The device wrapped around Riley's body. The armor was golden and blue. Her face was protected by the helmet and she raised her hand at Bucky and went to shoot but Connie was fast enough to jump in the way. Taking the hit.
Tony had his helmet on and with his arm, he smacked Steve in the face causing him to be thrown back. Bucky watched in horror as Connie took the hit and he aimed his gun at Riley but Tony shot the gun out of his hand and Riley flew right at Bucky, taking him down. She grabbed Bucky by the neck and flew into the air and slammed him into the ground. Tony was ready to fly towards them but Steve grabbed his foot but Tony kicked him in the face. Connie ran towards Riley and used her weight to tackle Riley to the ground
"That wasn't him! Riley he wouldn't kill them!" She shouted as she tried punching through to the helmet to at least break the armor but it was no use and Riley grabbed her arm
"You may have feelings for him, but he murdered my mother.. Shot her right in the face and you aren't even mad that he killed your aunt.. Your grandfather's own sister" Riley sneered and Connie kneed her in the side "Steve was going to tell you about your parents.. About your real ones too" She said as Riley looked at Connie, the younger woman couldn't see the look in Riley's eyes since she had the armor on
"You knew about my parents not being my actual parents? Steve told you be not even me?" Riley whispered with such hurt in her voice. Connie froze for a moment before nodding slowly "Yes.. He told me"
Riley with all her might punched Connie in the face and went for another one until Steve slammed himself into Riley and she stood up and shook her head "You lied to me.. You went down on one knee and gave me a ring.. Was that even real.. Is our love even real?" Riley whispered the last part and Steve's eyes widen and shook his head
"My love for you was real. Everything was real between us. Please don't do this, just stop it and we can talk" Steve began but he saw Tony had pinned Bucky on the wall and Steve ran towards them to save them but Riley flew right into him
"No.. I'm done talking.. This is where I stop talking and kill him" She said as suddenly Connie tackled Riley to the ground while Steve got Tony and it gave Bucky a short chance to run.
"Go! Get out of here!" Steve said looking at Bucky, hesitating and looking at Connie "Go" Connie said as Bucky looked at her and nodded before starting to run towards a panel and quickly pressed a button to open the top, he began climbing.
Riley punched Connie in the stomach which caused the younger woman to grunt and let go of Riley as Riley began to try to fly and Connie grabbed Riley's arm
"He didn't do it! You know that! He was brainwashed to kill them." Connie shouted as Riley blasted Connie away and Tony tried to fly but Steve grabbed him by the boot
"It wasn't him!" Steve said as Tony was grounded for the moment. But Tony didn't listen and blasted a couple of restraining items to keep Steve's bounded. But Steve used the shield to break free
Connie had to fend off both Iron-Man and Iron-Maiden. It was getting tougher and tougher until Steve did a black flip, covering Connie and himself with his shield. Connie then climbed up to make sure Bucky managed to get out safe but it wasn't until she saw Tony was aiming at Bucky but Connie leaped down to Tony and crushed the iron hand, but Riley flew towards Connie and smacked her away
"Come on.. Come on" Tony whispered trying to aim towards Bucky but it was off so he opened his helmet and tried shooting, he managed to shoot the big rooftop door.. Slamming it close, causing Bucky to fall to a ledge.
Riley flew up towards Bucky but Bucky saw it coming and grabbed a huge piece of wood and slammed it into her, causing her to yelp and fall to another part of the ledge. But Tony was fast to grab Bucky into a headlock
"Do you even remember them... Our parents?" Tony whispered as Bucky looked forward with dull eyes, remembering "I remember all of them"
Bucky suddenly with Tony pushed himself off the ledge, Riley saw this and tried to catch Tony but Steve grabbed a rope and threw it, causing it to go around Riley's armor neck and caused Riley to fall to the ground. Connie grabbing on to Tony and Bucky and she yanked Bucky away from Tony.. Tony, Connie falling to the bottom as well with Steve jumping down
Bucky had fallen on a ledge and looked at the shield next to him, looking at Connie who laying down.. Steve running towards her and Tony checking if Riley was okay. Riley stood up slowly and looked at Steve and he looked at her with a hurt expression
"This isn't gonna change what happened." He whispered as Connie stood up along with Steve and held her family member's hand
"I don't care... He killed our mothers" Riley whispered before aiming at Steve, Bucky was fast however and landed on Riley before throwing the shield at Tony. Steve caught the shield and ran towards Riley while Connie helped Bucky.
Bucky and Connie worked well to take down Tony, they both moved gracefully with hitting punches and kicks.
