Y/N'S POV
After some schedule change (and a talk with T'Challa) I change the number of sessions with Zemo to 3 instead of only 2, which will take place on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
I just talked with Shuri about which days I can do video calls with her as I can't be late again like I was on Monday. It might not seem like it but I have to take my work as a psychologist seriously, especially since Zemo really needs the support.
"Why did you want to have more sessions with that criminal? Having to spend time with a monster like him, must be torture" Shuri says.
"He's really not that bad. Don't get me wrong, you have all the right to hate him after what he did, but after working with him for a while I have come to realize he's not a monster, he's just broken"
"I know, but I still worry about you. And I know you would never mean it like that, but I can't help but see him as a murderer"
"We should talk about something else don't you think?" I point out and Shuri agrees. She then starts rambling about this new project she's working on, and some update ideas she has for Princess.
~~~~ Time skip to Wednesday~~~~
"So how is the book so far?" I ask Zemo.
"It's very interesting, I'm almost finished with it. You should read it after I'm done, I think you'll quite like it"
"And what makes you think you know what type of books I like?" I ask him.
I am not trying to be mean in any way, but this is just our third session, there's no way he already knows what type of person I am and what things I like. Not only that but most of our talks are focused on him, not on me.
"I recall on our last session you mentioned a liking to the book 'Pride and Prejudice' which is an enemies to lovers romance if I'm not wrong. Based on that I could say you like those types of romances, and the one you gave me is not exactly that genre but very similar, so that's why I think you might like it."
I look up from my notebook surprised. He read me like a book, literally. It seems I underestimated him, which honestly I shouldn't have, especially given his criminal records.
Zemo just looks at me and chuckles.
"Alright you do know what type of books I like, I'll check it out then, happy?"
"Very," He says smirking.
~~~~Another time skip~~~~
It has been a couple of months since I have started working with Zemo, and not only has he improved but we have become quite close. He is no longer reserved and we have become good friends I would say.
I don't see him as often though, especially because there isn't much left for me to do with my job as a psychologist, and lately, I have been helping Fury with this organization he had founded years ago but kept in the shadows called S.W.O.R.D.
I have been taking some missions lately which are around Europe as it's easy for me to move around due to my location, but that has made it harder for me to see Zemo.
So today after some weeks of not having a session I'm going to see Zemo, my excuse for being away for so long, family issues.
I enter the building waving at the guards who already know me well enough to know I have permission to be here. I walk to Zemo's cell and knock on it as I walk in, there I see him reading a book, I look down trying to see which book it is.
"I see you are re-reading Pride and Prejudice, have you missed me that much?" I ask him as I take a seat chuckling and he looks up from the book, a smile forming on his lips.
"Well, if it isn't my therapist who mysteriously disappeared"
"I know, I know. I'm sorry about that, I had some family issues I had to take care of, I'm sorry" I say taking out my things and pulling my sleeves up. It is getting quite warm now since summer has started and yet I decided to wear a long-sleeved shirt.
"That's quite alright, is everything okay, if I may ask?"
"Oh yeah, everything is alright, you don't need to worry" I explain. As much as I like being honest to Zemo I am not allowed to inform him of my real job here and outside as T'Challa believed it was too dangerous and could put me in a compromising position.
Zemo looks at me not convinced for some reason and raises his eyebrow pointing at my arms. I look at him confused but once I look down at my arms I realized they are covered with bruises due to the last mission I was on.
I was sent by Fury to check on this organization who according to some sources has been taking orphan children and experimenting on them. So I went undercover as a buyer because obviously, they have been selling children which didn't benefit them.
Then once I found the evidence I needed I was forced to get into some fights against people working for them, which don't get me wrong I won but had some pretty bad bruises left after.
"Oh that's just umm, due to farm work, my family owns a farm and I had to help with the animals, not all of them are nice"
Did I just come up with that on the spot? yes. Was it a good excuse? no. But what else could I have said?
"That doesn't seem like something an animal would do. I know I'm just a patient but you do know you can tell me things. Is someone doing this to you?"
Great. Now Zemo thinks I'm dealing with abusive parents, which he isn't entirely wrong about, but he is going to end up worrying, and I can't tell him the truth, that's great just great, why did I have to make the worst possible excuse.
"No honestly it's okay I promise, thanks though, I now know who to break out of jail when I need help to beat someone up"
Zemo just laughs and nods. Do I think he bought it? No, he is very much smart, but I think he prefers not to ask more about it.
We have a nice session after that, it's mostly just us catching up to whatever has been happening lately, which for us is obviously not much (at least not that I can talk about) So instead, we talk about books, one of them being Pride and Prejudice, funny enough it has become Zemo's favorite book.
"I'll see you next session then," I tell him as I stand up and grab my things.
"I'll be waiting" I smile at him as I start heading off but he knocks at the glass and I turn to look at him.
'Are you certain everything is okay?' He asks me in sign language.
