A/N: If you don't like the character's, plot or pairings, then don't read.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Captain America, only my character/s

WORD COUNT: 3, 053

Chapter 9:

The Tape

Seph handed the tape to Tony who thanked her before he distributed the VHS tape into the VCR and the billionaire looked at the red-head, "are you sure you want us to see it too? It's personal isn't it?" Tony usually wasn't sensitive to other people's emotions, but he understood the pain of loss and that was enough for him to be considerate of someone he didn't know. Plus, the Cap's girl was kind of growing on him, but he'd never admit out loud.

"Everyone needs to see it, because if anything happens, I'm going to need all of your input and individual opinions for the best course of action." Seph's hazel eyes flicked to Iron Man, she looked out of her depth.

Tony's eyes followed her and the way she spoke sounded eerily like Steve. "Military?"

"My father, Michael. He enlisted as a Sergeant for two tours." Seph answered and a soft reminiscent curve of her full lips as she remembered her beloved father. She had always been a daddy's girl while Barbara was the exact opposite. Both twins loved their parents equally, but they always went to the other in times of crises or just for guidance, and for Seph, it was always Michael. "So, yes. I'm sure I want you all there to see it."

He nodded once, sighing as he quickly went through the motions and the holographic image of a teenage Barbara Brandt was in the center of the room as the Avengers gathered around and Seph gasped at the wide screen image of her own sister. It had been a long time since she'd seen Barbara look alive, photos didn't do justice to the happy twinkle in her eye nor the life in her cheeks.

Bruce entered the room, but he slowed his quick stride until he halted with the rest, seeing the twin of Persephone frozen from the tape on the holographic projector. The news he had to share, melted away as he looked at Seph's almost heartbroken features. So he opted to stay silent for the time being, maybe Barbara had some insight that she could share from among the grave.

"Are you ready?" Steve probed gently, his eyes flicking toward Seph who nodded, sniffling.

"P-play it." Her voice was hoarse as she held back a sob that was threatening to rise from her throat.

Steve turned his head to Tony and nodded once. The video played.

"It's weird talking to a camera like this." Barbara's gentle voice brought Seph to tears. In two long, grueling years, she hadn't heard that voice; had implored to any and every deity to hear her sister speak once more. To let her know that she was okay. This answered her prayers. "Well, it's now or never." Barbara chuckled, her eyes closing as she scratched at her cheek, a constant habit that she did when she was nervous. "Uhm, hey Sephie." Her indigo blue eyes looked straight into the camera. At the sound of her name, Seph looked up, her eyes connecting with the indigo blue that Joseph had inherited, shocking everyone but Steve and Natasha, who had done extensive research. It was almost uncanny at just how similar the colours were.

"Hey, Barbie." Seph whispered, answering her sister, despite the fact she was talking to a recording. She didn't care. Steve looked to his redhead, before his eyes turned back to Barbara.

"I can only assume that if you're watching this, then I've given this tape to you, because you've found out or something's happened to me and I'm no longer there for you. It's almost unthinkable, I know. But who know's what the future holds, right? You always tell me that." Barbara ran a hand through her hair, before her expression became serious, "I'm sure you have a lot of questions and maybe they answer whatever predicament you're in and maybe they don't, but you deserve the truth, big sis." Barbara was called out of her seriousness when Seph heard herself screaming through the door to let her in for her date. Both sisters shared a light conversation to which the Avengers were astonished to see a young Persephone Brandt, looking carefree, young and mischievous, a far cry from what she was now.

The sister's altercation brought a ripple of her light-hearted chuckles from the Avengers, even from Seph. "I hope you know that you're insufferable to live with." Barbara pointed to the camera, still giggling lightly and it brought a soft grin to Seph's face for an instant before it vanished and Barbara sobered, "Persephone, whatever you do, whatever you feel as I'm telling you this, stay put, you need to hear all of this." Barbara warned, before taking a deep breath, looking up as if she was praying for strength and she settled, her eyes boring holes into Seph's.

