REAPINGS

4

"Hey, Cartwell."

Tony slammed a pillow down on the girl's head, resulting in a loud groan.

"You better have a good reason, Stark."

"You're A Team just screwed up again. I need you in the office to help me fix it, let's go." Tony shouted as the girl pushed herself out of bed.

"You know it's kind of creepy for you to come into a girl's room while she's sleeping." Elina huffed as she pulled on her black jeans, throwing on her tank top and grabbing her jacket as she hurried out the door.

"Please," Tony scoffed.

All of the Avengers knew that Elina was like a sister to Tony, just like Wanda was a sister to Elina.

Tony and Elina had fought many times, whether it be serious matters like the Accords, or something as irrelevant as how the compound would be designed. But neither of the two could hold any resentment for one and other for long.

"I swear." Tony grumbled as he answered his phone. "No. Romania was not Accords-sanctioned. And, Colonel Rhodes is supervising cleanup."

Elina ran her tongue across her teeth, watching as Sam and Steve were escorted in by Ross and his goons. She also happened to notice Natasha escorting King T'Challa along with the boys.

"Your highness," the Cartwell girl nodded to the man. Turning to Steve and Sam, the two idiots gave her innocent smiles as she clenched her jaw.

"Hey El," Sam smiled.

"Are you kidding me, Cap?" Elina hissed. "What the hell did you do?"

"Barnes is alive," Steve mumbled to her with a wide smile.

"Seriously?" Elina's anger disappeared in a matter of seconds. She had helped Steve, alongside Sam and Natasha, try to keep Bucky out of HYDRA's grip a few years ago.

"Don't let him talk you into it." Natasha scowled as she pressed a quick kiss to Elina's lips. "You're all mine," she looked to the boys. "Try not to break anything while we fix this."

Natasha laced her fingers with Elina's, pulling her away a few steps.

"I told you it would come to a fight," Elina whispered sharply.

"Yeah, well, I really wish you were wrong this time."

"Consequences? You bet there'll be consequences." Elina turned at the sound of Tony shouting into his phone. "Obviously you can quote me on that 'cause I just said it. Anything else? Thank you, sir," he hung up the phone with an eye roll.

"Consequences?" Steve rose an eyebrow at his friend.

"Secretary Ross wants you both prosecuted. Had to give him something."

"Prosecuted," the four looked to Elina as she gave a dry laugh. "Prosecute Captain America, that's a beautiful headline."

"Sweetheart, I really don't need it from you," Tony faked a smile.

"I'm not getting that shield back, am I?" Steve asked with a playful grin as Tony, Natasha, and Elina began to walk farther into the office.

"Technically it's the government's property," Natasha called over her shoulder.

"Wings too, bird boy," Elina winked to Sam.

"That's cold," the Wilson man shook his head.

"Warmer than jail," Tony called over his shoulder.

The three Avengers walked into a nearly empty conference room, Tony turning to face Elina with a serious expression.

"I need to know right now, El. Are you with us?" The girl bit her cheek as Tony looked at her. "Because if you're about to pull some Mission Impossible bullshit with Barnes, I need to know."

Elina was quiet for a moment, pushing her hair behind her ear with a sad sigh.

"I'm with you, Stark."

"We're watching Barnes get interrogated, you coming?" Natasha asked as she and Tony moved toward the door.

"No." Elina's face scrunched up, looking as if she was disgusted at the thought. "I think I'd get sick."

Through the short interactions she had with the super soldier, and what Steve had told her, Elina knew she wouldn't be able to stand watching anything even remotely negative happen to him.

Elina took the moment alone to try and gather her thoughts, but it was quickly cut short when all the lights went out in the building.

"El." The girl jumped at Steve's voice, the blond grabbing her arm softly. "The psychologist is after Bucky, we have to stop him."

Elina nodded, sprinting out of the room beside Steve and Sam as they rushed to find the Winter Soldier.

The Cartwell girl easily pulled ahead of the two men, her feet slamming against the floors.

"Where am I going?" She called back to them.

"Sub level five. East wing," Steve shouted.

The girl didn't wait for the two men to catch up, sprinting as quickly as she could.

Elina rushed into the room, eyes wide as she saw the man on the ground.

"Help me," he said to her.

"Shut the hell up." Elina kicked him while he was down, Steve rushing in behind her and slinging the man off the ground and into the wall.

"Who are you?" Cap hissed. "What do you want?"

"To see an empire fall."

"El, move!"

Elina had no time to react to Sam's words. The girl turning around, only for Bucky's fist to collide with her stomach. 

She fell to the ground, coughing as she struggled for air.

"Come on, Barnes," she begged through more coughs. "Snap out of it." She rolled to the side as Bucky tried to hit her again, the soldier moving on to lunge at Sam.

Bucky threw the Wilson man against the wall like he was nothing, moving onto Steve without even hesitating.

Steve managed to block a few punches, moving backwards away from Barnes toward the other room.

"Get up." Elina called to Sam as she shakily pushed herself up. "He needs our help."

"Steve can hold his own," Sam coughed out.

"I wasn't talking about Steve."

Elina hurried into the next room, just in time to see Bucky throw Steve down the elevator shaft.

"Bucky," she yelled at him. "Please, come back." Elina whispered.

Barnes stalked towards her, throwing rapid punches as she dodged. Bucky was far too strong for her to fight, so she had to try and be faster.

However, the plan was short lived when Bucky grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off the ground and pinning her to the wall.

"Bucky." Elina gasped for air as her hands tried to push away his metal arm. "This isn't you."

The words had not effect on Bucky, the man slamming her head back against the wall.

Elina let out a small groan, her head beginning to ache.

With one more hard slam Bucky successfully knocked the girl unconscious, dropping her to the ground without a second thought.

And despite the pain Elina would feel when she woke up, she was almost thankful.

It had been the first time all week that her thoughts had not been torturing her.