.12 | The Bridge

{I love the way Merida looks at him. That gleam of hope and curiosity.}

Merida's thundering paws could be felt on the floor as she prowled through the open steel door and into the garage with a menacing gait. She just prayed she didn't have to use lethal force against the canine.

Her low emitting feline growl was a warning to the canine in the large underground space of the S.H.I.E.L.D. building that she was here and that the canine would need to back down.

Her eyes immediately sought out the other person in the garage; Sam. He was hiding underneath a large blacked out Humvee SUV, the fear and anxiety rolling off his aura in waves. It hit her mouth and she twitched before focusing on a very large and intimidating dog that started to stalk closer to her.

It was a Bull Mastiff.

The dog growled, but it reeked of fear.

The dog's back legs trembled as Merida walked further into the garage, her tail twitching as a warning sign to the dog that she was unnerved and ready to lunge if it were to make a move. The dog made a low whining sound as Merida stalked closer, backing the dog into a corner of the garage as she allowed a drip of saliva to fall from her feline incisors.

Merida had no intentions of hurting it, but she didn't want the dog to hurt the people that were helping her escape either. She needed to get it to stand down and understand that a bigger and worse threat had entered the room.

The dog immediately peed upon the concrete garage floor, trembling in the corner.

It was so shaken up so much it couldn't even bark. The dog whined in a submissive tone, crouching low to the floor as if it were going into a down command, his head now between his front two paws as its ears flattened upon its head in submission.

Merida's feline form glared at the dog before turning quickly to see the others opening the garage door that would allow them to exit the bottom level of the facility.

Sam rolled out quickly from the SUV, holding something in his hands that resembled a black box before jingling the keys at Natasha and Steve.

"Oh, so now you bring in the big guns? Where were you three minutes ago?" Sam asked with a frown.

"Nobody informed us you were scared of dogs." Natasha quipped, pursing her lips to hide her smirk.

"That was no dog. It's more like a miniature horse!" Sam hotly ground out with a defensive note to his tone.

Steve nodded towards the vehicle, "We can debate later. Let's go."

Sam held up the black box in his hands and waved it at his partners, "Little black box under the SUV is a tracker." He tossed it aside in the garage as Steve gave a nod of approval in his direction. 

"At least you did something productive while we were gone." Natasha taunted while Sam glowered at her with an eye roll in her direction. 

Sam hastily got into the driver seat while Natasha hopped into the passenger seat. 

Upon hearing the doors to the SUV opening and closing, Merida used her intimidating form to leer down at the dog, which sent the dog into shaking hysterics. She hated what she had to do, but scaring the dog was better than the dog barking its head off and alerting someone.

The dog caved and submitted to her dominance. 

She turned her back to the dog and padded over to the large black SUV where Steve opened the back door for her, holding it open as she hopped inside and onto the black leather seat to the far right. Steve hopped in behind her as Sam pressed a small button on a knob which opened the garage door.

He put it into gear and floored it backwards, whipping the vehicle out and then tearing out of the garage, flying through the opened security gate that had Sam had disabled previously, out into where dawn was breaking. 

"Chicago headquarters really need to improve their security." Sam mentioned as Merida blinked her feline eyes and gazed languidly out the window.

They were currently in a clustered industrial space in Chicago where buildings towered high and low, some old and some new. Chances were that most of these buildings were empty. 

The SUV kicked up dirt along the gravel road as it tore off, the momentum of the vehicle growing as Sam put the pedal to the metal. 

"It's a win for us, so I'll take it." Natasha remarked as she flipped out a phone from her utility belt and started to dial a number. 

Sam glanced in the rear view mirror and raised a brow, "Well, you don't see that every day."

Merida realized he was staring at her and she turned her large tiger head to meet his human gaze in the mirror. She opened her maw a little, revealing sharp glistening incisors and then returned her gaze to the window. Sam gulped and returned his weary eyes to the road.

She stood still in her seat, knowing full well she was an intimidating spectacle in the back seat. Her tiger form was huge, all encompassing on the seat, but as Steve buckled his seat belt upon Sam's erratic driving he looked to be at complete ease sitting next to the giant mutant death machine next to him. 

Merida swiveled her feline head to look at Steve, gazing at him for a brief moment as he was undeterred by her presence. It wasn't every single day that she came across some that was considered a stranger that could be so at ease in her mutant form. 

It made her respect him even more.  

"We need to get to Clint as soon as possible." Steve mentioned with urgency as Natasha spoke quietly to someone on the other line of her phone. 

"This thing can't go any faster than it already is, unless you want me to stop and install some rocket boosters on it or something." Sam mentioned with a pointed look to Steve in the mirror.

Steve grimaced at the sarcasm.  

