Steadfast Soldier

Fallout

Hiro had kept a close eye on the King for as long as he could, but lost sight of him just as he neared the structure. With a frustrated sigh, he stopped short of the opening he had found, internally debating whether he should just continue forward or keep his distance. This wasn't his fight, nor was it his responsibility. He had only come to ensure that his friend remained safe, though he knew he was of no use to them from outside. Still, he hesitated, shuffling awkwardly in the snow, listening to the muffled sounds of battle. Were they all fighting each other, or were the Avengers fighting against the revenge driven King? Was he even inside? Hiro hadn't seen him enter- not exactly. Baymax's large hand settled on his shoulder and Hiro turned, looking up to his friend with a silent plea for advice.
"Hiro. Your blood pressure is: rising. You are: distressed. With cooling temperatures steadily lowering, you will not last out here much longer. I recommend: shelter."
"I'm not leaving until I see them all coming out of there," Hiro snapped, "Besides, how are we supposed to find..."

His eyes slowly dragged towards the ship that was left behind by the King. "Well would you look at that," Hiro said, holding a hand out to motion towards the ship, "Shelter." Seemingly satisfied with the decision, Baymax turned to follow, keeping close to Hiro in case he fell in the snow. Hiro felt his limbs growing stiff from the cold and found that the idea of shelter seemed more and more appealing as they neared the ship. Before he entered, however, he took a lap around it, curious gaze scanning each detail. Gloved hands reached out, smoothing along the exterior, feeling the ridges and toughness of design.
"I've never seen a ship like this before," he muttered, turning to Baymax, "Hey, Baymax. Scan it. See what it's made of." There was a pause, a moment of whirring systems, and then the bot returned to his side.
"I detect: steel, metal and a new element that I have no record of."
"New element?" Hiro leaned forward, looking over the ship's exterior detail, eyes tracing the almost reflective metal. Lifting a hand, he flicked the piece, interested by the lack of absorption of sound, echo seemingly swallowed by the metal piece itself. "Huh. It sounds a lot like Cap's shield. I wonder if this thing has vibranium..."
"Hiro. Your temperature is low. You should make way into the shelter."

Reluctantly, Hiro pulled his curiosity away from the ship and moved instead toward the ramp. Upon entering the ship, he found that his attention was quickly redirected, temporarily, to the interior. The systems appeared offline, though there were some readings across the panels directly in front of the pilot seat. He leaned over the leather backing, peering at the panels, lifting a hand to tentatively reach for the board in hopes of waking the ship. The sound of an explosion, however, caused him to jerk back and turn towards the entrance of the ship.

The top of the structure was emitting thick black smoke, metal crashing down as loudly as the explosion. Freezing in the cold fell to second priority as he jumped from the boarding ramp, running through the snow. His gaze never left the top of the building, mind running through the many options possible. Just as he neared the structure, he slowed, brows knitting together as he tried to see through the thick smoke. He could see two figures in the distance, facing an open slope. Worried that it may be Bucky or Tony, Hiro moved forward, curious as to what the two were talking so intensely about. As he neared the pair, however, he realized that the figures were not who he had thought they were. Both had their backs to him, yet only one was recognizable to Hiro. T'Challa, the King of Wakanda, was speaking to a man he had never seen before. As he stepped closer to the two, the conversation drifted towards him with aid from the snowy winds of the area.
"I almost killed the wrong man," T'Challa said, voice filled with deep regret.
"Hardly an innocent one," the other replied, accent thick.

Making his way around the pair, Hiro guided Baymax to the far left, moving behind a cluster of rocks. He peered over the edge, watching from a more profiled view. Through the wind, he heard pieces of their conversation- words about lost family, vengeance and consumption of the persona. Though it was only a small bit of information, Hiro felt dread forming in the pit of his stomach. T'Challa had said that vengeance was consuming them- had he meant Bucky, Steve and Tony? There were no others, as far as he knew, located in the area. His claim to not let hatred and vengeance consume him much longer was met with something Hiro hadn't quite heard, but the gun was visible enough. He tensed, preparing to hear the loud pop of gunfire, yet heard a muffled shot instead.
"Baymax, scan," Hiro said softly, lifting himself to peer over the rocks in hopes of finding the two still alive. The bot behind him whirred softly as he ran a scan, visor flashing with blue data spreads.
"I am detecting two life signals," he informed quietly, "I am also seeing increased heart rates. These indicate emotional pressures, such as: stress, sorrow, anger, fear, an-."
"Okay okay, shut up," Hiro said, patting Baymax's arm, "I got it. Be quiet."
"The living are not done with you, yet."