Into the Unknown || A Captain America Love Story

53

Tori

     I walk through the foggy air, trying to make out any citizens that still remain in the rubble. Steve and I escort the few of them along with Natasha who arrived a few minutes ago.
     "The next wave's gonna hit any minute," Steve says.
     "What do you have, Tony?" I ask through my comm.
     "Huh?" my brother grunts, hearing his name. "Nothing great. Maybe a way to blow up the city. That'll keep it from impacting the surface, if you guys can get clear."
     I sigh. "I asked for a solution, not an escape plan."
     "Impact radius is getting bigger every second," Tony replies. "We're gonna have to make a choice."
     "You two, these people are going nowhere," Natasha says, noticing not only mine, but Steve's stress. "If Stark finds a way to blow this rock—"
     "Not until everyone's safe," Steve pants.
     "Everyone up here versus everyone down there. There's no math in that." Natasha glares at him. 
     "I'm not leaving this rock with one civilian on it," Steve growls.
     Natasha looks at me, a small amount of hope in her eyes.
     "Sorry, Nat, but I'm with Steve," I say. "These people are innocent and have no idea what is happening."
     She doesn't say anything for a moment. Eventually, she begins to nod. "There's worse ways to go."
     I smile. Natasha looks out into the clouds. I take one glance, and my breathing hitches. The stories from Dad and Peggy Carter, the monologues from Steve, they all allow me to picture what it was like to die this way. Steve technically did. I can clearly see the aircraft Steve was in, hitting the ice.
     "Where else am I gonna get a view like this?" Natasha grins.
     I turn to face Steve. He doesn't look at me. He doesn't even say a word. All he has to do is stare at Natasha with a sad expression to tear me apart. He quickly turns to face the other way, dismissing her statement.
     "Glad you like the view, Romanoff," a familiar voice says. Of course, Fury comes to save the day.
     The helicarrier rises from the clouds, whizzing in the air.
     "Nice, right?" Director Fury asks. "Pulled her out of mothballs with a couple of old friends. She's dusty, but she'll do."
     I laugh softly, just waiting for Steve to comment on the large aircraft, or Fury.
     "Fury, you son of a bitch," Steve grins.
     And there it is.
     "Ooh, you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Fury teases.
     "Yeah, Steve, you should watch your language," I smirk, crossing my arms.
     "I'll deal with you later," he says, pointing a finger at me.
     "Is that a threat, Rogers?"
     A flash of blue zooms in front of us.
     "Gross," Pietro groans. "Anyway, is that S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
     "This is what S.H.I.E.L.D.'s supposed to be, kid," Steve says in a low voice.
     "This is not so bad," Maximoff mumbles.
     "Let's load 'em up," Steve order, sprinting away to put civilians into the aircrafts.

