Disclaimer: I do not own Avengers or any Marvel characters. I'm just borrowing them.
Sarah let out a whimper as another burning snake of IV solution ran through her body. She felt the needle slip out of her skin at long last. Her body had finally pushed the needle out after a day of burning torture. The heat resonating off her was alarming but none of the HYDRA agents cared. She was just a target, not one of their own agents.
"Lower her gently," a very familiar voice said behind her. "Make sure her legs are set on the gurney."
"She's the enemy," a lackey protested. There was a slam followed by the lackey crying out in pain.
"She's my sister!" Junior yelled. The touch of feminine fingers was barely felt on her burning skin. Slowly her body was lowered down onto the gurney. A woman pulled a blanket up over her as another freed her hands. Her arms flopped to the side and she cried out as they aggravated her shoulders. Her brother's fingers touched her forehead and she felt his lips there too. "I'll fix you up, I promise." The cool feeling of tears hitting her skin reached her through the burning haze. "Just hang in there."
"J-J-J," she stuttered trying to say his name. She looked blindly toward him. "C-C-Can't s-s-s-see."
"Shush, shush, it'll all be all right, I promise," he swore. "All right let's move her." The gurney slowly rolled out of the room and through the halls. Junior snapped at anyone who laughed and punched anyone who tried to harm her further.
"We'll lift on three," the nurse said to whoever was helping her. "One, two, three, lift." Sarah felt the sensation of being lifted before her skin contacted a cool towel on a soft bed. "Would you like a nurse to help you sir?" the nurse asked.
"No just bring another set of clothes for her and more medical materials. Thank you." She nodded and left the pair alone. Sarah felt the bed dip and fingers touch her jaw. Sarah whimpered in anticipation of more pain. "Easy Sis, I'm not going to hurt you."
"Y-y-y-you a-already d-d-d-did," she stammered. Tears were running freely from her eyes. "W-Why?"
"I'm sorry," he whispered. She felt the tears being wiped away. "I had a choice of missions. I had to either kill Steph or Dad, or kidnap one of my siblings. I'm no match for Dad and I could never do that. Everyone else is away. My handler told me to take you." Sarah whimpered as an alcohol wipe ran over her face to clean the cuts. "I'm so sorry."
"Hurts."
"I know. I'm going to fix you up, I swear. You're going to want to bite into this," he said gently. He gently pushed a gag against her lips. She took it into her teeth and waited for the pain she knew was coming. He gently sat her up just as the nurse came in. "Nurse can you hold her up while I pop her shoulder in?"
"Yes sir." Sarah felt thin hands on her as her brother's hands went to her arm. He moved swiftly without a countdown. He winced at her scream. The nurse moved so he could put the other shoulder back in place. He repeated the process before gently laying her down on the bed. The nurse stayed and helped him with her knees. The nurse then held Sarah up while Junior cleaned the wounds on Sarah's back. "Sir I can wrap her ribs if you want to hold her." Junior looked at her and nodded. "My name is Julia."
"Thank you for your help Julia." Junior held his sister in place while Julia bound the broken ribs she was sporting. Sarah whimpered and moved her face into the crook of her brother's next. Junior kissed her forehead softly. "Hang in there sis."
"Why did they do this?" Julia asked gently. "If she is the sister of the second highest man in our organization, should she not have been living like a queen?"
"My sister still fights for what she believes is good," Junior replied. "She does not fight Schmidt's fight." Julia nodded gently and tucked the last of the bandage into place. "Thank you for everything Julia."
"Shall I have food brought?" she asked.
"For two, yes. I'm going to see if she can eat." Julia nodded and left the room. Junior took the gag out and went back to work on his sister's wounds. He bandaged her legs and arms next. "How's it feel?" Junior asked. He checked for other wounds but found none.
"Better," she whispered. "Thank you." Junior smiled gently. He moved her onto the other side of the bed and set the bloody towel to the side. He slipped some clothes onto his sister before pulling the blanket up to her chest. "I'm cold." Junior settled in next to her and wrapped her in his arms. "Why should I trust you?"
"I never left your side," Junior whispered. "This is all part of Schmidt's plan."
"I know," she said. "What's next?" Sarah asked and looked up at him. Her eyes blindly looked at his direction.
"There's a child he's going to introduce you to."
"And use the child against me," Sarah guessed. "Great."
"Yeah I know," he mumbled. "Try to rest. I hope your vision comes back soon."
"It's trauma blindness. I remember Tony had it once," Sarah mumbled sleepily. "Promise to be here when I wake up?" She moved her fingers from her stomach to his shirt. They clung weakly to the fabric.
"I promise."
"Really?"
"Of course. Sleep well." She gave him a half smile before closing her eyes. Julia brought the food in and left it on a nearby table. Junior stared down at his sister worriedly. He knew she was strong enough to handle all this on a normal day but with everything else, he just couldn't be sure. For once, he would have to take care of her instead of the other way around.
