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UNCOVERING THE TRUTH

"You can run with a lie. But you can't
hide from the truth." —Unknown
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Avengers Tower

Location: New York City, New York

June 1, 2014

TWO months since HYDRA and SHIELD got shut down after the battle over the Potomac River. Natasha managed to leak all of HYDRA and SHIELD's private files over the internet, creating controversial topics that forced both the heroes and fugitives to stay vigilant for a while. Steve tried researching more information about the Winter Soldier and Phantom, only that the young girl's file was missing. Even the file that Natasha had a while back mysteriously disappeared from her clutches before she had the chance to give it to him.

However, there was a short file about the Winter Soldier, specifically about his missions and a bit of his historical record. Still, no mention of the Phantom, wondering why HYDRA was trying to keep her a secret. Is she a super weapon? A mere assassin? An experiment that turned out right for the first time? So many possibilities for her, but nothing seemed to match her perfectly. A perfect enigma...

A puzzle that Steve desperately wanted to solve along with Natasha and Sam. They were the only ones who actually saw the girl during the last few months at Washington, D.C. The Winter Soldier wasn't difficult to understand that HYDRA experimented on him during the 40s in the time of World War II. After that, he would do classified missions for decades upon decades until they somehow preserved him to continue working for them.

Brainwashed was the word, Steve would describe them. It was logically that they involuntarily signed up with HYDRA, to serve them one purpose and only that purpose. Domination over any government in the world so that they could be the only ones standing. A blank slate was all HYDRA needed to create the perfect soldier, to obey every order, and take action when necessary. And the Phantom was a perfect example of that 'perfect soldier image'.

Something about the teenager seemed familiar, Steve thought he saw a resemblance from someone he knew decades ago. The other question he had was why did she save him? There was no logical explanation as to why she would do it, but he was betting that even she didn't. What didn't help was that he knew Bucky was alive and could be anywhere around the world. Steve concluded that if he could find the girl, it would lead him to Bucky.

After meeting up with ex-SHIELD Director Nick Fury, Steve decided to stay at the Avengers Tower with the rest of the team. The rest of the Avengers seemingly moved into the tower together was the first time they saw one another. At times, one or two members of the team would occupy some level of the tower, but never together at the same time. The super-soldier was still trying to adjust to the new lifestyle he was thrown into.

Stark unexpectedly gave Steve his own floor of the tower, still, it was simply too much for him. The suite consisted of seven rooms along with his bedroom that contained expensive furniture and other items for the guests. What made it bearable was the antique books and photographs he had in his possession. Still, the days were dragged out after he returned to the tower along with Natasha.

Tony returned to the tower after the Mandarin attack at Malibu, thankfully he was alright after the operation. Thor returned from Asgard after a space invasion in London, whilst Clint had to take care of business before returning. The only Avenger that stayed was Bruce Banner, a genius indeed that lacked some self-confidence in himself. The scientist with multiple PhDs was most likely confined in the laboratory with Tony, probably inventing something that could help the team.

No one questioned Steve when he returned to the tower, only that he was welcome to stay until he had another mission. But the thought of not finding Bucky was intolerable beyond comparison, having nothing but dead ends to pursue him. Not only him but the girl that looked no older than fifteen. Pitying her for having to experience unimaginable things during her time at HYDRA.

If only he could find the girl somehow, Steve would do anything to help her with a normal life.

'A normal life....' Steve muttered thoughtfully, something the man desired ever since he was defrosted back two years ago. Nothing was the same after discovering that Peggy was back at Washington D.C., regretting that he couldn't stay with her. He promised that he would see her again, just as he vowed to get the young assassin safe. She was forced into submission for her to survive, but was she really living her life?

The super-soldier remained in close contact with Sam who happily helped him find some leads on Bucky and Aurora. So far it was either Russia or Argentina, both isolated countries that the assassins could blend in easily with their HYDRA knowledge. Steve appreciated all he's done for him, well that's what friends are for, helping one another with anything they need. Stark offered to find Bucky with the help of his technology, even if they didn't consider themselves close friends.

