Fall of the Mighty ★ [4] ✔

A Beautiful Contradiction

⏳ 2016   

The practice dummy exploded in a shower of dust. The one next to it crumbled to ash. The head off the last one was ripped from its body and tossed away as the body blew into gold.

I threw my power around, my rage and anger and pain and frustration adding to it. The windows blew out, glass shattering and spraying on the ground. I screamed and slammed fists on the ground and wall again and again and again until my knuckles splintered and bled, and then did it again once they healed.

I heaved, pressing my forehead against the wall. I turned and slid down it. I hugged my knees close to my chest, resting my head against them.

Frustration was the wrong word to describe what I was feeling. A gross understatement, in fact. No, I was livid. I was fuming. I was so enraged that I felt everything inside me boil.

How could he do this? How could he do this to his friends? To us? To me? I'd given him a chance to turn himself in. I would've taken him either way. I would've accepted him either way. Surrendering Barnes would've put less lives in danger.

But, no. No. No, stubborn Steven Rogers had to play it the hard way. He'd played a hand that was nothing more than a beautiful contradiction—his loyal soul would protect his best friend to the end to save the world, but endangering it in the process, going against every fibre of hi entire mantra of protecting the people. It frustrated me to no end. I wanted to rip my hair out until I was bald in pure frustration because of it.

I didn't go with Nat to see Rhodey. I didn't want to know what I'd feel seeing him never being able to use his legs again. It was something I couldn't bear to see or feel, because it felt like I had some part in it. If I'd manage to put Steve down—to stop him from getting to that quinjet—then none of this would've happened. It was my responsibility to neutralise him, and I failed. I'd let him get away.

No. No, I hadn't. Because I knew where he was going. I knew exactly where he was going. Siberia. But where in Siberia?

My eyes rolled up to the training room's camera in the corner, and I raised an eyebrow. "FRIDAY?" I called.