Hey guys! It's been THREE years since I've last posted on this story. I can't believe it. So sorry!
Last night I was checking my email and I found an old review, and I just had to continue writing this. I've got a big chunk of the plot mapped out. Can't wait to share it with you guys. Hope you're still on board!
Chapter 7
Sharon grunted as she evaded a sidekick to her face, and took a few steps back to breathe and assess her opponent. Wanda was panting just as much as she was, her dark red hair falling out of a ponytail. They'd been going at it for more than ten minutes without a break, and it had been one of their longest sparing matches since they'd started to practice together.
It'd been a good idea to ask Wanda to be her sparring partner, both because she could use a less experienced fighter right after leaving the infirmary – it's not like she could take on Black Panther after weeks of rehabilitation -, and because it gave Sharon something relevant to do. Wanda could do just fine with her powers, but once she was without them, her fighting skills were vastly underdeveloped. It'd been Steve's requirement for her to know how to beat a skilled opponent with no powers, specially since Wanda knew how horrible it felt to be unable to make use of them when she was in prison.
Circling around the mat, Sharon was growing surprisingly out of ideas of how to get an advantage on Wanda. Considering the Scarlet Witch had been training everyday with at least two Avengers, she was getting really good on hand-to-hand combat. Sharon tried a combination of quick jabs and punches, and could connect a jab with Wanda's right shoulder. She quickly followed her opponent's getting off guard with a kick to the sheens, expecting Wanda to lose her balance, but she quickly rolled on the mat and came up on the other side. Before she could catch her breath, Sharon was already on the attack again.
She made a move as if starting a roundhouse kick, and when Wanda raised her arm to block it, changed her leg's direction and kicked her straight in the stomach, being careful not to hit her too strongly. Wanda flew back a couple of steps and fell flat on her back. It was over. Sharon walked over to where she was and extended a hand. "Sorry if that hurt you," she said.
Wanda opened her eyes and took her hand, grimacing as she stood up. "Don't worry," she answered. "That was a really cool move."
"Thanks". They walked over to the benches across the room and took long gulps from their bottles of water. Sharon was getting back into shape fast, but it was still frustrating to leave the training room so out of breath after barely going through a spar. Granted, she hadn't been a master at hand-to-hand combat and her physical conditioning wasn't nearly as good as Avengers such as Steve or Natasha, but back in S.H.I.E.L.D. she'd been proud to have been one of the very best of her class.
Despite receiving positive feedback from the boys whenever they watched a sparring session between her and Wanda, Sharon feared she'd never be good enough to be a part of the team. She was a fantastic shooter, but even that had been taken from her because of her hand injuries. She now had trouble keeping her aim still and precise, due to phantom pains she felt in her fingers. It was a work in progress and physiotherapy had been tremendous help, but she wondered how much longer she'd have to practice as if the world hadn't gone to hell in those two months.
After that first day out of the infirmary when Steve asked her to have breakfast with them, a tentative friendship had started between her and the other Avengers. They'd actually welcomed her as part of the family, knowing the risks she'd taken for them and that she'd remained loyal to Steve until the very end, even under torture. Sam was the easiest guy to start a friendship with, but she soon hit it off with the others as well. Wanda seemed glad to have another woman nearby, even if it took them a few weeks to open up to each other. Scott left after a month there, deciding it was too much of a risk to leave his family exposed and open to harassment from the government. He was now living in the same city as them, but under cover and without any contact.
In Wakanda, Steve and the others were assigned a compound close to T'Challa's quarters and palace – as it was, the infirmary and research compound that Steve had graciously called a Palace was a couple of miles away, since Bucky was there and T'Challa didn't feel like explaining why a winter soldier was living under his roof. They had everything they could possibly need there, from a training room, to technology that enabled them to see what was happening on the outside and gave them private access to the UN, CIA and other intelligence and communication agencies' reports and missions. That meant they were up to date with the fallout of the airport fight and the Sokovia accords, and the Avengers' attempt – especially Tony – to get back into the public's good graces. The news that Captain America had become public enemy number one hadn't gone down well in America, as one might imagine.
So, those two months had been full of training and getting acquainted with Wakanda and their people, but not of doing anything. Most of Sharon's days were filled with sparring matches such as the one she had just finished with Wanda, talking to the others, exploring Wakanda and tiptoeing around the elephant in the room. That being, of course, her attraction to Steve.
"So, anything you want to talk about?" Wanda's voice ripped Sharon out of her own thoughts.
After being confused for a couple of seconds thinking Wanda was asking about Steve (not that she hadn't in other occasions), Sharon realized she was actually asking for some feedback on the fight.
"Try not to look where you're going for. I think you did that once or twice and it was pretty easy to block it," Sharon said. "Otherwise, it's all good. I don't really remember the specifics since I was worried about not getting my ass handled to me."
