Treacherous

Chapter 3

   My father and I say our goodbyes to his colleagues as we make our way towards the door. The event is coming to a close, and I'm growing tired of socializing. After our dance, Zemo was pulled by other aristocrats clapping him on the back. My father pulled me and continued to usher me around the room and introduce me to new faces. I hadn't seen the baron since.

   As I cross the threshold of the door, I hear someone call my name. I turn on my heel and spot Zemo striding towards me. I smile as he approaches me, and he takes my hand in his.

   "My apologies for not finding you again after our dance," he says.

   "No need to apologize, Zemo. We both had obligations," I reply. I squeeze his hand as a gesture of reassurance, just as he did mine on the dance floor.

   He grins. "You're staying in the city?" he asks.

   "Yes, in a little townhouse near the city center," I state. "Only through tomorrow, though."

   "May I see you again?" he questions. He grips my hand tighter and gazes at me expectantly.

   My heart is racing now. This is territory I'm not familiar with. I don't understand why I'm drawn to him, or why he seems to be drawn to me. 

   "I'd like that," I respond, smiling back at him. 

   "Brilliant," he exclaims. "I'll send a car for you tomorrow evening."

   "It's a date," I say. His eyes shine with delight at my response. We say our goodbyes, and I leave the house, excited for what may come.

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   "Zemo really took an interest in you last night," my father says.

   It's the next morning, and we're sitting at the breakfast nook eating a full English spread. Father insisted on cooking it as a celebration for a successful event. 

   "You think?" I reply with a smile. 

   He smirks at me as chews his food. "Oh, I know."

   "He asked to see me tonight," I tell him.

   "Well, I hope it works out for you, Ayla," my father says. He places his hand over mine on the table. "I love seeing you smile, and you didn't stop smiling all night."

   That's probably true. It has been so long since I could forget about my responsibilities and just be in the moment. Zemo really came out of nowhere and took my breath away, something I didn't expect from anybody last night.

   "I meant to ask you, what are the EKO Scorpions?" I question. "I was told he was the leader of them." My father sits his fork down and looks up at me.

   "The EKO Scorpions are a secret branch of the Sokovian military. They are elite soldiers, and they only participate in high-profile, highly classified missions," Father replies. 

   A secret branch... That's why I haven't heard of them. I'm not well-versed in my Sokovian military history, but who is? We finish our breakfast and I clean up the table. After I put the dishes away, I start to hear loud sounds coming from outside. I throw the kitchen towel on the table and head towards the window.

   Peaking out the blinds, I see something I can barely comprehend. There are silver robot-looking people everywhere. I see some coming up from under the asphalt and many fly in from the sky. They attack pedestrians walking the street, and I can only look on in shock.

   Suddenly, I see a whir by the window, followed by Captain America. He stops in front of the window to fend off some of the robots from civilians. Then, I see Thor making his hammer fly, taking out multiple robots at once. I haven't seen these guys in action since Loki's attack on New York. It's definitely a sight to see.