Disclaimer: I do not own anything. J.E and MARVEL do. I am just playing around.
A.N. Hey guys! I know it has been awhile. My weekends are finally my own again. Between birthday parties, children, stomach bugs and SNOW, it has been a crazy two months. This chapter is shorter then the other three, but I figured to give you guys something instead of making you wait longer. Enjoy. All mistakes are mine.
Ten minutes had passed before J.A.R.V.I.S. gave the all clear. Steph stood up and looked around at everyone, making sure to do a preliminary check for any injuries. As she was about to move over to Clint, a moan stopped her in her tracks. Looking around to see if she missed someone, she furrowed her brow when she realized everyone was up and moving around. Hearing the moan again, she starting making her way towards the blown out windows, stopping when she saw a body on the walkway leading from Iron Man's "landing pad".
Calling for Bobby over her shoulder as she sprinted over the broken glass, praying it wasn't who she thought it was. Dropping to her knees next to the body, she let out a frustrated growl, not wanting to show how she was really feeling. She was barely aware of Bobby kneeling on the other side of the body, checking over the injuries, but not before gasping "Sally Sweet?"
Steph moved to sit up by his head, lifting it and settling him in her lap, stroking his hair. She knew he didn't have long. There was too much blood. His breathing was labored and he was coughing up blood. In between coughs, Steph thought he was trying to say something. Leaning down and angling her head so her ear was near his mouth, she finally heard what he was saying. Once she whispered "Thank you," he stopped fighting and died in her arms.
When she didn't make a move to get up, Bobby reached out to her.
"Bomber?"
"I need a minute, Bobby."
She didn't look up from her friend, but knew he left to give her some privacy. After thinking over what he told her and giving herself some time to grieve, she stood up and made her way back inside. She sighed knowing there were going to be questions and she was going to have to give them answers, especially now that she was a part of the team. Deciding to disclose everything to them, she squared her shoulders and sat on the couch, waiting for the first question.
Watching both Rangeman and The Avengers ESP each other, trying to figure out who would ask the first question, she wasn't surprised when Tony just blurted something out.
"Who is Sally Sweet?"
Before she could answer, Lester spoke up.
"A cross dressing man that was one of Beautiful's FTAs back in Trenton."
Steph smirked. "Actually," she rolled her eyes, "he was a Special Agent assigned to the gang Task Force in Trenton to help remove the Slayers."
She watched in amusement as Lester's eyes bugged out. She pinned Ranger with a glare and could stop the satisfied smile that made it's way to her face as he shifted his eyes away from her. "Don't you tell your men anything?"
He narrowed his eyes at what she was implying. "They knew what they were allowed to know, Babe."
Steph just shook her head at his answer. Him and his fucking rules, she thought to herself, but based on the chuckles she heard, it wasn't as to herself as she thought. Not making an apology, she looked back around the room.
"Seriously? Is that the only question you all have for me?" Apparently her asking that question, opened the floodgates, as she was being hit from all sides with questions.
"What did he whisper to you?"
"Was he involved in the case you were working on?"
"Should we expect more deliveries? If so, do you think you can get them to use the front door and maybe not blow up my tower?"
The all stilled as a shrill whistle rang through the room. Everyone looked to where it came from. Pepper was just lowering her hands to her sides when she finally had all eyes on her. "How about you give Stephanie a chance to answer your questions before throwing more at her."
Steph nodded her head in thanks and turned to Bobby, knowing he asked the first one.
"He only gave me the initials J.B."
"Do you know what they mean?" he asked, coming to sit on the table in front of her.
She just shook her head. "I don't. There isn't anyone in the Rubio Family that has those initials."
"The Rubio Family?" He looked back at Ranger when he noticed the glare Steph was sending him. "Why do I get the feeling there is a story that we weren't told?" The question was directed at his Boss.
Ranger sighed. "Again, you knew what you needed to know."
"Fuck that, Primo!" Lester shouted. "You obviously told Tank, so why couldn't we be afforded the same courtesy? Bobby and I were the ones the spent the most time with her, besides Hector and Ram."
"You didn't need to know."
"Bullshit! You led us to believe one thing about her, when it wasn't even close to being the truth. How do you expect us to follow you now?"
"Lester," Steph tried. "He didn't-"
"No, Beautiful! He doesn't deserve for you to stick up for him after the way he's treated you." He turned his glare back to his cousin. "You and your fucking secrets. Man, do you know how much we could have helped her when she was in trouble? How we could have covered for her if she needed it? Or how about when she was kidnapped and her father was murdered in front of her?"
Steph watched as Lester paced in front of them. She looked over and saw everyone watching the fight. She cleared her throat to get their attention and when they looked at her she asked them for some privacy.
"Can you give us a few minutes? I'll let J.A.R.V.I.S. know when we are finished."
She gave Tony a smile in thanks as he nodded in approval. She squeezed Clint's hand, not knowing when he sat next to her, but appreciative nonetheless. He looked at her for a minute before kissing her temple and getting up to follow his team out. Once she was sure they were gone, she turned back to the men she considered family.
