INNER DEMONS ▹ B. BARNES [slow updates]

eleven.

"Karli!" Sam yelled once they arrived at the North Plaza after the men changed into their uniforms. She showed herself on the second floor, and they took the stairs to join her. "You called my sister? That's how you're gonna play this?" He demanded.

"I would never hurt her. I wanted to understand you better. I see you didn't come alone," she nodded at Bucky and Lorna, who kept their distance.

"You have to end this now."

"I don't wanna hurt you. You're just a tool in the regimes I want to destroy. You're not hiding behind a shield. If I were to kill you, it'd be meaningless." Sam eyed Bucky and Lorna before looking back at Karli. "I was gonna ask you to join me. Or do the world a favor and let me go."

"Hey, Sam," Sharon's voice came from Sam's com. "New Cap is moving. It looks like he's found them, or maybe they found him."

"It's Walker," Sam informed Bucky and Lorna. The former HYDRA jumped from the second floor but got kicked by Karli, hitting his back against the concrete. Sam joined them on the ground floor and intercepted the girl, taking her down. He turned to Bucky. "I'll send you the location. Go! Lori, with me!"

Bucky took off while Lorna and Sam flew to where Sharon had tracked John. The first thing they witnessed when arriving was Walker throwing a Flag Smasher member into a wall and twisting a metal pipe with his bare hands.

"What'd you do?" Sam asked Walker in astonishment after the Flag Smasher ran.

"They got Lemar," Walked informed before dashing after the Flag Smasher, who escaped. Sam was about to go after him, but Lorna grabbed his arm to halt his steps. Her hazel eyes pierced into his brown ones.

"Walker took the serum. Be careful."

"How do you know that?" He frowned in confusion.

Lorna gave him a look. "Have you just seen what he did?"

"Okay, I'll be careful. Now, let's go!"

They joined John in the other room, where they got attacked by other Flag Smashers. John used the shield to hit his opponents, while Sam relied on his EXO-7 Falcon wings. Lorna used her powers to take control of the knives one of her opponents had and used them to cut through his body and incapacitate him.

Soon after, Bucky joined them.

At some point, one of the Flag Smashers grabbed Lorna from behind and used his strength to lift her from the floor. She grunted in pain but quickly recovered, kicking his chin with her Vibranium-toe boots. Once her captor released her, she round-kicked him on the side of the head, knocking him cold.

It didn't take long until Karli joined them. She aimed her attack at John, who got held by another Flag Smasher, but before she could reach him, Battlestar tackled her. Quickly getting back to her feet, she punched him in the chest, sending him flying against a concrete pillar, which cracked under the impact.

The fight stopped, and the room got quiet.

Lemar's body sat on the floor unconsciously. John strode towards his friend and tried to wake him up without success.

Upon noticing that Lemar was dead, the Flag Smashers ran from the scene, and Bucky, Sam, and Lorna dashed after them. Outside, in the public square, they witnessed John standing over a dead Flag Smasher, holding a bloodied shield as he watched with crazy eyes the frightened onlookers.

"Who has blood on their hands now?" Lorna murmured to herself, feeling heartbroken at the stained shield. "He'll pay for it."