After the entire weekend, Hope went back to school. Knowing what she knows now. About Tony. Steve. Bucky. It clouded her mind. But to her surprise, Penny was going to be there.

When she got to school, it was already time for class. Everyone was gone. So Hope feel lost. She then saw her coming in with a teenager. Sibling? They stopped and started to argue. After that, the teenager left as Penny walked away. And saw Hope. Penny walked towards Hope woefully with looking down.

"Hey." Penny said. "We should go. We're already late. So."

"Are you ok?" Hope asks.

"I'm fine. Now, let's go." Penny said walking away.

"Lie." Hope says under her breath. Then she followed her to class.
———————

Throughout class, Penny was acting strange. Like something happened to her. And Hope was determined to find what was going on with her.

So after school, Hope followed Penny home. Or did she? Instead she stopped at a dance studio. Abby Lee Miller Dancing Company, to be exact. Huh.

Hope went inside without question. To an office with a woman, mid-20s signing papers. Hope knew that she couldn't be caught. So she manipulated the lady believe that there was no one there but her. With her telepathy powers. As Hope walks upstairs, the woman did sense a slight of presence but played it off as nothing.

Once she gets upstairs, she saw the studio. Girls, hair in buns,in leotards doing ballet. Penny doing ballet.

It was a contemporary piece that her, and a few other girls were doing. Hope didn't quite know what they were doing, but she understood it. She didn't know why, but she did. It was beautiful. Especially Penny's part. She was amazing. But the teacher was jeering at her about her technique.

"Penny! Keep your heel up!"

"Where the facial expressions?"

"You're doing it wrong!" She would say.

Hope wasn't too much of a fan of hers after that. She was full of ire.

"Stop." The teacher finally said, very unsatisfied. "It's time to go but we have a lot of work to do. You're dismissed." They walked away and Hope followed them. Into their lockers.

When Hope arrived there, she saw Penny surrounded by two other dancers in the room. There were tall and looked like models.

"Well, well, well. Look, who showed up? A skinny loser who's just a daddy's girl and the world stuck-up brat. Which do you think you like more? Daddy's girl or Stuck-up brat?" One of them said. She has dark brown hair and light brown skin. Like the other girl she was with.

"Why not both?" The other girl said.

"Daddy's brat."

"Leave me alone. You do this every time I'm here. What did I ever do to you?"

"Awww, I think our Daddy's brat is gonna cry."

"Awww, you're gonna cry? Cry, baby, cry, baby!" They would say.

Hope then had enough of their jeering. So she threw a book at them.

"What the?" They say as Hope continues. The girls screamed. And then ran. "Let's get out of here."

Once they left and Penny left, Hope left with them out of the studio. It was raining so Hope had to stand in the rain. She then stopped her manipulative powers for nobody to see her. Then Penny realize that she forgotten her phone and turned back to retrieve it. But she saw Hope. Standing in the pouring rain without a umbrella or a coat. Which made her flinch.

"Hope?" Penny said. "What are you doing here?"

No answer from Hope. "Don't you have someone else to bother? And were you stalking me?"

Then Hope slightly nods with a sense of fear. She was always afraid of getting caught. Penny scoffed.

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to know where were you were going. And you looked very upset this morning. I thought...."

"Thought what?! Thought that I lived in a shelter with my junkee mother and sister?! New flash: I'm not. I live well and I happen to like my life. Now, if you don't mind, stop stalking me. I can take care of myself. I don't need your pity. I'm fine by myself. Have a nice life." Penny snapped before storming off into the pouring rain. Hope tries to follow her again but Penny stopped her by pushing her.

"Don't follow me." Penny demanded. "Got it?"

Hope panted with fear and a bit of anger in her eyes. She felt like she was back in there. With Hydra.

As Penny walked away from her, Hope felt her heart instantly broke. She didn't know why. She only met her for a few days. It felt stupid for her to be this upset. But there is something about her. That connects with her on a spiritual level. Not like a friendship. Something more. But there's something in the way. Or someone?

As soon as Penny left the area, Hope passed her boiling point and starts to hit things, full of ire. Break things. Car windows, the poles. Even the window in front of the dance studio. With her bare fist. There were tiny shards of glass on her knuckles afterward. Police sirens started to go off. The police were coming for her. But the sounds didn't cloud her. Her anger clouded her judgment. She started to scream, causing every window to shatter. And start crying.

The police arrived at her presence. To arrest her.

