Chapter Ten:
Sophie's POV:
It had been three weeks since my trip to Wakanda. I had retrofitted all of my team's uniforms with layers of vibranium woven into them, making them basically impervious while still breathable and easy to move in. My last project was a new cybernetic arm for Bucky. But before I did that, I needed some other materials. Using an algorithm to track the metal in his skeletal structure, it didn't take me long to figure out where he was. Once I knew, I opened a fire portal and teleported to him.
"How'd you find me, Kid?" he asked from the shadows.
"Adamantium isn't too hard to trace if you know what you're looking for, Logan," I replied.
Wolverine came out of the shadows, his adamantium claws out.
"So are you here to take me in, 'cause you know I'm not just gonna go peacefully."
"Fuck Stark and his registration act. I'm against him. Especially since he has a hard-on for trying to throw my husband and best friend in jail… not to mention what he's done to me in the last several months. He's no friend of mine anymore."
"You're starting to sound like me now," he said smirking.
"That's what Storm told me earlier this month when I visited her in Wakanda," I said smirking back.
"How'd you get to Wakanda being on the most-wanted list?"
"I'm the one who brought down S.H.I.E.L.D. and Stark's tech. I needed to move freely, so I hacked him and gave him one hell of a virus."
"Why'd you go to Wakanda?"
"What is the most versatile metal in the world, Logan?"
"You got Storm and Black Panther to give you vibranium?" he asked with doubt in his voice.
"Yes. And I wanted to ask you how to find adamantium. I can scan the United States on Stark's satellites without calling attention to myself because he's using them to scan for rogues anyway. I'm not finding any adamantium here but you…"
"You mean you left a trail for him to find?!" he asked getting pissed off.
"I doubt it. The algorithm wouldn't be noticed unless they're looking for it…"
We both heard it at the same time. Someone was coming. I looked at Logan.
"Go," I said quietly. "There's only one person coming, I'll meet you. This was my mistake, Logan. I'm sorry. I'll handle it."
Wolverine nodded and silently disappeared into the shadows, but I knew he wasn't far. He wasn't going to leave me to get captured. If I couldn't handle it, he was going to join the fight.
"Tony is watching his tech a little more carefully, Sophie. He noticed the algorithm, though he couldn't figure out what it was for," Rhodey said landing twenty yards from me. "What were you using his satellite for? Or would you rather wait until I get you back to 42 to answer that?"
My breath caught for a second and I refused to let the fear take over.
"I'm not going back there, Rhodey."
"How are you going to fight me, Rogers? You don't even have your bow and arrows."
I could feel the power over electricity start to pump through me. He went on the attack, shooting repulsors at me from his War Machine armor. I drew my sword, which he hadn't seen in the sheath on my back, and deflected the attack as he flew at me, trying to attack me more. We went back and forth. Finally, I kicked him off and threw my sword at him; I didn't expect the outcome. Not only did my Asgardian sword go through the War Machine armor, but when it hit the armor, a bolt of lightning hit the sword, frying the armor completely. Anything that the armor was recording about what Rhodey saw was gone. His GPS would be disabled.
"Fuck!" I exclaimed in a panic, running to Rhodey.
Logan met me by him. I was about to use my sword to try to cut the armor in half when he stopped me.
"He's dead, Sophie. We need to get out of here. Now. Before Stark sends reinforcements."
I was in shock, but I nodded. I opened a portal and grabbed Logan's hand. He led the way because my mind was overwhelmed.
Clint's POV:
Sophie came back a few days after the announcement was made that Rhodey was dead. Stark had accused her. She was withdrawn, spending most of her time in the lab working on a project. She wouldn't even train other members of the team.
"Sophie?"
"Yeah, Dad?" she said, not looking up from her project.
"Got a few minutes? I brought you lunch," I said to her.
She hesitated before finally putting her tools down. Sitting with me, she started to eat.
"It's true. What Stark said about you and Rhodey?"
"Yes and no."
"What do you mean?"
"I had hacked his satellite to track someone, using an algorithm he couldn't figure out, he just saw the location. He sent Rhodey to check it out. I had the person stay out of sight while I confronted Rhodey, since it was my mistake, and then Rhodey attacked. But I didn't assassinate him because of my time in 42, even if he was threatening to send me back. I threw my sword at him and when it hit him a bolt of lightning hit at the same time frying the suit. I wanted to cut him out, but the person I met with told me he was already dead. I didn't expect the sword to go through the suit that easily, Dad."
"Who were you with, Sophie?"
"Wolverine. I wanted to talk to him about adamantium."
"For what?"
"I'm making a new cybernetic arm for Bucky. I want it to be mixed adamantium and vibranium. It will still have the camo feature, but be indestructible."
"And you thought you covered your tracks?"
"The algorithm was such a minor change in the programming he already had his satellites running on. He had to be looking for it to find it. I'm just thankful it was minor to put in but complex to read, beyond Stark's capabilities. I don't need to be on Wolverine's shitlist. Enhanced healing or not, I'd rather not be torn to shreds."
"Stark is on a rampage."
"I know. He's gonna be gunning for all of us worse than ever because of my screw-up. I'm sorry, Dad," Sophie said, putting her food down and looking like she was completely broken. "None of us will be safe until this is resolved. Not even Mom and the kids."
"What are you suggesting?"
