"Friday, call my daughter"-said Tony and the computer obeyed. The phone rang several times before Amelia picked up.
"Hi daddy"- she said with a sleepy voice- "What is going on? It's 3 in the morning here"
"Hey sweetheart, listen I'm sending Uncle Happy to pick you up. Pack your things you're coming back to America" – Tony responded, totally ignoring her question
"What?! Why?!"- Amelia asked, now wide awake- "what happened? Is Steve okay?"
"As far as I know, he is" -Tony responded – "I received his package, but I know that his going to do something stupid like try to bring Barnes in"
"Are you surprised? You know him" -Amelia blurred out – "He said he was done after it"
"I know" -her father said – "I forwarded his letter of resignation to Ross, but my point is nobody is going to be there to protect you while he goes after Barnes"
"Why would I need to be protected? Nobody knows he signed it for me" -Amelia told her father. Tony smiled at the happiness in her tone
"Just do it for your old man, come home until everything is sorted out" -Tony said – "I don't want anything to happen to you"
"Alright then, I'll go home. When is uncle Happy going to be here?" – She gave up.
"He just took off, so maybe 10 hours?" -Ironman added – "Be safe until then, please. Why don't you go to the safe house we have there?"
"Daddy! Come on, it's going to be fine. I'll just go straight to the airport in the morning. You made the security system in the apartment. I'll be fine!" – Mia said trying to calm down Ironman
"You're going to be the death of me kiddo" – Tony sighted – "Go back to sleep, call me in the morning. I love you"
"I love you more daddy" – Mia said giggling, and she hung up.
Amelia woke up early that morning. If she was going back to America, she needed to pack all her important things. The young girl doubted that Steve or her dad would let her come back to Europe anytime soon. Three hours later she had packed all her clothes in two big suitcases.
- "Alright, Uncle Happy should be here any second now" – Amelia told her dog, who was looking at her in confusion – "I'm going to shower"
Thirty minutes later Amelia was ready. She was wearing camo leggings, running shoes, and a graphic T-shirt that mixed Steve's shield with Tony's arc reactor. After all, they were the two people she loved most in her life.
She packed her laptop, passport, and wallet in her tote bag, then she placed The Accords in a waterproof folder and put them in the bag too.
- "Okay, now you get in here" -Amelia put her little dog in the bag pack kennel that Steve bought her for their camping trips. Right after zipping close the kennel, she heard a knock on the door.
- "Weird"- She thought – "Uncle Happy has a copy of the key" – Amelia pulled her phone from her pocket and checked the front door camera. A man that she didn't know was knocking persistently on the door. Quickly the woman locked her bedroom and waited. He should leave soon.
- "Did I park in the wrong parking spot?"- She tried to think of a reasonable explanation for the man's attitude. Deep inside she knew this had to be related to the Avengers. After all, it wasn't her first rodeo; Hydra kidnaped and tortured her in the past – "Oh Shit" – Amelia whispered when the man started to pick on the lock.
Uncle Happy, hurry up. Someone is trying to break into my apartment. Please call the police on your way here – She texted her uncle. She thought of calling her father, but he was still in America.
- "Think Amelia, think"- She told herself looking around the bedroom. She could get out of the window, but it was too tall, she would be trapped on the roof (That is how Hydra caught her) – "Steve's gun. I hope it still works after so many years"
Stark ran to her nightstand and opened the drawer to find the gun clean and with a note. She recognized the handwriting "Good as new, I hope you never need to use it"
- "God bless him"- Amelia thought after realizing that Steve made sure she would be safe without him. She thought about calling him, but he was in Romania
Amelia was hyperventilating, the banging on the door stopped. She heard footsteps in her living room. Quickly she put the kennel on her back and grabbed the tote bag, crossing it over her chest. She pulled out the gun and hid on the opposite side of the door. Steve told her once that was the easiest way to run away from a room. Hopefully, he was right
- "Hand - heel -throat, hand - heel- nose, groin kick, grab wrist-grab gun-punch wrist" – she repeated mentally what she learned in the self-defense classes Tony forced her to take
- "Ms. Stark, do not take this personally- Said the man with a thick accent – "You are simply a mean to a necessary end"
Amelia took off the safety of the gun
- "The Avengers need to be eliminated" – The man continued – "You are the key. An empire toppled by its enemies can rise again. But one which crumble from within? That's dead... forever"
- "Let him talk" -Amelia thought- "Steve said to never let yourself be provoked by what they are saying"
- "Your death would be the beginning of the end"- He continued- "They took everything from me"
- "Sokovia"- Amelia thought, recognizing the accent. She felt dumb standing there with a gun that she really didn't know how to use. Were they supposed to keep talking through the door until Uncle Happy showed up with the cops?
