Perception

~CHAPTER 11~

WASHINGTON DC 2013

"Are we there yet?" Persephone asked from the back seat of the car, Steve smiled, and looking at her from the rere view mirror,

"Almost, are you excited?" he asked taking his eyes back on the road. Seph continued looking out the window.

"well, considering that we're doing this for a school assignment...no," she said sarcastically.

"Hey, this will be fun, plus when's the last time you're dad let us out of the tower, just is two?" Steve asked a sweet happy smile on his face. Seph shrugged her shoulders and looked back over at cap,

"makes sense, last time you almost took home the wrong kid at the park," She said laughing. Steve smiled and looked down remembering the experience,

pulling up in the parking lot of the Smithsonian, Steve put on his shades, Seph also got out of the car but Steve stopped her,

"uh, wait.." He said grabbing a baseball cap from the middle concle of the car, "You are a superhero now, you have to be undercover," he said handing it to her, she looked at him confused and pushed the hat away,

"I don't go undercover to school," she said continuing t walk towards the entrance, Steve nodded his head questioningly and threw the hat on himself before following after Seph.

"Now, this is what the houses were like, oh and over here, this was what my old school was like," Steve said pointing and showing Persephone all the old pictures and artifacts from the 20's. she nodded and shoved her hands in her pockets. "Seph, look at this," he said stopping at a huge screen, with the howling commandos on it, pointing at himself, Seph smirking and continued looking.

"So, what's this paper even about?" Steve asked walking next to her as she looked around.

"it's about world war two," Seph said looking up to Cap, he nodded and led her towards the exhibit, as he talked on and on, Persephone found herself growing more bored and tuned him out, what caught her attention though, was hologram in the corner of the room, walking towards it she began reading the information box, one of the howling commandos, James Buchanan Barnes, it said.

Staring at the image of James, Seph found her self smiling,

"There you are!" Cap said coming up behind her, she jumped at his presence and looked over her shoulder at him.

"Who's this?" She asked hands still in her pockets.

"Oh this was my best friend up until the ice," he said staring deep into the image of bucky.

"What happened to him?" She asked.

"Oh long story, for another time," He said.

BERLIN GERMANY present day

Being escorted by police cars, and trucks, the now proclaimed fugitives, sat in a police vehicle and rode in silence. Prince Tacha'lla sat in the first row followed by Steve and Persephone in the second and sam sat in the back.

"So you like Cats?" Sam asked breaking the silence

"Sam," Steve sat up more straight and looked forwards at Tacha'lla who just stared ahead of him. taking a glance over at Seph sleeping her face buried in the corner of the window from pain, he clenched his jaw slightly.

"What? dude shows up dressed like a cat, you don't wanna know more?" Sam defined himself.

"You're suit? it's vibrainium?" Steve asked with a very firm face.

the was a slight pause before Tacha'lla answered. "The black panther has been the protector of Wakanda for generations," he said his deep rich accent poring through his voice. "A mantle passed from warrior to warrior" he remained to stare straight. "and now because your friend murdered my father...I also wear the mantle of king" Persephone began to stir, and slowly blinked her eyes open. "So I ask you, as both warrior and king, how long do you think you can keep your friend safe from me?" he asked glancing back towards Steve now.

Once they reached the Prison, officers scattered along, and they all hopped out of the police truck they were being transported in. Just looking at Persephone you could tell she was tired, her thighs and back were covered in deep scratches from Tacha'lla and her face had deep eye bags. Watching Bucky being transported in a huge glass container upset Seph, and clearly upset Steve too.

watching his face closely, Seph could see how tired and ashamed he looked, his long hair framed his face, and he looked away from her and Steve after feeling eyes on him.

"What's gonna happen to him?" Steve asked approaching Everett ross, the deputy task force commander.

"Same thing that outta happen to you, psychological evaluation and extradition."

"Come follow us," Ross said leading them away, Seph turned around to face Bucky on her way out and made eye contact with him, he stared at her too a sad look on his face, she smiled slightly and continued to follow Steve and Sam.

"You'll be provided with an office, instead of a cell, now do me a favor, and stay in it," Ross said marching down the halls as they all followed behind him.

"I don't intend on going anywhere," Tacha'lla said walking up next to ross.

"Oh and Miss Stark, Your father is waiting for you in here," He said moving his hand forward pointing to a door at the end of the hall. she tensed a bit and nodded her head slowly. Natasha joined Sam and Steve a few moments later, and walked next to them,

"for the record, this is what making things worse looks like," she said snarkily as they approached the doors at the end of the hall.

"No, Romania was not accords-sanctioned," Tony said into his phone as they walking to the room. Nat turned back around and faced Seph who kept her eyes on the floor. "colonel Rhodes is supervising cleanup". turning around to face them, Tony spotted his daughter and a part of him relaxed seeing her safe, however another part of his was infuriated, and he tried to keep his cool. "consequences? you bet there'll be consequences," he said approaching them, his eyes fixated on Seph as she remained staring at the floor. "Obviously you can quote me on that because I just said it. Anything else?" he asked into the phone. "Thank you, sir," He said hanging up the phone,

"Consequences?" Steve asked looking at tony appalled. Tony pulled Sephs tired cold body into a tight hug, and he rested his head on hers,

"Secretary Ross wants you both prosecuted," Tony said staring at Steve and Sam.

"I'm not getting that shield back am I?" Steve asked Tony playfully as Seph let go of her father and turned back around to face Steve a smile playing on her lips.

"Technically its the government's property," Nat said turning around to face Sam and Steve as she left with Tony,

"Seph come," Tony said holding a hand out for her to follow, she looked back at them before following her dad and Nat.

"Are you okay?" Tony asked keeping his eyes ahead instead of looking back at his daughter who trailed behind him. she didn't respond, so he turned around to look at her, she was no longer in her suit, and instead in a tee-shirt and leggings, the dry blood stained on her back from her wounds. Tony sighed and walked over towards a medic, while Nat stayed behind with Seph,

"I want you to know... I'm not mad at you," Natasha said taking a seat near the corner of the room. Seph followed and sat in the chair next to hers.

"I know... I just... I feel like I should be the one apologizing," Seph said shaking her head looking down at the ground.

"I understand, I Honestly am proud of you," She said looking over at her, Seph quirked an eyebrow.

"Proud?" She asked.

"I mean the whole running away thing is disappointing, but seeing you stand up for your own beliefs," Nat said looking at her nodding her head. Seph looked away

"I just... I feel torn," Seph said staring off in the distance, Nat listened, "I feel obligated to follow dad, and sign the accords, but I... I- a part of me doesn't want to," She said looking down at the ground.

"Persephone, half the avengers signed them, the other half are now fugitives," Natasha said. Seph sighed and nodded.

"Miss Stark," A medic said approaching Seph and tending to her back wounds. Natasha nodded and Persephone and then headed towards Steve who just exited the room where he and Tony were taking.
All Persephone could think about was Bucky though, he was all alone in a glass cage being interrogated.