"We need to get them completely off the grid, away from us, away from anything they'd be able to track to either of us; possibly out of the country until all of this is over."
"We can't get them out, especially not out of the country. Stark's looking for them like he's looking for the rest of us. How are we supposed to do any of that?
"I might have a way. Give me a day or so."
Sophie's POV:
Heimdall opened the bifrost for me and when I entered Asgard, Thor was waiting for me.
"What is wrong, Sophie?" Thor asked me.
"I need help, but I think the All-Father should give permission. He has permitted me to enter Asgard freely and I don't want to anger him now," I explained.
"It must be serious if you are asking Odin for help."
"Very. I messed up and Tony Stark's best friend is dead because of it. Stark is on a witch hunt for all of us now. I need to hide my mother and siblings. I wanted to ask the All-Father if perhaps you could move them somewhere safe, anywhere that either of you deemed worthy, without my knowledge."
"I will bring you to the All-Father now," Thor said in a somber tone.
Odin granted me an audience with him and I explained my situation. He thought about what I was asking him and ultimately agreed, with a condition.
"In return, I ask that after your war is over you return to Asgard for one year to begin your training as a member of the Asgardian Guard. That is my offer," he said to me.
"It is a fair offer. I accept," I replied.
"Sophie, do you not think you should discuss this with the Captain first?" Thor asked.
"He will understand, Thor. If he can't understand that I will do anything for those I love, than our marriage will not last anyway," I said sadly, looking into my friend's eyes.
Thor nodded at me before Odin had him bring me back to my house to get my family. When we stepped out of the bifrost on my front lawn, Dad, Bucky, and Steve were shocked to see Thor.
Steve's POV:
"Thor, what are you doing here?" I asked.
"I've come to bring Sophie home. She was just in Asgard, having an audience with Odin," Thor replied.
"Sophie?" Clint asked.
"What's going on?" Bucky asked.
I looked at my wife, seeing the effects the war was taking on her. Rhodey's death was an accident and now she was worried all the time that she was going to get the rest of us killed. She was distancing herself from the team, spending more and more time in the lab on her own. But seeing her at Thor's side, I was worried.
"I've made arrangements for Mom and the kids. Odin has agreed to put them under Asgardian protection, moving them somewhere without our knowledge, until it is safe for us to bring them home," Sophie said.
"Soph, Odin didn't seem the something-for-nothing type of guy. What did he want in return? What did you agree to?" Bucky asked the question I was dreading the answer to.
Sophie wouldn't look at me. She looked at Bucky when she answered.
"When our war here is over, I'm going to spend a year on Asgard to begin my training as one of the members of the Asgardian Guard."
"Sophie! You can't just leave, you're married!" Clint exclaimed.
I couldn't bring myself to speak.
"I can't risk Mom, Cooper, Lila, or Nathaniel because I killed Rhodey. If going away for a year will keep them alive and safe, then it's worth it. I can't lose anyone I love. I can't lose Mom again," Sophie said.
I couldn't argue with her. After believing she lost her once, how could I leave her in a position where she was in constant fear of losing her again… Especially after her mother nearly died on her for real just a few months ago.
"I understand why you agreed to this, Sophie. It's alright," I said, finally speaking up.
"Steve!" Bucky exclaimed.
"Bucky, no," I started. "You saw first-hand what happened to Sophie when she thought she lost Anya. If this guarantees not only her safety but that of her brothers and sister, than I will support the decision. I know that Thor will not let Sophie get hurt. If we could survive untold horrors happening to her while she was in custody, not knowing when we'd get her back, we can survive a year of her being with Thor for training. I love her too much to take that safety away from her."
"Steve, are you sure?" Clint asked.
"Go get Anya and the kids. They should be moved sooner than later," I said to him.
"Thank you, Steve. You have no idea what a relief it is to know that they'll be somewhere Stark can't find and hurt them," Clint said to me.
A few hours later:
I found Sophie in our bedroom. She had hidden away in there after I agreed with her choice of keeping her mother and siblings safe. She was sitting in one of our chairs by the window, just staring out, when I came into the room. As I got closer, I saw that there were tears on her face.
"What can I do to make this better for you, Sophie?" I asked my wife.
Sophie wouldn't look at me. Her tears were still silently falling.
"Keep them all safe, Steve. I keep making mistakes, even though I'm trying my best to do the right thing. People are getting hurt, dying, and I can't stop it. Help me keep them all safe. If anything happens to my family… Any of you… I don't know what I'll do."
I turned Sophie's face to look at me. Using my thumbs, I wiped her tears from her cheeks. My heart was breaking for her, knowing that she blamed herself for everything that was happening.
"I promise you that I will do everything I can to keep them all safe, Sophie. You included," I said before I offered her my hand. "Now come on, Thor thinks that it would be best if you accompanied your mother and siblings to Asgard before Odin moves them."
"Steve… I don't think I should…"
"Sophie, they know Thor, but they're going to Asgard for the first time and they've never been around Odin. They're being sent somewhere without you or Clint, they need you to be there to see them off," I said gently.
Sophie looked down at her hands for a minute. Her shoulders were slumped over. I could feel her pain radiating off of her. Finally, she sighed and got up from the chair, looking at me after I put my arms around her.
"You're right. I have to do this."
I could see how much all of this was paining her.
