This is a present to myself because I survived my first week of professional school!
"Why did you bother calling us if you had already decided what to do?"
"Just wanted to show you how shitty of a job you did handling it in the first place, Captain."
"We had it under control, Stark. You think we didn't know exactly where she was the entire time? We had a plan. We were going to follow Menzel back to her base. Destroy her research at its root."
"Except her base is Asgard. You didn't figure that out, did you. That's how she created the formula, from her own blood. If I'd let her flee with the bait, we'd all be fucked."
I felt pretty fucked over myself. A groan tore past my chapped and bleeding lips. A thick layer of dirt coated every inch of my skin. Penetrating florescent lights pierced down on me, holding me fast against the freezing white linoleum floor. In an attempt to stretch, my elbow knocked against a sheet of clear glass to my right. A shrill alarm blasted, warning me to back away or be tranquilized over and over until I scrambled away. My head was still fighting off the effects of the last dart, so I crawled to sit in the center of the 10 x 10 room. All glass walls lined it, caging me in, yet allowing anyone who wanted to look in at the crazed circus animal. A simple mattress was pressed to the far left corner, no springs or bolts for me to fiddle with. A simple toilet was on the opposite wall with a miniature sink at its side; I'd be getting no privacy when using that. I still wore my desert battered clothes, though my shoe laces were missing. My ponytail was also MIA, causing my long black hair to hang down in filthy knots.
Forcing clean, if not overly filtered, air into my lungs I focused on what the voices had said. Stark and Rogers. Plans, jobs, bait. When my eyes flashed straight ahead, I found the two speakers watching. Outside my transparent cell was an old laboratory work area. Half of the equipment predated me and even the newer things were covered in dust. The two men stood side by side with expressions a mixture between disgust and pity.
I'd never escaped. I'd never defeated or tricked an Avenger. I was just another pawn in the game. Only instead of Meznel deciding the moves, it was people who I'd thought were on my side. My mouth opened to accuse them of this much, but only a pathetic croak came from my parched throat. What would I say even if I could speak? Steve had only done to me exactly what I planned on doing to them; he was just better at keeping his plans to his chest.
"Do you want some water?" he asked softly.
"Do you want to tell us what the Asgaridan is planning? Army of the dead? Luring in suckers to fight for her side with the promise of eternal life? Does she want earth?"
I worked my jaw, trying to save up some saliva to swallow. Steve turned swiping a water bottle from the table behind him and pressing it straight through the glass.
"One way glass," Tony explained. "Except it's not for sight. You can't get out. And there's not enough air in there for you to use your powers. Sorry if you feel a bit lightheaded, but not really."
I scooped of the water bottle, downing it in a few chugs. How was it I felt thirstier still?
"Why don't you just ask her?" I rasped out. Jesus, let me never pick up smoking as a habit. Some people could work that voice, but I was not one of them.
"She's yet to wake up, or she'd just really phenomenal at playing possum. But you've been working for her this whole time, haven't you? So let's hear it." Tony talked fast, but my groggy mind slowly processed his words and I smiled sadly. "Come on, little air nomad. Out with it."
"The truth for the truth?" I addressed this to Steve because he was the more reasonable of the two.
Tony groaned and strode from the room muttering something about, "not wanting to listen to this drabble." Steve walked closer, however, clasping his hands diplomatically behind his back. "You first," he said.
"I really was on your side for a while."
"When you gave away our position in Siberia?"
"Ok, that wasn't my fault. In the desert Menzel said something about being connected. I think it has to do with her blood being part of the serum. She contacted me in Wakanda. I told her to go fuck herself and that's when the tornado bit happened because I was so pissed off. That's when Bucky woke up too. He's your friend right? He's kind of amazing. He knew what I would do. Was he in on your little plan?" I asked.
"No. I haven't been able to return to Wakanda. I've been tailing your ass."
"We can go back," I insisted eagerly. A deep frown answered, so I continued, deciding not to press my luck. "But, um, then we figured out I'd forgotten some stuff around the time she smothered me. My dad dying being one of them. I wanted him back." I shrugged. "So I decided to do whatever that took."
"We never trusted you," Steve admitted. "Nat implanted a tracker in you, so we never lost you. Do you really know nothing of the Doctor's plans?"
"I'm discovering I know nothing about anything."
After a tedious shower in the sink, with my hair getting stuck in the drain twice, I changed into the clothes Steve left for me. Simply grey sweats with no drawstring and a white tank top. I'd been alone for hours by now and already I was growing restless. Even Tony's judgmental glares would be welcome at this point, though I'd prefer Bucky's sincere but cautious smiles.
I laid back on the mattress, dust clouding the air as I did so. I coughed, struggling to catch my breath in the thin atmosphere. I don't blame them. I was dangerous and not to be trusted. If they let me out right now I probably wouldn't change my ways.