However, with the knowledge Steve knows about Tony's parents and Bucky's involvement in the assassination, he didn't want to risk his best friend being caught. What if Tony was only helping look for Bucky just get his revenge instead of understanding the situation the assassin has been through? Luckily nobody knows about this... only he did. And Steve wanted to keep it that way, even if he had to suffer the consequences afterward.

"Good afternoon Captain Rogers," Jarvis interpreted Steve's thoughts about the situation. And in perfect timing as well, since he finished reading an antique book called The City Boy. Essentially it was about a young boy growing up in the Bronx during the 1920s. Not too far from where he used to live in Brooklyn.

"Yes, Jarvis?" Steve addressed the British A.I. with a neutral tone, placing his book along the bookshelf. The super-soldier felt odd talking to a robotic voice that acted human, thus, he looked at one spot as a formality. One of the many reasons why he still wasn't used to being around technology.

"Mr. Stark wants to inform you of a meeting you'll be attending shortly." The A.I. informed Steve, causing the man to become intrigued by that statement. Stark probably wanted to mess with him, still with the other members here... therefore this was considered important. 

"Did he mention what it was about?" The super-soldier questioned curiously, already fixing his jacket and soft blonde hair to make himself presentable.

"I'm afraid not, sir. Mr. Stark said it was urgent to be there," Jarvis confirmed until Steve dismissed the A.I., walking out of his bedroom towards one of the floors that were occasionally occupied for meetings. The meeting was held near the training floor, where Steve usually trained when it was his day off. Upon arriving, the rest of the Avengers were staring at their leader with a solemn expression and faint nods of respect.

"Great to see you, Cap," Clint greeted him first before he drank the coffee from his favorite mug. Banner was still in his lab coat, silently chatting with Stark nervously asking for the purpose of the meeting. Natasha smirked at the super-soldier, nodding her head gently to motion him to sit. Steve slowly walked over until he sat down on the narrow table, having Natasha on his left and Thor on the right.

"What is the purpose of the meeting, Stark?" Steve questioned Tony whilst crossing his arms seriously, voicing in everyone's thoughts at the lack of information given. The billionaire in response reclined against his leather seat, thinking thoughtfully with a smug smirk on his lips.

"Remember weeks ago you asked for help? And I told you I'll find her for you?" Tony recalled Steve's urgency causing the Captain to nod in confirmation, however, the rest of the Avengers besides Natasha were clueless of the conversation.

"Find who?" Clint interrupted curiously with a playful grin, continuing to sip his coffee with ease. The God of Thunder was leaning against the sleek table, wearing his Asgardian attire after visiting his sister-in-law and his father, Odin. The death of his mother and brother, Loki, has taken a toll on him, both physically and emotionally. However, his sister-in-law wasn't doing any better, having to rule her home planet gave her more responsibilities than what she already needed.

"Someone that might help us find HYDRA," Natasha responded in a monotone voice, thus, Thor mildly cleared his throat in an effort to concentrate on the mission. Clint briefly observed the god who visibly looked distressed about something, nonetheless, the archer shrugged as he got up to refill his mug. There's nothing better than a good old cup of black coffee.

"I t-thought HYDRA was dead, l-like SHIELD." Bruce politely inquired from the team, slightly fixing his glasses as a way to ease his nervousness. Natasha faintly grinned at the flustered Avenger after she teasingly pointed at his slightly wrinkled shirt.

"Perhaps but there's only one way to be certain. That's why we need to find her, she's the only one who will know." Steve proclaimed to them, whilst Tony rolled his eyes on the effect the Captain had at making 'speeches'. The billionaire abruptly stood from his recliner, tossing the file that contained satellite images to Steve.

"A few days ago, Jarvis scanned from the description of that kid you said. Honestly, I thought you were kidding about the assassin but she's here. In London, United Kingdom." Tony stated, having his A.I. display a projection onto a blank wall. It was a mini slideshow that had different images of the young assassin in various locations but in the same county.

