First Light | Steve Rogers (Book Two)

Chapter Twenty-Three: Project First Light

I was still trying to push aside Jemma's bizarre claims, although I wasn't entirely sure why I was so upset by it. Phil may have been right, but just a bit. I didn't like the possibility that another world could exist, I didn't want to have to go there.

Rogers was asleep, finally undisturbed by the horrific dreams that plagued him every time he closed his eyes. He had been a little more peaceful, but we still made sure to keep him restrained in case anything changed.

The sound of approaching footsteps brought me out of my thoughts and I turned to see Jemma standing next to me. She smiled a little and nodded in greeting, not a word exchanged between us. I finally cleared my throat, "What makes you so sure that there's another world?"

"Well, for starters, I'm from there. This is, as I've said before, a computer simulation" she shrugged, neither of us looking at each other as we spoke.

"And what makes you think that I would ever be with Captain Hydra?"

The woman sighed heavily as she examined the blonde's peaceful frame, "He's Captain America in the real world. He's a good man, a hero. The two of you met when you joined the Avengers, you kept things quiet but everyone could tell that something was going on between you. He's devoted to you, even if he doesn't admit it"

I shook my head and turned to face her with a stern look, "This is why I don't believe you. You've said before that the other world is basically the same, except for a few key points. If that's the case, then Melody still exists in the other world. Why would I date him when the love of my life is there?" She didn't reply, lowering her gaze to avoid mine. I frowned and took a step towards her, "She is there, isn't she?"

"I'm sorry. I don't know exactly what happened, but she wasn't there. I think... I think something might have happened"

I staggered away from her with wide eyes, "No. That's not possible, that can't be possible. W-What about everyone else? Mitch? My parents? Tasha?"

The woman shook her head solemnly, "I'm sorry"

"So, in that world, I'm alone. I lose my entire family, my soulmate, my child. How could you even think that I'd want to go back there? Were you just hoping that I'd never ask?" I snapped, my temper rising until my body shook with anger and fear.

"You're not alone. You have friends, you have Steve. Look, Rory, if you don't leave here... y-you'll die"

I wildly shook my head as I tried to push away the rage slowly growing within me, "It's Katherine. And I'm not going anywhere. I'm happy here. I have a family, I have a life. You seriously think I'd leave Melody for that world? You think I'd leave my daughter? She's five years old, she needs me!"

Jemma scoffed, "She's just a bunch of code! She doesn't-"

She was suddenly cut off as my palm connected with the side of her face. There was a tense silence and I frowned, taken aback by such an uncharacteristic action.

My eyes were dangerously calm as I pointed a threatening finger at her, "Don't you dare talk about my daughter like that. She is real, she is more real than anything in any world and I wouldn't trade her away, not ever"

I made my way to the door, still feeling her shocked gaze on me. My voice was quiet and shaky as I turned my head slightly to look at her, "I'm sorry, Jemma. But I'm not going to that place. I have a good chance at happiness here and I'm not letting go"

"And if you die as a result?" she called after me.

"It'd be worth it"

Mitch was hunched over his laptop, clicking and typing furiously as he squinted through his glasses. "What are you doing?" I asked, taking a seat next to him.

He jumped slightly and heaved a sigh of relief when he recognised me, "N-Nothing"

I gave him a warning glare, "C'mon, Mitch. I'm your sister, you can trust me"

After a moment's hesitation, he showed me the detailed documents and diagrams that were on the small screen. "I've been working on this for over a decade and a half," he explained wearily, "All the secrets I could gather while I was working with Hydra, each put into a file and stored on something secure. I've got stuff on the high-level members, Captain Hydra, the truth about the Winter Soldier's disappearance, lists of Potentials, the experiments on Inhumans... everything"

"Why?" I frowned, resting my head on his shoulder as I read a couple of paragraphs.

"We need all the information we can get to take Hydra down. The thing is, they have expert hackers on their side who could figure out that we have this information. That is why... we need this" he closed the laptop and flipped it over. I watched in curiosity as he opened a small compartment on the back and carefully pulled something out.

I squinted at it, "A chip?"

He nodded and grinned proudly, "I call it Project: First Light"