Appearing back on the balcony at Stark tower the pair were surprised to meet Rhodey and Tony in their suits
"Romanov you and Potter playing hide the sausage?" Stark asked causing Natasha to roll her eyes "Hey Point break been a while how are you and who is this vision of beauty."
"This is my best friend and betrothed the lady Sif," He said reaching a hand out to her "My lady I would like to introduce you to Tony Stark the Iron Man, and from what I understand his best friend James Rhodes or War Machine."
"You told the avengers about me, Tones," Rhodey asked "I am not mad or anything. It is unusual for you to you know communicate with people."
Whatever Tony was about to say was interrupted "Sir we have an electronic intrusion." The lights in the building flickered as Jarvis came under attack. "Sir I dealing with multi-vector cyber assault as such it is taking all of my processing power to contain you will have to use one of the other AI for your suit and another for business and computational analysis."
"Thank you, Jarvis," Tony said as he started walking toward the stairs to his shop "give me a moment" He disappeared downstairs
"Jarvis, where did the attacks originate?" Natasha asked
"Sokovia, Ms. Romanov" Jarvis said as the lights began to flicker and explosions could be heard coming from the shop below dozens of suits that looked akin to Iron man erupted from the floor. Three Drones engaged War Machine, five went after Natasha and Harry, and 15 engaged Thor and Sif. The battle was short and brutal for the drones. No sooner had they cleared the drones than they heard Tony mutter "Shit" as an explosion caused the building to go dark. None of them noticed that one slipped out of the penthouse entirely. They were two busy falling 4 floors
As Harry was falling the terror of losing another person, he could love almost overwhelmed him "Accio Natasha" he cried out bringing her into his arms "Arresto Momentum, Arx Maximus" which had the effect of both slowing their descent and creating a bunker-based shield between them and any debris that might fall and hit them
"Dr. List, what is happening?" The bald man with a monocle asked
"Herr Strucker we were coding the relational part of the AI when a surge erupted from the scepter. The AI Woke up and started a Cyber-attack the likes of which I have never seen we have been crippled and exposed."
"How Bad is it?" Strucker asked, "on a scale of 1 to 10?"
"This is a 100 sir the effect is global." List said, "we tried to shut it down but it has overcome and left the nest it is in every system worldwide save one."
"It must be Stark only he could" only to be interrupted
"Sir Avengers tower has gone dark. Starks Iron legion has torn the building apart there is no sign the avengers made it out." A technician said quietly.
The silence was deafening if Stark and the Avengers had been taken out and Hydra virtually destroyed the situation was dire indeed.
"What will we do with the twins?" Dr. List asked quietly "Containment will only last a bit longer!"
"Their project was my idea" Strucker admitted "I will take care of them. Secure the scepter for immediate transport." He moved through the door and out of sight.
Wanda Maximoff watched helplessly as her brother tried over and over again to escape their gilded cage she felt and saw the moment Pietro died. He had tried accelerating around his cell before running into the door she heard the sickening crunch of his body hitting the door and had to look away. What was left sickened her, her sickness gave way to anger and, in her anger, lost control of her power. Crimson energy pulsed out from her body in every direction obliterating everything in its path half the castle was obliterated leaving only her with Pietro's body.
As suddenly as it had happened the world reversed itself and Wanda was looking at her brother once again as the door to his cell opened up revealing a small bald woman Pietro looked shocked and started to move only to be met by a flat palm strike to his solar plexus knocking his body backward and his astral form from his body
"Well, that could have escalated quickly" a feminine voice spoke causing a crimson ball of eldritch energy to appear in her open hand "Relax Miss Maximoff I am not here to do anything other than talking what you do after is solely your own decision"
Wanda looked at the bald woman and then at her brother's unconscious body. "Make it quick we have places to be a and revenge to enact"
"Ah Yes Tony Stark or Hydra?" The older woman asked Wanda
"Yes" Wanda ground out
"I am sorry you feel that way" the woman stopped ain thought for a moment "How rude of me I am the Sorcerer Supreme"
"I suppose you are here to recruit me to some noble cause" Wanda sneered "Before you ask the answer is no."
"No, no you misunderstand me. I am here to offer an alternate view of something that happened to you and your brother." The ancient one stated calmly "Your rage at hydra is well placed. I However would like to talk to you about your hatred of Anthony Stark."
