VI. GOODBYES ARE FOR TRAITORS
__________
The Leipzig-Halle airport was empty of people as Luna walked beside her team onto the runway, all of them suited up. Their plan had been put in motion when they had landed on the north runway and Spider-Man had hidden away for his dramatic entrance. Once they approached the parking lot they knew Cap and his team would be at, they split up.
"Dies ist eine Notsituation. Alle Passagiere müssen den Flughafen sofort evakuieren," the message repeated itself one last time over the intercom, making sure all citizens were safe from harm of the combat that was to come, but Luna was sure it also alerted Steve to their presence.
Walking in long, determined strides through an underpass was Steve Rogers, the man they were there to apprehend. He was headed for a grounded chopper. Tony noticed and, as if he were prepared for this exact situation, shot an electro-disabler onto the chopper. Tony and Rhodey descended from the sky in their Ironman and War Machine suits with a clank of metal on stone.
"Wow, it's so weird how you run into people at the airport. Don't you think that's weird?" Tony asked Rhodey as his helmet was pulled back into his suit to reveal his face.
"Definitely weird," Luna overheard Rhodey reply through her earpiece as she watched from a distance.
Hidden behind a wall were her, Peter, Natasha and T'Challa waiting for their cue.
"Hear me out, Tony," Steve began. "That doctor, the psychiatrist, he's behind all of this."
T'Challa went out of their hiding place, despite the displeased grumbles of Luna trying to hold him back and flipped over a truck, landing cat-like on the ground. He stood up with a nod. "Captain."
"Your Highness," Steve returned.
"Goddamnit," Luna muttered. "Nobody keeps to the plan anymore these days." Then, realizing what she just said, looked at her hands, "I'm turning into Nick..."
"Anyway," Tony pulled the attention back to himself. "Anyway, Ross gave me 36 hours to bring you in. That was 24 hours ago. Can you help a brother out?"
"You're after the wrong guy."
"Funny, that's what Carter said. Thing is, she had the sense to realize Barnes is far from innocent." Tony said. "Your judgment is askew, Cap. Your old war buddy killed people long before you knew he was alive, innocent people. He's dangerous, a liability."
Steve shook his head and replied, "And there are five more super soldiers just like him. I can't let the doctor find them first, Tony. I can't."
"That's my cue..." Natasha said, a melancholy meaning behind her words. She walked onto the airport's parking space, surrounded with cars and trucks, and stood behind Steve. "Steve..." she said, startling him as he turned around to face her. "You know what's about to happen. Do you really wanna punch your way out of this one?"
"All right, I've run out of patience," Tony said loudly. "Underoos!" he called out.
Luna bumped Peter's shoulder, who was pulling his mask on. "That's your cue, kiddo. Be careful."
"I will, ma—Luna," he replied and swung into the field. He shot out another web, connecting to Steve's shield, pulling it out of the Captain's hand and then another, webbing his hands together before landing smoothly on top of a truck.
"Nice job, kid," Tony praised.
"Thanks," Peter's voice rang awkwardly through the airport. "Well, I could've stuck the landing a little better. It's just, the new suit—well, it's nothing, Mr. Stark," he stuttered nervously. "It's—It's perfect. Thank you."
"Yeah, we don't really need to start a conversation."
"Okay. Cap—Captain. Big fan, I'm Spider-Man."
Luna, silently and painfully, wondered if she was like this when she was fifteen.
"Yeah, we'll talk about it later. Just—"
"Hey, everyone!"
"Peter, stop talking," Luna quickly said over their comm system. She visibly noticed Peter shutting up.
"You've been busy," Steve noted dryly.
"And you've been a complete idiot," Tony retorted sharply. "Dragging in Clint from his peaceful retirement, away from his family, his kids, for something that's got nothing to do with him."
"'Rescuing' Wanda and Pietro!" Luna called out, her words echoing, as she walked beside Natasha. "From a place they didn't wanna leave in the first place, a safe place. Sorry Tony," she glanced at him quickly, "got bored waiting for my cue." She stepped forward. "Don't you get it, Steve? We don't want to do this. But you're really making it hard to do nothing."
"We're trying—" Tony said, cutting himself off before his voice could break. "I'm trying to keep you from tearing the Avengers apart."
"You did that when you signed."
