I Thought You Were Different

Soldiers

"Head count!"

Tony's voice was echoing over the commotion as guests and teammates awoke, the room filled with smoke and fire that made it difficult to breathe. You could hear sirens approaching from a distance but the ringing in your ears made it nearly impossible to gauge how far they still were from helping you. Your eyes stung with an intense burn from the flash of the explosion and the last thing you wanted to do was to open them, but you needed to assess what was happening and to make sure that Steve was okay.

"FRIDAY! I said I want a head count!" Tony dropped to his knees at your side, his face bloodied and his forearm appearing to be broken, but it didn't stop his frantic need to see that you were alive. "(Y/N), talk to me, wake up!"

"I'm awake," you groaned breathlessly, coughing and trying to sit up but the pain from impact was still holding you steady. "What the hell was that?"

"Oh, thank god," he sighed, his hands running over you to check for any signs of injury. He began desperately tearing the material away at your dress to make it easier to maneuver and see if you had been hurt, but you stopped him and pulled yourself to sitting, raising your arms over your head despite the pain of your muscles fighting against you.

"Pull!"

He stood and gave the dress a strong rip away and over your head, leaving you feeling slightly exposed in only a bodysuit, but at least you were free to move more easily. You forced your eyes open, despite the searing pain in them, and the reflex of tears began to flow down your face as they tried to combat the sensation.

"Sweetheart, where's Steve?"

"He was right behind me..." you turned, feeling the floor as your sight began to readjust to the darkness and glow of the fires around you. "Where did he go?"

"Dammit, FRIDAY! Where's my count?"

"Sir, I have three with no life signs detected, twelve yet to regain consciousness, and no location on Captain Rogers. Emergency services have arrived."

~~~

Steve had never felt weakness in his body like this in years; he was so ravaged with fatigue that all he could think of was sleeping for days. There were voices that had come and gone and sounds that would have made him curious had he not been so lethargic. The disorientation and clouding in his mind hadn't even taken him to worrying about you.

"We are sorry to have interrupted your festivities, Captain, but we could wait no longer." The man moved to stand in front of Steve and the machine that was holding him in place, reaching out to strike a jarring slap across his face. "Wake up, Captain. Now."

When Steve didn't respond to the command, he was struck again, but now by someone who's strength nearly matched his own, and the force nearly toppled the entire mechanism that held him.

"You will wake now, Captain. You will learn to follow orders. You will learn to comply."

~~~

If this was what the rest of your team had felt when you were laid out in a hospital bed, then you would make amends to each and every one of them for what they had gone through. Your nerves were heightened and your body was filled with a fearful anxiety that was literally shaking you to your core. With an unsteady hand, you wiped your eyes and returned to grasp Natasha's hand, trying to will your strength into her.

"My hair held up in the explosion," you whispered with a mournful laugh. "I think you need to be my stylist from now on. I don't know why I'm so surprised though, your hair always looks amazing, even after a fight. I don't know how the hell you do it."