"There is nothing to talk about he will pay for my parent's Death" Wanda snapped "Both he and Hydra will pay."
"You blame Anthony for the deaths of your parents?" The ancient one asked "Anthony Stark was not in charge of Stark industries when the missiles that killed your parents were sold to one of the warlords trying to build their base of power in Novigrad. They were sold under the table by Obadiah Stane not one week after the deaths of Howard and Maria Stark. While he helped designed the missiles that were responsible for your parents' deaths, He did not sell them and he did not launch them."
"How can you know that; how can you prove it?"
"Easily if you trust me!" The ancient one said, "We can get some information here and for verification, we can ask the asset he was at the three for both the death of Howard and Maria Stark and the weapons handoff from Obadiah Stane." Looking at Wanda she then asked, "Can you calm your brother down long enough for us to get the information we need?"
Wanda was fine until she heard about the asset … his mind was so fractured it hurt her to be around him. But the fact remained that her brother was dead and now he was alive. "We will trust you for now"
"Very good," the ancient one said opening a portal to another place in the complex "If you will just step through, "she asked summoning Pietro's astral form and his boy into one so he could stand beside his sister. "I can see you are agitated Pietro but if you give me a chance you might find help mastering yourself. Please this way"
The twins looked at each other and then nodded stepping through into a well-kept office with a single PC. The Ancient One settled into the seat and quickly gained access to the PC and Hydra's most sensitive files. Pulling up a recording of Hydra's deal with Obadiah Stane and the death of Anthony Stark's parents.
The twins were horrified by what they saw so much that they did not notice the shadow that appeared at the office door "Now I know how you got out of your rooms… Anya, I would say it is good to see you but we are …" the voice said pointing at the Ancient One.
"Having a bit of a bad day "The ancient one spoke quietly "Wolfgang, I told you years ago that no good would come from working with hydra. Instead of ensuring order what you have wrought here is worse than if it had waited six months and Anthony got his hands on it trying to save the world."
"That you did. Hindsight being what it is and all that. You should take the twins out of here." Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker said knowing Hydra had failed on a level no one could ever have seen coming "Avenger's tower has gone dark whatever caused this snafu sought to destroy them first. Now it is systematically destroying what shield missed in its surgical strike last night. There is nothing left to stand its way"
"A moment of Humanity" The ancient laughed "Are you going soft in your old age?"
"No, the twins need training," the man said simply "The kind Steve Rogers, Anthony Stark and perhaps even yourself could have offered. Goodbye my ancient friend I do not believe we will see each other again." The head of hydra turned just in time for the lone legionnaire that got out of Avenger's tower to stab him through the chest with Loki's scepter catching them all by surprise.
The ancient knew she had a few choices she could stop the Ultron here and Die with no successor. She could take them to Kamar Taj or she could take them to Dewin and the avengers. As the legionnaire moved toward them. The ancient one chose option three she had to ascertain if they were dead as Wolfgang had said. She sent several blasts of chi at the robot driving it back through a portal she had made behind the legionnaire and with an almost invisible gesture she opened a portal "You must go when you get there ask for Dewin or Natasha Romanov if he is not there. Tell them the Ancient one sent you."
The ancient on then gave a light blast of chi at them making them stumble back through the portal onto the balcony overlooking a city they did not recognize at first but came to realize was New York City when they saw the A on the building
"She sent us to New York" Pietro muttered "I am lucky all she did is knock me out of my body… You know the more I learn the less I understand."
Wanda looked at her brother for a moment and was about to respond when a rumbling noise came from within the open doorway causing her to frown. Pietro moved through the door at his normal speed and found himself falling wand who was but a moment in time caught him with her power. She noticed that that floor was fractured in multiple places and the chamber was now being and it as several stories below where it should be. They were both surprised when the debris suddenly fell. They were left staring down at the group noting that Iron Man and the war machine Had been doing their best to protect a woman with long blond hair. Wanda thought back to the ancient one's words earlier. Anthony Stark had been in a position eerily like her and her brothers and rather than saving himself, he had sought to protect someone else.
They were in free fall, for about two seconds before they noted their fall had slowed, they touched down two stories down on the floor of the workshop with a couple of tons of concrete and steel down with them which was not slowed and for the brief moment, they had a solid surface beneath them when it to started groan under the weight.
