A.N – A little sad I didn't get any reviews on the last couple of chapters so if you guys could take a minute to leave behind some feedback that'd be great!

Disclaimer – I do not own anything you recognise. The Avengers and the characters therein, belong to Marvel.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Three days. It had been three days since Steve had gone missing and Nadia was going crazy with worry. Every lead they had clawed and scraped for turned up nothing. Nadia was alternating between silence and frustrated tears because she didn't know how to deal with the terror, panic and heartbreak. The emotions threatened to overwhelm her and she knew that if anything happened to Steve, she would never forgive herself. He had helped her become an Avenger, to step up and help the people who couldn't help themselves. He had ignited passion and love and tenderness, something she had never had in her life before he had come into it. She couldn't lose him, not now.

'I can't do this anymore.' Nadia cried, throwing down her spoon, which clattered noisily onto the table. 'I'm going insane.'

'We're doing everything we can, Nadia.' Tony pointed out, sipping his black coffee, still a little annoyed at her from the other day when she'd refused to listen to him and she had subsequently collapsed from her concussion. 'Banner is working in the lab upstairs to try and track him down, Fury is in on it too and we've alerted the media. Something will come up.'

'So, we just sit and wait?' She slumped in her chair, putting her face in her hands and scrunching her hair between her fingers. Nadia felt a hand on her back and peeked through her fingers to see Clint frowning at her. His eye was blackened from yesterday, when they had raided a warehouse that they thought Steve was being held in, but they had stumbled on a drug ring instead.

'We will find him.'

'I'm already reaching out to some of my contacts overseas.' Natasha assured Nadia, her usual unreadable expression one of sympathy and worry. 'I should know something by the end of the day.'

'Who the hell are these people?' Pepper muttered, buttering a scone, 'It's like ghosts took Steve.'

Something in Nadia's brain clicked and she whipped her head around. 'What did you just say?'

'I said it's like ghosts took Steve.' Pepper repeated, her forehead furrowing in confusion. Tony turned to Nadia, as if sensing she was onto something.

'That's it.' She breathed, mind racing and her heart pounding in her chest in both excitement and dread. With shaking fingers she pulled out her phone and hit one of the speed dials. 'That's the answer.'

Clint turned to Natasha, 'Any idea what she's on about?'

The redhead shrugged helplessly as Nadia raised the phone to her ear, getting up from her chair and pacing the room touching her hair nervously. The person on the other end picked up after two rings.

'It's me.' She said, without waiting for them to say anything in greeting. 'I need your help. Can you meet me?'

'You need my help?' the man on the other end replied, sounding a little smug, 'You sure that's a good idea?'

Nadia sighed, 'I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't important.'

There was a pause before, 'Central Park, you know the place. Come alone. Twenty minutes.'

'I'll be there.' Nadia said before hanging up. She immediately ran to grab her coat and began pulling her boots on.

'Who was that?' Pepper asked, voicing what everybody was thinking.

'A ghost.' Nadia replied and at everybody's confused expressions, she amended, 'The Ghost, I suppose.'

'The spy?' Natasha gaped, getting to her feet. 'And you have his phone number, how, exactly?'

'And on speed dial apparently.' Tony observed dryly.

'It's a long story. But who better to find a ghost than another ghost? He could help us find Steve.' Nadia's excitement was bubbling in her stomach to the point where she almost felt nauseous about what she was about to do, but she had no choice. Steve needed her.

'I'm going to need you to explain how you know one of the most dangerous and elusive spies on the planet. I mean, this guy has his hands in every shady thing you can think of. He has a higher kill count than…well…me and three times the amount of contacts.' Nat crossed her arms, getting to her feet.

'Yes, and how do you think government agencies and SHIELD get a lot of the information?' Nadia replied. 'He's meeting me in twenty minutes and if I'm not there on time he won't wait. I need to go.'

'Fine.' Clint said, snatching his coat from the back of the chair, 'You can explain on the way.'

Nadia pursed her lips. 'He told me to come alone.'

