#bobmel

“Robert. Er, Sentry,” Mel flagged the man down as he paced around the corridor.

She maintained a smile, hoping the news of her sudden exit from the project hadn't yet reached his ears.

He was in his gold suit and cape, the awful dye job had turned his hair a light blonde. He looked drastically different than the last time she saw him yesterday.

He carried himself taller now, chin up, this new confidence taking hold. All because he was now aware what he wielded.

All Mel could see was the start of a disaster waiting to happen.

Her sudden appearance surprised him, “Mel, what is it? Val needs me for testing.”

Mel eyed the door to their makeshift medbay and shook her head, “No, not yet. There’s one last piece of your costume we forgot.”

“A zipper?”

She laughed. A little too hard.

'Wow you're so discreet, Gold!' she admonished.

With a wave, Mel gestured to the stairs, “It’s back in the room. The chamber, I mean. If we hurry then I can help you put it on before you show Val. It'll help with your testing."

There was a second of panic as Bob glanced at the door, then he sighed and resigned to follow her.

She crept up the steps, tiptoeing as silently as she could in her heels. Craning her head at every corner, she ensured that all personnel had been cleared of the floor from Mel's earlier distraction.

Bob, observant, noted the absence of lab techs and security personnel on the floor immediately. Not one person manned the computers and controls leading into the chamber.

“Where’s everyone?”

"They're dealing with an emergency"

They entered the chamber a.k.a Bob's makeshift bedroom. The racks of clothes and the design team's moodboards still cluttered the already tiny space.

"If there's an emergency..." Bob furrowed his eyebrows, "...wouldn't Val have let me know? I could help."

Mel disappeared behind the clothing rack, her hands frantically felt around the wall until she found it: The panel.

"Wait, what- what are you doing?" She could hear him scuttling over to investigate.

In a flash, she pried open the metal sheet, revealing a red lever. She pursed her lips and took a deep breath.

"Buying Bucky some time"

Before Bob could get another word out, Mel yanked the lever down, triggering sirens from outside- loud and piercing.

The two of them cowered, covering their ears. Soon, the blaring was followed by a new sound.

The sound of the door sliding and sealing closed.

“Hey!” Bob booked it for the door and tried to pull it open, "No, no! It's locked. Why is it locked?"

Mel retreated further into the chamber, watching Bob pound at the glass to no avail. What would have cracked and shattered under his enhanced strength didn't budge. Not even a little.

He brought his hands to his face, curling and uncurling his fist, dumbfounded. It was dawning on him what was happening.

"Your powers shouldn't work in here" she explained, "I turned on the dampeners before we got in."

He whirled around, cape furling behind him, “What’s going on? What did you do?"

A thunder of footsteps offset the alarm, the blaring now dull to their ears from where Bob and Mel were sealed inside.

Roy, the lab technician from earlier, was the first on the scene- his face was the first thing Mel saw once the one-way mirrors were deactivated.

“Get Holt down here now!” he commanded the other personnel, a couple of them breaking off the crowd to do just that. He cupped his hands at the glass and spotted her, eyes widening.

“Mel, tell me you didn't!" he exclaimed into the microphone.

She remained silent, leveling a hard stare despite hiding the tremor running through her body.

“Let us out!” Bob cried, banging on the glass.

“We can’t!” Roy and the other lab techs scurried around the chamber, all furiously typing or flipping switches, “She pulled the override switch! You're stuck there indefinitely. I’m getting Val!”

The techs disappeared from view and Bob stormed up to Mel, eyes flashing gold.

“Why-Why did you do that?” he questioned, “Mel! Why? What did I do?"

She stared at him, the man was a far cry from who she met yesterday, all stutters and hushed 'thanks' for his food.

“It shouldn’t have been you” she murmured. The words took the wind out of Bob's sails, and he stopped. For a moment, he deflated, the bravado leaving his body. “These powers were never meant for... someone so..." she faltered.

His jaw tightened, “Come on. Just say it.”

"You’re unstable"

“And it was your bright idea to lock yourself in here. With me?”

“There was no other way”

'Believe me', Mel thought. She ran it over her head a hundred times. But she knew the override switch was the only thing keeping everyone from getting them out.

"Keeping everyone else safe. I need to buy time.” 

“For what?!”

“What the hell is going on here?” Val arrived on the scene with Holt and an army of security. She took in the scene and her lips curled, almost impressed, “Oh you’re crafty, I’ll give you that, Mel.”

There might have been a day when Mel would have given everything to earn such praise from her boss, but that was done and over with. She had made her decision. This was Mel making hers.

She rushed to the windows, eyes defiant, “I’m not letting you unleash him onto the world!”

“That’s not your call. But gotta admit, I love the initiative. Now that’s what I’m talking about. Bravo” Val applauded, “Needless to say, once we’re able to extract you, you are so, so fired.”

“I don’t care anymore!” Mel threw her hands up, “For years, I had to see you juice up innocent people and throw them aside like they’re garbage. Val, the things you did, the things we did. If you get me out, then I’ll… I’ll testify. With Congressman Barnes.”

Val's eyes narrowed, “You wouldn’t. What evidence do you have?”

“The 6ft tall guy in gold spandex and a god complex for one” Mel held up her phone, “I kept a copy of everything. Stored it somewhere even you won’t be able to find. If anything happens to me, it will all be uploaded regardless!"

Mel thought this moment, her finally growing a backbone, would have rattled Val enough for it to be somewhat satisfying. All the older woman did was appraise her, a calculating look on her expression.

"Let me guess. You carved yourself a little digital cache that only you know how to access. The right device, the right metrics, a timer, and a 'failsafe'" Val smirked, gesturing to the chamber, "I have taught you well."

Roy returned, giving solutions, “It’s gonna take a while to disable all the power sources, our tech guys are getting into the security as we speak. But on your go, Val, we can fly in reinforcements, see if there’s another way to get them out”

Val shook her head, “Hold off on extraction”

“What?” Everyone seemed to chorus in disbelief.

Bob threw his hands up, getting frustrated, "So what? You're- You're leaving us in here?"

Val looked to Holt, “We got the ping off Mel’s phone?"

The head of security nodded, showing the woman his findings on his tablet.

"Looks like the Congressman and his associates are still en route, which gives us time to build our defenses. Gives you time too, Robert” Val leaned into the mic, “The only extracting we’re doing is you extracting information out of her."

Mel froze as Bob switched his attention to her. She tightened her hold on her phone.

“Didn’t really think that part through, did you?” Val ushered everyone out the room, “Let’s leave them to talking. And Robert," she addressed him, smiling, "You have 24 hours. Get her to talk. By any means necessary.”

Soon, the windows shifted, and the only thing staring back at them was their own reflections.

Fuck, fuck, fuck

Mel thought she factored the risks. Taking his powers out of play. But all that did was piss Bob off even more.

To his credit, he remained where he was. Didn't near her. Only stared.

She refrained from backtracking. Instead, she stayed rooted to the spot, unwavering.

Bob sighed, low and gravelly, "I can't let you testify, Mel."

If she did, then this- the Sentry Project, his heroics- would be cut short. There went his chances of becoming something more. She knew that. He knew that.

Mel tore her gaze away from his face- stony and determined- and briefly glanced at her phone, remembering Bucky's words to her.

If there were no Avengers coming to save them, then someone had to do something. Why not it be her? Unfortunately, right here in the moment, the power was in her hands.

She couldn't let up. Not now.

Mel resumed her staring, straightening up and lifting her head.