Hermione and Belladonna had fallen into a routine with the Avengers fairly quickly. They had been given a number of medical evaluations as well as health assessments. Both young women were to get their bodies in better shape and better health overall. They each needed to gain at least ten if not fifteen pounds for their body types and statures.

Bruce and Steve tended to hover a bit and while it could be quite stifling at times, both Hermione and Bell knew that these were their soulmates. These men were meant to be theirs. Both knew that logically a soulmate did not mean a romantic partner, Hell both women hardly knew what it meant to have such a thing. However, they had hope that it could possibly turn into something along those lines for themselves.

It had taken both women three months before they were physically deemed fit enough to begin their training. In that time they had done extensive therapy and healing sessions to fix the damage that they had suffered on the run and during their war. It was painful and often exhausting, but both were better for it.

Tony ended up buying the building that Bella and Hermione were living in and had drastically beefed up the security. Other members of the team that needed an escape from the Tower had spaces set up within the building. While they all spent most of their time in the Tower, it was nice to have an escape or bolt hole when they needed to get away from it all.

As a team they were working with one another to acclimate both Bella and Hermione into their group. Both young women were still dealing with the aftermath of their war. Each of them had been tortured and had severe PTSD. Through therapy with Sam, a friend that Steve had recently made, they were working through it at their own pace.

Neither one of them would be given field assignments until they were cleared physically and mentally fit to do so. If that point never came, they would assist behind the scenes or as back up to situations. Bruce and Steve were adamant that they take whatever time that they needed to get better and healthy. When Fury tried to say otherwise he was firmly told to fuck off.

Hermione and Bruce were nearly attached at the hip in the labs. Bella laughed watching her friend get so flustered around the genius. She was happy for her and knew that she was so much better off than what would have happened had she stayed in the British Enclaves.

Speaking of which, Bella rolled her shoulders trying to ease the tension that had been building there. Kingsley had sent them fair warning that the British Enclaves were now aware of their immigration and were seeking to have them brought back. MACUSA had politely told them to fuck off with a smile as both women had been granted citizenship and given clemency and political asylum. Many first generation magicals and halfbloods were given the same outside the isolated and prejudiced shores of England.

Bella sat on one of the chairs of the island counter in the kitchen and reread the letter. Her shoulders hunched in a bit knowing that if she did not reply at least in some form of official capacity that she would never find peace. Brits were a stubborn lot and would not give up easily.

"Everything alright?" Steve asked, coming to stand beside her.

"I'm not sure," she replied honestly, handing him the letter. "The expected backlash from our departure is now coming to a head. I think we're going to have to make a public statement."

"Will it be safe for you?" He asked, reaching out cautiously and carefully to put a hand on her shoulder.

It had taken some time and getting used to, but Bella eventually became comfortable enough around Steve that physical interaction was becoming more common. When he first saw her flinch away from him, he had been horrified. She fled the room and Hermione explained that Bella had grown up in an abusive household where she was little more than a slave and lived in a cupboard under the stairs until she was eleven.

Needless to say, Tony had ruined the Dursley family in a very public and vindictive manner. Their reputations were in tatters and the truth of the type of people that they were came to light. The parents were facing all kinds of legal actions and sanctions and now the Crown was having them investigated for having abused a minor that was a very distant relative and of the peerage.

Belladonna Potter's name held weight in both the magical and non-magical worlds. When she and Hermione fled it was with the blessings and support of their Queen. Said Queen then went on to have her own investigations of their magical counterparts and there would be a reckoning and rude awakening for the British Enclaves.

Thus, brings us back to the letter that Bella had been reading and rereading. Kingsley emphatically said to stay away, returning would be unsafe as the Olde Guard were up in arms having their very way of life called to question by their muggle monarchy. The blame was being directed at her, as if that were anything new.

"Why don't we get out of here for a while?" Steve suggested, while blushing slightly.

"What did you have in mind?" Bella asked curiously.

"My bike is in the basement garage," he said with a shrug. "I was thinking perhaps we go for a ride and stop somewhere to eat."

