27 C (44) News!
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"It is," stated Steve angrily. "He used you."
"He had the Red Book and used it on me. I tried to fight it. I tried to stop him. Tried to attack him… But he had soldiers there who stopped me. They came through the door…" he shivered.
"It wasn't your fault," said Natasha. "Ross wanted to hurt Tony anyway. If it wasn't you, it would have been someone else."
"I just stood there, in that room, whilst your friend was shot repeatedly… I had orders to watch and wait until Stark was dead, and then shoot Ross in the head. Make it look like it was me who did it… Tell me he is going to prison for what he did?" Bucky asked, leaning forward.
"Oh, he is, for good. There is no way he can walk out of this one. He was already facing the courts for treason. He's just made it a lot worse for himself." Natasha couldn't help but smile vindictively. "Ross has lost for good. And you, Bucky, have a chance to live a normal life."
A slight smile tugged at Bucky's lips. "I do not deserve it."
"You do. Everyone deserves a second chance. I was given one and look his I turned my life around." Natasha pointed out.
Her own past was a good place to start. "I was an assassin, got on SHIELD's radar in a bad way… Instead of killing me, they gave me a chance. I turned over a new leaf. You can too. This is your chance."
"I'm grateful."
Natasha stepped away. "Steve, you alright if I leave? See you back at the compound later?"
"You're taking the car?" Steve asked.
Natasha shook her head. "No. I have my own suit. I'll fly back. You can take the car." She tossed him the keys which he caught.
"I really want to know when you started using your own suit…" said Steve.
Laughing over her shoulder, Natasha waved a hand. "Maybe I'll tell you later!"
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Monday 4th July 2016
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FORMER SECRETARY ROSS CHARGED WITH KIDNAPPING AND ATTEMPTED MURDER
The former Secretary-General, Thaddeus Ross, was today charged with multiple offences, including the kidnap and attempted murder of billionaire entrepreneur and superhero, Tony Stark. A trial date has yet to be set. Ross has been remanded in custody and will have no chance of bail.
A spokesperson for Mr. Stark said: "We are pleased to confirm Mr. Stark has made a full recovery and will follow the trial closely in addition to his duties as a member of the Avengers and of the Accords Committee.".
The Winter Soldier, known as Bucky Barnes, was under the control of the former Secretary-General.
His orders were to acquire Tony Stark and bring him to a safe location where Ross was waiting.
Ross intended to kill Stark and in turn be murdered by the Winter Soldier, framing both their deaths on the Winter Soldier.
Stark suffered multiple wounds prior to his rescue and extraction by Natasha Romanoff and Colonel James Rhodes. Ross and the Winter Soldier were apprehended at the scene.
The Winter Soldier is currently held in a secure environment where he will begin treatment for his seventy years' worth of brainwashing at the hands of HYDRA in an effort to restore him to full health and reintroduce him into society.
In return, it is expected Barnes will co-operate with authorities to determine who he was forced to kill for HYDRA. An inside source has confirmed HYDRA was responsible for the deaths of many high-profile talents.
More on page 2.
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Tuesday 5thJuly 2016
Tony tapped his fingers on the table. "So… next steps? The Accords are sorted. Ross is out of the way. The Avengers are still together. Barnes is receiving treatment. Peter has me as a Mentor. I have Pepper back… What's next?"
Natasha folded her arms across her chest. "We need to prepare for Thanos. But before we move onto the subject, I wanted to ask why you haven't spoken to me about how I managed to find you when Ross had you? We have a link, Tony…"
"Because it is weird. You saw through my eyes. I knew you were there…"
"But why do we have this link?" pressed Natasha. "Surely this is something worth talking about?"
"I think the reason is obvious," stated Tony. "I've been trying to track you, to connect with you. I can't. But you can with me. What did it feel like when you reached out to me?"
"Oh…" Natasha breathed. "It felt like I was tracking your soul… Oh!" Realisation struck her. "The Soul Stone. I died because of the Soul Stone. I sacrificed my life for it…"
Tony nodded slowly. "What if you have been imbued with its powers? The ability to reach into other people's souls and see through their eyes and have the unique ability to track them too?"
Natasha looked down at her hands. "I think it is only you, I can see into. I've tried with others… I get vague feelings from them but not deep ones like I received with you. Not enough information."
"But you still have a connection. Those powers are handy if I ever get in trouble."
"Which is all the time," she interjected.
Tony mock glared at her. "Point taken."
"But if I have these powers… powers I never had before… Shouldn't you have something too? We both died by way of the Infinity Stones."
Tony tilted his head. "You never used them. You gave your life so Clint could acquire the Soul Stone. I used all six. It burned me through completely. I was barely alive after using them. I doubt I've been imbued with powers of the stones. If I have they haven't shown themselves to me and the best time would have been when Ross was shooting me."
"Maybe it wasn't the right time yet," she suggested. "And you have healed rather quickly, something the doctors pointed out to you. You were shot multiple times and your recovery was quicker than anticipated."
Tony frowned. She did have a point. "At this juncture, I'm going to say no. I think if I had powers they would have manifested themselves in some way. I wouldn't have needed you to come and rescue me."
Natasha eyed him carefully. "If that is what you feel…"
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