SHE EMERGED THROUGH THE SMOKE, clothes untouched, hands bared before her. A young girl, blonde hair braided back, eyes a fiery purple. The girl held no recognition for the man before her, no recognition beside the slight dart of her gaze to where her partner stood.
The Winter Soldier.
They were paired together for a reason, having a more profound bond than with those around them. She had dreamt of him while her powers set in, and he, he stood there and watched her as she struggled with the grasp of an infinity stone streaming through her blood. Latching onto particles that gave her the power she possessed that day. The power she did not flinch to as she used it.
She did not notice the woman bleeding by her side, panting as she scrambled underneath the car. She was here for one reason, the man with the blond hair before them who possessed unheard of strength.
The file said he was Captain America, and they were here to put him out of business. Though they did not prepare for him to have two allies, a red haired woman and a man who was annoying with a gun. Kept on shooting at the pair, and she was getting worn out by deflecting all the bullets away from her and her partner.
She was told to observe, to watch how The Winter Soldier dealt with the situations, the moves he made, the orders he gave out to those who were unfortunate enough to be on their case, to be killed by the pesky partners of Captain America.
Crouching beside the car, 024 held a steady gaze at the events unfolding before her, the confrontation of her partner and the man.
"Stay back."

She did as told, her partner stepping forward to engage with the man. She was to repair the damage, kill the witnesses, and ensure they were quick and clean.
They were not quick and clean, and she was sure that they'd be punished for that.
She did not see the fight properly, only a flash of a shield, of a silver arm, and bullets raining down before her partner resorted to using a small knife. One she gave him.
It was hers, though she did not need it. At one point during her life, during her 13 years, she engraved her number on to the blade, only to give it to her partner.
Mutual respect, she called it.
They said it was something more, something to do with how her mind connected with the stone. How they could communicate silently, with brain waves instead of speech.
It made them the best partners the compound could hope for.
A sound to her right made her duck, the red-haired woman swinging at her head. The blade embedded itself in the car. The woman was bleeding heavily from a wound in her shoulder, and even without that wound, 024 was more than prepared to take her down.
024 had been training since she could walk. She did not know anything else other than the compound.
Using what small amount of her power was left, she brought down a wall of purple above the woman, restraining her arms around her chest. She didn't even need to move a muscle to stop the woman.
024 smiled as she saw she was stronger than the woman, and when she was the woman's age, she'd be even better.
She strived to be the best partner The Winter Soldier could ever have. To stay by his side until the air left her lungs for the last time. Sure, her partner was not used to the idea of fighting with another, but he would become accustomed to it. She knew it.
She felt it in her heart.

She ducked as the iconic Captain America shield flew over her head, reaching up with a hand to catch it, using her power to create a mitten.
The pair paused fighting, their gaze directed toward her. She stood there for a moment, slipping her arm into the sheath before flinging it toward her partner. He caught it with ease and used the shield against the man.
The fight ensured, a clash of metal here, a grunt of brute force there, and the sound of the movement the matching suits she and her partner wore. Mask, material covering every inch beside their hands and eyes, hair tied back to keep it out of the way. It was a mockery of sorts, showing that they could never run from the compound. Never run from the people who held them in a tight grip.
Her eyes widened as the mask from her partner's face fell, clattering to the ground painfully slow. She never saw anything above the eyes, and seeing the complete face...
It made her pause, loose concentration for a blip of a second, and her power allowed the bleeding woman to break free. As her attention was directed toward the woman, she did not see the recognition that laid in Captain America's eyes as he beheld the face of her partner, did not see her partner flee the scene until she felt his presence in the back her of mind, calling her away.
Just as the woman got a hold on her, she used the last drop of power to teleport to their rendezvous.

∆ ∆ ∆

"...I've been giving a good deal of thought to this entity in my head," Vision gestured to the stone protruding from his skull, "about its nature. But also, its composition. I think if it were exposed to a sufficiently powerful energy source, something every similar to its own signature, perhaps...its molecular integrity could fall." Vision had turned from the window, crossing the room to where the red-haired woman stood, Wanda Maximoff was the name that came to mind.

"And you with it." Wanda argued, "We're not having this conversation."

Vision shook his head, "Eliminating the stone is the only way to be certain Thanos can't get it."

The name rang a bell in Bronwen's mind, and she slowly connected it to the purple man that inhabited her dreams. Her thoughts drifted from there, to the place where she first saw Captain America.
She was 024, alongside Bucky, sent to kill him. She doubted he remember her, and hoped he didn't, as if he confronted her.
Well, she wouldn't know what to say. Sorry for trying to kill you three years ago, I was brainwashed and didn't know any better?
Yeah, that conversation would be awkward.
"That's too high a price."

