Chapter 21:
[Raijin POV]
[Days later, New York City]
Jumping and running the rooftops on patrol; Epyon, a crime/emergency alert system, tags an op in the Eastside ducks. Both Karai and I take the call. [On location.] In stealth-camo, we make our way into the ducks. A gang of mercs walks out into the open when a car pulls up. The HUD scans the layout, tags 20 armed targets in all. A man in a stylish suit steps out the vehicle with his armed entourage. "You have the products," the lead merc asks. The man in the stylish suit snaps his fingers, and four of his security team unload a few crates. They open it, revealing its content to the merc, an array of military-grade weapons. The lead merc steps into view. Both Karai and I tense up, mix in with a flash of rage. Brock Rumlow AKA Crossbones, HYDRA's elite operative. Karai trains her rifle on the weapon dealer and shoots the man in the chest with a stun round. Crossbones snaps his head toward our direction, "Kill them!" "Oh shit," I mutter. The merc opens fire toward our direction. We jump to cover and shoot back, dropping a few of the mercs. Taking a shield formation, the mercenaries came rushing at us. Crossbones blindsided me, attacking with a jump-punch, sending me flying to a nearby container, he goes for another strike. I block the attack, grab Crossbones's arm, knee his gut, elbow his face, and hip-throw him to the ground. He jumps to his feet, takes me down with a double leg. Crossbones strikes me with a barrage punches. "Not bad, punk, but not good enough," he hisses. I catch Romlow in an armbar, "Don't you dare talk to me, you traitorous fuck!"
Using the enhanced strength of the exo-suit, Crossbones effortlessly lifted me off the ground and slammed me back-first to the container wall. After dealing with the mercenaries, Karai came rushing in, tackling Crossbones to the ground. Recovering to one knee, Crossbones strikes Karai with a right hook punch, tagging her on the jaw, then escapes along with his men. "You okay?" I ask Karai, recovering to a stand. "Yeah… Getting punched in the face wasn't the best highlight of my day, but I'll live," Karai says, wiping the blood off her lower lip. Get to my feet, stalk to the black market weapons dealer, seize the man by the collar of his shirt, lean in close to his face, "Easy or hard, your call. Start talking. I want to know everything." The man's eyes gape wide in fear.
[Steve Rogers POV]
[AVENGERS HQ, New York City]
[Training-area.] Wanda slams a fist toward the punching-bag. "Good, now augment strikes his your hex powers," I tell Wanda. The girl nods and performances the action. She channels the scarlet aura through her fist as she throws a punch to the punching-bag, sending it flying. I smirk, impressed, "Nicely done, Scarlet." Wanda tips her head, "Scarlet?" I scratched the back of my head, nervously, "Sorry, it just flipped out. Guess the PARAGADES are rubbing off on me." She smiles, "No, it is alright. I like it," snaps her fingers, "Scarlet Witch. That should be my code-name." "Yeah, it fits you," I say, gesture agreeingly. Abruptly, the comlink rings of an incoming call from the PARAGADES. Raijin's voice cuts in from the other end of the call. He fills me on the details of what took place. "Long story short, we know where he 's going next. Lagos," Raijin divulges. "Good work. Get back to HQ," I say, ending the call. I turn to Wanda, who was listening in, "We got a lead on Crossbones. Gear up. Wheels up in 40." After a few minutes wait, the PARAGADES arrive. Set and ready, the team makes way toward the quinjet.
[Lagos]
[Apartment complex.] I watch as the rest of the team place themselves in their position. Sam is on a rooftop on the Northside. Karai is watching from the East with a sniper rifle. Raijin's on the West. Both Nat and Wanda are on the ground, watching the research lab from across the street. "What do you see?" I ask Wanda via comlink. "Two patrolmen at the front gate. One police officer on the far West," Wanda says. "Getting better at this," Nat comments to her. "Keep your eyes open. Crossbones isn't afraid to make a mess to complete his objective," I say, "We take him down today." "Got a truck coming down the street," Raijin says. "Sam, check it," I say. "Copy," Sam voices over the comlink. From where I stand, Sam sends out his Red-Wing drone. It flies over the truck than under it. "Cap, the truck is carrying max weight. It's a battering ram," Sam calls out. "Move in," I shout into the comlink.
