Sarah sat up with a start, panting and holding her head. She quickly began shaking Morgan and the older girl groaned, "What? What's wrong?"
"He's coming. He's coming for us." Sarah whispered, her eyes blown out in terror as she lifted her shaking arms to push herself up, "We have to go."
"Who's coming for us?" Morgan yawned as Sarah began shaking her mother awake. Kayla groaned, looking up at her daughter before stretching.
"What's going on?"
"Mom! Mom, the man you showed me- The Red Skull, he's coming. I can sense him." Sarah shrieked, looking over her shoulder at Morgan in terror, "I don't know how, but I can sense him and he's coming. He's found us."
Kayla blinked away the sleep rapidly, looking to Morgan with fearful eyes, "Go wake up your father and Peter and MJ." Morgan jumped to her feet and went running down the hall, calling for her father frantically. The commotion stirred Tessa and Wanda as Zawadi paced the room whimpering nervously.
"Schmidt's coming. Sarah can sense him." Kayla hissed when Tess threw the pillow over her head. Kayla grabbed it and chucked the pillow at Wanda, effectively bringing both of the women to life.
Wanda cracked her fingers, red sparking as she rolled over and sat up on the bed, "What do you want to do? Run? Fight?"
"I think running is the worst thing we could do. If we run, he'll chase, and innocent people will get hurt." Kayla said, pulling her long extensions into a high ponytail. It wasn't lost on her friends and daughter that she had been sleeping in her clothes, clearly planning to disappear into the night. Kayla looked to Sarah, seeing her chest rise and fall frantically until she dove for her bag to grab her inhaler. "Sarah, honey, breathe, it's going to be okay. We'll figure this out."
"He's coming for us. How can you say everything is going to be okay?" Sarah cried, sitting on the floor and taking several pumps from her inhaler.
Tess looked to Kayla expectantly, but Kayla didn't have an answer, so Tess filled in the words Kayla was clearly thinking, "His greatest enemy is Steve. He'll want the three of you. The rest of us will be collateral damage."
"Don't say that, we'll figure something out." Kayla hissed, reaching under the bed and grabbing her briefcase. She popped it open and Tess watched her rifle through her things before pulling out a vile of deep blue liquid.
"Ohhhh, it's everybody's favorite McGuffin," Tess sing-songed in a vain attempt to display her unease. "You sure you want that on you?"
"What is it?" Sarah asked, but Kayla ignored her and carefully transferred the liquid into a syringe. "Mom?"
"Well seeing as our resident sniper is out on business, I think we should have some defense against the monster." Kayla hissed, carefully holding the cap for the syringe in her teeth as she prepared it for eventual injection, "This shit is potent, and it's fast. If I get close enough-"
"He still has the power of the Soul Stone." Wanda interrupted, her eyes glowing red as she stared at Kayla dully, "You're bringing a knife to a firefight. He'll out-power all of us like that." Wanda snapped her fingers, and the sound hung in the air. Sarah looked between the redhead and her mother, waiting to see if Kayla would listen.
Tess looked at Kayla sadly, "She's right. Even without the super soldier serum, from everything I saw that night you fought him, he'll be too powerful to stop. His strength is in the magic, not the serum."
"Fine." Kayla tossed the vial back into her briefcase so casually, Sarah flinched knowing what was inside it. "Any other suggestions?"
"He's not the only one deriving power from the Soul Stone..." Wanda trailed off and Sarah felt the breath pulled from her lungs.
Me?
"Absolutely not." Kayla growled back, grabbing her briefcase and leaving the room without another word. Wanda and Zawadi took off after her, but Tess stayed back with Sarah, seeing the girl growing paler by the minute.
"I- I can't fight him!" Sarah yelped, remembering what the woman in her vision had told her, "I can't, I'm not strong enough!"
"We'll figure out another way, you're gonna be okay. Your mom won't let anything happen to you."
Sarah felt a tingle run through her body as her blue eyes turned golden, "He's getting closer."
"Come on." Tessa grabbed her hand and dragged her downstairs, finding everyone already there. Sarah swallowed when she saw James, her annoying, frustrating, idiotic brother James in his black suit, looking like a superhero ready to fight.
"If you aren't already, suit up." Tony said and Tess looked at him incredulously, "What? You don't have a suit?"