The road they were on opened up to a much bigger highway and Merida felt her feline muscles relax visibly, her orbs turning around to look back as they drove further away from the SHIELD headquarters. She blinked curiously, the dawn breaking on the horizon put a whole new spin to breaking dawn and she found herself entranced by the beauty of the horizon, the colors mixing together to form a pastel hue. 

Her feline eyes were somehow able to see color, which was how she kept herself connected to her human soul. Her mutant form was still an anomaly to her, even now. The beast within was currently tame, at peace. Along for the ride and enjoying the new sensations as they came. 

There may still be beauty life to find in this world. 

A few minutes on the highway and her ears perked up at the sound of another vehicle approaching. A minivan drifted closer to them from behind gave her pause. The woman was coming up on Merida's side and her kid was in the back seat. 

"Uh, Steve, remember we got a tiger in here-so-" Sam started to warn as Natasha glanced up at the minivan coming up swiftly on her and Merida's side of the SUV.

The little girl had platinum blonde pig-tails. She was mid sentence, playing with her teddy bear, but then she paused as her bright blue eyes drifted to her window, becoming fully aware of the tiger in the back seat of the SUV Humvee next to her.

She dropped the brown bear in her hands and opened her mouth to scream. She was pointing at Merida's tiger form wildly as her mother jerked the mini van in her haste to figure out why her child was screaming frantically in the back. 

Merida shifted quickly and violently back to her human form. 

The woman looked over at the SUV to see four people in the vehicle next to her. She glanced back at her daughter who was wildly telling a story about a tiger in the backseat. Merida smiled bashfully as the woman sped past them, the little girl nose to window as she stared at Merida with magic and wander in her doe like eyes. 

The little girl would probably remember that moment forever. 

"Probably a good idea." Steve looked at her with a small bemused smile on his lips at the situation. He relaxed visibly as the minivan drove further away.

Merida turned to Steve and he saw the exhaustion in her tired eyes. They were slightly dulled, but nothing like he had seen at the circus. He was still concerned for her well-being, the signs of exhaustion radiating from her was enough to want Steve to have her checked out upon getting back to their headquarters. 

"I don't always like shifting back and forth so close together. It exhausts me." She lamented with a small frown. Steve handed her back the drawstring backpack from his hands and she took it quietly, putting it on before buckling her seat belt. 

He nodded, quietly assessing her as she played with the drawstring straps wordlessly. 

"Sorry about that." He added sheepishly.

"Thank you for earlier." She added with a brittle smile, bent and broken from years of torture.

"For what?" He asked, his brows narrowing in confusion as he turned slightly in his seat to get a better look at her.

"Letting me help back there." 

There was a moment of pause as Steve realized just how restricted the girl had been back at the circus.

Under Killian's thumb, she had been nothing but a toy and play thing, no voice, no choice. No power other than her mutant form, but even then she was too scared to act out in fear of that tyrant. The thought made Steve fume with ire, but when he resolved to come back to the present he saw her soft smile and that hopeful glint in her eyes that refused to leave. 

The spark of hope in her still refused to die. It continued to stay ignited which meant she had fight in her if she could just dig deep and pull it out. 

He nodded silently, lips parted and about to respond, but Natasha caught his attention. 

"Clint is going to meet us  at the edge of the city,"

"He said there is a building for rent at West and 43rd street, he can land the helecarrier there safely without drawing attention from all the public parks and inner city buildings." 

Steve nodded, "Can we make it there, Sam?" 

Sam nodded assertively, "Yep. I know my way around Chicago so we can detour a bit to beat the early morning traffic. We should be there in forty minutes." 

"Not sure how I feel about having a man as our GPS." Natasha murmured with a sly smile, that dry humor escaping her venomous widow lips. 

"Hey, this GPS is gonna' get us there, alright?" Sam responded with a smirk and a pointed look at his front seat companion. Merida could hear Natasha snicker playfully. 

Steve shared a smile with Merida as the two up front exchanged playful taunting words. 

It was different being around them. They were all at ease with one another, trusted each other, and yet the playful jokes they threw at one another came from a place of love and friendship. 

Merida had never experienced taunting playfully when it came to Killian. He was ruthless with what he deemed a joke. This entire experience was foreign to Merida. 

Part of her didn't even know how to act around them. 

Who was she without Killian? 

They drove along a bridge that revealed plentiful green grass on both sides, but what he noticed was the alarmed look on Merida's face after hearing how long they would have to drive. She squirmed in her seat  uncomfortably, wiping her palms against one another as if she were anxious.  

"What's wrong, Merida?" Steve asked, full of concern. 

"I have to use the bathroom." Merida whispered shamefully as she burned a shade of red from embarrassment. Her emotions were running wild and it always made her have to pee when she was nervous.

Her face was as bright as a tomato. 

Sam glanced at Steve in the rear view, hearing Merida's whispered words.

