Rumors and Ghosts

ii. accords are given

Sam was still chasing the other mercenaries. Sam flew up and took out his two, then searched their bags for the payload before saying, "He doesn't have it. I'm empty." Natasha was chasing the soldiers through the crowd.

"Out of the way!" Natasha ordered as she tackled one soldier and engaged him in combat. When the other soldier arrived, Natasha hurled a basket at him to distract him. She used her skills to fight them and ended up face-to-face with one soldier. They pointed their guns at each other. A moment passed. Then, the other soldier produced the vial.

"Drop it," mercenary one demanded. "Or I'll drop this. Drop it!"

"He'll do it!" mercenary two cried. Redwing descended and fired at the soldier with the vial. He dropped, and in the moment of distraction, Natasha fired at the other soldier, then caught the falling vial.

"Payload secure," Natasha said. "Thanks, Sam."

"Don't thank me," Sam replied.

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

"His name is Redwing."

"I'm still not thanking it."

"He's cute. Go ahead, pet him."

Steve and Rumlow were still fighting, neither one seeming to have the upper hand.

"Come on!" Rumlow cried as he pinned Steve to a building and extended a blade from one of his gauntlets. "This is for dropping a building on my face."

Steve grabbed Rumlow's arm and pulled the gauntlet off, only for Rumlow to reveal another knife. Steve bested him. Defeated and on his knees, Rumlow removed his mask, revealing a scarred face.

"I think I look pretty good, all things considered," Rumlow said.

Steve asked, "Who's your buyer?"

"You know, he knew you. Your friend, your pal, your Bucky."

"What did you say?"

"He remembered you and your friend. I was there. He got all weepy about it. Till they put his brain back in a blender. He wanted you and your friend to know something. He said to me, "Please tell Rogers and Anastasia. When you gotta go, you gotta go." And you're coming with me." He activated his bomb vest and Steve flinched as Rumlow's armor ignited, but Wanda kept the blast contained around Rumlow who grimaced in agony. She lifted him into the air before she lost control, and the explosion finally blossomed, devastating entire floors of a nearby office building. Wanda saw what happened and was scarred by it.

"Oh my..." Steve began as he stared up. "Sam... We need... Fire and Rescue... on the south side of the building. We gotta get up there."

AVENGERS COMPOUND

Steve caught Wanda watching a news report on the Lagos attack and how they blamed her for it.

News Anchor #1 said, "11 Wakandans were among those killed during a confrontation between the Avengers and a group of mercenaries in Lagos, Nigeria, last month. The traditionally reclusive Wakandans were on an outreach mission in Lagos when the attack occurred."

King T'Chaka spoke. "Our people's blood is spilled on foreign soil. Not only because of the actions of criminals, but by the indifference of those pledged to stop them. Victory at the expense of the innocent, is no victory at all."

"The Wakanda king went on to..." Steve, who was watching the news, turned the computer off, but sound drifted towards him from another room.

News anchor #2 said, "They are operating outside and above the international law. Because that's the reality, if we don't respond to acts like these." Wanda is sitting on her bed, watching the news on her TV. "What legal authority does an enhanced individual like Wanda Maximoff have to operate in Nigeri-" The TV turned off. Steve set the remote down and leaned on the door frame.