𝗗𝗜𝗚𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗟 𝗦𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘

Motion Sickness

"Give us a sec. I'm gonna go in just with Isabell."

Sam's eyebrow raises. "Why?"

"You're an Avenger. You know how he feels about that."

"It's not like you two were known for frolickin' in the sun together."

Isabell smiles at that. James pretends not to see it.

"He was obsessed with HYDRA." He says. "We have a history together, and he'll find Isabell fascinating. Trust me. We got this."

"You're not using her as bait." Sam's eyes narrow. "She's a kid, Bucky."

"I'm fine."

Both he and James jump. It's the first time Isabell has spoken directly to them in nearly a day, and James is equal parts surprised and nervous. For all his false confidence, he is deeply insecure about this plan.

Eight years ago, he would've trusted himself with this. No matter what, he would've believed that he could protect her.

Now, he's not even sure if he can protect her from herself.

But Isabell is insistent.

"It's my business too, right?" She looks at them like she's waiting for them to challenge her. "And he's behind glass. Even if he wasn't, I'm armed; he isn't."

"You're armed?!" Sam hisses. "Jesus, Bella."

"It's fine." She smiles, a flash of white that's all too fake for James' liking. He gulps as he steps towards him. "Let's just go."

"Alright."

Her boots thump as they wander down the hall.

⋇⋆✦⋆⋇

Baron Zemo is not the sort of man who is easy to look in the eye.

In spite of that, Isabell finds it difficult to look away.

Locked on the right side of his cell, the air is cold but stiff, like it's going to puncture her lungs, and she fights every instinct to lean against James' shoulder. He looks as afraid as she is. Perhaps worse.

Isabell squeezes her hands into fists as Zemo rises to his feet.

"Longing," He begins, his voice crackling like radio static, "Rusted. Seventeen."

James stiffens beside her. "Those days are over."

Are they?

"I know." Zemo smiles eerily. "I just wanted to see how the new you reacts to the old words. Something is still in there. At least you were not conscious for most of your imprisonment." His eyes flick slowly to Isabell. "But this one was."

The air seems to suck from her lungs like a vacuum, and it must be apparent on her face, because Zemo only seems more excited.

"Isabell Marlene Hansen," He says the words slowly, savouring them on his tongue. "Only survivor of the Faceless Children project."

Isabell's entire body is frozen. She can feel her muscles seizing, twisting into something hard like bone.

He wouldn't.

"October 5th, 2011. Moscow."

He would.

Isabell wants to melt through the floor, sink down, down, down and never have to hear him speak again. She wants to run from the hot eyes on the back of her neck, James' hand inches from hers, the possibility that her best-kept secret will crumble and crack, spill out and drown her like quicksand.