Captain's Hart and Soul

Chapter 10 Sokovia

The whole team met for a final meeting in the quinjet right before they left for Sokovia.

Clint and Arianna finished prepping the jet as the team took their seats and Steve began seriously: "Ultron knows we're coming. Odds are we'll be riding into heavy fire, and that's what we signed up for."

He looked at each of them as he continued: "But the people of Sokovia, they didn't. So our priority is getting them out."

He looked at the Maximoffs. The plan was for the untrained pair to focus on helping the citizens get out safely first. It would still be no easy task, and Arianna also watched the young pair with concern as Wanda bowed her head while Pietro nodded.

Steve continued as he looked at the team at large: "All they want is to live their lives in peace, and that's not going to happen today. But we can do our best to protect them."

He looked at each member of his team as he said firmly: "And we can get the job done, and find out what Ultron's been building."

He looked at Thor, who straightened.

"We find Romanoff," he looked at Bruce, "and we clear the field."

He looked at Clint and Arianna, who nodded.

"Keep the fight between us." Steve looked at Vision.

Vision bowed his head thoughtfully, while Steve paused.

He finished quietly as he looked at Tony: "Ultron thinks we're monsters and we're what's wrong with the world."

Tony met Steve's eyes, and mutual understanding passed between them as Steve murmured: "This isn't just about beating him. It's about whether he's right."

Tony nodded, his face set with determination. Arianna moved to stand beside her boyfriend, and Steve took her hand as the meeting adjourned. The others quietly turned away, preparing themselves mentally for the battle that was to come, as Clint fired up the quinjet, and Arianna pressed a kiss to Steve's cheek.

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Arianna stood with Steve by one of the bridges, helping Sokovians hurry out of the city. Wanda was taking care of the other side of the city, influencing her side to walk calmly out. Arianna and Steve's side were panicking a little more but the police force that Pietro had alerted moved about to help the pair keep order amongst those who were panicking.

Thor and Bruce meanwhile had gone to the hidden labs in Strucker's old base, Thor to search for the Vibranium and Bruce to search for Nat. Tony was looking for Ultron, while Clint had disappeared into the city to stakeout somewhere amongst the roofs. Arianna guessed he would probably keep close to Wanda, since it was likely Wanda would be in the centre of the living quarters in order to reach as many civilians as possible.

Vision was combing the city for any civilians, and Pietro would join him soon. Arianna's nerves and muscles were pulled tight as she and Steve moved about, helping civilians while continually scanning the area, waiting. It would only be a matter of time before Ultron's soldiers came after them.

The sun was beginning to rise when Arianna tensed as she spotted movement around the edges of the city. Small figures began to climb out of rivers and bursting out of rocks and roads, heading up towards the city, and she saw it was hundreds of Ultron's robots. She called sharply: "Steve!"

He turned to look as Arianna began hurrying the civilians to go.

"Run, come on!" She urged as she led people quickly off the bridge and towards cover.

Steve joined her, urging as the robots took the skies and began to zoom about, firing into the streets. He shouted at people urgently: "Go!"

A robot landed with a crash onto a car behind Steve and began blasting at him. Steve quickly used his shield to take it out, while Arianna hurried over as the last of the civilians hurried under cover. She drew her pulse long-knives as more robots began landing on the bridge, activating the knives as she jumped onto a robot.