AN: Hopefully this chapter isn't too rushed, even though it feels as if it is...

Chapter Sixty Eight

The world felt as if it was all one wild blur around her. She could sense everything in her surroundings, from the room she was in, to the fact that she wasn't alone. Occasionally, she would hear voices in the background. Some of them were angry, while others sounded guilty. Of all the sounds in the room that had annoyed Ada the most was the heart-rate monitor going off every few seconds.

Her mind had been drifting in and out of consciousness over the last few hours. Since she lost consciousness entirely at the compound, she saw flashes of what appeared to be movement across her vision. Ada was aware that she had been moved from the compound to another facility, though she wasn't entirely sure where.

For what felt like an eternity, Ada didn't move.

She was too afraid of what her mother would do if she was still in control. The rational part of her mind kept telling her that Nadia was no longer present. Yet that didn't stop her from worrying over what would happen if her mother was somehow able to regain control over her.

The realization that her mother would have killed everyone in sight was only just beginning to sink in. Ada's heart began to sink further and further as she imagined what would have happened if she had given her mother the chance to do so.

All for the sake of petty revenge, Ada nearly rolled her eyes at the thought. Though, she could understand what had driven her mother to such rage. The Aliquid had suffered from so much over the past centuries. She supposed that Nadia did have a good reason for wanting to hurt those that had hunted down her people like wild animals.

"It's good to see that you're finally awake." Ada flinched when she heard the sound of Banner's voice. Her eyes snapped open the moment she realized she wasn't in a hospital. Instead, she was laying on a bed surrounded by machinery that constantly checked her vitals. She grimaced the moment she tried moving, and Banner reacted almost immediately. "You're gonna be in pain for the next few days… I tried using a mild sedative to help, but it seems your body rejected it."

"My powers were probably just defending me against it," she guessed, wincing at how hoarse her voice sounded. Banner threw her a look of concern as he went over to a nearby counter and grabbed a glass of water. Relief swept through her when he returned to the bed she was currently resting on and handed her the now filled glass. "They were using some kind of drug to weaken them."

Though Banner nodded in understanding at her explanation, he was still unhappy with the fact that those scientists had used drugs in the first place. She frowned as she recalled how many times they had injected those drugs into her body. Any normal human would have likely succumbed to the drug. Even though the drugs had been able to dampen her powers, that didn't mean they found some way of fending it off for as long as they could.

Nadia was the one who explained to her that she had the ability to adapt to whatever situation the world threw at her. For once, Ada was only just beginning to understand how extensive that ability was. The Aliquid were made to survive whatever the cruel world threw at them. Ada was living proof of that.

"Where is everyone?"

She was almost afraid of asking that question. Because of what had happened back at the compound, she wasn't in any hurry to face anyone at the moment. But she was also worried that Nadia managed to hurt someone during the fight.

Banner frowned as he turned to look at her thoughtfully. He had so much more to say than this. Ada chewed the bottom of her lip when she noticed just how tired he looked, both mentally and physically. She never wanted any of this to happen in the first place, but it was too late for her to take anything back.

With a heavy sigh, the doctor rubbed his forehead and sat down on a nearby chair, "They're all waiting in the penthouse. They wanted to stay a few extra days until you woke up."

For a moment, Ada wasn't sure what to say. She was grateful for the fact that everyone had chosen to stay just to make sure she had recovered. But at the same time, she had a feeling that their decisions hadn't necessarily been made by them. She nearly rolled her eyes once again as she wondered how much Tony bribed them to make them stay.

"What'd dad say to convince them?" she asked out loud.

"He didn't need to convince anyone," Banner reassured her with a small smile. Ada rose an eyebrow in disbelief as he looked at her thoughtfully. "Ada, I don't think you realize how much you've won over the team since we formed. Heck, even before we became a team."

It took a few seconds for his words to sink in. She couldn't hide the small smile that followed, despite everything that had happened. She often found herself wondering how that had happened, considering almost everyone she'd met over the years compared her to a pain in the ass.

"So, I take it he didn't want the hospital figuring out where the injuries came from?" she asked once Banner finished checking to make sure that she was okay.

"Too many questions would've been asked," he admitted while rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Something tells me they wouldn't take it too well if they found the drugs that were used."

Ada frowned at that. No, the nurses and doctors probably would have asked dozens of questions revolving around why she had been injected with drugs in the first place. She wasn't in any hurry to explain that, or why she had been injured as well.

She could already imagine what Director Fury was going to say to all of this when he got word of what had happened. She had no doubt in the back of her mind that he would find out. Natasha and Clint were the ones who normally reported anything that changed within the team dynamics, and what had happened back at the compound was something that needed to be reported.

"How'd they stop me?" she asked once that was settled.

"Romanoff shot you."

Both Ada and Banner cringed at the sound of Tony's voice. Her face fell when she saw him approaching the room with a look that told her she was in for an earful. Most of this had been her fault in the first place. If she had chosen to stay rather than go to London, none of this would have happened.

I'm glad someone took the initiative to do the right thing, she thought while looking at nothing in particular guiltily. She knew that Natasha wouldn't have had a problem breaking protocol if it meant keeping everyone safe. Even if it risked losing a teammate in the process.