"Tess, take MJ and lock yourselves in one of the closets. Take Zawadi with you." Kayla pushed the dog toward Tess and he cried for her. She swung her head around to look at the others, seeming to reconsider her words.
"We can't all hide. If we all hide, he'll destroy us all." Morgan supplied sadly, looking to her dad, "I think you should go with them and hide."
"Me? Why-"
"Because you're not young anymore, Dad." Morgan said sadly and Tony lifted his hand to prepare an argument, but Peter cut him off.
"Mr. Stark, protect my wife. Please."
Tony looked from Peter to Morgan, then back to Kayla, but she just gave a tight-lipped nod. "Alright."
"What about us?" James asked, lifting his jaw proudly as he awaited instructions.
Tony cleared his throat and gestured for Kayla to come closer, "You know, Schmidt is probably looking for Steve-"
"Who isn't here." Kayla said bluntly, and Tony nodded, gesturing forward with his hand.
"-but," he continued, "Maybe if he thought Steve was here-"
"What would that accomplish Tony?" Kayla bit back strongly, the thick heel of her boot slamming into the hardwood floor, "I'm not doing that."
"It might give him pause. Might... get him rambling a little. He's known to do that. The man likes a good speech. And honestly," Tony said quietly, staring down Kayla, "Schmidt wouldn't do anything to Steve until he got rid of you. If you can keep yourself alive, it might be enough to protect the boy."
"Do I really look that much like my dad?" James asked Wanda as Kayla grabbed his arm and pulled up a small holograph screen, using the dial to change the black nano suit to a different color scheme, "Whoa."
Kayla's chest rose and fell heavily with every iteration she scanned through, finally picking the thick-scaled suit from their battle with Thanos. She quickly reached up and combed James's hair back and away from his eyes, "Just stand there. Don't say anything, I've got this, okay? He won't lay a hand on you if he thinks you are your father. His goal is to make him suffer first, die later."
"Yeah, I don't like what that means for you." James grumbled, catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror. "Hot damn..." Kayla looked up with a grin as he apologized, trying to figure out how to stand. Kayla grabbed his hands and placed them on his belt before using her fingers to push back his shoulders.
"A dead ringer for old Steve Rogers if I ever saw one." Tony said cheerfully as Sarah sucked in her breath.
"He's almost here." Sarah whimpered, feeling weak.
Kayla turned to Tony, "Go, we'll be okay."
He turned to Morgan and she just nodded so he darted upstairs to find where Tess and MJ took the slobbery dog.
Kayla looked to Sarah, then looked around the room, "Listen, I'm not going to ask you to use your powers. The less he understands about you two the better. Go in the kitchen and hide. Don't come out, no matter what you hear or see, do you understand me?"
"You're the bait, aren't you?"
"Yeah, but," Kayla grumbled, "I can handle myself."
Sarah looked from her mother to her brother, taking in how majestic and powerful they looked, but she could tell James wasn't Captain America, "What if he knows this isn't Dad?"
"He probably will, but it'll at least distract him. He doesn't know where your father is, it'll give him a leg up on trying to kill him when he gets back to wherever he's hiding out-" Kayla explained, but Sarah interjected nervously.
"What if he already has Dad?"
James looked to his mother in terror, but she stayed resolute, exhaling loudly as a knock was heard from the front door, "Then we have to do whatever we can to protect ourselves. If he has your father, then we're just pawns in his game."
Sarah darted into the kitchen as James stood behind his mom, hands on his hips and jaw set tightly in an effort to look tough and not terrified. Wanda went into the kitchen with Sarah, but she didn't hide, she just sat at the table, pretending to be casual as she kept an eye trained on the front door as Peter approached slowly. Morgan held one hand over the other, preparing to engage her nano suit if she had to.
Peter Parker reached toward the knob, but was knocked back when the door was blasted open by a rocket launcher. Kayla and James dove to the side as Morgan turned on her thrusters, floating upward as Schmidt entered the house. Peter sprang back to his feet, aiming his web shooter at the Red Skull, but Schmidt reached out and grabbed his neck quickly with a black leather glove. Peter kicked against his stomach, getting out of his grip, but when he tried to land another punch, Schmidt yanked his fist forward and Peter fell limp at his feet. Schmidt stepped over Spider-Man as Morgan lunged downward, but he just waved her off, slamming her into the wall as he approached Kayla and James. Wanda quickly rose from her spot in the kitchen and Schmidt blasted at her, but she put up a force field and blocked his hit.
