Amazed

Chapter 42: Where did we go wrong?

Hearing her own name sent Yelena flying forward, wrapping her arms tightly around their neck. She hugged Y/N while she buried her face in the crook of their neck.

As she did, their face stood still. It had finally lost its harshness but was now painted with confusion. They didn't know what was happening and it had honestly felt like their mind was blank.

"Y/N! Y/N!" Steve yelled as he sprinted over to their side, "Hey, oh my God."

Before he was set on believing that they were back and free of the brainwashing, he leaned over trying to catch their eyes. They were completely zoned out and not able to focus on a single thing around them. Steve wondered at this point if they were even able to hear them.

"Wanda?" He asked as she picked herself up from the floor, "Is... are they... is this Y/N now?"

As she walked over, Yelena leaned back to gloss over their face. Though she was trying to get their attention, nothing was seeming to work. They were so out of it that nothing could catch their attention.

Wanda kneeled next to Steve as she touched her fingers to Y/N's temple again. She was attempting to sort through the thoughts that were at the front of their mind but everything was coming up blank. Confused, Wanda sat back.

"Uh... I can't.. I can't get a read on them," She responded as she tried to hide her worry knowing that this had never happened before.

Yelena's head jolted over, now worried that she'd lost them completely, "What?! What do you mean? Are they... are they gone?!" Her breathing sped up nearly throwing her into a panic attack before Steve could get up to try and calm her down.

Tony stepped over at this point, grabbing them by the chin and raising their head to meet his face. Though it seemed as though they'd made eye contact with him, Tony was able to see that they weren't there. Nothing was behind the eyes staring back at him.

He coughed when he realized, trying his best not to worry himself or anyone else, "We should get them down to Bruce. They need scans run," Tony said before waving Vision over to him, "I need you to take them up to the med bay immediately. Keep the locks on, but it seems safe to assume they won't be attempting to come out of them any time soon."

As Vision began unbolting the cell itself so that he could take them in just the chair, Yelena finally began to crumble. She fell into Steve, burying her face in his chest as he held her tight, choking back his own tears and fears.

Once they were out the door and heading to the med bay, Steve had Wanda assist Yelena to the med bay and give the news to Nat once she got there. Most had left the cell now while Tony and Steve still remained.

The silence from Tony was telling as he struggled to make eye contact with Steve. 

"Tony," He started, "Give it to me straight."

Tony swallowed hard as he got the courage to look up, "I don't know. The scans will tell us."

"You're lying! I know you saw something," Steve yelled back in response as the tears began burning his cheeks, "Tell me.." He begged.

"I DON'T KNOW! I... They..." Tony tried to figure out the best way to put what he saw, "There was nothing there, Steve. I don't know if something happened during that last push but it looks like they're not... there.. anymore."

What Tony really wanted to say was that he had a strong feeling that they were brain dead. Only brain scans would tell, but he'd seen that look before. He'd seen what it looks like when there is nothing left of someone. 

He shook his head as he turned around, landing a punch that dented the wall with the imprint of his knuckles. Steve watched him as he continued laying punches into the wall before finally stepping over to stop him. 

When Steve finally grabbed his arm, stopping him from beating his hand bloody, he turned and slid down the wall, "I should've known," Tony started as his voice cracked, "I should've known that HYDRA would follow us. I should've been more cautious about Wanda fucking with their mind. This.. everything.. it's all my fault."

While the two stayed in the cell consoling each other, a nurse was getting Y/N settled in to their bed upstairs. Yelena stayed with them the entire time as Wanda went to grab Nat and let her know what was going on. 

As soon as Wanda told her, she had taken off sprinting from her room down to Y/N's with Wanda trailing not far behind. Once she sped around the corner, she saw them laying in their bed as Yelena gripped their hand tightly while she rocked in her seat.

Yelena heard the two come through and quickly got up to meet her sister in a tight embrace. She broke all over again in Nat's arms, "They're not responding anymore, Nat," She sobbed, "What if they're gone? What if they're gone and we didn't even get a real shot?"

Hearing this, all Wanda wanted to do was try one last time to sort through their mind. Maybe she'd find something this time. Maybe it was just blank before because she wasn't looking hard enough. Unfortunately, she was met with a new fear of her powers. The idea that sifting through their memories may have done this to them was eating her alive, but she tried her best to keep it down until they received answers.

Nat held Yelena for a few more seconds before leading her back to the seat next to Y/N. 

"I know you're in there, you little asshole," Nat said as she grabbed their hand, "You better wake your ass up and get back to us," She laughed as she choked back the cry that was itching in the back of her throat.

As she sat down next to Y/N, Wanda kept her distance by standing back near the door and speaking with the nurse. Before she could get any questions out about their status, Bruce came in to assess them before bringing in the machines for the scans.

He stood on the opposite side of the bed across from where Nat and Yelena had sat, "One of the best ways to find out if there is any activity in their brain is to see how their pupils react to light," Bruce stated as he pulled the small flashlight from his pocket.

"And if nothing happens?" Yelena asked biting the inside of her cheek almost hard enough to break the skin.

He looked down at Y/N, seeing their nearly lifeless face and praying that he wouldn't have to tell her what it means if nothing happens. So without answering, he clicked the flashlight and checked both eyes a few times.

With a long breath out, he clicked the flashlight again to shut it off before returning it to his pocket and stepping back away from the bedside. Confused, the two sisters looked between each other trying to figure out what he'd seen.

"So? Are you going to tell us!?" Yelena asked impatiently.