There Goes My Hero

Barton and I waited around for what seemed like hours, hoping they would come back or maybe something would show up and lead us to where those guys had come from. We just sat there, listening and watching. We would hear rustling and then looked outside only for it to be to be the wind or some small animal. I was going crazy, knowing that all I wanted to know was in those woods but we couldn't go and find it. After a while, I started throwing my knife into the door frame, hitting the same spot every time. It was practice for when I needed to ever throw it but I was honestly just bored. I heard a voice in the distance, very faint but I could hear it. I got up, slowly peaking out the door. I saw another guy, right where the woods started, talking into an ear piece. He looked exactly like the others and he was staring right back at me. He started to walk back into the woods and I pushed the door open, starting towards the woods.

“Kate!” I heard Barton yell after me. “He's long gone! We can't catch him.” he called. I could still see him, walking down deeper into the woods. I looked back at Barton, anxious from waiting around.

“I can't wait any longer!” I called back.

“Kate, stop! You can't go alone! KATE!” His yelling got more and more distant. I had started running, just sprinting into the woods after the man.

I was totally defying everything Nick had told me. He didn't want me going alone and what was I doing? Going alone. I didn't care, my mind was clouded with thoughts of finding something about Eric. I was on autopilot, going back to my days of track and field in high school and college. I was leaping over fallen trees and rocks, the man still much farther ahead of me. He slipped down and disappeared after a line of trees. I stopped and looked down, seeing him continue to run down a very steep incline. I looked back and I couldn't see where I came in, it was like the woods had swallowed me with no where to go but forward. I stumbled down the hill and kept running, each tree that passed promising to swallow me deeper and deeper into the belly of the woods. I started to see a clearing, where the guy met up with some others and started talking. Then, there was an explosion, shaking the ground and everything around me. The group took off running towards the building, shouting orders. I stayed behind the tree, now seeing flames engulfing the building that was in the clearing. Something caught my eye as I glanced down at the leave covered ground. I bent over and moved the leaves to see a small gun, sitting and waiting for someone to take it. I left it alone, but did take out my two guns, gripping them tightly as I waited. I didn't know what I was waiting for, maybe for one of them to find me, or maybe for answers to just come crashing into me.

“Stop!” I heard one of the men yelling. I could hear someone running, they were really close. I swung around the other side of the tree only to be tackled to the ground by whoever was running. I couldn't see their face, as it was behind me shoulder but they didn't look like one of them. I pushed the person off of me, standing up and shooting at the men who were coming. The person who had tackled me, appeared next to me, shooting as well. More appeared and on instinct, I grabbed their arm and dragged them behind me as I started running.

We were both running back the way I had come, the person stumbling behind me, trying to keep up. They obviously hadn't been running much for who knows how long. Either that, or they weren't a very athletic person. The extra sounds of the men footsteps faded as we started to scrambled up the incline. I still hadn't gotten a good look at this person but I was more concerned with getting back, probably having Barton yell at me and then getting this person somewhere safe. They were wheezing behind me, mumbling about stopping to rest. I shrugged it off and continued to run, until I heard a thud.

I turned to see them laying face down in the dirt, body heaving as they tried to breathe. I groaned and walked over, grabbing their arm and slinging it over my shoulder. I now knew that they were a man, taller than me and very wide. I could clearly feel muscle all over their body but I couldn't see their face as their head was hanging. We must have made the length of a football field before a loud clap of thunder shook around us, lightning flashing through the clouds. I groaned inwardly as I tried to get us out of the woods before the rain started.

“Kate?” I heard a deep voice say. I turned head to see Thor there, making me sigh with relief.

“Help me with this.” I said. He came over and practically threw the man over his shoulder.

“Everyone is very worried. Barton was upset that you took off like that.” Thor said as we started walking.

“I had to.” I said. “There was something out there. I didn't get to see it before someone blew it up and this guy knocked me over.” I said, gesturing to the exhausted man Thor was carrying.

“Loki wants to speak with you.” he said. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as the exit into the town came into view. I could see the cottage waiting and also a crowd of people. As we got closer, I could see Barton talking to a curly haired girl. Then I realized it was Kirstie. Oh great, everyone is here. Once we got out of the woods, Thor put the man down, who leaned over and coughed a few times before standing up straight. He looked over at me and we locked eyes. Our expressions matched each others and the last thing I remember thinking before completely passing out was, I finally found him.