Readers Assemble!

Hope and Despair (Steve Rogers x fem!reader)

(WARNINGS: Angst, mentions of betrayal, kidnapping, pregnancy. Battle of Sokovia. Slight fluff.)

You knew from the moment you married Steve that there would be a target on your back. You knew that there was danger around every corner. The chances of getting kidnapped, harmed, or killed were probably higher for you than a normal woman. And now that you were pregnant, it was double trouble. You had to be extra careful and vigilant. No one ever expected that the biggest danger to you would come from the minds of Tony Stark and Bruce Banner.

You were gigging and running your hand over your stomach when Ultron first appeared. Despite all their efforts, the Avengers were unsuccessful in shutting him down. You tried to stay out of sight, but Ultron found you anyway. To everyone's surprise, he didn't leave you be nor did he hurt you. Instead, he took you with him. Steve's cries of your name echoed through the dark, New York night.

You came to in a makeshift cell. Groaning, you sat up and your first thoughts were of the baby growing inside you. Your heart rate picked up in fear. "I have not harmed the child," a gravely, mechanical voice said. You looked up to see Ultron there. "Why? Why take me? I am nothing to you." Ultron scoffed lightly. "You are the Captain's hope. You are everything. You and his child."

You didn't respond and Ultron kept going. "The Captain believes that there can be peace without war. Surely you know that is not true. Captain America's belief will leave a world of misery and corpses. Is that the world you wish your child to grow up in? A world where they fear for their safety every time they leave home?"

"Stop," you whispered, but he didn't listen. "I will rid the world of the infection of humanity, and with your help, the Captain will join me." You shook your head vehemently. "I will never help you." Ultron chuckled. "Yes you will." Your hands rested on your belly. "Why would I?" He opened the door of your little cell. "Because, I can guarantee your safety in my new earth. I will not harm the child. That child represents innocence. An innocence that will not be lost."

You couldn't believe you were actually listening to him. However, the more he spoke, the more his proposition made sense. Maybe it was the protective instinct kicking in, but you found yourself listening to his proposal. Could you really be safe in a world without humanity? When Ultron finally finished his speech, you looked up at him and nodded. "I'm in."

*time skip*

"Where are they?!" Steve cried, making everyone around him flinch except Natasha. They had never seen him so aggressive before. Even Pietro and Wanda flinched. "Ve do not know," Pietro admitted. "Cap, try and calm down." Steve glared at Tony. You had been missing for so long now, Steve lost count of the days and he had been a wreck since then.

"Do you at least know his plan?" The twins exchanged a look. "He vants to use them against you. To turn them against humanity like he did to us. To hurt the Captain." Steve clenched his fists at his sides, wanting nothing more than to hit something. Luckily, they soon had a location for Ultron. Sokovia.

Steve couldn't get onto land fast enough. He needed to find you and fast, before Ultron succeeded. He raced through the streets, avoiding robots everywhere. His shield was working overtime. He finally found you, at Ultron's side. Your stomach had grown, but that wasn't what bothered Steve. What bothered your husband was your eyes. They were void of all emotion when you looked at him. To say that it hurt would have been an understatement. It ripped Steve's heart to shreds.

"Y/N? Doll?" You stared at him and Ultron let out a laugh. "She is your 'doll' no more, Captain. She believes in a better world. One where there is no need for Earth's Mightiest Heroes." Steve refused to take his eyes off you. He could see a slight tremble in your hands. "Y/N-" he didn't get a chance to finish his thought before the robots were on him.

You watched from a distance, knowing there was nothing you could do. Your heart broke at your treatment of Steve. You were only doing what was necessary to protect your child. Playing along to keep the both of you alive.

When someone you didn't recognize, a purple man, appeared, you nearly jumped. "Miss Maximoff will see you to safety, Mrs. Rogers," he assured you quietly before taking on Ultron himself. Wanda came up next to you and shoved you inside a building. "Stay until I come to get you." She turned to walk away, but you stopped her. "Thank you."

The battle raged on outside the collapsing building. You peered through the cracks of the building, praying that your family would be alright. Then, the ground began to shaking. Ultron's plan was working. Sokovia was rising in the air. Panic set in. You were going to die. And still, you heard the battle continuing out there.

"Where's my wife?!" Steve's voice suddenly came from just outside your hiding place. "Steve!" you called, forcing yourself up and outside. "Y/N!" He rushed over to you and hugged you. "Are you alright?"

You started crying. "Steve, I'm so sorry." He kissed your hair. "You can apologize later. Come on. Fury just got here with a jet. We're getting everybody on." He took your hand and pulled you after him. You waddled through the crumbling streets of Sokovia as best you could until you reached the jet. Steve strapped you in as the rest of the team silently stared at you. You could almost feel their distrust.

Steve sank down in front of you. "Hey," he cooed and you sniffled. "Steve...I did what I needed to do. I never wanted to betray you." He smiled and wiped away a tear. "I know, Doll. You were just trying to protect our baby." He got up and sat in the seat next to you, wrapping an arm around your shoulder. "You're so brave, Y/N. You did something I never could do." You sniffed again and leaned into him. "Can we go home now?"