Happy Wednesday!
How's the week treating you so far? I've finally beaten the block I was having with the story and put on my big girl panties to deal with the drama. I've been scared of it, not wanting to put my head into that place when I can just write fluff and bonding. I think the effort has paid off with some good stuff, though.
Chapter Thirteen
Ross was led into the conference room by Maria Hill. Swinging from his hand was his briefcase with his copy of the Accords. Each of the Avengers had a copy delivered the day before. It had been intentionally late last time, not giving them enough time to read and analyze them, but this time he just didn't care. They would sign, or they would not. It made no difference to him. His target was not the Avengers this time—it was the Asset. He was the prize at the end of this race, and Ross was going to win.
He and Ego combined, Nemesis, were going to snatch the Stones out from under his unworthy hands, and then they would rule. That was the only outcome Ross was willing to accept. Not only would he be more powerful than he could ever have imagined, but he would also be meting out his revenge for what the Asset had done to him. He had trapped him on that godforsaken planet, and Ross was going to tear everything away from him. Ego said he could kill him at the end. Once the Stones were out of his reach, there was no use for him, and he would no longer be protected.
Ross thought perhaps he would trap him on that planet instead, at least for a while, maybe leave the Avengers with him. The idea of Tony Stark coating himself in goat dung was appealing.
Hill pushed open the door to the conference room, and Ross strode in, head held high and smile fixed in place.
The Avengers were all seated around the table. Stark was with Rogers and Romanoff. Colonel Rhodes with them. Opposite was Maximoff, the creation Vision, Wilson, and Barton. Though Barton had chosen retirement last time and had not even been at this meeting, Ross thought Stark had summoned him here to have a part of whatever he'd planned with his additional seven years' insight.
'It's more than him,' Ego said. 'The Black Widow and Captain America are out of their time, too.'
Ross would have liked to speak to her, to find out what that meant for their plan, but he couldn't with them all watching him. Instead, he had to play his part as Secretary of State and propose the Accords. In truth, he liked the idea of them all refusing to sign and retiring. There was no threat coming for two years that they would be needed for, and even then, their presence was incidental until the Battle of Earth. They would be there because they had been there.
"Secretary Ross," Stark said. His tone was carefully controlled, but his eyes blazed. Ross could see the hated in them, the fury of memory.
Ross found a particular amusement in his hatred and careful control. It must be killing him to be polite and accommodating to Ross when he knew what he had put the Asset through in the future. Stark clearly loved the child, saw himself as his father. Ross wondered what it would do to him when he saw Ross break him down and make him a travesty of the goodness and innocence, the worthy being that had seized the Stones.
It would destroy him, wouldn't it? Ross hoped so. He would like to see Stark defeated.
"Stark," he said. "I am assuming you've primed your teammates on why I am here."
Stark nodded. "Yes, so there's no need for your sales pitch. We've all agreed on what we're doing."
"Perhaps you have," Ross said. "But that will not stop me having my say. You all need to see and hear the consequences of what will happen if you refuse, as I assume you're primed to."
He set his briefcase down on the long table, popped the locks, and took out his copy of the Accords. He dropped it down onto the table with a thud, all eyes following its landing.
Ross placed his hands on the table and leaned forwards, feeling even more pleasure in this moment than he had the last time. "For the past four years, you've operated with unlimited power and no supervision. That's an arrangement the governments of the world can no longer tolerate. But I think we have a solution." He patted the thick tome of Accords. "The Sokovia Accords. Approved by 117 countries. It states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization. Instead, they'll operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel, only when and if that panel deems it necessary."
He looked to Rogers, wondering if he would raise the same objections as he had last time, but he merely straightened his shoulders and stared back, his face a neutral mask. Ross wondered if he had more control over his emotions than Stark or if he did not care for the Asset. He knew what Ross had done to him, a member of his team. Perhaps Rogers saw the Asset as the menace he was the same way Ross did.
Stark crossed his arms over his chest. "We're not signing."
"Do you speak for everyone, Mr. Stark?" Ross asked.
"No," Maximoff said. "We speak for ourselves. We have all agreed not to sign until they can be adjusted."
Ross smirked. So this was their game plan, to change them to their liking. That was possible, as Stark had been working with the panel to adjust them before Thanos came, and perhaps they would be able to this time.