Bella laughed and smiled at him brightly. "That would be brilliant. I haven't been riding in a while!"

Steve returned her smile, and the pair went towards the elevator. Bella went to her floor to change into a pair of jeans and some boots with a jacket. Steve waited in the living room of the floor that she shared with Hermione. Over time more and more of their things were brought into the Tower.

"Thanks for waiting," she chuckled as she came to stand beside him.

Throwing an arm around her shoulder, he pulled her to his side as they walked to the elevator. They talked quietly as they made their way to the basement garage. Steve held out a helmet for her and pulled on his own. Stradling the bike he held out a hand to help her climb on behind him.

Drawing a shaky breath, he fought back a reaction to feeling Bella wrapped around him. With the soft curves of her frame pressed against his back, Steve had to shake himself to focus. After warning her, they took off with the rumble and growl of the engine roaring to life.

Bella laughed into his back as the wind whipped around them. She felt free, much like she did when she was on a broom flying in the air. Breathing in the distinctly male scent of Steve, she felt her muscles relax. As her soulmate, she felt safe with him. And though part of the bond was left wide open with the absence of Bucky, the pair were becoming closer and their bond strengthening as each day passed.

"Where to?" she called out over the engine.

"How about Coney Island?" Steve asked. "I haven't been since the forties and would like to show you something of my life that I remember that's still around."

Bella nodded against his back. She swallowed thickly knowing that this man was as much of an outsider in the non-magical world as she and Hermione were. The fact that he wanted to share whatever remnants of his old life with her meant a lot to her. He had been a solid rock for her over the last few months.

Given time she could easily see herself falling for him. He held many of the same qualities that she did. Sure, at some point she was certain that they would butt heads, but that happened in any relationship. Hell, she and Hermione argued like an old married couple at times, but they were like sisters.

Bella felt her entire body thrum as she felt her bond with Steve settling just a little more. His hand that had been holding hers on his abdomen flexed in reaction. She heard him chuckling and felt the slight rumble against her own body. Heat pooled low and her body clenched in reaction.

"Easy there, sweetheart." He called out, winking at her over his shoulder.

Bella felt somewhat comforted seeing a matching blush on his face to coincide with the hot flush she felt on her own. Yeah, he had definitely felt that through the bond. Oh boy, she thought to herself as the bike pulled down a road before entering a parking garage.

Steve climbed off the bike after putting down the kickstand and held his hand out for her. Both pulled their helmets off and stored them with the bike. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and they walked towards the flashing lights and sounds coming from down the block where their destination was located.

Steve impulsively dropped a kiss on the crown of their head as they were walking. He felt the warm thrum in reply through the bond and smiled to himself. Part of him would always miss Bucky, but he could make sure that Bella was alright. They needed each other and while he could feel the missing link to Bucky, he felt his bonds with Bella clearer with each passing day.

"Bucky and I came here when we were younger," Steve told her.

"Can you tell me about him?" she asked shyly. "I know some of the history, but you knew him best."

"I can do that," Steve answered with a sad smile. "Bucky was the best," he began as he bought their tickets, and they made their way into the crowds.

Belladonna listened wistfully as Steve described the other part of their soul bond. James or Bucky as Steve said everyone referred to him as, sounded like a great guy. She felt the loss of the missing member of their triad sharply.

Steve, feeling the echo of the grief, pulled her into his chest and kissed the top of her head. His own grief was there as well. He tried to close it off before it overwhelmed them, but he knew that Bella had felt it as well. Blinking back his own tears he cradled Bella firmly, but gently.

"We'll be alright, sweetheart." He murmured into her hair. "I miss him more than I can say, but we'll be alright."

Bella nodded into his chest. Steve was right. She pulled her emotions tightly behind her occlumency shields and drew a deep cleansing breath. Reigning in the raging storm of grief, she smiled up at him softly and kissed his jawline. She watched as he swallowed reflexively and pulled back.

