4 Chapter Four

It'd been two years since they'd seen Bucky. Two years since they took down HYDRA in S.H.I.E.L.D. and two years since Carissa had proven Fury could trust her. That was Riss's biggest accomplishment, thought she hadn't seen him since. Things were mellowed out since their last mission. Also, two years since Rumlow broken my arm, it's all healed now. But Bucky...Two years since they'd seen him. That hurt the young girl, of course.

Now that she was older, 15, going on 16, she could be trusted with more difficult things. She finally got her own earpiece and a second holster. 'Difficult'. She'd also learned how to shoot with her non-dominant hand in case that ever happened again. Anything broken or any inconvenience could be routed around now.

Both made the mission they were currently on much easier as she sat across from Wanda in little cafe in Lagos. She had a baseball cap on and her red-brown hair down. Riss sat with a pair of sunglasses on with her blonde hair laying around her in soft waves. They'd both raised their mugs to cover their conversation.

"Alright, what do you see?" Steve's voice carried through the earpiece.

"Standard street cops." Wanda said. "Small station."

"Quiet street." Carissa told him.

"It's a good target." Wanda added.

"There's an ATM on the south corner, which means?" He asked.

"Cameras." The girls both replied at the same time.

"Both cross streets are one-way." He said.

"Compromised escape routes." They both said again.

"Means our guy doesn't care about being seen." Steve said. "He isn't afraid to make a mess on the way out. You see that range Rover halfway up the block?"

"Yeah, the red one?" Wanda asked.

"It's cute." Carissa commented. Wanda smiled behind her white mug.

Natasha cut in. "It's also bulletproofed which means private security which means more guns which means more headaches for somebody. Probably us." She sat in the open with her own pair of sunglasses on. Her mug is a darker color than what the other two had.

"You guys know I can move things with my mind, right?"

"Very cool, by the way." Carissa told Wanda.

"Looking over your shoulder needs to become second nature." Nat said. Carissa nodded at her, behind Wanda.

Wanda looked over her shoulder at Nat as Sam cuts in.

"Anybody ever tell you you're a little paranoid?" He asked. Carissa smirked in response.

"Not to my face. Why? Did you hear something?" She asked.

Riss laughed. "Nobody in their right minds would say that to your face, Tash."

"Eyes on target, folks. This is the best lead we've had on Rumlow in six months, I don't want to lose him." Dad said.

Carissa's stomach dropped at the mention as her arm tingled slightly. Wanda noticed, shooting her a concerned look. Carissa looked back at her, attempting to convey an expression that read she was fine.

"If he sees us coming, that won't be a problem. He kinda hates us." Sam said.

Carissa scoffed into the earpiece. "Kinda?" She asked.

"Sam, see that garbage truck? Tag it." Steve ordered.

"That truck's loaded for max weight. And the driver's armed." Sam replied.

"It's a battering ram." Nat said.

"Go now." Steve orders.

"What?" Wanda asked.

"He's not hitting the police." Dad said.

Sam was through the air before the rest of them could process. Riss was up, out in the streets and ready. A quick flash of red and she knew Sam had her. In a matter of minutes, they had Steve, too. The blonde pair jumped down to the Institute of Infectious Disease, taking out everyone they could. The daylight here was bright, Riss didn't care for it much. She didn't care for sunlight in general. She was raised in the heart of Brooklyn, polluted air filtering out the New York sunlight. She really raised hell when her dad picked her up, moving her to D.C. The sunlight had seemed brighter there.

"Body armor. AR-15s. Carissa and I make seven hostiles." Steve said.

"I make five." Sam said.

"Four." He said, seconds later.

"Dropping like flies." Riss mumbled.

"Rumlow's on the third floor." Sam said.

"Wanda, just like we practiced." Dad said to the girl.

"What about the gas?" She asked.

"Get it out." He replied.

"Don't put too much pressure on her." Carissa reminded him.

She watched her lift Steve into the building in awe. Carissa had found it amazing how she did that.

