FALLEN ─ marvel ⁵

XI. Struggles Of The Innocent

Chapter Eleven
John

"No, sir, no we haven't found her yet," I lie to Ross. "We went to the warehouse and an explosion went off, she got away."

"You're already on thin ice, Major, don't fail again." Ross warns, not bothering to say anything else before hanging up the phone.

Soroya and Caden have been on the ship with Rosales for a few minutes now, just trying to calm her down and clean her up a bit. Barnes has been calling Everett to ask him for advice on how to deal with Rosales now that we have agreed to help her. I bet anything Everett will suggest doing what he did for Barnes: get the proof of innocence and go to court. Things would just be easier if she was a crazy psychopath like the other agents have been.

"What'd Ross say?" Sam asks, who has been sitting on one of the crates for the past few minutes.

"He bought the lie, but he's not happy."

"When is he ever?" Sam says with a sigh. "I just hope we can actually do something. Once Ross finds out what we're up to he'll want us all arrested."

"More so than he does now, you mean?"

Sam chuckles darkly, glancing over at Barnes. "Despite Ross's best efforts, Bucky was cleared of his charges. If he can I think Jade can, too."

"What you said to her earlier about coming back after the Air Force, about helping other soldiers, did you mean that you worked at the VA?"

Sam nods. "Yeah, I did for a while. After I came back from my two tours in Afghanistan...I couldn't handle being back home. I thought I was going crazy, it helped knowing that other people were going through what I went through."

In all this time that we have spent together, we haven't really talked about the one thing we have in common: we both served in the army. I remember when I got back from my service, I felt just as lost as he just described. When you're constantly surrounded by war, when you get accustomed to the sounds of gunshots, when you have to sleep on the ground and hope you live to see tomorrow, coming back to a life of comfort isn't easy.

"Do you ever miss it? The army?"

Sam tilts his head from right to left, his voice unsure. "Yes and no. I loved being able to serve my country, but now I get to serve every country, not just my own. It's more rewarding. If there's anything I miss it's the simplicity. HYDRA, superpowers, infinity stones, aliens, it's a lot to swallow. I'm just a guy with some wings."

I sit down on the crate next to him and fold my arms over my chest, shaking my head at him. "You're not just a guy with wings. You were the one who found Quinn, you were the one who stopped McAllister, and you got through to Rosales today. Not even Soroya was able to do that."

Sam raises a brow my way. "You're being uncharacteristically complimentary."

I bump my shoulder with his. "Appreciate it while it lasts."

Barnes hangs up the phone and walks over towards us, looking moderately pleased. "Well, according to Everett, if we get proof of her innocence and present it in court, we can free her like we freed me, you, and Sharon."

"The catch?"

"Ross. He might have us all arrested, but Everett said he's not sure. They may hold off on any charges against us until they decide Jade's innocence or guilt."

"When you went to court, there was files and video footage and all sorts of things. Where did you find all that?" Sam asks.

"At the bases I visited or was kept in. We need to ask her where she was held prisoner during HYDRA's reign."

With that, the three of us head back towards the ship where the others are. When we enter into the ship, I see Harvey laying on the floor, playing with the gold necklace around his neck, looking very bored. Soroya is talking with Rosales quietly, but when she sees us, she leaves her on the other side of the ship to come talk to us.

After Barnes tells her what he told us, Soroya seems on board. "You guys go get the documents we need, I'll stay here and teach her to control her powers."

"You can't stay here alone." I object.

Annoyance crosses Soroya's face as she looks at me. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"You keep underestimating the threat she poses."

"I have faced assassins, war criminals, aliens, other enhanced beings, Thanos, I've held the infinity gauntlet in my hands and I am still here. I appreciate your concern for my wellbeing, but I am so much stronger than you're giving me credit for right now."

I glance at Barnes and see that he's giving his wife a look of pride, I then glance at Sam, who looks amused and very impressed. They have every right to be, because she's right. She's the strongest person here, and not just because of her powers. I don't know why I am getting so worked up about her safety, I never have in the past. I must be tired or on edge because of Ross.

"You're right," I admit, sincerely meaning it. "But I still think one of us should stay in case you need any help."

"Caden will."

Harvey lifts his head up off the ground and raises his eyebrows our direction. "I wasn't paying attention, what exactly am I going to be doing?"

Soroya rolls her eyes as she says to Harvey over her shoulder: "You're going to help me train Jade to control her powers."

"Is there an alternative?"

"Coming to an abandoned HYDRA base with us to find proof of Jade's innocence." Sam answers.

Harvey shakes his head and lays back down. "That sounds boring, I'll stay with Beasty and Jade."

Soroya now turns back to Rosales, who looks a little more calm now then she was earlier. "Jade, do you know what HYDRA base you were kept in?"

"Yakutsk, Russia. I remember asking someone when I escaped where I was and that's what they told me."

Soroya darts her eyes back to Barnes and they give each other a knowing look.

"You guys know it?" I ask, already figuring that the answer is yes.

"That's the base Alex was kept in," Soroya explains, pain now seeping into her features. "It looks like all of HYDRA human weapons were kept there."

"Last time we went there it was empty, hopefully it's stayed that way," Barnes says, leaning forward to kiss Soroya on the cheek. "We should be back in no time."

Soroya nods, turning to Sam and I, wrapping her arms around both of our necks and pulling us down for hugs. We both hug her back, and as she pulls back, she looks all three of us in the eyes, saying seriously: "Be prepared for anything. Be careful."

Barnes kisses her briefly on the lips before pulling back to say: "You, too."

I wink at Soroya. "I'm always careful."

She arches a brow, shaking her head. "I don't even know how to express how ridiculous that statement was."

Sam pats me on the shoulder as Soroya, Harvey, and Rosales exit the ship. "If you're careful, then Soroya is cynical and Alex is humorless." Sam mumbles to me with a smirk.

I roll my eyes. "Very funny, Wilson."

He seems to think so. "You're the one who said it."