A Heart Break In Time

In Layman's Terms, It Means You're Not Coming Home.

The three of them moved closer together and soon it was us versus them. They were gathered against the back wall of the training room and Angel stood in front of the other two.

"I'm not going to give you much longer to explain before we lock you up right beside your sister." I snapped, glaring at Angel.

She took a deep breath. "Fury wanted us to see your weaknesses and to find her." Angel pointed at Wanda. "He said you knew where she was and he needed her." Angel paused, taking another deep breath. "I swear, I didn't know about Maria. That was all real. And our friendship-"

I held my hand up to stop her. "Don't you even dare start that bullshit. This is not a rom com. You three are sick, psychotic. None of that was real." I stared directly at Kai. "None of it."

"But it was." Angel argued, but she wasn't looking at me. As I stared down Kai, Sam stared down Angel. "I care about all of you. We do. You all have been so wonderful to us, we weren't prepared for that at all. And Sam... I mean this with my whole being, I am crazy about you. I couldn't fake this if I wanted to. This is real."

"This was a lie." Was the only thing Sam said before he walked out.

I turned to Steve. "Are you good to follow him or should I?"

Steve nodded. "I got it." He walked out after him and I sighed. I felt the worst for Sam in this. He deserved so badly to be happy... but Steve could handle that. I needed to deal with them.

"You're saying you didn't know about Maria?" I turned my glare back to Angel.

"No, I swear." Tears we're pouring from her eyes. "And the fact that you all did what you did, no hesitation to find her. And Bucky-"

I lunged towards her, Wanda grabbed me and held me back. "Don't you fucking talk about Bucky! We're in this mess because of you! I thought we were family! And now he's gone!"

T'Challa and Shuri were off to the side for this interaction, not being truly involved with any of it. But my reaction brought them closer. "Talia, this is helping no one." T'Challa placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

Rhodey stepped forward. "Start from the beginning."

Angel opened her mouth to talk but Clint lifted his hand stopping her. "Not you. You've talked enough. I want the two others. Either one." He wiggled his finger between Kai and Eva.

They looked at each other and Kai stepped forward. "Talia knows my history. Do I have to repeat it?" He looked to me and I shook my head.

"You can go from there."

"Well, I was about to do it again, truthfully. And I went to expand outside of Arizona, but the cops were there and I was arrested. It was hours before anyone came to speak to me, when they came it was Fury. He wanted to know about my powers, how they came, who knew. And my motives." Kai sighed and sat on the ground but he continued. "He told me he had a team ready. That he needed me to get Intel. My record would be wiped clean and he'd personally prosecute the managers responsible for... You know." He nodded at me. "And then I met those two. Fury told us all we weren't to harm any of you, just relay details."

"So we did." Eva spoke up. "And then we got here, and you were all so kind. And eventually we just... stopped answering or returning Fury's calls. I think that's why he went after Peggy."

I held my hand out and the three stared at it. "The phone." I explained. "Show me the call log." Angel stood up and brought it from her pocket.

"Code?"

"Seven, seven, six, seven, twelve, twelve." Angel replied, placing it in my hand.

I opened the phone and sure enough the code worked. I went straight to the call log. The only name there was Fury's. And the most recent listings were red. Sure enough, missed calls. I locked the phone and put it in my pocket to verify or sure later. "Checks out so far." I looked at Rhodey and Clint.

"So you had nothing to do with Bucky being taken?" Rhodey turned back to them.

"No. Talia, you have to know I wouldn't do that." Kai responded, he stared into my eyes, pleading for me to believe him.

I walked over to Clint. "I need some air. You guys good with them?"

"Yeah." Clint nodded.

"We can handle it. Do you need me?" Wanda asked. After everything she's been through, the empathy she could still carry for others astounded me.

"No, no I'm okay. I just. I need to breathe. See if you can convince them to let you unblock their memories. I'm not believing a word they say without concrete proof." I walked out of the room and heard both Kai and Angel call after me.

I didn't look back.