america's assassin ➻ steve rogers

fifteen

More time passed and I grew further into my routine. I saw Steve at meals and around the compound, but he gave me my space. I didn't know if he was mad at me or hurt, but I was glad he was giving me the chance to think. My thoughts didn't really grow any clearer over the next week, but I could clearly tell that I missed him now. I didn't know if it was the physical part of him I missed or the rest of him, too, but whenever those thoughts arose I tried not to think too hard about them.

If I tried too hard, I would spiral. And the only rule I had given myself was not to spiral when making this life-changing decision. Because for me, it was life-changing. I really would be jumping off the cliff this time, if that was the road I decided to travel down. Or maybe I would be holding myself back from something that really could be great, but I would never know because I was too afraid.

I'd been sitting at dinner with the rest of them when they'd gotten the call. Silver had been spotted in Brooklyn, and they were sure they'd found his hideout without any help from the assassins. As grateful as I'd been to know Carina and Reid were safe for now, something else niggled in my gut like a warning. Something didn't seem right. Delano Silver was not going to be found unless he wanted to be. I warned them it might be a trap, but nobody listened even after they listened to my request for bulletproof helmets to be worn because if he was there, snipers would be on the surrounding roofs.

Then they were gone, and I was left behind with Peter Parker and Wanda Maximoff as my 'protection', in case it really was a trap and they came here instead.

"Do you think the three of us could take them? If they came here?" Peter asked as he shot a web out and got the apple I'd thrown towards him.

"How many are we talking?" I asked him as I threw an orange from the fruit bowl and he caught that with his webbing, too.

"Ten, twenty maybe?" He said and I laughed.

"Peter," I gasped. "Did you even read the briefing?" He glanced at me, completely missing the banana I threw, hitting him in the face. Wanda barked a laugh from across the room.

"There were ten of you, weren't there?" He asked.

"Yeah, ten highly skilled assassins. Silver has an entire army of soldiers all over the place," I explained. "Not to mention all the snipers and the undercover operatives and everything else." He seemed to pale and glanced between Wanda and I.

"Okay, they're not going to come here, right?" He said. I laughed but I wasn't sure enough to convince myself. I had to put hope in Nat and the others having information that warranted this attack, not just a sighting.

"I can protect you, Peter," Wanda told him when I stayed quiet.

"Thank you, Wanda," Peter said politely. "I appreciate that."

"What do you think is happening right now?" I wondered, tossing my phone up in the air and catching it, begging for a message from Nat saying that everybody was safe.

"Probably kicking ass," Peter said. "I wish I was there."

"Why didn't you go?" Wanda asked.

"Mr. Stark doesn't let me go on the big missions, he's worried I'll get hurt," Peter sighed. "He likes to pretend I'm doing something more important, like looking after you two, but you're really looking after me."

"You can look after me, Peter," I told him. "I've been told I need protection."

"That's very sweet, Mia. Thank you." He grinned at me and I smiled back. At least I had done something that would help someone. I threw my phone back up in the air, watching as mid throw it lit up with a text message. I sat up straight as I caught the phone and read over it, praying it was Nat.