I Still Believe In Heroes

Chapter Twenty-One

Everyone quickly stands and walks to meet in the middle of the three blocks that had originally separated them. Steve sighs and runs a hand through his hair, his mask nowhere in sight. Both Sam and Dean decide not to question it with one look at each other. 

"Are you alright?" Dean demands while looking down where Sam's blood coated hand covered the side of her abdomen.

"Just a scrape." Sam smiles. "I'll survive."

"Sam, Dean," Steve calls the attention to him. "We're all....we all apologize for not believing in you too." 

"It happens often," Sam mutters.

"When we saw what you two were doing..." Logan trails off. "We decided that if the two of you could take out that many Hydra agents, then I guess that we could all continue on with the fight."

"No matter how old some of us are," Clint adds.

"That was one helluva retirement." Sam chuckles. "Lasted what....five minutes?"

"It was great." Tony sarcastically replies. "We all went to Mexico, sat down, and then came right back."

"Sounds relaxing." Dean rolls his eyes. 

"I have a question." Sam clears her throat. "How did you get....the Justice League to help out? Weren't they in the same situation that you guys had been in?"

"Well, they were." Bruce nods. "We tracked them down and patched them up before we all headed here."

"You two were right." Charles states. "They were all wrong to doubt your abilities."

"Abilities?" Dean scoffs. "We're just fighting."

"Abilities, inhuman wise." Jean mutters. 

"Oh," Dean mutters. 

"Alright." Sam sighs while ignoring her comment. "I've been calling most of the shots but...since we have a captain now.....What do we do, Cap?"

"No." Steve shakes his head. "You two were the ones who started this, you get to call the shots. So, Sam?"

"That's a lot of pressure," Sam whispers, Dean laughs. "Alright, Barton I want you up top. Call them as you see them, we need all the help that we can get. Superman, Iron Man, Jean, and Scott, you guys are on perimeter duty. Help out when you can but make sure none of them get out to go back to their bases.

"The rest of us are going to split up throughout the middle of the city. Stick with at least two others, a buddy system thing." She orders. "Keep on the coms though, we really need to make sure none of us die. Cap, you make the groups."

"What?" Dean chuckles.

"That's all I'm capable of doing," Sam replies as if it were to be obvious. "And I don't like the attention anymore."

"Dean, you, Logan, and Charles are together taking the west side. Natasha, Bruce, and Wanda, you have the east. Wonder Woman and Thor, you've got the south. Sam and I will take the north. Got it?"

"Are you sure that you two can handle the North on your own?" Dean demands. "It's where the majority of the agents are camped out."

"We can handle it," Steve replies with a curt nod.

"Yeah," Sam smiles. "I mean, I can handle you....I can handle anything." 

"Funny." Dean deadpans with another roll of his eyes.

"Alright guys, good luck." Tony sighs before grabbing the back of Clint's shirt to give him a lift to one of the top buildings. Soon, everyone disperses besides Sam and Dean, they both stare at each other for a second as they start walking back towards their groups.

"Be careful, okay?" Sam whispers. "I don't want to have to plan a funeral while we're putting the world back on track."

"Same goes to you." Dean gruffs. "I'll see you later."

"See you later." Sam smiles before taking off after Steve, Dean watches her go with a grim smile before running after his dad and Charles. 

"She doesn't know?" Logan questions, Dean slowly lifts his shirt and looks down at the black lines that covered his body. Even just watching them now, it was obvious that the substance was spreading almost as if it was crawling across his body one inch at a time.

"No." Dean shakes his head. "But you tell her I got crushed by a building, okay? I can't have her looking for me." 

"I will." Logan sighs.

"Good, let's get this over with."

Sam

Sam creeps behind Steve as they maneuver their way around the Hydra base camp. Steve goes straight after putting his finger to his lips but Sam quickly stops when she hears a familiar voice ordering people around. She quickly looks over the boxes containing supplies. 

There he stood, his black hair slicked back with sweat and his face covered in ashes. He bites his lip and turns to look exactly where she was hiding but doesn't seem to see her. Sam's neutral expression turns to a glare as she looks at the spot where Steve had been, she shakes her head and quickly walks in the direction of a large white tent. She dives behind another cart of supplies.

Sam's heart thumps as she scoops up a rock from the dirt. She looks over the carts and sees that Ward is finally alone. Sam quickly tosses the rock at him and hits him square between the shoulder blades.

He turns around with a glare and looks exactly at her hiding spot before turning his gaze somewhere behind her. Ward starts to walk forward and when he reaches her hiding spot, Sam grabs his arm and pulls him down next to her. 

"What the h....Sam?!" Ward gruffs while fixing himself into a sitting position. He looks over the edge of the boxes before looking back at her. "I thought you died? They said something fell on you! How are you here?" 

"You've gotta know by now that I don't die because of buildings." Sam scoffs. "What're you doing? You said that you'd come with me!" 

"Sam....it's too late for me," Ward whispers while cupping her cheek. "I...I want this."

"No, you don't." Sam hisses. "You never did."

"I do now," Ward mumbles and kisses her forehead before releasing her. "So go, before I have to turn you in. I served my debt and we're even now, so please leave before I have to do something I'm going to regret."

"Grant, please," Sam begs, her voice breaking as tears start to gather in her eyes. "Don't do this." 

"Sam, we're both on different sides. This was never going to work out and we both knew it deep down, please. Go."

Sam swallows the lump in her throat before crawling back to where she had been before, she looks back at Ward with tears spilling onto her cheeks. His face offers no emotion as he stands and dusts himself off before walking to an agent who ran up to him, his forehead bleeding.

"We got Captain America. He's being held in the tent." The agent states. Sam grabs her gun from her belt before crawling towards that tent, her expression growing dark as she wiped the tears away. 

==========

Ahhhhh, how's life, guys?

I have a huge migraine right now but I don't wanna do the right thing and get off my technology, I officially have an addiction and am probably going to die soon. 

-Author Out