Chapter 10 – Christmas Eve Capture The Flag Part 2

Quill looks out the window and gestures to Sam that it's all clear. 'Ready?'

'Let's move before anyone comes round,' Sam nods.

Quill opens the window enough for Sam to be able to fly through, before following him out and the two of them speed across the air to the cover of the trees. Wanda's plan had been very simple really: everyone on their team had strengths which lent themselves to outmanoeuvring their opponents, so they'd been given basically free reign to make their way towards the other team's flag. Wanda has stayed with their flag, arguing she should be able to contain anyone who came to try and take it; Valkyrie, Wade and Rhodes are guarding the front door, and Carol the back door. Mantis had offered to patrol the corridors in case anyone managed to slip through; Natasha and Steve had gone in the opposite direction to them. No one was entirely sure where Hope had disappeared to.

'Looks like Carol's got some company,' Sam points to the small group heading towards the back door.

'She'll be happy to get some of the action,' Quill laughs, he's become quite friendly with the dry-humoured powerhouse.

'Just wish we could have got involved,' the other man sighs.

'Well there's still plenty of time for that,' he reassures him. 'Come on let's go see who they decided to leave on guard.'

'My money's on Tony, Loki and Drax: two with power and one with the tricks.'

'Nah I reckon it's Rocket with his traps, Clint with his arrows and Tony with his tech,' Quill replies.

'Think we'll find out first or do you think Nat and Steve'll beat us there?'

'Hope will,' Quill laughs. 'If she's not there already.'

Rocket looks down from his perch in the trees, sighing and shaking his head. 'Those two idiots? They make far too much noise to be stealthy. Why send them?' He sighs again and begins climbing down, ready to reset the traps once the two idiots below him set them off.

'And three,' he counts softly, reaching a branch to cross to the other side of the path, 'two,' he scampers along it trying not to laugh, 'one.'

Sam and Quill both let out shouts of surprise as their legs are taken out from under them and they end up dangling from the trees by their ankles.

'Rocket!' Quill roars. 'Damn that trash panda.'

'Now, now, Quill,' Rocket sniggers as he makes his way into view, 'no one likes a sore loser.'

'We haven't lost yet, Rocket,' Quill growls at him. 'Now let me down before I find a way to turn you into a cushion!'

'Sorry Quill, my orders are to leave you there.'

'No they aren't, you're supposed to let us go to the common area until our time is up and we can return,' Sam protests as he turns in a circle.

'Only if you get pinned,' Rocket laughs, 'which you ain't yet. And you won't be if you just stay in the trap. So you're just going to hang there until this is all over.'

'Strange is a rotten cheat!' Quill protests.

'Who said they was Strange's orders?'

'Then whose are they?' Sam demands.

'Mine,' Rocket cackles, and then races off to see where else the other team was planning to attack from.

'So while you leave us to do all of the hard work,' a teasing voice that has Sam groaning in mortification says from behind them, 'you're just hanging around.'

'Nat,' Sam pleads, 'don't.'

'Rocket?' Steve chuckles, taking a knife from Natasha and going to free the two men.

'Oh yeah, damn trash panda is getting turned into a hat by the time I'm done with him,' Quill grumbles, then yelps as he falls to the ground, landing in a heap at Steve's feet. 'Don't mind my head, it's fine.'

Steve just laughs as he moves to cut Sam down. 'Hey, Steve can you at least catch me before I-' he's cut off as he hits the ground next to Quill. 'Never mind,' he groans.

'So Rocket has traps through the forest right?' Natasha processes the information. 'Hope's in the ventilation system keeping an eye out for Peter or Scott. Think you two would be able to help us through the trees so we can miss the traps on the floor?'

'They won't be close to the flag,' Steve muses, 'or else his own team would risk getting caught in them. I bet he's just done it within the trees.'

'I said Clint and Tony would probably be there too,' Quill adds.

'I said it was probably Tony, Loki and Drax,' Sam says as he takes Steve's offered hand to pull him up.

'Tony's attacking the front,' Steve shakes his head, 'I heard his repulsors as we made our way around.'

'Loki's a good bet though,' Natasha says. 'He could mask the others there, and is a pretty heavy hitter himself.'

'Clint's going to be the eyes,' Steve nods. 'So we think that's who we're facing then?'

'I can't see them leaving more there, they'll need a big enough force to get through to our flag,' Quill agrees.

'Right,' Steve grins, 'here's what we're going to do.'

'Man this is boring,' Scott sighs as he sits down next to Bruce's elbow. 'See anyone yet?'

'Not a soul,' Bruce replies, 'though I can't say I'm not relieved.'

'Group games not your thing?'

'Not when we're close to things that can explode.'

'Maybe next year we can have a team quiz?'

Bruce laughs. 'As long as Tony isn't quiz master. Although he'll be just as bad as a contestant.'

'Hey you seen Rocket recently?'

