Battle Cry // TFATWS

XXIII

Bucky and John caught up to a couple Flag Smashers trying to escape.

""Mercy bears richer fruit than strict justice"," John said.

Bucky turned the phone. "It's a great app. Thank you."

The Flag Smasher was taken away.

John clapped Bucky's right shoulder.

Bucky said to John, "Lincoln, really?"

"Great man. Great quote," John reasoned.

"Not when you say it."

The two walked away.

---

Karli charged Sam and continued to throw punches, all of which he blocked or dodged as she yelled, "Fight back!"

Sam managed to grab Karli by the waist and pushed her back before saying, "Stop it!"

He jumped back, but Karli continued coming for him as she cried, "Fight me! Fight back!"

Karli managed to land a good punch on Sam, knocking him to the ground. When he looked up, Karli had a gun on him. Sam stood and put his hands up, ready to take the bullet.

Adalyn watched as Sharon raised her gun and shot Karli. She darted in the direction of the bullet, not wanting someone to die, then lunged at Sharon.

Sam rushed to Karli and held her head in his lap.

Karli looked up and shook her head as she whispered, "I'm sorry." She sobbed and moments later, her her eyes closed for the final time and her head fell to the right.

Adalyn glanced at Sam and he shook his head. She glared at Sharon and yelled, "What did the hell you do?!"

"She was going to kill Sam, then probably you," Sharon replied.

"She was a child! A child!"

Sam silently picked Karli's body up and left. Adalyn continued glaring at Sharon, then followed after Sam.

Sam flew with Karli in his arms while Adalyn walked. He landed, trying to maintain a strong, stoic expression.

Adalyn glanced towards John and Bucky to see them between two ambulances and she walked towards them. Bucky, seeing her expression, held out his arms and she welcomed his embrace.

Sam, after placing Karli's body on a gurney, began making his way towards Bucky, John and Adalyn, but was swarmed by reporters.

"What happened to the Flag Smashers?" the first reporter asked.

"When did the government make you Captain America?" another reporter questioned.

"Is is still Falcon?"

"Or is it Captain Falcon?"

"Sam, thank you so much, from all of us," Ayla said.

The Senator nodded. "Sincerely. You did your part in dealing with those terrorists, now we'll do ours."

Sam took a deep breath before asking, "Are you still going forward with resetting the borders?"

The second woman working with the GRC, Ayla, and the senator nodded before saying, "Our peacekeeping troops will begin relocating people soon. The terrorists only set us back a bit."

Sam shook his head. "You have to stop calling them terrorists."

"What else would we call them?" the Senator wondered, shaking his head.

"Your peacekeeping troops carrying weapons are forcing millions of people into settlements around the world, right? What do you think those people are gonna call you? These labels, "terrorists", "refugee", "thug", they're often used to get around the question, why?"

Lacont said, "Those settlements that happened five years ago, do you think it is fair for governments to have to support them?"

Sam, slightly take aback, replied, "Yes."

The Senator let out a sigh and said, "And the people who appeared only to find someone else living in their family home, they just end up homeless? Look, I get it. But you have no idea how complicated this situation is." He started walking away.

"You know what? You're right." The senator stopped and turned back to Sam. "And that's a good thing. We finally have a common struggle now. Think about that. For once, all the people who've been begging, and I mean, literally begging for you to feel how hard any given day is... Now you know. How did it feel to be helpless? Now if you could remember what it was like to be helpless and face a force so powerful it could erase half the planet, you would know that you're about to have the exact same impact. This isn't about easy decisions, Senator."

"You just don't understand."

Sam scoffed. "I'm a black man carrying the stars and stripes. What don't I understand? Every time I pick this thing up, I know there are millions of people out there who are gonna hate me for it. Even now, here..." Isaiah Bradley and his son Eli watched. "I feel it. The stares, the judgment. And there's nothin' I can do to change it. Yet, I'm still here. No super serum, no blond hair, or blue eyes. The only power that I have is that I believe we can do better. We can't demand that people step up if we don't meet them halfway. Look, you control the banks. Shit, you can move the borders! You can knock down a forest with an email," Torres watched, "you can feed a million people with a phone call. But the question is, who's in the room with you when you're making those decisions?" Sarah watched. "Hmm? Is it the people you're gonna impact? Or is it just more people like you?" He took a deep breath and looked around the group. "I mean, this girl died trying to stop you, and no one has stopped for a second to ask why. You gotta do better, Senator. You gotta step up. Because if you don't, the next Karli will. And you don't wanna see 2.0. People believed in her cause so much that they helped her defy the strongest governments in the world. Why do you think that is." The Senator and the two women shook their heads as Sam continued. "Look, you people have just as much power as an insane god or a misguided teenager. The question you have to ask yourself is, "How are you going to use it?""

Adalyn glanced at Bucky and smiled before saying, "He certainly sounds like Captain America."

Bucky nodded and smiled. "Yes, he does."

Sam walked up, passing John who nodded and left, and Bucky said, "Sorry, I was, uh, I was texting and talking to Ada and all I heard was, um, "a black guy in stars and stripes"." Adalyn and Sam chuckled. "Nice job, Cap."

"Thanks."

Adalyn smiled. "Good job, Cap."

"Thanks, Ada."

The three Avengers walked away.

As soon as they passed the ambulances, they walked up to Sharon who was treating her wound and she said, "You're blocking my light."

Adalyn frowned. "You gotta get to a hospital."

Bucky shook his head, glancing at Adalyn. "She's not gonna listen."

Sharon panted as she said, "It's not the worst thing that's happened to me all week."

"Told you."

"Don't, James," Adalyn retorted.

"First name basis. Thank you, Adalyn."

In the midst of their little argument, a man called, "Uh, Cap?"

Sharon, breathing heavily, said, "I think he's talking to you. Look, I'm sorry for how things ended there. For what it's worth, suit looks good on you."

Sam chuckled and replied, "Thanks."

Bucky asked, "All right, look, can we get out of here, please?" He and Adalyn started walking away, Sharon ahead of them.

"I didn't forget my promise." Bucky and Adalyn glanced back at him.

Sam turned to the man who'd called out to him and asked, "What's up?"

"So, we got eyes on the last Flag Smasher that fell into the Hudson," the man said. "He's hurt but not down. Can you help?"

"Always." Sam clapped his shoulder and flew off.