Alexandra's POV

I slowly regain consciousness and my eyes flutter open. The once-familiar feeling of being strapped to a cold, metal table returns as I look around the white room. My ankles, waist, wrists, shoulders, and head are strapped down with a gag added to keep me quiet.

"Ah, little Lex!" I hear a voice from behind me. "I'm so glad you've finally come home. I was starting to miss you."

Baron Zemo steps in front of me and I feel all warmth leave my body.

"I see you've enjoyed your time of a normal life. Sadly, nothing lasts forever." He smirks. "Now that you've infiltrated the most powerful establishments in the world for us, we can finally take control."

I pull on my restraints and Zemo smiles. "Still as eager as I remember."

He grabs some sort of gun-looking thing from a table and holds it in front of me. "I'm sure you remember when we set you free years ago." He plays with the machine.

"Of course, it was all on our terms. We placed a chip in that beautiful head of yours to keep tabs on you as you worked. Although I have to say, you did go astray after a while." He shakes his head. "I guess that's what working in SHIELD does to you, that damn Nick Fury."

"No matter, I'll just scan that chip in your head to see everything you saw these past however many years." He steps closer to me as the gun turns on. "We'll deal with your failure to comply later."

He smirks before pressing the button on the machine, sending a brief but painful shock through my body. I bite down on the leather strap between my teeth and hold back my tears.

"It's a shame that your little boyfriend isn't here to protect you this time." He mockingly pouts.

I furrow my eyebrows as he walks out of the room, leaving me strapped to a table in a large white box of a room. He's probably talking about Steve.. But how would he know about anything that went on between Steve and I?

After a while of trying to free myself, I begin to give up and feel my eyelids fall. I'm not sure how much time goes by but I wake up to my face meeting the ground. I push myself up from the floor and lift my head to see Zemo and a few of his minions standing in front of me.

I rub my wrists, noticing the burn marks from trying to free myself, and glare at the men before me.

"No thank you?" Zemo scoffs. "I thought I raised you better."

"What do you want from me?" I growl.

"Why so hostile? Did I not raise you to be the woman you are today?" He steps closer to me. "You know I'd never hurt you, you're like family to me."

I glare at him as continues to get closer.

"Sadly, the chip scanner didn't work." He sighs. "Apparently the subject has to be willing to give the information or too weak to hold back." He stops an inch from me. "Which way would you prefer?"

"I thought you'd never hurt me?" I clench my jaw.

He smiles before turning on his heels and walking away. "I'm a man of my word. Doesn't mean I won't get someone else to do it for me, though." He winks before closing the door.

I feel my heartbeat quicken as I look at the five wannabe-winter-soldiers in front of me. One of them graps me by the jaw and pushes me against the wall.

"Last chance to comply." He speaks.

"Josef, please." I try to pull his hand off of my face. "It's Alex! You know me!" I cry.

His dark eyes show no emotion. Instead, he pulls his fist back and aims for my head. I kick his stomach and push him away just enough for me to duck from the punch.

I sweep his feet from beneath him and jump up as the other four advance towards me. Considering it's five assassins against one, I do pretty well holding my own for a few minutes. These men, however, were given a stronger serum than I was. This allows them to easily overpower me once I miss a step. Not a single one gives up their piece as they all inflict injury after injury.

As my vision blurs I see another man enter the room. He immediately fights off the man that's continuously beating me.

Wait, one man? There were just five of them.

"убирайся (get out)." The long-haired man spits as he throws the soldier against the door.

He crouches next to me and lifts my head but I can't see his face. Instead I see a bright light shining in my face.

I blink my eyes a few times, trying to adjust to the light, and look around. This room is dark, much unlike the other one. I turn my face from the light being shined in front of it and hear a door slam from somewhere in the room.

"Ready to comply?" Zemo asks, standing in front of the light.

"Go to hell." I spit. I feel my entire body begin to ache at every move I make.

Zemo grabs my face, turning it to face him, and narrows his eyes. "Stronger than I remember." He hums as he looks at me. "Perhaps another round?"

I feel my heartbeat quicken in my chest.

"нет (no)." A deep voice speaks from beside me. I turn my head to see the same long-haired man from before. "возьми меня вместо (take me instead)."

Zemo nods with a smile on his face and the man is dragged out of the room.

"Lex?" Zemo examines my face. "I asked if you were hungry."

I blink my eyes at him and furrow my eyebrows. That's not what he asked. Is it? Am I going crazy?

"Fine. Suit yourself." He backs away. "Don't say I didn't try being nice."

I'm dragged out of the dark room and thrown into a cold cell with a single metal bed in the corner. I walk over to the far corner and sink down to the floor, hugging my knees to my chest.

The door swings open and the long-haired man is thrown into the room. I jump to my feet and rush over to him.

"Don't." He speaks softly, holding his hand up to keep me away.

I push his arm down and turn him to face me. "Let me see." I lift his head and brush his hair out of his face.

James?!

"What did they do to you?" I gasp, running my fingers along the bruises on his face.

He just shakes his head in response. He leads me to the metal bed and we both sit.

"They're sending me on a mission tomorrow." He says. "I don't plan on returning."

I feel a thud in my chest at his words.

"Well.." I look up at him. "If this is our last night together, let's make it worth remembering."

James smiles before pressing his lips against mine. The familiar feeling still causes butterflies in my stomach.

He pulls my shirt over my head as I almost rip his tactical gear off of him. He's very aware of his metal arm and tries his best not to use it if he doesn't have to, knowing what it's capable of.

One thing leads to another and a few hours later we're laying naked on the cold metal table, facing eachother as we try to catch our breath.

"I won't leave you here." He caresses my face with his flesh hand. "I'll come back for you."

I give him a small smile as I place my hand on top of his.

I blink my eyes rapidly as I come back to reality. I look across the room to see the empty metal bed in the completely empty room. I lean my head back against the wall and try to process whatever just flashed through my head. I can't decide if it's actually a memory from years ago or if it's something placed in my head by Zemo.