This War of Ours

by JDPrime22

Chapters

Chapter 2 - Change the Worlds
Chapter 3 - You're Alive
Chapter 4 - Unnatural History
Chapter 5 - Hidden
Chapter 7 - Never Letting Go
Chapter 8 - The Big Day
Chapter 9 - Crossed
Chapter 10 - A Warning
Chapter 11 - Mission Accomplished
Chapter 13 - The Accords
Chapter 14 - Mission Report. December 16, 1991
Chapter 15 - Never Lived till You Danced
Chapter 16 - Lineage
Chapter 17 - Micro
Chapter 18 - A Damn Long Walk Home
Chapter 19 - He’s Not Your Responsibility
Chapter 20 - Death is Not the End
Chapter 21 - The Little Red Book
Chapter 22 - Bucky
Chapter 23 - The Chase
Chapter 24 - That Nagging Feeling
Chapter 25 - Lights Out
Chapter 27 - The Devil
Chapter 28 - Memories of a Dead Man
Chapter 29 - Setting Barriers, Building Teams
Chapter 30 - A Friendly Neighborhood
Chapter 31 - One More Stop
Chapter 32 - Blind Men See No Evil
Chapter 33 - Frank Castle
Chapter 34 - How to Trust a Murderer
Chapter 35 - Digging Deeper
Chapter 36 - The New Recruits
Chapter 37 - Underoos
Chapter 38 - Visions of the Past, Present, and Future
Chapter 39 - Web ‘Em Up
Chapter 40 - The Clash
Chapter 41 - A Big Distraction
Chapter 42 - The Bigger They Are
Chapter 44 - Traitor
Chapter 45 - The Raft
Chapter 46 - Down the Rabbit Hole
Chapter 47 - Vengeance
Chapter 48 - Topple an Empire
Chapter 49 - Nothing
Chapter 50 - This War of Ours
Chapter 51 - Imprisoned
Chapter 52 - Tony Stank
Chapter 53 - We’ll Be There
Chapter 54 - For Now
Chapter 55 - Down but Not Out
Chapter 56 - One Batch
Chapter 57 - Once Forgiven
Chapter 58 - Homecoming
Chapter 59 - The New Avengers
Chapter 1 - The Man Without Fear
Chapter 6 - Second is the Best
Chapter 12 - One Month Later
Chapter 26 - One at a Time
Chapter 43 - Rainbow Crash
Chapter 60 - Changed the Worlds

Chapter 2 - Change the Worlds

Ponyville, Equestria

Home of Princess Twilight Sparkle

Three Days After First Contact

3:57 p.m.

Once again, Twilight had nearly reached the end of her greatest experiment yet, and all she had to do now was wait.

Wait…

Standing directly in front of the large mirror connected to her machine.

Wait…

With her seven closest friends; Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Spike, and Starlight Glimmer. Their gear remained behind each individual, large and small backpacks, pouches, and containers filled with the necessities everypony needed.

Wait…

With so many others, such as the rulers of Equestria, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. The rulers of the Crystal Empire, Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadance with their foal Flurry Heart sound asleep and in tender care.

Wait…

With other friends previously made or family joining, like the Cakes, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Granny Smith, Big McIntosh, Fluttershy’s parents and younger brother, the Wonderbolt leaders Spitfire and Soarin, and of course—

“The Great and Powerful Trixie is tired of all this waiting!”

A chorus of gasps, flinches, and surprised yelps caught each of the groups off-guard, everypony turning their attention to the unicorn mare dressed in a colorful cloak and long, pointed hat, leaning against the nearest crystal table. Flurry Heart was wide awake and crying by the time Cadance tried to calm her down, the same ordeal befalling Mr. and Mrs. Cake with their foals.

Rainbow Dash groaned, covering her ears and slamming her face into her bag. Each of Twilight’s friends slowly began to return to their previous state, now with the sound of crying foals added to the mix. Twilight muttered something incoherent, frowning and facing the mirror with Spike sitting by her side as Trixie continued to complain. It’s not like she was wrong. Twilight could actually agree with the mare. In fact, it wasn’t the only thing she was tired off…

“It has been three hours since that… that… joke of an illusionist stepped through that mirror!” Trixie complained, her nose scrunching in agitation. She shot her hoof into the air, expelling with pride, “The Great and Powerful Trixie has a very important hoof massage in ten minutes! If Trixie misses her hoof massage because of some clumsy, annoying draconequus…”

Her threat ceased as a hoof was gently placed on her shoulder, followed by Starlight Glimmer’s notable tone of voice. “It’s okay, Trixie. It’s… normal for Discord to take his time,” she said, offering a forced smile at the end.

Trixie only face-hoofed. Groaning she asked, “Why Twilight couldn’t just ask him to teleport all of you there to the other world, Trixie will never know.”

“It’s because this is an experiment I want to do without any outside interference,” the voice of Princess Twilight quickly answered. Both Trixie and Starlight spun accordingly to see Twilight with her neck turned towards them, her eyes tired.

She continued. “Discord has helped immensely already. Without him we never would have made so much progress. But with what we have now, everything we’ve accomplished so far…” Twilight paused, turning to hers and Spike’s reflection, then turned back to smile at her five closest friends. “… I… I just want to finish this experiment with my friends, the technology we’ve managed to create, and Mr. Stark.”

Twilight could still see the skepticism strong on Trixie’s facial features, and she eased it by saying, “But if anything goes wrong, something the Avengers can’t handle on their own… Spike and I will be sure to send a quick letter to him.” She managed a dry chuckle, Spike’s smile growing. “Besides… I think he deserves a break. Finding Earth’s exact location isn’t an easy task… even for Discord.”

“She isn’t wrong, you know!”

Twilight and Spike both screamed as the mirror flashed several colors, shaking in its confinement. The two backed away towards the remainder of their friends, their eyes as well as everypony else’s centered and locked on the mirror. The book resting on the hovering stand began to shake, the magic drawing out of it, shooting to the two rods and enabling the machine to properly begin to function. In no time, the portal within the mirror began to swirl with life, a being even larger than life stepping out into the library.

There, Discord stood at the entrance to the portal

He sipped his soda, took off his sunglasses, and announced with a big, bright smile. “Sorry for the holdup, everypony! I was just catching up with some old friends Twilight and the girls know personally. We spent a good portion of the afternoon just eating out at a famous shawarma joint! Anypony here had shawarma before? Huh? No? This guy knows what I’m talking about!”

He pointed his disfigured claw over across the room, prompting everypony’s head to swivel over to Prince Shining Armor. His eyes widened, pupils darting in every direction. “Uh… I have no idea what he’s talking about,” Shining declared, though it wasn’t very strong, and it earned a humorous giggle from his wife.

Discord flung his sunglasses off his head, chugging the rest of his soda can’s outer covering and tossing the liquid portion away. “Anyhow, shawarma aside, I’ve been to Earth several times, in more than one dimension I might add, and to be honest it’s grown rather dull over these few centuries.”

He disappeared, then reappeared in a purple zoot suit directly behind Twilight and her friends. “Oh, how I miss the 40’s and their dedication to country, fashion, and super soldiers. Such a simpler time. Truly the last golden era.”

Another flash of white, and Discord was resting on the crystal table behind Trixie and Starlight, minus the zoot suit. Both mares spun around, eyes wide with surprise.

“By the way, Trixie, I heard what you said about me. ‘Joke of an illusionist’, eh?” Discord asked, his legs swaying back and forth behind him, dragon’s tail doing just the same.

Trixie gulped. “Well, y-you see, what T-Trixie meant was—”

She didn’t finish. Discord snapped his claw, and in a flash of light a pig with wings sprouted from beneath the unicorn. A pair of jet engines were added to the underbelly of the pig for good measure. The next thing everypony knew Trixie was gone before she could even scream, the exhaust from the jet engines leaving a trail through the library doors and down the hall.

Starlight watched in shock as the doors slowly closed. “Discord!” she cried, spinning to face the draconequus with an angry glare.

Discord waved her away, observing his talons. “She’ll be fine! I added an airbag… and you don’t want to know where.”

Starlight was about to unleash on him, but paused the moment Celestia strolled up behind her. Starlight turned her eyes upwards, gazing at the flowing mane and the elegant features of the Princess of the Sun. Her stare was hard, solid as stone, and held the strength of a thousand stars. And it was all directed towards the draconequus switching to lie on his back.

With a strong cough, Celestia said, “I think we all would like to know if the portal is truly functioning as it should, Discord.”

“Huh?” Discord asked, his face shifting right-side up. “Oh, yes, of course the portal is fine. Twilight and the girls can leave any moment now,” Discord declared, vanishing and appearing right next to Twilight’s ear. He whispered, “And don’t worry, I’ll take good care of your castle while you’re away.”

“Ah feel as if we should be concerned about that,” Applejack said, adjusting her hat and pack. The others by her side began to rise as well, ready to make the journey onward, the concern on their faces directed towards the Spirit of Chaos.

“You’d better take good care of my castle, Discord,” Twilight warned, her hoof pointed towards the draconequus. “If I hear of just one party…”

Discord vanished in a flash of white, then reappeared standing straight up and decked out in a scout’s uniform. He raised his claw, placed his paw over his heart and declared, “I promise not to throw any parties inside—”

“Or outside!”

“Or outside your castle,” Discord swore.

Twilight’s suspicious glare narrowed, only interrupted once Pinkie Pie shot right next to her, her pink hoof jammed at Discord. “Pinkie Promise…” the party pony said, her voice dangerously venomous.

Discord knew the routine. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake,” the delicious treat appeared in his claw, followed by Discord ramming it into his eye socket, “in my eye!”

Twilight and everypony else cringed at the sight of the gooey substance leaking from Discord’s empty eye socket. Pinkie just smiled, bouncing back to join Fluttershy and Rarity.

“With… that settled,” Princess Celestia coughed, all eyes training on her. “I suppose we are ready to begin. Friday!”

Twilight and her friends spun to the sound of familiar engines, watching as the Mark 45 Iron Man armor hovered out from behind the machine and clear over the portal to land by Celestia’s left side. Celestia observed the armor closely, asking, “Friday, is everything functioning as it should?”

The AI nodded. “Aye, Princess Celestia. The coordinates are locked and the portal is ready.”

“Then it is time indeed.”

Princess Celestia spun around, eyeing the large group of ponies staring at her, waiting for something to happen. Anything, really. It wasn’t the massive crowds Celestia had become accustomed to, thousands of ponies chanting her and her sister’s name for miles on end. That’s why she loved visiting Ponyville every now and then. The seclusion was nice, welcoming, and much needed.

Still, she announced as if she preached to the thousands, “A new dawn for Equestria is upon us. A new world, a new race. I trust no other pony to lead this important task.”

Her eyes trailed behind her, a smile seen by the Princess of Friendship.

Celestia faced forward, faced the crowd. “What Twilight and her friends will do here will change the course of our history. No longer shall separate worlds filled with life just as peaceful as ours become reclusive. Our worlds will unite, form a bond greater than any alliance known to ponykind. And it begins… now.”

“And with outstanding support from a majority of our neighboring nations,” Luna chimed in, “we can assure that Twilight and her friends would do well as the ambassadors for our world. History has been made here,” Princess Luna added, stepping forward to stand with her older sister. “Now, it is time to change the worlds, as you have said, Princess Twilight.”

She finished with a wink to the young princess, earning a chuckle from the Twilight. “Thank you, Princess Luna. I suppose this is goodbye… for now.” Pressing forward, Twilight wrapped her forelegs around Luna’s neck, squeezing tightly. Luna hugged her back, a warm smile on each of their faces. Twilight broke away, turning to Celestia and giving her former teacher a hug as well.

As if that was the cue, individual goodbyes were shared with friends and family. Hugs were exchanged, tears were shed, and the quiet library was no longer silent. Pinkie Pie shared an especially tearful goodbye with the Cakes and Pound and Pumpkin Cake. Applejack gave each family member of hers a quick hug and kiss on the cheek, her hug with Apple Bloom much longer than the others.

Mr. and Mrs. Shy almost seemed more upset than their daughter, and they almost wouldn’t let her go. But trusting on the brave mare she had become, they finally let go, only to have their son Zephyr Breeze break through them and offer his own goodbye to his older sister. It was quickly interrupted by the Spirit of Chaos tossing Zephyr aside to offer the Pegasus a hug goodbye. Zephyr glared from where he lay. Discord glared back. It was a short confrontation.

“You tell mom and dad that I’m going to be fine, and they don’t need to worry any longer. Is that understood?” Rarity asked, cupping Sweetie Belle’s face in her hooves.

Sweetie Belle looked away, sighing, “Yeah, I guess. Kinda wish I could go with you.”

“Next time, Sweetie Belle. Hopefully when there’s no need for a ‘political’ visit,” Rarity declared, planting a big kiss on Sweetie’s forehead and squeezing the life out of her. “Oh, I’m going to miss you!”

“Rarity, stop! Not in front of Scootaloo!”

Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash were already well enjoying the show, giggling to each other. They each already said their goodbyes and shared a quick sisterly hug, Rainbow scrambling the younger Pegasus’ mane. She paused as both Spitfire and Soarin approached, humorous and knowing grins on their faces.

Practically dropping Scootaloo, a soft “Ow!” following, Rainbow Dash chuckled and asked, “So, it’s still cool if I take my vacation early, right?”

“Oh, sure!” Spitfire said, waving her hoof. Behind her shades, Rainbow could see mischief in her eyes. “We’ve got plenty reserves just itching to take your spot. And who knows… they might be better than you. We might have to keep 'em… and kick your flank right into the street.”

Soarin laughed. “Yeah, I doubt that! Rainbow’s still one of the best flyers we’ve ever had; no way we’d give her up!”

“Damn straight,” Spitfire finished, winking to Dash.

Rainbow Dash chuckled nervously, rubbing her foreleg. “Thanks guys, that means a ton,” she said. Both Spitfire and Soarin held out their hooves, Dash replying to both with a quick hoof bump each.

“Have a blast out there, Crash,” Spitfire told her, lifting up her shades.

Rainbow Dash smiled back, a confident, knowing, cocky grin that made the mare famous.

“You know it.”

With that, she and the others began to break away, Twilight offering her final goodbyes to Shining Armor and Princess Cadance. She kissed Flurry Heart on the cheek, the young foal giggling and patting the Alicorn’s face.

As Twilight, too, broke away and stepped forth with her bags in her magical grip, she turned to one final pony still standing by the crystal table several yards away. She dropped her bags, asking, “Um… Starlight… are you ready to head out?”

“Just a second,” Starlight said, smiling to Twilight before turning back to Discord. The smug draconequus lied in a foldable chair on top of the table, drinking from an extra bendy straw of cool, fruit punch. Her smile faded, her horn igniting, destroying the constraints on the foldable chair, thus causing Discord to be crushed from each padding folding up on top of him.

He squirmed from inside, then snapped his fingers and appeared just over the head of the unicorn. He opened his mouth to yell, only to be silenced as Starlight shot out her hoof to him.

“Trixie! Now!” Starlight warned, her horn glowing fiercely.

Feeling quite fatigued from his journey, Discord didn’t feel like dueling with the unicorn at the moment. He just groaned, snapped his fingers, and allowed Trixie to appear out of smoke and land directly between the mare and the Spirit of Chaos.

“Happy?” Discord asked, returning to fix his foldable chair.

“Very much so,” Starlight smiled. She quickly turned her attention to the shivering Trixie struggling to stand, her breath ragged and teeth chattering. She helped Trixie to a standing position, offering a helpful smile to her best friend.

Trixie shook herself, growling to see her torn cape and ruined magician hat. “Oh, once Trixie gets through with you, Trixie will—” Discord looked at her, holding out his claw and preparing to snap. “… Most likely apologize… heh.”

Discord smiled triumphantly, lying back on his fixed foldable chair and having a fresh fruit punch appear into his grasp. Trixie’s nervous grin faded, replaced only with a look of malice and ill intentions. Those feelings faded as Starlight’s hoof fell on her shoulder.

“I guess I’ll be seeing you later, Trixie,” Starlight offered, the magician turning to the mare, her expression suddenly softening. “I’ll definitely visit once we get back in a couple months. Next time, you’re paying for lunch.”

Trixie’s glamourous grin returned, one only belonging to Trixie. “Oh, we shall see about that, won’t we?” Her smile widened, eyes narrowing, then all faded as the two shared in a quick laugh. Those laughs faded as well, each mare wrapping each other in a tight hug.

“Be safe, and have fun,” Trixie whispered, the voices of everypony else making it hard to hear.

They broke away from each other, Starlight smiling. She said, “I’ll have a great time. I know I will.”

“Don’t just have a great time,” Trixie declared, standing on her hind legs. “Have a great and powerful time!”

Trixie held that stance for a solid three seconds before she fell back down. The two shared in another fit of laughter, Starlight saying, “I’ll keep that in mind!”

Another hug, then the two separated.

Finally, with her bags secured, Starlight Glimmer stepped forward to join Twilight and the others. They stood side by side, each one of them sharing a look, a smile, a laugh with one another. But not Starlight. She just stared into the swirling colors of the portal, like a vortex into the unknown. Into a whole other world.

And she didn’t move. Barely did, even when Twilight announced, “Are you guys ready?”

Pinkie bounced in place, paused in mid-air, and saluted. “Ready, Freddy!”

Fluttershy checked her bags, then nodded to Twilight. “Ready…”

Rarity flipped her mane. “I am as well, darling.”

Applejack pushed her hat down, hoping it would stay secured. “Ready as Ah’ll ever be.”

Rainbow Dash punched the air, then landed with a solid thump. “Ready!”

Twilight turned to the last mare of the group. Starlight nodded, eyes bright with determination. “Ready,” she declared. But once Twilight looked away, Starlight’s smile fell, her eyes growing worrisome, her expression weak.

I hope.

Spike adjusted his backpack, giving Twilight thumbs up. “I’ll be if you are, Twi!”

That was all she needed. On cue, almost as if they rehearsed, all seven mares and Spike spun around and waved goodbye. Families and friends alike all waved back, some of them crying, most of them calling out to their loved ones to be safe.

And Celestia…

She and Luna smiled, waving as the Princess of Friendship and her closest allies stepped into the light.

Earth

Upstate New York

New Avengers Facility, Lower Levels

5:08 p.m.

There was a flash of light, so bright that everyone shielded their eyes. No one was safe. The darkness of the basement no longer existed as the light filled everything, covered everyone. It was so fast, so powerful, so alive. And then it died.

Just like that.

And what followed was the sound of hooves on solid concrete.

The two men leading the pack lowered their arms away from their eyes, staring cautiously at what entered through the machine. One was an older gentleman, his white hair opposite to that of his dull brown goatee. The other wasn’t so young himself, but was definitely younger than the first man.

Together, with the rest of the group behind them, they peered through the smoke that filled the basement, eyeing what appeared to be movement lying just ahead, standing in front of the machine.

A small drone flew by, quickly scanning the smoke. It spun to face the two men, its large, robotic pupil growing and shrinking with almost every word it said.

“The portal performed exceptionally well. Eight healthy life forms detected, sir.”

As the drone flew aside, choosing to hover next to the younger man, the older one stepped forth. He adjusted his glasses as the smoke finally cleared, revealing what the robotic drone had observed. And he almost didn’t believe it.

“Um… hello,” the violet one greeted, her wings fluffing next to her sides.

Hank Pym was nearly at a loss for words.

“Colorful, talking… ponies…”

He reached into his pocket and handed Tony Stark ten bucks.

Chapter 3 - You're Alive

Upstate New York

New Avengers Facility, Lower Levels

5:09 p.m.

“Um… hello.”

Smart. What a great way to introduce yourself and your race, Twilight. Princess Twilight bit her lip at the inner conflict, her wings fluffing next to her sides nervously. She stared on, the smoke in the poorly-lit room finally clearing enough so she could see her surroundings, as well as the two men standing in front of her.

She and her friends appeared to be in a basement of some sort, very few lights offering visuals on the multitude of computers and other advanced forms of technology Twilight had yet to come across. Twilight quickly spun her neck around, spotting a massive machine even more technologically advanced than her own. It was where she and her friends had stepped out of. It was empty now, the portal cut off.

She faced forward again. The man to her left was clearly Tony Stark, his smile growing as the two made eye contact. Nothing much had changed about him, which Twilight could understand. It had only been about a year or so. He wore a plain white shirt beneath a silver vest, the sleeves of the shirt rolled up, and plain silver-colored pants and dress shoes to finish it off.

However, when she eyed the man to her right, she was in for a good surprise when she didn’t recognize him, though she felt as if that shouldn’t be the case. New world, new race and all. She was bound to meet several new faces. His face consisted of several wrinkles, exemplifying his old age. Large glasses rested on his nose, soft, white hair resting on his head with a graying goatee to add to the mix. He wore a plain tannish shirt, suspenders and a red tie. Not really surprising, just a new face.

So, no surprise there. The surprise was with how the man responded.

“Colorful, talking… ponies…” he said, reaching into his pocket and handing something to Stark. Twilight didn’t know what it was, but Tony sure did what with his triumphant smile as he pocketed it away.

Turning from the older gentleman, Tony Stark faced the mares in front of him with a proud grin. He held out each arm, announcing loudly, for everyone to here, “Twilight… and everypony else… I guess we can call this experiment… a success.”

Twilight approached carefully, observing her surroundings, eyeing the older man at the edge of her vision. She stopped, looked up to Tony, and smiled. “I suppose we could. It was an honor working with you again, Mr. Stark.”

She held out her hoof, offering a strong smile as well. Stark, however, looked to the hoof with a rising brow, then back to the violet Alicorn. “Formalities, Twi,” he said, holding out his arms once again, yet Twilight knew the gesture.

With a roll of her eyes, Twilight chuckled, “Oh, alright.”

“Bring it in, Princess,” Tony commented as Twilight stood up to her hind legs, wrapping her forelegs around his neck and giving the man a warm hug. Stark replied just as well, if not better by his standards. He bent down to meet her halfway, and looking over her shoulder, he noticed the remaining five mares and Spike standing oddly with smiles on their faces.

“Well don’t just stand there, say hi once in your lives,” Stark muttered. Twilight opened her eyes, each one widening at the sight of the remaining Avengers standing behind Tony.

None of them had changed much. Natasha Romanoff sported a new hair style, which Rarity would probably love or wish to alter in some way. Clint Barton, Sam Wilson, and Wanda Maximoff looked the same as ever, simply wearing average clothing. It was odd, but it was even more odd to see James Rhodes out of his armor. She never had seen Colonel Rhodes out of the War Machine armor before, but it was a nice change. The only one who actually managed to surprise her was Vision, who appeared as formal as Stark with his choice of clothing.

No Bruce Banner, or Thor for that matter.

Before she could delve into the possible reasons why, Steve Rogers—Captain America—stepped forward and smiled. “Girls,” he started, looking to Twilight then the others behind her, “… it’s great to see you again.”

Twilight’s smile only widened, her eyes watering as Pinkie Pie shot forward and nearly tackled Steve with her pouncing hug. As Twilight broke away from Stark, the two watched as a swarm of mares rushed passed them, Spike trailing and struggling with his unusually large backpack.

Stark spun around, watching as Twilight entered the fray and offered her greetings to each Avenger present. His palms rested on his sides, head slowly shaking back and forth at the sight of it. He never stopped smiling.

“You’ve made some friends,” a voice said. Stark spun around, meeting Hank Pym’s gaze.

Stark nodded. “Yeah, it looks like it. You kind of have to when you’re stranded in a colorful world of talking horses.”

“I can imagine,” Pym commented, palms falling into his pockets. He and Stark stood in silence watching the two different groups congregate and offer their greetings. It was loud, it was hectic, but no one seemed to care.

“Is that my little pink party pony?” Natasha stated with a smile, bending down as Pinkie Pie bounded into her grasp, hugging the woman with all of her strength.

As Pinkie broke away from the Black Widow, others were quick to swarm, such as Rarity and Twilight. They offered their greetings, gave a hug, then moved on. They moved to Clint, who had just finished speaking with Rainbow Dash before he was also nearly strangled by Pinkie Pie.

“Hey, watch it, girl!” Clint yelped, reaching back and grabbing Pinkie. The mare giggled as he pulled her forward, his palm digging into her mane and ruffling it hard. She didn’t seem to mind. Pinkie was too far lost in her own fit of laughter.

“How ya been, Pinks?” Clint asked, adjusting his grip around the flailing pink pony. “Keepin’ all these mares in line?”

Pinkie paused her laughter for the moment, answering him. “Oh, you know… pretended to be a zombie… got captured by a bunch of Changelings… the usual.”

Clint looked away. “Uh... right.”

“Hey!” Pinkie shouted right in his face, causing him to flinch and nearly drop the pony. “You coming to the big housewarming party tonight that I just started planning about 37 seconds ago? I can set up an archery course!”

Unfortunately for Pinkie, Clint just smiled and shook his head, setting down the mare with disappointment riddled in her eyes. He said, “Sorry, Pinkie, but this is just a visit for me. I gotta get back to the family tonight.”

“What family?”

Clint turned to see Twilight and Rarity approach. “My family,” Clint answered with a smile, noticing the intrigued grins grow on each of their faces.

“Oh, that’s nice,” Twilight responded. “I had no idea you had a family.”

“Yeah,” Barton muttered, his hands sinking into his pockets. “Not many do. It’s safer, you know… for them… with me being an ‘agent’ and all.”

Both Twilight and Rarity nodded. The latter of the two said, “Still, it’s very nice to see you again, Mr. Barton, even if it is just for a little while.”

Clint bent down, extending his arms to allow Rarity to sneak in for a hug. “Yeah, I feel the same way, too,” he commented, offering a hug to Twilight who responded in kind.

Greetings continued for quite some time, each pony and Avenger switching every now and then. Applejack chatted a little while longer, especially with Wanda and Vision. Fluttershy spoke with Colonel Rhodes, Spike right next to her. Rainbow zipped from one person to the next, offering a hoof bump to each Avenger she came across. She gave a strong one to Sam and Steve each.

“How’s it going, Dash?” Sam asked.

Rainbow hovered directly in front of the two, shrugging. “Still livin’, still flyin’!”

“That’s good to hear,” Rogers said. “You still the fastest thing in Equestria?”

Rainbow blew a raspberry. “‘Equestria’? Please! I think I’ve proven myself to be the fastest thing in all of Equus! In fact, I just recently got into the Equestrian Wonderbolts. Heh, not too shabby if I do say so myself.”

Both Steve and Sam shared a quick glance with one another. Sam nodded, saying, “Yeah, that’s great. Um… what are ‘Wonderbolts’ exactly?”

Rainbow looked as if she had been slapped across the face. “What?! They are only the greatest flyers in the world! Well... my world. They’re tough, strong, ready for action at any moment! In fact, the Captain of the Wonderbolts herself said I was one of the team’s best members.” Dash chuckled, her eyes closing and confidence showing. “Yep, one of the bravest, most talented fly—!”

A shimmer of blue emerged directly ahead of her, followed by a sudden voice saying, “Please state your—”

And then her confidence shattered, breaking like glass as she shot up with a scream, hit the low ceiling and landed on the concrete with a solid thud to follow. Her backpack fell on top of her, most of its contents spilling out. Everyone else’s conversations seemed to halt, their attention centered on the rainbow mare lying in pain.

She rubbed her forehead and groaned. Looking up, she could only see the large, robotic eyeball staring at her, Sam’s cocky grin directly behind. “One of the bravest, huh?” Wilson chuckled, arms crossed.

“Easy, Sam,” the Captain stated, holding out his hand and lifting Rainbow up. He noticed her antsy glance at the hovering drone still staring at her. “It’s alright, Rainbow. Just tell him your name.”

Rainbow Dash could feel everyone’s eyes on her. Normally being the center of attention wasn’t a big deal, but in her current state with a creepy robot nearly causing her to wet herself… it kind of was.

“Please state your name so I can remember it properly,” the hovering drone asked, its pupil shrinking as it flew in closer.

The voice was definitely male, young in fact. It sounded almost like a young soldier, though he had seen a few battles here and there. Close gunfights, plenty to have nightmares about. Not a private by any means, but surely not a veteran.

Dash took a step back. She looked back to the Captain, seeing him nod. “Uh… okay. Rainbow Dash, I guess.”

“Thank you… ‘Rainbow Dash’. I apologize for frightening you earlier.”

“What?! I-I wasn’t scared! Nope, not me! Heh…”

Dash’s failed attempts fooled no one. The drone continued onwards, earning everyone’s attention. It stopped hovering nearly over Twilight, scanning her entire body and face up and down in a blue wave of energy.

The energy died, leaving the drone to ask: “Please state your name so I can remember it properly.”

Blinking away the stars in her vision, Twilight flinched, taken off-guard by the small drone no bigger than her head. “Huh? Oh! Um… T-Twilight Sparkle,” she finally answered, offering a weak smile to tip it off.

“Thank you for your cooperation… ‘Twilight Sparkle’.”

Fluttershy giggled, holding her hoof out to the drone. “Who’s this little guy?” she asked, the small drone flying close to her hoof and analyzing her entire form.

Tony Stark was the one to step forward, the ponies turning to him for answers. “Ah, thanks for reminding me,” he told the Pegasus, getting a smile out of the mare. “Everypony, I would like you to meet Heuristically Operative Matrix Emulation Rostrum.”

Applejack tilted her head. Rainbow scratched hers. Pinkie turned hers all the way upside down.

Tony frowned. He really wished they were all Twilight sometimes… or most of the time. All the time. “Or… you know… H.O.M.E.R., for short.”

“Please state your name so I can remember it properly,” Homer asked, the Pegasus taken by surprise by his voice so very close to her.

Still, she responded better than either Twilight or Rainbow. “Fluttershy,” she said with smile.

“Greetings… ‘Fluttershy’.”

Homer flew off to scan Applejack, the mare not quite sure what to think of the robot. Rarity chuckled at Applejack’s expression. “Well, he’s very couth,” she pointed out.

“More like ‘creepy’ if you ask me…” Dash muttered under her breath.

After flying from Applejack to Rarity, Homer scanned Pinkie and Spike next, giving time for Tony to offer some rebuttal to Rainbow’s remark.

“Come on, he’s like the exact opposite of creepy. Prove it to ‘em, Homer.”

After learning Spike’s name, Homer flew over and stopped just in front of the mares.

“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you alien life forms,” the AI said, earning a few smiles. “Mr. Stark was kind enough to program me with a facial identifying software, so that way I’ll be able to call each of you eight individually by name from now on with just a simple scan.”

“Eight?”

“Correct, Doctor Hank Pym,” Homer stated, flying across the room and back to the deactivated machine.

A pause in the room occurred after Homer answered. Each Avenger was taken aback, looking to their extraterrestrial group of equine companions and the lone baby dragon. There was Twilight, Pinkie, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Spike. Natasha and Clint shared a confused glance, Vision and Wanda doing the same.

Hank Pym observed them closely. He shook his head, turning around to Homer. “I only count seven, so where’s the…”

“… eighth?”

Then silence.

Everyone slowly turned around as the silence engulfed the basement. As they did, many caught their breaths, others stared quietly, letting that silence be their response. Waiting. Watching. Staring at the pony they had somehow missed during the commotion, the only pony still standing in front of the cooling machine.

The pony that had betrayed her own race.

The unicorn that came to them in their darkest hour.

The mare that was supposedly dead.

Starlight Glimmer.

Her expression seemed lost, broken, too scared to even think on how to act. That all quickly changed as Homer hovered directly in front of her, scanning the unicorn in a quick succession. Starlight took a step back, gasping as the light finally reached her.

As well as the voice.

“Please state your name so I can remember it properly.”

Starlight’s tongue was caught, her eyes shifting to the uneasy expressions of each Avenger. Each of them watching her, waiting for something. So silent. Too silent.

“Please state your name so I can remember it properly, ma’am.”

She flinched, clearly not ready. All eyes were on her, so there was no escape any longer. All chances vanished, left her far behind. Now she was in the spotlight, left alone without a script in front of a live audience ready to eat her alive.

Hardly standing the attention any longer, she gulped rather loudly, looked down, and mumbled softly, “Um… uh… S… Sta-Starlight… Glimmer.”

“Thank you… ‘Starlight Glimmer’.”

Homer retreated after that statement, falling silent next to Tony Stark’s right shoulder. That silence carried, never waning, refusing to leave the unicorn. The Avengers fell prey to such silence, some confused, some surprised, others simply astounded.

Most were waiting. Starlight could see the heat building in their eyes, especially from the Captain. It hurt so much more to see that heat trained at her.

Even as that silence continued, Starlight had hoped their gazes would’ve cooled to some extent. Not much, just enough for her to gain the courage to explain herself. She was never given that opportunity when that fire spread, each Avenger growing increasingly uneasy to her continued, silent, first impression.

She turned her eyes away from the burning flame. Then she turned to Twilight for support, any form of a crutch, really. The Princess of Friendship just offered a tiny, almost mystical smile, and nodded to her. A confident one, an assuring one, telling Starlight she was there for her if she needed it. But not now.

Now… Starlight was on her own. Another test from the Princess of Friendship perhaps? Or something else…? Either way, the silence that filled the dimly-lit basement was nearly unbearable. Somepony needed to break that silence, shatter the ice.

It felt right to be the pony to do so. “I… suppose you all need to get caught up on what happened exactly… right?” Starlight asked, finally turning her eyes to meet the Avengers again.

Their continued silence was answer enough.

Right.

“Well… let’s just say that after the attack on Canterlot, after the…” she paused, mind recollecting past events. The falling shadow of the colossal-sized building raining down on top of her, her horn’s light being the last flash she saw for a while. She emerged from the wreckage hours later, gently pushing through the carnage until light was her greeter.

And she turned to see Canterlot high above, the city shrouded in ash and smoke.

She hadn’t realized she had been staring at nothing for half a minute. Shaking her head, Starlight continued. “After the… events that followed, I sort of needed some time to recover from… all of that. So, I did what I used to do best: survive on my own. It wasn’t so hard. I had gotten used to living in the desert.”

Starlight chuckled a little. No one else did.

“But… I got low,” Starlight admitted. She turned a few faces, Natasha and Tony specifically. “Really low. Every day I didn’t know what to believe in next. My old ideology, Twilight’s view on friendship, or… something else… something far worse.”

Her eyes were elsewhere, voice traveling alongside. “Something I actually came to believe in… and that was my own petty vengeance.

“I let it take over, and not a day…” she paused at that, eyes shutting tight. Her voice began to grow weary, cracking at the end of every statement. She couldn’t hold on for much longer. Her painful memories were always a little too much. “… Not a second goes by where I regret that decision. I had it before, that connection with Twilight and her friends when we all fought together…”

Turning downwards, Starlight paused and stared at the six other mares present. They all smiled to her, Spike giving her thumbs up.

Starlight smiled at that. “I had it and I never even knew it. When it was too late… I had already caused enough damage. So much damage. If Twilight hadn’t talked with me, actually spent time trying to reach out to me like nopony else ever has… Equestria… and my world would cease to exist.”

The statement alone caught several off-guard. Unsure glances were shared between Clint and Sam, the same following with Hank Pym and Stark. Captain America’s eyes remained as solid as his Vibranium shield, never sharpening, never softening.

Just watching.

Starlight didn’t let up despite the reactions she received. She stamped her hoof on the hard, concrete floor, declaring, “But she did reach out to me! She offered me the type of friendship I was promised so long ago, and she didn’t lie to me about it! Thanks to her…”

Her gaze shattered, turning to the six mares and lone drake. And she cried. She cried and she didn’t care about it. An exasperated exhale escaped her, her lips quivering into a smile. “Thanks to all of them… I came to understand what truly made friendship magic. What it truly meant to have friends.”

She was openly crying now, whimpering and wiping her eyes with a foreleg. Starlight cleared her throat, breathed in, looked them all in the eye and said, “I learn more every day. I made mistakes and I take full responsibility for them. Twilight and her friends, the princesses… they’ve all forgiven me, and I could never be more thankful for that.

“But… if you all could forgive me as well… it would mean the world to me. If you don’t—if you still believe me to be the monster I once was—then…” her voice caught, more tears boiling at the edges of her eyes and slipping down her cheeks, “… then I can accept that. Just know that I’m sorry… for everything.”

For so long she just stood there with everyone watching her cry, and for so long no one seemed to know what to do. Even Tony was unnaturally silent. Some turned to the First Avenger for the next step forward, but they could only see so much in his gaze. He studied the unicorn, listened to her words over and over again in his mind, and breathed.

That’s all anyone could really do.

Until time seemed to stop, until Starlight’s continued whimpers seemed to be the only sound resounding throughout the basement area, Twilight took a step forward. Her intention was to confer with Starlight, convince the others that she was being genuine. She really had changed. She was most certainly a different, better, and much happier pony now than before.

Of course, she only took one step.

The others were occupied by Wanda Maximoff.

They were so slow at first, but picked up, then stopped directly in front of the crying unicorn. Starlight’s head slowly rose, the tears making her eyes as red as beets, streaked down her cheeks in multiple rivers. But she still could see as the Scarlet Witch slowly fell to her knees, coming to close eye-level with the mare.

Then she did it, did what no one else would’ve imagined themselves doing.

She wrapped her arms around Starlight’s neck and brought her in for a close hug.

It was so alien at first for the unicorn. However, as she allowed herself to ease into the Maximoff’s embrace, feel the woman’s heartbeat against her own, Starlight tightened her grip across Wanda’s frame, holding there. Shaking. Crying still, but warm, and finally in comfort.

Wanda held her tight. Starlight could feel her shift, her mouth resting near her ear. With that slight, subtle movement, Starlight heard her whisper two words.

Two words that said to her: “I understand.”

She understood.

The hug broke after that, Starlight smiling to the Maximoff. Wanda smiled back, rising up and dusting off her skirt. However, both turned their attention to the approaching Captain, his stare shifting from Wanda, then to Starlight. His smile was there, too, giving Starlight the hope she had desired.

“Well, I did not expect to see that,” Steve Rogers joked. Wanda smiled slyly to him, her arms crossing. Steve nodded, then brought his attention back to the mare. He nodded to her, and somehow that meant more than the smile she received earlier.

“Thank you,” the Captain said. “It takes a lot of courage to do what you just did.”

Starlight Glimmer smiled through the tears, her foreleg rising to rub her nose.

Captain America turned his neck back, seeing the others watching him, smiling to him. Already agreeing with him. “So, I suppose formal introductions are in order,” he declared, spinning his neck forward once more. He looked her in the eyes as he said, “Starlight Glimmer… as Captain Steven Rogers, the leader of the Avengers… it is my honor to welcome you to Earth.”

Starlight was practically grinning, the tears still rolling down her cheeks. She had barely noticed the hand held to her, offered to her. Like the hoof that was offered so long ago. The one offered through friendship, trust, and a better tomorrow.

She didn’t hesitate this time.

Her hoof fell into Captain America’s grip, but didn’t last long, because Pinkie Pie shot out between the two, scattering confetti and balloons in practically every direction.

“Let’s get this housewarming party started!”

Chapter 4 - Unnatural History

Upstate New York

New Avengers Facility, Main Levels

9:34 p.m.

A shocking pop resounded through the air. Everyone flinched, some yelped, but eventually cheered and watched the cork go flying across the room. The bubbling drink oozed from the bottle, pouring out onto the floor. Everyone screamed at him, told him to hold it straight.

He did, and he steadied himself to pour everyone a fresh round. Even Pinkie Pie.

The surrounding S.H.I.E.L.D. agents lifted their glasses in the air, cheering the pink pony on as she downed the glass in one gulp. She held her glass in the air, hiccuped, then fell onto her back, cross-eyed and woozy. The party went even wilder for the mare’s accomplishment.

Princess Twilight only shook her head.

“Leave it to Pinkie Pie to be the life of the party even on another world,” the Alicorn mumbled.

Leaning next to the wall on her left, Tony Stark nodded, his own martini resting in his palm. “I thought she was crazy enough back on Equus. Probably shouldn’t have introduced her to some of Earth’s more… ‘refined’ drinks.”

He took a sip, swirling the substance around for a while. Twilight turned back to him, listening intently as he returned back to their previous discussion. “But yeah, as I was saying, personal satellite, got Homer hooked up to it and everything. Works like a beauty. Perfect if we ever have any type of emergency.”

“You can never be too prepared, I suppose,” Twilight added.

The two were secluded from the rest of the party, but kept a close eye on the events that occurred before them. It wasn’t too insane, nothing the Avengers hadn’t seen before or anywhere near as bad as the parties Stark had thrown in the past.

The majority of the “Equestrian Housewarming Party” consisted mostly of S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel, either retired or off duty. Other founding members of the New Avengers Facility were present and conversing with Earth’s newest visitors. Helen Cho being one of them and talking with Fluttershy, Maria Hill speaking with Rainbow Dash, and Starlight deeply intrigued with Doctor Erik Selvig and his scientific banter.

Of course, the Avengers themselves were all present and accounted for. Captain America, Steve Rogers, rested on a couch with Sam Wilson, James Rhodes, and Spike by his side. Several agents accompanied them, each of them offering stories to the group, almost all the agents interested in the baby dragon. Wanda Maximoff and Vision remained near the drinks, Wanda deeply intrigued with Vision’s own thoughts on the gem in his forehead. Natasha Romanoff chatted with both Rarity and Applejack amongst the average partiers.

Several smiles were shared between them, lots of laughs accompanying the groups scattered. All conversing. Everyone growing together. Twilight smiled at the sight, at the thought of them finally reuniting. It felt like forever since they’d seen the likes of Iron Man or Captain America, or the God of Thunder and the Hulk. After the insanity that was the Ultron Offensive so long ago, it was rather nice to just… talk with one another.

Might as well in times of peace.

She stared at Natasha for quite a while, reminding her…

“So,” Twilight broke the silence between the two, definitely not breaking the silence of the part, Tony turned to her, lowering his drink. “I guess I never really got to ask you, or it just might have slipped my mind during this party, but… where are Doctor Banner and Thor, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Tony turned his attention back to his drink, taking a slow sip. Sighing, he said, “Banner took a vacation for the time being. We don’t know when he’ll be back. Oh, and Thor is off in Asgard doing… Asgard stuff.”

Twilight looked to the man, a brow rising. “‘Asgard stuff’?” she repeated.

“We don’t keep in touch very often,” Stark corrected. “It’s usually a surprise visit here and there, end of the world threat to deal with. Thor likes to keep us on our toes.”

Twilight nodded, not sure whether or not to take the information with a grain of salt. Still, she asked, “And… what about Director Fury?” Stark looked down to her. “He didn’t want to come? And Doctor Pym, why did he leave so early? Did we offend him in some way? Did… di-di-did I—?”

Luckily for her sake, before the Alicorn could break down mentally, Stark held out his hand. He shook his head, saying, “Oh, no, it’s not like that. Let’s just say that Hank and I haven’t really seen eye to eye lately. I’m honestly surprised he managed to work with me through the entire project. But no, he took off the second he could. Couldn’t wait to get out of here.”

Stark downed his martini, placing the empty glass on the stand to his left.

Twilight frowned, fluffing her wings. “It’s a shame,” she said, shrugging. “We were just starting to getting to know each other.”

“Eh, it’s his loss.” Tony looked down to Twilight, offered a helpful smile to her. He shrugged. “What are you gonna do?”

Twilight nodded absentmindedly as she fell silent. The two stood quietly as the party thrived around them. Twilight blinked, suddenly remembering her question. “And what about Director Fury?” she asked.

“Sorta like Clint,” Stark answered almost instantly. “He wants to stay under the radar a bit, lay low. Except he doesn’t have a family to get back to, at least to my knowledge.”

Twilight smiled, looking back at Tony. “That’s really nice of Clint to be spending time with his family,” she said, tilting her head. “Have you met them? Are they nice?”

Tony played around with his thoughts, both hands sliding down into his pockets. “Yeah, as much as I could tell. I kinda met them in the least favorable sort of circumstances, but they’re nice. Really down to earth.”

“That’s really nice,” Twilight agreed. “I’m so glad that Clint—”

“Heeeeeyyyy, party people! Who wants to see me get shot out of my party cannon?!”

An eruption of cheers resounded throughout the large room, prompting both Tony and Twilight to turn their attention forward. There, they could see Pinkie Pie carefully adjusting herself into her party cannon, the other party-goers cheering her on. She waved to everyone present, her hoof reaching back to the trigger. Unfortunately for her, the cannon’s original trajectory fell, the face of the cannon slowly pointing downwards. Pinkie was too far gone to notice, and she pulled the trigger after a moment of struggle.

In an instant, a powerful bang erupted from the cannon, launching the party pony directly through the floor and into the lower levels of the facility. The still silence of the room held for quite some time, but the cheering soon revived once again.

“I don’t think I saw her bring that cannon with her through the portal,” Stark stated, his brow furrowing in thought. “Is that just me?”

Twilight didn’t respond. Her concerned gaze fell on the large, smoking hole where the cannon had shot Pinkie Pie. To her easement, both Rarity and Applejack shot over to the hole in an instant, peering downwards, asking if Pinkie was alright. Thankfully, she was, and she popped out of the hole without a scratch on her.

Giggling, Pinkie squealed, “That was so much fun! You guys,” Pinkie turned to Applejack and Rarity, then hiccupped. “You guys have gotta try it!”

“Ah don’t think so, Pinkie Pie,” Applejack said, eyes wary of the smoking hole directly in front of her. “But Ah do think you’ve had a little too much ta drink.”

Rarity nodded, clearly agreeing. “Indeed, darling. We suppose it would be a good idea if you laid down for an hour or so. Take a break, just relax, darling! And no more party cannons. My word, that scared the daylights out of me!”

Pinkie stared at the two as she pulled herself out of the hole. She giggled, her wide, goofy smile growing as she approached the two mares. “Ah, you guys are such good friends watching out for me and hic all,” she slurred, her forelegs wrapping around both Applejack’s and Rarity’s necks.

“I couldn’t imagine what I do without my best friends by my side!” Pinkie declared, wobbling with Applejack and Rarity unfortunately following, unable to do much against Pinkie’s abnormal strength. Fluttershy giggled at the trio from afar, Starlight doing the same.

Pinkie’s antics were quite the sight. Several agents, Sam Wilson and James Rhodes, and Spike all watched and chuckled from the couch, returning to their previous conversations shortly. But not everyone joined. Not everyone returned to the conversation.

Captain Steven Rogers kept on watching the trio of mares, his smile deflating every second with every word that came out of Pinkie’s mouth.

“Yep, I’d probably be facing some kind of crippling depression or unfathomable hic guilt if I didn’t have my best friends by my side!” Pinkie shouted. The party didn’t seem to notice her antics as much as before, and Applejack and Rarity were starting to grow tired with their party animal of a friend.

Pinkie babbled on, nearly choking the two mares in her grasp. “Who knows what kind of pent-up pain I’d be feeling if my best friends weren’t with me every step of the hic way!”

That was the nail in the coffin. Steve’s eyes fell, gaze elsewhere. As if in the presence of jocund company meant nothing to him anymore, Rogers picked himself up and exited the party. No one really noticed him get up and leave, their own conversations taking the majority of their attention. But others did, two others to be exact. They watched the scene with Pinkie’s antics reaching new heights, then turned their eyes onto the Captain quickly making his exit from the party, seeming to try and not be noticed.

He was, by both Twilight and Rainbow Dash.

The two watched him push the doors aside as he entered the night, the doors closing behind him. Both Twilight and Dash turned their eyes away from the door, their gazes meeting, each having the same idea in mind.

“Hey, could you keep an eye on Pinkie, make sure she doesn’t do anything… too crazy?” Twilight asked Stark. He nodded to her, bringing his eyes on the pink mare dazed and wobbly, both AJ and Rarity helping her to the couch.

“I got her,” Stark assured.

Twilight smiled. “Thanks, Tony.” With that, she made her way forward. Rainbow Dash said her goodbyes with Hill—offering her a quick hoof bump—before meeting with Twilight in the center of the room. Rainbow spoke first, landing easily in front of the Alicorn.

“Hey, did you check out Steve?” she asked.

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, he seemed a little… down. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yeah,” Rainbow said, nodding, her eyes shifting to the doors that led outside. She motioned her head in that direction, asking, “Should we see if he’s alright?”

“I think that’s a good idea,” Twilight agreed. The two slowly approached the doors, Twilight’s magic pushing them aside to allow the cool, summer breeze to flow into the cramped, sweaty party. It wasn’t freezing by any means, but it was a nice feeling to be out of the heat.

As the doors closed behind them, the mares stepped forth onto a large, open balcony. Few lanterns were lit and offered light to what the moon could not. Speaking of the moon, Twilight’s eyes rose upwards, her twin, violet pupils widening at the sight. The near-full moon shone brightly above, its resemblance slightly different to that of Equus’ moon. Bright stars twinkled in the night sky, several possible constellations appearing in Twilight’s mind. The wind picked up, blowing into her mane, cooling her. The sounds of the night were raw, as were the cries of the distant city lying miles away.

It was the first time Twilight had been outside while on Earth, and it was riveting.

Her attention was brought back by a soft hoof colliding with her chest. Twilight blinked, then turned to Dash, who jabbed her head in the direction directly ahead of them. Twilight followed her gaze, her own breath falling silent.

There was Steve Rogers, and no one else but him. He was leaning forward at the edge of the balcony, his back to them, his gaze staring into the empty fields and dark forests surrounding the New Avengers Facility. He wore a plain white t-shirt, blue jeans, and dark shoes. He was as silent, if not more than both Twilight and Rainbow Dash.

That had to change soon.

Clearing her throat politely, Twilight prepared her smile as the Captain turned his neck around to meet the two mares behind him. “Mind if we join you?” she asked, Rainbow offering a helpful grin.

Steve seemed to force one. “Not at all,” he replied, facing forward again. With that given to them, Twilight and Rainbow approached Steve, Twilight on his left and Rainbow on his right. They stood up to rest their forelegs on the edge of the balcony, staring downwards into the dimly-lit fields of grass below.

For a while, Twilight waited for Rainbow to make the first remark, Dash imagining the same for Twilight. Yet it was so quiet between the three, an uneven and slightly haunting silence when trapped within the Earth’s moon’s glow. Twilight sneaked a glance at Steve, studying his expression.

She couldn’t quite make out the expression on his face. It seemed sullen, lost, hurt even. Like he was deep in thought, as if he had forgotten something. It was hard to tell, and Twilight wanted to dig deeper, opening her mouth to speak.

“So, how are you—?”

Steve turned to Twilight, his own mouth closing the same moment Twilight’s had. Twilight hadn’t expected Steve to make the first statement, but she quickly shut her mouth to let him speak.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Steve apologized, holding his hand to her. “Please, go ahead.”

Twilight shook her head, waving her hoof. “No, no, you first.”

Steve chuckled softly, weakly. It sounded more like a quick exhale. Still, he offered a smile—it looked forced again—and asked, “So, how are you enjoying Earth so far?”

He turned to his right. “Both of you?”

Dash’s ears straightened, her grin widening. “Oh, this place? Yeah, this place is pretty awesome, though I haven’t really gotten out to fly that much! Gotta see if Earth’s air is just as good as Equus’ for flying!”

Steve chuckled, watching as Dash unfolded her wings. “I think you’ll be enjoying yourself soon, Rainbow,” he said, turning left. “And you, Twilight?”

Twilight was as a polar opposite to Rainbow, appearing nervous and unsure of herself. She said, “If I can be honest… it feels just like back at home. Aside from your amazing facility—I mean, the technology here? Wow! But aside from that… I was kind of expecting something a little… different.”

“How so?”

“I mean, it’s an entirely new world, and one that’s easily far-more advanced than Equus if what I’m told is to be true. But so far…” Twilight bit her lip, rubbing her hoof. “I haven’t really seen anything that gave me that vibe. Not like that’s a bad thing by any means, but…”

“You’re not impressed, is what you’re saying?” Steve asked, smiling.

Twilight looked away, blushing. “That’s not entirely true…”

Steve shrugged, turning back to the dark forest ahead of him. “Who knows…” he murmured. Flashes of white flew across his vision, deafening explosions demolishing gargantuan HYDRA tanks into nothing but pure fire and black sickness. Carriers flew in the skies, launching barrages of missiles and rockets to each other and causing countless eruptions upon their hulls. Robotic machines clawed out of the earth, near-endless drones swarming them as they protected the device that would prove to be the fate of the world.

And then he blinked. “You might just change your mind.”

He fell silent after that, the cool, summer air blowing passed the trio, howling. Other than that, no one else spoke. Taken that moment, Twilight turned back to the Captain, seeing that same expression as before, though seeming to be a tad more intensified. He was staring elsewhere, anywhere except where he wanted to.

“What’s wrong, Steve?”

He turned to his left, his mouth falling. “What?”

“We saw you leave the party, almost as if you couldn’t stand to be in there anymore.” Steve shot his gaze right, spotting Rainbow eyeing him curiously, suspiciously. Her brow began to rise, rose-rimmed irises growing slightly. “Just needed some air… or is there somethin’ on your mind, Cap?”

Steve turned away from their suspicious eyes, staring at his curled fingers intertwined with one another. He tightened his jaw, sighing in the end. “Yeah, I suppose I learned that keeping secrets from you girls comes back to bite me later on,” he admitted.

Both Twilight and Dash chuckled, and remained silent after that.

Steve shook his head at that silence. Lowering his head slightly, he began. “It’s been tough recently. Sam and I, we… we’ve been searching for God knows how long to find a friend of mine. A missing friend of mine. He’s been missing for a couple years now, and our trail now has never been more cold.”

He shrugged. Another sigh. “I don’t know. I guess seeing Pinkie with her best friends just reminded me of him, is all.”

Making a mental note to scold Pinkie later on this issue, Twilight looked to Steve with somber vision. “What’s his name?” she asked, voice sincere.

Steve looked to the Princess, to his friend. “James,” he replied. “His name’s James Barnes.”

“He’s your best friend, huh?” Dash asked, smiling a tad. Half-smiling.

“We’ve been best friends since we were kids…” Steve stated, then paused. He almost didn’t want to, but assumed it was for the best. They were his friends, after all. They deserved to know the story. He needed to make sure to tell everypony else later on.

“... more than 75 years ago.”

If that didn’t catch the mares by surprise…

He eyed each of their expressions. It did.

Twilight’s jaw was nearly unhinged, eyes as wide as plates. Dash seemed to share the same fate. “75 years?” Twilight asked, Steve nodding. “But… how… how is that even possible? Do humans age slower than ponies, or—?”

“No, no, it’s not like that,” Rogers said, waving his hand. “It’s just… During the second World War, I wanted to fight for my country more than anything else. The thing is… I wasn’t built for the military. I wasn’t really built at all. But thanks to a few experiments, some super soldier serum, I became the Captain you now see today.”

Twilight seemed to be breathing in the information, slowly nodding and remaining silent. Dash, on the other hand, narrowed her gaze at him, almost contemplating a certain thought on her mind.

She tapped her hoof on the balcony railing, earning the Captain’s attention. “So what you’re saying is… you were a shrimp before the ‘super soldier serum’?”

That actually got a good chuckle out of him. “Yes, I guess so,” Steve admitted.

A snicker, a contained giggle, then full-blown laughing. Thankfully, it wasn’t too severe, the rainbow mare still standing but smacking her hoof on the railing. “Oh, man! That’s too good!” she cried. “Please tell me you have pictures!”

“Rainbow!” Twilight shouted, using her magic to yank Dash’s ear, earning a sharp yelp from the Pegasus. Thankfully for Rainbow’s sake, Steve found it quite humorous, his smile still held.

“If I find some, I’ll tell you first, Dash,” he laughed, smile slowly fading over time. “Anyway, after the whole experimentation and facing the biggest change in my life, I finally got to serve my country with Bucky by my side. We—”

“Um, excuse me, but who’s Bucky, exactly?” Twilight interrupted.

Steve paused, stared at her, then said quickly, “Oh, sorry. ‘Bucky’ is just a nickname I gave James when we were kids. It sorta stuck, you know?”

Twilight nodded after that, prompting Steve to continue with a motion of her head.

“Yeah, well, we helped the war effort immensely. Thanks to our contributions, HYDRA—the biggest threat to the world next to the Nazi Reich and Imperial Japan—was crumbling. I was already seeing the end of the line so close, the end of the war that nearly cost us everything. Never once did I imagine anything could stop us…”

And then his smile was gone. His gaze fell through his hands, eyes slowly shutting.

“And I regret that decision even to this day.”

Eyes holding that same, comforting, yet somber feeling, Twilight leaned in, gently resting her free hoof on Steve’s shoulder.

“What happened?” she prodded.

Very softly, very slowly, he said, “I failed him. I failed to get my entire team back safely. I failed to help him when he needed my most. I failed him as his Captain… as his friend.”

Twilight’s hoof never left his shoulder.

“I thought I lost Bucky forever back then, and with the final act of resistance from HYDRA, I did my best to stop their weapon of mass destruction from reaching my homeland… by crashing it head first into the frozen wasteland.”

He shook his head. Twilight pressed even further, assuring him of a friendly presence.

“It seems God had other plans for me that day. I was kept frozen by the temperatures that could kill any other man in minutes, keeping me like… this when they eventually thawed me out a few years ago.” He paused to observe his biceps, his chest. “It took years to adapt to the new world. One world-ending event led to another and… before I even knew it I was back working with S.H.I.E.L.D. and trying to take down HYDRA again.

“They resurfaced after hiding years within the shadows, secretly funding wars, causing worldwide catastrophes, and profiting from every single one of them. Their newest weapon was something I never expected, something none of us ever really expected: an assassin. The Winter Soldier. He was a killing machine, the perfect tool for starting and ending conflicts. When the time came, when I was finally able to overpower him, I took off that mask…”

His eyelids closed.

“… and saw… him.”

Twilight’s hoof broke away, her gaze searching for Dash. The two shared that quick connection, sharing the same feelings, then turned back to Rogers.

“Bucky…?” Rainbow asked.

Steve just nodded.

“HYDRA got to him back during the war, warped his mind to become their ultimate killing machine, and kept him frozen until they needed him again. I tried to reason with him, tell him that it was me, it was his friend. He didn’t see it that way anymore. To me… I was just another mission.”

Twilight’s ears fell flat at that remark, the thought of a friendship as strong as Steve had made it out to be crumbling by just that statement...

Steve continued. “But he did do something, something that gave me hope that my friend was still in there, trapped. He did something that I had never done for him.”

“Which was what?” Twilight asked, very, very softly.

Steve eyed her, then answered with: “He saved my life.”

That earned some form of shock to the Princess of Friendship, silencing her. Steve shrugged once again, facing forward. “But that was two years ago, and I haven’t seen him since.”

Her moment of silence, processing the information, storing it in for future use, had ended. Now, there was only Steve Rogers, a quiet, summer night, a friendship problem, and what she could do with it. She began by saying, “I’m so sorry, Ca… Steve. If there’s anything we can do, anything at all, don’t hesitate to let us help you.”

Steve turned to face the Alicorn once again. And once again, he smiled, glad to know the help was there. He turned in the opposite direction, eyeing Rainbow.

She offered her signature grin, winking. “We got your back, Cap. We owe you after Ultron and… all of that,” Dash chuckled, looking away.

Another weak chuckle sounding like an exhale. He did that a lot. Regardless, he said, “Thank you. I appreciate the concern, girls. But…” he couldn’t stare at both of them, but he knew their eyes shifted to him at the same time he said that one word...

“... This is something I feel I need to do alone, with minimal assistance.”

Twilight nodded, still holding that smile of hers. “We understand. Right, Dash?”

Steve turned to the Pegasus, seeing her nod. “Sure thing. I mean, it’s your business, Cap,” Rainbow said, shrugging.

A nod in return, a friendly, genuine smile to go with that. “That it is,” he said, facing forward. It was only a short moment before he spoke up again, saying, “And speaking of business, I’d recommend you and your friends get plenty of sleep. Tomorrow’s a pretty big day.”

Dash took a double take. “Wait, it is?” she asked, turning from Steve, then to Twilight. She chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. “What are we doing again tomorrow, Twi?”

Luckily for her, Twilight had the answer. Per the norm. “Tomorrow we’re meeting with several of Earth’s leaders to discuss our presence on this world, and hopefully seal our peaceful relations between Earth and Equus.”

Her smile could impress many, but not Dash. She turned, instead, to Steve, and saw him smiling, too. And saying, “Yeah, so get plenty of sleep, Rainbow Dash. You’re gonna need it… being one of the eight Ambassadors of Equus.”

He chuckled.

“No pressure.”

Author's Note

Sooo... Christmas Break's comin' up soon. Definitely gonna write a lot more during that time. First semester's almost done! Woo! I'm sure as hell gonna relax more, Lord knows I need it.

Where have these two shows been my entire life?

Chapter 5 - Hidden

Upstate New York

New Avengers Facility, Parking Garage

11:41 p.m.

The party had died down at least an hour ago. A lot of people left in droves, others lingered still, but it seemed everything was growing quieter at the New Avengers Facility. It seemed that way partly due to Twilight and Stark being the only two present in the parking garage.

They walked side by side, the dimly-lit garage littered with very few cars. It was nice, serene. A stellar change to the thunderous party that had thankfully ended. Mostly.

“You know, you didn’t have to walk me to my car,” Tony said, finally filling the silence between the two. He shot out his right hand and pressed the “unlock” on his set of keys. “It’s nice, though. And hey, play your cards right and you might get another date if I’m up for it.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “This clearly wasn’t a date, Tony,” she deadpanned, barely smiling. “I still haven’t forgotten that you’re taken. What was her name again? Pepper, did you say?”

Tony almost didn’t nod. Almost. Twilight didn’t notice the subtle change, chuckling, “You’re just trying to get under my skin, as usual.”

“… Yeah,” Stark shrugged, shaking his head to exit his stupor. He stopped next to the driver’s seat of his car. “It was worth a try. But I appreciate the company nonetheless. Good company is hard to come by these days.”

Twilight tilted her head slightly. “How so?” she asked.

“Did I say that? No, I meant it’s fine, right? Yeah, everything’s good,” Stark quickly explained, struggling to hold his keys. “By the by, you might want to take advice from that walking marshmallow what’s-her-face and get your beauty sleep tonight. I’ll be bringing something special for tomorrow, something to help you and your friends speak face to face with the world’s leaders.”

He spoke abnormally fast, even for him. He was fumbling with his keys, trying to find the one that would make the car run. He never he even got in yet.

“Are you okay, Tony?”

He dropped his keys, a sharp but quick clash of metal on concrete. Twilight looked from the keys and slowly up to Stark. His palm rubbed his eyes, sliding down to scratch his stubble. “Huh? Yeah, never better. Just a little tired. Long day and all. Why, what’s going on with you?”

Twilight opened her mouth, but Tony beat her to the punch. “Oh, in fact, what’s going on with Rogers? I saw you and Dash talking with him for quite some time outside,” he said, keeping the focus off of him for a change. He reached down to pick up his keys.

Frowning, Twilight huffed, but answered regardless. “Steve was feeling a little down because… well…”

She stopped. She didn’t know if she should tell. It was clearly Steve’s personal business, as he had mentioned hours earlier. He didn’t want any other help besides what he already had. But… was that enough? It had been two years, and Steve still had no trace of his long-lost friend. Would it be right to ask for outside help?

No way to tell unless she acted.

“Well, he’s just been having some trouble finding an old friend of his that had gone missing a couple years ago.” Twilight stamped her hoof on the concrete below her nervously, looking away momentarily. “Do… do you by chance happen to know the name… James Barnes?”

“Rings a bell,” Tony said, eyes shifting back to his keys. “Not a particular bell, but it rings.”

That was an answer. Twilight said, “Well, Steve’s been having some trouble lately… trying to find him and all. I don’t want to see him so caught up on this issue, especially since it’s his best friend.”

“You kind of have a duty to uphold friendships, huh?” Stark asked, smiling.

Twilight looked away, blushing at that. “I just want to see that he can save his best friend. And maybe… if it’s not too much trouble… maybe you could help find him?” Tony slowly looked to her. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but you were telling me earlier how you have access to something called a ‘personal satellite’ and how you can spot almost anything on the planet without being detected! So, I was hoping—”

“Hey, breathe.” The command was sharp, to the point. Twilight slowly closed her mouth, hadn’t realized how quickly her heart rate had become. Surprising. He really should watch what he says around her. It must’ve been the drink. He tends to reveal some personal tech he’s been working on after a few shots. Stark faced her this time and stated, “Now, I think this is Rogers’ personal business, and I don’t think he’d want me butting in on it.”

“But—!”

“We all have a lot on our plate right now, Twi. Maybe later, maybe if Rogers actually wants me to help him. And I want to hear it out of his mouth. But right now…” Stark clenched his fist, his keys digging into his palm as he looked away, breaking contact with the youthful Alicorn.

He cleared his throat, let his hand relax. He really needed to watch that. “Now’s not a good time… especially for me.”

Twilight’s expression deflated like a leaky balloon. She watched as Tony turned back to his car door, finally opening it. “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked, eyes large and hopeful.

He paused. Tony didn’t even look at her. His thoughts were only Pepper. Her long, strawberry blonde hair flowing down her lean, slender shoulders. That smile that drove him wild now seen as just a memory. Most of everything about her was seen as just a memory. Just visions. Just the past.

Like a lot of things.

Many too much, even for Stark.

“Maybe later, Twi,” he replied, simply, with little to no emotion. “Maybe later.”

Twilight sighed and lowered her gaze, but nodded regardless. She heard the car door close, bringing her attention upwards to see the car backing up. It was an incredible machine, a machine she’ll have plenty of time to study during her stay on planet Earth.

Tony Stark drove away from the New Avengers Facility that night rather quickly, leaving the Princess of Friendship alone in his rear-view mirror.

Staring at him the entire time.

Author's Note

Sorry for the lack of updates. Finals week and all that. But now, first semester's done! :yay:

I'll definitely get back to writing more on my break. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 7 - Never Letting Go

Upstate New York

New Avengers Facility, Living Room

9:58 p.m.

The credits to Star Wars: Return of the Jedi began to roll, starting with Director Richard Marquand and continuing from there.

In front of the bright, flickering letters appearing on screen, the living room of the New Avengers Facility had met its match to the likes of, not only the Avengers, but their extraterrestrial equine allies, as well. Board games, snacks, chips, empty plates and cups lay strewn across the table and carpeted floors. Across the three oversized couches surrounding the table, the group finally eased themselves.

On the couch to the far right sat Twilight, Spike, Rainbow, Stark, and Rhodes. On the couch to the far left were Natasha, Pinkie, Applejack, Starlight, and Sam. And sitting on the couch right in-between the two others sat Steve, Fluttershy, Rarity, Wanda, and Vision.

Mostly everyone present were still awake. Others had fallen asleep during the movie, Pinkie and Fluttershy being the only two. The pink mare was curled up right on Natasha’s lap, almost like a cat would. She even purred like one. Fluttershy, on the other hand, laid her head upon Rogers’ lap, snoring ever so softly.

Twilight watched the closing credits of the film closely, reading all the names she could never recognize. Beside her, Tony Stark let out a big yawn, his arms stretched over his head.

“So, Twi, initial thoughts?” he asked, looking down to the mare on his left. “Greatest trilogy of all time, huh?”

Twilight’s expression still seemed quite puzzled, but she eventually shrugged and smiled. “Well, the special effects are definitely top-notch. I really did enjoy the overall story, especially in the previous film.”

“Empire Strikes Back?” Stark asked, Twilight nodding after thinking back to the title. “Oh, yeah, that’s a classic.”

She rubbed her chin. “But I don’t really know any other trilogies other than the one we just watched,” Twilight admitted.

“We can maybe watch the Indiana Jones movies in a few days,” Sam suggested, Stark pleased to the idea. “Those are always great.”

Steve said, “Hey, we can always watch the prequel trilogy next week. I haven’t seen those yet.”

Tony shot out his arms, nearly shouting, “Whoa, Cap, let’s not get crazy now!”

Rhodes chuckled, each of the mares staring at each other, rather confused. “How ‘bout the rest of you, huh?” James asked, eyes prompted to the other mares present and awake. “Did you all like the movies?”

Rainbow Dash sat up, stretching. “I don’t know. It was cool and all, it just got kinda weird in the third one with those little furry guys,” Dash answered, scratching her neck.

“Oh, those critters were absolutely adorable!” Rarity declared. “I, as well. The films were quite the treat. I especially loved the designs of the dresses and costumes.”

Starlight chuckled, turning to James and Tony. “They were really good films. I enjoyed them.”

“Bland, boring response, but acceptable,” Stark commented, Glimmer frowning.

“I’m with Starlight!” Spike said, standing up on the couch. “I especially liked the part with the laser sword—”

“Lightsaber,” Stark corrected.

“Lightsaber fights! They were all like whoosh,” Spike shouted, pretending to wield a lightsaber in his claws. He jammed the imaginary saber forward, then swung his arms back and forth and up and down. He performed several other sound effects similar to the films. Spike leaped upward, but wasn’t intending on where exactly to land. As he fell to the carpet, yelping as he did so, Twilight’s magical grip surrounded his body, bringing him back safely next to her.

“Yeah, they were pretty neat,” Applejack drawled, securing her hat. As she hopped off the couch, she yawned, “Alright, Ah guess Ah’ll be seeing y’all in the mornin’. Ah’m gonna hit the hay. Heck, this is probably the latest Ah’ve been up in years.”

She tipped her hat to the group, turning around. “G’night, everypony… er… everyone.”

“Goodnight, Applejack!” Twilight called to Applejack’s retreating form, yawning to herself. “In fact, it is getting pretty late, and I still got the rest of that big speech to write for tomorrow. I think I might call it a night, as well. Come on, Spike.”

Spike, still pretending to be a brave Jedi Knight battling the forces of the dark side, suddenly paused, staring at Twilight as if she had muttered a curse at him. “Oh, come on, Twilight!” he complained.

“It’s way past your bedtime, mister,” Twilight said, her tone now serious and motherly.

“It’s only a little past ten!”

The sudden outburst caused Pinkie and Fluttershy to shift in their sleep, everyone watching their movements carefully. They, however, did not wake, instead curling tighter, adjusting themselves to a more comfortable position. Twilight sighed, turning her frown back to the uncooperative dragon.

“I’m not asking you again, Spike,” Twilight ordered, narrowing her eyes on the unresponsive dragon. “You know you’ll feel grumpy in the morning if you don’t get your sleep.”

“Yeah, Spike,” Sam joked, trying to hold his chuckles. He didn’t try very hard. “It’d be a shame if you got a little grumpy wumpy for tomorrow’s big day.”

Several of the Avengers chuckled at that, the poor dragon growing crimson at the unwanted attention. He quickly gave in, groaning and hopping off the couch. As he pushed by Twilight, the Alicorn quickly caught up to him, saying, “I’ll tuck you in just like back at home.”

“Twilight!” Spike yelled, covering his heated face. “You’re so embarrassing!”

Sam laughed again, several others doing the same. A moment of silence followed, the only sound being that of the continued credits of the film and Fluttershy’s and Pinkie’s silent breaths. Tony instinctively looked to his watch, mumbling, “Is it really past ten?”

“Looks like it, Tony,” James muttered, groaning as he pushed himself off the couch. “We should all be getting some rest. Tomorrow’s a pretty big day for all of us, but mostly for the girls.”

“Well, if that’s the case,” Starlight stated, plopping herself onto the carpet and yawning as she did so, “I guess I’ll be hitting the sack, too. You comin’, Rarity?”

“Yes, yes, dear, I’m coming,” Rarity said, joining Starlight on the carpet. She cleared her throat, twisting her neck back. “Fluttershy, care to join us?”

The two unicorns noticed the slumbering Pegasus resting her head in the Captain’s lap, her chest rising and falling, small smile on her lips. Steve chuckled at the sight, smiling to the two. “I think she’s gonna be just fine,” he whispered.

Rarity cooed at the adorable sight, waving her hoof. “Very well, Captain,” she whispered back, she and Starlight making their escape to their respective guest rooms. James turned back to his friend, offering his hand. Tony pushed it away.

“No, no, I’m not that old yet,” Stark told him, standing up and off the couch. He pressed down on his wristwatch, the TV screen and the Blu-ray player shutting off. “Night, everyone. Meet back here at six tomorrow?” he asked, turning to the Captain and the others.

Steve nodded. “That’s the plan.”

“Right.” Both Stark and Rhodes disappeared into the shadows of the New Avengers Facility, returning to their rooms for the night. Wanda Maximoff stretched a tad and yawned, a few of the only sounds she had made that night. Vision turned to her, watched as she arose.

“Goodnight, everybody,” she whispered, gently tiptoeing over the crushed chips hidden in the carpet. Vision shot up rather quickly to the woman’s left, prompting Wanda’s eyes to shift his way.

Vision said, “I can accompany you, if you would wish, that is.”

Wanda’s reluctant stare held for a moment, slowly melting into a warm smile. “Sure thing, Vis,” she told him, both the woman and the android entering the dark hall. Sam watched them leave, his own yawn catching him off-guard.

Sam stretched out, bumping the table with his foot. “I’m callin’ it quits, Steve,” he told the Captain as he arose from the couch. He shifted his eyes over to the couch directly ahead of him, motioning his head in his direction. “You comin’ too, hotshot?”

Dash only smirked at the name. “Yeah, I’ll be in bed pretty soon.”

“You have to wake up on your own this time. I ain’t waking your lazy ass again like I did this morning,” Sam warned. Steve chuckled.

Rainbow only rolled her eyes, waving him off. “Calm down! I’ll wake up early if it’s that important!” she assured him.

“It is,” Sam said, shifting his eyes to Steve, before returning to the Pegasus. “I better see you here ten minutes before I walk in.”

“We’ll see,” Dash admitted, giggling at Sam’s expression.

Wilson just shook his head, saluting to the rainbow mare. “Goodnight, Dash.”

“Night, Sam.”

He turned and made his exit into the dark, dark halls. Rainbow fell back into the soft couch cushions, sighing in content. The sharp chip debris and popcorn kernels beneath her were a pain, but she ignored them for the moment, letting her weary body relax and slowly drift. When she opened her eyes, she could see Steve smiling at her.

“What?” she asked, almost laughing.

“Pretty fun night?” he asked.

“Oh, yeah,” Dash moaned, leaning back even further into the cushion and closing her eyes.

Steve chuckled, looking down to the board games resting on the table. Several were open, cards strewn about, but hardly touched. He shook his head, murmuring, “Pretty fun night, yeah. It’s times like these where… I really come to appreciate all that we have, all who we’re with. We don’t get much more of these times anymore.”

Rainbow peeked out, one eye barely opening.

The Captain sighed. “But we enjoy it. I enjoy it. I can only wish for more moments like these, not just with my team… but my friends.”

He shot his eyes over to Natasha. She smiled to him, her eyes drifting down to Pinkie Pie still fast asleep, curled on her lap. Romanoff exhaled softly through her nose, smile still held as her head fell back, her own mind drifting off to sleep.

Steve watched her carefully, his attention brought back to the rainbow mare punching his shoulder softly. “Hey, Cap, don’t worry about it too much,” she said, hovering just ahead of him. Her expression softened, eyes warm. Her voice felt even calmer than usual, a drastic change to the confident daredevil that defined her personality.

She told him, “You don’t have to be chilling on a couch, watching a few movies to hang out with your friends.” Her head shot off from side to side, and then she leaned in, almost in a whispering manner, and said, “A thing I learned from Twi, and don’t tell her that I did, but even if you don’t know it… you’re always surrounded by friends… no matter what.”

Dash finished with a strong smile. A confident one. An assuring one. One that defined her.

And Steve finally gave in, smiling back. “Yeah… I guess I am.”

Her own grin faltered as a yawn built deep within her. Dash yawned carnivorously. “G’night, Cap,” she told him, saluting once. “See ya in the morning.”

He nodded, and watched as Rainbow dashed off to her guest room, deep through the halls of the New Avengers Facility. And soon enough, it was just the four of them left, yet it only felt like one. Just him. Oily darkness covering pieces of the living room, the moon’s ghostly glow breaking in through the various windows lining the walls, and him sitting on the empty couch, staring at the black screen.

He thought back. “You’re always surrounded by friends…” he heard himself whisper.

Steve Rogers looked down to his lap, the still-resting Fluttershy breathing softly onto his pant leg. Her gentle exhales, delicate and free, like the pony that defined her. He noticed the sliver of a smile gracing her features, her long, pink mane covering his lap. He placed his palm gently on her head and rubbed her ear.

Her smile widened, a little sigh escaping her as she moved her body closer to his. Fast asleep.

“… and I’m not letting go this time.”

Chapter 8 - The Big Day

Washington, D.C.

South Lawn of the White House

11:23 a.m.

WHIH Newsfront reporter Christine Everhart never felt so nervous. She was sweating. It was probably the sun. Was it the sun? It was probably the sun. She had been sent outside the studio to do interviews before, no sweat. But today… Oh, today. Today was big. Really big.

Like, “aliens discussing peace with Earth and shaking hands with the president” big. That big.

She fixed her hair ten, maybe fifteen times, and every time her cameraman said it looked fine, but she just had to make sure. All around her, several rivaling news stations had their reporters looking far more professional than she could on that day. They thought they could get an interview with the aliens, with the so-called “small, talking equines” before her. They sure as hell could try.

Because when that extra-long, jet-black limousine pulled up directly in front of the South Lawn, it was instantly swarmed, like a fresh carcass by a group of vultures. Everhart shot her wild eyes over to her cameraman, to the camera. He gave the thumbs up—meaning they were live—to which she responded by speaking directly into her microphone, never breaking eye contact.

