Five months before...
The cell is cold, as always.
Damp concrete presses against my back, the faint hum of fluorescent lights overhead settling into the marrow of my bones.
I curl my knees to my chest, shivering despite the thin blanket on the cot. Wanda's voice hums at the edges of my mind— soft, steady, a thread of human connection in a place designed to strip that away.
Did you find anything else out about the Avengers? I push the thought toward her, fragile, like tossing a message into the void.
Not yet, she answers, her voice brushing against my consciousness like a whisper carried on smoke, All I know is that Strucker seems more worried with every coming day.
I press my lips together, heart lifting despite myself, That's good, right? That means they could be coming for me?
Her silence stretches before she sighs, I still don't understand how you can be so eager to get out of here.
How can you be so eager to stay? I snap, bitterness tightening my chest.
I volunteered for this. I am exactly where I want to be.
Miserable?
I am not miserable.
Yeah, right.
I'm not. I am content for the sake of my country. Her tone is firm, almost rehearsed, like she's reciting something she's told herself a hundred times.
I shake my head, pacing the small span of my cell, You could do so much more outside these walls.
You don't know that. Strucker is my best bet right now. At least here we are protected.
More like imprisoned.
It beats being helpless. You of all people should know how difficult it is to be stuck in a helpless situation— how infuriating and frustrating it is.
Her words cut deeper than I expect, You of all people should know that me being stuck here is almost as bad as being stuck with an abusive dad and an empire on my shoulders!
There's a pause. Her voice softens, Why not just escape? With your capabilities, it shouldn't be difficult, no?
I stare down at my trembling hands, sparks of gold flickering at my fingertips before fizzling out, Because I can't control them. Why do you ask questions if you already know the answers?
To be polite. Reading minds isn't always the most appealing thing in the world.
Neither is electrocuting people or freezing them to death accidentally— oh, or sending people through walls because they gave you the wrong vibe.
Her laugh is low, tired, That last part I can do.
Really? Maybe you could help me to control mine. Strucker hasn't been any help, and his assistant says my powers are too advanced even for him to understand.
How? How could I teach you if I never see you or even know the extent of your capabilities?
Just talk me through it. You're never gonna know until you try, right?
There's hesitation, a ripple of doubt that I can almost taste.
I guess it's worth a shot. But Strucker can never know that I helped you.
YOU ARE READING
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