Chapter 31: Unfinished Business

"She wasn't fragile like a flower. She was fragile like a bomb." —Unknown

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LOCATION: BUCHAREST, ROMANIA

JUNE 21, 2016

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THIS wasn't the first time she was going against the law to do what was right and oddly enough it was strange to think so. Well, considering all Aurora knew was how to murder efficiently and make casual sarcastic comments, this was a plus in her own book. And another plus would be purchasing a plane ticket at the last minute with Tony's money, might as well use the passport she got the year before. That being said, the girl hoped that the hologram she made of herself to fool Tony would work once he returned... as long as he didn't touch it. Most likely it'll fail, but she wouldn't be there to witness how furious he'd look— so it wasn't so bad now that the teenager thought of it.

Steve mentioned meeting up at a local cafe but discreetly as Sam will be the one picking her up. She followed the directions given on the device, located on more of the outskirts of the town, understanding it would be less likely to find surveillance cameras there. Aurora got used to having little to no sleep as the girl rubbed her eyes gently, remembering it was part of the training she undertook back in HYDRA. It was only early evening as the newspapers were still highlights from yesterday's attack, calling attention to the capture of the Winter Soldier. Thinking how punctual she was considering traveling for over four hours and slowly getting jet lag— even if she could have just teleported instead.

"How's isolation doing for you?" A voice called out from behind, a few tables away sat Sam sporting a blue cap to slightly conceal his identity. Aurora stood still for a few moments, steadily taking out her mirror to 'examine' herself while using the reflection to find him. For once she put her hair in a high ponytail, ditching the pink wig since she'll be meeting an old friend again.

"Alright, how's becoming a fugitive holding up?" She replied and sipped on the herbal tea, an attempt to hide the growing smirk. Sam knew damn well she was in another mood, slightly grimaced at the question.

"Wondering if this really was the best option," He whispered calmly, leaning against the chair and surpassing the urge to sigh heavily. Honestly, she understood his current dilemma after the sudden situation, standing up first and walking towards him. A genuine small smile appeared, the girl tilted her head to indicate in leading the way.

"Well, there's a first time for everything, Wilson," Aurora answered sincerely, Sam hesitated in nodding as he was getting used to the kid. An odd one for sure, but she was learning and the best he can do is help along the way.

"Come on, Steve's waiting for us." He stood abruptly and headed first to the street, the girl having to take long strides to even be beside him.

"So serious, why not lighten up?" Aurora joked until seeing how his expressions changed drastically, immediately regretting it. Placing her hand inside the jacket, part of the mission suit showed before hiding it to avoid attention. She coughed awkwardly after a while, giving a quick apology, "Right... horrible timing."

"You think?" He remarked, they unconsciously decided on giving up the small talk and just went to the hideout. It was on the dangerous side of the city, ignoring the stares from the locals before reaching a vacant alley.

"Sorry, Rory for the sudden call but I wouldn't let you do this if it wasn't for the right thing." Steve appeared behind them, already wearing his suit and Sam put aside the jacket to start fastening the wingsuit.

"I know, but Mr. Falcon here doesn't seem convinced." She teased, tossing away her disguise in a small backpack, and started programming M.A.T.T.H.E.W. for access on surveillance and nearby power lines.

"I may not like it but I owe Cap one. And that's fine with me." He countered the statement, and the trio started forming a plan. Splitting up was the best option with her entering first in case he did appear and Sam would overwatch the whole operation. They finalized an escape route and her returning home before anyone would grow suspicious of her absence.

Aurora never thought about showing Steve where she kept Bucky safe for the past two years. Sam almost regretted tagging along if it meant more unsolved dilemmas the super-soldiers had. Fortunately, she was about to jam the satellite signals for at least ten minutes, while waiting for him to arrive. The complex was messier than what she remembered, observing Rogers navigating the room with a neutral expression. She looked over at the television playing noise static, pressing the side button to turn it off. Her mirror beeped as it alerted her that the signal was getting breached, leaving them about four minutes before they were tracked.

"Steve... I'm sorry I never told you about him." She spoke first, breaking the silence that loomed over between them. Aurora did always hate hiding secrets from everyone, and this was no exception. The only one who knew everything was Bucky, for they can sympathize through the trauma they've been through. Subconsciously she toyed with the necklace to ease her mind as there was no escaping from the truth anymore.

"Was he always living alone?" Steve questioned calmly, picking up a notebook on one of the shelves beside the wall. Glimpsing through the tabs of various colors sticking out from amongst the pages, reading some parts of the journal entries. It unnerved her how he wasn't giving off a solid response, unsure if he was furious or agitated by her. The teenager seriously hoped it was the latter.