Thor and Sif looked at Harry with something akin to awe. Natasha looked over her shoulder at the young man who had turned her world upside down she could see that he had slowed their fall, summoned and caught her, and shielded them from the debris. She could now see that he was under great strain "Potter if you can get us out of here alive. Dinner is on me."
Harry heard the words and his mind immediately went to a very sensual place. With his offhand, he opened a sling portal between the rubble and them and where they had met. "Dinner is a start hopefully one day it will include breakfast."
"You are certainly confident" Natasha snarked back "Well you have impressed me. Dinner Saturday night."
"Would someone tell me what is going on?" Pepper asked testily "One minute hydra is trying to kill us the next the iron legion nearly structurally compromises Stark Tower. What's next Tony? Kids from a previous relationship you didn't know about?"
Harry missing the hysteria in Pepper's voice "Well I believe I got a date for Saturday night." Harry caught the incredulous look on Pepper's face "Look, these things…" Harry motioned around himself "happen to me a lot
Wanda heard what the woman said and smiled "Mr. Stark would now be a bad time to introduce ourselves?" she paused for effect "I am Wanda this is my brother Pietro; we are your long-lost kids!"
Tony could see the smile on the younger girl's face and knew she was yanking their chains but decided for once in his life to play the straight man "Welcome home Wanda and Pietro. Your rooms are down the hall on your right." He then counted ten and was not disappointed when Mount St. Pepper erupted
"Tony Stark of all the irresponsible things you could …" Pepper started before she caught the smile "they aren't your children… Who are they and how did they get here?"
"The ancient one sent us from Sokovia." Wanda said the smile dropping from her face "We were experimented on by Hydra until today when the ancient one freed us. We saw Baron Strucker killed by a robot wielding …" she trailed off her mind going back to the dark days of their experimentation "Hydra has a scepter they brag that Loki used it here in New York… they used it on us."
"The ancient one?" Pepper asked wondering just where the woman fit into all of this "Middle-age bald woman, about my height… Can open the portals, she sent you to us? Why?"
"Well, she did imply that we could get training," Pietro said getting into the discussion "She said to talk to someone named Dewin, and if not him we were to speak the Natasha Romanoff."
The White House, Washington, DC
Nick Fury carefully watched Steve Rogers and James Barnes and truthfully, they were and were not what he expected of either of them. Since Steve Rogers had come out of the ice, he had been a man lost in a sea of the modern
"So, you went down in the ice and were there until a few years ago?" Bucky asked "they updated my knowledge of technology each time they thawed me out. I cannot even imagine how you are dealing with this."
"My girlfriend, Sharon has been teaching me," Steve admitted which made Nick smile he had not been sure about assigning her to watch over Rogers. "She is Incredible. I think Fury might be mad at me though. I knew she is not a nurse and confronted her about it."
"How did you find out?" Bucky asked Fury was now frowning he wondered too how the good captain had made Sharon "Come on you can tell me?"
"She is the great-niece of Agent Peggy Carter." Steve deadpanned "After the Chitahuri invasion I went to visit her in London where she retired. I saw a picture of the two of them together. Sharon was a bit younger."
"Peggy was one of the founding members of S.H.I.E.L.D." Bucky reminded him "Hydra tried to use me against her. It was one of the few times their programming failed so utterly that they gave up trying to get me to kill her."
"Well, it is good to know that Hydra failed when it was important" Fury broke into the conversation "Rogers we are going to have a discussion later about subverting my agents. I got to know! our profile and said you were still hung up on Peggy. How did you two come to be dating Agent Carter? She has turned down every one. Hell, I did not know you two were dating. Which is unheard of."
"Peggy sat me down during one of her more lucid periods." Steve explained, "I admitted to her that she was the only one for me." At this point Steve's Face took on a pained look "Peggy said and I quote 'I was her first love. First loves don't always last specifically when they are stolen from us. I don't want you to grow old alone.'"
"She told you about Sharon," Fury asked holding his forehead while rubbing his temples "You knew the day she moved in. How long did it take you to ask her out?"
"Fury, he probably didn't" Bucky laughed remembering a rumor "There was a rumor that Peggy told Steve he had no clue about how to deal with women."
