When It is in italics that usually means it's a flashback, everybody! Some people were confused by it & I'm sorry. Hope that clears that up, Flashback is italics, present is the normal format.
"Shit, we got company" Sam called out in a hurry as he ran to take cover behind a load of shipment boxes. Natasha & Steve followed suit as they took cover on the adjacent side of the boxes Sam did. The Syrian terrorist was unloading a hail of bullets at them as Natasha fired back but did not really get a clear shot at anybody.
"I can't get a clear shot." She breathed out as she looked around the top of the box & fired off a few bullets back that she hoped at least hit home on one of them. She was a deadeye shot but she can't even get a clear look with the nonstop bullet storm. "We better figure something out fast, because these boxes aren't going hold much longer," She said to him as she was reloading, preparing to fire another round.
"Yeah that and we don't want a bullet hitting one of those weapons boxes & causing an explosion" Steve said as Steve took a breath to set his nerves in check. Putting his finger to his ear to talk to Sam through the earpiece clearly since he doubt he would be heard now over all the gunfire. "Alright, Sam you take flight & use your wings to block off their gunfire." He ordered first.
"On it" Sam gave him a nod before taking flight.
Natasha didn't say anything but turned to him to let him know she was listening. "Cover me." Was all he said as she gave him a nod and he went around the left side of the box while she went around the right. Sam was drawing some of the fire so half the men weren't focused on them, allowing Natasha to fire way more easily at the ones who were shooting at them & not Sam.
Steve ran behind the Chitauri weapons box & began shoving it forward at full speed like it was a sled push workout as Natasha was right behind him providing the cover.
"Left" Steve called out & Nat immediately aimed and fired in that direction, taking out the one coming that way.
"Up top," Nat said into her earpiece.
"I got it" Sam answered back. Pulling out his submachine guns & firing at the men who were shooting from the roof. He looked down & saw two more coming straight ahead towards Steve & Nat. "Cap, your 12!" He yelled as he went back to taking out the ones up top.
Natasha ran in front now so she could handle them. Shooting at their feet so they would startle & stop their own firing, she would have just shot them both right in the head but she had an idea for one of these bastards. She saw that now that she was close an upfront to them, the one turned his rifle around & attempted to bash it into her head. She anticipated it with ease & rolled under the attempted head-bashing that would have caused. She used her momentum from the roll to quickly grab the barrel of the gun, pushing it slightly over so it would shoot the other Syrian terrorist who tried to just take her head off.
She ducked the punch that he threw at her & used his own momentum to violently twist his arm in the other direction, causing him to flip over & land on his back. She then used her pistol & shot him in the head. She looked to her left to see that a few were coming in that direction again so she picked up one of the rifles. "Steve catch!" She said as she threw it back to him & he fired off shots at the three men coming that direction. She looked up to see that all the ones up top were no longer firing at her & Steve down below now that Sam had all their attention & was taking them out.
She looked in front of her just to see there were eight more coming now & she had an idea in her head. She turned back to see Steve who had just gotten done taking care of the three on his left. "Rogers!" She called out & he turned back forward to see her running his way from where she was up ahead. "New York, 2012! Need a boost!" She called out to him & he immediately knew she was referring to when she wanted him to throw her up in the air during that battle.
He threw her up just in time as she arrived. He watched her go up in the air & he swore it felt like it was in slow motion like one of those action movies these days.
She took out both the Glocks on her sides & began firing as soon as she reached her apex in the air, she only had four bullets left in each one & she smirked to herself. Eights targets. Eight bullets. Too easy. She thought to herself.
She hit every single one of them spot on in their forehead, one by one they all fell. Sam caught notice of her coming down & flew over a too catch her by her wrist so he could ease her drop back down as he flew back up to take out the last two he was dealing with on the rooftops. She landed down right in front of Steve & she saw how he was looking at her. A look of amazement with astonishment in his eyes. "Saw it in a movie once." She coolly said with a little shrug.
Steve has seen a lot of crazy things, & by a lot he meant A LOT. But sometimes she would just take his breath away still.
The gun firing now has ceased as Sam finished up while Steve & Natasha were still looking at each other for a moment. All Steve could do was shake his head at her with a smile that showed some awe in it.
