The End of the Line | a Captain America Fanfic

two

Where the heck is she? I had run all the way to the roof where I had left Ingrid, but she is nowhere to be found. I walk over to the edge and look down at the vibrant city. Shadows lengthen over bustling marketplaces and narrow alleyways, while the rooftops absorb the last remnants of the sun's radiant glow. I decide to continue the search for my fellow widow, but I don't have my hopes up. How am I supposed to find her in this mess? I walk down a busy street filled with small shops and hundreds of people on their way to their homes. 

Suddenly, a strong hand grabs me and carries me into a dark alleyway. Ingrid. For a second it is completely silent. "What took you so long?", she askes. "Not as easy as I thought. Fought till the bitter end. Dead." I can't bring myself to tell her the truth. Something in me just tells me this isn't the right moment.

"The box?". "What?", I look into her eyes, I did not remember them being so cold and lifeless. "The box. Give it to me. Now". She tries to take it out of my hand. "Ingrid, stop". Shit. I should not have mentioned her name. She is confused at first. I can literally see it in her eyes when she realizes. Before she can say anything, I open Oksana's box, take one of the little bottles, and spray its content directly into Ingrid's face. I did it. Thank god. 

My happiness quickly fades away as Ingrid starts to laugh hysterically. "Really, Anastasia?" Her eyes glimmer full of madness. "Did you really think I didn't know. I was the one who implanted the mechanism into your head you dumb little brat. Don't you remember? Oh wait, of course you don't." What. The. Heck. 

Before I can process further what just happened, a fist lands in my jaw, causing my lower lip to burst open. It brings me back to reality. Ready to fight. I once again twirl my knifes but this time it's different. My opponent is reckless. There's only one thing I can do. So I run. Holding the box securely to my chest and making my way through the now dark, narrow streets of Tangier. 

After what seems like an eternity of running, I finally come to a halt. Trying to regulate my heavy breath. This "easy" mission is causing a lot of chaos right now. I would give anything to have her with me right now.  She was the light of my live, the reason I kept on going. But she's dead now and I'm all alone.

I hear footsteps behind me and my heart clenches by the quiet sound, coming nearer and nearer. I turn around to face my fellow widow. She has a determined look on her face, ready to fight. I would lie if I said I am not tired of this. What would happen if I just closed my eyes and let it happen. I could see her again. My beloved sister. But she would never want that. She would want me to fight. So that's exactly what I do. 

It is a brutal battle of two powerful opponents and none of them is ready to loose. I fight with knifes and fists, aiming for her legs and torso. As the duel intensifies, both of us seamlessly incorporate our surroundings into the confrontation. Walls and statues provide cover, and the moon casts long, dramatic shadows that dance with our deadly movements. Each strike I make is met with a counter, a deadly game of strategy and intuition playing.

It could have gone like this for hours and hours until suddenly, Ingrid speaks: "Alive", she coughes between to punches from me. "What?" I freeze mid motion. "She's alive. Natalia" Shocked. I'm shocked. I can't think straight and that's exactly what she wanted. The last thing I see are Ingrid's dark curls framing her face, before her punch sends me into eternal darkness.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

Meanwhile in New York (Natasha's pov):

Steve comes into my room, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in his hand. He knows me so well. He's one of the best friends one could ask for and he is one the few people I fully trust. "So,", he starts, "what's wrong Natasha? And don't tell me it's nothing. I know this face. Something is wrong. You can tell me, that's what friends are for."

I sigh. I'm really not in the mood but it's not fair to just brush him off like that. I walk over to the desk and sit down. He follows me. "On this day, a couple of years ago, I lost my sister. I had to leave her behind", I say quietly, trying not to cry. He looks at me shocked and before I can do anything he embraces me into a tight hug. "I'm so so sorry", he whispers. 

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

A/N: I hope you guys like it so far! I must say I'm kinda proud of myself. Thank you so much for reading this! Love, Nastja

P.S.: don't forget to vote <3