Luna sighed and stepped backward, feeling thankful for the caring hand Natasha put on her shoulder. She knew how difficult this was, not only for her, but for Natasha as well. Hell, this was hard for everybody. Luna couldn't even imagine that Steve would feel like he did the absolute right thing if he looked back on this in retrospect. And if he did... Luna didn't want to imagine that Steve cared that little about them, about her.
He was blindsided, going down a dark tunnel and imagining a light at the end of the line where he comes out on top, with his best friend. Barnes was the only thing Steve had from his old life and Luna could not imagine him giving up without a fight. Still, Luna could not blame him for not signing the Accords, especially with how much she had doubted her own decision over the past couple days.
"Alright, We're done," Tony said quietly, not even trying to hide the pain on his face. "You're gonna turn Barnes over, you're gonna come with us. Now!" he exclaimed. "Because it's us!" He motioned his hand to Natasha and Luna. "Or a squad of J-SOC guys with no compunction about being impolite." He added in a whisper, "come on..."
The hairs on the back of Luna's neck stood up as she felt something... a feeling so familiar at the edge of her mind... something high up. Her eyes followed her instinct toward somewhere inside the building opposite them. Green met blue.
In her moment of distraction, a split-second of her heart speeding up, Clint Barton had released an arrow from his bow from where he stood beside Wanda and Pietro. The arrow soared straight for Steve. He held his webbed up hands in the air and the arrow cut it clean in half, freeing Steve's hands.
Luna was shaken out of her trance when, seemingly out of nowhere, a man grew and grew to a regular size and grabbed Cap's shield out of Peter's hand, handing it back to its owner.
"Wait—what the fuck? What the hell was that!" Luna yelled at the same time as Rhodey.
"Oh, great," Tony mumbled over the comms. "Alright, there's three on the parking deck. Clint and the twins. Nat and I will go."
"Tony, I nee—"
"Absolutely not, Carter, you go after the other twin. None of us are a match for his speed."
Luna accepted with a grumble.
"Got two in the terminal. Wilson and Barnes."
"Barnes and I are evenly matched. I will get him," T'Challa said, beginning to take off.
"T'Challa," Luna said warningly. "Don't be reckless."
T'Challa kept silent and took off. Steve followed after him without a second thought.
"Hey, Mr. Stark, what should I do?" Peter asked awkwardly.
"What we discussed," he replied, and Luna could feel the eyeroll under his helmet. "Keep your distance. Web 'em up."
"Okay, copy that!" the kid replied and swung away with surprising agility.
"Still creeps me out..." Luna shuddered as she saw him crawling across the windows. "Tony..." she said carefully. "Just... try not to hurt her?"
Tony activated his rockets and flew off through the airport.
A whoosh blasted past Luna. Stumbling back, she found herself caught by surprise by the speedster for the first time in a really long time. She planted her feet on the ground and felt the vibrations of fast footsteps through her legs, getting louder and harsher. Just in time, she punched out and grabbed Pietro by the collar, lifting him into the air with the momentum and pushed him to the ground. He hit the concrete loudly, a rough breath coming from his lungs, trying to get air back in them. Looking at the pained expression on Pietro's face, which had grown a short stubble since last she saw him, Luna was startled.
This is your best friend. Why are you fighting him?
She caught sight of Captain America and the Black Panther exchanging harsh, quick blows and was immediately reminded: She signed the Accords. This was her duty.
You didn't sign up to beat up your friends. When have you ever cared about duty?
Shut up, Luna thought. They're defending Barnes.
Bucky's innocent.
No. This is what Peggy would've wanted, she thought, Sharon's speech repeating in her mind.
Luna pressed down harder on Pietro's chest, feeling his rattling breaths. "Stay down, Pietro."
Pietro opened his eyes. Blue met blue. In Luna's distraction, he managed to grasp her wrist and flip them, putting Luna to the ground, a knee on her stomach to restrain her.
"No, you stay down. It is not too late to change your mind, Luna," he said gruffly, his pale hair falling in his face.
"You don't understand—"
"No!" Pietro snarled, surprised by his own tone. "You do not understand! After everything we have been through—how could you sign—" he couldn't finish his sentence, because from a little ways away, an explosion reached above rows of cars.
Luna realized that was where Tony had flown off to. Pietro had a similar insight.
"Wanda," they both said at the same time. In a flash, Pietro was gone. Luna followed, running with the wind in her back.
Wanda stood in the middle of the parking lot, Clint at her side with an arrow knocked in his bow. Tony flew above them, his blaster raised.