Sam landed finally and had to walk to them a little. "Your insane" He said as he walked up to them. They finally broke eye contact but the softness in their faces was still present.
"Thank you" She said to Sam. Looking down at her feet for a moment as she was trying to avoid the little blush appearing on her face from the way Steve was staring at her.
"Not sure if it was a compliment" Sam replied back to her, still a little shocked that she just did that. "How many rounds you got left?" He asked her.
She turned to face him. "None" She smirked & began walking out. Steve couldn't help but smile at how calm she is to the amazing things she does sometimes.
"Uh-oh" She said out of nowhere with sarcasm. "Boys looks like we got one straggler." She said as Both Sam & Steve turned to see one more Syrian terrorist standing there up ahead. They couldn't see his face because of the head wraps they all wore, but they could clearly tell from his body language that he knew he fucked up. He stood there looking around at all of his fallen comrades.
Sam & Nat stood still by the box as Steve walked up ahead to confront him. "Son, you should have just ran." Steve said as he now revved his fist back & socked him with a one-punch knockout.
They now began pushing the box along again, well Steve did with pretty much ease. Natasha on his right & Sam on his left. "Now this is what I missed. Especially after the past month." said Sam.
"To think it only was a few days ago it ended." Natasha added on.
Steve, Natasha, Wanda & Sam all were somewhat glad to be off of the Quinjet for once they had to admit. They preferred it over crappy motels like the one they are currently residing in for a night but still. Being cooped up inside of it every day can get to you sometimes.
Steve & Natasha were going to ask for a room available while Sam & Wanda would wait until they did find a room then sneak into it. Maybe wasn't much but they figured it is a better idea than always traveling everywhere in a group of four. Well at the same time at least. Trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible was the goal when they rarely left the Quinjet over the past two months.
There were few residents & it left none of them surprised considering the fact this was just a quick find. The place really was a dump, but a dump is exactly what they need. Can't be in a luxurious hotel or a big building like Stark's tower when your wanted fugitives.
Here they were walking into the decaying building, Nat almost couldn't believe this place was livable. It looked like one sneeze would bring down a room but she has had much, much worse than this so it didn't bother her.
She looked over to Steve who looked like he was in thought about something. His eyes were walking forward but they looked un-focus, like when someone is talking to themselves in their mind about a matter. So deep in thought they weren't actually paying attention to much of anything.
"Not too pretty for a broken-down motel are you" She teased lightly, trying to ease her way into asking. He turned & looked at her, causing his eyes to re-focus back to reality now. Anybody else he probably would have gotten away with it, but not with her.
"I was in WW2 then ice was my home for seventy years after that. This is nothing."
She had to admit, none of them probably were going to have an issue with a crappy motel. Wanda was treated like a lab rat earlier on in her life, Steve just said his, Sam was in the Air force & her herself has been to make due in terrible conditions even before the red room. So this was honestly nothing for all of them, besides, she be disappointed if the same team that used to be earth's mightiest heroes, complained about a simple shitty motel.
She got back to the point though at hand. "Well, then what's on your mind? Think I lost you for a few moments." She said & Steve turned to look at her again as they approach the guy at the window.
"Hi, is there a room available" Steve asked the woman who looked up from behind the plexiglass she was standing behind. She looked at him & gave him a little welcoming smile.
"We have plenty" She said & a strong Dutch accent came out as a result. Handing them the key to the room she gave them now as they graciously accepted it & turned to leave.
Steve held open the door for Natasha to exit & she shook her head a little at how cliché of a gentleman he still was sometimes. It was one of those things that made her giggle internally. It's kind of adorable even.
"Bucky" He said simply, she looked at him a little confused for a moment. "That was on my mind" He finished saying, now looking down at the steps they were about to walk up to get to the room.
"Want to go see him?" She asked so friendly that she was a little surprised herself at how innocent she sounded. They both stopped as they reached the last step to the end of the stairwell. He turned to completely her direction & leaned against the wall as she folded her arms over her chest to gaze back at his saddened face.
He shook his head a little. "I'm not sure. Last I saw him, he put himself in stasis until further notice. Feels like I still failed him somehow." He looked up for a second, letting out a deep breath of frustration, he closed his eyes in the disappointment of the thought. "You know what's really funny though?" He asked more rhetorically as she didn't say a word at all, just kept the intensity in her eyes on him to let her know she was listening.
