First Light | Steve Rogers (Book Two)

Chapter Twenty-Six: Fake News

"Jeffrey Mace hated our freedoms and sought to turn our country-"

Mack rolled his eyes and muted the television. The remote clattered to the floor and he huffed, "Tainting the name of a good man. Anyone else getting sick of this propaganda crap?"

Mitch nodded and crossed his arms, "It's like sipping poison. Little bit every day, you don't even notice till it kills you"

"We need to start thinking retaliation" Ward huffed.

"Retaliation?" Mack frowned as he glanced up at the man, "No, we gotta put human lives before revenge. Look, those people were promised a better life. Now, the man who made that promise is gone, so you gotta talk to them and let them know-"

"We'll make good on it, I know"

Trip shrugged quietly, "Or how about we review those plans I stole from Hydra's lab? You know, since I almost died to get them. Look, if she's building some... some crazy doomsday device-"

"Can we not use that word to describe it?" Ward pleaded, "It's not helping me think"

The others walked off, leaving Mack and I alone. He gave me a warm smile, "Thank you"

I frowned, "For what?"

"For taking my place on that mission. Mel told me you volunteered to take my place"

Smiling, I shrugged it off, "No problem. We gotta stick together, right?"

He opened his mouth to say something, pausing when something new flashed up on the TV. He called the others over and we watched in silence.

"We've received word of a terrorist attack at the Triskelion," the news anchor stated in a trembling voice, "Soures say that an Inhuman made an attempt on Madame Hydra's life. Fortunately, our beloved leader emerged unscathed, but the vile assailant remains at large. It is possible that the Inhuman is working with the Resistance, who are responsible for the disappearance of our national treasure, Captain Hydra"

"Daisy?" Jemma murmured, her eyes full of hope.

"How are you feeling today, Mr Rogers?" I asked gently, placing a mug of lukewarm coffee on his bedside table.

He had been there for about a week. His eyes were bloodshot and his wrists were bruised and sore. We had figured out that music kept him docile, so we kept a constant playlist of jazz and classical music from the forties.

"I'm gonna try something. You have to promise to stay still, okay?" he nodded silently. My hands slowly reached for the restraints on his wrists, releasing him from their strong grip. I gestured to the coffee, "Sorry, it's a little cold"

The man nodded slowly and watched as I sat in the chair near his bed, anxiously fidgeting with the sleeve of his hospital gown. I sipped my coffee, trying to ignore his scrutiny. He finally cleared his throat, "Why are you doing this?"

I frowned and tilted my head a little, "What do you mean?"

"I almost killed you. I'm the mascot of the very organisation that you hate so much"

"'Mascot'," I murmured thoughtfully, "That's an interesting choice of words. I thought you lived to serve Hydra"

His gaze hardened and he nodded quickly, "I... I do. I always have and I always will. Your mind games aren't gonna change anything"

I cowered away slightly at his sudden change in tone, sighing heavily as I watched him glare at me. "We're not going to hurt you, Mr Rogers. We want to help you. You've gone through some form of brainwashing and we want to help you get back to your old life," I assured him before standing up, "I'll leave you in peace"

I was sat on a desk in the camp, resting my head on Melody's shoulder as I plaited Tasha's fair, blonde locks. Harry was asleep on a nearby bed, curled up under the covers. He had been living in a children's home, losing everything when he was discovered as a potential. I was determined to make up for what I did to him, so Melody and I had done everything we could to help him and make him feel safe.

The news anchor appeared on the TV once again, the vile logo of Hydra appearing behind him over the image of Washington DC. "We can now exclusively confirm the identities of the terrorists responsible for this morning's horrific attack on the Triskelion" he stated as a picture of a young woman appeared next to him.

"This woman, known by the alias Skye, is a member of the Inhumans First movement. Her goal: destabilise Hydra from within. We warn our audience that this Inhuman has the potential to cause mass destruction, and she has been known to target civilians. Her accomplice, Melinda May, colluded with the Patriot to destroy the Enlightenment Centre. We are asking you, the public, to do your civic duty and help bring these killers to justice. Those who provide any information that could lead us-"

We all turned to Ward in surprise as he turned the TV off, angrily slamming the remote onto a table. "Hey, calm down," Mack huffed as he held onto Hope, "At least Skye's not a prisoner anymore"

The man turned slowly to face us, "Yeah, but if Hydra finds her before I do, they'll march her into a public square and put a bullet in her head"

"Hey," Melody warned as she glanced at the three kids nearby, "Not in front of them, they're just children"

"Like it or not, this is the reality we live in. I have to find her"

Hope watched him leave before looking up at her father in concern, "Would they really kill Skye?"

He glanced at us, looking for some help before sitting down on the bed behind them. The man looked kindly into his daughter's eyes, "No. He was just getting worked up. She's gonna be fine"

"But the guy on the TV said she was dangerous. She seemed nice" the girl frowned, uncertainty lacing every word as she continued to question everything she had been taught.

"Sweetheart, the news is controlled by Hydra," he explained gently, "Just try not to pay attention to that, okay? Everything's gonna be all right"