A/N: Exams are finished! I got a job and hopefully be able to post more often. Here's a longish chapter for you guys for being so supportive and patient with me.

"It was so real. It was like I was actually there. I felt the wind, the air; it was humid. I smelled the salt of the sea. I could feel the pebbles under my feet. I could hear a cat screeching further down the docks. I don't know what the hell it was. The future? Was I seeing something that was happening at that very moment in time? The stone didn't say anything to me. It just showed me...HYDRA and a Japanese mafia discussing the Black Sky. You see I thought this Black Sky thing was an event, like an eclipse or something. It's a child. A powerful one that hosts some power that HYDRA wants. The stone says it's important and in the wrong hands it will be used for destruction so we need to take it back from them," Kennedy rambled to her team who had all awoken from their sleep to hear the latest developments from the cosmic object.

The soldier, who opted to be open-minded towards this...thing's words of wisdom, mostly for Kennedy's sake. Everywhere he went and with every word she spoke, her eyes pleaded with him to understand, to trust that she knew what she was doing. He trusted her with his life; she knew that. But he was more adamant than others in trusting the stone. He had his reasons; a deep fear that hung like a dark, suffocating cloud he couldn't outrun. It was always there at the back of his mind, plaguing him with consistent paranoia, emptiness that clawed at what was left of his soul. The one fear he couldn't escape...was the possibility that she would end up like him, or him under HYDRA's control. He couldn't help but picture her blank, beautiful face staring at him, no recognition in her cold, sharp green eyes. Her memory of him would be taken away, her warmth out of reach. What if that was in store for her as long as she was with that damned rock? He couldn't let it take her from him. She was all he had left in this world. She was his world.

"HYDRA's back," Steve silently said to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. Why did it have to be them?

"Grumpy, did you hear a word I said? We have to go to Hell's Kitchen," Kennedy begged, her eyes searching his in desperation that he was on her side. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. He knelt in front of her.

"HYDRA is back. Don't you understand? The fact that they're in the city means they know about you and the stone. They know we're here and it's a matter of time before they strike us at a time of uncertainty. We have to relocate, get you and that thing out of here before it comes to that," he suggested firmly. She needed to see reason but her stubbornness was getting the best of her. She looked at him in disbelief and turned to her siblings for support.

"Please," she mouthed to Wanda and Pietro. Both looked at her with worry, torn between trying to unite with her as a family but seeing reason and they wanted nothing more than to keep her safe. The expression of resolve on their faces was enough to determine the verdict. Steve, Thor, Romanoff, Barton, Stark even Banner who took the conversation in from a lonely corner of the room agreed with Bucky on his proposal with soft sounds of approval. Vision was nowhere to be seen which was a bit odd. She shook her head and turned away from their judging eyes. How could they do this? The Black Sky was here in New York, just the other side of the city in the hands of all kinds of shady motherfuckers and they only cared about her safety. She believed it to be a selfish decision, a decision that could possibly condemn the world.

"Pitbull's right, Ken. I can't believe I just said that, but we have to be smart about this. I've got a lot of safe houses all over the country so we should go there to think of another plan. Looks like the stone is helping us after all by sending you those dreams. Maybe we can trust it after all," Tony patted her on the shoulder, hoping the optimism would calm her down somewhat. However, she wanted to snap and tell him that the stone did not send her those dream to help the Avengers or make them feel better. They sent the visions as warnings, pushing her to do something about them.

"We should get back to sleep. We'll...figure out what to do in the morning," Steve instructed.

"Yes, sir," Romanoff saluted sarcastically and everyone began to file out. Kennedy and Bucky did not move from their positions on the couch. Steve looked at his friend, giving him an encouraging smile before disappearing down the hallway.

The soldier and Kennedy said nothing to each other as the ringing silence of the living room enveloped them. These worries, these disagreements hung in the air, waiting to be addressed.

"Ken," Grumpy said softly. His fingers skimmed her wrist, hoping his touch would coax her out of her foul mood. He accepted that she was mad at him. But in the end it would be worth it. She didn't respond to him and continued to stare at the window. He pushed his hair out of his eyes and sighed at her silent protest.

"I only want to protect you. I just...I can't let HYDRA or anything else get their hands on you. And this stone...I'm scared, okay," he confessed. She turned at what she heard which at least got her to look at him. Her stony expression dissolved as she took in his worry lines, his tense shoulders, his eyes that drowned in nothing but love and concern for her.

