Divided |2|

twenty-five

Steve eyed Tony nervously and Victoria gripped her bow tighter, shifting closer to Bucky as she did so. Tony lunged at Bucky, but Victoria jumped in front of the soldier and Steve stopped him.

"Tony—Tony."

"Did you know?"

"I didn't know it was him."

"Don't bullshit me, Rogers!" Tony struggled and Victoria watched the tears in his eyes. "Did you know?"

"Yes."

Tony stepped back, his chin jutting upwards. His eyes caught Victoria's and she saw his anger fade slightly, but Bucky moved and this brought it back. He re-engaged his helmet and punched Steve to the floor.

Bucky pushed Victoria away and shot at Tony, but Tony disarmed Bucky and threw him across the chamber. Victoria watched the whole ordeal, not really knowing what to do or who to fight. Pietro held her protectively as Steve turned to them.

"Pietro, get her out of here!"

Victoria snapped out of it, shaking her head as she started for Tony. "I'm not leaving y—"

"Go!"

Bucky had shouted at her just as Tony pinned him to the floor. Pietro grabbed her and the last thing Victoria saw was Steve slamming into Tony before a blue haze.

She felt the cold bite her face as Pietro set her down outside and Victoria immediately glared at Pietro. "How dare you!"

"How dare I, what?"

"I need to go back in there."

Pietro rushed to her and pushed her backwards gently, away from the door. "You cannot, Vic."

"I can't just leave them to kill each other, Pietro!"

"Victoria," he held her face gently. "This is not your fight."

Victoria let her tears out and buried her face in Pietro's chest as she cried. He rubbed her back gently and whispered to her in Sokovian softly. She heard a large crash and she gripped onto Pietro tighter.

"I'm sorry, you know." She turned around, with her puffy eyes and made out the figure of T'Challa, with his helmet off. She walked over to him and wrapped him in a hug too. After a moment's hesitation, he hugged her back just as tight. "Bucky is just as innocent in this as you are."

"I'm sorry for fighting you."

He smiled, shaking his head gently. "I feel it won't be the first time."

Victoria smiled back before her ears picked up on a sound around the corner. She turned, nocking an arrow as she stalked in the direction of the sound.

"I'm going to bed. I love you."

"So, did you achieve what you wanted to achieve?"

"I don't know."

Zemo stared at his phone sadly as Victoria stood behind him. She lowered her bow as T'Challa and Pietro walked behind her. Zemo pulled out his gun and Victoria raised her bow again.

"Don't worry, Miss Barton. I'm not going after you."

"So why did you go after Bucky?"

"He was the middle man for both Tony and Steve. Putting him between them, would destroy them both."

T'Challa moved forward as he spoke, "I almost killed the wrong man."

"Hardly an innocent one."

"This is all you wanted? To see them rip each other apart?"

Zemo placed his phone down as he stared before him. "My father lived outside the city. I thought we would be safe there. My son was excited. He could see the Iron Man from the car window. I told my wife, "Don't worry. They are fighting in the city. We're miles from harm." When the dust cleared... and the screaming stopped. It took me two days until I found their bodies. My father... still holding my wife and son in his arms. And the Avengers? They went home. I knew I couldn't kill them. More powerful men than me have tried. But, if I could get them to kill each other... I'm sorry about your father. He seemed a good man. With a dutiful son."

"Vengeance has consumed you. It's consuming them." T'Challa retracted the claws on his gloves. "I am done letting it consume me. Justice will come soon enough."

"Tell that to the dead."

Zemo tried to shoot himself but T'Challa grabbed the muzzle and the shot fired into his glove. Victoria pushed Zemo down afterwards and glared at him. "There's no place in Hell for what you did."

"The living are not done with you yet." T'Challa pulled him up and restrained him. He took him to his jet and placed him inside. He raised his wrist to his mouth and spoke. "Shuri, send this jet to Berlin, make sure Ross gets him."

"Who's Shuri?"

"My sister."

Victoria nodded as another crash sounded and Victoria let out a small sigh. She sent a look to Pietro, who looked conflicted himself. "I need to go. I have to at least get them out of here."

"Go."

"What?"

"Go. Bring them back here. I do not know what to do after though, wait for the Captain I guess."

"You can come to Wakanda with me," T'Challa spoke up. "You'll be safe there."

Victoria nodded again, dropping her bow on the snow, before turning back to the bunker and running inside.