Trust | A Winter Soldier Fanfiction

3. | Taken

Thump.
Harper's eyes flew open.
Sunlight streamed through the car window, warming her face and blinding her eyes.
She lifted her head wearily and examined her surroundings.
She didn't recognize any of the buildings they passed by.
"Where are we?"
She asked groggily.
Coulson glanced back at her for a second.
"We're in Washington, DC."

A pang of sadness swept over her and she leaned her head back.
Everything is gone.
James, her job at the coffee shop, their apartment, the life they'd made for themselves...
Anne.
She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out her phone.
37 missed calls.

She smiled faintly, opening messages.
I'm fine. I can't talk right now. Will call later.
~H
She set her phone down, not surprised when a few seconds later a message came through from Anne.
You idiot, I was worried sick!
~A
She pocketed her phone again, looking out the front window.

"So where exactly are we headed?"
An intersection came into view and she squinted, trying to see the street name.
"I'm taking you to S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters.
What happens to you after that is for the council to decide."

She frowned.
"Why are any of you even interested in me? I'm nobody special. None of this makes any sense to me at all."
She chewed on her lower lip in frustration.

Coulson sighed.
"I know. Even I don't know all the details. But-"
Boom.
Harper lurched forward in her seat, ramming into the dashboard.
Everything appeared to be in slow motion to Harper's eyes. She saw the world outside spin upside-down.

And suddenly everything was back to normal speed.
The roof of the vehicle hit the pavement and the windows blew in.
Shards of glass went flying everywhere, and the car finally screeched to a stop.
Harper's vision faded in and out, and her ears were ringing.
Confusion swept over her mind as the shock of it kicked in.

Coulson hung limp in his seat, blood trickling from his nose and a gash in his forehead.
Her right leg felt hot and sticky and she realized a large shard of glass had pierced her calf.
She was surprised she felt nothing, and began giggling maniacally.
Maybe I do have superpowers after all.
Through half-closed eyes she watched someone approach her door, ripping it from its hinges and drag her out of the vehicle by her foot and sling her over their shoulder.

Her vision slowly faded to black.

———————————————————

Coulson's eyes flickered.
His sporadic heartbeat was the only thing he could hear; it drowned out all other sounds.
He grimaced as everything that had happened in the last half hour returned to mind. He opened his eyes fully, but everything was blurry.
He struggled to sit up, confused when a hand pushed him back down.
His vision cleared and he looked up at the nurse that was standing over him.
"Sir, I need you to stay down."

"I'm fine." He snapped, grimacing as he attempted to sit up again.
His head began to throb violently and he fell back.

"How bad is it?"
The nurse walked to the other side of the hospital bed and dabbed a cotton swab on his forehead.
"You have a mild concussion, as well as a stable fracture in your carpal structure."
He blinked at her.

"Your wrist, sir."
"Uh huh."
"I need you to lay back and relax. You're luckier than most, it could have been much worse."