Chapter Twenty-Six: Burning Silence
Pretty much what happened last times consisted of Shay and Tarben joining HYDRA and Shay meeting Wolfgang Von Strucker, and she admitted to hating Captain America and you the readers have no idea why. Trust me, it's gonna be a shocker for everyone, well, hopefully. So be sure to comment and favorite this story and tell me what you're all most dying to see or find out about
Morning rolls by and Tarben and I have somehow managed to slip back inside without being detected and while escaping the confides of this tower is much simpler a process than re-entering as we aren't able to remove the devices separately like when putting them in place. I had to use out comm units to keep in touch with Tarben so we could remove the devices at the same time.
In fact, I had to count down from five so that we could remove the pieces at the same time because if they're removed at different times then they'll set off the alarms of the tower and that's one of the last things we want to happen. Especially after our encounter and association with HYDRA agents, that really wouldn't put the Avengers on ease if they found out.
Tarben will probably sleep the whole day away from just how tired staying up all night makes a person, I on the other hand, am perfectly alright because I'm used to being exhausted all the time so this is like a walk in the park. Being up all night and staying up all day are typical aspects of my life that over the years have come to really reflect my dedication to my team.
Standing alone in the living room on our living floor I watch the black TV screen, lost deep in thought as I try to process everything that's just happened in the last couple of hours, more than a couple, more like five or six hours. HYDRA is planning something big, that much I can already tell and could tell before but now with The Ten Rings getting involved in HYDRA agendas.
This is going to be big and the only way for us to stay afloat is to be on the inside and so that's exactly what I am going to do. If it means keeping my crew safe from HYDRA's targets then so be it. Safety for my crew is my first priority as it has always been and if that means doing some things I don't want to do in the means of keeping them safe, then so be it.
While I am not quite sure what HYDRA is planning on doing, at least I have my foot in the door and this way I'll keep everyone I care about safe from their rein of terror which is all that matters. Lying to my team has to be the worst part about this though, I have never flat out lied to my team before and it makes me feel guilty and makes me wonder what they'll think of me when they find out.
Sure my hazy past has always fascinated and sparked curiosity from them, I have never lied about anything which is why they don't know much about my past and my childhood before Nick Fury had me meet the people who would end up being my team. Mysteries always catch the attentions of millions but those who keep locked chests are the ones who live to fight another day.
My inner demons only haunt me but if my crew ever found out about me then they would be tormented by the reality and I would live in constant reminder of a past that I have been trying to forget for the last ten year. Nathan has asked me time and time again about my past and why I am the way that I am and I have always told him that I have my reasons.
He never pressed, none of my crew has, but I can tell their curiosity is still blazing like an inferno as I have told them nothing of my life. Tara knows more about me then the rest of them, she sees more quirks and tells of mine then the rest of them and this is because of how close we are. She's learned to read my stoic and emotionless tones and expressions after so many years.
Before me, Tara had no confidence and most of the crew bullied Tara and while I know they regret that they treated her the way they did, it doesn't change the fact that it did happen. I helped Tara gain confidence and helped her blossom into the personality she always had yet kept hidden because of ridicule by her peers, or our team who now treat her as an equal.
Things in my teams didn't always work as well as they do now, I remember when we first escaped S.H.I.E.L.D. and we were such a rocky team that couldn't work together. They didn't want to obey my orders and thought that I wasn't any smarter than them just because I was a year older, but then I got tired of being chewed out by them when if not for me, they'd still be lab rats.
Nathan called me out and said that he was tired of obeying an annoying girls order and that's when I snapped and couldn't take anymore negativity and hatefulness and while it was a decade ago, I can still recall it as though it were only yesterday. I remember wiping around to face him, my blood boiling and I shouted back at him, and the rest of them.
Tara was the only one who didn't face the furious side of me that reared her ugly head. "Then go!" I remember shouting at them. Pointing towards the surrounding woods that encircled us. "I am not your babysitter and I will not be treated like some ditsy blond who can't think or make intellectual decisions, so if you want to brave the world on your own go right ahead. I'm not going to stop you but Nick Fury was out of his mind to think you all could suffice as a team!"
"What do you mean?" Nathan asked, green eyes narrowed, hatred brimming in them.
"You all are hateful, rotten children with not an ounce of respect in your bodies. When things get tough, the tough get going but here you are! Complaining because the world isn't how you would like it to be. Well I have news for you," I look at them all. "For all of you! The world is a rolling dumpster fire and it's is an awful, torturous event and nothing will change it."
They all watch me, Tara cowering behind me as I glare at the other four who all glare back. None of them understand pain, or sacrifice and expect everything to be happy and dandy and I can't imagine a way for them to be a team. I can't lead people who don't want to be together as a team and I won't try hard to help them when they don't want to help me.
