Two weeks later...

Chapter Ten
Sam

"So what's the deal with this Jade Rosales? How did you get into business with her?" John asks Harvey.

All of us are sitting in the ship in Cairns, Australia, where we picked up video footage of Rosales a few hours ago. It took us a little while to find her, she knows how to stay hidden and avoid attention. She's definitely someone who doesn't want to be found.

"Unlike my other clients, I got into business with Jade after HYDRA fell," Harvey explains, leaning back against the ship, crossing his legs. "She wasn't like other agents, I wouldn't even classify her as an agent. She has powers that she can't control, and because no one in HYDRA could get a handle on her powers, they locked her up and used her as a weapon."

Soroya grips onto Bucky's hand, sorrow filling her features. "That's what happened to my brother. He was used as an unwilling executioner for whoever HYDRA wanted gone. What exactly are her powers?"

"She has described it as molecular combustion. She causes things around her to explode."

"And she has no control over her powers?" I ask.

"No. She came to me after she escaped her base and asked for shelter. I gave it to her, helped her get a fake identity and gave her the location of a HYDRA safe house."

"In exchange for what?" John asks, knowing Harvey never does things out of the good of his heart.

"She is very skilled at cooking. She's also good company to keep when you ignore the fear of imitate death."

Soroya looks at John, Bucky, and I, her voice and expression stern as she practically orders: "When we find her, don't fight her. Rosales is clearly a victim, we can't harm her."

"We can't just let her go free. Ross won't stand for it, and besides, she's dangerous."

"So was Alex, but I helped him get his powers under control. I can help her control her powers."

"Soroya, I admire you wanting to help her, but we can't—"

"We have to try," I cut him off, glancing at Soroya. "No one should be punished for what HYDRA made them do. We have to at least try to help her."

Soroya gives me a smile of gratitude, looking back to John. "When Alex, Bucky, and I were on the run from the law, we only had each other. It wasn't until Steve and Sam helped Bucky and brought him to T'Challa that we all had a chance to be free. I want to give her that hope for a better life, I want to give her the freedom she's been robbed of."

John has that look on his face, the look I've seen many times the past couple months. Anytime Soroya says something hopeful, compassionate, or moral, John has this look of frustration and slight annoyance. John is used to taking the easy road in every mission, but Soroya always takes the hard road. He doesn't like it, but he knows she's right, so disagreeing with her will make him look like an asshole, or more of an asshole than usual.

John sighs, shutting his eyes. "Alright, so what's the plan?"

"When we get to the warehouse we spotted her at, let Bucky and I go in with Caden. She trusts him and it may help if she sees two people who were apart of HYDRA and know what's she's going through."

"You've been an Avenger for a long time, so odds are she will know you don't mean her harm, but Barnes was cleared less than two months ago. She might think he's here to hurt her," John points out. "And besides, there's no way I'm leaving you alone to go face Rosales. Even if she's innocent, she can't control herself."

"Then how about you, Bucky, and Sam go through the back. But promise me you three won't do anything to hurt her."

"We will if Rosales tries to hurt you." John replies.

"Just promise me." She says, giving him a stern look.

John sighs again. "Fine, I promise."

Soroya turns to Bucky and cups his face, kissing him softly on the lips before saying: "I'll be fine, don't worry."

"I'll always worry."

She brushes her thumb over his right cheek and kisses him again briefly, then turns to Caden and says: "You ready?"

"Even if I say no you'll make me move my ass anyways." Caden says with a sigh, walking towards the ramp to exit the ship.

The rest of us follow him, making our way towards the warehouse. We got footage of her entering this place and she hasn't left since, we think she's planning on staying here tonight. We parked the ship a little ways away, so it takes a few minutes for us to get to the warehouse. As planned, Soroya and Caden go towards the front and we go towards the back. All of us have our guns loaded, aimed low just in case we need to use them. I hope we don't.

"I don't like this." John whispers as we walk towards the back entrance.

"She knows what she's doing," Bucky responds. "Have some faith in her."

"I do have faith in her, but I think her optimism can blind her sometimes."

"She may be optimistic but she isn't naive or reckless. If she thought Rosales was really a threat then she wouldn't be doing this."

"You don't know what Rosales is going through." I tell John.

"And you do?"

"Yes I do," I say with a raised brow. "Have you forgotten that I was mind controlled by HYDRA two months ago?"

Apparently he has. He gives me an apologetic look and gestures to the door. "Shall we?"

Bucky nods. "Stay quiet, we don't want to startle her."

The three of us slip through the backdoor, immediately seeing a large pile of stacked crates. We hide behind this as we listen to Soroya speak in a soft tone.