It didn't matter to Ross. He didn't care if the Avengers were retired or imprisoned. When it mattered, they would fight. Perhaps if they retired, it would be easier to break the Asset, as they would not be able to join him against the threat Ross was posed to unleash upon him. Perhaps they would do it anyway. If they did, Ross would leave it to the panel to punish them. He had greater concerns.
He had to play his part, though, so he straightened up and crossed his arms over his chest. "The Accords are non-negotiable. You either sign, or you do not. If you do not, you will retire or face prosecution."
"Prosecution like imprisonment without trial?" Barton said. "That's a hard no from me." He raised his hands. "I've done enough for the world. If we're being punished for that, shackled with these Accords, I'll retire. It's probably past time anyway."
"We all will," Romanoff said. "But each and every country that is pushing these Accords are going to regret it. If a threat comes, who will fight it if not us?"
Ross bit down on his tongue to keep himself from smiling. She knew as well as he did that the threat would come and that they would face it. This was merely an act.
"We will find a way," Ross said.
Wilson shrugged. "Then you do that. Hell, I don't mind retiring. The superhero life was never for me anyway. I can go back to work with veterans; I was better at that anyway."
"And I think I'll build myself a farm," Barton said. "Somewhere out of the way."
Ross bit down on his tongue again. He knew Barton already had that farm and a family, which he had managed to keep secret for too long. It had all come out after the Snap, and Ross had been annoyed that Fury had kept them from his notice for so long. Still, Barton could have his home and family for the next two years. He would lose them all soon enough, anyway.
"You are all in agreement?" Ross asked. "None of you are going to sign?"
Rhodes shifted uncomfortably but nodded and spoke his refusal with the others. Stark, Rogers, and Romanoff had managed to create a united front against Ross. It would have annoyed him before, but now he merely found it amusing. They could refuse, make their alterations, but they were going to lose in the end.
He gave a curt nod, playing his part to perfection, and said, "Then I think I've said all I need to say. I will pass on your decision to the United Nations. There will be a ceremony to ratify the Accords in three days in Vienna. I advise you to refrain from your previous activities even before then, though. You wouldn't want to invite future issues, would you."
"Got it," Stark said. "Retirement from here on out."
Ross smirked. "I wonder, Stark, how long will that last for you? We all know what a volatile personality you have and how you like to show off. You do understand that you cannot use your suits from here on out, don't you?"
Stark nodded. "I understand perfectly."
Ross nodded curtly and snapped his briefcase closed. He turned and walked away from them, back through the door, then stopped and turned when he heard footsteps behind him.
"Is there something you want, Stark?" he asked, seeing who was following him.
"Yes," Stark said. "I want to see you out of our home. You're not welcome here anymore. This property belongs to the Avengers."
"If you say so," Ross said. "Though will you still call yourselves the Avengers in your retirement?"
Stark nodded. "It's temporary. The UN will see they need us, and the changes will be made. However, I'll be in Vienna with you, Ross, just to show my face when you shackle us. We all will."
Ross frowned a moment, and then he realized what Stark was saying. Of course, Stark wanted to be there. He thought Barnes was going to be framed for the bombing, and they would want to be there to stop it.
That was a wasted journey, though, as there would be no bomb. Zemo was already working for Ross. It would do no harm to have them there, though. Perhaps it would interest them to see the chain of time's rules lock like a noose around T'Chaka's throat. Ross didn't know how it would happen, heart attack or stroke perhaps. However it happened, T'Chaka would die in three days, and T'Challa would take his place as king—an annoyance to Ross but a necessary complication of time's rules.
Either way, it meant nothing to Ross' plan. It was the Asset he had fixed his targets on, and it was him that would pay.
Ross needed nothing more than the power he held as one side of Nemesis to make that happen.
Bucky was feeling a little guilty as he drove down Queens Boulevard. He'd seen the others off for their flight to Austria, and as soon as they were out of sight, he'd gone into the garage, grabbed a car, and left the compound.
He knew they'd all be pissed if they knew what he was doing, but he couldn't resist the lure Peter held for him. He just wanted to see him, check in on him.
Tony had already seen Peter three times, Steve was plotting his visit to come soon, and Nat was working on her chance, too. Even Rhodey had seen him twice, and he had no connection to Peter yet. Bucky, who loved him, was at a disadvantage here, which was why he was taking matters into his own hands.
And hoping they didn't find out what he'd done.
He reached Peter's neighborhood, stowed the car in a side street, and then set out on foot. He had dressed for the occasion again, baseball cap and gloves on, and thought he fit into the other people milling the streets in the late evening.