“This is Christine Everhart with WHIH Newsfront,” Everhart began, the sun beating down against the back of her neck. She pressed down on her earpiece, nodding. “We have just been confirmed that the Avengers have arrived to the White House, and with them are the alien ambassadors of Equus. We will try and get a closer look and hopefully a few words from the equine visitors!”

A contorted flock of reporters and cameramen rushed right on by the duo. Everhart, however, was strong, and determined. She waved her cameraman forward, the two pushing right through the crowd and closer to the limousine.

It was a constant fight to the front, Everhart having to shove a few people aside to get through. It wasn’t rough by any means, but it wasn’t gentle, either. Then again, news was war. You fight for the best story and pray your ratings are better than the opponents. And by God’s name, Everhart was going to get this story straight out of the horse’s mouth. No pun intended.

Lost in the midst of the sea of reporters, flashing lights, and bumbling cameramen, Christine Everhart eventually found herself in the front of the chaos. She stood her ground, gripped her microphone tight in her palm, and watched patiently as the limo door finally opened.

And out they came.

“Mr. Stark!” Everhart announced, shoving her microphone right in the billionaire’s face. He wasn’t an alien, but hey, it was Tony Stark. Still damn good news. “Can you give us a few words on how the summit went yesterday?”

“Mr. Stark! Any word on the alien equines?”

“Are they in the limousine at this very moment!”

“Mr. Stark, do you intend to come out with the events of Sokovia and what really happened?”

A plethora of questions and camera flashes. Tony had gotten used to the immense amount of attention. He never shied away from it. Instead, hearing but a few of the several hundred thrown his way, Stark held out his hands and declared, “Alright, make way for our visitors! Where are the—Yo! Could we get some security over here?!”

Per Stark’s request, several Secret Service men tore through the crowd, easily pushing people away from the limo. With the news dealt with, Stark patted the nearest agent on the shoulder and made his way onto the South Lawn. Behind him, exiting the limousine, was the current leader of the Avengers, Captain Steven Rogers. The reporters shouted and the cameras flashed.

Each member of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes came out dressed and buttoned and sleek. Following the Captain was Sam Wilson, the Falcon. Next came Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, followed quickly by James Rhodes, Wanda Maximoff, and Vision. Even the synthetic wore a suit and tie for the occasion.

And the ones that followed them…

Well, Everhart could barely even see herself. The camera flashes could blind anyone, even the seven colorful ponies that exited the limousine. Oh, and there was a young dragon that trailed them, closing the door for the mares.

The first was a violet unicorn with curled wings resting on her sides. She led the group, signifying her leadership as the “Princess of Friendship” Everhart had heard so much about. The next was a pale pink unicorn. She, as well as the princess, continued onwards, paying little heed to the crowds. Following the two was a bright orange pony with a blonde mane, a large Stetson hat resting atop her head. Next was another unicorn, but wearing stylish sunglasses and a hat to block the rays of the sun.

Next bounded a bright pink pony, her cotton-like mane as bouncy as she was. Trailing the overly-excited mare were two Pegasi, one wearing dark shades and dragging her rainbow tail forward, and the other a frightful, yellow coated pony. Behind them was the baby dragon, hurrying along to avoid being left behind.

She was dumbfounded for a moment, simply gawking at the alien ponies. Her time was short, the ponies were bustling onward. Shaking her head, gaining her sense, Everhart jammed her microphone directly towards them, shouting, “Wait, no, please! Could you share a word with WHIH Newsfront just for a moment?”

Unfortunately, her words were lost in the sea of others who had spouted their questions to the group of eight. Everhart never got her chance, as the ponies simply offered a passing glance before being forced forward by the Secret Service behind them. She and her cameraman watched as they vanished, lost between the bulking, black suits of the service men.

Straight to the large stand and rows of chairs in the center of the South Lawn. They didn’t get there yet. There was still a chance. Everhart waved her cameraman forward, licked her lips, and fought through the sea. She was going to get her story.

As for the mares, some seemed to be quite enjoying the attention, others wanted to just sit down, and others were simply terrified. Fluttershy definitely fell in that latter category, flinching at every camera flash, yelping at every microphone jutted her way, breaking through the strong arms and bodies of the service men.

Applejack, Twilight, Starlight, and Spike wanted to get to their seats asap. It took some time, but forcing themselves forward and ignoring the shouts and cameras from their left and right, they found themselves in sanctuary. The service men blocked their rear, allowing no form of entry for anyone other than the Avengers and their equine companions.

However, there were three who quite enjoyed the attention.

“Now, now! There will be plenty of time for pictures after the event!” Rarity announced to the crowd of reporters. Pinkie Pie bounced excitedly beside her, her wide eyes shifting from one camera to the next, her grin as wide and bright as the flashes spreading throughout the crowd.

More cameras jutted in her direction, more questions and more flashes. Rarity simply waved them away, spinning around. “Come now, Pinkie! Our adoring public will have to wait!” she said, her aura wrapping around Pinkie mid-jump and carrying her away with the fashionista.

The only pony that remained was Rainbow Dash, and she took full advantage of the attention.

“How has your experience with Earth’s leaders been so far?!”

“What can you tell us about the world you originate?!”

“Are those wings capable of actual flight?!”

Rainbow Dash pulled down her shades, smirking to the crowd. She kicked up and off the ground, maintaining her flight for every reporter in the crowd to see. They went wild, shouting even more questions, taking even more pictures, and pushing even harder against the Secret Service standing between them and their greatest story of the year.

Dash chuckled, forelegs crossed. “Does that answer your question?”

Every camera was on her, every microphone pointed her way. Dash remained hovering above ground, her hooves held out to the crowd. She spoke, silencing them only slightly. “Calm down, everyone! I’ll be sure to answer every one of your questions about how awesome I am! Now, one at a time, lay ‘em on me!”

“Well that didn’t take long,” Twilight muttered, resting in the front row next to her student, Starlight. To her right sat Tony Stark, the man looking down to her, his eyes shifting back to still see Dash mingling with the reporters and cameramen.

The six mares and baby dragon sat with the Avengers in the front row, the large stand and podium merely feet in front of them. American flags decorated the stand, chairs resting behind the podium that stood in the middle, presumably where the president will speak. A news chopper flew overhead, its blades silencing all foreign conversations for the time being until it flew out of range, swooping back for another shot of the event soon to begin.

Tony looked back to Rainbow Dash, seeing if she was still entertaining the media. She did a backflip, the cameras flashing wildly.

“Let her enjoy herself,” Stark replied. Twilight looked up to the man on her right. He said, “She’ll come to hate the paparazzi soon enough.”

Twilight only rolled her eyes, looking away. “I don’t think that’s gonna be the case anymore. Rainbow has always been a showboat, always wanting to get the attention. I swear, it’s only gotten worse since she became a Wonderbolt.”

“Wonderbolt?”

The Alicorn paused, looking back to Stark. Her eyes widened, mouth falling open. “Oh, I never told you did I?” Seeing him shake his head, Twilight continued. “Well, the Wonderbolts were one of Equestria’s first military units, organized by Princess Celestia herself. Over the years, however, as major conflicts seemed to have ceased, the Wonderbolts have tended to entertain at grand events more often. They’re still an active duty military group, but they mostly perform now. In fact, they only really—”

“Twi,” Stark stated firmly, earning her attention. Her ears fell, crimson burning in her cheeks.

“Too much?” she asked.

Tony nodded. “Tone it back a bit.”

“Sorry.”

Stark looked forward, watched as the stage in front of him began to fill with senators, Secret Service, and even the vice president. “So, these Wonderbolts… Rainbow’s a part of them?” he asked, returning to the conversation.

Twilight watched the stage fill, as well. Turning back, she finally saw Dash leave the paparazzi alone as the service men showed her where her seat lied. She nodded, saying, “Yep, she’s been trying to get in with the Wonderbolts her whole life. It really means a lot to her.” She began to smile as Dash took her seat next to Spike, the mare taking off her shades and sitting patiently.

Twilight mentally sighed with relief.

“You know… this has been a life dream of hers… being a Wonderbolt, and all. It would mean the world to her if you said congratulations,” Twilight said, shrugging. “I mean, Sam and Steve already have, so…”

As she twisted her neck back to Tony, the man only shrugged, arms crossing as he waited patiently for the ceremony to begin. “I’ll think about it,” he replied.

“Please, Tony.” He looked back down to the Alicorn, seeing one of the best display of puppy-dog eyes he ever had before. She finished with a cute smile, her hooves wrapped with each other. “For me?”

“Oh, come on, that’s not even fair!” Stark complained, the Alicorn nearly falling out of her chair laughing. However, she straightened herself momentarily once someone began to speak into the microphone on the center stage, coughing politely to gain everyone’s attention.

“If everyone would take their seats, we shall begin the ceremony shortly,” the man stated, waiting as everyone began to situate themselves. Twilight and her friends, already situated and ready, took the time to watch the crowds begin to settle and the mingling to cease.

The Secret Service men still surrounded the chairs and stand, making sure no paparazzi or reporters snuck their way inside. There were still mobs of them outside the ceremony limits, flashing cameras, writing utensils at the ready, phones held outwards, ready to record. Governors, senators, and state politicians began to take their seats all around the mares, waiting until silence was their only response.

Until that silence lasted for at least a minute longer, the man returned to the center podium. He nodded in appreciation to everyone’s efforts, his eyes shifting to the podium before facing outwards.

He said, “Ladies and gentleman, it is my honor to welcome to the stage the President of the United States to offer his own greetings to our extraterrestrial visitors.”

And as he stepped away, clapping his hands together, everyone else followed. An eruption of cheers and claps emerged from the state governors, the crowds and crowds of reporters, and even the Avengers. Soon enough, Twilight and her friends did nothing else but follow the crowd, clapping their hooves together to welcome the arrival of President Ellis.

He arose from his seat, waving to the crowds now standing to his presence. Shaking the previous man’s hand, President Ellis took the podium, offering one final wave as the crowds finally began to settle.

His weary gaze fell across the crowds, eventually landing on the Avengers, as well as Twilight and her friends. He smiled warmly to them, the princess smiling back.

With that, he planted his palms on the podium and spoke to the nation. The news chopper hung far in the distance, the large camera pointed at the stage. Every reporter fell silent, notes beginning to scribble, phones and cameras beginning to record everything that the president would say.

And he said, “My fellow Americans, I thank you for joining us on this momentous occasion. Since you elected me as your president, it has been my duty to protect this country from any and all forms of alien threats to our world, our families, and our lives. I have not shied away from this subject, nor do I intend to. Some of you may be wondering why exactly you are here today. Others would wish to know why would he organize an event on such a damn hot day!”

A collection of laughter resounded throughout the lawn, Twilight and her friends chuckling. Some of the Avengers smiled at that. Stark didn’t do anything.

“And most of you would rather wish to know who are special guests are this morning. Well, I will not keep you waiting any longer, and allow her to tell you herself.” His gaze fell back to Twilight, smiling. The Alicorn gulped nervously, but remained confident, smiling back. “So, without further ado, it is my pleasure to welcome to the stand… Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equus!”

An uproar of claps followed, all eyes in the audience shifting to the Avengers and the eight others sitting near, but more importantly, their leader. Twilight smiled nervously. Forced a smile, really. It was a mix. It felt like a warm reception, but still she felt the coolness of doubt cloud the back of her mind. She had to push those thoughts aside.

It was time.

Stepping out of her chair and into the grass, Twilight stepped forward, up the stairs and onto the stage. More claps. More cheers. There, President Ellis and the senators behind him all clapped for her, every step of the way. Twilight’s smile grew more confident at the sight, her eyes shifting back to her friends. They waved, clapped, and cheered for her. Supported her.

Twilight breathed again, and before she even knew it she was shaking the president’s hand.

“You were right, Princess Twilight,” he whispered to her, looking out and smiling for the cameras. The large one in-between the rows of seats especially. Twilight did the same. “This truly is a momentous occasion. You should be proud of what you’ve accomplished here today.”

“It’s what we’ve accomplished,” Twilight told him, the man smiling with a nod. “And thank you, President Ellis.”

He nodded again, breaking the handshake and holding said hand to the podium for her to take. With a grateful nod, Twilight acknowledged and approached the podium. She rose to her hind legs, pressing her hooves on the face of the podium and staring out into the sea of alien faces, camera flashes, and dying claps.

For several seconds, she stared out into the crowd, the claps finally ceasing and the audience remaining still. All that was left were the sounds of a few camera snaps and a few coughs. Clearing her throat, Twilight hadn’t realized how close to the microphone she was, causing the speaker to screech in protest. The audience winced, then chuckled.

Twilight smiled, then mentally slapped herself, then began. “… Um, sorry about that, heh. I guess… Well, I suppose I can start off by saying thank you to everyone who showed their support by showing up today.”

The crowd was silent. Reporters wrote away on their notepads, shifting their gazes from the Alicorn and back down. Another quick screech from the microphone.

So far… not so good. Twilight’s mental marathon had begun. Her speech was flying right passed her vision, hardly pausing, never stopping. Twilight gulped, then looked back to her friends.

Her friends.

They smiled to her, every one of them. Her number one assistant, her student, even Pinkie Pie wasn’t bouncing around. That gave her enough confidence knowing they were there, they were supporting her. Steve gave a gracious smile and nod. Stark offered thumbs up.

She sighed. She turned back to audience.

“One year ago, the Avengers entered our world lost, confused, and worried about whether or not they can make it back to their home world. We faced the possibility that the Avengers may never be able to get back home. And despite this, they defended our world from the monster known as Ultron.”

A collection of nervous mumbles filled the audience, several eyes shifted towards the front row. Tony Stark hid his face in his palm for a moment, rubbing his eyes before returning to Twilight.

“We owe them with everything that we are, and we owe this world… for if it had not been for the combined efforts of Earth and Asgard… our world would cease to exist.”

The constant roaring of the news chopper’s blades in the distance filled the silence. Twilight looked down to her hooves, the crowd waiting for her. “Since those terrible events, our world’s leaders have sought to make peace with Earth, and all that it has to offer. And I’ll admit, I was a bit worried when we were given this important task. I had almost believed that my friends and I didn’t have what it takes to speak for our entire world.”

She chuckled a bit, then shook her head. “But… America wasn’t founded by those with little faith. They were founded by the men... and women… who gave it their all in the pursuit of happiness, prosperity, and peace. It is what America was founded for, and that is all we have sought to create.”

Vision furrowed his brow. Turning his head back, he stared into the distant glare of the sun, narrowing his eyes.

“So, from Equus to Earth, we bring nothing but peace and hope for a better tomorrow. We are blessed to be welcomed into your world.”

Wanda caught his actions at the edge of her vision. She turned to him, whispering, “What is it, Vis?”

The android stared off into nothing. His lips parted, the men behind him staring at him with confused glances. He barely shook his head, whispering back, “I… don’t know. I seem to have… sensed something. A disturbance.”

“A what?”

Twilight held out her hoof. “From sea to shining sea, my friends and I are blessed to be welcomed into your great nation!”

As she declared that statement, the crowd followed with a resounding sound of cheers and claps. The men and women sitting behind the Alicorn clapped as well, the president’s eyes on the princess. However, his eyes shifted passed her, his smile deflating and his claps ceasing. In the glare of the sun, beyond the news chopper, three distant figures flew barely into sight.

He recognized them by their design. Two of the three were AH-64 Apache helicopters. The third one, and the one in the center, was a large V-22 Osprey. Its twin rotors slashed and cut through the skies, leading the two Apaches. As they grew closer, even as the cheers of the crowd roared on, President Ellis noticed the service men beside him press down on their earpieces, whispering and nodding.

“Agent Adams,” Ellis called, said agent bending down to him. He whispered, “Did we order any military intervention for this event?”

Adams shook his head. “No, sir. We’re looking into it right now.”

“Well, you figure out what the hell they’re doing in the next minute,” he sternly explained, turning towards the service man, his expression unknown behind the heavy, dark shades. Ellis pointed at him, saying, “I don’t want those choppers getting close to this even—”

A deafening uproar completely silenced the crowd, an array of lights shooting out from above. The crowds all screamed, ducking down as if under fire. President Ellis, his service men, and everyone on stage shot their eyes forward to the news chopper. Twilight did the same, flinching at the sound of it, gasping at the sight of it.

Steve Rogers spun completely around and shot up, almost knocking his chair over. The Avengers followed his lead, the ponies doing the same.

And watched as a missile struck the tail of the news helicopter. Fire spewed out from the tail rotor. The chopper spun out of control, a tornado of smoke and fire trailing it as it slowly fell. Steve could see as the pilot tried to take control of the flailing aircraft, the cameramen within the helicopter holding on for their life, screaming as they spun around and around and…

A second missile shot out from the same Apache helicopter, impacting the cockpit of the news chopper and blowing it completely out of the sky. Its burning remains spun once more before tilting far left and diving there. The fiery shell of the news chopper impacted the ending row of chairs, several people fleeing from the eruption, others caught within it, their screams silenced in an explosion of cinder and smoke.

And in that moment lives were already lost. Steve knew that, and still he couldn’t seem to react. People climbed over others in a desperate attempt to escape, pushed their way to safety and away from the fire, and he still didn’t react. It was so fast, too fast, but he could have done something, prevented something. But he didn’t.

He didn’t have much time to react at all. None of the Avengers did.

But he had to… He needed to. The next missile shot for the stage.

Chapter 9 - Crossed

Washington, D.C.

South Lawn of the White House

12:12 p.m.

Twilight Sparkle watched on in utter horror as the flaming wreckage crashed right into the crowd, spewing metal and flame onto screaming civilians. The helicopter’s blades tore right through the cheap, metal seats, spewing dirt to and fro, and slicing a few unlucky innocents into nothing but red mist.

Their screams now muffled, new screams carrying across the lawn, Twilight finally shifted her eyes forward to the three ships.

And watched as another missile shot right towards her.

She almost didn’t allow herself to prepare for the onslaught. The shock and awe of it all had slowed her perception of reality, lowered her instincts, and nearly cost her everything. Just as the missile was about to hit the podium, right before she began to charge up her horn, a shield of red flew across the stage, an eruption following as the missile collided with it.

The missile’s collision still created an array of orange and yellow bursts of fire to spew outwards. The crowd flinched back, crying as the flames hit them, others trying desperately to still escape, trampling over others. As the smoke cleared and Princess Twilight could finally see the aftermath, there standing directly ahead of the stage was Wanda.

Her jaw remained clenched, holding the shield, fingers outstretched. She shot her wild, red eyes to the stage, then quickly back. “Vision!” she shouted. “Get the president out of here!”

Vision replied without question, flying over to the stage and landing directly in front of President Ellis and his service men. The Secret Service reached for their pistols, President Ellis holding his hand out to them.

“Hold your fire!” Ellis ordered, the men doing just that. With them remaining still, Ellis turned to Vision.

The android said, “Mr. President, it would be in your best interest if you came with me. I can guarantee your safety.”

“Understood,” Ellis replied almost instantly, nodding to the Avenger. Normally he would allow his service men to get him to safety, but considering Stark and Rhodes both got him out of danger before, being under the protection of an Avenger seemed more assuring.

Besides, he believed the Secret Service would need as much backup as possible.

“Agent Adams, I want you and your men to take out those choppers any way you can!” President Ellis ordered, Adams nodding and waving the others with him. The four men hopped off the stage, pulled out their pistols, and started firing into the air.

Vision stepped forward and grabbed the president by the shoulder. Ellis shouted, “Call backup! I want police surrounding the South Lawn now!”

“Are you ready?” Vision asked.

“Yes, now where are you—?”

The president never got to finish. Vision flew off the stage with Ellis in his grip, the android flying straight for the White House and out of the combat zone. Wanda watched as both Vision and President Ellis vanished, easing her fear, assuring her of the president’s safety. She scanned the stage, seeing the remaining senators escape to safety.

All except for…

“Twilight!” Wanda cried. The Alicorn snapped out of her stupor, blinking several times before shooting her gaze over to the Witch. “Off the stage now!”

Her last words came out as a painful screech, a second missile colliding with her shield, weakening it. Darting in the direction of the shot, following the trail of smoke, her red eyes locked with the Apache helicopter. Her shield diminished after that, her hands shooting outwards towards the helicopter. Streams of red flooded from her fingers, twirling throughout the air and impaling the enemy helicopter, destroying its blades and bringing it to the earth.

Wanda cursed as she directed the helicopter out of civilian way and crashed it into the ground, soft enough to keep its occupants alive. As the Apache crashed far-off into the grass and away from civilians trying to escape the madness, arriving police cars came to a stop on the roads surrounding the South Lawn. Heavily-armored police vehicles joined them, their sirens crying out into the warzone, their occupants entering the grassy lawn armed with M4 assault rifles.

Back on the street, an officer spotted the second Apache and the Osprey still airborne. He reached for his mic on his shoulder, saying, “This is Officer Griggs of the MPD! We have enemy choppers directly over the South Lawn of the White House! Civilians are still in the area! No word on the president! Requesting immediate back—!”

“Griggs, get out of the street!”

The revving of a powerful engine caught Officer Griggs’ attention. He spun around, and never saw the car coming before he hit the hood, the windshield, and flew completely over before landing back in the street, dead.

Several more unidentified cars followed, each one heavily-armored like the police vehicles, darker, too. They tore right through the police, bullets hitting their armored hides, bouncing off like nothing. Officers leaped out of the way into the grass, cars being flipped and crashed in the street until the intruders turned.

Directly into the South Lawn.

A total of six unidentified vehicles slowed to a halt on the grassy lawn of the White House, its occupants pouring out, just as well-armed as the police officers. They dressed in black, gas masks upon their faces, hands reaching for their belts and tossing unknown projectiles towards the crowds. As the projectiles made their impact, they erupted, spewing a white fog into the scrambling bodies.

Tear gas.

The civilians, the hundreds of reporters, governors, and average attendees stumbled blindly through the growing fog, everyone reaching for their throats, so many people crying out. Some covered their eyes, nose, and mouth with their shirts, running around with their hands stretched outwards, hoping by some dim luck to reach an area they could see again, find some place they could breathe again.

And when they did, they came across the dark soldiers, and were fired upon.

Nothing could compare to the screams that followed the gun shots. Terror flooded the veins of the ones who were gunned down like animals by the dark soldiers. As more escaped the deadly fog, the dark soldiers continued to fire, wasting round after round, clip after clip on the crowds. The police instantly turned towards the screams, the officers charging onto the lawn, right for the ones shooting into the crowd.

They couldn’t, however, get through the second Apache. Streams of orange tore through the officers like they were paper, prompting their attention upwards, towards the lone Apache firing down upon them. It fired two missiles, each one colliding next to a group of three heavily-armed officers, their bodies flying in the air like ragdolls.

Back on the street, more enemy vehicles emerged, more dark soldiers spewing outwards, firing at the crowds and the officers.

“We’re surrounded!” one of the officers screamed, firing madly in every direction he could before he was eventually gunned down. Officers dropped one by one until none were left on the South Lawn. The remaining MPD forces retreated to their cars, using them as cover, firing whenever they got the chance.

The volley of gunfire raged in the street and continued to do so. The massacre on the South Lawn was a different story. No one fought back against the madness. No one could. The tear gas made it impossible to see, to breathe, and a stream of bullets tore through the fog every second, making survival nearly impossible for the average human.

The Avengers were not average humans.

When no one could fight back against the hail of gunfire, they did. When no one could charge into the heart of the madness, they did. They didn’t turn from the screams, they didn’t run to safety, they bled for others’. They rushed through the fog, finally breathing again, and came across the dark soldiers head-on.

Catching them completely off-guard.

Leading them was Captain America. The first soldier cloaked in black was unfortunate enough to come across the leader of the Avengers. Rogers clotheslined the soldier, driving his fist into the mask of the one directly to his left. Right behind him was the Black Widow. She dove with her knee leading, impacting the chest cavity of a soldier with his sights on the Captain.

She ripped the man’s assault rifle away and tossed it behind her, only for it to be caught by Sam Wilson. She then reached into the man’s side holster, pried out his pistol, rammed the edge of it across his forehead, and got back up. Together, the two fired back against the unknown enemy, dropping soldiers left and right, pushing forward with innocent lives trailing behind them, still blinded by the fog.

Both James Rhodes and Wanda Maximoff followed quickly behind. Rhodes picked up an abandoned assault rifle caked in blood, firing off a few bursts, rolling, then firing again. To his far right, out of his vision, a soldier cloaked in shadow appeared, his shotgun aimed right for Rhodes. A shield of red appeared just as he fired, protecting James and deflecting the rounds.

The soldier turned his gaze left, and spotted the Witch fling her hand towards him. The shield that once protected Rhodes launched directly into the soldier’s chest, knocking him out of sight.

The Avengers pushed forward, holding off the enemy tide, fighting when no one else could.

And yet she was still there.

Whether it be the sounds of gunfire filling the screams, the massive twin-rotor airship flying right over her head, or the white fog completely blocking her line of sight—and more importantly, her friends—all Twilight had done was stand there. Watch as it all happened. The madness. The disregard for innocent life. The fires and the evil.

Everything happening right in front of her.

The massive Osprey flew directly over her head again, this time straight for the edge of the Ellipse. Twilight could barely see the ramp of the Osprey appear to fall open, a lone figure stepping forward. It flew lower and lower, possibly to land. The other helicopter continued to rain down a barrage of missiles and gunfire, impacting the ground and shaking the earth.

All she could really hear was her own breathing. That, and the distance cries for help.

Hopping off the stage, Twilight coughed rather loudly, peering through the essence of the gas. “Girls!” she coughed again and again, flapping her wings to gain a quick burst of speed. “Girls—cough, cough—Spike, where are you?!”

All around her, bodies of former lives lay in disarray. Blood coated their once prestigious uniforms, eyes wide open and staring up above, to the side, or straight into the ground. The Alicorn grimaced at the sight, the color in her face growing dangerously pale. There were others still alive, still running into or away from the fog. It was impossible to run away from it, or fly away for that matter. It was everywhere. Growing faster, building higher, and it finally reached her in full force.

The gas wasn’t so bad from where she previously scrambled. It was still bad, but at least she could manage a breath. But now, Twilight shielded her face, unknown to the gas and what it could do. Instantly, she gagged, then rose a foreleg to block the entry of the fog. It was too late. She coughed into the dirt, wheezed, breathed in more of the sickness, then coughed again.

It got to the point to where she couldn’t even see, or breathe for that matter. Now scrambling madly, wings raised to cover her mouth and nose, Twilight lit up her horn and teleported, she knew not where. Anywhere but where she was.

As she came to, her wings folded back to her sides, a collection of coughs following. Twilight hugged the grass and breathed, finally breathed. She was out of the fog, thank Celestia. Looking up, tears in her eyes, she could barely see the sight of the battle raging ahead, the Avengers fighting against whatever force had attacked them.

To her far left, she looked, and could faintly see Tony Stark stumbling forward, forearm covering his eyes. He fell to one knee and hid behind a barricade that once held back the crowds of reporters, now abandoned. Twilight opened her mouth, held her hoof out to him, and once again began to cough.

“Tony…” she wheezed. “Tony… My friends… Where…”

She had wished he had heard her. She prayed he had, but knew deep down that wasn’t the case. Her friends were still out there, lost in the fog, out fighting, hiding, doing something. And she was lying there, struggling to breathe.

She watched as Tony peeked forward, ducked back behind the cover as a burst of gunfire shot over his head. Twilight flinched at that, opening her eyes once more. Tony then turned his head skyward, to the lone gunship continuing to fire at the police officers, at the retreating crowd of civilians, and whatever seemed to move away from the gunfight.

She saw as he reached for his wrist, pulled down his sleeve, and spoke into his watch.

And he said, “Homer, you got my coordinates! Send me some help!”

It was almost a full ten seconds before he got a reply. A shimmer of light appeared in the distant glare of the noonish sun, earning Twilight’s attention. And almost as instant as that shimmer, a well-sized meteor flew down and struck the earth, crashing directly in the grass and spewing dirt in the air. To Twilight’s surprise, she watched as Stark shot out from his cover, holding his arms out wide, palms outstretched. A clear target.

At first, she didn’t know what he seemed to be doing. Then, the meteor came into focus, not being a meteor at all, but a package. A large, metal package that shot out different pieces of one set of armor. A specific set of armor, each piece flying towards the man. Twilight’s jaw fell, her desperate breaths halted.

Each piece flew out from the package, connecting to a specific portion of Stark’s body. His chest was instantly covered, followed by his head and legs. Thankfully so, a few bullets just so happened to impact his chest. His right forearm earned its piece, followed quickly by his left arm. A few connections, a working HUD, a final lock, and the Mark 46 was complete.

Its blue eyes shined to life. The Arc Reactor burned with intensity.

Watching in awestruck wonder, Twilight could see as the Apache helicopter zeroed in on Stark, its miniguns revving up. Stark turned his gaze upwards, his right forearm doing the same. A miniature missile protruded from his wrist, launching and hitting the Apache right in the driver’s seat.

The gunship erupted into flames. It reeled right, crashing and burning.

Tony lowered his forearm. Several bullets began to impact his left side, his attention turning in that direction. The South Lawn was infested with the unknown soldiers, their dark uniforms making them easy targets to spot. Bending down, Stark launched himself into the air, coming down with the bottom of his metal boot and kicking one of the soldiers right in the chest.

He rolled back, the others watching him, unprepared for the Iron Man. As he landed in front of them, the soldiers scrambled, aiming and firing wildly, pathetically. The bullets bounced off his armor seamlessly, Tony analyzing them as they continued to fire madly into him.

Jamming his palm forward, Stark shot the soldier directly in front of him with a repulsor blast, launching him back. Next, he jammed his fist in the gut of the man next to him, sending him high in the air before he came back for a painful crash in the dirt. Spinning around, Stark shot the last soldier with another repulsor, earning a painful cry. More shot at him, even more were headed his way.

He walked right for them.

Twilight watched Stark handle the unknown enemy from where she lay. She gulped, finally being able to fully breathe again, and relished in that, taking in several terror-filled gasps. With the return of her breath, so to with her hearing, finally being able to make sense of what was actually happening around her.

And what she hadn’t heard earlier.

“Twilight! Are you out there?!”

“Where are ya, Twilight?!”

The shouts and screams came from her left, back into the white fog.

“Girls… Girls!” Twilight shouted, standing up and trotting forward. Twisting her neck left, she stared into the fog, eyes darting in every direction. She screamed, “I’m here! I’m—!”

A whistle of air caught her hearing, followed by a quick and painful pinch in the back of her neck. Rearing forward, Twilight yelped at the unfamiliar presence. The pain was short, and was beginning to quickly numb around the area that hurt. Gritting her teeth and reaching back, she felt what appeared to be a short stub erecting from her neck, a softness at the end.

Using her magic, she yanked out the object. She moaned at the pain and numbness building, her magic bringing forth the object for her to observe. It definitely was a short, metal stub, a bushy supply of red hair on its end, which would indicate the softness she felt earlier. However, its other end—where she presumed the pain came from—was a sharp point.

Twilight’s eyes grew wide, her vision beginning to blur, her breath shortening.

It was a tranquilizer dart.

Almost instantly, the effects she knew would come began to transpire. Once more, her hearing was lost, her own heavy breaths being all she heard. She blinked several times and still saw nothing but a shade of what things should be. She didn’t know if she stumbled. The world reared right, so Twilight leaned to the left, and came across something soft, something hard. It didn’t hurt, though. Nothing hurt.

Just numbness. Silence, and closing darkness.

In that darkness, a soldier cloaked in shadow came up to her, said something incoherent, and reached for her. And that was all she saw.

The Captain rushed forward, launching his boot into the chest of an unfortunate soldier. The soldier flew back from the impact, his back hitting the car door he came out of. He slumped forward into the grass, motionless.

Steve looked around him, his chest heaving, head constantly on a swivel. Directly ahead, prone bodies of the soldiers lay in pain, bleeding out, or dead. Those who had survived backed away quickly towards the edge of the lawn, towards the Ellipse, their M4 assault rifles jutted outwards. They were aimed right at him, and yet the soldiers did not fire.

They retreated to the smoke, disappeared through the tear gas. Their gas masks kept them safe. Steve took several steps forward.

Through the smoke, something shot out. Something large, something fast. Steve had only a split second to react. He did this time. It was a shell. Steve knew the moment it made impact with the car to his left, causing the vehicle to erupt into flame. Far enough not to kill him, but close enough to hurt like hell. The Captain was blown backwards from the blast, the fire singeing his suit. He landed several feet from the flaming car.

And looked back up.

The tear gas finally cleared up ahead, and forward came an armored trooper.

He reloaded the underbarrel of his assault rifle, putting a fresh grenade shell inside. He wore heavy, black armor from head to toe, his chest plate slashed with a white “X”. Following him were several other armed soldiers, their weapons pointed out, some firing a few rounds. Steve quickly rolled to cover behind the flaming husk of the vehicle, peeking out.

Pausing, the leader of the group looked around, noting the tear gas fading from the area. He reached forward and removed his gas mask, placing it on his holster. Beneath, he wore only a second mask, the white paint against the black creating a skull-like design.

Steve watched his movements, waited for him and his men to make their move. But they didn’t move forward. Out of the smoke and from the distant right, another soldier covered in black emerged out of the chaos, this one holding something rather large. Steve narrowed his gaze, his breathing silent and steady.

And as the soldier finally came into view, he realized what he was holding was…

“Twilight!” Steve roared, leaping out from behind cover. A red-hot pain shot through his shoulder, a gush of fresh blood pouring out from the wound. Steve yelled out and ducked back down behind the vehicle, clutching his bullet wound.

The man with the skull helmet lowered his rifle, turning to the approaching soldier.

“Sir, we have the princess!” the soldier declared, the drugged Alicorn lying in his arms, motionless.

Beneath his helmet, the man’s scarred face muscles flinched and narrowed. He nodded, pointing his rifle forward. “Get to the Osprey! We’ll cover you!” he shouted, he and the men behind him firing off several rounds into the crowd and at the Avengers.

The soldiers in black began to back away, any surviving one retreating to the Ellipse and towards the Osprey. As they did they fired, the Avengers rushing to cover, the officers with them every step of the way. Bullets flew back and forth across the body-littered lawn of the White House, flaming cars and debris pockmarked across the blood-soaked grass.

Starlight Glimmer and the others had seen so much. Even as they coughed their way out of the tear gas, finally free from the fog, they had only been met with an even more grave sight. The dark soldiers had already passed the street separating the South Lawn from the Ellipse, and one of them was carrying Twilight.

Right for their escape.

“Twilight!” every mare shouted in unison. The six mares rushed forward, Spike with them, towards the ones trying to leave with their friend. In a stampede, the seven ran into the cluster of gunfire, a few rounds whizzing by their ears, causing them to flinch back.

It didn’t get any easier. Starlight and the others skidded to a halt as a gush of red energy soared right in front of them, clusters of bullets impacting the surface. Their eyes followed the wave of energy, spotting Wanda, Sam, and James hidden behind an abandoned vehicle. Her hands shot outwards towards them, creating the shield.

“Get out of their line of sight!” she warned, teeth gritting as more bullets impacted her shield.

Flinching, Starlight turned from the face of the shield, seeing it beginning to wane, then quickly teleported her and the others safely to the vehicle with Sam and James. Wanda screamed as her shield broke apart, the woman falling to her knees in near-exhaustion.

A fresh round of gunfire impacted the vehicle they hid behind. Sam Wilson returned fire, then quickly ducked back down. Fluttershy pressed her chest into the grass, hooves over her head, praying for it to all end. Others like Rainbow Dash and Starlight continuously peeked out from cover, trying to see where the soldiers had gone.

“What about Twilight?!” shouted Rarity, flinching as more bullets impacted the vehicle.

James Rhodes used the last bullets in his clip, tossing the empty assault rifle aside. Looking out from cover, he could see them entering the loading bay of the Osprey, the twin rotors already powered up. It wouldn’t be long before they were airborne.

He turned his eyes left and shouted, “Tony!”

Firing a repulsor to the last soldier in his vicinity, Stark spun around, spotting James, Sam, Wanda, the ponies, and Spike hiding behind a vehicle in the distance. He zeroed in on Rhodey, hearing him shout, “Tony, they’re getting away with Twilight!”

His finger pointed to the Ellipse, Stark’s head swiveling in that direction. Zooming in, he could see the last of the unknown soldiers piling into the loading bay of the Osprey, the massive gunship rising off the ground and quickly gaining flight.

And he could see her. Twilight. They had her.

“I’m on it!” Stark replied, his thrusters pushing him off the earth and into the air. He flew across the lawn and towards the Osprey well into flight, its rotors shifting forward, pushing the massive ship straight ahead.

Towards their escape. Towards their retreat, with Twilight. Even then, Tony was right on their tail. The loading bay was slowly beginning to close, a random soldier firing away at the approaching Iron Man. Stark shot him in the chest, the soldier landing hard on the ramp. Coincidentally, so did Stark.

Several other soldiers blindly ran towards him, yelling something, firing something. Tony knocked each of them away, pushing himself forward closer to Twilight. He grabbed the neck of the nearest soldier, launching him straight up until he hit the roof of the Osprey, painfully landing back down.

Then he could see her. She was knocked out, lying on her side next to two different soldiers, each of their rifles pointed at him. But they didn’t fire. They didn’t need to. Stark shot his gaze left, to the man with the skull helmet standing in the center of the loading bay.

A rifle in his arms, a grenade launcher underneath. Pointed right at him.

Tony’s face contorted. He quickly shot out his hand, his palm glowing bright. But he wasn’t fast enough. Dammit, he wasn’t.

He fired. The grenade shell hit him right in his Arc Reactor and blew him right out of the Osprey.

As Stark shot out from the blast, the loading ramp finally closed, the Osprey picking up speed and making its escape. As for Tony, he plummeted like a rock, crashing hard into the Ellipse and spewing grass and dirt in every direction. His armor took a tumble, rolling several times before finally coming to a steaming rest.

The static in his HUD was unbearable, Stark flinching at the flashing lights. He reached up and pulled off his mask, groaning as he shifted under the weight of his broken suit. He rolled to his side, then got on his knees and planted his palms into the dirt. Then he looked up and stared.

Watched as the Osprey vanished through the blinding sunlight.

Stark closed his eyes and punched the dirt. Many times. He only stopped once the familiar sounds of the mares came behind him. They screamed for their friend, Rainbow Dash flapping her wings and ready to take off, only to be stopped by Natasha.

“What are you doing?! She’s our friend! We’re not leaving her!” Stark heard Dash shout, her voice cracking. Painful.

Romanoff replied, even more harsh than Dash, shouting, “You’ll get yourself killed and you know it!” Their argument lasted longer, but it was drowned out. Drowned out by the sounds of sirens. The sounds of terror, of pain, of loss, and so much more.

And those didn’t stop. They lasted for hours and hours.

What a damn hot day.

Author's Note

Happy New Year! Here's to 2017!

I think it might be the Fourth of July regarding the gif, but screw it. Fireworks. :derpytongue2:

Chapter 10 - A Warning

Upstate New York

New Avengers Facility, Living Room

Two Days After the Attack

12:28 p.m.

“Thank you, Christine. Breaking today, we have confirmation…” The man on the bright screen adjusted his eyes to the teleprompter, a wash of dread clearly evident. He gulped, his breath shaking.

“We… we have confirmation on the attack at Washington. Over 150 confirmed casualties and 200 plus wounded. No word on the state of the administration, or what the terrorists on this attack wanted. However, we can also confirm that the only missing person during this entire attack was the Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle. Her closest allies, the Avengers, have not spoken out to this, though we can only pray that some form of action will be taken. Back to you, Everhart.”

Pinkie Pie’s mane fell slightly farther at that news, not nearly deflated but close enough. She, as well as Fluttershy and Spike, rested on the couches, their eyes glued to the magic screen that played news broadcasts. TV, was it called? It didn’t matter. It gave them updates on Twilight and that’s all they cared about.

Beside them was Wanda Maximoff. She seemed just as engrossed with the news as the others. As Fluttershy was clutching a pillow, as if it meant some form of small comfort to her, Rainbow Dash was flying back and forth behind the couch, her eyes trained on Colonel James Rhodes.

“Mr. President, that’s…” James began to say, his voice pausing as the subtle shouting from the other line drowned him out. Dash’s ears twitched, though she couldn’t hear the words the president was saying.

Tightening his grip around his phone, James spun around, walking forward. He replied, “We are looking. We’ve been looking nonstop since the attack. I know you want me to come in, but we… No, we… But… Okay. Okay, I’ll inform them right now. Thank you for your time, Mr. President.”

He disconnected. Rainbow instantly flew up to him, asking, “So?! Did he know who took Twilight?”

James shook his head, pocketing his phone away. “Unfortunately, no. All cameras surrounding the South Lawn and the Ellipse haven’t helped either. The Osprey and the Apaches remain unidentified, the soldiers we’ve managed to capture haven’t broke, and all we really have to work with is a man with a skull mask.”

Noticing the expressive states of the mares, the worry riddled in their eyes, James just sighed and shook his head. He said, “They’re still working on it. The FBI has devoted all of their efforts to finding the identity of these terrorists and where they took Twilight.”

Checking his watch, James cursed and reached for his jacket resting on a nearby chair. “I’m sorry everyone, but I have to go. The Secretary of State wants to personally meet with me back at Washington and discuss further on this issue.”

“Keep us posted, Rhodey,” Stark called from the table on the far left of the room. Nodding, James turned away and made his exit into the hallways. Rainbow Dash watched him enter the darkness of the hallway, her attention shifting to the Captain.

Cringing slightly at the pain in his shoulder, he approached Tony from behind, his eyes instantly hooked to the computer screen resting in front of Stark. Alongside the table sat Vision, Sam Wilson, Starlight, and Rarity. Applejack trotted back and forth at the end of the table, relying on Sam or Tony for updates on Twilight.

Computers, papers, and coffee mugs were strewn across the table they sat at. Sam was preoccupied with his own computer, typing away with Vision watching him. Starlight and Rarity shifted through the papers, the newspapers, pretty much anything that dealt with the attack two days ago.

Hovering closer, the sounds of the TV drowned out, Rainbow listened in to what Steve had to say.

“We got eyes in the sky?” Rogers asked, crossing his arms slowly, minding the pain still throbbing in his shoulder.

Tony nodded, showing him the computer, the screen revealing a bird’s-eye view of several different cities, data charts and numbers flying on the bottom corners. “Homer’s been working around the clock. We’ve tracked nearly everything. Can’t tell ya how many cameras we’ve hacked. Still… we can’t seem to find where that damn ship flew off to.”

Upon that revelation, Dash’s ears fell, her eyes drooping to the floor. She picked up her head, still listening as Steve asked, “Homer can’t follow the Osprey’s trail?”

“That’s the thing,” Stark sighed, crossing his arms. “Homer can only do so much. We don’t have anything. The choppers were destroyed, the Osprey carrying Twilight and our prime suspect got away to God knows where. They just came in, raised hell, and left. Trail’s as cold as ice. You should know.”

Ignoring that comment, Steve said, “These terrorists wanted something—”

“What they wanted was Twilight,” Starlight interrupted, both Stark and Steve turning their eyes towards the pair of unicorns. Starlight tapped her hoof onto the table, declaring, “Whether it be because she’s a princess, she has immense power in another world, or whichever… we still haven’t come close to figuring out where they are.”

“Give us a break, Star,” Sam objected, still typing on his keyboard. “We’ve been working ever since. Like Stark said, the trail’s cold, and it’ll stay that way unless we have something to warm it up.”

“We had better find her fast,” Starlight retorted. “Do you all realize what the repercussions for this is, or if Celestia or Luna finds out?”

“They’re not gonna find out,” Tony told her, waving his hand. “Don’t worry. We got this under control.”

“Can’t we just write Discord and tell him what happened?” Fluttershy offered from the couch, earning nods from Starlight. “Maybe he can help—”

Unfortunately, she was cut short by Stark, the poor mare squeaking into silence. Stark said, “No, I don’t want him back here and causing even more chaos than we already have. The UN’s already chewing out my ass for Sokovia, and I don’t want them worried over a ‘Spirit of Chaos’ that we allowed here. We got this under control.”

Fluttershy rubbed her mane, looking away shamefully. Starlight opened her mouth to argue back, but Vision beat her. “I do believe that we shouldn’t disregard outside help for this. If the time comes, we should seek out further assistance, or… as you say… anything is on the table.”

Stark reluctantly nodded in the end. Vision continued. “Also, whoever did capture Princess Twilight, they would most likely use her as a bargain for something else. Something much more significant if it would require the travesties they committed,” the android added, earning a few nods all around.

Steve shook his head, finally taking a free seat next to Stark. He rubbed his shoulder gently, saying, “Well, if we don’t find her, then they just may. And we’ll need some outside help.” He looked to Fluttershy, offered an assuring smile, to which she replied back. “Stark, bring that picture back up of our prime suspect.”

Tony tapped twice on his computer screen and slid the image left. A hologram spewed out of the side of Stark’s computer and displayed the man with the skull mask directly in front of the Captain. The light caught Starlight’s and Rarity’s attention, their eyes shifting to the transparent image Steve peered at. Even Rainbow flew a little closer.

Leaning forward, Steve wrapped his palms together and bit his finger, his elbows pressed into the solid table. The image was from a police officer’s body camera. It showcased a blurry, frozen, yet clear enough image of the man with the skull mask. Remnants of tear gas blurred his feet, soldiers in gas masks directly behind him. His M4 was gripped tightly, eyes darting in the other direction, away from the camera.

And that’s all they had on him.

Steve didn’t believe that. Not one second. He had reasons, a purpose to what he did and how many people he killed. It could’ve been true, he could’ve just been another terrorist seeking to bargain like Vision had said, and what better bargain than the Princess of Friendship?

Whoever he was, he was skilled, trained with military precision and tactics. He knew how to set and execute a mission, coordinate men into battle, and handle a rifle. He came in, took what he wanted, and left. Just like that. Steve was so entranced with the image that he almost ignored what Wanda was saying. Shouting, basically.

“You guys!” she yelled, every head shifting towards the couch, towards the woman on the far end of one. “You might want to take a look at this.” Wanda reached for the remote and turned up the volume, everyone’s eyes shifting forwards, towards the news broadcast.

Flashes on the screen of amateur footage showed what appeared to be soldiers in black raiding a police station. Steve got out of his chair, as did Sam, Starlight, Rarity, and Vision. They surrounded the area behind the couch, watching the news broadcast patiently. Stark could see between them, heard exactly what came of it.

“This just in, we have confirmed reports of Nigerian police stations being raided for their weapons and armor. These attacks have followed since the devastation at Washington, and eyewitness accounts have also suggested the soldiers behind these raids are, once again, the unknown mercenaries who enacted the attack in Washington two days ago.”

Footage paused on the same man once again, this time staring straight at the camera as chaos fell around him. Steve remained silent, his eyes narrowing only slightly. He could feel the eyes behind that mask staring straight at him.

“We’ll have more coverage on these incidents later tonight,” WHIH Newsfront anchor Christine Everhart announced. Hushed whispers, a few sounding slightly panicked and rushed followed, Everhart’s eyes breaking away from the camera a few times.

“She never could keep her eyes forward,” Stark interjected, quickly hushed by Rarity.

After a short pause, Everhart pressed down on her earpiece, her brow furrowing, seeming slightly concerned. Still, she nodded and said, “Um… We have breaking news, the… the FBI has just released a viral video from the terrorist responsible for the attack in Washington…? Am I getting that right?”

She looked away, nodded to whoever was off-screen, and continued. “There are no scenes of graphic violence if what I’m told is true, but be wary with what WHIH Newsfront is about to show.”

Quickly, the screen shifted to black and remained that way.

It did for quite some time.

Everypony held their breath. The Avengers still breathed, breathed silently.

Suddenly, a figure stepped forward, his mask scarred in white. On his chest, a white “X” was slashed violently, deliberately. They video was still and silent, save for the heavy breaths of the mercenary. His eyes weren’t visible in the dim light, just two orbs of blackness staring straight into the camera.

He spoke, his voice a heavy rasp of pain and venom. “I’m only gonna say this once: it’s not over. You might think this was the endgame, to kill a couple hundred, raid a few police stations, but no. It’s not. Washington, Nigeria, we do what we do because we do it. There is no way behind, around, or above it. But why…?”

He held out his arms, each covered in heavy, black sleeves and ending in dark gloves. Everyone remained silent, some clutching pillows, some gripping the sofa. Some simply staring. Everyone listening.

He got closer, practically growling, “Payback, that’s why. For everything Captain America and his pathetic team of asswipes did to me. I know you’re watching, Captain America, Steve Rogers, and I know you know what’s coming.”

Several mares slowly shifted their attention to Steve, Rainbow Dash holding her breath, waiting patiently to see how he would react. He didn’t. He kept on staring, breathing still, eyes trained on the black orbs glaring through the video, almost like he was contemplating or working something out in his mind.

He seemed to read everyone’s thoughts, even Steve’s. “You don’t remember me?” Turning his head to the side, the man chuckled. Heavy. Powerful. Twisted and demented. He continued. “Oh, Rogers… you thought I was dead. Two years ago, Theodore Roosevelt Island, the Triskelion! You and Sam barely got out of that mess alive…”

Then it clicked. The voice, the dates, the locations, the expertise. Everything.

Barely flinching, Steve whispered, “… Rumlow.”

“Yeah, I have the princess, and yeah, I’ll kill her if I don’t get what I want. Every single one of them, too. I ain’t countin’ out her ‘best friends’ just yet. I’ll hunt them down, strike them without notice, and end them. Just like that. Just like Washington.”

Fluttershy’s whimpers seemed to spread from mare to mare, ending and refusing to reach Applejack, Starlight, or Rainbow, the three mares now growing fierce glares. Spike just gulped.

“That is… if I don’t get what I want. Biological weapon, Institute of Infectious Diseases, Lagos. You have two days to comply… otherwise I’ll take it by force. And don’t even try to meet us there with armed forces. If you do… well… your pony princess may not appreciate that.”

Starlight snorted something fierce, Applejack doing just the same. Rainbow’s glare only intensified at the threat.

Rumlow leaned forward, the scratches in his mask barely seen. “And Captain… I know you can find me. I know you have that power. So, come on, hero. Follow the trails…”

His face appeared, barely seen under the mask, and they could see his eyes. They could see the flesh scarred and torn at the edges that the mask allowed, as well as the insanity burning in his eyes. He grabbed the camera and brought it even closer.

“… and come and get me.”

The video ended, leaving just two news anchors with jaws unhinged, eyes wide and without a word following. After a while they started talking again, but no one paid attention. Several eyes shot over to the left, to see the Black Widow exit the hallway rather quickly.

Natasha Romanoff stepped into the living room, pulling down her phone. “Did you all see that?” Natasha asked, turning to Steve. He nodded, then quickly shot his gaze over to Tony Stark still sitting behind him. Everypony else followed Steve’s gaze, just as silent as the Captain.

He didn’t say a word, and Tony didn’t want him to. He looked to his watch and called Homer.

He got up, cleared his throat, and said, “Give me a few minutes.”

Author's Note

Well, well, well. Guess who just turned 20 today? :moustache:

Damn, I am old.

Basically my week, ~~and my future~~, in a nutshell.

Chapter 11 - Mission Accomplished

Lagos, Nigeria

Two Days Later

1:43 p.m.

“Alright, what do you see?”

“Standard beat cops. Small station. Quiet street. It’s a good target.”

“There’s an ATM on the south corner, which means…?”

“Cameras.”

“Both cross streets are one-way.”

“So, compromised escape routes.”

“Means our guy doesn’t care about being seen. He isn’t afraid to make a mess on the way out. You see that Range Rover halfway up the block?”

“Yeah, the red one? It’s cute.”

“It’s also bulletproof,” Natasha’s voice cut in through the radio chatter, “which means private security, which means more guns, which means more headaches for somebody. Probably us.”

“You guys know I can lift things with my mind, right?”

“Looking over your shoulder needs to become second nature.”

“Anybody ever tell you you’re a little paranoid?” Sam Wilson added, his voice a little fuzzy from the radio.

“Not to my—”

“Ponies used to call me paranoid all the time!” a shrill cry came from the radio chatter, nearly everyone responding by either rubbing their ears and cursing silently. It was all heard over the radio. “Wait… No, they still call me paranoid! Hee, hee, hee!”

“Remind me again why we gave Pinkie a comms?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“We all need to keep a check on each other, Dash,” the Captain responded. “Now, eyes on target, folks. This is the only lead we’re gonna have on Rumlow. I don’t want to lose him, or Twilight.”

“We got your back on this one, Captain. Just call us in when you need us,” Starlight replied.

“Will do, Star.”

Sam chuckled. “If Rumlow sees us coming, that won’t be a problem. He kind of hates us.”

“…”

“… Sam, see that garbage truck? Tag it.”

Sam Wilson stood from one of the taller buildings overlooking the city. He spotted the garbage truck the Captain had mentioned driving off and out of sight. Pressing down on his wrist panel, his backpack released its locks, shooting out the mini drone.

Sam controlled the drone from there, zooming by buildings and entering the street where the garbage truck drove through. The drone flew beneath the truck, ignored by the passing civilians.

“Give me X-ray,” Sam said, pressing on his comms. The drone proceeded to scan the underbelly of the truck, noticing heavy weight and an armed driver.

Sam’s jaw tightened. “That truck’s loaded for max weight. And the driver’s armed.”

“It’s a battering ram,” Natasha said.

“Girls, stay put. Avengers, go. Now,” the Captain ordered.

“What?” Wanda replied.

“He’s not hitting the police.”

Institute of Infectious Diseases, Front Gates

1:45 p.m.

The Nigerian security gate officer could see the garbage truck from all the way down the street. He paid it no heed, really. It had been a long hot day. Threats of the terrorist Brock Rumlow had come in and ordered his men to be on high alert all day. He had been since the break of dawn and hadn’t moved from his post since.

It had grown to the point where the threats of the terrorists breaking in had slowly began to dwindle. No word from the higher ups, no word from his commanding officers. Nothing, really. He was beginning to let himself actually start to relax for a moment.

If it hadn’t been for that garbage truck.

And the driver leaping out of his seat and tumbling in the street.

There it was.

Gritting his teeth, the officer dove out of the way of the oncoming garbage truck, his fellow officer doing the same. Almost instantly as they dove to safety, the truck hit the blockade with such force that the truck actually flipped and hit the concrete wall suspended across the blockade. Slabs of concrete scattered across the ground, the garbage truck coming to rest on its side.

It didn’t end there. The battering ram made way for the invading army to storm the gates.

Two large moving vehicles entered the Institute’s lot, skidding to a halt once the dust had settled. The doors slid open, allowing familiar soldiers cladded in dark armor to spill out and unload a few rounds on the escaping officers.

Just as well, a familiar mercenary with a slash of white across his chest armor stepped out of the truck. Rumlow eyed the environment, face hidden behind the orange visor and the gas mask, and made his way to the second truck within the Institute’s lot.

More soldiers poured out of the second truck, surrounding the perimeter and firing off a few shells of gas grenades into the Institute’s windows. Rumlow pushed passed them without a second thought a few soldiers following behind him.

“Sir, what do you want us to do?” a soldier called, turning his neck back to see Rumlow and a few others enter the Institute’s front doors.

Rumlow opened the door, a fresh wave of deadly gas spewing out from the grenade shells shot earlier. Without turning back, he answered. “Hold the line! If I don’t get what I want, we don’t hesitate to put a bullet in her brain!”

“Yes, sir!”

Rumlow and the men following him entered the Institute after those words, trails of gas leaking out from the open door. Just as ordered, the remaining men held the line and gripped their assault rifles, staring off into the lot and back to the street for some sort of threat. They had already requested no armed forces to meet them, so there wasn’t much to worry about.

Not much.

Except…

What sounded like a passing jet flew overhead. Spinning about, an unfortunate soldier aimed his rifle towards the skies, saw what appeared to be a pair of wings in the glare of the sun, then saw nothing but red, white, and blue come crashing into him.

Institute of Infectious Diseases, Laboratory

1:48 p.m.

Rumlow tightened his fist, his gauntlet primed and ready. Rearing his arm back, he punched the reinforced glass door and sent it flying to the other end of the room. Several technicians saw him coming, some fleeing, others calling for help.

He didn’t have time to deal with them. The terrified chatter over the comms meant only one thing: The Avengers had arrived. The Captain had arrived.

Pushing aside a screaming technician, Rumlow approached the target, the biological agent. He ripped open the glass covering and spotted the clear vial resting just inches away. Big, bold letters underneath the vial read “BIOHAZARD”. Perfect.

“Pack it up,” Rumlow growled. The soldiers behind him complied, snatching the vial and following their leader out of the laboratories. They made their way up the stairs and through the Institute, passed the bodies choking on…

“Sir, where’s the gas?” one of the soldiers asked.

Rumlow eyed the area, watching as remnants of his gas began to slither out through cracks or doors. The green fog was covered with an unnatural red haze. He narrowed his eyes, hurrying to the nearest balcony with his soldiers catching up with him.

Knocking the doors open, Rumlow reached up and pulled off the gas mask, taking in fresh breaths of air once he stepped outside. Once there, he looked up and noticed his gas swarm in a tornado of red. If the chatter over the comms didn’t confirm it earlier, then what he saw definitely did now.

“He’s here.”

Institute of Infectious Diseases, Parking Lot

1:51 p.m.

“Rumlow has the biological weapon,” Steve Rogers declared in his comms.

“I’m on it.”

Natasha Romanoff revved up her motorcycle after spotting the armored vehicles approaching quickly. They were parked, several men turning their attention to her. She didn’t care. She drove faster, her bike’s engine roaring even louder.

The first soldier aimed his rifle at her. Natasha pulled the brakes, the bike screeching in protest until she twisted the handles and leapt off the bike. It crashed into the mercenary’s legs, flipping him over. Romanoff rushed forward, never stopping, never pausing. Fighting. More mercenaries turned her way, the next one met with a Taser Disk shot right at his heart.

She jumped forwards, latching her arms around the merc’s shoulders and planting her feet into the chest of another. He hit the armored car’s bumper with a dull thud, Natasha finishing off the soldier in her arms by driving him straight into the concrete. He was out in seconds.

Now lost in a panicked frenzy, a mercenary pried open the car door to reach for his rifle. The door slammed straight into his face, destroying his gas mask and knocking him out clean. Natasha rushed right by him, going for the next soldier already holding a rifle. She grappled with him, smacking his head with the butt of his own rifle and driving her knee right into his gut. A satisfying crunch followed. He grunted in agony, tumbling forward as the Widow ignored his slumping body and moved on.

She used the rifle of the previous soldier and knocked away the approaching one’s own. She kicked him in the chest, twisting her gaze to the next trying to sneak to her side. Kicking his rifle away, Natasha’s finished him with a boot to the chest. She turned back and grabbed the last soldier’s arm, ripping him forward and slamming him into the concrete.

Seven men down. Maybe ten or more seconds. Not bad.

Natasha hopped onto the hood of the nearest car, aimed her arm forward and shot the last soldier with a Taser Disk. He dropped. Eight men.

Almost smiling, Natasha’s grin immediately shattered as an unnatural strength gripped the back of her head, grabbing a handful of hair and yanking her back. Romanoff yelped in pain, following her assailant onto the roof of the vehicle where she was able to spin around and get a good look at him.

Skull mask. White “X” covering his chest. Their target.

Gritting her teeth, Natasha delivered a solid punch straight into his chest, knocking Rumlow back a few inches. She followed up with an elbow to the arm that held her, another to his head. He let go, allowing Natasha to spin and deliver a kick to his abdomen. Rumlow faltered, growling as he swung at her. Natasha replied with an uppercut.

“You little bitch!” he cried, rearing forward and grabbing another handful of her hair. Natasha glared at him, then drove her wrist directly into his neck, currents of electricity flowing from her Taser right underneath his chin.

She expected him to falter, to fall down writhing in pain just as the other men had. She didn’t expect him to slowly glare at her, not a hint of pain in his eyes. Only madness.

“I don’t work like that no more,” he said. Rumlow tightened his grip and flung her straight down into the vehicle. Natasha tumbled and grunted in pain, eventually landing on the car’s floor where two men with rifles were waiting for her.

She stared at them for a moment, then shot her gaze directly upwards to see Rumlow standing above her. And in his hand was a grenade, pins pulled.

“Fire in the hole,” he muttered, dropping the grenade and closing the escape hatch.

A soft ticking followed as the grenade sat between Romanoff and the two men. One made the mistake of getting up and trying to go for it. Natasha kicked him in the face, the back of his head impacting the roof of the vehicle. He was out before he hit the floor. The second mercenary got up, Natasha already all over him. He pushed, she pushed harder, eventually pushing him in the direction of the grenade.

The man’s eyes widened one final time. “No!”

The blast incinerated the inside of the vehicle, launching Natasha and the charred body of the man she had used as a shield outside. She rolled over, coughing for air.

After hearing the explosion, Captain America pushed open the doors to the balcony, his gaze shifting downwards to see two armored vehicles. One of them was covered in smoke, the other held Rumlow.

And a really big gun.

He fired away. Not bullets, like the Captain expected, but a shell. He barely had time to bring up his shield, and when he did he was blown right back into the building once the shell hit him. A nagging ringing in his ears followed, but he didn’t have time to lie around. The car outside carrying Rumlow started and began to drive.

If he didn’t hurry he’d lose them. Panting, the Captain picked up his shield and began to run down the hall. Another blast came from his left, a second shell shot by Rumlow spewing fire across his head. Steve held up his shield to block the debris, continuing down the hall.

A third shell came, this one hitting behind Steve and blowing him right out of the window at the end of the hall. The Captain tumbled outwards, his shield hitting the ground before he did. He landed with a solid thump.

Rolling over, groaning as he did so, Steve looked up and watched Rumlow escape. He planted his fist into the ground, saying, “Sam… He’s in an AFV heading north. You got visual?”

“Yeah, I got him,” Sam replied. “Redwing’s got him, too. X-ray indicates that Rumlow’s not alone.”

“More mercenaries?” Steve asked, picking himself and his shield up.

“Steve… He’s got Twilight!”

Nodding, Steve pressed down hard on his comms. “Girls, you’re up!”

On the Run

1:55 p.m.

The AFV bumped and rattled as it smashed against the bumper of another vehicle, knocking it out of the street. It didn’t bother the men within the armored car, nor did it bother Rumlow. Brock placed the vial containing the biological agent safely in a container, sealing it.

“Take this to the airstrip,” Rumlow said, handing the container to the man resting on a bench.

Another soldier asked, “What about her?”

Rumlow turned to the man who asked that, then followed his gaze directly across from where he sat. There lied the drugged and passed out princess, bandages covering her mouth, eyes, and rope tied tightly around her forelegs. She bounced gently from the movement of the vehicle, but remained where she was.

Rumlow turned back. “We’ll keep her for now,” he replied. “She’s got enough horse tranquilizer to keep her out for a few more hours. Might be able to get some more—”

His sentence was cut short by an unnatural force pushed against the side of the vehicle. Rumlow fell back into one of his men, Twilight Sparkle tumbling onto the floor. The car regained momentum after that, the men regaining themselves.

“What the hell was that?!” one of them asked.

Brock took a quick peek out of the small window. Outside, the world flew by, nothing out of the ordinary. That is, until, the body of a pony rammed against the glass window, shattering it right into Rumlow’s face. The vehicle took another hard left, turning onto the opposite street.

That pony, properly known as Rainbow Dash, flew back to regain control of her flight, her hoof rising to rub her shoulder in pain.

“Alright, they’re off course!” Dash shouted into her comms, voice cracking from the pain. She spotted the AFV changing direction in her favor. “Starlight, Rarity, you’re up next!”

“Got it! Thanks for the help, Dash!” Starlight shouted, hoof lowering from her ear. Across the street, Starlight nodded to her fellow unicorn. Rarity replied back, her horn igniting brightly. Together, the two unicorns peeked out from cover to see the large AFV steer in their direction, civilians jumping out of the way, dropping whatever they held.

The two unicorns charged up their horns, and as the car passed they fired right at the wheels, destroying them. They hopped out from cover afterwards, watching as the vehicle went careering directly into the market place. Men and women stayed clear of the crashing vehicle, running away once it came to a safe halt. The back doors opened, a few men piling out and making a break for it in the crowd. Rumlow stumbled out last.

“The tires are shot! We’re stuck here!” the driver shouted as he hopped out of the vehicle.

Rumlow growled. “Change of plans! We just need the agent! Ditch the car and the princess!”

The man next to him asked, “Where are you going to meet us?”

“I’m not,” Rumlow replied. He primed his gauntlets and entered the crowd, abandoning the vehicle along with the rest of his team.

Through the chaos, two unicorns entered the fray, spotting the abandoned AFV parked over a destroyed fruit stand. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flew down, landing next to Starlight and Rarity as they approached the vehicle cautiously.

Rainbow and Fluttershy hopped inside. “What do you see?” Rarity asked, she and Starlight scanning the crowd for any threats.

Fluttershy narrowed her gaze, and through the darkness from within the vehicle they found her. It was Twilight, lying on the floor and remaining motionless. Sighing, nearly breaking down into tears, Fluttershy approached Twilight and tended to her binds. “She’s here, everypony. She’s safe.”

“Thank Celestia,” Starlight sighed, pressing into her comms. “We found Twilight. She’s safe.”

“Good job, girls. Now, get her somewhere safe. We’re not finished just yet,” Sam replied. “I’ve got four, they’re splitting up.”

“I got the two on the left,” Natasha’s voice answered.

“They ditched their gear,” the Captain’s voice followed shortly. “It’s a shell game now. One of them has the payload.”

The sound of beeping came quickly in everyone’s comms, followed by Steve shouting and a deafening explosion.

The Market

1:59 p.m.

After chucking his shield into the air and away from the crowd, the sticky bomb erupted, knocking the shield off into the distance. Steve watched it fall, but couldn’t see where it landed. An unnatural force slammed into his backside, launching the Captain right through a stand and tumbling on the other side.

Cringing in pain, Steve pressed his palms into the dirt, slowly rising to his feet.

He paused, however, when he heard: “There you are, you son of a bitch.”

Twisting his gaze to the right, he could see Rumlow exiting the destroyed stand, civilians screaming and trying desperately to run from the confrontation. On his right arm, a mechanized gauntlet seemed to be loaded, his footsteps growing dangerously close to the prone Captain.

Quickly standing up, Steve readied himself for the fight. Rumlow shouted, “I’ve been waiting for this!” He followed up by punching the Captain with the same amount of force as the first hit, causing him to crash into a pile of tables.

Steve groaned in pain, trying to stand up. He looked forward and rolled out of the way of Rumlow’s boot come crashing into the dirt where his head was. Brock growled, then punched downwards. Steve rolled again, then shot his leg back and caught Rumlow in the back of the head. Rolling to his feet, Steve rushed Rumlow and rammed him, pushing him back several feet.

“Not bad!” Rumlow screamed, driving his elbow into the Captain’s back, knocking him to his knees. Brock reared back with his fist and drove it right into Steve’s chest, launching him several feet in the air before he came crashing down right into an abandoned fruit stand.

Rumlow cracked his neck, priming his gauntlets for another round. “But not good enough.”

“Sam, tell me you found the agent,” Steve groaned, pushing himself off of the flattened fruits.

“He doesn’t have it. I’m empty!”

“Okay, Romanoff,” Steve said, Rumlow’s hand reaching out and grabbing his neck. Steve coughed, “Don’t let them out of your sight!”

Rumlow tossed the Captain like he weighed nothing, right into the side of a small business.

“Out of the way!” Natasha shouted, hopping over parked motorcycles and strewn benches. The man with the agent was within her sight, pushing over civilians and taking a wrong turn right. Natasha saw the shortcut.

She leapt over a table filled with clothes, spotted the man in the black, and tackled him.

They both quickly rose to their feet, the man pulling out his pistol. The cries from the crowd grew even louder. Natasha pried at his hand, knocking the pistol away and delivering punch after punch into the man’s sternum. She heard another click, the cries increasing.

Grabbing a nearby basket, Natasha flung it behind her and hit the second man, stunning him long enough for her to swipe his legs right from under him. She returned to the first guy, wrapping her legs around his arm and flinging him and his approaching partner into the dirt. The first guy got back up. Natasha booted him in the chest.

She delivered a solid punch into the second one’s heart, allowing her to sneak around and take out his leg. Rolling to her feet, Natasha punched the second guy in the nose, dove over him, and snatched his pistol that was lying unguarded. She spun around and aimed at him, and quickly found herself facing the end of a barrel.

The second man, blood streaming from his nostrils, retrieved his partner's pistol and pointed it right for the Widow. The two held that stance, neither willing to pull the trigger but threatening to do so. Soon, Natasha finally pried her eyes away from the second man, just as she heard the first one say, “Drop it.”

She stared at him, her pistol still aimed for his partner.

She stared at the vial of the biological agent dangerously held between his fingers.

“Or I’ll drop this,” the man threatened. Natasha panted heavily, eyes shifting from the second guy to the vial. “Drop it!”

“He’ll do it!” his partner screamed.

However, to both of their surprise, she only smiled.

He never even noticed the pink pony hanging right behind him.

Pinkie Pie took a deep breath and blew. The party horn between her lips sounded off, the coil unraveling and tickling the man’s neck. He flinched, spinning around.

The second man flinched, too. He spun towards the horn, failing to notice the lasso fly over and snatch his wrists. He felt his arms being yanked downwards, and felt nothing once Natasha put a bullet between his eyes. She turned to the first guy, firing and hitting him in the neck. He dropped to the dirt, the vial falling with him.

Leaping forward, Natasha caught the vial. Barely.

As she stood up, the two ponies came out of hiding. Pinkie pulled out her party horn, hopping over to Natasha. “Wowie! That was a close one, huh, Naty!” she said, pausing in front of the weary Widow.

She nodded, pressing her comms. “Payload’s secure.” Lowering her hand, she smiled to Pinkie, then turned her attention right and said, “Good work, girls.”

Applejack raveled up her lasso, placing it behind her. She smiled to Natasha, saying, “Ain’t nothin’ to it. Now that we got that virus thing an’ Twilight secured, might as well head home.”

Nodding, Natasha pressed down on her comms. She said, “Steve, we got the agent and Twilight’s safe. What say you?”

Their only response was a disgruntled shout, followed by shattering wood and civilian cries.

Natasha lowered her hand, turning to the mares. “Guess not.”

With the Captain down, Rumlow raised his boot and planted it where his head should. Steve rolled out of the way once more, rising to full height. The two parried each other well, each delivering swift strikes, kicks, punches, and dodged each other’s own. Steve blocked Rumlow’s swing, driving his fist right into the side of his mask.

Stumbling back, Rumlow screamed, “Come on!” He reared forward, swung, watched Rogers duck, then drove his forehead directly into the Captain’s. Now it was his turn to stumble, allowing Rumlow to deliver the uppercut he had been waiting for.

The hit sent the Captain directly into the wall, shattering the boards holding several chip bags. Rumlow moved in for the kill, and would have followed through if it hadn’t been for a blow directly to the back of his head.

Had he not been wearing his helmet he would’ve been out cold. The hit sent him stumbling forward, blackness appearing at the front of his vision, quickly fading. Spinning around, Rumlow caught sight of what hit him flying ten feet above his head.

A smirking Pegasus with a rainbow mane. “You gotta be kidding me,” Rumlow growled.

A strong kick to his backside brought Rumlow back to the fight. He spun around, the Captain moving on him. The two swung, dodged, struck a few hits, and continued. Rumlow swung downwards and rammed the edge of his gauntlet on Steve’s back, pushing him to the left and knocking over a table. He moved in, heard the whooshing of air this time, and swung behind.

“Gaaahahhaaa!” Rainbow Dash screamed, her body flying from the impact and crashing into a far-off magazine stand.

“Cocky little—” Rumlow had muttered, his attention quickly returning to Steve. The Captain swung for him, missed his head by inches. Rumlow replied by ramming his body into Rogers, pinning him into the side of the building they fought next to.

With Steve held down, he took the short moment to stare into the scarred muscles in the eye holes of the mask, the twin orbs of raw madness glaring at him. Steve heard him mutter, “This is for dropping a building on my face.”

Then turned his attention to the short blade retracting from one of the gauntlets. His eyes widened, his breathing short.

Rumlow quickly jammed the blade forward, but Steve was quicker, dodging the blade and letting it ram into the building, digging easily through the solid concrete. With Rumlow’s arm extended and defenseless, Steve bent his arm unnaturally, earning a painful yelp from the mercenary. He added a quick strike with his elbow, ripping the gauntlet right off Rumlow’s arm.

Steve dropped the gauntlet in the dirt. He turned his attention back to Rumlow, seeing another blade retract from his other gauntlet. He swung at Steve’s face, chest, and faltered. He was uncoordinated, acting on pure rage and not tactic. That was his downfall, Steve knew it. He grabbed Rumlow’s arm, delivered a volley of three quick strikes, one to his chest, arm, and face.

The mercenary stumbled back, defenseless and open. Steve ended the feud with a kick across his face, launching Rumlow back like he weighed nothing this time. Rumlow crashed into a table and lay there, breathing heavily, trying to rise and failing each time.

The Captain began his approach, slowly, cautiously. There wasn’t any telling what Rumlow had left. Directly ahead, Rumlow rose to his knees, reaching up and ripping his shattered mask off. Ahead, a group of worried civilians watched the confrontation, backing away as the Captain approached. In the corner of his eye, he could see Rainbow Dash groaning a bit as she exited the destroyed stand.

“You good, Dash?” Steve called.

Rainbow rubbed her head, nodding. “Yeah… Yeah, I’m fine. Jerk got a good hit on me, is all.”

“Well, stay back,” Steve warned. “There’s no telling what this ‘jerk’ has up his sleeve.”

With that order given, Rainbow nodded and stayed where she was, watching as Steve grabbed Rumlow by his armored chest. The man grunted in pain, staring up at the Captain. Steve’s expression remained as it was, his eyes studying the scars and burn marks across Rumlow’s face, deadly reminders of the fight from two years ago.

Brock looked up, chuckled, then looked away. “I think I look pretty good all things considered.”

“Why’d you want the agent?” Steve asked, gripping Rumlow’s armor and bringing him closer. “Who’s your buyer?”

Brock only smiled, his eyes bleeding. “You know, he knew you. Your pal, your buddy, your Bucky,” he spat.

Rainbow’s ear twitched, her eyes widening. She quickly turned her gaze from Rumlow to Rogers, seeing him pause, seeing him falter. Seeing his expression break. That was a first.

He asked, “What did you say?”

“He remembered you. I was there. He got all weepy about it. Till they put his brain back into a blender.” Rumlow chuckled at that, turning back to Steve. “He wanted you to know something. He said to me… ‘Please tell Rogers… When you gotta go… you gotta go.’”

Rainbow watched as Rumlow reached down to his belt, her eyes narrowing.

“And you’re coming with me.”

He pressed down on a short trigger. The Captain looked down, completely caught off-guard, completely open. Nowhere to run. He stepped back and watched as the explosion shot out, but stopped. So close to him. He could feel the heat of the blast radiating inches from him. But it stopped.

Steve spun around. Rainbow lowered her foreleg to witness Wanda directly ahead of her, her magic containing the blast from Rumlow’s suicide vest into a large pocket. Even then, remnants of the blast began to leak, spewing fire into multiple directions. Wanda grunted, then screamed.

“Hold it, Wanda!”

Both Steve and Rainbow turned to see Starlight gallop into view.

Starlight watched as Wanda’s magic began to falter, breaking under the pressure of the explosion. The unicorn could still see plenty of civilians still within the area, still too close. She shouted, “You have to get it out of the crowd!”

“Help me!” Wanda cried.

Instantly, Starlight’s horn ignited, wrapping around Wanda’s own and encasing the explosion in a soft turquoise. Almost as instantly, Starlight took a step back, grunting at the increasing amount of pressure. It wouldn’t be long before their hold on it would shatter. She looked up, saw a clearing in the sky. She had nearly drowned out the sound of Rumlow’s screams the moment she flung her head up, Wanda following with her hands.

Together, the two launched Rumlow into the air and cut off their magic, watching as the explosion was released into the open. Even then, they could never have known how big the blast was. Once it erupted, once their magic had vanished, the explosion managed to hit the side of a near building.

Completely devouring it.

Glass and concrete began to rain, Steve and Wanda shielding their heads, Rainbow and Starlight doing the same. The explosion was so powerful it left a ringing in their ears that lasted only a few seconds. They had wished it lasted longer.

The screams followed shortly.

Wanda gazed into the burning wreckage of the explosion. She gasped, her hand rising to cover her mouth in utter shock. Starlight’s expression nearly matched the Maximoff’s, the unicorn appearing even paler than her coat.

“Oh, no... What did I… What have I…” Starlight whispered to herself, her forelegs giving away, tears building in her eyes. She could see, through the rising smoke and deadly orange flames, the movement of bodies within the destruction, reaching out, crying.

Suffering. Because of her.

Because of her.

“Sam…” Steve barely said, pressing on his comms. “… we need Fire and Rescue... on the south side of the building.” He took off, rushing passed Rainbow Dash. She was almost as lost as Starlight, staring into the fires with a look of disbelief. “Come on, Dash. We gotta get up there,” Steve called.

Rainbow followed absentmindedly.

And left two souls surrounded by the screams of fleeing civilians.

Left them to watch the ash start to fall.

Chapter 13 - The Accords

Upstate New York

New Avengers Facility, Conference Room B

3:27 p.m.

“Five years ago, I had a heart attack and dropped right in the middle of my backswing. Turned out it was the best round of my life because after thirteen hours of surgery and a triple bypass, I found something forty years in the Army had never taught me: Perspective.”

