Chapter 8
“The code of entering the SHIELD private team leaders’ room is (18KLN-“
“Perfect.” Steve’s voice was cut off from the small recorder in the man’s hand after listening to it for the second time, as he continued in a voice as cold as ice. “The information we got from Rogers and Lehnsherr is perfect. It will help us a lot.”
“And I am sure the information we will get from Stark will be better and even more useful.” The man who impersonated Hansen Kowalski in the hospital smiled eagerly, looking proud and excited.
“Of course. Stark is really useful and has too much important information.” The Mystery Man agreed as he rubbed his chin, thinking hard about those words.
“Uhm, allow me to ask, sir.” Kowalski started hesitantly, looking confused. “If Stark’s information is more dangerous and important, why didn’t we attack him with the Fireball from the very beginning?”
“That would have been a big mistake.” The man shook his head, looking at him coldly. “If we had started with Stark, things would have been more complicated. He is very important and would have been placed under heavy security and would have been heavily protected especially by his Super Soldier husband. It would have been impossible to even get close to him. But now? We are getting good hefty information every time one of that team drops. That when his turn comes, we will only be filling the missing holes.”
“And when are we making our grand hit?” Kowalski asked curiously, his eyes glinting excitedly.
“When the right time comes.” The man answered with increased coldness.
Kowalski hesitated for a few seconds before asking carefully. “And when that time will come?”
“Soon.” The man snapped cruelly and coldly, making Kowalski flinch and take a step back.
The man stood up from the comfortable armchair he was sitting on and walked to the other side of the room. Kowalski felt like the man’s feet weren’t even touching the ground as he walked from how silent his steps were.
The man stopped in front of a big glass, hollow ball. He placed his hand on it, adding in a freezing voice. “Very soon.”
A silent crack sounded inside the glass ball, and in its center, a new fireball was being created.
***
There was nothing Castiel could do to avoid what had happened.
The bright red glow had blinded him, as the car was running at a scarily high speed.
Then Dean’s body fell hard on him and hit him.
Then the glow was gone.
The border of the bridge was in front of him.
And the collision had happened.
And before Castiel could even try to react, the car was falling.
From 65 feet high towards the Hudson River.
The car hit the cold water way faster than it should, then started to sink into the river like a rock.
Castiel, this time, acted fast. He removed the seatbelt from around him, then turned fast to rip off Tony’s seatbelt, as he froze in his place in the back, just staring at Dean’s unmoving body like he wasn’t aware of anything else right now. Not even the water that was rapidly filling the car from the ceiling window as they kept sinking towards the bottom.
“Tony! Get out of the car and swim to the surface. Now!” Castiel snapped at him to get his attention back to him, which worked because Tony jumped and stared at him with wide eyes.
“What about Dean?!” Tony asked frantically, still not moving, not willing to leave them.
“I will deal with him!” Castiel snapped again sharply, wanting him to move already. “You just-“
Before he could continue, the car now was completely filled with water, so he reached over, pulled Tony from his seat towards him, and pushed him out of the ceiling window, motioning for him to swim up to the surface.
Even with how reluctant and worried Tony was, he forced himself to obey Castiel’s words and started to push his way to swim toward the surface.
Meanwhile, Castiel pulled Dean’s unconscious body towards him, then pushed him out of the ceiling window as well and followed him out of the sinking car.
He gripped Dean tightly and started to pull them both upward to the surface, leaving the car behind as it kept on sinking and sinking.
He hoped Charles wasn’t attached to that car, but he was positive that the telepath would be very understanding of the situation.
If they survived long enough to see Charles again and tell him about his car at the bottom of the river though.
The water was murky and dirty and a horror to swim through. Not to mention the ripples the sinking car was causing on its way down, which kept trying to pull them both down with it, but Castiel kept them both up as he hit the water with his arm harder.
He saw the light of the surface, and he pushed upward, until finally, his face broke the surface of the water.
He frantically pulled Dean’s face up to keep him from sinking again, and looked around in worry, shouting Tony’s name.
“I am here!” Tony called out, who had managed to reach the shore, waving frantically at them. “Is Dean with you?!”
“He’s with me, but-“ He couldn’t finish the sentence, as he bit his lip bitterly, while he swam towards the shore to Tony.
Dean was still. Too still. Dean should never be this still. He should be yelling at Castiel right now, telling him he doesn’t need help and can swim on his own, so Castiel won’t wear himself out. He should never be this still and silent.
He didn’t stir once during all that. He didn’t even open his eyes. He could feel the burns on Dean’s body. Just like the ones Steve and Erik had.
He lost Dean too. The pain he felt in his chest at that particular loss was unbearable. So unbearable that he physically was unable to breathe.
He couldn’t keep his husband safe. He fell right in front of him and Castiel was helpless to do anything. He couldn’t even heal him.
Castiel reached the shore and Tony rushed over to help him pull Dean out of the water.
“Did-did he fall like-like the others?” Tony breathed nervously, looking on the verge of panicking and breaking down, his hands were shaking as he helped pull Dean out.
Castiel was staring at Tony then his eyes went back to Dean. The too-still, silent Dean.
Are they going to keep falling one by one? Are they really going to fall like this? His family will fall apart in front of his eyes just like that? Is this the end?
They laid Dean’s body on the ground. There were small burns on his face, chest, and hands. He was completely unmoving.
“Oh God, no. No, no, no.” Tony choked out, taking a step back as he stared at Dean, panic and despair taking over him very fast. “Not Dean. No. please no!”
Castiel had no hope, after Steve and Erik, that he would be able to make any kind of difference, but he couldn’t just do nothing. That was his husband. The love of his life. He couldn’t just stand like that.
He dropped to his knees next to Dean’s body, pushing his hands against his chest, massaging his heart. He placed his mouth over Dean’s, filling his lungs and chest with air, to force his respiratory system to work, and repel the water from his lungs.
He kept at it over and over again, not stopping, not thinking, completely blanking out. His only thought was saving Dean. Keep him alive. Make him breathe.
Then, to their utter shock and joy, Dean coughed.
Both Tony and Castiel jumped violently, Tony’s eyes widening as he landed on his knees next to them. “Wait, he’s-he’s-!”
Before Tony finished his sentence, Castiel grabbed Dean’s shoulders to move him to the side and hit his back hard, his heart beating fast, hope rising in his chest.
Dean coughed hard again then again, rebelling all the water in his lungs.
Slowly and with difficulty, like they were filled with sandbags, Dean opened his eyes, looking over at Castiel slowly.
“Shit, C-Cas,” Dean murmured quietly and with difficulty like it was a huge effort to speak. “It’s-it’s not-a c-coma.”
“What?” Castiel’s eyes widened in surprise, he did not expect that sentence. “What do you mean, Dean?”
Dean raised a shaking hand, his eyes glazing over in a very worrying way, as he spoke weakly. “I felt-I felt a-“
“Felt what, Dean? Felt what?” Tony asked frantically when Dean struggled to finish the sentence.
Dean tried to keep going. He tried to speak more. To say anything. Anything.
His lips trembled as his eyelids were falling against his will. Then his raised hand dropped next to his body.
And Dean’s body went limp.
Completely limp.
Following their fallen friends, despite his attempts to fight back.