"After you let me go back at the facility." He stared down for a moment then back up at her. "Bucky told me he wasn't sure if he was worth all this. Everything." He paused for a moment to look at her face. Not for any particular reason, but sometimes locking eyes with her made him feel more calm & safe to speak.
"Now looking back on it, I'm starting to wonder...did I screw everything up. I'm not apologizing for doing what I thought & still think was right, but maybe there was a different way." He shook his head & she looked down at her foot for a moment because she knows she is a part of his thoughts with that. They've been trying to reassure him on that the past couple of months but he hasn't been going for it she could tell. This is the first time he has been completely open with it.
"So many people affected Nat. I mean Tony, Rhodes, Lang, Barton..." She looked down once again at the mention of Clint. "You" He said with a slow, soft tone to it. That made her look up back to him.
She had a feeling he was done speaking but even if he wasn't, she wasn't going to let him continuously feel any guilt over her choices. "You want my honest opinion, Steve?"
He gave a tiny head nod. "I think you're full of shit" She said nonchalantly.
He blinked his eyes a couple of times at her. Letting a moment of silence take place. "...Well thank you" He said sarcastically.
"No, listen. You can't keep trying to blame yourself for decisions other people made. Especially not me, I do enough of the feeling guilty about my own choices enough as it is." She shuddered her shoulders for a second. "Did you make the right choice? Who knows. "Did you make the wrong one? Who knows that either. You made one though & it was what you thought was the best call. Now you live with it, everybody else has." She wasn't trying to be cold or diminish him, but Steve respects honesty & wants it as well. Also, he wasn't listening to their earlier small attempts of 'its fine'.
"When Ross brought those damn Accords to us, I tried my best to keep the Avengers together. But I knew that most likely wasn't going to happen. After that, it became about helping out your people closest to you & your one of them to me." She couldn't help the timid look in her eyes after saying that last part. Blinking a little bit extra than needed & looking off to the side for a quick moment to regain composure. Locking back on his eyes now. "Everybody made a choice, nobody is the same person they were before it all happen, but if any of us are going to be fugitives. At least your here fighting for what you believe in, which is the people closest to you." She felt a slight discomfort at how deep she let her emotions slip on that one.
He quirked a little soft smile on the left side of his mouth. The words brought a sense of security to many aspects he was questioning himself on, definitely not at all. But a lot nonetheless. "Thanks, Nat" He said sweetly, endearingly. Staring at her for a moment longer than needed.
"She nodded her head ever so slightly, both of them walking up the last step now & heading to the room to check it out. "Of course, if you're going make a girl a fugitive, least you can do is buy her a drink." She said as they opened the door to the room.
Steve was about to answer but was cut off by a deep voice.
"I don't know Romanoff, may have to call a raincheck on that one" The voice called out in the dark & Steve nor did Nat hesitate to pounce to action. Steve immediately yelled who are you as Nat pulled out a pretty sizable pocket knife. The one time she decided not to bring both the Glocks she thought to herself in annoyance.
The man laughed and Steve & Natasha immediately had a feeling about who that was. Steve flipped on the light to reveal Nick Fury & Maria Hill on the other side of the room on a laptop. She looked up for a short moment before back to the typing she was doing. She made a nasty face at their somewhat lackluster appearances right now. "Well, they clean up well sir."
"Trying to fit in the crowd." Steve responded to Hill's statement but he didn't break eye contact with Fury. "How'd you find us" He said to him as Natasha lowered her knife now as well.
"I could go into the details of all that shit...but I'll just keep it short & simple" Fury said to him as Hill put down the laptop now to stand beside. "I'm Nick Fury" He held out his hands in a presenting gesture, a nonchalant expression all on his face as well.
"The Quinjet" Natasha said her first words since they entered the room. Steve turned his gaze to hers as Nat was still looking forward at Fury & Hill. "We haven't had a chance to fix the cloaking completely on it."
"Thought it was working good enough?" Steve questioned her, furrowing his brows slightly.
"For physical un-detection yes. A thorough radar scan if you know where we are though...different discussion." She turned to look at him with a little quirk of her head to her statement. Steve looked at her for a second before turning to Fury, his expression asking if that was how he found them.