"Wanda." She called. She gets the hint and does the same for Riss. She followed, not far behind her dad, a gun in each hand. She heard the grunts of fights from all around her, in front of her as well as through the earpiece.

Steve heard the explosion as Riss did. The pair both ran to the same balcony as it's shot down, sending both to the ground. Carissa still hated the feeling of falling.

"Ow." She mumbled.

She and Steve were up, following Sam. Steve beats her to the center of town. As she tries to catch up to the super-soldier, he gets thrown through a stand. She pulled out her guns, going around the stand to remain unnoticed, but the guy was covered in armor. Rumlow. He continued to throw punches at her dad. This made it a little more complicated. She ran the risk of any shot ricocheting off of him either at herself or her dad. She doesn't like the odds.

"Your pal, your buddy, your Bucky." Her head snapped up at the name. She knew two years ago and it's just been confirmed. She didn't like the way Rumlow said Bucky's name.

Bucky.

The sound of an explosion pulled her from her thoughts.

"Holy shit." She mumbled. "Wanda?" She called.

Wanda frowns at the young girl. Riss furrowed her eyebrows at her before looking up at the building. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had just happened. This wasn't going to be good, for any of us. Her heart broke at the sound of screams as her dad's breaking voice called Sam for fire rescue.

It's going to be okay, Wan. Riss told her.

Wanda sent her a skeptical look.

I know.

It's not okay, Riss. Wanda replied.

Riss frowned at her, but she was right. It was her fault. And they were all about to pay for her mistake. All of them, even those of them who weren't there. Riss dreaded the words they'd hear from Tony.

Back at the tower, Steve sat and watched the news about Lagos as Carissa stood being the couch. She wanted to check on Wanda, but decided to give her space. He shut the TV off, making the pair hear Wanda's TV from downstairs.

"Stay here." He told Riss as he walked to Wanda's room.

Carissa sat on the couch, waiting when Tony's car pulled up. The feeling of dread flooded her again. He walked in with someone she didn't recognize.

"Five years ago, I had a heart attack and dropped right in the middle of my backswing. Turned out it was the best round of my life because after 13 hours of surgery and a triple bypass I found something 40 years in the Army had never taught me. Perspective. The world owes the Avengers and unplayable debt. You have fought for us...protected us, risked your lives...but while a great many people see you as heroes, there are some who would prefer the word 'vigilantes'."

"What word would you use, Mr. Secretary?" Nat asked.

"How about dangerous?" He responded. "What would you call a group of US-based, enhanced individuals who routinely ignore sovereign borders and inflict their will wherever they choose and who, frankly, seem unconcerned about what they leave behind?"

"Dangerous is a strong word. Reckless?" Riss asked. Her dad glared at her. "Try saving the damn world."

Mr. Secretary pulled up examples. "New York. Washington D.C., Sokovia, Lagos."

"Okay. That's enough." Steve said, seeing Wanda.

"For the last four years you've operated with unlimited power and no supervision. That's and arrangement the governments of the world can no longer tolerate. But I think we have a solution. The Sokovia Accords. Approved by 117 countries it states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization. Instead, they'll operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel only when and if that panel deems it necessary."

"The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place." Steve argued. "I feel we've done that."

"Your feelings are correct. We've done that." Carissa agreed. Steve glared at her again. She didn't care right now. The Avengers were getting really bad backlash and she was an Avenger, just like everyone else in this room.

"Tell me, Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now? If I misplaced a couple of megaton nukes you can bet there'd be consequences. Compromise. Reassurance. That's how the world works. Believe me, this is the middle ground."

"So, there are contingencies." Rhodes said.

"Three days from now, the UN meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords. Talk it over."

"And if we come to a decision you don't like?" Nat asked.

"Then you retire."

Carissa looked over at her dad, who was looking at the table. They were fucked, all of them. This was Carissa's whole life, all she knew. This was all Tony knew, the only family Natasha and Wanda had. This was all her dad had.

