America's Prism

Chapter 7

She fell asleep again shortly after take off, prompting Tony to set his headset to only talk to Steve.

"So...start talking so I can defend you when we get back and the rest of the Teen Titans swarm you like angry bees."

Steve sighed, and began his tale. Hours later when they made it back to the Avenger Compound, both of the men had to wipe their eyes and put on a stone face as they landed on the roof.

Steve gingerly carried the still sleeping silver haired woman directly to the medical wing where Bruce was already waiting - Tony had sent him her quick scan and he was very worried.

Steve was hesitant to leave her side but agreed to go make an official report for the others to read.

Tony helped the doctor carefully change her into a hospital gown, frowning deeply at her visible injuries and obvious signs of forced entry. Bruce took deep breaths to keep calm while Tony explained both of them were drugged and Steve genuinely had no control of his actions.

He'd never seen such heartbreak in his shield wielding companions eyes before. The guilt seemed to be eating him alive.

After taking some blood, Bruce quickly made an antidote to the sedatives in her system and gave them as well as nutrition though an IV while she was out.

They were given enough to survive, but her portions were deliberately smaller to keep her weak and tired.

She'd lost a fair amount of weight and muscle while in the cell, Cap's serum kept him muscular if a bit slowed and off balance.

Once she was taken care of and resting, Steve entered the lab and a similar process began.

Bruce spent all night running tests and studying samples while Tony studied the blue prints of their cuffs- . Shortly after they arrived back to the compound, Natasha dropped off a USB with all the files on the base.

She and Tony looked over them and were left feeling physically ill as they found the plans and surveillance videos of them in the cell.

"Friday, cut to conversations." Tony said after looking away as the drugged version of Steve approached the horrified looking young woman who tried to dash from his reach.

They watched hours of videos of the two bonding and apologizing for past actions, crying and hugging.

"They built a trauma bond." Natasha said softly.

"How could they not?"

She nodded in agreement. "What do we do now? Separate them?"

Tony was quiet for a moment, "I think we should see what they want."

"You mean what she wants."

He tilted his head, "This took a toll on Cap too. His eyes lost their spark...he looked at the cliffs edge for a long time before we left...I think he was-"

She sighed, "Thinking about jumping to his death."

Tony nodded."Okay so when she wakes up, we just...ask them what they wants us to do."

"Then do it, yeah." He nodded, at a loss for other options.

"Okay."

--

The following morning she woke up and took a look around her hospital room, seeing Bruce looking under a microscope not far away.

"Bruce!" she smiled, getting his attention. He flitted over with a smile on his face. "Welcome back, Priz!"

She leaned forward in bed, flinching slightly and gave him a hug.

"How are you feeling?"

"Where's Steve?"

His smile faltered, "He's fine. With the cuff off, his body was able to return to homeostasis easily. But how are you?"

She nodded. "Honestly, I feel well rested and better than I have in...?" she knit her brow.

"T-three months, almost four."

"Yeah, that." She offered a grin that he returned. "I do feel..." not thinking any thing of it, she reached between her thighs and rubbed some liquid off her thigh, showing Banner a bit of blood that immediately wiped the grin off his face.

"Could just be my period again. They didn't take any breaks." She gave a half hearted laugh.

"Yeah, could be." She didn't notice how worried he sounded.

Later that day, Bruce got a call and tentatively turned to Prism who was watching her hand light with magic with amusement.

"Hey Priz..." She looked up at him. "Steve wants to see you. Is that okay?" he asked softly.

She nodded, "Yeah, it's okay."

Bruce nodded slightly and opened the door, stepping aside to let Steve stride in trying not to walk too fast.

His eyes got wet as he looked at her in the hospital bed, thin and pale with an IV in her hand. He blinked back the tears before he got close enough for her to see them.

"Hey buddy, long time no see!" she offered, making him chuckle and relax.

"Good to see you too, Bon."

To the doctors surprise, Steve pressed a kiss to her forehead that she actually leaned in for. It was also the first time any of the Avengers heard him use her real name- hell most of them didn't even use it.

Her vitals picked up as Steve entered the room, prompting Bruce to check her monitors again.

"What does all that mean?" she asked as Steve took her hand in his much larger one.

"Look at her."

Before their very eyes, the dark circles under hers faded away and even she watched the hand shaped brushes on her forearms fade.

"So it means my magic is healing me again?"

Steve and Bruce looked at each other, "I think it means...your magic is responding to...this..." the doctor gestured to Steve's hand on hers. "How do you feel now, Priz?"

"Not sore anymore." She shrugged. "I'm actually kind of hungry."

"What do you want? I'll get it for you. Anything." The soldier spoke up immediately.

"I want..." She thought about it, "Ohh you know what I haven't had in years? The Bacon Turkey Bravo sandwich from Panera."

"Done." He nodded, gave her hand a gentle squeeze and left the room.

She smiled after him as Bruce pulled up a stool and sat beside her.

"You're...surprisingly okay right now."

She nodded, "Yeah, I am. Steve and I had a lot of time to talk, I know he didn't have a choice. We accepted our fate fairly quickly and it stopped being so bad as time went on."

He waited for her to go on.

"I never wanted it, but I know he didn't either. I learned that it hurt less if I just accepted it so I h
did."

Bruce frowned, "Tony said their records said they took you to medical at least once a week."

"Mostly to check for internal rupture, repair some things...tests..."

He was appalled at how casual she was about this.

"If you need to talk to someo-" "I'm fine, Bruce. Got it? I'm fine." Her voice got hard as she spoke, telling him she definitely wasn't fine.

She took a deep breath, "Being pretty much made of magic comes with down sides. I can't...lose control. I can't afford the cost." Her voice was barely a whisper as she looked down.

"I understand that better than anyone. But I have to ask, are you okay with Steve? Really?"

"I need to be. He needs me to be- at least for now so...yes." She took a deep breath, "my magic responded to his presence, so I must like him on some level right?"

Or your body is anticipating injury and is trying to get you into fighting shape.

"Right." He agreed stiffly, turning back to look at her monitors again.

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