Heartless

Chapter 40

I had never liked Rhodey less.

He had Barnes put in a giant plexiglass box and is in the back of a VERY SMALL VAN. Needless to say I was very pissed. I was exhausted from fighting and was resting my head on Sam's shoulder.

"So," Sam said to T'Challa, "you like cats?"

"Sam!" Kate scolded him, punching him lightly.

"What?Dude shows up dressed like a cat and you don't wanna know more?"

"Uh, not really. He's the king of a country, I feel intimidated even talking when he's around," I said.

"Your suit," Steve ventured. "Is it Vibranium?"

"The Black Panther has been the protector of Wakanda for generations. A mantle passed from warrior to warrior. And now because your friend murdered my father, I also wear the mantle of king. So I ask you, as both warrior and king, how long do you think you can keep your friend safe from me?"

We rode in silence the rest of the way to Berlin. I ended up falling asleep at one point. When we arrived at the building, Sam shook me awake.  We walked in and saw Sharon with some man I had never seen before. Barnes' box was being unloaded from the truck.

"What's going to happen?" Steve asked the guy.

"The same thing that ought to happen to you. Psychological evaluation and extradition," he replied.

"This is Everett Ross, deputy task force commander," Sharon said.

"I don't care who he is," I said. "I just want this all to be over."

"Excuse her," Kate said. "She has almost zero brain-to-mouth filter."

"That's not-"

"We've been working on the issue for a while," Sam joined in. "We think her childhood might have something to do with it." The two steered me away from where Ross was.

"What was that?" I snapped. "I do too have a brain-to-mouth filter!"

"Monica, we have to get on this guy's good side," Kate said. "He might be a teeny tiny bit more gentle with us if he thinks we're on their side."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine." We walked back over to Ross. "I'm so sorry about that," I lied. "I have no filter for what I say."

He looked at me. "Yes, well, you will be provided with an office instead of a cell. Do me a favor and stay in it."

We were led to an office and told to stay put. I rolled my eyes and took my phone out of my bra.

"Monica, I thought they took all our phones," Steve said.

I smiled. "Can't take something from a woman's bra without her consent. Plus they had no idea where I kept mine. Does this uniform look like it has pockets?" I flattened down the top of my spandex uniform. I went on Tumblr and zoned everything out until Natasha and Stark came in.

"Just for the record, this is what making things worse looks like," Nat said, sitting down next to me.

"I told him, Nat. I told him we had to get out. But no-oo-ooo. He just had to start an hour long topic of conversation with Barnes."

"He's alive," was all Steve said to defend himself.

I shook my head. "Steve, we're on office arrest. You couldn't have saved the chitchat for when we were put of there?"