'He's putting up traps. I think it's better to leave him to it,' Bruce chuckles. 'It's almost as bad as having a furry uncontrollable-stage Tony.'

'Almost?'

'Rocket doesn't manage to get me to join his schemes. Uncontrollable-stage Tony did.'

'You know I kinda envy you guys all the stories you have,' Scott admits.

Bruce looks down at him. 'You should come round more often, Scott. You know we're always happy to have you.'

'Yeah I know…but I don't want to get in the way.'

'You wouldn't-'

'Are you two done being all mopey yet?' Rocket asks, appearing next to them and taking a seat on Bruce's other side before taking something out of his bag and starting to tinker with it.

'We're not being mopey,' Scott argues.

'Yeah, yeah, whatever,' the raccoon looks back over the trees. 'I caught Sam and Quill making their way here. Not seen anyone else yet though.'

'What's that?' Bruce points at what Rocket is turning over in his paws.

'Aw nothing much,' the raccoon replies, 'just a bomb I've been working on.'

'A bomb?' Scott jumps to his feet. 'What the hell dude?'

'Aww come on it's perfectly safe, you only got to worry if I drop it.'

Before either of them can say anything else there's a soft thump from behind them. 'Hiya fellas,' Natasha grins at them, 'just thought I'd drop by.'

'How did she-' Rocket is cut off by Sam swooping back behind him and knocking the contraption out of his hands.

'No way you're letting one of your traps off on us this time,' the man says.

'Sam no!' Scott shouts. It's one of those moments where time seems to slow down, but you can't move any faster. He watches as the metal contraption spins over and starts falling down as Steve appears on the tree line.

'What-' a blast cuts off the man's question, sending all of them flying backwards.

The world is spinning so quickly Scott thinks it's a miracle he isn't sick. When he lands on the ground his suit automatically makes him normal size and he opens his helmet, taking gasping breaths as his chest protests from being winded where he landed. 'Aww man that was not fun,' he groans, trying to force himself not to be sick. 'Hey guys? Everyone alright?'

'What the hell was that?' Natasha demands, sitting up from where she's landed not that far from Scott.

'Rocket was playing with a bomb,' Scott sighs. 'When he dropped it he obviously set it off.'

'Why was he- you know what never mind. Where's everyone else?' she asks.

'Guys? Hey where did you all get blasted to?' Scott calls.

In answer there's an ear splitting roar. He and Natasha look at each other.

'Err…hey Widow? Please tell me that isn't-'

'Move!' she shouts, diving into him and sending them both flying as a giant green blur flies over them and heads into the forest.

'Nat? Scott?' Steve races up behind where Hulk had appeared from. 'You guys alright?'

'Where's Sam, Quill and Rocket?' he asks.

'We're here,' Quill groans, leaning against from of the wreckage of the assault course.

'Bruce Hulked out from the shock of the blast,' Sam coughs as he comes to stand with them. 'He's not going to be controlled is he?'

'No,' Natasha sounds worried and that genuinely scares Scott, 'and if he goes towards the facility.'

'Oh god the kids and Laura are there,' Scott feels his face go white at Steve's comment.

'Cassie!'

'Slow it down, Ant-Man,' Steve tells him. 'We need to get the team together and do Hulk containment until we can get him to turn back into Bruce. Think a lullaby would work?' His last question is aimed at Natasha.

'That hasn't worked for a while, Steve, you know that,' she sighs.

'Aright, first things first: let's tell everyone else what happened,' Steve nods.

'You mean the fact that Brucie went all not-Jolly Green and destroyed our assault course?' Tony voice comes from behind them, and Scott turns to see the rest of them hurrying over, some quicker than others.

'FRIDAY filled you in?' Sam asks.

'Complete with flashing warning lights and sirens,' Valkyrie sighs. 'You guys just couldn't play nicely could you?'

'Hey we were doing well!' Rocket argues, 'then Sam made me drop my bomb.'

'Why were you playing with a bomb in the first place?' she asks.

'Questions for another time perhaps?' Loki suggests. 'Shouldn't we focus on making sure the Hulk does not cause any damage? And making sure the children are safe?'

'I can return the Hulk! We shall have a glorious contest and I will return him once I have bested him!' Thor says, turning to face the forest.

'Oh no you don't!' Loki goes to stand in front of his brother. 'That will just make things worse! You can come with me and make sure that, should he manage to reach the facility, he does not accidentally hurt anyone left there.'

'But-'

'NOW!' Loki forces his brother to turn and marches him towards the facility. 'Inform us if there is anything else you need us to do.'

'Ok then,' Scott wonders if he's hit his head harder than he thought during his flight. 'So…what do we do now?'

A/N: Hi everyone! Sorry this is taking longer to write than I first thought. We might have it carrying over into the New Year but I'll get it done ASAP. Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews so far, I hope you continue to enjoy!

Hopefully I'll have another chapter to upload tomorrow. I'm literally uploading them as I finish writing now, which normally I hate doing.

Love always,

L x