"None of you are better than the other, you treat each other," stepping aside, I nudge Tara forward. "Does this make you feel better? Knowing you've scared this girl so bad that she isn't confident in her own world? You all live in the same place, under someone's thumb but yet you establish classes when none of you matter more or less then the other and I won't help those who don't appreciate my aid, so go, if you want to go then go. I won't stop you."
Then I turned and walked away, with Tara hot on my heels and all I know for sure is that at some point they started to follow me, and while that didn't fix all the tension and friction right away we learned to work together and eventually ended up here. Where they're now meeting these people who couldn't care less about them and I can't say anything about it.
If I say anything they'll think I'm being paranoid and even if they do believe me by telling them about what I overheard then it'll only hurt them and that isn't what I want. My only option is getting all of us out of here before the truth comes out, that is how it always goes when people keep secrets, they eventually come out but at the worst possible time and that is why I'm so quiet about myself.
Only I know what happened, well, there's one other person who is still around who knows but she isn't likely to mention it considering what all I know. Feeling the flare of anger at remember this person makes me pus the thoughts aside as now isn't the time to be worrying about her. She's not the main threat as of now I need to stay focused on the mission at hand.
Something is still brimming in the back of my mind which are all the number, the ones in our files because something about them just makes me uncomfortable or feel on edge and I have no idea why. It's just something about that doesn't seem right and without these answer, I feel like I'm on overdrive right now because of how much pressure this all is.
Just when eleven in the morning rolls around, that's when I hear the sound of the elevator door opening and I jump to my feet, spinning to face whoever it is that has come down to out floor. For all I know it could have been HYDRA agents, they do have the ability to transport in and out of this tower as I've seen them do it before, so clearly they can.
Besides, who would appear here this early in the morning? While Nathan was always up fairly early, that was when we were on the run and living in safe houses and he was on high alert but when I returned to the tower I checked up on all my crew. Each of them were sleeping soundly all except Tarben as he had just gotten back with me so of course I didn't check on him but everyone else I did.
Heavy footsteps near and I am completely ready for a fight if needs be but relax slightly when the person slips out from behind the wall that kept them hidden but I still stay of my guard. What does he, of all people, possibly want? As if I wasn't already stressed out enough as it is, no, this is something else for me to deal with on no sleep.
"Captain America, what do we owe the pleasure to your visit," I say kindly, whilst through gritted teeth. As kind as I attempt to be towards him is a limited resource which nearing the brink of an end. Steve stands three feet away from me and shifts awkwardly, like this is uncomfortable or he's trying to figure out the best way to ask whatever it is that he wants to ask.
"You can call me Steve you know..." he comments lightly, not an edge to his tone. He shifts his weight onto one foot as he taps his hand on his leg still trying to figure out what to say. Fed up with this annoyingly and embarrassing hang time I finally just speak up.
"Just ask what you want to ask because I'm not in the mood for you to decide how to say whatever it is that you want so just do it, I'm not going to bite," I say, placing a hand to my hip and tilting my head slightly to the left.
"After speaking with Fury, I got his and the rest of my friends agreement to allow me to take you from the tower for the afternoon and so I wanted to ask what you wanted to do before planning anything myself," he says in such a rush that it takes me a few seconds to completely understand what he just asked of me. Raising an eyebrow in confusion I respond.
"Why...?" I ask slowly.
"Well I figured it would be rude not to ask you before making decisions on something like—" I cut him off before he gets the chance to continue babbling on like an yapping dial spin toy.
"No, I meant why would you ask if we could leave the tower and why would you automatically assume I would agree to go? Besides, I see no reason for which this would benefit you, or maybe I do..." I say, narrowing my eyes at him.
He blinks a few times before taking a step forward. "I don't have an agenda for asking you and I'm sorry if I assumed you would, I figured you would enjoy leaving the confines of the tower and should have asked your permission first. I guess I'll just go."
Steve turns and starts walking towards the elevator when I start to feel bad, while I don't want to spend any time with him it was still rude of me to go on the offensive like I did. "Fine!" I call out and he turns, confusion evident.
"Fine, I'll go wherever it is that you want, doesn't matter," I repeat, keeping the frustration and annoyance out of my tone. Despite my lack of wanting nothing to do with the Avengers, I don't want to loose my morals by being disrespectful and mean when there is no sense in it. So I'll suck up my feelings and be nice and as soon as it's over, come back to this floor and hide out.
The sooner this is over, the sooner I can convince Tara to figure out a way to improve the device for escape but perhaps figure out a way to only need once device in place that turns the rest of the alarms and camera systems off.