Silhouette in the Dark

XII.

                                                                  [2017]

Between living on the run and doing what they could to help those in need, Steve's faction of estranged Avengers had a busy life. Even so, they found time in between missions to sit down and just enjoy the time they had together. Much of that time was spent getting to know their newest teammate more.

Sam held up a hand. "Okay, explain it to me again. They do what now?"

Tala rolled her eyes and smiled. Over the past few months, she had opened up and revealed a mischievous, fun-loving nature that had been buried by decades of isolation and anger. "When I'm in wolf form, my clothes retract into a sort of collar. Then when I change back, they instantaneously appear as regular clothes again."

"So, then what do you do with your weapons?"

"Well, I can't exactly carry them while as a wolf, so I either hide them in a spot where I can easily grab them or I plant them in a certain spot where I have access to them in a fight." She turned toward Steve. "When I first attacked you, after the barn fire, that's what I did. I knew you guys would come, so I used my dagger to create a light that would draw you into the woods. Then I hid it under a pile of leaves at just the right spot where, when I came out of the bushes, I could grab it and use it to attack."

Sam sat back and shook his head in bewilderment. "That's crazy, man."

Steve laughed at the expression on Sam's face. He then turned to Tala and exclaimed, "Tell them the story of the prank you pulled on Colonel Phillips with the dummy grenade!" Tala smirked as she recalled the memory and launched into the story for Sam and Natasha. Steve sat back and watched, enjoying this rare moment of peace and humor. They didn't get very many moments like this.

Finally, the others grew tired and made their way to their respective sleeping arrangements. On nights like this when they couldn't find an abandoned building or out-of-the-way hotel to crash in, they slept under the stars. On colder nights, three of the four slept in the jet, but tonight was nice enough to stay outside.

Steve studied Tala in the light of the moon. She had gone through so much and now she was here, working with him to make things right in the world. It felt surreal, especially considering she wanted nothing more than to make him suffer a couple years ago. Tala suddenly looked over and noticed him staring. He muttered an awkward apology, but she brushed it off.

"You have something you want to ask me, don't you?"

"Yeah. It's about Russ." Tala tensed at the mention of her half-brother's name. "Did... did you ever find him again? After you got set free by Zola?"

Tala sighed. She stared at the ground in front of her for a while before finally answering. "When I first got away from Zola, my main goal was survival. After all I had been through, that took a while. Then my goal became training, growing stronger and learning how to fight. Eventually, it would become searching for you. For a long time, I didn't think to search for my brother. By the time I did, it was too late." She took in and let out a shaky breath. "A few months ago, I thought I had found him. I went to where he was, but it wasn't him. I don't know if he's still alive or not." She turned away and quietly said, "I'm never going to see him again."

Not for the first time, Steve felt a jab of pain and guilt as he thought about how different Tala's life would be if he had heard her in the lab. "I'm sorry. When I came out of the ice, I thought all my war-time friends were dead. I finally found Peggy, but she was old and sick. She died late last year." Steve took a moment to gain his composure. Tala turned back around to face him. "I wish I could help you find your brother, but if you never do, I want you to know that you were the most important person in his life. When I set him free, the first words out of his mouth were concern for you. He loved you very much. I could tell, just from that brief encounter." Steve stood and placed what he hoped was a comforting hand on Tala's shoulder. "I thought you should know that."