[Raijin POV]
The first truck ram right through the main gate. Two yellow trucks followed, storming in. The rear door slid open, revealing two squads of mercenaries. Leading them was Crossbones. Ten mercenaries stood guard out front while Crossbones enters the building with his strike force. Three of the mercs fires gas grenades into the building. Flying in, Sam drops Cap onto a mercenary. Mercenary-2 came around the parked truck, weapon at the aim. Cap kicks the side front of the truck, smacking the merc to the wall behind him. 'My turn.' Grappling down, I rush to a group of three marcs. Behind the first merc, I kick out his right leg, use him as a shield, drew my pistol, fire on the other two masked merks, then snap the neck of the last guy. "Three down," I say. "Two down," Sam says over the comlink. Wanda lands down next to me. She uses her powers to stop a merc in his track from shooting his weapons. Lifting the merc into the air. Sam came flying low, clotheslining the guy. "That's six," Sam says. Looking at the other end of the gate, I saw Nat finishing taking down her group of mercs. Suddenly one merc came up from behind her, rifle aimed at her head. A shot was heard. The merc's head jerk to the side, falling dead to the floor. "Thanks. I owe you one," Nat says to Karai, who was on a building rooftop across from us.
Cap steps up, "Raijin, you're with me. Wanda, get the gas out of the building. Karai, give us cover." Using her powers, Wanda catapults both Steve and me into the building. Cap enters first. A merc turns, only for Cap to strike him with his shield. Seeing another merc, Cap charges at him and punches him in the gut, pulls off the gas mask, then kicks him back, sending him flying into the wall. Two mercs came into the room. Turning, I grab the merc's gun, snatch it away, punch him in the face with a right-hook, kick him the balls, then slam his head to the wall, knocking him out. Cap throws the shield to the merc behind me. Cap and I made our way deeper into the building. Walking the halls, we noted the bodies of the dead scientists. "Damn it. We were too late," Cap whispers. "Crossbones is going to get what's coming to him, Cap," I say. Seeing a quarantine chamber with its door burst open, we realize what Crossbones got his hands on. Cap taps his comlink, "Crossbones has a Biological weapon." "I got eyes on him. He's outside," Karai yells. When we get out to the balcony, I saw Crossbones aiming a 50 cal. Reacting quickly, I grab Cap by the shoulder and pull him back as Crossbones fires. On our feet, we start to make a run for it. The last shot sent us flying out the window to the ground below. "Raijin, you alright?" Cap asks, kneeling next to me. "Yeah, I'm good," I say, getting back to my feet. Together, Cap and I chase down Crossbones and his gang.
[Steve Rogers POV]
[Town market.] The mercs dish the truck and split up within the busy crowd. Raijin and I race after them. Reaching the getaway car on the ground lays the mercs' gear. "They dished their gear," I say, scanning the crowd but couldn't spot the mercs, "It's a shell game now. One of them has the payload." "I have eyes on them. Two are heading south, and the other two are rabbiting east," Sam says. I motion for Raijin to seek out the mercs. He moves out. Once I'm alone, a voice calls out, "There you are!" A magnetized grenade attaches to my shield. Acting fast, I throw into the air. High over the square, grenade harmlessly explodes, blasting my shield back to the ground. "I've been waiting for this!" Rumlow growls, charging at me. The fight is on. Romlow forces me to turn and fight. As we exchange blows, I note Rumlow is different from before. The man was sporting some pneumatic gauntlets to enhance the power of his strikes. "Come on!" he taunts, knocking me flat and pounding me with punches, leaving me bruised and staggered. He stumps the ground as I roll away. Crossbones hits me again, forcing me up against the wall. "This is for dropping a building on my face," he sneers. A blade pops out from one of the gauntlets. He punches the blade at my head. I block the strike, back-elbow his face, and yank the gauntlet off his arm, then send Crossbones flying with a spinning-back-kick. The man crashes through a nearby table.