"I'm guessing that you had a field day with her after that was over," she nearly rolled her eyes when Tony crossed his arms over his chest. "It was the only way to stop her… my mother was going to kill everyone she saw in that compound, teammate or not."

Tony let out a sigh of frustration as he unfolded his arms and closed the distance between them. Ada was already bracing herself for the scolding that would likely follow. When it didn't happen, she looked at Tony in surprise until he suddenly wrapped his arms around her, ignoring the IV bags and the heart monitor attached to her arms.

"I don't give a damn whether it was the right thing to do or not," he snapped. "Ada, I almost lost you. And that sure as hell scared the shit out of me."

She simply offered a guilty smile at that. Despite the situation they were in, she knew that things could have been worse. When she tried begging Steve to shoot her, she realized that wasn't going to happen. The conflict of guilt and regret had stalled him, and it gave Nadia a chance to fire back.

"You of all people should know by now that I'm willing to do whatever it takes to keep everyone safe," she reminded him.

Tony threw her a disapproving look when she gave him a charming smile, despite feeling like crap.

"I do know that," he sighed irritably. "And I hate knowing that I know that."

Ada couldn't hide the sheepish smirk that followed. By now, Banner had finished checking to make sure that she was clear of whatever drugs had been affecting her system. The good news was, she found herself in more control than she had been at the compound. The bad news: She wasn't sure if she wanted to put the necklace on again after the way her mother had taken control of her.

"How many people were hurt?" she asked once Banner gave her the all-clear.

She was grateful that he'd agreed to look after her when she was taken back to the Tower. As a doctor, he had the medical training required to look after injuries. But it also meant adding pressure to him that he didn't necessarily deserve.

"Don't do that to yourself, kiddo," Tony quickly scolded her after she hopped off the bed.

To Ada's relief, she was able to move around without feeling too much pain. There was still a dull throbbing in the back of her head, but she suspected that was from the sedatives Banner tried using on her. Thankfully, those sedatives would wear off within a few hours.

"Look, I know that I hurt people… and truthfully, I hate myself for letting Nadia take control the way she did," she admitted.

They were already headed for the elevator where they would meet the others in the penthouse. Another shiver swept through Ada as she imagined every worse-case scenario happening if Nadia did take control of her again. She knew the end results wouldn't be pretty.

"Ada, don't you dare blame yourself for the shit that happened back there!" Tony suddenly snapped at her. Ada flinched when she felt his gaze boring through her as the elevator slowly reached its destination. "You weren't in control of what happened, and those assholes deserved whatever hell you threw at them."

Ada rose an eyebrow as she saw some reasoning behind his statement. Yet, that didn't stop her from feeling guilty for what had happened.

As they reached the main penthouse, Ada noticed that everyone waiting around acted more subdued than usual. After everything that had happened, she couldn't necessarily blame them. She was suddenly thankful that the chaos from earlier hadn't been worse. Banner hadn't warned her of the extensive damage she caused when Nadia was in control.

"Glad to see you've made a full recovery," Clint remarked when he finally noticed their arrival.

"Define 'full recovery'," she muttered under her breath.

It was going to take time for her to fully recover from what had happened. Even if she had physically recovered from the attack and the fact that someone had been in control of her, that didn't mean she felt physically okay.

The archer just rose an eyebrow at her comment while Tony nearly rolled his eyes. Though he still looked mildly concerned for her safety after noticing how she was keeping her distance from everyone else. It wasn't until Pepper emerged from the kitchen that Ada found herself stiffening in surprise at the feeling of arms wrapping around her.

"We were so worried about you," she remarked after giving Ada a bear hug.

"Worried is a bit of an understatement," Clint scoffed once they headed for the main living area. "Stark wouldn't shut his trap around Natasha after the whole shooting fiasco."

Ada threw Tony a scowl when she realized what Clint was implying. She had no doubt that Tony would resort to such levels of immaturity. Natasha had been doing the right thing when she fired her gun. Ada only wished that she could have thought of reaching out to her sooner. It would have saved them the mess of going through all of that.

"She could've killed you with that bullet, and you know that," Tony retorted when he noticed the look she was giving him. His movements were a little slower, as if he'd been contemplating his own behavior over the last couple of days. It was clear that neither he nor Pepper had been getting much sleep since they returned, and the guilt from earlier suddenly came rushing back. "I'm not in any hurry to lose my baby girl."

"Dad, for the last time, it was the right thing to do," she snapped. She couldn't meet Natasha or Steve's questioning gazes when they finally reached the living area. Even Clint frowned at the determination in her voice. She would have asked Natasha to do so a hundred times if it meant keeping everyone safe. And she knew that was what got under Tony's skin. "Look, Nadia was willing to kill everyone that stood in her path. You and I both know the only way of stopping her was by putting me in some kind of shock."

Tony gave her a hard look after he realized what she was willing to do to keep everyone else safe. He was ready to say something else when he thought better of it. He was already pissed off enough for what had happened. He knew he was going to push her over the edge if he continued confronting the issue.