"We'll get them home as soon as we can. Just reassure them that this is the safest thing for them while we handle what's going on."
"Thank you, Steve. I love you so much and I'm sorry I agreed to train with the Asgardian Guard without talking to you."
"Sophie, you needed to protect your mother and siblings. What kind of husband would I be to deny you that?"
"Even though I will have to leave for so long? We've been married for such a short amount of time and the whole time we've been looking over our shoulders. I mean, we haven't even really had any time for ourselves since we got married, Steve. And the first opportunity we would have had, I took away without even talking to you. Thor tried to tell me I should, but I wouldn't listen to him. I was so scared for Mom, Cooper, Nathaniel, and Lila. I'm so sorry," Sophie said looking away from me again.
"Sophie, I know how deeply you care about the people you love. Even if other people only see the exterior you want them to see of the tough girl who trained under the Winter Soldier. I see you. I see how much you love, how much you hurt when those you care about are hurt or in danger. I truly believe that if you had time to talk to me about this choice, if your mother and siblings' safety didn't hang in the balance, you would have. So you have no reason to apologize to me. I love you more for this, for doing anything you have to in order to protect those you love, for making the hard decisions for the greater good," I said to her.
"When I first found out about you, Sophie, when we were first given the mission to hunt you down and I had to pull your father out of retirement, you were just an assignment, a dangerous criminal that needed to be stopped. It wasn't until after I saw the way you were willing to give yourself over to us for anything we wanted to do at the Avengers' Base as long as we released Bucky that I realized there was more to you. Then, when I found the real reason you were doing what you were doing when we caught you… That these people had hurt your mother, made you think she was dead, I realized you were just someone who was in a lot of pain and just trying to make the people who had made the life of you and your mother nothing but pain pay for what they had done to you. You were trying to stop the monsters who had hurt you. It changed everything in how I saw you.
"But I knew I loved you when you risked everything to save Bucky when he went missing. Your instincts told you that something was wrong and you were right. You fought your father because you knew that if we tried any other plan but yours, we would risk losing Bucky forever. And when you came with us and got him out, even though you got injured in the process, which you didn't even care about, it made me fall in love with you, Sophie. Seeing you caring for him, even though you were recovering from being shot by the time I got back to the rendezvous point, made me realize that you were never what we initially thought. Not only that, you gave me my best friend back when you gave Bucky his memories back after we rescued him. I never thought I'd have someone. By that point it there was no denying that I would love you for the rest of our lives and would do anything for you. You were just someone who loved deeply and was forced to harden your exterior to protect yourself from what life had done to you. Remember this every day, Sophie. Because no matter what difficult decision you need to make to protect your family, this is what I will remember… why I fell in love with you."
Sophie kissed me and then held me for a moment.
"Has anyone told you you're perfect, Rogers?" she asked me.
"I'm not perfect, Sophie."
"Sometimes, I wonder if you're too good to me, Steve," she said, before she kissed me again and walked out our bedroom and started down to the yard where her family was waiting for her.
Sophie's POV
Steve followed me down to where Dad, Mom, Lila, Nathaniel, and Cooper were waiting with Thor. My family looked nervous, even Dad, who was trying to reassure the others that everything was fine. I walked over to them and picked up Nathaniel. Lila hugged me as soon as I had him securely in my arms. Cooper was looking at me.
"I'm sorry, Cooper."
"Did you really kill Tony Stark's best friend because they put you in jail for breaking the law, Sophie? Is that why we're being sent away?"
"Cooper!" Dad admonished him.
I took a deep breath to calm myself and keep myself from crying. Cooper accusing me of killing Rhodey for the reasons Stark was spewing to the world hurt more than knowing that I was going to be away from my family for a year when the war ended to fulfill my end of the bargain to Odin so he'd protect my family during the war. It was hard having a teenaged brother whose mood could be anywhere on the spectrum on any given day.
"I'm having you, Lila, Nathaniel, and my mom moved somewhere safe because of what happened between me and Rhodey, Cooper, yes. But it's not what you think."
"Right," Cooper said.
"When have I ever lied to you Cooper?"
"When you said your mother was dead!"
"I thought she was, Cooper! I was made to believe she was dead! I never lied about anything intentionally! I told you things when Dad thought it was better, but I didn't lie to you, Cooper. You're my brother, the first person to make me realize that you don't actually have to know someone to know that they're your blood, your family, and that you should take care of them. You taught me that the day I got the stuffed hawk from you. I didn't understand what it meant until Dad explained how much that stuffed animal had meant to you, Cooper. So I've tried to be a good sister to you. I've tried to be honest, even if it hurt to talk about things. I don't want to do anything to hurt you… any of you."
"Then what happened, Sophie?" Cooper asked.
Dad shook his head no. I looked at him and I knew my eyes were pained. I shook my head at him and he took Lila and Nathaniel, along with Mom, giving me and Cooper a minute to talk.
"I was meeting with someone I knew, someone I wanted to see if he could help me find some supplies. Rhodey showed up because I had used a Stark satellite to track the person and Stark found the sequence in the satellite codes. Yes, James Rhodes did threaten to put me back in jail. And yes, that idea terrifies me, Cooper. The things that go on in that prison… the things that they did to me in that prison…" my voice trailed off and I was lost in thought for a minute. Snapping out of it, I continued, "Anyway, he tried to attack, so he could capture me. I fought back. I used my sword, but I didn't know it would go completely through the War Machine armor or that lightning would strike the sword when it made contact with the suit."