'Yeah, like we're letting you go alone.' Tony scoffed, kissing the top of Pepper's head before following Clint out the door. Natasha jerked her head for Nadia to follow and after huffing in annoyance, she did.

Clint and Natasha agreed to keep watch from a distance, choosing to perch themselves on a balcony of a nearby building and using a sniper rifle to keep an eye on things. Tony would be sitting at a nearby café with his armour on hand. They each had an earpiece in to allow them all to communicate, but Nadia sat alone at the chess table, the pieces set up neatly in front of her, fingers tapping the table with impatience.

'So how do you know this guy?' Tony's voice rang through the earpiece in Nadia's ear. The doctor sighed, brushing her hair back as she waited anxiously.

'I told you, it's a long story and I don't like talking about it.' Nadia replied, trying to sound firm and glancing around.

'Well, now I'm even more curious.'

'I would like to know how you know this guy, Nadia.' Natasha said, 'Even I've never met him.'

Sighing deeply, aggravated by the whole situation, Nadia swallowed thickly, saying nothing. Glancing at her watch again, she licked her lips and took hold of her necklace, fiddling with the charm as she waited, her mind wandering. She thought about Steve, and about how she was going to ask him to move in with her when they got to DC, and how they had come so far in their relationship. Now that this had happened, she didn't want to hold anything back from Steve anymore. She wanted them to be together, and she knew deep down there would never be anybody else for her. What she was about to do was dangerous, but he was worth it.

A shadow fell across the table and Nadia looked up. He man in front of her had long brown hair and grey eyes so light they were almost silver, dark stubble across a strong jaw and a scar underneath his left eye from where she'd hit him years ago. The Ghost was dressed in a dark duster coat with the collar turned up and heavy boots. He regarded her with a sly smile as he sat down opposite her, one that reminded her of a shark. She saw the weapons he had strapped on under his coat, easy enough to access, but concealed so passers-by wouldn't see them and panic.

'It that him?' Tony asked in her ear, but Nadia said nothing, staring intently at the man across from her.

'Sister.' The man greeted with a small incline of his head.

'Brother.' Nadia replied in the same tone. There was silence over the comms system, which suggested that her teammates were in shock.

'Your hair is longer now. It suits you.' He said, switching from English to Bulgarian, a language Nadia had picked up years ago and one that she knew none of the Avengers spoke – not even Nat. 'And you've been busy from what I've heard.'

'Did she say that was her brother? I thought she was an only child.' Tony repeated, shocked.

'Nadia, explain. Now.' Natasha demanded, but Nadia ignored her.

'I don't have time for small talk, Josef.' She replied in the same language, glancing around and leaning forward. 'I need your help.'

'Yes, you said so on the phone. I was surprised to get your call.' Josef's right eyebrow rose. Nadia tucked her hair behind her ear, her brother's gaze unnerving. He had made her promise years ago not to contact him unless it was a life-or-death situation and after he had almost gotten her killed, she'd agreed. What he did was dangerous and if anybody found out that Josef had any kind of family, they would use it against him. But right now, she didn't care about her own safety, she just wanted Steve back.

'You're familiar with Captain Steve Rogers?'

Josef's smile grew. 'I am. He's your boyfriend, if I'm not mistaken.'

Nadia nodded, 'He's been kidnapped.'

Josef's face dropped into a cool, collected mask, which made Nadia worry. 'When?'

'Three days ago. We have no leads, nothing. It's like he just vanished from the face of the earth.'

'And you thought I might know something.' Josef finished for her, and Nadia nodded. Her brother glanced around and Nadia saw his jaw tick. Without saying a word, he gestured to his ear and tapped it. Knowing what he was asking, she reached up and took her earpiece out discreetly and Josef leaned closer to her.

'I did hear something.' He said, this time in English. 'People have been interested in Rogers since he came out of the ice. There are a lot of people who would literally kill for that serum in his veins. People who want to sell it, mass produce it, experiment to make it even better… in the right circles Rogers would be worth millions, dead or alive.'

'Who?'

Josef stared at her for a moment. 'Are you sure you want to do this, Nadia? The kinds of people I'm talking about don't play around.'