"Look guys, I understand you are pissed at Ranger for not disclosing my true identity, but he technically didn't have to. Sure it was a shitty thing to do, especially since you four make up the Core Team, but he was trying to follow the orders he was given as well."
She watched as some of the tension left their rigid frames, only to sigh when it came back even stronger with Lester's next statement.
"Fine. That explains keeping us in the dark as far as work is concerned. But, Beautiful, what about all the shit he put you through, and in essence put us through?"
"Les," she began. "As much as I appreciate your concern, and I do, that is something that Ranger and I have to talk about. It shouldn't have a bearing on your relationship with him."
She watched as he sighed in defeat. "Alright. I get what youre saying. I understand what you are saying, but I am not going to let him get away with that shit. We will just handle it at Rangeman. On the mats." He leveled a glare at his cousin and sat down when Ranger gave a barely there nod.
Steph rolled her eyes. "Fine. Now that that is settled. Did you find anything out from any of the guys that attacked us?"
Tank spoke up, relieved to finally be talking about the reason they were there in the first place. "No. Just that they came to take you out. They mentioned something about a briefcase and a vial before they clammed up."
"They wouldn't give you anymore?"
He shook his head. "No. It's almost like they were still playing with us. Like they knew even giving that amount of information wasn't going to give us answers, but would get back to you."
Steph cracked her neck in annoyance while trying to decide if she should disclose everything she knows about the contents of that case.
"Little girl," Tank hedged. "Do you know what they were talking about?"
"Yes."
Tank raised an eyebrow and she knew that was his way of asking if she was going to share with them.
"Alright. Let me get the rest of my team up here. I'd rather only tell this once." At their nods she informed J.A.R.V.I.S to tell the other Avengers to come on back.
"While we wait for them, I need to grab something from my rooms. I'll be right back." She didn't wait for a response before she took the elevator downstairs. When she walked into her closet, she took a deep breath before reaching for the bag that she wouldn't allow to be carried by anyone else when she first arrived at the tower. After unzipping it and looking inside to make sure the item was still inside, she made her way back upstairs to the common area, praying that she doesn't ruin everything when she reveals what she has.
Stepping out of the elevator, she wasn't surprised to see everyone already there and most of the shattered glass cleaned up. She walked back to the couch she was sitting on before she left and took the empty spot in between Clint and Ram. She smiled when both reached over and gave her knees a squeeze, with Clint leaving his hand on her leg.
"Before I begin, I need you guys, all of you," she made a point to make eye contact with everyone, "to promise not to interrupt until I tell you everything that I know. It isn't much, but what I have to show you will probably raise more questions than I have answers for."
When the murmurs of promises died down, she began her story.
"My father was in the Rangers. When he couldn't do missions anymore, he still remained connected to D.C. wanting to be available for consultation for any and all missions, especially ones with people or families he went against when he was still active. One such family, was the Rubios. They were a nasty group when he went against them and they only got worse after he took out the head of the family and completed his mission. When I joined the agency and was handed this case, I knew I couldn't turn it down. Not only had they gotten worse and gotten involved in more shit than before, but they were also looking for my dad. I couldn't let the get to him. He was finally able to stop looking over his shoulder. He was enjoying his life."
She took a deep breath before continuing. "So, after reading everything they gave me, including the statements and debriefs from his time with them, I signed my name and moved back to Trenton. I figured I would make my base of operations there so I could keep on eye on him and infiltrate Rangeman."
"What?"
She looked up and saw the hurt flash across most of the Merrymen's faces before their blank faces slammed down. Shaking her head, she picked up where she left off. "We had gotten word that someone, low on the food chain connected to the Rubio family, worked for Rangeman in Trenton. I've worked with Ranger and we cleared all of the main employees. We've got it narrowed down to two or three of your contract workers, but someone in the family is either really good at covering their tracks or they didn't give this guy any information nor did they really 'adjust' his background. So when he came to you, he looked legit and everything checked out with him. That's what I was working on before I was manipulated into coming here." She cast a scathing look at Tony, in which he only shrugged in response.
"When my father was investigating them, they were into the typical bad guy stuff. Drugs, guns, women. When I took over, not only were they still into that stuff, but they also got involved in supplying terrorist cells with classified information. Information such as number of soldiers in the area, bases and how they were guarded. Things of that nature. They also got their hands on some chemical formulas that could change the favor of this and any other war, from us to whomever we were against."
"The briefcase?" Tank asked.
She nodded in confirmation. "The briefcase not only contains the original copies of the formulas they were making, but also vials of the completed compounds that were to be sold." No one missed her hands tightening their hold on the bag she held on her lap.
When Tank nodded his head at the bag, she cast her eyes down and with a sigh, she unzipped the bag and pulled out the briefcase, laying it on the table directly in front of her.
Looking at the Captain, she told them the rest of what she knows. "To my understanding, one of the formulas they were using and successfully duplicated, was the serum that made you who you are."
"That can't be possible. We know that HYDRA has been trying to recreate it, but without much luck. Sure they've come close, but no one has been able to come close to what Dr. Erskine was able to do," Steve interrupted.
