The air in the command room was thick with tension.

All eyes were locked on the large screen displaying live surveillance footage from one of the most secure facilities in the country. Concrete walls, armed guards, reinforced barriers—everything that should have made it impenetrable.

Steve stood with his arms crossed, brows furrowed as the camera panned the sterile corridors. His jaw clenched as he spoke, unease bleeding into his voice.

“She won’t find him, right? There are enough guards in place?” he asked, though it sounded more like he was convincing himself than the others.

Nat raised an eyebrow, leaning back in her chair. “You have doubts?”

He let out a slow breath. “It’s pointless,” he muttered. “She’s going to find him. No matter what.”

The room fell into a heavy silence until Tony finally spoke, half-sarcastic, half-curious. “How do you know that? He’s in a max-security vault surrounded by tech I designed. And last I checked, she was hundreds of miles away.”

Steve turned to face him fully now, his voice low but sure. “Because she’s my sister, Tony. And he’s her husband. She’ll burn the world down to get to him.”

Everyone turned their eyes back to the feed.

And then—you appeared.

⸻

Maximum Security Facility – Entry Checkpoint

“Where is he?” Your voice was calm, too calm. A quiet fury that cut like a blade. You stood before the guard’s desk, your posture regal, dangerous.

The officer shifted uneasily in his seat. “Ma’am, I’m not authorized to give you that information.”

You placed your hands on the desk, fingers splayed. A current of power rippled beneath your skin—barely restrained. The lights overhead flickered as your presence darkened the room like a brewing storm.

“Wrong answer,” you said softly.

⸻

Deep within the holding cells,. * James’s ,s eyes slowly lifted.*

Something shifted in the air. Something familiar.

A crooked, knowing smirk tugged at his lips.

“She’s here,” he murmured.

The guards around him exchanged glances.

“What was that?” one asked.

But James just leaned back in his chair, chains rattling softly.

“You’re already too late.”

⸻

Back at the command room, the feed zoomed in on your face as you looked directly at the camera.

Your gaze was unshaken, determined. Your message was clear without a single word: I’m coming. And nothing will stop me.

And somewhere behind the layers of stone and steel, James waited—calm, steady—because he knew you were already breaking through.

Let the countdown begin.