Andromeda Banner: A Marvel Universe Story

“Andi, wake up sweetie.’ Sam whispers as he rests a hand on my shoulder and squeezes, ‘Breakfast will be ready at 0800.”

“Mmm..’ I vocalize as I stretch, ‘Understood.’ I say, my smile matching his, ‘I’ll be at the table in 30 minutes.”

He chuckles, “I know.”

He leaves and I get up, making my bed neatly, before grabbing some clothes and running to the bathroom. After I finish my routine, I go to the kitchen, sitting at the table just as Sam puts two plates of pancakes and bacon on the table.

He finishes making his coffee while I get up and grab a glass, filling it with orange juice, “So,’ He begins as we sit down, ‘a couple of the Vets that I work with are going to meet us at the Cap Exhibit.” He explains as we start eating.

“Really?”

He nods, “Yeah. I told them about your assignment while you were getting ready. They’re World War 2 Vets and they said they’d be happy to tell you some stories.”

I smile, “That’s nice of them.”

We get to the museum about two hours later and he leads me up to two men standing in front of the Exhibit entrance. They turn at Sam’s greeting, “Sergeants Montgomery and Sawyer, it’s good to see you. This is Andromeda Banner. Andi this is Sergeant James Montgomery, and this is Sergeant Sam Sawyer: two of the Captain’s Howling Commandoes.”

“Holy…’ I swallow the word as I shake their hands and they smile knowingly, ‘It’s an honor to meet you, Sergeants.”

“Thank you.’ Sergeant Montgomery says as they offer smiles, ‘Sam here tells us that you’re a member of McKinley’s Army JROTC.”

I smile and nod, “Yes, sir, I am.”

“Rank?” Sergeant Sawyer asks.

I stand at attention instantly, hands clasped behind my back, “Cadet Captain, Sergeant Sawyer, sir.”

“Highest rank you can receive at your age, I believe?” He asks as they smile.

“Sir, yes sir.” I answer with a slight smile.

“At ease, Cadet Captain.’ He orders, and I relax my stance, ‘What would you like to know?”

After nearly three hours of writing down personal accounts, Sergeant Montgomery turns his smile to me, “You wanna know what I think happened to Sergeant Barnes, Cadet?”

I raise an eyebrow, “Captain Rogers’ right-hand and best friend?’ They nod, ‘I thought he fell off a train, and down into a ravine?”

They nod, “You’re right, he did… but personally… I’ve always thought that he was alive… When you’re that close with someone; when you spend every day, every hour with them… You form a bond, a connection nothing and no one can break… Now he may have been closer to the Captain…”

“Closer than a brother.’ Sergeant Sawyer adds, ‘Never saw one without the other, did we? Not even for a second.”

Sergeant Montgomery nods, “Right, never once… Closer than a brother.. We were all brothers, Brothers in Arms… And when you’re that close with someone, the bond between you… Well it lets you know things… Feel things. I firmly believe that he’s still alive. As much as it hurts to think it…’ He gives me a knowing look, ‘You’re not asking why, because you know why, Cadet Captain.”

I smile at the use of my rank, and the respect I know comes along with it; I nod, unable to say the name we’re all thinking… The sadness and fear choke out my voice.

He squeezes my free hand with a slight smile, “I wouldn’t add that, if I were you, Cadet.”

I shake my head, “Of course not, sir.”

“Do you have enough?” Sam asks as he squeezes my shoulder.

I cast my gaze onto the original Captain America uniform, and the uniform to the left of it, with a smile on my face, “Yeah, I think so. Thank you…’ I whisper as I turn back to the Sergeants, ‘Thank you for everything, Sergeants. I don’t think I’ve ever learned so much, in one session.” I tell them as we shake hands.

Sam and I walk out of the museum, and I turn to him as we walk down the steps, “Sam?’ I ask as we walk down the street to a food truck, ‘What’s up?”

He sighs as we sit on a bench to eat, “I was just thinking about what the Sergeants said about Sergeant Barnes.”

I nod, “Yeah, it sucks…’ He raises an eyebrow, ‘They don’t want to believe he’s gone, -they never have- but the alternative is so much worse… Oh, if my Great-Grandmother knew what they thought… It might just do her in…”

He nods, “When were you planning on going to see her?”

I shrug, “Soon, hopefully.”

We get back home later that evening, “Thanks for today Sam, it was great.”

He smiles, “It was nothing… They seemed to love having someone else to talk to, someone that wanted to know everything.”

 I nod, “Yeah, they did. And it was so interesting.”

“What do you say I order a pizza for dinner?’ He chuckles at my smile, ‘Alright, I’ll do that… Go on and get ready for bed, sweetie, and I’ll call you when it’s here.”

