Author's Note: Here we are at the last chapter! How bittersweet, but I promise that Aspen and Steve's journey will continue. Please check out A Game of War. I think it's my favorite out of all the fan fictions I've written; I've worked really hard on it. Also check out Agent Tolvar which fills in the time between A Game of Enemies and A Game of Winter. It will include a story line that follows their mission as they look into what happened to Wagner and who the Baron is. It will also include little shorts that are just like bonus chapters. One of those shorts is when Steve and Aspen meet for the first time from his point of view. It'll be kind of a slow project that I fill in over time. Just a little snippet here and there to keep you going. I'll probably start posting A Game of Winter before I finish Agent Tolvar but that one is set a few years later, so I'll leave little hints in there that will be shown further in Agent Tolvar.

Alright, one more hint. This doesn't have to do with A Game of War or A Game of Winter but I'm really excited about this as a future project, so I just have to share with you. I started another (good grief, another?) Steve fanfic. This one is going to involve a girl who has had a similar situation to Bucky. It starts out in Stalingrad during WWII and follows her life as she is taken by Nazis and eventually trained to be an assassin and brainwashed. The story will go back and forth between her flashbacks as she starts to remember her past and Steve and Natasha interrogating her. (She'll be out of her time too like Steve and Bucky.) I have the prologue done, and it's pretty intense. I'm really diving into her character and the emotions and trauma. I want to really challenge myself with this story, and really challenge Steve with this character - get a little grittier and darker. I have no idea when I will start posting this. It's probably one of those projects I'll pick at until I have the time to fully write in it. I just had to start it. I couldn't not start it. Maybe I'll post some teasers along the way as I post my next story.

So before I end my really long note here, I want to take the chance to thank you guys for reading my stories. It means so much to me! A Game of Trust has over 110 favorites now which is so amazing! When I first posted it on here, I was so afraid no one would like it, but I guess I did okay. :) This one has a little catching up to do, but just the fact that I have readers is enough for me. So thank you again. Thank you for all the reviews which make my day!

I hope you enjoy, and remember to check my profile for updates on my stories! Also if you want to follow my tumblr which has lots of Steve, I'm Ivorysword there too. :)

33 – The Soul Stone – June 28th, 2012

The artifact floor was a familiar place where she had often worked. She entered a large workroom where she had sensed the Stone. She looked around, furrowing her brow in confusion. She could no longer sense it. She found the table where Wagner's artifacts were laid out but there was no Stone. She shut her eyes and concentrated. It was like following a breadcrumb trail. She could sense that the energy had been here, but it was gone. She spent another precious minute searching, but to no avail. She wanted to scream in frustration. She was wasting time. Then she sensed the pull of the Stone, far away but persistent. She concentrated, narrowing her focus so that she could only read that energy. She could feel it nine stories below her feet in the basement where artifacts were stored. She swore loudly. She had been following a stale trail. She cursed her inability to use her powers. The other half of the Soul Stone was in storage below her. And she'd told Steve to meet her here. She scrawled a hasty note on a pad of paper on the table.

Not here. In storage in basement.

She ran back to the elevator and pressed the basement button. The elevator lurched into motion, carrying her swiftly down. It had been five minutes since she had left Zemo unconscious. She tapped her foot anxiously on the floor as the elevator took her down. When it finally shuddered to a stop and the doors opened she lunged out. She was reminded of the time when the Chitauri had invaded SHIELD headquarters. She still vividly remembered the battle that had ensued. She followed her instincts down the rows until she found the correct one. The box seemed to glow with the energy though she knew only she would be able to see it. She had just reached a hand toward the box when the lights went out. Aspen started, her breath quickening. Not ten minutes. Zemo was already awake and coming for her. He must have noticed the Stone was missing and guessed her intentions. Then she heard the elevator go back up as it was called. Panic set in, and she pushed it back, reaching for the right box – still glowing – and unlocking it quickly with her scan card. She grabbed the Soul Stone and pressed it with trembling hands to the other half. They seared together before her eyes forming a round stone. It fit perfectly in her fist, and she clenched her hand around it.

