Nocturnus | Marvel AU ✓

(46) - Running and Recruiting

THiRD PERSON POiNT OF ViEW

"Nadia, come on kid!" Sam shakes her awake and she wakes up gasping for air and cringes when she feels the collar come alive again.

She looks into Sam's eyes and sees something he's never seen in her eyes before, real fear. "Not again." Nadia moans in pain and Sam holds her face between his hands.

"This is going to hurt, okay?" She doesn't seem to hear him as he begins trying to pry the collar off. The collar zaps her even more than before, if possible.

Sam finally manages to get enough room between her neck and the collar. "Alright, almost done." He shushes her and then shoves some fabric in the space. He can see just when the collar stopped shocking her. When her eyes glazed over and she began crying even harder. Sam gets to work on the stray jacket.

Once he gets it off she falls onto Sam, hugging him, thanking him. "We gotta go, can you walk?" She shrugs but when he helps her up she forces herself to walk as fast as she can. Sam lifts her onto his back and begins running along with the large mass of people, with a half-dead teen on his back. Nadia falls asleep due to exhaustion and Sam just keeps moving.

"You're alright, you're alright."

AT THE WAREHOUSE - NADiA'S POiNT OF ViEW

I open my eyes and cringe, expecting to be zapped by the collar... that isn't around my neck! Oh my god, I jump up and regret it immediately. My vision is dotted with black as I feel my brain jolt. "Hey, Cap!" To my right I see Sam walking into the building. I see Bucky, The Winter Soldier sitting with the metal arm in a giant vice.

Bucky's eyes don't leave mine as I stare at him, beyond confused.

"What is he doing...?" I mumble under my breath and narrow my eyes at him.

"Are you sure we haven't met before?" Bucky is looking at Steve so I'm pretty sure he's asking Steve if he and I have met before.

"Yea, I'm pretty sure. She's what... fifteen?" I shake my head no, well... I honestly don't know.

"I think I'm sixteen now?" I ask myself out loud.

Sam chuckles, "Think?" I narrow my eyes at him and lean on the pole for support. My shoulder touches the metal of the collar and I flinch, expecting the shock, but it doesn't come.

"Uh– let me get that off." I smile as much as I can as I sit on the ground, Steve stands behind me and pulls the fabric out. I screech when I'm shocked again and ball my hands into fists.

The sound of the metal falling to the floor makes me laugh. "Fuck you collar!" I try to yell. I thank Steve with a look of admiration and he smiles at me before walking back over to Bucky. Sam comes over to me and sits in front of me.

"I got you something." I raise an eyebrow. He reveals the phone from behind his back.

My jaw falls, I thought I lost it. "How–"

He cuts me off, "When you were asleep, I was making sure the collar didn't start working again and when I touched your shoulder, the phone just appeared." My powers work in my sleep? Well... that is good to know.

I hug Sam tightly, "Thank you so much. For saving me, for this–"

A woman with a vague familiarity appears in an awkwardly sized shirt and a bruise on her cheek. "Who are you?" I narrow my eyes a little bit and she tilts her head to the side.

"Persephone..." My jaw falls a bit slack, she's that Bounty Howler chick! That's so cool, oh my god. I'm distracted by the ache in my body as I smile with some hope.

"Nadia," I stick my hand out slowly and a smile falls on her lips. She shakes my hand.

"Are you that wolf from...?"

She nods, "That was amazing, what are you?" I question as politely as I can without being rude to her.

"I'm a wolf, you're a... what are you again?" I look at the concrete floor and bite my lip as I feel tears try to fall. I laugh a little while wiping the tear away and shrug.

"I don't– I don't know." My voice cracks a bit and I chuckle some more.

Persephone nods in understanding, "I never got the word for what I was until Black Widow released all of the files for HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D... I am a Mutant– a different kind of human..." I don't know why she's telling me this but it gives me hope. Maybe I'm a Mutant?

"Come on girls, we gotta go!" Sam claps his hands and I smile a tiny bit.

"Where to?" I ask Sam while following behind us Persephone and Bucky are silent.

I look at them and almost see a flash of a different man, one in an olive green hat with a flirtatious smile and a clean-shaven face. But that vision is quickly diminished as Sam claps me on the shoulder. "To get my wings!" He sounds excited as I laugh at his silliness.

"I don't need a suit to fight; I am the suit." My voice is confident as I take a deep breath. But what was that vision? And how the hell did I have it?

UNDER AN OVERPASS

Bucky leans over Sam's seat, "Can you move your seat up?" He asks respectively.

I can see Sam roll his eyes in the mirror, "No." I stifle a giggle as Persephone laughs.

"Is he always like that?" I shake my head no. Bucky, Persephone, and I are all in the back seat of this small bug. I'm in the middle and halfway on Persephone's lap, so that's fun.

"Woah–" When I look up I see Sharon and Steve kissing, that's new. For the year I've known Steve I've seen him kiss two people, and one of those times was for keeping their cover. Steve pulls away from Sharon and she hands Steve a pile of stuff. He walks toward the car and opens the trunk, stowing what looks like our suits away.

PARKiNG GARAGE AT THE LEiPZiG / HALLE AiRPORT

While I was gone, Clint retired to live with his family on his farm so seeing him now is very bittersweet. When Steve climbs out of the car I climb over Persephone to get out, I almost fall on my face but it's worth it as I run over to Clint. "Hey!" He exclaims and hugs me tightly.

"Lila misses you, Nadia." I smile and he pats my back.

"Cap." He nods at Steve respectfully.

I don't hold back my smile when I see Wanda. "Wand," I call out and she stands beside me, Steve's face hardens.

"I wouldn't have called if I had any other choice." He's speaking to Clint, I turn to Wanda and think in my head.

"If anything happens to us, just know that you have me." Wanda nods a bit and I grab her hand.

"And you have me, but please don't hurt Vis too much, Nadia." I squeeze her hand in agreement. She smiles at me from the side and I catch sight of Bucky and Persephone talking, I smirk. I don't have the details but I have a vague feeling that they're dating.

"Hey man, you're doing me a favor... besides, I owe a debt." I look at Clint in confusion.

Steve moves his eyes over me briefly before settling on Wanda. "Thank you for having my back. How about that new recruit?" Clint chuckles before turning away from us.

"He's good to go, had to put some coffee in him but, he should be fine." He opens the door to the grey van and a man in a plaid shirt jumps up.