A/N: Hey guys! The next chapter is out, earlier than usual, this will not happen often. I should've probably warned you guys earlier about the Civil War spoilers in these next couple of chapters, (not that I don't think anyone hasn't seen it), but here it is. I don't own anything you recognize by the way. Happy reading!
- Harper E. Pierce
Three days later in Vienna, the Sokovia Accords agreement was about to take place when a bombing happened, killing the current King of an African country called Wakanda, King T'Chaka. After a couple of hours, the newspaper revealed that Bucky was the one who bombed the place, and the king's son, Prince T'Challa, sought to avenge his father's death, even though Natasha strongly advised him against it. She warned Steve about it, and told him not to go after Bucky, but of course he didn't listen and went after him anyway. Sam followed him, finding where Bucky was and confronting him, which went better than expected. It wasn't like he didn't remember anything, he was living with Steve for about six months before leaving again.
A whole fight broke out, a SWAT team attempted to take Bucky into custody, but Steve wouldn't let them and they fought them off fairly well until a man in a metal cat suit showed up and joined them. They were all arrested and taken into custody back in New York.
But somehow, the Winter Soldier was reactivated, and the girls, Natasha, Sharon Carter, and Steve had to fight off the Winter Soldier, leaving Steve to finally knock him out the Winter Soldier. He and Sam also escaped, leaving Quinn, Lexi and Tori to sneak off with Cap and Sam a couple of minutes later. They were now in hiding, and waiting on Bucky to wake to explain what happened. Sam told everyone when Bucky began stirring in his sleep. Lexi, Quinn and Tori stayed with Bucky while Sam went to go and get Steve, who was doing something else. The metal-armed man woke up and saw who it was. He had a weight on his arm to make sure that when he woke up he wasn't still the Winter Soldier, and from what it looked like, he wasn't.
"Barnes," Lexi greeted him.
"Atkinson, Whiteson, Hart," he returned, then looking to his best friend, "Steve."
"Which Bucky am I talking to?" Steve asked coldly.
"Your mom's name was Sarah. You used to wear newspapers in your shoes." He replied, proving he not the Winter Soldier.
"Can't read that in a museum. Just like that we're supposed to be cool?" Sam commented. Bucky sighed.
"What did I do?"
"Enough." Steve replied.
"You basically went all HYDRA on us, and tried to attack us. You destroyed a helicopter in the process." Quinn told him bluntly.
"Thanks, Atkinbitch. He really needed to know that," Tori rolled her eyes at the overly-honest girl.
"Oh, god, I knew this would happen. Everything HYDRA put inside me is still there. All he had to do was say the goddamn words." Bucky went on guiltily. Everyone looked confused.
"What words?" Lexi asked.
"Longing, Rusted, Seventeen, Daybreak, Furnace, Nine, Benign, Homecoming, One, Freight Car. Those ten words in Russian activate the Winter Soldier. After those words are said, I black out, and the next thing I know, people are congratulating me for completing my mission." He explained. They all nodded in understanding.
"Who was he?" Steve asked.
"I don't know."
"People are dead. The bombing, the setup, the doctor did it all just to get ten minutes with you. I need you to do better than 'I don't know'." Bucky thought for a moment.
"He wanted to know about Siberia. Where I was kept. He wanted to know exactly where."
"Why would he need to know that?"
"Because I'm not the only Winter Soldier, and neither are they." He finished ominously.
"What do you mean, we're not the only Winter Soldiers?" Tori asked. Bucky went on to tell the story about how he killed Tony's parents back in 1991, what he needed to retrieve and successfully did. It was something to make super soldier serum, only HYDRA was trying to make it more powerful, enhance more. Five people then were given the serum, and soon enough, Bucky was training them. Quinn, Lexi and Tori were shocked.
"You killed Stark's parents?" Quinn exclaimed.
"Yes, for a mission. I feel terrible about it, I'm just sitting here lying to Tony. That's why I left. I felt too guilty about it. I needed to get away from him."
"So all of those months ago, when I was taking away pain, you were okay because I bore your pain?" Lexi asked him, immediately feeling guilty.
"Essentially." Bucky replied to the girl. She needed to help him. She needed to take away some of the pain. She began quickly walking towards him with the intent of helping him, but Sam and Quinn pulled her back.
"Lexi, no. You're still having some issues storing what you take away," Steve ordered.
