Toxic | Steve Rogers

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Practice makes Perfect

Adora’s POV
The soft sound of music filled my ears, and I closed my eyes, letting my body take over. I concentrate on my slow movements, rising my arm above my head slowly, and bring it down. As the music sped up pace, I moved faster, keeping time with the rhythm. Suddenly, the music stopped, and I stopped as well.

“Again”

Restraining a sigh, I began again, focusing on my body even more, making sure not to let go. I couldn’t loose control, because the music controlled my every movement. Only if I let it. And that was going to get me nowhere.

The music hadn’t even gotten half way through before the instructor spoke another time.

“Again”

The instructors voice was gravelly, like the sound of nails on a whiteboard. A voice that sent shivers down my spine. An hour passed, and I still hadn’t stopped dancing. The instructor made me start over repeatedly, and being the stubborn person I was, I wasn’t giving up either.

Breathe in.

I close my eyes, letting the music take over, and my feet faltered, my step and poise crumbling. The instructor yelled at me, but the voice barely met my ears. I fell to the ground like a rag doll, clutching my feet. All my senses dulled, and my movements slowed.

The soles of my beautiful ballet shoes were warm and wet, and I reached down to touch the soft pads of my feet. There were blisters.

My feet were bleeding.

Blood dripped off my fingers, and onto the soft, pastel pink of my dress, that showed the spreading droplets. My breath stopped, and the room seemed to slow down, my vision blurring, and my ears filled with piercing screams, that struck me so deep to my core, that I was shaking.

Someone was screaming so loud, that my ears started to ring, and I shut my eyes, gripping my hands to my head to block out the blood-curling sound.

I was the one screaming.

Breath out.

My eyes shot open, and Steve was standing over me, shaking my shoulders. His eyes were creased with concern, fear swirling around as the color blue in his eyes.

“You were screaming. Are you okay?” he said, his voice nervous, “I didn’t know you had nightmares”

I narrow my eyes at him, suspicious. “I’m fine, love. Did I scream something that bothered you?” He pales, his eyes darting away from my piercing stare. I stand up, my gaze intensifying.

“Well, you…uh” he stuttered, rubbing the back of his neck. I gesture at him.

“Spit it out, Captain” His eyes flash, and a small smile tugs at my lips. I step forward, and he steps back. I manage to corner him, crossing my arms. He looks genuinely fearful, but this only brings amusement to my eyes.

“I don’t…. I can’t tell you” he’s stumbling over his words, as if they were animate objects he could trip over.

I tilt my head, stepping closer, so that my fingers were walking up his chest. He gulps, his prominent Adam’s apple bobbing up and down.

“Why can’t you tell me, Cap?” I ask coyly, looking at him from under my lashes. His eyes are wide, and a dark blue is twisting around in his irises.

“Because you said my name” he sputtered out quickly, his shoulders slumping, and I pause.

“I did?” I ask quietly, prying into his mind.

Suddenly, pain shot through my mind. I fall to the ground, still in Steve’s mind. There’s a blockade in his mind, guarding his thoughts.

“She’s got you” I whisper, as Steve rushes to help me up.

“Who’s got me, Adora? What’s wrong?” he asks worriedly, helping me walk to the couch. I’m sweating, and my breathing is coming in short gasps. My vision starts to blur, and I reach bleakly for Steve.

“Tiana, she’s in your head. I can’t get in your mind, Steve. It’s blocked, and you don’t have that ability” My voice is cracking, and Steve has this helpless look on his face. Like he knows he can’t help me, like he doesn’t know how to comfort me.

I squeeze me eyes shut, the pain in my head increasing with each passing second. I stumble towards the control panel of the carrier. Steve watches me, and I open up the system.

I was going to change the security codes.

“Look away” I bark, my head pounding as I type in a new code. I slam the panel shut. My eyes flicker to the coordinates in the system. My eyes widen, and I take a breath, trying to bring oxygen to my brain, hoping it would tell me what I was seeing was wrong.

We weren’t going to Sam’s apartment.

Those coordinates were somewhere in Russia, but not just any place in Russia. We were going to Stalingrad, the place of my birth. I bit my lip in frustration. How had I not seen? I whirled around, where Steve was standing by the door, his shield on his back.

“Love, I’m afraid you can’t leave” My voice comes out calmly, but on the inside I’m nothing but scared. Tiana had finally gotten what she wanted.

My heart.

Moving as quickly as I could, I grabbed a knife from my belt, and slammed my hand into the control panel that opened the door.

Steve glared at me, grabbing his shield and rushing at me. I bit my lip, dodging his blows.

“Don’t make me do this, Tiana” I addressed her, all the while kicking Steve in the face. Steve smirked maliciously at me. grabbing his shield and throwing it at me. I was far enough away, that I caught it, shielding myself with it. A playful grin caught on my lips.

“Thanks. I love new toys” Steve ran towards me, slamming his fist into the shield, knocking me backwards. I wipe the blood that’s dripping from my mouth, spitting it out across the room. I take a breath, wondering if Steve would forgive what I was about to do. I cracked my neck, channeling the part of my power that sparked electricity.

White hot electricity crackled between my fingertips, and Steve raised his eyebrows.

“You’ve become more powerful than I had once thought” His voice came out feminine, and a grin elicited my face.

“It’s nice to hear that bitchy voice of your’s again” I snarl, leaping forward to hit Steve with his shied. It clocked him right in the face, and blood poured out of his nose. I smile to myself, crouching down, and flicked electricity at him with the twist of my fingers. He grimaced, shaking to the ground.

“You kiss your Captain with that mouth?” he replied, standing up and throwing punches at me. I blocked each one, sliding under his arm and taking him down.

“I do worse things”

I punched him square in the nose, probably breaking it. He fell to the ground, out cold, and I grinned triumphantly.

Tiana may have been controlling his body, but he was still human. He was still my Steve.

I held my hand out in front of me, digging into his mind. I could hear his thoughts, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I closed my eyes, falling into the soft embrace of the darkness of his mind. His memories were still there, and his mental state was no worse than before. I drag his body to the couch I had been unconscious on before.

Now it was his turn.

I headed back to the control panel, changing the coordinates. We were only about half an hour away from Sam’s house. I walked out to the cabinet that held the first aid kit. Before I opened it, I turned to see if Steve was conscious yet.

I closed my eyes, holding my hand out, I willed the cabinet to open, imagining it opening for me and the kit floating out.

I opened my eyes, and there it was, floating like there was no gravity before me. I grinned, laughing at myself. I grabbed the kit, dumping out the contents. As I fixed Steve up from the wounds I had induced on him, I couldn’t wipe the large grin off my face.

My practice had made perfect.