Sharon started the lift off procedure just as Steve was limping his way up the ramp. She turned, noticing for the first time the large shard of debris in Rogers leg. She cringed, it was large, about the length of her forearm and twice as wide. How the hell he was even able to stand was a miracle. He joined her in the copilot's chair with a moan and while her instinct told her to help him, she knew she couldn't stray from her mission.
The mission…
Even Aunt Peggy could have never topped this one. This was the hardest mission she had ever been assigned, nothing she had done before had been so secretive, it was also her last. If she made it to the endgame, her days of being an Agent were through. She had decided after this retirement from field work was necessary. If she did make it.. Well, her cousin had promised her the most posh job a woman could want.
But it had been so hard.. Only two other people on earth knew. Weeks without contact with anyone but the rogues, but the Boss had been stern, all those weeks ago after Peggy's funeral, ("I know we've never seen eye to eye, but I need you Shay, we need you. You know he won't stop, you remember what Pegs said. He'll die before he gives in.) She had been living with constant terror for weeks. Terror that they would find out, that she would end up slipping up, making a huge mistake. That she would fail.
One wrong move, an odd facial expression.. And everything would have ended for her. But she persevered, and she knew she had made the right choice when she agreed.
(He seems to trust you. And honestly I think you may get through to him. Do whatever is necessary to stay by their side, but you have to be careful, I won't have any way of pulling you out if it goes south. After I leave, absolutely no contact, with me or Ross, they can't know. Romanoff thinks she knows everything. But she never knew about us. Please, you're my only living family. Help me Shay.. He is going to tear us apart. Help me.. Help him")
So she did. She swiped the shield and Falcon's wings, and handed them over, she'd even got a sweet kiss out of it. She had considered following them to the airport but bided her time, she waited in the shadows and when the US declared her a fugitive for her assistance with Rogers she reach out to Romanoff, begging her to bring her to Steve for safety.
Natasha had been skeptical, refusing to help until she cleared it with Steve. Steve had happily agreed and she found herself on a stolen jet inbound to Wakanda. There Natasha had hidden her away in a temple, the jet cloaked and resting on its roof. But everyday she had watched them, she was good at hiding in shadows, no one saw her. No one knew.
All the news footage, Romania, the Raft.. It was almost over.
"Sharon! Get us airborne!" Rogers called out.
She was scared, she had hoped they wouldn't get to this point. She knew what was waiting on the other side of these borders. Where the hell was everyone else? Where was Boss!? He should have been here by now.
Her hands shook as she lifted them up to the treetops and began to inch forward, she had been trained to fly these jets, Aunt Peggy made sure she knew the ins and outs of SHIELD before she'd been to sick to remember, but now her brain was stalling. She felt as though she was stuck in quicksand, her movements sluggish, soon they would be too far gone and there would be no way back.
As she made it over the trees, a sharp crackling sound filled the cockpit and the jet dead halted. It made a slow, almost sinister turn facing back to the temple.
What the hell! Sharon pulled her hands away, stunned as the jet flew back toward the clearing without her help.
"What are you doing!?" Steve demanded.
"This isn't me!" Sharon sputtered, unsure of what was happening.
Lights flickered and dimmed before extinguishing completely. One console shot out an array of sparks and smoke. The jets engines grinded to a halt, all the systems powered down and the jet
crashed down with a bang. She hadn't yet strapped in so Sharon was tossed harshly to the floor.
She pulled herself up on the console, out the cockpits window she could see Tony, eyes glowing bright (what in the name of-), his trademark smirk across his face. Beside her, Rogers looked enraged. No doubt he was ready for a fight.
"Steve? Now might be a good time to-" she tried.
"Stay here. Be ready, when I tell you to run, then run."
"Steve, maybe you should just do-"
"All they want to do is persecute us, and we did nothing wrong. I can't stand a bully, and that's exactly what they are. This has gone to far. Be ready, this won't take long." He grabbed one of the metal storage cabinets and ripped the door off as a makeshift shield, then limped to the back and slapped the hatch release.
"Steve! Listen, for once just do the-" but he was out of sight moving down the ramp before she could finish.
"Just do the right thing.." she whispered to the air. She reached up, underneath the pilot's chair and pulled out a small tranq pistol, she knew without a doubt she would be using it soon.
