Trust Me, I Will Never Trust You.

Chapter 17

The team had gathered in the lounge area, waiting for dinner to be ready. Wanda had taken over the cooking duties for the night, and the aroma of spices and herbs filled the air.

As they waited for the food to be ready, the team engaged in light-hearted banter to pass the time. Stark was particularly lively, cracking jokes and making witty remarks. Suddenly, his attention soon shifted to Xpel, who was standing away from the group, leaning against the wall in solitude.

"What's up, expelliarmus?" Tony asked with a grin, clearly proud of the nickname he had coined for her. Bucky let out a soft chuckle, prompting Xpel to look up and glare at him.

"What?" Xpel asked, annoyed at Winter's amusement.

"Nothing," Bucky said, his voice low and calm.

Xpel couldn't help but notice the change in Bucky's demeanour. He had been so harsh and cold towards her, but now since Tony and Bruce's tests... 

"I don't know what you're laughing at. You're not even a real person. You're half metal," Xpel retorted, attempting to get a rise out of him. But Bucky just shrugged and looked away.

"Well, you're half psycho..." he muttered bitterly, his resentment towards her evident again. Xpel couldn't help but think to herself, 'Ah, there he is.'

"Bucky!" Steve scolded.

• • •

The team sat down to dinner, and Xpel was relieved that Wanda had prepared a separate plate for her with a smaller amount of food. Each component of the meal was separated, allowing her to identify the food easily. 

She felt grateful for the care and consideration shown towards her, and she began to eat with a sense of ease. As she ate, Steve and the others looked on with pride, impressed by her willingness to eat compared to the previous evening.

Bucky, on the other hand, just scoffed and looked away. He couldn't believe Xpel was getting all this attention for simply eating her food. He didn't understand why everyone was making such a big deal out of this.

As the team finished their meal, Tony suggested the group watch a movie together.

Xpel declined, feeling uncomfortable with the idea of sitting in close proximity to the team for an extended period of time. She knew that she needed to work on her trust issues if she was going to be an effective member of the team, but for now, she couldn't bring herself to let her guard down.

The team, sensing her discomfort, didn't push the issue. They settled in to watch the movie, enjoying each other's company in comfortable silence. Xpel stood off to the side, watching them out of the corner of her eye.

Halfway through the movie, Bucky sensed Xpel's gaze on the group. He turned to look at her, only to see her walking off towards her room. He frowned, wondering why she always seemed to distance herself from the team.

Steve, noticing Bucky's expression, leaned over and whispered to Nat, "Can you keep an eye on Xpel and Bucky during tomorrow morning's training session?"

Nat nodded in agreement, understanding Steve's concern.

• • •

The next morning, Xpel was in the gym, drenched in sweat, as Bucky pushed her to her limits. She had lost count of how many laps she had run around the gymnasium, but Bucky seemed to be in no mood to stop. 

Nat, who was in the corner of the gym, noticed the tension between the two and kept a watchful eye on them. She knew the history between Xpel and Bucky and hoped that things wouldn't escalate.

Despite her best efforts, Xpel was struggling to keep up with Bucky's rigorous training regime. No matter how hard she pushed herself, it seemed like he was never satisfied. As she gasped for breath, memories of her time at Hydra's training facility flooded her mind, causing her heart to race with fear.

~ Flashback ~

Xpel stood in a dimly lit room, surrounded by her trainers. They were all shouting at her, telling her she was weak and useless. The cattle prod was in one of their hands, as they used it to intimidate her.

"You're nothing but a weapon," one of them said as he pressed the prod against her skin. "We've spent too much time and money on you to let you be weak."

Xpel winces as she remembers the pain that surged through her body. She had been pushed to her limits, both physically and mentally, as they trained her to be the best soldier she could be.

But it wasn't enough. She had failed to complete one of their fitness tests in a time they deemed 'satisfactory'.

Xpel shudders as she remembers her trainers' cold, unfeeling eyes as they watched her suffer. She had been so desperate to please them, to prove that she was strong enough, that she had pushed herself beyond her limits.

Without warning, the trainer jabbed the cattle prod into Xpel's side, sending a searing pain through her body. She grits her teeth and tries not to cry out, but her body convulses in response.