Vision took Wanda's face in his hands, staring down, "Only you have the power to pay it." Distressed, Wanda moved away, sidling next to Bronwen. The latter thought it would be wise to keep her secret of where her power came from. Sure, it would be easier as she did not have a bond with Vision, but she felt it was not her place to destroy two peoples lives. Wanda's and Visions. "Thanos threatens half the universe. One life cannot stand in the way of defeating him."

Bronwen was about to open her mouth— "but it should. We don't trade lives, Vision." Steve stepped forward, eye's directed straight to Visions.

Vision moved toward Steve, "Captain, 70 years ago, you laid down your life to save how many millions of people. Tell me, why is this any different?"

Steve took a breath, about to respond, before Bruce cut the man off, "Because you might have a choice. Your mind is made up of a complex construction of overlays. J.A.R.V.I.S., Ultron, Tony, me, the Stone. All of them mixed together. All of them learning from one another."

Wanda tilted her head, "You're saying Vision isn't just the stone?"

"I'm saying that if we take out the stone, there's still a whole lot of Vision left. Perhaps the best parts."

Bronwen frowned, "Is that really possible?"

"Not me." Bruce shook his head, "Not here."

"You better find someone, and somewhere fast." Rhodey cut in, "Ross isn't exactly just gonna let you guys have your old rooms back."

It was then where Steve's gaze came up from where it rested on the floor, "I know somewhere."

Bronwen felt like she knew where Steve was talking about.

∆ ∆ ∆

Bronwen ran a hand through her hair. Rhodey had directed her to where Tony had left a room for whenever she decided to visit, the room just like it was back in the tower over a year ago. Inside the wardrobe were two suits, one more suited to space, having an inbuilt oxygen tank created out of nano-tech, and another for work on the ground.
Bronwen did not deserve Tony Stark.
She was given five minutes if privacy, and she couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the pair that hung neatly in the wardrobe of a room that was kept just for her. The purple vines that overlaced the black were intertwined with red and gold, and Bronwen had a sneaking feeling that the colours would be similar on Peter's own suit. The colours were more concentrated around her feet, wrists and neck, then dispersing around the remaining of the suit.
Bronwen's hands itched to try it on, and she was about to reach for the suit before a knock sounded at her door.
The sound caused her to jump.
"Uh, come in?"

Bronwen's stomach dropped as she saw Steve Rogers walk through the door, suited up, looking ready to leave.
"Bronwen, is it?"

She nodded, "Yes, Bronwen Deirdre." She felt compelled to extend a hand to shake, and so she did.

Steve took it, her grip surprising stronger than he expected, "Can I sit?" He gestured to the desk chair.

She nodded again, "Sure." Bronwen felt like he didn't need her permission, he was Captain America, after all, and she tried to kill him when she was 13.

"I wanted to ask you, did you ever visit New York a few years ago?"

Bronwen's gaze darted across the room, wanting to be anywhere but where she was. But it would be rude to teleport out of the room, to avoid the impending conversation. So she spoke, "Yes. That was me with... with Bucky."

He stayed silent.

"I was born at the compound your friend, Bucky, was stored in. From there I was injected with this...thing, that gave me my power, and when I was eleven I was retrieved from the compound, only to be brought back, injected with more, and set free with a new memory years later. I... I'm better now, though. You...you don't need to worry about me trying to kill you again."

He remained silent.

"Sir?"

He shook his head, and stood, clapping a hand on her shoulder, "Bronwen, I..."

She didn't hear the rest of his answer as a shout rang through the building to get to the runway. Steve turned away and left, heading down the hall.
Bronwen sighed, glancing at the suit, and decided that it was time to take it for a spin.

I was unsure how I'd go with writing this chapter without my usual keyboard, using the one on the screen instead of the one I connected to through Bluetooth. But you know, I got through it in the end. Thank God.
Well, a Happy belated Easter to you all! Schools starting up tomorrow once more, and Endgame is only days away!! I'm so excited to see it on Sunday. When are you seeing it?
There is also an amazing cover on 'Lights Out' now made by the one and only kaciam — I love it so much and I'm sure it's going to stay there forever. Go and check their work out! I can't say thank you enough!
Apologies if there are any spelling mistakes on this. As I said I'm out of my comfort zone when writing now, so please point them out so I can fix them!
Other than that that's all from me. Until next time!
- J