He wandered the streets, waiting for the sound of Peter's webs, but it didn't come. He wondered if Peter was taking a night off, maybe spending some time with his friend Ned instead. That would suck for Bucky, after driving all this way, and it wasn't like he could knock on his door to see him. Still, he could stay out as late as he needed just in case. The others wouldn't be home for at least a day, depending on what happened in Vienna.
When they caught Zemo, and they would, there would be legal issues for them to deal with. Bucky wondered if they'd unmask him before or after locking him up. He wasn't sure he wanted his face out there, even as he was proved innocent, because it would bring his presence to the forefront of the authorities' attention again. Though it probably never fell that low down the list.
Bucky wondered how the others were going to handle being close to Ross once again. He knew Tony especially was struggling to be near him, and Steve admitted seeing him again without punching him was tough. Bucky was sure it would be the same for him. He had to remind himself, just as he'd told Tony, that killing Ross wasn't what Peter would want. Peter had made a point of leaving him alive when he punished him, dumping him on that planet. None of them had the right to interfere with that, even though they all wanted to.
It had started to drizzle, and Bucky pulled his jacket a little closer around him, flexing his fingers. Tony had taken the measurements he'd need to make him a new arm the day before, but Bucky didn't think he'd had a chance to actually start building anything yet. He knew he had to be patient, but having this hand, the one which had ended the lives of Tony's own parents among dozens of others, was tough.
He heard a shout ahead of him, and after a split second's indecision, he ran towards it. He followed the sound into an alley where a woman was pinned to the wall by a man with a knife at her throat. He was grappling with something in his pocket with his free hand and saying, "Don't fight me on this," in a growl.
Bucky grabbed him around the back of the neck and ripped him away from the woman, who cried out in shock. The man swiped out with the knife, and Bucky kicked his hand, making him drop it. The man reached for it, but before he could touch it, a thwip sounded, and the knife was webbed to the ground.
Bucky turned automatically and saw Peter standing in the mouth of the alley. His attention was darting from the woman, who was huddled against the wall, hand over her mouth, to Bucky, standing over the downed man, to the latter, who was still rooting in his pocket.
Bucky was distracted by the sight of Peter in his homemade suit, part of his mind analyzing the amateur nature of it and how it gave him no additional protection compared to what he'd seen Tony make for him. He locked eyes with the black goggles of Peter's suit, and he smiled in spite of himself.
"Asshole!" the man on the ground spat.
Bucky felt something pierce his neck, and then an electric current was rocking through his body, dropping him to his knees and making his teeth grit so hard he thought they'd break. He heard Peter shouting, a thwip, and then a grunt. The current died away, and he took a shuddering breath.
"Are you okay, sir?" Peter was asking.
"I'm fine, bud," Bucky said automatically.
"He had a taser," Peter said, sounding astounded. "I've never seen one used like that before. That was way more upsetting than it looks on TV. Man, are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine," Bucky said, getting to his feet and ripping the dart out of his neck. The man that had attacked him had been webbed to the ground, hands and legs spreadeagled, and the woman was pushing away from the wall, hand clutching the base of her throat.
"Are you okay, ma'am?" Peter asked. "Did he hurt you?"
She shook her head, lips trembling. "No. He wanted my keys."
"Your keys?"
She nodded. "He's my ex-husband. We have…" She drew a shaky breath. "He wanted Suki."
"Is that your daughter?" Peter asked sympathetically, though with a worried undertone.
"No, she's ourSamoyed." She looked at their blank faces, then went on, "She's a dog."
"He had a knife to your throat to get a dog?" Bucky asked incredulously.
"She's worth about ten-thousand dollars," she said. "He'd sell her, but I love her."
"Oh… uh, we should call the police," Peter said. "He assaulted you both. Do you have a phone, sir?"
Bucky shook his head. "No, and I can't stick around. There's somewhere I've got to be."
"No! Wait!" Peter said. "He tasered you. You've got to talk to the cops, and you should probably get checked out by a doctor."
Bucky hated to let Peter down, but he couldn't talk to the cops. He had to hope that the woman's statement would be enough for the police to arrest the man.
"Sorry," Bucky said, taking one last look at Peter in his ridiculous suit, and then jogging away.
He heard Peter apologizing to the woman and comforting her, and he knew he'd left her in safe hands.