I dropped my head into my hands. I had started crying.
"I tried to save him, Cooper. I wanted to cut him out of the suit and try to save him, but my friend told me he was already dead. So we teleported out of there before Stark could send anyone to try to find Rhodey," I said, still looking at my hands. "It didn't matter what happened to me in those prisons, Cooper. Rhodey used to be my friend. He was doing his job. He was bound by duty to his country and his friendship to Stark above all else. I don't think he'd do anything like the others on Stark's side have been doing if the laws hadn't been passed. I never wanted him dead, Cooper. He was my friend before all of this started. I didn't want to kill him. I didn't do it intentionally. But I can't take it back, either. It's something I have to live with for the rest of my life. I just can't let you or Lila, or Nathaniel, or Mom pay for my mistake. That's why I'm having you moved somewhere that me and Dad can't know. We're both part of this fight. We can't leave. But the four of you aren't safe anywhere that Stark or anyone involved in this fight can find you. I'm sorry, Cooper."
Cooper lifted my chin so he could look into my eyes.
"What did they do to you while you were in jail, Sophie?"
I took a deep breath. I still couldn't talk about it much.
"I can't really talk about it. I've barely talked about it to Dad or Mom or even Steve and Bucky. But they hurt me, Cooper. A lot. They know how quickly I heal, so they would do horrible and cruel things to me to try to find Bucky, Steve, and then even Dad and the others who fight alongside us."
Cooper looked angry.
"Stark let them hurt you?" he growled. "He used to be your friend too!"
I nodded, not wanting to talk about it anymore.
"I can't worry about what Stark is up to, now that he's really out for my blood, knowing he might go after all of you. I'm sorry, Cooper. I know that things haven't been easy for you since I came into your life. But I promise you, Thor and his father are going to make sure all of you are somewhere safe until this is over and it's safe for you to come home."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. The All-Father, Thor's father, made a deal with me. In exchange for protecting you, I will join the Asgardian Guard. When this is over, I will spend a year in Asgard training."
"You did that for us?"
"I would do anything for my family, Cooper."
Cooper nodded and me. I signaled Dad and the others over. As I stood with Thor, Dad said goodbye to Cooper. It was heartbreaking to watch. Dad and Cooper had gotten really close when he had gone into retirement both times. Seeing him, getting ready to let his son go, not knowing when he'd be able to get him back, the pain of it made me want to find a way to end the war as fast as we could.
Stark's POV
Hill walked into my office. I had scotch in my hand.
"What are you doing, Stark? We need to find the Rogers, the Winter Soldier, and their resistance, and you're sitting here drinking?"
"In case you forgot, Hill, I lost my best friend because of this."
"I know that, Stark. Sophie Rogers murdered him because she is a criminal. One that we need to stop by any means necessary…"
"You don't get it, do you, Maria? You aren't out there doing a damn thing. It's me and my team doing all the dirty work. It's me and my team out there taking all the hits and losses. We've listened to you and where has it gotten us? Friend against friend, husband against wife… and for what? We're killing each other for this act and neither side is getting anywhere."
"You're drunk Stark."
"Sophie Rogers is a brilliant mind. She may be reckless when it comes to Bucky Barnes, but even before we took her into custody, she'd never hurt innocent bystanders. What if there is more to the story in the Sudan than we all know? What if she was telling the truth?"
"Do you really believe that the woman who just murdered your best friend in cold blood may have told you the truth about blowing up a village square?"
"I don't know what to believe anymore, Hill! Just get out of my damn office! I can't deal with you right now. I'm mourning my best friend."
Hill stormed out of my office, slamming the door behind her. A few minutes later, Reed came into my office.
"Any luck trying to recover any data from the War Machine armor?" I asked him.
"Tony, I'm sorry, but no. The voltage of electricity that was shot into the armor fried all the circuitry beyond repair. There is no way of recovering any of the data from the armor."
"Is there anything you can tell me?"
"I'm not sure that Sophie shot the electricity into the armor directly."
I sat up, curious about his theory. After Rhodey had died, I couldn't bring myself to be the one to do any work on his armor so I had asked Reed.
"What do you mean? What did you find?"
"Based on the damage to the armor, the electricity emanates from the point of impact from whatever pierced the armor, almost as if that was the conductor."
"Her arrows can't pierce the armor."
"Whatever pierced his armor, it was a strong material, obviously some kind of metal since it conducted the electricity, but it pierced not just the front of the armor, Tony. It went straight through it. There is an exit hole on the back of the armor. Neither arrows nor daggers, Sophie Rogers' weapons of choice, could have gone straight through the armor front to back."
"Were you able to find any traces of the metal?"
"No. That is another thing I found odd. Typically there would be some trace of the metal somewhere on the armor, most likely on the back of the armor, because any traces in the front would have been incinerated by the electricity. But I checked the armor thoroughly and there were absolutely no metallic traces that were not part of the War Machine armor itself."
"Did you test magnetism or radiation levels for any clues?"
"The results were inconclusive."
"What do you mean, inconclusive?"
"I mean, the readings didn't match anything we've seen before, Tony."