As if the man could read her mind, he kicked open the door and looked around. Amelia pointed the gun at him but before the was able too shot he grabbed her forearm and tried to disarm her
- "Damn it"- She thought, trying to break free from his grasp. Her dog was barking like crazy on her back making her more nervous than she was. Amelia kicked him making him stumble a few steps back, she started running out of the apartment without looking back.
He quickly caught up with her on the first flight of stairs and pulled her back pulling her hair and making her fall.
- "stand up"- he said- pushing her against the wall making her hit her forehead against the wall. she cried in pain.
- "You're out of. Your mind" – she said in anger – "the avengers are not perfect, but they are just trying to help"
- "Shut up"- he yelled, banging her head against the wall again. She moaned in pain again and tries to point the gun at him. The ICER would paralyze him for hours so she could run away.
The sokovian was faster. He turned her to face him. He grabbed the hand holding the gun and moved it up, with the other hand he pulled out a knife and stabbed her on the ribs.
She screamed and let the gun fall on the ground
- "Omg! I can't die like this. Where is uncle happy? Steve? Rhodey? Dad?"- she thought crying- "shit!I must tell them this crazy dude is after them! I have to let dad know!"-
Zemo was getting ready to stab her again.
- "That's it! dad!"- She realized Tony had modified his apple watch, it now was a miniature version of his suit's propulsors, enough to get this dude away from her
Amelia pointed the watch to Zemo and yelled "Friday fire! A blast of energy pushed Zemo two flights of stairs up, letting him unconscious on the ground
Amelia ran downstairs as fast as the pain let her. She got outside and felt disoriented. Her head was throbbing, and her ribs were burning in pain. Hopefully, he didn't pierce a lung. She was getting dizzy and nauseous, but she needed to get away
Where should she go? The safe house was several blocks away and there was no sign of his uncle yet. She had forgotten her car keys in the apartment.
She started running again after she felt a new rush of adrenaline, Amelia didn't stop for another two blocks until she reached a small family own hotel.
- "Hi" - she said trying to stay calm knowing she was cover in bruises and blood. The old lady at the reception looked alarm. She probably thought Amelia was a victim of domestic violence- "can I please get a room? I need a place to rest for a little, please"
- "Of course, of course" – The old lady said – "whatever you need! do you need clothes? Food? I can lend you some money, call the cops If you like"
- "No, no! It's ok" - Amelia said – "I have money to pay" - she added giving her cash – "I just need to rest, thank you"
Amelia went to her room and looked the door behind her. She closed the blinders and got her dog out to make sure she was okay. The dog was unharmed.
She called Happy again, without an answer.
- "What the hell"- She grunted very concern – "Did that douche got Uncle Happy?"
She texted her father "Hey, haven't heard form uncle happy. Is he doing okay"?
Amelia waited 10 minutes. No answer
- "I need to stop bleeding"- she thought feeling lightheaded again, she had lost quite a lot of blood. Before she could do anything, someone knocked on the door – "Fuck" – she thought grabbing her dog as fast as she could and putting her in the kennel.
A louder knock
She pointed the watch to the door and walked slowly towards the balcony.
- "Sweetheart, it's uncle Rhodey, open up please!"
She didn't realize she was holding her breath
- "How do I know it's really you?"- She said
"I would pick you up from school and eat ice-cream before dinner every Wednesday" Rhodes said
Amelia slowly opened the door. Rhodes was wearing the War Machine suit
- "What happened to you?! OMG!"- he freaked out seeing all the blood and bruises – "who did this to you?"
- "Can we please go home?"- She sobbed hugging herself
- "Yes sweetheart" - Rhodey said getting out of the suit and guiding her downstairs where Happy was waiting in the car
- "How did you find me?"- She asked
- "Tony put a tracker on the watch, it fires a signal if you use it" -Rhodes explained
Amelia got in the car and went to the ER where she watched in the news what had happened in Romania
- "Steve is a huge idiot"- she said watching the news
- "Agreed"- Happy said sitting next to her while the doctor finished stitching her up. Rhodey had to leave to go help with the Winter Soldier.
