Revenge of the Raven (Captain America and the Avengers)

Chapter 28: Bargaining out

Omg y'all. We've come a long way!!! Thanks for sticking with me for this long!!!

Lillian Raven Quinn

Revenge

Dorothy......

Mother.......

Father.........

and now they wanted to take Steve from me....... I couldn't let it happen..... I could not lose him too..... I most likely wouldn't be alive long enough to do so.....

"Breathe Lillian, please breathe!" Steve begged, banged against the side of his cage as I stood strapped to the platform. Electricity pulsed through my body, high levels of power being used to do so. "Stop!" I cried out, hoping he could somehow get to me. "Please! Make it stop!!! Please!"

Steve banged against his cage in frustration, there was no way he could reach me. It was impossible. I gritted my teeth as the electricity intensified. "St-op!" I called out, hoping this would end soon, it had been occurring for hours on end.

Suddenly the shocks stopped altogether and neither Steve nor I were released as we usually were. I couldn't comprehend anything logically, my head spun and my body felt dreadful, almost as if I had been dunked in water then electrocuted for hours- oh wait- that's right I was. "Lillian...." Steve begged gruffly. "Lillian please say something."

My chest heaved as I grunted with a horse throat "I'm f-fine." I didn't have enough energy to look over at him, my sweat covered body shook as Steve said softly "Lillian, you can't take much more of this."

With great strain I looked over at him, knowing he was right. "W-what about you?" He shook his head dismissing the matter completely "Don't worry about me, I'm fine." I kept eye contact with him. We knew he hadn't endured nearly as much as I had since we had been brought here. They were brutally punishing me and basking in Steves distraught. He wasn't fine. I could tell.

"Steven Rogers, I know when I'm being lied to." I gritted, remaining eye contact with him. He sighed, leaning back in his cramped cage. "I've been hurt worse Lillian. A whole lot worse. But it's different to be hurt and to watch it happen to someone else. They're just waiting for one of us to crack."

I knew he wasn't wrong. Douglas would wait as long as it took for us to break. He'd find a way to get what he wants. "I have been trained for decades to withstand giving up under torture-" I coughed up blood, it splattering the floor with the Crimson substance.

"But your body can't take any more." He was right. I really couldn't. What was I going to do? There is no way I could escape this place in my state. The last time I only made it out because I was running on anger and built energy. Right now I was in a very compromised position. But what if I offered some sort of bargaining chip? Something very unlike me and off protocol.

"But what if we didn't break?" I inquired to aloud. Steve was obviously confused by my words. "Pardon?" I paid him little attention as I replied "Douglas will drag this out far to long if action isn't taken." He sat up straighter, trying to piece to understand what I meant. "What does that mean Lillian?" He looked like he knew I was up to something.

"It means I am about to do something completely irrational." I huffed, my accent thickening as I looked around the room. Hydra had ears everywhere, I knew Douglas was watching. He said so himself. "Douglas, I know how much you love misery, come out and we can finish this." I shouted, using all the energy I could muster.

Steves eyes were wide with worry and fright of what I would do. "Lillian! What are you doing?" He asked in a panicked tone. I relaxed in my restraints as I answered calmly "What an Avenger would do."

Douglas strolled in, his button shirt tucked into his old fashioned pants I remembered my father wearing as a child. As he stepped into the room it was filled with light that the room once lacked. I squinted to adjust my eyes the new found lighting.

"Pleading mercy Miss Raven?" Douglas chuckled, amused at the situation. I blew a hair away from my face as I growled "You and I both know I'm far to smart for that Douglas. But I am willing to make a bargain with you."

Douglas refrained from laughing at my idea. Absurd as it was. "What do I have that you want, and what could you possibly offer?" He scoffed, waving his hand to help elaborate.

I glanced at Steve before meeting Douglas's eyes again. "You have Rogers. I wish for him to be freed and unharmed." Steve was speechless, Douglas however wasn't. "And what could you possibly offer that would make me release Captain America, Hydras sworn enemy."

Oh I wanted to rip this heartless bustards throat out right now, but sadly I was confined to using words. I narrow my eyes as I spit coldly "Me. I'll comply, I'll train, kill, let you ice me. I swear on my families grave that I will always comply, never turn, and uphold my duties just as I did for decades if you free him unscathed."

Douglas contemplated my offer, taking quite a liking to it. As he pondered Steve whisper shouted at me "What the hell Lillian?! You can't just give up your life! We can find another way, you don't have to do this. Please don't do it." He pleads wouldn't shake my choice.

I sighed, giving him the truth short, as meaningful as I could manage "I can't watch more people die because of my actions." Steve didn't have time to reply since Douglas had made a choice. "I accept your offer. But, in order for me to buy what you're selling I'll need some proof that you aren't pulling another one over me."

I nodded in agreement, willing to comply if it meant Steves freedom. "I would like for you to tell me why you would risk everything you've worked for to rescue this man." My heart nearly stopped in my chest. Why was I risking it all to save this man I had met only but a few months ago? Hell, we didn't get along, his team despises me, he was a genuine man with a kind heart while I was callous, crude, and all sorts of bitter. Why? And suddenly everything clicked.

I'm sacrificing myself for him because I feel like it's making up for not saving Dorothy all those years ago.  He helped me change. He helped me realize the real meaning of heroism.

"Because I can't watch anymore people I love die." I cracked. I finally had cracked. Steve sat with mouth agape, shocked, as Douglas only chuckled menacingly.

"He is free to go. Welcome back to Hydra Miss Quinn." Douglas cackled, men pouring into the room to take us our separate ways. I remained strong as the agents unstrapped me and uncared Steve to drag us our separate ways.

Steve tried to fight against the men but he was far to injured. He had a dislocated leg and a severe concussion. "Lillian, you can't possibly do this! You know this is against everything you stand for! I'll be fine, just back out."

I looked his firmly in the eyes, not having the heart to argue with him. "I'll have to take a rain check on that tour." I was being dragged farther and farther from him but I could make out the last kind words I'd hear in a long, long time. "Remember what the Avengers worked for Lillian. To fight the battles between good and evil."

And I hoped one day I'd know from the other.