Wanda chuckled and leaned back against the wall. "Half the time I don't really know what I'm doing, it's getting more automatic each time."
"That's good" Sharon said. "It means your body is taking over and you're not overthinking each move."
"It gives my mind a chance to wander." Wanda stared at nothing "I'm not sure that's a good thing."
Sharon understood the sentiment. Despite not having much to do now, it was infinitely better than when she left the infirmary, mainly because then she had nothing to do and was left alone with her thoughts. Steve's daily visit and the nurse's checking in were the highlights of those few days. She still wasn't strong enough to go back to training and her fingers were so useless she couldn't even read a book without pain. Her mind would wander back to CIA's headquarters, to the pain she'd felt and how her mind came at the brink of breaking. Some nights, she'd wake up seconds away from screaming and would take hours to go back to sleep. She knew Steve would be worried if he ever knew, so she never told him – or anyone, for that matter.
Going back to training gave her a purpose, and even if she could only fall asleep due to sheer exhaustion, it was better than the alternative.
"I know how you feel," Sharon said, taking Wanda's hand. "But training can be of help if you know how to use it. Channel your feelings through your body, and it might give you some release. Just do it without your powers, to be safe. Wouldn't want the compound to be blasted apart."
Wanda smiled a bit, a bit of light returning to her eyes. "It's good to have someone to talk. Thanks."
Sharon smiled back. "Don't worry."
The door of the training room opening took them both by surprise, as they didn't expect any of the guys to be home so soon. Sam and Steve had taken their training up to a mountain twenty minutes from the city this morning, either to give the girls plenty of space to do their own thing or because they'd grown tired of fighting indoors.
"Hey", Sam called from the doorway. "We need you at the palace. Okoye said it's an emergency."
"Steve?" Wanda asked.
"Already there"
Since people in Wakanda didn't use the word emergency at a regular basis, Sharon and Wanda just put on their shoes and left home with Sam, who had a small vehicle parked outside waiting for them. Sharon couldn't help feeling excitement over the prospect that something, anything, would happen to change their routine. As much as it felt nice to have a place to rest and get back on their feet, she was sure two months of laying low was a bit too much for all of them.
Twenty minutes later they were entering the room Okoye and T'Challa held most meetings in Wakanda. A long smart table was at the center of the room, and Steve had been saying something to T'Challa when they opened the door. There were schematics of a map and different reports already opened in front of them. Sharon nodded to them and moved to stand across from Steve.
"What's the emergency?" Wanda asked, her quiet demeanour at the training room already gone.
"I was checking the UN's daily reports and activities concerning Sokovia and the Avengers, and I found a written request by Mr. Stark for the Avengers to interfere in a local conflict in Russia. Bratva's been dealing weapons of mass destruction for the past six months, but they plan on taking out one of the biggest strongholds of Tambov, their rival gang."
Sharon didn't expect Okoye to start talking about Russia, least of all about Russian gangs. From the look on Sam's face, he didn't either.
"Why do the Avengers want to interfere with Russian mob business?" Sharon asked.
"Because of this" Steve answered, and opened a map that Sharon immediately identified as St. Petersburg. "Tambov's famous for conducting transactions in train stations discreetly. They can get the money across city and loose anyone tracking them. They'll receive a payment of 2 billion rubles tomorrow from a Polish representative in one of the deepest stations of the city, and according to the reports, Bratva has planted a bomb in the station."
"How many civilian casualties are we talking about?" Wanda asked.
"The meeting will take place at 6pm in a central train station. If the bomb goes off, it could go all the way to the surface and kill everyone close to it. 500 civilians at least," T'CHalla said.
From the context of the meeting, Sharon already knew what Steve's answer would partially be, but she still asked the question everyone was wondering. "So what was the answer to Tony's request?"
"It was denied," Steve said, sighing. "Bratva funds one of the factions inside the UN, not to mention their agents inside the Russian government. If this bomb goes off, it could start a civil war in Russia."
Sharon shook her head. That was one of the reasons Steve had been against the Accords in the first place. The UN had several agents from all over the world infiltrated and ready to push their agendas on the Avengers. They would never be able to interfere in conflicts that would harm criminal organizations. Which meant there was no one with the jurisdiction to act.
Legally, anyway.
"So what's our plan?" Sam asked. "We can't stand by while hundreds of people are blasted to bits. I assume that's why you called us."
"Infiltrate the train station, disarm the bomb, and leave before anyone notices we're there," Steve said, pointing to a specific train symbol on the map in front of him. "Admiralteyskaya station is one of the busiest stations in St Petersburg, and it connects different museums. We can use that as our disguise on the way back. The meeting is set to happen at 6pm sharp, but I want us to be there at 2 in the morning, before the station opens. CIA is sure the bomb is already in place."