Bucky's POV
The alert on my phone went off to say someone entered the property. I went to the front of the house and found a guy who looked like he belonged at a bar in the driveway.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"I'm looking for Sophie. I have something for her," he replied, ignoring my question.
"I'm not going to ask you again. Who are you?"
"Listen, Bub, I'm here to see Sophie Holden. I don't know who you are, but you don't want any trouble with me."
I was getting ready to attack him when Sophie came out of the house.
"Logan? How did you find me?" she asked going over to the intruder.
He pointed to his nose and she laughed.
"I should have figured. Hiding out with you for a few days, it makes sense you'd have picked up my scent."
"I have a present for you, Kid," he said, handing her a duffle bag.
"Come on in, Logan."
"I don't think your attack dog wants me to."
"Sophie, who is this?" I asked.
"Bucky, this is Logan…"
"You mean Wolverine?" I asked, cutting her off.
"How the hell do you know who I am?"
"I helped you. A long time ago. Helped you escape the Weapon X program."
"Sorry, Bub, but my memories aren't that great."
"It's okay. Mine weren't until a little over a year ago either."
"Great, so you both know each other. Come on in, Logan," Sophie said.
Sophie led me and Logan into the house. Steve was coming up from the basement. He was surprised when he saw Sophie's friend.
"Wolverine. Long time, no see. Welcome. What can we do for you?"
"Nice to see you too, Cap," Logan replied.
Sophie held up the duffle bag.
"Logan brought me something," she said.
"Well, what is it?" I asked.
We all went into the living room together. She put the duffle bag down on the floor and opened it. She looked from the bag to Logan.
"Logan, is this?"
"Yeah, Kid. I figured I'd help you out. I thought it might cheer you up a bit after everything that's been going on," he said.
"Will you two fill the rest of us in on what's going on?" I asked.
"It's the adamantium I was looking to get. The last thing I needed to make a new arm for you, Bucky," Sophie said, excitement in her voice for the first time since before Rhodey's death.
"I thought you were going to use the vibranium," I replied.
"I wanted to use a vibranium/adamantium mix. It's the same mix Steve's shield is made of. Your new arm will be lightweight, versatile, and I will still be able to add in all the tech that I have in this one," she explained.
"Sophie, this arm is great. You don't have to make me a new one. This one is less than two years old."
"So Bub here gets new parts every couple of years?" Logan asked.
"I want to make sure that his arm can withstand anything, Logan. I don't want there to be any vulnerabilities that Stark can try to exploit. That's why I want to change the design. I was still working out of Stark's lab when I made the arm he has now. He knows the general idea of what the design is and what it can do."
"Good reason for an upgrade, Kid."
"So, Wolverine, how long are you gonna stay with us?" I asked.
"I wasn't planning on it," he replied.
"Would you mind staying for a bit though, Logan? I could use your expertise on adamantium and maybe you could help Steve and Bucky train the Secret Avengers? I don't have time to do it anymore. I'm always in the lab," Sophie asked.
"Listen Kid, I haven't been a team player in a while…"
"You're one of the best fighters I've ever met. Right up there with Bucky and Steve. I think you could be a real help. You don't have to stay for long, just long enough to give me time to work on the arm."
"I'll do it on one condition, Kid."
"What?"
"You get the fuck out of that lab and show me why you think I should help these guys train their team."
Sophie looked at her hands. The two of us hadn't trained together since before Rhodey died. She hadn't trained with Steve either. So it had been a while since she had trained with both of us together. I knew she wanted to make the new arm for me, but was she willing to pick up a weapon again?
"Wolverine, Sophie hasn't trained for a bit. She's been… distracted," Steve tried to explain.
"All the more reason for her to get off her ass, get out of her lab, and do some training," Wolverine replied.
Sophie sighed.
"Fine, Logan. Then you're spending the night and we'll do this tomorrow. I'm not doing this without preparations. I've been in the lab for weeks. You can stay in my old room. We'll show you, or it seems more like remind you, why I think you should help Steve and Bucky train the others in the morning."
"This should be good," Wolverine said with a smirk on his face.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to punch the smirk off his face or thank him for getting Sophie to agree to leave the lab.
Steve's POV:
When I woke up in the morning, I found Sophie sitting in the chair by the window. She had already showered and was dressed in clothes she could train in.
"Sophie?"
"What if I can't do this? I've been in the lab for so long, Steve."
"You need this. You're a warrior. We all know this. Me, Bucky, Clint, Thor, Odin, and apparently even Wolverine. I've been worried that you've been shutting yourself in your lab since the accident."
"I don't trust myself in battle right now, Steve. What if what happened with Rhodey happens again?"
"All the more reason to continue your training. So you make sure that it doesn't happen again," I started. "Sophie, what happened to Rhodey was a tragedy, it was horrible, but it was an accident. You weren't trying to kill him. You have to forgive yourself before something worse happens to someone on the team or to you."
There was a knock on the door and Clint came in.
"He's right, Sophie. Come on, come downstairs with me and have breakfast while Steve gets ready for this training session."
Sophie looked to me and I nodded at her. She got up and went with Clint as I got myself ready.
Clint's POV:
After Sophie, Steve, and Bucky got themselves ready for training, we all went out onto the lawn with Wolverine. As they were getting themselves armed, I could tell Sophie was hesitating. I walked over to her.
