Archive of Our Own ^beta

Matthias couldn’t stop every worst-case scenario from running fully throttle through his mind. Two of the most important people in his life, outside of his family, had just walked into a trap, and they didn’t even know it. Worst of all, he only had himself to blame. He split them up; he pushed them away. Everyone told him that he couldn’t know this would happen. But he should have.

Theorizing was the only thing keeping him from spiraling further. Even without anyone bouncing ideas back, it helped. He wondered after what the trap could be, and it’s intended result. The antidote’s mislabel struck him as strange, but nothing shook the fear from his mind. Curiosity couldn’t begin to overshadow the impending dark he felt creeping in with each mile he drove. And the closer he got, the more it suffocated him. Remember to breathe. How ironic.

Matt checked the console, “Okay, so I’m pulling up here. Maybe like couple seconds away. Looks like it’s down this alley here, so I wanna pull into this alley,” he couldn’t stop the helpless chuckle that bubbled up, “Here we go.”

The walk to build amounted to little. Nothing on the exterior struck him as noteworthy, so he hurried to the nearest door. Turning back to check on Quinn, he spotted Woods’ car parked over his friend’s shoulder.

“At least we know it’s the right building,” he commented, pointing to the vehicle out, “Deb didn’t lie.”

“Did you think she would?” Quinn asked.
Matt huffed, “I don’t know, bro.” Then he eased open the door.

The first thing to strike him was the light. Still on and powered. Just one strip, but strong enough to brighten the whole corridor. Granted, it only consisted of a set of stairs and wood panel walls, so there wasn’t much to see. Matt descended, going for the door at the other end, “Okay,” he addressed the camera, “I’m going to go really slow. I don’t want to set anything off.”

It took him till he was about midway down for the signs hung on the door to finally register. Biohazard.

He laughed again, “Oh my gosh. Well, I am never prepared for this.” He slipped the sunglasses of his nose to get a better look, “I never- I never come prepared. I just come out here; I’m mad frantic. Okay.” Pulling a heavy breath into his lungs, he peeled the door open, careful not to make a noise.

Turning back to the camera, Matt whispered, “They might not be here.” The moment he walked through, his eyes trained to every corner, every shadow, hyperaware of even the slighted thing. Only once he was assured there wasn’t any immediate danger did he wave Quinn in.
The air in the room hung above their heads, stale from years of stagnation. When Quinn cleared the door, Matt clicked it shut. Regret hit him the second he did it. Hissing, he remarked, “That was so stupid.” Trying to open the door back, he was met with only a jiggling knob. He tipped his head back, frustrated.

Quinn caught on quick, “Did you lock us in.”

“I didn’t lock us in, it locked- it locked us in.”
He gave it one last shake before giving up, “Let’s find them.” The rest of the room told him nothing. Red brick walls split down two corridors. A random selection of board leaned against them. A shadow to his side made him jumped. Rushing wasn’t going to help anyone, but he could shake the feeling that ever second mattered at a time like this. The ideology might hurt him later, yet he didn’t stop.

Only the apex of the diverging paths made him pause, “Left or right?” he asked Quinn. He jerked his head to the left.

As quiet as he could make himself be, he crept onward. A disgusting black growth forced him to pivot his body in order to avoid it. Quinn pushed in bit for a better view but didn’t linger.

The red bags sitting on a barrel wrapped in the same color tape sent a weird strike up his body. Then he heard it. Voices. Clear enough to be distinguished as such, but to far away to be quite sure how the speaker was. He said as much to his companion. Seeking out the sound, he tracked it through a worn metal slab that looked more like the opening of a safe than a normal door. Inside, he spotted to familiar faces and relief cascaded like a river fall over his body.

Matt could categorize then next moment by the mere seconds that passes. Sam’s headed pops up to face him. He calls out to them, a giddy bit of glee bringing a smile to his face. Woods flinching at the sudden sound. His finger, which was poised of the button of some piece of tech, pushed forward with him, effectively pressing it. Then the sirens.
But really? He blinked, and the safe was halfway closed. Matt bolted for it, to no avail. It snapped shut under his fingers. Behind it, he could hear the other two yelling, frantically calling his name. He cursed.

