Distressed // Steve Rogers

32 - Belarus

"Come back to me Runaway." Steve caressed her face and held her close to him. "Come home." He sighed the word home and her heart fluttered. She wanted to go. She wanted to follow him. As he stepped away a wall of glass fell before her, stopping her from stepping with him and another voice sounded out behind her.

"Just as we were beginning to trust you Double Agent." Tony Stark stepped backwards, into the darkness. "Just as I began to care."

"Wait!" She called out as his face swam out of view.

"So disappointing," Madame B whispered behind her, her breath raising the hair on the back of her neck as it brushed past her. "You are weak Talia. Again."

She span to face her and was greeted instead by the sad eyes of Vision as he reached towards her.

"We could have helped you Talia." His voice wavered. "I could have helped you."

"Vision?" She held her hands against the glass as he stepped away from her, shaking his head. "Come back. Please come back."

Steve stepped towards her, placing his hand against the glass, against her own.

"I want to go home Steve." She cried as he looked to the floor, avoiding her eyes.

"You can't." His voice was just a whisper as it tore the world around her into a dark oblivion and she shouted out into the abyss.

*

She woke shaking, a sheen of sweat slick over her body as she cried out. The terror that had pulled her in for so many years tore at her as she lay gasping for breath, a soft blanket she had no recollection of getting thrown over her and a pillow propped beneath her head. She wiped her eyes as she sniffled and she sat up, pushing the blanket from her and wrapping her arms around herself.

"Nightmares, Winter Widow?" Zemo held out a bottle of water, smiling sympathetically as she took it and unscrewed the cap.

"Don't call me that." Talia stared at him as she drank, unsure of his motives.

"If you do not want to wear the mantle of the Winter Widow then we cannot fail here Talia." He looked out of the window to the vast land that sprawled out beneath them as the plane began its descent. "Do you understand."

Talia brought the comfort of Steve's hoodie to her face, breathing in the faint traces of her home, and she closed her eyes. This was their plan all along. Zemo had figured it out; he had the proof.

For years she had been watched. Monitored. Every second of running and hiding had been known; every fight, every broken bone, every second of abuse and heartache endured had been documented by them. They had always known she ran. They had always known she lived and now they wanted to make her their deadliest assassin yet. They wanted their very own Winter Widow.

"I understand." She whispered.

*

Steve...

I am so sorry. I'm okay and I will be home as soon as it is safe, I promise. I can't tell you where I'm going, or what it is that I need to do, but I'm not running. I know this looks like I'm running and I wish I could have told you but I need you to trust me. I love you so much Steve, and it breaks me to do this to you, but I swear I will come back and when I do I won't ever leave again. I am so sorry. I'm doing this to keep you safe. I need to keep you safe. I love you. I love you so much and I will come back.

Please forgive me.

Your Runaway

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