Recruiting Eva (Compound Series Part2) 18+

Chapter 2

"Mister Rogers will be here soon. Please, take a seat in the waiting area," the receptionist said, smiling, and pointed to her left, where several round tables and two chairs stood by the glass wall.

Eva nodded and walked over to the nearest sitting arrangement. The new Avenger facility was located in upstate New York. It took her forever to arrive, but if Captain America invited you over for a cup of coffee, you couldn't exactly say no. Well, you could, but curiosity got the better of her.

She took in the grand foyer. Everything was spacious and built out of glass and steel. It was a mix of modern lines and efficiency. At the end of the foyer, behind a modern staircase, she could see movement through the double doors. With a quick glance over to the receptionist, she stood up and walked over. A quick glance inside revealed a huge training area.

Eva opened the door and peered inside. The movement she noticed earlier belonged to two women standing several feet away from her. Judging by their outfits, they worked in the office the compound harbored. However, their eyes were on something else. On someone else, to be exact.

Her legs moved on their own when she, too, watched the man working the punching bag. His brown hair was pulled back into a bun at the back of his head, exposing his face. Sweat covered his body, but what really made her halt was his shiny metal arm. With every punch, he grunted, and the cybernetic arm made mechanical noises. Judging by his clout, there was a lot of juice behind it.

The startling, loud sound of the door falling shut made him stop and turn. His chest was rising and falling from the exertion of the exercise. When his cold steel blue eyes met hers, her breath caught in her throat. James Barnes. The Winter Soldier.

"Eva?" Steve's voice startled her, making her break eye contact and turn.

Without another word, she left the training area. He must be kidding. Steve knew of her past. Why would Steve invite her here when he was there? James didn't seem surprised to see her, and he definitely recognized her.

"Eva, wait!" Steve called, catching up with her.

She turned on her heels abruptly, fixing him with a hard stare. "What, Steve?" She crossed her arms in front of her chest, concealing her shivering body.

"Let me explain...," he began, only to be interrupted by her.

"Explain what?" she exclaimed, her voice rising. "You called me because you had a job offer. You never mentioned him being here. You can't offer me enough to stay here with him!"

"Let us just take a walk so we can talk. And if you still want to leave afterwards, I'll bring you back personally," he offered.

Eva contemplated his words. "Sorry, Steve, I can't do this," she said. Shaking her head, she walked a few steps backwards, turned and exited the facility.

The cold morning air was a welcome cool. Her cheeks were burning, and she felt her body beginning to shut down. Eva began to pace up and down, she shook her hands to get rid of the shaking of her body and the memories that crept into her mind as soon as she saw him.

Two years ago, she had lost everything and she still couldn't cope with what had happened. She still could feel the plush rabbit in her hand. She could still smell burning gasoline, could still taste the blood on her tongue. When she closed her eyes, she still saw the medic loading two body bags into the ambulance. She stared into the air, not really seeing anything, trapped in her own mind. Like a loop, her brain repeated what had happened over and over again.

"Eva?" The sound of Steve's voice made her jump. "You all right?"

"Peachy," she breathed. Glad, that his voice brought her back, before she would spiral into a panic attack.

"I know you two have history, but he is different now," Steve began, watching her face.

"Oh, is he?" She said in a mocking tone. "For how long? Until someone uses the magic spell?"

"He is free of that," Steve said. "Bucky is different now."

Bucky. What a weird pet name for the Winter Soldier, HYDRA's assassin. She wasn't convinced.

"Look, you would be a great addition to the Avengers program. We all have the same goal: stopping HYDRA," he said, searching her eyes for any indication of her changing her mind. "Stay a few days, see how it goes."

Eva sighed, shaking her head. "Steve, I..."

"Just two weeks. That's all I'm asking," Steve pleaded, giving her a charming smile.

"One week," she said, defeated. "Only because I owe you."