Leave Me Broken [Winter Soldier] II

Full Potential [Chapter 26]

"Time has stopped before us

The sky cannot ignore us

No one can separate us

For we are all that is left

The echo bounces off me

The shadow lost beside me

There's no more need to pretend

Cause now I can begin again"

"The Beginning is the End is the Beginning" -The Smashing Pumpkins

              "Ophelia," His words made Ophelia's body fill up with rage, but the file in his hand made her stay silent and still. It looked wrong, it looked too thick to be a file on her. "My name is Zemo."

             "Why are you doing this?" she whispered, wishing she could sound strong but feeling like all hope was dwindling like the last candle burning out. 

           Above her the lights were still flickering, and suddenly she didn't care about the contents of the file that Zemo appeared to have. The man in front of her had framed Bucky for the death of so many people, and the injuries of so many more. With a history like Bucky's, the damage that could do to him was paramount. He had then used Bucky's weakness, his history with HYDRA and the ability to control him. And all of it was for this; to bring down the Avengers, and yet only two of them were actually here fighting to the death. Ophelia hardly noticed that her nails were digging into her gloved hands until her nails began to bend backwards, causing a shooting pain up her fingers and into her palms.

           "Call it... making peace with them," he said.

           "A lot of people died in Sokovia," she said. "Do you think Tony Stark sleeps at night? Do you think Steve Rogers doesn't see it in the eyes of the world? Every single one of them who was there, the things that they had to do, they will never forget it. Maybe you forgot that Wanda Maximoff lost her brother trying to save the world that day?"

           A sudden grin appeared on his face; Zemo realized something in Ophelia's words. The insidious smile made Ophelia's stomach twist, and Zemo looked like a parent who had just seen his child take their first steps. "I can see that you have already discovered your full potential."

          "You knew?" she asked, looking at the file in his hand once again. She no longer cared, she no longer wanted to know what was in there. None of it mattered if she had nothing when this fight finished. If Bucky died, if Steve died, it was unfathomable. Wanda, Sam, Clint, Scott were likely imprisoned. No, she would not get used to a life without Bucky, and she would never get used to a life without the rest of them either. She had potential, but it had nothing to do with her powers. She would give them all up if it meant things could go back to the way they were supposed to be.

             "I had hoped I could reveal it to you, but alas, things turned out differently." He turned his head to the side, as if scrutinizing her.

           "Why Bucky?" She needed to know. "Why choose him after he finally broke free from his torment? Why drag us back into the chaos when we had finally found peace?"

           "No one fighting here today deserves peace. None of them are innocent."

           "Are you?" She knew he obviously wasn't.