The Secretary of State, Thaddeus Ross, could be heard right outside the conference room’s door. Tony Stark opened said door, both for himself and for Twilight Sparkle. The moment they entered, Twilight took notice to her surroundings. The large table rested directly ahead of her, its occupants being Natasha Romanoff, James Rhodes, Wanda Maximoff, Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, and Vision.

Several other chairs were pulled up, making everyone appear somewhat scrunched together. The remainder of Twilight’s friends; Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Spike, and Starlight Glimmer resided and surrounded the table with the other Avengers. Standing in front of the table was a well-dressed individual, graying hair and a face that radiated authority. It must have been the Secretary of State, Twilight thought. A security guard was with him, adding to that thought.

Upon their entry, everyone turned their attention to the door, spotting Stark and Twilight. As Tony closed the door behind them, Twilight stopped in her tracks, her gaze turning to the Secretary of State. He smiled to her, yet his eyes told a different tale.

Twilight kept that in mind. He said, “Princess Twilight, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Secretary Ross didn’t offer his hand, just a nod and a shift of attention to the remaining seat directly ahead of him. Twilight tried to smile back, but ended up only nodding and approaching the last seat. She didn’t know why, but the atmosphere and the overall mood of the current setting didn’t bode well with her. None of her friends were smiling, neither were the Avengers. Starlight was practically sweating.

She remained on edge even as she took her seat. Displayed in front of her were a few glass pitchers filled with water, several glass cups waiting to be taken. Hardly anyone had touched them, their attention slowly returning to Secretary Ross after Twilight had taken her seat. Twilight looked around, noticed all of her friends, all except for Tony.

He walked right on behind her, taking a seat at the corner of the room, away from the table. He leaned back, crossed his arms, and waited.

Twilight’s brow furrowed at his actions, a series of questions arising in her mind. They paused for the moment after Secretary Ross’ voice broke over the continued silence.

“The President sends his regards to your safety, Princess,” Ross stated, earning Twilight’s attention back forward. “Let it be known that everyone at Washington is sorry for everything. No one could have predicted what would have happened that day.”

A vivid reminder of choking on tear gas flooded her memories, her eyes practically burning at the thought. Twilight stuffed those memories away, nodding to Secretary Ross. “Thank you,” she said. “I guess all I would really like to know now is what exactly you are doing here, Secretary.”

Noticing her eyes shift over to his security officer to his left, Ross smiled and said, “I was just about to get into that, Princess Twilight. And now that everyone is in attendance,” he looked to Stark, then to Starlight and Wanda, “… we can begin.”

Starlight gently exhaled silently, her body shivering. The woman sitting next to her, Wanda, seemed a tad calmer compared to the unicorn. Though no one could deny the worry in her eyes, rich as anyone else in the room sharing her same concerns.

Ross straightened himself, confident everyone was turned in his direction, listening closely. They had better. He said, “The world owes the Avengers an unpayable debt. You have fought for us, bled for us, protected us, risked your lives. And while a great many people see you as heroes, there are some… who would prefer the word ‘vigilantes’.”

“What word would you use, Mr. Secretary?” Natasha asked.

“How about ‘dangerous’?” Ross shot back at her, earning a humorous and mysterious smile from the Widow. “What would you call a group of US-based enhanced individuals who routinely ignore sovereign borders and inflict their will wherever they choose, and who, frankly, seem unconcerned about what they leave behind?”

“Hey, wait a minute,” Rainbow Dash interrupted, practically rising out of her seat. Several Avengers turned her way, Rarity and Applejack shot her a pair of death glares. Ross seemed quite interested, falling silent to let her continue.

Rainbow gladly obliged. “If you’re talking about Lagos, then if it wasn’t for the Avengers, many more people would have died. That Crossbones jerk would have gotten away with Twilight and that chemical virus if we didn’t get in there as a team and stop them.”

Rainbow smacked her hoof into the solid oak table, causing Twilight to gasp. “Say what you want about them, Ross, but the Avengers are heroes. Period.”

Surprisingly enough, Ross didn’t react as much as Twilight or her friends had to Rainbow’s remark. He calmly, collectively replied, saying, “And what about the eleven Wakandans who died because of said ‘hero’ and one of your friends, Miss Dash? Do they get a say in the matter? Do they get to decide if the Avengers are heroes or not?”

Dash was caught with her tongue between her teeth, not knowing quite what to reply with. Secretary Ross, whoever he was, was good. Really good. If she wanted to counter this guy’s arguments she needed to work harder.

Ross continued, tapping the table below him. “Actions speak louder than words, Miss Dash,” he said. “And the actions of the Avengers… and you equines, as well, speak pretty damn loud and pretty damn disheartening.”

After a moment of thought, Rainbow opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly felt herself being yanked downwards by an unknown force. Looking down, Dash spotted the violet aura around her waist, her eyes tracing over to see Twilight’s horn aglow.

“Mr. Secretary, I apologize for my friend here. Rainbow Dash has been known to be a little… extreme at times,” Twilight explained. Across the table, Rainbow shot the Alicorn a look that could kill, though Twilight didn’t even turn in her direction. “Also, I believe I speak for myself and all my friends when I say we apologize for the travesties that occurred, both in Washington and in Lagos.”

“That’s right,” Starlight added, her voice cracking at the end, completely falling silent once Secretary Ross turned to her.

Twilight released her grip around Rainbow Dash, the Pegasus cursing under her breath. Twilight only narrowed her gaze forward, passed her difficult friend and kept it on the Secretary of State.

Ross caught her eyes. He lowered his head, saying, “Princess Twilight, since you and your friends are visitors—ambassadors—to our world, it would make sense that you do not seem to understand the severity of the situation you’ve all found yourselves in.”

He picked up his head, his gaze far more serious than previously seen. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse, almost weary. “People have died… because of the decisions one of your friends have made. Before either you or Stark had arrived, she informed me just how sorry she was for this, how she had no idea of the civilians present in the building prior, and that she only did so to protect her friends… and her captain.”

“That a girl,” Stark whispered.

Ross began to walk to the left of the table, pausing at the end of it, stopping directly in front of a certain pink unicorn. Starlight tried to maintain eye contact for as long as she could, the man’s gaze breaking right through her wounded one.

“And she’s very lucky she’s not being sent to a federal prison,” Ross stated, the tone of his voice wading on thin ice. Starlight finally broke away, looking down in shame. Ross returned to where he previously stood. “Instead, she will be joining Princess Twilight on a trip to the upcoming UN meeting in Vienna to personally apologize to the King of Wakanda himself. It was in the king’s good heart that he wished to speak with her… that is if it works well for both the princess and her student.”

Twilight caught his gaze, nodding. “Absolutely,” she replied.

Ross turned back to Starlight, seeing her nod quickly in response. Not like she had much of a choice. “Definitely,” Starlight said.

Pleased with that, Secretary Ross continued. “Now then, I can see your glare from a mile away, Miss Dash, and I think I know exactly what you’re thinking.”

Rainbow Dash’s response was a solid snort, forelegs crossing over one another. Ross said, “The Avengers have done well to help you, your friends, and your world against Ultron. You still consider them heroes and there’s not a damn word I can say to change your mind. But let’s not forget the man responsible for the creation of Ultron, the man who seems to be in the center of every conversation, of every problem…”

He looked up, passed Rainbow and onto the man sitting behind her. Many others followed, all of their eyes landing on Tony Stark. He barely met any of their gazes, his crestfallen expression returning to the floor. Twilight’s heart plummeted at that, her eyes softening on the man.

Rainbow however, still held her glare, her forelegs still crossed. She said, “There isn’t a word you can say that’ll change our minds.”

“Rainbow—” Steve began to say.

“The Avengers are heroes,” Fluttershy said, surprising a few with how upfront she was about her statement. Surprisingly, she didn’t back down. She held her solid stare with the Secretary of State for several seconds.

“Yeah!” Pinkie and Spike agreed, the latter receiving a frown from the Alicorn sitting to his right.

Twilight expected harsh backlash for the rude actions of her friends, and she almost said something concerning that. However, Secretary Ross did not seem as offended as Twilight thought. In fact, he nodded, stepping away from the clear screen behind him.

“Alright then,” he said. The screen began to materialize an image, a map of planet Earth laid out flat. Twilight had recognized it from her late-night study sessions on Earth culture. “Not a word,” Ross murmured. “Actions speak louder.”

He faced the screen, watched as it zeroed in on a particular area. He simply said, “New York.”

What followed caught everypony by surprise, Twilight and Rainbow Dash especially. Clear, panicked footage captured what appeared to be a flying serpent chasing a man in a metal suit high above ground. Rarity closed her eyes the second she saw the flying beast, unwelcome memories resurfacing, some she would rather forget.

People ran, screaming in terror. A single being shot right through a building, a familiar roar following. Twilight recognized the roar, she recognized the being crashing into a building and spraying debris over the person capturing the footage. Almost everypony did.

“Doctor Banner…?” Twilight whispered. Natasha looked down to the table, almost not wanting to look back up.

“Washington, D.C.”

She did. Despite her judgement, she watched people run away from the three Helicarriers destroying each other. The colossal beasts, clouded in flame and smoke, crashed into the water, spewing waves onto terrified civilians trying desperately to escape the war zone. Sam looked down, remembering fondly of what had happened.

“Sokovia.”

Twilight and her friends perked up at that, having heard the name “Sokovia” back when they first met the Avengers. As with the previous disasters, people ran. Another shot captured what appeared to be a chunk of earth rising from the ground, large engines beneath it keeping it afloat. Buildings crumbled, machines filled the skies, people died.

Stark looked away.

“Lagos.”

A shot of the building Starlight would never wipe away from her memory returned, the side spewing fire and smoke moments after the explosion. Medics aided the wounded, a lone girl with soot covering her skin lie motionless.

Like many others before her, Wanda looked away. Starlight did the same, closing her eyes tight.

Steve saw this. “Okay,” he said, lowering his hand from his chin. “That’s enough.”

The mares tried to recover once the footage had ended. Applejack remained as she was, stone gaze, hard expression. Others likes Fluttershy, Rarity, Twilight, and Pinkie seemed quite shaken, almost disturbed by the images. Spike tried to shake away what he saw, but it just wasn’t so easy. For somepony else, however, it was.

Shaking away her stupor, Rainbow asked, “What’s your point?”

“Rainbow Dash!” Rarity whispered fiercely to her. Ross held out his hand to the unicorn.

“It’s fine, Miss Rarity. Your friend is concerned, and that’s understandable. We all are. But the point of this being that people have died, caught in the crossfire, from the recklessness of the Avengers and those who have operated with them. Did you know that over 300 innocent lives were lost once Novi Grad was blown to hell?”

“Billions more would have been wiped out if it wasn’t,” Sam interjected.

“All of which could have been prevented if Stark and Banner hadn’t created a murderous robot,” Ross replied.

“But so many more innocent lives could have been lost if Wanda and Starlight didn’t contain and release the bomb outside of the crowd,” Twilight said.

“No innocent lives would have been lost if I had checked Rumlow for explosives instead of being focused on what he was saying.” Everyone turned to the Captain, stunned by his statement. He followed up by saying, almost admitting: “It’s my fault.”

Turning to his security officer, Ross nodded and said, “You see why there must be intervention on the acts of the Avengers. For the past four years, the Avengers have operated with unlimited power and no supervision. That’s an arrangement the governments of the world can no longer tolerate. But I think we have a solution.”

Turning back, Secretary Ross retrieved a pile of documents from his security guard. He walked to the left of the table, sliding the documents to Wanda Maximoff. “The Sokovia Accords,” he said, Wanda lifting them up. “Approved by over 117 countries, it states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization. Instead, they’ll operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel, only when and if that panel deems it necessary.”

Wanda handed the Accords to James, who began to read the first page. Ross walked completely around the table, passing the Captain.

Steve, his eyes elsewhere, said, “The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place. I feel we’ve done that.”

“Tell me, Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?” Ross asked. Steve looked up at him, not answering because he couldn’t. “If I misplaced a couple of thirty megaton nukes, you can bet there’d be consequences. Compromise,” he returned to the front of the table. “Reassurance. That’s how the world works. Believe me, this is the middle ground.”

“So, there are contingencies,” James said, hand resting on the Accords.

“As I said before, the UN will meet in Vienna three days from now to ratify the Accords. During that time, Princess Twilight, her student, the Avengers, and whoever else here who wishes to join them will meet and offer their apologies, and aid in the ratifying of these Accords.”

Steve looked back to Stark, seeing him remain unnaturally silent, unnaturally out of the conversation.

“Talk it over,” Secretary Ross finished. He turned to his security officer, nodding to him. They both began to make their exit, stopping only when Natasha decided to speak up again.

“And if we come to a decision you don’t like?” Natasha asked.

Ross stared at her, his eyes beyond the point of serious. “Then you retire.”

Blunt. To the point. No nonsense. Natasha barely smiled.

New Avengers Facility, Living Room

4:00 p.m.

“Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor, which is one more than you have,” James said to Wilson.

Sam, his arms crossed, fired back by saying, “So let’s say we agree to this thing. How long is it gonna be before they LoJack us like a bunch of common criminals?”

While his team continued to argue and bicker concerning the Accords, Steve Rogers took the time to actually open up the document and read it, fully fleshing out its ideas and understanding what it means. Each page meant something worse, each sentence made his heart fall farther. Nothing in it meant anything good for the Avengers as a team.

Tony Stark, on the other hand, sat across from him and looked absolutely disinterested, both with the arguments constantly firing back and forth and the whole issue with the Accords. His hand rested across his face, his back so far down the chair it might as well be on the floor.

The mares joined them, remaining relatively quiet and shooting their eyes back and forth from each Avenger, from each one that spoke and offered their own opinion. Steve didn’t expect them to say much. The Accords didn’t really have to deal with the ponies in any way. Just them.

“117 countries want to sign this,” Rhodes said, Sam shaking his head and looking away. “117, Sam, and you’re just like, ‘No, that’s cool. We got it.’”

“How long are you going to play both sides?” Sam shot back.

“I have an equation,” Vision finally spoke up, remaining silent for the majority of the meeting and the discussion afterwards.

Sam rolled his eyes. “Oh, this will clear it up.” He stepped forward with James, both of them facing Vision, waiting for what he had to say. Steve lowered the Accords, turning his weary gaze to the android in the fine suit.

“In the eight years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man, the number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially. And during the same period, the number of potentially world-ending events has risen at a commensurate rate,” Vision explained.

“Are you saying it’s our fault?” Steve asked.

“I’m saying there may be a causality. Our very strength invites challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict… breeds catastrophe. Oversight…” he eyed the group, watched indifference flush through their eyes. “Oversight is not an idea that can be dismissed out of hand.”

“Boom,” James said, Sam turning to him.

In the short silence that followed, Natasha turned to the only man who hadn’t spoken his mind the entire twenty minutes they had been in the living room. “Tony, you’re being uncharacteristically non-hyperverbal.”

Groaning, Tony lowered his palm from his face. Steve looked back to the Accords in his hands, saying, “It’s because he’s already made up his mind.”

“Boy, you know me so well,” Stark replied, rising out of his chair. He rubbed the back of his head. “Actually, I’m nursing an electromagnetic headache. That’s what’s going on, Cap. It’s just pain.”

Walking over to the kitchen, he began to make himself some coffee. “It’s discomfort. Whose putting coffee grounds in the disposal?”

Everyone turned their eyes back to the little pink Earth pony, almost everyone being correct. Pinkie Pie blushed and giggled innocently. “Sorry…” she said. “It tasted awful.”

“Poor thing doesn’t know how to make coffee. Been on this godforsaken planet a damn month and still…” Stark muttered, turning around and facing the crowd. They waited for what he would say, the eyes of the mares holding still.

Stark sighed, then reached into his pocket and placed his phone in the fruit bowl. Curious, though a tad confused, the mares watched his actions. Spike, who had been completely disconnected from the current conversation, stood up on the couch he rested on, spinning about to see what Tony was up to.

He pressed on his phone, a hologram shooting upwards and displaying a still image of a young African American man. Turning to the image as if he hadn’t noticed it, Stark said, “Oh, that’s Charles Spencer, by the way. I met his mother at MIT a couple weeks back; she’s a great woman. Loves her kid. He’s got a computer engineering degree, 3.6 GPA, had a floor-level gig at Intel planned for the fall.”

He never looked up at them, at any of them. They sat in silence, listened as Tony droned on. But in their hearts, they knew what was coming. None of them could deny it. The ponies and Spike unfortunately were completely uninformed and sat patiently, listening as Stark continued.

“But first, he wanted to put a few miles on his soul before he parked it behind a desk. See the world. Maybe be of service. Charlie didn’t want to go to Vegas or Fort Lauderdale, which is what I would do. He didn’t go to Paris or Amsterdam, which sounds fun. He decided to spend his summer building sustainable housing for the poor. Guess where.”

He smacked his hand on the sink, causing Fluttershy to flinch in surprise.

“Sokovia,” Stark stated, hissing at the word, almost as if he was disgusted, ashamed to mention it. Upon that revelation, everyone’s head seem to fall. Everyone’s spirits seem to crumble just a little more. That name alone spoke multitudes for the mares. So many stories, so much terror just by that name.

Tony continued. “He wanted to make a difference, I suppose. I mean, we won’t know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass.”

Swallowing a few pills, taking a swig of water, Tony stepped away from the sink. He said, “There’s no decision-making process here.” He stepped in front of the hologram, his arms crossing over his chest. “We need to be put in check! Whatever form that takes, I’m game. If we can’t accept limitations, if we’re boundary-less, we’re no better than the bad guys.”

“Tony,” Steve finally replied, turning towards Stark, “someone dies on your watch, you don’t give up.”

“Who said we’re giving up?” Tony asked.

“We are if we’re not taking responsibility for our actions,” Rogers said. “This document just shifts the blame.”

James shook his head, butting in to the conversation. “I’m sorry, Steve. That… That is dangerously arrogant. This is the United Nations we’re talking about. It’s not the World Security Council, it’s not S.H.I.E.L.D., it’s not HYDRA.”

“No, but it’s run by people with agendas, and agendas change,” Steve said.

“That’s good,” Tony fired back. He stepped out of the kitchen, approached the group and continued on. “That’s why I’m here. When I realized what my weapons were capable of in the wrong hands, I shut it down and stopped manufacturing.”

Steve leaned forward in his seat. Placing the Accords on the table in front of him, he said, “Tony, you chose to do that. If we sign this, we surrender our right to choose. What if this panel sends us somewhere we don’t think we should go? What if there’s somewhere we need to go and they don’t let us?”

Stark rolled his eyes at that, turning aside.

“We may not be perfect,” Steve said, his eyes turning to every member of his team, “but the safest hands are still our own.”

“If we don’t do this now… it’s gonna be done to us later,” Stark told him plain and true. “That’s the fact. That won’t be pretty.”

“You’re saying they’ll come for me,” Wanda said. She didn’t sound scared by any means, but rather concerned. Whether that by for herself or the ones foolish enough to try and subdue her.

“We would protect you.”

She slowly shot her eyes over to Vision, his own meeting hers.

Spike exhaled and rubbed his eyes. He slid back into the couch cushions, crossing his arms across his scaly chest. “These Accords are sounding more and more like enslavement,” Spike muttered under his breath.

Ignoring Spike’s comment, Twilight finally got the nerve to speak up on the issue laid before her. Turning to Wanda, she asked, “Why would they come for you?” Wanda simply stared at her, almost unsure as Twilight. “T-Tony, I’m not sure it’s my place to say it, but oversight this… this strong could be damaging to the Avengers.”

“Twilight, I mean no disrespect, none of us do, but this isn’t really any of your business,” James said, Twilight turning his way. “The Accords do not abide to Equestria or any of its citizens. This is an Avengers problem.”

Starlight interrupted him, saying, “But it was formed after Lagos, and that was just as much of Wanda’s fault as it was mine, so it’s our problem, too.”

“A problem that’s going to be solved after the UN meeting in Vienna,” Stark replied, stepping forward. His hands slipped deep into his pockets, his eyes on the two mares. “Once you guys leave it’s just us, no ponies required.”

Twilight had a comeback for that. She answered with: “Secretary Ross said that the Accords were going to be ratified in Vienna, and that we would aid the Avengers in doing so. Since we were involved with the Lagos incident, we should have a say in this ratification.”

“To do what, Twilight?” Rainbow asked, nearly everyone shifting their attention to the Pegasus resting against the couch. She eyed Twilight with a curious look, almost wary, and said, “So you could get Equestria apart of the United Nations, so you could put some sanctions on a few ponies who like to step out of line a few times back home? Maybe keep me in check? You really seem to do that a lot.”

“What are you talking about, Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked. Instead of answering, Rainbow snorted in response, looking away. Frowning, Twilight said, “Our input to these Accords are just as important as any of the Avengers’.”

“… You know what? I agree,” Tony added, standing over Twilight where she sat. “It’s always better to get a little bit more support on these Accords.”

Taken aback, Twilight shook her head, saying, “Wait, Tony, no. I’m saying that these Accords—”

“They’ll do the job, Twilight,” Stark interrupted. “If we pass the Accords, events like Sokovia and Lagos would probably never happen again because we’ll have government insight on everything. We’ll have tactics, we’ll have a plan, we’ll evacuate civilians, we’ll ensure the safety of everyone involved and get the job done. Imagine what would have happened if Lagos had gone south, even further down south.”

“But we got her back, Tony. We saved her, as a team,” Steve tried to interject.

“Look what else happens when we work as a team, huh?” Stark replied, Steve’s gaze falling. “Ross made it crystal clear. New York, Washington, Sokovia, Lagos, and it’ll just keep getting worse from here on out.” He faced Twilight fully, saying, “Twi, these Accords are the safest route possible.”

Biting her lip, Twilight seemed uncertain. On one hoof, it made a lot of sense. The Avengers would be working close with the government, being told where to go, when to go, and how to do it. If threats are too little, they don’t need to be sent and prevent destruction. If threats are too much for simple military units to handle, the government can send the Avengers and provide support to civilians, ensuring that the job gets done the right way. The safest way.

On the other hoof, the Avengers lose their right to act on their own. Like Steve had said, they could be sent somewhere they don’t need to go, or can’t go somewhere they need to. In an essence, Spike’s little input about the Accords could hold some weight. Maybe the Accords were just another form of slavery.

Maybe…

Maybe an event like Lagos could never happen again.

“Well… maybe you’re right,” Twilight admitted, nodding absentmindedly. Steve and Sam looked away from her, Sam scoffing. Starlight nodded alongside her teacher. Applejack and Rarity appeared indifferent, but leaned a little towards Twilight on the idea. Rainbow Dash looked away, a frown on her face, a mutter under her scoff. Pinkie and Fluttershy were quiet, uncertain. Spike was with them.

“Working closely with the government could prove to be a positive outcome for almost any mission,” Twilight added. Tony smiled a little at that.

“Alright, maybe Tony’s right.”

He turned his attention further left, and was almost surprised to see who had said that. Despite the extra attention, despite Steve’s broken gaze turning to her, Natasha continued, saying, “If we have one hand on the wheel, we can still steer. If we take it off…”

Sam interrupted her. He asked, “Aren’t you the same woman who told the government to kiss her ass a few years ago?”

“I’m just… reading the terrain,” she replied. She turned to Steve, her mouth falling open, almost nothing coming out. “… We have made some very public mistakes. We need to win their trust back.”

“Focus up. I’m sorry. Did I just mishear you, or did you agree with me?” Tony asked.

Finally coming around, Natasha shook her head. “Oh, I want to take it back now,” she said, almost pleaded.

Stark shook his finger in front of her. “No, you can’t retract it. Thank you, though. Unprecedented.” Backing away, Stark clapped his hands together. He said, “Okay. Case closed. I win.”

It was almost as if he couldn’t care less for what Stark rambled on about next or he just didn’t have the strength to do so. Steve felt a soft buzzing in his pants pocket. Pulling out his phone, he read the text mentally, every last bit of strength within him completely gone. And it showed. He let it slip. So much that it was noticed by a few unnoticed glances.

“I have to go,” Steve muttered, getting up and leaving without a second thought.

The five that seemed almost completely distant from the conversation, from the result and what it meant, noticed Steve’s words, noticed the pain hidden between the words: “I have to go”. Those ponies were Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie. They watched him leave, watched as he exited through the door that led to the stairwell.

Knowing they had little to no more input on the conversation that remained, the five got up from where they sat and followed the Captain’s trail. That left Twilight and Starlight to continue speaking with Stark on the upcoming UN meeting.

Spike sat on the couch next to Starlight, sinking deeper within the cushions, trying hard to block out everything he heard.

New Avengers Facility, Stairwell

4:11 p.m.

The door gently creaked open, the five mares slowly creeping inside. The stairwell was considerably colder than the living room, and as the door shut behind them, considerably quieter. Not noticing the Captain, Rainbow quickly shot up the stairs, seeing nothing.

“Rainbow!” she heard Applejack’s voice whisper. “Down here!”

Rejoining the group, Rainbow followed behind Pinkie and Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy leading them down the stairs, closely and quietly. Rainbow found herself bumping into Pinkie’s backside the moment all four in front of her had stopped. Moving ahead, peeking downwards alongside Fluttershy and Applejack, making way for Rarity and Pinkie, Rainbow saw him.

Steve Rogers. His head held low, hand to his eyes, leaning against the supporting rail. Looking completely and utterly destroyed.

Sharing an unsure glance with Applejack, the two mares seemed to share the same thought. What do they do now? Do they ask what’s wrong, do they leave him be, or do they wait and see what happens?

The Captain wiped his eyes, cautiously breathed in and exhaled gently.

“Steve…”

He looked up. Rainbow, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie all turned their heads to the mare standing between them, the only one who had made the decision to speak up.

Keeping her gaze locked with the Captain’s Fluttershy asked, “What’s wrong? Is everything okay?” It was an urge of hers, something deep down telling her that her friend was in pain, and it wasn’t just because of how he suddenly left the room, or felt so distant for the moment.

It was something else.

And she saw that through the tears burning in his eyes, which surprised Rainbow and Applejack.

He nodded, then looked away. Breathing in, Steve turned back to the ponies waiting for a response, the ones waiting for him. He looked back to his phone still in his hand, almost forgotten, and looked back to the single text message, the two sentences.

She’s gone. In her sleep.

And he said, “There’s someone I’d like you all to meet.”

Author's Note

Well, second semester's about to start up soon. Expect less updates, maybe a new chapter a week. Sorry about that. :ajsleepy:

Chapter 14 - Mission Report. December 16, 1991

Cleveland, Ohio

6:26 p.m.

Vasily Karpov spent most of his evenings doing the same routine: eat soup with stale bread, read the newspaper, and have a sickly brown cup of coffee at the ready. It had grown so mundane that he hardly paid much attention to the dipping sunlight, indications to the approaching night. Sometimes he couldn’t even tell what time of day it was anymore.

Maybe it was because he hadn’t gone outside for over a week. The last time he had he went to get groceries, the necessities for living, paid for by the simple earnings he made working at a nearby drugstore. It was all he could manage, all he could really look forward to. Go to work, get paid, get home, eat, sleep, wake up, get groceries, and do it all over again.

It was mundane, that he knew. But it was far safer living the way he did than how he used to.

And so, the days went on, Karpov going through the same daily routine. Living his life as his days slipped away, living as every other average guy. He read his newspaper, sipped his soup, and reached for his coffee. Then he heard it.

A vehicle crashing. Right outside his window.

Leaning upward, Karpov dropped his spoon and stood up out of his chair. He approached the blinds, almost every one of his windows covered, and took a quick peek to the outside world and the blinding sunlight. There, a young man most likely in his thirties stepped out of his vehicle, the bumper lodged into Karpov’s own car.

Hot steam blew out from the car’s engine, the young man’s hands rising to rest behind his head. He seemed in shock, almost distraught at what he had done. Karpov continued to watch him. He only closed the blinds once the young man spun around, his eyes trained on Karpov’s home.

“Hello?” the young man said, beginning his approach. Karpov backed away from the window, uncertain of what he should do. He waited silently, listened to see what he would say next.

“Is this your car out front?”

Karpov’s eyes followed the young man’s shadow as he walked closer and closer to his front door. He said, “I jumped the curb. Maybe we could… take care of it ourselves.”

As he said that, Karpov’s eyes shifted to the lone pistol resting on a pile of newspapers, remaining by the front door. Just in case. He remained silent.

The young man said, “If you wanna call the cops, that’s okay, too, I guess.”

His head shot up, his moment of silence broken. “No,” Karpov stated loudly and clearly. “No cops.” His life had just begun to remain normal. He didn’t need law enforcement involved in any way, shape, or form. Might as well just take care of it themselves.

“Thank you,” the young man said from beyond the front door, and as Karpov opened that door he was met with a wooden plank being slammed over his head.

The pulsating thump in his forehead grew more and more tiresome. It didn’t help to feel the screams of a running faucet right next to his ear, or the banging of a sledgehammer against solid wall. Karpov slowly opened his eyes, seeing the world in a new perspective, and seeing these things transpire before him.

A wetness at the top of his head shook away any and all remaining weariness from his mind, his body slowly regaining its senses, feeling its environment. Instantly, he felt the strains of the rope tied tightly around his wrists and ankles, the rope rubbing hard against his bare skin every time he moved. He looked up and noticed the rising water slowly enveloping his forehead.

Another strike from a sledgehammer, prompting Karpov’s eyes forward. The world was tilted upside down, the young man—the intruder—hammering away at his basement wall. Several other holes pockmarked the walls. Karpov wondered how long he had been out, or just how long the intruder had been breaking down his property.

His property. His secret. He tried to scream out, but the pulsating migraine in his forehead continued to flow. It had been so long since he had remained in the shadows, away from his past life. And this… this… intruder coming from nowhere, seeking something he had already found.

He swiveled his head back to Karpov, setting down the sledgehammer and retrieving his prize.

His prize consisted of a black cardboard box, and Karpov’s past. The intruder proceeded to dump the box’s contents onto the nearest workbench, revealing documents, torn papers, and a little red book, a silver star adorned on the front cover.

The intruder grabbed the book first, much to Karpov’s dismay as evident by his continued struggling with his bonds. He saw as the intruder placed the book to the side, picking up a single document and opening it, revealing a picture of a younger Karpov dressed in full military wear. The intruder nodded, and turned his eyes backed to the strained man.

“You have kept your looks, Colonel,” the intruder said, smiling something venomous at that. “Congratulations.”

Karpov could feel the coolness of the faucet water pouring against his shoulder, all emptying into the clogged sink underneath him. The intruder continued, saying, “Mission report. December 16, 1991.”

Karpov knew the date. It had been seared into his memory for as long as he could remember, and he didn’t want to. He asked, “Who are you? What do you want?”

The intruder lowered the document, staring fully at Karpov. “My name is Zemo,” he answered. “I will repeat my question. Mission report. December 16, 1991.”

The intruder, now known as Zemo, wanted the information he had sworn never to reveal in his lifetime. So many misleading reports, so many cover-ups, and it apparently was for nothing. Karpov had imagined it would be the American government or perhaps remaining forces of S.H.I.E.L.D. to be the ones to track his whereabouts and scratch him out.

No, it was simply some drifter, some… man who called himself “Zemo”.

Some man…

“How did you find me?” Karpov asked, the water dangerously rising to cover his eyebrows.

Zemo continued to study the documents. He said, “When S.H.I.E.L.D. fell, Black Widow released HYDRA files to the public. Millions of pages. Much of it encrypted. Not easy to decipher. But… I have experience… and patience. A man can do anything if he has those.”

He eyed the man dangling, his eyes cold, without mercy. Karpov gulped.

“I have seen your file, Colonel,” Zemo stated, laying down the documents. “I know who you are, what you have done. There is a specific date and time that would prove… useful to me. Tell me, Colonel, what happened that day. December 16, 1991.”

Karpov sneered. “Go… to… hell!” he practically dribbled with anger, refusing to reveal what should be forgotten.

The man, Zemo, slowly approached Karpov. Once he stood directly over him, the relentlessness burning furiously in his eyes, like a man with no end in sight, he simply stared at Karpov. Vasily breathed his soon-to-be last breath as Zemo reached forward… and turned off the faucet.

The dim lighting to the basement gave Zemo a haunting shadow, its darkness cascading across Karpov, allowing him to see nothing but the outline of the man who held his life. Even then, he would gladly throw it—and the information—away so that none, especially the lunatic before him, would get it.

Zemo shook his head, staring straight into the water surrounding Karpov’s head. The dark waves shook as his hands did, the patience he had spoken of earlier slowly beginning to wane. He had felt that many times, far too many times. Now he had the book, now he had become closer to achieving his mission. He didn’t need the pathetic waste of skin beneath him to keep him away from that.

“We can make this… so much easier if you were willing to cooperate,” Zemo said. “The man you once worked with can lead us closer to bringing down the Avengers. But you don’t. You will die for nothing, like a dog. With the book, I can achieve what HYDRA had failed to do for years. There is no obstacle, no challenge too great that I haven’t already endeared. I will see this through.”

Karpov gulped. “What do you want with HYDRA—?”

“HYDRA deserves its place on the ash heap,” Zemo responded. “So, your death would not bother me. But I’d have to use this book, and other… bloodier methods to find what I need. I don’t look forward to that. You’d only be dying for… your pride.”

Given that final statement, Karpov remained silent, staring straight ahead. He didn’t speak, and the longer he did so, Zemo’s fierce glare continued to burn through the man’s iron skull. He simply had enough of the silence and turned the faucet back on, letting the world follow through.

And as the water covered his eyes, all Karpov said was, “Hail HYDRA.”

Zemo had what he had come for, the little red book that would give him everything he needed to see his plan follow through. The path the trailed him mattered little, the lives that needed to be taken would be forgotten, and the journey ahead continued to become more and more clear. With the little red book, all will follow through.

He gripped it tightly as he left Vasily Karpov drowning to death in his own basement. Another life taken, and another forgotten. Soon, more lives would need to be taken. More would need to follow. It simply must.

With the little red book, all will follow through.

Chapter 15 - Never Lived till You Danced

London, England

Saint Luke’s Cathedral

2:03 p.m.

The conjoined hymn from the boys’ choir filled the cathedral with whatever form of life was possible on that dreary day. The rows upon rows of people dressed in their finest wear stood in attendance, eyes faced forward, standing patiently, waiting silently.

Then, down the long, empty aisle, several gentlemen carried with them a large casket adorned with flowers and the British flag. They carefully, slowly walked down the aisle, closer and closer to the stage. Many eyes turned their way, most spotting the individual bearing the casket’s front right end.

Captain Steven Rogers. Captain America. He was just as well dressed as any other individual holding the casket, his expression just as—if not more—broken. His eyes were as red as the stripes on the British flag, dried tears on his cheeks. Many in attendance would understand why. But a few, simply a few, would not.

They were sitting in the front row with Sam Wilson.

As Steve and the others carried the casket on stage, Twilight Sparkle and her seven friends studied the scenery around them. Steve had told them yesterday of the funeral, and just how much it would mean to him if they came in attendance. He thought they deserved to know a little bit more about the ones closest to him.

About Peggy Carter.

He hadn’t said much, just that they used to work together during the second World War to take down HYDRA. He also might have slipped that they were probably a “thing” back then, to which the mares—Rarity and Pinkie especially—gushed over.

Speaking of Rarity, their time on Earth allowed her to work with a majority of Earth’s materials, such as fabric, cotton, and other clothing essentials. She was able to craft seven specific dresses for her and her friends, and of course a suit for Spike. As they sat down, Rarity fumbled with her mane to make it as presentable as possible. Her friends all appeared content with their mane styles Rarity had offered them, and a couple may have worn the dresses simply not to hurt Rarity’s feelings.

Rainbow tugged at the collar of her dress. Applejack shifted back and forth in her seat, trouble finding a comfortable position with her dress getting in the way.

Twilight sat next to Sam, the two watching as Steve and the others took their seats. Naturally, Steve sat to Sam’s left at the edge of the row, his palms intertwining with one another, eyes downward. The preacher began to speak to those in attendance, but Twilight hadn’t been paying that much attention.

Her eyes were locked with the lone picture resting near a pile of flowers. It displayed a colorless frame of a beautiful young woman staring confidently forward, a strong smile on her lips. Her name was Margaret “Peggy” Carter, as it read at the bottom of the picture frame. Twilight may have known very little about her, but with so many people in attendance to her funeral, Steve’s broken posture, and the single picture resting on the stage, Twilight felt there was more to the woman than meets the eye.

That’s how she felt personally. For others, for friends, for allies, for family, she meant so much more. And perhaps Twilight could, as well.

“And now, I would like to invite Sharon Carter to come up and say a few words,” the preacher announced, turning his attention over to the right side of the stage. Everyone else in attendance followed, watching as the young woman stepped up to the podium on the right.

Sharon Carter, Twilight thought. She must have been related some way to Margaret. She wore a simple black buttoned dress. Her straight, blonde hair rested on her shoulders, her eyes scanning the crowd and falling on the front row. For a moment, Twilight had thought she was looking at her and her friends—and she did, for moment, considering they were the only ponies in attendance—but she turned further to the end of the row.

Sam nudged Steve, who still hadn’t looked up. Once he did, he stared at Sharon silently, awaiting her words for the late Peggy Carter.

She exhaled shakily, then managed a little smile and began. “Margaret Carter was known to most as a founder of S.H.I.E.L.D., but I just knew her as Aunt Peggy.”

She seemed to be staring at Steve as she said that, almost expecting some sort of response from him before eyeing elsewhere. Steve wasn’t surprised by any means, but it made more sense for her to be Peggy’s niece if anything. He remained silent, Sam and the mares doing the same, as Sharon continued.

“She had a photograph in her office. Aunt Peggy standing next to JFK. As a kid, that was pretty cool. But it was a lot to live up to,” Sharon said, her smile beginning to waver shortly. “I never told anyone we were related because of this, and… even now I don’t know if I made the right decision. Should I have gone through my life just known as the niece of the famous Margaret Carter… or should I have gone the other way, disregarding the connection, simply calling the similar names a coincidence?”

Steve listened carefully, breathing in her words at every pause.

Sharon swallowed steadily, then said, “Maybe Aunt Peggy wanted what was best for me. I believe she did. And she wanted me to make others see me as my own person, not just another one of her. I don’t know if she was protecting me or… teaching me a lesson. Either way… it worked.”

Smiling at that, Sharon planted her palms onto the podium. “I asked her once how she managed to master diplomacy and espionage in a time when no one wanted to see a woman succeed at either. She said, compromise where you can. But where you can’t, don’t. Even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right.”

For a moment, Steve listened extra carefully, hanging on every word.

Sharon seemed to glance at him before turning away, eyeing the crowd of family and friends. She said, “Even if the whole world is telling you to move, it is your duty… to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye and say, ‘No, you move.’”

Steve dropped his gaze, thinking of those words throughout the entire ceremony.

It was Steve Rogers alone in the cathedral, the silence of the towering walls somehow being his only companion, even when he knew it wasn’t true. Everyone else had left several minutes ago, everyone except for Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, and Spike.

They never left him, even when he said they could.

He stood in the edge of the aisle, hands in his pockets, eyes forward to the stage, not saying a word. As if in silent agreement, the mares gave him time to himself, letting the silence surround them. They rested on the bench and waited, waited for Steve to do something, to call it quits and head back home.

For the longest time, he never did. He just stared at Peggy Carter’s portrait. Almost lost. Hoping for something.

“She meant quite a lot to you.”

Twilight slowly turned her attention over to Rarity, the unicorn finally having the courage to speak out. Thankfully, that courage didn’t vanish, even as Steve turned his head to her. The mares followed suit, shifting their eyes to Rarity, listening as she asked, “Didn’t she?”

And then they turned to Steve. For a moment, he didn’t seem too keen on responding. His head fell, hands resting deep within his pockets. The mares and baby dragon were patient, though. They waited for Steve to respond, if he ever did.

Sighing, almost painfully, Steve said, “I met her a long time ago, before the serum, back when I was still in the army. She was unlike anyone I had ever met. Strong, confident… gorgeous. She exemplified everything a leader should be… Everything…”

The fading strength in his voice was clearly evident. Steve slowly shut his eyes, a hand rising to rub them. The mares shared several looks of worry. Twilight shot out her hoof, declaring, “Steve, you don’t have to continue if it’s too much for you. We understand.”

Instead, he waved her off, saying, “No, no, it’s fine. I’m fine, really. It’s just… I made a lot of mistakes back then, a lot of promises, many of which I never did keep. First with Bucky, then… then I promised her I’d give her a dance once we got back home safely.”

He shook his head. “Only a few of us didn’t make it back… only a few of us stopped HYDRA from striking the United States, and only one of us didn’t get home. I could remember… how much she really cared for that scrawny little kid from Brooklyn. After our first kiss, I… I thought maybe I had a chance at a home… back home. With her.”

Fluttershy sniffed hard, using her handkerchief to dap at her eyes. Twilight had grown a little misty-eyed, as well, some of the mares joining her. Some others remained strong.

Another sigh from the Captain. Another shake of his head. “We never did have our dance. Now… we never will,” he muttered, falling silent after that.

The mares joined him in the silence, Twilight reaching out her hoof to him, but failing to come up with the right words. Rainbow sat indifferently as far from Twilight as possible, thinking over what Steve had said, flinching as everypony had when the doors at the cathedral’s exit opened.

Spinning around, the ponies and Spike watched as their friend Natasha Romanoff approached down the aisle. Noticing them, Steve turned around too, seeing as Natasha stopped just feet from, standing on the opposite side of the aisle. He stared at her for a moment, then looked back to the mares and Spike.

He wondered whether or not Natasha was there to comfort him, to tell him to sign for the Accords, or do something else. He wondered if he had given the mares enough or too little, or if they deserved to even know in the first place.

He wondered too much.

“When I came out of the ice,” Steve began, sharing several glances with the mares before facing Romanoff, “I thought everyone I had known was gone. Then I found out she was alive. I was just lucky to have her.”

Natasha eyed Peggy’s portrait, then smiled and faced Steve. “She had you back, too,” she told him, seeing as Steve nodded in agreement. She felt as if that would be the only thing he’d agree with for what she was about to say.

He beat her to it, asking, “Who else signed?”

Leaning back onto one of the benches, Natasha crossed her arms. She answered, “Tony, Rhodey, Vision.”

“Clint?” Steve asked.

Natasha smiled carefully. “Says he’s retired.”

Pinkie’s ears fell at that announcement. Steve continued, asking, “Wanda?”

“TBD.”

To be determined, Steve thought, looking down. Natasha could see the break in his expression, the loss of life in his eyes. He had been through so much, lost so many. She knew what his decisions were and what he stood for. She knew she could never convince him to do what the others had, she was mostly there for the girls and Spike.

Still, might as well try.

“I’m off to Vienna for the signing of the Accords,” Natasha said, seeing him deflate slightly more. “There’s plenty of room on the jet.”

He sighed, and said nothing more. Natasha almost deflated just as he had. Instead, she remained strong, confident, and added, “Just because it’s the path of least resistance doesn’t mean it’s the wrong path. Staying together is more important than how we stay together.”

Natasha slowly stepped forward, looking Steve in the eye when she said it, trying her damnedest to be sincere. At the end of the bench the mares sat upon, Rainbow Dash looked away. Her ears perked up, however, when Steve replied, “What are we giving up to do it?”

Natasha didn’t reply. She couldn’t seem to. Steve shook his head again, and said, “I’m sorry, Nat. I can’t sign it.”

Biting her lip, she nodded. “I know.”

Steve picked up his gaze, staring at the woman merely inches from him. He studied her facial features, the uncertainty in her eyes. He asked, “Then what are you doing here?”

“Paying my respects, looking for you… and them,” she replied, leaning over slightly, smiling to the group of eight sitting behind the Captain. Sighing, she straightened up, looked at Steve, and said, “I… didn’t want you to be alone, but I can see you never were.”

Despite her words of comfort, Steve hardly felt any better. Even as Natasha wrapped her arms around him, sealing the gap between them and bringing him in for a warm hug, the constant barrage of idealistic choices flooded his mind, compared alongside with the pain of loss. He still gave her a strong hug in return.

As the two separated, Natasha patted Rogers’ shoulder, saying, “I’ll see you later, Steve.” He nodded to her, looking down as she began to make her exit. But before she did, Natasha looked over behind Steve and said, “Twilight, Starlight, let’s head out. It’s time. “

Nodding, both Twilight and Starlight hopped off the bench in unison. Once they entered the aisle, Twilight looked back to the remainder of her friends, some staring at her quizzically, others simply waiting for an explanation.

Twilight managed a weak, but confident smile. “We’ll be back, girls,” she said, Starlight nodding. The two looked up to Romanoff, nodded to her, then began to make their exit from the cathedral. However, a familiar voice caught them off-guard, causing all three to stop in their tracks.

“You’re really going through with this, huh?” Rainbow Dash asked, watching as all three of them spun around to her.

Twilight could see the uncertainty in each of her friends’ eyes, but she mostly saw the disappoint in Rainbow’s. Furrowing her brow, Twilight said, “It’s not what you think, Rainbow. It’s… well… We need to take responsibility for our actions.”

“What happened wasn’t your fault,” Fluttershy began, being quickly interrupted by Starlight.

“But it was mine!” the unicorn stated rather loudly, no one else present in the cathedral for her to be too quiet. Everypony shot their surprised looks over to Starlight, even Steve managing to turn her way. Starlight didn’t back down from the multiple glances. She said, “I could have prevented what had happened, I could have done something else… and still…”

She looked away. Natasha picked up her gaze, eyeing the mares and Spike carefully as she said, “It’s your choice. If you don’t want to, I’ll have a flight set up to take you back to the facility. Just wait outside.”

The ponies took the moment to turn to each other, see who would side with who. Applejack just rolled her eyes at the continued silence, straightening her hat and hopping out of her seat. “Yeah, Ah think Ah’ve had enough of politics for a while. Ah’ll see y’all later back at the facility.”

Rarity followed almost instantly, saying, “I, as well. Traveling recently has been absolutely dreadful. It would be nice to relax for a bit.”

Natasha nodded, turning her eyes to Fluttershy and Pinkie. They whispered to one another, eventually nodding in agreement. “We’ll head back to the facility, too,” Fluttershy answered, Pinkie smiling at that as the two hopped off the bench.

Twilight watched as each one of her friends chose to head back, walking passed her and exiting the cathedral. She eyed Fluttershy and Pinkie, almost oblivious to the young drake waddling by. “Spike,” she spoke up, causing the dragon to pause for her, “you don’t want to come to Vienna?”

His shoulders momentarily relaxed. He spun to face her, almost forcing a smile as he said, “Um… No, no thanks, Twilight. I’m… I’m kinda with AJ on this one.”

Noticing the excuse and its forcefulness, Twilight simply sighed and waved it away. Spike was young. He probably didn’t care much for politics anyway. She said, “Okay, I guess I’ll see you back at the facility then.”

Opening her hoof out to him, Spike noticed the gestured and smiled slightly. He entered her embrace, hugging Twilight. “Bye, Twilight,” he said. The two broke away, Spike finally exiting the cathedral alongside the others. Twilight watched his tail disappear behind the door, a foreboding and mysterious pang of guilt striking her heart.

She kept it close, turning around. “Rainbow…?”

Unlike the others, Rainbow Dash just shook her head, rising out of her seat to hover in place. “Nah, I think I’ll just stick with the Captain for a little bit longer,” she answered, flying over to Steve and resting her foreleg on his shoulder. “He could use the company.”

They all seemed to come to that agreement. Though Twilight was disappointed to see that Rainbow once again disagreed with her and went down the other path, it wasn’t necessarily seen as the wrong path. It was her own. It was Rainbow’s path. Nodding to that, Twilight joined Starlight and Natasha as they all made their way to the doors, pushing them open and entering the outside world.

Rainbow watched as the doors closed, hearing, “You didn’t have to stay.”

She flew back, smiling to Steve. “Yeah… I just didn’t want you to get all weepy again behind our backs,” she laughed, punching his shoulder playfully. “Might as well make sure, right?”

For the first time that awful day, Steve actually smiled.

Chapter 16 - Lineage

Vienna, Austria

Meeting of the United Nations

12:00 p.m.

Prince T’Challa was never a man for politics. The thought of corrupted, old men discussing trade, warfare, and other discomforts that were told to bring good to the people only made him sour. Yes, he was born into royalty, and destined into that life, which meant an inevitable life of politics was soon to follow.

Prince T’Challa thought differently. As he stared off into the bustling streets of Vienna, memories of his own childhood slowly surfaced. The long, hot summers training, hunting, understanding in a world so full of power, but unable to show it. A country so distant, so disconnected, yet managing far better than any other nation in Africa. He would remember the campfire stories his grandfather used to tell, of the great men in the tribe before him.

How their lineage meant so much to their nation. Perhaps that is why he was there with his father, speaking with the corrupt men. Wakanda was as affected as any other nation when it came to the actions of the Avengers. And the leaders of said nation, T’Challa and his father, would lead the Accords to ratification.

“Excuse me, Ms. Romanoff? Princess Twilight? These need your signatures.”

And perhaps they wouldn’t have to be the only ones.

Spinning around, Prince T’Challa caught sight of Natasha Romanoff, the infamous Black Widow, signing away on a clipboard, just as he had. Standing next to her, a sight that wasn’t so surprising was the Princess of Friendship and her student, two of the ambassadors of planet Equus. If it hadn’t been for the two of them and the rest of the ambassadors practically dominating every news station on the planet, Prince T’Challa might have been slightly surprised.

Slightly.

Still, he felt as if a proper introduction was in order.

After both Princess Twilight and her student had signed their names on the clipboard, the UN staffer thanked the group of three and made her way to greet the newcomers. Once she had left, Prince T’Challa stepped forward behind them.

“I suppose none of us are used to the spotlight,” he greeted them, causing Romanoff and the two equines to spin and face him.

Both Twilight and her student smiled to the man. “Sorry,” Twilight apologized, waving her hoof, “are we that easy to spot?”

Natasha chuckled warmly, turning back to Prince T’Challa. “Well, the spotlight isn’t always so flattering,” she told him.

“You three seem to be doing all right so far,” he said with a smile, the mares returning it. He looked back up to Natasha, smirking as he said, “Especially you, Ms. Romanoff, considering your last trip to Capitol Hill. I never thought you’d be so particularly comfortable in this company.”

“Well, I’m not,” she replied, earning a smile from the prince. “But Princess Twilight on the other hand… excels in this type of company.”

T’Challa returned his gaze lower, smiling to the two mares. “So I have heard.”

“Twilight, this is T’Challa, Prince of Wakanda. I don’t believe you two have been formerly introduced,” Natasha explained, looking from Twilight to T’Challa and back again.

The Prince of Wakanda bent down to one knee in order to shake her hoof. “That we haven’t. And I must say, Twilight Sparkle, from a prince to a princess, politics… just might go downhill from here.” Twilight laughed at that, T’Challa winking at her. “But that’s from my own perspective.”

As he released his grip around her hoof, he turned his strong gaze to the left, smiling to the pale pink unicorn. “The student of the princess,” T’Challa said, holding out his hand to the mare. “You must be Starlight Glimmer.”

Starlight replied with a smile, as well as strong hoof/handshake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness.”

“Please, there is no need for such formalities,” he told her, the two breaking away.

“Considering your behavior, I would assume that you have grown fond to the life of politics, T’Challa,” Natasha said as he stood up.

The prince brushed off his knees, chuckling to the woman. He said, “It is just good behavior, Ms. Romanoff. I am much like you, and that alone makes me glad you are here.”

“You don’t approve of politics, Prince T’Challa?” Twilight asked.

He shook his head. “Not really. The Accords, however, are a different story. I only wished they could be ratified on a simpler occasion. After all, two people in a room can get more done than a hundred.”

“Unless you need to move a piano.”

The unknown voice emerged from behind the three, T’Challa’s eyes focusing forward, a small smile growing across his lips. Both mares spun around, their eyes shooting upwards to spot an older gentleman approach them. He had graying hair, as well as a silver goatee. Behind his glasses used to enhance his eyesight, an unusual wisdom and strength was held in his gaze, something Twilight had yet to discover.

She gazed wondrously at the older gentleman, even as he and Prince T’Challa greeted in their native language. She watched as his smile disappeared as he eyed Natasha. “Ms. Romanoff,” he greeted, plain and simple. No nonsense.

Natasha replied just as the same, except she actually managed to hold a smile. “King T’Chaka,” she greeted. “Please, allow me to apologize for what happened in Nigeria.”

“Thank you,” King T’Chaka said, slowly turning his attention to the two mares. Natasha was soon to do the same, hands behind her back, worry in her eyes.

The ponies, however, were quick to respond. Both Twilight and Starlight bowed in respect to the King of Wakanda, Twilight saying, “Your Highness, we as well would wish to apologize for the events in Lagos. It is a terrible thing to have to lose your own countrymen in a foreign conflict.”

Starlight nodded, the two rising up. She said, “Yes, we’re deeply sorry for our actions, and… everything, in general.”

They could see as the stone-cold gaze of the Wakandan king hardly shifted despite their apologies. However, he eventually nodded to the two, bowing his head in respect. “Apology accepted, Princess Twilight. Starlight Glimmer. I would wish to thank you all for agreeing to this.”

He slowly turned to face Natasha. “It is a shame Captain Rogers will not be joining us today.”

Another forced smile. “Yes, it certainly is,” Natasha replied, her voice being drowned out by the intercom.

“If everyone could be please be seated. This assembly is now in session.”

A bustle of world leaders began to take their seats, Prince T’Challa watching with apathy. Still, he sighed and turned to his father. “That is the future calling,” he said. His father smiled at that.

Natasha nodded, turning her gaze downwards. “Well, girls, we had better take our seats,” she addressed, shaking T’Challa’s hand for good measure.

“Such a pleasure, all of you,” the prince told them, shaking hands, hooves, and watching them leave to their seats. As it was just the son and the father left standing, T’Chaka approached his son with a smile, prompting to speak to him in his native tongue.

“For a man who disapproves of diplomacy, you’re getting quite good at it.”

T’Challa smiled to that, appreciating his father’s kind words. “I’m happy, Father,” he replied, joining his father in speaking his native language. “For the good of our country, our future, and our family.”

King T’Chaka smiled, resting his palm against his son’s cheek. The two shared a quick gaze, the father’s smile fading as he looked into his son’s eyes. And his son, seeing the years of leadership, heritage, and strength in his father’s gaze, felt the coolness of the ring grace his cheek.

“Thank you,” T’Chaka finished.

T’Challa kissed his father’s hand. “Thank you.”

“When stolen Wakandan Vibranium was used to make a terrible weapon, we in Wakanda were forced to question our legacy. Those men and women killed in Nigeria were part of a goodwill mission from a country too long in the shadows.”

Princess Twilight and Starlight Glimmer sat side by side, listening intently as every other individual had. The two sat quietly with Natasha, watching the king’s movements while he stood alone on the podium, gazing out into the sea of world leaders and politicians. So many sullen faces. So many waiting.

King T’Chaka did not let them hold him back. “We will not, however, let misfortune drive us back. We will fight to improve the world we wish to join. And perhaps, we will improve because of it.”

Prince T’Challa listened to his father’s words carefully, standing strong on every word, in agreement with every statement. However, standing by the edge of the glass window, his eye caught something particularly interesting occurring in the street below.

“I am grateful to the Avengers for supporting this initiative. And just as well, two of the Ambassadors of Equus stand with us today in support for this grand change.”

T’Challa approached the window’s face, staring down into the street.

“Wakanda is proud to extend its hand in peace.”

Two police officers and their dog surrounded a news van just below him. The officers shouted something, began to run, their dog barking fiercely.

The pupils in T’Challa’s eyes shrank. The police, the dog, the van, the meeting.

The meeting. He turned back.

And screamed, “Everybody get down!”

People turned in his direction, some screaming, others standing up. But T’Challa didn’t notice. He was already off, rushing towards his father, leaping at him with such speed that he almost reached him. Almost reached him. No. The blast was too fast, even for him.

A deafening roar tore across the meeting room.

The glass window completely shattered as a wave of fire and smoke spewed outwards. The shock wave launched both the king and the prince off the podium and down onto the floor, the remainder of the blast enveloping the room and everyone in it. Natasha Romanoff instinctively shielded her face once a wave of smoke and fire rushed towards her.

But soon, she realized it never came in contact with her skin. It never even touched her.

Lowering her arms, Natasha could see nothing but an aura of violet and turquoise shielded across her. She looked over to her right, seeing the many politicians picking themselves up, brushing themselves off, and stand in amazement to the dome of two concurring lights sparkle over their heads. Where they stood, they were alive and well. Beyond the wall remained nothing but dark smoke.

Natasha slowly turned to her left and saw both Twilight’s and Starlight’s horns aglow.

Each of their faces were etched into a single expressive feature, both shocked, uncertain, but ready. They waited until the smoke cloud dissipated before their horns died down, thus collapsing the shield. The aura of violet and turquoise vanished, allowing the sunlight plagued in sickly white ash to wash inside the building.

Natasha peered into the sickness. Twilight and Starlight rose from their seats and entered it.

They all seemed to be staring at the same scene. Everyone who had lived.

Prince T’Challa rushed to his father lying in the shattered concrete and glass of the building. White ash fell around the two, said ash blowing even further into the room. A proper evacuation began to follow, people being escorted out of the room. Sirens wailed from the outside, from the large opening that remained following the blast.

Natasha rose from her seat at last, and even then she remained frozen. The mares stood in unison, staring off into the raining ash as the prince tried desperately to awaken his king. They were unable to fully process what had happened, how it happened, or why it had happened. It just did, and they stood alive in the center of it all.

He tried for a pulse, he tried again. And again. And again.

He tried so many times and found nothing.

He screamed for his father, cradled the lifeless body in his arms and cried.

The King of Wakanda cried.

London, England

11:15 a.m.

“A bomb hidden in a news van ripped through the UN building in Vienna. Due to the quick efforts of Princess Twilight Sparkle and her pupil Starlight Glimmer by creating a shield to protect any politician they could, less than fifteen people were injured, and only seven were killed. Unfortunately, they were unable to protect Wakanda’s King T’Chaka, who died in the bombing.

“Officials have released a video of a suspect who they have identified as James Buchanan Barnes, the Winter Soldier. The infamous HYDRA agent has been linked to numerous acts of terrorism and political assassinations.”

Just like that, whatever the reporter had said had become drowned out. The images of the fires, the falling ash and flaming paper from the side of the UN building, and the firemen rushing to put out the flames had become blurred. The Pegasus’ breath became unnaturally quiet, even for her.

Rainbow Dash knew that name.

James Buchanan Barnes.

The Winter Soldier.

She and Sam looked to Steve, saw what remaining strength he had left leave his eyes, only pain remaining. Dash heard a pair of footsteps directly behind her, prompting her attention backwards.

Sharon Carter stepped up between the two men, stared at the screen with them, and sighed. “I have to go to work.”

Author's Note

Pretty busy week. :ajsleepy:

Chapter 17 - Micro

Manhattan, New York

6:27 a.m.

“Good morning, Manhattan. Breaking today, we are following up on the recent travesties that occurred in Vienna, Austria recently. During the UN meeting, a bomb squad had located an explosive device within a news van, but were unable to disable it in time. The result left several wounded following the explosion in the UN building, including the death of King T’Chaka of Wakanda.”

A plate of poorly made scrambled eggs and burnt toast was gently placed on the foldable dinner tray. A small, dirty glass of milk was added, followed by an empty Beretta M9 placed on the edge. The ghostly glow of the TV offered every bit of light to the dark apartment living room. A tall man stepped back into that ghostly light, placing the Beretta’s clip next to the pistol.

He took his seat, his breakfast laid out in front of him. The news anchor droned on. Looking down, he prepared to have his meal.

No fork. No knife. Mumbling something, he got back up and walked all the way over to the kitchen ten feet away. As he pulled out the kitchen drawer and searched for a clean fork and knife, he could hear the anchorman talking more about Vienna, more about the bombing.

“Eyewitness reports, as well as camera feed, have officially identified those responsible for the bombing. It appears that it was only one individual who seems to have planted the bomb within the van before he made his escape.”

His attention was caught once it mentioned “officially identifying those responsible”. He returned to the living room rather quickly. He didn’t even bring his fork and knife. Instead, he watched as the news report shifted to a camera’s view of what appeared to be some sort of parking lot, cars scattered within the film.

And forward came a hooded individual, the video pausing once his face came into view.

The anchorman started talking again. He rarely paid him any attention. He was far too focused on the suspect’s face… and just how familiar he looked.

All he really heard from the news anchor was…

“Facial identifying software have confirmed the identity of the suspect in connection to the bombing. It appears to be James Buchanan Barnes, more so known as ‘The Winter Soldier’. We know this due to leaked HYDRA files…”

Every other word was completely drowned out. Standing straight, staring forward into the still image of the Winter Soldier, his mind was already putting the pieces of the puzzle together. He had remembered reading those HYDRA files mentioned earlier. He read them years ago after they were leaked, hoping that some other HYDRA agents lived near him, or so he could find them.

Nazi war criminals. Soviet agents from a war already lost. Worst of the worst. They’d been hiding for years, living in the shadows, trudging through life as if they could hide away from the lives they once lived. The ones he had managed to find didn’t last too long. The ones he hadn’t found yet, well, they just haven’t been found yet.

But still, there was always one, one he could never find. His file, his locations, everything had been either false or he just got out before he could get to him first. The one that managed to get away, the one that killed yet again, this time in Vienna, the mass-murdering ultimate weapon of HYDRA…

“The Winter Soldier…” Frank Castle muttered to himself.

He stared at that still image until it vanished, other news flashing by.

Even then, his shattered mind kept the image of James Buchanan Barnes fresh, waiting for later use. He couldn’t focus on that with the TV rambling on, with his breakfast getting cold. Shaking his head, Frank grumbled, “Can’t be.” He turned to his laptop resting on the dining table, scattered newspaper, empty bullet shells, and numerous other weapons surrounding it.

He pulled out the chair and took a seat, booting the computer up. As it asked for his password, Frank quickly typed it in, watching as several files from the other day remained opened. He clicked out of every single one of them. Every single one… except for the last.

The closed chat.

The final message, the one from days ago, was from the user “Micro”, simply saying, “Good luck with that”. Frank hadn’t spoken to him since. Still, he felt he needed to. It had been over a year since he’d chased the ghost. If what the bombing in Vienna told, and who the suspect truly was, then Frank basically only had once chance to get as much information as possible before it was pulled.

Micro may have been smart on the keyboard, but he wasn’t that smart.

Wasting time. Frank quickly typed out a message: You there?

He pressed “Enter”.

And waited.

Almost five seconds later, a new message popped up.

Always.

Three seconds this time.

You got something?

Frank eyed the blinds, the peeking sunlight hidden behind. He typed away. You see the news recently?

He got a reply. Yeah. Big stuff.

Frank cracked his knuckles and continued to type. I want everything on James Buchanan Barnes, the Winter Soldier.

Everything?

EVERYTHING.

Alright, I got you. Micro didn’t reply for nearly thirty seconds afterwards. Frank just sat there staring at the white screen, his mind trained on the image of the ghost. Caught in his line of sight.

A minute later, and Micro replied. Okay, it may have taken some digging, but I got some of the more important HYDRA files saved. Counting that to the new sightings we got today. Basically, everything you need to find him. You can thank that Romanoff chick for spilling HYDRA’s secrets.

Castle didn’t type anything in response.

Almost ten seconds for another reply. I’m sending you the info now.

Frank checked his private email, spotting the new message. Opening it, it was filled with information. Everything he needed. Maps. Locations. Times. And a single image of the video frame Castle had seen earlier. The hooded figure strolled right through and took one glance at the camera, giving little but losing everything.

Not smart.

Castle had him.

Finally.

It had been so long since he had been chasing that ghost. The first time he had seen him, even before the chase had started, was that day on the highway in Washington. He remembered seeing that man with the metal arm hop on the hood of the speeding vehicle, ripping a human being out of the car as if he was nothing. He remembered seeing the ghost fling the man directly in front of him, the man meeting the front of Frank’s truck.

He almost completely ignored the new message popping up.

Need anything else?

Frank leaned forward and began typing. I need some cash for the trip, a fake ID, and some weapons.

Got the cash and the ID. You won’t get any weapons on the plane. I’ll send them to you. I already got a list of what you’ll need to get the job done quick and clean. Check them out.

Another message followed, a link being the reply. Frank clicked on it, the screen shifting to a new tab with images of weapons and equipment. His primary weapon was a Barrett .50 caliber with a silencer. Secondary was a Glock 17 pistol, no silencer. Knives were also added. Never could go wrong with those. Equipment consisted of grenades, flash bangs, and a grappling hook, a launcher to go with it. Top notch. Military grade.

Frank nodded and typed. Good pick. How did you know?

He only had to wait two seconds this time.

Just a hunch.

With that, Frank closed out of the remaining tabs he had, letting the chat being all that remained open. Just as he was about to close his computer, another message popped up, stopping Frank right where he was, gripping the top of the computer screen.

It read: And Castle…

Three blinking dots. New message.

Don’t miss.

Frank closed his laptop.

Chapter 18 - A Damn Long Walk Home

Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan

7:00 a.m.

It had been too long since Matthew Murdock had spoken with Father Lantom. And there certainly was much to discuss the minute—no, the second Matt stepped foot and cane into the cathedral. Normally, Matt would make his way over to the confessional, offer himself open to forgiveness for the blood he had spilled keeping the streets of Hell’s Kitchen safe.

What many don’t know, what many shouldn’t know, is that beneath the exterior of a struggling, blind lawyer trying to find his place in the roughest parts of Manhattan, there was something else, something that was broken, twisted, and molded into something dangerous. Something sinister. Something that wanted blood but held back, refusing to kill.

Not a murderer, not a saint.

A devil.

He carried that mantel, abandoned what was certain to be a life of murder and followed his own path. Doing so gave him a reputation. It also earned him some new friends and enemies on the streets. One friend in particular was Father Lantom, the man Matt was currently opening himself up to, the very few people that actually got to see that side of him.

Matt knew it was dangerous releasing the secret, releasing the devil inside to show others. The ones who did know were dearly close to him. Friends. Close friends. Thank God. Father Lantom on the other hand was someone else. Matthew didn’t know a lot of things, especially trust in a place like Hell’s Kitchen. In the hottest place in Manhattan, sometimes the allies you make could be the closest friends you’ll ever get.

Matthew stuck with that. He knew Father Lantom knew his identity, saw the devil beneath the saint. Surprisingly enough, Father Lantom didn’t seem to see it any other way. He knew what Matt was, what had happened to him. The young lawyer would come to his cathedral all the time and pray for forgiveness. From him, from the Lord, for everything he would do that night.

Never once did Father Lantom tell him not to. Instead, he chose to guide the young spirit, lead him to righteousness instead of destruction. There was goodness in Matthew, even when the rest of the world was filled with pain, misery, and hate. Sometimes the world needed a hero or two, one in the streets, one fighting for the people.

Today, Matthew didn’t ask for forgiveness, at least not for what he would do. Instead, he asked for forgiveness, and wished to pray for those suffering. Father Lantom knew exactly what Matthew meant. The whole world basically knew what Matthew meant.

The past few weeks hadn’t been the most peaceful. Ever since Earth had been visited by a few extraterrestrial allies-to-be, the amount of attacks and deaths increased at a terrifying rate. Over 150 innocent men and women lost their lives in Washington D.C. not too long ago, several died protecting police stations raided by mercenaries, eleven Wakandans and many others lost their lives in Lagos, and the recent bombing at the United Nations in Vienna all added up.

So much death. So much loss.

And so, they prayed that dreary, cloudy morning. Prayed and did nothing more afterwards. No words of insight. No haunting final statements. Just a handshake, a step out of the cathedral, and a final goodbye. Father Lantom turned around to see the young lawyer make his way down the long, busy sidewalk, cane in hand, slowly making his way home.

Thunder rumbled above, prompting the upcoming storm. Father Lantom tightened his coat and turned away.

Matthew lifted his head to the sky. He could hear the thunder approaching, feel the coolness of the air suddenly become damp, the smell of rain quickly approaching. He didn’t have an umbrella, which probably wasn’t smart considering he could sense the storm coming after he woke up that morning. He thought he could make it back home before the storm hit, but that wasn’t the case.

He had done a lot of wrong recently. A lot of people out there needed some prayers. He had spent quite some time at the cathedral and seemed to have lost track of it.

His slow walk would soon become a speed walk. It would have, of course, if Matt didn’t stop dead in his tracks. His ears perked up, his head following suit, turning in the direction of the street two blocks down. Many pedestrians looked his way, gave him an odd look, and moved passed him to deal with their own business of the day. But not Matt. Matt stood right where he was, listening, staring, searching.

He slowly turned his neck further right. “... Airport. How fast…” Matt paused, turning back and focusing in that direction. “… get me there?”

“I can make it in less than an hour,” a distant voice replied.

The first voice, the one that kept Matt right where he was, answered back. He said, “Alright. You know the way. Don’t stop. I’ll pay you when we get there.”

The door of a taxi cab, yellow, made in ’98 had shut. The engine started, though a bit of trouble at first, then the driver and his occupant were off. And they were coming right for Matt. Quickly recognizing the voice he had heard, Matt hid within the crowd, but stood at a decent distance to get a good view of the road, as well as the cab that drove on by.

And Matthew could see, sitting in the back of the taxi cab, a familiar figure wearing a heavy coat, large hat, and sunglasses. He didn’t see Matt, but Matt could see him. Through the world on fire, the voice, the face, none of it could be hidden. Matthew nearly dropped his cane. He nearly lost his breath.

But he couldn’t lose the cab.

Quickly shaking away whatever remaining stupor he had, Matt watched as the taxi made a left turn, disappearing behind the buildings. Matthew shot his gaze over to the nearest alley, and making sure no one was near to see, he entered the inviting darkness of it, then ran. He tossed his cane behind a garbage pail where he’d remember to find it, undid his tie, and took off his shades. No need for people to get suspicious.

Climbing the nearest fence, Matt hopped up and jumped over to a nearby fire escape, climbing the ladder and reaching rooftop. Running over to the roof’s edge, he peered downwards, listening closely. He heard a couple arguing about which ring to buy for their wedding, he heard kids playing kickball in an alley three blocks down, a kid falling and scaping his knee. He heard hundreds of thousands of vehicles driving, engines roaring, horns blaring.

Then he found it. Already a block away, quickly driving off. He remembered hearing something about an airport. He was gonna have a long run ahead of him.

Queens, New York City

LaGuardia Airport

7:57 a.m.

Matt stumbled forward, drenched in sweat, completely out of breath, but finally stopped. Finally able to stop. He reared forward, almost blacked out for a second, and rested his hands on a nearby bench. Coughing loudly, Matt paused to let his hearing take control for a while. He heard a “thank you”, a “safe travels”, and the shutting of a cab door.

Bringing his attention forward, Matt watched as the large, tan trench coat covering the man he was tracking swayed back and forth. He entered the crowds walking into the front doors of the massive airport, hidden among the hundreds of other voices.

Coughing once more, Matt picked himself. His legs burned like all living hell. His heart hurt, the cramps in his sides basically tearing apart his insides. But he needed to move. He needed to know what the man was doing, why he was out in the world again, and just what he was planning. Matt entered the crowd among everyone else, appearing like everyone else, though severely sweaty and wearing torn clothes. He almost appeared homeless.

But he didn’t have time for how people thought he looked. He had already lost enough time resting outside. Now inside, Matthew kept his gaze forward, following the crowd. But his hearing traveled, it searched when he couldn’t. It went from person to person, from an aggravated family waiting for their luggage, to an impatient line of people waiting for an elderly couple to pass through the metal detector. He searched and searched.

Finally able to hear…

“Here is your passport, Mr. Mason. Enjoy your flight. Oh, speaking of which…”

Matt flinched as the intercom rang, the voice he heard earlier announcing, “Attention, the 8:30 flight to Vienna, Austria will now begin boarding. Please follow the directions and search for assistance at any Help Desk if necessary. Again, the 8:30 flight to Vienna, Austria will now begin boarding.”

Twisting his neck into that direction where the intercom announcement originated, Matt could see through the crowds of people one who stood over almost everybody else, a trench coat and large hat covering him. He removed his sunglasses and eyed his passport, pocketing it away. It was him. However, the only thing off was when he was referred to as “Mr. Mason”.

Frank Castle must have been using a fake ID. Why else would he be out in public?

Matt couldn’t ponder for long, because he swore he could see Frank turn in his direction. Staring right at him. Quickly, Matthew dipped to cover, bumping into an unknown woman. Apologizing, Matt remained hidden for a moment longer before he made the brave attempt to look back.

He saw Frank scan the crowds once, maybe twice, maybe searching for him. Eventually, he placed his sunglasses back where they belonged, dug his hands deep into his pockets, and escaped into the crowd. Matt stepped out, stared at Frank’s backside and watched as he entered the short line to the next flight. The line only grew shorter.

Matt shot his gaze upwards. Above, a large sign hung over the line Frank stood in. Silently to himself, he read, “Vienna…”

And then he watched as Frank Castle showed his passport to the flight attendant, the bright young woman smiling and allowing him to move on into the plane. He vanished alongside everybody else in the line with him.

And that was it.

Matt Murdock stood there for a long time. Probably too long. He stood there trying to understand and decipher what he just saw. Like why would Frank Castle, a man wanted for God knows how many counts of murder, who had barely escaped New York City’s judicial system only to be wandering around with a fake ID, flying all the way to…

Vienna. The bombing. The murders.

The only culprit behind it all.

The Winter Soldier.

Frank was going to…

Matt took in a deep breath as he finally took a seat on a nearby bench, no longer occupied by a young couple after hearing their flight being called. Rubbing his hands through his sweaty hair, Matt thought back to all the pieces of the puzzle, pushing them together, creating the bigger picture.

He couldn’t. He wouldn’t. Why would he?

It was Frank Castle. He did what he wanted, even if it meant getting into the deepest shit imaginable. He needed to get back to the Kitchen, get back home. Karen needed to hear this. Matt picked up his head, then instantly let it drop once realization and fatigue settled in.

No cash, no umbrella. Storm clouds hung heavy over the Kitchen. He had a damn long walk home.

Chapter 19 - He’s Not Your Responsibility

Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan

Home of Matthew Murdock

9:54 a.m.

Karen Page was sure to knock twice and wait. Just like she always had. For several seconds, she waited by the door, waited for some kind of response, but received nothing. Looking back to her phone, she recalled earlier that morning to the call she received.

Matt telling her to meet him at his home.

Well, she was there, and there was no sign of him. She knocked again, called his name, and still nothing. It wasn’t the first time Matt had been running late, she knew it wasn’t going to be the last. At least she now knew why he was always so late. Karen pulled out her phone again after nearly a minute of waiting, ready to dial Matt’s number.

She paused at the last number, her eyes darting behind her the moment she heard the footsteps. And there he stood by the open door, Matt Murdock, dressed in a wet, torn, filthy suit.

His hair was damp and stuck to his forehead, streams of dirty rain water and mixtures of sweat flowing down to his face. Water droplets remained on his dark glasses. In his shaking hands, his cane was gripped tightly, drops of rain falling from him and forming a small puddle surrounding his shoes. He was completely out of breath, barely standing on his own.

He didn’t have to say anything. Karen was already by his side, helping him open his door, and lead him into his own apartment. She tried to help him with his clothes, but Matt told her otherwise. Taking a seat on his couch, Matt removed his suit and tie, placing the wet clothing on the floor beside him. As he removed his shirt, he asked Karen for a cup of water. She nodded, entering the kitchen merely feet away and filling the cleanest glass cup with faucet water.

She returned to him, held out the cup, and watched as he reached back without looking and grabbed the glass. He muttered a thank you, then gulped down the glass in less than five seconds.

Karen strolled off to the closet and pulled out a dry towel. Observing it shortly, she slowly brought her eyes over to a shirtless Matt, seeing him remove his shoes, followed by his socks. She approached him, asking, “What were you doing out there, Matt?”

Matt turned his attention to her, then to the towel in her hands. Another thanks, and he grabbed the towel from her grip, removing his glasses and drying his hair and face. Karen waited for a response, watching Matt’s movements and actions carefully. He used to hide it so well, but ever since she met him back at his business things had never been the same. He never tried to hide it around her anymore. She could never look at him the same way again.

How could she? Ever since she knew him, Karen believed Matt to be just a simple lawyer who had been down on his luck every now and again. The bruises on his face, the blood on his knuckles, the scrapes on his body all could have been due to the fact that he was blind and had run into a few things, met a few thugs at a bad corner of town.

But no. Matt hadn’t done any of those things. He had faced those thugs and came out of it alive because…

Because he could see. Because he was Daredevil.

Karen didn’t know how to respond at first. It could have been Matt’s pathetic attempt to prove why he hadn’t shown up to work every other day, or why he had missed almost all of Frank Castle’s trials. Then he settled down, started to tell her everything. Everything about him, his past, his father, Elektra, his time outside the office. Nothing left to hide, no more to hold in. He laid it all out for Karen, opened his heart to her and gave her the truth.

After all that he had said that night, Karen thought heavily on everything he had told her. She thought back to all those times the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen risked his life to save her, and wondered if it really was the same man she had fallen for. She could see Matt waiting for a response, and she wondered if he could actually see her making one, the expression in her face evident to that.

He had lied to her, and he did so for her protection. If anyone knew Daredevil was Matt Murdock, anyone Matt may have made to be an enemy, then they had a way to Murdock through her. That was understandable. But he also lied about being blind. He explained everything with the chemicals, Stick, and the world on fire. He didn’t want her to think he was someone else other than a blind lawyer.

