Just A Normal Kid

Chapter 15

Rosie leaned back in her chair after the call with the Captain, contemplating the situation. As much as she hoped for the best, Rosie knew that Cap wouldn't be able to stay objective when the Winter Soldier was concerned, and nor could she expect him to. 

The poor guy had ended up seventy years in the future, surrounded by strangers and unfamiliar surroundings. It was a miracle he hadn't had a breakdown when he found out about HYDRA having infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D, but this new revelation about Bucky Barnes was a much bigger emotional upheaval.

As much as she wanted to help the man, now was not the time. 

The lives of the people on SHIELD's database was a much more pressing issue. Thankfully, she'd been able to connect with J.A.R.V.I.S and his considerable processing power had been a boon. Together, she and the two AI's were making impressive headway in the SHIELD/HYDRA database. 

Unfortunately, it seemed as if it was going to be only the three of them on the issue. Tony and Pepper were halfway across the world, setting up a new branch of SI in Hong Kong, while her dad was somewhere in the Middle East on radio silence for the next week. She had no secure way of reaching either of them, nor would they be able to get back before Insight launched.

Suzanne had gone to make some coffee for the two of them and left the T.V switched on to a news channel. Both of them knew that if anything major happened, it would definitely be reported on T.V.

They were right.

The weather report was interrupted by breaking news about several explosions on a highway. 

"-Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America is seen getting arrested in this clip, along with a woman suspected to be fellow Avenger Black Widow and an unidentified third companion. Local law enforcement denies involvement, so who are the people in black seen handcuffing the hero? Aerial footage shows evidence of a firefight with dozens of cars and two buses destroyed. Emergency paramedics have confirmed that no lives were lost as the red-headed woman with the captain moved bystanders away from the action before two major explosions. Minimal structural damage was caused-"

Shit. They had to get out of the house.

Rosie raced downstairs, startling Suzanne who spilt the cups of coffee she was holding. "HYDRA caught up with the three of them," she snapped out. "The arrest was on the news. We have to get out of here right now!"

"Right. You get the tech, I'll get everything else. Meet you at the door in ten minutes."

Rosie did her best to cram the tech she was using into two backpacks, grabbing her purse, her credit cards and the two photostatic veils that Natasha had left behind for them. Suzanne had a packed duffel bag near the door and was just pulling a pistol out of a drawer when there was a knock on the back door. 

Rosie exchanged a nervous glance with her friend who tightened her grip around the gun and took a deep breath, nodding. Rosie grabbed the sharpest knife she could find in the kitchen and followed Suzanne to the back door. Flinging it open, she lashed out at the person who was standing there, pinning them against the wall with the knife at their throat.

She could feel Suzanne behind her, pointing the gun at the woman's head. "What do you want?"

The woman she had pinned to the wall - who seemed to be alone - held up her hands in surrender. "I'm not here to hurt you. I am an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D."

"And I know what S.H.I.E.L.D is. You have to come up with something better," Rosie snarled, pressing the knife closer to the woman's neck.

The woman looked her in the eye and said, "Aunt Tasha is looking forward to a farm holiday. Bird-watching sounds rather interesting." Hearing one of the code phrases that Natasha and she had decided on, Rosie loosened her grip slightly. "My name is Maria Hill, and I am here to get the two of you to a safe house. We have to get moving before anyone else shows up."