Bucky and I arrived in Manhattan, the Flag Smashers had taken control over the GRC meeting.
"I'm almost there." Sam says over our radio as we walk through the crowd.
"What's the plan?" I ask.
"Karli's gotta be close. Keep your eyes open."
"Well, it could be anybody." Bucky says as we walk past an officer.
"Sergeant Barnes." He nods.
"And by the way, I called in some backup." Sam says.
"Excuse me, sir. Are you supposed to be here?" We turn to see a man. He reaches up and taps the side of his head, pulling off an illusion to reveal Sharon. "It's me."
"Sharon, what the hell are you doing here?" Bucky asks.
"Relax. No one's looking for me here."
"Is that Sharon?" Sam asks.
"Unfortunately." Bucky sighs.
"Hey, Sam. I thought I'd get the band back together."
"Thank you. You're risking a lot coming here." Sam says.
"I hear pardons aren't all they're cracked up to be."
"Depends on the therapist." Bucky nods.
"They'll move on the building soon. Be ready." I follow behind the two as we walk towards the building, I stop and look around confused. "Guy's what's going on on your end?" Sam asks.
"Nothing. All quiet."
I look around and try to listen inside. "Wait Sam...Karli's not coming in. She's trying to force everybody out." I say. "It's a misdirect....We gotta keep everybody inside."
"You guys are gonna have to do something. Don't let 'em out of the building."
We rush inside, stopping as the metal detectors beep at Bucky's arm. "Oops." Sharon shrugs.
"Here's one of them." Bucky points. "We'll get the evac." He points to me.
We split up from Sharon, walking over to the stairs as a woman approaches us. "Mr. Barnes, it's Karli."
Bucky looks at me and puts it on speakerphone. "Karli?"
"Aren't you tired of fighting for the wrong side Mr. Barnes?
Bucky scoffs. "I've done this before, kid. I know how it ends."
"It doesn't matter if I don't survive this. I'm fighting for something bigger than myself. With all the bodies you've collected, have you been able to say the same?"
"You don't think I ever fought for something bigger than myself? That's all I ever tried to do. And I failed twice....You think your cause justifies all this death, but in the end, the nightmares won't go away. You're gonna remember all the ones you killed. Trust me. Don't do this. Don't go down this path." Bucky says.
"If that's how you feel, you should sit this one out."
Bucky sighs, "Come on, you know I ain't gonna do that."
"Well, thank you. I'm glad you took my call. You've been a big help."
Bucky looks at me, "Damn it!" I mentally curse at myself for becoming distracted, worried for Bucky's safety.
We run into the parking garage, passing Sharon. "Seriously, guys, you had one job."
Bucky gets on a motorcycle. "You worry about your guy."
I fly out of the garage and stay beside Bucky as he speeds through the streets. "The chopper's about to take off."
"Bucky!" Sam yells.
"I don't fly, man. That's your thing."
"Crap....On my way." I flip around fly back towards the building.
"Y/N what is going on with you?"
"I'm sorry Sam...I've been distracted tonight." I reach the helicopter as it lifts off. I stay out of sight and fly beside it, looking in to see the pilot was armed. He looks out and spots me, starting to shoot at me. "I have a problem...pilot spotted me. Now is shooting at me."
"Can't you blast him?"
"Well yeah but that risks killing everyone inside." I sigh.
"I can help you...we'll guide it down together." I look back to see him flying towards me.
"Such a great plan." I roll my eyes, flying underneath the helicopter and to the pilot. I quickly grab onto the door and yank it off, tapping the drivers head to me him sleep. I quickly dive under the Helicopter with Sam and lift it up.
We both start to lower it, "Go....go I got it." Sam nods.
I flip away and look back into the helicopter to see a woman flying, she gives me a thumbs up as I fly away. "Let go, Sam."
A fire draws my attention, I fly down to see Bucky and John both fighting.
When I land down, everyone stops to look at me. I hold my hand up, catching a man's neck as he runs at me with a knife. I slowly turn my head to look at him, causing him to drop his knife. I don't react as a women stabs my wing, I angrily swing the man in my hand around and knock him into her, blasting them both as I flip around to look at Karli.