"Hey, you! Hands up!" One of the officer ordered. But Hope still didn't listen. Instead of following orders, she start to use her powers to make them go away. It started to work but it was causing Hope to having a seriously bad headache. She suddenly stopped and fainted.
——————

Steve ran into the police station, to get Hope. Since she was in custody of the police.

When he got there, he could see all of the crooks placed in cells. Criminals. But he knew that the difference between them and Hope. She's innocent. She wouldn't hurt anyone. Then again, she got herself in here. Why?

One of the officers led him to Hope's cell. Where Hope's hands was bandaged up and tears stained her cheeks. She seemed to be very blue. Like someone broke her heart.

"There's your girl. I saw her breaking glass, cars. With her bare hands. Like she was angry. Of something." The officer observed.

"Or someone. Thank you. I'll be taking her home now." Steve said looking at the officer.
———————

When Steve and Hope got back to Avengers Tower, they went into the conference room. Where Tony, Bucky, Sam, Natasha, Clint, and Wanda were waiting for them. And they were not too pleased with this situation.

"Well. Look what the Cap brought in." Natasha said with her arms crossed.

"Where were you? We been looking for you all day." Bucky said very confused.

"Yeah, we were worried sick about you." Wanda stated before glancing at her bandaged hand. And she reached it out to her sight and saw slight of blood. "And what happened to your hands? Is that blood?"

"I'm fine." Hope said pulling her hand away. "It's nothing."

"You broke an window." Steve said.

"What?" Everyone said in unison.

"It's nothing, really. I just got angry." Hope stated.

"Well, that doesn't answer why you were in a dancing studio." Steve said.

"Wait. She was in a dance studio?" Sam asked.

"Care to explain, blondie?" Clint said to Hope.

"I call her blondie." Natasha whispered to him.

"It's nothing. It's not a big deal, anyways. I'm fine. I just got mad."

"Why?" Natasha said.

"I dunno. I can't explain it. It was a blurry to me. I felt like I wasn't in control. Like someone was taking over. But it doesn't matter. It was stupid, anyways." Hope said storming out to her room.

"Hope..." Bucky called out. It was too late. He knew exactly what she was feeling. He knows what it's like. To be controlled. To be brainwashed. Have every memory taken away from you. He knew. But there was something else that made her upset. Or what Steve said, someone.

"Poor kid." Bucky said. "She seems really upset."

"Yeah. She is." Steve said.

"I'll talk to her." Bucky said before leaving the room.

"Tony, you're a bit quiet. Do you have something to say to us?" Natasha said.

"Oh, no. It just.... I don't think we should trust a 13 year old girl that read and control our minds who was also sent to kill us. Seems a bit unprofessional and naive."

"Coming from the guy who created Ultron." Steve said before Tony scoffed.

"Really? We're back on that? That was almost a year ago. But since we're on the topic, aren't you the one who saved your best friend's ass a couple of years ago? Or that's just me?"

"Tony, stop." Natasha said.

"Well, you see. That was different. He was brainwashed and controlled to do those things. You weren't. It was your choice to mess with things that you don't understand. Ultron was your fault." Steve explained.

"I know. That's why I'm not going to be stupid and trust another Winter Soldier. It's too risky."

"But she isn't, Tony. Hope is a good kid. I can see it. You and I both know that."

"Do we?"

"She's just a kid, Tony."

"Yeah, a kid who can read and manipulated your mind. Give me a break." Tony stated walking away. "I'm going to bed. See you in the morning."

When Tony left, Wanda said; "Remind me again why he isn't a jerk?"

"He's not, Wanda. He's just very untrusting with others. Especially with others he doesn't know. But he means well. He is still good guy." Natasha stated.

"Yeah, but a kid? Don't you think that's a little extreme?" Wanda asked.

"I once saw a kid chopped someone's head off. So I seen worse."

"Nat, you know that she's innocent." Steve tells her.

"I do. But he doesn't think so. And he's not wrong." Natasha said before she walked away. Steve went and look at Wanda and Clint.

"Hey, don't look at me. I just live here." Wanda said also walking away.

"Barton?" Steve called out.

"Sorry. Can't help you." Clint said before Steve sighed. "Look, don't take it too personally, ok? I know what happened with your friend. But you gotta get over it. He's fine, now. Stop guilting yourself into believing that what had happened was on you. Because it's not."

"How would you know?" Steve said.

"Because I know you. And I know that what Hope needs right now is a Steve Rogers, not Captain America. And trust me, I don't lie." Clint stated before walking away.