Ghost ~ a Captain America's daughter story [1]

Chapter 9: Psychological Warfare

A prison van wasn't somewhere anyone would like to be, especially after what had just happened. The atmosphere was thick and palpable, but maybe that was what Adeline felt.

Her whole body was tense, and her fingers were tightly wrung together, making her knuckles turn white. Her eyes were fixed on Natasha's shoes, and she probably hadn't looked away since they were put in the van.

She didn't know if she wanted to talk about what she had done or if the others wanted to talk about it. It was unclear, and it made her incredibly anxious. Now that she thought about it, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to mention her powers in front of the two Hydra guards who sat at the front of the van.

Adeline took a deep breath and looked to her right. Her father was sitting in a similar position to hers, his eyebrows knitted together in worry. His hands were locked in much bigger cuffs, and his ankles were attached to the metal bench by thick metal cuffs.

"Are you okay?" She finally whispered.

Steve turned his head and looked at his daughter. She was being eaten alive by stress, and it killed him. He was supposed to be asking her that, but he hadn't been able to get out of his head.

"It was Bucky," Steve replied. He couldn't tell her he was alright because he honestly wasn't. He had no physical injuries, but his feelings hadn't been spared.

Adeline spluttered for a few seconds. "Bucky? Like... Bucky? Your Bucky?"

"It was him." Steve nodded solemnly. "He looked right at me like he didn't even know me."

"How's that even possible? It was like seventy years ago," Sam echoed Adeline's thoughts.

"Zola. Bucky's whole unit was captured in '43, Zola experimented on him," Steve theorized. "Whatever he did helped Bucky survive the fall. They must have found him and..."

"None of that's your fault, Steve," Natasha mumbled weakly. Her eyes were closed and her head was leaned back. She was bleeding a lot.

"Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky," Steve stated defeatedly. Adeline reached over and grabbed his hand. It wasn't much, but it was the best she could do in these circumstances.

Sam, who sat on Natasha's left, took a glance at her wound and noticed the blood steadily dripping out of the wound. "We need to get a doctor here. We don't put pressure on that wound, she's gonna bleed out here in the truck." He told the nearest guard.

The guard pulled out an electric rod and pointed it in Sam's face threateningly. Everyone froze, expecting the guard to strike. To their surprise, the guard flipped the rod and electrocuted the second guard who sat next to them and knocked him out.

The person removed their helmet, revealing their true identity. It was Maria Hill. "Ah. That thing was squeezing my brain." Adeline smiled in relief, and Maria looked at Sam with confusion written on her face. "Who's this guy?"