The elevator was now rumbling back down. She made for the stairs at the other end of the room, walking on silent feet just the way Clint had trained her. She had gone halfway across the room when the elevator doors slid open. Her senses were on high alert, and she could hear the shallow breathing of someone. Then footsteps. Whoever was walking into the dark room wasn't trying to be quiet. It had to be Zemo. Aspen could sense fear and realized it was her own. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled before moving softly toward the staircase. She was nearly to the stairs when she realized this was the perfect opportunity to release Barney from Zemo's hold. It was dark and, yes, frightening, but she knew how to get around in the dark. He might be light on his feet, but Zemo didn't know this room like she did. After all the hours she'd spent down here cataloguing items, she knew every inch. Of course she didn't have the injection to make Barney's pulse slow. The Stone alone might not work. She reached for the door. If she could just find Steve, maybe he would have the injection. He hand rested on the door. She tried the handle. It wouldn't budge. She tried it again and it rattled a little. The footsteps paused, and she knew Zemo had heard.

Aspen almost went into panic mode, but she forced her mind to calm down and judge how far away he was. He was walking quietly now. She could hardly hear him no matter how hard she strained her ears. She moved to the left, skirting around a worktable. The darkness pressed in on her. She felt as if she should be able to see in the dark. Something in her brain should make that possible. Again her frustrations rose at her lack of ability to use her brain properly. She'd almost be better off without it. Without thinking, she snapped the cuff back on her wrist and everything faded back to normal. Now she knew her limits, her abilities. It was blissfully quiet in her head, and she focused on finding Zemo.

It occurred to her too late that Zemo had Barney's enhanced abilities. Aspen could only hear and see as well as the next human. Something shifted behind her, and she jumped, accidently knocking into an object that clattered to the floor. She lunged between one of the aisles as something hard struck where she had been standing.

"I can hear you bumbling around," Zemo's voice said a few feet away. Aspen backed up as quickly and silently as she could, clutching the stone in her hand. Zemo moved away, and she could hear his shoes once more. He wasn't bothering to hide himself. Aspen looked around and found herself looking up at the vague outline of the shelves. Zemo wouldn't be expecting her to come at him from above. She braced herself and began to climb, using the drawer handles as foot and hand holds. It was a long and slow process, but she made it to the top some five feet above Zemo's head. She realized she couldn't see him and the chances of her hitting the floor when she jumped were pretty high. She scanned the darkness and saw a flicker of movement below. There was a quiet buzzing, and the movement froze. Then a stroke of luck hit Aspen as Zemo pulled out a cell phone, the bright screen illuminating his face and outline in the darkness. He clucked his tongue.

"I've got somewhere to be. You're making this difficult. I'm going to kill you and your Captain in the end. Why drag it out?"

Aspen wasn't paying attention to his words. Instead she was readying herself to jump. As he moved to stow his phone away, Aspen dropped. She hit his shoulders, knocking him to the ground. She quickly rolled off of him and pushed him over, pressing the Soul Stone to his heart. Zemo's face was still illuminated in the light of his phone which lay cracked a foot away. He laughed, lying back as Aspen pressed the Stone into the front of his shirt.

"You really think that's going to work?" he asked. "Once I'm in my vessel, I can't be forced out. Not by some girl and a magical stone."

Aspen felt a jolt at his words. Then Zemo sat up and knocked his head into hers so quickly that she fell flat on her back, vision blurring in pain. The Stone was still clutched firmly in her hand. It glowed weakly. Zemo stood over her, eyes cold and cruel. "It does surprise me that the Captain would chose someone so…weak and human as you but then again perhaps it appeals to his patriotism, his never-failing desire to do what's right. You remind him of all the weak people he strives to protect. Don't you see though? You will never be like him or like me. You are so utterly human, so utterly mortal and plain. I could crush you under my boot like an insect and you couldn't do anything about it."

"Then clearly you don't know me. Haven't you been paying attention?" Aspen asked. "I always keep fighting no matter who knocks me down or how many times."

"Foolish. Poor judgment. I can see why he pities you." He put a boot on Aspen's neck, pressing on the bruises. She grappled against it. "He'll be better off without you just as the world will be better off without him."

