his hand was frozen in place. His hand began to shake before it fell out of his hands, bouncing on the cold cement ground.