𝙷𝚒𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙵𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙿𝚊𝚜𝚝 ↠ 𝐂𝐀𝐂𝐖

Setting Things Straight

After a few long hours, we finally made it to Siberia. I could see my father flipping a few switches in order for us to land. I watch, and Winter ushers me over to a cabinet, labeled "Romanoff." He grabs two semi-automatics, and he hands me one. The three of us then walk to the loading dock to get off.

But before we step off, my father engages in a quick conversation with Winter. "Remember that time we had to ride back from Rockaway Beach in the back of that freezer truck?" Winter looks at him for a moment. "Was that the time we used our train money to buy hotdogs?" He smiled at my father. He continues the story. "You blew three bucks trying to win that stuffed bear for a redhead." Winter looks like he's in thought for a second before asking, "What was her name again?" My father didn't even have to think. He already knew. "Dolores. You called her Dot." Winter shook his head. "She's gotta be a hundred years old right now." My father smiles at him. "So are we, pal." He puts his hand on Winters shoulder.

"You two are around a hundred. I'm only seventy one, if you happen to forget. Winter playfully rolls his eyes at me before bringing me into a side hug. I squirm out of his grasp and lightly punch his right arm.  My father just shakes his head at us.

We began to walk towards the cold steel doors. We stopped for a moment, and I took in the snowy scenery around me. So familiar, but for all the wrong reasons. "He can't have been here for more than a few hours." I look at him sheepishly. "Long enough to wake them up." I mutter.

We walk into the abandoned building, the cold walls being just how I remembered them from all those years ago. I held my gun, ready to fire if need be. I led the two of them to an old elevator. Winter opened the rusty metal cage around it, allowing us to get in.

As we descend further down into the building, worry begins to cloud my mind, but I have to push it aside. After all, it's probably just the bad memories from this place. Once at a solid stop, my father walks forward and opens the cage so we can step out of the elevator. Winter takes the lead, his gun aimed at nothing in particular.

I look at the ground, and I can see scratches engraved into the floor. A quick flash of a memory appears. It's of me being relentlessly being dragged throughout the hallways, clawing at the floor in hopes to catch something to prevent me from being taken anywhere. I can hear the sound of my almost silent sobs wishing that Winter could save me. I shiver at the memory.

The three of us close on a staircase, halfway through walking up, I heard a creak coming from the door that we had entered through just moments ago. "We're not alone. Someone else is here." I say in a hushed tone. We all turn around, both Winter and I pointing our guns at the door. I hear my father ask the two of us, "You ready?" Winter replies, "Yeah." while I simply nod.

When the door opened, I was surprised to see that it was Tony. I watch as Winter slowly lowers his weapon, but I keep mine raised. My father walks towards him as he approaches us. "You seem a little defensive." My father replies, sarcastically, "It's been a long day." Tony turns towards me and Winter. "At ease, soldier. I'm not currently after you." Winters asks defensively, "Then why are you here?" Tony shrugs his shoulders. "Turns out your story isn't so crazy after all. Maybe. Ross has no idea I'm here, and I'd like to keep it that way. Otherwise, I gotta arrest myself."

My father jokingly goes, "Well, that sounds like a lot of paperwork." Tony scoffs. My father lowers his shield. "It's good to see you, Tony." Tony smiles before replying, "You too, Cap." He turns his attention towards Winter and I. "Hey, Manchurian Candidate, you think you can tell her to drop the weapon? She's killing me. There's a truce here." I look towards Winter, and he motions for me to drop my gun. I comply.

Our objective was still the same. Just now, we had an extra member of our search party for Zemo. Through the labyrinth of halls, we eventually made it the one where my skin began to crawl. It felt like someone was watching us. I could feel myself tense up, but I ushered myself to keep going. Tony had taken the lead while my father was behind him. And behind the two of them was where Winter and I were.