If he could have talked to the cops for Peter, he would have, he'd do anything Peter needed, but nothing good would have come of it. Two beat cops weren't going to be able to take him in, but it would put his face back on the news if they tried, which was the last thing he needed.
With a guilty weight in his heart, he jogged back to where he'd left the car. He still felt a little shaken from the taser, but he also felt uplifted that he'd seen Peter, spoken to him.
He wondered when he would be able to see him again.
As Tony stepped off the jet in Vienna International Airport, he looked around and took a breath. He was uneasy here. Not because of the politics they were facing; they had been part of his life since Iron Man's creation. It was the fact they were here to stop a bombing, to save lives and protect Bucky from being framed that was bearing down on him. So much weighed on what they were doing, and he was feeling that pressure as a physical thing on his chest.
If they messed this up, not only would T'Chaka die, but Bucky's face would be back in the public eye. Selfishly, Tony was worried about both T'Chaka and Bucky equally. T'Chaka was a good enough man, or so he'd heard, but Bucky's freedom mattered to him just as much as T'Chaka's life.
Natasha, Rhodey, and Wanda came off after him, and he headed to the car which was waiting for them. Steve, Sam, and Clint were going to remain outside during the ceremony, watching for Zemo and the bomb-laden van he would bring.
They were all without their usual weapons, no shield for Steve or wings for Sam, as the Accords were already technically signed into action with the United Nations. The ceremony was just a formality. The Avengers were retired. That didn't mean they were going to stand down now and let people die, though. They were here as private citizens. It would also play a part in showing that they were on the side of good when they stopped the bomb and unmasked Zemo. That wouldn't be enough to sway the Accords in their favor, Tony was aware, but it was a start.
He climbed into the car, Natasha, Rhodey, and Wanda with him, and the others got into the other car. Sitting back against the leather seat, Tony tried to concentrate on their situation, but instead, his mind dwelled on Peter's first day in the lab.
He'd been impressed by the kid, but he had a feeling Peter was holding back. He was still nervous around Tony, awed by the situation. With what he'd seen of Peter's creation at the science fair, he thought there was a lot more he was capable of that he'd not seen yet. He'd not seen it before, either.
He'd always been impressed by Peter's technical know-how, and he'd made improvements on his own suit that Tony hadn't thought of, but it had always been about the suits—Tony's and Peter's. Tony had not given Peter a chance to branch out and show what else he was capable of.
Tony knew from experience how hard it was to create a powered exoskeleton, and he'd had the best tools and equipment at his fingertips. Peter had done it in a school workshop. The kid was brilliant.
"You thinking about Peter?" Rhodey asked.
Tony startled, realizing the car was in motion now. "Huh?"
Rhodey grinned. "You were lost in thought but happier than you should look, considering where this is heading. You were thinking about Peter, right?"
Tony smiled, amused by how obvious he was when it came to Peter. "I was. The kid is brilliant. I thought I knew what he was capable of, I had all that time with him, but I didn't see it clearly. We kept it to the suits, mine and his, and he was a genius with them, but seeing what he did at the science fair, I realized I was missing so much."
"Not this time," Rhodey said. "This time, you can really stretch his mind."
"I plan to." Tony looked out of the window at the city rolling past. "I definitely plan to."
Natasha laughed softly, and Tony's eyes moved to her. "What?" he asked.
"You're such a proud dad," she said. "I thought I saw it in the future, and I guess I did, but it's so much more now. I wonder if…"
Tony worried she was about to mention Morgan, so he cut her off quickly with a curt, "So, I'm giving the pre-arranged speech, but does anyone else want to talk?"
"Not me," Natasha said. "I'm no good at speeches.
"Nor me," Wanda said stiffly.
"Rhodey?" Tony asked.
Rhodey shook his head. "You're the one in the know here, so I think you should be the one to speak. We'll follow your lead."
"Okay. Thanks," Tony said, though he wished things were different.
He was fine at giving speeches, though he didn't like doing it, but he felt a lot of pressure this time. It would have been a little easier if others were stepping up, too.
They eventually cruised to a stop outside the Vienna International Center building, and Tony cleared his throat and focused his mind on the task at hand. "Let's do this."
He climbed out first and made his way along the path to the building, which was lined with members of the press, their cameras flashing and videos rolling. Questions were shouted at him, but with long-practiced ease, he carried on without answering them.