Before I can lunge for her, Bucky and a man fall off the edge. I dive after him, grabbing his metal hand just before he can land. I drop down as the other man tackles me. I look up in fear as the truck crashes above us, about to fall off with people still inside.
Bucky pulls the man off as the truck starts to pull back. As I go to fly up, I suddenly get smacked down by a metal beam. The man hits my head with the beam, then trying to grab my wings. Bucky takes care of the man as John falls down in front of me with Karli and another.
Before the truck can fall, Sam flies over and pushes it up. Bucky pulls me up and holds my side as we watch Sam. "There he is." I smile. Bucky catches a metal rod that nearly stabs my head, thrown by Karli.
Sam drops down and hurls the shield at her as she lunges for us. "You of all people bought into that bullshit?" She asks Sam angrily.
"I'm trying something different. Maybe you should do the same." Sam nods. We all look up as people shoot smoke bombs around us, allowing the others to run off. "This way."
John, Bucky, and I follow behind Sam underground. I stay close to Bucky as I rub my head. "Hey, Sharon. We're underground. We entered the tunnel on William. Heading south." Bucky says.
Sam stops. "Looks like they split up. Here."
John runs off. "We got it." I nod, running ahead to catch up. John looks at Bucky and I and continues to run around, looking like an idiot in my opinion.
"Wait...I can find them." Bucky pulls out the phone given to him.
"I'll alert the authorities." John takes his phone out.
"The app says it's this way. Let's go." Bucky shows John then runs ahead.
We run outside to find the group. "Mercy bears richer fruit than strict justice." John says proudly.
"It's a great app." Bucky holds the phone up as the police surround them.
"Thank you." I smile at the police.
"Lincoln, really?" Bucky asks John.
"Great man. Great quote."
"Not when you say it." I shove past him.
I fly up and land down across from many reporters. I stand next to an ambulance as Bucky walks up next to me, putting an arm around my waist. We look up, seeing Sam land down with Karli...she was dead.
"Sam, thank you so much, from all of us."
"Sincerely. You did your part in dealing with those terrorists, now we'll do ours." The Senator nods.
"Are you still going forward with resetting the borders?" Sam asks.
"Our peacekeeping troops will begin relocating people soon. The terrorists only set us back a bit."
Sam shakes his head. "You have to stop calling them terrorists."
"What else would we call them?"
"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?" Sam asks.
"Those settlements that happened five years ago, do you think it is fair for governments to have to support them?"
"Yes." Sam nods.
"And the people who reappeared 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."
"You know what? You're right. 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." He points.
"You don't understand."
Sam scoffs. "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 who are gonna hate me for it. Even now, here... 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 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 borders! You can knock down a forest with an email, you can feed a million people with a phone call. But the question is, who's in the room when you make those decisions? Hmm? Is it the people you're gonna impact? Or is it just more people like you? I mean, this girl died trying to stop you, and no one has stopped for one second to ask why. You've gotta do better, Senator. You've 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? 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?" Sam shakes his head and walks over to Bucky and I.
"Sorry, I was, uh, I was texting and so, all I heard was, um, a Black guy in stars and stripes." Bucky says, making Sam laugh. "Nice job, Cap."
"Thanks."
"Sam....I'm so proud of you." I smile and pull him in, giving him a big hug. I lean up to whisper in his ear, "If you give that shield away again....I'll break all your bones."
"Wow...that's violent." Sam chuckles. Both men keep an arm around me, pulling away as we notice Sharon. "Sharon?"
"Blocking my light."
Sam shakes his head. "We gotta get you to a hospital."
"She's not gonna listen." I tilt my head.
"It's not the worst thing that's happened to me all week."
"Told you." I smile.
"Uh, Cap?" A man says from behind us.
"I think he's talking to you. Look, I'm sorry for how things ended down there. For what it's worth, suit looks good on you."
"Thanks." Sam chuckles.
"All right, look, can we get out of here, please?" Bucky asks.
"I didn't forget my promise." Sam points, walking off as Bucky and I hold onto Sharon.
I run my head again and look up at Bucky, "I think I have a concussion."
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Hey guys, I'm sorry this took forever, it's not the best chapter.
What would you guys like to see in the ending with Bucky?