Chapter 8
The last time that he’d teamed up with the Avengers, he’d made the mistake of underestimating the situation. He’d failed to notice the trap they’d walked into.
This time, he made sure he knew exactly how many people were in the building. It took more effort, his senses were still sketchy and he felt like he was on the verge of another overload but he pushed through.
The mind controls the body.
The words replayed in his head like a mantra, something to focus on as he listened.
Natasha was perched on the roof next to him, the sound of Steve’s voice echoing through her comm.
Steve was on the ground floor, trying to find an easy way in while Tony scoured the premises and Clint hovered nearby on the roof.
Matt and Natasha were waiting for Cap’s signal to move in. The super-soldier would serve as a distraction while he and Nat slipped inside.
They waited in silence, Matt listening to the sound of Steve walking around the base. He could hear their targets move around but his senses were too messed up to make out how many were carrying weapons.
Finally, Steve gave them the signal and Natasha moved swiftly off the building. Matt followed closely behind, their footsteps quiet in the night.
Inside the building, Matt made swift work of disabling the lighting.
Shouts of confusion, followed by groans of pain were heard throughout the building as Natasha quickly took out the men.
Matt let his senses wander, staying hidden close to the wall and listening as the Avengers moved in. There were seven men down on the floor he and Nat were on, two remained standing but not for long as Natasha knocked them out with two of her widow bites.
He could hear Steve on the floor below, taking out the five men and two women who were there.
“DD?” Tony’s voice was clear in the air and Matt turned on his comm. “I could use your bat senses on the fifth floor.”
“Coming,” Matt replied, moving past the bodies Black Widow had left behind and headed for the stairs.
There were four other people in the stairwell. Matt sidestepped the first one easily, knocking him out with a swift hit on the head. The second one, having heard the noise, threw a punch at Matt’s head. It connected with his jaw but Matt used the momentum to kick the man in his stomach.
He tumbled down the stairs, landing against the wall with a groan.
A woman moved closer to Matt, trying to sneak up on him but he heard her coming easily. The other man hovered on the stairs, his heartbeat calm and collected.
The woman fought good, she deflected his punches easily. Her fighting style reminded Matt of Elektra but he pushed those thoughts away. He didn’t want to think about her, especially not in a fight.
Matt dropped to the ground to avoid a kick to his head and used his body to pin the woman to the floor. As they fought for the upper hand, Matt felt blood seep down his face.
The man on the stairs moved but he stayed where he was. There was a soft click and Matt tilted his head, halting his movements.
The woman threw a nasty punch to his head and Matt rolled off of her, gripping his head.
He shook his head as his senses flooded in. A sharp, high piercing noise filled his ears and he screamed. The hairs on his body stood up and sweat formed on his skin as he rocked back and forth, clawing at his helmet, trying to dampen the noise.
He felt the ground shake as the man and woman moved closer but he was unable to move, his muscles were locked tight and frozen by the overwhelming sensations of his senses.
The piercing whine rang all the way to his bones and he felt bile rise in his throat. He gagged, trying to force it down.
The woman perched next to him and then everything went quiet.
The noise stopped. His senses settled down.
“Rest, little Devil,” a soft voice spoke.
Matt felt something break his skin and then he slipped into a world where everything was quiet and peaceful.