Combustion ✦ STEVE ROGERS² [✓]

07 | THE SAFEHOUSE

KATO SAT IN THE CORNER OF THE QUINJET, HER KNEES HUGGED TO HER CHEST AS SHE STARED AT THE FLOOR. Night had fallen, and the jet was flying high through the clouds, cloaked so no one could discover their whereabouts. Luca and the team sat around her, the only ones without glassy looks being him, Clint and Tony. The three men hadn't fallen victim to Wanda's powers. The rest of them had.

The team was shattered. Wanda's powers had hit them all hard. They were a mess, emotionally compromised. Not to mention Luca, Bruce and Tony had nearly destroyed Johannesburg, when Wanda's powers had triggered Bruce into turning into the Hulk. In short, the track record of the Avengers was as damaged as the Avengers themselves.

Kato did her best to stay far away from Steve, instead sitting next to Luca and resting her head on his shoulder. She had since changed out of her suit and into a tank top and jeans, with gauze wrapped around her shoulder to protect the stab wound there. But despite the dull, throbbing pain in her shoulder, Kato's dream still haunted her. The fact that both Steve and Luca had been killed, and she hadn't been able to save them... it hit her hard. And then there was Paz and Tony, accusing her of choosing one family over the other. It also hit her hard. Because deep down, Kato knew that one day, she might have to actually make that choice.

"The news is loving you guys," Hill was saying to Tony via a computer screen, catching Kato's attention. "Nobody else is. There's been no official call for Banner's arrest, but it's in the air."

"The Stark Relief Foundation?" Tony asked.

"Already on the scene," Hill replied. "How's the team?"

Tony swallowed. "Everyone's..." He sighed. "We took a hit. We'll shake it off."

"Well, for now, I'd stay in stealth mode and stay away from here," Hill told him.

"So, run and hide?"

"Until we can find Ultron, I..." Hill sighed. "I don't have a lot else to offer."

Tony sighed as well. "Neither do we." And with that, he switched the monitor off.

Kato scooted closer to Luca and bit her lip. She felt so numb inside. But that dream was proof that she couldn't be with Steve. Because if VICE really did find her after all this time, then they'd find out how much he meant to her, and then he'd be dead. And it would be her fault.

Tony walked over to Clint as he piloted the jet, his voice catching Kato's attention.

"Hey, you wanna switch out?" Tony asked.

"No, I'm good," Clint replied. "If you wanna get some kip, now's a good time, because we're still a few hours out."

"A few hours from... where?" Tony asked.

"A safe house."

That was enough for Kato. After the day she'd had, she definitely needed rest. So she leaned into Luca's side, and within minutes she was fast asleep.