"Wanda, I think you hurt Vision's feelings," Tony said as Luna arrived, just behind Pietro.
"You had him baby-sitting me," Wanda replied.
"Okay, first," he said, "that's an exaggeration. Second, I wanted to keep you at the compound, Carter's the one who came up with the compromise."
Wanda didn't acknowledge that Luna was there.
"Clint," Luna said, walking closer. "Retirement not for you? Tired of shooting golf?"
"Well, I played 18, shot 18." He looked at Tony. "Can't seem to miss." He drew his arrow back and released it. The arrow flew just past Tony, who quickly blasted it out of the air.
"Well, first time for everything," Tony quipped.
Luna frowned at the smug look on Clint's face. "Made you look," he said.
Wanda's hands were wrapped in red energy as she pulled cars out of the parking garage behind them.
"Jesus—" Luna yelled as she threw a car out of the way. Turning around, she began running toward Wanda. But she had forgotten that Pietro was still there, as he knocked her across the pavement. Behind her more cars were crashing down and she was pretty sure Tony had gotten buried beneath them. When Luna finally stopped rolling, Clint, Wanda and Pietro were gone.
"Carter, get here, now," she heard Tony say through her earpiece.
"Alright, calm down," she grunted as she picked herself up and quickly located Tony and Natasha.
"Guys," she exclaimed as she ran up to the two. "This ain't working. You got a plan?"
Tony shrugged, for as much as he could in his suit. "Well, my plan was go easy on them, wanna switch it up?"
Luna sighed. "Not really."
"We don't have a choice," Natasha said.
"Yeah? I'm getting pretty tired of people telling me I don't have a choice."
"Let's go."
Regrouping with their team and checking everybody for injuries, they quickly went back to work. Steve and the rest had spotted their ride and were making a beeline for them. Vision was first, disrupting their way with an energy laser from the stone in his forehead.
"Captain Rogers," he said. "I know you believe what you're doing is right," the rest of the team walked or flew beneath him, blocking Steve's way. "but for the collective good, you must surrender now."
It was quiet. Like a calm before the storm, only the calm itself was a raging fire. Luna stared at Wanda and in her mind, as if the girl could hear her, she thought; 'Come on, Wanda, please... Don't make me do this... I love you.' And for a split second, Wanda returned her gaze.
Then, Steve and his team came charging at them.
It started with walking, then a slow jog.
"They're not stopping," Peter said.
"Neither are we," Tony replied, not sounding too happy about it himself.
Both sides began running and in seconds, the war broke out. Tony went for Cap, T'Challa for Bucky. Natasha and Clint, people who had been friends for years, went toe to toe. Peter was going after Sam in the air, but he didn't stand that much of a chance without being able to swing from building to building. Pietro was everywhere at once, running people over and stopping incoming attacks. Vision flew above the fight, trying to spot Pietro and take him down. Tony and Rhodey were in the air as well, going after Sam as Peter backed off, instead going for a ground fight against Cap.
Wanda was easy to spot, Luna found, her magic rolling from the battlefield in waves. Creeping up behind her, Luna swept Wanda's leg , tripping her before quickly pinning her arms to the ground.
"Not that impressive if you can't use your magic, eh witchy?" she said.
Wanda glared as she pushed back against Luna's grip. In less than a second, Wanda kicked Luna off her, putting some distance between them, "I wouldn't say that." She held out her hand and the energy flowed from it, warping around Luna's legs, pulling her into the air.
Then it disappeared and she began falling. Bending the air beneath her, Luna was able to soften the fall. She stood back up and somersaulted forward, bending the air along her leg and pushing it to Wanda. She landed harshly and sent trembles through the earth, encasing Wanda's legs in rock. Immediately, the rock exploded into pieces. Wanda ran forward, throwing a regular punch.
"Want a rematch, I see?" Luna said, dodging it.
"No," Wanda replied as she caught the counter-punch. Her hand slowly went up to Luna's head. Red began flowing from her finger tips. "Just a distraction."
"Oh, no you don't—" Luna muttered, headbutting Wanda.
Wanda stumbled back, catching her throbbing nose.
Luna swiftly followed up as she pulled the water from her flask, freezing Wanda's arms to her side. But Wanda didn't look defeated. She was smirking as she looked behind Luna.
A strong arm wrapped around her throat as another held her head in place. "Didn't see that coming?" Pietro whispered.