And even after all of that, Karen made one of the toughest decisions in her life that night and believed him.

Now, she stood staring at the drenched man, waiting for a response.

Lowering the towel from his face, Matt lifted his gaze, his seemingly blank eyes staring at her. “I found him, Karen,” Matt began, waiting for a response. She crossed her arms, but didn’t say anything. “I found Frank.”

Her arms fell to her sides.

Frank Castle. The Punisher. The man who had lost everything and taken so much from the Kitchen. Karen had known him after he basically tried to hunt her down when she was caring for one of the remaining survivors of the Irish Mob, Elliot Grote. He killed Grote, but he also got caught up with the Irish again, and nearly got himself killed doing so. Since then, his crimes came back to bite him, and soon found himself in court.

Karen had worked with Foggy to defend Castle, and had almost won the case had it not been for Matt and Castle screwing everything up. Castle, especially, who had purposefully ruined their chances at getting him free. He said he didn’t regret a damn thing, and that he would gladly go back and kill every single person he had already murdered.

It didn’t end there for him, she knew it. Prison couldn’t hold Castle, and it didn’t. The last she had seen him was when he had murdered the Blacksmith, the man who had dealt with the Irish, Cartel, and Dogs of Hell. It was those gangs and the chaos they caused which got Castle’s family killed. Since then, since he murdered the Blacksmith right in front of her, Karen had never seen Frank Castle again.

Karen sat down next to him. Matt watched her movements, stared into her eyes, and waited for a response. Breathing softly, she asked, “Where was he? What was he doing?”

“I saw him getting in a taxi and going to LaGuardia Airport,” he replied. Noticing the strange look in her eyes, he added, “I followed him.”

“All the way to Queens?!” Karen gasped, now understanding his appearance upon first arriving.

He nodded. “Oh, my God, Matt…” Karen whispered.

Matt wiped down his forearm with the towel. “I followed him inside the airport. He must have been using a fake ID, because he bought a passport to Vienna.”

Karen stared at him. “Austria?” she asked, Matt nodding. “Where the bombing at the UN building was?” He nodded again.

“You saw the news?” Matt asked.

Karen nodded, thinking back to earlier that morning and the report she saw on her television screen. “Yeah, but—”

“All of it?”

She turned to face Matt, see the blankness in his stare, and saw so much more. He breathed silently, his expression stoic. She nodded again. “Yeah… but why would Frank—?”

Karen stopped. Her brow furrowed, then shot upwards, a tiny gasp escaping her. “No…” she whispered, facing away then back to Matt. “No, you don’t think he would…? Would he?”

“This is Castle we’re talking about, the guy who takes the law into his own hands, who murders murderers without a second thought. You know as well as I do, Karen,” Matt said, staring at her the entire time, looking right through her blazing skin in the furnace he always saw. “He’s going to Vienna to kill the Winter Soldier.”

His jaw tightened as he looked away. “We have to stop him.”

Karen was afraid of that. Frank had always been a strange obsession for Matt, someone Matt always thought he could turn but failed every time. Perhaps he was someone Karen thought could turn, as well. She said, “Matt, we can’t keep chasing this. Frank chose his life, let us choose ours. If he wants to get involved with these… these super soldiers, then let him.”

She placed her palm gently on his shoulder. “He’s not your responsibility.”

For a while, Matt eased into her touch, his own hand rising to grace hers. Matt hadn’t thought back to his relationship with Karen after that night, after she was done with him. As well, Karen didn’t know what to think, either. It was always something Matt was hiding that made her so furious, but now that she knew… that he was Daredevil… all the things he did, every time he would save her, she knew it was him. And she didn’t know what to do from there.

She lowered her hand away from him.

“Karen…” Matt said, standing up. He turned to face her. “Frank is getting into shit he doesn’t understand, that none of us will understand. The Winter Soldier is a ghost story, the one responsible for political assassinations since the end of World War 2. Frank won’t stop. If Frank chases this ghost, if he gets caught or worse… killed, then we’ll never be able to help him. You will never be able to help him.”

Karen thought back to the long hours she would spend on the Castle case, to the heartbreak of learning the truth of his family. As if taking the lives of criminals will ever bring them back. Karen shook her head. “Why, Matt?” she asked, looking up at him. “Why do you want to help Castle?”

Matt breathed in. He answered, “Because I don’t want him to die while I know I could have made a difference in him.”

The two shared a long stare, Matt eventually falling down next to her. He placed the towel beneath him, careful not to ruin his couch any further with his soaked pants. Leaning forward, Matt’s hands intertwined, a long sigh escaping him. “And we may be able to save another life in the process.”

Karen turned to him. “You think the Winter Soldier is innocent?” she asked.

“I believe there’s a chance for everyone,” he replied, staring forward. He faced her shortly, nodding. “But we won’t know for sure unless we get to the bottom of it. We have to go to Vienna, Karen. We have to stop Frank, and maybe figure out who’s behind all of this.”

Instead of nodding in agreement, Karen only sighed, breaking away from Murdock and staring at the carpet beneath them. They sat on the wet couch together, listening to the rain smack against the windows, listening to each other’s own breathing. One listening to another’s own heartbeat.

“Vienna,” Karen mumbled, Matt turning to her. “It’s not gonna be cheap.”

Matt nodded. “We’ll manage.”

“You really think you can help him after all he’s done?” she asked, facing him once again.

Once again, Matt just stared at her for several seconds. He saw her burning in the world on fire, the pulsating edges of her skin radiating light and imagery. He saw the beauty in that burn. He saw her. He saw Karen Page.

“I don’t know,” Matt replied. “But I have to try.”

Matt watched as her subtle movements approached him. Her hand cautiously slipped into his, unsure at first, then with certainty, and finally gripped his fingers and intertwined them with her own.

“We have to try,” Karen told him.

Matt finally smiled, and finally gripped her palm.

Chapter 20 - Death is Not the End

Vienna, Austria

The Aftermath

4:00 p.m.

The fires continued to rage in the UN building where the bomb had struck. Smoke surrounded the building, pellets of ash continuously raining in the soft, afternoon breeze. Firefighters tended to the flames, dousing it with streams and streams of water. An emergency helicopter flew over the building, flew over the street, straight to the hospital.

In the streets of Vienna, emergency vehicles, police, and hundreds of reporters, civilians, and minimal wounded integrated into one massive crowd. Some reporters filmed the carnage currently taking place in the building high above, offering insight to the millions watching at home or work. Others tended to the wounded, tended to most anything that needed attention.

It was a constant swarm of lights, sounds, wails, and smoke. People walked back and forth, lost in their own conversation, paying little heed to what existed around them. And hardly anyone, practically no one, noticed the newly-crowned King of Wakanda sitting on a nearby bench.

All except for three individuals.

Natasha Romanoff, Twilight Sparkle, and Starlight Glimmer walked together on the sidewalk. No one seemed to pay much attention to the Avenger and her extraterrestrial allies, as there was much more to be tending to. Instead, the three paused, all three seemingly frozen in their steps.

They had seen the horrors of the aftermath firsthand. They saw the wounded, the killed, all hauled away to be properly tended to. Ash and soot painted their skin and coats, but only slightly. They still appeared presentable, but had been through the chaos and walked out with a few scratches. Now, they stood mere feet from the king, not doing much of anything after that.

Natasha made the first move, and sat down to the bench behind her. Twilight and Starlight followed slowly, still quite shaken from the entire endeavor. They never did seem to be at their strongest. They wobbled when they sat, they shook when they were still, and their breathing—despite training from Cadance—was uncoordinated. Sporadic.

The two mares didn’t seem to recover as well as Natasha had.

As for the Widow, she stared straight to the king sitting to her right. She turned in his direction, studying him, noticing the blood splotches on his suit, forehead, and palms. He seemed to be staring off to somewhere distant, his eyes a million miles away into another world. He may have noticed her, he may not have. He didn’t say anything.

So, Natasha said, “I’m very sorry.”

Both Twilight and Starlight turned their heads towards the woman sitting next to them, their eyes drawing near to the shell-shocked young king to their far right.

Natasha gulped, then continued. She noticed the ring between T’Challa’s bloody fingers. “Your father was a great man. Wise, strong, a true leader. There are some things we can control, and some things we can’t. Death is never easy. Believe me… I know.”

T’Challa stared at her. He stared at the ponies sitting next to her, their eyes trained on him. Once again, he saw passed them, saw passed many things, and stared on. Almost in shock. Almost in denial. But nowhere near the state of collapse. He knew better. His father knew better.

He played with the ring, felt its design. Its lineage. Staring off yet again, T’Challa said, “In my culture, death… is not the end. It’s more of a… stepping-off point.”

The flashing lights of the ambulance changed to the flames of the campfire from his childhood. The wails and cries from distances unknown became the creatures of the night, singing to the darkness. He thought back to the stories he was taught, every tale and every legend.

He clutched the ring. “You reach out with both hands, and Bast and Sekhmet, they lead you into the green veldt… where you can run forever.”

Twilight’s breathing was silent for the moment, her eyes wide as she stared into T’Challa’s thousand-yard gaze. Starlight joined her teacher, remaining silent for the moment. Natasha nodded. “That sounds very peaceful.”

“My father thought so,” T’Challa said. Slowly, he put on the bloody ring. “I am not my father.”

Natasha saw that stare in his eyes, the sudden shift in his tone. She had seen that shift so many times before. “T’Challa, task force will decide who brings in Barnes,” she told him.

His mind was set, his target clear. The hunt had begun, and he would not stop. Clenching his fist, T’Challa rose from the bench he sat on. He offered a wavering glance to Natasha and the two mares, finally saying, “Don’t bother, Ms. Romanoff. I’ll kill him myself. Princess… Starlight… It’s been a pleasure.”

Then he walked away. Natasha didn’t watch him leave, instead choosing to stare at the ground. Twilight and Starlight stared at his backside as he entered the crowd, disappearing among the many that swarmed the emergency vehicles.

Twilight continued to stare at him until she couldn’t anymore. His image slowly began to wane, the words quickly striking Twilight for the first time. She thought back to what he said, how he’ll kill Barnes himself. James Barnes. The Winter Soldier. She, Starlight, and Natasha had seen the news not too long ago, shocked to see the man Steve had considered his last friend from his time commit such atrocities.

She didn’t know if it seemed to be real, if the events that had occurred actually happened, or if it was really James Barnes that had planted and detonated the bomb that killed seven people and injured fifteen more. Maybe he was still mentally unstable. Maybe he was still with HYDRA. Maybe she just didn’t know.

All that matters are that people died, and they had a lead on who did it.

A soft ring emerged from her right, prompting both Twilight’s and Starlight’s attention to Natasha. She pulled out her phone, stood up, and said, “Yeah?”

“You and the girls all right?”

Steve.

Feeling somewhat relieved to hear a familiar voice, Natasha sighed. Natasha turned around, eyed the two mares for a moment, then nodded. “Uh, yeah, thanks, Steve. We got lucky.” The ponies perked up at the mention of Steve’s name, Twilight especially.

Quickly realizing the circumstances of what had happened, and just how Steve would have reacted, Natasha closed her eyes for a brief moment. She dug for the right words, then said, “I know how much Barnes means to you, I really do. Stay home. You’ll only make this worse. For all of us.”

No response for a moment. “Please,” she added.

Finally, a response, one she wished she didn’t get. “Are you saying you’ll arrest me?”

“No…” Natasha shook her head, closing her eyes once more. “Someone will. If you interfere. That’s how it works now.”

“If he’s this far gone, Nat, I should be the one to bring him in.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m the one least likely to die trying.”

He hung up.

Natasha looked to her phone. “Shit,” she muttered, lowering it.

“What did Steve want?”

Spinning around, Natasha looked to Twilight and Starlight, hearing Twilight’s voice and centering her attention on the princess. Natasha pursed her lips, saying, “I’ll brief you two later. Right now, we need to get back to our feet.”

She turned her attention back to her phone, pressed down a few times, and hovered her thumb right over a particular name and number. A particular Stark. “And I need to make another call.”

Vienna, Austria

4:08 p.m.

A nearby coffee shop was bustling with life. From bystanders wishing to get a closer look at the devastation of the UN building, to people watching the news from the multiple televisions lining the walls, and finally to people just trying to get a fresh coffee for the afternoon.

Another patron entered the establishment, noticed by no one. He wore a hat, heavy shades, and paused right next to a second patron sitting down, wearing almost the same exact choice of clothing. The two didn’t acknowledge each other’s presence for several seconds, the one sitting down finally turning his eyes—shielded by the shades—to the one who had entered.

Captain America hid himself pretty well, Sam Wilson thought. Not a single soul turned their way.

Sam asked, “She tell you to stay out of it?” Steve didn’t reply, his silence being answer enough. Sam shrugged, facing forward. “Might have a point.” He took a long sip from his coffee.

“He’d do it for me,” Steve said.

“1945, maybe,” Sam replied. Steve remained silent, Sam sighing. “I just want to make sure we consider all our options.” He turned to the Captain. Steve turned to him. “The people that shoot at you usually wind up shooting at me.”

Rogers noticed Sam’s attention to shift passed him. Offering his own quick glance, Steve spotted Sharon Carter to his left. That’s all he did. Too much attention was something they didn’t need.

Sharon understood. Recently emerging from the chaotic mess not too far away, she had picked up a few interesting details, some she wished to share. “Tips have been pouring in since that footage went public. Everybody thinks the Winter Soldier goes to their gym. Most of its noise. Except for this.”

She placed a blank folder on the table, sliding it over to Steve.

He picked it up and placed it inside his jacket. Sharon said, “My boss expects a briefing, pretty much now, so that’s all the head start you’re gonna get.”

“Thank you,” Steve told her, not even looking her way.

Sharon knew they couldn’t risk it. She told him, “You’re gonna have to hurry.” And before she turned to leave the two Avengers, Sharon eyed Steve for a short moment, saying, “We have orders to shoot on sight.”

“What about Rainbow?” Steve asked, causing Sharon to pause. Steve continued to stare forward, not looking, but speaking. “Is she sure about this? She doesn’t want to head back to the facility?”

Sharon shook her head. “She’d fight me if I forced her on that jet.”

“Guess we got Dash on this one,” Sam added, Steve turning to him. Sharon quickly made her escape back outside, back to the mesh of people surrounding the UN building. Sam asked, “You want her with me?”

Steve nodded. “Yeah, keep her close. I’ll call you two in if I need it. But I need to see him. Just me.”

That was understandable. Downing whatever was left in his cup, Sam wiped his mouth and placed the empty coffee mug aside. He pulled out the correct currency, left it on the table, and asked, “Are we good?”

With confidence, the first time in a while, Steve Rogers nodded.

“Let’s find our missing person.”

Chapter 21 - The Little Red Book

Berlin, Germany

9:33 a.m.

“Homecoming…”

Zemo rested on the bedside, the sunlight slipping through the drapes lining his window. To his left, the television remained on a singular channel, a channel Zemo had been watching all morning long and refused to change. Just a simple news station reporting the events following the UN bombing. He leaned forward and studied the little red book, the light cascading across its pages.

“One… One…”

Such language barriers meant little to Zemo. He had taught himself over seven different languages, including Russian. The Russian wasn’t the problem. The language was actually quite easy. The problem that arose was the meaning for each word. How were they connected? What did they stand for? All Zemo had read was that it was a trigger of some kind.

A trigger.

“Freight car…”

“There remains no word today on the state of the Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle. Witness reports say she, her student, and the famous Black Widow were spotted entering a military vehicle and leaving the crime scene.”

Zemo lowered his book. Cautiously, he turned his attention to the television and saw still frame images and camera feed of the Princess of Friendship entering an unknown, unmarked vehicle. With her was her student, Starlight Glimmer, the unicorn responsible for the devastation in Lagos. And of course, entering last was Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow.

Zemo didn’t see much of the alien ambassadors. Of course, he kept a close eye on them, hearing their speeches, grabbing every single piece of news article written about them. Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, they were close to the Avengers. Allies, friends. It was never his intention to harm them, but now, now that he had come so close, sometimes certain sacrifices would have to made.

He was surprised, to say the least. They had survived the bombing, and even managed to save most of the world leaders in attendance. Impressive. However, they would have never saved everyone, and the king was just one of the many who would have to die in order for everything to fall in place.

The ponies were of no use to him at this point. But if they played their part, if they followed suit, then maybe they could prove useful in the destruction of the Avengers.

In a sad, sick twist of irony, Zemo might have actually considered thanking Black Widow. Without her contributions, without her leaking those HYDRA files to the world, he would never have come as close as he had now. He would probably still be living in Sokovia, in some forgotten home by himself for the remainder of his days.

And every day he would be dreaming of the single opportunity, the one he would never be able to achieve because he didn’t have the means, the power, or the pieces needed to accomplish it. He would still be alive, him only, with the thought that the Avengers and their weapons of genocide had destroyed his home.

Taken everything from him.

His world.

Everything.

But she did release those files. And the Widow would suffer, they all would, just as much as he had.

A single frame remained behind the news reporter, the one of James Buchanan Barnes on the scene of the bombing. Or so they thought. The world was caught on a wild goose chase, searching for the ghost. They would find him. They would find the Soldier. But by then they would already be lost on the wrong path. If everything would follow suit, if everything fell into place—and it would—then Zemo believed his vengeance would finally come.

Their vengeance would finally come.

There was a sharp knock on door. Maybe it was sharp. The television had very little audio. Zemo spun around and stared at the blank face of the door. He closed his book, remembered what page he was on, and stood up. He placed the book in a nearby drawer. Approaching the door and standing right in front of the solid white oak, Zemo reached behind him, gripped his pistol, and reached for the handle.

“I have your breakfast,” a young, feminine voice called from the other side in clear German.

Zemo instantly let his guard down, the voice soothing his nerves. Smiling, he opened the door and sighed. “I could smell it before I opened the door.”

The young waitress smiled back, turning her eyes to the large platter in her hands. “Side of bacon and black coffee. Again. I can make you something different, if you like.”

Zemo only smiled. “This is wonderful,” he complimented, earning a small blush from the young waitress. Her gaze fell from him, almost if she was embarrassed. Zemo asked, “Have you seen the news lately? It is simply tragic.”

Just like that, her gaze rose again, meeting his. She nodded, a sigh escaping her. “Oh, yes, of course. I cannot believe that nobody noticed that monster earlier. I do pray that they find him.”

“Yes, I do, as well,” Zemo agreed, nodding. “To allow such a… monster into the world could cause great devastation, more so than people would hope to realize. Hopefully the Avengers can find him.”

“The Avengers will do all that they can, I’m sure,” she said, offering a tiny, hopeful smile. “They are our protectors, after all.”

Zemo smiled. “Amen to that.”

Smiling back, the young waitress began to step forward. She said, “I will just put this on your…”

And just like that, Zemo flinched and stopped her, his left palm gripping the door, halting her progress. The young waitress stared at him, unsure at first, then slowly fell back into his calming smile. “It’s okay, I can manage,” he told her, hands reaching out to grab the platter.

The alluring and mysterious smile he offered calmed her nerves, letting her smile back. “Very well. You have a nice rest of your day, sir.”

“And you, as well.”

Closing the door, Zemo’s smile instantly fell. He let the humanity left within him fall back to where it belonged, leaving just him as he was. It was a shell he often used, the same kind he did to lure the doctor. Zemo paused, his eyes slowly shifting to the large machine resting in the room near the start of the hall.

For later.

Not much longer now.

He returned to his little red book, practicing over and over again.

“Longing… Rusted… Seventeen…”

He thought back to those ponies. He thought to the Princess of Friendship, thought to her decision on the Accords. He thought to the rainbow Pegasus, thought back to her and the Captain on their way to Romania at that very moment.

They didn’t know yet. None of them will.

But soon… they’ll learn. They’ll see the Avengers for who they really are when they’re broken.

Savages. Monsters. Killers.

And when they see that… that’s when he would truly win.

Chapter 22 - Bucky

Bucharest, Romania

Three Days Later

11:01 a.m.

It had been several days, but they finally had him. Steve Rogers, dressed from head to toe in his Captain America attire, shield to go with it, slowly entered the dimly-lit room in the filthy apartment complex. He noticed the dust particles slowly dancing with one another in the slivers of sunlight breaking through the windows. They barely did. The newspapers covering each window gave little life to the room.

But they still danced. Old, forgotten, probably lost dust particles in the light of the morning. Steve turned away from the light. He had a mission to finish. His best friend was closer than ever before. Strolling by a muddled bed, he approached the kitchen merely feet away, a simply journal resting atop the refrigerator.

Gripping it, gently pulling it from under a pair of energy bars, Steve opened the journal, flipped through its pages. He pulled his shield’s straps up closer on his forearm, allowing a free palm to grip the edge of the journal. Several entries described simple events, others described something else. Trying desperately to understand. Unknowing to the world. There was a picture of the Captain in his glory days.

“Heads up, Cap. German Special Forces, approaching from the south,” Sam’s voice warned from Steve’s comm.

German Special Forces. They’d managed to get there before the Germans did. Barely. Still staring at the journal pages, more so the one with a picture of himself, Steve muttered, “Understood.”

He didn’t know how long he wanted to stare at that picture. After so long, after finally coming up from under the river, he knew there was something still inside Bucky, something that urged him to pull his mission out of that river. He’s been gone for so long, maybe his memory was starting to come back. Free from HYDRA, that was always a possibility.

He stared at the picture a little while longer before he realized he wasn’t alone. Closing the journal, slowly spinning around, Steve caught the mysterious and unknown gaze of his missing person.

Bucky.

After all these years.

He hadn’t changed much. All that was really different about him was his appearance. Heavier scruff, longer hair. He wore a black cap, probably to keep low, and had a red shirt beneath his dark overcoat. Simple, blue jeans, tennis shoes, and gloves. What remained the same was the lost look in his eyes. It was once like a predator eyeing its prey, but waiting for the time to strike. That’s what he used to see. Now, it was just lost. Uncertain. Empty.

And for the longest time, Steve didn’t know how to respond. His best friend, tortured and tormented for years by HYDRA, had finally broken free, and was standing just feet in front of him. That look in his eye was still unsettling. It reminded Steve of his first encounter with the Winter Soldier on that rooftop so long ago.

Finally, after nearly fifteen seconds of silence between the two, feeling almost like two years, Steve asked, “Do you know me?”

Bucky’s mouth fell only slightly, like he knew what to say but just couldn’t say it, or his mind and will were still at arms against each other. “You’re Steve,” he finally replied, easing Steve’s tension. “I read about you in a museum.”

“They’ve set the perimeter.”

Acknowledging the warning, Steve began his approach. Bucky stayed where he was. “I know you’re nervous,” Steve said, placing the journal on table, “… and you have plenty of reason to be. But you’re lying.”

Bucky’s face remained without form, without emotion. It was just as Steve saw him two years ago, worrying him. “I wasn’t in Vienna,” he finally replied. “I don’t do that anymore.”

“They’re entering the building.”

“Well, the people who think you did are coming here now. And they’re not planning on taking you alive,” Steve said, the edge of his voice dipping into warning.

“That’s smart.” Bucky slowly nodded. “Good strategy.”

“They’re on the roof. Dash and I are compromised.”

Rogers tightened the grip on his shield. “This doesn’t have to end in a fight, Buck.”

Bucky looked away. “It always ends in a fight.”

“Five seconds.”

Steve looked from the window and back to Barnes. “You pulled me from the river. Why?”

Bucky took off his glove, revealing the metal palm beneath. “I don’t know.”

“Three seconds.”

“Yes, you do.”

And with that, Bucky turned to Steve, away from his palm and eyed the Captain, contemplating, thinking, putting the pieces together. Steve could have never known behind the broken gaze. They remained that way for three seconds.

“Breach! Breach! Breach!”

Steve spun to the window after hearing it shatter. He reacted quickly, slamming his shield into the flashbang grenade intended for him. Another shatter, Bucky watching as the flashbang rolled to his feet. Instinctively, he kicked it away, Steve slamming his shield and covering the blast. Shouting from outside, all in German. Bucky grabbed the nearest table and flung it at the door, jamming it. A pair of German soldiers entered through the windows.

Bucky drove his fist into the nearest one’s face, knocking him out instantly. Steve saw as the soldier nearest to him aimed his rifle for Bucky, completely ignoring the Captain to his left. Not smart. Steve pulled the rug from under him, the soldier releasing a hail of gunfire into the ceiling.

The door behind Steve opened, Bucky’s attention shifting there. Another soldier with a rifle, another soldier that didn’t pay attention to the Captain. Steve lifted up the man’s rifle, Bucky kicking him square in the chest and launching him back outside. With him out of the way, Barnes rushed to the door, being quickly stopped by a strong palm on his arm.

“Buck, stop!” Steve yelled, bringing Bucky to face him. “You’re gonna kill someone.”

Then, with the unnatural strength Steve hadn’t yet been accustomed to, Bucky slammed Steve into the ground. He drove his hand into the wooden floor, right next to Steve’s head, saying, “I’m not gonna kill anyone.” Pulling out a backpack from underneath the floorboards, Bucky rose to his feet, flinging the pack outside.

Another soldier entered the room, again from the window. He fired away once he got visual on the Winter Soldier. Bucky brought up his left arm, the bullets tearing through his sleeve but stopping there. Steve quickly reacted, using his shield to block the remainder of the shots, ultimately protecting his friend. Unfortunately, Bucky didn’t feel the same way, launching Steve into the window to his right, knocking him into an approaching German soldier.

With that, James approached the other soldier still standing. He blocked the bullets with his palm, grabbed the man’s head, and slammed him into the nearest dresser. He was out after a pain-filled grunt. Of course, there was still one more. He arose, raised his rifle, and was about to fire.

Bucky grabbed a cinder block and rammed it into the man’s chest, launching him through the door and into the bathroom. More gunshots. Still more. This time from the outside. Bucky approached the door, clenched his fist, and listened.

He rammed his fist through the wall, heard a painful yelp, and busted through the door, knocking several men on their asses. He finished off what remained of them, not killing, but injuring. From the skylight, a soldier came rappelling down, shooting at Bucky. Barnes reacted fast, blocked the bullets with his left arm, grabbed his rifle, slammed his head in the wall, and let him hang there. Looking downwards, a battering ram was left on the floor, probably used to try and break down his door.

Bucky grabbed it and did what came natural.

Slamming the blunt object into the chest of a soldier to his left, and driving the end of it into the leg of another rushing up the stairs. He heard a sickening snap, a yelp of pain, then nothing else. Another out cold. Not dead.

Shouting from below. Bucky could see the remaining special forces on their way up. Thinking quickly, he grabbed the dangling man he had taken out earlier and jumped forward, landing on another unfortunately in his way. Right then, he was trapped in a crowd of three German Special Forces, all with rifles, all aiming at him.

Bucky grabbed one by the wrist, flinging him forward to crash into the other two beneath him. They tumbled down the stairs in a heap of limbs and grunts, Bucky leaping over them. He drove his knee into the nearest soldier at the bottom of the stairs, the soldier crashing into the door behind him, knocking it off its hinges.

Steve Rogers, having recovered early, rushed down the stairs, leaping over railings and finally entering the fray. He arrived just in time, because Bucky, in the midst of flinging soldiers like nothing and driving through more and more bodies, knocked one over the railings. Steve shot forward, gripped the soldier’s pack, and turned to Bucky.

“Come on, man,” he muttered. Bucky replied by driving his elbow into the forehead of the soldier behind him, knocking him out clean.

Steve lifted the soldier up and slammed him into the wall. Bucky, seeing even more rush up the stairs, decided to improvise. He grabbed the railing and ripped it off its hinges, using it to fling himself downwards to the next set of stairs. He landed on a soldier, kicking him straight through the door. Seeing just a couple left, Bucky took them out quick. He shot his gaze back, however, when he noticed one left still on the stairs behind him.

The soldier aimed his rifle right for Barnes, and like the others failed to notice the Captain.

A shield flew by, knocking the man out as it struck the wall. Bucky looked up, Steve looked down. Bucky jumped. Several floors passed before Bucky finally shot out his arm, grappling the nearest railing and stopping himself. He could feel the stretching of the metal against his skin, the railing bending upon his landing. Roaring in pain, Bucky picked himself up.

He found the nearest door and kicked it down. Beyond that, the welcoming sunlight broke through at the end of the hall, revealing the outside world at long last. Bucky started off at a running pace, then quickly broke out into a full-blown sprint. Then, using the pace he gathered, Bucky leapt off the cemented barricade and jumped.

The expanse laid before him, the wind tearing through his hair, James looked down to the building’s rooftop below him. He timed it just right. Just right. Too little and he wouldn’t have made it. Bucky tumbled forward upon landing, rising to his feet after a quick roll. No time for slowing down. He had to keep going.

Grabbing his backpack, Bucky ran and didn’t turn back. He only did so after he saw the shadow pass over him.

And the pair of feet ramming into his backside.

The unnatural force knocked Bucky on his chest, the Winter Soldier rolling until he was back on one knee. Pushing the hair out of his vision, he stared forward to see who attacked him.

Whoever it was, he rose up. His skin was covered in a pure black suit, slivers of silver lining his chest and arms. In his eyes was nothing. Nothing but pure silver, just like his suit. Just like his claws. In an instant, Bucky charged him. He did nothing in response. He just waited.

Waited until he was close enough, then he blocked the Winter Soldier’s strikes with supernatural speed. Unreal speed. He followed it up with a kick right into Bucky’s abdomen, knocking the air out of his lungs. Then he charged back.

With speed that shocked even the Winter Soldier.

The Rooftops

11:08 a.m.

The crosshairs lined up neatly. Right over the Winter Soldier.

There he was. Finally out in the open, finally offering a clear shot. It may have taken a few days, but he finally found him. Found his apartment. Pretty clever hiding place, but nothing he hadn’t seen a hundred times before. In a sense, he was glad he didn’t have to shoot through the window. There wasn’t much visibility with the windows being covered in newspaper, but with the German Special Forces breaking in, allowing whatever chaos that followed, it allowed for the Winter Soldier to finally get out in the open, hoping to make a break for it.

He wouldn’t. A little distraction from the guy in the black tights, and he finally had a good shot.

Frank Castle swallowed softly, releasing a little sigh. He adjusted the sight, breaking his gaze away from the scope for just a second longer, and then he returned. He centered back to the Winter Soldier, ignored the other one in black tights, and gripped the weapon tightly.

Looking down, there was the magazine resting on the concrete railing. Empty. Reaching down, Castle picked it up and place one, two, three rounds in it. He slid the magazine into the sniper rifle, flicked the safety off, loaded the round, and returned down the scope.

The crosshairs lined up neatly. Right over the Winter Soldier.

Castle pulled the trigger.

The Streets

11:09 a.m.

Between the buildings, the Devil hid. Within the darkness and hiding in the alleyways, the Devil listened and breathed. Listened to his breathing. Listened to the city. Listened for more gunfire. Heard nothing of the sort. Days had gone by, and still there was nothing. The trail had been slightly warm since yesterday, leading him to Romania, leading him to a dead-end in the darkness of an alleyway.

All too familiar.

Even then, he still listened.

He listened.

He listened to his heart, felt the beat, heard the stream of blood flowing through his veins. Then it stopped. For a brief, haunting second, it all stopped.

A shot broke through the air. Barrett .50 caliber, silencer, BMG round. Not too far. Just where he was headed. Even though it was silenced, it still caught his heart, still made him flinch. Like the loudest sound on Earth. He didn’t wait in the shadows anymore after that.

Matt Murdock took off towards the sound, still in the shadows, hunting for the Punisher.

Author's Note

Confrontations! The tension! I love it! :pinkiecrazy:

Also, that Season 7 premiere was awesome! :yay:

Also also, this entire story takes place before it. :derpytongue2:

Chapter 23 - The Chase

Bucharest, Romania

Southwest Rooftop

11:09 a.m.

He hadn’t seen anything like it. With how fast, how deliberate his strikes were, Bucky was surprised he could even see it. His moves were almost near-identical to his own, perhaps even smoother, more deadly and precise. Bucky did his best to block each strike, forearms meeting forearms, fists meeting anywhere that was open, and even legs managing to bend in ways Bucky hadn’t thought possible during a physical fight.

But they did. He swung his leg so quick that Bucky almost hadn’t seen the foot slam into his cheek. Whoever he was, he followed quickly with a knee to Bucky’s chest, launching the Winter Soldier right into a large heater. Bucky shook his head, waving away the stars and dipped to the left the moment the claws were headed for his face.

He rolled away from the heater, hearing the claws slash against the solid metal surface. He rolled to his feet, his adversary already turning his way. But for some reason he stood there, didn’t advance, didn’t move. Bucky held his ground, unsure of the situation, then froze just as well. Bucky heard it, and by some strange connection the two enemies had, he must have heard it to.

The whistle. The brief, little break of air ripping through the millisecond of silence. Instinctively, Bucky ducked as the bullet soared right over him, impacting the air conditioner to his left. The man in the black suit turned his empty gaze to the direction of the shot, spotting the sniper on a far-off rooftop. Beneath his mask, his gaze sharpened, his jaw tightening.

The Soldier was his.

Turning back to the Winter Soldier, he noticed his shocked gaze focused on the sniper, as well. He dove forward and tackled him, his claws already aimed for the murderer’s throat.

Finally catching up and still several flights of stairs above, Captain America stepped outside, his eyes landing on Bucky and a new face going at it on the rooftop below. Narrowing his gaze, he turned right, spotting Sam’s lengthy wingspan in the distance, the rainbow trail right next to him. The two were coming in close.

“Sam, Dash, southwest rooftop,” the Captain addressed in his comms, backing away from the edge of the building.

“Who the hell’s the other guy?”

The Captain took a deep breath. “About to find out,” he said, taking off at a full sprint. Pressing his foot at the edge of the railing, the Captain leapt off towards the building below. With just enough space, he landed and rolled, taking off towards Bucky and the new adversary.

He neared the back of the adversary, his attention latched onto Bucky beneath him. The Captain was just about to take him to the ground when the sound of gunfire tore him off course. He rolled to safety, eyes shooting back to see a military helicopter emerge, firing away at the man in the black suit. The rounds hit their mark, but to the Captain’s surprise he noticed each one deflecting off the suit’s exterior, the man turning his eyes back to the chopper.

His jaw nearly fell. The Captain couldn’t believe it. The bullets hit him right in the forehead, and yet he still stood.

The suit must’ve been stronger than he imagined. Still, he noticed the chopper remaining where it was, aiming down to them. Aiming for Bucky. Pressing onto his comms, the Captain said, “Sam, Dash, take out the gunner.”

“We’re on it.”

Looking up, the Captain spotted Sam and Dash up above. Sam drove the bottom of his feet into the tail of the chopper, knocking the gunner’s aim off. Just for good measure, Rainbow flew inside and applied a strong buck into the side of the gunner’s head. Rainbow escaped, the chopper flying out of sight. Turning back to the scuffle, the Captain noticed both Bucky and his adversary already gone. He spotted the man in the black suit leap off the building.

The Captain followed quickly. Standing near the edge, he saw Bucky making a run for it, the mysterious adversary right on his tail. Leaping downwards, rolling as he landed, the Captain took off as fast as he could, and surprisingly enough, it wasn’t enough to catch the adversary. Just wasn’t.

His speeds easily matched that of the two super soldiers, seeming to grow faster than even the Captain or the Soldier.

Steve bit his lip and kicked it into high gear. He just about matched his speed.

Who was this guy?

The Rooftops

11:11 a.m.

Who was that guy?

Whoever he was, he caused Castle’s target to flee out of sight and out of range. He tried to readjust his scope and position and aim down the street, but there were too many civilians. Too much for even a slight draft to cause the biggest difference. Castle couldn’t have that. The three of them; the Winter Soldier, black tights, and the star-spangled man himself all hurried down the road, pushing through civilians.

The Winter Soldier jumped down into a tunnel system. Unamused, Castle reached back and slid his rifle into the holster ached to his backside. He spun around and reached into his bag perched on a nearby air conditioner. He unveiled the grappling hook launcher, returning to the edge of the building and aiming down the crosshairs.

Clear building slightly left, railing in sight. He fired away, the hook sailing off into a far-off window and shattering it. He retracted the line, the hook snatching the railing and holding there. He tightened the rope, breaking the end from his launcher and tying it safely and securely around the metal legs of a nearby heater. Retrieving a spare hook from his bag—and snatching the bag as well—Castle placed his hook on the rope, got the best grip he could manage, and slid down.

Straight down. Straight to the street. Several civilians spotted the man riding the rope down, backing away as he finally touched ground. Castle didn’t pay them any heed, and when they spotted his rifle they made the right decision and took off in every opposite direction.

Speaking of said rifle, Castle plucked it from its holster and approached the edge of the tunnel system. More screams from civilians, some distant sirens approaching. Not good. He needed to make the last shot count and bug out as fast as possible. Zooming right over the star-spangled man and passed black tights, his crosshairs landed on the Winter Soldier, right between the shoulder blades.

He wanted to pull the trigger right then and there. Dammit, he wanted to, but his instinct told him otherwise. Several shocked gasps emerged from behind, too late to be directed to him. He ripped his rifle back as he spun fully around, nearly dodging the strike from the man in the red tights.

The Devil. He was here. Son of a bitch.

He looked almost out of breath, his chest rising and falling, his jaw unhinging every second. He looked from his baton pressed firmly on the metal railing then quickly to Castle, his breath somewhat caught. And for a moment, Castle nearly did the same. He allowed himself a second longer staring into those twin red eyes of his, that damn devil mask that he always wore. It was him, alright, and that only meant one thing if he followed Castle all the way to Romania.

“Not this time, Red.”

And with that, Frank Castle slammed the butt of his rifle against Daredevil’s temple. The crowds screamed, fleeing from the sight. The Devil dropped to his knees, already beginning to rise again. Castle looked back down the tunnel, all three men already out of sight. The sirens were growing louder.

Castle shook his head, placed his sniper right back in its holster and took off down the sidewalk.

He didn’t look back to see the Devil stumble to his feet, nor did he notice him quickly on his tail.

Mid-Chase

11:13 a.m.

The German Special Forces arrived in droves. Perfect. Just what Steve needed.

Hot on the tail of their adversary, the Captain spun around to notice the growing sirens and the approaching police vehicles. One in particular got a little too comfortable with the Captain, driving close to him. The driver, unshaken, shouted through his radio, “Stand down!”

It slid right next to him, the driver screaming the same order a second time. The Captain complied by jumping shield-first into the windshield. As planned, the driver stopped the vehicle, the Captain hopping off the hood and ripping the door open. He pried the driver from his seat and occupied the vehicle, kicking the windshield off and pressing hard on the gas.

There was Bucky still cars ahead, but their adversary was approaching quickly. The Captain was certain to pass him, his destination centered solely on his friend. However, he heard a slight bump near the rear of the car, prompting his attention in the rear-view.

And there he was. Steve jerked the wheel right, then left, then right again. No use. He was stuck like glue. “Sam, I can’t shake this guy,” Steve declared in his comms

“Don’t worry, Cap! I’m on your tail!”

Steve spun his neck around, spotting Rainbow Dash’s rainbow trail quickly approaching his vehicle.

“Be careful, Rainbow!” Sam warned. “This cat can hold his own!”

“I’ll be fine!”

Steve kept his focus forward, his hands on the wheel, his eyes on Bucky. More and more police vehicles arrived, blocking Bucky’s path, creating a special detour once Bucky hopped over the barreled-railing. They exited the darkness of the tunnels, Bucky stopping in the middle of the street. For a second, Steve thought he was finally coming to, ready to be picked up.

He had other plans. A nearby motorcyclist was unfortunately caught in the crossfire. Yanking the bike from the rider, Bucky slammed the motorcycle down and hopped on, revving hard and taking off yet again. Steve gritted his teeth, sighed, and pressed even harder on the gas. His attention was brought upwards upon the familiar sound of hooves on the roof.

The mysterious black adversary clawed his way to the roof of the vehicle he had hitched a ride on, only to be stopped halfway by a familiar sight to him. It stood in the center of the roof of the vehicle, wings displayed in a sign of intimidation, and looking down at him. An equine, a Pegasus, flowing rainbow mane and a scowl that could frighten.

It didn’t, though.

For a moment, he froze, and just listened to her.

“Alright, bub! You think you can just waltz in here and take Bucky away from us?! You got another thing comin’, you—WHOA!”

He remembered he didn’t have time, especially not for her. Reaching forward with speeds Rainbow wasn’t ready for, he gripped a handful of her mane and flung her aside. Her screams were short-lived, as he assumed her wings would allow for a safe landing. By the time his feet were touching the roof, he was already off, jumping on the hood of the vehicle and leaping forward, his target in close range.

But once he was in killing range, the Winter Soldier shot his right arm out and caught the adversary by his throat. In a desperate attempt to escape, the adversary pressed his feet onto the tunnel’s wall, pushing out and knocking the motorcycle on its side. The effort proved fruitless, as the bike was still going strong, the Winter Soldier’s left arm digging into the solid street. Sparks flew, the lights dancing across the adversary’s chest and face.

Bucky looked back. The adversary brought up his claws, leaving him open for a kick straight in the chest.

Rolling to regain his footing the black-suited stranger brought his attention back. There, he saw a man with great wings soon heading right over him. The Falcon. The adversary leaped upwards, latching himself onto the Falcon’s feet. He dug his claws into his leg, earning a roaring cry from the man. He felt the man trying to kick him off, but to no avail.

Together, they flew past the Captain still driving the police vehicle, growing closer to the Winter Soldier. Noticing this, Bucky—with a last attempt—flung a sticky grenade to the roof of the tunnel just before he entered the sunlight. Steve saw the grenade, he saw it erupt, he saw the edge of the tunnel’s roof come collapsing downwards.

Sam felt the stranger crawl higher onto his leg. Seeing the rubble begin to fall, Sam flung him right off of his leg and sent him soaring right into the falling debris, right into the explosion.

After breaking through the falling debris, the mysterious adversary saw the end of the motorcycle in range. He wouldn’t be able to latch himself on, so instead he did the next best thing: he sliced the back tire. The bike turned awkwardly and rolled, both the Winter Soldier and the adversary tumbling together in a mix of limbs.

Noticing the rising pile of rubble, the Captain swerved the car to hopefully drive around it, but to no luck. The vehicle hit the rubble on its side, the entire car flipping and rolling down the sunlight-lit road. Steve was tumbled and slammed like clothes in a washing machine, the vehicle finally coming to a rest, both Bucky and the black-suited strange doing the same.

The second they did, Rainbow Dash burst through the falling debris. Her attention was centered primly on the man in the black suit, her teeth grinding in agitation, her brow furrowing in anger. No one tosses Rainbow aside and gets away with it.

He arose to his feet, only to be promptly slammed back into the concrete by an unnatural force to his backside. He clawed at the concrete, creating long slashes into the solid road, and brought his attention to the direction of the hit. Again, it was the Pegasus, this time appearing much more furious, much more on edge than their previous encounter.

And she stood between him and his target.

“Alright… let’s try that again,” she growled, wings outstretching. “You want him… you’re gonna have to get through me.”

He replied by displaying his claws outwardly, lowering himself in a pounce-like stance.

Rainbow sent out a war cry to hopefully intimidate her opponent. It didn’t work, as he blocked her oncoming strikes with fluid precision and tactic. Just as well, he replied by delivering a strong punch into her stomach, a second strike to her foreleg, and a slash across her left cheek. Dash cried out and clutched the left side of her face, completely unprepared for the kick that sent her crashing into the red support beam.

All in less than three seconds.

Dash slid down the support beam and lay on the concrete, clutching her face and moaning in pain. The adversary cast her one final glance before he quickly returned to his target. He lay before him, vulnerable, completely unaware of his situation. He raised his claw above his head and prepared to bring it down for a guaranteed kill shot.

And he was once more interrupted.

A stronger force than before tackled him and flung him aside. He dug his claws into the street, spotting the next foe to dare stand in his path. And for a moment longer, he froze yet again. It was no equine, but the Captain. Captain America, standing much like the equine had: between him and his target. The shield attached to his left forearm signaled a defensive position, much like how the equine used her own body to defend the murderer. And just as well, the fury in his eyes was as raw as hers.

After a short confrontation, the Captain asked, “You okay, Dash?”

Prodding her cheek, Rainbow Dash flinched at the large gash going from the bottom of her left eye to her jaw bone. She hissed at the pain, fresh blood painting her hoof, but nodded nonetheless.

He broke eye contact with the man in the black suit for just a second to see Dash’s response, then immediately turned back to him. Passed the emotionless gaze hidden in the silver eyes and black face, the Captain could see droves of police vehicles surrounding them, blocking their escape. He turned back, noticing the same fate befalling them.

The same military chopper flew above, this time joined with a new helicopter filming the entire scene below. German Special Forces exited their vehicles, swarming the area with assault rifles and SMGs at the ready, all of them aimed clearly for the Winter Soldier. Instinctively, Steve raised his arm to his old friend, Bucky casting him one, wavering glance.

Then he, as well as everyone else, brought their attention on the Iron Man suit falling from the sky and crashing in the middle of the road. Steve noticed the armor immediately, the War Machine armor.

Rhodes stood fully, arms outstretched, palms glowing a blinding white, and a sentry turret on his shoulder at the ready for good measure. His right palm was aimed for the adversary in black, and his left was aimed right for them, both Bucky and Steve. It was unnerving, but understandable considering Rhodes’ stance.

With a voice loud and commanding, Rhodes said, “Stand down now.”

He stared into the glowing, red eyes of the War Machine armor for a moment longer before breaking away. He noticed all of the German Forces with their rifles aimed for them, ready at any second to unload their magazines into them. So many men. With nothing else left, Steve reached back and placed his shield on his backside, hands slowly rising into the air.

“Congratulations, Cap,” Rhodes said, the Captain’s eyes turning to him. “You’re a criminal.”

The sirens wailed even louder, the German Special Forces moving in and subduing the Winter Soldier. They knocked him to his knees, pushed him down to his stomach, and held weapons of every kind in close proximity to him, just in case of any resistance. Steve could see several others beginning to swarm both the adversary in black and himself. He could see Sam being forced near one of the police vehicles, a rifle to his back. He could see Rainbow Dash being raised to her hooves by a pair of officers and forced to the same vehicle Sam was pushed to.

He never did see the figure appear on the overpass to his left.

No one saw Frank Castle.

Breath heavy, chest heaving, Castle once more pulled out his sniper rifle. There was his target. There was the Winter Soldier. Finally subdued, in the company of the German Special Forces and a multitude of Avengers. It was his last clear shot before they would take him away, and then things would really get hairy. Castle didn’t need that right now. He needed to finish the mission.

Pressing the rifle’s butt to his shoulder, the barrel hanging over the overpass, he centered the crosshairs right for the Winter Soldier’s head. He was still with the men keeping him down, but he wouldn’t be for long. Now or never.

Unfortunately, the Devil thought otherwise. Frank had to break away once again to block Daredevil’s forward strikes. He nearly dropped his sniper catching Daredevil’s forearm, but he replied with a strong kick into the Devil’s abdomen, sending him flat on his ass and back. No more time. Castle aimed quickly, centered the crosshairs, and pulled the trigger.

The son of a bitch didn’t quit.

He actually grabbed Castle’s rifle and yanked it back. He didn’t stop the bullet, though. They watched, both of them in shocked silence to see the bullet impact the back of the man in the black suit’s head. His entire head fell forward from the force of the shot, his body crashing into the road.

Instantaneously, the two of them were the center of attention. Captain America, the Falcon, the Winter Soldier, and War Machine all turned their heads to the overpass. The German Special Forces flinched back from the man’s body, twisting their rifles to the source of the shot. They screamed something in German, pointing to the man holding the rifle. Pointing to Castle.

Then they fired.

Both Castle and Murdock ran back from the oncoming fire. Frank wasn’t keen on holding onto his rifle much longer after that, choosing instead to make a run for it down the street, straight into traffic. Murdock, on the other hand, went in the opposite direction, straight across the road and leaping over the overpass’ concrete wall, disappearing straight into the next tunnel over.

As for Frank, he dodged and weaved through traffic, eyes looking desperately for a car to jack. In the midst of his search, he spotted the news and military chopper hovering directly over him. He raised a forearm to shield his face, stopping by the nearest vehicle he could. He pulled out his Glock 17, aimed it right at the driver, and ordered him to get out.

The driver, petrified by the confrontation, raised his hands, then instantly lowered them, his attention brought forward. Castle turned that way, cursed under his breath, then swung.

War Machine caught Castle by the wrist, looking from the pistol in his hand and back to its owner. Rhodes then proceeded to pry the pistol from Castle’s hand, break the firearm, and deliver a punch right into the man’s forehead. Frank dropped flat on his ass and back, knocked out quick and clean. Several police vehicles arrived on the scene, a few Special Forces arriving to pick up the limp body of the shooter.

Rhodes just stared as they took him away, his eyes shifting to the overpass, and where the second figure had escaped.

With the Captain, the Falcon, the Pegasus, and the Winter Soldier subdued and placed under arrest, the remainder of the German Special Forces swarmed what remained of the last adversary, the man in black. A squad of five surrounded the motionless body, rifles and pistols pointed just in case.

Before Steve was forced to his knees, before he was taken away, he watched as one of the Germans felt for a pulse near the man’s neck. He was shocked—just as well as everyone present—to see the man in black press his hands into the street and push himself up. Backing away like they just witnessed the living dead, the German Forces kept their weapons centered on the rising figure, uncertain of what exactly was happening.

But Steve knew. He made the assumption back on the rooftops. His suit, the armor the man was wearing was something he had become accustom to over the years. He, as well as everyone else, watched as the man sheathed his silver claws, cracked his neck, and pulled off his mask.

Steve took the moment to catch his breath, his mouth closing. “Your Highness,” he said, the police forcing him to his knees.

And King T’Challa only stared at the Captain, gripping the mask of the Black Panther between his palms.

Chapter 24 - That Nagging Feeling

Upstate New York

New Avengers Facility, Kitchen

10:25 a.m.

“A pinch of paprika,” Vision mumbled to himself, reading the ingredients off of the white sheet of paper in his hand. He looked up. “A pinch.”

Looking down to his left, he pinched a small dose of paprika from the nearby plate, adding it to the mixture. He grabbed the large spoon, mixing the dish tenderly, just as the instructions required.

“Is that Paprikash?”

Looking up, Vision noticed the young Wanda Maximoff entering the kitchen. He noticed the bags under her eyes, the drag in her voice, helped only by the small hint of hope and wonder, presumably to the food. Despite her appearance, Vision still believed her to be quite presentable, probably more so.

“I thought it might… lift your spirits,” he told her. She smiled a little, attempting a chuckle but resulting to a simple exhale. She came to his side, Vision stepping away to allow her to address the dish he had prepared.

Wanda stirred the mixture within the pot. Bringing up the spoon, she took a quick sip, taking a moment to taste the flavor. Vision, curiously intrigued, came to her right, waiting for her reaction. She licked her lips, looked to him and smiled. The smile was enough to comfort the synthetic.

“Spirits lifted,” Wanda said.

Looking down, Vision said, “In my defense, I haven’t actually… eaten anything before, so…”

“May I?”

Wanda smiled again, giving him a reassuring nod. Vision bowed his head. “Please…” he said, offering his ingredients to her. Wanda assumed command of the dish, sniffing some spices and adding it to the larger mixture. The entire time, Vision stared at her, studied her graceful movements. He walked around the table, still staring, palms wrestling with one another.

“Wanda…” he finally said.

“Hmm,” she mumbled, attention still focused on the dish.

“No one dislikes you, Wanda,” he said, pausing on the opposite end of the table.

Seeming somewhat surprised by Vision’s outward comment, Wanda still smiled and said, “Thanks.”

“Oh, you’re welcome.” He waved his finger around his head, saying, “No, it’s a… involuntary response in their amygdala, they can’t help but be afraid of you.”

Stirring the mixture, staring into the swirling brew, Wanda looked up, asked, “Are you?”

Taking a seat, Vision responded, “My amygdala is synthetic, so…”

He began to smile. It was pretty contagious, as the Maximoff smiled herself. That smile shifted into giggling, which transformed into a short burst of laughter. Vision seemed somewhat proud of his dry sense of humor, choosing to stare at the fruits displayed before him.

A moment of silence between the two, the spoon smacking the inside of the warming pot of Paprikash. Wanda’s smile disappeared, her eyes lowering to the mixture. “I used to think of myself one way. But, after this…” she waved her palm, a small, red orb dancing between her fingers. “I am something else. And still me, I think. But…”

Sighing, Wanda lowered her palm. Staring to Vision, she said, “That’s not what everyone else sees.”

Vision looked away. “Do you know, I don’t what this is.” He tapped his forehead, the stone shimmering to his touch. Wanda, having somewhat fallen from the conversation, returned, and stared from the gem to Vision’s eyes. “Not really. I know it’s not of this world. But it powered Loki’s staff, gave you your abilities, your brother his—”

He tried stopping himself, but it was already too late. Wanda’s eyes fell back to the pot, her lips tightening. Vision, after clenching his own fist, cleared his throat. “I apologize. Sometimes I… have trouble remembering not to…”

She shook her head, not even looking up. “It is fine.” Sighing, she continued to stir the mixture. Another brief moment of quiet between the two, Vision’s gaze falling to the table. Wanda didn’t have it in her to keep the silence building into a wall, separating them. “Nothing’s really been the same since Equestria.”

“It truly hasn’t,” Vision agreed, recalling the terrible events of the Ultron Offensive. He lifted his eyes, studied her expression, then said, “And yet… seeing them here, the equines, gives me a sense of… ease.”

Wanda looked at him.

“They tend to look on the brighter side of things, as opposed to us. I tend to look at what humanity is truly capable of, both its faults… and its strengths.” Wanda listened carefully, hanging on each of Vision’s words. “Now, with these devastating attacks, loss of human life, and wavering threats from HYDRA agents, I would assume that the faults of humanity have affected them.”

Wanda chuckled, mindlessly stirring the dish. “Lord knows they have affected me.”

“And I, as well,” Vision agreed. “I have seen some change in them, specifically Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash.” Wanda nodded. “The two don’t act the way they used to, the way I used to see them. They are… more hostile… presumably from the effects of this world.”

“I wouldn’t keep it against them,” Wanda commented.

He seemed to pause, his eyes elsewhere. “Just I used to be. When your magic infected the gem, I didn’t see the world as it used to be. For a moment, I was lost… and the world was darker. The gem was strong, though, and now I see things as I used to. But…” he paused, rubbing the stone, “its true nature is a mystery. And yet, it is a part of me.”

Having been focused on Vision’s story, Wanda almost left the pot unattended. She continued to stir, asking, “Are you afraid of it?”

Vision smiled mysteriously. “I wish to understand it.”

Hopping happily into the living room, Pinkie Pie hummed a soft tune to herself. She paused in mid-air, humming ceasing, twisting her neck to Vision and Wanda and then quickly over to the couch and the running television. Spread out, head resting on about three pillows, Spike mindlessly flipped through the channels, pausing every now and again, not to watch what station he had stopped on, but to grab a clawful of popcorn and shove it in his mouth.

It wasn’t anything special. The past few days have been the same routine: wake up, shower, make breakfast, go swimming, make lunch, watch TV, make dinner, go to bed. That schedule changed every now and again, but it mostly remained in that order, and Spike had remained stationed in that day-to-day lifestyle. Today’s lunch may have just consisted of a big bag of buttery popcorn, but it still suited him.

Oh, and thank Celestia for television. Spike hadn’t realized how addicting the large box was. He could watch all the movies he wanted, from a nearly-endless set of “DVDs” to thousands more thanks to the online subscription Stark had set up. If he didn’t want to watch movies, there were hundreds of channels that played human sports, cartoons, news, and so much more. Spike tended to stray away from the news channels, as all it seemed to talk about was more bad news.

In fact, the call a few days back from Natasha and the recent news that morning of the Winter Soldier’s capture pretty much called for another trip to the European continent. The ones that left were Stark, Rhodes, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy. Spike was surprised to say the least knowing that Applejack wanted to get involved with the Accords again. But after seeing the news and seeing Rainbow Dash getting arrested—Spike was sure the girls were probably watching it now in Berlin—they had to figure out what exactly was going on with Steve and the Winter Soldier.

So, most of the house left for Berlin. The ones that stayed were, of course, Spike, Wanda, Vision, and—

“Pinkie Pie!” the mare screamed in Spike’s face, appearing to hover over him.

“Gah!” Spike wailed, nearly choking on his popcorn and instead falling into a coughing fit. The mare let him compose himself, still hanging over him. “Pinkie, what are you doing? Can’t you see I’m trying to watch—?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah! But look!”

Gripping Spike’s head between her hooves, she lifted the baby dragon and set him on the couch’s backrest. She flipped over to hide behind the backrest, as well, the two peeking over. For a moment, Spike didn’t know what he was meant to be looking at, and he opened his mouth to tell Pinkie off, but stopped when her hoof shot into it.

“Looooooook,” she whispered, pulling her hoof—now covered in Spike’s drool—out and pointing it to the kitchen. Spike, more annoyed than intrigued, did as she asked, and looked to the kitchen.

“Vision, are you not letting me leave?”

“It’s a question of safety.”

“I can protect myself.”

In an attempt to push past Vision, Wanda found herself stopped by his right arm. Gentle, but assertive. Pinkie reached down and pulled up Spike’s popcorn bowl, eating right out of it. Spike shot her a glare, but she was far-too focused on the events unfolding in the kitchen.

“Not yours. Mr. Stark would like to avoid the possibility of another public incident.” Vision looked to her, to the young woman in his arm. “Until the Accords are a… more secured foundation.”

Though not a foreigner to Vision’s touch, feeling his powerful, synthetic arm wrapped around her and gripping her arm felt somewhat… comforting. Strangely so. She looked to him, stared from his eyes to the stone in his forehead, the same stone that gave him his powers, as well as hers. It was a strange connection, but one the two were forced to share.

“And what do you want?” she asked.

Vision stared right into her eyes. “For people to see you… as I do.”

The two could hear a shocking gasp emerge from the living room. Turning in that direction, both Vision and Wanda could see Pinkie Pie duck her head behind the couch, dragging the poor baby dragon alongside with her. Cute. It seemed to be, as Wanda chuckled at the scene, Vision turning back to her.

“Well…” Wanda sighed, taking a step away from Vision’s touch, “a pizza does sound nice.”

“I’ll call right away,” Vision said, making the first steps to the phone book hiding within one of the shelves.

“I’ll be in my room,” Wanda called.

“I will inform you once the pizza has arrived.”

Pausing by the hallway’s entrance, she chuckled. “Okay, Vision.”

Once Wanda had retreated to the hallway and Vision was busy searching for the phone book, Pinkie finally found the coast to be clear, raising her head over the couch. Spike followed by his own will, turning his eyes to the pink party pony.

She looked ready to pop. Eyes big and bright, cheeks a glowing crimson, a smile wide enough to reach from ear to ear, and a body that couldn’t seem to hold still. She looked to Spike, the dragon backing away for safety reasons, and squealed like a newborn kitten.

Spike frowned. “What?” he asked.

Her only response was a wiggle of her eyebrows, a knowing look in her eyes. Spike’s response was a simple raise of the brow.

And then she was gone in a puff of smoke, leaving Spike alone on the empty couch. He looked down, noticing his popcorn was gone, too, only worsening his frown.

“Spike,” Vision called from the kitchen, “you wouldn’t happen to know the best establishment for serving pizza, know, would you? Also, do you know where the phone book is?”

Spike sighed, his claw instinctively meeting his forehead. Still better than Berlin.

New Avengers Facility, Wanda’s Room

10:36 a.m.

Pinkie Pie appeared in a cloud of smoke by the entrance to Wanda’s room. There, she saw her on her guitar, strumming away at a few chords. Breaking away from the instrument in her lap, Wanda raised her eyes, smiled to the mare at her door.

“Pinkie, I saw you and Spike spying on me,” she said, looking back to her guitar. “There something on your mind?”

“Oh, nothing,” Pinkie declared nonchalantly, strolling innocently into Wanda’s quarters. “But I do think there’s something on your mind!”

Strumming down, Wanda smiled. “Oh, really?”

“Really!”

“Yeah…” she set her guitar on her bed behind her, her arms placed behind so she could lean backwards. Smiling, Wanda asked, “Then what is it?”

Pinkie shot forward, her hoof outstretched, her eyes squinting, her smile contagious. “You think I didn’t know! You thought you could keep it hidden away, deep down inside, but you let yourself slip, Wanda!”

Wanda chuckled. “What are you talking about, Pinkie?”

“I saw the way you were talking with Vision, the way you looked at him, the way he held you…”

At that moment, Wanda’s breath instantly shortened, her eyes widening, her cheeks warming. Pinkie sighed in a heavenly way, practically floating—despite her lack of wings—onto Wanda’s lap. With her hooves over her heart, Pinkie looked up to the Maximoff and smiled in a dream-like state.

“So… romantic,” she whispered.

“Whoa, whoa, okay,” Wanda said, standing up and knocking Pinkie off her legs. The mare landed with a soft thud, a tiny squeak escaping the mare. Wanda scoffed, then laughed, then closed her eyes. “I wouldn’t go that far, Pinkie.”

“I would!” Pinkie declared, sitting up like an alert canine. “The moment I saw you two, I knew it was destined to happen!” She raised one of her hooves. “He’s connected to the Mind Stone,” she raised the other, “your power comes from the Mind Stone. It just makes sense that you two would be bound together. Face the music, Wanda, you and Vision are destined for each other.”

She smacked both hooves together, causing Wanda to flinch.

“Take advice from the Love Pony, Wanda,” Pinkie said, pointing to the Maximoff. “Don’t let him slip away. A synthetic android like that only comes around once in Phase 2, and I doubt there’ll be another in Phase 3.”

Pausing at the strange statement made by Pinkie, Wanda shook her head. “No, Pinkie, you’re being childish. There’s no way it could work… It can’t work… And I don’t have feelings for him, for your information.”

Pinkie just shrugged. “Eh, keep lying to yourself, but soon enough… you’ll know.”

Wanda stared at the pink pony, watched as she slithered out of her room, hooves waving to her as if she were trying to recreate some of Wanda’s telekinetic powers. Pinkie moaned like a ghost, slipping into the dimly-lit hallways.

“You can’t lie to your heart, Wandaaaaaa…”

Then she was gone, leaving Wanda to finally breathe again. Another breath that was caught in her throat and escaped as a terrified yelp the moment Pinkie stuck her head at her room’s entrance once more, this time declaring very loudly, “Oh, and pizza’s here!”

And then she was gone. Just in case, Wanda looked out in the halls, seeing them empty.

In precious solitude, Wanda Maximoff let loose one of the biggest sighs of her life, her heart pumping unusually fast. Placing a hand to her chest, another to her cheek, she realized how hot she had become. It was unlike her. Completely foreign. She had never thought of it before… thought of… Vision before… but now that Pinkie put the idea in her head…

She couldn’t stop.

She just couldn’t stop.

But she did. She forced herself to push it down and keep it hidden, like the rest of her emotions, like she used to do all the time. Then, Wanda stepped into the hall and made her way to the kitchen, the aroma of fresh pizza making her nearly forget about her recent conversation with the delusional pink pony.

Nearly.

Chapter 25 - Lights Out

Berlin, Germany

On Route

4:44 p.m.

“So, you like cats?”

“Sam,” Steve said, cutting him off.

“What? Dude shows up dressed like a cat, you don’t wanna know more?”

“That’s not what I want to know more about,” Steve explained, turning his attention forward to the front seat, where King T’Challa sat in silence. “But what I do… is how you survived a Barrett .50 caliber round to the back of the head. Your suit, it’s Vibranium?”

T’Challa, after so long with his own thoughts, finally came to. He watched as the cars flashed by, as they grew nearer and nearer to their destination. He felt the constant thump in the back of his head, the only remaining essence left of the sniper round that hit him. Then he thought back to the question.

“The Black Panther has been the protector of Wakanda for generations. A mantle passed from warrior to warrior. And now because your friend murdered my father… I also where the mantle of king. So, I ask you as both warrior… and king…” T’Challa barely looked back to Steve, “how long do you think you can keep your friend safe from me?”

“As long as it takes, jerk.”

“Rainbow,” Steve began, his voice falling on deaf ears.

“Miss… Rainbow Dash… is that it?” T’Challa asked, twisting his neck back to Sam’s seat. There, he could see the Pegasus glaring at him with near-red eyes, probably from crying earlier. He expected it. He had hit her pretty hard, but it was only to get her out of the way. He didn’t kill her, and he didn’t intend to, but he could see where she was coming from.

Sighing, T’Challa said, “I would like to apologize to you. But just know that what I did was in self-defense, not to harm you out of my own gain.”

Dash huffed in response, watching the world go by in her window.

“I do not wish to stand on sour terms with you… or your friends, Miss Dash.” T’Challa faced forward again, sighing as he did so. “I hope you can come to forgive me.”

“You want to be forgiven?” Rainbow asked, turning her scowl back to the king. “Then give up on chasing Bucky!”

“I cannot do that.”

“He’s innocent,” Rainbow said.

“Do you know that, Miss Dash?” T’Challa asked, turning around once more to face her. “Do you really?”

Rainbow’s scowl grew heavier as their confrontation continued. Snorting in T’Challa’s direction, Rainbow fell back to the window, her forelegs crossing over one another. The rest of the car ride was silent.

By the time they arrived to their destination, the squad of cars drove beneath the road to an underground garage. Soon, their vehicle came to a halt, the doors opening. After stepping out, Steve saw Bucky’s mobile cell, Bucky strapped down inside. All four approached a familiar face, surrounded by so many other unfamiliar faces. The one that looked to be in charge, the only one wearing a suit and tie, smiled once Steve, Sam, Dash, and T’Challa approached him and his armed men. He was a small gentleman, graying hair and a no-nonsense expression. Sharon Carter stood to his right, remaining silent for the time being.

“What’s gonna happen to him?” Steve asked.

The man smiled. “Same thing that ought to happen to you. Psychological evaluation and extradition.”

Sharon Carter said, “This is Everett Ross, Deputy Task Force Commander.”

“What about a lawyer?” Steve asked.

“Lawyer.” He smiled. “That’s funny. See their weapons are placed in lockup. We’ll write you a receipt.”

As their gear passed, Sam muttered, “I better not look out the window and see anyone flying around in that.”

“Oh, and I want him,” Ross pointed passed the group of four, prompting their eyes behind them. They watched as a large man stepped out of a nearby vehicle, handled by two soldiers, each carrying an assault rifle at the ready. Just in case. Steve recognized the man. It was the same shooter earlier from the bridge, the one who had shot the King of Wakanda in the back of the head.

Ross snapped his fingers. “Yeah, him. I want him with us so we can get him properly evaluated. And don’t take your eyes off him, either.”

The shooter, with his hands locked in cuffs and a nasty bruise on his forehead, sent a scowl that could kill to the guards holding him. They didn’t react, and instead pushed him forward where Ross wanted him to go. Sam, T’Challa, and Dash did the same, joining Sharon and Everett where they were leading them. Wherever they were leading them. Steve paused, looking back to the mobile cell. The doors closed. He swore he saw Bucky turn his way before those doors shut.

Joint Counter Terrorist Centre

4:52 p.m.

“You’ll be provided with an office instead of a cell. Now, do me a favor, stay in it?” Everett Ross said, turning his head to the man to his right. He led the large group of officers, Avengers, royalty, and one equine across to the building. Oh, and including the shooter.

T’Challa frowned, eyes forward. “I don’t intend on going anywhere.”

“Not until I get another shot at you.”

He didn’t even turn around. “Miss Dash, I have already apologized. And for your own safety, I would not recommend what are you seeking to accomplish.”

“Yeah, because you know I’ll kick your butt.”

“No, because I don’t want to kill you,” T’Challa retorted, not hearing a single response from the mare. “I will defend myself, Miss Dash.”

Growling, Rainbow looked away, staying close to Steve and Sam. “Yeah, yeah, sure,” she muttered, rubbing her cheek gently. “Ah… jeez. You know, you didn’t have to go so hard on the cheek, bub.”

“I apologize for the wound, but not for defending myself.”

After sending a quick glare his way, Rainbow asked Sam, “Hey, did it leave that big of a scratch or anything?”

Sam studied the large gash from the end of her left jaw bone to the bottom of her left eye. It was a pretty nasty cut. Got in deep. The three claw marks were painted dark red, dried blood surrounding the scratches. It stopped bleeding during the ride, but the freshness of the cut would break again by the slightest contact.

“Uh… nope. Hardly noticeable,” Sam lied.

“You sure? I mean, it doesn’t hurt here,” she waved her hoof across her left eye, “or here so much,” slightly above her cheek bone, then hovered her hoof right across the large gashes, “but right here.”

Sam bit the inside of his cheek. He shook his head, offering the best poker face he could. “Nope. Shipshape.”

Shrugging, Rainbow continued down the long hallway with Steve and Sam. Soon, Natasha joined them, coming from up ahead and walking alongside Steve. “For the record, this is what making things worse looks like. Sam,” she nodded to him in a greeting fashion.

“Yeah, how’s it going, Nat?” Sam mumbled.

“I could be better. How about you Rainb—?” She paused, eyes widening at the cuts on Dash’s cheek. “Oh, my God, what happened to your face?”

“I knew it!” Rainbow yelled, causing Sam to look away. “Anyway, you can thank Pussycat up there for these,” she said, addressing her wounds and pointing forward. Natasha followed her hoof to the front of the group, pausing as her eyes landed on T’Challa.

Looks like he went through with it after all.

She looked back to the rest of their group. Behind them, handcuffed and escorted by two guards, the shooter cast her no stare, no wavering glance. She knew it was the shooter, what with the news stations practically breathing down recent events, how could she not see it? He wore a heavy, black jacket, dark jeans, and combat boots. Aside from his military-trimmed hair, the large bruise on his forehead, his eyes radiated a kind of darkness. Even if he wasn’t looking at her, Natasha felt that darkness crawl up her spine. Unlike anything she had felt.

Who was he?

“Romania was not Accords-sanctioned. Colonel Rhodes is supervising cleanup. Yes, we have the shooter, as well. They’re walking in now; we’re gonna find out who he is.”

Convenient.

That convenience derived from Tony Stark, stumbling around and engrossed in a deeply-heated conversation with someone else on his call. Probably Secretary Ross. Most likely Secretary Ross. He wore a dark blue vest on top of a white button-up and a red tie.

“Try not to break anything while we fix this,” Natasha said, breaking away as the group split, leaving only Steve, Sam, and Rainbow to face Stark.

“Consequences? You bet there’ll be consequences. Obviously you can quote me on that because I just said it. Anything else? Thank you, sir.” Stark put away his phone, staring at Steve, Sam, and Dash. The three amigos. The three rogues. Digging his palms into his pockets, Tony shook his head.

They didn’t react to his disapproving stare. Steve asked, “‘Consequences’?”

“Secretary Ross wants you both prosecuted, Dash included,” Stark replied. “I put in a good word for her, though, so she’ll be safe. Dash, Twilight and the others are here, so…”

He paused, staring at her face, more accurately, the three claw marks on her left cheek. Rainbow raised an unamused brow, Stark reaching to his own cheek. He shook his head, waving his hand. “You know what? I don’t want to know. Just go find Twilight and the others. They want to talk to you.”

Rainbow ruffled her wings, sighing as she did so. “Fine,” she muttered.

As Rainbow trotted away, Stark turned back to Sam and Steve, shrugging as he began to walk away. “I’m not getting that shield back, am I?” Steve asked.

Tony paused, turning back around. Natasha came up to Stark’s side, saying, “Technically, it’s the government’s property. Wings, too.”

Sam shook his head. “That’s cold.”

“Warmer than jail,” Stark called as both he and Romanoff walked away.

Rooftops

5:02 p.m.

Scanning the skies one final time, Matt Murdock gave the biggest sigh of relief he ever had. His heart pumped so hard he almost thought his rib cage was cracking with every pump of blood flooding through his veins. Taking a few calming breaths, Matt wiped his mouth and spit on the ground. Sweat leaked from his mask and poured down his face, but he dared not remove his helmet in case of any cameras hidden anywhere.

Might as well be safe than sorry. He was near a government center, so there were probably cameras hidden in places even he couldn’t see. Despite this, with the sun beating down on the back of his neck, Matt turned his eyes to the far right, to a massive building resting near the river flowing through the city.

He saw people walking back and forth, so many talking and trapped in their own conversations. He searched for the right heartbeat in a building of hundreds more. His heavy breathing didn’t help to find the right one. For a moment, he just stopped and listened. Breathed slowly. Calmly. And waited. He listened for several minutes, heard the voices flooding in and out of the building, but not the one he wanted to hear.

Finally, he heard it.

“… Where do you want us to put him?”

“Keep him cuffed and in any free room you can. We’ll evaluate him after we’re done with Barnes.”

“Yes, sir.”

Matt sat himself down, stared right at the building, and listened. Might as well catch his breath. It’s gonna be a long evaluation, especially for Frank.

Joint Counter Terrorist Centre

5:07 p.m.

Princess Twilight and her friends watched as a pair of large men with rifles shoved an equally large man into an empty room, shutting and locking the door behind them. Frowning, Twilight shared a somewhat concerned glance with Starlight, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy. She didn’t know for sure, but the man they shoved in that room looked oddly familiar. She was hoping she wasn’t’ the only one who noticed.

Unfortunately, she was, as the rest of her friends quickly lost interest in the room and the three men inside it. Instead, they brought their eyes forward, Rarity and Fluttershy gasping, Applejack tapping Twilight’s foreleg and prompting the Princess’ attention forward.

Aside from Steve Rogers and Tony Stark settling down in a concealed room in the center of the room, speaking but with voices muted due to the glass, Rainbow Dash slowly trotted their way. As Rarity and Fluttershy rushed to the Pegasus, Starlight and Applejack stayed where they were, joining Twilight.

They didn’t share her accusing stare, though. That was held primarily by Twilight primarily for Rainbow Dash.

“Oh, my goodness! Rainbow Dash, what happened to your cheek, darling?”

“Are you okay, Rainbow? Does it hurt?”

“No, guys, I’m fine. Just… don’t touch it,” Dash told them, waving the mares off. As Rarity and Fluttershy backed away, Rainbow stepped forward, frowning at Twilight’s expression sent her way. She snorted, saying, “I got it from your little prince friend, Twi. Apparently, self-defense on Earth requires somepony to start scratching!”

Twilight sighed. “You attacked T’Challa, Rainbow. He has the right to defend himself—”

“Wait, are you siding with him, Twi?” she asked. Twilight didn’t respond, nor nod. Her expression was answer enough. Rainbow gritted her teeth. “After what he did to me?! After what he wants to do to Bucky, and you’re on his side?!”

Twilight raised her hoof. “You knew what you were getting into, Rainbow. But it’s over now. James Barnes is secured and will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Thankfully, Tony assured us that you won’t be prosecuted, so that’s reassuring.”

Rainbow’s glare hadn’t vanished. Twilight’s brow furrowed. “And T’Challa won’t get his hands on him, if that makes you feel any better.”

“It doesn’t!” Rainbow yelled, a few eyes turning to them before returning to the computer screens. Twilight frowned at the sudden disturbance Rainbow made, the Pegasus continuing. “We’re helping these people prosecute an innocent man!”

“How do ya know he’s innocent, Dash?” Applejack asked. “There’s quite a lot stackin’ against ‘im.”

“Because Steve said he was!” Rainbow answered, facing Applejack. “He told me on the ride here that Bucky said he didn’t kill those people in Vienna.”

“Steve also said that Bucky’s been brainwashed by HYDRA for 70 years,” Twilight retorted. “A lot could happen in a mind warped like that. He could’ve planted the bomb and completely forgot about it the next day. We won’t know for sure unless we go through with this prosecution and evaluation, Rainbow.”

As Fluttershy tended to Rainbow’s wound with Rarity’s spare rag, Rainbow simply huffed in response, looking away from Twilight’s disapproving frown. Rarity, on the other hoof, was more focused on the fresh blood escaping Fluttershy’s gentle dabs to Rainbow’s cheek. She hissed at the blood flowing down Dash’s cheek.

“Oh, you are quite lucky I had a spare rag, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity said, Rainbow looking to the unicorn. “I was about to leave the facility without it when I came to realize that you could never go wrong with a good, clean rag every now and then. You never know what you might run into.”

Speaking of the facility, Rainbow Dash counted her friends, spotting only five. “Hey, where’s Spike and Pinkie?” she asked, Fluttershy pressing harder onto the wound to hopefully help seal it.

“They decided to stay at the facility with Vision and Wanda,” Starlight answered. “Probably didn’t want to get too involved with… well… all of this.” Starlight addressed her friends to the bustling area with a wave of her hoof, men and women striding back and forth, several voices nearly drowning out their own.

“They’re safe,” Twilight assured, earning nods from Applejack and Starlight. “But… that brings us back to our current situation.”

She faced Rainbow Dash, the Pegasus meeting the heavy scowl with an arising one of her own.

Fluttershy pulled the bloody rag away. “What?” Dash asked, her tone harsh.

“Don’t ‘what’ me, Rainbow Dash!” Twilight sternly exclaimed, stepping towards the Pegasus. Rainbow stood her ground, holding her scowl. “What were you thinking?! Working outside of the law, assaulting German officers, and aiding a possible criminal?! This isn’t you, Rainbow!”

Rainbow shot back. “I was just following Steve and Sam. They wanted to save Bucky, and I felt I owed them after everything they’ve done for us! It’s called being a loyal friend.”