Steve nodded curtly in confirmation to stop. 

"Let's make a quick pit stop before we really get going." Steve added in a casual tone that made light of the situation for Merida's benefit. 

Sam quietly pulled over on the bridge as the four of them got out for a moment to stretch their legs, Natasha waved over Merida and started to walk through the grass towards a small place of shrubbery where she could privately do her business. 

The grass crunched beneath their shoes as Natasha stopped and pointed to the large shrubs with white peonies and yellow sunflowers growing from them, "Go around that corner. I'll be right here." 

Merida nodded before walking around the shrubbery a little ways down and doing her business.

This was definitely better than having to lay in her own waste like she had once at the circus. Killian had punished her and refused to let her out of her cage, resolved to shame and embarrassment, she relieved herself in her clothes. Peeing behind the shrubs was a luxury compared to some of the things she endured with Killian. 

A burning fire of shame and revulsion coursed through her belly as she pulled her skinny jeans up and buttoned them after finishing. She paused for a moment, feeling the sting of tears at the harrowing memory before wiping them away quickly, walking back around the shrubbery to see the Natasha awaiting her patiently. 

"Thank you for stopping." Merida murmured with a hint of relief in her red-rimmed eyes. 

Natasha paused and tentatively touched Merida's right shoulder with her left hand. 

"I don't know exactly what you went through, but I can only imagine-" 

Natasha paused and frowned, trying her best to formulate her words so the girl didn't take it the wrong way. Merida shifted uncomfortably as Natasha towered over her malnourished form.  

Natasha sighed, "I see it in your eyes; the weight you carry, the chains you still wear. With us, you're not chained. With us, you're free. When you need something, don't hesitate to speak up. There's not a single person in that car that will judge you." 

There was a moment that hung in the air, a sweet moment of understanding as Natasha gazed at the mutant girl with respect, but also with a hint of tough motherly love as well. Merida nodded, feeling a moment of nostalgia she hadn't felt since everything had happened. 

She missed Fran so much. She had always been her guiding light, but now that she was off with Killian and the others, somewhere out there, she ached for that guiding light back in her life, and her words of wisdom. 

Natasha had filled that spot temporarily without even knowing it. 

A smile graced Merida's face as she spoke up, "You remind me of someone back at the circus." 

Natasha raised a brow, "Oh, really?" 

"Francesca, the resident clairvoyant. You would like her," 

Merida smiled, a genuine look to her face that hadn't been there before. It made Natasha let out a soft smile of her own.

"You two have similar aura's, well your energy I mean." Merida explained as the two started to walk back across the bright green grass, their shoes crunching against the blades again.

"You miss her." Natasha pointed out.

Merida nodded reluctantly,  "She's somewhere out with Killian. With Ansem too,"

Natasha looked confused.

"Ansem is the lion."

Natasha nodded in understanding. She remembered seeing the lion during the circus act. She hadn't known if he had gotten out during the attack or not. There were no words of comfort Natasha could give her this time. She didn't like the idea of telling the girl she'd see them again. She didn't believe in giving her false hope.

Not when she was delicate to begin with.

"Well, if she's anything like me then she can hold her own." Natasha remarked for Merida's benefit. 

Merida beamed up at Natasha, the morning sun catching rays and revealing a momentary bright fiery hue to her hazel eyes.

Natasha caught the shimmer, but then it was gone as quickly as it had passed. Merida averted her eyes and walked back towards the SUV silently, the only sounds were the blades of grass beneath their shoes. 

Natasha knew the girl had a fire in her. She could glimpse it in her eyes. She just hoped the girl would be strong enough to pull the fire out from within and use it to seek justice against Killian. 

--- 

Steve stood on the bridge, hands in pockets as he awaited for the girls to return. 

He was comfortable, calm even, as the sun started to creep up and reveal a blend of pastel colors. He was grateful for another day. And he was even more grateful that he had another chance to do the right thing and help someone that needed it. 

He thought of Merida, her life before this,  and felt his heart ache at the torture and injustice she must have gone through. He could see that spark of life in her, feel that fire within her.

She was stronger than she knew, even without the mutant counterpart. Most people were always stronger than they knew. 

Merida was no different. 

Except she was different in a sense of her gifts. 

Steve could see the way she tiptoed around her tiger form, hiding herself away and her gifts as if they were shameful. She had been conditioned to believe that she was a freak, a mutant spectacle only fit for human entertainment. 

For Killian's sick twisted pleasure. 

Steve knitted his brows as he went down a vicious thought loop about Killians, his hands balled into fists inside his pockets.

Mad men like him needed to be stopped. 

He would hurt more people than just Merida. He would burn the world to the ground if he could if it meant he put on a good show. Being in the line of work Steve had been, he had seen his fair share of evil. But something about Killian really made his blood boil for the innocent people that suffered at his hands. 

