Running Free
***BROOKLYN, NY 2014***
She was running hard and fast. Making her a blur of purple, white, and black, as she's weaving through the streets of Brooklyn.
Pain in her left thigh as blood dripped down it slowly. She didn't know how but the voices in her head had dissipated. She continued as she ran down the streets pass people and even cars, sliding into an alleyway. Stopping at the dead end and slumping against the wall, near a dumpster. She sighed and tried to calm her breathing.
That's when she heard a yell in her ear.
“ Вероника! Отчет о миссии! Вероника! ?”
(Veronika! Mission report! Veronika!?)
Veronika jumped. Of course, she cut out her tracker, but she forgets the communication device.
"Veronika, we need your report!"
She pulled it out her ear and lifting in a purple cloud tore it apart.
“ Есть отчет о миссии. ”
(There's a mission report.)
She said grudgingly. She then, while taking a deep breath ripped her hood off her suit, ripping it again and wrapped it around her leg. Veronika sighed as she calmed her breathing and herself down. Putting her hand over her face to take a breath and slightly putting it through her hair.
Drained is what she felt, drained but free. She smiled slightly at the thought of being free finally, not forced to hurt people.
...to kill people.
She slowly closed her eyes feeling like she was about to fall asleep. She was just so drained. Her head slowly fell to her shoulder as she curled into herself when she heard someone talking.
"Hey you, okay?" It was a man, American, obviously considering she's in Brooklyn, New York. She quickly jumped up and looked in the direction of the man.
"GO AWAY!" She said her accent made it sound more threatening than she intended but he didn't back away.
"Look I'm not here to hurt you. I saw you running and thought you might be in trouble.... Are you in trouble?" he seemed genuinely concerned as he walked closer.
"Now. Who are you!" She yelled, staying near the wall hiding in the shadow. Waiting to see if she should use her umbrakinesis as he looked at her. "I'm Steve Rogers. Can you tell me who you are?" she stared at him and as she did read his thoughts. He wasn't lying, he was just trying to help her. "Veronika...Preston. What do you want, Steve Rogers?" She let herself move closer to the entrance of the alley.
Veronika could see him better, he was tall, had blonde hair, a lot older than she is, maybe early-to-mid 30's at best. His eyes were solely focused on her while they talked. His genuine concern is what made her face him completely out of her shadows. Steve's turn to study her came, and when he looked at her face, she looked tired, and he couldn't help but notice the scar through her left eye, and the one over her nose which was smaller than the one through her eye. He saw her outfit dirty, torn, and her leg was covered in blood. She needs someone in her corner right now and he could tell just from that and the look in her eyes. He put his hand out slowly.
"If you want, I can help you out of your issue. I have friends and we usually help people out."
She stared and looked to his outstretched hand. He's definitely trustworthy, none of his thoughts were harmful. His smile was welcoming. She stepped closer.
"You're Captain America, yes?" She heard the name Steve Rogers in her history classes, where she grew up, they taught everything, it's crazy, but trust me she knows. "Why do you want to help me?" She asked semi-challengingly.
He let out a chuckle, "Well we all need a little help sometimes, you know? And right now, you seem to need it just a little bit. I promise I won't hurt you; you look like you've already been through enough, kid."
She shrugged lazily and against her trust issues and possible better judgment, took his hand.
"Okay." She looked at him "Help me?" Those words are so foreign to her lips and voice. She didn't like it, the feeling it gave her. Vulnerability was never her choice. She had to have authority, well she tried to have that.
Steve gave her a nod.
"Okay well it's late so I'll give you a place to stay and we can figure out when you and my friends can meet. Follow me? If you want to, I don't want to force you." He said calmly, she tilted her head and stepped forward. "Show the way Mr. Rogers." She said he raised an eyebrow, gave a small smile and nodded, "Okay."
He let her follow looking over his shoulder every now and again to see her limping a bit. At that point he started helping her walk, and she gave him a nod of gratitude as he helped her.
***
***STEVE ROGERS NEW APARTMENT BROOKLYN***
Steve showed Veronika her a guest room and to the bathroom and gave her some clothes. He gave her a first aid kit offering to help but she held up a hand, telling him she knew how to take care of her wounds. He gave a nod and left her to clean up and take care of the grime on her. The blood, the dirt, the sweat, all of it. She felt relieved and less stressed but never let her guard fall. Not like she could so easily.
