Cate moved down the semi-darkened hallway between the shoulders of two men dressed in black, her eyes straight forward, and her expression slack. Though she did her best to present the appearance of complete inattention to her surroundings, she was poignantly aware of the heat coming off of each man beside her, just as she knew two more moved behind them, flanking the man that had been part of the recent mission along with her. She knew they were there to keep the two of them in line. To ensure that neither one of them made any attempts at escape. It seemed absurd, at least to her, that someone would even fear such a thing in the first place, when loyalty and obedience had been drilled into both of them from the very beginning.
But of course, spending too much time contemplating that very idea risked jeopardizing everything she could remember being told she believed in.
Shaking her head in response to the thought, Cate resettled her focus on the door at the end of the hallway, her shoulders squaring as she recognized the older man moving towards them as that door swung open. Though she did not show any outward reaction, Cate could feel her muscles tensing, poised and ready for the attack whenever it came. Something about the man made her wary, despite the fact that she had never fully been able to pinpoint why.
Still, Cate forced her expression into its usual neutral mask, almost bordering on indifference, and strode past that man to enter the room in question, while the man who had been her partner, for all intents and purposes, moved behind her to do the same.
The room was cold, hard metal and linoleum tiling making up the bulk of its interior, while harsh fluorescent lighting gleamed down on them from above. Already, Cate could feel goosebumps prickling against her skin, even from beneath the weight of her dark leather jacket and thermal top. Instinct had prompted her to glance towards the man standing at her side, though she could read nothing of his own thoughts in his perpetually flat expression. What she could sense was tension, radiating through him and keeping every muscle poised as though waiting for attack. And although Cate knew she was a fool for taking comfort in anything about the man stood at her side, metal arm gleaming beneath the fluorescent lights, she could not help but do exactly that, her posture relaxing a bit as she forced herself to focus upon the singular thought that had just come to mind.
If it came to a fight, given his stance, at least she would have the Winter Soldier on her side.
Suppressing a grim smile in response to the thought, Cate directed her eyes forward once again while the rest of the men that had escorted them filed into the room, once again taking up defensive positions at equal intervals, weapons held at the ready. The suited man entered not long after, hands in his pockets as he regarded the man and woman stood before him with an expression of mingled pride and wary admiration. And even though Cate tried not to meet his piercing blue eyes, she found she was not entirely capable of doing so, her jaw working convulsively as she straightened minutely, and her fingers curled into fists at her side.
"Mission report."
Aware that the words were directed to her companion, and not to her, Cate allowed herself to become distracted in a cursory investigation of the other men gathered in the underground room with them, her hands slowly relaxing at her sides as she did so. Not a one of them were paying her any mind, having been completely absorbed in listening to the report of the mission given by the man stood at her side. And that allowed her to observe them almost without notice, blue eyes tracing over their features as she tried to see past their impassive expressions, to the motivations beneath.
A task that seemed to be easier said, than done.
The man immediately to the would-be interrogator's right was perhaps the most intriguing, his stance indicating a sort of constant readiness, even in spite of the indifference apparent in his features themselves. Dark hair was almost artfully styled, only adding to the idea that had begun to form in the back of Cate's mind that he must have been carved from some sort of mold for the perfect bodyguard. That, after all, was what she highly suspected he was, having seen him at the older man's side more often than not whenever he deigned to grant the obviously high honor he felt his presence to be to herself, and her companion. And although she had never once thought to put any effort towards getting his name, Cate amused herself for at least a moment in trying to concoct one for him, herself.
She was allowed so few opportunities for amusement, after all...what was the harm in finding some wherever she could?
Forcing down a twitch of the lips as potential names came to mind-Shane, perhaps, or Chad-something indicative of a wealthy upbringing and a lifetime spent playing hands-on sports, given his muscular frame-Cate found that she was suddenly forced to bring herself back to the present as the weight of an icy blue gaze came to rest upon her. And it would have been a lie to pretend she had missed the slight narrowing of his eyes, as he caught on to her apparent distraction, her lips thinning into a line as she forced herself to hold onto that gaze, until he finally seemed satisfied that she had been studiously attentive to his actions the entire time.
"Miss Beckett, you will come with me," He began, barely even waiting for Cate's answering nod of acknowledgement, in favor of turning back towards the other man, his expression stern as he regarded him for a moment, before going on.
"Wipe him and put him back on ice. I won't have him jeopardizing what is to come."
Try though she might to ignore it, Cate was powerless to deny the clenching around her gut in response to the total indifference in those words, her gaze straying back towards her former companion in time to meet his grey-blue eyes before the bodyguard she had been attempting to concoct a name for turned him towards the metal contraption located at the opposite end of the room.