"Thanks, Steve." She whispered softly. "Let's grab something to eat and try out a few rides!"

Chuckling in amusement and slightly flustered, he tugged her along holding her much smaller hand in his own. They wove through the crowds and made their way to the rollercoaster. The pair entered their seats laughing and set off. Ride after ride, Bella found herself laughing and smiling so much her face was aching.

Steve grinned down at the top of her head and knew that bringing her here was a good idea. He could feel her happiness and excitement through the bond. Looking around, he realized that while a lot had changed there were still some things that remained of what once was. He could see some of the original buildings and rides. Most had been upgraded and given face lifts, but if he closed his eyes, he could still imagine it as it was.

After they had eaten the obligatory Coney Island Hotdog, the pair headed back towards Steve's bike. Bella leaned comfortably into Steve's side as they walked. She felt safe with him, comfortable in a way that she hadn't felt before.

When they reached the bike, Steve handed her the helmet with a grin, "So what'd you think?" he asked.

"It was great," Bella laughed lightly. "It was a lot of fun. Maybe we can go again some time."

"Sure," he said, smiling in response. "We can go whenever. I'll show you some of my other favorite spots."

Steve climbed on the bike and held his hand out to Bella. She gripped it and hopped on behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and holding on as he brought the engine to life. Bella felt the rumble of it and felt the anticipation of the ride bursting. It seemed that both she and Steve had a bit of an adrenaline junky in each of them.

Faster than either of them would have liked, they pulled into the garage of Avengers Tower. Steve took both the helmets and put them in the locker nearby. They made their way to the elevator still bursting with the excitement and fun from their outing.

"Welcome home!" Tony greeted them with a smirk. "Did you two kids have fun?"

Pepper swatted him with a folder and shooed the man back towards the couches where everyone else had gathered. Steve and Bella shared a look, knowing that whatever they were walking into, it wasn't good. Bella sat in the available chair with Steve leaning against the armrest with his arms crossed over his chest.

"We just received work from Fury," Natasha told them. "There's been a hit in the database. Facial recognition has popped up with something Hyrda related, and we need to move within the hour."

"What are we looking at?" Steve asked.

"Their main Asset was sent on a mission," Natasha said coolly. "He's been sighted in Europe cropping up in cities every few days."

"Are Athena and Nightshade accompanying the team?" Clint asked carefully. "You've trained well and hard. You both meet the criteria and passed the tests. You would have been cleared this weekend officially, but ultimately the choice is yours."

Bella glanced over to Hermione. The pair had a silent conversation with each other with a series of looks and eye movements. Finally, after what seemed like a long time, they both nodded.

"We'll be ready," Bella said firmly. "It's time to do what we came and agreed to when we accepted."

"You don't have to do this," Steve said cautiously. "If you're ready then we're happy to have you, but if you aren't that's okay too."

"We're ready," she replied, turning to look at him. "I'm ready for this. I've healed and feel much more recovered than I ever have. I'm more confident in my abilities as well."

"Then that's settled," Tony smiled. "Let's gear up and be ready to leave within the hour."

Bella and Hermione went to the elevators with everyone else. Each of them would go back to their respective floors and rooms to prepare. The pair of witches stepped off the elevator and steeled their resolve as they went to their rooms to change.

Bella stripped off her casual outfit and pulled on a pair of black performance leggings and a black tank top. She pulled over a long sleeve shirt and grabbed her dragonhide armor. She had a full body suit made from Iron Belly hide. Once she was in it, she began strapping various knives and other weapons on her person.

Her wand and back up wand were on her wrists. While she was sorting through what else to bring, Hermione entered her room in a similar dress. She handed over a tactical belt where they could strap additional items to their waist and another on their thigh. Hermione's trusty beaded bag had been retired and a new more functional bag had been created for each of them.

The black reinforced canvas pouches were discretely snapped onto their waists. Within there was a magical moleskine bag they had acquired while shopping in the magical center in the city. They had various potions and other supplies within their bags and had essentially packed as if they needed to go on the run again or off grid for an extended period of time.

