Disclaimer: I don't own Avengers or any other Marvel characters. I only own my OCs.
A/N: So this idea came to mind when watching Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Hence why the first chapter takes place during that movie. It's during the scene when Steve, Natasha, and Sam interrogate Jasper Sitwell on the rooftop. This is my version of course. Hope you guys enjoy. I think the next one-shot will probably take place during Avengers: Infinity War.
I just have this scene in mind with Peter and Quill talking, and somehow Peter brings up Grace and her taste in music and Quill approving and saying she has better taste than Peter. It's just an idea but let me know what you think. Anyways, enjoy this small chapter. I rather enjoyed it because we get to read from both Steve and Natasha's perspective's and how Grace already means a lot to them. Especially to Natasha.
*Might contain some small spoilers for Infinite when I write the Iron Man 3 story-line. Nothing too huge but I just wanted to warn you guys anyways*
Summary: This is a collection of one-shots about Grace Stark from my story Infinite. These one-shots will not necessarily always have Grace physically there but will have strong mentions of her from other characters. One-shots also won't be in any particular order. Mainly fluff, angst, and some humor. Focuses more on Grace's relationship with the Avengers.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Grace Stark is a threat?
"Zola's algorithm is a program for choosing Insight's targets!" Jasper Sitwell frightfully told Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, and the man with the mechanical wings who had caught him mid fall after Romanoff kicked him off the roof. Unknown to him the mechanical wings was Sam Wilson, a now trustworthy friend to both Steve and Natasha.
"What targets?" Steve immediately questioned him. By now Natasha, Sam, and him were surrounding Jasper. Not that he would have gone far anyways if he had decided to run.
Jasper, who was still on the ground trying to catch his breath from being thrown off the roof, began rapidly talking. He definitely was afraid that he'd be thrown off the roof again by Black Widow. "You!" He pointed to Steve before lowering his hand. "A TV anchor in Cairo, the Under Secretary of Defense, a high school valedictorian in Iowa City." His voice then began to calm down, evening out with the next names he said. "Bruce Banner, Stephen Strange. Tony Stark and that damn daughter of his. Anyone who's a threat to Hydra."
That had Natasha's heart racing. "Grace?" She repeated, allowing Steve and Sam to hear the worry in her tone. "She's a threat to Hydra?"
Steve also didn't like hearing that. Grace was a kid. Well, she was now twelve years old. Even though that age was close to being considered an official teenager, Steve still saw her as that energetic ten year old girl who used a swear word when she first met him. It was from excitement but that still had Steve's eyes widening from hearing her say a swear word...much to Tony's amusement at the time.
However, Grace would always be a kid in Steve's eyes. She was the type of kid to text him (thanks to Tony) funny jokes every once in a while. Along with sending funny cat and dog videos. It sure was random but Steve didn't mind. The jokes and videos she sent always seemed to bring a smile to his face no matter what was going on with him.
Grace was also the type of kid to do funny voice impressions. Her most popular (and ridiculous) one being her Chewbacca impression. Steve remembered when he first heard it when they had been watching Star Wars together. He had been amazed but also really amused. Sure it was an accurate impression but it was just too funny to be taken seriously. But then again he supposed that it wasn't meant to be taken seriously Hence why Grace didn't look the least bit embarrassed when he had released a quiet laugh. She actually looked proud that she had made him laugh.
And that's just what Steve didn't understand. How could a twelve year old girl, who liked sharing jokes, watching funny dog and cat videos, and doing Chewbacca impressions, possibly be a threat? And to Hydra? The whole thing was absurd.
"Grace Stark is just a kid. How in the world is she a threat?" Steve finally questioned, glaring at Jasper. His protectiveness for the Stark girl was showing. Jasper should have felt shame in helping to end a kid's life, along with countless others.
"She's a Stark." Jasper angrily told all of them. Any nervousness from being thrown off the roof was now gone as he began talking about the Starks. "Tony Stark is her father. That enough is a good reason to consider her a threat. But even if she weren't a threat now she would be in the future. Just like any of the others."
Steve frowned. "The future? How could it know?"
Jasper began to laugh uncontrollably. It wasn't until he saw Captain America's unimpressed face that he was able to answer him. "How could it not?" He stood up keeping eye contact with the blond super soldier. "The twenty-first century is a digital book. Zola taught Hydra how to read it." Jasper's voice only got louder when all he got was silence from the three of them.
"Your bank records, medical histories, voting patterns, emails, phone calls, your damn SAT scores!" Jasper's eyes shifted between Captain America and Romanoff. "A New York Times writing contest."
Sam was a little lost, having no idea why that last sentence seemed to pack a particular punch based on the glares Steve and Natasha were now giving Jasper Sitwell.
Unknown to Sam, Steve and Natasha knew immediately who Jasper was referring to.
Grace Stark.
Natasha was now really beginning to understand Hydra's hate for not only Tony, but for his daughter as well.
There was no question that Grace was indeed smart. However, having spent all that past time with Grace, Natasha knew that the Stark girl wasn't the same kind of smart as her father. Tony excelled in Science, whereas Grace excelled in Literature. But that was just the thing...Grace was smart.
And like the saying went, the pen is mightier than the sword. And a person who was high up, like a Stark, certainly could eventually cause serious problems for an organization like Hydra.
It had been just last year when Grace had written and submitted a piece to the New York Times. Natasha in particular remembered because Grace had told her about it when that whole Mandarin issue was going on with her dad. Having gone with Natasha for protection after her dad foolishly given his address away on live TV, Grace and her spent some time together. Just the two of them. It was only natural that things were shared between them, and her writing piece and winning was one of them.
As Grace had explained to her, the whole purpose of the contest was to write about an issue and bring more awareness to it. Grace had written about homelessness in New York City, mainly telling the female perspective about it and how women should be able to get the feminine hygiene supplies they need without charge. Grace ended up winning the contest and she donated the prize money to a women's homeless shelter. Which didn't surprise Natasha because that's the kind of person Grace was.
Natasha eventually read the article for herself, and after reading it she understood why Grace won. If Natasha hadn't seen Grace's name at the top of she would have thought some big time author had written it. But no...it had been Grace. Also if Natasha hadn't thought Grace was a feminist before she sure did now.
Still, the fact remained that an eleven year old wrote that heartwarming piece for the New York Times and she had won. And according to what she later on learned, Grace had been the youngest contestant to have entered. So that obviously had caught Hydra's attention. And what Jasper Sitwell said next just confirmed it.
"Zola's algorithm evaluates people's past to predict their future."
Steve kept his stare steady on Jasper despite not liking what he was hearing. "What then?"
Suddenly the fierceness that Jasper had went away as he remembered something...or rather someone. He lowered his head from shakiness. "Oh my God, Pierce is going to kill me."
Steve went to stand closer to him. "What then?" He asked, voice louder than before. Jasper remained silent until Sam got a tight hold of his back shirt. That made him talk again.
"Then the Insight helicarriers scratch people off their list." Jasper evenly said as he stared at Captain America. "A few million at a time."
Steve locked eyes with Sam who was still behind Jasper, and then Natasha who was next to him. Instantly all three of them knew what needed to be done. They needed to put a stop to this.
A lot of lives were on the line. One of them being a twelve year old girl, who both Natasha and Steve had come to deeply care for.