"Someone's got to help!" Lexi argued, attempting to rip herself from the pair's grasp.
"I'm not letting you kill yourself to make me happy, Hart." Bucky stopped her. She growled.
"Fine, suffer then." She ripped herself from the Sam and Quinn's grasp.
"Who were they?" Steve asked him, returning back to the conversation.
"Their most elite death squad. More kills than anyone in HYDRA history. And that was before the serum." Bucky replied.
"They all turn out like you and the Sexy Seven?" Sam inquired.
"Worse,"
"The doctor, could he control them?" Steve asked him.
"Enough."
"Said he wanted to see an empire fall."
"With these guys, he could do it. They speak thirty languages, can hide in plain sight, infiltrate, assassinate, destabilize. They can take a whole country down in one night, you'd never see them coming." Sam walked over to Cap.
"This would've been a lot easier a week ago," he told him.
"If we call Tony-"
"No, he won't believe us."
"Even if he did,"
"Who knows if the Accords would let him help."
"We're alone in this guys. There's no way he's gonna help us," Tori said.
"You're right. We're on our own." Steve agreed.
"Maybe not. I know a guy," Sam said ominously. The next thing they knew, Steve was calling Clint and we were heading out to meet someone that Sam was calling. Clint was going to go to the tower to get Wanda, who was on Tony's version of house arrested since her incident back in Vienna. Vision was the one keeping her there under Tony's order, making sure she wouldn't leave.
Clint agreed to go and pick up the man that Sam knew. His name was Scott Lang, he called himself Antman. After a couple of hours, everyone was in the Avenger's Tower parking lot, and and waiting for Clint and Scott to show. They were going to take a quinjet to Germany to stop that fake therapist from reactivating the other Winter Soldiers.
Meeting him was okay, although Scott was a little too excited to meet Cap. He introduced himself to everyone, he seemed like a good guy. The only people he didn't know were Tori, Lexi and Quinn.
"So, who are you three?" He asked them. Sam wasn't hesitant to answer that question.
"Those three are the trainees. Tori, Lexi and Quinn. There are more of them, four actually, but three of them sided with Tony and the other one just doesn't agree with either of us, so she's home right now."
"So, do you guys have cool powers or something?"
"Yes, I can control minds. Tori can turn invisible, and Lexi can give and take away emotions and sensations." Quinn replied coolly.
"That's awesome!" He exclaimed. "I can alter my size."
"Cool. That's probably why they call you Antman."
"So do you guys have superhero names?"
"Not yet, we're technically not Avengers yet. We were the product of HYDRA's super soldier serum and testing. We took six months of recovery after that, and then began using our powers about eight months ago, so we're almost done our training," Tori explained. She looked over to see everyone begin to board the quinjet. "We should probably get going though. Plus, I can't wait to finally see our new suits!" She bubbled. The four of them followed Steve onto the jet, and flew off to Germany.
-
When Tony heard about Cap recruiting people on his side, he decided to do the same. He figured out that they were heading to Germany, and they needed to be arrested for running from the law. He knew he needed to stop Cap, and he had just the idea of who to recruit. Happy, one of his assistants, was driving towards an apartment building in Queens. He took Tris, Lorelei and Skylar with him, so that who he was recruiting would understand what was happening.
"So why are you taking to Queens?" Skylar asked Tony curiously.
"Because there's someone I want to recruit here. Cap's recruiting people to stand with him, and if we want to stop him, we need to "
"Who is this again?" Tris asked.
"Peter Parker, age nineteen, only a year younger than Tori. Not in college, he can't afford it, but he is working at the moment at the sandwich place about three blocks from here. He's the spider-ling you've been seeing on youtube lately."
"So what's the plan?" asked Lorelei.
"Because he lives with his aunt, the plan is we pretend that he's a candidate for a Stark Internship, and you guys get to be my other interns,"
"How do you know he's going to play along?" Skylar asked suspiciously.
"I've got that covered. Oh look, we're here. Game face, on!" He told them. They stepped out of the car and went inside the building. They reached the seventh floor, and knocked on one of the door. A really pretty woman about Tony's age answered the door.
"Hello, you must Peter's aunt. I'm-"
"Tony Stark, I know you! You're from Stark Industries," she smiled, "I'm May."
