Senate Hearing
“Do you swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth?”
“I do.”
Wearing a form-fitting black dress with green and pink accents, Kara sat next to Natasha in front of a full Senate hearing. Her blonde hair hung around her shoulders, and her glasses were in place on her face. Her hands were folded on the desk in front of her.
“Why haven’t we yet heard from Captain Rogers?” One committee member asked them.
Glancing at Kara, Natasha sighed. “I don’t know what there is left for him to say. I think the wreck in the middle of the Potomac made his point fairly eloquently.”
“Well, he could explain how this country is expected to maintain its national security now that he and you have laid waste to our intelligence apparatus.”
“HYDRA was selling you lies, not intelligence,” Kara added in.
“Many of which Agent Romanoff here has had a personal hand in telling.” The head of the hearing shot back at them.
Another man leaned forward. “Agent, you should know that there are some on this committee who feel, given your service record both for this country and against it, that you belong in a penitentiary. Not mouthing off on Capitol Hill.”
“I’d like to state for the record that while Agent Romanoff has done various things throughout her life, she has dedicated and even risked that life in order to keep this country and all of its people safe. That happens to include the people on this committee. So I would take that into account, don’t you think?” Kara stared the man down.
“Then there is the matter of you, Miss Stark. Or is it Miss Zor-El?” He turned to look at her. “You aren’t even from here! We should be locking you away as well in a prison that can hold you! You aren’t human…you shouldn’t even get the same rights as the rest of us.”
“Be that as it may, what have I done since I came to this planet? Destroyed it? Tried to kill people? No, that would be your own people.”
“You’re not going to throw us in a prison.” Natasha continued for her. “You’re not going to put any of us in a prison. You know why?”
“Do enlighten us.”
“Because you need us,” Kara replied with a smirk.
“Yes, the world is a vulnerable place. Every world is. And yes, we help make it that way. But we’re also the ones best qualified to defend it.
“So if you want to arrest us, arrest us. You’ll know where to find us.”
Standing, the women turned on the committee and walked out side by side. Cameras flashed around them as they left the courtroom and made their way to their car. They knew they had given the committee many things to think about, and they were confident that they would make the right decision.
At the cemetery, Steve and Sam stood next to a grave that was covered in white flowers. Then they heard footsteps behind them and turned to see Fury coming in their direction.
“So, you’ve experienced this sort of thing before.”
Steve shrugged. “You get used to it.”
Looking down at his own headstone, Fury sighed. “We’ve been data mining HYDRA’s files. Looks like a lot of rats didn’t go down with the ship.
“I’m headed to Europe tonight. I wanted to ask if you’d come.”
Steve thought about it before shaking his head. “You know I can’t.”
Nodding, Fury turned to Sam. “How about you, Wilson? I could use a man with your abilities.”
Looking at Steve, Sam shuffled his feet. “I’m more of a soldier than a spy.”
“Alright, then.” Fury chuckled. “If anybody asks for me, tell them they can find me, right here.”
As he walked away, another voice made the men turn around. “You should be honored. That’s about as close as he gets to saying thank you.”
They watched as Natasha approached them with Kara a few feet behind her. She was still wearing her dress as they’d come right from the senate hearing, but she’d switched her heels out for a pair of gym shoes.
“Not going with him?” Steve asked the redhead.
Shaking her head, she smiled. “No.”
“Not staying here.” It was a question.
“Nah. I blew all my covers. I got to go figure out a new one.” She told him.
“That might take a while.” He remarked.
“I’m counting on it.” She paused. “That thing you asked for…I called in a few favors from Kyiv. Will you do me a favor? Go home to your family.”
“I plan on doing nothing else.” He told her, and she squinted her eyes at him.
“Uh-huh.” Then she kissed his cheek as she started to walk away. “Be careful, Steve. You might not want to pull on that thread.”
Then she was gone.
A few feet away, Sam and Kara stood together, giving them time to talk.
“Nice shoes,” Sam commented.
She smacked his arm. “Hey! You try walking through wet grass in heels and see how well you can do.”
“Aren’t you an alien? I thought you didn’t have those problems.” He mentioned.
“Hey, the sun may have given me some powers, but the power of perfect balance was not one of them.” She joked. “Besides, there’s no one here I have to make an impression for anyway.”
He nodded and then sighed. “You know he’s going to go after him, right?”
“Yeah, I know.” Kara bit her lip. “I would too if I were in his shoes.”
“You don’t have a problem with that?” The man asked curiously, surprised by how calm she sounded.
“That’s his best friend…the only tie he has to his old home, his old life.” She looked down. “If I had that…”
Sam put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “Yeah, Steve filled me in a bit about your background. I’m sorry about your family and your home.”
“It was a long time ago.” She told him. “But even still, if I knew I had that connection out there somewhere, there is no one on Earth who could stop me from trying to find it and fix it.”
“You guys are lucky,” Sam told her. “Not many people find their soulmates so perfectly.”
Smiling, she pulled her phone out as it started to ring. “Thanks, Sam.”
Then she answered her phone. “Hey, baby.” She laughed. “Yes, I’m okay.” Another pause. “Okay! Okay, okay, hang on.”
As Natasha walked away, Kara raised her voice. “Hey Steve, there’s someone on the phone who has a bone to pick with you.”
Both Sam and Kara saw the way his eyes lit up as he hurried for the phone. “Well, I wonder who could be calling me at this time of the day.”
As Steve walked away to talk to Layna, Kara faced Sam. “So, what will you do now?”
Putting his hands in his pockets, he shrugged. “I’m not sure. I didn’t expect any of this to happen, so now I’m at a loss.”
“Come home with us.” She told him without hesitation.
“What?”
Kara nodded and put a hand on his arm. “Come back to New York with us. I’m sure you could use a vacation, and you could meet some of the other Avengers. You’re our friend, and after all of this, you’re family. Come meet Layna. Come meet the rest of the crazies.”
“Are you sure?” He seemed hesitant to accept.
“I wouldn’t have said it if I weren’t positive it would go well for all parties involved.” She told him. “Please…come home with us.”
Nodding, he glanced back at Steve. “You know…I think I just might.”