AN: So, as promised, here is part two of the previous chapter. Hope you approve. And a special thanks to the two readers who reviewed my last chapter. It means the world to me.
Disclaimer: I do not own Captain America, Nick Fury, Black Widow, or any associated material. I only own Violet. She's my girl :)
As the car exited the garage, I instantly pressed my face against the window, all thoughts of Steve forgotten. I drank in the sight of New York. Tall buildings loomed above me, lights shining from every angle. The sun was just beginning to set, casting a red glow over the city. I tapped on the driver's shoulder. "Can I roll down the window?" I asked.
He sighed. "Just don't try to escape through it. I have permission to shoot you if need be."
Holding up one hand, the other over my heart, I said "Scout's honor."
Steve gave me a look. "Were you ever a scout?"
I hit him lightly on the arm. "Shut up. You know what I mean." Then my attention was captured by the sights again. I rolled down the window, and my senses were greeted with strange new sensations. I heard people talking over each other, the frantic pounding of feet on pavement, the squeal of tires and the loud cacophony of horns. I could smell metal and cheap street food, and a smell I couldn't name, but was uniquely human. We passed through Times Square, and I couldn't contain a squeal of delight as I saw a huge sign for Broadway.
I was so busy taking in the city that I barely noticed when we reached the destination. "We're here." The driver said, and I was sad to have to go inside again. I followed Steve inside, and as he checked us in, I took note of the place. There was an arcade filling up the back of the room, a snack bar lined one wall, and a dark hallway had a sign for Lasertag directly over it. Best of all, there was a telephone booth tucked into the back of the arcade.
Steve finished talking to the clerk, and he handed me a bright orange ticket with black lettering on it. When he saw my attention was elsewhere, he followed my gaze. Turning to face him, I said "I have a call to make." Steve nodded and, wordlessly, he gave me some change to pay for the call. I gave him a grin, happy that he was there for me. On impulse, I leaned up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Before he could say anything, I walked over to the booth. My hands shook and my pulse raced. I inserted the necessary change, and typed in the number I remembered so well. Hope pounded within me. I didn't know what I would do if there was no answer. The line rang once...twice...three times and there still was no answer. Hope began to fade as the fourth ring passed. Then, on the fifth ring, there was noise.
"Hello?" A sleepy voice asked, and tears dripped down my face. One word from a voice I knew by heart. "Hello?" My mom asked again.
"Mom, its me." I said softly into the phone, still not believing my ears.
"Who?" She asked agin.
"Mom, its me." I repeated. "Violet."
"You know Violet?!" She said, and I grew worried.
"It is Violet. Your daughter. The one who was taken away from you." I explained frantically, not sure how she didn't know it was me.
"Look, I don't know who this is, but you are not my daughter. You don't sound at all like her. I don't know how you know that, but don't call this number again.
"MOM!" I yelled desperately, but it was too late. The line went dead. I fell to the floor, my legs collapsing. My brain couldn't process what just happened. I had talked to my Mom, I had heard her voice, but she didn't know it was me. One thought became clear. The experiment. The genetic bonding. It had changed my voice. I no longer sounded like a teenager, or like myself at all. And I couldn't call her back and explain. Fury had made it clear that I couldn't tell her about S.H.I.E.L.D or the bonding. My heart broke as I realised that I had well and truly lost her. Even if I found her somewhere, my Mom wouldn't know it was me anymore. I had no family left. Tears fell freely from my eyes as I lay hopelessly on the floor.
I was filled with a blinding rage. It was Fury's fault. He did this to me. He may have saved my life, but he destroyed it too. I was in hell. Rising slowly, I wiped the tears from my eyes. It was Fury's turn to be in hell. Putting on a mask like Natasha taught me, I hid my despair. I couldn't let Steve get suspicious and report to Fury.
Exiting the booth, I put on a fake smile and made my steps bounce to imitate happiness. Steve was studying a claw machine, clearly not sure how to play. Turning to me, he said "That was quick."
Not addressing his statement, I threw my arms around his middle. "Thank you for letting me talk with her. It meant so much to me."
Steve was a little taken aback, but he returned my hug. "No problem, Vi. Let's play some Lasertag."
Walking over to the dark hallway, we handed our tickets to the bored looking manager. He led us inside, and we were outfitted with plastic guns. There was a short, three-minute video explaining the basics of Lasertag. During that time, I braced myself for what I had to do. The only part of my plan that I felt bad about was hurting Steve. But it was necessary for the plan to work. When the video ended, we were led into a dark, humid room lit only by black lights. I could see we were surrounded by obstacles and, best of all, I spotted the glow of a computer on the other side of the room. A man's voice rang through the room, saying we had two minutes to get into place before the game began. Steve began to walk off, but I grabbed his sleeve. "Steve, your gear is on wrong. Mind if I fix it?" He nodded. In truth, his gear was fine, but it blocked his neck and I needed to land a direct hit to his neck to knock him out. I adjusted the gear quickly, then smiled at Steve. He smiled back. I felt a twisting sensation in my stomach. Guilt. I knew that chaos would ensue if I pulled this off, and I might be taken away from Steve. Making a split second decision, I stepped closer to him, then tilted my face up. I was surprised when Steve met me halfway, but I was lost in the kiss. His lips on mine were so warm and soft, they drowned out my thoughts and I was lost in sensation. I moved my lips slightly, he responded. We just stood there, kissing, until a loud buzz went off, signaling the beginning of the game. We pulled apart. Steve looked at me in shock and wonder. Before he could say anything, I spoke first. "I'm sorry." Before he could react, I swung my fist into the soft pressure point in his neck. Then, just to make sure he was out, I kicked the back of his head. Not enough to kill him, but it would hurt like hell when he woke up. Stripping off my gear, I headed to the computer. Time to get to work.