Lingering at the edge of the crowd surrounding the arrivals gate, Betty glanced at her phone, again, looking at the picture of the person she was meeting, before scanning the faces of the people that had just started to emerge through the doorway. She'd have made a sign, but she wanted to draw as little attention to herself as possible. Was that...? No, not him. She pulled her cap down lower over her face and continued her search. Wait...there? She double-checked her phone. It looked like, him, for sure. He was bouncing from foot to foot, surveying the crowd with a nervous excitement, clutching the handle of his wheeled hand luggage so hard his knuckles were white. Here goes nothing, Betty thought as she painted a huge grin on her face, stepped forward a couple of paces and squealed.
"Scotty!!!"
Betty breathed a sigh of relief as the guy's head popped up like a meerkat and stared straight at her as she ran towards him and threw her arms around him.
"I've missed you so much!" She said, a little too loudly.
"I, erm, missed you too?" the stranger stammered, instinctively returning her hug. "Are you Betty?" he whispered in her ear.
"Come on, let's get out of here," she replied, nodding and winking, as she tucked herself under his arm and wound hers across his back, leading him away from the gate.
"Oh my God I feel like a spy. James Bond ain't got nothing on me. The name's Lang, Scott Lang. I'll take a pina colada, whipped not poured. Hold on, do we need a code phrase? The eagle flies over the mountain?"
"Lang, you can let go now," Betty chuckled, extricating herself from under his arm. They were far enough away from the concentration of people. "And we don't need a code phrase."
"Can we have one anyway? 'Cause I feel like that should be part of the whole experience."
"I mean, you can have one, but I won't use it, and no-one will know what you're talkin' about," Betty scoffed.
"They usually don't. So, Betty, what actually is the plan? Can I know the plan? Do I have the clearance level for that? Do I have clearance at all? I mean, I'm good with just tagging along but it'd be nice to know what's happening."
Betty dragged Scott over behind a large pillar and positioned herself so that his height was shielding her from view.
"Look, Scott, I'll let you know what's happenin' in a second, but I just need you to stand there as if we're talkin' and don't move, no matter what."
"We are talking. What's going to happe...hey! Where'd you go?" Scott's mouth dropped open as Betty vanished from sight. "Hey," he whispered, "are you tiny, or just gone?"
Betty reappeared in the locked bathroom stall where she'd stashed her own bag. She unlocked the cubicle and flashed back to Scott, who jumped as she reappeared.
"What did you ask me?"
"I said, were you tiny or just gone?" he repeated.
"Just gone," she smiled.
"Damn, and you don't even need a suit? That's all you?"
"All me," she confirmed with a smile. "Let's walk, we've not got that long before our next flight."
Betty steered them in the right direction, and they passed back through security with no issues, Betty used her teleportation to get her weapons through, and into departures again. As they walked, Lang talked. A lot.
"So, I get this call from The Falcon and I gotta say, I was really not expecting him to call, like ever, 'cause we kinda had to fight and I didn't really think I made a good impression but then he called me and was all like hey Lang, I need you buddy, and sent me the ticket for this flight and said that you were meeting me but I only know your first name and now here we are and we're getting another flight and I don't even know where to." He had to stop speaking for a second to breathe.
Betty gave him a confused look but did her best to answer his...questions? She wasn't sure if he'd actually asked her anything.
"OK, Scott, calm down a little. My full name is Betty Rogers. We're flyin' to Berlin to meet Sam and my brother in Germany."
"Betty Rogers? Nice to meet you." He stuck out his hand and they shook. "Hold on...Rogers, your brother...holy SHIT you're that Betty! Your brother is Captain America? I'm gonna meet Captain America?! This is the best day ever! Who else is coming with us? Is it Black Widow, 'cause she's kinda intimidating if you know what I mean?"
"No we're meeting...Clint!" she was louder at the last, waving her arm towards the man, standing with Wanda near their departure gate.
Clint's face split in a friendly smile but the tightness around his eyes remained evident. Wanda looked up in relief at seeing Betty, but she didn't smile, she looked like she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders. Reaching the pair, Betty set down her bag and introduced Scott.
"Scott Lang, this is Clint Barton and Wanda Maximoff." She kept her voice low, moving her lips as little as she could, just in case.
"Oh my God, you're Hawkeye. I can't believe I'm meeting an Avenger; I mean, meeting Betty was totally awesome and now I'm meeting you? This is so great, I can't wait to tell Cassie and I...I'm shutting up now, sorry." He blushed a little and looked sheepish.
"Is he always like this?" Clint asked Betty, completely ignoring Lang.
"Yeah," Betty said, but her voice was warm.
Clint rolled his eyes and shrugged his bag onto his shoulder. "Come on, they've just started boarding."