There was something almost unnerving about how ready she was to accept whatever fate the world threw at her. One of the many reasons she joined SHIELD in the first place was to help people, and to figure out more about her powers. Now, she was beginning to understand the real reason behind her joining the agency. She knew that Steve had the same ideals. He'd been willing to play the sacrifice card when it was needed, and he would likely do so again.

"What happened back there wasn't your fault," Natasha deadpanned with a knowing look.

The redhead had been watching her closely, and Ada had no doubt that Natasha had read her like an open book.

"I'm beginning to think that everyone's going to say that now," she muttered with a roll of her eyes.

Not that I can't blame them though, she thought bitterly. She shook her head at the thought, and she was about to say something else when she caught the look Steve was giving her. She was dreading the moment when they would have to talk again. After the way Steve had reacted during the fight in the compound, she worried over what he was going to say.

"Can we talk?" he suddenly asked after clearing his throat.

"Yeah," she gave a curt nod, ignoring the look Tony was giving them along the way.

Despite what had happened earlier, she wasn't in the mood to deal with his overprotective behavior. Tony was the kind of person who would go out of his way and track them down if they spent more time together than he liked. Though she had a feeling that after what had happened back there, Steve wouldn't be in any hurry to pull off any moves.

It didn't take them long to reach the balcony that overlooked the streets of Manhattan. Ada found herself chewing the bottom of her lip as every fear of how the conversation would go played across her mind

I don't know why I'm so wrapped up in this, she tried scolding herself. It wasn't as if there was anything developing between them in the first place. Steve saw her as nothing more than a teammate and possibly a friend, if they were even that. She knew that the odds of actually seeing him as anything more were slim. Besides, after what had happened recently, she wouldn't have blamed him for wanting nothing to do with her.

"I'm sorry for what happened back there," she suddenly cut through the awkward silence that followed. Steve just frowned and stared at her for a few seconds as she struggled to formulate the right words. Hell, she wasn't even sure how to explain why she felt the way she did. "I shouldn't have pushed you into doing something you weren't comfortable with. It wasn't fair to you or anyone else for that matter."

For a moment, she was afraid to look him in the eye when he did something that caught her completely off guard. Her heart was nearly pounding in her chest when he suddenly closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms around her in a warm embrace. Ada froze from the immediate contact, unsure of how to react. But as his warmth began to provide the comfort she had been longing for, she suddenly buried her face into his chest in the vein attempt to hide her shock.

"I'm not letting you blame yourself for something you had no control over, Ada," the Super Soldier reassured her. Ada couldn't help but look up. Though he didn't look sympathetic, his voice was laced with it. "There's a reason why I froze when you asked me to shoot you."

"And I'm guessing it had nothing to do with my raging mother trying to destroy the whole compound?" she asked.

She flinched when she realized too late what she had asked. The more she thought about it, the more she almost wished that her mother could have destroyed that compound. The Black Knights were going to make a return. She couldn't shake off the feeling that this wasn't the last time they would see them.

"No, it wasn't," he shook his head, though Ada wasn't sure whether he was being serious or not. "Ada, I couldn't pull the trigger because you mean too much to me. Losing you… it would hurt."

More than he could admit out loud. Ada swallowed hard when a lump formed in the back of her throat. Though he wouldn't say it out loud, she understood the hidden meaning behind his words. The world nearly stood still when he did something that left her heart racing for a whole different reason. The moment their lips met was when all other thoughts dissipated. For a long few minutes, neither of them moved. Ada wasn't even sure what to say at that point as realization finally dawned on her.

Steve was kissing her. And he wasn't even phased with the idea that the others were waiting in the other room. Her mind was still trying to recover from the initial surprise when he suddenly pulled away, concern clouding his blue eyes.

"Was that your first kiss?" she finally cut through the awkward silence that followed.

"Possibly," he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly while trying to hide the reddening of his cheeks. "I'm sorry—"

"Don't apologize," she cut him off before he could finish. She knew where that conversation was headed, and if he felt guilty for making the first move, she wasn't going to condemn him for it. If anything, Steve was the one who had taken her by surprise. She hadn't expected him to kiss her, or for their conversation to take the turn it had. "I just think that… that if we do decide to take things to the next level, we need to be careful about it."

That, Steve was all too quick to agree with.

"Would you consider going on a date?" Ada merely blinked when Steve asked that question.

How long has it been since he had the chance to ask something like that? she wondered after noticing just how awkward he was acting now. She wasn't used to seeing him like this. True, he had his moments where his era would shine through, but he normally tried to hide it.

"A date would be wonderful," she finally nodded in agreement, hoping to make the situation less awkward than it already was. "But only if you promise to act like yourself."

She didn't want or need a sense of professionalism between them if they were going out on a date. Besides, it would be a chance of getting to know one another better. Steve looked at her thoughtfully for a few seconds, as if he really considered what she was implying.

"Deal," he conceded after giving it some thought. "Tomorrow night."

Ada couldn't hide the small smile that followed when she realized what agreement they just made. They were going on a date. And that thought alone was enough to leave her mind spinning as she tried to register what just happened between them.