And then there was Agent Juarez....

"Hey, earth to Cap! I've been calling you.." Sam mentioned with raised brows as he drew closer to Steve. 

Steve had been so lost in his thoughts he hadn't even heard Sam. He turned to look at his partner and Sam sighed, repeating himself for the third time. 

"You're really doing this, aren't you?" Sam asked with a slight tone of surprise.

"It's the right thing to do, Sam." Steve responded with a determined ire to his voice, his blue eyes returning to the morning sun that warmed his body. His brows knitted inward, lost in thought and conversation with Sam. 

"I know." Sam responded with a curt nod. He turned to look at the sun, a slight step away from Steve, but close to his six. Sam mulled over his thoughts before speaking, his eyes still on the sun. 

"I'm not particularly keen on anyone being a slave, given my distant ancestor's sufferings." Sam ground out, a tick of his jaw revealing the ire he felt at the idea of anyone being a slave. 

The girl's rounded the corner of the bridge, coming out from behind the large shrubbery, the two falling into step beside one another more comfortably than they had left, their silence not at all awkward but now comfortable. Merida even looked up at Natasha with a smile upon her lips, a smile that revealed respect and admiration. 

The two drifted back towards the SUV as Steve and Sam stood near one another, talking among themselves. Their voices carried more than either of them realized, and being Merida, she could hear things more clearly than most humans.

Natasha leaned against the passenger door, stretching her arms and even her legs.

Merida, ever curious, watched Steve's magnetic and sold form standing on the bridge, hands in pockets. He was something to behold, a beacon of justice and hope as the breeze lifted his tussled blondish brown hair lightly. 

"No one deserves to live their life in a cage, or in chains. She deserves freedom, and a chance to be shown that the world isn't as cruel as Killian made it out to be. It's why I can't let this one go, Sam. "

Steve insisted, mirroring Sam's feelings of anyone being in chains or being a slave to something they didn't choose. 

"That's why she's sticking with us." He added with finality, nodding his head once in tandem with his own words. 

His eyes caught sight of Merida on the bridge. They locked and he realized she had heard part of the conversation. 

Merida felt a flood of odd emotions in her body, zipping and fluttering away in her veins as her body warmed and tingled all at once. There was a moment in time where time on the bridge suspended except for the two of them. She had never heard someone, besides Fran, speak so passionately about her, to want to help her, to believe that she was worthy of something more than a cage. 

Steve knew she had heard, so he offered a shy smile, an acknowledgement to her that he meant what he had said. Sam watched the exchange for a moment and raised a brow. 

Merida tentatively smiled back, her heart lifting, oddly feeling full in that brief moment in time.

Suddenly, there was a shift in their vibration and energy, something magnetic that held the two in time, suspended in that moment as their eyes never wavered from one another. Steve felt oddly different, a charge in his energy that he hadn't felt before and Merida felt oddly enough the same.

She blinked a couple times, not understanding what was happening, or if any of these feelings were normal.

Was he feeling it too?

Was anyone feeling this?

She felt as if an invisible cord had linked her to Steve, a pull so strong that even Steve fidgeted strangely with his hands in his pockets.  

It was the moment when Merida Reid and Steve Rogers were linked together by something bigger than either of them could comprehend. 

Unbeknownst to them both, the beast within had imprinted on Steve in that moment, a soul bond imprint that signified the start of a connection that would go deeper than anything either of them would ever experienced in their lifetime. 

Author's Note: 

Did I just take one from the Twilight playbook? 

YES! Yes, I did. But not in the "mating" sense. They have free will and autonomy, but the mutant gene in Merida has the capability to imprint and form soul bonds with people. Her soul bond with Steve has JUST started. More on it will be explained later. :D  

This doesn't mean things will be ice cream sweet. She'll still find it hard to let him in completely. She's a smol bean and so traumatized by her past still. There is so much character growth to explore with them. 

I didn't want to do it in a moment where he heroically saves her, etc. I could have, but I chose no to because for me it would have been a bit cliche. I loved that it happened in this moment because it was unexpected, the two of them having no idea what is happening.

There was no cliche saving moment, just Merida hearing the promise and kindness to Steve's words was what set her inner beast off to imprint. The tiger knows and is very aware in that in that moment that Steve would do anything to protect her and keep her away from Killian.

It was the icing on the cake and the beast within soul bonded (imprinted) with Steve. 

It made for a really heart melting ending. 

I loveeee the Natasha / Merida moments too. She really is like Fran. I can't wait until those two meet. ;) 

Also, Sam is a goofball and we love him!! I love the playful banter between him and Natasha!!!

Song inspiration for this chapter came from, Pieces by Red and Everything I Need by Skylar Grey

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll be working on an update soon!! :D