ＲＥＤＥＭＰＴＩＯＮ {TONY STARK'S LITTLE SISTER FAN-FICTION}

4. I'M SORRY

It had been 24 hours since Elizabeth had been asked to go on a mission with Bucky. Alone.

After giving her answer, she had bolted to her room, locked the door, and hadn't come out since. The weight of her decision pressed heavily on her chest, making it hard to think, let alone face anyone.

She lay sprawled across her bed, her journal open in front of her. Scrawled thoughts filled the pages, a chaotic mix of anger, fear, and confusion.

How could they ask me to do this? With him of all people?

Knock, knock.

Elizabeth's heart skipped a beat. Her eyes darted to the door. "Who is it?"

"Bucky."

Her hand froze mid-word. Here? Now? She hastily shut her journal and sat up, trying to compose herself before opening the door.

"What is it?" she said, her voice sharper than she intended.

Bucky stepped in without waiting for an invitation. He moved to the bed, sitting on its edge. His shoulders slumped as he leaned forward, his hands clasped tightly between his knees. For a moment, he didn't say anything, staring at the floor as though searching for the right words.

"I really need you to do this with me," he finally said, his voice low but urgent. "Hydra has intel on all of us—intel that could destroy us from the inside out. They know more about us than we know about each other."

Elizabeth closed the door quietly and moved to her desk chair, sitting down and facing him. Her arms crossed protectively over her chest. "Why me?"

He avoided her gaze, his voice faltering. "Hydra has no idea you exist. They don't know I'm part of the team, either." He paused and finally looked up, meeting her eyes. "Please. I'll train you. I'll protect you. I swear—nothing will happen to you, Elizabeth."

The sincerity in his voice made her throat tighten, but she refused to let her guard down. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared into his. Her voice was barely above a whisper when she asked, "How can I trust someone who killed my parents?"

Her words hit him like a punch to the gut. Bucky's jaw tightened, and he looked away, his shoulders sinking further under the weight of her pain.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice breaking.

For a moment, the room was filled with a heavy silence. Elizabeth felt a twinge of guilt. Despite everything, she couldn't ignore the broken man sitting before her. She hated him—she truly did—but she also couldn't deny the vulnerability he carried.

"I said, I'd go," she said, her voice shaking with controlled anger. "Just know, I'm not doing it for you. I'm doing this to protect my family."

The Avengers Compound training room loomed before her, a cavernous space that seemed more imposing with every step. The air smelled faintly of sweat, metal, and gunpowder, a mixture of past battles and relentless preparation. The room was meticulously organized—rows of punching bags hung in neat lines, weight racks gleamed under the fluorescent lights, and shooting targets stood at the far end, waiting to be shredded by precise fire. A sleek boxing ring dominated the center of the space, its ropes taut and its mat pristine, while the state-of-the-art simulator loomed like a sleeping beast in the far corner, quiet but full of potential chaos.

Elizabeth's stomach twisted as she followed Bucky toward the ring. Every instinct screamed at her to turn around, to walk out and demand someone else handle this mission.

"We'll start here," Bucky said, his deep voice breaking the silence. He gestured toward the ring, his expression unreadable but focused.

Elizabeth hesitated at the edge of the mat, her bare feet brushing against its cool surface. She took a deep breath, willing her nerves to settle, and climbed in. The soft tapping of her feet against the mat echoed in the quiet room.