Rani Barnes, the daughter of Bucky Barnes, was raised in the shadows of Hydra-trained to hunt, obey, and survive. Now 19 and rescued from that life, she's thrown into a quiet existence she doesn't understand, living with a father still grieving the...
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Rani stepped back into the space where they had all gathered, her boots silent against the scorched floor. Her eyes moved quickly, scanning. There—he was still with Yelena, talking in low voices. Bob looked strangely at ease, as if his body had finally caught up to wherever his mind had woken up. Rani exhaled quietly. For a second, her chest felt lighter. But it didn’t last.
She turned her head. Ava was on the other side, speaking with Walker—who was now pounding into the tall concrete pipe with his shield like a battering ram fueled by frustration. The clang echoed like thunder in the enclosed space, and then came a sharp crack as the wall split.
John turned toward them, wiping a forearm across his sweat-lined brow. “If you guys are done with the therapy session, I think I found us a way out of here!” he shouted, sarcasm riding on every word.
One by one, they moved. The pipe was narrow, curving upward into a small vent that flickered with distant light. Not sunlight. Just less dark. But it was hope, and they were desperate enough to follow it.
Ava went first, hoisting herself up and disappearing through the round opening. Then Yelena, nimble and quick. Bob followed, more hesitant but no longer questioning every step.
John climbed into the pipe and turned, holding out a hand for Rani. “Come on.”
But she didn’t take it. She slapped his hand away without a word. Her eyes were hard, and her body moved past him without pause. The air between them snapped with unsaid anger.
Bob noticed. Everyone did.
Now the five of them stood in the long, rounded pipe, their shadows stretched and distorted along the metal curve. It sloped upward in a distant arc, the end not even visible.
It looked like a tunnel to nowhere.
Yelena glanced around at the group—scraped, tired, and very much grounded. “So... None of us can fly,” she said flatly. “What? Do we all punch and shoot?” Her tone was light, but her expression wasn't.
