❝LET THE CURRENT TAKE YOU WHERE YOU DARE NOT SWIM.❞
❝NO- IT'S INUNDATING ME WITH SELF-HATRED, AND GOD, TONIGHT I'M DROWNING IN IT.❞
She traced her finger on the ring of her mug, her puffy eyes staring at her tea emotionlessly as his finger marks left bruising indents on her neck, making it difficult to swallow or speak. Remnants of his visit, perhaps not even his first, were not only her neck but laced onto the page of her journal, the haunting words refusing to leave her as she refused to glance over to her journal which was across the table.
Help me- hardly the words of a careless killer but instead a victim, considering they too were the exact words that escaped her as he attempted to kill her. The two words replayed in her mind as she reminisced his dead, lifeless eyes glaring into her own as he intended to see her take her last breath. Help me, how?
Pressing her lips on the rim of the cup, she sipped a small amount before contorting her face, a struggling, voiceless yelp of pain escaping her as she put her cup down on to the table, her hands reaching for her neck to soothe the agony that erupted from her attempt to drink her tea. Her fingers touched the raw bruises, igniting small flurries of pain as she peppered her warm fingers over the sore areas to soothe them before sitting back into the chair.
Suddenly, a clank of the locks caused her to jump, her gut wrenching with a sob as her mind flashed to the metallic armed man, dangling her in the air like her life was as simple to take as snapping an ice lolly stick. Sam Wilson's voice immediately streamed the air triumphantly, flooding her with sudden relief as he alerted her that he had brought a friend and found the Alsatian she had pleaded for him to find.
Quietly coughing to clear her voice the smallest amount more with an aching grimace, she climbed to her feet, pulling her hair out of its ponytail to assist in hiding her neck before the door opened, a healthy Alsatian pouncing in as Sam smiled in accomplishment. Sawyer furrowed her eyebrows as she instantly crouched down to the dog, ruffling its fur as she studied its state, "wait the dog was bleeding? Where's its wounds?" her voice painfully asked, each word slicing her throat as she detained the urge to wince.
Sam walked in, shrugging with a growing confusion at her rough voice as a man followed him in as he shut the door behind them both before locking it, "the dog seems fine to me, are you sure it's the same dog?"
"Yes," she replied in confusion, the dog laying down as it gazed up at her, its tail waggling in excitement at the sight of her as she studied it in bewilderment. Ruffling its forehead, she hid the sudden suspicion on her face as she muttered under her breath, "a diversion-"
"Sawyer?" An unfamiliar voice said her name causing her to glance up intrigued, suspicion confirming across his face as she did so before his welcoming expression contorted, "what's on your neck?" he sternly questioned, hastily approaching her as she stumbled backwards, flinching at his intrusiveness as the dog shot to its feet. "Who else is in here? Why are you so nervous?"
"No one," she gushed, "it's just who I am," she fumbled with her words as he empathetically stared down at her, her voice like glass whilst he slowly crouched to be level with her as he softly added, "I'm Steve, Steve Rogers and I'm not going to hurt you, can you just let me see?"
Weak with protesting, she glanced to Sam who gave her an encouraging nod before she bleakly nodded to him, Steve gently brushing her hair behind her ear with her permission as his expression contorted as he saw the tinted skin of blue and green, raw fingerprints still evidently pressed into her skin as the two men stared at it in disbelief.
"Did this happen whilst Sam was gone?"
Sawyer avoided his gaze as she stared at the dog, it's soft eyes averting her attention before she weakly nodded, "it's not his fault, it's mine," she whispered.
"Who did this?" He collapsed into sitting down beside her, his expression soft as he intently listened to her reply, studying her face.
"I- I don't know but he's asked for my help, maybe he's in danger," Sawyer replied, Sam's face instantly merging into complete disbelief with a laugh, causing Steve and Sawyer to glance to him, Steve understandingly but Sawyer offended.
"Yeah sure thing," he assured her sarcastically as Steve pressed his lips into a firm line, Sam crossing his arms over his chest as he felt the smallest traces of guilt embracing him for leaving her alone, "-we need to get that checked out."
"No, I'm not a child- it's just that he never spoke a word and I don't think he could. He could've killed me but he didn't-"
"That was nice of him," Sam chortled as Sawyer refrained from objecting his sarcastic comment- she'd already caused too much stress.
"Well whoever he is, he wanted her alive for a reason," Steve acknowledged, glancing back up to Sam as Sawyer looked at Steve, not at all being able to completely study him before hand.
Sam stared at Steve for a moment, unsure how to respond before his eyebrows furrowed, "how'd you know he even wants your help?"
"He asked," Sawyer shyly mumbled as Sam straightened his posture, instantly curious and concerned, "-I thought he couldn't speak?" he questioned.
"I'm not entirely sure if he can but why else would he write it in my journal. I just don't think he's allowed to communicate or else he would have taken off his mask and asked- I think he was being watched," she confirmed as Steve glanced to Sawyer, slightly confused.
"He wore a mask?" Steve retorted as Sam rubbed his hands vigorously against his face.
She instantly gazed down at the floor, too uncomfortable to make eye contact with Steve as she felt his stare on her, "it was more of a mouthpiece, it was awfully tight on his face."
"This crankshaft may not be a lone wolf, there was a man following her down fifth street also," Sam added causing the two to look to him, "I don't think it was the same one, but I don't believe in coincidence."
"Well then someone needs to stay with her tonight-" Sawyer instantly objected Steve.
"-No, I'm fine please don't stay here, neither of you," she protested, hiding her humiliation from having to be protected constantly, "they're gone now."
"You're being watched, for reasons we don't know- we need to help you, never mind him," Sam replied, "if they come back, maybe the next time they'll send someone who will get the job done," he added.
"No, you don't understand," she pulled herself to rest on her knees, "it was like a switch, I don't think it's as simple as it seems. I don't believe he wanted to intentionally hurt me, he asked for help after all-"
"Sam we've got a golden line here, what if it's HYDRA-" Sawyer's face contorted in complete confusion as Steve continued, "she has the ability to communicate with one of their own, we could destroy them from within-"
"No, she needs to be kept out of this- just look at her neck," Sam objected, Sawyer sheepishly avoiding their gazes as the attention was drawn to her bruising skin.
"She will be safe, I'll have Natasha help with surveillance around the apartment if neither of us can watch Sawyer and-"
"-Wait, no stop," Sawyer interrupted, "I don't need around the clock surveillance, if there's an issue I'll find a means of contacting you. I don't need babysitting. And in regards to helping him, I will do what I want to do and that's help him," she defiantly pressed.
Steve smiled to Sawyer respectfully as Sam dead panned, "so where's the issue, Wilson?" Steve smugly retorted as Sam sighed.
"Are you sure about this Sawyer? This is dangerous and you know this right?" He questioned as she nodded slowly.
"Like I said, he asked for help," she rasped.