V I G I L A N C E ~ (Marvel) ~

C H A P T E R 1 0_

(song: "Born in Darkness" by Hans Zimmer)

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STEVEN ROGERS:

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I stand at the doorway of our base, staring out over the bodies that lie before us on the dirt, scattered about like a battleground; the remains of a horrid war, one that I was hoping to never fight again and that's with our own; humans.

These agents used to be a part of S.H.I.E.L.D. And they betrayed us for what?

I don't have much longer before I turn around and head inside, the massive door shutting behind me and locking; a door that could probably even keep a Hulk out.

Banner is actually the first person I see when I enter. He looks grieved, a frown set on his face as the others seem to have scattered throughout the place. Only Miss Foster and a few others demand answers to the same questions Esther had asked me.

Esther. I hope she's alright. She had collapsed back there, myself only catching her just before her head hit the ground. Loki let go of the witch to let her brother take her in his arms as he bent down in concern for Esther. That was an odd sight for me. But I do remember him raising his brows and saying, "She faints a lot, doesn't she?"

To that I didn't joke around. But I took her in my arms and brought her back here to her bed. She's been out for an hour now.

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PEPPER POTTS:

I walk into the large empty room that Laura had pointed me to when I asked where Tony was. I see him sitting there in the dim natural light looking down at the ground, his eyes showing only deep depression.

I walk in slowly. "I've been looking for you..." I say quietly and then take a seat this side.

He waits a minute and doesn't acknowledge that I'm there... until he says, "Do you remember what I told you the day I got back from captivity... when we got home from the press conference?"

"...That you would stop at nothing to make things right?" I look at him, definitely remembering that day... And how I felt when he came back. It's true I thought he was dead and only hoped he was still alive... I spent too long in bitter tears because I thought I lost the only family I had... And when they told me hey found him I cried again. I was too embarrassed to tell him that though.

"...I spent so many years trying to right my wrongs and fix what I did but... in the end I can't. Because people died because of me... and I can't change that."

"No Tony. Those mistakes weren't yours. Obadiah was the one who sold your weapons to terrorists and you stopped it. You've saved millions--"

"It happened right under my nose but I was too stupid and self centered to see it."

"How could you have known that your father's best friend would have betrayed you and your company so brutally? It was... unbelievable and when you told me, even I didn't believe it."

"I could have stopped it... I could have kept this from happening."

I don't say anything yet, just stare into his eyes with a heartbroken look because I don't like seeing him like this. I know he's been depressed since captivity. He's woken up from nightmares and he's stayed up late in his garage tinkering away aimlessly... and I didn't know how to help him...

He continues, "...I've been trying to forget those days and tell myself I'm different now and things are different and I did all I could... But then this... I see the fear and the pain in that little girl's eyes and suddenly I'm back there... Back where this all started... All I see is my failure."