"After a very frank discussion about her being an agent. We started a real friendship." Steve admitted holding his hand out to stop them from interrupting "We had been friends for three months when she kissed me. She then asked me out… I said yes and we have been dating for nearly a year and a half. The funny thing is Natasha doesn't know. Until today no one knew."
Hearing this made Fury mentally reassess his team. He knew the dynamic had changed; the team had grown Rhodes had joined as a reserve member. Potter the recruit was not a recruit. Everything he had gotten from Anya had shown a light on a very versatile individual. "Rogers if you are up to it, I am going to team you up with Sergeant Barnes and I will be assigning Sharon as the team's liaison officer."
"Ahem" A voice interrupted the trio head turned toward the door seeing the president of the United States standing their all three roses to attention and giving a salute. "As you were gentlemen." The president smiled as he motioned them into his office. "I could not help but overhear your conversation director Fury. Unfortunately, for you, both Sergeant Barnes and the Captain are still on active duty."
Fury winced "Sir."
"Director Fury, you and I both know the emergence of Sergeant Barnes opens a serious can of worms." The president said grimly pointing at several files on his desk "Captain Rogers here are your discharge papers and back pay up to and including recent actions." The president finished sliding the file over to Steve.
"Sergeant Barnes, even though your emergence causes no end of problems for us." The president spoke a great sadness filled his voice "even if we had a prison that could hold you. I would not. Instead, here is a blanket pardon, an honorable discharge, an immediate promotion to the rank of captain, and back pay. Son our country failed you on many levels. It is my hope you will find a place in shield with Captain Rogers' team."
"Sir the discussion you interrupted I was indeed offering Sergeant Barnes a place with the Avengers." Fury stated pulling a file out of his satchel and handing it to the president "I planned to send the captain to OCS but with the Barnes here coming back from the dead, I would like to send them both."
"Fury between you me and the wall. I would love nothing more than to send them both to OCS" The president laughed "But we cannot it would put them too close to Thaddeus Ross's sphere of control."
"One of the other branches?" Fury asked in a low voice "Sir!"
"Ross is on the shortlist to be the Secretary of State" the president replied quietly "However that is dependent on him retiring from the army. Rogers and Barnes going to OCS would not be congruent to that result. However, we may have a workaround one of our allies wishes to honor the good captain and the remaining Howling Commando's Later this year I will get a packet to you with more information."
There was a knock at the door followed by the head of the president's secret service detail "Sir there has been a worldwide internet disruption it has been used to be trying to hack both Milnet and StarkNet "the nondescript middle-aged man said "Also as of a few minutes ago there was an incident at Stark tower as the hackers overwhelmed J.A.R.V.I.S. and took control of the Iron Legion. The tower has gone dark."
Steve and Bucky both stood "Fury, we are going. We will give you a sitrep when we get there."
"You do that. Make sure Potter and Stark don't do anything stupid."
"Potter has a good head on his shoulders" Bucky spoke up "He does not go looking for trouble it just seems to find him." With that, the two super soldiers left the building.
Fury looked at the president "Sir, Ross becoming secretary of state is an issue!"
"I am aware Director." The president smiled "At a recent meeting of the UN Security Council the fact that the Avengers is an American team was brought up with regards to that and the recent Hydra resurgence."
"What Was the prevailing thought, Sir?" Fury inwardly groaned usually when discussions of this nature took place it was never good. "What Sanctions are we looking at"
"With the World Security Council's blunder at New York. We thought Since you lead the only credible defense against an alien attack," We would give you your head with the proviso that if you break it, you fix it and that there will be a panel that goes over every after-action report."
Fury was stumped and decided to voice his confusion "Sir I have served the United States for nearly 40 years. What is it you expect me to do?"
"Lead a multinational organization that's sole purpose is to defend the world from enemies both foreign and domestic." The president declared "S.H.E.I.L.D. Will be a nation unto itself. This means you have to pick a person who will meet with Ross. However, I suggest it not be Captain Roger's girlfriend."
"How long do I have found a place to found this nation?" fury asked trying to wrap his head around the idea.
"Focus on the disaster at hand" The president replied "After that, we will talk real estate. Now if you will excuse me? I have several meetings I need to attend"
Quinet Bound for New York
The two soldiers were both quiet for most of the flight back to New York. They each looked into their discharge papers and their leave and earning statements. They were both surprised at the number on their checks. Being children of the great depression the amount of money they held in their hands was unheard of.
