Chapter 21 – The Price

So Tony wasn't quite expecting this level of noise when they finally revealed the full extent of HYDRA's involvement in the committee.

'There is aspirin back at the Embassy, right?' he asks Steve.

Steve reaches over and takes his hand, rubbing circles on the back with his thumb. 'If there isn't I'll get you some. And when this is done, we'll spend a whole day in bed.'

'Are you feeling alright? You never stay in bed past seven on a good day.'

Steve half smiles, still looking straight ahead. 'We've earned it after this.'

Natasha leans over so her head is between theirs. 'Are you two lovebirds going to pay attention?'

'Are you eavesdropping?' Tony asks her.

'Always,' she winks at him. 'I think T'Challa's about to start speaking again.'

The Wakandan king raises a hand for silence. 'As you can see, there is even more reason for these Accords to be approved. With too many externals influences we are at risk of the Avengers being used to further not just a particular country's interests, but also agencies who would normally be their adversaries. With different restraints in place, which enable them to-'

'T'Challa!' Nakia leaps across to the king, sending them both sprawling to the ground just as an explosion rocks through the room.

Steve grabs Tony and pushes them both down to the floor between the two rows of chairs, half-covering him with his own body.

'You do know if you'd given me space I could have had the suit out right?' he coughs around the dust from the explosion.

'You're welcome, sweetheart,' he can hear the eye roll in Steve's eyes.

'You've not got a suit, Steve,' Tony reminds him, 'you going to be alright letting me take the biggest hits since mine is here?' He taps his reactor.

'No,' he sighs in response, and presses a quick kiss to Tony's lips, 'but I'm going to anyway.'

'You check on everyone else, I'll go find out what's going on. Keep an eye on Bucky and Wanda.' Tony stands up, his Iron Man suit already forming over his body and flies towards the hole in the building just as black clad soldiers swing in through the debris.

'T'Challa!' he hears Okoye shout. Looking over to see the king kneeling next to Nakia's prone form as soldiers bear down on him.

'Oh no you don't,' he lands the suit in front of his friend, sending three of them flying out of the window that are bearing down on the king.

Okoye appears at his side. 'Thank you,' she tells him, 'I can protect them from here. You find out where they are coming from.'

'Tones? I'm ready when you are,' Rhodes lands next to him in his War Machine suit.

'Let's go Rhodey,' he nods and the two of them take off in sync to survey the situation outside.


Steve ducks as the seat next to him explodes in gunfire. A figure drops down next to him and he just manages to pull back his punch in time.

'Nat!'

The assassin already has a gun in her hand. 'You go get the others I'll cover you.'

'You know it's genuinely disturbing how you manage to hide all those weapons,' he tells her.

'You do realise Bucky's already taken two out with his right? And Clint's got two knives ready for any that get close to him.'

'Was everyone more paranoid than me or something?' he asks.

'That, and it's easier for us to sneak things in than it is for you to sneak the shield in,' she grins at him. 'Now get a move on!'

'And another one down and another one down, another one bites the dust!' Wade rushes past them both, singing and firing as he goes.

'I really don't get what Pete sees in that guy,' Natasha sighs.

'We need to find out what they want,' Steve reminds her. 'Why did they wait until now? Why not when they had Bucky and Wanda?'

'Hey! I'm gonna get you too!' Wade continues his song.

'Good question. Maybe check on the rest of the team first?' she suggests, taking out another agent. 'Preferably before I run out of bullets to cover you with.'

'Right, going,' he nods and races over to where some of the others were sat, raising a hand to Bucky as he ducks past where his friend has taken up position. He slides to a pause next to Peter and Bruce. 'How you guys doing?'

'Doctor Banner is taking me through equations,' Peter explains, not taking his laser focus away from the scientist, 'it's keeping him non-green.'

'Right,' Steve nods, deciding that's something he's going to ask about when they're not in the middle of a fight, 'you doing alright Bruce?'

'Fine,' is the short, strained answer. Steve thinks it's probably best to leave them to it.

He looks up to see if he can spot anyone else and he sees Wanda walking down between the chairs, her expression dangerous and her magic a darker red than he's seen it before. Her hair is held back from her face by a dark red crown, and her dress is now replaced by red armour. She looks like something out of a fantasy novel. She looks like the title Agatha gave her. Steve briefly wonders if she'll always end up wearing this armour every time she uses her powers.

'Steve!' he sees Sam waving to him from where he's ducked down by some representatives, trying to keep them out of the line of fire.

Steve races over to join them. 'Any casualties?'

'Not yet,' he shakes his head. 'Seems like most have managed to get out so far, but we're stuck down here while there's all the shooting going on. You know what their target is?'

Steve looks up and gets his answer. 'Shit,' he curses.

'What-' Sam follows his gaze and his eyes widen. 'No way. Ross?'

Across the room four of the black-clad soldiers are hurrying towards the hole in the side of the building with Ross running along between them.

'They knew we'd call for his arrest,' Steve curses. 'Wanda! Ross!'

Wanda turns to look at where Steve is pointing and sends blasts of magic towards them, sending the group sprawling to the floor. A soldier comes at her from the side and breaks her concentration as she moves out of his way. Steve scrambles to his feet and barrels into them, grappling him to the floor.

'Thanks!' she calls to him, turning her attention back to Ross. 'Shit!'

Steve lands a punch which knocks the attacker out and looks up to see Ross and two other soldiers jumping out of the building. 'Tony!' he shouts. The red suit flashes past the gap in the wall, off in pursuit of the escaping trio.

A strangled cry makes him look to the side, where T'Challa is cradling Nakia. Heart heavy, Steve walks over to them. 'T'Challa…'

'Tell me we have the ones responsible,' the king looks up at him with tear filled angry eyes. 'Tell me we have the ones responsible for her death.'

Thor lands next to Steve from where he'd been outside helping Tony and Rhodes. He hangs his head. 'I apologise, T'Challa,' his voice is grave, 'they managed to reach their ship and their magic user was with them and concealed them from our sight.'

'T'Challa…' Tony lands next to Thor, pulling his helmet back. 'T'Challa, I…' he breaks off with a shake of the head.

'We will find them,' Bucky joins them, the rest of the soldiers now having been dealt with, 'I swear to you, T'Challa, we'll find them and avenge Nakia. I'll personally march the ones responsible into your throne room.'


A/N: I am so sorry I am so late updating, my weekend just decided to pass by without me! As these next few chapters are so short, and I'm so late, I'm going to finish uploading the story today as an apology!

Hope you enjoy the rest of the story!

Love always,

L x