"Why there?" Clint questioned before he snorted at one image that had the teenager scrunch her nose from what appeared to be drinking tea. Perhaps she preferred coffee than tea... Clint mentally debated until the next image was her purchasing peaches from a farmer's market. She appeared normal for the most part until he stared at her eyes. Dark as an abyss that could hypnotize anyone if she wanted to.

No one could really make out her face since she would always have a baseball cap on that hid half her face. Steve then stared at one photo closely after seeing hints of pink hair dye sticking out from the cap. Last time he remembered, Phantom had long dark brown hair but now, it was in a long bob cut with bright pink dye. Does she know that someone was still trying to find her? Is she hiding from HYDRA after everything she's endured?

"I don't know, I heard the weather is nice there during this time of year. Having a vacation perhaps?" Tony remarked playfully, causing Steve and Natasha to discreetly shook their heads in disagreement. Steve briefly observed the image of the teenager, wondering if Bucky was with her as well.

"Assassins don't take vacations, Stark. You know that." Natasha retorted bitterly, faintly recalling her time in the Red Room, forced to become an assassin against her will. The Black Widow pitied the girl that already had red on her ledger at such a young age.

"Who is she exactly?" Bruce intervened as an effort to calm them down before they could do anything. Everyone took a small inhale since this conversation was doing nothing to benefit them. But that is the million-dollar question that everyone wanted to desperately solve.

"We don't know... only that she's a HYDRA assassin that needs our help," Steve answered honestly, uncrossing his arms with a questionable look on his face. The Captain sighed at the many dead ends that were involved with the Phantom.

"The idea is that this assassin is just a child forced into submission by HYDRA. A casualty of power that HYDRA created to ensure they created the perfect super-soldier." Natasha stated, creating some reactions at Thor who became enraged.

"A child?!" Thor proclaimed furiously, slamming his weapon, Mjolnir onto the table that made everyone snap their heads at Thor's direction. "What kind of person allows a child to be taught with heinous acts of violence and murder?! They are the most sacred and innocent that must be protected at all costs!"

"I'm afraid that this is the world we live in. It's not uncommon to have a child being forced to be trained only to shoot and kill. In many countries around the world do this to win battles that require sacrifices," Clint explained, gently patting Thor's shoulder to calm the Norse God down. 

The God of Thunder paused momentarily at what Barton was doing. The blonde god felt obligated to save her from everything HYDRA has done to her. However, Thor briefly observed one of the images from the file, glaring at it also like it would help him stir his memory. Why did she look oddly familiar to him?

Could it be? The young girl had a strong jawline, sharp brown eyes, along with a defined button nose, just like her. It just can't be... it's been many years since she last visited Earth. Not once did she mention anything about her missions when she came back to Asgard to report to the King. In that case, when the God of Thunder returns to Asgard, Thor will make sure that she'll explain everything.

"What HYDRA always wanted. World domination...." Steve uttered the last phrase, provoking some silence around the room. Of course, the only way to have world domination is to create something powerful and HYDRA already proved that with this teenager.

"Great, not another experimented super-soldier like Steve," Clint broke the silence, some groans ignited causing Barton to realize what he just said. The archer immediately responded before forcing himself to drink more coffee, "No offense..." Steve ignored it completely since Clint was known to be sarcastic at times.

"Do you have a file about her?" The strongest Avenger, Bruce called out to either Steve or Natasha. Captain America solemnly mentioned his head that he didn't, therefore, the scientist stared at the female Avenger eager to know more about the HYDRA assassin.

"No, only that she's a ghost story. Credited to over two dozen assassinations after the Chitauri attack in 2012. Known to assassinate government officials and get information by any means necessary for HYDRA." Natasha confirmed, discreetly rolling her eyes that they were losing time finding her. There was no doubt that she'll probably move again before they get the chance to rescue the teenager.

