Miss America: The Daughter of Steve Rogers

Chapter 27

As we make our way towards the compound, I start to question a few things.

How is my father here right now? What happened to him going back and living his life with my mother? Why is he wearing a stealth suit? Then I notice he changes our course. We are no longer headed to Upstate New York.

"Do you remember what we use to talk about?" I ask subtly, trying to get some answers.

"Sure, but which topic are you referring to?" He asks.

"Our hopes and dreams." I tell him. "About how we could someday live together in the city?" I narrow my eyes at the man.

"Of course. It'll happen for us." He smiles. I smile and nod, looking away.

This man is not my father.

Our dream was to move to the country side, a peaceful farm to look after. Not the city.

"That's funny." I say, curling my fist. "Because we use to talk about living on a farm."

His eyes widen and I move to punch him. He blocks it and grabs ahold of my arm and twists me around.

"Well, I guess you've caught on." He smirks.

"You're working with her, aren't you? You're the man I saw take her away at the water supply facility."

He nods. "And I was the one that stole the biological weapon and your file." He shoved me to the ground and I catch myself with my arms. "You know, you're smarter than you look."

I stand back up and pull out my shield. "I'm not smart, I'm just not an idiot."

He pulls out a syringe and moves to stick the needle into my neck. I hit him with the shield and kick him in the gut.

"Who are you? Why do you look like Steve Rogers?" I ask, taking my stance again.

"When your father was injected with the serum, they extracted some of his DNA." He says, moving in for a punch. I dodge it and re position myself. "I'm a clone."

"A clone?" I ask, unsure if I believe it. "So Hydra made a clone of my dad... great."

While I'm distracted he manages to connect his fist with my jaw. He's strong, like my father and I.

"I don't know why Ophelia couldn't easily take you down." He says, grabbing my collar and throwing me into my back. "You're not all that."

"Okay I know you're not really my father, but you look like him and that hurt coming from his mouth." I say, maneuvering my legs and kicking him upside the head.

He falls over and I get up quickly and change the course back to the compound. I need to get there fast.

An hand pulls me back by my shoulder and kicks me in the gut, sending me flying to the back of the jet. I fall to the ground and struggle to get up and regain my breath.

"You're nothing." He chuckles. "I wish I could kill you and get it over with."

"Why don't you?" I cough out. "The high priestess said no?"

"She has a way to get you on our side."

"Oh, does she now?" I take a step forward and throw my shield at him, hitting him across the face as it bounces back to me. "May I ask how?"

He moves in for a punch, but I block him again. I swing my arm up to punch him in the side. He doesn't even attempt to block it, but I soon realize why.

As he steps back and brings his hands to his knees, I look over to my other arm. The syringe pokes out of my skin and I feel myself slowly slipping out of consciousness. I drop to my knees.

"You'll see soon enough." He smirks, still trying to catch his breathe. I look up at him and flip him off.

"You son of a bitch." I lose all feeling in my body and everything goes black. The last thing I remember is my body toppling over time the ground.

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My eyes flutter open.

I'm strapped to a chair, connected to a machine. I don't know what it is or what it's doing to me, but it can't be anything good. I feel weak, unable to move.

"Hello again, Miss Rogers." I hear Ophelias voice. I look up and see a figure standing in the corner of the cement room we're in. She steps into the light and smirks.

I sigh. "I promised myself the next time I'd see you, I'd take you down."

"Looks like you're going to have to break that promise." She steps closer to me. "I have a proposition for you."

I roll my eyes. "It's not up for discussion, Ophelia. I'm never going to join you."

"You say that now." She presses a button on a counter and I hologram screen appears before my eyes. The sight is anything but good.

"Peter? Ned?" I question. It shows a small cell that holds the two boys, Peter doesn't look good. He must have put up a good fight, but lost. Ned looks terrified but doesn't seem to be severely injured.

"Parker can throw a punch, I'll give him that." She says, showing off the bruise on her cheek. "But couldn't stand a chance against me."

"Is he..." I trail off, choking back the tears. He's not moving and that worries the hell out of me.

"He's alive, for now." She smirks, clicking off the screen. "But my venom travels through the bloodstream rather quickly. You have about an hour to make a decision."

"Decision?" I question, glaring up at her.

"Yes." She looks down on me. "I want you to join us." She gestured to another corner of the room and my fathers evil clone steps into the light. "If you do, I will transmit an antidote and the boy will live. If you don't, he will die, painfully, gruesomely. The other boy as well."

"No, you can't do that." I say, looking down, feeling helpless. My friends are in trouble. I'm in trouble.

"Their fate is in your hands." The Hydra clone of Steve tells me. "You or them?"

"Me. No question." I say. I can't let them hurt Ned and Peter anymore than they already have. It's my fault they're here in the first place and I'm going to do whatever I can to keep them alive.

"Steve, give the boy the antidote." Ophelia smirks, not faltering her gaze from me.

"Yes, ma'am." I close my eyes and lower my head at his words.

"I know your weaknesses, Emerson." She tells me. "And I also know your strengths." She grabs knife from the counter, twirling it in her hands. "Therefore, we will keep the boys locked up until the plan is complete. If you try to help them escape, I will drive this knife into spider boys heart."

My head hangs low. It feels like nothing has changed. Like nothing I've done since my time with Hydra has happened. I'm right back where I started. Only this time, I'm aware of everything and am in control of my actions.

"Ready to comply."