"No— I tried visiting often if it meant after midnight to check on him. But I know it was wrong of me to keep it a secret." Aurora stepped closer to him, her eyes pleading for forgiveness and the trouble she's caused.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up kid, I would have done the same if it meant keeping him safe." He gingerly placed his hand on the shoulder, silently nodding in reassurance. There was some noise from the earpiece with Sam muttering something under his breath, Aurora already knowing what was coming.

"As sweet as that was, can we focus for once?" Wilson remarked at the girl, chuckling that he was about to see them through the radar. That was until he saw some movement with the frequency, using his device to investigate who it would be.

"You're just jealous it was me who's with Steve instead of you," She teased with a large smirk plastered on her lips, laughing softly that she could practically feel Sam rolling his eyes. He sent her the radar screen with a few captions that indicate they were being tracked now, no surprise there that the government was slow to find a fugitive.

"If you say so, mini Stark. Also heads up, Cap. German Special Forces, approaching from the south." Falcon alerted, Aurora was the first to get closer to the exit to lean against the doorframe and faintly hear the sound of heavy footsteps.

"Understood," Steve communicated with Sam, yet the young Stark felt her arm hairs sensing something strange as she glanced behind her. Soon, Captain America followed along, slowly facing his presumed dead best friend Bucky with a new profound glaze as he asked him, "Do you know me?"

The former assassin only stared at him, not giving away anything as a few seconds passed and Aurora knew time was short. She saw him holding something in his hand, meaning he just returned from a local store but his eyes said he was confused. Bucky briefly turned in her direction with the tiniest smile before addressing in a monotonous manner, "You're Steve. I read about you in a museum."

"They've set the perimeter," Sam interrupted through the comms, the teenager mentally prepared herself for the incoming soldiers. She fastened her pocket to secure her small items as the girl cautiously waited for the right moment to attack them.

"I know you're nervous. And you have plenty of reason to be. But you're lying," Steve remarked seriously, not once blinking away as he knew it was a lie. Aurora briefly mentioned him after the incident and she herself didn't understand why he did it either.

"I wasn't in Vienna. I don't do that anymore," Bucky muttered, as if he owed an explanation, looking away to avoid their stares from shame. She believed every word from how it's been days since the teenager last visited, there had to be another reason why someone would go out of their way to frame him.

"They're entering the building," Falcon alerted as the man sent the last drop-off location for them to follow once they escaped and retrieve Bucky. She gave the information to her A.I. and awaited her signal for the randevu, gripping the mirror tightly to communicate with someone else later.

"Well, the people who think you did are coming here now. And they're not planning on taking you alive," Captain America confessed seriously, fastening his shield tighter and his old friend hesitantly walked towards the hallway.

"That's smart. Good strategy," The Winter Soldier affirmed, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed around them as it became tensed after each painstaking moment. She immediately shook her head in disagreement, willing to take the chance if it meant a sacrifice.

"We're not going to let that happen." Phantom protested, even if she interrupted them it wasn't right to do so. It would be against Steve's moral judgment to turn someone in without being proved innocent— and honestly, Aurora understood that now.

"They're on the roof. I'm compromised," Sam warned his team until there was static on his side of the comms.

"This doesn't have to end in a fight, Buck." Steve reminded him, partially hoping that it suddenly clicked to him that they were old friends. After losing Peggy, he was the only one left that still had from the past.

"Now or never... you know the plan, Wilson." She reminded Sam, while he was counting down the seconds before a grenade crashed through the window. Aurora harnessed an energy shield to block it yet a few more came. Bucky kicked it towards Steve who luckily smothered it with the shield.

Suddenly, she felt someone pull her towards them as her old companion shields them with the mattress from the incoming bullets. Once the room was done, he immediately went to block the wall with a large swing at the table. More glass flew everywhere, agents climbing inside with cables and with Steve dragging the carpet. She expertly did a roundhouse kick that sent one agent falling backward. Bucky slams another one into the wall through the door and almost drops him yet Rogers manages to intervene. He called out to him in exasperation, "Buck, stop! You're gonna kill someone."

"I'm not gonna kill anyone." The Winter Soldier declared and slammed Steve on the ground and punched a hole on the floor to retrieve his personal belongings in the backpack. Aurora continued to attack physically since the men were just doing their job, not that she still didn't make it hurt any less.