"Don't count on it."

Arms reached around Zemo, pulling him off of Aspen, and a syringe was jabbed into his neck. Zemo reached around to pull the syringe out, but the injection had already been shot into his bloodstream. He wobbled on his feet and fell to his knees before his eyes fluttered shut and he fell to the floor.

"Aspen, are you alright?" Steve knelt next to her, putting a hand on her back and helping her sit up.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Good timing." She looked over at Barney's body. "The injection should be slowing his heart. We just have to hope Zemo jumps ship before his vessel dies – or at least shows the symptoms of dying." She crawled over and pushed Barney so that he was lying on his back. She noted the scar on his face that ran across his jaw. He looked weary, and Aspen realized just how much he'd been through since he and Clint were children. First the abuse, then the death of their parents. Serving in the Army and joining the FBI. And then the brainwashing and the stealing and murdering… He deserved to be rid of this evil in him. She pressed the Stone to his heart and waited.

The wait was long, and Aspen was terrified it wasn't going to work. Footsteps on the stairs alerted them that someone was approaching. The door rattled and someone cursed before kicking in the door.

"Aspen? Steve?" It was Clint.

"Over here."

They heard more cursing as Clint made his way over to them. He pulled out his own phone to light the way. "What the hell happened to the lights?" he asked.

"Zemo."

"Barney?" Clint knelt down next to him. "What's wrong with him? Don't tell me he's-"

"He's not dead. We gave him an injection that slows his pulse. We're hoping that Zemo will leave the vessel if he thinks it's dying. The Stone will collect and trap his soul."

Clint's face was pale and a cut ran along his face. Aspen took his hand, and he held onto it tightly. "How long should it take?" he asked.

"I don't know. I'm not sure it's going to work."

Clint tensed. "What do we do if it doesn't work?" There was a vulnerability to his voice that Aspen rarely heard.

"I don't know."

"I know what an agent would do."

"We're not killing him," Aspen assured him. "Never that. We'll find another way." Clint nodded wordlessly. They continued the tense wait in silence.

Then the Stone began to glow. Barney's body seemed to lift up, and Aspen felt the Stone grow warm under her palm. She held on as the light grew brighter and brighter until they were all squinting. Then there was a high-pitched sound like someone screaming. Aspen gritted her teeth against it. It was a devastating, dying sort of sound that cut to her soul. Then the light died as quickly as it had started, and Barney slumped to the floor.

"Did it work?" Clint asked breathlessly.

"I think so." Aspen felt Barney's pulse.

"Your mom gave me an antidote to quicken his heart again," Steve said, pulling out a second injection. Aspen watched as he injected Barney. The Stone was still warm under her fingers and the dim light seemed to swirl within it.

Barney stirred next to them, and Clint let out a breath he had been holding. "Barney?" His brother opened his eyes and looked around dazedly. His eyes were grey once more no longer holding the evil they had when Zemo was in possession.

"My head," he said gruffly, putting a hand to his temple. "What happened? One minute I was talking to you, the next I just felt this overwhelming pressure in my head and everything went black."

"Zemo took over your mind using this Stone," Aspen told him.

"Zemo? Where is he now? Did you get him out?" His eyes were wide in shock.

"Yeah, he's in here. His soul anyway." They all looked down at the glowing Stone. Suddenly the lights flickered on overhead. "I think I know of a good place for this." Aspen stood and walked over to the drawer she had found half of the Stone in earlier. She opened it and put the stone inside before shutting the drawer. "These drawers are designed to keep things in," she told them. "I don't think he has a way to get out without his body."

Clint and Steve helped Barney to his feet and they all stood, catching their breath. "Welcome back," Clint said, clapping his brother on the shoulder.

Aspen simply slumped against Steve. "Let's not come in tomorrow," she said with a prolonged sigh.

…

"You saved a lot of lives two days ago, Agent Tolvar," Fury said surveying her from where he sat behind his desk. "You too Rogers. How are those wounds healing up?"

"Fine, sir," Steve said. He was a quick healer thanks to the serum, but Aspen had forced him to take it easy the last few days. They were all suffering the after effects of Zemo's onslaught.