“If they wanted you to jump off a building with your wings cut off, would you still do it?”

Frowning, Rainbow Dash said, “This isn’t the same as that, Twilight.”

“It basically is,” Twilight scoffed. She pointed her hoof to her own cheek, Rainbow gently caressing hers. “That’s what happens when you break the law. You get hurt, and you pay for it. Secretary Ross wanted you to be prosecuted just like Barnes.”

Rainbow was silent, sitting down and sighing. She closed her eyes, still frowning. Twilight rested her hoof on Dash’s shoulder. “But you’re not going to be. As long as Barnes is brought in and everything is settled, we can finally head back to the facility for some much-needed rest—”

“She’s a kid!”

“Give me a break!”

Nearly everypony flinched, turning their attention to the center of the room. Steve was standing, glaring down at Tony who was sitting. The two appeared to be one edge, their eyes latched with each other, their fists clenched. Tony continued to talk, his voice muffled. The mares watched in silence, trying to listen. In the end, they didn’t hear a word, and Steve left the room.

Left Tony alone with his pen.

“He’s not crazy, Twilight,” Rainbow mumbled, Twilight turning to her. “Bucky is innocent.”

Twilight sighed, stepping forward with her eyes trained on the multiple screens shifting to the interrogation room. “Well, I guess we’re going to find that out, huh?”

With that, every blue screen in the room, every blue screen lining the walls shifted to the interrogation of James Barnes. The mares watched as Barnes came into view. The room fell silent, several men and women surrounding the screens and listening intently for what was to come. Each screen showcased a different perspective of the Winter Soldier’s entrapment.

“Hello, Mr. Barnes. I’ve been sent by the United Nations to evaluate you. Do you mind if I sit?”

The evaluator sat down.

“Your first name is James?”

He didn’t respond for the longest time. “I’m not here to judge you. I just want to ask you a few questions. Do you know where you are, James?”

He stared through the glass, stared with little to no expression at the evaluator.

“I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me, James.”

“My name is Bucky,” he finally replied after nearly ten seconds of silence.

Exhaling quickly through her nostrils, almost sounding like a scoff, Twilight shook her head. “So far… not so good,” Twilight whispered.

“Hey, would you drop it, Twilight?” Rainbow whispered back, her voice sharp. “Let the man speak his mind.”

“A mind that’s probably still twisted,” Starlight added, Rainbow sending a quick glare her way.

“Tell me, Bucky. You’ve seen a great deal, haven’t you?”

That emotionless stare remained where it was, the man out of time trapped within the locks of his mobile cell. “I don’t want to talk about it,” he muttered.

“Weren’t you the pony that said we should try and help Steve get his friend back?”

“That was before Vienna, Rainbow,” Twilight said, shaking her head while staring at the screens.

“We don’t even know if it was really him, Twilight.”

“Ah don’t think even he knows if it was him or not.”

“Thank you, Applejack. We won’t know until this evaluation is through.”

“You feel that if you open your mouth that the horrors might never stop.” A long pause followed. “Don’t worry. We only have to talk about one.”

“And what then, Twilight? Does he go to prison no matter what? Does he get the help he deserves? Or should we go after the real person behind this like we should have from the start.”

“We don’t know if there’s another person behind the bombing, Rainbow Dash, and neither do you,” Twilight whispered back, her voice as sharp as a knife, slowly but surely becoming more aggravated by Rainbow’s constant arguing. “Barnes is our best lead or the culprit behind this attack, and we’re not letting him go until we find out.”

“And if he’s not the culprit…”

Twilight sighed, closing her eyes. “Well, he’s still responsible for all of those murders he’s committed for the past 70 years.”

“Oh, you gotta be kidding me!” Rainbow shouted.

Several people shushed them, the mares quickly falling silent.

After quickly apologizing, Twilight’s frown returned even worse than before. “That’s not in our jurisdiction, Rainbow Dash!” she hissed. “We don’t get a say in how the government should deal with Barnes.”

“Well, we should,” Rainbow hissed back. “You can’t just let Steve lose his best friend for crimes he had no control over, Miss Princess of Friendship!”

That was it. Gritting her teeth in frustration, especially at that last remark, Twilight spun around to meet Rainbow head-on, to tell her otherwise. But couldn’t. Because that’s when the lights went out.

Chapter 27 - The Devil

Berlin, Germany

Joint Counter Terrorist Centre

5:30 p.m.

Rushing up the stairs with only one set goal in mind, Steve Rogers rammed his shoulder into the door. He stepped out into the sunlight, and upon the landing pad there was Bucky, ready to make his escape in the lone helicopter resting in the middle of the pad.

The thunderous whipping of the helicopter’s blades grew even louder, the chopper slowly rising off the rooftop. Eyes widening, Steve rushed up the set of stairs to the landing pad, and just before the helicopter could get any higher, jumped and gripped the landing skids with both hands. To his wild surprise, Barnes felt the helicopter lean left, his eyes darting downwards to see the man holding onto his only means of escape.

Distraught, trying desperately to hold on, Steve felt his feet scrape the landing pad, continuously skidding forward. Towards the edge. Just before the he could have fallen, Steve let one arm free, the other still managing to hold on. With his free arm, he grabbed the nearest bar on the landing pad, ensuring that as long as he held on, the helicopter—and Bucky—weren’t going anywhere.

And Barnes, still watching in the pilot’s seat, could see as he managed to pull the chopper slowly but surely back to the pad. Somehow, someway, he managed to do it.

He had enough. Yanking on the stick, Barnes tilted the chopper in hopes to crush the man beneath its gargantuan weight. Steve, however, had already reacted, rolling forward on the pad as the chopper crashed and spun on the cement. Wary of the spinning blades, they tore through the cemented ground, Steve trapped within their deadly storm.

The tail came straight for him, but Steve ducked, lying flat on his chest as the helicopter finally came to a screeching rest.

He pressed his palms into the cement, breathing cautiously, eyes darting in every direction. It was all quiet, dust from the crash slowly settling around him. With that, Steve turned his attention to the chopper, more specifically the pilot’s seat, and watched as the glass shattered and Bucky’s fist came flying out, his metallic fingers wrapping around Steve’s throat.

As if it couldn’t get any worse, the helicopter began to move. Not forward, but back.

Steve pressed his palms into the chopper’s exterior, pushing back, trying to hold the massive machine still. Even with his enhanced strength, there was no possible way he could’ve stopped it. Bucky’s rock-hard glare continued to hold as did his grip around his throat. And even as the chopper fell, he still held on.

But when it hit water, so did Bucky’s forehead with the glass, and he let go.

The remains of the helicopter slowly sunk down into the river, only bubbles emerging from its descent. People from within the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre stepped outside and gazed into the river, watching as the remains of the helicopter sunk deep within the darkness.

They never saw Steve Rogers finally ascend farther down the river.

Nor did they see the rainbow trail soaring overhead.

With Bucky’s unconscious form in his grasp, Steve swam to shore, wary of the police helicopters flying overhead, observing the crash site. Instead, he eyed the rainbow trail and waved to it.

Berlin, Germany

Rooftops

5:45 p.m.

Matt was lucky the buildings were so close together. If they hadn’t been, there was no possible way he was going to keep up with the speeding van. Miraculously, though, he did, hopping from building to building, keeping his eyes to the streets and watching the van make right and left turns, listening for what the man inside whispered to himself.

Soon enough, the van eventually slowed down, appearing just as average as any other vehicle in Berlin. Thank God. It molded in with the traffic jam, the cars quickly moving on as the traffic lights soon came back online. And just like that, the van followed the crowd, stopping on red lights, moving on green lights, appearing as average as any other vehicle.

It came to another red light. The van stopped.

Perfect.

Matt didn’t wait by the ledge to catch his breath after running for several minutes straight. He didn’t stop when the end of the building came quickly. He jumped. He jumped right over the edge and landed on the roof of the van. He rolled to cushion his landing, eventually finding ground near the front roof.

Within the van, Zemo jumped at the sudden crash from above. Peering into his rear-view mirror, he could see a man in red armor perched on the hood of his vehicle. He saw the twin horns, the red eyes. The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. He was early.

Nonetheless, Zemo rammed on the gas pedal. The light hadn’t even turned green, but he managed to fine a quick opening. The Devil fell onto his back as the van flew forward, but he managed to hold on. Cars swerved out of control as the large van broke through the moving traffic, several horns blaring, people screaming and driving out of the way of the massive vehicle.

As he tore down the road, Zemo shot his eyes back to the rear-view. He was still there. Zemo cursed and pulled out his pistol from the glove compartment. Aiming straight up, Zemo unloaded an entire magazine into the roof, hoping just one of the bullets would be gracious enough to crack through the Devil’s mask.

Matt fell back once more as the driver continued to fire away, bullets flying through the roof and straight upwards. The ear-piercing sounds of the gun shots spread throughout the street and onwards, frightened civilians fleeing the scene, some staying to witness the Devil riding the speeding white van. Matt stared at them, realizing the severity of the situation. He had to stop the vehicle before someone got hurt, or worse.

Once the bullets stopped flying, Matt, slowly crawled on his belly forward, closer and closer to the driver’s seat. He could see the man in the rear-view mirror, his skin on fire, his eyes two orbs of orange and cinder. They turned to him. He brought up his pistol once more.

Matt was ready this time. He reached down and gripped the steering wheel, yanking it hard in his direction. A few shots went off, followed by the terrible screech of tires against cement, and then the world spun out of control.

Matt dove forward as the van took a twisted left turn too far, eventually rolling on its side. Matt rolled just the same, but on the sidewalk and coming to quick stop. He stared onwards, watched as the van rolled, hit a parked car, and finally came a much-needed halt. The vehicle lay upside-down, the tires continuing to spin despite the van’s frozen position in the center of the street. Most civilians scattered, others slowly began to circle the van, their curiosity getting the best of them.

And from where he lay, Matt could see the driver crawl out from the driver’s seat, right over the shards of glass where the window once was, and stood up. Blood coated his forehead, dribbling down to stain his ruined dress shirt. As he emerged into the open, his eyes of fire landed once more on the Devil, a ferocious snarl building at the bottom of his throat. But he never finished. He noticed the growing crowd, the rising sirens.

Just as Matt stood up, the man was gone, rushing into the crowd and vanishing. He didn’t say a word, but Matt had his heartbeat. With a slight limp, Matt ran forward in an attempt to chase him down. But he stopped. Just by the van’s driver’s seat.

Looking down, ignoring the crowd questioning his presence, Matt bent down and peered inside the vehicle. Glass shards filled the inside the vehicle. Small bullets holes pockmarked the roof of the vehicle pressed firmly into the cement, but no pistol in sight. All that sat in the vehicle was a torn, little red book. Its silver star was surrounded in flames from Matt’s point of view.

Curiously enough, Matt reached in and pluck the book from the roof of the vehicle. He stood back up, gently flipped through the book's pages, and stopped. He recognized the words, the Russian he once previously heard back at the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre, spoken by the man that had fled moments ago.

He couldn’t read Russian. But he had a computer. Karen did.

The sirens grew stronger, the crowd grew larger, some shouted at him. They screamed as he slipped between men and women, dove into the nearest alley and vanished within the shadows.

Chapter 28 - Memories of a Dead Man

Berlin, Germany

6:01 p.m.

His mind was black, a hazy, thick fog that slowly began to dissipate with every blood-thumping pump. A filthy, concrete floor sat beneath him, little light filling the room. Noting the strands of black hair hovering in front of his vision, he slowly brought his gaze upwards, his attention finally shifting to his left arm.

His metal arm constrained under a large press.

Keeping his eyes focused on the press, James Barnes barely noticed the upcoming footsteps, sounding oddly off, almost as if multiple people were walking in unison. Turning his attention to his far right, Barnes awaited the presence of the two men or women who were undoubtedly headed in his direction. Except there weren’t.

Not people.

Instead, Barnes came face-to-face with a small, yellow Pegasus with a pink mane. It was so long that it touched the floor, following shortly behind the Pegasus. It stopped mere feet away from him, almost looking a bit timid, but holding strength in those large, cyan eyes. Barnes stared, and for some reason found some form of mystical comfort staring into her gaze. It seemed alien, which it probably was, considering his circumstances. He was stuck in a strange area with an equally strange creature staring at him, almost looking… concerned.

Then, to Barnes’ great surprise, it spoke. “Sam…”

Its voice was feminine, gentle, like a young woman. Barnes’ mouth fell, but he remained silent. She seemed to furrow her brow before taking a step away from him. “He’s awake.”

“Hey, Cap!” Barnes looked up, noticing an actual human standing in the entryway. He stepped through towards Barnes, followed shortly by a familiar face to his right. As well, another small horse trailed behind, this one a bright, sky blue, a rainbow mane and tail to go with it. Groaning, Barnes picked himself up, gripping the metal press with his free hand. He looked up to the familiar face, one he hadn’t seen in a long, long time.

“Steve…”

Steve Rogers, his best friend, stood in a filthy gray t-shirt and blue jeans. His eyes were not of joy or relief to see Bucky, but of concern. Edge. Slowly, he spoke, his voice sharp, as he asked, “Which Bucky am I talking to?”

Flashes of a white tundra meeting his landing came flooding back, the agonizing screeches of the saw blade tearing in his left arm. Bucky blinked. “Your mom’s name was Sarah,” he said. A small smile crept across his lips, a chuckle escaping him. “You used to wear newspapers in your shoes.”

Steve’s eyebrows shot upwards. “Can’t read that in a museum.”

“Just like that, we’re supposed to be cool?” Sam asked, arms crossed.

“I’m with Sam,” the light blue Pegasus agreed, flying over to stand directly in Bucky’s eyesight. She narrowed her gaze, almost seeming like a glare, as she stared into the eyes of the Winter Soldier. She pointed to the large bruise on her chin, saying, “You remember giving me this?”

Bucky stared at the mare with the rainbow mane, shifting from the claw marks on her cheek to the bruise on her chin. He suddenly remembered what exactly he was looking at, and turned to either Steve or Sam for confirmation. They noted the confusion in his eyes, the appearance of the mares obviously surprising.

“Yeah…” Sam muttered. “They’re… they’re ponies… from another world.”

Bucky turned to Steve, who nodded. “A lot has happened since you’ve been gone.”

With that, Bucky slowly nodded, not really wanting to go further into detail on the subject. “Yeah…” he mumbled, turning his attention back to the angry Pegasus.

He turned back to the large bruise on her chin, the words she told him. He grimaced at the thought, the possibilities of what happened while he was in the dark. Looking around, he asked, “What did I do?”

“Enough to leave a mark,” Steve replied.

“Plenty of ‘em,” Rainbow Dash said, taking several steps back, just for precaution. She shook her head, Bucky staring at her. “Twilight’s gonna be so pissed when she sees what you did to the rest of our friends.”

Her tone said it all. What he did to the rest of her friends… God, Barnes closed his eyes at the thought of it. “Oh, God, I knew this would happen. Everything HYDRA put inside me is still there.” He stared at the group, at Steve, his friend, and the two mares all staring at him with concern. “All he had to do was say the goddamn words.”

“That wasn’t you, Bucky,” Fluttershy assured to him, placing her hoof comfortingly on his shoulder. Bucky turned to her hoof, followed up her foreleg, and stared into her eyes, that strange sense of ease flowing back inside him, much like earlier.

She continued. “When I stared into your eyes, I didn’t see the monster so many people made you out to be. All those stories of the Winter Soldier, that evil, evil man committing horrible atrocities… I didn’t see that in you. I saw a young man… a boy. You were trapped… alone… scared.”

He breathed softly through his nose, almost quivering. She broke away, her hoof falling. “Hurt.”

Bucky’s head slowly fell. “But not anymore,” Fluttershy told him, his eyes meeting hers once again. She offered a kind, sweet smile, probably the strongest one she could have offered for such a timid little thing. “Now, that spell that kept you trapped seems to have faded. You don’t have to be that monster anymore, Bucky. You’re free.”

“I wouldn’t say that, Fluttershy.”

Both turned in the direction of the Captain. He stepped forward, asking, “That man you mentioned earlier, the one who said the words to bring out the Winter Soldier… who was he?”

“I don’t know.”

“People are dead,” Steve declared, the stone-cold truth hitting Bucky like a shock of electricity. “The bombing, the setup, the doctor did all that just to get ten minutes with you. I need you to do better than ‘I don’t know.’”

Better than “I don’t’ know.” He let that sink with him, down, down, down into the deep abyss that was his mind. Inside, he tried his damnedest to remember the words the doctor said, the words that brought out… him. The piece Bucky didn’t want to think too much about. But he had to. He thought to the words, just briefly. He thought to what the doctor wanted. What did he say…?

December 16, 1991.

“He wanted to know… about the others,” Bucky slowly answered. Steve stepped forward. “Where I was kept. He wanted to know exactly where.”

“What others?” Steve asked.

Bucky clenched his fist, his flesh, and could feel the punches against his skin, just like so many years ago. Like they never left. Cautiously, he breathed, and brought up his gaze to meet Steve’s.

He said, “I’m not the only Winter Soldier.”

Steve’s jaw fell, but only slightly. He could see as Bucky dropped his head, muttering something to himself, something to hopefully calm himself. Other Winter Soldiers? It obviously wasn’t good news. One Winter Soldier caused public assassinations for over fifty years, HYDRA’s deadliest weapons. The thought of more soldiers just like Bucky… God.

Leaning back on the wall, Steve watched as Bucky cringed in pain, just a tad. He reached to his arm, his metal one, and gently rubbed it. Steve looked to Rainbow Dash and nodded her way. Dash nodded back. Approaching Bucky, Dash apprehensively released the lever, allowing the press to release Bucky’s arm.

Watching as Bucky composed himself, gripping his shoulder and muttering nonsense, Steve asked, “There are more like you? Who are they?”

After finally releasing his shoulder, Bucky composed himself, sitting in more comfortable position. He replied, “The most elite death squad. More kills than anyone in HYDRA history. And that was before the serum.”

“They all turn out like you?” Sam asked.

“Worse.”

Not good. Really not good. His thoughts were becoming reality. Steve crossed his arms, asking, “The doctor, could he control them?”

“Enough.”

Shaking his head, Steve sighed. “Said he wanted to see an empire fall.”

“With these guys, he could do it,” Bucky said. “They speak thirty languages, can hide in plain sight, infiltrate, assassinate, destabilize. They can take a whole country down in one night, you’d never see them coming.”

Fluttershy squeaked in fear, the thought of multiple Winter Soldiers, just as terrifying as Bucky had been, on the loose and ready to strike kept the mare shivering where she stood. Rainbow, on the other hoof, kept her frown frozen in place, not liking the idea of having to deal with more Winter Soldiers like Bucky, probably even worse than Bucky.

“Where are the others kept?” Steve asked, pressing further and further into him.

He shook his head as a response, then quickly followed it up. “I don’t know. Somewhere… somewhere in Russia.”

“Russia’s a big country,” Steve told him, his arms falling. He straightened himself, keeping his voice centered and strong. “Buck… I need you to—”

“And I need you to understand.” That stopped Rogers, his mouth shutting, his eyes locked with Buck’s. He breathed steadily, his back rising and falling, his black hair dangling just ahead of his eyes. He never looked colder… except when he was still controlled.

He said, “HYDRA tore apart my mind. What I remember now could be forgotten in a few hours, a few minutes, a few days, I don’t know. I can only see what they programmed in me, and even then, it’s still fuzzy. Like a fog. I have bits and pieces, but I can never put the puzzle back together. The fact that I can still remember who you are is a miracle on its own. So, when I say I don’t know, I don’t know.”

The two kept their stone-like gazes to each other. Sam watched from afar, watching the confrontation with mild concern, but ready just in case. The two mares shot their eyes back and forth, back and forth, from Steve to Bucky, seeing who would make the next move.

In the end, Steve nodded and backed away. “Try and remember.”

Bucky lowered his head, his fingers intertwining with one another. As Steve fell back to the wall, his back pressed against the cool cement, Sam came next to him, crossing his arms with a quiet sigh. “This would have been a lot easier a week ago.”

Steve nodded, eyeing Bucky. “If we call Tony…”

Sam shook his head. “No, he won’t believe us.”

“Even if he did…”

“Who knows if the Accords would let him help,” Sam interrupted.

Steve opened his mouth to argue, but fell silent. It was true. Stark wouldn’t help them, especially not now. The moment he laid eyes on them, he’d hire the entire German army to force them to surrender. There had to be way, though, a possibility to reach Stark.

“What about Twilight?” the Captain asked. “I’m sure she could see where we’re coming from. If we convince Twilight, maybe she can convince Stark.”

“I don’t think that’s happening.”

Steve and Sam turned their attention to the approaching mares. Fluttershy and Rainbow stopped directly in front of the two men, Rainbow shaking her head. She grumbled, “After what Buck did to our friends, Twilight especially, I think she lost all hope of ever trusting him again.”

“You really think so?”

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash turned to Bucky, the broken soldier staring at his hands. One flesh, one metal. Noticing the continued silence, Bucky brought up his gaze and watched the mares stare at him. Their gazes were not assuring. Neither were there declarations. Fluttershy sighed, turning back. “He almost killed Twilight.”

Bucky lowered his head, his hands unnaturally weak. Steve could have sworn he saw him shaking.

Rainbow frowned. “But we’re not Twilight,” she told him, referring to herself and Fluttershy, stamping her hoof down for added strength to her statement.

“But we’re on our own,” Steve said.

“What about Spike and Pinkie?” Rainbow retorted. “They’re still at the facility, and I’m pretty sure Pinkie would be down tracking a bunch of psycho assassins.”

“She’s got a point,” Sam interjected.

“But what about Spike?” Fluttershy asked, prompting Rainbow’s attention to center her way. “You really think he would want to be a part of all of this?”

“Are we?” Dash asked back, earning a look of surprise from the Pegasus. Shaking her head, Rainbow declared, “It doesn’t matter, Fluttershy. We’re helping Steve because he’s our friend…” she turned to Steve, then Bucky, then back to the Captain. “… and I trust him.”

Almost unsure, Fluttershy stared at Bucky’s lowered head, then turned to the Captain. She could see the look in his eyes, the desperation, the lack of hope that he desperately needed. If they didn’t help… then who would? Her friendship with the Captain, and the newfound hope she had for saving Bucky, were much greater than that of her worry and fear.

So, Fluttershy nodded, giving the Captain an assuring and confident smile. “Yeah… I do, too.”

Given that extra bit of much-needed strength, Steve nodded to them. “Thank you.”

“Good to get extra hooves on board, but it’s not enough,” Sam sighed.

“What, you got friends?” Steve asked.

“Close,” Sam replied, almost shaking his head, like he was unsure of his own statement. Still, he turned to Steve, and said, “I know a guy.”

Chapter 29 - Setting Barriers, Building Teams

Berlin, Germany

Joint Counter Terrorist Centre

6:33 p.m.

Things couldn’t have gone any worse for Thaddeus Ross. As if entering the Terrorist Centre currently recovering from the worst breakout it’s ever experienced wasn’t enough, now he had to deal with the fact that Barnes had escaped once again, this time with the aid of Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, and, unfortunately, Rainbow Dash.

Fantastic. More unstable relations to deal with. But those could be saved for later. He strolled passed the Princess of Friendship and her three friends resting in four chairs individually. Each were appearing to be recovering from their own feud—the marks on their bodies told plenty on what occurred—so Ross stopped just next to Tony Stark currently engrossed with a conversation with Natasha Romanoff.

“I don’t suppose you have any idea where they are?” Ross asked, his voice bringing Stark’s attention backwards. Aside from a small cut on his forehead and droplets of blood on his suit, he looked to be stable. Whatever stable for Stark meant.

“We will,” Tony said. “CSG 9’s got the boarders covered. Recon’s flying 24/7. They’ll get a hit. We’ll handle it.”

Ross furrowed his brow. Just as he expected to hear a Stark reply. He shook his head, saying, “You don’t get it, Stark. It’s not yours to handle. It’s clear you can’t be objective. I’m putting Special Ops on this.”

Natasha broke in for the first time, having remaining silent in her chair for the entire conversation. “What happens when the shooting starts?” she asked, clear concern with a tad sense of maliciousness added for good measure. “What, do you kill Steve Rogers?”

“If we’re provoked,” Ross replied nonchalantly, earning a frown from Romanoff. Ross was unyielding, adding, “Barnes would’ve been eliminated in Romania if it wasn’t for Rogers… and his little helper.”

Twilight just looked away, ignoring the eyes of the Secretary of State.

“There are dead people who would be alive now,” Ross continued. Stark seated himself in a nearby chair, Ross approaching him. “Feel free to check my math.”

Looking up to the man, Tony said, “All due respect, you’re not gonna solve this with boys and bullets, Ross. You gotta let us bring them in.”

“How would that end any differently than last time?”

Stark replied, his eyes as stone, “Because this time I won’t be wearing loafers and a silk shirt.”

Ross could have smiled, but refrained from doing so. Instead, he listened as Stark added, “72 hours, guaranteed.”

A bit too much freedom. He couldn’t have that. “36 hours,” Ross corrected him. “Barnes…” He began to make his exit, slowly saying the names of the wanted men. “Rogers… Wilson… Dash.”

He stopped directly in front of Princess Twilight. She was cautiously rubbing her neck, the red marks still clearly visible.

Ross saw the marks. He said, “Your Highness, I apologize for the recent events.” Her eyes shot up to meet his own, a certain weariness visible in her violet irises. Not of lack of sleep, but of something else. Pain, regret, defeat. Ross had seen it plenty of times.

Right now, she didn’t need any more pain or hopelessness. He said, “This will not harm relations between our two worlds, but if it does come down to it… Do we have your permission to subdue Rainbow Dash if she refuses to surrender? I must warn you, however, protecting your friend—someone who has blatantly broken the law—will have consequences.”

Sometimes hope was bittersweet.

Twilight didn’t seem to react all too well to Ross’ grave warning. Her lips flared in what appeared to be a sneer, but she said nothing, simply staring at him with her weak eyes. “We’ll take care of it,” she replied, voice basically dead.

Ross nodded. “That’s good to hear.”

With that, Thaddeus Ross made his exit, leaving the room slightly warmer without his presence. Twilight lowered her head and rubbed her neck, the other mares returning to their own wounds and weariness. Stark seemed to resemble Twilight’s actions, instead choosing to rub his shoulder cautiously.

“My left arm is numb. Is that normal?” he asked, eyes turning to Natasha. She paused by his right, her palm falling onto his shoulder.

“You all right?” Natasha asked, gently rubbing the sore spot.

“Always,” Stark replied, almost as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He looked back, asking, “How about you girls?”

Rarity clenched her teeth as Applejack pressed her hooves deep into her backside, earning a few painful pops and unsatisfying cracks in response. “We could definitely be better, darling,” she whined.

Starlight rubbed the side of her face, the large, black and blue bruise growing across her right eye. “Didn’t expect him to strike so hard… so fast.”

After finishing her work on Rarity, Applejack leaned back into her chair, gently prodding the large bruise on her forehead. “That varmint just got a lucky shot is all,” she said, voice slightly altered due to the bloody tissues clogging her nostrils. “How ‘bout it, Twi?”

For so long, Twilight didn’t respond. She just kept her head faced to the floor, hoof rubbing her neck and the other keeping her steady in her chair. The mares all soon turned their attention to the Alicorn, waiting for her response, if she even had one. Conversations, especially after what happened, hadn’t escalated much amongst the ponies.

Then, she said, “I saw his eyes for the first time.”

That earned both Stark’s and Romanoff’s full attention, the two keeping their eyes trained on the violet Alicorn. Her friends listened intently, as well, Twilight continuing shortly. “For the first, real time. No, I didn’t see that friend Steve told me about. I didn’t see the man who saved Captain America. I…”

“What did you see?” Natasha asked.

Twilight looked right at her. “Nothing,” she gasped. She almost couldn’t breathe the words. “That’s just it… nothing. No remorse, no kindness, no hope, no pain, just… nothing. The stories were all true. He’s lost. He’s a machine built for the sole purpose of destroying… annihilating… killing. He really is the Winter Soldier… and nothing else.”

“Did Fluttershy see anything?” Stark asked, recalling his moments hidden within the shattered tables. He remembered seeing Fluttershy glare the man down, surprisingly freezing him in place. Almost mirroring each other, their expressions shattered like the glass they exemplified, especially Fluttershy’s. The poor mare could barely move after Barnes shoved her aside.

Twilight shook her head. “I wouldn’t know. Fluttershy’s gone; probably went with Rainbow.” Facing realization once more caused her face to fall weakly into her hooves, a long sigh following. Starlight rubbed Twilight’s shoulder sympathetically.

The Alicorn sniffed, rubbing her eyes. “How long did Ross say we had?”

“36 hours,” Natasha answered.

“Alright…” she muttered, nodding. “Okay… Tony… Natasha…” Twilight said, sitting straight up and staring the two dead on. “We’ve seen what he’s capable of, we’ve felt from experience… how capable he is.” Each of the mares correspondingly rubbed their wounds, whimpering quietly. “I want to trust Steve, but after everything Barnes has done…”

Twilight’s teeth tightened in her jaw, her eyes shutting tight as she looked away. She looked to be trapped in a deep battle within her, what was right and wrong pushing each other dangerously over the edge of no return. Stark knew that from experience, and he didn’t like to see it again. Especially on Twilight.

In the end, she just sighed. “Right now… all I know is that you all are the only ones we can truly trust. So…” she stared at the two, nodding only once, “consider us in.”

Starlight nodded as well, eyeing Stark and Romanoff with pure determination glowing in her eyes. “We’ll help bring in Barnes.”

“Ah still need ta get payback after what he did ta me,” Applejack growled, finally placing her hat back where it rightfully belonged.

Rarity nodded, joining the others. “You can count on us.”

Natasha smiled gratefully, that smile not lasting forever. “Thank you, girls, but it’s not enough.” She turned back to Stark, almost whispering, “We’re seriously understaffed.”

“Oh, yeah,” Stark said, nodding. “It’d be great if we had a Hulk right about now?”

Natasha only smiled, shaking her head. “If we even knew where he was, you really think he’d be on our side?” she asked.

Stark stared forward, realization hitting him like a metal fist into his sternum. “No.”

“I have an idea, one you may like,” Natasha said.

“Interesting. I think I got an idea, too,” Stark mumbled. He looked up at her, asking, “Where’s yours?

“Around here, a certain... King of Wakanda,” she replied, referring, of course, to T'Challa. “Where’s yours?”

Stark slowly smiled. It wasn’t a cocky smile, or one that showed he was smarter than her. He didn’t need to smile to show that. No, it was just a smile, but Natasha knew there was something behind it. Something good, hopefully. Knowing Stark, she couldn’t dig any deeper than that.

He turned back to Twilight. “Hey,” he said, tapping her shoulder, earning her attention. “You ever been to Queens?”

Twilight’s expression dulled. “Tony… you know I haven’t.”

Stark smiled. “Good,” he declared, standing up. “I have a feeling you’d really like Queens.”

Chapter 30 - A Friendly Neighborhood

Queens, New York

3:33 p.m.

Seven-hour school days, hallways ripe with bullies, high school crushes, disgusting lunches, studying, dodgeball, and how could he forget the oh-so-loved algebra tests. It was too easy for him. Most of it anyway. Nailing algebra tests and studying were two of his best attributes, he just couldn’t grow out of the shell that most of the freshmen found themselves in.

With the sweet DVD player just sitting out in the open resting under his armpit, he had no reason to complain. The sweet, sweet tune of “Left Hand Free” by alt-J flowed from his phone, through his headphones, and into his eardrums. Walking step by step into the apartment complex, he pulled out his keys and made his way to the place he called home, the thoughts of his homework for the night ripe on his mind.

It was just another day in the life of Peter Parker.

It felt that way at first. The moment he stepped into his and his Aunt May’s apartment, he knew it wasn’t going to be just another average day.

“Hey May!” Peter called, grunting as he let his backpack fall to the floor.

“Hey!” his Aunt May called back, watching Peter drop what appeared to be a DVD player on the dinner table. She asked, “How was school today?”

“It was okay,” Peter replied, turning his eyes to the couch where he assumed May was sitting. “There’s this crazy car parked outside…”

He stopped. He wanted to stop breathing, too, but he knew that wasn’t possible. Instead, he desperately tried to wrap his head around the fact that Tony Stark was sitting on his couch. Well, his Aunt May’s couch. Their couch. Not only that—as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing already—he noticed the violet figure sitting between Tony Stark and May. It twisted its head around, revealing a protruding horn and twin violet irises. He noticed the warm smile arise, as well.

Twilight Sparkle. The Princess of Friendship. The alien ambassador from planet Equus. Peter and May had been keeping up with the news over the past few weeks. It was basically the talk of the whole school, probably the entire country. Heck, maybe even the world.

Regardless, she and Tony Stark were inside their apartment! Their apartment! But why?

“Oh, Mr. Parker,” Tony Stark greeted.

He knew his name. Peter could feel his heart practically breaking through his chest cavity.

“Um…” Peter mumbled, taking out his earphones. He could see Princess Twilight offer him the sweetest smile he had seen in a long time. His mind was drawing a blank, so he said what came natural. “W-what… What are you doing…? Uh… Hey!”

Then she giggled. Probably the most adorable laugh he’d ever heard.

“You don’t have to be nervous, Peter,” Twilight said, then suddenly recoiled, a hoof rising to cover her mouth. “Oh… um… can I call you Peter?”

Peter felt a bead of sweat roll down his head. Quickly wiping away at his brow, he smiled and shook his head too many times than he probably should have. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, no prob. I’m… Oh, wow… I’m just… wow.”

“Pretty overwhelming, isn’t it?” Stark asked, earning a giggle from Twilight and a nod from Parker. May bit her lower lip, brows rising in excitement to her nephew. Peter shot her a quick glance before returning to Stark. “Well, we were just dropping by to inform your… unusually attractive aunt that her nephew… was approved for the September Foundation Grant.”

Peter’s eyes widened at that statement. He had heard of the grant before, but he never did apply for it. Now, he had Tony Stark and the Princess of Friendship pretty much congratulating him on his approval for the grant. He was oddly surprised, confused, and excited at the same time.

Aunt May simply waved her hand, that same hand reaching to rub a strand of hair behind her ear. “Oh, come on. I’m just like everyone else’s aunt,” she said.

“You’re lying and you know it,” Stark replied, earning a laugh from May. “Come on, what’s your secret? Botox, exercise, huge bag of wee—?”

“Tony,” Twilight interrupted, “I think now would be a good time to tell Peter what he’s actually been approved for.”

“Oh, yeah definitely,” Stark agreed, turning back to face Peter again. “As my extra-terrestrial friend here said—you’ve known about the alien ambassadors, right?” he asked, earning a shaky nod from Peter.

“Yeah, yeah. My aunt and I have been keeping up with…” Peter mumbled, his eyes falling to the equine once more, “… with the news.”

“Good. Then… we can get down to business,” Stark said, taking a sip from the coffee May had provided. As he lowered the cup from his lips, he said, “We wanted to congratulate the winner of the September Foundation, and what better way than with the Princess of Friendship personally endorsing it. Nothing says perfect publicity than shaking an alien hoof and gettin’ a check.”

Peter’s eyes widened at the mentioning of a check, then immediately fell when he realized he didn’t deserve it. “Wow, uh… before we get... we get started… um, how much money are we talking about here?”

“An excellent question,” Stark said, turning to May. “Could we get a few minutes alone with him, please?”

Aunt May nodded and smiled. “Sure,” she said, mouth falling in excitement to Peter. He smiled back before he was basically led to his own room by Tony Stark and Princess Twilight. He opened the door for them, kept his eyes centered on the equine for a brief moment before he entered himself. Hearing the curious sound of the door locking behind him, Peter turned around and watched Tony Stark step away from the door, instead choosing to observe his room like a health inspector.

“Could I sit down, Peter?” Twilight asked, staring up at Parker expectantly.

Peter nodded absentmindedly. “Yeah… Yeah, yeah, sure.”

Smiling, Twilight flapped her wings gently to kick off the ground and settle herself on Peter’s bed. She ruffled her feathers quickly, the wings folding neatly into her sides. Peter watched her actions carefully, then mentally shook his head and turned back to Stark.

“Hey… Mr. Stark—”

“Nope!” Tony interrupted, causing Peter to flinch. He wagged his finger at him, keeping his eyes centered on the old computers lining Peter’s desk. “No need for formalities. Just call me Tony, or Stark. Or both. Whichever you prefer.”

Peter nodded as if he was commanded to do so. Gosh, his pits were sweating so bad. “Okay… Stark…” he sighed. “Look… I didn’t apply for your grant.”

“Oh, I know,” Tony said, rubbing his hand across the old-school keyboard.

Peter took a double take. “You do?”

“We both do,” Twilight said, smiling from Peter’s bedside.

Peter turned to her, confused by her mysterious smile. “Really? Wait… then… w-why are you two here?”

Both Twilight and Tony shared a humorous look, as if the two had a great joke only they knew. “Shall we?” Twilight asked.

“Let’s,” Tony said, nodding. “Time to let the cat out of the bag, or in this case… the ‘spider’.”

He pulled out his phone, and to Peter’s surprise a hologram emerged from its face, showcasing a poor video feed of a carjacker. But instead of breaking in, he broke down when a masked blur wrapped his legs in an invisible thread and pulled him down to his face. The vigilante left as quick as he came, the video pausing the same moment Peter’s heart had.

“That’s you, right?” Tony asked, referring, of course, to the shot of the masked hero.

Peter slowly shook his head, almost as if he was unprepared to. “Uh… no, that’s—”

“Oh, really?” Tony said, showing another video, this one of a car with failed breaks. The same vigilante arrived, leaping in front of the car just before it hit an upcoming bus. And just as quickly, he was gone. “Look at you go. Wow, nice catch. 3,000 pounds, 40 miles an hour. That’s not easy. You got mad skills, bro.”

As Tony put his phone away, Peter gulped, nervously stuttering. “Y-yeah, but that’s all on YouTube though, right? I mean, that’s where you found that? ‘Cause you know that’s all fake, that’s all done on a computer.”

Tony was barely listening. Both he and Peter paced the room, one retreating and the other hunting. “Yeah, sure,” he muttered. “Hey, Twi, did you find it yet?”

“Found it the first few seconds we came in,” the Alicorn replied. Peter’s shot his eyes to her, confused by her response, shocked to hear what she said next. “Nothing like a good ol’ magical pulse to find the fabric you hide in the attic.”

His heart plummeted. “Wait, what are you—?” Peter began to say, his voice failing him.

“Oh, you mean this attic?”

“No!” Peter screamed, watching as Stark opened the small space in the ceiling. Per his touch, a folded red and blue suit fell down, attached by a rope, to which Peter quickly snatched and hid away behind him. He spun around, seeing the humorous looks of both Stark and Twilight. “Uh… that’s, um… You weren’t supposed to see that.”

“I’m sure we weren’t,” Stark agreed. Peter crossed his arms, using his entire body as a shield just in case Princess Twilight wanted to try any other magic trick to see his suit. Instead, she stared at Tony, who stood in front of Parker with a humorless expression, completely opposite to what he held earlier.

“So…” he began, earning the boy’s attention, “you’re the Spider…ling?” Peter dropped his gaze, shaking his head. “Crime-Fighting Spider? You’re Spider-Boy?”

He refused to meet the man in the eyes. Instead, he sighed, and spoke barely over a whisper.

“S-Spider-Man…”

Stark nodded, remaining silent. It was quiet for a little bit too long, and then it was broken by Twilight starting to giggle. That giggle changed into laughter, controlled but still out of place. Peter, unfortunately, was awfully confused, and turned his concerned gaze to the Princess of Friendship.

“What?” he asked.

Trying to suppress her giggles with a hoof, Twilight breathed, saying, “Okay… that’s adorable.”

“Adora—?” Peter said, blinking several times. He was visibly blushing at this point. “It’s not supposed to be adorable! It’s supposed to be…”

He locked his fingers behind his head, exhaling before retreating to his desk. Defeat was ripe in the afternoon, Stark could feel it. He’d felt like that several times before, many when dealing with the adorkableness of Twilight Sparkle. With that in mind, Stark walked over to the basket and pulled out the suit, observing the crude design.

“Who else knows?” Stark asked.

“Nobody,” Peter mumbled. He breathed out, fists pressed into his desk. “Well… not anymore.”

“Hm, interesting. You know what’s really interesting, though? This webbing.” He threw it at Peter, who caught it without even looking. He tossed a second webbing vial to Twilight, who caught it within her magical aura. The two examined the webbing in their grasp, one shaking his head, the other practically giddy over it.

“It’s incredible, really,” Twilight said, closing one eye to get a better peak at the webbing. Peter looked over to the Alicorn on his bed. She continued. “The tensile strength is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”

“Ditto,” Stark added.

“You must have a great manufacturer,” Twilight observed, turning to Peter with a somewhat curious stare. “But you don’t… do you?”

She read his mind. He thought if it was just another magic trick she did. Probably was. Shaking his head, Peter said, “No. I made it.”

“And the climbing on walls, the abnormal strength…?” Tony pressed on.

“All happened after the bite.”

“Bite, huh?” Twilight asked, Peter mentally slapping himself for bringing it up. “Mind elaborating, Peter?”

Once more, he shook his head, this time thinking with his words instead of blabbing them out. “Look, all you need to know is that I got these powers, my senses are off the charts, and now only you two know about it. My Aunt May can never find out. If she knows… she’ll freak.”

He sighed after that, lowering his gaze to the floor. Bringing up his gaze, he managed to catch the Princess’ eyes. Noticing his unease, Twilight motioned him forward. He let her scoot aside, allowing Peter to take a seat on his bed. He turned his attention to Stark finally taking a seat, only in Peter’s chair. It was silent for a few moments, definitely longer than before. Then, Stark asked a question that even Peter wasn’t truly prepared for.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked. Peter just stared at him for several seconds. “No one asked for your help. You’re not getting money, I can tell. Just for the greater good or… what?”

Leaning forward, wrestling with his hands, Peter punched his palm. He sighed. “Because I’ve been me my whole life. I’ve had these powers for six months. I read books, I build computers like you’ve seen, and yeah… I would love to play football, but I couldn’t then and I shouldn’t now.”

Tony nodded. “Sure, because you’re different.”

“Exactly. But I can’t tell anybody that.”

Another sigh. Another pause, this one even longer. When he looked at Tony this time, there was something else in his eyes, something Stark hadn’t seen before. An uncertain strength, an unforgiving guilt. Peter said, “Look, when you can do the things that I can, but you don’t… and then the bad things happen… they happen because of you. Because you weren’t fast enough.”

Tony leaned in, sending a quick, sad glance to Twilight. Twilight’s ears fell.

He turned back to Peter, asking, “So, you wanna look out for the little guy? Make the world a better place?”

Peter Parker just shook his head, but not in a denying way. He pursed his lips, shrugged his shoulders, and said, “I just want to do what’s right.”

Good kid. Strong kid, really. Tony made the right choice coming to him. He had the potential, he had the heart and the spirit. No word of any parents, and by police reports it seemed his uncle died a little while back. Really strong kid. No one deserves to have to go through that much pain alone. His Aunt May couldn’t provide for the kind of potential he had. He needed someone else.

He sure did. Tony looked down to his hands.

“That’s why we’re here, Peter.”

Turning to his left, Peter stared into Twilight’s eyes, asking, “Why, Your Highness?”

She smiled, that same adorable smile from earlier. “I… prefer Twilight, if you don’t mind.”

He nodded. “Sorry.”

And just like that, her smile slowly faded. She sighed, eyesight lowering to stare at her violet hooves pressed into the cushioning. Peter watched her actions carefully. “Listen, Peter. My friends… they’re… they’re a little confused right now. They don’t know what’s right or what’s wrong.”

“Same for Steve Rogers,” Tony finally said. He noticed the look Parker gave him, causing him to roll his eyes. “Captain America, is that better?”

“N-no, I knew who you were—”

Tony interrupted him, and said something that surprised even Peter. “He’s made a mistake, got himself in trouble by the law. The bottom of it is that he’s wrong and he thinks he’s right. By all means, that makes him dangerous.”

“Captain America?” Peter asked. Tony nodded. Peter leaned back, his brows furrowing at the thought of Stark’s words. “Wow.”

“Yeah, but don’t let him get to your head. He’s probably gonna say something stupid like ‘there’s a lot going on here that you wouldn’t understand’. Just go for his legs, he’ll be down quick.”

“Wait… go for his legs?” Peter asked, Tony nodding. “You’re talking about… f-fighting… right?”

Neither Stark nor Twilight answered, the two sharing uneasy glances between each other, eventually falling back to Parker. He turned left and right, stuttering, breathing, and finally forming enough strength to ask, “What are you two here for again?”

Tony got up and sat on Peter’s right, Twilight on his left, trapping him in a Peter Parker sandwich. Tony brought up his hand, held it for a second, then placed his palm on his shoulder, asking, “Do you got a passport?”

“What?” Peter asked, shaking his head quickly. “No, no, I don’t even have a driver’s lice—”

“You ever been to Germany?”

Peter paused. “No…”

“Oh, you’ll love it,” Stark said, smiling.

Peter’s eyes grew unnaturally wide. “What? No, no, no, I can’t go to Germany. Not now.”

“Why?”

Peter bit his lip, muttering, “I got… homework.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “And I thought Twilight was boring.”

“Yeah,” Twilight agreed, suddenly pausing. “Wait, what?”

“Nothing,” Stark said. He stood up, walked away from the bed and approached the door, much to Peter’s dismay. It was even worse when he said, “Oh, well, better tell Aunt Hotty that I’m taking you to Ger—”

His hand reached for the handle, and when he grabbed it he couldn’t let go. Not because of the handle, but because of the webbing suddenly trapping his hand against the wooden door. A sudden squeak of surprise escaped the Alicorn, prompting Stark’s full attention back to the bed.

There stood Parker, his right arm outstretched, middle and ring finger pressed into his palm, and the web shooter now visible on his wrist. He pointed to Tony and breathed, “Don’t tell Aunt May.”

Instead of seeing that blank stare like before, Peter saw a smile grace Stark’s features. “What do you think, Twilight?” he asked.

Peter twisted his neck back, staring at the Alicorn deeply invested at the web shooter on his wrist. She breathed, her chest slowly rising and falling, and nodded. “Very impressive,” Twilight whispered.

Tony nodded, Peter facing him again. “Alright, Spider-Man,” he said. “Let’s get you suited up.”

Author's Note

Not a fan of the new style of the site.

Chapter 31 - One More Stop

Upstate New York

New Avengers Facility

9:47 p.m.

The explosion was loud enough to wake everyone up.

Practically tripping over each other, Pinkie Pie and Spike raced down the dark hallway and stumbled into the living room, where Wanda was already standing by the window. Pinkie, in her adorable onesie pajamas, and Spike, with a toothbrush stuck between his jaws, stood in silence and stared at the Maximoff, at the shower of lights from beyond the glass window.

Pinkie’s eyes lit up, her hooves clapping together. “Ooo! Are there fireworks tonight? Hold on! I’ll go get my stash!”

As Pinkie disappeared back into the hallway with a trail of dust following her, Spike stepped forward next to Wanda’s side. Swallowing his wad of toothpaste, Spike pulled out his toothbrush and wiped his mouth. “Wanda,” he said, “what’s going on?”

She shook her head, eyes glued to the rising flames. “I don’t—”

She gasped, head darting to her right. Spike followed, watching as the Vision materialized through the floor, rising to stand on Wanda’s right. Eyes forward, glare evident, Vision said clear and crisp, “Stay here, please.”

With that, Vision floated beyond the glass and into the tree lines. Both Wanda and Spike watched him disappear together, a surprising gasp emerging from the Maximoff, just enough to frighten the baby dragon right out of his scales. Spike spun around as Wanda did, her telekinetic powers ripping a kitchen knife from a cutting board and flinging it across the room. The knife stopped in mid-air, just mere inches away from the tall figure standing in the center of the living room.

Wanda gasped, Spike joining her. As for Clint Barton, he just chuckled at the knife in his face, pushing it away with his pointing finger. “Guess I shoulda knocked,” he said.

“Clint!” Spike yelled.

Barton nodded his way. “Hey, Spike. Long time no see.”

“Oh, my God,” Wanda breathed. She approached the man, the baby dragon right at her heels. “What are you doing here?”

“Disappointing my kids,” Clint answered nonchalantly, whipping out an arrow from his quiver. He fired at the other end of the room, sticking an arrow right into the wall. He pulled out another, whipping around and shooting the kitchen table. “I’m supposed to go water skiing.”

While the two kept their eyes focused on Barton, they paid no attention to the pink pony walking back into the living room, a pile of fireworks stacked on her forelegs. Pinkie grunted, saying, “Alright, I got about a hundred bottle rockets, some smoke bombs, and some mortars to finish off the—!”

Pinkie gasped, her eyes widening. All the fireworks she carried were promptly forgotten, spilling on the floor surrounding her hooves. Clint just smiled, waving her way. “Hey, Pinks,” he greeted.

Pinkie, on the other hoof, was damn near to exploding. And she did. Letting out a piercing cry, the pink pony shot across the room with speeds so like her to deliver a powerful Pinkie hug to the Hawk. It was so fast and so unexpected that Clint fell back with the pink party animal clinging to his chest. Groaning a bit, Clint forced a smile and patted her head.

“Clint! I missed you sooooo much!” Pinkie cried, rubbing her head into his chest. “You have no idea how boring it is around here! Thank you, thank you, thank you for visiting one more time!”

“Yeah, good to see you too, Pinks!” Clint told her, clearly struggling to catch a breath with Pinkie’s abnormally strong forelegs tightly coiled around his chest. “But I’m not here to visit, so if you could please!”

Hopping off of him, Pinkie smiled innocently at the Hawk standing back up, a slight crack in his back. With all three of them keeping their attention on him for the short moment they had, Clint quickly explained, “Okay, look, we don’t have much time, but the Captain needs all of your help, so we gotta go.”

Grabbing Wanda’s wrist, Clint made an effort to the exit. He, however, was stopped by Spike’s voice saying, “Wait, what’s going on? Why does Steve need our help?”

It took a moment for Clint to respond. “Let’s just say he’s gotten into a bit of trouble.”

“Like getting arrested?” Spike objected, crossing his arms. “Like trying to hide away a wanted criminal? And he needs our help in hiding the Winter Soldier away, I bet?”

Turning back around, Clint shook his head to the baby dragon, saying, “It’s not like that.”

“Then what is it?” Wanda asked, breaking free from his grip and crossing her own arms.

“Bucky’s been brainwashed, but he’s fine now,” Clint quickly explained, earning a curious brow raise from both Wanda and Spike. Continuing, he said, “He had no control over every horrible thing that he did, but he wants to make up for it.”

“How?” Spike asked.

“He’s giving us information on more Winter Soldiers,” Clint said, noting the change of expression from Spike to that of shock. “A lot more.” It quickly shifted to dread, Wanda’s mirroring Spike’s. “If those Winter Soldiers break out of their prison, they can take down our entire infrastructure, probably worse. There’s no telling what these guys can do, or how fast they can do it.”

Turning to Wanda, Clint said, “Stark and Twilight are beyond reasoning, so the Captain came to me and the rest of you. We can set things right, but only if we leave now and get to Cap and Buck.”

“Wait, wait, wait, wait! Hold up!” Pinkie interrupted, stepping forward so she was the center of attention. Clint, Wanda, and Spike all remained silent, listening as Pinkie asked, “Sooooo… you’re saying that we get to go outside the law, do a bunch of highly illegal things, and finally take on some psycho assassins to stop them from destroying the entire country?”

Clint kind of nodded. “That’s the… that’s the gist of it.”

Screeching in delight, and causing all three to flinch back in surprise, Pinkie hopped up and down. “Yay! Winter Soldier Stopping Vigilantes! I like the sound of that! Oh, I am so excited I could just scream!” Pinkie declared, taking in a deep, long breath. However, Clint’s hand shot forward and covered her mouth.

“We’ll do that later,” he told her, gripping the pony’s foreleg. “We just gotta go now!”

“Why can’t Twilight help?”

Stopping dead in his tracks, Clint tightened his jaw, dreading the inevitable question from the inevitable dragon. Turning slowly back to Spike, he could see the confusion, the innocence burning in each of his reptilian eyes. Clint knew the relationship between the two, he knew how much Twilight meant to Spike, and vice versa. But Steve specifically requested for as much help as possible. They needed to leave.

“Like I said,” Clint replied, letting Pinkie go, “Twilight, Starlight, Rarity, and Applejack are beyond reasoning.”

“Yeah, but why?” Spike asked, stepping forward. “Twilight’s the Princess of Friendship, so why would she deny Steve for helping his friend?”

“Listen, Spike,” Clint said, bending down to one knee and meeting the dragon’s eye level. “I don’t think it’s my place to say it, but Twilight probably doesn’t see the whole story the way you and me do. Cap told me that Rainbow and the others got a pretty nasty beating from Buck when he was still brainwashed. Any opinion they had of him before is definitely gone now. They probably just see him as a killer.”

“But… shouldn’t we at least try? Can’t we at least see if she’ll give him a chance?” Spike asked.

Unfortunately for him, Clint shook his head. “With the other Winter Soldiers… we just don’t have that kind of time, Spike.” With that given, Spike’s expression flattened, a saddened sigh escaping him before the eventual nod came. “Now, come on,” Clint said, spinning around and grabbing Wanda’s wrist once again. “Honestly, if you ask me, she’s being pretty hypocritical—”

“Clint!”

He stopped once again, cursing under his breath. Spike spun around, Pinkie, Wanda, and Clint eventually doing the same. Through the glass window, Vision phased into the living room, meeting with his feet to the floor and approaching the invading Hawk.

“Aw, shit,” Clint mumbled, tightening his palm into Wanda’s. “Hey, Vis.”

Vision could see as Barton seemed to be pushing Wanda closer behind him. Narrowing his focus, standing on edge, Vision said, “You should not be here.”

“Really? I retire for, what, like five minutes, and it all goes to shit.”

“Please consider the consequences of your actions.”

“Okay, they’re considered.”

Frowning, Vision stepped forward, only to be stopped by the young drake. “Vision, wait!” Spike declared, claws held forward in an effort to stop the synthetic.

“Spike, this does not concern you. Please stand aside,” Vision said, trying to walk around him.

Spike, however, continued to block his path. “I won’t! This isn’t right, Vision! You of all people should know there is always another chance, and Bucky deserves that chance!”

“Mr. Barnes is a war criminal who has committed unspeakable acts of inhumanity,” Vision replied rather sharply, causing Spike to back away. “Mr. Stark had informed me of everything he’s done, and to be certain that none of you would be involved with this madness.”

Spike stopped, his brows furrowing at that statement. “So, it’s true…” he said, Vision’s head tilting. “You were working for Stark all along to keep all three of us away from the fight!”

“I only did so to keep her safe,” Vision tried to argue, but stopped when Wanda stepped forward.

She shook her head, an incredulous look in her eyes, filled with signs of betrayal. Vision nearly fell apart at that sight. “You were keeping me imprisoned here,” she said.

“It was not like that, Wanda,” Vision said, stepping forward. “I kept you here for everyone’s safety.”

“Because I’m just a monster… a disaster waiting to happen?” she asked, Vision stopped. For that, he had no answer. Shaking her head, Wanda’s voice nearly cracked as she said, “I thought you saw me differently.”

“That’s not what I—”

Bolts of electricity shot out from the arrows Barton had stuck to the walls earlier. Vision groaned from the pulsating electric currents flowing across his body, keeping him immobilized for a short moment. Jumping at the sight of the electricity, Wanda felt Barton’s hand grip hers once more.

“Time to go,” Clint said, eventually letting Wanda go when he was certain she was following.

Pinkie Pie’s uncertainty could be seen from a mile away, but she eventually followed. She and Spike hurried passed Wanda’s legs, the Maximoff slowing down until she came to a complete stop. She looked back, staring at the disgruntled form of the Vision. That same feeling came back, the one she tried to push down. Now, they were just painful, building in her chest to see Vision in so much pain. The thought of leaving him behind clouded her judgement, her thoughts, almost causing her to ignore Clint’s voice.

“Wanda, we’re kinda on a tight schedule here!”

Turning to Clint, Wanda’s eyes told the tale. “I…” she looked back to Vision, her hands slowly entangling with one another. “I-I…”

Barton looked to Spike and Pinkie, seeing them by his side and ensuring their stance on the issue. Racing back, Clint whispered, “You gotta help me, Wanda. You want the world to see you differently, you want to make amends, then get off your ass and follow me.”

Wanda frowned at that, but Clint wasn’t paying her that much attention. Pinkie’s voice from behind earned Clint’s interests. “Uh, Clint…”

Vision fired a golden beam from the stone in his forehead, destroying the arrow and freeing him from the electrical current.

“Shit.”

Wanda backed away as Vision hovered forward towards Clint. Ripping an arrow from his quiver with intense speed, Barton fired off a quick one towards Vision’s chest. The arrow phased through, hitting the glass on the opposite side of the room. Grabbing Barton’s bow and tossing it aside, Vision swung for Clint’s head. He ducked, ramming his fist to the bottom of Vision’s jaw. Instead of seeing Vision jerk back from the force of the punch, Barton only felt pain in his right arm, his fingers practically aching, like he punched solid concrete.

The two locked eyes for a moment, Clint nervously chuckling. Vision frowned and punched Barton in the chest, knocking him flat on his back. The Hawk laid there for a moment, groaning at the pain in his chest. Vision, however, gave the man no time to rest and advanced upon him.

If it hadn’t been for the powerful telekinetic blast hitting his back.

Spinning around, Vision was almost hurt to see Wanda form of a bolt of red energy between her palms, her stance on edge, her eyes on fire. It was all directed towards him.

“Vision, that’s enough. We’re leaving,” she said, her voice careful, her actions held.

“I can’t let you, Wanda,” he replied, seeing the circumstances and what would happen if he let her go. He could also see as Wanda readied herself, her breathing increased, her palms at the ready. Any moment she could strike, and Vision knew he couldn’t let that happen. “I don’t want to fight you.”

“Then you won’t have to,” she replied. Tilting his head in confusion, Vision was unprepared when Wanda shouted, “Pinkie!”

Spinning accordingly, Vision’s eyes widened at the sight of over a hundred fireworks all lit, all pointed in his direction, and all handled by Pinkie Pie. “Way ahead of you, Wanda!” the pony declared, covering her ears as the fuses shrunk smaller and smaller until…

Several gun-like shots rang out through the living room. The screeches of the bottle rockets soared ahead to the Vision, either striking him or flying right on by. The mortars, however, were the worst, hitting the ceiling, flying passed Vision, or hitting the android dead on and exploding, sending bright reds, blues, greens, yellows, and purples all across the room. Vision shielded his eyes from the brightness, backing away from the onslaught of oncoming fire.

In a last desperate attempt, Pinkie lit all of the smoke bombs and tossed them to and fro. With the short distraction they had, Wanda covered her head and grabbed Clint, racing through the smoke alongside Pinkie and Spike. By the time the last mortar fired and the last bottle rocket screeched on by, the Vision lowered his arms and found himself shrouded in smoke. Catching his breath, Vision shot forward, and with his cape cleared all the smoke from the room.

But by the time clarity was present, he was all alone.

Chapter 32 - Blind Men See No Evil

Berlin, Germany

Berlin Tegel Airport

10:12 a.m.

He asked me again if you were going to be there. I said I wasn’t sure.

The line would never move. Of all times, especially now, he needed it to. It wasn’t the possibility of missing his flight—he was right on time. No, no, he held no trepidation for that thought. He kept his eyes on every moving body, his head on a constant swivel. He tried desperately to blend in, whispered to himself over and over again that his mind was playing tricks on him. He wasn’t seeing what he was seeing.

You should have seen his little face.

His mind, however, was a different, more demented story. It was a constant struggle to push back the overwhelming pain constantly tearing through his nerves, wanting, lusting to break free from the bonds Zemo had forced upon himself. At least in public. He spun his neck around, the couple behind him casting the man a waning glance before returning to their phones.

Just try, okay?

Zemo’s lower lip quivered. His palms nearly bled with how hard he clenched his fists, the whites of his knuckles clearly seen. People talked, people walked, people crowded him. People in front, people behind, people suffocating him. He kept himself tangled, forcing himself to be calm, yet the haunting chill, the possibility that he wasn’t alone kept crawling across his skin, up and down his spine. He spun around, scanned the crowds, and faced forward once more. Why wouldn’t the line move?!

I’m going to bed.

He looked to the large sign directly above the crowd, reading “Moskau/Moscow”. He looked to his plane ticket, checking for probably the twelfth time just to be sure he was in the right line for the right flight at the exact right time. He couldn’t afford to make any more mistakes, not like earlier with the crash in the center of Berlin. Zemo knew that. He kept his head forward and thought over his plan.

I love you.

He stopped thinking for a brief moment. It hurt him so much. He knew he couldn’t stop now. After everything he’s done, everything he’s done for them, everything he’s done to the Avengers, he couldn’t just stop now. And just for good measure, giving him the extra boost forward, the line moved. Zemo cast one last glance behind him, seeing the people pile forward, creating a wall. They were a sea of faces, and not one of them were staring at him.

Nothing. No devil.

With his ticket in hand, Zemo entered the gate to his flight. He never did see the blind man watching him from afar. Suit and tie, cane, bloody bruises, and dark, dark glasses.

Author's Note

Got a bit of a short chapter for you guys today. Next chapter will come soon, probably on Saturday. It may just be about a certain Punisher and a few certain ponies going to evaluate him. :raritywink:

Chapter 33 - Frank Castle

Berlin, Germany

Joint Counter Terrorist Centre

1:11 p.m.

The three ponies slowly pushed the door open, peaking inside the temporary medical room. Lying in rows, groaning in pain as doctors and soldiers tended to them were the men and women James Barnes had injured during his escape. People hustled and bustled about, checking heart rates, treating wounds, and healing wounded soldiers.

No one really cared for them as much, the ponies, that is. So, Starlight, Applejack, and Rarity quickly strolled inside, limping due to their own injuries. The three minded the strewn about limbs and people moving in and out of the room. Other than that, it was relatively peaceful, aside from the armed guards standing by the door at the end of the room.

Exactly where the girls wanted to go.

The three stopped just in front of the doorway. The two guards sent them a wavering glance, but they stood their ground, gripping their rifles and refusing to move. That is, until, the pink unicorn said, “Everett Ross gave us clearance. I’m sure he contacted both of you, correct?”

They looked as if they didn’t want to be told otherwise, but they nodded and moved aside, opening the door for the three mares. Starlight lead the two into the dark room, Rarity smiling gratefully to the two men. However, her smile disappeared the moment he shut the door right behind her, a soft click heard on the other side.

Though somewhat concerned on that, Rarity turned back to the room she was in and tried to focus. After all, it wasn’t that bad. It was just being locked in a room… a very dark room… with the shooter. And a doctor with an armed guard. Thank Celestia.

Noticing the three ponies come inside, the doctor turned back to his clipboard, the X-rays clipped on it. He shook his head over and over again. “This is very interesting,” he muttered to himself, pacing at the end of the bed. “Very, very interesting.”

“What do you mean by that, doctor?”

Looking back up, the man adjusted his glasses and smiled to the young ponies. “Ah,” he said, his voice heavy with a thick, German accent, “you must be Starlight Glimmer. Ross informed me you and your friends would be paying our patient here a visit.”

“An’ an official evaluation,” Applejack drawled.

Nodding, the doctor continued. “Anyway, I was just taking a quick look at these X-rays, and they are unlike anything I have come across. See here,” he bent down to allow Starlight, Rarity, and Applejack a quick peek at the photographs. “We shot a couple X-rays on his skull, where the bar had hit naturally, and we came across these fractures, you see. It appears our shooter has been shot himself.”

“In the head?” Starlight gasped.

The doctor nodded, pulling back the clipboard to study it further. “It is very peculiar. Never in my career have I come across a patient who has survived a bullet to the head. But as for now…” he mumbled, turning back to cast one last glance at the bed, “… he’ll be fine. He’s just resting.”

Following the doctor’s fading eyesight, the mares cast their gazes to the bed and the shooter that rested upon it. Aside from the bloody bandage wrapped tightly across his forehead, he looked to be in stable condition. The mares, however, found themselves cowering away once his blood-cooling glare turned their way, shifting back to the armed guard shortly after.

Noticing this, Starlight tapped the doctor’s knee. “Excuse me, but could we get a few minutes alone with him please, so we can begin the evaluation?”

He paused shortly, turning to his assigned guard, who made no comment. Sighing heavily, the doctor pulled off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “I suppose so,” he said. “We will be outside in case you need us. Come now!”

The last command was in German, to which the guard followed without question. Starlight, Applejack, and Rarity all watched as one of their only means of defense knocked twice, stepped outside, and closed the door behind him, the inevitable click following. Rarity silently gulped, the reality of the situation setting in once again.

Trapped inside a small medical room… with very poor lighting… and the shooter himself, Frank Castle.

Once the door had closed, the silence set in. The very few light bulbs gave light primarily to the bed, the bathroom, the door, and that was it. The soft, rhythmic beat of the heart rate monitor gave little to the mood, the three ponies standing in the darkness while Castle was enveloped under the light bulb's haunting, yellow glow. Once the three cautiously stepped forward, Castle trained his stone-like glare onto them, causing them to halt halfway.

Under the light, the three mares were given stunning detail of Frank Castle’s facial features. His grizzled chin and cheeks held a disorderly scruff, his neck veins practically pulsating. His large ears and nose were the least noticeable, and besides the bloody bandage across his forehead and trimmed, black hair, his eyes captured the ponies’ attention.

At first it wasn’t much, but the longer he held that glare the quicker each of the mares were to back away. They could see the blank colors in his irises, the whites fractured with red veins. In that blankness of color, of emotion and feeling, the ponies could barely make out what they saw. It wasn’t strength, or the added bit of intimidation that he already layered pretty thick. It was…

Something. Applejack and Rarity didn’t know what to make of it. Starlight shared the same boat as them, if not a tad more concerned than they were. But, other than that, the ponies held their ground, the soft beeping filling the silence before the inevitable clearing of the throat. Castle turned away.

After succeeding in clearing her throat, Starlight said, “Frank Castle, my name is Starlight Glimmer. These are my friends, Applejack and Rarity. Twilight and Everett Ross thought it would be best if we tried to evaluate you, seeing as everyone else… well… gave up.”

He didn’t turn to them.

Unaffected, Starlight raised her hoof and admitted, “Okay, it was mostly Twilight’s idea, but Ross still agreed to it.”

“Barely,” Applejack added.

Starlight nodded, her eyes dipping to the floor. “Barely,” she sighed.

Castle remained silent on the other end of the conversation. Picking herself up shortly afterwards, Starlight offered a short smile before asking, “So, I guess we can begin with a question: Why did you do what you did not too long ago, the shooting and the attempted assault on James Barnes?”

Finally, after nearly ten seconds of nothing but silence, Frank turned back to them. He said nothing, but offered his signature glare, a clear sign that meant “get the hell away from me”.

Starlight obliged, taking a step back. Smiling nervously, she cleared her throat once again, saying, “Maybe we should start from the beginning. What drove you to take on the Winter Soldier outside of the law?”

A cold, cold silence was their only response.

Applejack stepped forward. “What does he even mean to ya?”

Castle glared at her, but said nothing.

It was Rarity’s turn to receive Castle’s glare once she stepped closer to the bedside. “We just want to help you, Mr. Castle,” she said, gently placing her hoof on the sheets. “We can’t unless you’re willing.”

At last, he spoke, but it was so sudden that it caused Rarity to flinch back, her hoof recoiling. “First of all, get your hoof away from me. Second, plenty of other people tried exactly what you’re trying to do, people bigger, stronger, more confident. You really think this little innocent act is gonna get me to talk?”

Having regarded herself to be in a safe distance, Rarity huffed, planting her hoof on the solid ground. “All right, fine. Why did you attack the Winter Soldier?”

“That ain’t your concern, is it?”

“Where did you get your military-grade weapons?” Starlight prompted.

“Up your ass.”

Gasping in disgust at such vulgarity, Rarity lifted up her nose and strode off back with her friends. The three lowered their heads, swarmed in a small circle and began to whisper to one another. Applejack was the first, saying, “Well, this got us plum nowhere.”

“At least he’s talking,” Starlight offered, earning a huff from Rarity.

“Yeah, but he ain’t sayin’ what we want ‘im to,” Applejack said, sighing quietly. “Let’s face it. We shoulda known this was gonna get us nowhere. He even said it himself, plenty o’ others did exactly what we did, and none of ‘em saw it ta the end.”

“Shouldn’t we at least try again?” Starlight asked, turning to Rarity.

Rarity shook her head, blowing a strand of loose mane from her vision. “It’s been a very, very long, painful, and tedious day. I don’t want to waste another second with this thick-headed, gutter-mouth brute! I say we call it a day, darlings. If you need me, I’ll be with Natasha.”

And with that, Applejack and Starlight watched Rarity break away from their circle and knock twice on the door, to which it opened and allowed her through. Applejack cast Starlight one last glance for the day before sighing and making her way into the brightly-lit hallways. Too soon, it was just Starlight trapped behind the closing door, the darkness surrounding her, the light on her back.

As well as a certain pair of damaged eyes.

Closing her eyes, Starlight breathed in, counted to two, and breathed out. Classic Twilight exercise for calming your nerves. Worked every time. With her eyes still closed, Starlight thought back to the words Castle had given her, his attitude, and how she was going to slip through. First of all, Castle was as real as real gets. He was blunt and to the point, not wasting time and definitely not wasting his own. She had to keep him focused, give him something that wasn’t considered a waste to him.

Though she rarely did it, Starlight allowed herself this one time… to stoop to his level. “All right, Frank, you want me to stop acting so innocent,” she said, opening her eyes and spinning around. Castle barely acknowledged her existence, which was all he was going to do until she left. She quickly added, “Fine, I’ll cut the bullshit.”

Now, he looked somewhat interested.

She also didn’t back down from his glare anymore, and instead took a small but powerful step closer to his bedside with every other word emphasized. “We did some research, so there’s no hiding for you anymore, Frank. The Punisher. Killed nearly the entire Irish Mob in Hell’s Kitchen, several other homicides across Europe and the United States, all confirmed HYDRA war criminals and Soviet spies. Hm, didn’t stop you from putting a bullet between the eyes of a senile, old man.”

“Doesn’t matter how he looked. He was a criminal, and I put him down,” Castle replied, his voice hoarse.

Starlight continued, unscathed by his comeback. “You served in Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks, put under the command of Colonel Ray Schoonover and took part in the Battle of Fallujah. You earned the title of Scout Sniper and concluded your time in the Marine Corps, finally returning home. Is that correct?”

Castle didn’t answer. What she said next, however, made his blood boil, his fists tightening underneath his bed sheets.

“You took your wife, son, and daughter to Central Park in New York City where you were all caught in a three-way mob fight! Your family was killed and you saw it to be your responsibility to brutally murder each and every member of those mobs that were involved!” Starlight now stood on his right, directly by his bedside, unmoved and unafraid. She leaned in, narrowed her eyes, and glared right into Castle’s own. “Is that correct?”

Castle just scoffed, blowing air into her face. “Yeah, why do you keep asking? You know, they know, the whole goddamn world might as well know!” he quickly snapped, causing Starlight to lean back only slightly. After a short bit of commotion from beyond the door, followed by Starlight calling out to them in assurance of her situation, Castle continued.

“I couldn’t care less what any of you little shits think of me, or what any of them think of me,” he told her, earning a growing frown from the unicorn. “The truth of the matter is that I’ll be out of here by the end of the night, out of your hair so you can all get back to your little goose chase.”

It was Starlight’s turn to scoff, only infuriating Frank even more. “You really think they’re gonna let you go, after what you did?”

“No, I don’t. But that’s not gonna stop me.”

“It won’t stop you, but it’ll kill you,” Starlight told him, watching as he looked away and cursed under his breath. It was a word even she wouldn’t dare to use. “You’re just a man, Frank, and in your condition, you can’t expect to just walk out of here without getting shot.”

He turned back to her, and with a tone so, so low, growled, “Watch me.”

“I don’t want to. I don’t want to watch you die, because I know you will if you try and run.” Starlight looked away, bit her lip, then sighed. She faced him again, into those flaming eyes of his, and tried to say, “They want to put you behind bars, Frank—”

“Hasn’t stopped me before.”

“But I don’t believe you should,” she finished.

She sat down on his bedside, and for the life of him, Castle didn’t know why he didn’t say anything to that. Starlight, as well. He nearly threatened Rarity’s life just by laying her hoof on his sheets, and there she was sitting down, staring at him expectantly, the man not saying a word. Little less than ten minutes with these ponies and Frank was already feeling weaker. Christ.

After realizing he wasn’t going to do anything to her, Starlight let loose the nervous chill she had been keeping held within her. She looked down to her hooves, and very quietly said, “I was taught… a while ago… that everypony deserves another chance, whether that be at life, at redemption, but for you… I’d say it’s a choice, because I don’t see you redeeming yourself anytime soon.”

He was caught between a cough and a chuckle. “Yeah, at least you get it.”

Looking to the mare on his bed, Castle asked, “What about Barnes?” She looked back to him, away from her hooves into the eyes. “You think he needs a chance like those other yahoos?”

She felt the shock of Barnes’ fist against the side of her face come reeling back to her, her hoof instinctively rising to caress the bruise. “I would… I would like to believe that. But if we don’t bring him in and give him the help he deserves, if he doesn’t pay for his crimes, then we’ve not only failed ourselves, but Barnes, as well.”

To her surprise, Castle actually chuckled. For real, this time. “That’s not how it goes, little lady.”

Taken aback, Starlight raised a curious brow and asked, “What are you talking about?”

And just like that, she let him loose. “People like Barnes, like him. Murderer. Killer. A weapon used to assassinate, destroy, and destabilize. If we don’t bring him down, all those people he killed would have died in vain. I had the chance to do it, you see?” he told her, holding out his left hand to the pony and pointing right at her. “I could’ve brought that scum down right then and there and I didn’t! You see what happens next? He breaks out, hurts all these good people just doing their jobs, busts my head in and gets a few good shots at you and your friends!”

He leaned forward, the bed springs creaking beneath him. Starlight could practically feel the man’s heat just from his breath alone, the passion and fury in his voice when he said, “All because we didn’t kill that murderer.”

“And what if you had done so?” Starlight quickly fired back. “How would you be any different from him, Frank?”

“Because I kill those who need to die, criminals who infect this world who’ll just keep breaking out and killing and raping and stealing again and again and again and again unless you put a bullet between their eyes and end who they are what they do. Barnes is just like all the others, just as unstable and dangerous. You let me go, you lock me up, I’ll get out and I won’t rest, I won’t stop until I see the Winter Soldier dead at my feet.”

He was breathing rather heavily, rather loudly. And Starlight only nodded. Very slowly.

“Well, you’re right about one thing: The Winter Soldier is unstable,” she told him, earning what appeared to be a sneer from him. “You, however, Frank, aren’t.” His eyebrows twitched, which was the closest thing she thought she got from him that appeared to be legitimate surprise. “You seem to be a reasonable man, a reasonable husband and father. You can stop Barnes without having to kill him. Fighting fire with fire only creates a bigger fire, Frank. We can stop Barnes, and I think we can use your help in doing so, but they need a reason to trust you.”

This time, Starlight leaned forward, and in those big eyes of hers, Castle could see his own reflection, the bloody bandage, the scars, the eyes, and all the rest. She said, “I need a reason to trust you.”

This technically wasn’t a first for Castle, but it was still odd just the same. Seeing someone actually want to help him, to see through the Punisher and actually stare at Frank Castle. The only other one who did that was…

He stared at his reflection in her eyes, and saw himself.

The Punisher.

“Trust,” he coughed. “You think you can trust a man who got his little girl killed the day after he got back half the world away from her? Huh? You think you can, but you can’t. You never will. And I’m damn fine with that. Because I lost everything thanks to those criminals, thugs, and monsters who couldn’t give less of a shit about innocent people getting caught in the crossfire.”

Starlight leaned back.

“I have to put ‘em all down, you see? Every single one of them. Because the way I see it, Barnes is no better than the scum who murdered my family. None of ‘em are. So, when you let me go, when you lock me up, when you think you’ve got a chain wrapped around me, I’ll bite through it and kill the man who doesn’t deserve another chance. It was business before, but after this,” he pointed to his forehead, to the bloody bandage, “now it’s personal.”

He laid down the law, the facts, his way of life of which there was no turning back. He could see the expression on her face appear somewhat lost, broken, as if she couldn’t formulate a response or refused to do so. It was typical. No one saw his life like he did, and all those who tried to tell him otherwise could lick the underside of his—

“No.”

Castle made no attempt to move. He just sat there, staring at her, daring her to continue to talk.

“I don’t want them to lock you up, Frank, and you don’t want that either. It would mean losing time, time you clearly don’t have, and time we’re desperately running out of.” Frank snorted at that, tightening his fists underneath the sheets. She scooted closer, whispering rather loudly, “I can let you go, I can convince them that you’re not a threat and that you’re willing to help us, willing to stop Barnes and bring him to justice.”

She emphasized those last four words rather heavily. Castle glared at her, she glared right on back, this time jabbing her hoof right into his chest, as if she struck Death right then and there.

“No killing,” she firmly stated. “He hasn’t hurt you the way those thugs and mobsters hurt you. Barnes didn’t kill your family, and the only way I’m going to convince those people outside ready to take you away to a high-security prison otherwise… is if you promise me… that you won’t kill him.”

