The Syndicates || "MARVEL: Avengers" || COMPLETED

F I F T E E N | ' how can this possibly get worse? '

Reluctantly, I'd accepted Loki's help.

After he'd used an enchantment to heal my wound, an endeavor which I could tell had weakened him significantly, and I was no longer critically losing blood we'd started moving. Well, he had. Somehow, I'd ended up in his arms.

That's right, the man who had tried to kill me yesterday and threatened my life barely a few minutes ago was now carrying me bridal style. Talk about character development.

I was emotionally and physically exhausted and without proper food and water I wouldn't be using my abilities anytime soon. So far we hadn't seen any other signs of civilization. No tents; no dying campfires; no tracks in the ground, nothing. We were truly in the middle of nowhere. And- as you do when you're stranded in the middle of nowhere- we'd started moving in any odd direction assuming that at some point the forest had to end.

Eventually it did.

Feeling Loki's footsteps come to a halt I opened my eyes, spotting a small black dot in the distance. Perhaps it wasn't a building, from the distance we couldn't tell, but we were grateful enough to find something, anything. With renewed determination, Loki hurried towards it and I let a smile crack across my face.

Oftentimes, people will use the expression 'the light at the end of the tunnel' to denote finally seeing the end to a difficult situation or problem. But in my experience, I'd found that for the vast majority of my life 'the light at the end of the tunnel' had turned out to be a train. I'm afraid to say, this one was no exception.

As we neared the boundaries of the forest and I began to miss the luscious green trees, which had been replaced by scraggly weeds and piles of unearthed rock, a sense of deja vu struck me as if I were walking in a dream. The shape we had seen was in fact a building and it sat behind a massive well that had been closed up with concrete then badly painted over. An unexplainable sickness rose in my stomach as I wondered why. It felt as if I knew the answer, but my subconscious didn't want me to remember it.

"Let me down."

I mumbled to Loki and he threw me a tired look.

"We only have a short while to go."

"I can walk, let me down."

He heaved a frustrated sigh. Sparing a glance at the tourniquet around my thigh, he complied, gently lowering me to my feet. From the shakiness in his arms, I gathered he was far more exhausted than he wanted me to think. I limped forwards, my left leg dragging behind me.

"I'm fine."

I shot in Loki's direction, meeting his gaze. Wobbling a little, I crouched down, examining the red dust shimmering on the ground. It clung to my boots and I noticed Loki's were coated in it too.

"Is something wrong?"

He asked and I shook my head. Something definitely felt wrong, but I didn't want to worry him or be laughed at over a hunch. He offered me a hand and I rolled my eyes but took it. It may be humiliating but it was better than falling over and making a fool of myself, again.

As we neared the brick structure, I noticed a sign propped up against it. Whenever the wind blew, it threatened to topple over, shivering violently but staying put as if it had a hold on the wall behind it. Detaching myself from Loki's arm, I hobbled towards it. Even after using my nails to chip away at the hardened dirt clinging to it like glue, reading the words painted on it was difficult. The parts of the sign that hadn't been obscured by said dirt were coated in graffiti or dented but I made out the message bit by bit.

"Supreme Preliminary Headquarters I N X-tinction." I read slowly. For a second I was angered by its uselessness but then I put two and two together and my body froze up on its own. The blood drained from my face.

"Nonsense. Literal nonsense," Loki began, and I could see him shaking his head behind me, his hands planted firmly on his hips, "Remind me again-"

"Sphinx." I muttered, my parched throat suddenly even drier than before.

"Excuse me?"

When I didn't respond, he grabbed me roughly by the shoulders, jerking me backwards so I had to face him. Through my shock I didn't acknowledge his frustration, only staring at him blankly.

"It says Sphinx."

. . .

Aww, they're working as a team. Not for long~