The Shadow [a marvel fanfiction]

The Winter Soldier: Chapter Fourteen

The cemetery was empty.

Marie stood next to Steve with her arms crossed. She wore inconspicuous jeans, a faded shirt, and a sweatshirt to cover her arms. She hated them. She hated the brand. She hated the looks she got from others; the questions in their eyes. The judgement.

Her body throbbed dully with pain. Apparently, slamming into steel beams can cause some pretty intense bruising that takes more than a week to recover from (being beaten like a piñata certainly didn't help). Even with accelerated healing. That's ignoring her punctured lung and shattered ribs and broken sternum.

Bruce said that the chemicals from HYDRA's experiment were almost completely gone from her system. He couldn't attest to any damage they did to her cells and her powers. Ergo, her healing abilities were sketchy at best.

A shiver ran through her. Hands touching her. Needle pricks. Fire. Burning itch. Fingers groping. Blood everywhere—

Steve's hand settled on her shoulder, startling her out of her memories.

"You okay?"

She shrugged wordlessly. There was no good answer to that question.

Sam wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into his side. The three remained silent as the wind rustled leaves across the ground; a few long-dead flower petals tumbled after them. Marie had never been to a cemetery before. They always seemed desolate and cold. And, they were.

Director Fury—or, well, it was just Nick Fury now, strolled up next to them. A grave stone stood in front of them. His gravestone. "The path of a righteous man. Ezekiel 25:17"

"So, you've experienced this sort of thing before?" He asked Steve.

"You get used to it."

Marie grabbed his hand and squeezed it. They hadn't spoken about any of this since the hospital. She would never be able to drive her words into his thick skull. Steve was struggling more than her, and she didn't know how to help him. She held onto his hand tighter.

"We've been data-mining HYDRA's files. Looks like a lot of rats didn't go down with the ship. I'm heading to Europe tonight, wanted to ask if you'd come."

Steve shook his head. "There's something I've got to do first."

Fury turned to Sam. "What about you, Wilson? I could use a man with your abilities."

"I'm more of a soldier than a spy."

Marie smiled slightly and glanced up at Sam. She turned her head and finally made eye contact with Fury. She didn't resent him anymore. She couldn't find the strength to, even if he was technically the one to put her back on HYDRA's radar. Fury had good intentions. He just needed to work on his execution.

"I know there's no point in asking you, Devnner. Wherever Steve goes, you follow."

She raised an eyebrow. "I don't-I don't know about that, sir. I haven't seen Tony in a-in a while. M-M-Maybe I'll visit him."

"Yeah, well don't get into too much trouble."

"Trouble? With-With Tony Stark? Out of the-the—Out of the question."

Fury snorted and shook his head. "Anybody asks for me, tell them they can find me here."

The ever-mysterious Nick Fury disappeared from their lives. For now.

Marie stepped forward, patting the gravestone affectionately. It was strange to think that S.H.I.E.L.D. was gone. All that was left was the Avengers. And a lot of HYDRA to clean up. Still, that meant no more helicarriers, no more Agent Hill, no more training sessions—the thought made her smile as Nat approached them. Natasha Romanoff? No training? Not in this world.