They filed onto the plane and took their seats. Clint sat next to a window and proceeded to slip his cap over his eyes, fold his arms, and go to sleep. Scott sat next to Clint and was far too wired to sleep so he ordered pretty much every snack on menu and fixed headphones over his ears, settling down for a movie marathon.
Wanda and Betty were on the row behind, and Betty offered the window seat to the young woman, before taking off her cap and getting comfortable. Wanda nodded her thanks and stared out of the window until they were high above the clouds. She turned to Betty with the analytical expression that often played across her face.
"I know that it's important we do this, and I trust you and your brother. But I would like to know your story, the full story. If that is alright with you?"
Betty turned to Wanda and sighed. "It's a long story."
"It's not like we don't have the time," Wanda smirked.
"I guess you're right," Betty agreed, and took a deep breath, ready to start.
"If...you don't want to talk you could show me instead?" Wanda suggested, almost shyly.
"You can do that?" Betty asked.
"If that's OK with you? For me it's like watching a movie."
"Does it hurt?" Betty said quietly.
"Not physically." Wanda said.
"Well I don't think my heart could hurt any more than it already does," Betty scoffed, "Go ahead."
Betty saw the red glow in Wanda's eyes before she closed them, and Betty followed suit. Just start at the beginning, came Wanda's voice in her head, and Betty began to remember. All of a sudden she was thirteen again, seeing that tousled brown head come bounding through the door with an easy grin...
Betty finished on the memories of the last few days and opened her eyes, blinking rapidly. The cheeks of both women were wet with tears and Wanda's eyes swam with empathy for her friend. There wasn't really anything either of them could say so they both turned to face the seats in front, but Betty was comforted by the feel of another hand in hers and the weight of Wanda's head resting in her shoulder in a show of solidarity.
They picked up a non-descript white van, not from one of the usual hire places, but from one of Clint's contacts, and climbed in. Scott got into the back, lay down across the seats, and proceeded to fall into a deep sleep.
"I...what?" Betty exclaimed incredulously, shaking her head.
There was ample room for the three of them in the cab of the truck. Clint insisted on driving, and Wanda sat in the middle so I can choose the music, she declared, which left Betty next to the window. It was just over two hours drive and Betty leaned her head against the window, her leg jiggling with anxious anticipation for the entire journey.
The van pulled into the carpark at Leipzig airport and Betty had to clench her fists as they waited for Steve and the others to arrive. A blue Volkswagen Beetle pulled up next to the van, leaving a couple of spaces between them and Betty fought the urge to teleport straight over. Almost before the car had stopped moving, she was out of the door and ran over to Steve, launching herself at him. He threw his arms around her, lifting her off the ground, and buried his face in her neck.
"Thankyouthankyouthankyou..." she whispered, over and over, close to tears. She pulled away and scanned his face as he set her back on the ground.
"You all OK?" she said quietly. He nodded and gave her another quick hug. Over his shoulder, she saw Bucky. Her pulse quickened and her breath caught in her throat. His head was bowed, long hair obscuring his face, but still obviously taking everyone in, analysing every possible threat. He looked skittish, nervous to be around strangers. With a nod and a tight smile to Sam, she went around to the other side of the ridiculously small car the three had travelled in, bringing her right up to face Bucky. She almost reached out to him but stopped herself at the last minute and rested her hand on the car near to his instead.
"Hey Bucky." She quietly spoke, hoping he wouldn't detect the tremor in her voice.
"Hey" he replied, lips tilting at the corners slightly, but met her gaze.
"It's good to see you in person for once."
"Yeah, not countin' your magic trick in London."
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Steve stiffen whilst shaking Lang's hand. Shit, he'd heard that. Oops.
"I'm sorry," she blurted out, "for tellin' Steve, I just...I couldn't..."
"There's nothin' to be sorry for. You did the right thing." Bucky continued. "I need to say thanks again for..." he made a circling gesture with his hand, "...all of it."
"Don't" she stopped him, and this time she did reach out and rest her hand on his forearm. "You don't need to thank me for anythin'."
He shook his head. "We should get moving." Then they heard an announcement in German over the loudspeaker.
Bucky turned to Steve "They're evacuating the airport," he translated, as resignation crossed his features.
"Stark." Sam said, arms across his chest.
"Stark?" queried Lang.
Steve got that determined look on his face. "Suit up" he commanded, with a lift of his chin.
Betty didn't need to suit up. She was already wearing her preferred outfit for field ops and, much to Nat's chagrin, it didn't involve a catsuit. A long-sleeved fitted grey t-shirt was paired with black tactical pants, which were themselves tucked into combat boots that came up to her mid-calf. She carried a Smith & Wesson M&P pistol in a thigh holster and had extra ammo and various knives tucked into her belt, boots, and pockets, including her ever-present M3 trench knife. She'd fixed her hair up in a knot on the top of her head to keep it out of the way. She looked more like a field agent than an Avenger, and that's just how she liked it. She'd never been one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes and she didn't want to be. She much preferred to work behind the scenes.
