Team

XVIII

"I have a feeling they're hiding something." Sofia said to Tony as he looked around. The data transfer was complete, so she stood up as well.

"Agreed. I know you're hiding more than files." Tony said as he looked around, as if expecting someone to jump him.

"Hey , J, give me an IR scan of the room , real quick." He called out to the AI, as a bright red scanner filled the room.

"The wall to your left. I'm reading steel reinforcement. And an air current." Came back the AI's response as Sofia smiled.

"Please be a secret door, please be a secret door." She prayed as Tony pushed a wall which caved in. "Yay!" She silently cheered as she walked forward with her father, but he stopped her.

"What?" She groaned as Tony gave her a look.

"Uh huh. Young lady , for those comments back there. You're staying here. No questions asked." He said as Sofia groaned but stayed put. She gave a pout and a large stomp just to prove her point but Tony just smirked. "Have fun with the computers kiddo." He smiled as he went down , leaving Sofia alone.

She heard some fighting and grunting in the comms , and rolled her eyes as she sat down on one of the computers, trying to see if she left anything. Knowing her and her own skills, she knew there was nothing.

"Guys, I got Strucker." She heard Steve say as she smiled. This means they could go home soon.

"Yeah? I got something bigger." The way her father had voiced his sentence suddenly made Sofia straight up and on edge.

"Alright, I'm going in." She said as she stood up, but before she could take another step forward, a red tinge went up in front of her eyes, making a sharp pain stab into her brain as she grunted painfully but fell down, unconscious.

ELENA

"Elena" a woman's voice called towards her as she whipped her head in that direction, and saw the one sight no child - no matter what age - should ever have to see; the visuals of her parents dying. Peggy in the front, back in her old war avatar, only difference being that she was covered in blood. Behind her stood Daniel Sousa, her stepfather, the man who had helped raise her, was lying dead, his crutches lying broken beside him.

It was her fear coming to life, that her past , her enemies would catch up to her, and the only people she was meant to save; she couldn't.

"Lena, why?" Came another voice behind her as she faced Sofia and Tony, both standing upright, but quite not right. Sofia's throat was cut open, blood still pooling from the wound, while Tony's head was all bloodied, as if someone had delivered a severe blow straight to his head.

Behind them stood Howard and Maria Stark, the ones she couldn't protect. "You failed us Elena, now you're going to fail my child and grandchild too?" Maria spat as Elena vigorously shook her head.

"You couldn't save Howard. You didn't save Sofia or Tony. You didn't save me. You could have done MORE!" Steve's voice shouted at her as she shook her head, tears streaming down her face as she looked at the bright red dot in her father's forehaid, which was slowly growing with more blood coming.

This isn't real. This isn't real. Howard and Maria are dead, Daniel is dead, Mother is in Washington and Dad is beside me. This isn't real.

But no matter how much Elena chanted this in her mind, her eyes told her a different truth. The truth, that she caused. That she will cause. Wherever she went, her enemies were never behind. She has already lost so much, and just now that she got her father back, he would be taken from her too. That's what she deserves, that's what she deserves after causing so much killing and carnage.