'I can take care of myself, Josef. You should know that.'

Her brother smirked and then looked around again, fingers tracing the scar she had given him. 'I know.'

Josef had powers just like she did, but they were different. Where she could shift into the forms of animals, Josef could change his appearance at will, and where she had control of the elements, Josef could teleport from place to place, so long as he knew where he was going. 'Your friends have probably figured out that they can't hear our conversation anymore and are on their way.'

'They don't trust you.' Nadia explained.

'Do you?' Josef asked, staring at her shrewdly.

'As my brother or as a spy?' she replied in the same tone.

Josef nodded slowly and rose from his seat. Nadia's heart nearly jumped from her chest. This was her last chance to find Steve and it was slipping from her grasp.

'Will you help me?' Nadia asked, becoming more desperate by the minute., standing up too. She looked around and saw Tony, Clint and Natasha walking briskly though the park towards them, none of them happy.

'You won't find him. They will kill you before you get close. Forget Rogers. He's a dead man by now.'

Nadia grabbed Josef's arm and he froze. 'I won't leave him.'

Josef brushed her hand off and turned to face her, their faces close as they stared at each other, neither backing down. 'Believe me, it's a suicide mission, even for people like us.'

She scoffed, 'I can handle it.'

Josef sneered, 'This isn't like your little Avenger's missions. This is dangerous.'

'You think I don't know that?' Nadia hissed. 'I would do anything for Steve. I called you, didn't I? We both know that doing that is next to a death sentence for me if the wrong people found out. I would go into hell for him, sacrifice anything for him. Nothing is going to stop me from getting him back, not you, not some mob bosses, not even the Devil himself. So, if you're going to help me, then help me, if not then get out of my way and stop wasting my time.'

Nadia's chest was heaving with emotion by the time she finished and Josef was watching her closely, something like admiration shining in his eyes.

'Little sister is all grown up.' He chuckled, glancing around again. 'Alright, Nadia. I'll help you rescue the soldier. But we do this alone and we do it my way. No one else, and we go now.'

Nadia hesitated, then took his outstretched arm. 'Done.'

She'd teleported with him once before, and she'd nearly been sick. The sheer vertigo of travelling so far and instantaneously was startling. She could feel the wind, her ears popped and darkness surrounded her.


Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Steve counted every drop that resounded around his cell. It was pitch black, but he could tell from the echo of the water falling on the floor that the room was large, but he was still chained to the wall, the manacles having long since cut into his skin. Blood trailed down his arms and had dried over time, but the wounds were still open. His face was bruised, one eye swollen shut, and he was pretty sure that he had broken a few ribs. He wasn't sure how much time had passed since he had been kidnapped. He'd been injected every few hours with that serum, which would knock him out all over again and each time he would be in a new place. But the people who had taken him hadn't moved him in a long while. They'd only come in sporadically to give him a few sips of water, but no food.

Nadia would come for him. He was sure of it. He would do it for her, wouldn't rest until she was safe in his arms, and he was sure that she was looking for him right now. God only knew how much he loved her. They had only just started their relationship, really. Nine months wasn't nearly long enough, wasn't close to long enough to be with her. He would be damned if this was it. Because he knew that was a very real possibility. There was every chance that these people who had taken him would kill him at any moment.

His head jerked up when he felt the entire building shake. He felt dust settle on his face as it fell from the ceiling. He frowned.

Shouting sounded from somewhere above him and he turned his head in the direction. He heard gunshots and uproar, followed but what could only be the sounds of battle. His heart started to pound in his chest as he dared to hope, the minutes dragging by so they felt like hours.

There was a rumble and smoke trailed into Steve's cell. He coughed and retched at the smell, eyes watering. Then the door to his cell slid open and bright light flooded into his cell. He turned his head away and winced as his eyes burned.

'Steve!'

He couldn't believe his ears. 'Nadia?' he croaked, his voice hoarse from dehydration. He heard footsteps and felt soft hands on his face, tilting it to peer at her as best he could. He saw behind her that a fire raged, heard screams as people tried to escape and more gunshots. There was a bruise on her cheek and several cuts on her arms, tears in her beautiful eyes but otherwise she looked okay.

