Broken Soldier [#Wattys2015]

Chapter Twenty-Six

Quinn Jet, Christmas Day, 2015

Maria

This was not how I had planned my first Christmas with my only daughter to play out. We were supposed to stay up late on Christmas Eve, sitting around a fire while toasting marshmallows and telling stories to each other about the old days. Then in the morning, all of us (Barnes included) were to get up early and open presents together like a family. But apparently it wasn't written like that in my calander. Instead, my family was misplaced and broken. One of them was presumed dead (again) and the other was being used as a miniture lethal weapon for Hydra. Oh no - this was just exactly what we all deserved (sarcasm).

Coulson had packed myself, Steve, Skye, Sam and Wanda into a Quinn Jet heading for the supposed location of Valerie. Skye sat with me at the back of the metal bird while the other sat closer to the cockpit, chatting about superhero things. I didn't want any part of the conversation so I just put my head back and closed my eyes, trying to picture how we were to get Valerie back.

I must have dozed off because I woke with a startle when Skye touched my hand.

"Oh, sorry," she apologised "I didn't mean to scare you!"

I shook my head at her. "No, it's ok. I'm fine."

She smiled and took a breath in, handing me an electronic device known as an iPad that had a photograph on the screen. I took it from her and studied the image. It was an old black and white of Ryan and myself along with Carlisle, Michael and John, after we had all successfully made it out alive from the Hydra base where I had found them. We all stood in a line, arms around each other, huge smiles plastered on our dirty, bloody faces. My hair was as short as theirs and I truly look like a teenaged boy.

I looked at Skye. "How did you get this?"

"I have my ways of finding things that are not supposed to be uncovered." She said with a grin.

Tears began to sting the back of my eyes from the fond memory but I forced them to stay there. No more crying. Strength is all I needed. I had made it through that much already, so I wasn't about to break down in front of Skye over a small thing like a photograph.

"You know," Skye started "when I was a kid, I was told about you by old people that I had met." She pointed to John. "I met him before he died in 2002 in an aged care center. He once told me about you and how you saved him and the others and how you were forced to play as a boy." She paused. "That story has stuck with me ever since and I am always reminded of it when the times get tough. You're an inspiration Maria, especially to other women."

Her words left a mark on me. As much as I was honoured to be this person that other women could look up to, I wasn't sure if I could continue to be that person. I didn't feel like the woman that I was back then. I just felt like a thrown away piece of rubbish that had a freaky power and an even freakier past. How was that inspiration?

Skye took my hand. "Don't ever doubt yourself or your abilities Maria. Look what you made it through so far! In my eyes, you're invincible."

I chuckled at her remark, giving her a genuinly happy smile. She smiled back, looking as if she had just completed the task of making me see in a different light. And you know what? She did. Yes, I was doubting myself when she had first told me that story, but she was so right and I had to take credit for that. Maybe I am invincible?

"Thank you Skye," I said to her.

She was just about to get up and walk away when she suddenly stopped and took a folded piece of paper out of her jeans pocket, handing it to me. "Here, you need this with you to remind you." And she got up and joined the others in their conversation.

I leaned forward to rest my elbows on my knees and unfolded the small piece of paper. It was the same picture as the one she had shown me on the iPad, only it was the original black and white from the 40s. I smiled fondly and kissed the photo before re-folding it and placing it in a pocket of my cargo pants.

**********

"Ok guys, we're here." Coulson stated as the jet started to decend, placing itself lightly on the ground.

"Where exactly is here?" Wanda asked him, her accent making her sound super sassy.

"Where in Bucharest, the place where the video of Valerie orginated. We have reason to believe that there is a base somewhere in this location and we intend to find it and shut it down." He explained.

I thought about his words and then stood up from where I was sitting, gaining the attention of everyone on the jet. It was my turn to speak.

"How exactly to do intend to infiltrate and shutdown an Hydra base with only six people, might I ask?"

He nodded his head at me as if he had already planned it through. "Well, that's why we have you and Wanda."

Wanda and I exchanged worried glances. We knew we were powerful enough to do this alone but we had never combined our powers together. Two lots of telekenises could potentially be very destructive and deadly. Especially coming from two emotionally challenged people such as us.

I shook my head. "Do you have a death with or something? That could kill us all!"

His face stayed soft and gentle. "I don't think so. You both have a personal connection to Valerie and us so I believe that you can control yourselves to get the job done."

A sudden confidence seemed to arise in Wanda and she looked at me. "Yes. We can do this. I believe in us Maria."

"So do I." Steve put in.

"So do we." Skye and Sam added.

"And me too." Coulson finalised.

Wanda's confidence passed on through to me and I put my shoulders back and stood straight as if I were about to win a war (which, essencially, I was). "Then lets do this."