Did I know he knew sign language? No, but I'm not exactly surprised, he is a man of many talents. I do wonder how he knew that I would understand him. Maybe he saw me speaking with that deaf prisoner a while ago.
'I promise I'm okay' I tell him and he nods. I shake my head chuckling and wave at him as I walk off.
On my way home I listen to some music but it is stopped by Princess.
"Hey I was listening to that," I say.
"I'm sorry but I have a question, well more like a comment," She says and I nod letting her know she can tell me about it.
"Do you by any chance, have any romantic interest in Zemo?"
I look at Princess surprised, what would make her think such a thing, just because we are friends now doesn't mean I will automatically develop feelings for him. Then again this question shouldn't come as a surprise, Shuri did make her.
"What, no, Zemo and I are just friends, that would be unprofessional," I say and she nods and puts my music back on. I honestly have no idea why she would ask that.
Princess POV
They literally act like Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, that's why I asked. They don't hate each other but my god am I the only one who is feeling the romantic tension between these two.
I seriously cannot deal with these oblivious idiots.
Back to Y/N's POV
More and more sessions go by with Zemo and we have grown quite close. Who would have thought I would end up getting along with a criminal I was supposed to watch, especially since I started off hating him.
Right now we are currently watching 'Pride and Prejudice' because Zemo kept bothering me saying how it was very rude of me not to invite him to watch the movie, even though he's very clearly in jail. So I was able to get it online and used my laptop so we could watch it.
"I don't understand, why are they leaving so much out," He asks me and I shake my head.
"I don't know, unfortunately, most movie adaptations tend to do that, which really sucks, but honestly this is one of the best adaptations" I explain to him and he looks at me shocked.
"I prefer the book"
"I don't blame you, anyone in their right mind would prefer the book, but you can't lie, Mr. Darcy is really good-looking in the movie" Zemo just shakes his head chuckling.
I go to press play again but see a notification of the news pop up on the screen, I click it and to my surprise see a very concerning headline, 'New York under attack from unknown Alien Race, Iron Man is nowhere to be seen'
I look at the computer screen concerned and take out my phone as I message Shuri, T'Challa, and Fury.
"What's wrong?" Zemo asks me and I show him the news.
"Earth is under attack again, god I hope Tony is okay, I hope we will be okay"
"You say that as if you knew him" Zemo points out and I worriedly laugh.
"I mean he's a good hero so it's normal to be concerned for him. Especially because this seems bad. Anyway, we should probably end the session here. I'll come by tomorrow though and we can finish the movie" I say as I start packing my things.
"Will they let you in?"
"Oh sure, I'm like their number one visitor, and either way they know I'm here due to my job so I'm sure it'll be okay"
Zemo nods and I wave at him as I walk away.
I need to get in contact with Shuri to see if she knows what's going on, I know I can't do much due to not being an Avenger and all that but I still want to figure out what's happening.
~~~~
I lay my head against the glass as I watch the movie, my leg bouncing up and down, my hands cold and my eyes moving around the room. Shuri wasn't able to tell me much about what was happening so I can't help but worry about what's going on.
"Is something bothering you?" I turn around to look at Zemo and shake my head, "You know it's very clear something is bothering you"
"I'm just worried about what's going on right now, something terrible could happen and we wouldn't know about it"
Zemo gives me a soft smile nodding, "I understand, I'm sorry you are worrying"
"It's okay, we can't do much about it right now," I tell him and give him a soft smile as I turn to look back at the movie.
Things seem to be going well as we reach the climax of the movie but while Zemo and I start discussing our opinions on the film I start hearing shouting and screams from outside. I turn to look at Zemo concerned.
"What's going on out there?" I ask him and he shakes his head.
"It doesn't sound good"
"I know, I'll go check outside" I stand up and open the cell door to see what's happening. Chaos breaks down in the correctional, people are vanishing left and right, turning into dust, one after the other. Scared I run back to the room and shut the door close.
"What is it?" Zemo asks me and I back away from the door as far as possible the only thing stopping me being the glass.
"People are disappearing, I don't know what's happening!" I say panicked.
"Breath, calm down," Zemo says.
A strange feeling starts taking over my body, my legs feeling weak, and then my arms. I fall to the ground as I panic more and more.
"Y/N, what's wrong?"
I move my hands up to my head just to see them start to become dust, I look at them shocked, and start shouting scared.
"What is going on?! What's happening?!" Zemo starts banging on the glass as his panic becomes more visible, I turn around to look at him as I see how the rest of my body disappear like my hands.
"Y/N?!"
"Zemo?" I manage to say before everything goes black.
Hey there guys!!! I hope you liked today's chapter!! I honestly had so much fun writing it! The next chapter should be out soon! Thank you so much for all your support and the story it means the world to me!
Lots of love, Author.
We are finally going to move on to the storyline of Falcon and the Winter Soldier and I am so excited for you guys to see what I have planned!!