Breathe

Chapter thirteen : I can see.... sort of

I sprint down the hall at full speed. My echolocation is working beatifully and I'm almost fully accustomed to it. My footsteps allow the echoes to work and I can map out the hallway in my mind easily. I let out a laugh, being blind sucks, but having echolocation lessens the suckiness of it. A person steps in front of my path.

"Atrox? Aren't you blind?" I hear Stark ask, surprised but concerned.

"I got my echolocation to work, and I've fully adjusted to it."

"So you can see?"

"Aren't you a scientist?"

"Tell me how it works."  He replies, agitated and annoyed.

"Bats use echolocation to find food, they let out a high pitched frequency and the echoes of the sound waves that come back let them 'see' better in the dark."  I say using hand quotations.

"I knew that."

"I'm sure."  I state blandly and walk around him to go to the main room with the bigger kitchen and TV.  Since I'm mimicking a bat's echolocation, the sound I 'see' from is at a high frequency that humans can't hear.  Unless, of course, you have the hearing of a bat.  I chirp happily getting updates on my surroundings as I walk to the island in the kitchen.  I haven't eaten in two days.  That's not good.  I chirp several times, moving the fruit in the bowl around trying to get a grasp of what I want to eat.  I figure out where the apples are and grab one. 

A sudden feeling of despair kicks me in the stomach.  I grip the counter.  My story will not end well.  It can't.  I've already lost my sight, and who knows what else HYDRA plugged into my head as a contingency plan.  I make a point to squeeze my eyes shut and open them again.  And again.  And again.  I leave my apple on the counter and chirp my way back to my designated room.  Someone calls after me but I don't pay enough attention to notice it's Steve's urgent voice.  I just rush into my room and close the door a bit too loud to be inconspicuous.  I almost wish I lost my hearing instead of my sight as the loud banging on my door begins. 

I put my head into my hands as I sink into my bed, trying to tune out the never ending pounding.  Five minutes later and I'm surprised my door hasn't folded in on itself.  It has to be Steve, no one else would knock that loudly for this long.  I sigh and fall back on my bed.  I would be staring at the bland ceiling, but I can't see.  Instead, I watch the dimly colored shapes dance across my nonexistent vision.  The banging stops suddenly and I narrow my eyes, turning towards my door.  I chirp over to the entry and carefully open it, chirping once again to see if there's anyone in the hall.  I almost leap back as the echos tell me that Steve is only a couple inches in front of me, but I keep my feet in place and cross my arms.

"What is it?"

"It's Bucky."  Comes his reply before he grabs my arm and drags me down the hall.  I don't bother to chirp, if Steve is dragging me along somewhere I can't stop him.  But I need to try.

"Steve."

"Steve."

"Steven Grant Rogers!"  I holler, he stops, immediately letting go of my arm, "Where are we going?"

"We need to get him back, Vera."

"Right now you need to get your head on straight and take a breath.  We don't have a plan and I doubt you told the others.  Am I right?"  He stays silent, "Am I right?"

"Yes."  He sounds like a scolded child.

"You need to explain everything to me, then we decide what to do."  I sigh, "I know how much Bucky means to you, but we can't just go crashing in.  I don't know what's going on and if that wasn't bad enough, I haven't been on a mission since I lost my sight.  I could be completely vulnerable out there."

"I'm sorry, I just need to find him."

"Explain."

"I had Jarvis inform me if any cameras ever caught sight of Bucky, and some did.  Just a few blocks from here.  Now, I don't know what's happening, if he's still with HYDRA or not, I have no idea.  But it's worth a try."

"You're right,"  I nod. "We need to at least try to find him, but I may not be any use.  I haven't gone on the streets with my echolocation, who knows if I'll even be able to concentrate with so many echoes being relayed."

"You should come, you were both prisoners of HYDRA.  You might recognize him."

"And if HYDRA had more than one contingency plan for my remembering?"

Steve stays silent.

"It's a risk I have to take."  I smile and lead the way to the elevator.