"That's too bad..." Clint stated sheepishly, hoping he could break the tension in the room. Tony as well since it reminded him too much of the fights his parents used to have. In all his life, Stark regretted many things that he wished he could fix, maybe this could be one of them.

"Of course, except when you consider that she has powers that no one has seen before. A child, in this case, turned into a lethal weapon hoping to bring peace." Black Widow revealed, Steve nodding in agreement that the team shouldn't take this lightly. They don't know what they are up against yet.

"I don't understand," Thor voiced his confusion as his eyebrows knitted together hoping he could understand. "Why would anyone choose a child to do such foul things? A grown man would be more suitable to endure their wicked crimes."

"Thor's right about this. Why didn't they pick an adult for their experiment? Wouldn't an adult be stronger and capable of doing things than a child?" Clint put into consideration on what Thor just said. There was definitely something strange about this, why would HYDRA experiment on a kid, like her.

"Remember that children are innocent since birth... it's logically that no one would suspect a child to kill anything that gets in her way," Natasha said but Steve nor Tony didn't seem convinced with that statement.

"Well whoever the hell she is, that kid managed to hack my offshore warehouse," Tony grumbled like a five-year-old that got his toys taken away. This new information certainly captured the other members with a few mixed emotions.

"What?" Steve stuttered as his blue eyes slightly bulged out. How could she have done that if it would require some sort of advanced technology to do something so sophisticated? 

"A few hours ago she hacked to the mainframe for at least ten minutes before Jarvis shut down the system. That goddamn kid made sure she wasn't traced." Tony gritted his teeth, whoever she is... she has to be someone's kid. A genius for sure, yet irritably stubborn to get anything she wants. He sure as hell hoped it wasn't anyone of his many problems from the past.

"HYDRA taught her well. Too well...." Steve mumbled thoughtfully, there has to be something more about her. A kid with that kind of IQ was either inherited or experimented. The Captain hoped it wasn't the latter option for the sake of the young assassin.

"Yeah, whatever. So are we congratulating her or are we going to do something that requires some HYDRA ass-kicking?" Tony suggested humorously to the team. Clint shrugged his shoulders, not caring at the moment since his coffee was lukewarm now.

"You're right." Natasha nodded with a neutral look, staring down at one of the satellite images for any clues. However, from the corner of the picture showed a tall man that had a similar body shape as her guardian that escaped with her. If they can find the Phantom, then it will lead them to the Winter Soldier.

"Did you just say what I think you just said?" Tony questioned playfully, Natasha shot her head up with a ghost smile taking over her lips. Tony pointed at the female Avenger, hoping that his ears weren't deceiving him at the moment.

"Now I want to take that back," Natasha responded to the billionaire, finally the assassin rolled her eyes at the man until she turned to Steve. The redhead woman called out to the blonde super-soldier to help her, "Steve can you tell him to stop."

"Ah ah ah, but you can't. No, take backs," Tony retaliated happily, clapping his hands together until they were rubbing against them softly.

"Alright, when do we leave?" Bruce asked them, regaining their attention by simply clearing his throat anxiously. The team became silent once again, everything thinking the same thing whilst Bruce remained clueless.

"Actually, Bruce we need you here..." Steve insisted with a firm look on his face, causing the scientist to slightly twitch at the statement until he walked up to the Captain.

"What? Why?" Doctor Banner questioned the super-soldier, the others remained silent in their spots. Steve sighed through his nose, glancing over at him seriously whilst he placed a hand on Bruce's shoulder.

"We need you here to be sure that the Avengers tower is safe when we come back," Steve said sincerely until Clint cut him off with a small smirk on his face.

"And we don't want to fright her when we rescue her with the other guy." The archer felt someone gently gripped him, causing Clint to hiss softly until he noticed it was Thor that tried to silence him.

"So I'm on babysitting duty?" Bruce asked in disbelief, scoffing that he was stuck back here. On the other hand, if he stayed there was less possibility that he would turn to the Hulk.

