Retribution ★ Avengers

It's Proper Military Etiquette

"That still doesn't make it your fault." Marlena ran a hand through her tousled hair. She hated seeing her father in such a fragile state, especially when her memory provided her with a completely opposite picture. "When Bucky was the Winter Soldier, he was one of the deadliest assassins in the world. In my eyes, at that point in time, no one could've defeated him. Hydra took your life from you, Dad, the same way they took my life from me and Alena's life from her and Bucky's life from him, but none of that's your fault. It's none of our faults, but we're all broken to some extent because of it, especially Alena, which is why I need to stop her before she takes this too far. Dealing with a pain like that can make you someone's worst nightmare, and I'm trying to prevent her from becoming anyone else's."

"You know I'll do whatever I can to help you end this, right?"

"I'm counting on it."

Marlena continued into her room, her eyes falling on the bed. Only one side of the bed had been slept in, and this was a big relief for Marlena. The thought of Alena even having the audacity to do something like that apart from stealing someone's children was absolutely disgusting, and Marlena had no issue letting her know if that happened to be the case. The problem, on the other hand, was that if Alena wasn't with Steve, she was with Bucky, and that was an entirely different issue in itself. Marlena grew angry when she realized what that meant.

"I'm gonna kill her." Marlena turned to look at her father, who was watching her with a raised brow.

"I get it, I do, but please don't."

Marlena looked around the room, stopping when she laid eyes on the dresser. She walked over to it and picked up the engagement ring she'd left there just a couple weeks prior. It looked just as bright as it had when she left it, and the sight of it made her smile. It was a reminder of the family she fought for—the family she refused to lose again. They weren't going anywhere and she was going to make sure of it.

"We've gotta go find Steve," Marlena said to James. She slid her ring back onto her finger, now thankful the bloating had gone down some, and she started back towards her father.

"Neither of us have phones," James reminded her. "He could be anywhere."

"I'm just gonna borrow a phone." Marlena started out the bedroom door, leaving her father trailing behind her.

"You can't just leave Captain America's phone number in some stranger's phone. Are you crazy?"

"Then I'll delete the—" Marlena stopped talking the minute she heard the apartment door open, and she held her arm out, stopping her father at her side in the corner.

Steve walked into the apartment. He switched on the light in the living room and tossed his jacket aside before moving to sit a bag of food from his and Marlena's favorite Chinese restaurant on the counter. There was only one box in the bag, which meant Steve was alone, and she grew upset when she remembered the reason why.

Marlena stepped out of the dark hallway and walked quietly towards the kitchen, but her boots weren't as quiet as she thought they'd be. Steve, who'd just grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, heard her, and quickly turned around to look at her. He hadn't expected anyone to be in the apartment, especially not Marlena.

"What are you doing here?" Steve asked her.

Marlena frowned as she made the slightest mental connection with Steve. He was hurting and so much more. A dreadful pain associated with loss loomed over him like a cloud, and it was then she couldn't help herself. Marlena preferred staying on the surface of one's mind to prevent invading too much of their privacy or any at all, but she needed to know what Alena had said and done to him, and she figured she'd be saving him the pain of talking about it.