In between breaths, Luna was able to mutter, "bitch..." before she was thrown forward onto the ground, her vision getting a little too blurry for her taste. Pietro was gone as quick as he arrived but in her state of trying to get enough oxygen back into her lungs, Wanda kneeled in front of her, holding her palm to Luna's cheek.
"I heard you," she said. "You were wrong. Don't make me do this to you. Give up, Luna."
Luna had recovered, but looking into Wanda's eyes she still felt incapacitated. She placed her hand over Wanda's. "I—I'm sorry..." she said quietly. She gripped Wanda's hand and pulled her up before throwing her over her shoulder and harshly onto the ground.
"Holy shit!" Peter yelled over the comms. Luna quickly scanned the field and immediately saw what he was talking about. The small guy Cap had recruited was now a hundred times bigger and holding Rhodey in his grasp. With one last look back at Wanda, who refused to look at her, she bend the ground beneath her ran away towards the fight.
"Okay," Rhodey's distressed voice said, "tiny dude is big now. He's big now."
"Tony, what's the sitch?" Luna asked.
"It's a distraction," he replied. "Find out were Cap and his buddy went off to. We got this."
"Copy that." The jet, Luna thought, pulling up the map of the airport in her mind. That's where they're headed. Taking off in a jog, Natasha joined her side. "This is getting out of hand."
Natasha sighed. "I know."
They got there before Steve and Bucky ran in, escaping narrowly from Vision coming after them, the entrance blocked off by falling debris behind them.
"Guess it's a standoff, then," Luna said and turned to Bucky. "Hey, we haven't formally met yet. I'm Luna."
He nodded carefully. "You're Peggy's grandkid. I'm Bucky."
"You're not gonna stop," Natasha stated.
Cap shrugged heavily. "You know I can't."
"I'm gonna regret this," she said and held up her arms, her Black Widow-bites lighting up. That's when Luna caught T'Challa crawling through the debris behind the two.
"Sorry," she said as Natasha shot him, the electric shock sending him to his knees.
Steve looked at them, his eyes widening.
"Go."
"Before we change our minds."
They nodded, speeding past them onto the jet.
T'Challa stood back up, not giving up. Natasha shot another Black Widow-bite.
"T'Challa," Luna said, walking closer. "This has gone too far. It's over."
He stood up fully, but made no move as the jet took off.
"Said I'd help you find him, not catch him." Natasha shrugged. "There's a difference."
Natasha and Luna stepped out of the building. The fighting had stopped as the jet flew away, the tension remained. Luna's eyes immediately went to Wanda, who was on the ground, Pietro by her side. 'I'm sorry,' she thought. Wanda caught her eye again. After a taut second, she nodded.
While the fight on the ground was dying down, a chase had begun in the air. Rhodey was flying after the jet, Tony close behind him. Sam was on their heels.
"Vision, I got a bandit on my six," Rhodey said. Just then, Sam send out multiple tiny rockets, blowing them up in front of Rhodey. The War Machine shook in the air, trying to regain his balance. "Vision, you copy?"
Vision stood alone, his eyes scanning the sky, calculating.
"Target his thruster, turn him into a glider."
The mind stone lit up and a beam went out from Vision's forehead, heading straight for Sam. Only he ducked out of the way, just in time. The beam didn't stop. It kept going, hitting Rhodey's chest, taking out his arch-reactor. And without it... well, he began plummeting to the ground.
Luna gasped. Everyone gasped, staring at the sight. Both Sam and Tony abandoned the jet, going to save Rhodey.
"Tony, I'm flying dead stick—" Rhodey gasped, his voice cracking.
Luna gathered the air around her, pushing herself through the air, racing to ease the man's fall. But it was far, and she wasn't fast enough.
"Rhodes!" Tony screamed, his thrusters working overtime.
Rhodey crashed on the grass, dirt sprayed around him. Tony held him in the crater. He wasn't dead, but he wasn't okay either.
• • •
All of them were back at the compound. Rhodey was taken to the medical wing. For the first time in days, the turmoil in Luna's stomach was fading, but not gone. Steve and Bucky were still gone, Wanda, Pietro, Clint, Scott Lang and Sam were taken into custody. Luna had no idea where they would be able to hold someone as powerful as Wanda and thinking any longer about her locked up in a cell made her sick.
Luna and Natasha found Tony in the med-wing, staring out over a balcony.