The next morning, I wake up to the sound of Sam arguing with someone in the front room, “Look, you can’t just waltz into my house and demand she come with you!’ Sam yells protectively, causing a smile to grace my face for a moment, ‘I know she doesn’t know who you are, because I sure-as-Hell don’t!”

I get out of bed, throwing on the first thing I find, which just-so-happens to be my Army Junior ROTC uniform, “I have orders: I’m to bring the child with me.”

“First of all: She isn’t a child. Second and Third: You should learn some respect, and you’re not taking her!’ Sam retorts, ‘I have my orders, as well: Keep her safe, keep her happy; give her the life her father felt he couldn’t give her, even though I didn’t –and still don’t- agree with him. And I follow those orders, not because I have to, –not now- but because I want to.”

I smile as I finish getting dressed, “So she’s happy?” The mystery man challenges.

“I don’t see how that’s any of your concern, but yes, she is… As happy as she can be, given the circumstances… I know she misses her father, any kid would… She’s been through so much; she’s been through things that no one deserves to go through, and I won’t allow you to take her away from another home and put her in danger. Especially when neither of us have any idea who exactly you are, or who you work for.”

“I’ve already told you, I can’t tell you… I’ll tell her, once we’re in a secure location.”

“Then I’m afraid you won’t be telling me,…’ I state as I walk into the room, looking the man up and down, ‘sir.’ I add with a hint of sarcasm in my voice; I stand next to Sam, offering a smile, ‘Now, if you have any hopes of me considering going with you, you’ll get to explaining.” I state as I cross my arms over my chest.

“I am Agent Gomez, Miss Banner, and I’ve been sent by my superior to collect you.”

I choose to ignore him forgetting my rank, “For?” I demand.

He gives Sam an appraising look not unlike the one I gave him, “It’s classified.”

I shrug, “Then it will have to remain classified. I refuse to leave my home, with someone who I don’t trust, who has disrespected my guardian and friend.”

“Miss..”

“It’s Cadet Captain, to you.” I state, my Great-Grandmother’s voice ringing in my head.

“Never fail to remind people that they should respect you, and why.”

He sighs, “Cadet Captain Banner, this is important; you must come with me.”

“I have no qualms with coming with you and offering my aid –however I can… provided you tell me the truth and treat my guardian with the respect he’s earned and deserves.’ I shrug, ‘Doesn’t seem so difficult to me… Quite frankly, I don’t see why you’d need to tell a fifteen-year-old girl classified information.” I say as I sit on the arm of the couch.

He gives me the same appraising look I gave him, and that he gave Sam, causing Sam to take a step toward him, one that puts him slightly in front of me, “I’ve been informed that the Director wants you on board, because you aren’t a normal teenager…. And because you have a blood connection to SHIELD.”

The statement hits me like a truck, and I raise an eyebrow, “Don’t bring my family into this.’ I order, before shaking my head, ‘So, you’re saying this is about the Gamma Exposure at my Dad’s lab, when I was seven? That’s why you need me?”

He nods, “More or less.”

I flinch as the memories flood my brain, the sirens, the screaming… The Hulk and his roars as he tore through the lab; Sam rests a comforting hand on my shoulder, snapping me out of the fog. I smile at him, before turning back to Agent Gomez, “If I go, he goes.’ I state with a nod toward Sam, causing the Agent to sigh, ‘Look, let’s all be honest here… Or rather, let me be honest: you haven’t given either of us a reason to trust you. If you want me to come with you, specifically: he comes. If you don’t accept my terms, then you can return to the Director and tell him that if he wants me on board; if he wants or needs my help, then he can get his ass down here and tell me what the Hell is going on.”

“The Director is a very busy man.”

I grab an apple from the bowl on the table, “Then you can tell him to send a higher-ranking Agent than yourself, one that will tell me what I need to know, without outright disrespecting my guardian.’ I smirk as he groans and sighs, ‘These are my demands; you are officially in Check. Your move; your decision.” I finish with a shrug.

I take a bite, smirking as he storms out of the house and Sam turns around to face me, “That was weird… But I’m proud of you, Andromeda. You handled that so well.”

I smile, “Thanks Sam… Why would they need my help? If this really is about Gamma Radiation, then they’d need my dad. He’s the expert.”

He sighs, “I don’t understand it either, sweetie… Can I ask you something?’ I nod as I look up at him, ‘Do you want to help them? If and when the other Agent comes, he or she will try to convince you to go… I want you as safe and happy as possible and if you want to go… If that’s what’ll make you happy –following in your Great-Grandmother’s footsteps- then that’s alright with me.’ He hugs me to his chest, ‘I just want you to know that no matter what you decide to do, where you decide to go: You will always have a home with me.’ He kisses my head before resting his cheek on top of it, ‘Always.”