"Who would have access to the records of your change? Did the doctor write down his formulas? I know what is going through your mind Captain, and while we don't have tangible proof, we have reason to believe that someone from S.H.I.E.L.D. is involved."
With that, Steph opened the case and turned it so everyone could see what was being held inside. To the shock of everyone, it wasn't just one or two small vials, no. It was three rows. Each row held five vials and each row of vials seemed to hold different substances.
Dr. Banner spoke up for the first time since Steph started sharing her information.
"Obviously these are all different. Do we know what the other two compounds are?"
"No. We have all the paperwork," she said, tapping the top of the briefcase, "but we don't know which serum is which. That is where you come in, Dr. Banner." She looked at him and he nodded in understanding.
"I need you to match each serum with the correct formulas. I need a full work up done on all of them. What properties do they hold? What are the side effects? I also need it to be kept quiet. The only ones to know that I have this case are sitting in this room. I can't even trust my handler with this information."
Ranger gave her surprised look before turning his attention back to the briefcase.
"Babe, are you sure that the serum that changed the Captain is in here?"
"I can answer that for you, Steph," Bruce supplied. He looked at Steve first and then addressed the entire group. "From my understanding and what little I got to see of the genetic makeup of Steve's DNA, it matches some of what is written here," he said as he brandished one of the folders from the case. "How accurate it is, I will have to run tests, but from first glance, it does seem to mimic what I have found out about the Super-Serum."
Steve dropped his head and Steph was mildly surprised when Natasha leaned into his side and whispered something in his ear that made him nod and straighten himself up.
"Bruce, I would appreciate it if you could find out all you can before we decide what we are going to do about S.H.I.E.L.D. possibly being involved."
Bruce nodded and looked towards Steph again. Just as he was about to ask her something, she beat him to it and pushed the case closer to where he was seated. "Go ahead, Dr. Banner. The sooner you get to work, the sooner we can figure out where to go from here." Bruce wasted no time in closing the case and moving out of the room, presumably to his lab.
Everyone else seemed to break into their own little conversations, so Steph made her way to the kitchen to grab some water. She knew he was following her, so when he spoke, she didn't jump in surprise.
"Babe, can we talk?"
Steph nodded and they walked out onto the balcony that was off of the large dining room. They both kept their distance and stared out at the sky line that the Avenger's Tower provided them with. She remained quiet, waiting for Ranger to speak.
"I want to apologize for what I said earlier."
Steph reeled in fake shock and whipped her head to the side to look at him. "Ranger apologizing?"
"Ba-," he cleared his throat. "Steph, I do apologize when I know I am wrong."
She rolled her eyes and smiled slightly. "You were jealous."
"I was."
"Why? I did what you wanted me to do. I moved on."
He expelled little air in what Steph took as a sigh. "I wasn't expecting you to get together with someone who lived a life that was just as dangerous if not more, than mine."
"Ranger, you knew who I was from the beginning. Why would I want someone who couldn't understand me or my job?"
"I didn't expect you to fall for someone who would be gone just as much as you are. I guess what I am mad about is that I see how you two are together. You both lead dangerous lives. I didn't expect you to be in a committed relationship at all, to be honest. So I was shocked and pissed that you moved on and found that. At first I thought that you guys had what we had in the beginning."
"No. I told you I wanted a commitment. I wouldn't be with Clint if that is what he offered. I wouldn't have moved on from you if that is all he wanted from me."
"I can see that now."
Steph moved closer to Ranger, so that they were side by side. "You are still my best friend, even if you're an asshole."
"Babe." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and kissed her temple. "If you need anything,"
"I know. Give you a call."
He squeezed her shoulder before dropping his arm back to his side. As they made their way back inside, she turned and asked for her first favor.
"So can I keep Ram and Hector?"
He chuckled. "I wasn't expecting them to come back anytime soon. They are yours for as long as you want them to be or they want to be here."
She leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."
"No price, Babe."
Once they entered the living room, Clint looked up from where he was in conversation with Ram. His gaze roamed her body before locking with her eyes. She winked and gave him a small smile before walking over to where Pepper and Tony were talking.
"Ah. Phoenix. We were just talking about you."
"Why does that not surprise me, Stark?"
Pepper cleared her throat. "What Tony was going to say, was that we have those contracts for you to look over when you get the chance. We understand that with everything that went on today, we never got the chance to go over everything with you."
"It's ok. Um. Can we do it first thing in the morning. There are a couple of things I wanted to speak with you about anyway, and I would rather do it after we all got some sleep."
"Of course. That would be fine. I am assuming this has to do with your two friends that stopped by this morning."
Steph nodded. "Yes. I want to talk to them first, but I hoping they will be here with more for the foreseeable future."
"That's fine. Talk to them and we will talk in the morning. You can bring them with you to the meeting if you want."
Steph smiled in thanks before trying to find Ram and Hector. Thankfully they were now both talking with Clint in the far corner of the room. Making her way to them, she cleared her throat to announce her presence. "Hey guys. Can I speak to you for a few minutes?"
"Sure, Estephania. What do you need?"
"Well," she started. "I was wondering if you guys wanted to remain on my team and stay here with me?"