•••

     Every Avenger is now at the center of the town. Ultron's little toy is in the middle, so we have to guard it from his minions. Vision stands near Tony, towards the back of our group. Hulk barrels inside with the rest of us, panting heavily. I stand between Thor and Steve, adjusting the hand that has part of my suit on it. Hulk has smashed the last minion, leaving us and Ultron.
"Is that the best you can do?" Thor shouts, ready for more action. And that's just what he'll get.
With just the wave of a hand, Ultron summons hundreds more of his minions. I throw my head back, whining.
"You had to ask," Steve thunders.
"Of course Loki was right about him loving war," I mutter to myself. "Of course he was."
"This is the best I can do," Ultron says. "This is exactly what I wanted. All of you against all of me. How can you possibly hope to stop me?"
"Well, like the old man said," Tony mumbles, glancing at Steve. "Together."
Hulk roars, readying his fists. The minions come in, trying to fight. They only come so far before they are on the ground, motionless at our feet. I grunt as one practically hugs me from behind. I kick it from under its feet, blasting it while it's already down. Steve pulls them apart when Vision throws one to him.
Once I make another couple of minions fall, I feel another pair of arms wrap around me. I yelp, but I recognize the clanging and feel of the armor. I flip myself around to look at his face.
"Hi," Tony exclaims.
"Hi," I repeat, smiling at my brother.
He drops me from a few yards above the ground, letting me blast three more minions. When my feet hit the ground, I look up to see Ultron himself throwing Vision into the brick wall. Vision's Mind Stone shoots a yellow beam at Ultron, making our enemy stay out of the building. Thor and Tony join him, attacking Ultron with their own colored rays of light.
I glance at Steve, who is already looking at me. I just nod, and he does the same back to me. I grin, then stare in the direction of Ultron. He is burnt from the boys, but he stumbles and stands back up on his feet.
     "You know, with the benefit of hindsight—" Ultron begins, but he is punched into the air by the Hulk.
     He just glances at the rest of the minions, and they run for their lives. They run to the edge of the city, flying away.
     "They'll try to leave the city," Thor booms.
     "We can let them, not even one," Tony says anxiously. "Rhodey!"
     "We gotta move out," Steve commands. "Even I can tell the air's getting thin. You guys get to the boats. I'll sweep for stragglers. Be right behind you."
     "What about the core?" Clint asks.
     "I'll protect it," Wanda says. "It's my job."
     Clint nods to her, then looks in another direction. "Nat, this way."
     "Tori," Steve calls. "Follow me."
     "Okay," I state. I eye Wanda. "Are you sure you can handle this?"
     "I'll be fine," she reassures me. "Now go."
     I nod, following Steve out of the area. Minutes later, we finally get the last of the civilians on the aircrafts.
     "Is this the last of them?" Thor asks.
     "Yeah," I say.
     "Everyone else is on the carrier," Steve adds.
     "You know, if this works, we maybe don't walk away." Tony says through the comms.
     "Maybe not," Thor mumbles.
     Bullets fly around us. Steve's arms wrap around me, holding his shield with one. He covers me, running away from the fire. For a split second, I actually believe Tony. We might not walk away from this mess. But then, the fire stops. The world seems still. A scream rings in my ears.
     Steve grabs my hand, taking me to Clint. Hawkeye kneels on the ground, next to a body that is covered in bullet holes. He has sandy blonde hair and wears blue. It's Pietro Maximoff. The shriek comes from Wanda. She lost everything. Truly everything.
     I turn away from Pietro's dead body. My eyes linger to the young boy next to Clint, who is laid safely behind a toppled car. He wears a yellow shirt, blue jacket, and jeans. A cut goes from his left eyebrow to the center of his cheek. His eyes open ever so slightly to look at me. I sit beside him, holding him in my arms. 
     "It's okay," I murmur, feeling him bury his head into the crook of my neck.
     I focus on Steve, who locks eyes with Clint. The men watch Pietro. He's gone. That sweet, humorous kid is gone. Clint takes the boy from me and Steve lifts Pietro off the ground. I squint into the distance, to where Ultron's church is. I see Wanda on the ground, sobbing. I look away, not wanting to make myself cry at the sight.
     Steve, Clint, and I walk to a ship. Steve gently places Pietro's body on the ground, and Clint gives a sobbing woman her boy. Steve goes to overlook the city, making sure that no one is left. I step to his side, setting a hand on his shoulder. I spot a suit, hitting something on the core. We both abruptly turn, sprinting onto the aircraft. Once we collapse onto the floor of it, we look down.
     We watch the city fall. It is like a burning meteor, plummeting to the earth. It explodes into a bright blue flash. It crumbles to the ground. I then realize that not everyone is back safe on the aircraft.
     "Tony!" I shriek.
     I begin to crawl to the edge, ready to jump. Steve grabs me before I can. My throat closes up, making it almost impossible to breathe. Is this how Wanda felt?
     My mind is racing. I hear myself screaming Tony's name, and trying to escape Steve's strong grasp. I don't have enough time to realize that Tony hovers in the air, his suit still in tact.
     "I'm not dying today, Tori," he says. "Not yet."
     I gaze at him through my teary vision. A smile spreads across my lips. I almost laugh at the sight of him. He lands on the aircraft.
     "Aw, come here," he coos, taking me into an embrace.
     Only one casualty on our team, and it definitely won't be the last. But then again, that day is not today.