"I'll admit, I was a little disappointed in the sloppiness Romanoff." Fury said with a little smile.
"He really was" Hill added on to that, earning a very small glare from Natasha. "Well we've been cutting it close on a lot of things" Nat responded to the criticism. "Trying to cover ground with nothing to walk on is more of a challenging feet than usual this go around." She finished.
Fury nodded his head at her point on that one. "It is a little easier when people think your dead I've found out."
"You chose a hell of a time to show your face." Steve cut in, tone sounding a little hostile or more so fed up. "Avengers tearing each other apart. The Accords..." He finished off.
Fury had a semi-mockery taken aback look on his face. "Excuse me I do not recall the day I was a babysitter for the Avengers because you & Stark had a fight." Fury said in the utmost sarcasm he could. "Nothing a dead man can do about the Accords situation, that one was up to you all."
There was a silence after that. Tension that was not really there, but evident nonetheless no matter how small it was. Steve didn't look pleased with the answer but appeared to have understood the point of view of it. Not that he ever truly understood anything Fury did.
"Well unless you came to give us back massages, I don't think your here for a friendly visit." Natasha said as she walked to the bed to sit down as also took & began eating Hill's sandwich. Earning an annoyed but not too deep glare from Hill.
"It's about the Chitauri. We have discovered that many terrorist groups have been using their technology to make their own weapons out of them." She put the laptop on the bed & Nat turned it around so she could see the screen. "Auctioning them off to the highest bidder or selling them on the streets as if they were black market shots." Hill finished explaining.
Steve walked beside Nat where she was sitting on the bed, leaning down a little so he could see the screen better. "I assume you guys didn't just find this information" Steve said as Natasha was pointing out something to him on the screen.
"No, we found some days ago, some weeks ago." Fury said as Steve looked at him in confusion. "We figured after everything that happened, you all deserved a little break" Fury spoke more sincerely in saying that.
Steve wasn't sure if he liked the answer but it was good enough. A more dreadful thought did come into his mind though. "I don't know if Stark-"
"Stark isn't being asked to do this Captain. Just you two & whoever you see fit." Fury cut off Steve & answered.
"We should let the others know then" Natasha said as she looked up over her left shoulder at Steve. He nodded but his look tensed up in seriousness. "Wanda should only be brought in on big missions." He said & he thought he was going to have to explain it but Natasha smiled at him. She was on the same page with his idea.
She's been through a lot, she deserves a chance to lay low for a while. She still so young." He added on.
"She won't like it. But I'll convince her" Natasha said with a sly grin. Steve couldn't help but to giggle himself because he knew exactly what she meant. "Vision" He said simply & Natasha nodded. "I guess this is her version of sneaking out the house like a teenager." Nat teased. Steve, Natasha & Sam all knew that over the past two months that Wanda & Vision have met up a handful of times. They just haven't said anything because they aren't going to tell her what to do but they are going to start making sure she has checks ups just in case something happens & they'll know she's in trouble.
Fury & Hill were quite amused by the little effortless connection between Steve & Natasha but they didn't say anything. Just shared a quick glance with one another.
"Well looks like vacation is over then" Fury said as Hill began packing the few things they brought.
As everything was transpiring all of them heard footsteps coming & every single one of them switched from relaxed & cautious, to completely on guard. "Nat" Hill said as quickly tossed a pistol for Nat to easily snag out of the air. Fury quietly but quickly went to the left side of the door as Steve took the right. Natasha rolled over to the other side of the bed to take some kind of cover in a way as Hill joined her, both aiming.
"Your call Steve" Natasha said in a whisper, but loud enough to be heard. Steve didn't say anything but he looked over to Fury for a moment then back to Natasha & Hill. The footsteps were getting louder & closer.
Steve let time still for a moment, then did an intense nod to Fury letting him know to open the door & he snatched it open & immediately was set to fire his gun off & Steve was ready to dodge anything coming his way. Little did they know though, the two people on the other side had the same idea in mind.
As the door completely opened, they were met face to face with Sam holding two of his guns up & Wanda's hands were glowing as well. Most people would have been startled by almost accidentally hurting your friends. But everybody just held their position for a moment.