"Ready for this?" Bella asked Hermione. "You can stay if you need to, Mione."

"I'll be fine," Hermione smiled shakily. "Besides we were bored with civilian life, right?"

Bella snorted and they linked arms and made their way to the elevator. Pressing the button for the roof, they met the others who were swiftly preparing to leave. Many of them gave pause seeing the girls dressed in their battle gear.

"What is that made of?" Tony asked curiously. "It looks like leather, but it's not?"

"Dragonhide," Bella replied with a playful smirk.

"Dragonhide," he replied deadpanned. "Right, not asking questions right now. Mind blown."

Bella and Hermione chuckled as Tony walked off muttering to himself about science and fairytales. They knew that they would need to get more magical books on history and creatures to share with the team, but for now they gave them information a little bit at a time. They did not want to overwhelm them.

"Let's everyone get onboard and get fastened in," Steve called out. "We've got a decent flight ahead of us before we reach our first target."

Bella and Hermione climbed into the large, unfamiliar aircraft and buckled into the harnesses on their seats. Steve was in the front with Natasha and Clint. Tony and Bruce were seated with them in the back. Rhodey and Sam were not accompanying them on this mission. They would be watching over their respective cities and making sure things on the Homefront were stable.

Hermione was sitting and reading a book that she had brought with her. Belladonna was leaned back napping during the flight. It being their first mission as active team members while nerve wracking, it was not their first time going on a mission or to battle. Despite their young age, they were veterans of war and conflict.

"We'll be touching down in Prague in twenty minutes," Steve called out over the coms. "Get ready to move out quickly."

Hermione stored her book in her pouch and Bella straightened in her seat. Tony sat up and looked down at the gauntlets and metal bands on his wrist that would summon his suit. Bruce clenched and unclenched his fists in his seat and seemed to be trying to reign in his emotions.

Both Bruce and Steve were anxious about their soulmates being present for this mission. However, as vital members of the team, they were needed. Both men would be paying close attention to the young witches during the mission and make certain that they were safe.

"Get ready!" Clint called out. "We've found a clearing to land and hide our ride home. Landing might be rocky, so hold tight."

Hermione whimpered slightly, causing Bruce to reach over and take her hand. Steve looked back at Bella who seemed deceptively calm considering the situation. Where Hermione hated flying, Bella loved it and lived for it. She'd had rough landings before, so she wasn't too bothered by the warning.

They banked slightly before turning and landing solidly between a cluster of trees backed by a steep ravine. Once settled they quickly unbuckled and made their way off the aircraft and into the surrounding trees. Their general plan was to slowly make their way into the city under the cover of nightfall.

The Asset, whom they had little information on, was believed to be on a mission to take out the US Embassy within the next twenty-four hours. It was believed that it was meant to interrupt trade talks and the global summit that was to be taking place in the near future. It was something that needed to be stopped.

They made their way into the city fairly unnoticed. As a group they kept to the shadows and moved swiftly towards the large government center. Per the plan when they were a few blocks away Tony entered a waiting car with Bruce to bring them to a nearby hotel. Tony, with his over-the-top personality and persona made a spectacle of his arrival and walked through the lobby into the luxury hotel.

As a major contributor to Clean Energy, he was set to be a key speaker at the summit. He had been slated to participate prior to the intel. However, when the information came in, he and the team planned to use his presence to mask the arrival of the rest of the Avengers. Bruce was to be his guest.

Hermione and Bella kept close to the others. If they had prior knowledge or information about the location, they would have apparated or created a portkey. However, they were used to being on the move. They were less than a year out from the end of their War, so being on the move was natural for them.

As they moved in, they slowed their approach and fanned out. Bella signaled to Hermione that there was movement in the shadows to their left. The information was relayed, and they watched and waited. Sure enough, the figure moved swiftly and efficiently in the shadows. The person was headed directly for the Embassy building and had already scaled the perimeter fences and passed security. As one, the team moved, hoping to stop the destruction that was planned.