Chapter 7 – Taken

Natasha breathes a sigh of relief once the door to the car closes and she slumps in her seat, closing her eyes against the thumping in her skull.

'You alright?' Sam asks next to her, and she opens her eyes to a bottle of water held up in front of her.

'Thanks,' she takes a grateful mouthful and feels some more tension leave her as the car starts to move, 'just be glad when this is over. All this arguing is just giving me a headache and making me worry about what is going on that we can't see just yet.'

'How do you mean?' he asks.

She checks to make sure the cars in front and behind, carrying the rest of the team, are both moving before she settles back down to respond. 'Just…I can't shake the feeling that HYDRA is more aware of what's happening than we've given them credit for. It feels…I can't explain it, just a feeling that someone's watching, and I can't work out where from.'

'You sure you ain't just being paranoid?' Sam raises an eyebrow at her. 'I mean we have literally got the entirety of the world's press here.'

She shakes her head. 'No, it's something else.'

Sam looks at her for a few moments, then sighs, rubbing the back of his head and nods. 'Alright, I've learned not to ignore your weird feelings. So, what do we do?'

Natasha feels a few threads of tension leave her shoulders; glad she's decided to confide her worries to someone. 'We keep our eyes open, and you keep a weapon on you at all times. Anything looks wrong? Anything feels wrong? We let everyone know and we get out.'

Sam opens his mouth to reply when there's an ear shattering explosion from in front of them and the two cars in front, one carrying some of the team and one carrying their escort, launch into the air. Their driver slams on the breaks and Natasha just has time to shove Sam into some semblance of the brace position before their car flips over, spinning a couple of times before it comes to a rest on its roof. Behind them she hears the squeal of tyres as the other car carrying their team comes to a stop.

'Sam? You alright?' she manages to ask.

There's no response.

'Sam? Sam!' she turns to look at him, seeing the man's eyes are closed and tries not to panic. 'Dammit, don't do this to me bird brain.'

Unclipping her seat belt, she rolls to protect her head and then reaches up to check he's breathing. She feels warm air coming from his nose and sags in relief.

'Nat? Sam?' Steve's voice comes from her side of the car.

'I'm alright but Sam's unconscious,' she replies, seeing the soldier's face appear in the window. 'Go check on the others! I'll get him out.'

'Go on, Stevie, I'll help her,' Bucky's metal fist makes short work of her door, ripping it off the hinges to help her get to Sam. 'What about the driver? I'll get Sam.'

Natasha crawls forward to check on their driver but can see from the angle of his neck the answer to Bucky's question. 'Dead,' she says, helping Bucky manoeuvre Sam onto the road. 'What happened?'

'Don't know. No attackers since the bomb. Stay down,' his sentences are short as he takes in their surroundings. A handgun already out. 'You got any-'

'Don't even think about finishing that question,' she gives him a weak smile, pulling her own out of concealment. 'Go help Steve, I'll cover you.'

Bucky nods, looks around again, then hurries over to where Steve is pulling an unconscious Wanda out of the car, Thor already out and on his feet next to him.

'Natasha!' Nakia appears next to her. 'Are you hurt?'

'Sam is, I'm just a bit bruised. I think Wanda's in bad shape too. Where did you guys come from?'

'We were right behind you,' T'Challa appears next to Nakia. 'We should get Sam back to our vehicle where we can send him to help. Wanda too.'

'Seen any sign of who staged this? An explosion that big? Right when we're turning up. It can't be coincidence,' she asks.

Okoye shouts a warning as a black van arrives on the scene, and it's only Bucky's reactions that save Steve and Wanda from being flattened.

'Nakia, you and Natasha get Sam to our vehicle and call for backup. We'll stay and help,' T'Challa commands, tapping his necklace so his Black Panther suit spreads out over his body, then leaps over the car in front of them to help their friends as soldiers pour out of the van.

'Come on, we've more weapons at the car,' Nakia tells her, slinging one of Sam's arms over her shoulders as Natasha does the same with his other. Between them they manage to duck behind debris and weave their way back to the Wakandan car. 'Put him inside,' Nakia says, 'the glass is bulletproof, it'll keep him safer. I'll get the weapons.'

Natasha manages to do as she's instructed, praying as she does to a god she doesn't believe in that she's not making any of his injuries worse. The Wakandan materialises back at her side and hands her a gun.

'I don't like staying back,' she admits to Natasha. 'Not when T'Challa is on the front line.'

'Go,' Natasha tells her, 'I can hold anyone off while you get Wanda back here. You called for help?'

'Yes, I sent the signal. Be careful.'

'No one's taken me out yet,' Natasha grins, then her face hardens. 'And no one is getting to my teammate.'

Nakia nods, then darts back towards where they had last seen the others.

'Stevie, we've got to get out of here!' Bucky shouts over the sound of gun fire.

'You think I don't know that?' his friend demands, ducking back behind one of the cars. 'We can't get through this shooting, there's no break in it.'

Bucky opens his mouth to retort when the worst sound he has ever heard rips through him. He screams, trying to cover his ears against the noise, and sees Steve and Thor doing the same next to him. Even T'Challa, protected by his suit, is brought to his knees.

The noise seems to stop, or at least he can't feel it vibrating through his entire body anymore, but his ears are still ringing. He tries shouting but, although he can feel the sound tearing at his throat, he can't hear anything. He turns to look at Steve, and sees the black clad soldiers moving towards them.

Bucky grabs Steve by the shoulder and pushes him back towards their original car, making his meaning crystal clear, then does the same for Thor before scooping up Wanda's motionless body and following behind them.

He feels the bullets ripping up the tarmac behind him, showering the back of his legs with sharp stones. Then one hits his leg and he stumbles, curling his body around Wanda's to protect her.

But no more bullets hit him. Instead a strange, grey mist curls its way towards them, spreading quickly along the ground and spreading upwards. He sees the moment Steve realises he's no longer behind them. Sees T'Challa spin and try to head back towards them.

Bucky tries to stagger to his feet, and as he sucks in a pained gasp he breathes in some of the mist. Immediately he feels his senses clouding, his body becomes heavy and Wanda's body is almost impossible to hold onto.

This time when he falls, he lets go of Wanda, her body rolling an arm's length away. He thinks he can see Steve fighting to get back towards them, but black clad soldiers have materialised out of the mist between them.

The last thing he sees is one of the soldiers, a bulky gas mask covering his face, leaning down over Wanda, picking up her prone form.

Bucky reaches out a hand towards her, but the effort is too much. His eyes close as hands grab his shoulders.

A/N: Ok so please remember that I love you all dearly and I apologise profusely for everything in this chapter. Also please do let me know what you think.

Love always,

L x

As always here's your sneak peek:

Peter's still trying to control his shaking.

'Baby Boy you sure you're alright?' Wade's voice is quiet.

'Yeah…just,' Peter takes a breath, 'when we get in, I want to check they're…you know, actually the team. Is that…is that alright?'

'Pete, you know Beck's not going to be-'

'I know,' Peter cuts him off more sharply than he means to. 'I just want to make sure. Just in case.'