Before they went out onto the airfield the group quickly ran over a plan of action.
"Betty, stick with Bucky and Sam in the terminal. We'll make them think we're after the chopper until we can locate the quinjet. Once we've got the location you get over there, keep it secured and stay out of sight. Get her prepped and ready for the off."
"Gotcha." Betty nodded.
"Bucky and Sam, stay in the terminal and make your way over to Betty in the quinjet as fast as you can."
"How is Betty gonna get over there before us?" Bucky interrupted.
Betty laughed. "Like this," she said as she vanished, reappeared ten feet away, gave them a small wave, vanished again, before reappearing behind Bucky, tapping him on the shoulder. He whipped around to be confronted by her amused face. He raised an eyebrow.
"I can teleport." She said, smugly.
"And you're gonna be able to secure it by yourself because..."
"I can make forcefields" she shrugged.
"What does that even mean?" Bucky looked confused.
Betty glanced at Steve, giving him a do I have time look. He returned a brisk nod.
"Ok Bucky, throw your knife at me."
"What? No!" he looked horrified at the thought.
"Throw the knife Buck. Right here." She patted her chest.
"No! I'm an assassin. I don't...miss." He shook his head and lowered his eyes in shame.
Betty growled in frustration. They didn't have time for this. "Clint?"
Barton whipped out his bow, nocked an arrow and fired it, almost too fast to see. Bucky started towards Betty but stopped when he realised that the arrow had halted before penetrating her chest. It hovered in the air; stuck in an almost invisible barrier that he could only see out of the corner of his eye.
Betty grabbed the arrow and twirled it between her fingers before passing it back to Clint. She raised her eyebrow at Bucky and winked cheekily at him. "We good?" she asked.
Bucky's chest tightened and his stomach flipped but he nodded, impressed. "Handy."
Steve gave directions to the rest of the team. Of course he was going to walk out there by himself to kick everything off. None of them were under any illusions that this was going to end amicably. They were ready to head out. Steve grabbed her in a bear hug, and she kissed his cheek.
"Love you Stevie," she whispered in his ear.
"Love you too Bets" he replied, squeezing her tighter for a moment.
She briefly hugged Clint, and fist-bumped Scott. She was really starting to like the comedic cat-burglar. Turning to Wanda, she drew the younger woman into a hug.
"You've so got this, Wanda." She encouraged. Wanda just smiled tightly, and it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Right," said Steve, with finality. "Let's do this."
Betty, Sam, and Bucky headed on into the terminal at a quick pace. They found a good spot to observe near some of the concession stands and halted so that Sam could release Redwing. After a few moments there was a cheerful beeping from Sam's suit.
"Gotcha" said Sam, before pressing his commlink.
"We found it. The quinjet's in hangar 5, north runway."
"Which direction is that Sammy?" Betty asked.
Sam pointed, laughing. "That way. Go get her, girl."
"See ya later Sam, Bucky." Betty nodded as she flashed out of sight. Bucky stood up and saw her reappear in the distance, far away from the action on the runway, and then disappear again.
"That was...I've never seen that before," said Bucky, crouching back down.
"Man, she's cool. Great girl. A total firecracker. You know she can heal too, right?" Sam gushed. "If she weren't so hung up on y...someone else, I'd ask her out."
"Yeah, firecracker..." mused Bucky, his head tilted as if listening to a faraway voice.
Betty teleported into the hangar and ran into the quinjet, immediately sending out a forcefield to surround it. She slid into the pilot's seat and started the pre-flight checks. The hangar was far enough away from the battling Avengers for her not to worry about being overheard. The holoscreen asked for a security passcode and Betty silently thanked Nat for teaching her how to override it. It took almost six minutes for the jet to be ready for take-off. Over the comm, Betty could hear everything that was going on, from Steve's team at least. It was so testing to listen to the conflict taking place outside of the hangar and not being able to assist. She tried to reassure herself that the task she'd been allocated was critical to the success of Steve and Bucky's mission.
She focussed in on Sam's voice over the comm.
"No, you get to the jet. Both of you. The rest of us aren't getting out of here." What? No, Sam! Don't talk like that! Betty didn't speak for fear of distraction.
Clint's voice chimed in, agreeing with Sam.
"As much as I hate to admit it, if we're gonna win this one, some of us might have to lose it." Betty raised her hand to her mouth and let out a soft gasp, knowing exactly what this would mean for her friends.
"This isn't the real fight, Steve," agreed Sam
Steve's voice then sounded, resigned.
"Alright Sam, what's the play?" Said Steve, sending Betty on hyper-alert.
"We need a diversion," said Sam. "Something big."
"I got something kinda big." Scott offered. "But I can't hold it very long. On my signal, run like hell! And if I tear myself in half, don't come back for me."
