Distressed // Steve Rogers

11 - Running Ever Since

Steam danced before her as she nursed the tea in front of her, her mind wandering to the day she escaped...

*

"Do not fail us. Complete your mission. Destroy the soldier." Madame B. stood before her, the file open on the table, his image distorted, only one feature clear: the glint of silver from the metal arm that marked The Winter Soldier. No one survived his attacks. She would. "He will be unsuspecting, unprepared. Use that to your advantage. Prove your worth Romanoff. Destroy the soldier."

Her hands shook as she fixed the weapon to her thigh and pulled her jacket on. She was small, she looked inconspicuous. No one in the streets of Belarus would stop her on her journey.

"Remember Romanoff," the hard, cold voice of the woman who destroyed her rang clear in her memories, "we are watching and waiting."

*

Talia took a sip from her tea as the memories continued to come, plaguing her mind and breaking her spirit.

*

It was cold. The mist of her breath seemed to cling to the air as she pulled her jacket around her. Laying in wait was excruciating. Every bite of snow, every rush of wind seemed to cut her skin and prickle her tears. She was cold.

He appeared from no where, much too aware of her positioning. She had been sold out. His power radiated from him as he charged towards where she lay, fury in his eyes and murderous rage rolling off of him. His foot slammed into the ground where her face had been just moments ago and he looked around the wooded area, his head whipping back and forth as he searched for the splash of fire among the ice.

Her foot connected with his spine and he grunted, flung forwards in shock at her strength. She swung around and wrapped herself around him, one arm across his neck as she spun into a grip that cut off his air. He punched. The frozen metal of his left hand connected with her face, breaking her nose. Blood poured as her eyes misted. She slipped from her hold. A foot to the chest. She couldn't breathe.

She stumbled back and launched herself towards a tree, propelling her body off of it and through the air, slamming into his chest with enough force to make him slip on the icy terrain. His fingers gripped her hair and ripped her backwards. He threw her aside, like a broken rag-doll and paused to wipe her blood from the silver hand. She pounced.

Wire around his neck, her legs wrapped around his arm. He fought back. His breathing became laboured. She could predict his movement. She countered every swing, every punch, every single break of contact. She had him.

As his eyes began to close Talia felt nothing but pain. She did not feel the pride of success as Madame B. had told her she would. She did not feel the power of knowing her strength. She just felt pain. She loosened her grip and let the wire fall slack.

Talia Romanoff did not look back at The Winter Soldier as he lay gasping for breath in the snow covered woods. No one survived his attacks, she told herself. Not even Talia Romanoff.

*

"Steve just leave it." Bucky whispered. "I'm looking out for you Rogers. Like I always have. Why can't you just trust that I'm right here?"

"Because Buck, you don't know her."

Bucky huffed and waved his arms out in front of him in exasperation. "Neither do you Steve."

Shaking his head at the man he knew was only looking out for him Steve stepped into the dim light of the kitchen and walked towards where Talia sat, tears trickling down her face and her hands gripping tight to the mug of tea steaming in front of her.