SOLDIER ─ marvel

XX. A New Perspective

Chapter Twenty
Soroya

I forgot how much I hate commercial planes. Bucky, Alex, and I had to use commercial air travel while we were on the run, but since then I've had Wakandan ships for any travel needs. I really am spoiled living in Wakanda, everything there makes life easier. Finding Zemo would be so much faster if I had my friends to help me. I hate that they're all back in Wakanda dealing with the UN while I'm on a man hunt. Everything is better when we're all together.

We called Khari again and told him that we're heading to Germany. He informed us that the council is having a meeting tomorrow to try to come up with a solution to this problem with the UN agents. All of them are going to attend. I wish I was there to help out, but when it comes to the council, I think it's best Alex and I aren't there. None of them like us very much.

Alex has been so worried about Khari, so worried that I encouraged him to order a drink and take a nap, try to relax. He took my advice and is currently passed out in the window seat, with me in the middle and Walker in the isle seat. Everett is towards the back, unfortunately seated next to the bathroom.

As much as I want Alex to rest, I wish he were here to keep me company. Sitting next to Walker is really uncomfortable. Things are more awkward than usual after the fight we had in the woods, the ice hasn't been broken yet. But if we're going to be working together we can't be at each other's throats. Bucky, Sam, and Sharon's lives are on the line, so I'll suck it up and make peace with Walker.

I grip onto my engagement ring tightly, taking a deep breath before saying quietly; "I'm sorry about the things I said earlier, I was out of line."

Walker glances at me and nods once, his voice quiet as well as he replies; "So was I."

"I didn't know about your brother," I tell him, genuinely feeling sympathy for the man. "What was his name?"

Walker looks away from me and glances down at his lap, clenching his jaw. "Henry. His name was Henry."

"What happened?" I dare to ask.

To my surprise, he doesn't shut me down. He keeps his eyes on his lap as he continues. "My brother was a good man. Our parents died when we are young, so he took the parent role when he was only twelve. He was almost too good, I don't think there was a selfish or cruel bone in his body. Everybody loved him. It made me so angry. I was always in his shadow, no one ever loved me or looked at me the way they looked at him. But I couldn't bring myself to hate him, he was just too good to hate."

Walker pauses before continuing, clearly struggling with saying these things out loud. "He joined the military in his last year of high school. His popularity then became nation wide. He was dubbed a war hero, he was given medals and honors. I was left home, all by myself, still in his shadow even with him not being there. I started to resent him, I began wishing he would stay away and maybe give me a chance to have a life outside of him. But then he was captured. He was sent on a top secret mission in Russia with five other men. All of them were captured and taken to a HYDRA base in Lensk. I don't know all the details, but I remember getting a call from Henry's commanding officer, telling me that a HYDRA officer named Richard Setherton murdered his whole team."

"When did he die?"

"Twenty two years ago. I got the call August 8th, 2001."

The Lensk HYDRA base was where I was held. During that time I was still trying to get hold of my powers, still a caged animal that HYDRA was trying to tame. I remember Setherton all too well. He was my training instructor, he was the man who haunted my dreams for so many years. I feel even more for Walker right now, I see that I'm not the only one who was a victim of HYDRA.