"What's wrong?" I asked her.
"What if something goes wrong, Dad? What if I hurt Steve or Bucky? They're both my family."
"Sophie, take a deep breath. The weight of the world isn't on your shoulders alone. This is a training exercise. You've done it a million times before. You and Bucky will heal before it's over. Steve will heal soon after. Just remember that you are in control of your movements, both with your body and your weapons. You can do this. I believe it's still in you to control your abilities and spar without being a danger. Hell, I think you could be in the field with me safely. I just haven't wanted to push you. You've had to grow up too fast as it is. What happened with Rhodey had a huge impact on you. I didn't want to push you to go back into the field before you were ready. Just know you're missed," I said as I gave her a kiss on the cheek.
Sophie took a deep breath and gave me a look of determination. After putting her bow and quiver on her back and her daggers in their holsters, she turned and walked away from me. I walked back over to Wolverine.
"So what should I expect from these three?" he asked me.
"Bucky trained Sophie as an assassin. Steve is a super-soldier, Bucky's best friend and Sophie's husband. They've brought him up to speed on their brutal training techniques since this war started. This is a no-holds barred sparring match. Get comfortable, it might go on for a bit."
"Why do you say that?"
"Sophie, even though she's so much younger and has much less experience, can hold her own with either of them. They'll probably spar to a draw in a couple of hours."
"Really? Even with them using really weapons? Nobody comes out on top?"
"Steve's beaten Sophie once. The first time he sparred with her. But once she started sparring with Bucky again, he hasn't been able to beat her since."
"We'll see about this stand-off."
The three combatants started their sparring session. Steve had his shield. Bucky and Sophie both had daggers in their hands, in addition to their holstered weapons. As the three of them started sparring, it was clear that Sophie was not only holding back, but it was difficult to keep up with the fray.
"She's holding back. Why?"
"She hasn't trained in weeks. Not since the incident where Rhodey died. She blames herself for it and the fact that her mother and siblings are somewhere in the galaxy under Asgardian protection until this war is over."
"She wasn't trying to kill him. She was scared of him. When he mentioned bringing her back to 42, I could smell her fear. What happened to Stark's lackey wasn't her fault. She tried to save him. It was too late."
"We've all tried to explain that to her. But Stark has had it out for her since the act went into effect because it was an explosion in the Sudan… A mission that she and Bucky were on that went wrong, that led to the registration act. She was arrested the first time while she was unconscious in the middle of the blast zone. We still don't know what he did to her while he had her. She won't tell us. We do know that she was pregnant and he knew it while she was at 42… And they tortured her so badly that she lost the baby.
"Since all of this has happened, Sophie, Steve, and Bucky were at the top of the most-wanted list. Sophie is the only one they've caught. The first time while she was unconscious. The second, they sent Deadpool after her while she went on a rescue mission for her brother and sister to save me from going because I had left the fight. Because her mother, Anya… she was the resistance doctor before being taken into Asgardian custody… she was sick and nearly died. She lost a kidney, her appendix, and our baby. Sophie took it hard because Anya asked her to operate on her instead of letting us take her to a hospital. She was worried about the precautions to keep Stark and his hound dogs off of us.
"Now, with what happened with Rhodey, things are worse than ever. She's only nineteen years old, been married for less than a year, already had a miscarriage, and to protect her mother and siblings, she's agreed to join the Asgardian Guard when this is over so Odin would protect our family," I said, finally looking away from Sophie, Steve, and Bucky, into Wolverine's eyes. "The kids who came to the X-Men for help with their powers, they almost always had a past, one with many horrors. She's not the same kid you apparently met years ago, Wolverine. Life has hardened her to cope with so much, but this war… I'm scared it might tear her apart beyond repair. I don't know how much more of this she can take."
"I'll get her to stop holding back," Wolverine said, running into the fray that was Steve, Sophie, and Bucky.
Sure enough, Sophie stopped holding back. Even she didn't like the idea of being sliced to ribbons with Wolverine's adamantium claws. The four of them started having a free-for-all, trying to see who could best the other. Sophie even started using her powers as the sparring match went on, opening portals to get away from opponents or using electricity to shock them, at least with Steve or Wolverine, anyway. She was still very careful about shocking Bucky with her abilities.
About an hour after they started sparring, Steve, Sophie, and Bucky combined their efforts to get Wolverine down. The guys were all laughing about the match when they were walking back over to me, but I could tell Sophie was still distracted, even though she was between Steve and Bucky, her two best friends. She didn't have the same joy on her face she used to after sparring. I was worried.
Stark's POV:
"Mr. Stark, I have an incoming video message for you from Sophie Rogers," said J.A.R.V.I.S.
I jumped up to my computer, knowing that J.A.R.V.I.S. wouldn't be able to block the transmission for long and that Sophie wouldn't keep the message going long enough for a trace.
"What do you want, Sophie? To brag about what you did to Rhodey?" I asked, looking at the girl I helped teach, who had killed my best friend.
She flinched at the words.
"No, Tony. I want to talk to you. In person. Just you and me."
"The Capsicle and his team are gonna let you do that?"
"They don't know I'm contacting you. Please, Tony. I've barely left my lab since what happened with Rhodey. It was an accident, and I want a chance to talk to you in person to tell you the truth about what happened. Regardless of what else has happened between us, you do deserve that closure. You gave my father the idea of trying to find my mother's body to give me closure. I want to give you the truth to give you closure."
