Part 5: Triage & Tension
Location: Temporary Medical Camp outside Hydra Facility – 1 Hour Later
Riven lay on a portable stretcher beneath a high-powered field light, his face pale beneath the bruises and dried blood. His chest rose and fell with painful effort. IVs pumped stabilizers into his arm, attempting to purge years of accumulated sedatives and chemical suppressants from his bloodstream.
A makeshift trauma tent had been erected in the shadow of the Hydra facility's scorched entryway. Medical personnel moved with urgency, but none dared get too close.
Because the children wouldn't leave him.
They gathered like frightened shadows around the cot. A few stood at alert, glaring at anyone who approached. Others clung to the stretcher's frame. One boy, no older than twelve, crouched near Riven's shoulder, a sharpened scrap of metal clutched tightly in his hand. He didn't blink. The youngest girl sat beside Riven's hip, holding his wrist with both hands like a lifeline.
Natasha Romanoff crouched near the edge, hands raised in quiet reassurance.
> "It's okay. You're safe now. No one's going to hurt him."
The girl only squeezed Riven's hand tighter.
Wanda stood nearby, her arms crossed, eyes locked on Riven's face. She could feel the chaos simmering beneath his surface, even in sleep. The trauma that hadn't settled. The way he still twitched in pain. His dreams were jagged things: steel tables, screaming children, heat and blood and burning. Even unconscious, he fought.
Outside the tent, the cold Alpine air bit through the evening calm.
Captain Rogers stood with Tony, Logan, Cyclops, Jean, and Natasha. Sam hovered nearby, wings retracted but ready. Vision floated beside the tent, scanning the area for thermal signatures. The hum of the X-Jet vibrated softly in the distance as Beast and Xavier disembarked.
Xavier took in the sight of the camp: the scorched wreckage of the Hydra compound, the lingering haze of smoke, and the tightly clustered medical staff trying to navigate the strange silence around Riven's unconscious body.
Vision broke the stillness.
> "His vitals are stable, but his nervous system remains impaired. Years of sedative exposure have forced an adaptive biological response."
Tony rubbed his face with a gloved hand.
> "Four years in that hellhole. And he still managed to save those kids. Didn't kill a single one. That should tell us something."
Logan grunted. "Tellin' me he ain't dangerous doesn't make him safe. You saw what he did to those guards. What he almost did to us."
Cyclops folded his arms. "We should take him to the Institute. Keep him secure. Study him."
Natasha's tone was low, but cutting.
> "He's not a lab rat. He's a survivor."
Jean nodded. "The children trust him. They wouldn't even let us near until he passed out. Whatever else he is, he's not the enemy."
Xavier approached, his expression unreadable. "We can provide him care. Protection. Our facility is designed to accommodate young mutants."
Wanda shook her head. Her voice was firm.
> "He's not a mutant. I would've felt it."
Silence fell. All eyes turned to her.
> "He's something else. His mind... it's fractured. Not by power. By pain. And in the middle of all that agony, he still chose to protect those children with everything he had."
Tony crossed his arms. "That's exactly why we take him. He needs help, not another cage."
Logan's claws twitched involuntarily. "He needs control. That kind of strength without guidance? You wanna roll the dice again?"
Steve raised a hand. "Enough."
His voice cut through the tension like a blade.
> "He stays with us. He needs medical care, rest, and space to breathe. This isn't a custody fight. It's a recovery mission."
Xavier met his eyes. "For now. We will monitor."
The unspoken tension lingered in the air, sharp and unresolved.
Back in the tent, Riven stirred. His breathing hitched. One swollen eye fluttered open.
The girl beside him gasped softly. "You're awake."
He blinked slowly, trying to focus.
> "They... didn't take you?"
She shook her head. "You stopped them."
His head lolled back. He nodded once, barely perceptible.
> "Good..."
A faint smile touched the corner of his mouth before unconsciousness reclaimed him.