Rogue: Annihilation (An Avengers Sequel)

25. Why Me?

Standing in front of us, threatening and ready to fight, was 2012 Steve Rogers, glaring through narrowed eyes. We froze in shock, not moving a muscle. Instinctively, Present-day Steve took half a step in front of me, while I concentrated my electricity into my hand.

2012 Steve raised a hand to his ear, speaking into an earpiece.

"I have eyes on Loki," he announced to whoever was on the other end. "14th floor, with an unknown female accomplice."

One of Loki's capabilities was the power to shape-shift, making him appear as anyone. Obviously Loki's magic act was a more plausible explanation than a carbon copy of yourself, at least in 2012 Steve's eyes.

Present-day Steve pressed the case into my hand, never taking his eyes off of his younger self. "Think you can get past him?"

I clutched the case, the handle digging painfully into my sweating palm. "Uh, yeah...maybe. Think you can keep him occupied if I fail?"

He nodded, speaking calmly to 2012 Steve. "I'm not Loki. And I don't wanna hurt you."

2012 Steve ignored him, looking back and forth between us, trying to determine who would be the biggest threat.

I stepped towards him tentatively, trying to look him in the eye despite the fact that his eyes were rapidly moving between Present-day Steve and myself.

"You're going to let us-"

Before I could finish the sentence, he hit me with his shield, knocking me off my feet. I just managed to keep my grip on the case as I went hurtling through the glass railing and onto the floor below. I groaned, flipping over from my front to my back. I could hear Present-day Steve blocking his counterpart's blow with his own, their shields colliding. The loud bang it created perforated the eardrums of anyone unlucky enough to be in the vicinity. Bright sparks flew from the weapons as the identical Super Soldiers fought.

Standing up painfully and clutching the case, I peered up to the floor above, throwing my electricity towards 2012 Steve (who was easily identifiable due to the old-fashioned cowl he was wearing). It incapacitated him long enough to give Present-day Steve time to address me.

"I've got this," he confirmed, breathing heavily. "Get the scepter out of here."

"I will," I nodded, clutching my side. "When you're done, go find Tony and Scott and see if they got the Tesseract. I'll find you guys after... Kilgrave."

"Need help?" he asked, just as 2012-Steve got back on his feet and lunged towards him, the electric shock now completely out of his system.

"I think you have your hands full!" I shouted up to them, before making a quick exit.

The first part of my three-part mission was complete. Now I had to get to S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ.

***

Thanks to the mess that New York was currently in, it was easy to sneak into the building undetected, even with the case in my hands.

Walking around the S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters after all this time felt like being home again, back before everything had changed. My time at S.H.I.E.L.D. were some of my first memories; the only first memories I wanted to keep if I couldn't have my own.

There was a part of me that felt like I could completely fall back into my 2012 life. I could go back to being the girl who was scared to show the world her powers, who wanted a quiet, simple life within the four walls that S.H.I.E.L.D. provided, without the stress of having to save the world. But I wasn't that girl anymore, and I'd gone through too much to ever be her again.