War Torn || Civil War

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Veraport

Music is "Knocking On Heaven's Door" by RAIGN.

Picture is Tatiana Maslany as Emma Barnes.

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CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: Veraport

{February 9, 1991 -- Twenty-Five Years Ago}

A M A Z O N I A

After the burning pain, blood loss, and blinding light for God only knows how long, I start to lose track of time. It's probably been hours, but I'm not entirely sure. It might be longer than that, days even. Before I get the chance to fight off what Somodorov has planned, it's all too late.

He set a trap, and I fell right into it.

After a while, I try to push away the pain and think about something else. Anything else. Slipping in an out of consciousness, I summon the memory of Bucky. His boyish grin, dark hair, light blue eyes, accented voice. I remember all of him, and it takes my mind off the pain for a little while.

Only for a little while.

Eventually, the agony subsides, though the reason is unclear. I hear gunshots, then feel the IV and whatever else I'm connected to being pulled from my body.

Then I hear a voice. A woman's voice with the same accent as me.

"Emma!"

Though drugged and drowsy, I force my eyes open, staring up at the two people standing over me. A blonde and a brunette, both with the same, equally worried expression. Peggy and Amelia Carter. Peggy grips my hand tightly as Amelia takes all the wires and tubes off my body, pushing the tray of medical tools away with such force that they go clattering onto the floor.

"Emma, can you hear me?" Peggy asks, searching my eyes.

"Peggy?"

She smiles, sighing in relief. "It's me, darling. Can you sit up?"

I give a single, tiny nod in response. "Girl."

"What girl?"

"Another girl," I mumble as Peggy helps me sit up completely. I point weakly to the chair beside me, but no one is there. In fact, neither the doctor, the soldiers, nor Yuri Somodorov are in the room either. "There was another girl."

Peggy shakes her head. "There's no one here. We just arrived, and you were alone."

Amelia looks over her shoulder to me, flashing a sad smile. "Hi, Emma."

I try to return the expression. "Amelia."

"Thanks for coming to save me."

"My god, Emma. What did they do to you?"

I look down where her eyes are shifting, seeing cuts and bruises and IV marks along my body. My skin is pale and shallow, and I feel shaky and weak. My head is just as cloudy as if I were under anesthesia, but from the pain in my limbs, I can tell that's not the case.

"I...I..."

Peggy helps me sit up, and I lean into her almost completely. "It's all right," she soothes. "You're all right. You're safe."

"Where's Yuri?"

She shakes her head. "He got away. Took most of his Veraport supplies with him. We were able to fight off most of the guards and get the SHIELD base team free. Amelia is with me, but the rest are split between getting us a way out and gathering up the rest of Somodorov's test subjects. Maybe the girl you saw is in there. What did she look like?"