oh captain, my captain |STEVE ROGERS 1|

18

I heard an explosion and I tried getting to my feet.

I exclaimed in pain and only got to my knees. Sam rushed over to me and pulled me to my feet. I bit cheek to keep in a scream while leaning heavily against him. He was dressed in his falcon gear as he lifted me off my feet.

"You're getting worse." He commented.

"We need to help them, Sam. Don't worry about me," I leaned my head on his shoulder as his wings unfurled. "I heard an explosion, what was that?"

"We're about to find out," Sam grunted and took off from the ground, doing a wide arc before heading to the underside of the bridge. We saw Steve and the Winter Soldier standing in front of each other. Steve had a look of recognition on his face, but it was mostly confusion.

Sam let out a battle cry as he dipped down, feet first, kicking the Soldier out of the way before he can shoot Steve. He landed just as Natasha shot him with... a grenade launcher? That might've been the explosion I heard.

Steve rushed over to Sam and tried to take me out of his arms, but Hydra agents swarmed us, forcing me out of the safety of my friends. I grunted as my knees smashed into the asphalt below me, the cool barrel of a gun to my head.

"Mae, are you alright?" Steve called over the commotion as all of us are cuffed. "Maeve?"

I tried to speak, but someone grabbed my hair and pulled my head back. Both Natasha and Steve tried to lunge but were held back by multiple guards. When my eyes met Rumlow's, they were gleaming with triumph.

"The serum worked," he chuckled.

"Rumlow, when I get my hands on you--" Steve thrashed in the hold of Hydra agents. "You are a dead man."

"He's not the only one you should be worried about," I croaked out, tears streaming out of the corners of my eyes.

"Oh yeah, Countessa, I'm so scared." Rumlow snickered. "You're not much of a threat to anyone right now." He jerked my hair back, making me fall to the ground and I could hear Steve growl. "Get them in the back of the truck."

They loaded us in the truck, Natasha next to Sam and me next to Steve. As soon as the door closed, I collapsed onto Steve's shoulder. He rested his head on mine and sighed deeply.

"What did they do to you, Mae?" He asked softly.

"Winter Soldier injected her with some black liquid. Big syringe, even bigger needle," Sam explained for me and nodded to my right shoulder. "It's like he knew it would work on her. He left right after."

Steve reached to lift my sleeve to see the damage, but the guard stopped him.

"Hands to yourself," he said sternly and Steve obeyed.

"My powers are stunted. I don't know what they did." I whispered, my eyes on the floor. "It's like something was ripped out of me."

"You're going to be okay, Mae. I promise." Steve adjusted his shoulder so I could lay my cheek flat on it.

"You know him, don't you?" I said. "The Winter Soldier. You had a look."

"His name was James Buchanan Barnes." I lifted my head and looked into his eyes.

"It was Bucky? Your Bucky?"

Steve nodded. "It was him. He looked right through me like he didn't even know me."

"How's that even possible? It was like seventy years ago." Sam curiously said.

"Zola. Bucky's whole unit was captured in '43, Zola experimented on him. Whatever he did helped Bucky survive the fall. They must have found him and..." Steve trailed off and I growled.

"That stupid computer," I grumbled.

"None of that is your fault, Steve," Natasha spoke up for the first time, her voice strained. 

"Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky." My eyes trailed down to her shoulder where we all realized she was shot.

"We need to get a doctor here. We don't put pressure on that wound she's gonna bleed out here in the truck," Sam turned to one of the guards and they took out an electric rod and we all shrunk back slightly. 

Then they turned and electrocute the other guard while kicking his jaw so he was knocked out. The guard takes off their helmet to reveal Agent Hill. I heard Steve let out a breath of relief and bent his head down, placing the smallest kiss on my cheek.

"We're going to be okay," he whispered and I nodded, leaning heavily on him.

"Nat, are you good?" I asked at Hill cut our bounds. 

"I should be asking you that, you look worse than I do." She grinned at me and I mirrored the gesture.

"C'mon, let's get out of here."

✪ ✪ ✪

We were taken to some sort of base that was off the grid to lay low and treat Natasha's wounds and run tests on me. When we finally arrived, Steve offered a hand to help me out of the truck, but seeing my state, just picked me up and carried me inside.

"How are you feeling?" Steve asked me softly as doctors mussed over Natasha's gunshot wound.

I looked up at him and smiled. "I mean, the view isn't too bad." He laughed and placed his cheek to rest on my head. "How are you feeling, Rogers?"

"Like I should've left you in Pattie's when I saw you could freeze time," He sighed and I gripped his shoulder. "Don't tell me to think differently, Maeve, this might've been my worst mistake. Your powers are stunted, you've been in the hospital twice now and you're a wanted criminal because of me."

"But we wouldn't have happened if I hadn't come here," I said and he didn't meet my eyes. "And I don't think I ever once said I would rather be at Pattie's than with you."

"Follow us," Hill said and we all did what we were told, Natasha in a wheelchair.

"I care about you, Mae," Steve kept his eyes ahead. "You've been hurt so much with us trying for the past three days..."

When he trailed off, I felt my heart clench. "You said we were in this together. You said you were willing to try."

"I know, but--"

"Well, it's about time." Both of our heads whipped around to see Nick Fury laying in a hospital bed, a smug grin on his face.