Bullets began shooting towards the two friends, luckily Phantom was hiding and waited until she lunged forward to knock the soldier down. Within a flash, Bucky threw the items out the window and shoved Steve to tackle the next one over. Meanwhile, she was distracted by some more that entered the window and eventually became annoyed that it was a bad idea to be here. Though not wanting to admit it was partially her plan as well, now Sam would never let it down whenever she'll be around. Instantaneously, the young Stark heard someone trying to alert the other yet she snatched it away and crushed it to pieces.

"Sorry, but I don't like snitches," Phantom teased before tying the last one up with its own ropes. By then, Bucky was already by the stairwell with a few soldiers unconscious and Steve right behind. Thinking it was a good time to follow them, one was hiding beside the door and got her in a tight hold.

"Let go!" She jumbled the words yet her anger was evident, thrashing violently as he spoke through in a Romanian accent about getting one of the vigilantes. Just then, Steve came and grabbed her yet slightly miscalculated when she went behind the handrail and slipped a few levels. Bucky pushed the soldier he just used to zip line down and she managed to grab on. Shouting in relief to him yet startled that it happened so fast, "Thanks...."

Steve jumps down a level as Bucky keeps punching the cops, the Captain instantly grabbing her hand to pull the girl in. Suddenly being disoriented and tired, Phantom formed her hand into a fist and hissed that it worked keeping her awake. It seemed like more soldiers were invading, so she decided to rely on combat since Aurora felt her body feeling fatigued. The two men were on opposite sides when a shield flew through the air, luckily dodging it in time and landing on the wall. By then, the Winter Soldier climbs up then runs along a corridor, and leaps off a balcony.

"Steve! He's gone!" Aurora alerted him, finishing the last one with a final sidekick and he pulled his shield out of the wall. The pair looked down to find him fighting against a mysterious man in a black suit, well— guess the soldiers weren't the only assets the government sent.

"Sam, southwest rooftop," Captain America signaled him, spotting him with the Falcon wings from the distance. Bucky was kicked into the wall, and the man swipes his claws and tries slashing his face yet the super-soldier holds up a metal bar to protect himself.

"Who the hell's the other guy?" Sam questioned the closer he got a better view below. Aurora for once getting on the same page with her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.

"About to find out," Steve declared, not waiting for the teenager to follow as he took a few steps back then leaped down towards where his friend was.

"You gotta be kidding—," Aurora muttered under her breath, saying a few swear words in anguished that he always does that. Sure she was enhanced but it didn't mean it wasn't going to hurt like fucking hell, asking herself sarcastically, "What's a girl gotta do to not get her nails dirty?"

"Heads up, Mini Stark!" Wilson called out as a chopper suddenly flew by and she hid inside the corridor. She can't just wait until something happens, however, if Aurora did get injured— she'll be a liability to the team.

"Sam!" Rogers shouted as he used the shield to ricochet the bullets, and Bucky stood back to avoid being hit while getting a chance to escape.

"Got him," Sam answered immediately, swooping down and shoving the chopper off course, then going towards street level. The Winter Soldier breaks free from his attacker, slings his bag on his back, and jumps down. Yet his attacker wasn't far behind with Steve pursuing after them, therefore, Aurora made up her mind and regrettably jumped off.

She landed rolling over roughly and her body was already sore from the other bruises, letting out a few gasps before going after them. Thank god for the endurance runs she's done the last year with Natasha and sometimes Steve early in the morning. The pounding pain in her head made her move a bit disoriented as the girl jumped to another building before going down with ease. At some point, she thought it would dislocate her left shoulder after tears slipped out from another landing. Muttering to herself, "I seriously need a break after this."

"Matt! I need you to track the direction Steve is heading," Aurora ordered through her communicator, jogging with great speed as she created small portals to step on. It was actually the first time doing it after the other failed attempts were a disaster ending with landing harshly. Guess when the government is after your arse, then it made sense to motivate her by making no mistakes. Going through an underground tunnel with ongoing traffic, she stayed above to see Steve and Bucky after each other with the mysterious man behind.

"Do you always have to be a show-off?" Sam shouted beside her, gliding through as he observed the new trick she just made. Honestly, Aurora shyly smirked at how he could never predict her next move, giving her an edge to always be the best. Just then, more police sirens echoed behind as she momentarily caused debris to block them from going forward.

"Only when my life is in danger," Phantom joked with a small chuckle, speeding up to reach Bucky first to the randevu location. Steve called out to Wilson on trying to stop the man who appeared in a catsuit, giving a quick signal before splitting up. Captain America swerved to another car to slow the agents, Bucky reached a fork in the road and faced oncoming traffic. He leaps over a barrier, however, his best friend drives through it.