Rumlow gets to his knees, peeling off his mask. I stalk over to him, grab the man by the vest. He glares up at me, defiant and full of hate. "Who you're working for?" I demand. Rumlow grins, ignoring my question, "He remembered you. Your pal Bucky. Cried like a bitch before we put him in the grinder." I froze, eyes wide, guilt filling my entire being, lost in the moment. "But don't worry, you'll be joining him in oblivion," the merc voices. Suddenly, Crossbones raises his hand, revealing a deadman switch. "CAPTAIN, WATCH OUT!" Wanda yells, appearing from within the crowd. Scarlet Witch uses her psionic powers to rip Crossbones' bomb vest off the crazed merc, despatching it skyward away from the surrounding civilians. "Nice save," I say to the scarlet AVENGER. I turn to Romlow and knock him out with a solid right-hook-punch.
[AVENGERS HQ, Upstate New York]
[Living-area.] When we got back to the AVENGER HQ, the team began to celebrate a successful mission. It was a friendly little get-together. After everything was said and done, the team make their leave. Despite the victory, I couldn't fully enjoy it; my mind keeps playing the event of the mission over and over. I was angry at myself because I froze. Crossbones said Bucky, and suddenly I'm a scared kid. If Wanda hadn't been there to stop that bomb blast, a lot of innocent lives would have been lost. Feeling drain for the first time in a long time, I call it an early night.
[Room.] I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in a sea of rumination. Some good some bad. A knock on my door brings me out of the drift. "Steve, it is me. May I come in?" Wanda says from the other side of the door. "Yeah," I say, sitting up. Wanda enters my room. "Is everything okay?" I ask her. She moves to take a seat on the bed next to me, a respectable space between us, "I was going to ask you the same question. During the mission, I overheard what that man said to you... About Bucky. He was lying to you, Steve." I sigh, "I know. It just that I should've clocked that bomb vest, but Rumlow said Bucky, and I froze. If it weren't for you, a lot of innocent lives would've been lost because I wavered." Wanda places a gentle, reassuring hand over mine, "That the point of a team, Captain. We are there to support and aid each other." I nod, "Yeah, it is. Thanks." Funny how this woman could lift my spirit so easily. In the time that we've known each other, I found myself enjoying her company. Hell, every time I'm within Wanda's present, I find myself feeling giddy, excited, nervous all at once. She stands and makes her way to the door but stops halfway, "That offer you gave me. I want to extend it back to you. If you ever want to talk or company, I will be there."
[Drake POV]
[1 week later, Vienna]
I walk through the halls of a building carrying two duffel bags over my shoulder. The target building was three blocks away from my location. Entering a room on the far west end, I place the duffel bag on the floor and open it. Inside was an array of equipment and weapons. 'A little mislead information, a few innocent death, point blame, push an idea, and you got a nice recipe for violence.' Bloodshed gives way to more bloodshed. Hatred breeds more hatred. Until all of the violence soaks into the land, carving rivers of blood. And no matter how many times it happens, people never learn. And I love it. Human foolishness never ceases to amaze me. From the duffle bag, I pull out the detonator. 'Let the violence begin.'
[Raijin POV]
[Hours later, AVENGERS HQ, New York City]
[Mission-room.] Cap, along with the rest of the team, are watching the news footage again. A dozen NEWS station was covering the story. The UN building in Vienna was bombed. 70 injured 13 dead, including Wakanda's King T'chaka. The prime suspect's image is already plastered on the screen. James Buchanan Barnes, The Winter Soldier. Cap freezes on the image of the perpetrator, his eyes narrowed, "These don't make any sense." "What do you mean?" Wanda asks. I pick up what Cap is saying, "He means the Winter Soldier's a highly skilled assassin who knows how to stay invisible. A ghost," point to the frozen image, "He's practically posing to the camera." Sam cuts in, "You think he been set-up?" Cap nods, "Yeah. I've been looking for Bucky since the Triskelion incident and got nothing. I even used Stark's best tech to help me but came up with no result. Getting the word out, involve as many eyes and ears is a sure-fire way to flush a person out of hiding." Everyone in the room looks at him but couldn't argue the logic behind his reasoning. "The mission's bring the Winter Soldier in. Alive," Cap orders.
[Bucharest]
We got a tip on Bucky's location from an anonymous call. The caller said he saw Bucky around an apartment complex in Bucharest. It's a long shot, but we decided to check it out. The team was in wait outside. I get in the apartment with no problem and creep around. No one's home. So this is where Bucky was hiding out. An ordinary place. Small. Who was Bucky now? The Winter Soldier? Bucky Barnes? Or something in between? Found a book on top of the refrigerator, open it. It's a journal. On one of the pages, there was a black and white photo of me in my old uniform with the Howling Commandos. Both Peggy and Bucky were standing by my side. There's also news clip notes on the AVENGERS and other vigilantes.