She had never witnessed first-hand what was about to happen to him, but something told her it couldn't be anything good.
…
Some time later that evening, after her companion had rolled away from her, sans pristine dark blue suit, Cate tugged at the silk sheets until they rested beneath her armpits, one dark brow quirked as she tilted her head on the pillow to get a better look at her companion now that she had gained some distance between them. She could not entirely remember when this had started, anymore than she could recall the man's name. But something seemed to indicate that this-arrangement-that existed between them was more for his benefit than her own, her eyes narrowing just a bit as she realized he had glanced back at her over his shoulder after having swung his legs over the edge of the bed, his own expression curiously neutral as he spoke.
"Thank you, Miss Beckett. That was-"
"I know," Cate cut in, trying and failing to entirely ignore how her stomach twisted at the thought of allowing the man to succeed in finishing his compliment, and forcing a smile to her lips as she realized her interjection had garnered the curiosity of the man seated on the edge of the bed as a result, "You're welcome, by the way."
"Not very modest, are you?"
"I wasn't aware that you wanted me to be," Cate cooed, propping herself up on an elbow as the man stood from the edge of the bed, and crossed to the floor to ceiling window, snagging a robe from the back of a chair along the way, "It might get in the way of what you want, after all."
"And what is it that you think I want?"
"What every man wants, I suppose."
"What might that be?"
"Power. And a means for keeping it, of course."
"Hmm," The man hummed, securing the robe with the tie about the waist, and continuing to gaze out at the lawn below the window, despite realizing that the rustling he could hear coming from the general direction of the bed indicated his female companion was likely preparing to move to stand alongside him, "Do you think I need to concern myself with keeping it?"
"Your power? Maybe," Cate admitted, pointedly ignoring the sharp gaze her older companion sent her as she arrived at his side, the moonlight that was streaming in through the large window giving her skin an almost eerie glow, "But isn't that why you have me? And the others like me?"
"Beauty and brains. Who would have thought?"
"I'm more than that. You know it."
"I do," The man confirmed, slipping his hands inside the pockets of his robe, and glancing down at Cate where she stood beside him, a familiar expression of haughty surety on her face that he could not deny was alluring, no matter how he may try, "You certainly remind me of it frequently enough."
"You say that as though it is a bad thing."
"Perhaps it is. A little humility never hurt anyone."
"Says the man who doesn't have an ounce of humility left to him," Cate quipped, tempering the potential repercussions of her words with a hand placed upon the man's arm through the fabric of his robe, the warmth of his skin almost scalding, as it brought a furrow to her brow, "What is it? Something troubles you."
"You are not here to know that, Miss Beckett," The man retorted, withdrawing from her touch, and returning his gaze to the far line of his property through the window once more, "The world stands upon the edge of a knife. It would be our job to push it over that edge, and take control of the rubble the fall leaves behind."
"Starting with the bombing at the shopping center."
"One step in a larger mission."
"But still important," Cate persisted, turning away from the window to face her companion head-on, even in spite of the way in which he never once looked her way in response, "We succeeded, you know. The Winter Soldier and I-"
"And you will be called upon still more in the future. You ought to prepare yourself for what that might entail. Our greater mission does not tolerate failure."
Ignoring the potential risk inherent in her movements, Cate shifted to wedge herself between the glass of the window, and her companion's taller frame, one hand lifted, palm-raised as she regarded him with what might have passed for a sly smile. A pale green glow had formed at the base of her hand, pulsing in time with her heart as she focused on allowing it to grow brighter with every passing moment. And as she watched her companion's blue eyes drift towards it, as though he were a moth drawn to a very potent flame, Cate allowed a small flare of victory to take up residence in her chest, while she leaned up on tiptoe to whisper in the man's ear.
"I do not intend to fail."
Her very life, after all, depended upon her success, and she knew it as well as she knew she needed air in her lungs.
…
(December 31, 1995)
A now-seven year old Cate stood at the edge of the bustling street, her nose scrunched up against the bitter chill in the air while shouts and laughter echoed around her. A sizeable throng was headed towards Times Square, the thrum running through each person passing by Cate's somewhat hidden location giving her every reason to believe that not a one of them would take notice of her, even if she suddenly materialized in their midst. For a moment, she was almost sobered by that realization, her lips turning into a frown as she pondered what things might have been like, had she not been forced out on her own exactly one year ago to the day. She could barely recall her mother, though sometimes, warm blue eyes would flash at her in her memories, trying to persuade her that things would be alright once more. But what she did remember was being discovered, alone in their tiny apartment, and gripped around the arm as soon as the landlord had realized there was no one left to give him his rent.