The situation room of Avengers Mansion was oddly deserted. The sound of feet approaching echoed in the abandoned room. The first to walk in was Logan in a more covert mission outfit than the man typically wore. Following close behind was Bucky. The man was pulling his long hair up into a ponytail and checking the weapons on his belt. Behind them came Johnny Storm who looked oddly in charge for once but that feeling was offset by the arrival of Peter Parker. The two junior superheroes brought up information on the holographic table for their agents.
"So why are we the ones going in?" Bucky asked curiously. "You've got plenty of covert muscle within the League I'm sure."
"Some of which has been compromised thanks to emotional attachments," Peter replied. "You two have worked well together in the past, I hoped you could do it again. Get in, map the location, find the targets, watch for any openings we can get, but do not make a move. Schmidt will be waiting for that."
"How long do we have?" Logan asked.
"You'll arrive shortly after midnight at the drop zone. It's a thirty mile hike in," Johnny replied. "We'd like preliminaries by tomorrow night. We expect it to take a day or two."
"What's our ride?" Bucky inquired. Sharon Carter and Tim Dugan walked in and smirked. "When did you two?"
"We were waiting for our cue," Sharon said. "Jet's prepped and ready. See you in a few days Peter, Johnny."
"Be careful," Johnny said as the four walked out. The secondary temporary leader of the League turned to Peter. "What's the plan big man?"
"I've summoned all on planet available operatives. Wilson is even coming in," Peter chuckled. "We're going to take the base and end this once and for all. An extraction team will get Sarah out. A secondary team will take out the Skull. I plan to have Wilson on the secondary team as well as Logan. It's a messy job."
"Good idea. What about calling in Asgardian back up?" Johnny asked. "Loki would lay waste to the facility with ease."
"And possibly get bystanders hurt in the process. No, Loki's job is to protect the kids." Peter looked up at the hologram again. "Fury Junior has gone after Steve."
"What are they going to do if they catch him?" Johnny asked. He sat down in a chair and kicked his legs up on the table casually. He watched as Peter thought about his answer.
"I honestly don't know," Peter admitted. "I mean I see why Steve did it but the way he did it is what's going to get him in trouble. This whole family is pretty much wreaked. I just hope it doesn't end up a divorce for Steve and Natasha." Johnny nodded in agreement. Things sure would never be the same around here.
The tunic was far too loose for Aaron's tastes but he wore it anyway. The numerous wounds were gone thanks to Eir but the soreness of the fight still lingered. His hair was still damp from the bath he had just taken. His bare feet met the cool floor of his Asgardian chambers and he shivered.
A knock sounded on his door. He looked over to see Loki standing in his open doorway. The god was dressed casually as well but held a leather vest in his arm.
"I brought you this," Loki said holding it out. "It is not your mission vest but for now it will have to do. Unnr is making some better clothes for you as we speak."
"Thank you Loki, you have been far too kind," Aaron whispered taking the vest from him. He slipped it on and laced it up. The familiar tight feeling made him feel slightly better. "Whose chambers am I sleeping in? They seem set up for someone else."
"These were Sarah's chambers years ago," Loki replied. "We have kept them in order just in case any of you were to visit. I thought you would be at home here." Aaron nodded softly. His fingers ran along the table and the bedframe as he made his way to the balcony. He could hear the sound of the kids laughing below in the garden somewhere. Loki paused before joining him at the railing. "She will come back."
"But at what cost?" Loki did not reply. He feared as the others did. "I'm sorry. I'm just stressed."
"It is fine," Loki insisted. "You are my brother Aaron; I feel your pain just as my mother feels Natasha's." Aaron looked to Loki with an unspoken question. The god let out a soft sigh before conveying what he had been told by his wife. "Natasha has locked herself into her room. Mother sits with her now. Sif and Sigyn are trying their best to cheer her up."
"I don't know if I can look at Steve again without hitting him," Aaron muttered in disgust. "We told him that the mission was going to be pulled. We told him that it was too risky. Now look where we're at. Sarah is in the hands of a lunatic. Junior is, well, I'm pretty sure his allegiance still lies with us despite the events that have happened. I just hope he can protect her well enough."
Loki placed a gentle hand on Aaron's shoulder. Aaron looked up at him as he went to speak. "Sarah and Junior are a good team. Despite the events that have occurred, Sarah will turn to her brother for help and he will provide it. Worry not, my brother," Loki insisted. Loki's look of sympathy eased Aaron's troubles. He placed a hand on the older man's and nodded. "Perhaps breakfast will do you good."
"I don't think I can stomach anything," Aaron confessed as they turned. Loki laughed and led him across the room.
"Nonsense! The food here would put even your wife's to shame," Loki chuckled. Aaron laughed at the thought. "Don't tell her I said that."
"Oh I won't. She'd kill us both," Aaron said with a smirk. Loki ruffled his hair causing Aaron to knock his hand away. They walked in silence down the hall for a few moments. "Loki, tell of Gunnarr." Loki paused in his step but quickly covered it. "Please."
"Before I met you, I thought that perhaps she had found the one she belonged to here," Loki began. "When Sarah came to stay with us shortly before your mission that Christmas, she was often times accompanied by one of the Warriors Three or myself. A number of the elders believed that she should be escorted by someone who was not so controversial and perhaps could forge an alliance with Midgard. One of my father's advisors told him of his son Gunnar, a young man that resembles you in many ways. Mother said the child would do.
