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Zemo dabbed his face dry and stared into the mirror; he looked like shit and he knew it, he’d began to seriously question his decision about agreeing to this little jaunt especially now knowing the precarious position it had left him in. Throughout his life he’d been presented has one thing when he was actually quite another, it had crossed his mind several times just to let go and be himself but everybody around him had certain expectations of him and revealing his true self could ruin the carefully crafted peace that he’d managed to eke out for himself considering his status. Sighing he reached out for his shaving kit where he removed the shaving brush and gave it a twist revealing a hidden compartment in the handle. Carefully shaking out the small white pills inside into his hand he looked at them with a mix of loathing and relief; it had taken some scheming to get the precious window of time away from his babysitters to score these he wasn’t sure when he’d get the opportunity again so had to be sparing in their use. However he had began to feel the shift inside him letting him know he had to take one before things went south. Before he could tip the excess pills back into their container the bathroom door burst open and words died on Sam’s lips has his gaze zeroed in on the pills.
“What are they?”
Zemo stuttered then clammed up unable to admit aloud the shameful truth unfortunately all it did was lead Sam to believe the worst.
“Are they drugs? Are you an addict?” asked Sam, an edge of anger tinged his voice.
Zemo’s silence and deer in headlights look just seemed to confirm this and to the Baron’s horror Sam snatched the pills from his hand and flushed them. Sam’s angry tirade at the dangers of addiction and that he’ll look about getting Zemo into rehab didn’t really register with the horrified Sokovian. Sam stomped off to tell Bucky after getting no response leaving a shell-shocked Baron to crumple to his knees.
This was going to get bad.
Actually it turned out to be worse than he thought by the time he’d pulled himself together and left the bathroom he found John Walker standing in their lounge; apparently his own operation overlapped with their investigation into illegal trafficking of vibranium. So someone along the line had thought it was a good idea for him to tag along but it was James being suddenly standoffish that crushed him; he knew he had to clear up the misunderstanding and tried to approach the super soldier but James wouldn’t even make eye contact with him. Zemo felt a dagger in his heart; they had began to settle into a nice dynamic, relaxed with a little verbal sparring which he had hoped would eventually morph into flirting however all that was reset to square one and James now believed the worst of him.
The Baron quietly went along with them, sitting silently in the back seat of the SUV being driven by Torres, a stone faced James beside him while Sam and John hashed out the final details of the mission. Torres parked half a block away from the target warehouse; allowing them to be far enough away so not to be detected but close enough to run back to the vehicle if things went south. The group picked their way through abandoned and derelict industrial buildings until they reached the target building which looked completely deserted. Zemo dabbed his forehead he was beginning to feel hot, knowing that it was going to get worse and that his secret would get out, he needed this operation to be over quickly so then he could do what exactly? Lock himself away? That would require a talk one that he did not look forward too or he could just run when their backs were turned, call Oeznik and hide away until it all blew over. As minutes slowly ticked away the second option sounded more appealing. Sam’s little flying bot Redwing did a preliminary search looking in the grimy windows, the super soldiers were already edging up to the building when Zemo felt the first cramp, he winced glancing around to make sure no-one had noticed, he wiped his now sweaty forehead. The symptoms seemed to be coming quicker than they had in the past, he wondered if this was because of his prolonged use of the pills and tried to calculate how long he had before things got ugly with the two very powerful Alphas.