"I take it you've been in contact with Barton. How is his brother?"

"Doing well, sir. Trying to remember. Clint told me you gave him a leave. He's taking a road trip with Barney. Now that Zemo's gone, no one is after us."

"I felt like he could use some time."

"He also said you offered Barney a job."

"He's got a skillset that could be useful. And he's loyal to his brother now that he has his memories back."

"I think it's a good idea."

"Speaking of job offers, there's something I wanted to run by you and Captain Rogers." He surveyed them with his good eye. "How do you feel about moving to DC? There are two upper level positions available there if you're interested. We could use agents like you at the Triskellion Headquarters. You're both capable agents and have proved yourselves over and over."

Aspen looked at Steve whose eyes were distant in thought. "Can we think about it?" she asked.

"Of course. Take your time. You both proved that you can handle yourselves in dangerous and unexpected situations with minimal casualties. There's no use holding you back when you have so much potential." He turned his eye to Aspen who was still trying to wrap her mind around the offer in DC and the promise of a higher level waiting. "I had something else I wanted to ask. I know that you used your…abilities during the situation. How did that go?" Fury asked.

"Not well. I had no idea what I was doing. I just can't grasp this ability because I have no idea what I can do."

"What if you had the proper training?"

"I'm the only one in the world with this…affliction. I don't think anyone can help me."

"Just because no one else has full access to their brains doesn't mean there aren't specialists out there who could help you understand what you're capable of. There's a psychologist in DC in our employment. She's very knowledgeable and followed your parents' work closely. I believe she could help you learn to control your abilities if you were willing to try."

"I'd have to think about it." Aspen's fingers automatically moved to the cuff around her wrist.

"Give it a few days and let me know. So far your training has been sporadic at best. In DC you would focus on training and missions and try to avoid distractions. One more thing. During the fiasco the power to the prison block was knocked out, and Wagner managed to get out."

"He's gone?" Aspen asked.

"Not quite. We took the liberty of injecting a tracking device under his skin without his knowledge. We were deliberating whether or not to let him go."

"You think he'll lead us to whoever was behind all this? Whoever he's working for?"

"He'll go scurrying back. I know his kind."

"Sir, I'd like to see this finished."

"I know. This will be your mission once Wagner leads us to his employer."

"Thank you, sir," Aspen said. She and Steve stood.

"I look forward to hearing your decision," Fury told them.

Aspen's head was buzzing as they left Fury's office. Steve was quiet and thoughtful. "There's someone I want to talk to," Aspen told Steve. "And then we can go home and think things through."

"Of course."

Aspen left him, making her way down to where the recruits trained. She saw Lucy at the edge of the room away from the other young agents. She saw Aspen and waved. The other agents in her class looked over at Aspen, eyes widening in recognition. Aspen was still unsettled by how much they seemed to know about her. Lucy walked over. Her head was looking much better, and she beamed as she reached Aspen.

"Hey!"

"Hey yourself."

"What brings you here?" Lucy asked. The other agents were whispering curiously, but Lucy ignored them.

"I was hoping to talk to you. If you have the time."

"Yeah, of course." Lucy walked with her out into the hall. "What's up?"

"Fury asked Steve and me to move to DC to work there."

"That's great! Isn't it?" Lucy gave her a quizzical look. Today she was wearing thick-framed glasses that made her brown eyes look larger.

"Why did you want to become an agent?" Aspen asked Lucy.

The girl thought for a moment. "Well, I always looked up to Aunt Maria, and I've always wanted to make a difference in the world. There never really was anything else I wanted to do. This just felt right."

"For the longest time I just wanted a normal life," Aspen told her. "But somewhere along the line this became normal."

"Something's bothering you," Lucy said. "Other than DC. I can tell."