"Not today." She growled, and Sarah looked up at her from her hiding spot as she took a step to the right and entered the living room. "What do you want?"
Schmidt laughed, brushing off his black leather coat casually, "I want a lot of things, mein Kind." He slurred at the Sokovian in German, "But before I accomplish any of that I have to extinguish this little problem I keep having. I think it goes by Captain America." His eyes met James's and Kayla reached behind to grab her son's hand, trying to ease his nerves when Schmidt had him in his sights.
"Over my dead body." Kayla snarled, shifting her weight from foot to foot like a wild animal about to attack. Schmidt saw it too and laughed airily.
"That can be arranged, Mrs. Rogers, but all in due time. Killing your husband isn't enough, I want him to have the slowest, most painful demise of any of my enemies. I want him to watch me strip away everything he loves until he's a broken man and then I'll crack his skull."
Kayla stood firm, but James felt a shiver run up his spine at the threat. He was pretending to be Captain America and he was the one who's skull was going to get cracked and suddenly he wondered if Tony came up with this diversion idea to get him killed on purpose.
Schmidt took a step toward Kayla and James while Wanda did the same from the other side, but Schmidt didn't even look at her, "I need something from you Mrs. Rogers, something very specific that only you can conjure. My resources are not what they used to be and I need your help."
"I'll never help you, you're a madman."
"You helped me once. You set me free from Vormir. You're the reason I'm here now. And I think I can convince you to help me again." Schmidt taunted as he took another heavy step forward. Kayla kept her eyes trained on him, but Wanda noticed Morgan beginning to stir from the place she'd been thrown by the stairs. When the girl got her wits, she moved over to Peter, reaching down and checking his pulse. She looked up at Wanda and shook her head.
He's gone.
"There's nothing you can say or do to get me to help you." Kayla snarled, clenching her right hand into a fist. Schmidt stared past her to James, studying him thoughtfully for a moment.
"Where is Steve Rogers?" He asked lightly, his beady eyes protruding from his skull. James swallowed hard, unsure if he should keep up the charade and follow his mother's directions to stay quiet. In the time it took him to make up his mind, the decision was gone.
Wanda blasted at Schmidt and sent him flying back, so Morgan suited up and nailed him with her gauntlets, but he grabbed her leg and smashed her into the ground, drawing James from his spot behind Kayla. He took two steps toward Morgan, jaw set angrily as he prepared to defend Morgan against the Red Skull.
"Honey, no-" Kayla warned as he approached the monster, but Schmidt turned toward him just in time to take a punch to the face. Kayla grimaced as she stepped back, taking in the astonished look on Schmidt's face.
He smiled broadly and looked James up and down, "Ohhh, you are your father's son." Schmidt quickly thrust his palm against James's chest and his soul floated backward as his body collapsed onto the ground as Peter's had.
"James!" Kayla screeched, lunging forward to block Schmidt from doing any more damage while James looked down at his hands in shock.
"Wha- how? What did you do to me?" He yelled as Morgan lifted her head, retracting her helmet to stare at him in a daze, unable to speak.
"What do you want?" Kayla faced Schmidt, shaking as she stood her ground. "Let me have my son back."
"I want your formula." Schmidt said simply, staring into Kayla's soul. "You're the only person who can do it."
Kayla opened her mouth to sass him, but Wanda's voice slurred in her head.
He's about to kill your son Kayla. Give him what he wants and we can figure something out.
Kayla glared at Schmidt, slowly crossing the room to grab her briefcase. She popped it open and took out the syringe of blue liquid, holding it out to Schmidt, but pulling it away before he could take it. "My son."
Schmidt kept his eyes locked onto Kayla's as he flipped his wrist and James's soul was sucked back into his body. He groaned and sputtered, his chest aching from where Schmidt had hit him. The man wasn't outright trying to kill them, he was trying to make them suffer, "Mom! Don't-"
Kayla broke her gaze to look at her son, but Schmidt grabbed her wrist and pulled her close, causing James to stumble to his feet in an attempt to get closer, but Wanda held him back with a shield. Schmidt leaned close to Kayla, holding the wrist that held the syringe, "One isn't enough. I'm going to need four." Schmidt used his free hand to point to Kayla, "One," moved his bony finger to point at James, "Two," then he twisted her left hand holding the syringe, gesturing to her wedding ring with the part of his face where his nose should be, "Three." Then Schmidt reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of dog tags with a ring on it. He smiled wickedly, "And this makes four super soldiers who need to be eradicated."