After that, her recollection of that day had turned into nothing but the harsh sting of gravel digging into her hands, and a choked sob in her throat as she resolved there and then that birthdays and the start of new years were nothing to get excited over at all.
Scowling in response to the thought, Cate forced herself to join the throng on the street, moving at its outer edge as they made their way towards the glistening ball at the center of Times Square. Some small part of her still feared that this entire excursion would prove to be a foolish one. That she was at risk of opening old wounds that would only make her more vulnerable than she already was. She still had not found the item the boy had stolen from her, nor had she managed to relocate him for further questioning. And although that thought seemed determined to linger at the back of her mind, Cate forced herself forward along with the crowd, her desire to feel a part of something bigger, even for just a small moment, outweighing any melancholy she felt over her own solitude.
For the moment, at least, though not one of the strangers milling around her spared a glance in her direction, she was not alone.
That fact alone brought her more comfort than she had felt in quite some time.
Steeled by the realization, Cate rounded the corner after realizing those she moved with intended to do the same, her shorter footsteps causing her to fall back a bit from the side of the young couple she had initially noted in her immediate vicinity. From such a vantage point, she was able to observe them at her leisure. The effortless way in which the man wound his arm around the woman's shoulder. How that woman leaned into him, in response, her dark hair falling across his bicep as she moved closer still, and placed her lips against his cheek. The answering smile that the man gave, in return. It had always amazed her, that human beings were capable of such gentleness, and though she knew the connection made little to no sense, Cate found her thoughts straying back to her mother, whether she wanted them to or not, the memory of the soft caresses against her hair, or the occasional press of lips against her cheek warming her heart, even as she felt the sting of tears behind her eyes.
She missed her mother, particularly on today of all days, and try though she might to steel herself against the sudden desire to feel those familiar arms around her once again, Cate was not entirely capable of succeeding, her footsteps faltering just a bit, and forcing her to step to the side of the procession to avoid being trampled by the persistent flow of people moving past.
Perhaps that was what rendered her vulnerable to the sudden sensation of a hand coiling around her arm in an iron grip, a startled yelp dying in her throat as she recognized that in her distraction, her attacker had been capable of placing a cloth over her mouth and nose, the stench of whatever it contained causing her to struggle in vain before her vision darkened, and she knew no more.
That moment, of course, would soon prove to be the beginning of the end.
…
"What did they take?"
"That's still unclear," Hill replied, standing beside the rubble with her arms crossed against her chest, her gaze never once moving from the emergency responders, and the clean-up crew that worked amidst the ruins, despite registering the distinctive presence of her employer at her side, "I'm sorry, boss. I know you expected better."
"Don't be. We'll get there," The man assured, the words that may have been comforting surprisingly hollow as he stood a mere hairsbreadth away from the brunette, hands clasped behind his back, "They must have had something hidden here. The only way to get it out was to destroy the whole damn place."
"The men I've already spoken to mentioned that they've failed to find a point of origin for the blast. It's as if it simply-started from nowhere."
"Nothing starts from nowhere, Agent Hill-"
"You think we have another enhanced on our hands."
The words were utterly devoid of any emotion, a simple statement of facts, though the man did not miss the flicker of something not all that far from concern in his companion's blue eyes, regardless. He too was somewhat troubled by the thought, particularly as the person in question was clearly operating at the behest of the enemy. But he was not even close to allowing that suspicion to get in the way of the task at hand.
Not when the lives of so many people were depending upon his success.
"Find out everything you can about what went on here, and report back," He began, effectively diverting the woman's attention and bringing her gaze to rest solely upon him as he turned from the destruction before them, and prepared to depart, "And Hill?"
"Yeah, Nick?"
"Make sure everyone here knows not to talk freely about what they find to anyone but us."
If the man knew anything at all, it was that even the remotest leak of intel about their suspicions would send the people responsible for the destruction of the shopping center scurrying underground like the damned frightened rats they were.
That was an occurrence that he knew they simply could not afford.
…
Hello, my angels! And welcome to chapter two in Cate's tale! It seems this one may have gotten away from me, both with the flashback, and the little snippet that came after, but I hope that the lingering uncertainty about what exactly it was that Cate and our favorite Winter Soldier were searching for is not too troubling. I promise all will be revealed in time!
As always, my heartfelt thanks go out to each and every one of you that has taken the time to read this story thus far and give it a chance! Special thanks, of course, to my followers, and those who favorited as well, and a very special shout-out to phoward for leaving such a lovely review! I truly do appreciate the support, more than you know, and I cannot wait to see what everyone thinks, this time around!
Until next time, darlings…
MOMM