Natasha, not one to shy away from filling in the silence spoke up. "Well, this is awkward." She said more suggestively than needed. Steve just looked down & shook his head a little, taking a breath in non-stress relief.
"We saw when you guys came up here...We were waiting for the signal." Sam said as he put his guns down. "It never happened, so we thought an issue occurred" Wanda added on to that. The glow from her hands disappearing now. "Looks like it may have...Just not for us." Sam said as he looked at Fury.
"You be right Wilson." Fury said with a slight raise of his eyebrow in acknowledgment. Finally lowering his gun now as well. Sam watched it as he slowly put it away, raising his eyebrow back at him. "You really don't trust anything do you" Sam inquired.
"Kept me alive this whole time." Fury said back to him.
"Everybody thinks your dead though" Sam said with a knowing smile. Feeling like he got him there.
"Being dead, has kept me alive." Fury quipped back with his own knowing smile this time. Sam gave him a nod of conceding, almost as if he was tipping his hat to him.
"So what's the problem." Wanda said after having a raised eyebrow at the little moment between Fury & Sam. "This definitely goin be better than hotel hopping that's for sure." Sam said as they walked over to the laptop on the bed. Fury & Hill ready to brief them on what they need to know.
"Alright see this here" Fury pointed to the screen. "So we found out this is going on in Syria..."
They finally got back to the Quinjet along with the Chitauri meshed weapons they were pushing along inside that huge box. The hatch to the jet began opening & Hill walked out of it, eyeing the box.
"Heard you all could use a U-Haul" She called out, poking a little fun.
"A what?" Steve asked, utterly confused on that one. Hill had a smile on her face that was a little teasing, but a little wholesome as well. She turned to Natasha for a moment. "It's adorable when he does that isn't it" She said teasing Steve a little more as Natasha sat on top of the box full of the Chitauri weapons like it was just absolutely normal.
"Should have seen him when we told him about the internet" Natasha said, earning a chuckle from Sam because he could imagine the confusion on Steve's face.
Steve feigned small laughter, walking up the ramp before turning back to speak. "U-Haul started in 1945, I went in the ice in 1945..." He let out a victorious smile. "I know what it is" He gave a little huff through his smile at Hill, who was taken aback by the looseness Steve showed there, more than he usually does ever. Steve walked up into the Jet now to speak to Fury. Hill looked back at Natasha. "Did he just fuck with us?" Natasha wagged her eyebrow upwards in amusement at that. "Think he's been hanging around you too long" Hill said. "Let's get that aboard" She nodded her head at the box Natasha was sitting on & she hopped off of it.
"I got it Nat" Sam said as he started pushing it up." She gave him a nod & walked ahead a little so she wouldn't be in the way.
Natasha was looking for Fury was engrossed in a conversation with Steve that looked like it was more about details of what happened than anything else. "We're going need the bird after this." Natasha called out to him as she walked up to both of them, referring to the jet.
Steve was confused on that one himself this time, wondering what she was getting at. Fury turned to look at her, implying for her to explain.
"Need to know basis." She said to him with a smirk, earning a laugh from Fury. "My favorite words." He said while laughing still & everybody knew he meant that probably was his favorite words considering how Fury is.
Steve walked in the back to speak to her quietly.
"Where are we going?" He asked her.
She gave him a kinder look with her eyes, tilting her head a little as a smile rose on her cheeks. "Wakanda." She said simply & walked off to the front of the Jet. Steve knew she must have still had the little conversation they had on that step before meeting Fury & Hill on her mind. When she asked if he wanted to go see him.
He didn't say a word but he looked after her as she walked away. A tender, sweet look on his face as he still stared at her. She must have known he was watching still because she was hunched over a little at the control panel, preparing for flight but she turned around to peek over her shoulder. Returning one of her more kinder smiles to him than re-focusing.
Sam came up behind & tapped him on his back as he walked by him now as well to sit down. Breaking Steve out of his mini trance as he peeked back at him for a moment before looking back at Nat one more time.
"Alright strap up" Hill called out as the hatch closed & they were set to take off.
Thank you for the reviews!
Side note: Did anyone else wish Hill had more of a role than she did in the movies? I always found her character interesting, I don't know why.