Devilish Secret ✦Steve Roger & Bucky Barnes✦

♔Chapter 10♔

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As we sit in the lounge everyone is contemplating if they should follow Secretary Ross's order or retire. Steve was just sitting there reading the booklet. As Sam and Rhodes bark at each other on their opinion of the act. Vision speaks up, "I have an equation."

"Oh, this will clear it up." Sam remarks. "In eight years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man the number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially. During the same period, the number of potentially world-ending events has risen at a commensurate rate." I nod thinking about his words. "Are you saying it's our fault?" Steve says. "No, he's not Steve. Maybe let him speak." My mother speaks out.

"Vision?" Pietro smiles letting Vision know to continue. "I'm saying there may be a causality. Our very strength invites challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict... breeds catastrophe. Oversight... oversight is not an idea that can be dismissed out of hand."

I started to ignore everyone again as I see my mother walking to me. "Mom I know you want me to help, but what that mean said in that room... Salem?" I shook my head. "I think you shouldn't sign. Focus on school." I looked off to Mr. Stark seeing him pinching the bridge of his nose. "Tony. You are being uncharacteristically non-hyperverbal." Nat asks looking at him concerned. "It's because he's already made up his mind." Steve spat out.

"Boy, you know me so well. Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache. That's what's going on, Cap. It's just pain." Tony says walking to the kitchen. It's discomfort." He put a photo of a guy my age sighing. "Oh, that's Charles Spencer, by the way. He is a great kid. Computer engineering degree, like Ellaria. 3.6 GPA. Had a floor-level gig at Intel planned for the fall. But first, he wanted to put a few miles on his soul... before he parked it behind a desk. See the world. Maybe be of service. Charlie didn't want to go to Vegas or Fort Lauderdale, which is what I would do. He didn't go to Paris or Amsterdam, which sounds fun. He decided to spend his summer building sustainable housing for the poor. Guess where. Sokovia." We were all silent. "He wanted to make a difference; I suppose. We won't know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass."

I stood up, "Tony-"He looks at me and stops before I could say anything. "Look there is no decision-making process here. Ellaria focus on school. Everyone else we need to be put in check. Whatever form that takes, I'm game. If we can't accept limitations, if we're boundary-less, we're no better than the bad guys." I sat there hearing everything.

"Tony, someone dies on your watch, you don't give up. Ellaria should also have a say with what she does in her life." Tony quickly talks back to him. "Who said we're giving up? And I have known Ellaria since she was a little kid! She is like a niece to me. I will always want the best for her and her mother, who is like a sister to me. Hearing that man even mentioning Salem lets me know her and her mother are not safe. And I'll be damned if anything were to happen to them."

"Listen Tony, I understand you want her to be safe. Trust me so do I. She should not have been threatening with that in no way possible. But we are giving up if we are not taking responsibility for our actions. This document just shifts the blame." Rhodes shakes his head pursing his lips. "I'm sorry, Steve. That is dangerously arrogant. This is the United Nations we're talking about. It's not the World Security Council, it's not S.H.I.E.L.D, it's not Hydra."

"No, but It's run by people with agendas, and agendas change." My mother nods. "Yes, Steve agendas change, people change for better or worse. That probably how they think of us." Steve rolls his eyes at my mother words. "Steve she is right. And I will step down. Us witches will always be seen as threats and will always be in danger. We are close to extinction. I will finish school like my father wished. Now if you excuse me. I will head out." As I was about to head out, Pietro sped up to me.

"Was this yours or Tony's wish." He says lightly touching my arm. I smile giving him a hug. "It's mine. I only work for Tony not the Avengers." I pull away looking into his eyes. "I'll see you again, Pietro, I promise." I walk to my room and grab my suitcase. Mr. Stark and my mother enter. "Ellaria." I tear up giving a hug to Tony. "What will happen to my mom? "Tony sighs. "She will step down as an Avenger and continue being my assistant." I look up to him. "I promised your dad you and your mom will be safe. I will pay for school and make sure you have a good life." He wipes my tears of my face using his finger, "you'll do great kiddo."

They walked off giving me space and time to finish packing. As I carry a heavy box from my closet to my bed, I felt the weight lighten. Steve looks at me in with this look of melancholy. "Steve?" I walk closer to him. "Peggy died." He puts the box on the bed keeping his head down. I walked slowly to him giving him a hug. "I'm so sorry Steve." He slowly puts his arm around me and tightly hugs me back. We stayed like this for what seemed like hours, but my ringtone makes me snap out of it. Steve clears his throat looking around my room as I grab my phone answering it.

Seeing Anthony's name on the caller ID I could hear him upset. "Ellaria?" "Anthony, I heard what happened are you okay?" In that moment he broke. He was sobbing and I knew why. Elizabeth was like a mother to him. I grew up with her and her husband and grew up with Mariah and Anthony. "She was like a mom to me since my parents passed away when I was little. Please don't be mad, but I'm not in the mood to have dinner. I need time." I turn to see Steve looking at the photo of my father and I on my end table. "It's understandable Anthony don't even apologize, okay?"

I could hear Anthony chuckle a little in the other end. "I know your mom helped with my granny a lot, so I just wanted to let you know that you and your mom are invited. You mom was like an aunt to me and loved granny more than anyone I could know." Yeah... "Thank you Anthony, I call you later. Let me know if there is anything I can do." We say our goodbyes as I walk up to Steve.

"This is your dad?" The photo was of my dad and I on vacation. I was like six years old holding on to my father for dear life as this huge wave was coming at us. My father... he was just laughing. He was always like that in life. He always looked at the positive. I nod looking at the picture and feeling the nostalgia at the pit of my stomach. "I lived with him before the invasion in New York. I was actually in that hallway when we were attacked." He looks at me in shock. "You were here?" I looked at him narrowing my brow. "You didn't know?" He shakes his head. "I lost my dad that day. I was also accepted to the University of North Carolina that day. We were supposed to celebrate later that day but instead my mother and I had to identify his body." I look to the ground remembering how cold that room was. "My dad though it was perfect because 'nothing bad happens in North Carolina. And he was right. I was safe there."