The Woman in the Red Dress (Howard and Maria Stark One-Shot-- AU)

Chapter Nine

She stood in front of the Avengers, calm and collected. Tony Stark, as if she hadn't given her son enough questions, was still shocked-- and probably confused-- behind her. At least she knew he hadn't passed along the information. "They were after Howard."

Agent Carter stood in the doorway. "Why?"

"The Soul Stone." Maria stopped beside Thor and held out Mjolnir to him. Hesitant to take it, when he tried, he wasn't able to hold it. Still unworthy was he in his timeline. Maria kept it carefully in her fingers. "We need to form a plan now."

"Where is the Soul Stone?" Chief Sousa called from the doorway as Maria walked in, feet heavy on the ground, like a rumble of thunder came from each step. She didn't answer.

"Where did you put Howard?" Steve asked.

"He's safe; he's with Sergeant Barnes."

"Where did you put them?"

"How does Bucky even know his way around?" Chief Sousa asked.

Agent Carter and Agent Stark glanced at each other, lips pursed, deciding which one was going to tell them. Agent Carter had that as the chief's wife. Maria was more concerned about finding her husband.

"I'll get Howard. You get prepared." Maria turned. "I want this finished today." The metal doors, now with one massive hole in it from Mjolnir, opened. She walked inside.

The sky had cleared, turning a light blue with a high sun and no clouds. The dark clouds grew thin before disappearing altogether. The rain that was brought now flooded the ground and reflected brightly. The SHIELD soldiers waited for orders, or at least the alive ones. Chief Sousa had to be focused on several things at a time now, and with Agent Carter following Agent Stark inside, he was in charge of the Avengers.

"Get inside," he ordered, cane sticking in the mud as he walked. "Get prepared. Maria wants this finished today." Chief Sousa stared at the dead bodies from his side, feeling each loss personally. These weren't just random soldiers to him. While more soldiers were dead on the other side, it didn't make it any better. Daniel didn't join the SSR for this, but this was what he got.

As the Avengers walked inside, unaware of what was to come, Captain Rogers stopped beside Chief Sousa. While he had nothing to say to make it better, Steve had an idea of what it was like to lose soldiers. He, too, had been in the War; he had seen battle. The captain remembered how Peggy stated he had saved Daniel in the War, yet Steve didn't remember Sousa. There were so many guys out there; where had Sousa been? Where had the captain seen him? Peggy was happy, which made Steve happy-- it had to make him happy.

Captain Rogers placed a hand on Chief Sousa's shoulder, gentle and kind. While he didn't know these soldiers that died, the pain was still there. "I'm sorry."

"Me too." Chief Sousa followed the bodies out into the open.