Lost Widow

Chapter 16

"He only asked me to think about it. There are no strings attached," Bucky reassured.

"Okay, so you're not going to do it?" Steve questioned.

Bucky sighed, "Steve, I need to be fixed. I'm useless to this team if I don't get help and as much as I hate to say it, signing those papers will allow me to receive it."

He continued, "I don't want to be controlled anymore, I don't want no one to ever be able to trigger me again."

"But this is just another way to control you. We've been through enough to know that the people in charge are usually corrupt. The people who would be responsible for directing us are the same ones that were ready to drop a nuclear weapon on New York. If you sign, your freedom is taken away. I don't want to see you make the wrong choice," Steve states.

"I don't know what the right choice is anymore," Bucky said, uncertainly.

"What if there was another way?"

"I'm listening," Bucky responds.

"I was planning on telling you when the time was right and now seems like more of a right time than any. T'challa is offering treatment for you in Wakanda," Steve told him.

"No, that has to be a trap," Bucky doubted.

"He knows the truth now, that Zemo was the one behind his father's death. Not you. He wants to help," Steve assured.

Bucky reflected on the choice for a moment. He couldn't be sure if the king of Wakanda did actually want to help him, but he knew he had to face him. He still felt at fault, he was used as a pawn in Zemo's desire for revenge and because of this many people were hurt. Wherever he went it only seemed to bring pain and destruction. The last person he wanted to see hurt because of him was his best friend Steve, so he threw away the fear he held deep inside him and chose to face the black panther.

"Okay. I'll go. When do I leave?"

"We take the quinjet to Wakanda in-"

Steve stopped mid-sentence after hearing something inside the house shatter.

"After we deal with this mess. C'mon," he said.

They go inside to the room Natasha and Nadia were currently in.

"What's going on?" Steve asked.

"She's throwing a tantrum because I told her Wanda's going to use her powers on her," Natasha explained.

"Woah what? Do you remember the last time Wanda got in somebody's head? I don't think that's a good idea," Steve disapproved.

"It's the only way we're going to find out the truth," she expressed.

"Yeah but-"

"I'm the reason she's here. I need to do this," she concluded with determination.

Steve nods and watches as they bring Wanda in.

Nadias squinted her eyes as Wanda came into the light.

"You. You smashed a vase over my head," she seethed.

"You were out of control. I had to," Wanda defended herself.

"Get out," Nadia fumed.

"I can't do that," Wanda refused.

Nadia opened her mouth and tried to use her sonic scream but was initially shocked when she felt a sudden jolt of electricity. The intense burning sensation caused her to cry out.

"The collar you're wearing prevents you from using your power," Wanda stated.

"Please don't try again, despite what you might think right now I don't want to see you get hurt."

Nadia spoke calmly, "Then leave."

"We both know I can't," Wanda replied.

"If we just take your word for it and you end up stabbing us in the back, we won't have any more options. We need to make sure we can trust you and this is the only way," she added.

"Trust? When you find out you're all wrong you think I'm going to trust any of you," Nadia scoffed.

"No, probably not," Wanda said.

She carefully sat down next to the teenager.

"Please don't," Nadia whispered.

"Why don't you want me to?"

"I know what you can do Wanda. If I let you inside my head, you'll be able to see my past. And I can't shake the feeling that there's something buried deep down that connects me to someone," Nadia confided.

"Does it scare you? Finding out what it is?"

Nadia nodded, "that could be the key to who I am."

She took a deep breath, "and that, that scares me more than anything."

"Why?"

"I've always been taught love is weakness. I've never loved anything in my life more than this thing. I can't have it hold me back, I can't," Nadia shared.

"This thing that you love, I don't think it will hold you back. It will make you stronger," Wanda remarked.

"I know I have only just met you, but I don't need to look inside your head to know that you hold self-doubt. It's hard to trust people when you can't even trust yourself."

"If I agree, you need to take the collar off," Nadia said.

"I don't know-"

"It's just really uncomfortable and I would trust you better if you allowed me to breathe properly," she stated.

Wanda, now convinced, removes the collar with ease and puts it on the bed.

"Now that it's off, will you agree to do it?"

"Yes, you can start now," Nadia said.

Red energy glowed around Wanda's hands; she directed it towards Nadia's head.

Memory 1 (The Beginning)

Nadia ran around the apartment bored out of her mind. She had already done everything she was instructed to do and was in some desperate need of fun. With the idea of exploring, she turned the knob and opened the door. She hesitantly took a step outside and nervously looked around for any signs of her mom. When she found that there was none, she excitedly continued walking down the hall.

She walked down the stairs and on the left was a door. She went on her tippy toes and looked through the window. Inside was a group of women in all black, training. Nadia slightly tilted her head in curiosity. She watched closely at the girl's movements and began to imitate them. Being able to do it easily she smirked.

"Nicely done," A woman said from behind her.

A cold shiver went up her spine.

Swiftly, she turned around to a pale and slender woman, gray hair in a bun, and lips a deep red.

As she slowly walked towards Nadia with her hands behind her back she smirked, then stood next to her.

In a Russian accent, her soft voice said, "you'll get your turn soon, but not till you're as strong as marble."