•••
"She's prepared for this kind of situation," Natasha said, arms crossed over to her chest. "They prepare us for that in the Red Room,"
"What do we do?" Sam asked Steve. "She clearly has no intention to tell us anything. It's like talking to a wall,"
"I know," Steve admitted. "But we need to find a way to make her cooperate. I must find a way to reach out to her,"
"It may be impossible," Bucky suddenly said, catching the attention of everyone.
"Don't be so pessimistic," Sam complained.
"After they realized I started regaining my memories," Bucky continued, ignoring Sam's comment. "I wouldn't be surprised they found a way to prevent that from happening to her,"
"It's a possibility," Natasha agreed. "She wasn't in the US when the events in Washington happened. In months, they could have found something to control her mind,"
"Then we need to find what," Steve said. "Until then, we need to find a way to touch the real Ellie,"
"We surely need to find what she's here for," Natasha pointed out.
"She's not alone," Sam said. "Just before she tried to escape, she was talking to someone through her ear device,"
"She must be the one who stole the atomic bomb, who killed the guards, and who killed Stanford," Natasha said. "And from what Barnes told us, she killed the police officer too. Steve," she called, in a serious tone.
"This is different than with Barnes," Natasha said. "I know she's your sister, but HYDRA indoctrination seemed to be imprinted in her head. Do you really think you can reach out to her?"
"I have to, Nat," Steve said. "She's my sister. I cannot let her down,"
Natasha stared at him a moment before nodding okay. She trusted him.
"Okay," she said. "Sam and I will keep looking for what she's on. You, go talk to her,"
"Thank you," Steve smiled as he stood up to leave for the cells department of the tower.
Bucky, on the other hand, left for the bar and resting room. He was feeling uncomfortable and out of place with all of them. It was quite weird to him even be allowed in the Avengers Tower knowing he tried to kill them all months ago. But Steve behaved nothing happened, just like Natasha. Only Sam was a bit wary of him, which was completely legitimate. But to Bucky, it was all strange. All he knew was fighting and HYDRA. Being out here all by himself was strange. And he still hadn't got all his memory back. He was working on it for months. After his fight with Steve and after saving him from drowning, Bucky never came back to HYDRA. He knew the memory he got back was real. And he knew HYDRA used him, manipulated him. So now, he wanted to find back his old self. All that while living a life of a fugitive. After all, he still had a criminal record. That was why he was so surprised to be allowed in the Avengers Tower knowing his past. But he wouldn't be surprised to know that Steve was keeping his presence here a secret from the police. Even if it was actually the case, staying here was dangerous to Bucky. But he had to stay. For her. He had to bring her back. He had to save her from HYDRA.
The Phantom was sat on her bunk, her back pressed against the wall. It had been a day since she was arrested and locked into the cell department of the Avengers Tower. She didn't have many things to do since there was absolutely nothing in the cell. All she could do was thinking. It would have driven her crazy but she prepared for that. Nothingness wasn't scaring her.
The sound of a door opening suddenly could be heard as footsteps grew louder and closer. Suddenly, Steve Rogers was standing at the other side of the glass of the cell. The Phantom stared at him. He was dressed in civilian clothes. He was looking calm but still confused for some reason.
"I can't believe you are here," he finally said, in a quiet voice. But The Phantom made out some joy in his voice. "Last time I saw you was in 1943, just before I leave for the army. I was still frail and fragil, a real life broomstick. I think it's the first time you see me like this, all changed. In real life, I mean. You must have seen me in all those propaganda posters or hiting Hitler," he paused. His eyes soften as a gentle smiled decorated his lips.
"You know, when I found out Peggy was still alive, I hoped you were too," he continued. The Phantom said nothing and just listened. "But then I learned you died in 1946... it had been the hardest day of my life. I swore to protect you, but I disappeared and you died. I promise to come back alive, but I suddenly "died". And did walked it off but only too late,"
The Phantom slightly frowned at the words he used. 'Walk it off' he said. He used these exact same words in the dream she had. Was this a coincidence? He had no way to know what she dreamt of, right? Or maybe she was just overthinking things. Yes, it must be that.
"You were already gone when I woke up in a whole new world, an entire new timeline," he said. "And I can't imagine how hard it must have been for you to live in a world where the only two loved ones you had left were no longer there..."
"What a heartbreaking story," The Phantom sarcastically mocked. "I almost shed a tear,"
"Ellie-" Steve said but was cut off.