Zemo’s eyes slid over to Sam and Torres wondering if the two Betas would be able to hold back the super soldiers long enough for him to get away. He found himself wincing and not just from another spasm, he knew deep down the two Alphas would steamroll right over the Betas to get to him so he instinctively began to surreptitiously look for an escape route. The industrial skeletons loomed all around making him feel claustrophobic Sam growled at him and the Baron snapped back to the moment realising that the group were moving inside the building sweeping him along with them. After all the planning and speculation on what they hoped to find they now all stood in an empty building, and it was like tumbleweeds rolling around empty, deflated and scratching their heads on where the bad guys could have gone. Zemo was struck by another cramp this one doubling him over and making him suck in air; he heard Sam explain to Walker that he was probably going through withdrawal he’d seen it before in Vets. The Baron wanted to scream but he did what he always did and plastered on a neutral face which would infuriate and confuse his enemies. As he glanced at the group ignoring the disgusted look on Walker’s face he spotted James lifting his head and scenting the air, Zemo seamlessly he said he was going to step out for a moment to get some air. Once outside he did a cursory check nobody had followed him then began to speed walk towards another building trying to get some distance between them so he could call Oeznik in secret on his concealed phone. However as he was almost at the old brick building he heard Sam shout from behind him, glancing back intending on telling the Beta he was just investigating he saw both Alphas with their noses in the air then turn and lock onto him. Immediately his brain went oh shit and he took off with the super soldiers in pursuit leaving behind two very confused Betas. Zemo ducked into a doorway only to find there was only half a building left standing behind it however he zeroed in on his salvation stripping off his coat has he ran and gritting his teeth through another wave of pain. There were advantages to be shorter, slimmer and flexible as he dived into the narrow opening of an old furnace where he then pushed himself flat against a back wall. In the quiet dark all he could hear was his panting then from outside the sounds of scrambling and growling followed by hands reaching in to grab him. The Baron heard when Sam and Torres finally caught up as there were several raised voices outside his hiding place then the word he most dreaded was spoken ‘Omega’. Naturally there was confusion from Sam but since there were two very hyped up Alphas in front of him he believed what they were saying. Sam and Torres must have herded them away from the entrance because the conversation became indistinct, Zemo sighed in relief and pushed through the waves of pain thankfully he knew that they would end shortly unfortunately it meant that his own libido was going to go haywire and his pheromones were going to start to ramp up calling to any Alpha within his vicinity. It was a stupid move to ditch his coat with the phone as he was now stuck here for the foreseeable future but it was now almost eerily quiet outside. After a few minutes Sam called into the hole telling him to come out as they sent Walker and Bucky away.
*
“Are they really gone?” Zemo asked shakily.
Torres chipped in that he had Redwing following them at a distance and yes they were gone. The Baron slowly unfolded himself, cautiously he edged out into the sunlight and to where the Betas stood waiting. Torres handed him his coat while Sam looked uncomfortable with the turn of events. Nobody said anything until the Falcon finally sighed in defeat.
“So an Omega …and not a drug addict?”
Zemo nodded before glancing around nervously.
“Sam I don’t wish to be rude but could we get back to the safe house only my hormones are going to go into overdrive soon.”
The Betas understanding the implications quickly ushered the Baron back to their vehicle and it was only once he was secure in the back seat and they were rushing back through the streets did Zemo feel safe enough to come clean to them.
“I’m sorry Sam I truly am but you have to realise this Alpha persona that I project has been drummed into me from an early age, being an Omega was seen as shameful. My mother helped me, accepted who I was and was the even keel in my life however when she died my father had free reign to impose his will on me. The Zemos were a long line of Alphas, we were royalty having an Omega in the bloodline was unacceptable, to my father Omega’s were nothing more than glorified whores and he wasn’t going to have a courtesan as a son. So I was taken out of public school and privately tutored to hide my Omega traits until I was at an age where I could take the Omega suppressants. I was taught how to act like an Alpha and it was drilled into me to marry quickly so the Zemo bloodline could be secured and course corrected, that was my father’s actual words, course correction. Unfortunately for him I learned too well I secretly had joined the Sokovian army and had made many friends in high circles; my father was so proud of me making connections with peers little realising that I would be able to use them against him if he tried to force me back to his house. All throughout my military career and in public I was an Alpha, my father’s words on being an Omega did their work it was only when I met Heike that I opened up I didn’t want any secrets between us and thankfully she understood and became my advocate against my father. Then Carl came along, an Alpha and my father softened wanted to make amends I knew what he was up to but we were slowly beginning to work on things. I had a break from the suppressants as we were trying for another child but then Ultron happened and Novi Grad fell from the sky shattering my world and since then I have been continually taking them until today.”
Torres looked at him wide eyed.
“But that’s been years those things are only supposed to be used a year at a time at most.”
Zemo shrugged.
“But you’ve been in prison,” said Sam has he took a corner tightly.
The Baron snorted in mirthless humour.
“What do you think would happen if it came out that the Avengers were brought down by an Omega? Or having an Omega in a prison full of pent up Alphas and Betas? No they continued my medication, covered it up, pretended I didn’t exist I was used to that from my father. Although I must say my heat has come on within hours rather than across a couple of days.”
They all fell silent again until they pulled up at the safe house and hurriedly ushered Zemo into the entrance lobby closing the door firmly behind them, Sam then did a quick recon of the apartment to ensure one of the Alphas had beaten them back. Once given the all clear Zemo went to his room stripping off his grimy clothes and slipping into a robe, he briefly stuck his head out to ask them to get him several items as he’ll need to isolate while handling his heat then slid into the shower to freshen up.