Normally, anyone stupid enough to jab him in the chest would get the lights knocked out of them and find themselves lying in their own blood. But for some godforsaken reason, Castle didn’t even move. He didn’t even respond. All he really did, all he really could do, was stare at her. Into those big, desperate eyes of someone wanting to save another’s life.

“Please…” Starlight whispered, “give me a reason to trust you… so I can give them a reason.”

A reason to trust him? By Castle’s standards, that wasn’t feasibly possible. He’d let down everyone close to him, lost everything he possibly could. They should know, they said they did plenty of research. They’ve seen his confirmed kills, all those people Castle put down, and this one pony wanted to give him a chance, actually wanted to trust him. He played with his fingers beneath the sheets, thinking of his circumstances.

If he denied her yet again, they’d no doubt take him away to some German prison, much different from the ones in the United States. They’d keep an eye on him 24/7, never looking away and having those cameras constantly on top of him. He’d be trapped for God knows how long, and every second he would be wishing he had taken her deal. At least then he would have been free.

If he gave in, he could be that much closer to Barnes.

He didn’t think long on it.

“Fine,” he basically spat at her, earning a relieved smile from the unicorn. “But I’m leaving your little posse bullshit the second Barnes is brought in.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Starlight said, grinning and hopping off his bed. “I’ll be waiting outside when you’re ready.”

With that, Castle watched as she crossed the room and stopped by the door. Knocking two times, the door clicked open for her. Just before she could enter the light, she stopped and turned back. “And Frank…” her voice called out, earning Castle’s attention. “Thank you. You won’t regret this.”

As she closed the door, Frank Castle smiled, chuckling very, very quietly to himself. Beneath the sheet covers, he gripped his short combat knife just a little tighter. “I know I won’t.”

Chapter 34 - How to Trust a Murderer

Berlin, Germany

Joint Counter Terrorist Centre

3:57 p.m.

Everyone’s reaction to him at first was complete and utter shock, followed by an apprehensive urge to defend themselves when he strode passed them. The officers, trained specifically to weed out the possible threats, instantly reached for their belts, more realistically, their guns, but stopped the moment the pale pink unicorn held up her hoof to them.

They recognized her as the princess’ prodigy. “That won’t be needed, gentlemen,” Starlight Glimmer said with a smile, dropping her hoof. “He’s with me.”

Understanding basic forms of English, the officers nodded and retained their original positions, casting the man an uncertain glare to which he kindly replied with one of his own, only much worse. Starlight didn’t seem to notice and continued on her way. Right behind her, beside the shooter, was the doctor from earlier, trying desperately to get him back in bed.

“Are you certain you’ll be fine?” the doctor asked, his German accent shaky. He clutched onto the clipboard with the X-rays as tight as he could, asking once more, “Do you not wish to stay in bed and let us help you, Mr. Castle?”

Frank Castle nodded. “You don’t have to worry anymore, Doc. It’s just a scratch,” he said, pointing to the fresh cut on his forehead. “I’ll be good. Go help someone who needs it.”

The doctor stopped in his tracks, watching the two enter the command center. He shook his head and readjusted his glasses. “Crazy man,” he muttered in German, finally returning to the makeshift infirmary. Castle cast the doctor one last glance before facing forward once more, already coming up to the ponies he had seen earlier, as well as an Avenger and a hint of royalty.

He mentally grumbled.

Starlight stopped just in front of the two mares, their eyes widening to the sight of Frank Castle standing behind, and without handcuffs. It was as good of a start as any other. “Oh, Starlight, darling!” Rarity greeted, rising to all four hooves. She cast a wavering glance behind her, gulping. “You… uh… managed to do it. Excellent!”

Starlight smiled and chuckled nervously. Frank stared at the Black Widow and Panther, the two seated, the king in his chair and the assassin on a nearby table.

Applejack stepped forward, whistling at the sight of the towering man. “Gotta say, that’s pretty impressive, even fer you, Glimmer,” she drawled, missing the glare Castle sent her way.

Starlight waved her hoof. “Oh, it was nothing really. But I am proud to say that with Frank Castle’s military experience, he will be aiding us greatly in the capture of James Barnes. He has…” pausing to look back, she and Castle exchanged a glance, Frank seeing the uncertainty in her stare, hearing the same uncertainty in her tone, “… managed to convince me that he is willing to help us.”

“You sure about that, Star?” Natasha asked, earning the appropriate stares from Starlight and Frank. She continued. “After what he’s done, after hearing everything he’s done before, you’re gonna give him your trust just like that?”

Starlight’s ear twitched at the sound of Frank’s growls from behind her. She exchanged an unsure glance with Rarity and Applejack before returning back to Natasha. “He’s… he’s proven to me that he’s willing to give up his radical crusade…” she turned back to Castle, stared silently, “for a while.”

That apparently wasn’t enough for Natasha, which was understandable considering the circumstances. “I know people like Castle, Star. They don’t change,” Natasha said, eyeing Castle without even a hint of being subtle. “Trust me… when I say that trust can be easily walked around.”

“You’re Natasha Romanoff, right?”

Everyone froze when he spoke. T’Challa looked away from his fist and onto the man, the very same man who had shot him and lived to tell the tale. The mares all fell silent, Starlight joining her two friends. He seemed to be waiting, standing silently, glaring intently on Romanoff. She eventually came around.

After receiving a nod, Castle continued. “First of all, thanks for giving out the info on HYDRA for the entire world to see. Without it I would have never found those HYDRA agents, or Barnes. I guess you could say it’s all thanks to Miss Romanoff that I’m even here right now.”

Natasha took a double take, tilting her head only slightly. The ponies all looked to Natasha, somewhat startled by the information. T’Challa just smiled from where he sat.

Castle smiled too, saying, “Now… second…” he suddenly got in her face, causing everyone to flinch. Several officers began to reach for their guns, but stopped and waited for what would happen, just in case the conflict never got hot. Castle growled, finishing with: “Shut your damn mouth before I do it for you.”

Unlike the mares, Natasha didn’t feel too threatened, knowing damn well she could defend herself if need be. Instead, her sly, small smile graced her lips as Castle continued. “What I do is my business and my business alone. I couldn’t give a rat’s ass what any of you think of me. All I’m even standing here for is Barnes, and I’ll plow through any one of you to get to him.”

Castle didn’t step back. Natasha simply retorted, “Oh, really? You willing to put that on a couple rounds.”

“I ain’t afraid to hit a girl.”

“Shows what kind of man you are.”

“As very entertaining as that would be,” T’Challa interrupted, finally standing up and seeming to break up the rising feud, “I’m afraid we must put our differences aside if we are to bring down Barnes.”

To the luck of the officers in the room, they all watched as Castle stepped away from Natasha, easing the tension. However, the heat never seemed to cool, because he stepped right into T’Challa’s personal space next. “Your Highness…” Castle greeted. T’Challa, though rather unintimidated by Castle’s presence, smiled.

“Heh, I saw you on that rooftop,” Frank chuckled. “You were going for kill shots. You want Barnes just as dead as I do.” T’Challa offered a short nod, only to hear Castle continue with: “No offense, Your Majesty, but Barnes is mine. No one else gets to touch him.”

“I suppose you are going to stop me, eh?” T’Challa asked. “Just like the Captain?”

“I might have to.”

Starlight smacked her forehead. Like it could get any worse. She dragged that hoof down her face, groaning at the possibility that it could most certainly get worse. However, to her great surprise, T’Challa laughed. “I like you already, Mr. Castle. You are ambitious. And just like me, you want to kill the man who slaughtered my father in cold blood.”

“I only kill people who deserve it,” Frank said.

“Ah, is that why you shot me in the back of the head not too long ago?”

Frank smiled. “Well, you just got in the way. And depends… whether or not you pulled some shady shit yourself.”

T’Challa placed his palms behind his back. He said, “Unlike you, the only man I want dead is Barnes. He killed my father.”

“And several others. Not to mention all the shit he’s pulled in the past. Plus… he kicked me ass. No one walks free after that,” Castle said.

“Frank, that’s enough!”

Frank’s rising good mood instantly plummeted the moment Starlight Glimmer said those words. His smile was replaced with a frown, his attention shifting to the unicorn standing with her friends, all of them glaring at him. The look in her eyes and the heat in her voice only meant one thing: lecture time. Joy.

“You promised me no killing, remember? That’s the only reason you’re standing here without getting shot at. And you,” Starlight said, pointing at T’Challa. “You are not killing Barnes, either! We’re gonna see this through the way Mr. Stark and Twilight wanted, by bringing him to justice.”

“Depends on your definition of ‘justice’,” T’Challa added. Frank smiled slyly. Once more, the smile didn’t last.

“Starlight’s right,” Natasha said, stepping in-between the two men. She turned to T’Challa, saying, “Your Highness, I know what Barnes did to you, and that may as well be unforgivable, but our orders are clear from Secretary Ross: Bring in Barnes… alive.”

She turned the other way. Frank did nothing but glare at her.

“You too, Castle.”

He snorted and walked away, finally giving rest to the officers as he made his way to the far-off tables. Starlight sighed, staring at the back of his black jacket. T’Challa cast her a glance before returning back to Castle. He stopped, surprisingly, to the sound of Natasha’s voice calling to him, something that made the ponies’ skin crawl. “You’re lucky we’re not throwing you into a jail cell right about now.”

Preparing for the lash but receiving nothing, the mares watched as Frank lifted up his head, twisted his neck around, and replied briefly, strongly with…

“Imagine how much I give a shit.”

And then he sat down in a chair at the opposite end of the room, his back to the them as a final sign of spite. Natasha just rolled her eyes and walked away, T’Challa following her. Starlight frowned. So much for new impressions. He had a piss poor attitude and was being damn proud about it. That was Frank Castle for you, Starlight supposed.

Chapter 35 - Digging Deeper

Berlin, Germany

Rooftops

4:08 p.m.

Frank’s attitude was always pleasing, Murdock sarcastically imagined.

Matt Murdock, still dressed in his Daredevil attire, remained on one knee, his eyes facing the large buildings that composed the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre, and the location of Frank Castle. He had remained hidden, lost the sight of any wavering news choppers or any other citizens who had seen him crash the van earlier. It had been an interesting time since then, but for now he managed to find some peace and quiet.

All except for Frank Castle’s… amusing first impressions with the other Avengers and equines. Knowing full well that Frank wasn’t going to be controlled by them, Matt realized that if they let Castle get close to Barnes, he won’t hesitate to kill the Winter Soldier. He tightened his fist, his glove’s leather stretching in agitation.

The Avengers were going after the Winter Soldier one way or another. Some of them anyway. Others, like Captain America, were going to protect him, if what the conversation Steve Rogers had with Tony Stark meant anything. Another man who could be innocent would die if they let Frank near him. Matt couldn’t let that happen.

He… he needed to find them, the Captain and the other Avengers on the lam. It was the only way to tell them that Barnes was in serious danger. And also…

He gripped the little red book in his other hand, studying the silver star on its cover.

The doctor had it when he corrupted Barnes. He read from it that brought out the Winter Soldier. He needed to know just what it meant.

With that, Murdock found his way off the rooftops, into the alleys, completely unseen.

Vienna, Austria

11:48 p.m.

The sudden knock at the door nearly frightened Karen Page out of her skin.

It was late, the cries of the city being the very few sounds Karen heard that night, aside from the constant tapping of her fingers against the keyboard on her laptop. The yellow light from the nearby lamp was all Karen had to see in the dark hotel room, especially after she closed her laptop to approach the door.

Unlocking it, Karen pulled the door open and gasped at the sight of him. “Matt!” she whispered, being certain to keep her voice down. Standing right in front of her was Matt Murdock dressed neatly in his suit and cane, dark glasses, his suitcase in one hand and a red book in the other. He had bruises across his face, dried blood to go with them.

Without another second to pass, Karen wrapped her arms around him and brought the man into a strong hug. Matt grunted, but returned the hug as best as he could. For a moment, Karen didn’t want to let go. It had been days since Matt’s been gone, chasing Frank, nearly getting caught. She had been keeping up on the news, what with the large flat screen TV in her room, how else would she follow Matt’s actions?

As he stepped into the room, Karen let him go and looked him over. “Are you okay? Do you need a drink or anything?” she asked, waiting as Matt turned to face her. She gasped once more, finding the little light in the hallway to offer little detail of his face, but with the lamp light she got every inch and corner she needed. “Oh, God, Matt, your face…”

Wary of Karen’s hand reaching for his bruises, Matt learned back and said, “I’ll be fine, Karen. But… I think we have a problem.”

“What kind of problem?”

He sighed, reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a little red book, a silver star on the front cover. Karen stared at it for several seconds, unsure what to make of it. Luckily, Matt explained everything when he said, “Take a look at this. I took it from the doctor who evaluated James Barnes, but apparently he wasn’t even there to evaluate him.”

Bringing her eyes up, Karen asked, “What happened?”

“Whatever the doctor read in this book,” Matt said, holding the book up then letting it drop on the desk near Karen’s laptop, “caused Barnes to unleash the Winter Soldier. I’m gonna need your help in translating it.”

Karen stepped forward to her desk, letting her hand fall on the cover. Studying the book in her palm, feeling the rough texture of the cover, followed by the smoothness of the star, Karen finally nodded. She instantly went to her laptop and booted it back up. While she waited for her computer to respond, Matt took the time to lay his suitcase and cane on the bedside, sighing and rubbing the bruises he acquired over the past couple days.

“Okay, what page do you want me to translate?” she asked, flipping through the pages blindly.

Matt came to her side, flipping to a certain page and stopping. He pointed at the top of the page, saying, “Here. I recognized these words that the doctor used to brainwash Barnes.”

“Brainwash?” Karen repeated, turning to face Matt. He looked down to her, remaining silent as she asked, “So, Barnes could actually be innocent?”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions just yet.”

With that, Karen nodded and turned back to her computer, finding the Internet icon and tapping on it twice. Matt returned to the bedside, listening intently to the tapping of the keys, to the flipping of the pages, to the soft muttering under Karen’s breath.

As Karen typed away word after word, Matt took the time to address his wounds. Walking over to one of the cabinets near the sink, he took out the first aid kit that each hotel room came equipped with and began. He opened the small box, pulling out the alcohol bottle and the roll of bandages. Matt took off his coat, shirt, and glasses, revealing long, black and red scratches, probably from the van crash. His suit may take most of the punishment, but sometimes the smaller wounds managed to seep through. Taking a few cotton balls as well, Matt dipped the alcohol bottle onto the cotton and began dabbing his wounds. Karen continued to type, Matt wiping away the dried blood and sealing the wounds with a fresh cloth of bandages.

After nearly ten minutes of silence from both ends, the typing finally stopped, followed shortly by: “All right. Matt… I think I got something.”

Having wrapped up his torso and forehead, Matt came next to her bare-chested, Karen casting his abs a quick look before turning back to the book. “Apparently on this page you wanted translated, it says that these are trigger words to bring about the Winter Solider.”

“That would explain a lot,” Matt muttered, staring at the burning Russian language. “What else does it say?”

“Well… it has other sets of trigger words, about five of them actually.”

Matt stared at her, at her fiery features. “What?”

Karen nodded. “Yeah, look.” She flipped the pages, revealing other sets similar to the page prior. She stopped on the last page, pressing her finger down hard on the paper. “You see? Five other sets, and when I translated the bottom text after the last set, it read ‘The Winter Soldiers will follow orders corresponding to their exact trigger words. Until then they are to remain on ice’.”

She brought up her finger, but stayed on that page. She and Matt exchanged a look, one that each knew nothing good would come of it. “Matt, do you realize what this means?” she asked.

“There are more Winter Soldiers just like Barnes,” Matt breathed. Karen breathed even harder, thinking back to the UN catastrophe, but much worse knowing that there were others just like Barnes. Matt, on the other hand, thought back to the airport, to where the doctor was headed. “Did you find anything on where this book was written?”

“No, but there might be something here in the first few pages,” Karen said. She flipped through the pages, all the way to the first few. She paused once she recognized what appeared to be a date, time, and other Russian language. “Yeah, right here,” Karen said, tapping away on her computer. “It seems like it translates to… ‘Siberia’.”

“Siberia…” Matt mumbled.

“There are exact coordinates, too,” Karen added, typing away.

To her surprise, Matt tapped on the book and said, “Translate them and write them in the book, Karen.”

“Why?”

“I know where the doctor’s going. He took a trip to the airport today, a one-way ticket to Moscow. What else would he be going there for?” he asked, causing Karen to freeze halfway through her sentence. She turned away from the computer, facing Matt head-on, practically sharing his same thoughts. “God, Karen, he’s gonna release the other Winter Soldiers.”

Her worst thoughts were becoming reality. The amount of damage five individuals just as highly-trained as Barnes could do was unthinkable. She mindlessly continued to type away, her thoughts always alluding back to that awful reality. After Karen had finished translating and writing the coordinates in the book, Matt swiped it from her.

“I have to tell the Captain,” he said, placing every piece of first aid he used back into the box and back under the sink. Karen stood up.

“The Captain?” she asked, watching Matt’s movements carefully. “Wait… you mean… Captain America?”

Matt nodded, stepping up to his clothes strewn on the bed.

Shaking her head, Karen asked, “How are you even gonna find him? Unless you’ve been keeping up on the news, the entire country is trying to find him, and they haven’t gotten anywhere.”

Matt put a new shirt over himself, straightening it out so it covered all of his bloody bandages and scars. It mattered little; his plain white shirt barely hiding the blood stains. Grunting, he said, “If I don’t get this information to him, then they’re not gonna know about the other Winter Soldiers until it’s too late. Heck, they’re probably still trying to find Barnes right now.”

As Matt tended to himself, Karen just stood there, watching him go and playing with her hands. Finally managing to stop him, Karen stood in his path, forcing his eyes into hers. “Matt, these aren’t thugs on the street.” He lowered his arms, his shoulders falling. “They’re not The Hand. These… gods… they’re unlike anything you’ve faced. If you get caught up in their conflict… or worse… if you get caught… you’ll lose everything.”

Seeing the desperation in her eyes, laced with the flames that surrounded her body, Matt looked away, thinking of the circumstances of this choice. All he needed to do was give the information to the Captain and stop Frank, and that was it. He didn’t need to go to Siberia, he didn’t need to fight any other Winter Soldiers, he didn’t have to fight their war.

He didn’t want to. But he did need to help them.

Reaching forward, Matt gripped her hand with his own.

“Then I won’t get caught,” Matt whispered, offering an assuring smile that impacted little.

Karen looked away, bringing her hand with her. Waiting only a few moments, Matt reached for his coat and placed it over himself. He then went for his suitcase, checked to see if all of his Daredevil attire was in order, found his weapons, and closed the suitcase. Grabbing his glasses, he turned back to her. “I have to do this, Karen. No one else can. Head back to Hell’s Kitchen, take your passport and get back home. I’ll meet up with you again.”

Grabbing his suitcase and cane, Matt stopped just in front of Karen. Her eyes met his again, the blank stare of Matt Murdock looking right through her. “Please…” he told her.

She could feel the desperation in his voice. The whole reason they came to Vienna was to stop Frank, and now Matt was entangled in this whole conspiracy over the Winter Soldier. He didn’t want her to be the same, and Karen realized this. She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, whispering, “Just come home when you’re done.”

As she broke away, Matt nodded to her. “I promise.”

Stepping aside, Karen watched as Matt grabbed the book and placed it into his coat pocket. With his cane and suitcase in each hand, he opened the door and stood out in the hallway. He stopped, however, and held the door open to cast one last glance at Karen.

She was uncertain, scared, maybe, but standing strong, nodding to him.

He brought up his hand barely holding the suitcase and placed his glasses back where they belonged. And with that the door closed between them.

Chapter 36 - The New Recruits

Berlin, Germany

12:16 p.m.

It was an inconspicuous meeting, at least to Steve. He waited patiently under the bridge as the car finally came to a rest ahead of him, the engine dying. The door opened, and out came Sharon Carter, dressed well, tired, but all around good to see Steve and his friends alive and well. He smiled to her, stepping away from his own vehicle to approach her.

With a humorous smile, Sharon said, “Not sure you understand the concept of a getaway car.”

No good to see you, glad you’re safe, or what have you? Steve cast one glance behind him, taking in about two seconds of the small Volkswagen and the characters inside. Aside from Sam taking the passenger’s seat, the rest of the car was crowded. Bucky sat in the middle seat with Rainbow on his right and Fluttershy on his left. Both of their wings were shot out, obviously stretching from the long car ride cramped together. Those wings brushed across Bucky’s face, tickling his nose and cheeks with only a couple of apologizes sent his way. He couldn’t look more annoyed if he tried.

Seeing Sam’s smart-ass grin after catching a look at the rear-view mirror, Steve shook his head, returning to Sharon. “It’s low profile,” he said.

Sharon only chuckled, pausing by her car’s trunk. “It’s cute. I’ll be glad to get these out of my hands. I’m sure you and the others will find better use out of them than I did.”

Upon that, Sharon lifted the trunk’s hood of her car open, revealing, first and foremost, Captain America’s red, white, and blue shield lying in the center. Alongside his shield lied Sam’s EXO suit and machine pistols, fresh clips of ammunition lying snugly next to each. She knew them so well.

“I appreciate this, Sharon,” Steve said, turning to her. “Really, I do. You’re helping us a lot here.”

Sharon just shook her head, her blonde hair swaying as she did so. “I’m also breaking a ton of laws by even helping you,” she said, finally bringing her eyes to meet his. For a second, the two just stared at each other, Steve feeling the impact of her words and the way her condescending tone added to it. He got the message. Sharon shook her head again. “When will this end, Steve?”

He turned back to his getaway car, pointing to the man between the two ponies. “When he’s safe. We get to Russia and hopefully Buck will have remembered where the others are kept by then.”

“You heading to the airport?” Sharon asked.

Steve nodded. “Leipzig.”

“Quinjet?”

Steve blinked. “Got a chopper.”

“Might want to leave pretty soon. Word on the street is Stark may be headed there soon… if they weren’t already led astray by a false witness report about… twenty miles north of Berlin.” Sharon smiled again, Steve staring at it for quite some time. “Well, the more you know,” she mumbled, still holding that sly grin.

Steve was incredulous. He gasped lightly, shaking his head with a smile. “Thank you.”

Sharon waved it off. “It’s fine.”

“No, really,” Steve persisted, taking a step forward. Sharon watched his actions carefully, not backing away, holding his stare. His strong, strong eyes held with her own, Carter holding her breath, waiting for him to speak again. He said, much stronger and deliberate this time, “Thank you, Sharon.”

She waved it off once more with a smile. “It’s all for them, you know?” she said, turning back to Steve’s car. Still inside, Bucky was busy plucking out the colorful feathers that had managed to get into his mouth, Rainbow Dash trying to contain her laughter while Fluttershy desperately tried to help him. Sharon chuckled. Steve did the same.

Their laughter didn’t last long, both facing down to stare at their feet. The group from inside the vehicle watched them intently, the silence growing, festering. Sharon sighed, bringing her gaze up to meet Steve’s. She asked, “You really think the girls should be getting involved with this?”

“They're here on their own accord,” Steve replied.

“Still…” Sharon retorted, shifting her gaze back and forth, from the ponies and back to Steve. She lingered on the mares a tad longer, sighing, “You should watch out for them. Keep them safe. If anything happens to them…”

Steve caught her. “They’re strong; I’ve seen it myself. If they can handle Ultron… I’d say they can handle a simple mission.”

Sharon turned away from the vehicle, and didn’t look back. “A simple mission, huh?” she asked, her gaze held with Steve’s. The two didn’t part away, nor break. Steve replied with a solid nod and a promise.

“They’ll be safe,” he told her. “You have my word.”

Sharon smiled. “Good luck, Steve.”

“Thank you, Sharon.”

She helped them so much. She broke the law for them, twice. Without her help, they would have never found Bucky in the amount of time that they did, nor would they have had the proper tools to take down the doctor and the other Winter Soldiers. Their journey may have still remained unclear, but at least she was there, guiding them as much as she could.

The two waited. They stood like they didn’t know what to do. Sharon, with her smile slowly fading, and Steve, with his uneasy eyes shifting all across her frame, waited together for what felt like minutes. He didn’t know if he could hear mumbling from the Volkswagen or not, but considering this was probably the last time he’ll see her before he was behind bars… or worse… then…

Mentally tossing his worries aside, Steve stepped forward and kissed her.

Sometimes you just had to say “screw it”.

Thankfully for him, Sharon placed her palm on the back of his head, only furthering the kiss between the two. For her, she was relieved for the tension to be gone, leaving something that could blossom further, hopefully in the future. Hopefully where they weren’t behind bars.

The two kept on going, much to the amusement of the group in the Volkswagen. Finally, they separated, Steve hearing a gentle exhale escape her lips. He smiled as she did, glad to see she enjoyed it for all it was worth. “That was…” she whispered, almost forgetting where she was headed.

“Late,” Steve chuckled.

Sharon chuckled, too. “Damn right,” she mumbled to him, her hand resting on his chest.

They barely said another word to each other aside from a simple goodbye. Sometimes that was all that was needed. They shared a final smile to one another, Sharon retreating back to her car. Steve watched her close the door, probably telling him to get his crap and get to the airport. He obliged, picking up his shield and facing the Volkswagen ahead of him.

Rainbow Dash nodded, her cocky grin bigger than everyone else’s. Fluttershy blushed like the innocent little thing she was, her giddy smile hidden behind her hooves. Steve grinned at the two, then turned to his best friends.

Sam smiled, shaking his head and handing Bucky ten dollars.

Leipzig, Germany

Leipzig Airport

1:57 p.m.

The airplanes were always a constant wake-up call, their engines loud enough to keep anybody awake and ready for action. Even as the small Volkswagen Beetle hobbled in to the Leipzig Airport parking lot with its inhabitants weary from the long day’s drive, they were up and constantly scanning their surroundings. Steve parked the car near the white van, one he recognized from the call he got that morning.

He was relieved to see a familiar face walk out. Steve opened the door and stepped out on the solid concrete to meet him. Clint smiled. “Cap,” he greeted, “how’s it been?”

Steve held out his hand, to which Clint responded with a firm handshake. “I appreciate you coming all the way out here,” Steve told him, still shaking his hand. “I wouldn’t have called if I had any other choice.”

The two broke away, Clint saying, “Hey, man, you don’t have to worry about a thing. I always got your back. Well, we do.”

Steve turned his eyes to Wanda Maximoff. He nodded to her. “Wanda, thank you for coming.”

“About time to get off my ass,” she said with a shrug. “Hey, girls.”

“‘Sup, Wanda?” Rainbow greeted with a short nod her way. Fluttershy simply waved her hoof, a smile to go with that.

“Sam mentioned another recruit,” Steve continued. “Do you have him?”

“That I do, Captain.”

“Pinkie and Spike, too?” Rainbow asked.

Clint pulled open the door to the van, grunting, “See for yourself.”

As the door slammed open, it revealed what appeared to be Pinkie Pie curled up on a man’s chest, the two deep in slumber. Spike was there, but lying on his back on the floor of the car. The moment that door slammed, however, the man jolted awake, meeting the expectant stares of multiple individuals and plenty of new faces.

Scott Lang blinked twice, turned his eyes to the resting pony still lying on top of him and the curious stares of the Avengers. He held up his hands, almost as if he was at gunpoint.

“Um… it’s not exactly what you think…” he muttered, referring, of course, to the pink pile of fluff snoring over his heart. He turned to Clint for help, pointing at Pinkie’s head.

Clint rolled his eyes. “Pinkie…” he called, the pony just scratching her ear and replying with a loud, animal-like snore. Clint slammed his palm on the outside of the van, two times and very hard. “Wake up!” he shouted.

Instinctively, Pinkie flinched and bucked Scott square in the forehead. As the man reeled his neck back and clutched his forehead in pain, Pinkie shook her head, yawning loud and carnivorously. Her eyes focused on the outside world, more specifically, on the two ponies staring at her next to Steve and Sam. She gasped, launching herself like a rocket out of the van.

“Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie Pie cried, the Pegasus trying desperately to move out of the way, but failed. She was caught in the unnatural strength of Pinkie’s back-breaking hug. “Oh, I’m so happy to see you again! Wait, what happened to your face? Did somepony scratch you again? I bet it was Fluttershy!”

With Rainbow still wrapped in her forelegs, Pinkie glared at the meager Pegasus next to her. Fluttershy squeaked in fear under the eyes of the pink menace, but had nothing to worry about further when Rainbow gasped, “Pinkie, it’s fine! Fluttershy didn’t do anything! It was all T’Challa!”

“Who?”

“Long story. Just, please… let me go already.”

As Spike yawned his way out of the van and joined the group of mares for a quick hug, Scott was slow to get to his feet, constantly holding his head like his brain was pure slosh. Clint helped him stand before letting him move on his own, his eyes landing on the three ponies. Grumbling, Scott moaned, “Oh, God, there are others.”

“Go meet your captain,” Clint told him, pushing on his back.

“My captain?” Scott asked, narrowing his eyes and facing forward. The light didn’t seem to bother him anymore. He stood, slack-jawed as he approached the one and only. “Ca… Captain America!”

Scott shot out his hand, to which Steve gripped it with his own. He was surprised by Scott’s strength, and just how fast he shook his hand up and down. “Mr. Lang, I’ve heard a lot about you,” Steve told him.

“Oh, shit,” he muttered, quickly shaking his head. “Oh, I mean, wow! It’s an honor, sir! I’m shaking your hand too long, am I?”

Steve managed a small smile. “Just a little bit.”

The two broke off, mostly Steve prying his hand away. “Okay, sorry, I’m just… wow! Do you know who this is?” he asked, turning back to Wanda, who crossed her arms. “This is the Captain America!”

“Yes, we know. You must be so proud,” Wanda said to him, her voice condescending.

“Who are you again?” he asked. Wanda dropped her arms, narrowing her eyes on the man. He blatantly ignored her stare, facing the Captain and grabbing his shoulders. “Jeez, Captain America… I can’t believe it!”

Steve managed an awkward grin. It wasn’t the first time he was bombarded by a fan, but a full-grown man seemed a little off to him. Rainbow Dash chuckled, leaning next to Pinkie and Spike. “And I thought Scootaloo was a fangirl.” The three giggled amongst themselves.

Scott’s eyes managed to break away from the glory of Captain America for just a second, just enough time for him to actually recognize the Falcon. He smiled nervously, pointing to Sam. “Hey, man!”

“What’s up, Tic Tac?” Sam asked, smiling knowingly.

“Listen, uh, about last time…”

“It’ll never happen again,” Sam said, beating him to the punch. He shook his head. “You won’t have to worry about a thing.”

“Good…” Scott nodded, smiling enthusiastically once again. “Great!”

He turned back to the Captain, who ignored him and turned to Rainbow, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Spike. “Everyone, unless you didn’t know, this is Scott Lang. He was responsible in helping Hank Pym construct the portal that brought you all to our world.”

Scott nodded to them, saying, “Yeah, it took a while to stea—find those components.”

As the mares laughed amongst themselves, Steve turned back to Scott, who seemed to be waiting on him attentively. “Did they tell you all what we're up against?” Steve asked, looking to Pinkie and Spike and resting his gaze on Scott.

It seemed that his enthusiastic grin seemed to fade, replaced only with concern etched in his facial features. Scott asked, “Something about some… psycho assassins, right?”

“Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes…” Pinkie whispered, tapping her hooves and barely controlling herself. To her great joy, Steve nodded. “Woo hoo! This is gonna be the bestest mission ever!” Pinkie screamed, hopping up and down and all around the Avengers.

Her joyous celebration over the fact that they would indeed be hunting some blood-thirsty, highly-trained killers intent on destroying several countries was cut short. “Pinkie!” Steve called to her, watching as she froze in mid-air, staring at him with big, worried eyes. “Do you mind?”

She slowly floated to the ground, playing with her hooves. “Sorry,” she said, blushing.

Scott slowly shook his head. “I don’t understand a thing she does.”

“We all go with it,” Wanda muttered.

“We’re outside the law on this one,” Steve said, bringing Scott back to the situation at hand. “So, if you come with us, you’re a wanted man.”

Even to the surprise of Steve, Scott nodded rather quickly. “Yeah, well, what else is new?”

That was fast. After everything he’s heard about the man he shouldn’t be too surprised. “I can assume Pinkie is on board, so… Spike…?” Steve asked, turning back to face the three mares, but more specifically the young dragon standing next to them. “Can we count on you?”

Spike was stuck for a moment, unsure of the eyes trained on him as well as the situation constantly pumping through his mind. He had been thinking it over on the flight, as well as the van ride. He had spent a long time thinking of the outcome, what the circumstances were if he continued down the path he was headed. It meant turning his back on Twilight and what she wanted. It meant breaking the law and causing all sorts of trouble. If they were on Equus doing the same exact thing he wouldn’t have to worry as much. But he was on Earth, an entirely different planet with entirely different rules. The choices he and his friends make now will most certainly affect the relationship between their worlds.

If they get caught, that is.

Spike stamped his foot on the solid cement, staring the Captain right in his eyes. He straightened himself almost as if he was preparing to salute, but stopped about halfway in the process. “If it means proving to Twilight that Bucky is innocent… then I’m game,” he said, turning back to Bucky and smiling. Barnes managed a grin back to the young dragon.

“We will prove it to her,” Steve told him, earning a smile from the young drake. “We’ll prove it to the whole world.”

Pinkie could barely contain herself bouncing up and down from where she stood. She said, “Oh, this is so exciting! I’m gonna need to pack the right essentials if we’re headed across the world!”

Rainbow nodded, turning to Steve and asking, “Yeah, so, where exactly are we headed, Cap?”

“Siberia.”

Steve shut his mouth, realizing that word didn’t come out of his mouth, but to his left. It seemed everybody shared his reaction, turning in the direction to which the voice emerged. To everyone’s great surprise, a dark red figure leaped down from the floor above, landing right in front of them. The ponies took a cautious step back, while the Avengers took a daring step forward to the dark figure.

It rose up, arms to its side, fists clenched, and shimmering, red eyes staring at them from the shadows. Steve instantly noticed the twin horns on its head, giving the image of a devil of some sort. When he saw the horns and the image that came to mind, it all seemed to click together. He, or whoever it was, was the second figure next to the shooter, the one fighting off the man trying to kill Bucky. He got away, but not before the news choppers got a short shot of him. That was all they really needed. Steve didn’t watch the news recently, but he remembered seeing those red eyes and horns staring down at him from the overpass, now staring at him only feet away.

Steve took another step closer. “Who are you?” he asked.

The red eyes seemed to glow, but the figure remained practically like stone. “I’m Daredevil, but that’s not important. What’s important is this,” he said, reaching behind him and stepping forward, causing everyone to instantly be on their toes. Daredevil noticed this, taking a step back and revealing the red book.

“This is the book the doctor used to bring out the Winter Soldier back at the Terrorist Centre. Inside, I found not only Barnes’ but several other sets of trigger words.” He stood just close enough for the book’s star to shimmer in the sunlight, causing Bucky to flinch, shutting his eyes. A different world of ice and snow flowed through his vision. Bucky shook his head, opening his eyes.

Steve, like everyone else, didn’t know right away what to make of the situation. Here comes a guy dressed as the devil himself giving them information on the doctor and Bucky, stuff they probably already knew. Steve, however, knew that he wouldn’t come to them without a more important reason. Maybe something they didn’t know. So, he pushed further and asked, “The doctor, where is he headed?”

“Last I saw him he was taking a flight to Moscow, most likely to make his way to Siberia. He’s going to awaken the other Winter Soldiers and unleash them upon the world.”

Just what they wanted to know. Bucky knew the others were being held in Russia, but nothing more than that. With this new information, they could be certain of where their destination lied. Sam seemed to catch on this, pushing even further.

“Where exactly in Siberia?” Sam asked, still not keen on letting the devil stand close. Thankfully for him, Daredevil tossed the book to the Captain, who caught it and flipped through the pages.

“First page,” he said. “You’ll find a translated set of coordinates leading right to the Siberian facility where the other Winter Soldiers are kept. My best guess is that the doctor’s headed there now.”

“I remember,” Bucky finally said, everyone turning his way. He blinked several more times, gulping down something fierce and taking many deep breaths. He opened his eyes, turned to the rest of his team, and said, “Yeah… Yeah, I got it now. I remember where in Siberia.”

“Now we got exact coordinates and a memory. Just what we needed,” Sam said, smiling to Steve. Even the ponies and dragon seemed to become more used to the presence of the devil.

Steve smiled back, closing the book in his hands. He turned to face the devil, nodding his way. “Thank you…” he began to say, his voice trailing elsewhere. “What did you say your name was again?”

“The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen,” Wanda answered, stepping forward to break the distance between him and the Avengers. Daredevil turned his eyes her way, remaining silent. Just for her. “You’ve been one of the many popular topics in recent news lately. I’ve heard of what you can do, what you have done to common thugs. He uses brutality to his advantage, deceit, and bloodlust. How did you even get that book in the first place?”

Daredevil only smiled. Wanda didn’t like that smile. It meant too much, but hid everything. “Oh, sweetheart. Wanda Maximoff. I know who you are, what you’ve done. Don’t stare at me like I’m the only devil around here,” he told her.

None too pleased with the title “sweetheart”, Wanda opened her mouth to tell him off, but found herself pausing. A PA announcement went out across the airport, a man speaking in German. Alongside the PA was a constant siren. Bucky recognized the language easily, saying, “We need to get moving. They’re evacuating the airport.”

“Stark,” Sam said. Steve nodded.

“Stark?” Lang asked, receiving no answer.

Turning back to Daredevil, Steve nodded his way, pocketing the book into his back pocket for safe-keeping. “We appreciate the help,” he told him. “But we need to go.”

“I’m not leaving you yet.”

That was a statement that shocked the entire group. The ponies looked to the one another, all three of them and Spike eventually returning their eyes to the Captain. As for the Avengers, they kept their eyes centered on the devil concealed in the shadows, caught in-between trust and doubt. He continued, saying, “There’s someone I need to pick up, and he’s fighting with Stark.”

“The shooter?” Sam asked.

Daredevil nodded. “Frank Castle. The very same.” He suddenly turned his head to the sky, appearing as if he had heard something. Everyone else turned in the direction of the only viewable area of the sky, seeing nothing but the bright blue. They turned back to the devil, listening as he said, “We need to hurry. They’re about five miles away and closing fast.”

While others wondered just how he knew exactly that, Steve Rogers just nodded. “All right then,” he said, turning to the rest of his team. To Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes, Wanda Maximoff, Clint Barton, Scott Lang, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Spike… and Daredevil. His team.

“Avengers… suit up!”

Chapter 37 - Underoos

Leipzig, Germany

Leipzig Airport

2:09 p.m.

Captain America led the pack, his suit donned, his shield equipped, and his eyes focused directly ahead. He could see the helicopter resting only about fifty yards away, out in the open and in the sunlight. Just waiting there. Had they not had an alternative to the helicopter, they would have had to defend it from the inevitable appearance of Stark and the others. The alternative being the Quinjet Stark and his team flew over with.

They were closing in. Fast. Steve didn’t know this, but somehow Daredevil did.

“They’re right above us,” Daredevil whispered, standing right by the Captain’s side, following him out from the safety of the underpass.

Steve pursed his lips, constantly scanning the outside. “Copy that,” he whispered back.

“What do we do if it gets hot, Cap?”

Alongside the two was the ever-so persistent Rainbow Dash, practically guarding Steve’s empty side. She, as well as the others, were constantly on alert, keeping her eyes focused on what lied ahead, unsure whether a trap was waiting for them or not. Most likely. Daredevil, for some reason, gave them all the insight they needed on Stark’s location. Maybe he really was the devil.

Maybe she just didn’t care and wanted to get the mission over with.

Without even looking back at her, Steve shook his head and mumbled, “Just follow my lead.”

With that, he took off at a slow jog out from cover and into the open. Daredevil and Rainbow shared a quick glance before joining him. Just when they stepped into the sunlight, Daredevil instantly stopped, turning his eyes to the direction of the sky. He reacted quicker than the electric bolt did when it impacted the roof of the helicopter, shocking the entire thing and disabling it.

That was expected, Steve and the others thought as they turned their heads skyward.

Steve sighed inwardly to see Tony Stark staring at them from above. Suited up in his Mark 46, Tony lowered his arm which had shot out the bolt that disabled the chopper. He landed between the three and the helicopter, his mask sliding back to reveal the bruised eye and the humorous expression that Stark was known for.

He settled his sights, first and foremost, on Steve Rogers. He had his star-spangled suit, helmet, and shield to go with it. Good for him. Don’t know how he got it back, but it didn’t really matter all that much. He was here, without an escape, with only way left out for him: surrender. With that comforting thought in mind, Stark turned his attention to the other individuals Rogers dragged along.

There was, of course, Rainbow Dash. Oh, Twilight’s gonna have a field day with her. Her scars were clearing up, surprisingly. She may not appreciate who they brought along, but they needed the extra hands… or… claws in this case. Dash appeared to be on edge, and rightfully so. All he needed was a few minutes to explain everything and she’ll be on board… hopefully.

The last one, however, was really interesting. He wore what appeared to be a dark red costume with bright, red eyes and devil horns. Stark remembered seeing someone like him in recent news broadcasts. They didn’t get a good shot of him, but they recognized the devil-like attire. They called him “Daredevil” on the news. “The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen” they said. Another masked vigilante originating from New York. Hey, Stark had one of those.

With the three staring at him, waiting for some kind of grand announcement of some sort, Stark thought it was in his best interests to give them just that. He looked straight at the Captain and said, “Probably wasn’t the smartest idea to leave your only means of escape right out in the open. Someone could shoot it. Isn’t that right, Rhodey?”

The four of them looked up, Steve and Rainbow somewhat surprised by who War Machine was flying down with. In James’ right hand was the shooter himself, Frank Castle. He wore the exact attire he arrived in Romania with, a pure black jacket with light armor underneath, blue jeans, combat boots, the painted white skull on his armored chest, and the scowl on his face just as ripe. James settled him down on Stark’s far right while he landed in-between Tony and Frank. Daredevil tightened his fists.

Unlike Stark, Rhodes didn’t bring his mask back to reveal his face. His red eyes burned on the mask’s face, turning to Steve and the others. “Oh, yeah. That was a mistake,” he said, voice altered slightly by the helmet.

Daredevil centered his red gaze on the lone shooter. Frank seemed to catch his stare with one of his own. Daredevil nodded his way, greeting him with a weak: “Frank…”

Castle nodded back. “Hey, Red.”

“You know what has to happen, right?” Daredevil asked, his voice on edge.

“Stopping Barnes?” Frank asked, nodding. “Yeah, I do.”

Daredevil shook his head, tightening his fists. “No, Frank. I can’t let you do that.”

Castle rolled his shoulder blades, sniffing rather loudly. “Course you can’t.”

Steve observed the small group of three ahead of them. Stark picked his men right. Getting the aid of the shooter was a risky move, but the bottom line was that he wanted Bucky. He sure as hell wasn’t gonna get him. But aside from that, Stark and whoever else they brought weren’t leaving without Bucky, as well as all of them in handcuffs.

They looked ready for a fight.

“Hear us out, Tony,” Steve said. Stark raised a curious brow, taking a step forward. “That doctor, the psychiatrist, he’s behind all of this.”

“There are more Winter Soldiers even more dangerous than Barnes,” Daredevil added, everyone’s attention shifting his way. “If you don’t let us through, it’s time wasted stopping the doctor from releasing them upon the world.”

“Oh, wow, that sounds really believable,” Stark said, the sarcasm heavy. He looked to Rainbow Dash, saying, “Oh, and Rainbow? Twilight wants to talk to you… face to face.”

Before Rainbow could even form a reply, a burst of light emerged directly in front of Stark. It was so bright that Steve and Rainbow shielded their eyes. Daredevil just stared at it, not even flinching. After the light had faded once a quick burst of energy spread through the area, Steve lowered his shield and Rainbow her foreleg. Standing directly in front of Tony, Rhodes, and Castle were the rest of Rainbow’s friends: Twilight, Starlight, Applejack, and Rarity. And they did not look happy to see Dash.

Especially Twilight.

She took a particular first step forward, keeping her stone-cold gaze centered on the Pegasus. Steve looked down to his right, to Rainbow Dash, and didn’t say a word. Twilight completely stole the spotlight.

“Rainbow Dash… you’ve been one of my closest friends since I first came to Ponyville. I’ve seen you grow into the reliable, strong, caring, and awesome mare that you are today. You’ve done some questionable things in the past, but you did them for a good cause, either trying to help somepony else or simply trying to do good in the world.”

Twilight took in a deep breath. Rainbow watched silently, offering not a single breath.

Closing her eyes, pressing her hoof to her heart and exhaling, Twilight continued. “Now, Rainbow Dash… with your current actions…” she seemed to be holding back a snarl. “They are nothing compared to what you’ve done before. This is asinine, Rainbow, and even you know it.”

As opposed to Dash’s growing frown, Twilight eased the tension as best as she could by softening her expression, cooling her tone, and taking another helpful step forward. Very calm, very collected, very… Twilight. “Please…” she breathed, voice barely over a whisper, “… just stop. Come back home with us… so we can leave and head back to Equestria.”

Noticing no difference in Rainbow’s stance or expression, Twilight followed suit, her frown growing, her eyes burning, and one more step forward. A step filled with malice, anger, and most of all… warning. Her voice dropped ten degrees below zero, near venom at the end of tongue. It almost didn’t even sound like Twilight was talking, but the deepest, darkest, worst parts of her vilest of personalities. Still, she refrained herself, and held back.

“I’m not going to tell you again, Rainbow Dash,” she almost growled.

Rainbow knew Twilight. She knew how angry she could get, she had seen it plenty of times back in Equestria. But here, this was a whole other level that Rainbow had never seen from the calm, collected egghead. After everything Rainbow’s done, after everything that’s happened to Twilight, heck, she didn’t blame her for acting out in such a way. Still, Twilight’s fuming attitude didn’t dictate how Rainbow lived her life, nor did it dictate her actions.

So, with a firm grasp on her personal beliefs, Rainbow stared Twilight dead in the eye and said, “Then don’t.”

Acknowledging Twilight’s growing frown, Rainbow continued. “I know what I’ve done, Twilight, and I’m damn proud about it. If you can’t see that Bucky is innocent and deserves another chance… then that’s just too bad. I know where I stand… and I’m sure Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Spike do, too. Right here!”

She stamped her hoof down on the concrete for added affect. It shocked Twilight, as well as the other ponies by her side. A consecutive chorus of gasps erupted from the mares, the three men behind them only narrowing their eyes. As for Twilight, she looked as if she had been slapped in the face by her own mother.

“Wait, Spike?” she whispered, her voice seemingly lost. Then, on a sudden twist of emotion, her eyes ignited, her wings spreading, her voice growling, “Where’s Spike?”

“He’s with us, Twilight.” The Alicorn turned her heated gaze away from Rainbow’s and centered it on Steve Rogers. He noticed how on edge she appeared, her lips scrunched in a clear sign of anger. Her eyes said it all. Confusion, rage, a slight hint of betrayal, and most of all… pain. Steve had seen it so many times, and to see it done to Twilight… it almost hurt him, especially knowing her and Spike’s relationship.

That didn’t stop Steve. He told her, “Spike’s safe with us, and he’s willing to give Buck another chance… something I really wish you would’ve done.”

Another slap, this one even more painful than the last. Twilight took a double-take, causing Starlight and Applejack to slowly step aside from her. She yelled, “I would have given him another chance if he didn’t try to kill me and my friends!”

“When he was provoked, Twilight!” Steve finished for her. Twilight frowned, but remained silent to allow him to continue. “You attacked him when he was provoked! He’s stable now and wants to stop the doctor from releasing the other Winter Soldiers!”

“And how much longer will he be stable?” Stark asked. The heated debate shifted back to Tony, everyone’s eyes following. Stark began to step forward, not stopping but rather moving from side to side. “How much longer until that chewed-up brain of his snaps again and causes him to go on another killing spree?” he asked.

Steve didn’t say a word.

“You see why we can’t let you go, Rogers. Barnes is the most wanted criminal in the world, as of now. If we don’t stop you now, Ross’ll bring in the big boys with the big guns, ones who are not afraid to kill each of you on sight. I want to make this easy. Please, just come with us. By the way, you seem to be surrounded.”

Upon those words, Steve was prepared for the sound of scratching claws behind him. He, Rainbow, and Daredevil spun around to see the Black Panther actually leap over a supply of airport equipment and land without a sound. He arose, his silver eyes watching the three with hidden intent. It looked as if he was on the hunt, his prey resting just feet ahead of him.

“Captain,” T’Challa greeted, then looked down. “Pony.”

Steve barely smiled, bowing his head. “Your Highness.”

Rainbow snorted. “Pussy.”

Her friends, feet ahead of her, gasped at that, their shocked gazes focused on the rainbow mare. Dash looked at them, rolled her eyes, and finished with: “… Cat? Is that better?”

Rarity, seeming to be most shocked by Rainbow’s attempt at vulgar language, straightened herself out, clearing her throat and smiling in a satisfied way. “As a matter of fact, yes, it is. You know, Rainbow Dash, you should really learn to treat royalty with respect!” she said, turning her eyes to King T’Challa and holding her hoof out to him. “You wouldn’t look at the princesses and call them—”

The other wore a pure black suit, its eyes blank and white with claws on each hand. The second one definitely wasn’t alive anymore.

Rarity remained frozen for several seconds, her hoof outstretched, shaking lightly. Her eyes were as wide as can be, her mouth in the shape of a lowercase “O”. Applejack waved her hoof in front of Rarity’s face, shrugging to Twilight and Starlight, who shrugged back.

“Rarity, are you okay?” Starlight asked, prodding Rarity’s shoulder with the tip of her hoof, remaining cautious as if the mare would explode by the smallest touch. However, the unicorn was far beyond straight communication at that point. Her eyes were practically glazed over, her vision replaying horrible, terrible memories again and again and again.

She saw the craters, the rising black smoke, the burning blue planet, and the hundreds upon hundreds of bodies. Upon the fourth touch Rarity felt on her shoulder, she shot her head away from the Black Panther, causing the mares around her to gasp and back away. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, her chest rising at a pace she hadn’t experience since the day she saw her world burn. At least, she thought she did. The visions rarely came to her.

She couldn’t hear the voices of her friends any longer. Instead, she tried her hardest to focus on something, anything that wasn’t the Black Panther. She looked to Rainbow Dash, to Steve, and to—

There was a smaller one wearing a red and black outfit, batons in each hand and twin horns atop his head. Blood coated his mouth, dripping slowly into the dirt.

Her forelegs quivered, more visions flooding into her mind, in her eyes, and back into her heart. It grew to the point where her sweat was replaced by tears, silent gasps escaping her shivering lips. While her friends tended to Rarity’s panic attack, the remaining group returned their attention to Steve and the woman that suddenly appeared behind her.

“Steve…”

Noticing the similar voice, it almost pained Steve to turn and meet Natasha’s gaze.

It almost looked as if she could barely do the same. She wore a black outfit covering her entire form. Her soft, auburn hair was curled to perfection, but she didn’t come dressed to look good. She came dressed, as it looked, to fight. Steve sighed at that thought. “If you turn your back on this one, we’ll have no choice. You really want to punch your way out of this?” she asked.

Steve stared at her. He looked away, his eyes wavering across T’Challa, then to Rhodes, to Twilight and her friends, and finally to Tony. He barely looked at Castle, keeping his focus on Tony, his eyes unwavering, his stance clear as the day they all woke up to.

“As much as it takes,” Rainbow Dash said. Steve looked to her, then back to Tony, and nodded.

Stark puffed his lower lip, bringing his gaze to the ground. He sighed. Instead of lashing out like Steve expected, he simply breathed and nodded, bringing his head back up. Nodding, Tony said, “All right, I’ve run out of patience.”

Bringing up his metal palms, Tony cleared his throat and yelled.

“Underoos!”

Before Steve could react in time, a strand of webbing shot from above and attached itself to his shield. Steve looked up just in time to see the webbing yank his shield right from his grasp, a second strand shooting outwards and tying his hands together like a pair of handcuffs. To add insult to injury, a third strand shot out, completely covering Rainbow Dash’s mouth.

Shocked, Rainbow pried at the webbing, watching the bright red and blue assailant fly over everyone’s heads and land gracefully, without imperfection, on a nearby structure. In its right hand, it held the Captain’s shield, slowly raising its head to unveil the slick, white eyes surrounded by black. And, to Rainbow’s continued surprise, it narrowed its white gaze right at her.

It spoke in a young male tone, saying, “As the Captain would say, Rainbow Dash: ‘Watch your language’!”

Rainbow Dash frowned, the webbing covering a particular couple of words she wanted to share with him. Steve just barely smiled.

Chapter 38 - Visions of the Past, Present, and Future

Leipzig, Germany

Leipzig Airport

2:11 p.m.

“Nice job, kid,” Tony Stark congratulated, looking back to the Spider-Man. “Also, nice extra bit with the web on Dash’s mouth. It really ties the room together; gives a bit of peace and quiet for the time being.”

Being no stranger to Rainbow’s generous glare, Stark ignored it—as well as everybody else—to turn their attention to the kid in the bright red and blue outfit. He definitely stuck out, more so than the Captain and Iron Man, but definitely not more than the four ponies. Thank God there weren’t any civilians around. They’d be crowding the airport just to get a look at the spectacle.

That, and thank God they weren’t around for the inevitable conflict that the Captain knew would arise.

Rising up, the Captain’s shield in hand, Peter Parker smiled under his mask, his mask’s white eyes growing at the compliment. “Thanks! Well, I was also gonna take off Daredevil’s mask, but the new suit it kinda… freaked out,” he began to explain, quickly shaking his hand to Stark. “N-not to say that the suit is bad by any means, Mr. Stark! It’s amazing, really! Thank you!”

“You couldn’t take off my mask if you wanted, kid,” Daredevil said aloud, Steve’s head swiveling his way.

Spider-Man turned to him, saying, “No offense, but I’m pretty sure I could. You believe me, right, Ca...?”

Steve’s weak smile still held, his attention centering on him. When he didn’t answer, Peter’s anxiety began to take over at the continued silence. Standing just feet ahead of him was his idol, the superhero he would read about every day since he was kid. Heck, he still had all of the Captain’s vintage comic books and trading cards in his closet that he… sometimes read on the weekends. Every weekend.

He tried to compose himself, he tried to act mature, but his inner—and outer—nerd began to leak, spilling for all the Avengers and the Equestrian Ambassadors to see. Ah, who cares? It was freaking Captain America standing right in front of him!

Like the nervous wreck he was, Peter silently thanked God that he was wearing a mask so no one could see the sweat pouring down his face. He saluted like an idiot to Steve Rogers, stuttering, “Cap… Captain Am-Am-America… Big fan… I’m I-I-I-I’m S-Spider-Man. Nice to meet you, sir.”

Steve’s smile grew a little bigger.

“We don’t want to… conversate right now, kid,” Tony quickly told him. Peter quickly waved to the rest of the group. “Yeah, good job.”

A sudden and very loud rip later, Rainbow Dash yelled in pain, clutching her lips as she dropped the strand of webbing that had previously covered her mouth. With everyone’s eyes on her, Dash turned her heated stare over to the one who had silenced her earlier. She pointed a daring hoof at Spider-Man, shouting, “Just who in the hell do you think you are, you little punk?!”

“Spider-Man,” he replied. “I’ll give you my business card after we’re done here.”

“You think you can just spit some webs on me and get away with it, you… you… pajama-wearing… prepubescent jerk!”

“Oh, Rainbow, that hurts right here when you say that,” Spider-Man said, tapping his chest right over where his heart should be.

Rainbow’s glare could melt steel. Not allowing such heat to escape further, Twilight stepped in, broke the path between Rainbow and Spider-Man, and said, “For your information, Rainbow, his suit is not some simple pair of pajamas. They were specifically designed by Mr. Stark, and myself, to allow Spider-Man to reach the full-potential of his abilities. So, next time you’re caught in a strand of highly-tensile, highly-powerful, and nearly unbreakable webbing… you’ll wish you kept that web over your lips.”

“Twilight…” Tony began to say, but was instantly drowned out by the princess’ nerd side taking over. Rainbow Dash just rolled her eyes, groaning, but being sure not to keep it silent. She wanted Twilight to know she didn’t care for what she was saying, and for some reason Twilight didn’t seem to pick it up.

Stamping her hoof, closing her eyes, Twilight smiled and placed a hoof on her chest. She looked quite proud of herself, saying, “And it goes to say that Tony and I did a splendid job on the suit. I think it looks very fitting! Not to mention the little spider on his chest! Ah, so adorable!”

Even Stark began to groan. “Twi…”

Spider-Man sighed, shrugging his shoulders. “Getting hit on by a horse. I don’t know if that’s a low or a high for me.”

“I secretly hate you both… so much,” Tony said, shaking his head.

Steve tightened his fists wrapped in the webs. It was actually quite difficult. “You’ve been busy, Stark,” he told him.

“And you’ve been a complete idiot!” Tony barked, turning on Steve in a heartbeat. It was so sudden and so powerful each of the mares flinched, but none of the humans did. Stark continued to unload on Rogers, several days’ worth of pent-up frustration finally released. “You brainwashed Rainbow, Spike, Pinkie, and Fluttershy and dragged them into this mess! Not to mention bringing Clint out of retirement and away from his family to risk his life for you! You ‘rescue’ Wanda from the only safe place in this godforsaken world!”

He snapped a little too loud. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Twilight’s worried gaze turn his way. He didn’t want to look at her right now.

Sighing, Stark said, “I’m… I’m trying to keep you from tearing the Avengers apart.”

Steve exhaled through his nose, making it almost seem like a short scoff. He replied, “You did that when you signed your freedom away.”

A shared look of shock and curiosity afflicted the group. The mares looked from one another to Steve and back again. Frank Castle just crossed his arms, his signature scowl ripe on his face. Rhodey’s expression was unknown behind his mask, and Stark just stared.

Just stared.

He shook his head, scoffed himself, and sighed. “All right, Rogers,” he said, his tone dropping to a near-growl. And just as that short moment of animal intensity passed, another emerged, Tony shouting, “Last warning! You come with us now! You turn Barnes over to us now, or Ross isn’t gonna hesitate to have a squad of J-SOCs put a bullet into each of you if you fail to comply!”

Steve’s expression remained unmoved, his hands clasped together by the webs, his frown centered right at Stark. Tony breathed heavily, somehow his breaths being the loudest thing in the world at that moment. Daredevil especially knew that. Tony’s eyes fell down to Rainbow, then to the ponies standing right in front of him. He stepped forward.

“Please... they don’t want to be a part of this.”

He heard yet another scoff, this one from Rogers’ right.

“You don’t know anything about us,” Rainbow growled.

Steve Rogers waited. His eyes fell over, washed across each mare he had come to know and love. Twilight Sparkle, her eyes heavy, her breathing sporadic, small beads of sweat growing on her forehead. Applejack, the mare’s hat nearly covering her eyes, hiding no fury. Starlight pressed her hoof another inch closer, her eyes darting from side to side, almost as if she was ready for a landmine to go off at any second. She wasn’t particularly wrong. Then there was Rarity, the unicorn struck with a constant state of worry, shock, and fear. A deadly mixture of the three.

He looked at Rhodes. He looked at Castle. He looked at Spider-Man, even managed to see some form of uncertainty in those white eyes of his. Then he looked at Tony.

After everything they’ve been through, here they stood ready to beat each other to death just because Steve wanted to help his friend, and because Tony wanted to lock him away. Every second they wasted was a second closer for the doctor to unleash the Winter Soldiers upon the world, and even then, Tony wouldn’t listen. He knew he wouldn’t.

Dammit, he wouldn’t.

“We found it,” Sam’s voice said through Steve’s team’s comms. “Their Quinjet’s in hangar five, north runway.”

And that wouldn’t stop them.

Raising his hands above his head, Steve saw the arrow come flying and tear right through the webbing, freeing him. Like scissors through paper. Each of the mares on Tony’s side gasped. Stark shot his gaze back to where the arrow originated, his mask closing over his head. The eyes of his mask lit to life, the bright blue spotting Clint in the distance.

“Nearly unbreakable, huh, Twilight?” Steve asked, smiling. Noticing Twilight’s shocked expression, Steve pressed onto his comms. “Lang… you’re up.”

His eyes shifted to his shield, spotting the nearly-indistinguishable man stand up on the shield’s edge. Spider-Man instantly shot his gaze down to the shield in his arm, his eyes narrowing.

“Guys, there’s some—”

Spider-Man never finished. He grunted as a powerful kick struck him at the bottom of his jaw. He fell back from the strike, looking up to see what appeared to be something minuscule grow into something large, into something that of a regular-sized man. Once more, the mares gasped. Rarity’s eyes widened at the sight of the insect-like mask, a short whimper of fear escaping her.

One was severed in half, wearing an insect-like mask and a red suit to match the pool of blood surrounding its body. It was barely alive, weakly reaching out to its lower torso strewn out from its reach.

“What the hell is that?!” Frank shouted, backing away.

Ant-Man stood up, stood next to the Captain, and proudly handed him his rightful shield. “I believe this is yours, Captain America.”

As Steve gratefully took his shield back, Tony only grumbled, rolling his eyes. “Oh, great, it’s Pym’s prodigal son,” Tony muttered. Two blips appeared in his HUD. “I got two on the parking deck, Clint and Maximoff. Rhodey, Castle, Twi and the rest, you guys get the Captain and his gang?”

Breathing heavily through her nose, Twilight sighed, not even watching as Tony flew off. “If we have to,” she said, slowly taking the first few steps onward.

Frank Castle cracked his knuckles, Spider-Man following by his side. While Twilight, Starlight, and Applejack slowly stepped forward, Rarity stayed right where she was. She appeared to be on the edge of yet another one of her panic attacks. This wasn’t like anything she had felt before. Before, they were just flashes, just a quick glimpse at what the unicorn would rather forget. Now, she looked over to the Black Panther, then to Ant-Man, and finally to Daredevil, blinking several times. A strange sickness burned in her gut, as if the insect-like man, the black suit, and the devil horns were the symptoms causing the darkness to crowd her vision, the viral strain that filled her body, mind, and soul with unforgettable memories.

And she stood and faced them, each and every one she saw.

While Rarity was lost, shaking in a daze, Rhodey hovered several feet above ground. He suddenly shifted his head to the far left, his red eyes shimmering. “Got two in the terminal. Wilson and Barnes,” he announced.

Both Frank and T’Challa reacted to that, Frank stopping dead in his tracks. “Barnes is mine!” T’Challa shouted, taking off at a sprint in the direction of the terminal. Steve quickly tossed his shield up to Rhodey, the disk hitting him square in the Arc Reactor. Rhodey grunted, hovering backwards from the impact. Quickly recovering his shield, Steve turned his attention to the retreating Panther, taking off at full sprint right for him.

But before he did, he shouted, “Now! Everyone, move now!”

Almost instantly, a pink blur shot out from the underpass. It leapt into the air over Rainbow’s and Daredevil’s heads, revealing none other than Pinkie Pie, Spike riding on her back. Twilight gasped at the sight of the young dragon, her heart aching to see him the way he was. What he was doing. The decision he made.

The fire in his eyes.

Pinkie and Spike simultaneously tossed several confetti bombs directly ahead of them, between the area the two sides faced one another. In the smoke that followed, so much chaos emerged out of the madness. Rainbow Dash was the first to shoot out of the pink smoke like a bullet, ramming herself into Twilight and knocking the Alicorn flat on her back. She darted quickly over to Applejack, nearly doing the same thing had Applejack not been paying attention, much like Twilight had unfortunately done.

Rainbow did manage to knock Applejack over, but the farm pony latched herself onto the Pegasus and rolled on the concrete with her, the two tumbling into the smoke. As they vanished, Daredevil emerged, flinging his baton right for Castle, who dodged it and prepared for the advance. Daredevil roared as he drove his shoulder right into Frank’s chest, knocking both of them onto the ground.

Starlight lit up her horn, narrowing her eyes to hopefully clear out the pink fog. As she squinted, leaning her neck forward, a circular object was sent her way. Terrified at the thought that it could be the Captain’s shield, Starlight yelped and quickly brought up a magical shield over her own, protecting her front. The object hit her shield with a wet splat, causing Starlight’s neck to crane back.

It wasn’t Steve’s shield. It was a coconut cream pie of all things. It slowly slid down her magical shield, falling and splattering all over the cement. Starlight’s dumbfounded expression was shifted behind her when she felt a sharp claw tap her shoulder. Spinning around, Starlight met a second pie directly into her face, courtesy of Pinkie Pie and Spike.

Pinkie kissed her hoof and smiled brightly, vanishing through the pink smoke the second Starlight wiped her face. Growling, Starlight spun in every direction, her horn lighting her way. And every time she turned, she would meet a different flavored pie each time smacking her in the face, the back of the head, the cheek, one on the rump, and continuously in the face. The poor unicorn didn’t stand a chance.

And Rarity just stood there, eyes glossed over, staring at far worse events playing and replaying in her mind. She didn’t even notice Fluttershy fly right over her and escape towards the terminal.

As the smoke finally cleared, only chaos remained. Applejack and Rainbow Dash rolled across the cement, eventually breaking away when Rainbow kicked herself into the air, swooping down to smack Applejack in the back of the head. The farm pony snarled and readied herself for another Rainbow Dash dive-bomb. Starlight was busy fending off the ever-so-elusive Pinkie Pie and her unlimited amount of pies she pulled from her mane. Spike helped, digging through her mane to pull out pie after pie for Pinkie to use.

In the distance, Ant-Man was engaged in hand-to-hand combat with Black Widow, to which he was at a great disadvantage. However, his shrinking abilities came quite in handy, pulling Natasha’s arm backwards and flipping her over onto her back. Daredevil and the Punisher were going at it, each delivering devastating blows but not landing them. Both were surprisingly agile enough to dodge each other’s oncoming strikes. However, they did manage to land a few, and when they did, they showed just how strong they were. Even farther away, Steve threw his shield into T’Challa’s back, knocking Panther over. He grabbed T’Challa by the neck, flinging him over his back. All to keep him away from the terminal.

The only two mares still not engaged in some form of combat were Rarity… and Twilight. The Alicorn looked around through the haze, her heart racing and breaking, her throat dry and without even forming a word to describe the type of shock she felt. Her eyes said it all, constantly shifting across the chaotic battleground, the red in her eyes both from the confetti smoke and the continuous thought of Spike…

She shook her head, closing her eyes. She felt like crying, but knew she couldn’t. Not now. Twilight looked to Rarity, still seeing the unicorn shaking like a leaf, her back legs nearly giving up on her. She suddenly shifted her attention right, to Peter, to hear him press down on his ear and ask, “Mr. Stark, they're using some kind of pink gas! What should I do?”

In her own comms, Twilight could hear Stark’s voice say, “Great, Pinkie’s in the fight. Okay, just like we discussed. Keep your distance and web ‘em up.”

“Okay, copy that!” Peter replied, leaping off the ground and firing off two strands of webs towards the terminal station. He shot forward, firing more strands of webs to get him closer and closer to Wilson and Barnes.

Twilight watched him vanish out of sight. She shook her head, grunting as she stood up. Her eyes fell back to the fight, witnessing Starlight get smacked by yet another pie. Raising her forelegs, Starlight shielded herself as her horn lit up, and before Pinkie could deliver her favorite flavor, Starlight vanished in a flash of light.

It wasn’t long before Twilight heard Starlight’s voice in her comms. She said, “Need some help, Tony?”

“It’s always appreciated, Star,” Stark replied. “By the way, why are you covered in… Pinkie, right?”

“Yeah… Pinkie.”

“Got it.”

The comms fell silent after that.

Twilight stood up. There was hardly any smoke now, and the kind that remained merely surrounded her hooves and grew no higher than that. She turned her attention away from the constant fighting, away from the pain-filled grunts, the punches and the screams, and settled on something truly terrible, something she didn’t want to face head-on. Not in the state she was in.

Sporadic.

Incredulous.

Lost.

But she had to.

“Spike!”

For him.

“Spike…” Twilight whimpered, noticing Pinkie Pie stop chucking pies at Frank Castle to turn her way. And the young dragon riding upon her back leaned to the side, catching Twilight’s stare. His eyes softened, his expression dying. The fire extinguishing. Twilight shook her head, her expression mirroring his. She took a step forward, a step that almost killed her, and asked, “How could you?”

Spike hopped off of Pinkie’s back, approaching the Alicorn slowly. “It’s not like that, Twilight. Bucky is innocent,” he told her, stopping a good six feet from Twilight.

It felt like miles for the Alicorn, and she hated that feeling of distance between the two. There shouldn’t be any distance between them. Spike was her friend! Her family! There wasn’t anything that could tear them apart! But seeing him now, seeing the short distance between the two separate them far more than the conflict ever could was almost enough to break Twilight’s heart.

Nearly on the verge of tears, she asked, “How do you know?”

Spike saw Twilight’s expression. He saw the break, the tears boiling in her eyes. Damn it all if Spike didn’t feel like crying too. He was basically standing against his best friend… the one who raised him since birth. He was basically standing against his mother… for someone he barely even knew. Spike closed his eyes and looked away, remembering well and good that Steve wouldn’t lie to him, especially about this.

So, he said, “I trust him.” And to add insult to injury, he added, “Something you should’ve done.”

A sharp tap on Twilight’s shoulder later and the princess met an apple pie to her face when she turned to face it. Pinkie leaned in, placing a cherry right on top of Twilight’s pie-covered mane. “There’s plenty of more where that came from!”

Wiping her face, Twilight turned back to see Spike hop onto Pinkie’s back once more.

She shot out her hoof weakly to him. “Spike… please…” She didn’t even know or care anymore if she was crying or not. The pie on her face made it hard to tell.

It hurt Spike. It hurt him more than anything else to see Twilight like that. But she would see soon enough. Spike knew she would give Bucky another chance. “I’m sorry, Twilight, but this is something I have to do,” he said, jamming his feet into Pinkie’s sides.

Pinkie reared up, crying out like a stallion and galloped off into the distance. Twilight watched the duo escape to spread the conflict even further. Twilight heard a whistle behind her, where she turned and felt the coolness of the cherry pie slam into her face.

2:17 p.m.

Steve raised his shield the moment T’Challa drove his Vibranium claws against it. He slashed downwards, creating five hideous marks straight down on the silver star. Looking up, Steve dodged left and right to avoid the jabs and the slashes of T’Challa’s claws. Every strike he got an inch closer, closer and closer until he caught Steve’s chest with a quick swipe across.

Steve yelped at the cut, quickly raising his shield when Black Panther drove both of his claws straight down on top of him.

Several feet above the short skirmish, War Machine overlooked the conflict beneath him. Aside from Rainbow Dash zooming back and forth, trying desperately to catch Applejack off-guard, all the fighting took place on the ground, especially the Captain’s fight. He pulled out an electrified baton from his backside, the weapon charging up. “Sorry, Cap, this won’t kill you but it ain’t gonna tickle either.”

After knocking down Frank, Daredevil turned his head to the sound of the electricity coursing through the baton. He shot his gaze upwards, seeing War Machine quickly fly over to the Captain with his back turned, having to keep his full attention on Panther.

Pulling out his second baton, Daredevil screamed, “Captain, behind you!”

He quickly kicked Panther aside, turning his head up to see Rhodey approaching fast. He could the weapon in his hands, the electricity practically popping from the tip.

“Give me a boost, Captain!”

Spinning around, Captain America acted quickly to the approaching Daredevil. He held out his shield, fell to one knee, and waited. When he felt the foot press down on his shield, Steve pressed up as hard as he could, launching Daredevil straight into the air. He stood up and watched as Daredevil surprisingly struck War Machine neatly in the side of the head, Rhodey falling and crashing into the cement. Rhodey looked to his destroyed baton, sighing and tossing it aside.

Steve turned back to Daredevil, who looked to his destroyed baton, sighing and tossing it aside.

2:20 p.m.

Applejack’s eyes shot back and forth, up and down, side to side, and she dodged, sliding across the concrete and doing the same thing. Watching the rainbow trail was a chore on its own, actually having to dodge it each time was beginning to wear on Applejack. She tried to calm herself, remind herself again and again that she had experienced a lot more physical torment.

Facing her best friend, however, was something she didn’t take lightly. And it hurt her.

Rainbow Dash shot up into the sky after another failed attack on Applejack’s right side. Applejack watched her nearly touch the clouds, shooting down so fast she could have broken the sound barrier had she reached a higher altitude. Still, the impact of the attack would be devastating, and Applejack knew this. She ducked as Rainbow came mere inches from driving her hooves into her.

Rising up, Applejack spun around to see Dash come to a skidding halt on the concrete, a glare in her eyes, a ferocity in her breath.

Applejack gritted her teeth. “This is crazy, Rainbow!” she shouted. Rainbow only cracked her neck, wings outstretched, ready for the next round. Applejack narrowed her gaze, adjusting her stance so she had solid standing. “Ah don’t want ta hurt ya now!”

Rainbow Dash scoffed, kicking off the ground and hovering in mid-air. As she flapped her wings, she yelled, “Then get out of our way!”

Applejack shook her head, much to Rainbow’s disappointment. “Ah can’t let Barnes out o’ here, Dash! Not after what he did!” she told her, a somewhat pleading tone in her voice.

Rainbow bit her lip. As she stared down at Applejack, at the pony she should be flying through right about now, she found herself pausing. She couldn’t help but think back to all the good times they used to have. The friendly challenges, all the races, the times they saved Equestria together. Always together, never separated. Now, Rainbow didn’t know where they stood. It’s not like their friendship was over. It was just… strained. And it will only heal once they learn the truth, and they’ll learn as long as they allow them to get to Siberia and stop the doctor.

And Applejack was standing in her way.

Rainbow’s frown returned, Applejack sighing. “You won’t stop me,” Dash told her.

To her surprise, though, Applejack shook her head, saying, “Ah won’t have to.”

Confused slightly by that, Rainbow suddenly noticed the slight shift of direction in Applejack’s eyes, almost as if she was looking behind Rainbow. That was all she needed. Spinning around, Rainbow managed to capture a quick glance at Twilight before she fired off a spell. Thanks to her instinctive actions, Rainbow dodged the spell, flying off as Twilight flew past her.

The two hovered in place, several yards apart, glaring at one another from afar. Twilight tightened her jaw, charging her horn for another paralysis spell. “Rainbow, you have to stop!” she called to the Pegasus, who just scoffed in response.

“And let you shoot me?! As if!”

She wasn’t giving them any leverage. No form of surrender. Rainbow Dash was still the fighter they all knew and loved. Twilight sighed, charging forward and firing another spell.

Rainbow, one again, easily dodged it. She flew to the side, blasting forward and catching Twilight by surprise. She flew across Twilight’s nose, so close that the Alicorn could feel her feathers brush her face. Shaking her head, Twilight chased the Pegasus down, firing the same spell that would render Rainbow Dash immobile, and every time Rainbow dodged it easily. Twilight growled, charging up yet another spell, that, once more, missed its intended target.

Rainbow smirked her way, looking down and noticing the lasso already too close to dodge. It snagged her neck, tightening and almost cutting off her oxygen. Rainbow coughed in surprise, her wings beating furiously, her eyes shifting down to Applejack’s teeth tightly gripping the lasso and quickly back to Twilight already zeroing in, a spell at the ready.

In desperation, Rainbow shot downwards, directly for Applejack. Almost as instantly as she did that, Twilight cut off her spell, knowing if she missed she would hit Applejack instead. Seeing the approaching Pegasus come closer and closer, Applejack dropped her lasso and rolled to the side, coming up quickly just in time when Rainbow landed with a solid crack of her hooves against the concrete.

Rainbow Dash readied herself, spinning instantly to Applejack. Twilight made her descent as well, landing by Applejack’s left. The two mares, standing side by side, held their conjoined glares for the rainbow Pegasus. And Rainbow Dash, just as furiously powerful, held her ground, glaring at each of the ponies she called her “best friends”.

The three mares stood like that for several seconds, the only sounds being that of the distant skirmishes and their own breathing. Neither sounded comforting, almost deathly, pain-filled. Rainbow Dash felt the sweat pour down her forehead in streams, seeing just the same from both Twilight and Applejack.

As for Twilight, she closed her mouth, her eyes burning, her heart throbbing with every painful thump. She stared at her best friend, trying to convince herself that she was actually trying to paralyze Rainbow Dash momentarily. She didn’t want to do any more than that. But as long as Rainbow stood in the way between them and subduing Barnes, she was a potential threat.

No matter how she saw her, no matter the past victories, the friendship they shared so dearly on Equestria, this was Earth. This was their mission. And Rainbow Dash was standing in their way.

“You give us no choice, Rainbow,” Twilight said. Her horn lit up, another paralysis spell charging. Rainbow didn’t even flinch. Neither did Twilight. “I’m sorry.”

Rainbow Dash smirked, frowned, and muttered, “Don’t pull your punches.”

They didn’t.

Chapter 39 - Web ‘Em Up

Leipzig, Germany

Leipzig Airport

2:21 p.m.

“Star, I got Clint and Wanda making a run for it. You see ‘em?” Stark asked, firing off several missiles from his shoulder pads. The missiles shot downwards with small trails of fire and smoke following them. They impacted the ground and vehicles near the two, cutting off their escape. Both Clint and Wanda recoiled from the explosions, backing away and turning their attention upwards.

Tony could see as a third blip appeared on his HUD, revealing Starlight teleport near the aftermath of the explosion, also cutting off Clint and Wanda’s escape. He could see her nod, pressing down on her right ear. “Yeah, I got them. On you,” she replied.