She took care of the scratches and cuts, stitched up the gash in her thigh and sighed. After dressing the wounds that needed it and then putting on the clothes he left, she went to her room.
Veronika stood in the room in the oversized shirt and pants that surprisingly fit her, obviously woman's clothes, Steve had said his friend left them and she questioned that.
"Who forgets their pants somewhere?"
Veronika sighed and looked at the bed. The room was nice, had black and white pictures, it had nice lamps and furnishing. She's never stayed in a nice place like this. She honestly liked this place, it felt, in many new ways, comforting...
Soon there was a knock on her door, and she turned.
"Yes?"
Steve came in carefully.
"Just checking in, seeing if you're settled a bit. If you're all set, I have a few more questions if you're okay with that?"
She tilted her head. "Okay?"
"How old are you?"
"Just turned 15. I think." She was being honest, she couldn't remember her birthdays that well, she celebrated a few but none were happily memorable.
"You think?"
"Mhm, my birth is in May if I remember correctly." She shrugged. "Anyway, what's the next question, Mr. Rogers?"
"What or who were you running from, and you have to tell me or else I won't be able to help you. Okay?"
She sighed. "I was running from a mission. Honestly, I don't even know why I started running. It was like I was, uh what's the phrase, a locus dream?"
"A lucid dream?"
"Yes! It felt like it was that. I was about to take the shot and then suddenly I felt free, so I ran."
"From?"
"My team...I'm an assassin. We were on a mission, and uhm...I knew they would turn me in since I didn't do what was told." she looked down thinking about the last time she didn't do what she was told. "Also, before I ran, I cut out a tracker that was in left thigh." She lifted her leg slightly and with a wince put it down again, "and now here we are. That's enough for you?"
He nodded as she talked, some parts difficult to understand considering her accent, but he caught on.
"I'm sorry, I can see you suffered. But I must ask, where is your team from?"
"The Red Room." she said bluntly, her face tired of all emotion.
He sighed he knew about this place; Natasha had told him about it. He has to call her. Because if this girl is running, she needs someone who will understand her. He nodded at her answer.
"I'm sorry Veronika, here I'll let you get some sleep. Okay and tomorrow, we will talk more about your situation, okay?" He said, going towards the door again.
"Why'd you pick me up Mr. Rogers?" She asked just as he stepped out into the hall. He stopped. "I'm just curious, you don't even know me but you're allowing me to stay in your home. Why so trusting?"
This he turned to face her again.
"When I was a kid, I had a friend, he used to fight all my battles for me." He chuckled to himself. "Basically, I got into fights with the other kids, and he'd save me. Why did he never leave me to get beat up? Only God knows. But I will never forget what he did. So, I try to help people like he helped me, and you, Veronika, you're just a kid, and in a way, I see myself, so I'm deciding to help." He gave a kind smile.
"Oh, sounded like a good friend... I'm sorry about what happened to your friend Mr. Rogers."
He shrugged not even realizing he didn't even say anything about what happened to Bucky.
"Eh, it all happens one way or another, right?"
"I guess that's right." She said she knew the line of work she was in and sighed she was one of the reasons it happens.
"Anyways, Good night kid." He gave a smile and walked out closing the door.
"Night sir." she whispered, staring at the door.
She looked at the door and then around the room again, she'd never met someone like Steve Rogers, never met really anyone other than targets, superiors and other "widows". But she's grateful he helped her. Though with her past, she didn't want an innocent man dragged into this? Or one that has as much good focus on them as Captain America does...But maybe, just MAYBE, this will be what she needs?
A fresh start maybe?
Veronika looked at the pictures while now sitting on the bed just looked around too worried to fall asleep.
Faces haunted her thoughts, but tonight, she was scared that this day was a dream and it'd be gone when she woke. That's usually how her dreams worked, felt so real till they slipped away.
So, she just sat. If sleep met her then so be it.
She just lay and occasionally waved a spark in front of her, purple and blue balls of stars.
Semi-peace of mind.
***
Steve went to his room and grabbed the old phone he had, he's new to this world, technology is still not his high point.
He dialed a number.
"Hey Natasha."
"Rogers?"
"I have something you should know."
"What's that?"
"I met this girl-"
"Finally-" she started to joke.
"Not what I mean." He said knowing where she was going. "She's a kid, and she's in trouble."
"What kind of trouble?"
"What do you remember of the Red Room?"