Withered webs || marvel

13- end of beginning

(EIW: another ludicrously long chapter cuz it's the act final hooray!)

When I regained my consciousness I was laid across the backseat of a car I don't remember getting into. My face immediately scrunched in discomfort and confusion as I tried to remember what had happened. I brought a hand to my head while I let out a small groan courtesy of my head that ached profusely. As my vision cleared I shot up quickly, looking around my surroundings in a panic.

I now remembered what happened. I was pulled from the lake and was taken on James's back. Why did he take me? Where were we going? So many questions traveled through my head but all that came out was a strangled whimper as I slightly panicked. There was no way to get out of this.

"Et, ty v proyvadke, ty v poryvadke." James said from the driver's seat, looking back at me through the rearview mirror. (Hey you're okay, you're okay.)

"Pochemu ty vzyal menya?" I breathed out still panicking and looking around. "Kuda my idem?" (Why did you take me? Where are we going?)

"Ya spas tebya, ya ne mog ostavit tebya s etimi lyud'mi." He informed me of his reason. "I my otpravlyayemsya kuda-to daleko, gde smozhem spryatat'sya." (I saved you, I couldn't leave you with those people.) (And we're going somewhere far away where we can hide.)

"Net, net, eti lyudi byli moimi druz'yami!" I argued. "oni khoroshiye lyudi." (No, no, those people were my friends!) (They're good people.)

His eyebrows furrowed as he thought, I could tell he felt bad about me being distraught. Maybe he was trying to remember more about Steve or me. I wanted to go back, I wanted to see Natasha and see if Steve was okay. I wanted to joke with Sam and watch the movie Natasha promised she'd show me. I knew he wouldn't take me back though. I would have to escape at some point.

There wasn't going to be any point in trying to make a run for it now, it was dark and we looked to be in the middle of nowhere on a deserted road in the countryside. Maybe playing along to whatever he wanted me to do and running after a week or two would be a better option. I swallowed hard, attempting to act calm as I quickly formulated my plan.

"Kak ty vdrug vspomnil obo mne?" I questioned quietly, slightly looking up into the mirror with only my eyes. (How do you remember me suddenly?)

He was quiet at first, focusing on his hands on the wheel before he cleared his throat. "I don't know," He said in English, catching me by surprise at the lack of a Russian accent. "On the carrier when you screamed for me to stop, something clicked and you came into my mind, only in my head you were much smaller." He explained.

I stared in response, I didn't remember much of my time at HYDRA or with him. I hoped he remembered more than I did so he could explain. He seemed like he genuinely wanted to protect me. I used my training to focus on the little details in the way his eyes moved and the certain moments when his voice cracked, all indications of genuinely speaking.

"I don't remember much of anything, they wiped my memory," I told him.

"You were with me, in there." He told me rather than asking. "It was only for about a year and a half I think, I've had two hours to think about it."

"I've been out for two hours?!" I asked, genuinely shocked.

"Yep, I stopped by a small store and fixed up your leg. Sorry by the way." He explained.

My chest tightened at the thought of how he managed to fix my leg, the wound was on the middle of my thigh. I tried not to let it distract me as I kept my eyes trained in front of me, not letting my guard down just yet.

"Oh, thank you," I responded.

"No problem, your shoulder was also bleeding from an old wound, I did that also right?" James seemed ashamed at all the harm he'd done to my small body.