Chapter 3 – The super fan

Stephanie quickly packed her to go duffel bag. The little girl glanced at herself in the mirror.

She was tired. She was tired of running around because of her mom's job. She was tired of being a "little girl". She was tired of all the abnormality in her life.

She felt because of her appearance, people didn't take her serious. She's warned her parents about the Norse God but they won't listen. They rather pacify her, and the girl hated that.

"SJ, are you ready," her mother, Jinx, asked as she barged into her room.

The "child" nodded, grabbed her favorite teddy bear and duffel bag. "Why do I have to go to the safe house?"

"Because we want you safe," Jinx told her as they walked through the front door to the vehicle waiting for them, "I thought that was obvious."

"Don't sass the sassy one," SJ said as she got in the black SUV. She sat between her mother and father.

"Special Agent Hopkins will fly with you to your safe house, Stephanie," The Agent driving informed her, while also informing her parents.

"Hopkins? Again," she groaned. Jinx and Steve eyed the girl at the same time.

"What's wrong the Hopkins?" Lady America asked.

"He's old," was her reply.

"You're old," Steve commented, "Technically."

"Touché," the "seven" year old said, "but I don't look old. Uncle Stark use to tell me that I should live to be a thousand years old."

"Surely he was over exaggerating," Jinx told Steve. SJ glared at her mom before crossing her arms, she sighed.

"Which safe house am I going to?"

"The one in Germany," Jinx told her. "I know how much you love German chocolate."

"I guess I can forgive you then."

Steve and Jinx chuckled at their daughter's response. After about forty minutes in the car, SJ fell asleep, so when it was time to get on her plane her father carried her to the other agent instead of waking her up.

"Take care of her," Steve ordered the Agent.

The older bald man nodded, "I'll protect her with my life, sir."

Steve nodded. He stood there for a moment, watching the man carry his daughter into their plane. He sighed. He didn't know what being a parent felt like until he had to part with SJ, his daughter. Trusting someone else with her life was a hard thing for him.

"Steve, she's going to be fine," Jinx assured him, "he's going to take care of her."

Steve continued to stare as the plane took off, "Is it bad that I miss her already?"

The brown woman smiled, "No. I miss her as well." She laid her head on his back and wrapped her arms around his chest. "We should be going. Phil is waiting on us."

"Okay," Steve said, taking Jinx's hand in his as they walked off.

~Avengers~

Inside the jet, Steve and Jinx watched a video of the Hulk. Although Jinx have seen it one hundred times, she still finds it "fascinating". But she also felt guilty. Banner use to write her loads of letters, asking her to assist him in his studies, each time she declined him.

He didn't want to wait for her approval, so he continued his experiment without her advice which resulted in the Hulk.

"We're about forty minutes out from home base, Sir." The pilot told Phil. Agent Coulson stood from a chair and walked over to Steve and Jinx.

"So, this Doctor Banner was trying to replicate the serum they used on me and my wife?"

"A lot of people were," Jinx said with a frown. She shook her head to herself, her eyes were glued to the screen.

"You two were the world's first superheroes. Banner thought Gamma radiation might hold the key to unlocking Erskine's original formula." Coulson told Steve.

"Didn't really go his way, did it?"

"Not so much. When he's not that thing though, guy's like a Stephen Hawking."

Rogers looks confused, not understanding who he was talking about. Jinx smiled.

"He's comparing Banner to a very smart, young man."

"You know, I gotta say- it's an honor to meet you, officially. I sort of met you, I mean, I watched you while you were sleeping." Steve gave the man an odd look. "I mean, I was, I was present, while you were unconscious from-the-ice." Steve moved over to the cockpit. Coulson gave Jinx an awkward grin before following behind the unfrozen captain. "You know it's really- it's just a- just a huge honor to have you on board- it's..."

"Well, I hope I'm the man for the

job."

"Oh you are, absolutely. Ah- we made some modifications to the uniform. I had a little design input."

"The uniform?" Steve asked. He looked at his wife, she nodded at him. Her way of saying "yes, they pretty much kept the uniform". The Captain's attention went back to the agent. "Aren't the stars and stripes a little...old-fashioned?"

"Everything that's happening, the things that are about to come to light, people might just need a little old-fashioned."

It was quiet between them for a moment before Jinx chuckled to herself.

"What's funny, my Lady?" Agent Coulson asked her.

Jinx smiled, "It's just...how come you never sweet talk me like that? I wasn't your favorite?"

Her question made the Agent blush, which made Steve eye his lady confusingly.

~Avengers~

Her breathing was hitched, her legs grew tired. They were after her. They wanted her. They needed her. She was the final piece. She was the key to take over planet earth.

"Come out, little one," the smooth, manipulative voice said, "I know you're here somewhere."

She was hiding in a tree.

"You can't hide forever."

The man smirked, he looked up and caught her stare. "Gotcha!"

She screamed.