"I'm scared too," she whispered back. Scared was an understatement; she was terrified which she didn't say out loud since it would make him feel worse. Her pride finally caved and her hand covered his on her wrist.

"Tell me what's on your mind?" he asked as his thumb stroked her skin. She saw that this was his way of letting her express her point of view, to really allow him insight into her thoughts. He wanted and needed to understand why she would want to embark on this suicide mission.

"Grumpy, this is what I have to do. The world is counting on us to set this chaos right. You weren't there in the dream. You haven't seen or felt the end of the world. It's awful. I know you guys want to do what's best. But I can't help but feel alone in all this," she admitted to him. Her honesty stung; that feeling of being small and helpless creeping up on him again. She was right. He and the team had no idea what she was going through, no inkling as to the weight on her shoulders. But he couldn't take that burden from her no matter how much he wanted to. What he could do, however, was be there for her in every way he can. He nodded and listened to her, understanding the urgency she felt with regard to the Black Sky's presence in the other side of the city.

"We will find a way to get it. But I really think we need to plan this out properly. If we go in guns blazing, it won't end well for either of us. I'm not going to put you into danger. I know it's not ideal. Just give me and Tesla some time. We just need some time. Please?" He asked. She repressed her bubbling frustration and had no choice but to compromise.

"Two days tops," she offered with a defeated sigh.

"I'll take it," he nodded and brought her forehead to his lips.

…...

"Tesla and I gave it some thought. Stark has offered us the safe house in Alaska. That should put us ahead of HYDRA and it's an unexpected choice. Thor, Banner and Steve will accompany me and Kennedy, Pietro and Wanda will run through Hell's Kitchen to see where they've hidden the Black Sky, Vision and Stark will fly ahead to scan for threats while Barton and Romanoff will rendezvous with SHIELD for reinforcements if necessary," Bucky remarkably took charge of this mission to everyone's surprise. It definitely showed that no one was to mess with his girl.

"Sounds good," Steve nodded, "We head out in two days." He then excused himself to type away on his phone.

The soldier looked to Kennedy, who remained quiet and contemplative. She was silently panicking; the idea of waiting two days was punishing. HYDRA and their new Japanese friends could be experimenting at this very moment. They didn't have two days...or time at all. Grumpy made his way over to her, the back of his hand stroking her cheek softly.

"I'm just trying to protect you...you're my girl. Please don't be angry with me," he explained. She gave him a tired smile and nodded. As he left her to find Steve, she pulled the stone out of her pocket. She stared at the tiny thing, her thoughts at war. She valued Grumpy's desire to keep her safe, to minimize the inevitable impact of the coming conflict. But she couldn't sit around and do nothing; she needed to act. So wrapped up in the worries of her racing mind, she didn't realise that Vision suddenly appeared beside her. What shocked her even more was the fact that he traded in his suit and cape for a plain black sweater vest. Not his best choice, she thought.

"Your sister has brought me up to speed," he stated. She held back a small laugh at his attempt to use human jargon in his conversations. She looked at him with a knowing glint in her eye.

"Is that all you two talked about?" She smiled at him. He looked at her with slight shock as his machine like green eyes zoomed in on her.

"Come on. A blind man can see that you two are a thing."

"But blind men cannot actually see, Miss Walsh."

"Wanda needs to teach you sarcasm, Hal." He didn't bother asking her who Hal was and the two settled into a contemplative silence.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" He spoke as if he read her mind. She let out a heavy sigh and didn't bother to deny it.

"I have to. What the stone showed me...they don't understand...it didn't just show me possible futures. It showed me a higher perspective? I don't know like..."

"It showed you that you are above them. Humans. It showed you the perspective of a greater being." She looked at him fearfully. What if Grumpy and Tesla were right?

"Is it changing me? Am I becoming..."

"Changing? No. Evolving, developing...maybe. I understand what it is like. Unlike our colleagues, my power source has granted me the ability to see a bigger picture. It is nothing to be ashamed of, or to fear. It is just something that simply is. What matters is what we choose to do with this unique gift." What came next was unexpected.

"Go. Save us all," he made a subtle promise and left her puzzled on the couch. Was he actually letting her leave? Then her heart sank in realisation; she would have to leave in secret, leave Grumpy without saying goodbye. Her vision became blurry and she furiously wiped them away. Crying wasn't going to help her situation. She had no choice but to go by herself; maybe she could bring Tesla with her. He was loyal to her no matter what. But what would Grumpy do if she left? He would come after her no doubt, bring her back and keep her under lock and key? Would he ever trust her again? It was a sacrifice she had to make, despite every fibre of her being saying no.

