《 It's Been A While 》Steve Rogers X Reader

~ Chapter 42 ~

"Maria what are you doing here?" I ask her and she looks me over.

"You look pretty beaten," she says and Steve looks at me.

"She looked a lot worse earlier," he mutters. Maria looks around and spots Sam.

"Who is this guy?"

"Important," I reply. "You still haven't answered me, girlie."

"I'm here to break you out, now come on." She takes out a high tech tool and proceeds to cut a hole in the van. With her help we get out and are guided to another van. We get in and she drives us to a secure location.

When we arrive, Steve gets out and helps Natasha get out as well. When I try to stand up I fall right into Sam's back.

"Whoa," he says and turns around to get me. "You alright?" He asks but only gets an incoherent groan in response.

"Is she okay?" Steve asks as Maria leads Natasha inside. Sam throws my arm over his shoulder and the boys help me out carefully.

Maria leads us into what looks like an old powerplant and gets Natasha medical help immediately. I can barely keep my eyes open when She asks if I'm okay.

"I'm good, girlie," I say in a weak voice. "Just need a nap or a Monster. Good to see you in charge, though." Maria gives me a smile and leads us down the hall.

"We'll get everyone taken care of after we see him," Maria says as me and Nat exchange looks. Steve helps Natasha and Sam keeps me steady as Maria pulls back a clear curtain. On the other side was Fury, alive, and in a hospital bed.

"About d---- time. You guys look like sh--," he says lifting his head. The medic comes and tends to Natasha's wound and I'm given a protein bar as Fury explains why he isn't stuck in a coffin.

"Lacerated spinal column, cracked sternum, shattered collarbone, perforated liver, and one h--- of a headache," Fury lists off his current injuries.

"Don't forget your collapsed lung," the medic comments while putting pressure on Natasha's shoulder.

"Let's not forget that."

"Wait, so, why?" I ask between bites of the granola.

"Aren't you the smart one? You know why."

"I meant how," I correct myself. "We saw you on the operation table."

"They cut you open. Your heart stopped." Natasha pipes in. I just know this is all a big relief for her.

"Tetrodotoxin B," he replies. "Slows the heart to one beat a minute. Banner developed it for stress. Didn't work for him, so we gave it a new use."

"Banner," I mumble. Banner could help me figure out what's going on with me. Heck, Tony could too.

"Why all the secrecy?" Steve asks. He'd been standing by my side after we got settled. His hand on my back as I was sitting. "Why not just tell us?"

"Any attempt to take the Director's life had to look believeable." Maria said.

"You can't kill someone whose already dead. Besides," Fury looked at Steve. "I wasn't sure who to trust."

Fury looked at me and I shy away from his gaze.

"I know," he says and I look up at him. He sighs and tells me to come closer.

"I know what happened when you were fighting Barnes," he says loud enough for everyone to hear, but it's directed towards me specifically.

"You're supposed to be the bada--- one, come on now. Your ruining your reputation. Quit all of this soft crap and get to buisness," he tells me. "Then we can talk to Banner and see that you get figured out."