3 – Science vs. Morals – January 22, 2015
"You don't have to do this," Steve said the second they left the meeting room.
Aspen had known that response was coming. Once she might have been annoyed at his overprotectiveness, but she knew he was just doing his job as a loyal boyfriend. "I want to do this," she told him. "We need to figure out if these people are a threat or a help. Who better than me to infiltrate their team?" She waited for the counterargument.
"It sounds like you made your sentiments toward his proposal pretty clear last night," Steve said, brow furrowed as he walked beside her.
"People change their minds. No one wants to hear that their team is using them. Anyway, if they were serious about wanting me to join them then they'd give me a chance to see if their team is right for me. Maybe I was wrong about not seeing him again."
"So what, you join their team and then come straight back to us and report on everything you've learned? Won't they suspect something?" They started down the stairs that led to the lounge area.
"Of course they will. It will require some acting on my part, but I think I can convince them if I pretend I'm having insecurities about the Avengers. If they're legitimately trying to help people then they shouldn't have anything to hide."
"If there's one thing I've learned in this line of work, it's that everyone has something to hide," Steve said.
"I guess we'll see. Luckily for us, I can sense if someone is hiding something."
"How far are you willing to go to get the truth?" She met his eyes, and she knew he was thinking about the times she'd used her powers to see into someone's mind.
"I just want to know if they're a threat or not," Aspen told him. "I won't go that far. You know I wouldn't do that."
"I know. Just remember, you don't know what they can do. They might not be a threat but they're dangerous."
"So are we. I'm going to give my mom a call – see if she's heard of anything since she and my dad worked extensively with the Superhero Serum." She left him standing in the lounge, walking out onto the terrace outside. The January morning was cold but she needed the fresh air. She pulled out her phone and dialed a familiar number. Her mom answered on the second ring.
"Aspen, I was just thinking about calling, but I wasn't sure if you were on a mission or not."
"No, we got back from the last one a week ago," she told her, leaning against the railing and watching the traffic drive by far below.
"How are things going?" her mom asked her.
"Good. We took down another Hydra base. You'd think we'd have flushed them all out by now, but they keep turning up under rocks like insects."
"That must be especially frustrating for Steve."
"Yeah. He takes it in stride, but I know he'd be glad to see Hydra gone for good. We all would. They cause nothing but chaos and their ideas about the world are so twisted. I suppose there's always going to be a new enemy though. At least we know who we're dealing with."
"How is the team getting along? Are Steve and Tony friends yet?"
Aspen laughed. "They've been doing pretty well actually. I'd go as far as to say they're friends, but I did have to break them apart this morning. They can be like two spitting tomcats sometimes. They've got a lot of respect for each other, but their views on the world can differ drastically as well as their ideas for how they should go about helping it."
"Well, they definitely have different backgrounds and personalities. That could be either good or bad for the team dynamic."
"I think as long as they've got a mediator – that's usually Bruce or me – they're okay. They challenge this group to think differently. Sometimes Tony's ideas work best and sometimes Steve's do. It's just a matter of pushing past their stubbornness and making a decision."
"I'm surprised Thor isn't the one butting heads. He's the warrior after all."
"He's a gentle-giant really," Aspen said with a smile. "He might be a warrior, but he's devoutly loyal to his friends. He usually just thinks Tony and Steve's arguments are petty. We're so much more of a team than we were at the start though. Vast improvement."
"I'm glad. I'm glad you're calling yourself a part of the team finally." Aspen could hear the smile in her mom's voice. "Not everyone can say their daughter is an Avenger, you know."
"I think you get that honor to yourself actually. I hope you don't brag about me to your students."
"I do actually. I just don't mention the Avenger or superpower thing."
"Well that's a relief. I actually called to ask you something." She briefly filled her mom in on Julian Grey and the Elites. "Have you heard of such a group?" she asked.
"Not by that name. I've heard rumors of experimentation. There are always those who study science with no concern for ethics."