Riley took off her helmet and looked at Steve "You lied to me.. You knew about my family and you knew everything was a lie.. But you kept it from me" She whispered and Steve shook his head
"I wanted to protect you, I knew this would hurt you. I just wanted to make sure you were safe" He whispered but Riley looked at him and shook her head
"You weren't protecting me.. You just couldn't accept the fact that your best friend killed the first love of your life's daughter and your current fiancé's parents.. Your best friend's parents and his father who worked with you. You don't want to accept the fact that he ruined our lives" She said before trying to tackle Steve but he punched Riley in the stomach, causing her to gasp and move back. Her eyes widen as her breath had quickened before looking at Steve and blasting him away.
Connie and Bucky were gaining the upper hand until Tony smacked Connie away, Bucky with rage that Tony smacked Connie charged at Tony and slammed him to the wall. His hand grabbing to the Arc, trying to pull it out. but Tony's arc had a reaction and let out a huge pulse of energy. Causing Bucky's metal arm to be blasted off. Tony shot at Bucky but was taken down by Steve. Connie grabbed Steve's shield and Riley looked at Connie in rage before aiming at her, Connie lifting her shield and a huge blast hitting the shield.
T'Challa was walking slowly, Orchid behind him as T'Challa took off his helmet and placed in Orchid's hand. He looked up at her and she looked at the helmet before looking up at her Fiancé before nodding. They heard a female's voice on Zemo's face before he pressed a button.. Deleting it.
She stood still while T'Challa went closer to Zemo and the King sighed "I almost kill the wrong man.. We almost killed the wrong man." He said turning to Orchid who nodded and frowned.
"Hardly an innocent one." Zemo said quietly as Orchid shook her head "There's always justice.. Justice would come to those who run from it" She said as T'Challa nodded in agreement "This is all you wanted? To see them rip each other apart." He said and Orchid looked back, how she wanted to just run downstairs and stop the fighting downstairs.. How Steve Rogers was fighting his own Fiancée Riley Smith, the worst thing ever. She could never imagine having an actual fight with T'Challa.. They wouldn't be able to live with themselves if one even laid a hand on each other.
"My father lived outside the city. I thought we would be safe there. My son was excited. He could see the Iron Man from the car window. I told my wife, "Don't worry. They are fighting in the city. We're miles from harm." When the dust cleared... and the screaming stopped. It took me two days until I found their bodies. My father... still holding my wife and son in his arms. And the Avengers? They went home. I knew I couldn't kill them. More powerful men than me have tried. But, if I could get them to kill each other... I'm sorry about your father. He seemed a good man. With a dutiful son and a beautiful daughter in law" He said softly as Orchid listened to the story with tears in her eyes as Zemo spoke
"If you two were parents.. You would do the same thing, to protect your children and your other half.. Even if it meant avenging them in the after life" He said softly as T'Challa looked over at Orchid with some tears in his eyes.. His father always said that once T'Challa would be a father.. He would understand the things he did.. But it hit him that one day him and Orchid would have children, for the future of their kingdom.. But it would scare him to be a father due to what happened to his father.. He wouldn't want his children or Orchid alone like what happened to T'Chakka.
"Vengeance has consumed you. It's consuming them." He said blinking a couple of times, his claws retracts as he looked over at Orchid "I'm done letting it consume me" He whispered looking at Orchid who gave him a soft smile
"Tell that to the dead." Zemo said lifting the gun to his chin, ready to shoot himself and Orchid ran for him but T'Challa was faster and the gun went off, the bullet hitting T'Challa's arm which was protected by the suit as he placed Zemo in a choke hold
"The living aren't done with you yet" T'Challa whispered as he looked over at Orchid as he said a couple of words.. Orchid nodding as she began to make her way downstairs.
Riley blasted Steve in the knee, he was bending down in front of Bucky. Connie literally in front of Bucky, ready to protect him if anything happened.
"He's my friend" Steve said as Riley shook her head "So was Tony.. I was suppose to be your Everything" She whispered as Tony suddenly slammed himself into Steve, Steve trying to block his hits.
Connie stood up, her face bruised up and her hair stained with blood as it became sticky in it. She held her fists up as she shook her head "You will have to literally kill me before you try to kill him"
"You forget that you've been only training for two years.. I've trained my whole life. My family.. Both biologically and adopted were agents and killers. I will take you out with a push of my finger. I've been the one training you"
"You have your family... I'm a Rogers. My grandfather is the original Viper, my great-grandfather is Captain America. I couldn't ask for any better family members and mentors" She whispered as Riley narrowed her eyes "We'll see about that, for all you know.. they could lie to you about anything"
Connie charged at Riley and tackled her to the ground, punching her helmet trying to break it open but Riley shot her away, she looked over and saw Steve had ripped the arc out of his chest, his suit not working anymore as Steve tore his helmet open with his shield and then hands.