The sound of metal scraping along my floor drew my attention. I glanced over to where Sam was pushing in a tray of fajitas. His hand retracted hastily when I padded over, careful not to slip on my socked feet. His arms folded over his chest, eyes trained on his bedraggled jacket draped over my mattress.
"Don't suppose I'll ever get that back," he murmured.
"Don't think I'm getting out of here any time soon, so no. You're welcome to come get it and offer me company."
Sam sighed, sitting down on the table behind him. He was quiet for a good while, the tick from his watch filling up the void our silence left. I nibbled at the food with a tumultuous stomach. While it smelled and looked amazing, I doubted I'd be able to keep any of it down. I was too tense to relax even a single muscle.
"I didn't think you'd do it," he said. "I hoped you wouldn't, at least."
"I don't work for her. I mean, I did. Then she suffocated me. That tends to sever working relationships. And then I just needed her for something."
"Steve told us your story. Whether or not we believe it, which no one does by the way. Doesn't matter. You still went to her."
"Haven't you ever had someone you love so much you'd do worse for?"
He rolled his eyes at me. He actually rolled them, groaning in frustration. Rubbing a hand down his jaw he sighed and folded his hands together as he leaned over his knees. "Who doesn't, Haven? That doesn't mean you get be this stupid. I watched my best friend fall out of the sky because he got too reckless. Get your damn head out of the clouds, Icarus. Your dad is dead. Making a deal with the devil won't change that. She was going to drain the serum from inside you until there was nothing left. Until you were dead too! What good will that do your dad?"
My teeth gnashed down on my lower lip until I tasted fresh blood. "How are Clint and Wanda and Scott? Did I hurt them?"
"Clint's still fuming, still finding sand in his ears. Wanda hasn't really said much. Neither has Scoot actually, which is weird for him. What'd you do to him? Hit him with something worse than a sandstorm?"
"I don't think he wanted to believe I could do it either."
"You're good at tricking people like that," Sam clipped.
"You weren't part of the trick, Sam."
"Thanks. I feel super special."
I leaned forward, careful not to brush the sensitive glass. I pressed my lips into a fine line, pleading wordlessly because I knew he would write off whatever I said as lies. Sam was my closest friend, which is sad considering the few weeks I've known him and those times we definitely manipulated each other, but that didn't mean I needed any less. I had few enough friends in my life; I didn't need Sam bailing now too.
He raised his eyebrows without amusement and I sank to sit cross legged in front of him. "Even if I believe you, I'm not letting you out," he said.
"How's Romanoff?" I asked.
"Glad to have Barton back. We can't stay long though. Tony is hosting us only because of a mutual threat. He still doesn't agree with the actions we took in the split."
"I'm the mutual threat?"
"Menzel. KGB. You by extension."
"Any news on Sargent Barnes?" I asked.
He rubbed a hand over his mouth, pulling on the dark hair rimming his lips. Amusement flashed in his eyes before quickly being replaced by a stern look he must have adapted from Steve. "You've been waiting to ask that, haven't you?"A long pause. "The super soldier serum, the one that made him the Winter Soldier and Steve Captain America, it extended their lives. We don't know how long. Steve's let him become the perfect hero, Barnes' the perfect villain and you're just…"
"A mess. Out of control?"
"See that's what I don't follow. I've never actually seen you out of control, Haven. Sure that one tiny slip up in Wakanda, but didn't Menzel trigger it? You are just about the most in control person I've ever met, right under Steve and Romanoff and The King himself. Anyway, why do you think your blood counteracted with the meddling that was done to Barnes' head? He hears ten words and he's gone." Sam snapped his fingers for emphasis. "But you and your gifts are one. They move with you, with your emotions. That's not a lack of control."
"Menzel said I was a side effect. That I took the serum on purpose."
"She also told Clint that she killed his mom and got his dad fixed on liquor."
"Did she?"
Sam scoffed, twisting his hands together. "Clint laughed in her face. She's full of shit. And she's been feeding it to you to draw you in. Side effect or not, she's got plans for you. She wants to see how powerful you are. She's testing you for something like a kid prodding a kicked dog until it bites back. And I've heard your bite stings." A tense smile.
I returned it hearing his phone chirp in his pocket. He pulled it out and sighed before sliding his feet to the ground with a thump. I stood, fists clenched as he leaned towards the door. I didn't want to be left alone again.
Keeping the conversation going, I silently begged him to stay just a few minutes longer. "You're saying she tricked me. So you believe I haven't been working with her since day one?"
He glanced up from his texting, locking his phone and shoving it into the back pocket of his jeans. "I'd like to." He jogged towards the flight of stairs leading up out of this windowless basement and back to the real word. His long legs took him up them two at a time and left me with only the echo of his footsteps to keep me company.
Sigh. I just love her bromance with Sam. I was glad to finally pull Stark into the picture. Most of the Avengers will make an appearance at one point or another in this story. And, of course, our favorite soldier of winter will be returning in the next!