The Ghost [Marvel | Steve Rogers]

Chapter 35

Barton Home, USA

Spring 2015

They were a mess. They were all a mess.

The only one who could almost be said to be fine was Barton, and even he'd been affected.

Sure, it was born out of concern for the rest of his teammates and out of sympathy for what they had gone through, but it had still shaken the archer. Having to see them all effectively torn apart? It'd be hard for the man not to be affected seeing them all like that.

Especially since he'd gone through something similar prior to New York at Loki's hands. It had to be bringing back some memories.

So yes. Barton was shaken too.

Even if it wasn't so monumentally so as the rest of them this time.

Well, not just Barton.

Nadine was mostly fine too.

Steve had to admit she'd seemed shaken as well. But, like Clint, it seemed borne out of worry for the rest of them rather than from coming into contact with Wanda Maximoff; affected second-hand, so to speak.

And, of course, by the constant fear for her daughter.

That had certainly not gone away or even lessened, if he was any judge.

If anything, it had gotten worse. Probably because Ultron now knew she was working with them. That had to be weighing on the blonde assassin.

God, it was weighing on him.

Part of him still couldn't believe she'd stayed. Nadine—the one who had slipped away the instant no one was watching on one occasion and had attempted it on others—had stayed to help Barton and Stark look out for the rest of the team.

Despite—as she kept reminding them—the fact that she wasn't actually an Avenger.

At first he suspected she had stayed solely for Nat's sake. After all, each was the other's self-professed sister and the closest thing to family they both had. There was no doubting that fact. Not since Nadine had come to Natasha for help.

Not since she'd spared Natasha's life in Prague regardless of the personal risk she took in doing so. With the skill the blonde had with that rifle of hers? There was no way she'd missed by accident.

But Steve couldn't help the feeling that it had since become more than just concern for Nat.

Nadine had helped all of them after Johannesburg.

The first really conscious thought he'd had as he'd emerged from the Maximoff girl's visions was of Nadine helping to guide him into the Quinjet. It was just a flash, but it was there; her gentle hand braced against his torso as she slipped from beneath his arm while Thor helped lower his sluggish body into the waiting seat, her voice low and soothing as it eased through his disorientated thoughts.

Then later she'd been checking on him, asking questions to gauge his lucidity and whether or not his mind was returning with his awareness, her touch comforting on his shoulder as she knelt next to him. And when he'd proven that he was again in control of his own mind, she'd updated him fully on the situation without censure—both on what happened to them, and what had happened to Banner—without him even needing to ask, somehow knowing that he'd needed to know. It was something he appreciated more than he could say.

He'd also seen her checking in with a rather agitated Thor, laying a similarly comforting hand on the Asgardian's arm as they waited for Tony to return with Bruce.