The Ghost [Marvel | Steve Rogers]

Chapter 52

"I'm not leaving my daughter alone, Rogers."

"She won't be alone," the Captain countered, impatience beginning to bleed into his controlled tone. "There are S.H.I.E.L.D. agents here who can keep an eye on her. But we need someone capable—" Nina's attention turned fully to the Avenger, indignation fuelling her temper now. She had helped him! He'd even admitted she was capable of looking after herself!

"—I don't need a babysitter!" she snapped out, glaring at both of them as she interrupted the Captain, "I can take care of myself—" Her mom bit back an aggravated groan, her eyes slipping back to the young blonde.

"Nina—"

"She'll be fine, Ryker," The Captain broke in. Nina glanced warily to him, but was surprised at the way he was looking at her. There was no mistaking the approval in his ocean-blue eyes, or the flicker of fondness there. It reminded her of the affectionate looks Black Widow had given her back in the cell Ultron had locked them in. Bewilderment fluttered in her chest, cutting through her aggravation at being treated like a child. When it'd been coming from Natasha, she could understand that sort of expression; the woman was apparently her Aunt in all but blood, after all. But the Captain? While her action against the sentry hadn't been anywhere near spectacular enough to be considered 'life-saving', it had certainly helped him out of a tight spot. Could that be it? Or had he maybe seen her handling of the sentry that she had distracted from the old man and his granddaughters? Something deep in Nina's gut disagreed, her instincts whispering that it was something else. Even her mother looked faintly perplexed, her brow furrowing slightly as her grey eyes grew wary and thoughtful.

But all of a sudden her mom was turning, grabbing an assault rifle from the astonished hands of a Sokovian policeman as he rushed by. Before Nina could even blink she was being pushed behind Nadine as the older blonde opened fire. Nina jerked at the move, only barely swinging her gaze around in time to see her mom's well-placed bullets take out three—three—of Ultron's sentries before Nina could even draw breath enough to cry out. She could only look to her mother in awe, watching, speechless, as the rifle dropped from Nadine's shoulder and she went to shove it back into the equally awestruck officer's empty hands. Nadine's eyes narrowed as the Sokovian man merely shook his head, gesturing that she should keep it. Next to them, Captain Rogers seemed like he was only barely holding back a chuckle of amusement, his lip twitching.

"You know what you're doing," he pointed out wryly, earning another scathing glance from Nadine as she silently demanded the officer hand over the rest of his spare ammo.

"Fine," she bit out. But then her turned her forceful gaze back to Nina. Instinctively Nina winced at the look. "But you're getting on that boat," Nadine ordered, unmoved by Nina's conviction only moments before. Nina was severely tempted to pout, her jaw clenching as she glared up at her mom. But one thing Nina had learned having been raised by the woman staring back at her, was how to pick her battles. There would be no changing Nadine's mind on this. And in this? Well, like she'd realized earlier:

There were more important things at stake.

In this instance? Her pride could take a back seat. It didn't mean she was happy about it, of course, but she knew fighting her mom on this would be pointless and a waste of everyone's time. So, still fuming silently, she obeyed, turning and joining the crowd streaming toward the lifeboat. Already one of the two that had latched on to the side of the city had pulled away, emptied its passengers onto the Helicarrier and was making its way back to the city's edge. As Nina reached the bridge with the steadily thinning crowd, it was settling against the cliff-like edge of the city with a clanking groan.

As the people ahead of her filed onto the boat, she turned, looking out over the nearly deserted city square. Somewhere out there, beyond the buildings lining the square, her mom was doing a sweep for civilian stragglers and the Avengers were facing off against more of Ultron's sentries. Overhead a flying figure soared through the sky, reminding Nina of Iron Man despite the marked difference in colour. Meanwhile, the last few civilians left in the city were filing quickly through the scattered cars and remnants of the Ultron sentries the Avengers had neutralized, the air falling silent save for the quiet hum of people on the lifeboat behind her. Even the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents directing the people onto the boats seemed to be speaking in more or less hushed tones. It was eerie, and part of Nina truly couldn't wait to leave the battle-torn city far behind her.