He read through the Accords as Rhodey and Sam argued.

"So, let's say we agree to this thing. How long is it gonna be before they LoJack us like a bunch of common criminals?" Sam asked.

"I have an equation." Vision said.

"Oh, this will clear it up." Sam said.

"Be nice." Riss sharply told Sam.

"In the eight years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man the number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially. During the same period the number of potentially world-ending events has risen at a commensurate rate." He said.

"Are you saying it's our fault?" Steve asked.

"I'm saying there may be a causality. Our very strength invites challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict breeds catastrophe."

"It's our damn fault." Carissa said, placing her hands on the end of the arm rest to push herself up before walking over to join Sam and Rhodey. Vision continued.

"Oversight...Oversight is not an idea that can be dismissed out of hand."

"Boom." Rhodey said to Sam. The girl shook her head at the two.

"Tony," Nat started, "You are being uncharacteristically non-hyperverbal."

"It's because he's already made up his mind." Steve said.

"So have you." Carissa countered.

"Boy, you know me so well." Tony replied. "Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache. That's what's going on, Cap. It's just pain. It's discomfort." He grabbed a mug. "Who's putting coffee grounds in the disposal? Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?"

"Wouldn't be so clean if you were." Carissa replied.

He smiled at her before reaching into his pocket. A picture pops up in front of him and he sighed.

"Oh, that's Charles Spencer, by the way. He's a great kid. Computer engineering degree, 3.6 GPA, had a floor-level gig at Intel planned for the fall. But first, he wanted to put a few miles on his soul before he parked it behind a desk. See the world. Maybe be of service. Charlie didn't want to go to Vegas or Fort Lauderdale, which is what I would do. He didn't go to Paris or Amsterdam, which sounds fun. He decided to spend his summer building sustainable housing for the poor. Guess where. Sokovia."

"I was gonna guess Lagos." Riss mumbled to the quiet room. She knew from the beginning it was going to be a lesson, just wasn't sure who it was directed at. Turned out he wasn't attacking Wanda; it was directed at all of them. Lectures from Tony were relatively rare, considering how carefree the man actually could be. The only one he really ever had to lecture was Steve. Steve and Nat both send the girl disapproving looks, but Tony smiled. Tony, no matter what she said or how dumb it was, always at least smiled. Sometimes he would verbally reply, but by the very least, she got a smile. It was refreshing compared to the disapproving looks she would receive. She assumed that was why he did it.

"He wanted to make a difference I suppose, but we won't know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass." Tony took a sip of his coffee. "There's no decision-making process here. Imagine if that was Carissa. We need to be put in check. Whatever form that takes, I'm game. If we can't accept limitations, if we're boundary-less, we're no better than the bad guys."

"Tony, someone dies on your watch, you don't give up." Steve said.

"Who said we're giving up?"

"We are if we're not taking responsibility for our actions. This document just shifts the blame." Steve said.

"I'm sorry, Steve. That is dangerously arrogant. This is the United Nations we're talking about. It's not the World Security Counsel, It's not S.H.I.E.L.D. it's not HYDRA." Rhodey cut in.

"No, but it's run by people with agendas and agendas change." Steve argued.

"Like yours when you found out Bucky was alive?" Riss asked.

"That's good. That's why I'm here. When I realized what my weapons were capable of in the wrong hands, I shut it down and stopped manufacturing." Tony said.

"Tony, you chose to do that. If we sign this, we surrender our right to choose. What if this panel sends us somewhere, we don't think we should go? What if there's somewhere we need to go and they don't let us?" Steve asked.

"You'll be looking at way more casualties than we've ever caused. But maybe we're at a point where we don't deserve to choose, dad." Carissa answered.

"We may not be perfect but the safest hands are still our own." Steve agreed.

"Maybe." She countered.

"If we don't do this now, it's gonna be done to us later." Tony argued.

"Later." Carissa pointed out.

"That's the fact. That won't be pretty." Tony said.