Bucky's confused voice sound over the comm. "He's gonna tear himself in half?"
"You sure about this Scott?" asked Steve.
"I do it all the time." Scott sounded glib. "I mean, once. In a lab. Then I passed out."
There was a commotion outside from the airfield that even Betty could hear, along with gasps from the rest of her team.
Steve, being his usual stoic self said, "I guess that's the signal."
"Way to go, Tic Tac!" exclaimed Sam.
Betty took this as her cue to fire up the engine to full, completely ready for take-off. She could hear the battle outside getting closer.
"C'mon, you two, c'mon, c'mon...." she jiggled her leg impatiently.
"Something just flew in me!" exclaimed Scott in disgust.
Betty could just make out Steve and Bucky running at top speed towards the hangar and her heart sped up as she readied her finger near the control to close the quinjet ramp. As the two super soldiers neared the hangar doors, she was distracted by a beam of orange light and a control tower nearby started to disintegrate and collapse towards the hangar. A flash of red surrounded the falling tower and its descent halted as Wanda's power held it suspended.
"You go, girl" whispered Betty, proudly.
Betty watched in horror as Rhodey fired a sonic disruptor towards Wanda, causing her enough pain that she broke her concentration, holding her hands to her ears. The tower began to fall again. Betty let out a howl. Bucky and Steve had been directly underneath the falling structure. She looked up again to see them running free and let out a huge sigh of relief. They'd just made it through only for her to see them halt as Nat appeared in front of them. Where the hell had she come from?! Betty watched as they had a small exchange and Nat raised her arm, pointing her Widow's bites directly at the pair. She fired. T'Challa, who had snuck up behind them, dropped to one knee. Nat fired again as Bucky and Steve made it at full pace onto the jet. Betty wasted no time in closing the hatch behind them and taking off.
"Stevie, what co-ordinates am I programmin' into this bird?" Betty asked as the two men walked unsteadily towards the front of the jet.
"I'll do it Bets, don't worry." Steve offered. Betty nodded and she relinquished the pilot's seat to Steve. He fiddled with the control panel for a moment before increasing the thrusters.
Betty stepped back into the depths of the quinjet and started rifling through the storage containers, checking for supplies and weapons. There was definitely at least one rifle onboard that would be perfect for the trained marksman among them. Bucky had taken a seat behind Steve and buckled himself in. Betty finished her recce of the storage containers and stepped up behind Steve.
"Any injuries Steve?" she asked softly.
"No Bets, only a bit of bruising, honestly." Betty tutted and sent a tendril of her power into him anyway, fixing the bruises internally at least. She dropped a small kiss on the side of his head and squeezed his arm as she turned around to Bucky, who was slouched a little in his seat, head bowed.
"Hey Buck, how're you doin'?" she said, crouching next to him. He didn't say anything, just grunted, avoiding eye contact.
"Sounded like you took a bit of a poundin' out there. Want me to fix it?" she asked, crouching next to him. "It won't hurt."
"I know, I remember." He said curtly, glancing sideways at her.
She rested her hands on his arm and looked at him questioningly. He nodded and so she trickled her power into him, searching and feeling for anything wrong. Her eyes started to glow, and her hands and forearms showed those tracing veins of crystalline light as she let more of her power into him, healing the bruises and cracked bones he'd received in the fight. There were more injuries than he'd outwardly shown signs of. Her friends had pulled their punches with Steve, but it was obvious that they'd not shown the same kindness towards Bucky.
When she felt like she'd healed it all she rose and stretched out her neck. The healing and the forcefield she'd held around the quinjet had taken its toll on her.
"Hey Steve if you don't mind, I'm gonna take a nap and recharge, OK? Forcefields, teleportin', and healin' kinda take it out of a girl," she asked.
"Sure Bets, no problem. We got a couple of hours 'till we reach Siberia" Steve replied.
Digging out a blanket from one of the containers, she wrapped herself up in her seat and was out like a light within 30 seconds of closing her eyes. She awoke as the jet was nearing their destination. She kept her eyes closed and allowed herself to drift on the cushion between sleep and wakefulness. She heard Bucky take a breath and then say to Steve,
"What's going to happen to your friends?"
Steve sighed before replying, "Whatever it is, I'll deal with it."
"I don't know if I'm worth all this Steve." Bucky responded. Not self-pitying, as if he were just stating facts. Betty sat up a little in her seat.
Steve glanced behind at Bucky.
"What you did all those years. It wasn't you." He said, with honest belief. "You didn't have a choice."
"I know." Bucky said, with finality. "But I did it."
Steve looked away but, from across the aisle, Betty slid her fingers into Bucky's hand and squeezed softly. He stilled for a moment then returned the pressure, so gently that she almost missed it, before shifting in his seat and letting go of her hand.