The Ghost [Marvel | Steve Rogers]

Chapter 52

Novi Grad, Sokovia

Spring 2015

"Nina!" There was no mistaking that Nadine sounded angry. But neither could Nina help but noticed she also sounded frightened. She was immediately fighting back a wave of guilt. She knew she shouldn't have left the Quinjet. She knew as much before she'd even stepped foot off the boarding ramp. But she still hadn't been able to help the feeling like she couldn't just stay put.

Not that she'd ultimately been of much use.

Except to Captain America.

A small, faint swell of pride lit in her chest at that thought, and it brought with it a measure of confidence.

Confidence that almost immediately threatened to wither in the face of her mother's admittedly righteous anger.

"I told you to stay on the Quinjet!" Nina winced, glancing up to Pietro, unable to bear holding Nadine's gaze. Pietro was glancing warily between her and Nadine, his own eyes betraying his nerves. There was little doubt he was intimidated by her mom, that was for sure. Yet he stayed next to her, his hand still lying comfortingly on her shoulder. Her own fingers tightened instinctively on his sleeve, thankful for the support, unconsciously given or not.

It was too much, seeing her mother's grey eyes flash with temper. But even more unsettling was the fear lingering like a shadow behind the familiar gaze, just as unmistakable to Nina as the threads of it she'd heard in her mom's voice. She wasn't used to seeing her mom so close to losing control of her emotions. And she'd never seen her mom so scared before. Her stomach felt like it had dropped to her shoes.

"But Mom—" she started, the urge to explain warring with the need to ease the fear in Nadine's eyes. But Nadine didn't give her that chance. Not that Nina was sure she'd have been able to find the words anyway.

"No, Nicola," Nadine interrupted sharply, "you purposefully ignored my instructions." Abruptly her own temper was rising, her mom's anxiety beginning to feed her own. It made her bold and reckless in the face of Nadine's formidable anger, the need to defend her actions taking over.

"You couldn't just sit back!" It burst out of her before she could even think about reconsidering. Nadine looked visibly taken aback at Nina's outburst. Next to her Pietro looked equally startled despite his lingering discomfort, though the ghost of a smug grin teased his features. But Nina couldn't seem to stop, her own equally righteous anger not willing to be ignored for the sake of sparing her or her mom's feelings. Not considering what was happening around them. "How could you think I could? I can help!" But her mom recovered from her surprise quickly, staring impassively at Nina. She nearly quailed beneath the force of her mother's gaze, but she stood firm, her own anger stoking her resolve. She wasn't a child anymore. Certainly not after what she'd been through since she'd been snatched from outside their apartment.

"It's too dangerous, Nina!"

"Then you shouldn't have taught me how to fight!" Unwavering grey eyes met stubborn blue-grey. But before her mom could do more than open her mouth to retort back, Captain Rogers broke in, sending Pietro reluctantly off with a firm look before his impassive gaze settled on her mom. Nina watched the Sokovian boy go out of the corner of her eye, but her attention was still locked on her mom. She had no intention of backing down on this, no matter that the side of her used to nearly eighteen years of deferring to her mom's judgement was insisting she should do just that.

"Ryker? We need you to do a final sweep of the streets; make sure we got everyone." At once the stare-off between Nina and her mom was broken, Nadine's irritated glare shifting to lock on the Avenger. Nina nearly winced in sympathy for the Captain, but he seemed unmoved, merely staring back, unperturbed at Nadine's biting objection.