Stars Stripes and Metal

A Place For Criminals

The Raft, Maximum Security Prison. Atlantic Ocean. July 2016.

Tony Stark walks with Secretary Ross through the dark damp halls of The Raft. A maximum security prison in the middle of the Atlantic ocean off the coast of New York. A place for the worst of the worst, not for Earth's greatest defenders. Not a place for Avengers. Tony is led through a viewing room, a wall of TV's showing the prisoners of Level 8 from different angles. Tony stops at the screen showing Ana.

Her eyes lifeless, her black hair dull and her porcelain skin so pale she seems to glow. She glares up at the camera like she knows Tony is watching. Hatred coursing through her veins, seeping through the TV and hitting him hard. He never met for this to happen, never wanted to see her like this. He's come to think of her as his daughter, he loves her like she is. Her collar flashes, indicating she's trying to use her powers, the collar preventing her from doing so.

The security door opens, admitting Tony's entry. He takes a deep breath and enters, not wanting to see his team locked up like animals.

"Oh look everyone," Clint claps. "Tony Stark is here. The man who knows what's best for you, wether you like it or not."

"Gimme a break Barton. I had no idea they would put you in here. This isn't a place for heroes."

"It's not a place for pregnant women either but you had no problem locking Ana up." Sam speaks from across the room.

Tony's eyes go wide. 

"Pregnant?" He asks Clint.

Clint nods, "she's sick all day. She's not getting enough in here. But hey since you know best, guess we'll just have to trust you and hope the baby survives and that it isn't Cap's."

Tony walks over to Ana's cell. She sits on the floor, her back against the wall. She doesn't look up when Tony comes to her.

"Hey kid." He gives her a small smile. Ana doesn't move.

"Whose is it?" He asks again, only to be greeted with silence.

"Is the baby Cap's?" He asks, and Ana glances up before blinking back down to the ground.

Tony sighs before speaking. "Do you need anything? Are they feeding you." Ana's hand moves to her tummy, she wants to say she needs Steve but keeps her mouth shut.

"She needs more than two meals a day, she needs more water. She needs vitamins and prenatal care. She needs sunlight. The baby is draining her dry." Clint yells, angrily.

"Ana," Tony's tone soft. "I'll see what I can do, just tell me where Steve is."

Ana looks up at the sound of Steve's name. "Just use his tracker."

"He cut it out two weeks ago. We can't find him."

"Bummer." Ana scoffs as she stands.

Tony looks at Ana's tummy. Even under the jumpsuit he can tell she's pregnant. A small baby bump visible where a usually tight stomach was.

"That's going to be a big baby." He smiles.

"Yeah, well have you met his father. He's a not a small man either."

"Where is he Kid?" Tony tries again.

Silence.

"Listen, I was wrong. The guy who was supposed to do Barnes evaluation, turned up dead a few weeks ago. He'd been dead for a while. I made a mistake. But Cap is flying on his own and he needs all the help he can get. God forbid something happens Ana, do you want your baby to grow up without a father?"

Tony sees Ana walls crash down, he looks down and press a button on his wrist. "I just turned off the audio to your cell. We have about 30 seconds before they figure out it was me."