"You're saying they'll come for me?" Wanda asked.

"We would protect you." Vision reassured her.

"What we?" Carissa asked. "There won't be a 'we' if we're forced to retire."

"Maybe Tony's right." Nat cut in. "If we have one hand on the wheel, we can still steer. If we take it off..."

"Aren't you the same woman who told the government to kiss her ass a few years ago?" Sam asked.

"I'm just reading the terrain." Nat responded. "We have made some very public mistakes. We need to win their trust back."

"Why do we have to win it? Aliens come back down and attack New York again what the fuck are they gonna do? Call the Ghostbusters? I don't think so." Carissa countered. Sam laughed next to her.

"The little girl's making a lot of sense. Why is she always hidden in the back?" Sam asked.

"Glad someone hears me." She mumbled.

"I listen." Tony responded. "Focus up. I'm sorry. Did I just mishear you or did you agree with me?" Tony asked Nat.

"I want to take it back now." Nat said.

"No, you can't retract it. Thank you. Unprecedented. Okay. Case closed. I win." Tony said.

"I don't know if the public realizes this but they aren't the only ones who've had to face family casualties. And just like in their case, there was nothing we could actually do." Riss snapped.

"I have to go." Steve said after looking at his phone. He gets up and walks out. Carissa gathers herself before she looked to Sam, following her dad down the stairs. He stopped, covering his face.

"Dad?" She asked. He sniffled in response.

Peggy.

It had to be Peggy.

They don't even hesitate to fly to London and her thoughts were confirmed. Steve had lost the last piece of his past. Well, more or less.

The blonde girl sat in front as he carried her casket down the aisle. Sharon delivered a nice speech about her Aunt Peggy. Sam sat next to Riss as Steve sat next to her on the other side. After everyone left, Steve stayed behind.

"Go ahead with Sam. Go get some lunch, I'll meet you guys later." Steve said. She nodded and hugged him.

"I'm so sorry, dad."

He kissed her forehead before he released her. She slipped out the doors, meeting Sam outside.

The signing of the Accords took place in Vienna. Already signed by Tony, Vision and Rhodey, Nat took her place in following them. Wanda, to be determined. Steve, Sam and Riss were more stubborn than that.

Or reckless. Take your pick. She could see both sides of the argument, but the last thing she ever wanted was to be tied down.

She followed Sam to the elevator to find Steve to show him the news. This wasn't any prettier than what they'd seen before.

"Identified as James Buchanan Barnes."

As always, the girl's head snapped up at the name. The Winter Soldier.

Sunglasses and caps. That's the best team Cap did for disguises. Unless you're Carissa and you refuse to put a baseball cap over your freshly done hair. And that was what she and Sam wore as they waited for her dad in the cafe. Sharon showed up and slide a file towards Steve before leaving. Riss pushed the glasses higher up her nose and ran a hand through her long hair falling in waves around her. Her face hid behind it well enough to where she didn't need the glasses unless you were looking directly at her.

She and Steve entered the apartment Bucky had been staying at. He had a look around as she kept a hand on her left holster. When they turned away from the fridge, he was there.

"Do you know me?" Steve asked Bucky.

"You're Steve. I read about you in a museum." He answered.

"Funny. That's how I know you." Riss replied. Nobody laughed.

"I know you're nervous and you have plenty of reason to be. But you're lying." Steve said.

"I wasn't in Vienna. I don't do that anymore." Bucky replied.

"I believe him." Carissa confessed. He was telling the truth; she could just tell.

"Well, the people who think you did are coming here now. And they're not planning on taking you alive.

"That's smart." Bucky stared. "Good strategy." Carissa resisted the urge to glare at him for that.

"This doesn't have to end in a fight, Buck." Steve told him.

"It always ends in a fight." Bucky said. He sounded tired. Bucky was tired. He was tired of running, tire of hiding. Tired of the fact that he couldn't even stop to but plums, which was where he had been when he'd spotted the newspaper. He met the eyes of the girl, sadness reflecting in them.