Tony watched, repulsors ready as Steve made his way out of the jet. He looked like shit, he had a bit of a beard growing, his hair looked shaggy, and the legs of his pants were doused in blood. He was carrying what appeared to be a.. Door? Holding it in front of him like his shield. He was heavily limping and Tony could now see the glass in his leg.
This man not the same man he had met on the Hellicarrier four years ago.
"Steve.." Tony called, repulsor raised, "There's still time Steve, we don't have to do this. Just stop fighting and come with me. Please. Just stop fighting for once, Rogers."
"You know I can't do that Tony. They want us caged.. On a leash they control. That's not what I fought for, that's not freedom. How can you stand behind this!?"
"Freedom.. Steve you crossed over a dozen international borders. Illegally, may I add, you had no passports, no paperwork, no US approval and caused mass amounts of death and destruction. There was no reason for you to even be near those places. Steve that freedom you love, it's not welcome across the globe. You can't just go wherever you want. What we have here, is hated in other countries. They don't appreciate us interfering with their countries. You can't do anything you want Rogers. We have laws for a reason!" Tony yelled. "What you did to those people is called terrorism!"
"I can't make you understand Tony. One day I hope you'll realize what a mistake you're making. But from where I'm standing, you never will." Steve limped forward.
"Steve..Last warning.. Surrender. I can still help you.."
"I'm not the one who needs the help, Tony."
Steve held up his makeshift shield and rushed forward. Tony fired a blast from his palm but it only knocked Steve back a few feet before he rushed forward again, bashing the door into the armor. Tony, with his new found strength combined with the suit didn't budge an inch. Steve rained several more blows upon him, but Tony didn't feel a thing.
Well.. That was handy.
As Steve moved for the next strike Tony dealt him a backhand that sent him sprawling. He was crawling back to his feet (the man just wouldn't stop) when a new shot rang out. T'Challa, from his place behind the statue, jerked at the sound. Probably thinking he was shot again.
Steve grabbed at the back of his neck and pulled something from his skin, "What the.."
He turned, behind him stood Sharon with a gun in her slightly shaking hand. "Sharon? What are you-?
"Captain Rogers, please stand down. I will fire again if necessary. Lower your weapon, and get on your knees." Sharon calmly stated.
"Hey Shay! You look horrible. Good to see you in one piece, but my God when is the last time you showered? Surely there was a rainstorm or something you could have used."
Steve looked back to Tony, "Shay?"
Sharon kept her tranq gun leveled at Steve, "Now is really not the time Boss."
"Boss..?" Steve looked between Sharon and Tony. From his place on the ground T'Challa was doing the same, wondering what was happening.
Tony huffed, "Yeah, she's always called me that. Gave me that nickname when she was about five, it just stuck. I'm surprised she remembers my name sometimes."
"Captain" Sharon repeated, ready to fire, "Stand down, I'm not going to ask again."
"Boss.. How do you know Tony?" Steve demanded as he moved toward her. His movements were a bit sluggish, the first dart must be kicking in allowing Sharon to shoot another tranq into his leg. Steve grunted in frustration as he removed the dart.
Sharon backed up a step, gun held, waiting.
It was Tony who answered, "Steve, sorry, where are my manners. Steve meet Sharon, beautiful niece of one Margaret Carter, my godmother, niece to one Howard Stark, and sometimes a pain in the ass cousin to me."
T'Challa looked bewildered, "Cousin? But is this not the same woman you called a sneaky bitch a few days ago?"
Sharon cocked a brow at him.
Tony raised a finger at her, "In my defense, I only said that so your infiltration with the rogues wouldn't be compromised. But sometimes you can be a bitch."
Steve nearly leveled her with a deadly glare, "A cousin.. He's your cousin? And we were just your mission. You're his spy. A double agent, just like Nat. No matter where we could have went we would always be compromised because of you.." Steve started toward her.
Sharon fired her last dart, but Steve in his anger swatted it away with ease. She backed away with wide eyes as Rogers advanced toward her. Tony took off to intervene just as a deafening crack of thunder rang from above and Steve was sent flying into a nearby tree as Thor stepped through a portal with Strange on his heels.
Doctor Strange came to stand beside Tony, "I am very, very cross with all of you right now!"
"In my defense, I didn't know til after you left.. Hey Thor!"
"Man of Iron," Thor greeted.
"Uh.. Nice axe!"