…...

A few hours later, the soldier found Kennedy in their bed, probably exhausted from today's emotional rollercoaster. Not wanting to disturb her much needed sleep, he sat on the edge of the bed and saying or doing nothing. He did this sometimes; even when she wasn't awake, just being in the same room with her was enough for him to feel peace and calm. Just like how they were in the HYDRA base.

His attention turned to the ever present gem sitting on her bedside table. It was taunting him, reminding him that it could control her if it wanted to, it could eliminate her and leave her unprotected if it wanted to. Making sure she was asleep, he moved closer to the object and was careful not to touch it. He knelt down and glared at it, as if to intimidate it, which was futile and stupid of course. But he needed to prove a point; both to the stone and himself.

"I don't care that you're powerful. I don't care that you can see the future. All I care about is what happens to her. If you try to control her or turn her against us, I will find a way to destroy you. You can try to kill me but I won't stop coming for you," he growled lowly, almost like an animal. He tried to keep calm, breathed in and out silently as his reddened face and popping veins vanished. He wished he was strong enough to crush it in his bionic hand, get rid of its influence forever. This was stress and danger that they neither wanted nor deserved. Didn't their time with HYDRA and on the run count for nothing?

"You have heart," a voice replied in his ear. The soldier spun around to find the source of the voice, only to find Kennedy shifting slightly to lie on her back. The shock remained on his face and he turned to the stone again, seeing it radiate slightly more. Then, he knew it heard him; hopefully it heeded his words.

Deciding that he had enough for one night, he placed a soft kiss on Kennedy's forehead and left her to sleep in peace. However, her eyes opened as she heard the door click.

…...

Steve felt his phone buzz in his pocket and eagerly opened it to see a message from her. His heart was beating a bit faster with every word he read:

Steve, whatever you think is going to happen, it will be alright. Don't worry about me, okay? I have some relatives I can stay with until everything is sorted out. Just promise me you'll be careful. Be safe and contact me when you can.

Love Emma xx

He closed his eyes and silently thanked God for getting her out of harm's way. Hopefully, this will all come to an end soon.

…...

Kennedy's hacking into the dark web without Friday snooping around was going very well. A lone duffle bag with a few days' worth of clothes and scraps to build a new untraceable 'burner computer' sat under the bed. Grumpy and Steve were staying up late to go over plans so they were occupied for two hours tops. She would sneak out through the lift, then the stairs, then the lift again to be unpredictable just in case Friday realised Tesla was subtly messing with her. Right now, she was finding her bearings of what kind of a place Hell's Kitchen was. Going by the shady chatter on the dark web, this working class section of New York City was overrun by gang activities; the Japanese, the Dogs of Hell, the Russians and the Irish in association with terrorist cells, some corrupt multinational corporations and she stumbled upon some connections to "the serpent". Were they stupid enough to use a synonym as a codename? Apparently they were. Her mobile buzzed and she wasn't surprised to see Tesla's concern.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked her.

"I have to, Tes. We have to. I know you and Grumpy want to keep me safe, but the world comes first. This is what I built you for. Please. I'm begging you."

Being an A.I wasn't as complicated as humans thought. It didn't mean that computers with intelligence were incapable of experiencing emotions. In fact, they felt rather intensely, just not in the way humans did. Humans showed it more, acted irrationally. Right now, Kennedy's A.I felt torn between concern for her immediate safety and his duty to protecting the world. But what the machine considered was that she was asking, not commanding him. She was asking for his help. That was what separated their relationship from Stark and Friday. James Barnes would be very angry with him but Kennedy always treated him as an equal, and she couldn't do this mission alone.

"I will keep you safe," Tesla's voice spoke to her sincerely. She was ready to break down in tears but firmly nodded, grabbing the bag to make her way out. Not before leaving Grumpy a note on his pillow and looking back longingly at their room.

She followed her plan, letting Tesla set up a pre-recorded security loop before signaling her to proceed down the hallways and staircases. It wasn't all that hard; she was in the basement car park in 10 minutes. She chose one of Tony's stakeout, inconspicuous cars and had Tesla disable any overriding commands from Stark Tower while leaving communications open. Throwing her bag in the trunk, she immediately froze when she saw Grumpy a few feet away from her, his body rigid and eyes swimming in agony. She was expecting him to throw her over his shoulder kicking and screaming. That was why he was here, wasn't it? Wrong.