"How do we know where the bomb is?" Sharon asked. "It's not like we have a connection inside Bratva."
"Shuri will help you with that," T'Challa answered. "We have means of detecting bombs and other devices from a mile away."
Sharon nodded. Shuri had the brightest mind she'd ever seen.
"We don't expect anyone to be there, but there's still a chance of conflict. I was told Okoye and Shuri would provide us with suits and gear for the mission. I'll send each of you a map and blueprint of the city and train station so you can get acquainted. It's about 12 hours from Wakanda, so we need to leave at midday if we want to arrive in St Petersburg and prepare before heading to the station."
"Count us in," Sam said with a new glint in his eye. Sharon could already feel the excitement in the room building over the mission and the chance to do something important.
"Aren't we trying to stop Bratva from receiving the payment?" Wanda asked. Sharon admitted she'd thought the same thing.
"Too risky. Someone could recognize us, and in a busy station it's impossible to know where the hostiles are. We could get shot in the back and not even see where the bullet came from. Besides, it's not our goal to defeat the Russian mob, but to help civilians."
Sharon lowered her eyes, least everyone notices she was looking at Steve like a lovesick idiot. One of the many things she loved about him was how he was a hero at heart – He didn't care about changing government policies or bureaucracy, only about saving lives and doing the right thing. Which is what the Avengers should do. She couldn't understand how Tony could submit to the government after what happened to S.H.I.E.L.D. It went against everything Peggy taught her.
As T'Challa and Okoye left to check on Shuri's gadgets and discuss which aircraft they should take on the mission to avoid suspicion, Wanda sighed. "So we're back to the field. What happens if we don't succeed?"
"This isn't Lagos," Steve said, walking over to her. "And you won't hurt anyone at two in the morning. Besides, you have much better control over your powers."
She nodded, eyes suspiciously bright. Sharon realized how similar to Lagos the mission and the consequences to them failing would be. The weight on Wanda's shoulders shouldn't be easy to carry even if it hadn't been her fault that all those people died. She had done her best to contain the explosion.
Sam looked to the door, and she started moving with him to leave the room as well. "Sharon," Steve called, and she looked back. "Wait. We need to talk."
"I'd better take a shower and grab something to eat before we go," Wanda said, wiping her nose and smiling at Sharon before leaving with Sam, an arm thrown across her shoulders like he was her brother.
Which left Sharon and Steve alone in the meeting room, an awkward silence filling it to the brim. They were on excellent terms since Sharon left the infirmary, even though the air felt electric and she was aware of every move he made even across the room when he was nearby. There'd been no talk about the kiss they'd shared, and how she withstood torture for him. In fact, they talked about everything but those things. Bucky, training, their plans after everything settled down… but never about how they felt about each other.
And that made the problem even worse.
"What do you want to talk about?" Sharon asked, crossing her arms.
Steve thought about his words for a second. "I need to know if you're okay with this mission. If you're ready, that is. The others didn't have the injuries you did, and I'm not sure it's wise for you to go out on the field so soon."
"You mean almost three months afterwards?" Sharon asked in disbelief. "I'm almost in peak condition. You've sparred with me more than once… You know I'm fine."
"Fighting in the training room and fighting a hostile are two very different things. I know you're physically healthy, but can you handle the mission? I've seen how you tremble when you shoot," he took her hand and searched her gaze when she averted it. "It's okay if you need more time, Sharon. I don't want to push you into something you're not comfortable with."
"Thank you for worrying about me, but it's fine. I want to do this." She squeezed his hand, and he returned the motion. "I tremble because of phantom pain, not trauma."
She knew he wasn't fully convinced – she was lying, kind of. Whenever she had to concentrate on shooting, she'd break a cold sweat and memories of her interrogation would come back to her. It didn't make any sense, since she hadn't been shot at or anything, but it was what it was. Add the phantom pain to it, and it would be three times as hard to shoot accurately.
Steve didn't know the full extent of how she felt regarding her torture, or how she'd still wake up gasping every now and then from nightmares, but he was always careful not to bring it up, and to be as gentle as possible when he did. He was there for her everyday after she left the infirmary, and they became closer friends that either of them felt comfortable with. Not because they didn't like each other, but because they liked each other too much. Their attraction was palpable to anyone who bothered to stay in the same room for more than a minute, but neither Steve nor Sharon had brought it up.
It was driving her crazy.
Steve sighed and then nodded.
"Well, then I'll see you midday." Sharon dropped his hand and turned around to leave. Before she left the room, though, she heard his voice calling her again.
"Sharon?" She stopped. "You're right about one thing. I do worry about you. More than you know."
She turned her head and gave him a small smile. "I know".