Steve crept down the smoky hallway. He remembered creeping down a different smoky hallway, on his way to rescue Bucky, and fear clenched his heart. He remembered the first time he'd seen Wanda. He remembered how he had seen himself in her scared eyes.
The halway branched off a couple times and Steve followed the one with the most red smoke. He came to a big door with steel locks. Red wisps seemed to pull at him, bringing him closer.
He stepped forward and threw his shoulder into the door. It made a groaning sound like the wood was breaking. He rammed his shoulder into it again, and again until the wood splintered.
Steve burst into room, ready for the fight he was sure would come. Instead he was met with a room full of thick red smoke that clouded his vision. Steve held his hands out in front of him. Every muscle in his body was tense, every sense tingling.
"Wanda!" Steve called out to the smoke.
He blinked and suddenly the room was clear, empty, and silent. Somewhere to his left, a clock continued to tick.
Time seemed to slow, his limbs felt like they were moving through molasses. A door closed behind him and Steve whirled around. She walked toward him, her black heels clicking on the floor, a red dress swishing at her knees, her curls bouncing at her shoulders. Her red lips broke into a smile, those dark eyes sparkled. She stopped in front of him, so close he could smell the scent of cinnamon and vanilla.
"You're late for our dance," she said, she accented voice washing over him. Steve opened his mouth but before he could speak someone laughed over his shoulder.
"I'm invisible. Oh no I'm turning into you, this is a nightmare." Bucky's smile reflected that he was only joking.
Peggy slipped her hand through Steve's arm and guided him to the floor.
"I don't dance," Steve whispered. "I'd only step on your feet."
She leaned closer. "Maybe you just haven't danced with the right partner yet."
And then she' was gone and Steve was back in the clouded room, clutching at the empty space she should have been in. That hole in his chest throbbing with no way to ease the pain. The red smoke seemed to fill his lungs, making him choke.
"Wanda," he called out, shaking himself from the vision.
Wanda stepped forward,making herself visible.
"Wanda," Steve breathed in relief, stepping forward, arms out. Wanda recoiled.
"No," she gasped. "Don't come any closer. I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't," Steve kept his palms up. "It's okay, everything's gonna be fine."
"I can't control it." Wanda sounded on the verge of tears.
"I know. It's okay. Okay?"
It broke Steve's heart to see Wanda in pain. She was almost like a little sister to him, and he could feel the anger rising in his chest ready to burst out. Steve reached out and grabbed her elbows. He looked down into her eyes that were glowing with red energy. Her sweaty tangled hair framed her terrified face. "I'm gonna get you out, it'll be okay. I promise."
"Hey," a voice called from behind, accompanied by quick footsteps making Wanda jump.
"Hey relax it's me," Daisy said, coming up to them. "Here," she said, handing them the Cease syringe. "I was able to confirm that this is the antidote for Invoke."
Steve injected Wanda without hesitation. The smoke began to dissipate almost at once. The glowing in Wanda's eyes disappeared. She staggered, suddenly dizzy with exhaustion. Steve reached out and grabbed her to support her.
"Okay, so out that hallway, three lefts two rights then left again is the rest of the prisoners."
Steve looked down at Wanda who was trying to compose herself.
"I'm alright," she said.
"Let's go," Steve nodded.
The trio moved down the halway. After the first two left turns they encountered two rows of guards kneeling on the ground, long guns pointed at them. Daisy stepped forward as the bullets began to fly toward them. She raised her hands and pushed the air toward them, sending the bullets back into them and the guards flying back through the wall.
"Well," Steve said after a moment of stunned silence. "That's," he paused.
"Helpful." Daisy smiled over her shoulder and kept walking. Another left, and a right and then Daisy stopped, her face scrunching into a frown.
"What?" Steve asked apprehensively.
"Someone's in there." Daisy said nodding to the door on the left side of the halway. Daisy brushed her fingertips over the wooden surface. She pushed the air through the lock, breaking it. She pushed the door open and swallowed her next breath.
"Hi," she said uncertaintly. "Um, Agent? Yeah, well someone's here to see you."
Daisy stepped inside the room. Steve peeked inside in time to watch Phil Coulson rise from the chair he had been bound to. He felt the blood drain from his face. He opened his mouth to say something but then closed it again. He crossed his arms and scratched the side of his face.
"You, uh, you're the, um." He looked helplessly at Daisy. "He's the surprise guy?"
Daisy nodded hesitantly.
"But, um, you're kind of. Uh, you're dead. You've actually been dead for like a long time?"
Coulson sighed looking at his feet. "Captain, it's good to see you."
"Yeah, it's good to see you. How are you alive, exactly?"
"Fury had this S.H.I.E.L.D. program to bring me back. Don't worry, the program's down."
"So how long have you been - No I'm not going to ask," Steve said, stepping forward, his shock giving way to anger. "But after this is all over I want the whole story. And I want to have a little talk with Fury."
"Of course."
"Should we get moving?" Daisy asked tentatively.
"Yep," Steve said, trying to shake the overwhelming feeling of betrayal. "Let's go get everyone back."
He couldn't help but look at her different. She had lied, well not lied exactly, just not told him. Steve straightened his shoulders as he walked, trying to project the confidence he didn't feel. He tried to ignore the feeling that he was walking into a fight with people who had proven their loyalty did not lay with him.