"I had Joey five months ago. He was born in October of last year, we're seventeen now." Barbara updated and Seph nodded, "I know you don't remember. But two weeks after Joey was born, Cameron came to the house, demanding that I give my son up for adoption. Mum and Dad weren't home. It was just you, me and the baby, but I knew you'd protect me." Seph's eyebrows crinkled. She didn't remember this at all. Cameron never came to the house. He had made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with Joseph. She'd remember if that asshole had tried to strong-arm Barbara into anything she didn't want to do. "I know you must be confused, but hear me out." Barbara pleaded and she took another deep breath before continuing, "We started to argue and you overheard us. You came outside to see Cameron grabbing me, hurting me, calling Joey such disgusting things-" Barbara choked on her words as her expression morphed into pain and tears shined in her eyes and Seph's lips trembled, her arms twitching. She just wanted to hold her close. "I've never seen you get so enraged in all our years." Barbara held herself together as she continued but tears were slipping down her cheeks, "I saw your eyes turn to this bright orange when you lunged for him. You knocked him off the porch and you held him down and just started punching him again and again and again and again." Barbara answered, shifting in her chair nervously as Seph's eyes widened.

How come she didn't remember this?

"Persephone, you hands caught fire, you were burning him with every punch. You were, like, roaring at him and the flames got higher and higher until you were completely covered and your hair. . it was redder than red." Barbara described, almost entranced by what Seph couldn't even remember. Was this even true? "The flames were so hot, I was too afraid to go even near you because I thought I'd get burnt." Barbara lifted a hand to her face, as if imagining flames around them.

All of the Avengers turned to look at Persephone, who was horrified at the implications, her eyes trained on her late sister. "You looked like something out of Hell." Barbara's statement terrified Persephone, she knew she had problems controlling her temper and she didn't know what would happen if she lost control. But her catching fire? Seph's hand started to shake in fear and disbelief as she looked at Steve who started toward her but stopped as she shook her head and tried to take deep slow breaths as Barbara continued, "Professor Xavier must have known something because he showed up out of nowhere and stopped you, he tried to contain you as best he could but it was almost impossible. You were out of control. You weren't Persephone. You weren't my insufferable big sister who secretly loved comic books and if she could, would marry Captain America if he rose from the dead." Barbara took a deep breath, her eyes closing as she started to get off track. "Mum and Dad didn't have a choice, because this power that you have, was burning you up, you were dying." Barbara sobbed once, wiping at her tears as Seph's own tears started to make their own tracks. She was scared out of her mind. "They had to lock your mutation in your mind, keep it dormant. . safe for the time being, it was too strong for you to handle and you had to forget what happened, otherwise, we could lose you again. Mum and Dad weren't taking the risk and frankly neither was I, so they agreed. You never knew what happened and you wouldn't burn up." Barbara's voice ended in a whisper as Seph's hand tightened into fists, rage bubbling inside her. "Cameron's mind was also wiped and he was healed so he wouldn't remember. Please, Seph. Go to Xavier, get your head sorted out, remember what happened. You're strong enough to handle it, I know you are." Barbara pleaded into the camera, obviously knowing what was going through her big sister's head, "Please, don't get mad and refuse help. Whoever's with you, if I'm not there . . . they can help you. God, don't be mad, big sis. You know I can't stand it when you're mad."

Barbara ran a hand through her thick hair as Seph looked back up to the recording as Babs looked up into the screen, her eyes imploring and full of love. "I love you, Persephone. Never forget that."

The video stopped.

Silence remained.

Seph was rooted to the spot in which she stood, her fearful expression set in stone as she stared at the frozen image of her late sister.

"We got the results of Seph's blood test." Bruce spoke, everyone but Seph turning toward him as hazel eyes stared into unblinking indigo.

"What's the verdict?" Steve asked, his eyes flicking between Bruce and Seph, keeping tabs on the frozen woman.

Bruce hesitated, unsure of how to proceed, so he dug into his pocket and lifted the thin slide that had Persephone's blood. The blood had heated the slide to the point where it melted and created an odd shape where the glass had curled up, like it was portraying fire. "Seph's blood melted the slide." He described as everyone looked at the slide with disbelieving eyes. "Her blood heated itself to extreme temperatures before it melded itself into this shape. I've also done the tests. The Mutant X gene was easily found in the cells when I broke down each component. Whoever this Hellfire is, they're right." Bruce concluded.

Steve was at a loss for words. Was she lying this entire time? Did she know who they were? All of her actions pointed the other way from the way she was acting, but during his time out of the ice and embracing this new world that he'd been thrust in; he'd encountered more fictitious individuals in the past three days than he ever did back when he was a kid and it unnerved him very much. It proved that trust was in short supply these days and a lot of people were looking after number one; themselves and that's it.

Could he be sure that she was absolutely genuine?

Was everything up to this point a lie?

The Avengers heard a soft thump and they all turned instantly to see Seph had fallen to her knees, her hands balling into fists as she crumpled into herself, sobbing silently. They watched her.