He strode through the front doors, Natasha, Rhodey, and Wanda behind him, and they were met by a man in a suit who looked them up and down then said, "Follow me, please," in a stilted tone which made Tony think he was one of those opposed to the Avengers.
The vast auditorium they were led to was already crowded, many seated people with their representing countries on cards in front of them. Many conversations cut off at the sight of them.
Wanda shifted uneasily, and Natasha placed a hand on her arm. "We've got this," she said.
"We have," Wanda agreed, though she didn't sound confident.
They were led to seats at the front of the room, and a man leading them said, "Mr. Stark, you will be speaking first."
Tony nodded. "Thank you."
The man's lip curled, and he strode away, clearly uncomfortable dealing with them. This was an uncomfortable experience for them all, and Tony was eager to get it done. If not for Zemo's planned attack, they wouldn't be there at all.
Tony's eyes moved right as Ross entered the room. He shot them an appraising glance and then took his seat on the other side of the aisle.
A black-suited man stepped up to the lectern at the front of the room, a representative of the United Nations panel created to control them, and he tapped the microphone and said, "Before we start with our approved speakers, we have been asked if Mr. Tony Stark can address us all. Are there any objections?"
There were murmurs but no outward dissent. Tony was called up, and Rhodey shot him a quick smile and nod.
Tony walked to the lectern and adjusted his tie, then said, "Members of the United Nations, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for allowing me a chance to talk to you. I speak as a representative of the Avengers, and I think you need to hear our message."
He planted his hands on the lectern and went on.
"We are not unwilling to be overseen, none of us. In fact, we agree it's necessary." That wasn't strictly true, Steve was especially against signing, but he accepted it was what had to happen to serve the rest of their plan. "What we do not want to do is give up our basic human rights."
There were more murmurs, and Tony saw Ross smirk down at his lap.
"We will sign the Accords if changes can be made to protect our rights. As they are written now, we face life imprisonment without trial. That is not acceptable to us, and we don't think it would be to any of you if you were in our position. We are here as a gesture of goodwill. We will make ourselves available for discussion to alter the Accords, and we will all stand down in temporary retirement until this can be arranged."
Tony felt an intense gaze on him, and he saw T'Chaka in the second row, appraising him. At his side, T'Challa was nodding slowly as if in agreement. He had as much at stake in this as the Avengers. Though it was unknown to the rest of the world, The Black Panther was subject to the Accords, too. If things had progressed the same way as before, he would have been arrested with Steve.
Tony cleared his throat. "I think I've said all that needs to be said."
He stepped down and went back to his seat, not opening himself to questions. With representatives of 117 countries here, it would have taken a while to get through them, and it would perhaps side even more people against them if he couldn't give the answers they wanted.
T'Chaka was introduced next, and Tony, Natasha, Rhodey, and Wanda stiffened. This was when the bomb was due. It shouldn't happen, wouldn't with Steve and the others out there to stop it, but they were all still tense.
T'Chaka took up his place and looked around, taking in the room before speaking.
"When stolen Wakandan vibranium was used to make a terrible weapon, we in Wakanda were forced to question our legacy. Those men and women killed in Nigeria were part of a goodwill mission from a country too long in the shadows. We will not, however, let misfortune drive us back. We will fight to improve the world we wish to join." He stopped and looked at Tony for a moment, then went on. "I wish the Avengers would sign now, but Wakanda is willing to make amendments to the fairness of all interested parties. I call upon our fellow countries to do the same."
Throughout his speech, Tony and Natasha fixed their eyes on the window. Tony was wondering what was happening out there if they had caught Zemo yet.
As T'Chaka's speech came to a close, Natasha leaned over and whispered, "It's not happening. They stopped him. The bomb went off before now last time. We should get out there, help them lock him down.
Tony let out a breath of relief and whispered, "They've got it. We've got to show the right—" then cut off and froze as a voice cried out from the back of the room where selected members of the public were seated.
"Umbulali!"
There was the crack of a gun, and Tony leaped to his feet. He was not the only one— everyone was shouting and standing. Tony's eyes soon landed on T'Chaka, who was wide-eyed with shock, then to Wanda, who was holding out her hands, eyes focused on a red glow that was fixed in front of T'Chaka. Tony squinted and saw the small fleck of a bullet—the bullet which would have hit T'Chaka without Wanda's intervention—surrounded by the glow of her power.
"Keep it up, Wanda," he urged.
