The Dark Captain

Chapter 48

Arianna lay on a table, an image of her body lying above her on a display. She had been there for two hours and they had done everything, short of torture and sex, to try and see if something would activate any possible nanites. But there was no change, causing Bucky and Steve to worry more.

"The scans show nothing," Shuri said, turning the machines off. "If I keep her here, she'll fall asleep."

Steve helped Arianna sit up as he said, "No offense, Shuri, but it's HYDRA. There's always something."

"He's right," Bucky echoed. "We just need an idea of where to look."

As he shut down his station, Tony asked, "You really think they did something to Ari?"

"Considering all the people I killed for touching her," Steve said, not looking at anyone, "definitely."

He knew that when he was sent on missions they had to have done something. He wasn't always around to protect her and when his words were said, he had even stood by and watched some of the guards beat her once. That was shut down after he had left their faces unrecognizable and their brains a red stain on the floor.

Arianna, however, had a slight blush as she said, "He split one in half. Folded like paper." Her cheeks became redder. "After that, Steve had me train until," she glanced at the one-armed man, "well, Bucky knows."

"Can we not talk about that?" the brunette soldier said with a shudder.

Steve saw an opportunity and decided to take it by saying, "Ari and I need to stay in Wakanda until it's safe."

"It won't be safe if you try to live like that!" Tony replied. "You'll trap both of you here!"

Steve had never thought of staying as a trap, but he supposed it could be seen like that. But it was one of his choosing and he preferred it that way.

"What would you have them do?" Bucky asked. "Whatever they may have done, Shuri can't find it because it's dormant."

"Use us as bait after Steve has the nanites taken out," Ari suggested, surprising everyone. "They won't be able to resist and we discover what they did."

Steve became angry. He had fought the nanites and lost. Putting herself at risk was not an option, end of story. Not when they could make her kill or worse.

"That's a bullshit plan and you know it!" Steve growled. "Not happening."

Arianna gave him an incredulous look. He was supposed to be the man with a plan. Steve knew that. Before he went back in time, maybe he would have accepted Arianna's plan, but knowing the lengths HYDRA would go just to make him obey, he could not fathom letting her go through with it. They won't touch my princess.

The thought shocked Steve, but he didn't let it show. He had to make Arianna see that he meant business. If anyone tried to hurt her, he would be the last monster they would ever see.