"It won't bring Rhodey back Rogers!"
"No, it won't," she said quietly. "I wish that was within my power, but it's not. If it was, I would."
"How do you know I won't arrest you again?"
"Tony, if ever there was a time to just put aside this war, please do it now. You deserve to know the truth about what happened to Rhodey and I'm the only one who can tell you. You also know if you arrest me, I won't tell you anything, no matter what you do to me."
"Fine. When?"
"Tonight, after midnight so nobody notices me leaving. Meet me at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Pier 3, Greenway Terrace by the rocks at 1:30."
"Should I come unarmed?"
"I'm not gonna waste my time asking you to come unarmed when there are a million ways for you to hide weapons on you and I am a living weapon. Just meet me alone. Please Stark."
"See you then."
The video message ended and I set to work, knowing I only had a few hours to get the device together. I was going to meet Sophie Rogers alone, I just wasn't letting her walk away from that meeting. She was going back to jail… especially after killing my best friend. I picked up my cell phone while I started working to call the person I would need backing me up in 42.
Sophie's POV:
I was in my lab, putting the finishing touches on Bucky's new arm. Steve and Bucky came down to find out if I was going to bed yet.
"No. I'm almost done with Bucky's new arm. I wanna finish it tonight. When I finish it, I'll go to bed, guys."
"Are you sure Sophie?" Bucky asked. "The arm can wait another day."
"I'm sure. I'm good. You guys have had a long day. Get some rest. I'll be upstairs a little later."
Steve came over and gave me a kiss.
"Try not to stay up all night," he said to me.
"I will."
With that, Steve and Bucky left. I checked my watch. I had over an hour to get to the meeting point with Tony. As I ran a check on all the tech in Bucky's new arm to make sure it was operational, I took my portal frequencies off the alerts for the security system of our safe houses. When I was sure the tech was fully operational, I put Bucky's new arm in a locked closet and got myself ready to go see Tony. Being realistic about the possibility double-crossing me, I wrote letters to Dad, Steve, and Bucky, leaving them next to my computer, where I knew they'd look for me first if I didn't make it home. I couldn't leave them not knowing what happened to me if something went wrong.
Stark's POV:
I showed up to meet Sophie before she got there to make sure I had a chance to set up my trap. It had been set up for a few minutes before Sophie actually showed up. She opened a portal on the other side of the pier, as if she was checking to make sure that I had met her alone. When she was sure I was, she made her way over to me.
"Thank you for meeting me alone, Tony. I've wanted to talk to you since this happened, but I haven't known what to say to you. Nothing I can say will bring him back," she said to me.
"So what did you want to tell me Sophie?"
"It feels like forever ago, but you used to be my mentor, Tony. I respected you. You were my friend…"
"Then you blew up a village square, Sophie! Because you were being wreckless over Barnes!"
"I don't deny I blew that village square, Tony, and those deaths on are my hands and conscience for the rest of my life. But Bucky had started acting weird. He wasn't responding on the comms. He started getting violent when some guys approached him, telling him he was their property and they would remind him of that. They knew about his Winter Soldier programming. He freaked out. I blew cover to get him out, trying to stop anyone else from getting hurt, but I didn't know about the bombs, Tony, I swear it! If I had, I wouldn't have teleported! It would have meant a few more casualties, but saving the village square, but I would have found another way to stop Bucky! It wasn't until I got into the thick of it that I saw the bombs and realized what was going to happen. I got Bucky out of there because he couldn't be around anyone in the condition he was in, but I didn't even have enough time to get myself out. That's the only reason you were able to arrest me the first time."
"How can you tell me that you didn't know about the bombs, Sophie? With your affinity for tech and electricity?"
"I didn't have as strong an affinity to electricity back then. That, didn't happen until you ambushed Steve with Ragnorak at those peace talks. I didn't know the bombs were in the village square. If I had, why would I risk the possibility of killing both myself and Bucky by opening a portal? I had never been in a blast zone before. I didn't know if I could survive that. Honestly, when I pushed Bucky through that portal, I was pretty sure I was going to die. Why would I have risked that intentionally? It's illogical, Tony."
"And attacking those who are registered?"
"Tony, do you realize what you and your registration team are doing to anyone who doesn't believe in this law? You're willing to kill and maim former friends, take away their constitutional rights, go after their families, torture them, because they won't register," she said to me. "I don't know if it was you or Hill, or Natasha, but I know that the second time I was arrested, when Deadpool brought me in, one of you used my uncle to kidnap my brother and sister to try to get to Dad, me, and Steve. Cooper and Lila, Tony. Two kids who are still mourning the suicide of their mother. And, I know that my medical records from 42 told you that I was pregnant, but you still didn't stop having me tortured for information. Is this what that registration act stands for? Kidnapping innocent children? Torturing women into miscarriages? Attempting to kill registered superheroes who don't agree with the way the law is being enforced?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"I know about Spider-Man. I've talked to him. He told me what you did to him after he decided he couldn't help you enforce the law anymore. He's registered, Tony. He's within the letter of the law and not only did you attack him, but you sent two supervillains after him. Bucky saved him and got him to a safehouse," she replied. "Is this the man you want to be? The man who has turned to torturing the people who were once closest to you? You made me lose mine and Steve's unborn child, Tony. My mother was so scared of going to the hospital she nearly died because one of her kidneys died, she had appendicitis, and she had a miscarriage. I had to do surgery on her! I was terrified I was going to kill her because she wouldn't let us take her to the hospital. Doesn't any of this make you wonder if you're doing the right thing?"
