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꧁꧂
THERE WAS A moment in time where there was calm. Charlie and Steve had settled down in their apartment, taking a day off.
"Can life be like this forever? How long do you think this will last?"
Charlie takes a moment to answer. She turns herself from her spot on the couch. "I think that we should live in this now. We shouldn't worry about later. Ive spent these past few months worrying; worrying that HYDRA will find, worrying that I'll turn back into her. But I've decided, from now on I'm going to live my life, not worrying."
Steve stands from his spot, moving in front of Charlie. She looks up at his large figure, smiling softly.
"I love you."
The words make her freeze. Does she love him? Can she? Is she able to?
She responds with a kiss. They're not words, she didn't say it back, but she reacted. And that was something.
Steve responded to the kiss by moving his lips as well.
Charlie pulled away after a moment, biting her bottom lip. "I'm going to go get some air. I'll be back before lunch." She stands up, leaving the apartment without another word.
She's a smiling mess as she walks down the street.
Steve is in no better state, if not worse.
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Charlie was making her way back to the apartment. She had been spending most of the time on her walk trying to figure out what to say to the blonde once she was back inside.
She wasn't ready to say those three words.
They were deadly.
In her eyes, love is not something she is capable of. With her past, with who she was, who she was forced to be.
Focusing on the ground in front of her, she hasn't been alert of her surroundings. Charlie had grown comfortable with the city and with modern life.
That was all about to change.
"Sorry," Charlie murmured as she bumped into someone. The person didn't respond, continuing to walk.
She's grabbed.
Charlie's instincts take over as she throws her fist around, hitting everyone making contact with her.
The people drag her into an alley, shoving a bag over her head.
She clicks the button on her bracelet, telling Steve she's in trouble and sending the location.
Fighting blind, she takes down many agents but not all.
She's an assassin. There's no way she could have been kidnapped this easily, if easily means knocking out several men and killing two.
She can sense herself being thrown into the back of a van.
This isn't good.
Charlie stays silent in the car, not daring to react. Her breathing, however, is quick. Maybe it's not HYDRA. Maybe it's somebody else.
Charlie estimates a thirty minute ride as the car slows to a stop. The doors open, a little light shining through the bag over her head.
"Давай пошли," one of them men call. They half-drag/half-walk Charlie into a building, through many halls and stairs.
Come on, let's go.
Ending up in a chair, they take the bag off her head once she's strapped to the chair.
"What am I doing here?" Charlie takes note of the symbol on the agents' shoulders. Crap.
"I'm pretty sure you know exactly what you are doing here." A new voice says as he walks into the room she's in.
"Who are you?"
"I'm not obligated to tell you this but I'm Alexander Pierce."
"You were in the S.H.I.E.L.D. files. You're apart of S.H.I.E.L.D.." Charlie protests.
"Yes, that's what I have everyone believing." Pierce smiles evilly.
"You jerk!" Charlie shouts, gaining a slap to the cheek.
"Wipe her. She's contaminated. We have to start over," Pierce commands a scientist standing a side.
"What? No!" Charlie struggles against the binds, grunting in effort. This can't be happening. This is just a messed up, terrible dream.
"We saw you on the news. A hero, they called you. We'll see what they'll call you when we're done with you."
The machine whirls to life, and that's when she realizes. She's in the chair. The Memory Suppressing one.
A mouth guard is shoved in her mouth as she screams for them to stop, begs them to. But they never do.
The metal plates lower to her face before electricity flows out of them and through Charlie's body.
She was back in hell.
End of Part Four Maleficent will return in Captain America: Winter Soldier - J.S. 6. 19. 2021 Published: July 12, 2021 750 words