With Starlight waiting on the sidelines, Tony hovered in, his arm outstretched so the two below him could definitely see the light of the repulsor. They watched him descend, holding their ground. With his palm aimed towards them, ready to fire at a moment’s notice, Stark zeroed his HUD on Maximoff.

“Wanda, I think you hurt Vision’s feelings,” Tony told her. “That wasn’t very nice.”

She was dressed in her standard Avengers attire. Her long, red coat covered her zipper corset, a necklace around her neck. Obviously. She also had black leather leggings, boots, and red gloves. Her eyes held no comfort, just agitation for the man hovering several feet ahead of her.

She glared at Stark, saying, “You two locked me in my room.”

“That’s an exaggeration, Wanda. I did it to protect you,” Tony said. Turning away from Wanda’s growing frown, he centered his gaze on Barton, who had an arrow already at the ready. Just a second was he needed to send an arrow right between Tony’s eyes. “Hey, Clint.”

“Yeah, hey, man,” Barton said, nodding his way.

“I’d love to stay and chat all day, but we only have a few hours left to bring you all in so… can you help a brother out?” Tony asked. He could see the incredulous looks on each of their faces, but before they could respond, Tony quickly backed up his statement. “I mean, you’re surrounded and out-gunned.”

At that, Clint and Wanda finally turned their neck around to see Starlight blocking their path. She stamped her hoof in the ground, snorting and charging her horn. “I wouldn’t even try it, Mr. Barton,” she told him, eyes lingering to his hand on the quiver.

Clint sighed at seeing Starlight act so hostile towards them. He could remember sharing a drink with the mare a while back at the facility. “You got a pretty powerful magic user?” he asked, seeing Starlight smirk his way. Clint smiled, turning back to face Stark and the repulsor light aimed his way. “Yeah, I got me one of those.”

He quickly fired off the arrow he had ready, but Stark blew it out of the sky just as fast. “Yeah, but you still don’t stack up well against the old iron,” Tony said to him, his voice, of course, cocky and knowing.

Barton matched it well with his own. “I won’t have to.”

Before Tony could even react fast enough, the cars lined up in the garage behind him began to fall, all at once. Stark turned and fired off a few repulsor beams, hitting a few but failing to hit them all. He noticed a red haze surrounding each car, Wanda’s nearly-silent grunts growing behind him.

As the cars fell, Clint whipped out a second arrow and spun completely around, firing it in Starlight’s direction. The unicorn yelped, bringing up a magical shield to protect her front. However, Clint’s arrow impacted the ground in front of her, Starlight raising a curious brow before a frown replaced it. She charged up her horn, her shield dissipating, just in time to see Barton smirk her way. To Starlight’s surprise, the arrow shot out an electric current towards the only living thing in its proximity, which unfortunately turned out to be Starlight.

The mare flinched, yelping in pain as the electricity stopped her dead in her tracks. Knowing the electric current wouldn’t kill her, Clint turned back to see the cars topple up and crush Tony, his body hidden within the pile of cars. He groaned at the heavy weight on his back.

“Our armor has remained intact,” Homer told Stark, who only grunted in response. “Should I order a chiropractor appointment later this afternoon?”

“No,” Stark mumbled, rolling his eyes. “We gotta work on your attitude, smart-ass.”

“Just helping, sir.”

Once the cars stopped falling, Wanda turned to Clint and lowered her hands, nodding his way. He nodded back, spinning around alongside Maximoff to make a break for it. They stopped again, however, when their eyes landed on Starlight Glimmer. Her horn lit up, firing and blowing apart Clint’s arrow embedded in the cement ahead of her. Doing so cut off the electric current, freeing her.

Starlight stamped her hooves out in front of her, stating her dominance like a rabid animal. “Not so fast!” she yelled, expression now etched into a furious frown.

“Starlight, out of our way,” Wanda breathed, her chest rising and falling. Just seeing the mare she considered a friend just yesterday now willing to stand against her was rough. It hurt, but it didn’t keep her down. “We don’t want to fight you.”

As if it brought any form of calming resolution to Wanda, which it barely did, Starlight shook her head. “Neither do I,” she said, her horn quickly igniting, “but you’ve aided a wanted criminal and are therefore guilty, so unfortunately I’m going to have to take you both in.”

“What are you, the police now?” Clint asked, pulling out a fresh arrow and placing it in his bow. Starlight bent down, anticipating the shot. Her horn glowed even brighter. “Oh, I forgot, you’re Stark’s left-hand mare, second only to Twilight.”

Starlight pursed her lips at that comment, shaking her head. She grumbled something incoherent, probably trying to calm herself down, and said as calmly as she could, “I apologize for this, Mr. Barton.” She took a step forward. Clint tightened his palm around the arrow. “For all its worth, I’m glad we got off on the right foot.”

Clint barely smiled, nodding her way. “Yeah, same.”

She didn’t waste another second to fire off her first spell. Barton tried to fire off his arrow—another electric bolt—but didn’t let it go in time. The spell hit him right in the chest, knocking him flat on his back. Wanda turned around, gasping. Clint gritted his teeth and arched his back, still alive and still moving.

Wanda could hear the sound of another spell charging, the sound of Starlight’s voice behind her saying, “Wanda, please, for your own safety—”

“Don’t tell me about ‘safety’,” she snarled, whipping back towards the mare. She scoffed, shaking her head at the unicorn slowly approaching her. “Stark and Vision keep me locked up and allow you to run free? Get out of my way, Glimmer.”

Starlight shook her head, stepping closer and closer to the enraged Maximoff. “I can’t do that, Wanda. It’s for your own good.” What she said next, however, caught Starlight heart, stabbing it with a cold ice pick.

“Putting you away in a jail cell back in Equestria would have been for your own good, yet here you are,” Wanda said, her fingers twirling, a red haze circling her palms.

The words hit her like ice, so fast, so unpredictable, and so, so deadly. Starlight almost snapped. It felt like it when she unloaded spell after spell onto Wanda, each one a paralysis, not a regular spell like the one she used on Clint. She wanted to end the confrontation quickly before it got out of hoof. Unfortunately for her, Wanda wasn’t going to comply that easily.

With every spell sent her way, Wanda flicked her palms out in front of her, a red shield emerging out of nothing and blocking the spells before they got too close. Starlight waved her neck back and forth, up and down, sending spell after spell after spell, and every time Wanda blocked it. Finally, she stopped, a small bit of smoke drifting from her horn’s tip, and her heavy breathing accompanying the approaching silence.

But the moment she stopped, Wanda frowned and tightened her fingers. Starlight gulped. The Maximoff was the one moving forward now, shooting out her arms, grunting and crying out with each wave of her hand towards the unicorn. Waves of red lashed out and struck Starlight. The unicorn did her best to block the oncoming strikes with a few magical shields, but in the end she just couldn’t handle the onslaught. It didn’t help that Wanda wouldn’t let up.

She screamed, bringing up her hands and slamming them down. A gust of red washed across the cement, impacting Starlight in full-blast and blowing the unicorn several yards back. She rolled to a stop, her chest still rising, her breathing still heard, though a tad ragged.

Wanda didn’t stay to see her stand back up. “Come on, Clint!” she said, turning his way and running off.

“Nice work!” Clint grunted, pushing himself up and hobbling right after her. “Good job!”

2:25 p.m.

Fluttershy flew as far away and as fast as she could from the battle below. The second Steve gave the signal, she knew it was now or never. She never wanted to fight her friends, so she decided now was good time to help Bucky and direct him to the Quinjet. It was the perfect opportunity to get him out of harm’s way. It was also a good opportunity to not have to fight any of her…

Fluttershy’s expression fell apart at the thought, the wind blowing her mane far passed her body or her beating wings. She dreaded the idea. She actually… hated the idea of having to fight her best friends. She didn’t want to believe it was actually possible to do so, but after witnessing Rainbow Dash being the first to charge into the fight and attack Twilight, well it almost too much for Fluttershy to stand. So, she flew.

She knew she wasn’t a fighter. Even against such terrifying, awful monsters back in Equestria, she always had her friends by her side to do the punching, kicking, and every terrible thing that came with fighting. But not her. Fluttershy did all she could except raise her hooves. She used her Stare, she stood up bravely and talked down to the awful monsters that tried to hurt her friends, just like that dragon so long ago.

So… was this any different?

Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Spike were some of her best friends. She wouldn’t let them down, or leave them to have deal with the problem on their own. But then again, Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, and Starlight were also her… best friends. Fluttershy cried out, hooves pressed to her head, tears leaking from her tightly-shut eyelids.

This shouldn’t be happening! Friends shouldn’t fight one another! Even when they disagreed on something, there was no need for violence to solve the problem. That was mostly the case for Equestria. Then again… they weren’t in Equestria. They were on Earth, a planet with entirely different rules, where violence isn’t as frowned upon as it is on Equus. The thought of that brought Fluttershy to even more tears.

She flew away. She flew and flew, closer to the terminal, closer to helping Bucky. Closer to ending this war. Behind her, she could her the rabid cries of her closest friends flying, punching, and doing Celestia knows what to one another. Every cry punched her heart, every scream hurt her in ways she couldn’t imagine. As she flew further and further away, she almost turned back, the cries nearly breaking her.

Should she help her friends... only to fight her friends? It was a thought she wouldn’t dare ask herself again, the idea almost alien to her. She couldn’t fight her friends! Then again… she couldn’t abandon them either.

A terrible roar erupted from the terminal. The terminal! Fluttershy gasped, wiping her eyes free from the tears to gaze down to the terminal beneath her. She shot downwards, stopping just in front of the glass windows lining the walls. She could see from the inside, far, far down the terminal and there was Bucky and Sam. She almost missed the red and blue figure swinging throughout the terminal, dodging rockets fired by Sam.

He was going for them! Whoever he was, he was trying to hurt her friends. Fluttershy frowned, finding the nearest smashed window and flying right through it. She entered the surrounding chaos quite easily, already approaching the multicolored figure’s backside. She was so close she could make out the large, red spider on his back.

“Now, you listen to me, mister—!”

Fluttershy’s voice was drowned out when the figure spun around. The first thing Fluttershy saw was his mask, and it was so surprising it caught her off-guard and froze her mid-air. His white eyes grew even larger, his palms shooting out right for her.

“Look out!” he said, and shot two strands of webbing. They latched themselves to Fluttershy’s chest, the mare yelping in shock as he pulled her right for him.

With the pony safely in his grasp, Spider-Man leapt off the support beam just as the terminal’s information stand/map impacted where he just stood. The assailant, Bucky Barnes, instantly lost all the color in his face, having realized the information pillar would have struck Fluttershy. She wasn’t there before he threw it, so how did she get there so—

“Hey, buddy, over here!”

Turning in the direction stupidly, Bucky was met with a strand of webbing hitting him right in the face. He pried at the sticky substance with both hands, roaring incoherent words and stumbling around like a madman. While the Winter Soldier almost tripped over himself trying to get the webbing off, Spider-Man rolled to a stop, resting on one knee.

He breathed a sigh of relief, finally looking down to the mare in his arms. “You all right?” he asked. “That would’ve been pretty nasty.”

Fluttershy shook like a leaf in the young man’s surprisingly powerful arms. She couldn’t help it. After seeing the information map do the type of damage to the ceiling and support beam, the thought of what it would have done to her had he not grabbed her in time…

Fluttershy didn’t answer. Spider-Man shook his head and placed her down like a toddler, even holding his pointing finger out to her like he would to a toddler. “Now stay here,” he told her, Fluttershy’s breathing finally slowing down. “There’s some bad guys I gotta take care of.”

The bad guys he was referring to was Bucky and Sam, what with his intended direction being right towards them. Fluttershy shook her head, trying to shake away the shell shock, which was not so easily done. She shot her hoof out, yelling, “No, wait! You can’t!”

But he was already gone, trailing fast behind the Falcon. He shot web after web at the ceiling, pushing him forward and closer to his target. When he was several feet above him, Spider-Man bent down and fired a single strand of webbing into the Falcon’s jet pack. Sam spun his neck around, watched as his wings began to fidget out of control until his jet pack eventually gave out. He screamed, falling and crashing into a glass information pillar.

Sam quickly rolled to his feet. He looked up, then to his left to see Bucky come rushing forward, strands of web still visible on the side of his face. They both readied themselves for the Spider-Man, holding up their fists and watching him come swinging their way. Unfortunately for them, they hadn’t prepared for more web attacks. Spider-Man shot out a large strand, the entire web covering Sam’s torso and arms. He shot out a second strand, this one simply covering Bucky’s metal fist. It was just enough to distract them and keep them immobile as he drove his feet into both men, sending them crashing through the glass railing and falling to the floor below.

Thankfully for them, it wasn’t too much of a fall. Both men landed with just a grunt coming from each. As they rolled in the broken glass, their chests arching upwards from the rising pain of the impact, they looked up to the Spider-Man leaning his head over the edge.

Spider-Man nodded his head, saying, “Look, guys, this was really fun, but I only really need Barnes. So… sorry, Falcon, sir.”

He pointed his palm towards Sam, his middle and ring finger almost pressed into his palm. He stopped, however, when he heard that delicate little voice appear from behind him. “Stop right there!”

Spinning around, Spider-Man lowered his arm, both of his hands choosing instead to rest on his hips. Fluttershy approached him, a look on her face that tried to look intimidating, but failed and only looked adorable. Well, to Peter it did.

Spider-Man snapped his fingers, taking a step forward. “You must be with Captain America’s group, right?” he asked, white eyes narrowing.

Fluttershy frowned and nodded. “Yes,” she said, trying her hardest to sound intimidating. Once more, it didn’t seem to work. “Now, if you would please leave and let me tend to my friends, that would be appreciated. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Peter laughed, falling to one knee and shooting out his hand to rub her head. He rustled up her mane, the mare only frowning at him. After leaving the top of her head a pink mess, he rested that arm on his knee, shaking his head to her. “Aw, that’s so cute,” he told her. “I’m glad you care about me enough, but no offense, I really don’t think you can hurt me.”

Fluttershy just raised a brow. “Oh, I wasn’t talking about me. I was talking about Redwing.”

He stopped chuckling and tilted his head. “Who’s Red—?”

Spider-Man then stopped talking when a small grappling hook attached itself to the arm resting on his knee. His arm. “What the—?” he said, his voice drowned out by the oncoming screams when he was yanked up and off the ground, dragged through the air, flung through a window, and brought down to the cold, hard cement in the outside world.

Fluttershy let loose a sigh of relief. An adversary dealt with without even having to raise a hoof to him. Then again, it wasn’t really her. Still, she helped, and it was a victory Fluttershy would take any day. Her thoughts were interrupted by a pair of familiar voices appearing a floor below her, one asking, “You couldn’t have done that earlier?”

“I hate you so much.”

Galloping forward, Fluttershy stopped just at the edge of the destroyed railing, peeking over to see both Sam and Bucky lying flat on their backs in the crushed glass. She gasped, a hoof rising to cover her mouth. “Oh, my goodness!” she said. “Are you two all right?”

Sam sighed, quickly nodding to the pony several feet above him. “Yeah… Yeah, we’re good. Thanks for the assist, Fluttershy,” he told her, seeing he mare blush lightly at the compliment. Sam grunted, struggling to move within the cocoon Spider-Man gratefully made for him. Out of sticky, tensile webs no less.

“Do you think you can give us a hand here?” Sam asked.

“Hoof,” Bucky corrected him.

Sam sighed again, the back of his head hitting the glass beneath him. “Don’t talk to me.”

Chapter 40 - The Clash

Leipzig, Germany

Leipzig Airport

2:32 p.m.

Twilight tried desperately to shoot her best friend.

With every spell she fired off, each paralysis spell firing from her horn and missing its target, Twilight only grew more and more anxious. Every second she wasted chasing down the rainbow Pegasus only meant another second longer their mission lasted, another second longer they had to keep fighting this seemingly-endless fight. Another second longer she fought her best friend.

Twilight wanted it to end, but Rainbow Dash wouldn’t give in. She expected that, so she didn’t hold back.

As Twilight continued to launch spell after spell at the Pegasus, Rainbow Dash flew back and forth with speeds that she knew Twilight couldn’t keep up with. Despite the past years of experience she’s had flying, there wasn’t any feasible way Twilight was ever going to catch Rainbow, and they both knew it. The airport’s airspace was completely vacant, allowing the two plenty of room to fly. Mostly Rainbow Dash, because it gave her plenty of room to dodge Twilight’s attacks.

Rainbow shot her gaze back after a blue spell shot by her, nearly singing her wing. She couldn’t allow another spell to get that close. Gritting her teeth, Rainbow tucked in her wings and dove straight down. Twilight mirrored her, yet another paralysis spell charging in her horn. The Pegasus could see Applejack awaiting her descent, her body lowered in a pounce-like stance, ready for almost anything Rainbow had up her sleeve.

Almost anything.

The second Rainbow touched ground, she drove her front legs down first, driving her hind legs back into Twilight’s jaw. The Alicorn yelled in pain, flipping a few times before she came to a fumbling crash several yards away. With plenty of momentum, Rainbow flipped over Applejack and landed on all fours behind the mare. Instinctively, Applejack reared her back legs and bucked. Just as instinctively, Rainbow Dash ducked, sliding across and kicking Applejack right in her rib cage. The pony yelped, rolling on her side several times before she came to a halt.

Tightening her jaw, Applejack opened one eye, the other shut tight in response to the growing pain in her side. She stood back up, seeing Rainbow Dash slowly hover closer to her. Her eyes were filled with malice, nothing short of instinctive rage and adrenaline. Applejack wouldn’t be surprised if her own held that kind of power considering the circumstances.

Part of her couldn’t believe she was actually fighting one of her best friends. The fact that Pinkie Pie, Spike, and Fluttershy would all have to be subdued hurt her, but for some reason… bringing down Rainbow Dash didn’t hurt as much. Of course, it hurt. It hurt like the worst kind of pain Applejack could have imagined. Despite all of her abusive, obnoxious, and downright stupid characteristics that made Rainbow, well, Rainbow, deep down Applejack knew that she was still her best friend.

They’ve been through so much hell and fire together, came out stronger than ever before, and to just stand against her for a conflict that should have never really concerned them was something Applejack didn’t take easily. It had to be done, though. Once Barnes was brought in, then they were done. They could go home. They could be through with all of this.

She swallowed a mixture of blood and spit, spitting whatever remained onto the concrete to her side. Wiping her mouth, Applejack lowered herself, her eyes trained on the Pegasus and whatever move she had planned next. Rainbow narrowed her glare on the pony, spreading her wings and getting shot in the side by a spell.

“Gah!” Rainbow squealed, crashing into a pile of wooden boxes. Applejack shot her gaze from the wood pile and over to where the spell originated. She could see a heavily-panting, sweating, and very shaky Rarity standing a few yards away. The tip of her horn had a small smoke trail leaving it.

Rarity snarled like a feral beast, the red in the veins of her eyes visible from where Applejack stood. Applejack exhaled something fierce, shaking her head and smirking her way. “Hot damn…” she breathed.

Finally giving herself a moment to actually breathe a few calming breaths, Rarity recuperated herself, closing her eyes and allowing a few more breaths to calm her nerves. A few seconds ago, she was staring at two worlds torn by fire, and the next thing she saw was her world being torn right before her eyes. The Avengers, like they didn’t even know each other, doing their damnedest to put each other down. Her friends, Twilight and Applejack, fighting Rainbow Dash like she was some common thug. The sight appalled her.

Rarity imagined it would be a confrontation with no need for violence, one where the Captain and his team came without a fight. It was wishful thinking, but a thought Rarity had hoped for. However, after seeing Rainbow Dash buck Twilight in the chin and kick Applejack in the ribs, that was enough for Rarity to know that Rainbow and the others wouldn’t come in without a short scuffle.

So be it.

She fired a concussive spell right for the Pegasus, and sure enough, she wasn’t looking. Rainbow went down hard into a pile of wooden boxes, the splinters shattering upon her crash-landing. It wasn’t a strong spell by any means, but even Rarity was surprised to say the least on how strong it had actually been. That surprise quickly faded when Rainbow began to get back up, replaced only by a stern glare and solid eyes. Applejack joined the unicorn, slowly approaching the prone Pegasus.

As for Rainbow Dash, as she slowly began to pick herself up, she rubbed her head and groaned lightly to herself. Her eyes widened, however, the moment she saw Rarity and Applejack approaching from her front, Rarity’s horn glowing a frightening blue. Spinning her neck back quickly, Rainbow could see Twilight hovering closer and closer to her position, her horn also a bright blue. And in the distance, Rainbow could have sworn she saw Starlight galloping her way.

Four on one. Normally, Rainbow didn’t mind the odds, but considering her situation, the amount of paralysis spells she would have to dodge, it didn’t seem likely she would last long. She hated to admit it, but she needed backup.

So, before they closed in on her, Rainbow shot up straight in the air like a rocket, causing the crushed wood beneath her to explode as if a grenade had been planted where she sat. A small rainbow dust cloud was all that remained of her as her trail zoomed up into the sky and quickly forward. The mares below coughed in response, waving their hooves to block out the dust from entering their lungs.

Applejack coughed rather loudly, waving the rainbow dust away from her face. “Consarn it!” she shouted, narrowing her gaze through the dust. “She’s up an’ off again! Now what are we gonna do?!”

Twilight ended her coughing fit, turning her eyes skyward. For a moment, she kept her gaze centered on Rainbow Dash’s trail of lights shooting far across the sky. It suddenly dipped back to the earth, returning to the airport where she most likely made a safe landing.

Something else caught her eye, even her ears. She, as well as everypony else, spun their necks around to see a trail of fire appear over their heads. Twilight narrowed her gaze, her jaw slightly falling at the sight of it. She could see Tony Stark carrying Natasha by the hand, the two flying off straight ahead. Joining them in the air, she noticed Rhodes carrying Castle and T’Challa, Parker swinging by web close to them. All of them headed in the same direction.

That’s when she heard: “Everyone, Vision is waiting for us in the center of the runway. Meet up there.”

Tony, Twilight thought. She looked to her friends, saw each of them press down on their ears to see if they had heard that correctly. Once they did, they turned their attention to Twilight, the Alicorn taking a large step forward. Pressing her hoof down, she looked to each of her friends and nodded. “Circle in, girls. I’ll get us there quick.”

They all nodded.

With that, Twilight closed her eyes, charged up her horn, and tightened her jaw. The dust surrounding their hooves began to form a small, very slow tornado. It covered all four mares, the three of them turning to Twilight and shutting their eyes. Twilight’s horn erupted a bright white, a dome of energy quickly covering them and then vanishing in a flash. The dust settled back onto the concrete, not a mare left in the area.

2:39 p.m.

Captain America led the charge. Straight ahead, he could see the Avengers Quinjet Stark’s team had used to get to the airport. It was tucked safely into the hanger far-off across the airport. A straight shot passed the runway would get them to their destination. They couldn’t afford to slow down. Not now. Not while they had the advantage and without any of Stark’s team in sight.

Joining him was Lang and Daredevil, the two red-suited men right on the Captain’s tail, right by his side. Steve was impressed with Lang’s skills to say the least. He had managed to hold his own against Romanoff, as well as coming equipped with a few gadgets that aided them for a short moment. He may have been a loose cannon, and a bit of a fanboy, but he did his job. That’s all Steve could have asked of him.

As for Daredevil, he was someone who took Steve by complete surprise. For someone who mostly dealt with thugs in the streets of New York City, Daredevil had managed to hold well against Stark’s team. He brought down Rhodes in a single strike, an Avenger with probably more experience in combat and with better gear. Whoever he was, Daredevil came for a fight, and to win. Round 1 had come to an end, with assured victory looming ahead if they kept at it.

Steve was impressed once more.

The next four to join them were Clint and Wanda, trailed quickly by Pinkie Pie and Spike. It would seem to the two fared well against Stark, which was what Steve expected. They were strong. They could handle their own. As for Pinkie Pie, she galloped and hopped and danced her way forward, Spike riding and holding onto her mane so he wouldn’t fall off. The two of them had… surprised Steve. He didn’t expect them to fight, or even manage to come out on top of most of their skirmishes. But thanks to Pinkie being… Pinkie and Spike’s bravery in the face of conflict, the two stood out and joined them on the final leg of the race ahead of them.

Practically sprinting, shield held tight in his left arm, Steve turned his gaze right. “Come on!” he shouted, waving the next wave of his team forward. Joining his growing group were Sam, Buck, and Fluttershy. The two men ran together with Fluttershy flying over their heads, almost like a guardian angel of some kind. Steve liked to believe that.

A sudden gust of wind came high above him. He looked up, saw Rainbow Dash right over his head. She looked down, smirked, and winked his way. Steve wouldn’t lie and admitted he did the same.

His team was together, all eleven of them running or flying into the runway, their destination lying in the hanger so far away. So close. Just as they took the first few steps closer to their stop, they found themselves stopping prematurely, a golden beam of light shooting down from above and incinerating the solid concrete just feet ahead of them.

Steve slowed to a stop, everyone behind him doing the same. The two Pegasi hovered in place, their gazes turning upwards, joining the others. Even with the brightness of the afternoon sun, they could all clearly see the Vision floating dangerously ahead of them. The golden beam retracted, returning to the gem that remained in his forehead.

Vision stared at the group below, his cape blowing gently behind him, his gaze landing on their leader. “Captain Rogers!” he announced, slowly beginning his descent. “I know you believe what you’re doing is right. He is your friend, and that is understandable.”

Steve looked to Bucky. Bucky met his stare, both of their gazes returning to Vision.

“But for the collective good…” Vision was saying, Tony Stark swooping down and dropping off Natasha, “… you must surrender now.”

Iron Man and War Machine flew in, Rhodes dropping off both the Black Panther and the Punisher and Stark dropping off Natasha. The two men rolled to a stop, both slowly rising, both of their glares centered on one man standing several yards away from them. War Machine landed with a solid thud, his red eyes and glowing chest radiating true power in the form of the bulking machine he walked around in.

“There is no other way for us to convince you, it would seem.”

Spider-Man swung in, performing a small flip before landing precisely and without error next to War Machine. He stood up, eyeing the Widow to his right, the approaching android lowering himself between him and Romanoff.

“So, you leave us no other choice.”

A flash of blinding light appeared in front of Stark’s growing team. No one flinched. As the light quickly faded, all that remained were Twilight, Starlight, Applejack, and Rarity. They took their places by the side of each member of Stark’s Avengers, minus the king, the murderer, and the web-slinger.

And it was as they stood. Tony Stark remained with his team; James Rhodes, Peter Parker, Vision, Rarity, Applejack, Starlight Glimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Natasha Romanoff, King T’Challa, and Frank Castle. They remained in a solid line, never breaking formation, never turning their heads away from the threat that continued to stand against them and against what was right in their eyes.

And Steve’s team did the same. The Captain stood where he was, never backing down and refusing to surrender despite the Vision’s warning. The rest of his team did the same. Sam Wilson, Fluttershy, Scott Lang, Clint Barton, Pinkie Pie, Spike, Wanda Maximoff, Rainbow Dash, James Barnes, and Daredevil all refused to kneel in defeat.

None of them backed away. None of them moved. No one did.

Sam’s eyes swiveled behind his goggles, observing the eleven that stood in their way. A cool sweat began to build on his forehead, his fingers slowly curling into his palms. “What do we do, Cap?” he asked.

Daredevil tightened his fists, his red eyes holding strong with Castle’s gaze. Steve Rogers knew what would happen. He knew it would happen. There was no denying that the inevitable confrontation would come, he just didn’t want it. And yet here he stood, his friends by his side, ready to die for their Captain against… their own friends.

Their own family.

And yet the clock kept on ticking, closer and closer to total destruction the longer they stood and did nothing. And nothing was something Steve couldn’t allow to happen.

He took the first brave step forward, as all leaders do with their soldiers, and said, “We fight.”

He almost felt his heart break to hear a small whimper escape Fluttershy, followed shortly by a few calming breaths from the Pegasus, almost as if she was trying to convince herself to push on and do what was right, and that was to help Bucky. The rest followed behind him. Pinkie Pie tied a bandanna designed like the American flag around her head. The mare licked her lips and hopped forward. Rainbow Dash snorted, flapping her wings and moving forward, moving right with Fluttershy and staying by her side.

Across the runway, Natasha tilted her head slightly. She sighed, “This is gonna end well.” She took the first step forward, followed almost immediately by the rest of Stark’s team.

An uncertain expression remained on the faces of Rarity, Applejack, and Starlight. The three mares moved with the rest of the team, but moved slower, almost apprehensive. The short skirmish earlier painted a big enough picture of what fighting their closest friends was like, and diving forward straight back into it was almost something they backed away from. Almost. There was a different look on the face of Twilight, though. It was a look of determination, a sense of bravery, strength, and willingness etched into her features. She could never hide away the pain, though, especially in her eyes. Especially when she saw Spike look her way.

Spike gazed into Twilight’s growing eyes, a bit of heat growing in his own. He frowned, blinked a few times, and wiped his eyes with a free claw that wasn’t gripping Pinkie’s bouncing mane. He could feel the dampness on his wrist, and he didn’t want to. But it was there, constantly reminding him what he was charging into. It only grew faster, picking up as the Captain’s walk turned into a jog, that turned into a run, that turned into a dead sprint.

The eyes on Peter’s mask widened. “They’re not stopping!” he shouted.

“It’s only gonna get fun, kid,” Frank told him, his own walk transforming into a sprint. Everyone else followed suit, Tony and James jumping and catching flight when their palms and feet erupted into flame. The four mares charged alongside them, picking up speed, mirroring the speed of Natasha, Spider-Man, T’Challa, and even Tony. Twilight spread her wings, kicked off the ground, and flew by his side. Her eyes were focused on one pony.

So was Rainbow’s.

She almost led the charge, second to the Captain. Behind her, Rainbow could hear as Sam’s wings shot out, the man kicking off the ground and catching flight just as easily as Stark and Rhodes had. She looked back quickly, seeing Wanda slam her palms downwards and fire a wave of magic into the cement, launching her into the air.

That was all she saw before she faced forward once more. Once more to the clash. To the two armies breaking the barriers and closing in. And when they did, it was terrible. When they did, Rainbow Dash wasn’t ready for how horrible it was. Even she knew it. They all knew it. But they pushed anyway. The mission came first.

And when the two armies finally met, it was like the sound of thunder destroying everything they had built.

Chapter 41 - A Big Distraction

Leipzig, Germany

Leipzig Airport

2:44 p.m.

When Stark’s metal fist came crashing down on Steve’s shield, it was like the sound of thunder. Iron Man landed after his fist met the Vibranium exterior to the Captain’s shield, standing toe-to-toe with Rogers and already locked in hand-to-hand combat with the man. He swung for his helmet, but Steve was too quick, ducking and driving the edge of his shield’s face across Stark’s metal cheek.

After the expected clash of metal against metal resounded through the air, all that remained was complete and utter hell.

Complete.

Utter.

Hell.

Black Panther pounced forward, tackling the Winter Soldier down onto the hard pavement beneath them. The Punisher ducked as Daredevil swung his baton for his head. With his shoulder down, the Punisher drove forward and gored Daredevil in the sternum, sending the devil flat on his back. War Machine drove his feet forward, hitting the Falcon square in the chest and sending him tumbling back to the ground. Iron Man blocked the Captain’s strikes, missing the arrow that lodged itself into his shoulder and exploded, as well as the rainbow Pegasus driving her back hoof into the side of his head. Ant-Man shrunk down, kicking out Starlight Glimmer’s forelegs and sending the mare landing cheek-first onto the cement. Starlight quickly rolled over, yelping at the sight of the molecular-sized man running up her chest and delivering a punch that might as well have come from a full-grown man right into her nose.

Above the mare and the Ant-Man, a certain web-slinger hopped from object to object, each piece of airport equipment flung at him and covered in a red haze, courtesy of the Scarlet Witch. Spider-Man quickly turned his gaze downwards, his eyes narrowing as he shot a strand of webbing for the pink pony, more specifically, the dragon that rode her. Spike could feel as the cool webbing latched onto his back, yanking him free from Pinkie’s back and straight into the air. With the screaming dragon in tow, Spider-Man came back to the ground, sliding underneath the Scarlet Witch’s legs and yanking hard on the webbing he gripped. Spike shot into the Witch’s arms, Wanda catching him as gently as she could. Being so focused on Spike’s safety made her forget who was behind her, allowing Spider-Man to deliver a strong kick to her backside.

The Falcon’s HUD zeroed in on a few ponies rushing forward. He could see two beams of energy sent his way, causing him to quickly shift right and away from the energy beams. Twilight and Rarity gritted their teeth, their horns igniting and sending spell after spell up above to stop the Falcon. It wasn’t any use. He was too fast for them, and he showed it by blowing right through them, the two mares shielding themselves from the onslaught of wind that followed. As for Applejack, the mare charged right on ahead, her emerald gaze focused clearly on the red, white, and blue shield headed her way. With Tony dealt with by Rainbow, Steve joined Falcon in the forward charge, only for him to bring up his shield and block the oncoming buck from Applejack.

The farm pony snorted, rearing her hind legs and sending another buck his way. Steve could feel the added pressure from the second strike, his body moving back a few inches, his feet skidding across the pavement. Quickly anticipating the third strike, Steve moved out of the way with speed that Applejack just wasn’t prepared for. He appeared by her side, swiping low with his leg and kicking out Applejack’s legs right from under her. The mare landed with a painful yelp, eyes shut tight and teeth clenched together. Bringing his head back up to the fight ahead, Steve’s eyes widened as he quickly fell to one knee, his entire shield covering his side. At that moment, both Rarity and Twilight fired two continuous beams right for him, the spells bouncing right off the Vibranium.

The two kept right at it, Rarity biting her lip as she desperately tried to hold the paralysis spell. Twilight, on the other hoof, shifted to a much more powerful spell, one that would definitely knock him off his feet. Her horn glowed a bright green, a blend of yellow and green erupting from her horn and striking the Captain’s shield. As expected, the blast blew Steve backwards, causing him to roll until he came to an eventual rest on his back. With the man prone, Twilight kicked off the ground, spread her wings, and hovered several feet above him. She quickly prepared a paralysis spell, firing it right on top of the prone Captain. Her eyes widened in shock as he brought up his shield, the spell bouncing right off and straight for her. Screaming, Twilight moved to the side, only to feel the pinching coolness of the spell strike her right wing. It froze in mid-air, remaining as stiff as a wooden board. Twilight’s expression tightened, her left wing beating desperately to keep herself afloat. It didn’t work in the end, and the princess fell to back to the earth with a scream following her. Steve rolled to his feet, staring down the unicorn that remained.

Rarity snorted furiously, her horn igniting once more. To her surprise, the Captain didn’t raise his shield to block the spell that would come his way. Instead, he ducked, allowing a yellow blur to come rushing forward. Yelping, Rarity ducked as Fluttershy surprisingly flew in like a speeding bullet right over her head. Watching the Pegasus escape, Rarity turned back to the Captain, yelping once more as he slid forward, knocking her legs out right from under her. Steve prepared to make his escape as he rolled to his feet, completely unprepared as Applejack tackled him from behind.

Black Widow ducked from the approaching yellow Pegasus, bringing her attention on the approaching Hawk instead. She ducked once more from the bow swung her way, using the momentum to drive her baton into Hawkeye’s rib cage. Grunting, Hawkeye swung again, letting Natasha duck so he could move in. He trapped her between his bow and the string, lifting her up and slamming her onto her back. He rammed the edge of the bow right over her throat, Natasha holding her baton’s up to block the bow, the two’s gazes locked for a brief moment.

“No hard feelings, Clint?” she breathed, voice ripe with exhaustion.

Clint grinned, shaking his head. “None whatsoever.”

“We still up for dinner with the family next weekend?”

“You know me so well.”

Clint could feel the bottom of her feet on his gut. He could definitely feel the force she used to push him off. Rolling to one knee, Clint looked up to see her foot come rushing towards him, right between the eyes. She stopped, however, the moment a large watermelon came flying down and hit her square in the chest. Natasha rolled, the contents of the shattered watermelon painted on her black suit.

“Sorry about the melon, Naty!” Pinkie Pie’s shrill voice called. Both Clint and Natasha turned to see the pink pony waving from about a twenty-yard distance. “I ran out of pies!”

Natasha grunted, laying her head back down on the concrete below her.

In the distance, the two devils from the Kitchen were still locked in a deadly close-quarter fight. As Frank swung a powerful strike after the next right for the devil’s head, Murdock ducked each time, driving his billy club into Frank’s exposed areas: his rib cage, his leg, and sometimes his chest. Castle roared as Daredevil sneaked in a few hits here and there. He grabbed Daredevil’s arm, twisting it, causing him to yell out, and flipped him over onto his back. Daredevil miraculously landed on his feet, driving the tip of his boot to the side of Castle’s head. Frank staggered back from the hit and Matt swiftly rose to full height, gripping his only baton, watching as Frank composed himself and waited for the devil to make the next move.

But he didn’t. The next move came from his left side, from the web-slinger landing near the two. Both Castle and Murdock turned their attention to the kid in the bright red and blue spandex, his large, white eyes growing even larger at the two.

“Well, well, we got our own little New Yorker brawl,” Spider-Man said in his incredibly-young voice, standing out to the two men. He shook his head, narrowing his eyes on Murdock. “Sorry, Daredevil, but my money’s on us.”

And before he could respond, Spider-Man sent a helping of webbing right for him. Daredevil lifted up his arms, only to notice that his little defense wasn’t going to help him. More and more webs were shot his way, practically encasing Daredevil in a large, white cocoon. His legs and his head, however, remained free, allowing him to watch as Spider-Man shot forward and drove his feet right into his exposed chest. Daredevil landed on the ground, sticking there with the webbing covering almost every inch of his chest and back.

Spider-Man cracked his neck, chuckling as the man struggled. He looked back, his white eyes narrowing at Frank Castle. The man’s expression never changed, a continuous glare that never seemed to have an end in sight. “Um… you’re welcome?” Spider-Man said, his hands outstretched.

Frank just grunted. “I had it under control, kid.”

Peter scoffed. “Yeah, sure you did.”

He shot two strands of webbing into the nearest structure, pulling him up and out of sight. Frank watched him swing off to some other conflict, his attention shifting back to Daredevil caught up in the webs. He was practically in chains, grunting and shouting nonsense to try and escape. It didn’t matter. All that mattered to Frank was that he was immobilized, and he had a good chance as ever to get to the Winter Soldier. With that thought in mind, he took off.

“Frank!” Daredevil shouted, watching as Castle swiveled his head back and forth, scanning the airport for the Winter Soldier. He took off in the opposite direction. “Frank, no! Stop!”

But he was already gone. Murdock groaned, “Son of a bitch.” He muttered something else before returning to the webbing his was tangled in. The sounds of the Iron Man’s propulsion thrusts caught his attention, his gaze shooting straight upwards.

Tony Stark’s HUD flashed, his optics locking on to the rainbow Pegasus flying away from his reach. She shot him a quick glare, her eyes widening to see the glowing palm faced her way. “Rainbow, you’re making this so much more difficult than it has to be!” Tony yelled, his voice loud enough for the Pegasus to hear. He fired off a repulsor blast, aiming for her wing, the pony easily dodging it.

Rainbow Dash grunted, shooting her eyes back for a quick glance. Tony was on her rainbow tail, his palm lighting up once more. With the sweat streaming, to the strands of her rainbow mane practically glued to her forehead, Rainbow tensed up, her teeth scraping against each other. She waited for the repulsor blast, heard it, then made a daring move left. It was so fast that Tony couldn’t have anticipated or reacted to it fast enough. Rainbow Dash shot left, spun back, and drove her hooves right into the side of Tony’s helmet. All in less than a second.

Red lights flashed in his head, Homer declaring, “Contusion detected on our left.” Tony groaned. He brought his attention through the static in his HUD to see the Pegasus return in his line of sight.

Slightly sluggish, Tony raised his palm again, saying, “Give up… Rainbow. You’ll never—”

His voice paused. Rainbow Dash cast him another quick glance before returning forward. In that second she wasted, she noticed the approaching War Machine flying right for her, his palm outstretched, the red orb glowing and ready to fire. With Rhodes nearly on top of her, Rainbow kicked up as hard as she could, her wings on fire, as she shot straight up into the air.

And looked down to see the two crash into one another. Sparks flew, Tony Stark spinning out of control as he came to a crash into the pavement below. James Rhodes faced the same fate, landing right next to Starlight Glimmer.

Screaming in surprise to see War Machine land right next to her, Starlight wasn’t prepared when the Ant-Man came charging for her. He took out her foreleg, causing her to fall to her face. Scott Lang acted fast, hopping from her nose to her eyelid, then grabbing onto her ear and launching himself into her mane. The unicorn groaned, those groans turning into yelps of pain as she felt strands of her mane being yanked out. Inside the forest of purple and light aquamarine, Scott grabbed an armful of hair and pulled. The mare screamed, hopping right into the air and landing flat on her face.

She heard the Ant-Man say, “I usually don’t pull on hair to win a fight, but for a pony… I can make an exception.”

Starlight growled, seeing red. Standing back up, she charged up her horn, screaming, “You’re not winning anything!” Starlight fired off a pulsating wave of magic, strong enough to encompass her entire body and knock away any foreign intruder. That intruder just happened to be Lang, the insect-like man basically falling to his doom, which was about two feet from the ground. Reacting fast, he grew back to normal size and landed on his back. He looked up, muttering some words of terror as the fuming unicorn began to approach him.

Starlight bared her teeth, growling like an animal, her seething gaze centered on the man in the insect suit. Lang tried desperately to crawl away, even rising up to full height and holding out his hands to the unicorn, trying to talk his way out of it. Starlight only growled, screaming, “Now, freeze!”

Her horn lit up a bright blue, a paralysis spell shot right for him. Scott held out his hands in a desperate attempt to block the magic. He surprised even himself when it did. At least, he thought it did. Lang lowered his arms, noticing a red haze of energy shielding him between the unicorn. Starlight’s expression looked shocked, then quickly reverted back to her fuming expression earlier. Spell after spell, she kept impacting the red shield, never once breaking it, never once getting closer to doing so. Her rage dictated her action, causing her to lash out in uncontrolled, child-like spasms.

It was ultimately her downfall. The red shield shot out towards her, knocking the unicorn flat on her back and holding her strapped to the pavement. Starlight tried to move, tried to teleport, but felt the red magic surround her horn, cutting off her magic. She looked up, saw the Ant-Man lower his arms to his side, his stance becoming less tense when he realized she wasn’t a threat anymore. He turned his red eyes to the Scarlet Witch coming up to his side, her palms still surrounded by the red haze, her fingers still dancing, still keeping Starlight at bay.

But not much longer. A green beam of energy shot down and struck Wanda in the chest with such speed and such ferocity that it knocked her on her back, caused her to roll a few times, and come to a rest flat on her chest, her eyelids heavy as pain-filled groans escaped her. Lang flinched from the energy beam, looking up and yelping in fright. He shrunk down before the green energy beam could strike him, making his escape.

As Starlight felt the magic leave her grasp, she sat upwards, moaning and rubbing her horn. Twilight landed next to her, both of her wings functioning properly now, albeit the right one still twitching in agitation from the healing spell Twilight applied earlier.

“Twilight…” Starlight mumbled, flinching as she rubbed her horn.

Twilight turned her way, sighing. “Starlight,” she said, holding out her hoof for her to grip, “… are you okay?”

Using Twilight’s hoof as a crutch to stand, Starlight stood up to all four hooves, breathing heavily, staggering slightly. She shook her head, Twilight’s worried expression held to hers. Starlight gulped down the spit that wasn’t there, her voice so dry that her tone was cracking. “This is insane.”

Twilight looked away. She saw as Captain America fought Spider-Man, flinging his shield and cutting off his webbing he used to swing with. She watched as the Vision fired a golden beam of energy right for the Falcon, Sam Wilson zipping back and forth with such speed that even the Vision had trouble hitting him. She could see as Rainbow Dash tackled Natasha into the cement, flying off and doing the same to Applejack and Rarity. And in it all, there was Fluttershy, flying to nowhere, screaming, crying, doing everything in her power to get away from the fight, but also not wanting to leave her friends to get hurt. She was trapped. Utterly trapped.

Twilight sighed. “I know.”

Iron Man bombarded the runway with small missiles, knocking Daredevil off his feet and causing Barton to shield himself from the flames. War Machine landed by the two men, driving his forearm into Daredevil’s chest and launching him into the side of a nearby plane. Barton slammed the edge of his bow against his head, only to realize it did nothing and duck as Rhodes swung for him. Not too far away, the Winter Soldier and the Black Panther were locked in a heated stare, both of their hands gripping each other’s throats.

Bucky tightened his grip around the Panther’s throat, his emotionless, silver eyes practically digging into him. The Panther’s grip on his own throat tightened. Sputtering with the hand on his throat, Bucky managed to mutter, “I didn’t kill your father.”

“Then why did you run?” T’Challa asked, his voice filled with pure malice and hate.

“Because you’re trying to kill me.”

T’Challa ignored him, grabbed his metal palm, twisted it until the Winter Soldier roared in agony, then drove both of his feet right into the man’s chest. Bucky staggered, fell back, and felt himself crash into the side of a pile of wooden boxes. He groaned, rose up, and felt that same hand come crashing over his throat once more. He looked up and saw the second hand rise, claws unsheathing, the voice of the Panther screaming, “Die!”

But before those claws came down on him, and to the Winter Soldier’s luck, a large boot came across T’Challa’s face, the right side of it to be precise. The strike was so profound and powerful that the Black Panther rolled several times before coming to a rest, trying to stand back up but failing to do so. Bucky took in a breath of relief, only to be caught when that same boot struck him across the face. Rolling, Bucky stood back up, his eyes landing on the white skull first of all, then to the face glaring his way.

Frank Castle growled something, something Bucky couldn’t hear or he just chose to ignore. The second after he spoke, Frank pulled out, hidden beneath his pant leg, a short combat knife. The tip shined in what little sunlight there was. That same tip reared Bucky’s way. Bucky was ready, though, and with eyes and hands at the ready, he moved out of the way, preparing himself for Castle’s next strike.

Castle twirled the knife in his hand like the expert he was in close quarter combat. Bucky licked his lips, eyes shifting from the knife and back to Castle’s eyes. He studied them, waited for the moment he knew he would strike. And when he did, Bucky was ready. Frank stabbed and swung and sliced at nothing but the air, the Winter Soldier moving and dodging each swift strike from the blade. He pushed Castle’s arm aside after every other stab he attempted. Frank roared, pushing further, stabbing faster, swinging harder.

He wasn’t losing concentration like Bucky had thought. His anger wasn’t getting the best of him, which Bucky thought would have made him abandon his training and go for wild, uneven, uncoordinated shots. But no. He was fast, he was coordinated, he was ready, and he was pissed off. Bucky never slowed down.

Frank stabbed forward, Bucky dodging and driving his elbow down on Castle’s arm. He latched himself onto the Punisher, refusing to let his arm go. With such close distance, Frank drove his forehead right into the Winter Soldier’s nose, knocking him lose. As the blood began to flow, Bucky staggered back, holding out his metal palm as the blade came at him. He could feel the steel tear right through his palm, the tip of the knife protruding from the back of his hand. It quickly pulled out, Castle driving his fist across Bucky’s temple and causing the man to stumble.

Bucky faced forward, blood dripping from his nose, as Castle moved in and stabbed him.

Barnes screamed. He could feel the coolness of the blade on his insides, tearing through with unrelenting strength and fury. As Castle pulled out, Bucky instantly shot both of his hands onto the wound, fresh blood pouring free. He staggered and fell, gasping for air like a fish out of water, eyes glazed over and in shock, sweat pouring from his face. He didn’t see Frank standing above him, the bloody knife in his bloody palm raised over his bloody face.

He almost brought the blade down.

He almost did.

Captain America’s shield stopped him.

It hit Frank’s head so hard the resounding clang of metal against bone was all that Castle heard for a while. He dropped the bloody knife, staggered sideways, then fell on his back in a daze. Bucky barely lifted his head to see him fall, but he turned to see Steve approach from the side. He placed his shield back to his right arm, looked down and almost gasped.

The first thing he saw was the blood, then the small pool growing around him. He shook his head, reaching down and picking up his friend by the arm. With Bucky’s arm across his shoulders, Steve grunted and pulled him out of harm’s way, out of the fight and into cover.

None of them saw Twilight, but she saw everything.

2:51 p.m.

Rainbow Dash found some clarity in the chaos and came to a screeching halt next to Pinkie Pie. The mare was held down in a makeshift bunker, only a few piles of oranges lying next to her. Pinkie turned away from the binoculars she held to turn to the Pegasus. Rainbow studied Pinkie’s setup, tilting her head only slightly before nodding. “How you holding, Pinkie?” she asked.

Dropping her binoculars, Pinkie shouted, “I’m running out of fruit! All I have left are these orange slices!” She grabbed the nearest orange she could and tore it into four slices. Tears sprang up in her eyes, the mare crying out, “They’re not strong enough to cause physical harm! We’re doomed!”

Shaking her head, Rainbow studied the battlefield ahead of her. She eyed the Quinjet still resting on the other side of the conflict. Rainbow had just sat out for a few moments to catch her breath and she was already feeling weary again just staring at what lied ahead. Biting her lip, she pressed down on her ear, saying, “We’re gonna need some backup, Cap.”

It was short few seconds before Steve replied, his voice in turmoil. “We got our hands tied here. Buck’s bleeding bad. I’m gonna try and get him to the Quinjet.”

“How many of us are making it out of here?” Scott’s voice asked through the shared comms link.

“Not many,” Clint replied. Rainbow could see him roll on a pile of wooden boxes in the distance, readying another arrow. “Most of us are gonna have to stay here to keep ‘em preoccupied. Cap, Buck, you two are gonna have to go on without us.”

“You’ll need some help getting to Siberia,” Rainbow said, pressing on her ear. “I’m seeing this through to the end, Cap.”

“I’m down for that,” Sam’s voice added. Rainbow could see him currently having to deal with Tony and Rhodes. “All in favor of Steve, Buck, and Dash going?”

All of Steve’s team replied with a solid: “Aye.”

“I’m tired of all this fighting anyway,” Fluttershy said.

“Same here,” Spike agreed.

“I actually don’t want to go to prison again, so…”

“You’re staying, Tic Tac,” Sam told him.

Everyone could hear him sigh. “Got it.”

Steve wasn’t silent for long. He said, “Sam, we’re gonna need a diversion.”

Instead of hearing Sam’s voice reply and come up with a plan, everyone heard Scott speak up. “Hell, I’m going to prison anyway, so might as well try it. I can be your diversion, Cap, so run like hell when you see me,” he told them, falling silent after that.

“What’s he talking about?” Bucky grumbled, an awful groan following.

The comms were silent after that. Rainbow Dash lowered her hoof, her mind boggling, trying to come up with a solid idea on how someone like “Ant-Man” could come up with a big enough diversion so Steve, Buck, and herself could get away to the Quinjet safely.

She didn’t think long. Pinkie’s hoof tapped her shoulder repeatedly, earning her attention. “Oh, hey, Rainbow!” Pinkie shouted, grabbing Rainbow Dash’s face and twisting her neck in the direction Pinkie was looking. “Does that count as backup?!”

About to rip herself away from Pinkie’s unnaturally strong grasp, Rainbow just couldn’t find the strength to do so. Because several hundred yards ahead of her, she saw something that she almost didn’t believe. It was Scott, and like he said, he created a big enough diversion. Somehow, someway, Scott Lang had grown seven stories taller. In his hand, he literally held Twilight by her hind leg, the Alicorn looking back and appearing just as shocked as Rainbow Dash was.

The mares sat in awe, Pinkie beaming like a child on the Fourth of July, and Rainbow appearing as if she was seeing fireworks for the first time in her life. Shock and awe. They could hear Scott laughing from where he stood.

With Pinkie’s hooves mashing her cheeks, Rainbow Dash nodded dumbly. “Yeah, that’ll work.”

Chapter 42 - The Bigger They Are

Leipzig, Germany

Leipzig Airport

2:55 p.m.

Spider-Man stumbled forward while holding onto his smartphone. Nearly out of breath, he turned the camera of the phone his way, uttering quick, breathless nonsense for his personal vlog he still hadn’t finished. “Okay, so the craziest thing just happened, alright?! I got in a fight with Captain America and I stole his shield and I threw it at him! And I—!”

A strange sound appeared behind him, prompting Peter’s attention to see the Ant-Man seven stories taller than he was before. In his hand, he gripped Princess Twilight, the mare screaming in his grasp. Peter shook his head, setting his phone down somewhere safe. “Gah, he’s big now. I gotta go. Hang on!”

When he turned around, he didn’t realize how big Ant-Man actually was. Peter stopped in his tracks, his hands held out, his eyes widening both on top and beneath his mask.

“Holy shit!”

Forgetting to watch his language, Peter Parker began to back away, his arms rising over his head, the whites of his mask’s eyes growing as wide as the suit allowed. He, as well as every other living being in the airport, had their attention set on the fifty-foot man in a red suit. In his hand, he held Twilight Sparkle by the hind leg, the princess trying desperately to get away.

She didn’t have to wait long.

Steve Rogers and James Barnes rose up from where they were hidden. Steve’s eyes remained on the giant several yards ahead of him. He normally would be surprised, but after today, after everything he’s seen, this just wasn’t a normal day. If anything, all it meant was that Scott was their distraction, and that meant it was time to move.

“I guess that’s the signal,” Steve said, turning to Bucky. He clutched his side, his palms painted red, but he nodded regardless. Steve helped him the first few steps before Bucky waved him off, limping but moving on his own. The two took off towards the hangar bay. Towards the Quinjet.

Tony Stark, having recovered from his brief moment of surprise from the giant, hovered in the distance. He saw as Lang turned his arm back, Twilight doing her best to stay flying. “Give me back my pony,” Stark said, unaware of the Falcon approaching his side.

Scott turned his way, barely nodding and saying, “You want her? Go long!”

As he reared forward, he tossed Twilight like the insignificant being she was to him. Stark was just about to go after her, had it not been for Sam Wilson driving both of his feet into Stark’s chest. As for Twilight, she was tossed like she weighed nothing to Scott, screaming, hooves flailing, completely losing her sense of balance and direction as she flew by both Vision and War Machine.

“I got her!” Spider-Man shouted, leaping into the air and firing a strand of web that hit its target: Twilight’s belly. The mare yelped as she suddenly stopped, feeling the cool, stickiness of the webbing paint her underside. She looked down, seeing Peter swing his way up to her. He sent a quick salute her way, Twilight smiling.

“Thanks for the help!” she yelled, twisting back to see Scott kick a bus with pure ease towards T’Challa. Her eyes glowed with determination, her wings pumping even harder as she took off with Peter still attached to her by a strand of web. “Let’s take him down before he causes any serious damage!”

“We’re right there with ya, Twi!” Applejack yelled from below, she and Starlight and Rarity running towards the giant. Twilight looked to her right, seeing Vision flying into the fight, joining them. She turned left, and there was Rhodes flying by, straight towards the giant like her and the rest of her friends. Their team was ready. She was ready. She stared down the fight ahead of her.

In the distance, she could see Tony in a short dogfight with Sam, dodging the wing of an entire plane that Scott had yanked free and flung Stark’s way. In her earpiece, Twilight could hear him say, “Yeah, this guy’s not going down anytime soon! If you guys have some free time, I could really use the extra hand!”

He flew out of the way from Scott’s giant swipe, the massive man moving much slower in his gigantic state. Tony paused, his comms erupting with life when Rhodes shouted, “Don’t worry, Tony, the cavalry has arrived!”

He turned his head right. Closing in, he could see Vision, Rhodey, Twilight and Parker flying towards him. Below, there was Rarity, Applejack, Starlight, and T’Challa all rushing forwards to Lang. Almost his entire team. Frank and Natasha were unusually absent, but Stark didn’t have time to quell on that. Rainbow Dash drove her hoof right into his chest, flying off after that. Stark growled, his thrusters igniting, only for him to come crashing down to the cement when Scott struck his palm against him.

Watching Iron Man crash to the ground, Scott turned his attention forward, his eyes widening at the sight of the army rushing his way. War Machine sent a helping of warning shots that exploded into harmless, black smoke across his vision. Scott waved his massive hand to push away the black smoke clouding his eyesight, and doing so caused him to overlook Stark’s team surrounding him. Peter let go from the web connected to Twilight, shooting out a second strand that caught Scott in the forehead. He grunted, pulling himself forward and driving his feet into Scott’s head.

The giant staggered, failing to notice the Spider-Man crawling to the back of his head. He watched as the Alicorn from earlier flew past him, firing a spell that appeared more like the result of a flashbang grenade. Scott raised his hand over his helmet, shielding his eyes.

As Scott struggled to keep standing, his feet moved aimlessly across the airport. The mares beneath him kept their distance, their necks craning upwards. Applejack had her hoof to the back of her head, her teeth grit, eyes wide in shock. He looked so much smaller a few hundred yards back. Rarity and Starlight were just as awestruck as her, jaws wide open as they stared up. They didn’t even notice the Devil Man and the Black Panther squaring off a few yards away from them.

Black Panther stopped his pursuit of the Winter Soldier once more as yet another stood in his way. He gripped his billy club in his right palm. The red orbs that were the eyes of the devil mask seemed to glow. He stood his ground, eyeing Panther with alarm ripe in his features. Even when he tried to hide it, Panther could see the true features of a man just as they stood. It was as he learned as a warrior to know your enemy, to see them for what they were. And this man, the Daredevil, was beaten, weary, but not willing to surrender. He was a fighter. A warrior. Such a shame he stood in his path.

The giant stomped behind them, the unicorns firing off several spells from their horns which did little to nothing to the massive man. The two men didn’t pay them any heed. Daredevil, breathing rather heavily, gripped his billy club. With his voice ragged, he said, “The Black Panther…”

T’Challa narrowed his eyes beneath the mask. “The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.”

Matt twirled his club in his right hand, gripping its end. He stood his ground, saying, “I can’t let you through, Your Majesty.”

Behind him, T’Challa could see the Captain and the Winter Soldier slip through the fight, their destination to the Quinjet nearing. Growling, T’Challa unsheathed his claws, the silver of the Vibranium shimmering in the sunlight. He lowered to a near-pouncing stance, his voice so low Matt could’ve sworn it was another person talking. Someone unrelenting. Someone fierce. Someone who couldn’t wait to tear through Matt.

“You can try.”

It was still King T’Challa.

Then they struck. Panther moved with speed and agility that Daredevil nearly wasn’t prepared for. He blocked his oncoming slices and jabs with his arms and elbows, sweeping low with his right leg that Panther simply hopped over and drove his foot into Matt’s sternum. As he fell to his back, he looked up to see T’Challa pounce him, his claws at the ready, his body completely on top of his own. He drove his claws for Matt’s face, but he quickly raised his billy club that blocked Panther’s strike. Raising his legs, Matt pushed T’Challa off of him with a kick of his feet. T’Challa rolled on his back, stopping on one knee, glaring ahead.

Matt was already up, club held out, daring Panther to come again. He did, and this time he didn’t hold back as much. Panther charged Matt, slicing the air just where his head used to be. Matt dipped to the side, driving his club to the side of T’Challa’s head. Panther reared back as the baton connected to his temple. He spun, roaring and leaping forward. Matt dodged, swiping with his baton for Panther’s rib cage. But he was too late. Panther was too fast. He spun around, his leg following him, as his foot connected neatly with Matt’s head.

As Daredevil spun awkwardly from the force of the kick, Black Panther didn’t let up. He didn’t slow down. He was on top of Matt the second he was vulnerable, holding the man in a chokehold and prying at his mask. Matt began to panic, hitting Panther’s leg, head, and any exposed area he could with his billy club. Unfortunately, it did little damage. Panther’s claws dug beneath Matt’s mask, digging into skin and drawing blood. Matt screamed as his mask came flying off, four streaks of blood following.

Panther tossed the mask of the devil behind him, watching it bounce and roll out of sight. He looked down, down to his hand and to the four claws cloaked in blood. He turned to the Daredevil, saw him try to shield his face, but ultimately giving up and charging right for Panther once more. T’Challa ended it, sending a powerful strike across Matt’s exposed cheek, the man collapsing after that.

As the Daredevil lay at his feet, T’Challa cracked his neck, rolling his shoulder. “Stay down.”

Daredevil barely moved, groaning, gasping for air, gently patting his bleeding face. Turning aside, T’Challa returned his gaze to the battleground, searching for his target. Once more, he was interrupted, not by a man, but by a fruit. An orange slice to be precise. Flinching, T’Challa looked downwards, spotting the pink pony with the fluffy mane toss another orange slice his way, once more hitting his face.

“Take this, and that, and some of this! Bet ya didn’t see this coming, huh?” Pinkie Pie shouted, tossing fruit piece after fruit piece to the Panther. The fruit bounced off harmlessly. Grunting, T’Challa moved passed her. With just one piece of orange left, Pinkie turned to watch him leave.

She shouted, “Aren’t you gonna fight me? Come on, I’m sure JD has another paragraph or two in him!”

“I don’t care,” the Black Panther said to her. He didn’t even look back. He just took off, disappearing into the chaos that remained ahead.

Pinkie tossed the orange slice from one hoof to the other, shrugging and jamming it into her mane. “Eh, suit yourself,” she said, turning her head to Scott Lang and the entire battle that surrounded him. She completely ignored, or forgot, Daredevil, the man crawling away from the fight. He struggled to move, but when he did he gently touched his face, cringing at the large cuts still present.

With his mask gone, Matt stared out into the battlefield. Aside from the war that laid behind him, the opposite front was relatively calm. And not too far away, he could actually see Frank Castle struggling to stand.

3:03 p.m.

Scott thought it would be a good idea. He thought he would have an advantage being literally fifty feet taller than everyone else. Turns out, nothing seemed to work out in the end for him. In fact, everything seemed to go downhill from there. His vision was constantly flooded with disturbance or a distraction, anything that brought him away from those trying to push him over from below.

There was Princess Twilight constantly buzzing around his head, as well as Tony Stark and War Machine firing off non-lethal rounds to his head and body. As if that wasn’t annoying enough, there was the Vision constantly knocking into him, his strength surprisingly matching up neatly with Scott’s in his current gigantic state. Then there were the ponies beneath him doing… whatever it is they were doing. Scott tried really hard not to step on them.

Spider-Man crawled over his eye, looking through the red shielding. Oh, how could he forget him? The most annoying one of all. Scott waved his hand across his face. “Get off,” he grunted, Spider-Man leaping off and shooting a strand of web to Scott’s arm. He watched the red menace swing back and forth, twirling around Scott’s arm.

He raised his free hand, ready to swipe at the annoying spider once more. However, he didn’t even need to. A yellow blur came from the sky and sliced right through his strand of web. Spider-Man yelped, firing off a quick strand to the airplane behind Scott so he didn’t hit the ground. Scott turned his attention away from the Spider-Man and onto the yellow blur, that being Fluttershy.

“You do not hurt my friends!” Fluttershy shouted, her angry eyes following Spider-Man as he landed on the roof of the plane. “Is that understood, mister?!”

Behind her, Scott just shrugged. “I wouldn’t say we’re ‘friends’ just yet.” Fluttershy spun around, eyeing Scott with a curious stare. He held out his hand, moving his wrist in a “so-so” fashion. “Maybe… acquaintances, or even—”

His thoughts were interrupted by a beam of raw, golden energy hitting him square in the chest. Scott yelled as his back hit the plane, Fluttershy gasping in fright. She screamed, however, when she felt the powerful arms behind her, holding her still but not too rough. Shivering, the terrified Pegasus looked up to see the calming gaze of the Vision stare down at her. She began to beat her wings, her hooves pushing against his strong grasp around her.

“Do not struggle, Fluttershy,” he told her. “I will release you soon.”

She did stop struggling. Not to his order, but to Twilight. Fluttershy remained frozen as her friend hovered directly in front of her. Her expression was uncertain, and remained that way as her horn lit up, firing a blue spell right for the Pegasus. Fluttershy screamed as the coolness of the spell washed over, a numbness covering her limbs and wings. She shut her mouth as, it too, stopped moving. She felt her entire body remain that way, unmoving, completely frozen despite her attempts to move.

As promised, Vision released her. Twilight caught her in her purple aura, setting the mare down safely away from the fight. Noticing the strange and somewhat terrified look in Fluttershy’s eyes, Twilight sighed, placing her down next to a pile of wooden boxes. “It’s a paralysis spell. You should be moving again in a few hours.”

Fluttershy didn’t say a word, her closed, frozen mouth being an indication of that. Twilight sighed again, spreading her wings and kicking off the ground. “I don’t want to fight you, Fluttershy. You should be safe here.”

And then she took off, leaving Fluttershy paralyzed and away from the fight.

Scott Lang was recovering quickly. Twilight turned her gaze down and noticed Clint in the distance firing off arrows at Tony and Rhodes. She saw Pinkie Pie and Spike also starting to rush in towards Starlight and the others. Then there was Rainbow Dash, doing battle with James Rhodes in the air. That was enough to tell her to end it fast. Pressing on her ear, Twilight said, “Rarity, Starlight, you girls gotta end this! Freeze Clint, Spike, Pinkie, and Rainbow! Get them out of the fight!”

“What about you and Applejack?” Starlight asked, her voice in Twilight’s ear.

She watched as Vision floated easily towards Scott, delivering a punch to his chest that sent the giant reeling back into the plane. Twilight replied, “We’ll take care of him.”

With that order given, both Rarity and Starlight nodded to one another, taking off at a full gallop towards their objective. Starlight eyed Clint on top of a bundle of wooden boxes, firing arrow after arrow towards Tony Stark. She lit up her horn, vanishing into thin air. Rarity, on the other hoof, galloped straight ahead, right for Pinkie Pie and Spike. The young dragon rode on her back, his eyes widening to see Rarity charging their way. They grew even larger to see her horn erupt into a bright blue.

Pinkie seemed to share the dragon’s feelings, but unlike him she actually acted on it, just not in the way he would’ve hoped. Because Pinkie slid to a complete stop, reared back, plucked Spike from behind her, and held him out just as the spell came rushing their way. Spike screamed, flailing in Pinkie’s grasp. “Wait, no! Pinkie, don’t use me as a—!”

The spell hit its target. Spike remained frozen in Pinkie’s grasp, arms stuck in a flailing position, his jaw outstretched. He could barely feel Pinkie’s hooves shrink back to her body, a nervous chuckle escaping her. Sighing, Spike muttered, “… shield.”

Even with his mouth open and the word butchered greatly, Pinkie Pie still got the gist. She giggled nervously, laying Spike on the ground. “Sorry about that, Spikey,” she apologized, rubbing the back of her head. “Reflexes… you know?”

Spike sighed once more. Pinkie raised her head, yelping as another paralysis spell was sent her way. The pink pony zipped out of sight and away from Rarity’s eyesight. The unicorn stopped just in front of Spike, huffing in protest to Pinkie’s actions. Nonetheless, she used her magic to pick Spike off the ground.

“Come along, Spike,” she told him, her attention set on the area where Fluttershy remained. “A baby dragon like you should not be involved with this kind of madness.”

Spike just sighed, not really having a choice.

Clint saw everything. Literally everything. From the colossal showdown just happening several yards away from him, to Steve and Buck closing in on the hangar bay, and now to Rarity freezing Spike where he stood and carrying him off. Pressing down on his comms, Clint said, “Watch for the unicorns! They got some type of… freezing spell that’ll stop you dead in your—!”

Clint paused, listening intently. He whipped out an arrow, spun around, and froze.

Literally.

The paralysis spell hit him right in the chest, freezing Clint from head to toe. He had his arrow at the ready, his fingers so close from letting it fly. But he couldn’t. Not anymore. He wasn’t fast enough, unfortunately. Below him, he could see Starlight Glimmer smirk his way, her horn lighting up to bring him off the boxes.

When he was close, Starlight said, “That… was for earlier.”

The total lack of arrows spelled ease for Tony Stark, allowing him to focus his efforts on Lang alongside Twilight and the others. He could see Parker and Rhodey flying towards Lang, Twilight joining them. Scott waved his arm aside, smacking Rhodes and nearly knocking him to the ground. Peter dodged the arm, only barely, and shot a strand towards the plane to keep his momentum. Twilight flew straight upwards, dive-bombing and firing a paralysis spell right for Scott. To her great surprise, however, the spell did nothing but irritate him, Lang swiping up with the back of his hand.

Twilight moved out the way just in time, hovering a great and safe distance from the giant. “The paralysis spell won’t work on him when he’s this size! We need to shrink him back to normal!” Twilight shouted.

Applejack yelped, moving out of the way of Lang’s colossal foot come crashing down next to her. She looked back up, shouting, “One way or another, we’re gonna need ta bring this feller down! Anyone got any ideas?!”

Tony and Rhodey flew around Scott’s head. Peter shot a strand for his back, climbing on him. Twilight watched him move, watched the strand of webbing hang on Scott’s backside. Realization struck, the mare gasping. “Applejack, your lasso!” Twilight yelled, looking down to the farm pony.

Applejack looked to her side, where her lasso was kept rolled up. “What about it?”

“We can use it…” Twilight said, yelping as Scott’s hand swung for her, “to tie his legs together, and then we can knock him over!”

Peter hopped across Lang’s shoulder, firing webbing into his eye to distract him away from Twilight. He ran up Scott’s arm, shouting, “Hey, just like in Empire Strikes Back!”

The name clicked, Twilight smiling and pointing his way. “O-oh, yeah! It is just like that!”

“Was that an intentional reference, Twilight?” Stark’s voice asked in the comms.

Twilight chuckled. “I’d like to think so.”

“Well, there’s a first for everything,”Tony said. He slowed to halt in mid-air. Observing his surroundings, Tony said, “All right, AJ, give your lasso to Twi for her to wrap him up. Kid, give them a few webs. Help ‘em out, why don’t ya?”

“I’m on it, Mr. Stark!” Peter shouted, leaping from the plane and firing a strand of webbing towards Scott’s legs. He began to circle Lang, shooting strand after strand each time his webbing would run out. Scott looked down, noticing his legs were being tightened together. A couple of missiles in the face brought his attention back to Iron Man and War Machine.

With Lang’s attention to the sky, Twilight flew down and held out her hooves to Applejack. The farm pony whipped out her lasso and flung the end right for her, the Alicorn catching it between her teeth. Applejack held onto her end, watching as Twilight flew around and around Scott’s legs alongside Parker. The two looked to one another, Twilight tossing the lasso his way. Peter caught it, shooting it with a strand of webbing to keep it tight against Scott’s leg.

Parker, still holding on and swinging around the towering legs, shouted, “He’s all yours!”

Starlight Glimmer planted her hooves onto the cement, charging a strong enough spell that would push the teetering giant over the edge. Just as Stark and Rhodes flew in to deliver the uppercuts to Lang’s chin, Starlight fired off a strong enough spell that struck Scott square in the chest. Lang’s legs gave out, the webbing and rope stopping him from catching himself. Peter fell with a yelp as Scott did, rolling and crashing on a pile of boxes. When Scott landed, he shook the entire airport. And he was down.

Down and out.

Wearily looking to his hand, Scott pressed down on the button with his thumb, returning to normal size. Back to his original size, Scott pressed the side of his helmet, the mask flinging off to allow Scott to take in a few calming, normal breaths. So normal. “Well… at least it worked this time,” Scott said, licking his lips. “Does anyone have any orange slices?”

He heard a distant gasp, and the next thing he knew Pinkie Pie was standing right over him with an orange slice lying in her hoof. “I thought you’d never ask, Scotty!”

She held out her hoof to him. Scott sighed with relief, taking the orange slice in his hand. “Oh, God, I needed this. I did good. I deserve this.”

“Now, it’s a little hairy, probably because it’s been in my mane,” Pinkie mentioned, fishing around in her pink fluff.

Scott’s eyes widened, his brow furrowing. Both pupils looked down to the hairy orange slice already resting between his lips. He yelped, a stream of blue energy hitting him right in the chest. The next thing he knew he was frozen solid, his limbs held out in a desperate attempt to reach the orange, but stopped halfway to his mouth.

Pinkie tilted her head. “Huh?” she mumbled, yelping just as he had when that same blue bolt of magic came crashing down on top of her. The pink mare froze where she stood, her pupils shooting up to watch as the Alicorn came to a halt right next to her.

“Sorry, Pinkie,” Twilight said to her, patting Pinkie’s shoulder. The mare just watched her actions, mumbling “No problem” through frozen, clenched teeth. It didn’t come out as she wanted.

With Pinkie and Scott dealt with, Twilight looked yonder, waving to a crashed pile of boxes. “Nice work, Peter!” she called to him. Peter gave a weak thumbs-up from where he laid, that hand falling back to the ground. As Tony came flying down to meet Parker, Twilight turned back to the two she had frozen, then back to the rest of them.

Fluttershy, Clint, and Spike all remained frozen together near a pile of wooden boxes safe in the distance. Scott and Pinkie would join them soon. However, the one amongst them that wasn’t there was Rainbow Dash. She looked to the sky, saw a rainbow trail fly straight for the hangar bay, and disappear in the distance.

“Starlight!” Twilight shouted. The unicorn turned her way, Twilight nodding in the direction Rainbow had fled to. Nodding, Starlight’s horn lit up, the unicorn vanishing out of sight. With Starlight preoccupied with Rainbow Dash, Twilight turned back towards the group. They had almost everyone, minus Steve, Barnes, Rainbow, Sam, and…

Daredevil.

She could’ve sworn she saw…

Twilight spun her neck around, managing to catch the man in the red suit limp over to Frank Castle.

3:10 p.m.

Frank Castle dug his arms into the concrete, pulling himself forward. Straight ahead, towards something, anything. He didn’t know. He didn’t care. He had done his job and soon enough the Winter Soldier would bleed out. Hopefully. He really hoped so. This Avenger shit was really getting to him. And to make matters worse, as if they could possibly get any worse, he could see a shadow come up from behind him.

At first, he expected the Captain, the former leader of the Avengers who was probably gonna finish the job, especially after what Frank had done to his friend. But it wasn’t. Turning around, holding onto his head as if his entire brain had turn to a bowl of punch, Frank Castle narrowed his haze, turning his eyes upward to the man before. As if the pain in his head wasn’t enough, as if his head hadn’t suffered enough already, now he had to deal with the devil again. No, not that Devil. Not this time.

Instead, he saw the familiar costume, instantly recognizing Daredevil standing feet from him. However, when he turned to look at the mask, he realized something. Something he should have seen coming. Streaks of blood painted his face, and through that warrior’s wear, Castle stared into the eyes of a familiar face.

The blind lawyer from Hell’s Kitchen.

The one who had tried to defend him in court.

Pain bubbled in his forehead, and for a moment Frank thought he was just hallucinating from the hit earlier. But he couldn’t. He narrowed his eyes again. He stared into the face of the blind lawyer staring right at him. Staring at him.

“Murdock?” he coughed.

Matthew didn’t say anything. He couldn’t. A strange sound appeared from behind. He flinched forward, his chest arching, and fell to the ground practically frozen. Frank watched Matt fall to his face about a foot from him, his gaze rising to meet the furious eyes of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

When she landed, those furious eyes centered on him and him alone. Not on Murdock. Not on the enemy. But him. Frank could see nothing but anger in those eyes of hers. Anger, pain, and… betrayal. God, he had seen it so many times before, and he knew why this time. The blood on his hands was all she needed to know.

Twilight fired a second paralysis spell, hitting Castle right between the eyes. He fell limp back to the concrete, eyes staring straight up, pupils moving every now and again. But Twilight wasn’t focused on that. All she could stare at were those hands of his. All she could remember was that knife going right into James Barnes’ stomach.

All she could stare at was Frank Castle. The Punisher.

Chapter 44 - Traitor

Leipzig, Germany

Notaufnahme Hospital

1:14 p.m.

The cloudy afternoon skies gave some much-needed coolness to that hot summer day. The grassy field lying just ahead of the hospital wasn’t as bright without the sun beating down on it, as well as the forest that stood behind the road. And as for two Avengers, they stood silently side by side for the longest time. One contemplated, the other waited for the other, her arms crossed, her eyes uncertain.

Tony Stark nearly shared the same fate as Natasha.

Since she walked in on him, all she could see was that ghostly-pale look on his face, his eyes giving that thousand-yard stare. Natasha didn’t want to see it again, but after hearing what Stark had been through, she couldn’t blame him for the state he was in. But she didn’t come to see him just to talk about Rhodey. After hearing about what happened to him, about what a certain… pony had done… Natasha couldn’t let Stark run loose just yet.

Not when he was like… this.

Stark’s left arm was tied in a sling, obviously still not fully capable after Barnes’ escape from the Terrorist Centre. His other hand was held outwards, his palm gripping the glass railing that separated them from the grassy field below. His face was still bruised up a bit, but he looked calm, somewhat collected. Definitely shaken.

He finally sighed after nearly a full two minutes if silence and serenity. Natasha looked his way. “The doctors say he shattered L4 through S1. Extreme laceration to the spinal cord. Might be looking at some form of paralysis.”

Natasha felt a chill crawl up her spine, a wrenching feeling in her gut. She turned away and instead chose to stare out to the forest. Stark pursed his lips, sniffing softly. “I might be able to… to make some kind of exoskeleton for him. Gotta get him back on his feet.”

“Gotta get the soldiers back in the fight,” Natasha muttered.

“That’s not what I mean, Romanoff,” Stark barked, looking at her fiercely.