Riley felt someone grabbing her ankles and saw it was Bucky, trying to grab her attention away as she was beating Connie up. Riley kicked his face hard with her foot and she felt herself being tackled to the ground by Steve. His eyes angered once he saw Riley hurting Connie
He pinned her to the ground, he was on top of her as he grabbed his shield and started slamming it into Riley's suit. Connie rolling near Bucky as she breathing heavily as she was propping herself up and watched in horror as Steve was hitting Riley with the shield.
The helmet was breaking apart and Steve tore Riley's helmet off, Riley looking at him with such anger in her eyes before looking into Steve with tears in her eyes as Steve gave her a last look before slamming the shield into the arc, destroying it.
Riley was breathing heavily while looking at Steve, tears in her eyes as she bit her lip trying not to let out a sob. Steve returned the look with such sadness in his eyes as he opened his mouth.. But nothing came out.
They never said that a war would tear apart people.. Family would be strong, no matter what. War breaks people, the ones who thought they were doing the right thing and fought for what they believed in.. Until some truths would break them a part.. What Zemo said was true.. An empire that falls within would never be able to fix itself.. What dead is dead.. Forever.
Steve looked at Riley as words couldn't come out of his mouth, he literally felt his heart breaking.. His stomach was sick. It felt like the time he said goodbye to Mary.. It felt like Steve was dying once again by seeing the look on Riley's face.
Steve rolled off of Riley, taking his shield with him. He stumbled towards Connie and moved her hair out of her face and Steve helped Connie up before she brought him into a tight hug. Steve returning the hug.. Throughout it all, Family was forever.. Steve trusted Connie with his life.. Her along with Sarah-Jane were his only living family members left.
Bucky opened his eyes and groaned, his hair was mangled with blood. Connie leaning down and helping Bucky up as he leaned on her with his normal arm, her arm wrapped around his waist keeping him up.
Steve wrapped another arm around Bucky's wait to keep him up as well as the Rogers were helping Bucky out. Tony looking up with pain in his eyes.. Betrayed by Steve and Connie
"That shield doesn't belong to you. You don't deserve it. My father made that shield!" Tony called and Steve and Connie stopped for a moment, Bucky's head hanging low and Connie moving his head to rest on her shoulder as Steve opened his mouth with tears in his eyes as he heard Riley's small voice
"You walk away Steve.. You're walking away from us and everything we stood for.. I wouldn't forgive you and I would hate you for the rest of my life." She whispered as Steve stood still, Connie looking over at Steve as he was silent for a moment.. Looking down before looking at Connie and Bucky and Connie saw the pained look in his eyes.. Steve was a broken man.. The war broke him.
Steve dropped the shield and he began to lead Connie and Bucky away. His heart broke as he heard the sobs of his now ex-Fiancée as Tony crawled towards her to hold her in his arms. Rocking her back and forth as Riley looked at the engagement ring and looking at the shield before sobbing once more.
Her and Steve's relationship would never be the same.. It was broken..
Connie and Steve guided Bucky to the entrance of the HYDRA base. They saw a figure in front of their jet and they froze once they saw it was Orchid, leaning there looking at the trio with a sad look
Steve wasn't ready to fight Orchid.. He knew Connie wouldn't be strong enough to fight since she was beaten down by Riley before.
Orchid looked over at Bucky, Connie and Steve and she went towards them, Steve tense ready to fight but Orchid went towards Bucky and she let Bucky lean on her side, giving Connie a couple of moments to breath and regain her strength.
"T'Challa is taking Zemo back to Ross.." Orchid said as she began guiding the three to the jet and she helped Bucky sit down and she began to the front and typed in something and Connie sat besides Bucky while Steve made his way towards her
"Where are we going..?" He whispered as Orchid closed the door to the jet and she looked over at Bucky and Connie with a small smile before looking at Steve
"We're going home.. My home"
Author's Note:
We're done!
This was tough to write but it was a good one, I enjoyed this story and I hope you did too!
Do you think Steve and Riley's relationship is completely over or is there hope?
Do you think Riley will ever forgive Steve for keeping a secret?
We have one post credit and that's it!
I suggest that you guys read my other stories! They will all be connected in my IW story and Anthea (My GOTG OC) and Steve will have a special bond and she will help him with the guilt of lying to Riley!
Let me know what you thought of the story, any predictions on IW and see you guys in my next story (Thor story) The Sun Sets in Asgard!