Earth's Mightiest Heroes

It's Not Your Fault

I snuck up to the door. Fennhoff and the woman were in the room.

"Signal is holding strong," Howard's voice came through the radio, "Changing course to bearing 2-6-9."

"Focus, Howard," Fennhoff said, "You're doing very well."

"Hands up," I snapped aiming the gun at them, "Ah, ah, ah, ah. Lose the gun." The woman dropped the gun she was pulling out. "Move away from the radio slowly," I told Fennhoff. He pushed away from the desk and the radio.

"Captain," Fennhoff drawled, "This is highly unnecessary."

"Is it?" I asked.

Fennhoff smiled and started twisting his ring. "Focus," he drawled, "What would your dear husband think about you doing this? Tell me, Kennedy, what would your life be like if he hadn't died?"

I froze, "We'd be living in Brooklyn. Our own apartment, maybe a house. Have a couple of kids."

"Good, focus on that."

I really wanted to focus on what he was telling me to focus on, but in the back of my mind I knew it wasn't possible. Steve was dead and I was never going to have any of that. I was never going to have a family.

"My husband is dead," I said calmly, "You need to shut the hell up."

He only smirked, "Everyone resists at first."

"Maybe, but I'm not everyone. I've come to accept the fact that he's dead. I'm also the one with the gun."

"Very well," he said. That was when the woman went to punch me but I blocked it and flipped her over. She was quick on her feet but so was I. I shoved her into a wall and leapt back at Fennhoff. I took the radio from him.

"Howard!" I yelled, "Howard, it isn't real!"

Fennhoff moved toward the door. I went to go after him but I was tackled.

"Go," the woman told him. She grinned as she pushed herself up, "I used to be so jealous of girls like you. I would have done anything to walk like you, to talk like you. But now I can be anybody I want. Oh, I have a great idea. Maybe I'll be Captain America next. What do you think of that?" She grabbed a bat and swung down at me. I put the shield up to block it. The sound of metal on Vibranium rang out. I kicked her back.

"I thought you'd be better," I said before I kicked her out the window. I ran back to the radio. "Howard, its Kennedy."

"Kennedy!" he exclaimed, "I found his signal! I'm almost there."

"Whose signal, Howard?"

"Bucky's."

I swallowed back tears, "No, you must listen to me."

"I'm gonna bring him home, Kennedy."

"Fennhoff has put this fantasy in your mind. He's trying to get you to deploy the gas over civilians."

"Don't worry about that. There are no civilians where I am."

"Howard, turn the plane around. Come back, and we'll talk about it."

"I can't do that. Done talking."

"No, wait," I choked out.

"Mrs. Rogers?" came Mr. Jarvis's voice through the other radio, "Mrs. Rogers, I have Mr. Stark's plane in my sights. We are one mile from land. Mrs. Rogers, should I take the shot? Mrs. Rogers! Mrs. Rogers! Can you hear me?! Captain! Please! Answer me!"

"No, I need more time," I respond.

"We don't have more time!"

"Do not take the shot until I tell you, Mr. Jarvis," I told him. I turned my attention back to Howard, "Howard. Howard, Bucky's gone. He died over a year ago."