Miss America: The Daughter of Steve Rogers

Chapter 28

I sit in my cell, worrying about everyone I care about. Peter didn't look so good, and Ned's probably terrified.

How did all of this happen? How could I have put myself in this vulnerable position? I had no choice, but to join Ophelia and the Hydra clone of Steve Rogers.

Then I wonder if I did the right thing. By saving the ones I love, I have to help poison an entire city. I wonder what my father would have done. The righteous, almighty, Captain America. He laid down his live for New York once, but his friends weren't being held captive.

I move to the window, peering out into the night sky. It's small, and I can't see where I am, but it's letting in a tiny beam of light.

"What should I do, Dad? Tell me what needs to be done." I mutter. Then a light glimmers in my eyes. I look down at my wrist and notice my bracelet. I smirk. "That could work."

I press the bead and my suit forms around me.

"Friday?" I question the AI. I hear nothing. "Please, please have connection." Then a fuzzy voice speaks in my ear.

"Miss Rogers." The artificial intelligence system greets me. "What can I do for you?"

"Oh, thank god." I sigh. "I need you to relay a message to the compound."

"Sure thing. What's the message?"

"Tell them Peter, Ned, and I have been taken hostage and send them my location. Inform them Peter is in critical condition, but Ned and I are fine."

"Is that all?" She asks me.

"Yes." I nod, then hear footsteps coming outside my cell door. "Please hurry." I say and retract my suit.

The door then swings open and the Hydra clone stands before me.

"Get up." He says sternly. I roll my eyes and hesitantly stand to my feet. "Come with me."

I step out the door and walk behind him as he leads me down the hall. As we walk, I notice another cell with two familiar faces locked inside.

"Peter! Ned!" I exclaim.

"Em!" Ned says, jumping to his feet and rushing towards the door. "What's going on? What's happening?"

"Is Pete okay?" I ask, not able to remove him from my sight. Ned nods.

"He's hurt, but they say he'll live."

"Okay, Ned I need you to listen to me." I begin to say but I feel a pair of strong hands grab my sides and pull me off. "Stop, just let me talk to him! It's the least you can do!" I elbow him in the gut and run back to Ned.

"Listen..." I say quietly. "I made a distress call. Help is on the way."

He nods again. "What do we do in the meantime?"

The same, large biceps wrap around my midsection, trapping my arms in, and lifting me off the ground. This time I don't fight it. I look back to Ned, "Stay alive!"

I'm brought to a the same room I was in before, where Ophelia stands, peering at a table full of torture devices. I roll my eyes.

"Oh, great."

"Take a seat, Emerson." She says and I'm pushed into the chair and strapped down again. "We have much to discuss."

"Do we now?" I ask, fed up with the woman.

She picks up a syringe and injects it into my arm. "This will weaken you to a numbing state. But don't worry, you'll still feel all the pain."

"Let's just get this over with." I say, feeling my strength leave my body. She doesn't want me to be able to fight back because she knows I'd put up a fight.

"My plan is well thought out, and should go off without a hitch." She rambles on. "I hope you aren't planning to betray me, that would put a damper on things."

"I'm not really in a position to betray you, am I, Ophelia?" I ask her, glancing down at my current predicament.

"I like you, Emerson. I have a feeling we're going to be great friends after this." She smirks.

"Oooh, I wouldn't go that far." I shake my head. She frowns.

"You're different then I thought you'd be." She says.

"What makes you say that?" I ask.

"Your father was known for his honor. His almighty, righteous, persona." She begins to say. "But you, you strive off of sarcasm and the will of others."

I give her a fake gasp. "I'm hurt."

"It's quite obvious your past has separated you from your fathers shadow." She takes a seat right in front of me. "You loathe him, don't you?"

I take her question in for a second. I don't loathe my father, do I? Perhaps there is a small dose of jealousy towards him, but I don't loathe him. I'm sick and tired of people thinking they know what's going on inside my head.

I take in a deep breathe.

"People keep telling me they know me." I tell her. "They expect me to be just like him, and then when I'm not, they assume I'm acting out because of what happened."

"That can be tough." She lowers her head. We're both feeling vulnerable.

"What people fail to realize is that I didn't know him for most of my life. He was forced out of my brain until a few years ago." I look down, feeling the tears filling my eyes. "The only thing I was ever good at was being a monster."

"So why hide that part of yourself, when you can flaunt it?" She raises her brow at me.

"Because it all happened when I was brainwashed. And now I know the difference between right and wrong."

She moves her hand below my chin and raises my gaze to meet hers. "Perhaps you just need another point of view."

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Back at the compound, Sam sits in the conference room waiting to hear something from Rhodey on Ophelias location. None of them have any idea what's going on at this exact moments.

Then Friday begins to speak.

"Mr. Wilson, I have a distress signal from Miss Rogers."

"What?" He exclaims. "This can't be good. Call the rest of the team in."

Bucky and Wanda find themselves running towards the conference room. When they arrive, they have a look of confusion plastered on their faces.

"What is it?" Wanda asks.

"Em's in some sort of trouble." Sam tells them.

"Dammit, Rogers." Bucky sighs.

"Friday, relay the message." Wanda commands.

"Yes, Miss Maximoff." The A.I begins. "Miss Rogers, Mr. Parker, and Mr. Leeds have found themselves captured by Ophelia Sarkissian. Mr. Parker is in critical condition." She pulls up a map and pinpoints the location. "The signal came from here."

"Suit up." Sam tells the others. Bucky still looks confused.

"Who the hell is Mr. Leeds?"