8-1-0-9

Chpt. 6

My head felt heavy as it lulled around on a solid surface, and a soft wind made my hair tickle my nose. I could hear voices get clearer and clearer as I came to my senses, able to feel faint heat on either side of me. There was a sudden tension on my right arm and I shot up. I was met with four faces, three of them startled as the one basically rolled his eyes at me. The formers each leaned back as I suddenly raised my leg, the tip of my shoes barely grazing their noses as the grip on my arm tightened. I was twisted for only a moment before I gave the person on my right a left hook, hearing a grunt come from the Soldier's mouth as his head whipped back. I tried to weasel my arm free, but his left arm didn't budge. I gave it one more strong tug just as my left arm was seized, sending another swing for the dark skinned man beside me.

     "Gale!" The Soldier yelled, groaning when my elbow hit his gut.

I heard a distant click, my frantic eyes snapping toward the sound as the blonde displayed the tip of a pistol. "This'll calm her down, hey?" He chuckled, and I realized he had a cut along the bridge of his nose. The reddened spot made me bite down a smirk.

     "Walker, put that damn thing away," the man on my left shot at him, just as the Soldier growled a "shoot her and I'll kill you."

I rolled my eyes, kicking my left leg up so it hit his hand, flinging the gun through the open-top of the vehicle we were in and into a passing field. My foot was grabbed by the Soldier, who sent me a warning look as he let my foot drop back down. I returned it right back at him. I could see it in his eyes; he knew I wanted to do a lot more damage, merely letting me almost break his fingers just so the gun wasn't pointed between my eyes.

     "Regardless if I die or not," I grumbled my agreement to the Soldier, crossing my arms over my chest as I sulked between the two men and glared at the blonde. "What the hell am I doing here?"

     "Well, after your little psycho-girl episode where you tried to kill Barnes," Walker began, "I'm assuming the guy decided to bring you along. I don't know if that was a good call or not." The man looked to my right, sending the Soldier a mocking look.

     "Hey," Sam, if I remember correctly, said to gather Walker's attention. "It was a good call. She bashed her head on the road. You think we'll let her sit there alone?"

     "Is that what this is?" I muttered, turning to face him as I gingerly touched the back of my head, wincing at the pins and needles I felt trickle to my spine. I paused for a moment, looking at Barnes with a guilty expression as things began to click again. I faced Walker once more. "Wait, I went... psycho-girl?"

The man to the left of Walker nodded his head, shifting uncomfortably in his seat when my gaze fell on his. "Yeah. That redhead spoke some gibberish and suddenly you started fighting her before she told you to go after us. Craziest shit I'd ever seen."

I cursed under my breath, feeling my head get tight with a headache as I ran a hand through my loose hair. Of course. I remember now. That backstabbing bitch used my own past against me, to control me the same way those bastards did before. I knew I shouldn't have trusted her, yet I did for five damn years. For five shitty years, I let that girl tell me what to do and where to go as we found ourselves knew homes and helped others. I shouldn't be here... not with these guys. But where would I go? Back to Madripoor to the Power Broker again? She'd try to get me killed. It would take a lot, honestly, to kill someone like me, but I don't want to go through that. She'd go after Nico and DeeDee and Matias and everyone else. I'd have to find them somehow.

The voices drowned as I pressed my gloved hands to my face, leaning forward on my knees. Two separate weights came down on my back, both of them gently pressing against me. Names came back after the remnants of the moment's programming slipped back to the corners of my mind, and I figured Sam's warm hand was perched on my left shoulder with his elbow down by my middle back. The Soldier, or Bucky's arm was slung across my lower back, the cold of his vibranium limb seeping through my coat and somewhat soothing as his fingers gently caressed my side. I felt too guilty to care, and both men took the opportunity as an attempt for comfort. Comfort I didn't want nor thought I deserved.