"I wanted to congratulate your nephew on winning this year's Stark Internship. These are my other interns, Lorelei, Beatrice and Skylar. They're here to help explain how the internship works,"
"Internship? Peter didn't tell me that he was applying for an internship! Please come in!" She opened the door further, leading them to the couch. It was a cozy apartment for two people, but it was still okay. "Please explain what this internship is," she asked.
"It's a one-year internship for kids interested in sciences, engineering and math who are having trouble getting into college. I select one to four people every year for it. If he is successful at the internship, I can guarantee him a full scholarship, including master's degree and a Ph.D, to MIT university, in whatever program he chooses. After that, they are almost guaranteed a spot working at Stark Industries." Tony told them. It was true, Stark Industries did have this exact internship. But Peter would be doing something... different.
"So, how do you girls like the program?" May asked the girls, handing them a treat, "walnut date loaf?" They all took one off the plate.
"I love the program! I get to help with engineering new technologies that Stark Industries has taken on," Skylar told her, easily able to lie.
"I love helping Mr. Stark form the right equations for his tech, mathematics and calculus are my passions in life, and Mr. Stark was able to make that dream come true for me," Lorelei added.
"So what's your opinion on my program, Beatrice?" Tony smirked at her, knowing she'd have to swallow her pride so she wouldn't blow her cover. Tris growled under her breath.
"I've been in the program for about two months now, and I am in love with technological advances Tony has created. I can't fathom how Tony makes the impossible... well, possible!" Tris lied, fake smiling at Tony. Oh, he'd pay for that.
"That's amazing girls!" She gushed. Just then, Peter walked in the door.
"Aunt May? I'm home!" He walked in the door, seeing Tony Stark when he turned around the corner. "Wha-what's going on here?"
"I'm here to congratulate you on winning the internship, Peter. These are my other interns that you'll be working alongside, Lorelei, Beatrice and Skylar." Tony told him, winking at him to play along.
"Yeah, right! Thank you, Mr. Stark." Peter replied with a slightly confused expression on his face.
"We need to discuss some things privately, so may we chat somewhere?" Tony asked him politely.
"Oh, uh- of course!" He jumped, and sped to his room, leading everyone in there. Tony was the last one in the room. He closed and locked the door, looking at Peter. Then, he walked to the garbage can and spat out the loaf.
"As walnut date loaves go, that wasn't bad." He told him. "Whoa, what do we have here, Retro Tech, huh? Thrift store? Salvation army?"
"Tony, there's no need to be rude." Skylar condescended him.
"Don't mind him, he's just a rich bitch." Tris added, telling the boy.
"O-okay," Peter replied, turning to Tony, "uh- the garbage, actually."
"You're a dumpster diver?"
"Yeah, I was... anyway, look, um, I definitely did not apply for your grant,"
"Ah-ah! Me first."
"Okay,"
"Quick question of the rhetorical variety," he pulled up a holographic video on his phone, showing it to Peter, "that's you, right?"
"Um, no." He lied swiftly.
"Bullshit." Lorelei retorted.
"It's not!"
"Whatever you say," Tris taunted him. He turned back to Tony.
"What do you mean?"
"Yeah," he continued, as if he never spoke, "look at you go. Wow! Nice catch. Three thousand pounds, 40 miles an hour. That's not easy. You got mad skills."
"Tha-that's all on youtube though, right? That's where you found that?" He denied it once again
"Technically Skylar did, but yes."
"Because you know that's all fake. It's all done on the computer."
"Mhm." Tony murmured as he continued, becoming poorer at lying the more they all prodded at him.
"It's like that video. What is it?"
"Yeah yeah yeah. Oh, you mean like those UFOs over Phoenix?" Tony egged him on disbelieving.
"Exactly." Tony picked up a ruler and pushed on a door in the top of the ceiling, releasing his spider-man suit right as he said this. He panicked and ran to cover it up, but it was too late. Lorelei, Tris and Skylar all smirked.
"Oh, what do we have here?" Sarcasm dripped from Tony's lips.
"Uh... it's uh... " he hid it in the closet, blocking view of it, but failing to hide it.
"Kid, quit trying to hide it, you've been caught." Tris told him.
"You're the spider-ling. Crime-fighting spider? You're Spider-boy?" He asked him, wit showing again. Peter eyes flickered downwards in embarrassment. Tris, and Lorelei giggled again while Skylar hit both in the shoulder for them to stop it.
