Inside the life pod, silence filled the cabin like a suffocating fog. The only sounds were the rhythmic hum of the engines and the faint creaks of the raft's collapsing structure echoing in the distance. Kamala sat in her seat, staring blankly at the control panel before her. Her hands trembled slightly as she clutched the bracelet on her wrist—a silent prayer, a futile hope that maybe Yelena would still appear.
The others were equally shaken. Shang-Chi rested his forehead against his knuckles, deep in thought, while Zemo maintained a stoic expression that couldn't quite hide the tension in his jaw. Kate Bishop's eyes were red, though she refused to let tears fall. Jimmy Woo muttered under his breath, disbelief mixing with guilt. The reality of leaving someone behind—even in a world where death had become almost common—still struck deeply.
Then, Shalltear Bloodfallen, who had remained eerily calm the whole time, finally spoke. Her crimson eyes glowed faintly in the dim light. "You need not grieve," she said softly, her tone confident and resolute. "My lord is going to get Yelena out of there."
Kamala blinked, confused. "Your lord? You mean… Alastor?"
Shalltear tilted her head with a faint smirk. "Of course. Did you really think he'd let her die that easily?"
The moment those words left her mouth, everyone's eyes widened—because Alastor was nowhere to be found. The realization hit them like a wave.
Kate stood up abruptly. "Wait—you're saying he stayed behind? But… how's he even going to survive down there? We're still underwater!"
Shalltear's smirk didn't fade. "My lord knows what to do about that," she replied, her voice filled with quiet pride, as if she were stating an undeniable truth.
Jimmy Woo let out a low whistle, leaning back in his seat. "That guy… he's a real mystery," he said, half in awe, half in disbelief. "I don't even know if I should be worried or impressed."
Zemo crossed his arms and looked toward the small window where the faint shimmer of the deep ocean could be seen. "Mystery or not," he said in his usual measured tone, "we can't just float here forever. Where do we head next?"
There was a brief silence before Shang-Chi lifted his gaze, resolve hardening in his expression. "New Asgard," he said firmly, looking toward Kamala and her group. "That's where we'll regroup. They'll have the strength and resources we need to fight back."
Kamala gave a faint nod, with a small smile, "Thank you."
From beside Shang-Chi, Katy Chan managed a small smile—a tired but genuine one. "New Asgard, huh? Guess we're going to meet some gods next," she said, trying to lighten the mood.
•••
Yelena rose to her feet as well, setting the whiskey bottle down on the console. "You came all this way to die with me?"
"No," I said, walking to the center of the room. "I came because I don't like goodbyes that sound like surrender. So let's get out of here."
Yelena looked at me like I had just told her the most ridiculous thing in the world. "Get out of here?" she said, gesturing around the flooded control room. "In case you haven't noticed, genius—we're underwater. Unless you plan to grow gills, we're kind of out of options."
I smiled faintly, stepping closer until we were face to face. "Do you trust me?"
She tilted her head, skeptical but amused. "Trust you? After you just walked back into a death trap? What other option do I even have?"
"That's the spirit," I said with a grin.
Before she could say anything else, I reached forward and pulled her closer by the waist. My hands rested on her hips, the warmth of her body pressing against mine despite the chill in the air. Her eyes widened slightly, but she didn't pull away.
"Comfortable?" I asked, my tone teasing.
"Depends," she said, trying not to smile. "Is this part of your escape plan or just an excuse to cop a feel?"
I chuckled softly. "Little of both." My eyes trailed down briefly before meeting hers again. "You really do have good structure, though."
Yelena raised an eyebrow, lips curving into a smirk. "Thanks, I work out. Now, can we maybe not drown while you admire me?"
"Fine, fine," I said with mock surrender. "But if we make it out alive, I'm definitely collecting a reward."
"Oh?" she said, arching a brow. "And what kind of reward are we talking about?"
I smirked. "Surprise me."
She laughed—a genuine laugh this time, light and sharp like a spark in the middle of darkness. "You're unbelievable."
"Yeah, but I'm also your best chance out of here."
Before she could reply, I snapped my fingers. A faint shimmer rippled around us as I activated a barrier spell, the air inside turning still and dry despite the encroaching water. The control room shuddered as pressure began to build outside, the metallic groans echoing like distant thunder.
Yelena's eyes widened slightly as she felt the magic envelop her. "What the hell is this?"
"Barrier magic," I said. "You'll thank me later."
"I already am," she said, her voice half sarcastic, half impressed.
I tightened my grip around her, one arm sliding protectively around her back as I looked toward the ceiling. The pressure gauge beside us cracked, the glass splintering. We didn't have much time.
"Hold your breath," I said.
"I thought the whole point was that we didn't have to," she replied dryly.
"Just trust me," I said, smirking. "And don't bite your tongue."
She muttered something in Russian that I was pretty sure wasn't a compliment, but before she could say anything else, I drew in a deep breath—and unleashed it.
A blast of crimson light erupted from my mouth as my draconic breath tore through the ceiling like molten thunder. The sound was deafening, the water churning violently as chunks of metal spiraled away. The shockwave illuminated the dark depths of the ocean for miles.
Yelena instinctively clung to me, the heat of the blast reflecting in her wide eyes.
When the light faded, there was a clear opening above us—a tunnel of boiling bubbles and torn steel leading straight up toward the surface.
I looked down at her, the faintest grin tugging at my lips. "Well," I said, tightening my hold on her waist, "you might want to hold on tight."
"Wasn't planning on letting go," she said, smirking back.
And with that, we launched upward through the chaos, breaking through the shattered Raft toward the light above—together.
~~~
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