Soldier Boy

Lagos

LAGOS

"All right, what do you see?" Steve asked Wanda as we both looked out the window of the small apartment. We were both wearing our suits.

"Standard beat cops. Small station. Quiet street. It's a good target." Wanda said.

"There's an ATM on the south corner, which means?" I ask.

"Cameras." She answered.

"Both cross streets are one-way." Steve adds.

"So, compromised escape routes." She says.

"Means our guy doesn't care about being seen. He isn't afraid to make a mess on the way out." Steve says.

"You see that Range Rover halfway up the block?" I asked her.

"Yeah, the red one? It's cute." She says.

"It's also bulletproof, which means private security, which means more guns, which means more headaches for somebody. Probably us." Nat says.

"You guys know I can move things with my mind, right?" Wanda reminded us.

"You're not the only one, hermana menor." I said with a little smile.

"Looking over your shoulder needs to become second nature." Nat tells Wanda.

"Anybody ever tell you you're a little paranoid?" Sam asks Nat.

"Not to my face. Why? Did you hear something?" Nat asked him.

"Eyes on target, folks." Steve said. A car started honking. "This is the best lead we've had on Rumlow in six months. I don't want to lose him." Steve walks away from the window we were at over to the balcony's glass door.

"If he sees us coming, that won't be a problem. He kind of hates us." Sam scoffs. I walked over to Steve and looked out the glass door. People were shouting and cars were honking because a garbage truck wasn't stopping.

"Sam, see that garbage truck?" Steve asks. "Tag it."

"That truck's loaded to max weight. And the driver's armed." Sam said.

"It's a battering ram." Nat said.

"Go now." Steve ordered.

"What?" Wanda asks.

"He's not hitting the police." I said as Steve opened the balcony door. I grabbed his hand and we took off to the 'Institute for Infectious Diseases' building. Once we got there I dropped Steve and he landed on one of the bad guys. I landed as one started shooting at Steve. I used my white wisp to move the truck in front of him to hit him. Steve threw his shield at another as I used my powers again to throw one into the wall.

"Body armor, AR-15s." Steve said into the comm. "We make seven hostiles."

"I make five." Sam says and Wanda flies in. She lands and puts up a shield as she starts getting shot at. She used her scarlet wisp to stop him.

"Sam." She says as she throws the guy into the air where Sam flies in and knocks him out with his wings.

"Four." Sam says. "Rumlow's on the third floor."

"Wanda, just like we practiced." Steve says.

"What about the gas?" She asks.

"You and Mason get it out." He said. He hops onto a car and Wanda uses her powers to carry him to the third floor window. Once he was inside I turned to Wanda.

"You get it out of the building. I will get it further into the air." I said. She nods. Wanda started pulling the greenish yellow gas out of the building, making all the glass shatter. I flew into the air and pulled the gas with me.

"Rumlow has a biological weapon." Steve says.

"I'm on it." Nat says. About a minute later I heard an explosion. Seconds later a few more followed.

"Sam." Steve groaned. "He's in an AFV heading north."

"I've got four, they're splitting up." Sam said.

"I got the two on the left." Nat said.

"They ditched the gear. It's a shell game now. One of them has the payload." Steve said.

"He doesn't have it. I'm empty!" Sam reports. Wanda and I finally got the gas safely out. I landed next to her.

"Good job." I smiled.

"Thank you." She smiled back.

"Come on. They need our help." I said. We both flew north.

"Payload secure. Thanks Sam." Nat says.

"Don't thank me." Sam said.

"I'm not thanking that thing." Nat said.

"He's name is Redwing." Sam told her.

"I'm still not thanking it." Nat told him.

"He's cute. Go ahead, pet him." I got there first and landed a few steps away from Steve as he stood in front of Rumlow who was on his knees and had his mask off.

"I think I look pretty good, all things considered." Rumlow says. He looks over at me. "Still a 'no' on a second date?"

"Who's your buyer?" Steve asks as he grips onto him tighter.

"You know, he knew you. Your pal, your buddy, your Bucky." Rumlow says. This makes Steve lose focus.

"What did you say?" Steve asks.

"He remembered you. I was there. He got all weepy about it. Till they put his brain back in a blender." Rumlow told him. "He wanted you to know something. He said to me...'Please tell Rogers. When you gotta go, you gotta go.' And you're coming with me." He showed a bomb detonator. He clicked it and as he exploded Wanda and I held it back. Rumlow was screaming. I looked over at Wanda.

"Up!" I yelled and We motioned our hands up and sent Rumlow into the air. He was too close to the building. "Wait!" Before I could move him away, we lost our hold on him and he blew up and took the south side of the building with him. I gasped. This is what I was afraid of.

"Oh,my...Sam, we need...Fire and Rescue on the south side of the building." Steve said. I quickly ran towards the building. "We gotta get up there." Sam and Nat took Wanda back to the compound as Steve and I stayed to help. I used my powers to move debris so the Fire and Rescue can get everyone. Once everyone was out and the building was being secured, I started healing as many people as I could. After I healed the last of the survivors I sat down on the steps. I closed my eyes and held my head in my hands. My eyes started to water. I heard heavy footsteps walking towards me. Steve.

"Mason." Steve said softly. I sniffed as I looked at him. He was kneeling in front of me. "Time to go home." I nodded and whipped my tears away. I stood up. We headed to the Quinjet. Steve sat in the pilot seat as I stood in the back of the jet lost in thought. Steve put the jet on autopilot and walked over to me. He didn't say anything. All he did was wrap me in a hug and whispered comforting words to me.