"S-Spider-Man." He corrected him.
"Not in that onesie, you're not." Tony rolled his eyes. Lorelei and Tris burst out with laughter.
"Guys! Stop it! You're making the poor kid feel bad!" Skylar stuck up for him.
"Thank you. It's not a onesie." He shot back defensively. "I don't believe this. I was actually having a really good day today, Mr. Stark. Didn't miss my train, this perfectly good DVD player was just sitting there, and Algebra test, nailed it."
"Who else knows? Anybody?" He shook his head.
"Nobody."
"Not even your unusually attractive aunt?"
"Ew." Skylar blurted out, causing Peter, Lorelei and Tris to laugh.
"I thought you were supposed to be the nice one," Tony shot at her.
"Not when it comes to who you want to sleep with," she replied with disgust.
"No. No... No no! If she knew she would freak out. And when she freaks out, I freak out." He panicked.
"You what I think is really cool? This webbing." Tony picked a small vial of webbing and threw it at Peter, his reflexes reacting at unreal speeds. "That tensile strength is off the charts. Who manufactured that?"
"I did."
"Climbing walls? How you doing that? Adhesive gloves?"
"It's a long story. I was-"
"Lordy! Can you even see in these?" Tony held up the glasses on his suit to his eyes, making fun of them.
"Yes, I can." Peter growled, taking the suit away from him.
"I'm blind!" Tony's remark caused the girls to laugh.
"I can see in those. Okay? It's just that when whatever happened, happened it's like my senses have been dialed to eleven. There's way too much input, so they just kinda help me focus."
"You're in dire need of an upgrade." Tony told him.
"Finally, I was waiting for someone to say it." Tris agreed with him.
"Systemic, top to bottom, hundred point restoration. That's why I'm here. Why are you doing this? I gotta know, what's your MO? What gets you outta that twin bed in the morning?"
"Because... because I've been me my whole life, and I've had these powers for six months. I read books, I build computers. Yeah, I would love to play football, but I couldn't then, so I shouldn't now."
"Sure, because you're different."
"Exactly. But I can't tell anybody that, so I'm not. Look, when you can do the things that I can, but you don't, and then the bad things happen... they happen because of you."
"So you wanna look out for the little guy, you wanna do your part? Make the world a better place, all that, right?"
"Yeah, yeah. Just looking out for the little guy. That's what it is." Tony stood up and walked over to him.
"I'm gonna sit here, so you move the leg." Peter did so, Tony sat down and put a hand on his shoulder. "You got a passport?"
"No, I don't even have a driver's licence."
"You ever been to Germany?"
"No."
"Oh, you'll love it."
"It is quite pretty." Lorelei agreed with him.
"I can't go to Germany?" Peter said.
"Why?" Tony asked.
"I got work."
"I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that." Tony rolled his eyes.
"No, I'm being serious, I can't just skip work."
"Might be a little dangerous, better tell Aunt Hottie I'm taking you on a field trip." Tony stood up and walked over to the door, about to open it to tell his aunt. He used his homemade web shooters and shot a web out of his wrist towards Tony's hand so he wouldn't open the door.
"Don't tell Aunt May." Peter told him.
"Alright, Spiderman." Tony agreed, pausing for a moment, "get me out of this."
"Sorry, I'll get the knife." He said, immediately walking over to get a pocket knife.
"Just putting this out there, once you agree to this, for the 'internship', you're going to be living at Avengers Tower from now on. Cool?" Skylar informed him.
"Oh yes, I forgot to mention that." Tony added.
"Sure. I'll tell my aunt that it's for the internship. Same with the trip." Peter agreed.
"Great, now pack your shit so we can go to get a quinjet to Germany. Don't worry about the suit, Tony will make you one." Tris told him.
"Alright. But you guys aren't interns, are you?" He gestured to the girls.
"Try Avengers trainees. Welcome to the squad, Parker." Lorelei said. Everyone walked out of the apartment to the car. Fifteen minutes later, Peter came out with a packed suitcase and he kissed his aunt goodbye.
"May, a car will come around to pick up Peter's things while he's on the trip. Don't be alarmed by it." Tony yelled to her from the car.
"Thanks for letting me know, Mr. Stark! I'm sure Peter will do well in your internship! Goodbye, hon!" She waved him off. They hopped in the car, and drove off to Avengers Tower to stop Captain America and his team.