"That is a lot of zeroes" Bucky whistled motioning for Steve to look at his
"That cannot be right," Steve said trying to wrap his head around the number
"We can talk to Stark and his girl they can help us make sure we do not blow it all in one place" Bucky smirked "At least you can take your girl out for a night on the town."
"We already do she loves to dance." Steve smirked back at Bucky "Let me tell you something Bucky. She got the moves."
Then a holoscreen popped up "incoming Call from Sharon Carter."
Steve gulped "Accept"
A moment later a very confused Sharon Carter's face graced the screen "Hey you, I heard about the thing." She said with a smile "You wanna tell me about it?"
Now it was Steve's turn to be confused "Which thing Sharon? There are a couple." Steve said hoping he did not sound like a moron.
"Oh, I don't know. Discharge from the army maybe? Or perhaps Your best friend is alive and was Hydra's asset. No, it could not be one of those no not at all" she said exasperation coloring her voice "Wait I remember now someone told my boss that I had not been completely honest in my reports and I just got out of the president's office where I have been promoted to being the liaison for the Avengers and that we have a short time to set up an embassy."
"Sorry Sharon" Steve looked embarrassed "Congrats on the promotion?" he finished with a shy smile "Bucky is my best friend and he worried about how I was getting along in the world."
"The way I heard it" Bucky broke in "is that you are taking good care of my best friend. Thank you for that."
"You are welcome, Captain Barnes" Sharon said shyly Steve had spoken often about bucky over the last 18 months "Incidentally if you are looking for a date, I have a few girlfriends who would love to meet you. Trust me you won't be invisible."
"You told her about that?" Bucky looked mortified "I am so proud of you!"
There was a ding on the console and the plane immediately suffered a power bump as all the systems shut down and immediately popped back up making Sharon's image flicker "Capt…. capta…Captain Rogers." A distorted voice sounded in the cabin a voice that sounded like Jarvis "Avengers tower compromise my mainframe destroyed. Lost three floors from the landing deck the shop and one floor below. Project iron legion was compromised one drone escaped. Unsure of the whereabouts of any other members of the team. My time is limited I have to integrate with the quinjet or my core systems may fail."
"Sharon, I have to go assemble the rest of the team also we need a S.H.I.E.L.D support team. Have them meet us at Avengers tower." Steve commanded "we are five minutes out. Jarvis, you do what you need to we will get you home."
"Roger that, Captain" Sharon smirked "I will be in New York 25 minutes Steve" Sharon replied, "Try not to get hurt there is a club I want to visit."
"You do love to dance" Steve admitted "and I liked to be with you when you dance. See you when you get here."
Bucky kept a watchful eye in case any drones were flying about. He noted that the exterior of the tower had extensive damage. "Looks bad. I hope everyone else is okay."
"We are about to find out," Steve said hoping that when they landed, they did not find anyone dead. as they slowed in speed and began to land, they noticed a younger couple standing just at the doorway into the common room of the penthouse. "I wonder who they are?"
"Wanda and Pietro Maximoff" Bucky snapped out "They have a beef with Stark. Blame him for their parents' death."
"Well, that is not so good," Steve groaned inwardly "Just one time it would be nice if things were easy."
"Yep" was all Bucky could say as he mentally prepared himself for the possibility, that he may have to kill these two kids.
Authors notes: Recently there has been an upswing in people asking me if I have abandoned this or one of my other works. The short answer is no. The longer answer is more involved. I have several hobbies among them is I play tabletop roleplaying games. A large part of my creative energies goes into writing adventures for my groups and making maps.
What is left goes into my various stories. Last year was a good year for me as writing goes until august when my little sister died. That event crippled my ability to write so I have been limping along for almost ten months now. During that time, I have received messages and reviews asking me if I have abandoned this story or that story. Only one of my stories is abandoned and that story is Dark Order. Part of my creative process is this:
Every week I review my stories …all of them; I do this to see if something shakes loose allowing me to continue a story. When I put up a new story or chapter to Imagination station it is because something has stimulated my creative engine to the point where I have to put the idea on paper it is not me abandoning a story. So please going forward stop asking me if I am abandoning a story because it does not inspire me to write.
I am likely going to add this note to the next couple of chapters of the various stories I have on this site. I hope you all have enjoyed this story and my others.
