Divided |2|

twenty-three

Victoria could have slept for a whole month at how sleep-deprived she was feeling.

Since she was able to finally sit down and rest, she allowed her eyes to shut as she rested it against Pietro's shoulder. But she refused to let herself sleep. She wasn't sure when they would arrive in Siberia, so she couldn't allow herself to be groggy.

Pietro kissed her head and took her hand gently. Feeling the slight tremble present in them, he pulled away to look at her. "You alright?"

"I'm scared." She looked down as an unexpected tear escaped her eye. She took in a deep breath, trying to stop more from coming. "I just—" She sighed and Pietro wrapped his arms around her again. She wiped her eyes and pulled away from him slightly. "I'm so freaking scared, Pietro.'

"Of?"

"I'm nothing compared to you and Bucky and Steve. I'm still a child to everyone. I'm not as strong as you. There's no way I'll be able to fight those soldiers and survive."

"You're stronger than you think, my love."

"So I've been told lately."

She sighed again and rested her head on Pietro's chest, listening to his heartbeat. It was calming her down slightly, but when Steve flicked the plane into autopilot and picked up his shield – her panic settled in her stomach again.

She stood, Pietro in tow. Bucky walked over to her and ruffled her hair, causing her to send him a glare. He grinned at her before speaking, "Where do you supers keep the guns in this jet?"

She led him to a compartment labelled, 'Romanoff,' Pietro following. Bucky picked out a light machine gun and sent a nod to the girl. Victoria picked up the gun next to the now empty space and chucked it at Pietro.

The boy caught it with a deep, confused frown and held it up. "I do not need a gun."

"Can you use one?"

"What?"

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Do you know how to use a gun, Pietro?"

"Yes, but I do not see the poi—"

"—We're fighting super soldiers. You're keeping the gun."

She pulled out another compartment—one with her name labelled—and took out two stacks of arrows. Placing a couple on her quiver and strapping devices onto her arms, she turned to Pietro. The boy smirked at her, looking odd to her while holding a gun.

"You look like you are going to war."

Victoria sent him an unimpressed look and walked over to him. "Not funny."

He pecked her lips and they fell in behind Steve and Bucky. The exit ramp was descending slowly and Steve turned to Bucky. "You remember that time we had to ride back from Rockaway Beach in the back of that freezer truck?"

"Was that the time we used our train money to buy hot dogs?"

"You blew three bucks trying to win that stuffed bear for a redhead."

"What was her name again?"

"Dolores. You called her Dot."

"She's gotta be a hundred years old right now."

Steve clamped his hand onto Bucky's shoulder. "So are we, pal."

"My God, you two seriously need another hobby. Stop counting your years and making the rest of us bitter over our inevitable doom."

"Doom?"

Victoria turned to Pietro and flicked his nose. "Death, you nitwit."

Pietro rubbed his nose, mumbling curses at his girlfriend in Sokovian. Steve chuckled and put his helmet on. The ramp lowered fully and Bucky took point, his gun raised and ready to fire at any unwanted people.

Victoria nocked an arrow before glancing at Pietro and his gun. She rolled her eyes at the boy, moving her hand over to the weapon and turning the safety off on the gun. Pietro glanced at it and sent her a sheepish smile.

"Focus," she mumbled.

She glanced at the caterpillar truck that stood to their right. She saw no signs of life other than the faint heat coming out of the truck. She turned to the front, where a door was standing open.

"He can't have been here more than a few hours."

Bucky sent Steve a look. "Long enough to wake them up."

They entered the bunker. Victoria made sure to check her corners—Bucky following suit—as Steve led the group. The atmosphere of the Soviet bunker was eerie, as if something—or someone—was waiting for them.

By the third flight of stairs that they had descended, Victoria huffed. "You'd swear they were expecting very unfit enemies with all the stairs."

Steve sent her a small smile and they ventured on. To her left, Victoria noticed another open door. She nudged Steve and gestured to the room. They entered and she found rows of metal shelves. The shelves held boxes of files. In the middle, there was an abundance of files on the floor.

She lowered her bow, and frowned at her captain. "Someone was looking for something. In a rush—" she gestured to the files on the floor. "—apparently."

Steve sucked in a breath and motioned for them to exit. After walking for another minute or two, they found an elevator – a caged elevator. Steve opened the cage and Victoria looked at him flabbergasted. 

"Clearly you haven't not watched any horror movies, Steve." He looked at her as they filed into the tight space. "Nothing good ever comes from an elevator trip."

The trip was quick and nothing happened to them while they were squashed in the elevator. Steve nodded to Bucky and heaved up the door. Bucky took point again and readied his machine gun we they walked along a corridor.

Pietro stood behind Victoria while Bucky stood in front of her. Both of them were trying to protect her. As much as she appreciated the gestures, she moved in front of Bucky and Steve, with Pietro following.

She took point and kept close to the wall, the rest following. A thud came from the elevator and they spun around. Steve raised his shield, while the rest of them aimed their weapons down the corridor.

"Told you."

"You ready?"

Bucky nodded slightly at Steve's question. "Yeah."

Victoria frowned nervously and swallowed the lump in her throat. "Sure," she muttered. "I'm stronger than I think."