After stepping out and drying himself he realised that all of his symptoms had now ceased and his body had stopped doing stomach flips which meant that he was now at peak production of his mating pheromones and his sexual desires were about to explode. Zemo grabbed the bottle of lotion he had in a bedside drawer and put it into his robe pocket before stepping out into the living room making sure he stayed at a distance from the other two men has his scent would be strong enough to affect Betas. Going to the book case he pulled at two books which revealed a hidden door, the Baron turned on the light in the room and quickly tidied it. It was a simple room with a low Queen sized bed with shelf drawers hovering next to the bed in the corner by the door was a small fridge which he directed Torres to put the bottles of water and just to dump the snacks on top. Zemo put the lotion down next to the bed and turned only to find Sam checking out the small en-suite.
“Please gentlemen I must now ask you to leave,” he said urgently has he felt the gentle fluttering inside.
Sam dawdled which made the Baron go up to him to shoo him out, Sam’s dark eyes zeroed in on the shorter man.
“You smell good,” he rumbled.
“Sam,” snapped Zemo sharply which brought the Beta back to reality.
“Sorry,” he muttered and went to stand next to Torres.
Zemo watched the two shift uncomfortably.
“Check on me in twenty four hours I’ll probably need my supplies restocked and make sure no Alphas show up.”
The Betas nodded and Zemo shut the door.
Now alone he stripped naked once more, turned off the light then crawled across the bed where he switched on a small wall lamp which gave out a soft warm glow, emotionally exhausted he lay on his back, his body began flooding itself with a heady mix of chemicals that made him hard and his hole moisten. Zemo closed his eyes and with a sigh of defeat gave himself over to his desires and fantasies.
*
Outside the two Betas debated on what to do and who to inform after a lot of back and forth they settled on contacting the Wakandans they at least would be interested in knowing Zemo’s Omega status. The reaction they got from T’Challa and Shuri was not what they expected; they already knew but had asked The Raft staff to keep Zemo isolated and off his meds as they had been concerned about his prolonged use. Sam had to break it to them that Zemo had been kept on his suppressants; Shuri immediately said she was on her way and will get a medical team ready has they didn’t know what would happen. Torres pointed out that according to the Baron although his symptoms had happened quicker than usual taking a few hours rather than days he didn’t seem fazed.
“When has the man ever been unfazed?” commented the Wakandan king.
“I’ll be there in a few hours,” said Shuri.
The screen went dark leaving the two men wondering if they had just made things worse. Well at least they knew the Alphas were safely away from them according to their phone signals both had retired to a couple of hotels on the other side of the city.
*
Zemo woke from his nap still a little exhausted from his exertions but he could feel the adrenaline zipping through his veins and his desires still raged like a tempest through him, he really didn’t remember it being this intense but it had been a while since he’d gone through a heat. As he lay there in the dim light a chill crept up his spine one that you got when you felt that you were being watched but he was in a self contained Omega heat room so that wasn’t possible. Something tickled at the back of his brain then he remembered that this room had been a conversion from a concealed surveillance room to a heat room which meant like several of his properties there were secret escape routes. Zemo’s ears picked up a soft rustle, his breath hitched but he remained still trying to control his breathing and listening. However after a few moments his nose picked up a scent that hardened his dick and made him salivate. There was an Alpha in the room. Zemo sent up a quiet pray that it was his Alpha, the one that lived in his fantasies as he seemed untouchable in real life. Licking his lips his desire peaking he threw caution to the wind and rolled over onto his back to glance towards the dark doorway of the en-suite. Was it his imagination but there seemed to be a blacker patch of dark? A low growl emanated from the spot which had him scrambling onto all fours then dropping his shoulders down to the bed so he presented his eager hole to the Alpha. There was more rustling as the Alpha slipped out of his clothes before climbing onto the bed, a whimper of need escaped his lips, which was answered with a low rumble. Zemo spread his legs wider, his hole leaking its natural lube as he practically vibrated with need. The Alpha reached out to stroke along the Omega’s back until he reached the firm round buttocks that he caressed. Zemo sighed in pleasure at finally being touched by his Alpha and he was strangely exhilarated at how the vibranium fingers felt on his skin.
*
“We’re just going to check in on Zemo you want to ask him anything?”
Shuri came to stand beside Sam.
“I have many questions.”
Torres looked up from his computer to tell them Walker was on his way to the US military base just outside the city but Bucky’s signal hadn’t moved, he was still at the hotel.
“Okay that’s good,” said Sam thoughtfully. “Joaquin could you check on the Baron.”
“Why me?”
“No offense but you’re the least intimidating out of the three of us.”
Torres looked between them.
“Gee thanks for that,” he muttered but did has he was told.
First he knocked on the door gently pressing his ear against the door to see if he could hear anything, not getting a response he knocked a little harder and carefully poked his head into the room. Slowly he pulled his head out and closed the door.
“Er, guys I think we have a problem.”