T'Challa ran forward, and from his pocket came a small handheld device that he tapped, and a shield-shaped glow of blue light spread from it. He placed it in front of his father and said, "You can release it now, Miss Maximoff."
Wanda, who was breathing hard, lowered her hands. The red light disappeared, and there was a strange sound as the bullet hit the shield T'Challa was holding. It dropped down on the floor, its forward propulsion extinguished.
T'Challa lowered the shield and placed his hand on his father's shoulder. "Father, are you okay?"
T'Chaka placed his hand on his chest and nodded mutely. Tony looked back to Wanda and saw she was standing blank-faced, staring at her hands as if unsure what they had just done. He knew what she'd done—she'd just saved T'Chaka's life.
He looked around and saw Natasha and Rhodey with a man gripped between them, dragging him to the front of the room. He was writhing and spitting curses, his face twisted with fury.
"This is the shooter," Natasha said.
T'Challa walked towards him, his eyes narrowed, and said, "Why did you try to shoot my father?"
"I didn't want to just shoot him," he said. "I wanted to kill him." He spat at T'Challa's feet. "He's a murderer!"
T'Chaka moved towards him, his eyes wide and disbelieving. "N'Jobu," he breathed. "No!"
"I am N'Jadaka," the man said scathingly.
T'Chaka's eyes grew even wider, and his hand pressed harder into his chest.
"Who is this, Father?" T'Challa asked.
T'Chaka shook his head, and then his eyes squeezed shut, and his hand moved to grip his left arm. Shocked by what he was seeing, Tony rushed forward and helped T'Challa ease him to the floor, then shouted for a medic.
T'Challa was kneeling at T'Chaka's head, talking to him in a language Tony did not understand. People in red uniforms with white crosses on the back rushed forward, and Tony moved away to give them room to work.
Natasha and Rhodey were still holding the shooter. More people in black uniforms flocked forward and announced they were the police. Natasha and Rhodey handed over the man then watched as the medics fought to revive T'Chaka.
Tony stared in horror, not understanding how this could happen when they'd saved him from the bomb, not knowing who the shooter was or how he was here. He felt eyes on them, and he looked across to where Ross was standing. His arms were crossed over his chest, and there was inexplicable smugness in his face, though Tony could see he was trying to hide it. Why he would be pleased about what was happening, Tony had no idea, but when the medics announced the time of death, Ross nodded once and walked away, T'Challa's desperate cries echoing after him.
Tony felt someone approach behind him, and he turned and saw Steve, Sam, and Clint. They looked shell-shocked as they took in the scene in front of them.
"What are you doing in here?" Tony asked. "What about Zemo?"
"He didn't come," Steve said in a low voice. "There was no sign of any attack at all."
Tony's mouth dropped open. "That's impossible," he said. "Zemo was here."
"That's the problem," Steve said. "He wasn't, which means time was changed. Since we're the only ones that are supposed to be able to do that, with the Time Stone, it means…"
Tony's heart sank as he understood what Steve was saying. "We're not the only ones here, are we?"
Steve shook his head. "I don't think so. Someone intercepted Zemo's path, and it wasn't us. Someone else is changing things."
Tony massaged his forehead as pain spiked behind his eyes. This was a nightmare. If they weren't the only ones sent back, it meant there was another player on the board that they couldn't control, someone that could, and probably was, working against them.
"What's going on?" Natasha asked behind him.
"Zemo didn't show," Steve said. "His path was changed by someone else. It wasn't one of us, and we're supposed to be the only ones that can change things without just creating a new timeline. So, there's someone else here with that power."
Natasha spoke a word in Russian, which was inflected as a curse. "You know what this means?" she asked, the words bitten off.
Tony massaged his temples. "Yeah. It means Ego has got to be here, too—or Nemesis if she's got another host."
Steve nodded. "That's what I figure, which means we've got a way bigger problem than just keeping Bucky free. If they're here, it means they're working their own plan."
"And we have no idea what that is," Tony said, his voice cracked with tension. "Or who they are."
"Exactly," Steve said.
Tony squeezed his eyes shut, the sounds of the room fading around him, and he willed himself to be calm.
This whole situation just got a thousand times more dangerous.
So… Some action! I wasn't sorry to kill T'Chaka off, as I love T'Challa and want his part in the story to start. Also, with Killmonger arrested, I get to change the events of Black Panther. Also, we had some Bucky/Peter time, which I always love to write.
Until next time…
Jadey xxx