Arthur stepped out of the Hydra hideout with slow, steady steps, like the stone beneath him might crack if he let his weight show. His boots met the cobbled path without echo, his pace measured with the kind of precision that told of something being held back, tightly, beneath the skin.
Behind him, the heavy wooden door settled shut.
Melite followed, still tense from what had just transpired. Her eyes scanned his face, seeking something in the pale quiet of his features. She opened her mouth to ask the question anyway.
He shook his head.
"Get back inside." He ordered.
The tone was gentle. A thin cover for what boiled beneath.
She hesitated. Her eyes narrowed, weighing him, but she gave a curt nod and disappeared back into the hideout without a word. She knew better than to push. For now.
