Changes Are Coming // TFATWS

22

Sam flew after the helicopter again, still being shot at any time he got close. He managed to get close enough to hack into one of the hostage's phones, sending them a message to put in their earbuds. Ayla Perez, the representative from the Philippines, was the only one on board with flight experience.

Moments after Sam sent the message, he heard the click of her answering and said, "A little birdie told me you know how to fly a helicopter." He flew parallel to the helicopter and the pilot veered towards him, causing him to yell, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" He screamed as he fell into the water.

Sam grunted and groaned as he flew up and yelled, "Whoa! Boy, you just earned this ass-whoopin'." He deployed Redwing and caught up the the chopper before speaking to Ayla once again. "Okay. What we're gonna do requires perfect timing. We're gonna count down from five. When we get to one, you're gonna grab the control. Okay?"

He sent Redwing ahead of the chopper before he heard Ayla say, "Five... Four... Three... Two..."

When Ayla got to two, Sam sped up, flying towards the chopper at full speed. When he was within a few yards, he flipped over so he was going feet first and tucked the wings into his pack. He kicked through the door and took the pilot of the side door before grabbing him. Sam, realizing if he deployed his wings, they'd both end up in the Hudson, kicked the man off so he could deploy his wings and fly back up to the chopper.

"Nice work, Ayla," Sam complimented.

---

Bucky and Gianna were still in the midst of their fight, trying to avoid being hit with the metal beam. Bucky grabbed the beam and hit the Flag Smasher, knocking him down.

They watched as a truck crashed onto the rafters and stepped back. The truck continued slowly falling.

Bucky and Gianna looked a the heavily dented shield that had been tossed down, then looked back up at the truck.

John pulled the truck back, groaning. Flag Smashers attacked from both directions and he knocked them back, but they kept coming. He was pulled away from the truck by Karli and everyone screamed as they fell.

Creaks and clanks sounded as the truck began falling before suddenly stopping.

Sam flew back to the GRC building, struggling to push up the falling truck. Bucky pulled John up. Gianna and Bucky stood below, ready to catch the truck. He managed to push it back onto stable ground on the unfinished building.

Bucky, Gianna and John stared up and the former two smiled proudly.

The crowd below cheered and someone said, "That's the Black Falcon there. I tell you."

"Nah, that's Captain America," another man said.

Bucky and Gianna smiled with pride as they looked up at Sam.

Sam used Redwing to cut the lock on the back of the truck and some people in the crowd went to help those aboard. Before he could get down to the others, Karli threw a spike at Bucky and Gianna, the former of whom caught it before it could hit her as she ducked. Before she could do anything else, Sam threw his shield, hitting three of the Flag Smashers.

Karli took her mask off and said to Sam in an angry tone, "You of all people bought into that bullshit?"

"I'm trying something different," Sam replied. "Maybe you should do the same."

Suddenly, there were a few small explosions, shortly followed by smoke, gunfire, and people screaming. Gianna looked around, trying to see, and heard Sam say, "This way."

Gianna, John and Bucky followed the sound of Sam's feet on gravel and they eventually cleared the smoke.

The group ran into the building and Bucky said, "Hey, Sharon. We're underground. We entered the tunnel on William. Heading south."

"Looks like they split up. Here," Sam noted, stopping.

Bucky and Gianna did as well, but John turned the corner and kept going.

---

Sam, followed by Gianna, started down a tunnel, but slowed when they heard someone whistling. The whistling continued, leading them to a room in a large warehouse. He looked around the room and heard two gunshots. They ran toward the sound of the shots only to find Karli, Sharon and another man.

The man was dead and Karli, holding a gun on an injured Sharon, said, "Sam, Gia, stay back."

"So, what's next, huh?" Sam asked as he stood near Karli. "You kill ten this time, then, what, a hundred? Where does it end? Please, let me and Gia help you."

"Don't try and manipulate me," Karli retorted, turning her gun to Sharon.

"Karli, don't!" Sam and Gianna tackled her to the ground and she landed next to a pile of cement blocks, then threw the cement blocks at them.

Sam punched and broke the blocks and dodged them as he moved Gianna behind him. Eventually, she gave up on the cement blocks and ran up to them, trying to punch, hit or kick him. Sam blocked her punches and tried to disengage as he said, "I'm not gonna fight you! I don't think Gia will either. Karli..."

Karli began growing more frustrated and fought harder, doing anything she could to get him to fight back. She hit him with a metal pipe and knocked him to the ground before yelling, "Stay down!"

"No," Sam replied as he stood.

"Karli, please," Gianna begged.

---

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.