"It'll be fine, Bruce. Besides, you don't know what she's capable of." Natasha reasoned with him, after a few minutes the scientist nodded his head that it's alright that he stays.

"Anyway, here's what I was thinking, we swoop down to her apartment or whatever and we team up against her. It'll be five to one with her having to turn herself in when she realizes that she's outnumbered." Tony insisted on the team, grinning like if he thought of something brilliant in mind.

"Hold on a moment... this here is your genius plan, Stark? We just chase after her until she lets us apprehend her? You do realize that to catch an assassin, someone has to be one? Oh, wait? That's me!" Natasha retorted sarcastically, thus Clint started to crack up from what his best friend told them. This definitely made Tony shut up, the billionaire grumbling under his breath of the things they do to him.

"Now that we got that situated, how will we know where she is. She could be anywhere in London." Steve argued, gathering the satellite images back to the file with a thoughtful look on his blue eyes.

"Except that she's smart enough to know that if you want to be found, you have to be surrounded by people. In this case, she's in a neighborhood not far from Hyde Park," Stark momentarily answered, sending a harsh glare at Natasha who just held her mischievous grin.

"Great! What are we waiting for?" Clint declared after receiving a nod from Thor and Bruce. The archer groaned softly knowing that he might regret this when they leave to get her.

"Jarvis, search for any locations that could potentially be the kid's hideout," Tony told the A.I. system. There was a short moment of silence as the Avengers waited for any response from Jarvis.

"Sir, it would appear that she's staying at an abandoned warehouse near Canvey Island. The said warehouse was shut down after an unknown incident that involved three people injured and one death." Jarvis informed the group, capturing their attention to the conditions the young child is enduring.

"Unknown?" Tony inquired from his A.I. system.

"The information regarding the abandonment has since been redacted," Jarvis answered monotonously, which made Tony frown at the AI system's answer. Why would HYDRA try to make this warehouse seem unimportant to any normal person? That's it... from appearance the large building looks nothing out of the ordinary, but to the Avengers, it was sticking out like a sore thumb.

"Jarvis, send the coordinates to the Quinjet's navigation system." He told Jarvis quietly, hoping that the other Avengers didn't hear him. Nonetheless, they concluded that they would find her from preventing any more casualties.

"Of course, Sir," Jarvis answered as the A.I. started setting up for their next mission. Tony smirked to himself as he sat back down in a comfortable position on his chair. The others processed the information until they stared at one another.

"When do we leave?" Clint questioned Steve, hopping out of his seat to already wanting to gather his suit and weapons. Thor grinned widely as he picked up the Mjolnir with ease to rescue the young maiden once and for all. Natasha simply leaned back on the chair, her eyes trained at the leader of the Avengers.

"In 100 hours we go to London at dawn. Suit up and be prepared for anything when we get there," Steve declared, shortly after everyone left for their own place. The Captain was still wondering what if she didn't want to be found? No one would after being branded a criminal and dangerous to the world.

"Finally! A quest that I'll happily go to save this innocent child!" Thor rumbled loudly, everyone agreeing to meet near the helicopter pad in a few days. This was it... they just hope they could find her before HYDRA does. One of the satellite images showed a tall mysterious man stalking her with a small symbol of HYDRA. From a civilian's view, nothing seemed stranged on the images but Steve knew better than that.

Let's see who will find her first?

May the fastest one find the teenager to either her safety or doom... Steve vowed that she was going to have a normal life for once. Even if it meant having him killed in the process, unbeknownst to him, Tony couldn't help but wonder why the young girl reminded him of his younger self. Reckless and stubborn, but also afraid of the world around them. Will they finally uncover the truth about her?

Here is another chapter and I hope you enjoy it so far! I know there weren't any actions here but it's essential to the plot. Also, who do you think Thor was referring to about Aurora? Or Tony as well?

Also, there are about two chapters left until we get to Age of Ultron. Please vote and comment if you liked anything and I'll have another chapter soon!