Amelia's phone went off
- "Baby girl, how are you feeling? I am on my way to Italy" – Tony sounded frantic on the phone
- "I'm okay daddy, the watch worked wonders. It not as bad as Uncle Rhodey made it sound"- she said, clearly lying
- "You know I can tell when you are lying right? I'm your father"- he reprimanded her
- "I know"- she said sounded sad- "I'm not going to lie, it was scary. I think he is after you guys, however he is"
- "We're going to get to the bottom of this. Ross is going to assign a task force on your attack"- Tony said- "That guy is going to rot in prison. I'll make sure of it"
- "Ross wants me in Germany, dad"- she blurred out- "Uncle Happy said he can flight me after the doctors clear me"
- "No way, you should rest" - Tony replied – "we can deal with Ross later"
- "I just want to get it done with, dad"- Mia said defeated- "I want to go home. I'm really shaken, I don't want to be alone"
- "You can always come home, but we got to talk about rent"- Tony joked on the phone, making her smile
- "Dad!"- she giggled- "why don't we meet in Germany? There is no point for you to come here and then take another jet there"
- "I guess you make a good point"- Tony agreed
- "I usually do, daddy"- She said
…..Few hours later…
- "Consequences?'- Steve said
- "I HAD to give him something" - Tony barked at Steve – "Also, she is in the office if you want to check on her. That is if you are done being an idiot of course"
- "She?"- Steve repeated
- "Yeah…your girlfriend…you know the cute little girl that you left completely unprotected to go chancing after Barnes"– Tony added raising his voice, making several people look
- "What happened?! Where is she?!" - Rogers replied raising his voice too. Tony made a gesture with his head telling Steve to follow him
Tony walked in the glass office followed closely by Steve
- "Hi dad…." - Amelia stopped talking when she saw the way Steve was staring at her. She had deep cuts on her check and forehead, now stitched up, her neck was green and purple, her eye was swollen and bruised, and her wrists were scratch and bruised due to the fight.
- "What the hell happened?!" - Steve demanded to know
- "Some sokovian attacked her"– Tony interjected – "it seems he wanted to get back to both of us"
Steve's blood boiled with anger. He walked towards her and hugged her making her moan in pain
- "He stabbed me"- Mia whispered, avoiding his eyes
- "Who is this guy?" - Steve asked Tony trying to stay calm. His hands were shaking, and his eyes darkened- "I want him behind bars"
- "I want him dead" – Tony murmured
- "Guys you both signed the accords; it is not up to you..."- Amelia started
- "He tried to kill you!" – Steve interrupted her
- "I know, I was there!"- She said- "you said you were done. Both of you did. Let's just go home!"
- "Fine!" -Steve replied, visibly upset
- "Let's get done with Ross so we can go home" – Tony said
If life were fair Steve and Amelia would've gotten back together to America, but life isn't fair. Zemo triggered the Winter Soldier so Steve and Tony had to go and help.
Zemo opened de glass door and found Amelia alone.
- "We meet again" – he said
- "It was you, wasn't it?" – She replied standing up and walking away from him – "You made Barnes go crazy again"
- "It wasn't personal the first time" – Zemo ignored her, pulling out a gun – "It is this time"
Amelia pushed the chair with all her strength making Zemo tumbled. She ran past him as fast as she could.
- "I have to admit" – He said calmly-"You are a brave your girl. It is almost a shame your life ends today"
Amelia ran down the hallway and turned around the corner. Zemo was walking towards her from the end of the hallway
- "How the h…?"- she didn't finish her sentence. He shot her. The bullet pierced her abdomen and the blood started dripping down. Amelia stumbled back against the wall. Zemo walked closer to her and hugged her. The gun pressing against her skin
- "For what is worth, I am sorry"-He said and shot her one more time.
Amelia sat down against the wall; her legs unable to hold her weight. The power was out. Her phone was dead.
There was not help coming. She cried, not because of the pain coming from the gunshots. She cried knowing that her father would lose her mind. She cried knowing Steve would build a wall around his heard, again.
She cried feeling useless.
When Tony found her. It was too late. She was gone.
Tony didn't care to save the world anymore and Steve didn't have a reason to stop fighting. The Avengers split up, and two long years pass until they had to talk to each other.
Amelia's name was banned in their presence.