Seeing you

                                    

                                          
Year 1990
.
Y/n sat across from Stan in his office. Stan  leaned back in his chair with his gaze fixed on her with that familiar air of superiority.
The years had hardened Y/n but the mention of Ben’s name always struck a chord deep within her.
"I need you to come with me to Russia." Stan said.
Y/n’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of Russia.
It had been years since that fateful operation, years since she had last seen Ben who was now nothing more than a ghost in her life.
She didn’t want to go...didn’t want to reopen those wounds that had never truly healed.
But the thought of seeing Ben, of knowing what had become of him was too tempting to resist.
"Why?" she asked.
Stan’s lips curled into a cold almost mocking smile.
"I want to see what the Russians have been doing with Soldier Boy. After all, he was a valuable asset, and it’s time we checked on their progress."
Y/n swallowed hard. She didn’t want to go but she couldn’t deny the part of her that desperately wanted to see Ben again even if it meant facing whatever horrors awaited them in Russia.
After a long pause, she finally nodded.
"Alright, I’ll go."
Stan’s smile widened but it lacked any warmth. 
"Of course you will..." He mocked her.
"...In the end, you always follow the plan I assign to you, don’t you?"
Y/n’s eyes narrowed slightly, her heart hardened. She had grown used to Stan’s manipulations over the years, his constant reminders that he held all the power.
But this time, she refused to let him get under her skin. She was going for Ben, not for Stan, not for Vought but for herself.
She remained silent and refused to give Stan the satisfaction of a response.
Instead, she simply stood up and walked out of the office, leaving Stan to smirk at her back.
As she made her way down the corridor, her heart was filled with  emotions...fear, anger, sadness, but most of all, a deep yearning to see Ben again no matter what state he might be in.
As much as she dreaded the trip, she couldn’t ignore the pull that Ben still had over her even after all these years.
And if this was the only way to see him again, then she would go no matter what Stan said or did.
.
After one week- 
After a week, Y/n and Stan finally arrived at the Russian facility where Ben was being held.
The facility was cold and sterile and the air was filled with the scent of antiseptics and something darker...something that hinted at the unspeakable experiments that had taken place within its walls.
Y/n’s heart pounded in her chest as they were led down a series corridors. Stan was calm as always  but Y/n could feel her own emotions.
They reached a large reinforced glass window that overlooked a room.
Behind the glass, Ben lay strapped to a metal table, unconscious and vulnerable.
He looked different...his once formidable body now filled by scars and the marks of countless experiments.