Carmine Jewels ║ Wanda Maximoff

Chapter 29 - Facades

Topaz knew exactly where they needed to go, and so did Winter. The only problem was how to get to the bank unseen. Getting away from the fight with Cap and Widow hadn't been a problem, considering all the commotion that had been going on. But moving unseen through the streets of Washington as a soldier with a metal arm and an assassin, wasn't an easy feat.

So, they kept to the back alleys, sneaking their way through the city. She had expected Winter to at least scold her for her mistake of leaving the Black Widow alive, but she was surprised. He didn't say a word about it. His face held a blank expression, his blue eyes staring forwards, but not really taking in the environment.

Down in the vault of the bank, the scientists immediately sat Winter down and got to work on his arm. It appeared that the fight with the Captain hadn't gone as smoothly as they had hoped. And the arm had sustained some damage that needed to be fixed.

Topaz was set across from Winter on a spindle-legged chair, intently watching as the scientists welded something together inside of the metal arm. She had managed to come out of the fight mainly unharmed, only a couple of cuts and bruises that would heal perfectly fine on their own.

She couldn't stop thinking about the name that the Widow had uttered. Keira. It meant something, she felt it in her bones, but for the love of God, she couldn't figure out why. And judging from the distant look in Winter's eyes, it seemed like he also was taking a trip down memory lane, something about Cap had triggered something within him. She noticed how his muscles tensed for just a second, but the scientists working on his arm didn't notice a thing.

Then, he snapped.

He punched one of the scientists roughly to the floor, the other flying up from his chair to check on his colleague. The remaining agents immediately aimed their guns at him, in case he made another move.

His fists were clenched and his face was pulled in a grimace. The thin layer of sweat covering his body glistened in the yellowish light and his naked chest was rising and falling at an increasingly racing pace. Whatever it was that he had seen in his head, it clearly agitated him.

The agents all around were tense, their guns still aiming strictly at the soldier's chest. Just before it felt like it was about to go down, Pierce entered the vault. He casually took his glasses off and raised his hands into the air, signaling for the men to put the guns down.

And who was following in Pierce's footsteps if not the leader of STRIKE, Brock Rumlow? Had HYDRA infiltrated every part of SHIELD?

As the vault door was closed shut by one of the agents, Pierce stopped in front of the soldier and slid his glasses down into his inside pocket. "Mission report." He demanded, watching Winter with wary eyes. But the soldier still seemed to be stuck in his own head, because he didn't answer. "Mission report now." Pierce demanded again, his tone more firm this time.

Topaz stayed silent, just watching the interaction since she wasn't being spoken to.

Pierce stepped closer and leaned down, his hands on his knees as he tried to make eye contact with Winter, who just stared out into space. Not liking to be ignored, Pierce backhanded him across the face, causing her to flinch.

It seemed like the slap caused Winter to return to this reality. A confused frown settled on his face as he turned his head towards Pierce. "The man on the bridge... Who was he?" He said slowly, his gaze on the man in front of him. Ah, so Cap was familiar to him, just as Widow was to her.

Pierce, still bent over, decided to answer the question, to Topaz's great surprise. "You met him earlier this week on another assignment."

Winter's eyes flickered downwards, his brain working furiously to piece the puzzle together. "I knew him."