𝙼𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚙𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 ~ Steve Rogers

The Start of Honesty ~ 21

A few hours have passed since Peter's visit, and Evangeline ended up falling asleep. Peter left the compound, needing some space for himself. Now, Steve Rogers returns to his room, sensing the lateness of the hour and requiring his own temporary rest after enduring the events of the day. As he closes his door behind him, he pauses, noting the figure of Eva peacefully resting on his bed. A frown creases his brow, as he hadn't expected Eva to use his room for her rest. However, with a small sigh, he heads over to the desk chair within his space, choosing to get comfortable there for a quick nap.

Evangeline stirs in her sleep, awakening as she senses another presence. She shifts up, rubbing the sleep away, a smirk forming on her face when she sees Steve relaxing into his chair. "It's rude to wake people, you know?" Eva teases, her voice raspy from sleep.

Steve only blinks, watching her wake, folding his arms to get comfortable. "Is it still rude when the person being woken up has just unleashed a genocidal AI on the world again, making herself comfortable in my bed in the meantime?" The sarcasm is clearly evident in his tone, wiping the smug smirk completely off her face.

She hesitates for a moment, unsure about which direction to take the conversation, but ultimately opts to sit up. With a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders, she mimics Steve's posture. "Okay, you've made your point," she sighs dramatically. "You're clearly in no mood for flirting." Pouting, she gives the pillow behind her a couple of hits to fluff it up for added comfort.

Steve maintains a steady gaze on her, his brows furrowing in confusion at the accusation. "What? I've never been in the mood to flirt with you, Eva."

She deadpans him with a disbelieving look. "D'accord, Captain... Whatever you say," Eva drawls, dismissively waving him off to make it clear that she doesn't believe him.

"Can you take something seriously for once in your life? None of this is a joke," Steve adopts a stern tone, leaning forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees, hands clasped together.

"Je ne plaisante pas," Eva breathes heavily, tired of the arguments today, making it clear she isn't joking. He falls silent, his eyes finally flickering away as he notices the defeated look on her face. When he glances back, Eva's hand is now resting under her chin, her expression exuding boredom.

"Who are you, Eva?" Steve inquires, his voice low, still in his position, his eyes searching hers. Eva only blinks in response. "You're going to have to tell us sooner or later... Whether you tell me now or inform SHIELD when they inevitably show up for your arrest, and I doubt they won't be as lenient as me." His words carry a warning, an attempt to prompt her to open up and make this situation easier for everyone involved.

Not anticipating Rogers' sudden interrogation, Eva deliberately sidesteps the former and exhales in response to the latter. "SHIELD can inquire all they want," she mutters, her voice muffled by her hand propping up her chin. Lifting her chin when she realizes, she adds, "I'm not some psychotic AI hell-bent on ensuring history repeats itself, only this time without his demise." Eva argues, her tone devoid of anger, merely presenting facts.

Steve sighs this time, easing back into the chair. "Alright... So tell me how Ultron infiltrated your mind to begin with, Eva?" He attempts to shift the focus, aiming to grasp the motivations behind this woman's actions. She rolls her eyes but offers a smile nonetheless, shaking her head lightly.

"I really don't possess the answers you're seeking, Rogers." Her response is candid, whether Steve chooses to believe it or not. His arms fold, eyebrow raised.

"You don't have them or won't give them?" Steve queries.

Evangeline lets a small moment of silence pass as she huffs, rising from the bed and standing to her feet. She wanders closer to Steve, forcing him to look up a little as she nears. "Fine," she states, "You want to know how I met Ultron? I woke up one morning to find myself knocked out in an alley. It was clear I had been in a fight..." She trails off, lost in thought at the memory, and Steve listens with genuine interest. "I couldn't tell you how or what happened before those moments. I don't remember them. The next thing I know, a voice speaks out from inside my head." Eva shrugs, pausing for a breath, and Steve slowly shifts to his feet, still listening, his gaze fully on Eva as he takes it all in. "He told me who he was. I only knew parts of his story from what the news explained years ago... I have no memory of the past event, and I do not know how an AI was implanted into my brain. That is all I know." Eva swallows, staring him down to convey her honesty. Eventually, Steve nods, showing some understanding.

"So, Ultron was microchipped into you... And you have no idea who orchestrated this?" Steve's gaze is penetrating, and Eva swears she detects a flicker of concern etched into his features.

"I never claimed ignorance about who did it," she shrugs, her forehead creasing with confusion. "I don't have any recollection of it, whether I repressed it or simply don't know, but I'm aware of who did it."

Steve, on the edge of her words, now closer than before, awaits on tenterhooks to know who did it. He opens his mouth to ask, impatience evident in his pause.

"Someone find Eva. We are ready," Tony Stark's voice reverberates throughout the compound via the intercom. Eva can only smile at the impeccable timing and steps away, already heading for the door. Steve remains in his spot, still awaiting the answer.

"Well, I suppose you better escort me to his highness before he takes his level of arrogance any further," Eva remarks about Stark, an air of innocence now enveloping her.

Steve groans in frustration, recognizing that he won't extract any more information from her tonight. Instead, he heads to the door, disregarding her innocent smile as she waits, and opens it with a swift pull. Holding it ajar, he allows her to walk out first.

"Merci," Eva expresses her gratitude, her smile still evident. Steve can only shake his head, observing her departure before he follows, suppressing a smile at the enigmatic woman in front of him.

As they make their way through the compound, Steve maintains a thoughtful silence, contemplating the mystery that is Evangeline. He still has so many unanswered questions, but Steve knows he has to tread carefully to unravel the truth.

Eva, for her part, walks with a confident stride, seemingly unperturbed by the gravity of the situation. Her occasional glances toward Steve carry a hint of mischief, leaving him wondering if there's more to her than meets the eye than to simply categorize her as his enemy, all their enemy.