Choices || CAPTAIN AMERICA (Book 4)

Chapter 6

Natasha and I huddled in the shadows, our eyes locked on Steve as he emerged into the plane parking lot. His stance was tense, his face a mask of resolve. But it wasn't long before Tony and Rhodey intercepted him, cutting off any chance he had of slipping away unnoticed. I could feel the tension in the air crackle as they exchanged words, their voices low but charged with the weight of everything that had happened. Everything that was about to happen.

Natasha's voice broke through my thoughts. "You sure you can do this?" she asked, her tone laced with concern. Her eyes searched mine, seeking reassurance.

I nodded, more out of necessity than confidence. "We don't have a choice," I whispered back. Together, we crept out of the shadows, our movements synchronized, as we closed the distance between us and the confrontation brewing in front of the jet.

Steve's voice reached us as we neared, strained and defensive. "...and there are five more super soldiers just like him. I can't let the doctor find them, Tony. I can't."

"Steve," I called out, my voice cutting through the tension. He turned at the sound of my voice, and for a moment, time seemed to slow. His eyes softened when they met mine, as if seeing me for the first time in years. It wasn't anger or frustration I saw there—it was something else. A silent question, maybe even a plea for understanding. But I had no answers to give him, no words that could make any of this right.

Natasha stepped forward, her voice calm but firm. "You know what's about to happen, Steve. Do you really want to punch your way out of this one?"

Steve gave her that familiar look, the one that said he understood but had already made his choice. His gaze flickered back to me, searching my face for any sign of hesitation, of the Alice he'd known before all of this. I stayed silent, the weight of everything we'd been through bearing down on me. The battles, the betrayals, the countless lives torn apart—it all led to this moment.

I saw the apology in his eyes, unspoken but clear. My heart clenched, and I forced myself to look down, trying to keep my composure.

"Alright, I've run out of patience," Tony snapped, shattering the fragile silence. "Underoos!"

Peter swung in from above, his webbing expertly snatching Steve's shield from his grasp before landing on a nearby van. "Hi, everyone." His voice was casual, but I could hear the excitement beneath it. I'd spent the entire flight here answering his endless questions, trying to temper his enthusiasm for the fight ahead.

"Hello, Captain. Big fan. I'm Spider-Man," Peter introduced himself, beaming with youthful energy.

"Yeah, we'll talk about it later," Tony interjected, clearly annoyed. "Just—good job."

Steve's eyes flicked to Peter, taking in the sight of this new recruit. "You've been busy," he remarked, a trace of disapproval in his voice.

Tony's frustration boiled over. "And you've been a complete idiot. Dragging in Clint, 'rescuing' Wanda from a place she doesn't even want to leave—a safe place!" His voice rose with anger, each word a blow. "I'm trying to keep... I'm trying to keep you from tearing the Avengers apart."

Steve's reply was cold, cutting. "You did that when you signed."

Those words hit hard, the sting of them reverberating through me as well. The divide between us widened in that instant, and I knew there was no coming back from it.

Tony's face twisted with disbelief. "Alright, we're done." His voice was laced with finality. "You're gonna turn Barnes over, or you're coming with us now. Because it's either us, or a squad of J-SOC guys who won't be so polite."

Just as it seemed Steve was about to relent, an arrow zipped through the air, slicing through Peter's webbing and freeing Steve's hands. Clint. Tony's helmet snapped shut in response, and the fight was on.