"We're in position, Cap," Sam says over the comlink. "Copy," I say. Feel a presence in a room with me. Turn around. Bucky stands in the apartment, staring at me. For a long moment, I wasn't sure what to say. I had a lot of questions. Settle on one. "Do you know me?" I ask him. "You're Steve Rogers. Captain America. The leader of the AVENGERS. I read about you," he tells me. Despite what he said, I know he was half lying. The photo in his journal told me that much. Slowly, I put the journal down on the table, "I know you're nervous, have a lot of reason to be, but you're lying." "I wasn't in Vienna. I didn't kill those people," Bucky says. The look in his eyes told me he's telling the truth. So it was a set-up. "You need to come with me, Buck. I can help you clear your name," I say. Raijin's voice comes through the comlink, "Cap, there's a squad of mercs converging on your location. 15 targets. BREACH! BREACH!" Two flash-grenades crash in. I quickly bat one away with my shield. The other grenade lands by Bucky's feet. Acting fast, he kicks the flash-grenade toward me, and I slam the shield over it. A split second later, a team of black-clad mercs storms into the apartment. More of them come in through the window via fast-rope. They open fire with assault rifles. I dash in front of Bucky, hold my shield up, blocking the oncoming fire. Shooting in close, I smash my shield to the closest merc, sending falling back to a group of two. Bucky goes after the group of mercs on his right. He slams one solder through a wall. Bucky punches his metal arm into the wooden floor and pulls out a duffle bag hidden under the floor, then toss it out of the balcony onto a nearby rooftop. He bolts out of the apartment. I go after him.
[Raijin POV]
[Rooftop.] From my position, I saw the Winter Soldier leaps onto another building rooftop. From the shadow, a man in a cat costume attacks him from behind. The Winter Soldier gets to feet and goes on the attack. 'Who the fuck is that guy?' During the fight, I could see Bucky wasn't aiming to kill, just slow him down, or immobilize the man. The man in the catsuit manages to get the upper hand, takes down Bucky. He goes for the killing blow, but Bucky holds him off. Acting fast, I grapple over to the building, rush over, tackle the man in the catsuit off of Bucky. The masked man glares at me, "Move out of the way. My quarrel is not with you, soldier." I shake my head, "No can do. This man is our prisoner. I can't let you have him." "Move. I will not ask you again," the masked man says. I get in a fighting stance, "You want him? Come and get him." Suddenly, an attack helicopter flies in and starts to open fire. I push Bucky behind cover. Rain of bullets hits the masked man, but the man's unscathed. Cap jumps onto the roof, rolls to feet, throws the shield toward the attack helicopter. The Shield rips apart the tail. As the helicopter falls, scarlet psionics energy wraps around it, bringing it safely down to street level. Wanda, with Karai, is on a nearby rooftop. Bucky makes a break for it. The Cat-man hot on his tail, Cap and I are right behind him.
We all jump down into the tunnel path. Dashing past traffic, police hit the scene, siren blasting. The situation is getting chaotic. "STAND DOWN! STAND DOWN!" a cop yells over a loudspeaker. Up ahead, Karai lands down through an opening with Wanda and Falcon. She draws her sniper rifle and shoots two stun-shots. One hits Bucky in the center mass; the other hit the man in the catsuit. Both fall. Bucky drops unconscious, but the other guy only drops to a knee for a moment. Shaking off the stun effect, he moves on Bucky. Coming up from behind, Cap tackles the guy to the ground. Catman jumps to his feet, ready to attack. Wanda uses her psionic powers to restrain the man. JSOC and SHIELD tactical units form up around us, weapon on Bucky. "Prisoner secure," Cap says, slapping Cuffs on Bucky. He turns to Wanda, "Let him go." Wanda breaks her hold on the mysterious masked man. The man slowly takes off his mask, revealing his face. It's T'Challa, the son of King T'Chaka. The new crown king of Wakanda. "Your Highness," Cap says with a slight bow.