"Do you know who I am?"

A shaking voice replies: "Soroya Roberts. The Savage."

"I promise I'm not here to hurt you, I'm here to help."

"It's true," Harvey tells Rosales cautiously. "Soroya is my friend, you can trust her."

"No one can help me."

"I can, I know exactly what you're going through."

Rosales laughs, disbelief dripping from the sound as it echoes through the warehouse. "No you don't. I've seen you on TV, you have control of your powers. You aren't a danger to everyone you're around."

"But I wasn't always. I killed and hurt so many people because I couldn't control my shapeshifting. I got help from a friend and he taught me how to control myself. I can do the same for you."

"People have tried before," Rosales half whispers, her voice thick from tears. "But I'm too dangerous. You two need to leave before I hurt you, too."

The three of us peak over the top of the crates and see Soroya reaching out for Rosales, making her shrink back more. Soroya touches her arm gently, but this act scares her so much that a blast goes off in the corner of the warehouse, making Soroya and Caden jump. My eyes are glued to Rosales, who cries harder as she looks towards where the explosion just went off. This is enough for John to rush from behind the crates, aiming his gun at Rosales.

"John, no! Get back!" Soroya yells.

It's too late, John has frightened Rosales. She shields herself and cowers in the floor, and consequently, an explosion goes off again, this time higher up. The blast breaks open the roof, with debris plummeting towards the ground. Bucky runs towards Soroya and pushes her out of the way while I do the same for John, knocking us both down to the ground.

The debris from the ceiling has separated John, Rosales, and I from the others. I push myself off the ground and cup my hands over my mouth, shouting: "Are you guys alright?"

"We're fine! You?" Bucky shouts back.

"We're fine, too," I shout, looking down at Rosales, still cowering in a ball on the floor. "Don't move, just stay where you are. I want to try something."

"Sam, don't be stupid." John warns me, standing up and brushing the dust from his suit.

"Like you just were? I won't. I know what I'm doing," I say, kneeling down on the ground a few feet from Rosales. "Are you okay?"

Rosales looks a little younger than I am, maybe thirty two or thirty three years old. She is of Cuban descent, has beautiful long black hair, and as she lifts her head up slightly to look at me, I see that she has stunning dark brown eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen."

"I know," I say, giving her a small, pained smile. "I know all too well. HYDRA is to blame for this, not you. You haven't done anything wrong."

"I've caused so much destruction. I'll only cause more if you stay here any longer."

"I know how you feel," I tell her, dropping my voice. "A couple months ago I was taken and experimented on by a HYDRA scientist. He controlled my mind and made me do terrible things, things that keep me up at night, that have stayed with me ever since. Soroya is the same way, as is Bucky, the man who pushed her out of the way. We all have been hurt by HYDRA, we all have wounds so deep we can't even comprehend how to mend them. But the only chance we have at healing is if we depend on each other."

"You don't know if that will work."

"I used to help people heal from their wounds all the time, the wounds normal doctors can't help fix. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for the support of other soldiers and my friends here today. No one can heal alone, you need support and love. That's the only way we will be able to sleep, to be able to breath without it hurting, to actually live our lives and not be trapped in the past."

She wipes her eyes, taking a deep breath. "What if I hurt you?"

I hold my hand out to her and give her a reassuring nod. "I'm willing to take that risk. I have faith in you."

Rosales stares at my hand for a long time, letting my words soak in, contemplating all of her options. I know how hard this must be for her, taking this leap of faith, in me and in herself.

When I got back from my two tours, I felt lost and broken. It was only because I had other soldiers who knew what I was going through, that I got through it. Then I met Steve and he gave me the opportunity to help people again, but with that job comes a toll on the soul. I've never felt that toll more than the last few months. Dying and coming back to life, being taken and mind controlled by HYDRA, Steve dying, the UN tightening their grip on the world, it's all felt so overwhelming, sometimes I can hardly breathe. But it's not just me going through it, Soroya and Bucky are too. I once again have people I can lean on as I heal from what's happened, and help them heal themselves. I agree with Soroya, we need to be the hope that Rosales has been deprived of for so long. Without hope, we all have nothing. I remember what it's like to have nothing, I want to make sure no one ever feels that way again.

Rosales takes in a deep breath and holds it as she reaches for my hand. Her fingers touch mine, then her fingers, then her palm. She slides her hand slowly into mine until I am fully grasping it, making her let out another disbelieving laugh, though this time it's far more positive.

"Thank you." She whispers, fresh tears spilling from her lashes and down her cheeks.

I nod to her firmly, squeezing her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Jade."

She smiles ever so slightly, daring to squeeze my hand back. "You too."