Chapter 359: Civil War I
"Move!" Tony and the other Avengers quickly donned their suits, leading the group toward the helicopter parked on the tarmac.
At the same time, Steve's goal was that very helicopter. They needed it to make their escape.
Pshh!
Tony extended his arm and fired two magnetic pulse devices, instantly disabling the helicopter's flight systems. Steve let out a breath and slowly looked up to see the familiar figure: Tony Stark.
"Long time no see, Cap," Tony said, his voice flat.
"Listen, Tony, that psychiatrist is the one behind all of this," Steve said. He still didn't want to fight his former teammate. He believed if he could stop this civil war with words, it would be the best possible outcome.
"Wow~ the real culprit. What do you think, Rhodey?" Tony looked at the man beside him.
Rhodey, encased in the War Machine armor, replied, "The joke isn't funny."
Thud!
T'Challa flipped over a van like a panther and landed gracefully on the ground.
"Captain," T'Challa's voice was low and heavy.
"Your Majesty?" Steve hadn't expected Stark to bring T'Challa into this. It only made things more volatile. Steve found himself less and less able to understand Stark's actions.
Tony stepped forward. "Ross wants you in custody within thirty-six hours. Could you please just cooperate?" Tony didn't want this fight either. They were teammates once.
"Tony, you're chasing the wrong man," Steve shook his head.
Tony gave a dry laugh. "Wrong man? Just yesterday, your 'old friend' killed a lot of innocent people."
"There are five more super soldiers just like him. I can't let that psychiatrist find them first," Steve argued. He had to get there before the doctor did to prevent a massacre.
"Do you know what's going to happen, Steve? Do you really want to punch your way out of this?" Natasha walked out from the side, looking exhausted. She couldn't believe the news that Captain America was now a fugitive.
"I don't have time for small talk. Underoos!" Tony shouted.
Thwip!
Peter, hiding nearby, leaped out and fired two strands of webbing. One snagged Steve's shield, pulling it away, while the other bound Steve's hands like handcuffs.
"I understand you less and less, Tony. Why do you keep dragging people into this who aren't even Avengers?!" Steve questioned.
"Me?" Tony was incensed. "Then why did you drag Clint out of a peaceful retirement? Why did you 'rescue' Wanda from a safe place and make things worse? I've been trying!" Tony's voice cracked with frustration. "Trying to keep the Avengers from turning into a pile of scrap!"
"The moment you compromised with the government, the team was already broken," Steve said, disappointed.
The Skirmish Begins
"I found it, Cap." Sam used Redwing to scout their real target: the Quinjet.
"Listen, hand over Barnes and come quietly. Please." Tony emphasized Barnes's name heavily.
Steve didn't say a word. He simply raised his hands.
Zing!
An arrow shot from a distance, slicing through the webbing on Steve's wrists.
"Whoa!" Peter, holding the shield, suddenly saw a man appear beside him. A kick caught Peter in the jaw, and the shield was snatched back and returned to Steve.
"Wait! What was that?" Rhodey called out.
"Fine. There are two more at the hangar," Tony noted. His sensors picked up Wanda and Clint. "Let's go, Speedster! Let's go bring your sister back!" Tony's thrusters roared as he flew toward Wanda.
Pietro, hiding in the shadows, sprinted toward Wanda. He had to stop her before things got out of hand.
"Heads up, Stark and Pietro are coming your way," Steve warned into his comms.
"Oh~ and there are two more in the terminal: Sam and Barnes," Rhodey added.
"Barnes is mine!" At the mention of the name, T'Challa's eyes filled with hatred. Barnes had killed his father.
Steve saw this and hurled his shield at T'Challa.
Clang!
T'Challa, mid-leap, couldn't react in time. The shield struck his chest, knocking him out of the air. But with feline agility, he adjusted his body and landed on all fours.
"Step aside, Captain. I won't say it twice." T'Challa had to kill Barnes.
Steve didn't answer. He stepped toward T'Challa, proving he wouldn't yield.
"Very well." T'Challa's vibranium claws slid out from his fingertips. He lunged, spinning in the air to deliver a powerful kick. Steve blocked three consecutive strikes with his shield.
The Terminal
Scott Lang was facing Black Widow. Because she was a woman, Scott underestimated her, and within seconds, Natasha had him pinned with no way to strike back.
Thwip!
"I'll take these two!" Peter fired his webs, chasing Barnes and Sam through the corridors.
"What is that thing?" Barnes asked as he saw the red-and-blue figure swinging outside the windows.
"Spider-Man. Watch out for the webs," Sam warned. He had seen the combat footage.
CRA-SH!
Peter kicked through the glass, aiming for Sam. The sudden impact sent Sam flying. Barnes stopped and swung his metal arm, intending to knock the spider out of the air.
THUD!
To his absolute shock, Peter spun and caught the metal arm with one hand.
"Whoa~ you have a metal arm. That is so cool!" Peter easily held Barnes's arm in place. Barnes struggled, but he couldn't budge. He stared at the kid in disbelief. Did this boy just stop my mechanical arm with one hand? Is my arm broken?
Vroom!
Sam scrambled up and used Redwing to fly into Peter, knocking him back and freeing Barnes.
While everyone was fighting, another figure approached the Quinjet.
"Come forth, my Shadow Khans," Silas smiled, opening his arms. Numerous Shadow Ninjas emerged from the Shadow Kingdom and dragged the entire Quinjet into the darkness.
"Changing the plot starts with me," Silas murmured, turning back toward Wanda's location.
The Hangar
"Wanda, you're really making Silas sad," Tony said, landing in front of her and Clint.
"You locked me away!" Wanda snapped.
"First, I wasn't 'locking you away.' Second, it was for your protection," Tony argued. "And you, old man. Looks like retirement didn't suit you."
Clint drew an arrow, his face calm. "I played eighteen holes. Shot eighteen. I couldn't seem to miss." He fired the arrow at Tony.
Tony was ready. He tilted his head, letting the arrow whistle past, and fired a repulsor blast behind him without even looking. The arrow exploded into black smoke.
"Looks like you missed this time," Tony said.
"Did I?" Clint smirked.
Tony realized something was wrong. He looked up just as a dozens of cars began falling from the parking garage above him. Clint was just the distraction; the real attack was Wanda's.
But just as Tony was about to be crushed by the rain of vehicles, the cars miraculously froze in mid-air.
"This makes me very sad, Wanda."
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