"You pulled me from the river. Why?" Steve asked.

"I don't know."

"Yes, you do." Steve argued.

"Not the time for this." Riss interjected.

As she said that, a bomb got thrown through the window. Bucky kicked it to Steve, who covered it with the shield. Riss pull both guns out, pointed to the door. Bucky grabbed the mattress and pulled her by the arm into him. Shots rang out and he threw the mattress into the wall. Using his metal arm, he threw a table into the doorway. People started jumping through the window and Riss froze. She had no orders. Bucky started throwing punches.

Ditch the guns. That's all she could think to do.

She pocketed the guns as Steve told Bucky to stop.

"You're gonna kill someone." He said.

"Not if they kill him first." She commented.

"I'm not gonna kill anyone." He said after putting Steve down and punching a hole in the floor. He grabbed a backpack out of the hole. He threw it out the window as more shots were fired. Steve pulls Bucky behind the shield as Bucky grabbed her, placing her behind him. It was one big train behind the tiny shield.

He threw Steve out the window at one of the shooters and grabbed Riss by the arm as he pulled her along down the hallway, stopping the bullet with his metal hand. He threw a cinder block at the guy and turned around to face the girl. He stared into her piercing blue eyes for a second before shots are heard at the door. His fist went through the door with little effort. The door fell making Bucky and Carissa come face to face with a sea of people who want him dead, and her now that she was made an accomplice of sorts. With three already down, another came in from the ceiling. Four down. Five. Six, seven, eight. Nine. Then Steve swooped in. Ten. Eleven.

Wow. It was hard not to be impressed with the assassin in front of her. The flashbacks of him shooting at her and her dad came back.

You should be afraid of him.

But she wasn't.

Twelve. She watched in awe as he ripped the railing out of the ground to get to the lower floor faster. She should've been afraid of him. Thirteen. Fourteen. He jumped over the railing, falling several stories down before he caught himself. She was too busy being absolutely mesmerized. Then he ran down the hallway and jumped out the window. She was left only two stories behind him. Her arm still tingled from where he'd held her in place, directly behind him. When she hit the hallway, she braced herself. Running, running, running, jump. She was impressed with herself, too. Just not as impressed with her as she had been with him. She hit the building a little hard, but rolled and stood. He was grabbing his bag just as she was standing. He took off as a shadow passed over her, stopping him. Oh, great. Company. A black cat suit stood in front of her. Not a cat-suit, all black of a light, flexible material like she was wearing, but a literal cat suit. Ears and all. She was disappointed when she didn't see a tail. They started going at each other and she took the opportunity to catch up to them. She realized her small frame wouldn't be able to just jump on him, so she jumped onto a ventilation system for leverage and onto the back of the cat guy. Obviously, that's her favorite form of distraction. And obviously it ended the same way as last time, except her arm didn't break. She had just gotten flung. Surprisingly, this only distracted Bucky, making the cat guy get a hit in. He couldn't figure out why he cared about what happened to the blonde. The cat guy wasn't even phased by her. She scrambled to get up, more than happy to see, or feel, that nothing was broken. Bucky held his claws away from his face as Sam swooped down to get him. She watched, afraid Bucky would slip up and allow the claws to dig into his sculpted face and was beyond relieved at Sam's arrival. Bucky spared a moment that he didn't actually have to look at her before jumping and running. Steve grabbed her quickly and jumped off the roof, putting the shield under us. No words were spoken but she had almost laughed at the Deja vu.

"Look familiar?" She asked.

He shakes his head in disapproval. He didn't find her funny. He's never once found her funny, or at least not in these ironic situations. Tony would've appreciated that. She wished Tony was around more. She needed someone who was proud even when she fucked up. They hit the ground, rolling off the shield before taking off after Bucky. They watched as Bucky hurled himself off of more building tops. Great. More jumping.

Slowly starting to become the story of the young girl's life.

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