"Don't act like we know each other," she said, walking to stand before him. "Because I don't know you. You are not my brother. I suggest you to come back to that brave and patriotic self of yours and forget all about mercy and pity. Because I will. I won't hesitate to put a bullet through you head if I got the opportunity. I won't hesitate to set this world on fire if I got the opportunity. So tell me Cap, do you still think of me as your sister?"
"Yes," Steve didn't hesitate. "You are and will always be Elizabeth Marie Rogers. You are and will always be my younger sister,"
"Even if that was true. Your sister is dead by now," The Phantom coldly said.
"You are wrong," Steve confidently said. "I managed to bring Bucky back. And I will do the same with you,"
"I won't fall for your tricks. I am immuned to this," She argued back.
Steve frowned at what she said but did ask anything about it.
"We'll find out what you are here for," Steve said. "We know you are the hands, not the brain. Bucky told us you execute the orders. You don't give them. Now that you are stuck here, whatever you were working at is over,"
The Phantom chuckled, amused. His confidence was funny, could even be mistaken for arrogance.
"Cut off one head and two more take its place, you seem to always forget that Cap," she mocked. "You thought "Bucky" was the only one of his kind and here I am. And now you think I'm the only one. HYDRA has more cards to play than you think. I won't be the one who'll end the mission but another will come to fulfill it. You won a battle, but the war is still going on, Captain. You will not stop the Revolution. The age of heros is over. It's the age of miracles now. HYDRA will be the one on the throne of world and you can do nothing against it,"
"I defeated HYDRA twice. I can do it again," Steve said.
Suddenly, Steve felt a buzz in his pocket. He took out his phone. It was a text from Natasha. She was asking him to come to the meeting room. Steve looked one last time to The Phantom before leaving the room, then the cell department. Bringing back the real Ellie wouldn't be an easy task. Natasha was right. It was different than with Bucky. HYDRA's hold on Ellie was way stronger than the one they had with Bucky. But he would not lose hope. He would never. Because he would always fight for his beloved sister. No matter what.
"What is it?" Steve asked, entering the room. Natasha, Sam, and Bucky were in the room. Agent Hill had joined them too.
"We have some news," Agent Hill said. "Recently, A.I.M reported a robbery,"
"The Phantom again?" Sam asked.
"Possibily. A.I.M was never robbed before. And it happened a short time after the Roxxon robbery,"
"What have they stole?" Steve asked.
"It was a digital robbery," Agent Hill. "Every month, A.I.M checks all their archives. But they noticed several files disappeared from their Hazlet warehouse,"
"What were they about?" Natasha asked.
"Extremis," Agent Hill said, gravely. Steve and Sam seemed kind of lost as they didn't know what it was. But it wasn't the case for Natasha. She, too, seemed not pleased by the news at all.
"What's that?" Sam asked, done to be kept in the dark.
"Extremis is an advanced form of genetic manipulation using nanotechnology. Basically, it's a form of super-soldier serum," Agent Hill explained.
"Again?" Sam said, done with the obsession about super-soldier serums.
"Tony defeated its creator, Aldrich Killian, two years ago. Since then, a new C.E.O took over A.I.M and abandoned the Extremis Project and focus on making a new name for the company," Natasha said.
"What did they steal exactly?" Steve asked.
"Anything about Extremis. Notes, videos, documents," Agent Hill said.
"They must be trying to recreate a new super-soldier serum," Natasha concluded.
"But why the uranium rods then?" Sam pointed out.
"To attack strategic cities? Just like in World War II?" Natasha proposed."Capitals, metropoles, global cities,"
"No, something doesn't make sense," Steve said. "It must be for something else,"
"But what?" Natasha asked.
"Hey," Bucky suddenly stepped in, catching the attention of everyone. He usually kept quiet and listen to their meetings. But he was observing the map on the table and noticed something. As he thought it could be quite useful to know, he figured it could share it with the heroes. "Look at the map," he said.
The three heroes and the agent did what they were told to. But at first sight, they saw nothing striking.
"The locations of both Roxxon's and A.I.M's warehouse," Bucky specified. "They are all near New York,"
Then Steve got the point. It felt quite happy to have Bucky by his side. He felt as if they were brought back to 1944 when they fought together during the war with the Howling Commando.
"They are operating from here," he realised. "Their hideout must be somewhere in New York. A place away from eyes and ears, away from people,"
"There are many places like that," same said. "The trainrails, at border of the city, the docks, the abandoned hospitals,"
"Then we need to search them all," Natasha said. "We need to stop them before they use the uranium rods. Or millions of people would die,"