Requisite and Sensibility

Chapter 22 - Collateral Damage

Megan woke up in a cold, glass room, chained to the wall and an IV in her arm. She groaned, her head killed her. It felt as if someone had stripped away her memories, took control of her mind and then someone else hit her really hard on top of all that. She looked up to see Steve sitting on a chair outside the glass cell, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared at her. He looked disappointed, Megan had never seen him disappointed in her... a dreadful feeling spread all over her body.

"Steve..." She made sure to keep her voice even and calm, "Why am I chained to a glass cell? What happened?" Steve's expression showed surprise, but his face quickly changed to a blank canvas once again with a hint of disappointment as he rubbed at his eyes tiredly, "You don't know?" He asked and Megan sighed, "If I did, I wouldn't be asking now, would I?" Steve chuckled without any humour, "Good to know you're back." "Back? When was I... gone?" Steve looked up into Megan's eyes, pure orange, pure fear.

***

Shuri signed the papers, she handed the clipboard curtly to Helen as she looked in at T'Challa. His eyes remained closed, she watched as Helen shut off the machine that had kept him alive, she watched as all the equipment was removed from his lifeless body and several tears escaped her swollen eyes. Friday walked up beside her, providing nothing else but just her company, Shuri leaned her head into Friday's body, "he's gone." She whispered with a raw throat and Friday nodded, "I know, I'm sorry." She couldn't say much more, but Shuri didn't need any more.

She glanced at the others in the room, James who was just a kid and had his arm already amputated, Rain who had just found out that she couldn't have kids anymore, Rhodey who was now permanently paralysed from the waist down, Clint who... hadn't woken from his coma yet. The list ran on and on, Shuri's eyes filled with rage, "Where's Megan?" Friday shook her head, "Don't." "Why not?" "Because... she wasn't in her right mind, she was mind controlled like Bucky. Do you blame Bucky for killing other people?" "No, because Bucky didn't kill my brother."

***

"I did that?" Megan asked and Steve nodded, he was doing his best to avoid her eyes and Megan knew why, she was a monster, a killer, she deserved to die. "Kill me." She whispered as soft as a rose petal that had been burnt and grinded to ashes. Steve's eyes snapped up, "What?" "Kill me, please." Megan pleaded. Steve shook his head, turning his gaze away from her, "I can't do that." "Steve's now's not the time for morals-" "Oh that's why? Ha! Our children, my loved ones are suffering because of you, trust me... if I was physically able to you, you would've been long dead already." Steve snapped, he got up and left, leaving Megan alone in the cell.

Megan took a shaky breath as she glanced at the sharp rock, lying on one side of the cell, very carefully she shifted forwards. Her hand reached out to try to grab the rock, her fingers falling just an inch short. She struggled, she didn't want to break the chains, but she needed that rock. Lying back, she used her powers to bring that rock to her, grabbing it with one hand she braced herself and stabbed the rock into her stomach, pushing it in deeply. Pursing her lips in pain, she lay like that, hoping that this wound would kill her.

***

Tony read through the list of injuries and he let his tears slide down his face, his raw emotions eating him up alive.

T'Challa - Fatal bullet wound to brain resulting in death

James Rupert Rhodes - Bullet wound to spinal tissue, permanent paralysis from waist down

James Buchanan Barnes - Bullet wound to left shoulder, damaged muscle

Natasha Romanoff - Electrocharge convulsions, possible seizures

Rain Parker Rogers - Fatal bullet wound to uterus lining, permanent infertility

James Wilson Rogers - Fatal bullet wound to right arm muscles, amputation

Brooklyn Maria Rogers - Damage to hippocampus, short-term memory loss

Pietro Maximoff - Stab wound to abdomen

Wanda Maximoff - Fatal, clinical and behavioural depression, anxiety, bi-polar disorder, PTSD, immediate grief counseling is advised

Clint Barton - Fatal bullet wound to abdomen, coma state, brain is unresponsive

Pepper Potts-Stark - Damaged leg muscles

Wade Winston Wilson - Stab wound in abdomen

Samuel Thomas Wilson - Damage to limbic system, bi-polar disorder

Steven Grant Rogers - Damage to vocal chords

Maria Hill-Maximoff - Damage to vocal chords and bronchitis

Sharon Carter - Fatal bullet wound to left leg, amputation

Thor Odinson - Bullet wound to gallbladder, removal

Tony massaged his eyes, turning the piece of paper over and placing it down on his desk. "That bad, huh?" Tony looked up at Steve, who's voice sounded raspier, heavier. "She wounded half of us, more than half of her family, Steve." The super soldier sighed, "I kind of made her feel like shit. I told her- I told her I would have killed her if I could." "Tough." Tony sighed. "Mr. Stark, Captain Rogers, sorry to interrupt you but Mrs. Rogers has bled more than half of her body's blood. She seems to have self-injured herself and the wound isn't closing and healing due to the object used to penetrate her skin still in the wound."

Tony's eyes went wide, he started to run towards Megan's cell, Steve hot on his heel. "If she dies, I'll kill you." "Trust me, if she dies... I might kill myself." They reached the glass cell and no one was there, just a pool of black blood, Tony opened the door with the passcode, the blood pooling around his ankles as he stepped in. "Victoria, where is Megan?" "She's gone, Mr. Stark. She left and has not disclosed her location."

***

Megan concentrated, altering her appearance to slightly shorter than she was before, blonde hair in a bob, emerald eyes peering out from beneath long lashes, her lips now had dark lipstick on them and she revved her motorcycle faster, running away from all the pain she had caused.