'Thank God. I thought I'd never see you again.' Nadia gasped, voice full of emotion.

'You're really here?' he asked as she got up to free him. Perhaps this was a dream, an aftereffect of the drugs. He saw her give a swift kick, and rocks sliced through the thick chains that subdued him. Steve's arms fell limply to his side and he slumped forwards a little at the sudden freedom

'Of course, I am. I'm here to rescue you.' She assured him, slinging his arm over her shoulders and grunting as she hauled him to his feet. He noticed that she was wearing a different suit to the one that Tony had designed for her. Unlike that one, this was all black, sleeker and more sophisticated. She wore a breastplate like her other uniform, but this one was completely black. Over the top was a sling that held dozens of throwing knives, darts and other sharp blades. More than a few of the spots were empty. He saw the hilts of her long daggers poking out from behind her hips and the iconic leaf design that was on her other uniform was stitched with gold and green over her back.

'Aren't…aren't you a little short to be a stormtrooper?' He tried to grin, but his lip split and started to bleed. Nadia huffed a little laugh, smiling up at him.

'You must be alright if you're making jokes.' She said, leading him out of the cell and into the corridor, the flames parting for then as they hobbled through. A man dressed in an army uniform came barrelling down the corridor and Nadia threw a small knife at the man's chest and kept going, hauling Steve through the building.

'Where are the others?' He asked, wondering when Stark was going to fly in and make some witty remark about him getting kidnapped. 'Why are you dressed like that?'

'It's a long story.' Was all Nadia said, which made Steve frown, but he decided to worry about that later. Right now, he felt like he was going to pass out, but he had to keep going.

They somehow made up a flight of stairs and into what looked like a mansion, bodies, blood and shards of ice everywhere. Steve didn't even spare them a second look, gaze fixed on the man in the middle of the room who was wearing a suit similar to Nadia's but also a long duster coat. There were two hand guns in holsters around his waist, one on his thigh, and a dagger exactly the same as Nadia's. Steve didn't doubt that between this mystery man and Nadia, they could storm a stronghold, kill everyone and only escape with a few scratches.

'We have to get out of here. They've got reinforcements coming.' The man said to Nadia, sheathing his own dagger and walking towards them. Steve tried to stand up a little straighter. The man pointed at Steve with his thumb. 'This is Captain America?'

'And you are?' Steve's usual politeness leaving him.

'Huh…I thought you'd be taller.' He grinned at Steve, who in fact towered over the man in black.

'Uh…Steve this is Josef…my brother.' Nadia shifted uncomfortably and Steve raised his eyebrows at her.

'I thought you didn't have any family?'

'I asked her to say that.' Josef explained quickly. 'If anybody knew we were related, then some not-so-nice people would come for Nadia to try to get to me.'

Something clicked in Steve's brain. 'You're that spy…The Ghost?'

Josef smirked, the mirror image of Nadia when he did that. 'You've heard of me.'

'I'd love to do the whole family get together, guys, but we really have to leave.' Nadia's voice was strained, and Steve noticed that there was what appeared to be a bullet wound in her upper left shoulder, which was bleeding profusely. Josef seemed to notice too, because his joking demeanour vanished and he became serious. He slung Steve's other arm around his shoulder and together the Paolera siblings dragged Steve through the mansion quickly, stepping over rubble and dead bodies as they went.

Steve hissed when he saw all the casualties. He knew Nadia hated killing, but the fact that these were the people who had kept him prisoner and tortured him, he felt little sympathy for them.

They stumbled out the front entrance, the doors lying in broken shards at the bottom of the steps. Steve could hear the CHOP-CHOP-CHOP of a helicopter nearby and knew they needed to leave.

'Alright, I hope you're not squeamish, Captain, because this won't be very pleasant.' Josef said, stepping forwards and gripping Nadia's free hand tightly and clapping a hand on Steve's shoulder. The three disappeared into darkness.