"The doctors say he shattered L4 through S1," Tony said as they quietly stood beside him. "Extreme laceration to the spinal cord. Probably looking at some sort of paralysis..."
It's a miracle he's alive, Luna thought.
"Steve's not gonna stop," Natasha said. "If you don't either, Rhodey's gonna be the best case scenario."
Tony turned, looking at them both. "You let them go."
"We played this wrong," Natasha began.
"So we made a choice," Luna added.
"'We'," Tony chuckled humorlessly. "Boy, it must be hard to shake the whole double-life thing you guys had going on. It's in your guys' DNA."
"You know what your sin is, Tony?" Luna asked. "Pride. You get an idea and won't hear anything else from anybody."
"Are you really incapable of letting go of your ego—your pride—for one goddamn second?" Natasha asked.
Tony averted his gaze, licking his lip. "T'Challa told Ross what you guys did. Know it must hurt coming from a friend like that," he said, looking at Luna accusingly. "So... they're coming for you."
Natasha held her chin up and replied. "We're not the ones that need to watch their back." She nodded for Luna to follow her as she walked away.
Luna sighed, carefully putting a hand on Tony's shoulder. "I'm sorry. About Rhodey," she whispered and followed Natasha out.
"We need to hide, Nat," Luna said as soon as her and Nat were in a car out of the compound.
"I know a few places. Won't last us long."
"Nat," Luna began carefully. "We need to go by my place real quick."
"Luna, they've probably already set up surveillance there—"
"I know, I know," she interrupted. "There's something I need to get. You can just drop me off a block away and I'll meet up with you later. I... I've got shit to do that you don't wanna be a part of." She turned her head to the woman in the drivers seat. "Completely unrelated, where would Ross send Wanda and the rest?"
Natasha's head swiveled to Luna. "I know better than to talk you out of whatever you've got brewing in that insane mind of yours."
"Thank you?"
"The Raft," she answered. "It's an underwater prison made for enhanced individuals who break the law."
Luna scoffed. "How long's that been a thing? Why don't I know about it?"
"Because it's classified. Ross is in charge of it, had it built a few years ago. After New York."
"Alright. Just send me the coordinates if you can. You can drop me off right here, by the way."
Natasha sighed as she turned the radio off. "Luna. I don't need to tell you to be careful, but be careful. The Raft is no joke, almost impenetrable."
"Well, it hasn't met The Avatar yet."
Natasha pulled up at the side of the road and Luna stepped out, watching as the car drove further away from her. From where she stood she could already see her apartment complex, but no obvious surveillance. She knew better than to think she was in the clear. Gathering all of the spy-skills Natasha had taught her, she snuck through alleyways and across rooftops until she landed softly on her own balcony.
"Spencer?" she whispered, looking around for the spider that lived there. He didn't reveal himself. Luna got out her key and quickly went inside.
The apartment was dark and messy. Nostalgia churned in her stomach as she looked at the couch where Pietro used to watch stupid cartoons and Wanda used to turn on her incessant sitcoms. Luna hated sitcoms, but she'd watch them with Wanda. Shaking off the uneasy feeling, she made her way to her bedroom. There, on the bed, lay the file she had gotten from Fury. Her parents' file. Grabbing a bag, she gathered up some spare clothes and her glider. Lastly, she put the file in there. Stuffing her daggers in her boots, she opened her front door to leave.
Someone stood in her way.
"Steve," Luna breathed out, pulling him roughly inside before checking the hallways for a tail. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Could ask the same of you," he said.
"Never mind," she replied before embracing the man. "God, I'm sorry Steve. I—I thought what I was doing was right, but—" her voice cracked.
Steve hugged her back. "We're all doing what we think is right... I made sure Tony knew that I'm still here for you guys."
She let go. "What happened?"
"We did it. Zemo is in custody. But... Tony found out that—that Bucky killed his parents," he said, a pained look on his face.
"Oh..." Luna muttered. "Under HYDRA control?" Steve nodded. "I'm assuming he didn't take it well?" Steve shook his head. "Fuck." She shook her head, gripping her backpack tightly.
"Going somewhere?" he asked.
"The Raft," she confessed, finding no use in lying to him. "I'm getting Wanda and the rest out of there. I'm righting my wrongs."
"Good," he responded. "Guess we're going the same way, then."
Luna looked up at him, a cautious smile growing on her lips.