"Gunnar and Sarah hit it off, surprisingly. I saw the heart threads between them but the few that were necessary would not appear. I knew that she was close to finding the one she loved but Gunnar was not him. Despite my knowledge, I let the courtship develop. I should have ended it before his death. Perhaps it would have hurt her less," Loki murmured. He paused at a portrait and pointed to it. "That is him. This picture was painted a few days before his death."
"She looks happy," Aaron commented admiring the way his wife was smiling at the young man. "What happened to him?"
"Sarah went with the Warriors Three and Sif on an adventure. I did not go because Sif believed I would cause mischief again as I had on our last adventure. The girls were separated from the Warriors Three and attacked. Heimdall informed Gunnarr and I and we went to rescue the girls. Gunnar threw himself onto Sarah before an arrow could kill her. He died in Sarah's arms. She spent the next week quite inconsolable. The wise words my father gave her finally allowed her to be at some peace. The young boy who bears his name was born on his death date. Sarah was not informed," Loki told him.
"She falls for warriors," Aaron observed. "She never told me about him."
"I don't doubt it. It hurts her to this day knowing he died to save her. She fears you will one day do the same," Loki informed him. Aaron looked down at the floor and then at the portrait again.
"I would if it saved her," Aaron whispered. "Shall we go to breakfast?" Loki nodded and led him away. Perhaps he shouldn't have told Aaron the story after all.
Junior turned around when he heard Sarah stirring. He had gotten up to stretch after napping next to her. After stretching, he had replaced some of her bandages and planned to wake her but it seems she woke already.
"Junior?" she asked tiredly. Her eyes were scanning the room intensely as he walked up. Her eyes locked onto him and she smiled gently. "There you are."
"I see your sight is back," he chuckled. "How many?" He held up two fingers.
"Two up and three down smartass," she muttered. Slowly she moved her fingers to her face and brushed her hair back. "Still hurts to move."
"With the beating you took I would have thought you'd still be out," Junior replied. "You think you can try and stomach something?" She gave him a weak nod and he brought over the tray with her food. Weakly and with a few attempts, Sarah managed to move so she was sitting up in the bed. Junior slid his pillow behind her back and eased her head onto the wall. She gave him a grateful half smile. "Let's get some food in you, shall we?"
Junior set the tray down on her lap softly. Sarah tried to pick up the spoon to the soup but her hand was shaking too much. Junior shook his head and picked up the spoon and the bowl. He spooned out a small amount and put it to her lips. She took the offered food with an embarrassed blush coating her cheeks. Junior laughed at her embarrassment. He continued to feed her and helped her with her drink as well.
"Thank you," she murmured. "I owe you."
"No this is just me paying you back for all the times you've tended to me," Junior replied. He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. "You'll be all better soon Sis, I promise. We'll make it through." Sarah opened her mouth to reply but a pale sheen overcame her. Junior reached over her to the side of the bed and held a bucket up before she could puke all over the bed. He held back her bangs and held the bucket while she lost what little nutrients she had eaten.
Five minutes of dry heaving later, Junior called for a nurse for another bucket. A fever had taken hold and she whimpered in pain. The nurse came in with a bucket and a cold rag with a bucket of water. The nurse was Julia.
"Julia will you watch her for a little bit?" Junior asked as the woman tended to his older sister.
"Yes sir. I'll try to get this fever down," Julia reassured him.
"Don't leave," Sarah pleaded and reached for him. "Please." Her voice was strained. Junior kissed her forehead gently. "Please."
"I'll be right back. Someone has some answers for me," he snarled. He stormed out of the room and down to Schmidt's office. The man looked up as Junior walked in.
"What is it?"
"My sister has a fever, that shouldn't be happening," Junior growled. "What did you give her?"
"The usual," Schmidt responded. "In other test subjects the drug would slowly build up a tolerance but also a dependence if left in the body too long. She's detoxing the drug out right now. I'm sure she'll be fine, half of the test subjects survived the procedure."
Before Schmidt realized, Junior had him pinned against a wall by his collar. Raging blue eyes glared at the man. "If my sister dies," Junior hissed, "then you die. Got it?" Junior released the man and walked out. Schmidt laughed in triumph. He had finally made the boy unbalanced. Oh, this was going to be fun.
Julia looked up at Junior as he reentered his room. She was trying to sooth the woman lying on the bed but to no avail.
"Bring more water every so often Julia," Junior said before taking her place. "I'll tend to my sister." The woman nodded and left him alone again.
"I don't want to die," Sarah whispered. She wrapped a weak hand around his wrist. "I don't want to die."
"You'll be fine. Just a little while longer and you can kick it. The drug he gave you, the one you're so tolerant of now, if it's left administered for too long it causes dependency. You'll pull through," Junior insisted. "You'll pull through." The tears started as he pulled her to his chest and held her tight. He sobbed gently as his sister started to beg for relief from the burning in her veins. "You'll pull through."
Thanks for reading. Please review. I value all opinions and ideas. Happy Holidays. Merry Christmas. Happy New Year.