Aspen deliberated before plunging ahead. "In Iceland I was injected with a Superhero Serum developed by my parents," she told Lucy, opting for the whole truth. "It gave me the ability to use all of my brain. At first it was incredible but then it just got to be too much. I hated it. So I found a way to cut it off." She indicated the cuff. "But I used my powers the other day to get information out of one of the prisoners. I…entered his mind. It was painful and intrusive, and I felt sick afterwards. It didn't matter that he was a bad person. It was still a violation. Now Fury thinks my abilities could turn me into a really good agent. I think he's right, but I'm afraid. He says there's someone who can train me to use this…gift…curse…whatever it is. I know what Steve will say. He'll tell me I should do what feels right to me. Not let anyone pressure me into anything. But I know I could do a whole lot of good if I learned to use it."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Lucy asked.

"I'm sorry I'm unloading all of this on you. It isn't fair." Aspen regretted passing on her worries.

"No, no, I want to help. I was just wondering why you picked me to talk to."

"Why not? I don't really have any friends to talk to about this."

"Of course you have friends. You just don't realize it. This power of yours, do you want to learn how to control it?"

Aspen nodded. "I do. I really do. But I'm also afraid."

"Of what?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know what to expect. It's so overwhelming, and I'm not sure I want that kind of power. I do want to help people though."

"It's your choice whether or not you want to use it so it should be your choice of how you want to use it too."

"I just don't want to ever get inside someone's mind like that again," she said.

"Then don't. No one is going to force you."

Aspen sighed. "Why am I so bad at making decisions?" she asked.

"Maybe because you've lived a tough life – from what I've heard. You don't want to make any choices that are going to make you unhappy. So you need to focus on what makes you happy. What does make you happy?" she asked.

"Steve," Aspen answered at once. She blushed a little at Lucy's grin.

"And what does he think of all this?"

"I'm not sure. We haven't discussed it yet."

"Then you should be talking to him, not me!" Lucy chided her.

"I know, I know. I felt nervous about it for some reason. I just wanted to talk to someone who wasn't directly involved."

"Go talk to him," Lucy told her, giving her a little nudge. "I have a feeling you are what makes him most happy in this world so whatever decision you two make, if you make it together, then it's the right choice."

"How did you get so wise?" Aspen asked the girl in surprise.

"Oh, you know, life experience, a few mistakes along the way, a few successes. Let me know how it goes, okay?" Aspen nodded and they exchanged numbers. When Aspen left Lucy to return to her training, she was feeling so much lighter. Now it was time to talk to Steve.

…

"New York is your home," Aspen told Steve as he drove them home.

"Yeah, well, I grew up here, but I'm not overly attached to it," he replied. "It holds good memories and bad memories. Sometimes new starts are a good thing."

"You think we should accept?"

He glanced at her. "What do you want, Pen?"

"I don't know what I want. New York has been my home for a year, but like you said there are good memories and bad. I like new starts too. I like the sound of training and going on missions like we were supposed to do. It's just been so hectic here. Maybe a new start is just what we need to be normal – well, as normal as people like us can be."

"So you want to do it?" he asked with a smile.

"I think I want to do it." She found herself grinning. In the last few weeks she had been shot, beaten up, watched Clint go through the pain of seeing his brainwashed brother and her boyfriend get shot and beaten up. She'd been to Paris, Austria, and had faced one of Steve's oldest enemies. She wasn't sure she could keep that up kind of lifestyle anymore.

"We can share an apartment," Steve said. "If you want to, of course."

"Of course I do," Aspen said, and she couldn't help the grin that followed. "I wonder what level he'll raise us to? I feel like I haven't done enough to merit that."

"I'm not sure why he's raising mine either."

"Umm, because you're Captain America?" Aspen said, giving him a playful shove. "I think that automatically gets you pretty high. I think Fury's hoping I give into the Serum and use it if he promotes me. I suppose that would make me a pretty good agent if I learned how to control it."

"You're already a good agent, but I could see how that might help. Of course that choice is up to you. I remember how you first felt when you started experiencing the effects of the serum. You put that cuff on your wrist for a reason."

Aspen was quiet for a moment. "I used to want it out of me so badly. I wanted to be normal again. I do still, but I had never considered before that there might be a way of controlling it. Learning how to use it. Wagner said there was something much worse coming. When it does come, I want to be ready."

Steve placed a hand over hers. "When it comes," he said. "We'll be ready."