“Hey! Hey! Guys, it’s alright. I’mma get you out of there, alright? Don’t worry!” He shouted, trying to be heard over the blaring alarm. A thin crack between the wall and the metal offered the tips of his fingers small grip, but it was useless. The door didn’t budge, didn’t reacted to whatever strength he managed to expend on it. A heavy thump on the other side signaled he that Woods tried the same tactic. Whipping to the rest of the room, he forced himself not to look Quinn in the eyes. Just seeing the fear in the other man’s face might break him.

Adrenaline pounded through his veins, perfectly in time with the wailing buzzer. He bound from lockers to bed, ripping things apart, pushing with all his might, hoping to knock a perfect little key out from a hiding spot and save his friends.

There was no key.

In fact, there was nothing. Not a loose piece metal, not a weapon nor common tool in sight for him to pry the door open with. Sam called for him again, distress making the word long and fragile.

“Okay, okay,” he rushed back to the door, “It’s okay. Tell me what you see. What’s going on over there?”

“The door’s locked. I don’t know how. I can’t get it to open. Matt!” Her voice broke as she cried, “The guy on the tape said this was a trap for Deb. They wanted to test the serum out on her- Matt, I’m scared…”

“I know, I know,” He cooed, “But it’ll be okay. We’ll get you out and you’ll be okay. Did he say how the serum was going to get into the room?”

“Gas bomb.” Fainter, as though farther away, Woods called it out, utterly despondent.

“What?” Sam got quieter, seemingly going to see what Woods was talking about. A few words were exchange, but they were too quiet for him to hear.

“Guy! Do you see any way to turn it off?”
Sam started stammering, telling him everything she could see on it, but Woods’ response fell over him like acid rain, “No.”

Pain licked up his hand as he rammed it into the door. Pushing back, Matt scoured his brain for any solution, anything to help his team.

“Matt, the vials.” Quinn snapped beside him and sudden he remembered their weight in his pocket.

“Right! Thank you. Yes. Guys! Do you see any sort of way for me to get something to you? I have the antidote. You just take this, and you’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, that would work!” Sam shouted, a glimmer of hope finally in her voice. Something scraped down bricks before a soft thump.

“Woods! Come on! Help me look. There has to be something. A crack, an opening. Why are you shaking your head ‘no’ at me? Come on! There has to be something. Right?” The last bit lack fervor, drive.

“No,” Woods answered from somewhere below him, assumingly the floor, “There’s no way in or out. They tested for that. Just- Come here.” Feet stumbled before another thump rattled the floor. Matt could just imagine them on the other side, clinging to each other, alone and afraid. And he can’t do anything about it. Not a damn thing.

“Quinn, go outside and call someone. Now. Go.” It was a last-ditch effort and them all knew it, but Quinn ran anyway, camera abandoned on a near by table. “It’s going to be alright, you two, okay? We’re gonna get someone to open this door and then I’ll give you the antidote and you’ll be right as rain. Lunch on me.” They didn’t respond. Sam sniffled and Woods hushed her. Only then did he realized he had started crying too. He didn’t try to wipe the tears away. What’s the point?

“It’ll be okay,” he reassured, “It’ll be okay, it’ll be okay, it’ll be okay, it’ll be okay, it’ll be okay, it’ll be okay, it’ll be okay, it’ll be okay, it’ll be okay, it’ll be okay, it’ll be okay, it’ll be okay, it’ll be okay, it’ll be okay, it’ll be okay.” At some point it became a prayer, “It’ll be okay, it’ll be okay, it’ll be okay, it’ll be okay, it’ll be okay, it’ll be okay, it’ll be okay, it’ll be okay, it’ll be okay, it’ll be okay, it’ll be okay…”

It wasn’t okay. That door didn’t open for 3 days, 6 hours, and 14 minutes. Matt never moved. Neither did they. In a way, Matt died with them. at least the part that mattered. He stayed right there with them, on the hard, concrete floor, forehead pressed against the cold metal, and tear tracks running down his cheeks.

Remember the breathe. How ironic.