"Why would someone volunteer for such a thing?" Aspen asked, repressing a shudder.
"There could be a number of reasons. Money, power, misrepresentation on the scientist's part, or thirst for knowledge. Why did Steve volunteer for the Super Soldier program?"
"Erskine wasn't a monster though. Stewart was."
"Grey might not have known that at the time. Maybe he was desperate to learn more about his abilities or get rid of them. Would you turn down help if you were desperate?"
Aspen's thoughts immediately jumped to Loki. She'd gone to him when she was desperate despite all he'd done. Some might call him monster, but she'd sought his help anyway. "No, I suppose not."
"They might just be lost kids in need of direction. Who better than the Avengers to put them on the right path?"
"Right now they're all convinced it's a group of out of control vigilantes with no morals. So is the newspaper."
"Let me guess, you're determined to get to the bottom of this."
"You know me so well." Her mom heaved a deep sigh but didn't try to convince Aspen not to go through with it. "It was Tony's idea, but I think it's a good one. They reached out to me after all."
"Not in the nicest of ways."
"He wanted to see where I stood. I'm going to tell him I've changed my mind. If I can convince him I'm not sure about my team maybe I can learn the truth about the Elite and if they're the ones behind the crime-fighting."
"Why not just ask outright?" her mom asked. "Why the cloak and dagger approach?"
"No one just gives up information in this business. Clearly they don't trust the Avengers."
"But they trust you?"
"I'm sure they don't, but they seem to think I'm like them."
"If you are going through with this then you need to remember something. These are people who have been abused by other people. They don't trust easily and they will react when they feel threatened. Some of them might be unstable; some might not have learned how to control their abilities yet. You remember what it felt like before."
"I do. I get better than anyone what it is to not be able to control yourself. I'll be careful. I do want to help them if they need it. No one should ever have to go through experimentation." Her thoughts flitted to Doctor Rinehart.
"I sometimes think the thirst for knowledge destroys all morals," her mom said, her voice distant. "We cross lines that were never meant to be crossed. We push too hard too fast."
"I didn't mean to imply you and Dad were monsters for what you did."
"I know, but in some ways what we were doing was no better than Stewart."
"You're much better than him," Aspen told her.
"I wish I could say we've seen the last of people like Stewart but as you said, there's always someone new."
"Then I guess I've got job security." Aspen saw movement out of the corner of her eye. "I've got to go for now. I'll call again soon. I want to hear more about you and Aunt Vi."
"All right. Good luck, Aspen. I know if anyone can help those who have been hurt by experimentation, it's you."
"I hope so." She hung up and turned to face Natasha. "Hey, Tasha."
The redheaded spy joined aspen at the railing. "How's your mom?" she asked.
"Good." She relayed what her mom had told her. "Do you think it's a good idea to try to infiltrate them?"
"I think there's a chance they pose a threat to society even if they think they're helping. You're the only one they'll let within a mile of them. But whether you do this or not is your choice. I think it's a good plan, but I also think a lot could go wrong."
"I do want to do this," Aspen said. "Whether they're a threat or they just need some guidance."
"Then I think it's time for you to go solo," Natasha said with a smile. "But if you're willing to listen, I can pass along some tips."
"Teach me your ways," Aspen told her.
…
"You know she's got to make her own decisions," Clint said as he grabbed a beer from the cooler behind the bar. He tossed one to Steve too.
"It's eleven in the morning," Steve said, looking down at the bottle.
"It's been a long morning." Clint sat down and set his booted feet on the coffee table. "Pull up a seat."
Steve inwardly sighed. He knew he was in for one of Clint's lectures, but there was no avoiding it. He sat down in the chair next to Clint and popped the lid off his bottle.
"Aspen feels personally connected to this," Clint said.
"I get that."
"We can't predict when this group is going to act again or where. Aspen has a free ticket into their little club."
"I'm not going to try to stop her," Steve said. He knew better than to try that. Aspen could more than take care of herself.