"And you killed Rhodey, Sophie!"
"That was an accident! He went on the attack first, threatening to take me back to 42!"
"Then what happened, Sophie? Because it seems everything is an accident with you," I said sarcastically.
"I'm 19, Tony. I make mistakes. You made me miscarry. You're how old? And I know that wasn't a mistake. You were well aware of my pregnancy, even if I wasn't," she spat at me. "I have some new weapons. I threw one of them at Rhodey, trying to get some breathing room, to possibly just get out of there. But the weapon pierced the War Machine armor, front to back, Tony. When it made contact with the armor a bolt of lightning hit it as well."
She was crying.
"I wanted to save him. But he was already gone, Tony. So I left before you could send anyone to the last location you had him at to find me. Since then I stopped training members of our team. I've spent almost all of my time in my lab. I've essentially stopped training myself. I don't want this, Tony. I don't want this war. I don't want to fight or kill anyone that I once cared about. I hate this."
"The only way to end this is for you, Steve, and Barnes to turn yourselves in, Sophie."
She looked at me like I'd slapped her.
"So you can lock us up and throw away the keys? No, Tony."
"Then you leave me no choice, Sophie…"
I hit a button on my armor and my trap came to life… then exploded. Something had gone severely wrong. And I had no idea where Sophie Rogers was.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., connect me to Black Widow in 42."
"Yes, Sir."
A minute later, Natasha picked up her phone.
"What is it, Stark?"
"Did Sophie Rogers appear at the prison?"
"No. Did you spring your trap on her?"
"Yeah, and it exploded. Natasha, I don't know where or if Sophie Rogers is anymore."
"Are you telling me your device may have killed her?"
"I'm telling you that it's a decent probability. I'm not getting any scans of life or teleportation from where the device was set off."
"Stark, if Sophie Rogers is dead, you better be prepared for the fight of your life. Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, and Clint Barton will stop at nothing to see you stopped. Barnes and Barton will stop at nothing to see you dead. I can only do so much to help you there. Barton is my former partner and Barnes helped to train me. We may be in way over our heads."
Clint's POV:
I turned on the tv as I drank coffee from the coffee pot. There was a news bulletin on. Just as I was about to turn the tv off, I heard the name Sophie Rogers. I put the volume up.
"Once again, Sophie Rogers, fugitive superhuman wife of fugitive and leader of the superhuman resistance, Captain America, Steve Rogers, is believed to be dead. After a meeting between Mrs. Rogers and Tony Stark late last night took a turn to Mr. Stark trying to arrest Mrs. Rogers, Mr. Stark says the situation devolved and Sophie Rogers is believed to be dead. No body has been recovered at this time. What does this mean for the Superhuman Registration Act? What does this mean for the already tense relationship for the superhumans that are against this act towards Mr. Stark and his fellow registration-supporters?"
My legs gave out on me. Sophie might be dead?
"Steve! Bucky! Get down here!"
Within a minute, both men were in the living room, hearing the same report I just had.
"Steve, tell me my daughter is upstairs in bed?" I asked desperately.
Steve wasn't speaking. He looked as broken as I felt. Bucky looked homicidal. I got up and ran to her lab, Steve and Bucky close behind me. When we got there, we each found a letter. I opened mine.
Dad,
I know you would never have let me do this, which is why I'm doing it without telling anyone. I'm going to meet Tony Stark tonight at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Even though I can never trust him again, he was once my mentor, the man who gave you the idea of finding mom's body to give me closure over her death. It lead to you being able to give me my mother back. He deserves to know the truth about what happened to Rhodey. I'm the only one who can give him that.
If I'm not back by morning, it means Stark double-crossed me and I am likely back in 42. I will find a way out as soon as I can. I have my sword with me, the one weapon that, even in 42, they cannot take from me. I'm sorry I left without telling anyone, but I didn't want anyone stopping me. I love you.
Love,
Sophie
"She went to meet Stark without telling us…" I started, then remembered her saying she might be in 42. "We need Victor. We need him to hack into the records for 42 to find out if she's really there and Stark is just lying to the media."
Bucky disappeared, reappearing moments later. Victor went right to the computer. After a few minutes he turned to us.
"I'm sorry. She's not in 42," he said, making my world crash.
Sophie's POV:
I was trying to figure out what happened to me. I remembered Stark's device, which I guessed was to send me back to 42, malfunctioned and blew up. But I wasn't in 42, I wasn't home. I wasn't sure where the fuck I was. It was somewhere in NY.
Not sure what else to do, I watched what was going on. I wound up at the library. That's when I realized what happened. When Stark's machine blew up I must've teleported. Only I didn't teleport from one place to another, I'd teleported from one time to another. As I watched what was going on, I watched my younger self leaving the library with Cyclops and Storm… the day I was first brought to meet Professor Xavier. And I had no idea how to time travel back to where I should be.
"Fucking Stark!" I mumbled my frustration under my breath.