A motorbike speeds towards Bucky and hastily grabs the handlebar and spins the bike around in mid-air before throwing the rider off. Finally having the chance to escape, Steve keeps on his tail with the Black Panther holding onto the back of the vehicle. Suddenly, the male attacker leaps off the front onto Bucky's motorbike, somehow Bucky flings him over his head and the bike leans down on its side with his metal arm scraping. The Winter Soldier kicks his assailant away, adjusting the motorcycle again before riding on, unaware that the mysterious man catches on Falcon's leg.

Sam tries to kick Black Panther away, thus Aurora summoned some energy blast to shake him off yet it seemed the suit absorbed the power. Her facial expressions contoured to one of confusion, using a different tactic and tried using the energy to pull him down. Unfortunately, Bucky threw a small bomb and it blew up the roof at the end of the underpass, causing tons of rubble to cave in. Falcon managed to kick him off, only for him to launch at the Winter Soldier and fall off the motorbike. Steve swerves through the rubble, Aurora arriving shortly after to land expertly and help intervene in the upcoming fight.

That's when multiple armed policemen arrived at the scene and surrounded them, guns aiming directly at the group. Sam stood beside her as he carefully approached forward, purposely blocking her from the others. Yet she calmly glanced in their general direction hoping to escape yet when War Machine appeared— that's when Aurora knew she was screwed. The teenager hesitated in putting away her energy source, but the sound of many firearms clicking as a sign of warning... she gave in. Rhodes motioned with his iron hand that was slowly harvesting the power, demanding the group, "Stand down, now."

Bucky was the first to raise his hands with Steve putting his shield on the back, a look of defeat written on his face. Sam retracted the wings into the pack, and Aurora dropped her hidden dagger that landed on the ground with a cling. The police advanced and forced the ex-HYDRA assassin to his knees, another putting Rogers arms behind his back. With a heavy sigh, Rhodey called out to him in disappointment, "Congratulations, Cap. You're a criminal."

A few moments later, the Black Panther retracts his claws and pulls off his mask revealing his face. All of them looked at him with a curious expression, unsure how he could be associated with the policemen. No world government would grant a man a specialized suit unless he was something they didn't know. The man only stared back before walking away, Bucky and Steve were the first to be hauled away. However, once Rhodey saw the young girl, he internally groaned as he told her, "You know... Tony is gonna kill me."

"Not if he kills me first—," Aurora remarked with a short grunt as two soldiers restrained her. They put some sort of handcuffs the US government designed to prevent her from using her abilities, as stated in the Accords booklet. At first, the teenager tugged her wrists only to tighten them as she fell to the ground in anguish and pain, squinting her eyes shut and biting down on her lips.

"Hey! Someone help her!" Sam hollered but he too was restrained and the only logical thing he could do was call for attention. Bucky immediately glared over as he promised himself that he would protect her... she's only fifteen.

"Was that necessary?" Steve asked Rhodes with a neutral look, seeing how it was above his power to do so. No one did anything, only that an unknown man came forward and addressed the Colonel to inspect the suspects.

"If an enhanced individual obstructs the actions of those enforcing the Accords, they will be arrested and detained," Rhodey recalled from the booklet with a pained expression, Aurora looked up and the men saw how truly frightened she was. The young Stark never understood the concept of fear until today, seeing how her luck has finally run out.

"Yeah? Well, I haven't signed the Accords dumbass." Aurora tried to sound sarcastic yet her voice betrayed her on how it slightly quivered when talking.

"That's why a legal guardian or the leader of the Avengers that signs can determine whether or not any minors will abide by the rules." Another superior officer directly explained as he motioned some more to retrieve her. Feeling how the policemen roughly grabbed her head and injected some kind of liquid on the neck. The side effects were slowly appearing as she heard another man say something about Bucky. Getting the last of her strength, she told the main officer to fuck himself before going unconscious.

Bucky didn't resist when they placed him at the chamber with many restraints but nothing painful like hers, she was placed directly in front of him as the girl laid on a stretcher. Everything she possessed was taken from her while some officers spoke in an unfamiliar dialect and he could only watch intently. The young Stark twitched in her unconscious mind, almost fighting against something tormenting inside while quivering her lips. He never did like seeing her have violent nightmares.

She felt how defenseless she was against the demons wanting to play, like a disease rapidly spreading to gain control. She didn't want any part of this life but it chose her— wrapping their slender fingers around the girl, waiting for the real Aurora to come out. At first, whispers became loud shouts from the people she loved, all asking why and at what cost did they pay for her to not tell? The guilt will only grow until it'll be too late to make amends, and the whole world is watching.

Now she must suffer the consequences of her actions.