A guilty person would have left the moment their backs were turned, but she remained in place. Her fists hit the floor in and her silent sobs became loud wails, as her left fist hit the floor one last time, before she gave up. Her head resting on her hands as her entire body racked with every gasping breath.

Nat started forward and sat next to her, pulling a hysterical Seph in her arms, soothing her. "It's going to be alright, Persephone. You're going to be okay." She whispered in a shocked show of sensitivity that nobody, only Clint, knew that Natasha Romanov possessed. Seph clung to Natasha, sobbing her broken heart out as the tears rolled down her cheeks like a river.

Steve wanted to bang his head against his own shield.

He was doubting the only woman who had showed a genuine interest in him and not his body since Peggy and he actually tried to make himself believe that she was the enemy despite her agony. His own stupid apprehensiveness since the war he still had to work out.

Walking toward the two women slowly, he bent to his knees and Natasha looked to Steve and he opened his arms for her, Seph's eyes were shut tight, and he couldn't see from back there, but Natasha was trying to stop her from digging her nails into her own arm, as if it was all just a bad dream. Steve wrapped his arms around the distraught woman and pulled her into his strong hold and nodded to Natasha before he walked out of the room without a word, starting to the guest room she was staying in.

Steve kicked the door shut behind them, asking JARVIS for privacy as he sat down on the bed, holding Persephone closer as she was now whimpering and breathing shakily, having calmed from her outburst. "Shh, Persephone. It's going to be okay. Whatever it is, we'll figure it out." Steve murmured, taking her hand and pulled it away from the abused flesh, seeing the deep crescent shaped indentations that her nails left. "Don't hurt yourself." He whispered, lifting her arm and his lips gently brushed against the injured skin, making the individual hairs start to prick upward and goosebumps to form.

"How can this be real? I don't even remember what Barbara is saying I did!" Seph sniffled, wiping at her tears as she looked up at the super-soldier with red puffy eyes, a blotchy face and trembling lips.

"I think that was the point of the tape, Persephone. To tell you what you didn't know in account of future events that are now in play. Your sister left it up to you to do the right thing, if she weren't here to guide you." Steve explained, "I have no experience with this kind of thing, but I can honestly say that I think your family wanted to protect you. You heard what Barbara said, your own mutation was killing you, it had to be locked to the point where you couldn't access it at all and the memory of it was locked with it as well. I think, even though you, right now, feel like this is a dream, it could be the key to helping us all. Maybe your mutation can unlock some theories that Tony and Bruce have. And if it was very done with no witnesses, how did Hellfire even know about you?" Steve theorized, trying to make sense of the situation they'd been placed in.

"I guess I have to go back to Xavier, make him unlock it all." Seph's voice was steadier now, the tears drying against her skin and in her eyes.

"It's going to be dangerous for you. Are you sure your willing to take the risk?" Steve asked, his hand sliding to her cheek, cupping one side of her face.

"I need to do this, Steve. For Joey, for the others. . for you." Her hand ran along his, "if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have gotten into all this mess."

Steve shook his head, before using his hand on her cheek to pull her head closer so their foreheads bumped gently, "don't. Don't beat yourself up over something you have no control over." His voice was steady, his eyes unblinkingly stern as he gazed down at her. "If it wasn't for you, I would never have danced. I wouldn't have gotten the chance to have one date with someone as amazing as you. Nor have the chance to spend this much time with you, despite all the obstacles." Steve explained, his eyes never wavering nor their close proximity separating, "and if we never met, and these people attacked you. . you wouldn't be here, so I'm thanking God, that we met at that bus stop."

Seph just stared at him, "you're being oddly romantic and sensitive." She murmured, a slight smile playing on her lips as he chuckled.

"I know, I'm not usually." Steve's eyes flickered to her lips, their panicked kiss still lingering. "Remember the kiss. . when you were-"

"-having a panic attack, yeah." Seph finished for him, "it's been on your mind too?"

"Yeah." Steve affirmed, his fingers sliding against her cheek, "I've been trying to-"

"-shh." Seph shushed him, her finger pressed to his lips to silence his sentence. "Don't say anything yet. Not yet. It's too soon and not the best of timing. When this is over, when we've either lost or won. . ." Seph took a deep breath before she continued, "tell me what you want to say then, okay?"

Seph was right, it would be too impulsive and incredibly poor timed for them to talk about the kiss now, not when she just found out she was a closet mutant, her family lied to her eleven years to keep her safe and alive and she was being hunted by a Soviet kill-squad who specialised in murdering influential or incredibly dangerous mutants.

It could wait-

for now.