He marched up to her and crashed his lips to hers in a fierce and swift motion of passion and desperation. She gasped in surprise at his spontaneity; he only kissed her like this once, when he came off the plane from raiding the HYDRA base, when he thought he was going to lose her. Instead of pulling away, he seemed to kick it up a notch as he backed them up to the wall. His hands roamed over her waist, her bare stomach under her shirt, her hands gripping his hair and biceps. It was like their bodies were also trying to get the other to understand, to let go or make them stay. Finally, their brief moment of intensity ended as they pulled away panting.

"Don't go," he begged huskily. Kennedy appeared slightly betrayed but then Tesla admitted,

"You two needed to say goodbye." She nodded and held her soldier's face in her hands.

"I need to do this. You know that. This is the only way we can be free."

"I'll come with you."

"We'll draw too much attention. HYDRA still wants us remember? The stone and Tes will be with me. I'll be fine. You're expertise is needed here. HYDRA still needs to be eliminated and the team has to distract them when I'm getting my hands on the Black Sky. We need a plan for when they come for the stone as well. Trust me." He closed his eyes and considered what she was saying. She was right; HYDRA will be expecting the both of them together and the Avengers' involvement was a predictable move. But their separation was unacceptable. She was still his mission, always will be. He guessed that this was inevitable, something bigger than the two of them would eventually arise.

"Come back to me," he whispered to which she nodded fiercely.

"I will, Grumpy."

"I love you." Three simple words made the world stop. The sounds of the cars outside, the whirring of the tower's electrical systems drowned out, only to be replaced by their breathing and erratic heartbeats. She pulled back in astonishment and beheld the truth in his eyes.

"You...you really mean that?" She stumbled upon her words.

"I love you," he repeated confidently. Small and briefly triumphant smiles graced their faces and she planted a kiss on his lips, ignoring the moisture on her cheeks.

"I love you too," she squeaked. They kissed again, a new meaning to their actions from now on. She felt something for the first time in a long time: hope. After a long session of embracing, they reluctantly pulled away. The soldier opened the door for her and ushered her in. The window was down and they held each others hand for a while longer.

"I'll be here on standby. Check in everyday. If things go south, I'm dragging you back here," he compromised.

"Yes, sir." He kissed her knuckles and their attention turned to the bang of an opening door. Pietro and Wanda stood in the doorway taking in the scene. Kennedy expected her siblings to take her back inside; but as Pietro had that idea in mind, Wanda placed a hand on his chest to stop him. The two sisters locked eyes in understanding and the older brunette nodded in solidarity. Go, Wanda silently instructed.

"Take care of him," Kennedy called out.

"Promise," Wanda replied. Tesla started the car and began to drive off, Kennedy and her soldier's hands were still interlocked. The soldier held on to her and walked with the moving car until he restrained himself from following them. Their hands finally let go but their hearts never leaving each other.

…...

As Tesla drove past the endless blocked buildings and skyscrapers, Kennedy tried to get her bearings of Hell's Kitchen. The place looked rough, taking into account the research she did on the area's major players. It reminded her of Tottenham and Hounslow, parts of London she frequented. The place wasn't glamorous, but community oriented. She could tell by the way people greeted each other. Tesla pulled over to the sidewalk to calculate new routes to a motel and she looked out the window to glimpse at the nearby newspaper stand. Her eyes squinted at the title and read a curious name in the headline out loud, "Daredevil..."

…...

Matt Murdock heard his name being said everyday by the citizens of Hell's Kitchen. It was nothing new; a local vigilante was a hot topic when the Avengers weren't stirring up trouble. People took in the gossip and rumors like oxygen; his stories of justice and protection were sensationalised by the media. But one voice immediately stood out to him. He blocked out the drunken masses, the hyperactive children and arguing adults to pinpoint what sounded like a girl's voice. The reason for this was a mystery to him.

"What is it, admin?" An automated, slightly distorted voice like he hadn't heard before, asked.

"Looks like superheroes are everywhere," a pleasant British accent observed, "They call him Daredevil."

"He encountered the Japanese gang in the past. Perhaps he might help in locating the Black Sky." His unseeing eyes underneath his mask widened in shock. How did they know about the Black Sky? Did they know what it was? Where were they? He'd been tracking that thing for months now with no luck. These people, strangers from out of town most likely, in Hell's Kitchen was not a coincidence. Maybe they were working for the gangs, could lead him to this power that Stick was after. It was time that he ended this.

"It's a small town. Who knows." He agreed with that. He had a feeling that he would encounter these two very soon.