Kayla watched the dog tags fall to the floor between them, feeling her heart beating out of her chest. The anti-serum in her hand was created to kill Hydra. It wouldn't kill Steve. It wouldn't kill Bucky. It may not even kill James. But it was strong enough to kill her if Schmidt decided to use it on her. James tried to steady himself as Schmidt squeezed Kayla's wrist, but she was strong, too.
"I'm waiting. He's right there. You come with me and I'll let him live." Schmidt's eyes studied James for a moment, seeing more of his reckless mother than his devoted father in the boy, "He could live without the serum. I'll make you that promise. You can save your son's life."
Kayla lunged toward the syringe, pulling off the cap with her teeth. Wanda darted forward, but Schmidt blasted her back as Kayla and Schmidt struggled with the vial. Kayla's arm flexed beneath her tank top, fighting to get the vial away from the Red Skull. She dug her boots into the ground, using every ounce of her strength to try and save her family from the Nazi's plans.
"No!" James charged forward, knocking Schmidt back with ten times the amount of strength that he'd hit the kid on the football field. Schmidt landed on his back and James pummeled him mercilessly until Morgan used her suit to pull him off of the man in the knick of time, because the Red Skull produced the syringe with a wicked smile. "Thank you my boy! I'll start with one." He turned to Kayla, who fell to the ground panting, "I know where to find you when I'm ready for more." Schmidt hit a button and a helicopter came down from the sky, blowing air through the open door as it landed on the grass.
As Schmidt prepared to leave, he waved his hand in front of Morgan's face, "You're coming with me." Morgan's eyes glowed gold and she nodded, her suit disappearing into her watch as she followed him out of the house. James grabbed her arm, but she pulled away, following in a trance to the helicopter. Wanda froze James's feet so he couldn't follow and he glared at her bitterly as Schmidt reached the chopper.
"Oh, I almost forgot, I brought a gift for you!" Schmidt yelled, reaching into the helicopter and pulling out Steve's shield, chucking it as hard as he could through the door, and slicing through the doorframe before crashing onto the floor at Kayla's feet.
Sarah carefully rounded the kitchen door to see the carnage, "Mom?"
Kayla wailed loudly as she crumpled over onto Captain America's shield. Sarah knelt beside her mother, holding her arms tight as James panted above her, watching the Red Skull take Morgan away. He looked to his mom, wishing she'd tell him he'd done something good. Wishing she'd thank him for saving her, "Mom, I- he was going to-"
"No, honey, he was trying to get it away from me. I was trying to take the anti-serum." Kayla managed to explain quietly, unable to meet her son's devastated expression, "Honey, he's going to come back for me." James shoved back his hair, but it fell back over his face in a messy heap. He didn't know how to respond.
Tony came down the stairs to see Morgan missing and Peter Parker crumpled on the floor. "What? No. No no no, what the fuck happened here?" Tony knelt next to the man as MJ let out a devastated wail, falling to the ground and draping her arms over him. Tony looked to Wanda, who just lowered her head sadly, "Wanda, what happened? Where the hell is my daughter?"
"He was gone before Schmidt even got through the door. I think he used the Soul Stone," Wanda explained sadly and Sarah looked up in terror as the Scarlet Witch continued, "He tried to kill James. He threatened Kayla. He tried to take her, but James intervened. He used his power to take Morgan, and he left these." Wanda gestured to the shield that Kayla cried over.
Tessa saw the dog tags near the shield and shoved past Tony and MJ, sliding to her knees as she picked them up and held them to her chest, "He has them?" Kayla nodded, tears steaming down her face like a summer rain. Tessa let out a pained cry as she fell back onto her ass, seeing everything she'd fought for with Bucky vanish in a heartbeat. The family they were trying so hard to have, the little house with the white picket fence? All gone. "What do we do now?"
Kayla sniffled, looking up through the sliced doorframe as she held the shield tightly in her arms, "I have no idea."