"Good. We both know how well that goes." Clint took a long sip of his beer. "So how was Tony's party last night?"
"The usual. Forcing a smile for people who think you're nothing more than a novelty. I didn't see you there suffering with us."
"Yeah, I don't really do parties. Not stuffy parties where all the guests are potential investors anyway. Now a party with music and dancing and drinking – that's more interesting."
"Well, Tony does like to throw those kind of parties too."
"Which I never see you at," Clint said.
"I'm not really the party type," Steve told him. He hated the attention because inevitably there was someone there who was completely in awe of the fact that he was Captain America. He and Aspen both preferred quiet nights in their apartment watching the occasional historical document or playing board games. Tony frequently called them the most boring couple in history, but Tony had once gotten drunk in his Iron Man suit and nearly destructed his entire house, so he had a very different idea of having fun.
"Yeah, I kind of got that," Clint said. "But hey, no judgments."
"I just think there are more important things to focus on." Steve took a sip of the beer.
"Like your missing friend."
"Yeah." Steve couldn't help the disappointment that dripped off that one word.
"You'll find him when he wants to be found," Clint told him.
"I know. That's what Sam, Nat, and Aspen keep telling me." But it didn't make it any less frustrating.
"After I found out my brother was still alive, finding him proved difficult. Sometimes it seemed impossible, but eventually I found him. Just keep looking. Even if it's him who needs to decide that he wants to be found, never stop looking."
"Sometimes I'm not sure what to prioritize. I'm part of a team now, but Bucky is my best friend. I have to decide what comes first, and I always want to say Bucky, but I realize that I can't help him just yet."
"Hey, just because you have to put other things first doesn't make finding your friend any less important," Clint told him. "Anyway, someone's gotta lead this team."
"I'm not sure if Tony considers me the leader," Steve said, glancing at Clint. "It's his tower, his tech."
"And your strategy and skills and logic. I've got nothing against the way Tony does things, but the others look to you when they look to their leader. Nat thinks the world of you and believe me, it takes a lot to gain the kind of loyalty she shows you. Aspen has always looked to you for guidance, and I'm finding myself doing the same. You've got what it takes to lead a team."
Steve hadn't realized Clint felt that way. He'd never worded those thoughts before, but Steve felt touched. He hadn't thought of himself as the leader of the Avengers. They were a team and they worked together, but if someone had to lead them into battle, then he would be honored to do the job. He hadn't felt such a sense of belonging since working with the Howling Commandos back in the war. The dynamics were different, but that same camaraderie that he had missed was there. With SHIELD it had always felt like every man for himself. Everyone had their own agenda and there was never a sense of trust. He might not know everything about his fellow Avengers, but he trusted them.
"Thanks," he told Clint, tipping his beer bottle toward the archer. Clint clinked his bottle against it.
"You might have some competition one of these days though," Clint added. He nodded toward where Natasha and Aspen stood on the terrace outside. "Our girl is becoming more and more like a leader every day." He smiled, and Steve could see how proud he was. "I'll never forget the day I rescued her from ARTIFACT. She thought she knew everything. She had this cocky air to her that she didn't shake until she settled into her training at SHIELD and realized she didn't know everything. I'm not sure it really disappeared until she met you. With Loki she thought she could handle the situation on her own. But since she met you she's started thinking things through before acting – not always, but she's doing a lot better. She's gained confidence after having a rough start. She's trusting the right people now."
"Hopefully." Steve's thoughts flitted to the Elite.
"You think she trusts that Grey character?" Clint asked. He shook his head. "She knows what she's doing. Don't mistake trust and empathy. She wants to help people, and people who have been scientifically experimented on particularly strike a cord with her. But that's not trust."
"What do you think? Vigilante or villain?" Steve asked.
"Misguided perhaps, but I don't like to put a name to it when I don't know all the facts. Something tells me it's not black and white."
"It never is," Steve agreed. "I guess we'll find out."