SJ woke up with a gasp. She quickly took in her surroundings. Hopkins took a seat beside her.

"Nightmare?"

SJ looked out the window beside her, "Something like that."

The man handed the "child" a bag of chips, "Can't fly on an empty stomach."

She smiled at him. "When do we land?"

"Thirty minutes, tops. It's always a plus to have your very own jet."

SJ shrugged, "If you say so."

The older man took in the young girl's attitude, she wasn't being herself. "Alright, spill it. What's gotten into you?"

"Someone's coming. Well, he's already came. But soon...he'll come for me."

"I won't let anything happen to you."

The girl scoffed, there was a playful glint in her eyes, "No, I'll make sure nothing happens to you."

Hopkins nudged her before chuckling.

~Avengers~

The hero's jet flow to a giant carrier in the water, it's the SHIELD's helicarrier in all its glory. Personnels were walking all over, some were strapping down jets and containers.

As the jet lands, Coulson and The Rogers' step out of it. Natasha walked toward them.

"Agent Romanoff- Captain Rogers," Coulson introduced the two, "of course you already know Doctor Rogers."

"Natasha," was all Jinx said as a greeting.

"Ma'am," Steve said politely.

"Hi." She said to them both with a wave of her hand. She eyes then trained on Phil. "They need you on the bridge; they're starting the face trace."

"See you there," Phil said before leaving Natasha and Steve to get to know each other while walking. Jinx following behind them.

"It was quite the buzz around here, finding you in the ice. Thought Coulson was gonna swoon. Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trading cards yet?" Natasha asked with a smirk. Steve turned to his wife, but saw that she was grinning, which meant something was supposed to be funny.

"Trading cards?" Steve asked.

"They're vintage," she told him.

"And he's very proud." Jinx added.

They see Banner who was bumping into people while he observed

the carrier.

"Doctor Banner," Steve greeted.

"Oh, yeah, hi. They told me you'd be

coming...along with...your lady," Banner greeted awkwardly. His eyes landed on Jinx, he was taken in by her beauty, she was absolutely breathtaking, prettier than the reports read.

"Word is you can find the Cube." Jinx said.

"Is that the only word on me?"

"Only word we care about," Steve told him.

"Must be strange for you, all of

this."

"Well, this is actually kind of

familiar."

"Gentlemen and My Lady, you might wanna step inside in a minute. It's gonna get a little hard to breathe."

The two men looked confused, but Jinx knew what was going to happen.

"Flight Mode. Secure the deck." The helicarrier intercom announced. There was a loud whirring and clunking sound, Banner and the

Rogers' made their way to the edge of the helicarrier.

"Is this a submarine?" Steve asked his wife and the doctor.

"Guess again, dear."

"Really, they want me in a submerged pressurized metal container?" Banner said, referring to the chances of him morphing into the Hulk. Propellers began to spin and the carrier began to lift into the air. "Oh no, this is much worse." The helicarrier started ascending higher and higher.

After a few moments, they were inside. Fury and Agent Hill were in their own conversation. Banner and Steve walked over to them. Jinx grabbed Steve's arm.

"You go over there. I'm going to call SJ, just to see how's she handling things."

Steve nodded, "Okay. Let me know what she says."

Jinx walked off to go into another room.

~Avengers~

At the safe house, SJ was enjoying a big bowl of chocolate ice cream while watching TV. Her attention was drawn away when her phone started buzzing.

Seeing that it was her mom, she answered it. "Hey, mommy!"

"Hi, monkey," Jinx said happily, "how was your flight?"

"Quick."

Jinx laughed, "Yeah, I bet. I just wanted to check on you. Are you having fun?"

"No, I'm stuck with the old guy."

"Be nice," her mother scolded her through the phone.

SJ sighed, "I'll try."

"Your father and I miss you. And we promise once this blows over and the problem is solved, we'll do something cool as a family."

"Like?"

"I don't know, monkey. Whatever you want."

The girl smiled, "I want to go to the Captain America museum." She could literally hear her mom roll her eyes.

"Think of something else, Steph. Anything but that."

"Okay," She paused, "what about the state zoo?"

"Your father would enjoy that so yeah," Jinx agreed, "Look, baby, I have to go. I'll call you before your bed time. Okay?"

"Okay," SJ said sadly, "I love you. Bye." She hung up the phone.

"Old guy?" Hopkins asked the "child" while he ate his popcorn. SJ smiles at him.

"I have to sell it. If she thinks I like you, she'll want to know why which forces me to come clean about all the times you let me have cupcakes and ice cream for dinner."

The Agent nodded, "Makes sense." All of the sudden, his phone started buzzing. He answered it. "Hopkins. Yes. Yes, I'm available. Tonight? Of course."

"Was that about," SJ asked him once she hung up.

Hopkins hummed, as if he was thinking, "How do you feel about getting pretty and going to the gala while I hold up security?"

The girl ears perked and she gave him a big smile, "Let's do it!"

fin

this was long overdue, I know.