She didn’t even look at him. Instead, she shrugged, arms still crossed. “Got some good people hurt today. Rhodes, your kid from Queens, that Daredevil character—”

“He was a hostile.”

“He was just doing what he thought was right,” Natasha fired at him.

Stark just sneered, looking at her with incredulous eyes. “And you, bringing in that ‘Punisher’ to the fight. What the hell were you thinking?”

“You…” she caught him quickly, staring at him intensely, “can blame Starlight for that. I tried to warn her not to trust him, but she wouldn’t have it. She just wanted to do what she thought was right, too… when she gave that murderer a second chance.”

Tony stared at her for a moment longer. Natasha stared right on back, the haunting fire in her eyes holding much more weight than what Stark carried. He looked away, sighing. “That’s why you don’t trust murderers.” Natasha looked away, back towards the road. “Yeah, we won’t have to worry about him anymore, or any of them, really.”

“Except for Steve, and Barnes who’s still on the loose, and then there’s Rainbow—” Natasha began to count off the names, stopping when she heard the obnoxious scoff from Stark’s end.

Looking back at him, she furrowed her brows, asking, “What?”

Tony shook his head, turning to her with what could barely be distinguished as a smirk hidden in the confines of a frown. “You know what she did?” he asked.

“Yes, but I—”

Stark interrupted her. “She willingly attacked us, created some sort… EMP… rainbow blast that knocked out Rhodes’ systems.” He stopped. His eyes stared out to the forest, a shell-shocked expression in every wear and tear that his face showed. His voice dropped, only pain following his tone. “It’s because of her that he’ll probably never walk again.”

Natasha let that reality sink in, her expression softening when she saw that kind of pain build in his gaze. She could see him grip the glass railing until his knuckles turned bone white.

That’s when she acted. “Tony…” she said, her voice stern, commanding, just strong enough for him to relax his grip. Just slightly. “Calm… down. Rainbow Dash wouldn’t try to kill either of you two. She’s our friend. There’s gotta be another explanation.”

Tony shook his head, his eyes still glazed with pain. He tries to hide it, though. He couldn’t. “It doesn’t matter. She did what she did and it happened. We can’t change that. We go on with the mission; we subdue Barnes and Rogers.”

“And what about Rainbow?” Natasha asked. Stark’s expression hadn’t changed. If anything, he only grew more tense. “Does she go home with the others?”

Without even looking at her, Stark replied, “She’s a current hostile. She’ll share the same consequences if necessary.”

“You gonna tell Twilight…” Natasha began to say, her voice trailing off when she heard the sound of hooves approaching from behind. Turning around accordingly, she and Stark could see the Alicorn herself standing by the exit that led to the hallway, an unsure look in her eyes. “… that?”

Twilight Sparkle stayed where she was. Having just left her friends and the Vision watching the operation begin on James Rhodes, she seemed to stumble on a conversation she probably shouldn’t have been a part of. But that could wait. She was looking for Natasha, and there she was looking back at her expectantly.

“Natasha…” Twilight stated, clearing her throat and stepping forward. “Secretary Ross was informed from T’Challa… that you allowed Steve, Barnes, and Rainbow to escape. I’m sure you’ve heard, Tony?”

He nodded. “T’Challa told me first.”

Nodding back, Twilight turned to Romanoff, her expression weary, a sigh escaping her. “Per Ross’ request, I’m supposed to take you in,” she said, her voice lacking any form of emotion that she carried so greatly.

“One of the Princesses of Equestria taking orders from a human who could only dream to have as much power as her. Funny worlds we live in,” Natasha scoffed.

Twilight just rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “Just go already.”

She didn’t need to be told twice. Dropping her arms, Natasha strolled past the Alicorn and entered the hallway. “They’ll be coming for you, Nat,” Stark called to her, watching as she left.

“I’m counting on it.”

And that was all they heard from her before her distant footsteps became too distant. Watching her body vanish behind the wall, Twilight only sighed and approached Tony’s free side. She placed her hoof on the glass railing, staring out into the world. She looked up at him, the man turning away and back to the forest canopy.

Frowning, Twilight asked, “What do you mean Rainbow will ‘share the same consequences’?”

Answering almost immediately, Stark said, “She’s broken plenty of Earth laws. No alien gets to run free and break as many laws as they please; they pay the price just like everybody else.”

“We’ll take care of her back on Equus,” Twilight replied, watching and almost waiting as Stark finally turned to face her, a somewhat unamused look in his eyes. Twilight affirmed her statement, saying, “We’ll make sure she receives the right punishment. I don’t want to have Rainbow stay here on Earth for Celestia knows how long while the rest of us leave.”

But what Stark said next almost caught her by surprise.

“Then don’t leave. Wait until she gets out.”

Twilight dropped her hoof from the glass, almost taking a step back. The thought of staying on Earth for a prolong time had occurred to her, but every time she would always think back to the blast at the UN meeting that incinerated the stage, to the resulting chaos in Lagos, and finally to the dead bodies swarming the legs of the man with the skull mask. Pursing her lips, Twilight sighed, closing her eyes. “We’ve been here too long, Tony. And after everything that’s happened… all these horrible things… because of us…”

Another sigh, and then she opened her eyes, composing herself just long enough to hold his stare. “It’s just… I don’t want anything else to happen to us, or my friends. It just goes to show that we’re not ready.”

She was silent after that, turning away to stare into the grass below her. Stark kept on staring at her, his right hand gripping the railing, the other resting in its sling. They weren’t ready. They really weren’t. Stark could regrettably agree to that. Even though there was peace between their worlds, that peace was held by a slim piece of string by a man called fate just daring to snip away at its edges. And Stark could also agree that more bad than good had occurred because the mares had made the first small steps for ponykind on Earth. They just weren’t ready.

Not ready for what Earth and humanity really were.

Their silence was interrupted by a soft beeping emanating from Stark’s wrist. Twilight lazily looked to him, watched as he pressed down on the surface of his watch. A small image popped out, showcasing what appeared to be a man coated in blood, his eyes closed.

“What am I looking at, Homer?” Tony asked.

“Recent upload from Berlin police, sir. Identity confirmed to be Doctor Theo Broussard.”

Twilight could only watch as Stark’s eyes widened, his mouth falling into a frozen state of surprise. “Doctor Theo Broussard?” he repeated just to be certain.

“Yes, sir.”

“Who’s that?” Twilight asked.

Ignoring her, Tony lowered his wrist, his eyes staring elsewhere. “Son of a bitch.”

“Oh, was his mother really that bad?”

Turning to her, a quizzical look in his eyes, Tony raised a brow, then realized what she meant. “No, it’s—” Stark looked away, shook his head, and turned back to her. “Never mind. I’ll tell you on the flight.” He took off down the hall, the Alicorn blinking before retreating from the railing to join him.

As Stark entered the hall, Twilight by his side, he spoke into his watch, saying, “Homer, fire up the chopper. We’re heading to the Raft.”

Author's Note

I broke. I saw the leaked Infinity War trailer. I'm scum.

But damn it all that was a godly trailer. :moustache:

Chapter 45 - The Raft

Unknown location, Atlantic Ocean

8:39 p.m.

Twilight Sparkle was continually surprised day in and day out by what Earth had to offer, and when she saw the massive structure rising out of the ocean depths, she could only wonder what else Earth had hiding under its sleeves.

Both she and Tony Stark sat in the body of an AI-piloted helicopter, one of Stark’s many. Homer was in the driver’s seat, naturally, but he was also aiding both her and Tony with their current predicament. It had been about twenty or so minutes since her and Stark’s last discussion, that being on Doctor Theo Broussard and the man that framed him. Apparently, a man named Helmut Zemo had murdered the actual psychiatrist the Task Force had called for to evaluate Barnes. He took his place, and as Berlin police raided the hotel where the doctor’s body was found, they had also found a mask.

A mask replicating the facial features of James Barnes.

After hearing those words from Homer, Twilight’s heart began to sink, choosing to remain drowning in her growing guilt. With this news, it meant that Barnes was intentionally framed by Helmut Zemo for the UN bombing, and that it was also Zemo who had broken Barnes out of his captivity back at the Terrorist Centre. And it also meant he was headed somewhere to, as the Captain and his crew said, release the “other Winter Soldiers”.

But it also meant that Steve was right. Sort of.

Barnes was, in fact, innocent for the UN bombing. Twilight mentioned such, her heart aching when the possible realization came to her that she had fought her best friends for nothing. Those fears were dashed away when Stark told her he was still responsible for all of his other past crimes, so what they did wasn’t for nothing. He would inform Ross of the information they gathered, they would tell the prisoners what had they would do, and everything would be fine.

Everything would be fine. Still, Twilight couldn’t shake off the haunting feeling that what they did, what she did, was something that could ultimately wound their friendship with the ponies she knew and loved. Yes, Rainbow was still helping a wanted criminal. Yes, she and Steve have both broken the law. And yes, the mission still made sense to Twilight.

For Tony, however, something didn’t seem right with him.

After seeing the footage of the murdered doctor and hearing the news that Barnes was framed, a new look emerged in those haunted eyes of his. They did not hold the same intensity as they had earlier. Instead, a fresh wave of guilt, pain, and something else flowed through his burning eyes, and Twilight had managed to catch a glimpse of such. Ponies had the same look in their eyes. Starlight had the same look in her eyes the day she turned away from evil and accepted Twilight’s hoof in friendship. Since that day, Starlight held a new face, one that would appreciate friendship for what it was and what it had to offer.

So, what was Stark, then?

Her thoughts were interrupted when the massive structure, now known as the “Raft” by Tony informing her, had opened up to accommodate their helicopter. Homer hovered inside the massive prison, descending within the confines of the metal walls. Twilight looked out the rain-soaked window to see that entrance close above them, sealing any more water from entering. A sudden jolt later, and they had arrived.

Tony got up, pressing down on his wristwatch. He sighed with relief, not even looking at her when he said, “Just got word from Parker. He made it home safe and sound. No worries.”

Sighing as well, Twilight smiled, joining Stark near the chopper’s doors. “That’s good.”

“He’s a tough kid,” Stark muttered, watching as the doors opened in front of him.

Twilight nodded, stepping outside with Stark. “Yes, he…” she began to say, her words instantly breaking off once her eyes caught the interior design of the super structure she set hoof upon. The walls climbed up possibly a hundred feet in the air, possibly higher. Soldiers with large assault rifles guarded the landing pad, their eyes forward despite Secretary Thaddeus Ross walking right past them. He approached Tony and Twilight, his expression anything but relieved to see them.

“You got the files?” Tony asked, Twilight swiveling her gaze up to him. “I mean, it’s solid evidence that Barnes is innocent for the UN bombing, so…”

“Yeah, I got them,” Ross replied, his voice weary. He stopped just in front of them both, staring only at Stark, barely acknowledging he princess’ presence. “But Barnes still ain’t free to go. You know that, Stark.”

Stark sighed, looking elsewhere. “Yeah, I do,” he mumbled, turning back to Ross. His left arm swiveled slightly in its tight sling. He held out his other hand to Ross, saying, “But hear me out with this ‘Zemo’ character…”

“After that fiasco in Leipzig?” Ross scoffed. “I’ll listen to the Berlin police, but I’ve drawn the line at you.”

And just before he turned away, he eyed Stark cautiously, maliciously, saying, “You’re lucky you’re not in one of these cells.”

He walked off, obviously expecting the two to follow him. A quick exchange of glances between Stark and Twilight later and the two were on his heels. As they traversed the massive prison, Twilight took the moment of silence to observe her surroundings. Aside from the towering walls, almost every edge and corner and hallway was filled with American soldiers, assault rifles in their hands. As Twilight and Stark walked past them, they offered a bone-chilling stare her way. Twilight questioned the large showing of force, then remembered who exactly the prisoners were.

“We got all of the Avengers and ponies who thought it would be a good idea to aid a wanted criminal last night,” Ross said, not even turning to look at them as he strode down the hall. Stark and Twilight followed behind, remaining silent as he continued. “There was also Scott Lang, a prominent cat burglar in his home town, as well as your little dragon friend.”

Ross actually turned back to look at Twilight, but she didn’t meet his stare. She couldn’t.

He continued, a door sliding open in front of him. “Then there’s the Daredevil… who still won’t reveal his identity to us. And, of course, Frank Castle. How asinine do you have to be to let that killer loose in an airport brawl?”

Stark just shrugged. “Don’t blame me.”

Ross followed Stark’s gaze, meeting Twilight’s. The Alicorn sighed. “Starlight trusted him.”

Ross just scoffed, facing forward once more. “Of course she did.”

After entering a control room filled with possibly even more computers than the Terrorist Centre, Twilight and Stark paused for a brief moment, their eyes shifting over to a computer displaying a live feed of Wanda Maximoff locked away in high security. Stark looked away quickly, hurrying to the next room. Twilight, on the other hand, stayed for a brief moment, a short pinch of pain striking her heart to see Wanda stare at the camera. So miserable. So lost.

So angry.

Twilight could have sworn she looked right at her with that look.

She hurried out of the control room, past Ross and joined Stark through the separating doors to the next room. The door closed behind them. This room gave the real “prison” vibe that the rest of the structure didn’t really do other than the appearance of the armed guards. It was a circular-like room, jail cells lining the walls, surrounding both Stark and Twilight. Almost all of the cells were occupied, said occupants turning their attention to the approaching duo.

And then there was clapping. Of all things.

Twilight turned in the direction of the clapping, watching as Clint Barton arose from his seat. He wore bright blue attire, gray sleeves from a shirt underneath. He stood in front of the large glass and steel wall that separated him from them, slapping his hands together in a condescending way.

“Well, well, well!” he shouted, clapping even harder. “Look who decided to show their faces! The Princess of ‘Friendship’ and the Futurist himself! They know what’s best, even if you don’t like it!”

Twilight frowned at that, her ears falling flat against her skull. The multitude of eyes, especially the ones from her closest friends, buried deep into her. She could feel their cold stares even when she didn’t look at them. She could also feel Stark’s hand tap her head, her attention shifting up. He pointed to the specific cells that held her friends. “Go talk to them. I got some business to take care of.”

Nodding, Twilight watched as Tony approached Clint, leaving her to deal with her friends. She followed the line of cells, her eyes casting across each unfriendly glare sent her way. First from Sam, not one from Daredevil, an especially evil one from Frank, and three that didn’t even exist. Her closest friends.

Fluttershy sat on the only bench in her prison cells, her cheeks damp from the recent tears and her eyes red. The Pegasus whimpered lightly, using her foreleg to wipe her nose. In the cell to her right was Pinkie Pie, the pink mare far from crying and instead just looking quite bored. A poster sat in the back of the cell, a kitten holding on to a tree limb with the phrase “Hang in there!” lying beneath it. Other decorations, most likely placed by the pony, sat in the cell, the mare tossing a bright blue ball against the wall in front of her. She blew down on the party horn between her lips, lazily looking to Twilight and waving. Twilight weakly waved back.

Then… there was the last occupied cell.

Spike. He sat at the very back at the cell, his back to the wall, his arms crossed over one another. He watched as Twilight came to his cell, her jaw falling and a short gasp escaping her. Spike just sighed, closing his eyes. He couldn’t stand to see Twilight as she was, staring at him through the jail cell that separated them. Normally, he would have run to embrace her, give her the strongest hug he could. He would have had it not been for the glass between them, so he closed his eyes so he didn’t have to see the loss of life in Twilight’s eyes. That, and he was trying to hold in the tears.

“Why can’t we go to the facility, Twilight?” a meek voice asked. Twilight blinked, her eyes hot, as she looked back to the first cell with Fluttershy looking to her. Quickly, Twilight approached it, listened as Fluttershy sniffed rather loudly and asked, “Why did you have to bring us here?”

“This wasn’t my intention, Fluttershy! Honest!” Twilight said, hoof pressed against her heart. “I… I-I didn’t know they would send you here, and neither did Tony!”

“Well, here we are!” Pinkie announced, her hooves shooting off in the air, the ball bouncing to a rest in front of her. Pinkie spun around, her face mushed against the glass. “Where did you think they were gonna send us, to the moon? Oh, that actually sounds like a really cool idea! Hey, Twilight, we should totally go to the moon after we get out of here!”

Twilight just shook her head, sighing, “No, Pinkie, we’re not going to the moon.”

“Then what?” Spike asked, all of their eyes shifting to him. He approached the glass, placing his claw against it. Twilight had to contain herself from doing the same. “Where do we go after this? We’re wanted criminals! We can’t just leave!”

“Actually, you can. I convinced Ross that we’re leaving Earth after I get you all out of here. Unfortunately… that’s not the case for Rainbow.”

“What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked.

“Ross doesn’t want Rainbow to leave Earth. He wants her to pay for her crimes.” Twilight looked around cautiously, then whispered, “But…” Stopping, she turned to Tony and nodded to him, who nodded back and pressed down on his watch. Turning back to her friends, she continued. “I’m not gonna let that happen. When we get to Rainbow, we’re leaving Earth and heading back home. All of us.”

“Twilight,” Spike whispered back, the Alicorn coming up to him, “you gotta be quiet! They’ve got cameras everywhere!”

Twilight managed a little smile. “Well, Stark just knocked ‘em out, so we’ll be fine.”

Surprised, Spike shifted his attention to Tony, who stepped away from Clint’s cell. The Hawk snarled, stepping forward to the glass. “You gotta watch your back with this guy!” he shouted, slamming his palms against the hard glass. “There’s a chance he’s gonna stab it!”

Ignoring that last comment from Barton, Stark approached the next cell, which held Scott Lang. The man had his hands pressed against the cell’s glass wall, his disapproving eyes held on Stark. He shook his head, mumbling, “Hank Pym always said you never can trust a Stark.”

“Since when has he ever been right?” Tony asked, seeing the dull expression emerge on Scott’s features. Tony pointed to him, making his retreat as he said, “Don’t answer that.”

Moving on, he walked right past Sam who was busy staring at the back of the cell. Casting him a glance, Stark stopped right in front of the cell containing their little Hell’s Kitchen vigilante. The Daredevil, but with no devil mask to conceal the man beneath. And that’s all he was. Just a man. Large, fresh scars remained on his face, obviously having made the mistake of standing against T’Challa. He was seemingly engrossed by flipping a coin out in front of him, not staring at it, and catching it.

Tony watched him do it three other times perfectly before he finally scoffed. “All right, the fact that you held your own against the Avengers is impressive enough, so can you not do that, please? Making us all look bad here.”

Stopping, Daredevil turned to Stark’s direction, staring straight ahead, not making eye contact. Stark had gotten the news that the Daredevil was brought in earlier that morning when Ross and his troopers brought him in to the Raft for evaluation. He may not have given his name, but they tried their hand at facial recognition. No word so far from Ross. He held out the coin he was flipping, turning it to reveal the silver dollar. “I’ve been saving it for you,” he said to Stark, his voice chilling.

Tony stared at the silver dollar between the devil’s fingers. Rolling his eyes, he sighed, saying, “I don’t understand.”

“Guess that’ll be thirty-one pieces of silver you’ll have now, huh?”

His brow furrowed at that, staring at the blank gaze of the Daredevil. Walking away, Tony heard one last thing escape Daredevil’s cell. And for some reason, it chilled Stark to the bone. Just for a second, though.

“Sleep well, Judas.”

Another voice snapped Stark out of his daze, the chill in his bones replaced by a hardness he had grown accustomed to, especially when he heard the next voice emerge from the cell over. It spoke in a rough, heavy tone, saying, “There’s the man of the hour.”

Tony came to the cell, his eyes rolling when he saw who it was. “You’re unbelievable, you know that?” Stark said, stopping in front of the cell that belonged to Frank Castle. The man just smirked, lying back on the bench and staring up at Stark. “After that little stunt you pulled at the airport, that concealed weapon, even after we let you go to ‘help’ us…”

Tony exhaled, spewing exasperated breath through his lips. “God, why did Starlight trust you?”

Frank’s upper lip shot upwards. His hands shot behind his head, his feet crossing over one another. He grunted as he moved, saying, “Said she was taught to give people a second chance.”

Tony just shook his head. “Not murderers,” he spat.

Frank just chuckled, watching as Stark turned and walked away. “Damn straight,” he muttered. Stretching out on the bench, Frank stared at the ceiling, heard the sound of the coin being flicked upwards and caught to the cell next to him. He suddenly remembered a thought he had pushed behind him. “Hey, Red,” Castle called. He heard the coin stop flipping. “How’s Karen doing?”

Matt just stared at the wall in front of him, where Castle’s cell remained. “She’s fine, Frank.” He heard a grunt as a response, a short silence following before Matt followed it up by asking, “Did you know?”

“Know what?”

“Know about me… In Hell’s Kitchen, when you covered me on the roof. I didn’t have the mask then,” Matt explained, remembering the corpse of Elektra lying beneath his feet. He remembered seeing more than red after that, more than the world on fire. He just saw the people who murdered his beloved, and he charged right at them. And even then, even when Frank had a clean shot at him, he shot at the men Matt faced and killed them, leaving Nobu for Matt.

He could hear Castle chuckle. “I didn’t get a good sight of you back then. Just a bit. I didn’t want to believe it. But somehow… I felt I always did after that night.”

Matt pursed his lips, barely nodding. “For all its worth… thanks for not telling them my name.”

Frank looked to the wall opposite of him, nodding to it. “Don’t worry about it. Hell, it’s one of the last things you got left. Might as well keep it for yourself.”

“They’re gonna lock you away, Frank.”

“Doesn’t this already count?”

“They’re never gonna let you out.”

“Guess you’re in the same boat,” Frank told him, hearing nothing but silence on the other side of the wall. He stared at the ceiling and sighed heavily. “Welcome to my world, Red.”

As the two conversed, Tony made his way back to Sam’s cell. Just the man he wanted to talk to. Especially the man he wanted to talk to last. Hearing Stark’s approaching footsteps, Sam barely twisted his neck to him. “I heard about Rhodes,” Sam said, watching Stark approach his cell. “How’s he doing?”

“They’re flying him to Colombia Medical tomorrow. He’ll be in safe hands.” Sam nodded to that, watching as Tony leaned in even closer. The two eyed each other, one carefully and the other absentmindedly. Until, of course, Stark asked, “So, where’s Steve headed exactly?”

Sam turned all the way around to face him. “If you think for a goddamn second that I’m gonna tell you—” he began to say while approaching the cell’s glass wall.

“Whoa, whoa! Hold up…” Stark said, holding out his hands and then directing towards his watch. Sam watched him, listened as he said, “I knocked out their cameras for a bit, so you won’t have to worry about them knowing. Also, this…”

He tapped on a small image on his watch, that image growing large enough for Sam to see a bloodied man lying dead in a bathtub. Stark said, “This is the doctor that was supposed to interrogate Barnes. This guy named ‘Zemo’ killed him, took his place interrogating Barnes, and there was a mask that shared a few similarities to a certain Winter Soldier found in his hotel room. Which means…”

“Barnes is innocent,” Sam said, his glare intensifying.

“Well, for the UN bombing.” Sam’s glare only worsened, Stark holding out his hand. “But I did make a mistake, I’ll admit that. None of us would even be after Barnes had it not been for this Zemo guy who’s this close to releasing the other Winter Soldiers that Cap warned about.”

Sam sneered. “So now you believe him?”

“Now?” Stark repeated, lowering his wrist. “With all of this info, then yes, definitely. But the fact of the matter is that Steve is gonna need all the help he can get. If there are others even more dangerous than Barnes…”

That seemed to do the trick, Sam’s eyes falling as he contemplated the actually repercussions that would follow if they didn’t stop the doctor. Stark didn’t have to wait long for Sam to give in. “All right… fine, I’ll tell you. But only you…” he looked across the room, spotted the Alicorn and thought for a brief second. “… only you and Twilight can go. If Steve can’t trust you, then maybe he can trust her. Vice versa.”

“I like the sound of it so far.”

Leaning in, Stark listened in as Sam whispered the location and coordinates to where Steve, Barnes, and Rainbow flew off to. As Sam leaned back, Tony nodded and did the same, turning around to Twilight. He whistled, the Alicorn looking back to see him nod towards the door. She nodded back, returning to meet the uncertain stares of each of her friends.

Offering a comforting smile, she said, “Don’t worry, we’ll be back soon. Rarity, Applejack, and Starlight are already back at the facility waiting for us. And when we all get back… we’ll have a lot to discuss back on Equus. We’ve… really overstayed our welcome.”

Though uncertain at first, those same expressions holding for quite some time, Fluttershy eventually nodded. Pinkie did the same, Spike reluctantly joining them. Twilight smiled to see their much-appreciated cooperation. She returned back to Stark’s side, the man holding out his hand to the mares and dragon in their cages.

“All right, girls? We’re going to come back for you and Spike, so just sit tight. Oh, and would you look at that,” he said, lowering his hand to tap on his wristwatch. “Their cameras suddenly came back online. Let’s go, Twi.”

With that, Twilight followed Stark out of the cell room, through the control room, and out to the hall. Ross was behind them after they entered the control room. He asked, “Stark, we lost camera feed for a bit, you know anything about that?”

“Cameras seemed to be working fine when I was in there,” Tony called, hurrying to the landing pad where his helicopter was waiting for them.

Frowning, Ross asked, “Did they give either of you anything on Rogers?”

“Told me to go to hell,” Tony answered, pressing down on his watch. The door to the chopper opened up, Twilight hopping inside. Tony did the same, leaning out to say, “We’ll be back later to pick up Spike and the girls, if you don’t mind.”

Ross nodded. “That’s fine. Keep an eye out for Rainbow, would you? She doesn’t get the same treatment.”

He looked to Twilight when he said that, to which the Alicorn smiled and nodded his way. “I understand, Secretary Ross!” Twilight shouted, the door of the helicopter closing.

“Call us if you need us!” Stark said just before the door closed.

Stark’s helicopter came to life shortly, the rotors spinning and lifting the machine off the ground quickly. Ross watched them leave, the Raft’s roof opening up to allow the chopper to escape. As they did and the Raft sunk back under the sea, Stark’s helicopter tore through the raging winds and falling rain. Stark, looking out the window, suddenly stared towards the pilot’s seat, where no one sat.

“All right, Homer. You got the coordinates?” Stark asked, taking off his sling, much to Twilight’s surprise.

“Locked and ready to go, sir,” the AI replied.

Tony nodded rubbing his healing arm lightly. Looking to the Alicorn who appeared to be ready to send twenty questions his way, Stark nodded to her, asking, “You ready, Twi?”

Despite his odd behavior earlier, Twilight eventually nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be,” she sighed, tightening her seat belt.

“Try to keep up.”

That’s when she stopped, turning to Stark’s smirking face. “Wait, what do you—?”

She never got to finish when Stark pressed down on the arm rest right next to him, and what followed kept the Alicorn frozen in her seat. As he pressed the button lying on the arm rest, it appeared to be his suit eating away at any part of his body that was free of metal, but really it was covering him. Twilight watched in shocked silence as Tony’s seat leaned back, his suit now covering his entire body. And then he was gone, his seat returning back to its normal position but without the playboy.

Trying to contemplate what she just witnessed, Twilight gasped and lit up her horn. A flash later, and she was no longer within the warm, dry interior of Stark’s helicopter. Instead, she was managing to fly outside in the cold, pouring wet rain, the wind pushing hard against her face. Despite the lack of visibility, she still managed to see the trail of light flying in the opposite direction. “Tony!” she screamed, taking off to catch up. He turned his neck back, spotting the Alicorn struggle his way. “Warn me next time?!”

Tony nodded. “I might.” Facing forward, he pressed his palms down, managing to say, “Don’t get wet!” And then he was gone, already blasting off across the ocean below him.

Her wet mane nearly covered her eyes, but she could still see him. Mumbling a grunt of disapproval under her breath, Twilight flapped her wings and picked up her speed, following close behind Tony’s trail of fire and smoke. In the shroud of the storm, however, neither of the two managed to notice a slick, Wakandan jet that emerged through the clouds and followed them.

And King T’Challa stared out into the fires of Stark’s feet, no goodwill behind his gaze.

Chapter 46 - Down the Rabbit Hole

Siberia

In flight

7:45 a.m.

It was an unsettling flight. Steve’s full attention was forward, piloting the Quinjet, tearing through the heavy clouds miles above ground. He didn’t talk. He hadn’t for the past hour. Rainbow Dash had grown used to the silence, taking the time to tend to Bucky as best she could.

He sat on the bench, said bench drenched in crimson red. His vest lied on the floor to Rainbow’s right, blood coating the clothing a dark red. As for Bucky, the Winter Soldier sat on the bench, watching and helping Rainbow Dash tend to his wound. She was no doctor by any means, but Bucky had experience. He talked her through most of the endeavor. The bleeding had finally stopped, thankfully, Rainbow pressing her bloodied hooves on the sides of his exposed stomach, painfully watching as he applied the last stitch to seal up his knife wound.

Once he did, Bucky grunted, sitting up. Rainbow backed away and watched as he moved, her coat still slightly pale. He cringed as he pressed his palms to the bench and sat up fully, nodding to her. “All right. I think we’re good. Thanks for the help,” he told her.

Rainbow offered a weak nod in return, and nothing more than that. She took her seat on the bench opposite to Bucky, watching as he put his bloody shirt and vest back on, zipping up gently, still flinching at the fresh stitches. Rainbow turned her eyes right, seeing as Steve had barely turned his head their way, watching them before facing forward once more. Not a word.

Except…

“Thanks for helping him, Rainbow.”

Hearing Steve’s voice after such a long period of silence was a tad strange, but Rainbow waved it off. “It’s no biggie,” she said.

Steve was quick to reply, looking back at her. “No, it is. You went outside the law with us, went against the Avengers, attacked your…” he was saying, but stopped after seeing the crestfallen expression began to arise on her features, “your friends. And now here you are, helping Bucky and I see everything through to the end.”

He turned back to the world ahead of him. Rainbow looked away, meeting Bucky’s gaze. “We can’t thank you enough, Rainbow,” he told her, palm rubbing against his stomach.

Exhaling what appeared to be a weak chuckle, Rainbow Dash looked down to her hooves, the blood that wasn’t hers beginning to dry. She sighed. “Well, I can’t honestly say I’m all that… thrilled about this anymore.”

“You were thrilled to begin with?” Bucky asked, looking back at her.

Rainbow shook her head, exhaling softly. “I just thought I would owe it to Steve to help him get his best friend back. After everything he’s done for us.” She leaned back on the bench, staring up at the roof of the Quinjet. She sighed again, saying, “He deserved it. You deserve it. But now… after all that we did to get where we are now… after what I did… I guess…”

Steve looked back at her, saw as she closed her eyes and began to quiver. A shaky exhale escaped her nose. “I guess all I really want now is to get this over with and go home.”

Nodding, Steve turned his head back. He stared at the passing clouds. “You’re still shaken up about Rhodey?” he asked.

Dash closed her eyes at that question. She could clearly remember watching his body hit the earth with such power, she could hear him from where she was. Several hundred yards above the ground. She didn’t know what to do after that, the only thing coming to her being to get out of there. Finish the mission. When she got back on the Quinjet, Rainbow mentioned to them what she did, though a tad apprehensive. Even she couldn’t believe what she did at first.

But she did it. And she was still regretting it.

Without a word, Rainbow weakly nodded.

Steve saw it. He opened his mouth, waited a few seconds to think, then said, “You didn’t know what would happen to them. You made a mistake; we all make them.”

“Yeah, but not like this,” Rainbow exclaimed, shaking her head. She looked to Steve, who was busy staring forward. She could feel that he was listening, though. “I’d make a mistake every day if it meant messing up on a Wonderbolt routine, or forgetting the mail, or even missing lunch with my best friends. But not this. From that fall…”

Gasping, Rainbow’s head fell into her bloody hooves. “Oh, Celestia, what if I killed him?” she whispered in a haunting, panicked question.

“Don’t think about it.”

Steve twisted his neck until it hurt, staring at Bucky. Rainbow brought up her gaze, small droplets of blood painted near her eyes. She stared at the man sitting in front of her, the shadows of the Quinjet cascading over him. All she could really see were his eyes. And even then, she didn’t know if she should stare for much longer. “If you don’t think about what you did, if you just move on, you’ll get over it. If you don’t, it’ll end up eating away at you until you’re nothing.”

Bucky finished with a sigh and muttered, “Trust me, I know.”

“Trust you?” Rainbow repeated, scoffing a little. Steve looked away to focus on flying, just listening in for the remainder of their conversation. Dash stared at the man sitting in front of her, her brow furrowing, her head shaking. She asked, “Can I?”

Bucky blinked, leaning forward a few inches. Rainbow did the same, asking, “Can I trust you?”

She watched as he blinked a couple of times and made no further movement. And suddenly, abruptly, he offered his response with a simple and strong: “No.”

“Buck—” Steve began to say, looking back.

“Steve, she can’t. No one can.” The sudden interruption from Bucky caught Steve by surprise, shutting him up for a moment. Just like before, he just listened in and waited for them to continue. He heard a sigh, a distinguishable one from Bucky. “Look, I appreciate everything you’re doing for me, but I’ve done some horrible things in my life. Things I wish I could forget. You can’t trust me, and I can’t force you to.”

He leaned forward, his eyes to his conjoined hands. Both flesh and metal. Both pained with blood. “And I’m not even sure if I can trust myself.”

“What you did all those years ago…” Steve said, returning to the conversation when Bucky brought up that point. Bucky brought up his head, turning and staring at the back of Steve’s head. Rainbow did the same. “It wasn’t you, Buck. You’re not the Winter Soldier.”

Bucky blinked, then shook his head. “Then what am I?”

“You’re my friend.”

Rainbow nodded at that, looking back to Bucky to see him nod, as well. Except he didn’t. He stared at nothing, his palms lazily resting between his legs. Breathing, he asked, “And the rest of your friends?”

Steve paused. The thought of Wanda, Clint, Sam, Scott, and Daredevil being sent to a prison by Stark's and Ross’ standards wasn’t comforting, but God, the thought that Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Spike were gonna share the same fate was worse. Steve knew that Twilight wouldn’t let them stay locked up forever, her close friends, to be exact. That just left the others for Steve to worry about. Just the thought he needed when he was about to take on several other Winter Soldiers. Perfect.

He finally replied, saying, “They knew what they were getting into. We’ll figure something out.”

Bucky shook his head at that response. “I’m not worth all of this, Steve,” he said. “I’m sorry… for everything.”

For that, Steve looked back to tell him otherwise, but stopped when he watched Rainbow Dash get off of her seat and approach him. She placed her bloody hoof over his blood-covered palm. Not the metal, but the skin. She wanted him to feel her there for him. Right by his side. Bucky stared at the mare in front of him, seeing her offer a strong smile. Not too strong, but definitely not weak. If anything, it was hopeful.

And she told him, “We’re seeing this through to the end, Bucky.”

Bucky let the silence and his smile in return be her answer. Steve looked away and didn’t say another word for the rest of the flight.

HYDRA Siberian Facility

9:04 a.m.

Steve lowered the little red book to the console, checking the coordinates to see if he had made it. He could see the facility lying in the distance, but it never hurt to check. He stared at the console, at the exact coordinates it gave. He looked back to the book, and there it was. An exact replica of the coordinates displayed on the console written in black ink on the first page.

Mentally thanking Daredevil for his contribution and sacrifice, Steve landed the Quinjet onto the fresh path of snow near the facility’s entrance. He flipped a few switches, pressed a few buttons, and the engine began to die. A sudden jolt later, and they had landed. Steve placed the red book aside, getting up and nodding to his two passengers.

Rainbow and Bucky nodded back, getting up, stretching a bit, then moved on. Rainbow stretched her joints and her wings by the ramp, cracking her neck for the inevitable fight that would come their way. Bucky, on the other hand, pulled out a large rifle from the Quinjet’s storage, checking the magazine then turning towards the ramp. Steve picked up his shield near the pilot’s seat, reaching back to place it safely on his backside. He picked up his helmet, too, and placed it over his head, tightening the strap under his chin.

And just before he left, he hit the switch for the ramp, turning around to see it fall open and a fresh wave of frozen air and snow flying inside. Steve caught up with both Rainbow and Bucky, the two already stepping outside into the snow. Rainbow raised her hoof, the blood now dried into her coat, to block the onslaught of wind and snow. Bucky’s black hair flew wildly across his face. He gripped his rifle tighter. Steve joined them, pulling his shield from his back and placing it on his left arm.

The three made their way to the large stone structure, to where Steve assumed the facility’s entrance to be. It seemed he was right. Passed the large, frozen vehicles surrounding the stone structure, a pair of doors remained slightly open, nothing but pure, blank darkness inside.

Bucky peeked inside, saying, “Someone’s already been here.”

“The doctor,” Rainbow said, shivering as a fresh wave of coolness brushed over her.

Steve noticed this, taking the first few steps inside where it was arguably much warmer than it was outside. “Stay close. We’ll find him,” he said.

Bucky followed him inside, Rainbow close behind. The three swiveled their heads about as they walked deeper and deeper into the abandoned facility. Bucky raised his rifle up, across the edge of different hallways, and towards anything he thought moved. He always kept his finger off the trigger, just in case… he happened. Steve kept his focus forward, spotting what appeared to be an elevator resting at the end of the hall. The three entered inside of it, Bucky pressing the button that indicated the lowest level. He knew where to go.

As the elevator teetered and descended into the depths, Rainbow Dash stared up to the two men, then to the flickering light above their heads. So far, nothing. The facility was dead, just piles upon piles of dusty boxes and old filing cabinets on the previous floor. She was beginning to question whether or not they were even in a HYDRA facility. When the elevator stopped, all of her doubts were pushed aside. They came to the lower levels, what appeared to be cages lining the left walls.

Must be where they kept the others, Rainbow thought, a chill rushing up her spine. She fluffed her wings, staying close by Steve and Bucky as they moved down the hall, their attention shifting up to a set of stairs leading to an even longer hallway. Joy. Rainbow breathed, turning to see Steve and Bucky make their first, slow steps forwards.

But they stopped dead in their tracks. She did too when she heard the loud thump come from behind them. Spinning about, all three reacted accordingly. Bucky held up his rifle, staring down the sights to the elevator they had arrived in. Steve held out his shield, protecting not only him but Rainbow from whatever lied behind the creaking door of the elevator.

The creaking grew even louder, Rainbow flaring her wings.

“Easy, Dash,” Steve whispered to her. “On my go.”

Bucky tightened his grip on the rifle, his finger slipping down to the trigger. They watched, apprehensively, as the elevator doors opened, revealing a bright, blue light, followed by two others, and the Iron Man pushing the doors open. That wasn’t all. The cage between the floor and the elevator was raised by a violet aura of energy, revealing the Princess of Friendship directly in front of the Iron Man.

Steve lowered his shield only slightly. Rainbow’s wings fells. Bucky took his finger off the trigger, but he never turned his rifle away from Tony Stark and Twilight Sparkle.

The duo approached the trio slowly. Stark’s mask slid back, revealing an expression that seemed on edge, eyes wide and worrisome. Twilight shared the same expression as Stark, staring only at Rainbow while Tony kept his attention on the Captain and Barnes. Had it been yesterday, Tony wouldn’t hesitate to fire a repulsor into each of their chests, and Twilight would’ve fired a paralysis spell right then and there. But they didn’t. They were there on different grounds, ones of understanding, a shared mindset. The same mission.

Stark observed the cells to his left, turning back to Steve, Barnes, and Rainbow. He said, “Aren’t you three a sight for black eyes?”

Steve held his ground, his attention shifting to Tony’s right eye for a moment, noticing the heavy bruise underneath it. Holding his hand out to Rainbow, Steve began a slow approach forward, closer to Stark and Twilight. He still held out his shield in a defensive manner, still not ready to trust the man who wanted to arrest him the other day.

“I’d say the same for you two,” Steve replied, looking down. “Twilight.”

“Steve,” the Alicorn greeted, offering a helpful and assuring smile. Her eyes looked past him, her smile still holding. “Hey, Rainbow.”

Rainbow Dash’s wings folded back to her sides, her pouncing position still held, but slowly, very slowly dying. She offered a weak nod. “Hey…” Rainbow greeted. It was a lame greet by her standards, but she was still on edge from yesterday, and just seeing the two people who were ordered to hunt them standing casually in front of them was unnerving by itself.

So, Rainbow asked, “What are you doing here?”

“Currently at a cease fire. Just got word from Berlin police that the real psychiatrist who was supposed to evaluate him,” Tony was saying, pointing his metal-covered finger over to Bucky, who still hadn’t lowered his rifle, “was found dead in a hotel room.”

Steve held out his hand to Bucky, who slowly lowered his gun. Turning back to Stark, Steve watched as he leaned against the nearest support beam. “Or, in the other words, I made a mistake and you were right,” he said.

Steve narrowed his eyes. “So, you’re gonna let us go.”

“I guess I have to, considering you’d probably take me down here and now if I said otherwise.”

“Ross won’t appreciate that.”

“Ross doesn’t even know we’re here,” Tony said, scoffing.

“We’d like to keep it like that,” Twilight said, smiling to Steve, who smiled back.

His smile quickly fell, a sigh escaping as he lowered his shield to his side. “It’s good to see you both. No hard feelings, Twilight?” he asked.

Glad for the tension to be gone for a moment, Twilight smiled gratefully. She said, “It’s fine, Steve. You were just helping your friend, and that’s understandable.”

“Hey, Tony?” Rainbow added after remaining silent for so long. Tony turned her way, listening in. Pursing her lips, Rainbow looked down, contemplated for a second, then breathed. She closed her eyes, opened them to stare at Tony, and managed to ask, “How… how’s Rhodes doing?”

Stark’s expression fell. “He’ll… live.”

Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief, her stance seeming to appreciate the relaxing sensation she got from that statement. She no longer stood in a pouncing position, but stood up straight, on all four hooves, staring at Stark. “I’m sorry for what happened,” she apologized, bloody hoof to her heart, to which Twilight finally noticed and narrowed her gaze at it. “I had no idea—”

Tony raised his hand. “You can tell him that when we head back.”

It was a comforting thought to put all the bad blood behind them. Rainbow nodded shortly afterwards, turning her eyes to Steve. He nodded as well, telling Stark and Twilight to follow him. The five joined together, Twilight smiling to Rainbow as she passed her. And Rainbow smiled back. Not too big. Just a little one. But it made all the difference between them. They joined the three men down the long, empty hallway, Stark and Rogers leading.

They didn’t even notice the silver eyes of the Black Panther staring from the shadows of the elevator.

9:13 a.m.

“So, how are the others? Pinkie, Fluttershy, Spike?”

“They’re safe for now. After we’re done here, we’ll drop you off at the facility then Stark and I will get them back.”

Rainbow sighed another fresh breath of relief, breathing in and coughing when the dusty air entered her lungs. Twilight turned back to her to see if she was okay, to which the Pegasus waved her away as a response to her concern. Clearing her throat, Rainbow said, “That’s good. Gosh, don’t breathe this stuff too much.”

“Dully noted,” Stark muttered, keeping his palm pointed forward and his light leading the way.

The group consisting of Stark, Rogers, Bucky, Twilight, and Rainbow walked through the halls, broken cells, and maze-like rooms. As they got lower and lower, the temperature dropped even more, so far that Steve, Bucky, and the mares could see their own breath in the form of an icy fog. It got even darker as well, the corridors no longer supported by the functioning lights in the previous rooms. They had to rely more and more on Stark’s flashlights to find their way around.

Eventually, they came to a new room with the large doors already open for them. That didn’t spell anything good, Steve thought, making his way inside. He could hear Stark mumble, “I got a heat signature.”

Bucky looked at him, rifle held forward and away from everyone else. “Just one?” he asked.

Stark nodded, moving straight. “Just one.”

“I wonder who that could be?” Rainbow said sarcastically, trailing close behind Steve. She broke away from Twilight, the Alicorn following Stark and lighting her horn to fill the darkness of the large room with just a little bit of extra light. The second her horn lit up, she realized she didn’t need to when the large tanks that suddenly appeared out of the darkness lit up a bright, sickly orange.

As the fog began to coil around each tank, the eyes of the group watching each one carefully, a voice appeared. A voice over the intercom system. Stark, Steve, Twilight, and Rainbow barely recognized it, but Bucky knew it. He gripped his rifle even tighter, his eyes on a swivel, watching for any form of movement in the room.

“You’re all here. Good. I didn’t want him to see his brothers and sisters die alone.”

Curious, Steve and Tony led the pack forward. Passing the first tank, they finally noticed the blood stained on the inside of the tank, the small hole on the outside replicating that of a bullet. And inside, what remained was the growing corpse of but one of the Winter Soldiers. A trail of blood fell from his forehead, down his face, and onto his chest.

“They were all already unstable. I didn’t need them for what’s about to happen. All I needed was you, James Barnes.”

“What are you talking about?” Bucky asked, the mares gasping quietly at the sight of the dead Winter Soldiers within their tanks.

Then, a new light appeared, this one beyond the tanks and remaining at the end of the room, directly in front of the two Avengers. Tony reacted accordingly, his palm glowing brighter than before as he aimed for the man behind the glass window. As for Steve, he wasted no time in flinging his shield towards the man he recognized as the false doctor, the man responsible for this whole incident. Surprisingly, his shield bounced off the glass without a scratch. Steve caught it, placing it on his right forearm. Having turned away from the tanks, flinching at the sound of the Captain’s shield bouncing off of glass, Twilight and Rainbow both stopped to see the man hiding behind the glass and cement.

Twilight noticed Tony’s appearance, as well as accounting the Captain’s actions. It was the false doctor. It was Zemo, and if they couldn’t break through, maybe they could jump inside to meet him… face to face. Twilight’s horn began to glow, her wings outstretching. However, before she could teleport inside, his voice appeared over the intercom again, this time directed to… her.

“I… wouldn’t do that if I were you. You come in here, I shoot you, I say Barnes’ trigger words again, and all of this madness plays through just like last time.”

“I can freeze you before you pull the trigger,” Twilight warned, her horn glowing.

“Do you really want to take that chance, princess?” Zemo asked, his smile seen from the little light he gave to the room.

Steve held out his hand to her, the Alicorn’s eyes shifting to it instead of the man behind the bunker’s wall. “Twilight, stand down,” he told her.

Zemo smiled even greater, a sick, twisted smile that only spelt trouble. He said, “Good, Captain. You wouldn’t want anything else to happen to her, now would you?”

As the group slowly approached the chamber’s glass window, the eyes of the Black Panther stared from the entrance of the room, the man slowly sneaking in through the shadows. He watched them make their approach, his eyes landing on the Winter Soldier standing next to the Captain. His fists clenched tight, his claws beginning to extend.

However, he stopped.

When he heard: “That was quite a horrible incident in Vienna, now was it? That bomb I planted was only meant to kill half the room. I had no intention to harming you, Your Highness. But if it came to it… I guess certain sacrifices would have to have been made.”

The bomb… he planted?

That voice.

Not Barnes.

The doctor from the Terrorist Centre?

The Captain was right.

Not Barnes.

T’Challa looked away to his hands, to his claws. He could swear he saw them shaking.

As for the Captain, he stopped just in front of the chamber that contained Helmut Zemo. Stark, Rainbow, and Twilight joined him, Bucky standing back, his rifle lowering so he could watch. And Zemo just stared at them. When the Captain came up to the glass, Zemo’s smile faded like the dust from Sokovia, leaving nothing but a haunting husk of what once was.

As the Captain met his gaze, he said, “I studied you for so long. Your strengths, your weaknesses. Your history. Your friends, your family, everything. What one could find… Oh, what one could find. You see, Captain, I did not bring you all here to fail like the others have. I brought you all here to see your empire fall right before your eyes. Not by me, no.”

Steve narrowed his eyes. Zemo didn’t even flinch under his gaze, his own eyes shifting to the Iron Man standing to his right. He sneered, saying, “I promised to see this through to the end. And I intend to keep that promise… for them.”

He caught himself there, his gaze falling for a brief moment. “You lost someone?” Steve asked.

“He’s Sokovian,” Stark said, Steve’s expression turning grim at the realization.

Zemo stared straight ahead, clicking his tongue. “I lost… everyone. And so will you.”

Zemo looked down, then pressed a single switch. A short static from the disarranged TV set up lying near the center of the room. The mares flinched, spinning around to see the TV come to life, a single still image of what appeared to be another language displayed against a black background. Stark and Steve looked back, Tony approaching it. “What the hell is this?” he asked.

“December 16, 1991. A memorable day in the facility. A memorable day for Mr. Barnes… and Mr. Stark. I’m sure you both will find out soon enough.”

That date did ring a bell. Not a particularly good bell by any means, but a bell. A bell Stark would rather forget. His mask slid back revealing his startled and somewhat uncertain expression. He and Steve both approached the TV set, the mares standing by their sides, eyes watching the still image shift to a recording of a dark, lonesome road, nothing but a single lamppost to keep it bright. Bucky stayed back, that particular date already clicking in his warped mind. He took a few cautious steps away from Stark.

As for Twilight and Rainbow, they didn’t know what exactly they were looking at. It appeared to be some footage, but it was still. Nothing seemed to be…

A car came flying by, crashing and stopping just as another speeding object flew past it.

Straight past it… then came back.

Twilight’s brow furrowed, her head shifting slightly, her eyes completely engrossed with the footage and who exactly was stepping off the motorcycle. When he entered the light and approached the crashed vehicle, the footage barely gave off a clear picture, but even Twilight could see the metal arm protruding from the man. Her eyes grew, her jaw falling. Rainbow did the same. Bucky looked away.

All of them. Steve, Tony, Twilight, and Rainbow all watched as an elderly man stumbled out of the vehicle’s door, falling to his face and barely rising. He looked up to the Winter Soldier approaching him, Barnes gripping his snow-white hair coated in blood and lifting him up.

“Dad…”

Twilight gasped, turning her head just to be sure that Tony Stark had said that.

He did. He never looked away, even as the Winter Soldier drove his metal fist once, twice, and three devastating times into his face. Twilight’s hoof rose to her mouth, covering it, her eyes looking back to Stark. He kept on staring. Kept on staring. But even Twilight could see him shake. Whether it was out of fear, pain, or rage, she couldn’t tell. Maybe it was all three.

She watched the rest of the footage. Barnes picked up the man’s body and placed him back into the driver’s seat, walking around to the passenger’s, to the sound of a battered woman crying out to the man lying dead in the seat next to her. Those painful screams were silenced once the Winter Soldier came next to her, his palm reaching inside and wrapping around her throat. The cries grew into choked gasps, then into nothing.

Just nothing.

“Mom…”

Stark tried to whisper it, but he couldn’t. It came out in a gasp of air, coming in like a pain-filled inhale. Twilight’s hoof remained over her mouth, her eyes wide and burning. Rainbow Dash’s jaw wouldn’t close. She stared at the remainder of the footage as something she couldn’t believe, watching Bucky come up to the camera that captured everything and shoot it.

It didn’t matter.

They had seen everything.

She had seen everything.

Looking back to him, Rainbow Dash didn’t say a word but stared at him, a look of disbelief and betrayal in her eyes. But he brought up his gaze to meet hers, and this time he offered that same, pleading look that Rainbow had seen when they pulled him out of the river back in Berlin. When he was at his weakest. When he was free from the control over his mind. When he was Bucky… and not the Winter Soldier.

He stared at her and her alone, directing it not even to Steve. That meant something. Rainbow didn’t know what, but it did mean something. She looked away, momentarily frozen as she contemplated said thoughts. She didn’t long. She couldn’t. Stark made his move for Bucky.

Flinching away, Rainbow Dash watched as Steve gripped Tony’s arm, saying, “No, Tony.”

His voice was urgent, on edge, his own pleading eyes staring into the back of Stark’s head. He could see Twilight at the edge of his vision take a few precautious steps back, Rainbow doing the same. But for Stark, he turned around, back to him to meet his gaze with his own. His eyes almost bled pain, the red indicating that, the tightened jaw and the heated breath turning that pain into ferocity, that ferocity into a growing flame.

Staring at Rogers, Tony opened his mouth to take in a breath. But instead, he asked a simple question.

“Did you know?”

For the love of God, Steve didn’t want to answer that question.

He could see the look in his eyes, the look of betrayal. The worse he had ever seen. The longer he gripped Stark’s arm, he could feel the heat of the suit only worsening, but Steve held on. He had to. Never breaking eye contact, Steve faced the fire head on and muttered, “I didn’t know it was him.”

Stark turned on him quickly, snarling, “Don’t bullshit me, Rogers! Did you know?”

Those last three words held daggers to them, each syllable pushing the tip closer and closer to Steve’s heart. He remembered seeing that footage from Arnim Zola’s personal archive, the case files of Howard Stark assassinated by none other than the Winter Soldier. He couldn’t lie. Not anymore. The look in Stark’s eyes said it all.

With bated breath, Steve gulped, muttering a single and very painful, “Yes.”

Twilight and Rainbow both gasped. Stark took a step back, Steve having released his grip from his arm. Tony looked away, back to the TV, back to Rogers, back to nothing. Twilight could see the metal covering his hand slowly shrink down into a fist. Two of them. Reacting quickly, Twilight shot out her wings and hovered behind Tony, placing her hooves on his shoulder comfortingly. The best she could manage at that moment.

He didn’t even look at her, just barely turned his head when she said, “Tony… I know what you think you want to do is right, that you’re somehow justifying something. But don’t. Calm down… we’ll get through this together. Please… make the right choice.”

He turned his neck around to stare at her, almost like he was staring at an entirely different pony. Like he didn’t even know who he was staring at. Then he looked away, Twilight’s hooves falling from his shoulder, the mare hovering between him and Barnes. He thought about what she said, about making the right choice, about calming down and letting them solve this. Making the right choice…

He could still hear his mother’s screams as Barnes choked her to death.

Tony Stark didn’t think anymore. He shot Steve right in the heart, shoved Twilight aside, and charged the Winter Soldier. His mask closed over his face, his eyes lighting up a bright blue. But there was nothing behind them this time. Not anymore.

Chapter 47 - Vengeance

Siberia

HYDRA Siberian Facility

9:22 a.m.

He shoved her aside like she meant nothing to him. Like he didn’t even know her. Twilight fell on her back, grunting as she hit the cold, metal floor. Looking up, she could see Stark charge right across her, firing a repulsor that blew apart the large assault rifle in Barnes’ hands. Barnes stumbled back, raising his hand in time to catch Stark’s flying fist.

And for a moment, she couldn’t force herself to do anything about it. Twilight thought back to the mission, bringing in Barnes—no longer for the UN bombing—but for everything else he’s done in the past. Bring him in to face justice. When she saw Stark swing at him, fire repulsor blasts for his head that he managed to dodge, Twilight knew the mission meant nothing to Stark anymore. After seeing that footage, all he wanted was Barnes.

He wouldn’t bring him in.

Sweet Celestia, Twilight knew what he would do.

And for the life of her, she couldn’t force herself to do anything about it.

But Steve had other plans. His chest ached and burned as he rolled to his hands and knees, grunting as he did so. Looking up, he could see Stark going for Bucky, gripping him by the throat and dragging him through the air, tossing him to the cement below and dive-bombing him. Steve growled, picking up his shield and eyeing Stark cautiously. The intercom rang out again, prompting Steve’s attention left.

There was Zemo, smiling as he watched the scuffle unfold from behind the glass. His darkened eyes turned to the Captain’s, his smile weakening but still there. Never leaving him. Even as he said, “Do you see it now? This is what happens when you drag your friends into this twisted, little war of ours.”

Those words stuck with Steve, and had somehow managed to burn worse than the repulsor to his chest, even as Zemo faded into the shadows of the bunker. Even as he vanished and let nature take its course. Even as Steve got up and tossed his shield at Stark.

Having kept Barnes prone for the moment, Stark leaned forward from the strike of the shield to his back. He turned, saw Steve rush him, and shot at him. He blocked each repulsor blast with his shield, watching as Stark leapt forward, thrusters launching him at Steve even quicker. He was ready for him, though, falling to one knee as Stark swung at him. Steve grunted, slicing the edge of his shield for Tony’s leg, causing him to nearly crumble. Using that same momentum, Steve jammed his shield upwards, ramming the edge right between Stark’s glowing eyes.

Sparks flew, metal clashed against metal as the two Avengers exchanged blows. Twilight watched from where she lay, slowly getting back to her hooves. She watched Stark swung for Steve’s head, who would always dodge and deliver an even stronger blow to Stark’s exposed areas. The punches, the hits, they weren’t anything like they had been at the airport. They were holding back then. They knew they were still fighting their friends.

But now…

Twilight heard a groan, twisting her neck over to see Barnes stand. He looked to her, those desperate eyes of his widening. She mirrored his actions, contemplating with what little time she had. She could still see Barnes delivering those killing blows into Tony’s father. She could still hear the pain-filled, desperate gasps of air that his mother tried to take before he choked the life out of her. Despite that, even Twilight knew she couldn’t go through with what Stark wanted. The only way to stop both of them would be to return to their previous mission.

Subdue.

Twilight’s horn ignited a bright blue, her eyes narrowing as she aimed right for his unguarded chest. However, she felt another body slam into her, even stronger than Stark’s arm, and push her across the frozen cement. Sliding on her hooves, Twilight slowed to a stop, looking up to meet the unnerved eyes of Rainbow Dash and her shaking body stare at her a few yards away. Her wings were outstretched, her body lowering in a pouncing-like stance as she stood between Twilight and Barnes.

Despite everything he did.

Tony drove his knee into Steve’s gut, causing him to fall forward with a painful grunt escaping him. Tony didn’t stop, grabbing Rogers by the back of his suit and flinging him across the room. He had enough force in the throw to see Steve crash through a steel bar railing, the Captain and his shield rolling to a stop afterwards. With Steve dealt with for the moment, Stark twisted his furious gaze back to Barnes, only to see as he began to make his escape.

Twilight saw as he tried to run, her wings outstretching. Then there was Rainbow Dash, hovering in front of her vision, still standing in her path. Snorting, Twilight said, “You have to stop, Rainbow.”

“He had no idea what he was doing!” Rainbow tried to explain, Twilight’s horn beginning to glow. “He was controlled, Twilight!”

The words were numb against her ears, her heart and mind already racing each other to see which would dictate her actions. She looked over, saw as Stark flew across the room, shot down, grabbed Barnes by the throat, and slammed him against the metal pillar at the edge of the room. The two struggled, Barnes crushing Stark’s repulsor and knocking his arm away from his face. If she didn’t act quickly, he might actually kill Barnes right then and there.

She didn’t have to do much. Steve’s shield came flying over and struck Stark’s left boot, causing the fire underneath to sputter out of control, Stark falling with Barnes in his grasp. The two men tumbled as they came into contact with the floor, Tony already rising as Barnes struggled in that regard. However, he couldn’t pursue Barnes, not with the Captain all over him.

Steve swung low, his shield striking the side of Stark’s face. Tony grunted heavily, flipping to his back as Steve straddled him, shield raised over his head, aiming for the bright spot in the center of Stark’s chest. Twilight eyes shot open in shock, a gasp escaping her as she vanished in a flash of light, so bright that it blinded the Pegasus momentarily. Exactly what Twilight wanted. When she reappeared a few feet from the Captain, she used whatever speed she could gain to slam herself into him, knocking Steve flat on his back with Twilight tumbling and crashing over him.

“Bucky, run!” Steve shouted, desperation ripe in his voice. Bucky didn’t wait another second, stumbling to his feet and rushing to the nearest exit. He entered a new room, what appeared to be a rocket test area. Looking over, Bucky pressed the nearest panel. He watched as the silo door high up above began to open, fresh whiteness spilling inside the dark.

Watching as Barnes escaped, both Twilight and Steve managed to push themselves back up. Tony was already flying forward, landing as his left boot sputtered to a dead halt. “Tony!” Steve yelled, rising to his feet. “Stop! HYDRA had control of his mind!”

But he wouldn’t listen. He kept on walking towards the exit. In panic, Steve flung his shield with Stark’s back turned, only to gape in awe to see it caught mid-air. An aura of violet surrounded his shield, Steve watching as it suddenly turned its face towards him, the star firing back at Steve with even greater speed than he had thrown it. Rogers managed to catch his shield, but he lost his breath as it came into contact with his body, sending the Captain sprawling back.

Twilight’s horn died, her attention shifting back to Stark. She yelled, “Tony, stop! He needs to be brought to justice!”

He answered this time, his palm glowing. “He’s dead!”

Gritting her teeth, Twilight took off with surprising speed, distress beating in her heart worse every time with each new pump of blood. Rainbow was just as fast, hot on her tail, flying into the rather small, but very tall room with her. The two mares shot their heads skyward, flinching at the increased brightness from the outside light behind the silo doors. But in that brightness, they could still see Tony Stark flying near Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier climbing his way to freedom. They saw as Stark slammed his leg into Barnes’ chest, sending the man into the side of the silo wall. He fell and landed on the lower catwalk, staring forward to the Iron Man struggling to keep flight, but still aiming his glowing palm right for him.

Twilight readied herself, but flinched back as a gust of air next to her pushed her aside. The Alicorn watched as Rainbow Dash drove her hoof into Stark’s lower jaw, his palm firing into the wall next to Bucky. Tony yelled out, his boot jet failing him once again. He crashed on the opposite wall and fell on the lower catwalk, his flickering eyes looking to the Pegasus flying between him and the man who murdered his parents. He saw the glare she sent his way, the desperate fire still maintaining its glow and ferocity for just a moment longer.

That is until Twilight intervened.

The Alicorn shot up, driving her hind legs outward and bucking Rainbow right in the chest. The Pegasus flew back with a painful cry leaving her lips, her back impacting the solid metal wall opposite of her. Spinning around, Twilight met the stare of James Barnes once more, but this time she didn’t hesitate to make her move. Her horn ignited into a blue, shimmering light, the paralysis spell nearly ready to fire. And she would have done so had Rainbow not tackled her with her back turned.

The two mares screamed and pushed against one another. Twilight fired off a spell that went nowhere, Rainbow Dash managing to slip behind her with her foreleg wrapped around the princess’ neck. Twilight gagged instinctively, her hooves prying at Rainbow’s grasp, her face, anything she could get a hold of. Her horn began to glow, Rainbow seeing this and quickly shooting upwards. The sudden push drove Rainbow’s foreleg even deeper into Twilight’s throat, causing her horn to die and the Alicorn to gag in response, fighting for air.

Bucky watched as the two fumbled in the air, Rainbow using the strength in her wings to launch both of them straight up. They hit the tilted silo door, flying off into the blistering, whiteness and vanishing. Only their screams remained, and even those began to die down, indicating the distance the two flew away.

With the ponies gone, Bucky turned his attention back to Stark, just in time to see him fly his way. The man flew in with a fist raised, aimed right for Barnes, but he was ready. Bucky grabbed a nearby steel bar and swung it, roaring as it struck the side of Tony’s metal helmet. Sparks danced to the impact, Tony stumbling and falling onto the catwalk where Bucky was standing. He groaned, heard the man behind him swing again, and turned back to catch it.

Barnes was caught as Tony snagged the bar from his hands, using the momentum to spin him around and strangle him. Barnes caught his breath, both palms gripping onto Stark’s metal arm.

With the murderer in his grasp, Stark bore his dead glare into the back of his head. Just loud enough, he whispered in a painful, broken tone, “Do you even remember them?”

Bucky gasped for air. “I don’t want to.”

Tony’s face contorted into somewhat of a furious sneer. He was seconds away from flexing his arms with just enough strength to snap bones when he felt the ground under his feet give out. As he fell, not even his thrusters helping with the man’s weight added to him, he looked down to see the Captain’s shield return to him, Steve leaping off the catwalk and tackling him out of the air. Stark dropped Barnes, he and Steve tumbling through the air and falling to the cemented ground below.

Bucky landed on the lowest catwalk with a painful grunt. He heard something land next to him, something metal. The fear of it being Stark had vanished when he stared at the red, white, and blue shield lying just feet in front of him.

9:26 a.m.

Twilight punched at Rainbow. Rainbow did her best to hold her still, her foreleg tightening dangerously harder and harder against her throat. That, and the fact that the relentless snowstorm began to pick up around them, made the ordeal so much harder for the Pegasus to control. Hitting the steel silo door earlier at full speed had almost made her let go, but Rainbow held tight, flying through the winds and snow, doing her best not to strangle the life out of Twilight.

All the while keeping her still and away from Bucky.

Despite her best efforts, deep down, Rainbow she wouldn’t be able to do that for long. Twilight flapped her wings against Rainbow’s, causing a disruption in her flight pattern. That, as well as the frozen winds and beating snow practically tearing through her coat eventually pushed Rainbow over the limits of her strength and control. She took a turn downwards, to the painful whiteness down below, to the sudden black rising out of the fog.

The two mares impacted the stone and separated, yelping in pain at the impact they both felt. Once they hit the snow, they slid and rolled down the large hill where the stone rested. Their worlds and their vision were filled with nothing but white, the snow covering their bodies as they rolled down and down the hill, closer and closer to the end.

And then they did. They both crashed to the bottom of the snowy hill with piles of the frozen tundra trailing behind them. Twilight arose with a mouthful of snow. She spat both it and a helping of blood into the ground next to her. Rainbow steadied herself as she rose, as well. She groaned, bringing a hoof to her forehead, cringing at the stinging sensation she felt, and drew away. She saw the blood on her hoof, both the old and the new.

She planted both hooves into the snow, turning accordingly to meet the weary, broken, and bloody face of Twilight Sparkle feet ahead of her. Large bruises painted her cheeks, blood trailing in small rivers from her mouth and her nose. But she met Rainbow’s stare. She saw the mare and how torn she appeared. Her rainbow mane was left in shambles, droplets of crimson meeting the dull yellow, orange, and red. A growing bruise began to appear under her left eye, the cuts across her face beginning to open up once again.

The two just stayed that way. Staring at each other, the snow falling slowly around them, their own blood dripping in the snow surrounding their hooves.

Catching her breath, Twilight stared into the rose-rimmed eyes of Rainbow Dash, trying to see her friend. She could see nothing through the fury and the passion, nor could Rainbow through the fog that blinded Twilight. For a while, all they heard was their own breathing. They could have even heard the snowflakes crashing into the ground.

Instead, they heard metal and bodies.

Both ponies turned in the direction of the sound, seeing a lone structure embedded in the hill they had rolled down not too long ago. Pillars of cement held the structure up, blocked their sight, but even then, they could still see Steve roll down to the cemented floor beneath him. They watched until they saw Tony claw his way over the steep cement hill that sat in front of Rogers, Stark rising to tower over the Captain.

Then they turned back towards one another, both mares breathing heavily, blood leaking over their lips.

“I really can’t convince you,” Twilight said, panting through bloody lips. Rainbow lifted her head only slightly, her attention held for the time being. The Alicorn shook her head weakly, muttering, “There’s nothing I can do other than bring him down.”

Then, she saw Rainbow shake hers. “Yes, there is, Twilight,” she replied, almost as weak as she.

With the two mares several yards away and confronting each other, Steve panted for air, feeling only the coolness enter his lungs. He saw the light of the outside frost blind him, his eyes having grown used to the darkness they had searched in. His eyes quickly adjusted, catching a new light to his right. He turned, seeing Tony standing high above him on the cement hill. His hands were clenched into fists, his flickering eyes on him, every bit of his emotional distress centered entirely… on him.

On Steve.

Breathing steadily, readying himself for whatever hell came next, Steve asked, “You think this is gonna change what happened? It’s not.” Stark didn’t make a single movement. “Tony…” Steve panted, “no amount of rage… or death… is gonna bring them back.”

Then he moved. He shook his head. “I don’t care anymore. He killed my mom.”

Then he moved again, blasting forward and driving his fist right into Steve’s temple.

Chapter 48 - Topple an Empire

Siberia

Just outside HYDRA Siberian Facility

9:29 a.m.

He deleted the message and waited in the snow.

His heavy, black coat could barely conceal his warmth, the coolness of the Siberian air blowing across him, chilling him to the bone. But he didn’t care. He could allow the coldest winter to wash over him and bury him frozen solid. He would wish for a firestorm to consume every inch of his skin, and he wouldn’t feel it. He would be beaten senseless, ribs shattered, skull cracked, and left for dead, and he wouldn’t care.

It was over. He knew that. When he deleted his wife’s message from his phone, that was all he really had left. Now there was nothing. He would let the world fall right around him, and he would allow to happen, because he didn’t need to do anything anymore. His mission, his journey, after so long, after so many sleepless nights, had finally come to an end.

And so, as he gripped his pistol ready for the final moments, he was finally ready. Until he heard a familiar voice arise from behind him.

“I almost killed the wrong man,” T’Challa said, placing his helmet into the snow and slowly approaching the false doctor. “It was you all along.”

Helmut Zemo looked back. Just barely. “It would seem that way, yes,” he said, placing his phone into his pocket. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, palm gripping the pistol. T’Challa saw the gun, his body tensing up for a short moment as he readied himself for any outcome.

“Why?” the king asked, shaking his head. He stopped a few feet behind Zemo, his claws still unsheathed, still at the ready for anything.

Zemo stared out into the nearly endless white. A soft breeze blew across his greasy, flat hair. And he looked down. “… For them,” he finally muttered, causing T’Challa to pause.

The king said nothing for a moment, the quiet wind brushing across his hair and skin. Like a soft whistle. Finally, he asked, “You lost your family?”

Zemo didn’t make any sudden movements, nor did he utter a single response. He didn’t even nod. And for the longest time, T’Challa thought he wouldn’t reply. After nearly twenty seconds of silence, twenty long seconds of T’Challa having to wait for the man who murdered his father, Zemo had finally began to breathe again.

And he said, “It was last year. When Ultron came to my home and slaughtered my people, everyone looked to the sky to see the Avengers arrive to save the day. I was operating outside of the city when it… began to rise. I could do nothing but watch… as the city that held my family… fell… and erupted into nothing but light and dust. My wife… my child… they were the victims.”

T’Challa looked down, a soft exhale leaving him. Zemo stared into the foggy white, thinking and breathing his next words. “When I saw the Avengers’ response to this massacre weeks later… I had learned that the Iron Man, Tony Stark, was responsible for the creation of Ultron. My family’s blood was on his hands, as well as the rest of the Avengers who thought the only way to save the world… would be to take away mine.”

He paused, causing T’Challa to look back to him. “They cannot be killed so easily,” Zemo stated weakly, nodding slightly. “I knew that. But when you turn gods against each other… the world they crafted would crumble beneath them.”

Looking back, Zemo stared at the young king. He watched him with eyes that held uncertainty, pain, and small flame of fury. He sighed, returning forward. “Your father… was a good man. I’m sorry for what I had to do, but it had to be done.”

It had to be done. T’Challa looked away at that, biting his lip, clenching his fists. The fact that his father had died as just a stepping stone for one man was belittling enough. He turned back to Zemo, relaxing his palms, letting the claws hang out. His first instinct was to slit his throat, let the man squirm as he tried desperately to hold his neck and the precious life that leaked out of him. But he stopped when he heard the screaming from afar. The sounds of repulsor fire, metal against metal, bone against bone beat down on T’Challa, the king, the man, finally stopping.

Finally taking in a much-needed breath and shutting his eyes. “What kind of man are you… who kills innocents that get in his way?” he asked, his eyes opening to glare at the back of Zemo’s head. “You let this…evil… this madness consume everything that you are. The Avengers… these ponies… you have turned them against each other for your own lusts.”

Zemo sneered, loosening the grip on his pistol. “You must do the right thing, Your Highness.”

T’Challa finally sheathed his claws, letting out one of the biggest breaths of relief he ever held. Zemo heard it, his smile fading. T’Challa said, “But you will not turn me away from what I am. I am not you… I do not murder out of my own gain. So… I will not kill you.”

Zemo smiled again, gripping his pistol. “I don’t need you to finish my mission.”

He suddenly jolted the gun to himself, the barrel jammed into the bottom of his jaw. Just before he pulled the trigger, T’Challa shot out his leg, striking Zemo across the forehead and knocking him on his back. The shot went off in the air, out of harm’s way, to nowhere. T’Challa let loose of a breath of frozen relief, staring at the limp figure of Helmut Zemo lying in front of him.

“Bring them to justice,” he muttered.

9:31 a.m.

The fight between the two had been going on for minutes, but it felt like hours. Both Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle were flying around the snowstorm, slamming into each other, Twilight firing spell after spell that would miss every time, and Rainbow would always fly faster, striking Twilight when she couldn’t keep up. By the time she fired off her next spell, the Alicorn yelped when Rainbow zipped around it, flying forward and tackling her.

With every painful second that past, Twilight had to continue to remind herself who she was fighting, and why she had to hold back. Despite rolling together wrapped in each other’s hooves, despite pushing each other off, despite the punch sent across her cheek, it was still Rainbow. It was still her friend. And she tried to remind herself that.

Through those eyes filled with blood, sweat, adrenaline, and determination, there was something else that Twilight saw. Pain. Just like Twilight, Rainbow was reminding herself that her best friend was at the end of her hooves, and the ideologies, the trust separated them. Rainbow may have not been showing it, but she was holding back.

Holding back didn’t mean not fighting like hell.

After the last punch across her cheek, Twilight growled and lit up her horn. She created a magical wave and shot it out all around her, the magic blasting out and hitting Rainbow. The Pegasus screamed, hitting a nearby stone with a solid crack. Twilight didn’t know if it came from the stone or Rainbow’s spine. Dash didn’t know either, but when she kicked off the stone and flew straight towards Twilight, she knew she was fine.

The snow tried to blind Twilight, but the Alicorn was ready. Rainbow wasn’t. She fired a paralysis spell that Dash still managed to dodge. Just barely. The spell struck her hoof, causing a chilling cry to escape the Pegasus. She flew over Twilight, the Alicorn ducking and spinning about to see Rainbow crash and tumble in the snow.

Her wings stood on end, the tips bent. Groaning, Rainbow pushed her hooves into the ground, feeling the coolness of the snow in her left but not in her right. Bringing up her foreleg, Rainbow gasped to see her hoof as stiff as solid stone, unable to move despite her strongest efforts. Grunting, Rainbow faced the princess and pushed both hooves into the snow, holding her hardened stare with the mare feet from her and slowly approaching.

Twilight breathed, feeling the ache in her lungs when her bruised rib cage expanded. Grunting, Twilight held a strong expression on her face, her horn lighting up a bright blue. The look on Rainbow’s face said it all, the Pegasus readying herself to take to the skies once more. Breathing heavily, blood dripping down her lips, Twilight said, “Let me end this.”

Rainbow just shook her head, wiping her face and smearing fresh blood from her cuts across her eyes. Blinking, Rainbow spit in the ground, muttering, “It can’t end the way you want, Twilight.”

“Why can’t it?”

“Because you’re wrong!” Rainbow screamed, flying up into the air. “Bucky’s not to blame!”

Twilight’s expression turned furious, her horn shooting off sparks from her contained spell. “He murdered Tony’s parents!” she screamed back, stepping forward with her horn raised to heavens. “Celestia knows how many other innocent people he killed!”

Then she fired. She fired a paralysis spell every second, sometimes holding an extended beam of magic, sometimes firing multiple beams, but they were always to the sky, always to Rainbow. Dodging her paralysis spells, Rainbow shouted, “That wasn’t him, Twilight! I know it’s hard,” a beam of blue came dangerously close to nose, the Pegasus halting in mid-air, “but you have to trust me on this! You have to be able to trust him!”

“Why?!” Twilight bellowed, hooves planted deep in the snow, fresh tears and blood raining down her face. She charged up an especially powerful spell, her fuming gaze centered on the pony hovering above her. “Why should I trust him after everything he’s done?!”

Flapping to keep herself airborne, Rainbow stared into the growing light on Twilight’s horn. For a moment, she didn’t know if she was going to fly away or take the shot. She felt so tired. Her forelegs, her wings, her muscles, her bones, her heart and her mind all ached. Both from the physical and the emotional stress.

That much could be felt when Rainbow spoke. And when she did, her voice was completely broken, fresh tears flowing from her eyes and mixing with the blood on her face. The red rivers fell down her cheeks, Rainbow Dash declaring, “Because he’s Steve’s friend… and mine, too.”

Twilight’s expression shattered, her horn’s light dimming to nothing.

Chapter 49 - Nothing

Siberia

HYDRA Rocket Test Area

9:32 a.m.

The fist struck against the side of Steve’s face. Hard.

Staggering, Steve managed to stay on his feet, doing his best to ignore the pain he felt and focus on the fight ahead. Without a shield, it made it much harder to deflect and strike back against Stark. As for Tony, he was beyond reasoning at this point. No goodwill, no sense of sanity was left behind those glowing blue eyes. All Steve felt with every blow he deflected and dodged was a man with nothing else but one thing on his mind.

Just to kill.

But he held him off for the time being. Bucky was nowhere in sight, so he fought and distracted Stark away from his friend. Despite his best efforts, Steve was hardly a match for Tony in his armor. He tried striking him across the face, but he only felt a stinging pain in his fingers as his fist made contact with the metal. Tony bent down from the hit, reacting fast and punching Rogers in the abdomen so hard he might as well have felt he was being gutted.

Losing all the breath in his lungs, Steve leaned forward. Before he could fall to his knees, Stark’s right leg shot up and clotheslined Steve, knocking him flat on his back. Straddling the Captain, Stark raised his clenched fist above his head, bringing it down right for Steve’s. He tilted his neck to the side, Tony’s fist crashing right through the solid concrete. It may have been a little hard, but Tony wasn’t really kept together at the moment.

He raised his fist again.

Steve looked behind him and saw Bucky high in the air, the Captain’s shield in his grip.

He roared and slammed it down on Stark’s backside. Rolling aside, Tony got back up and fired a repulsor, only to have it deflected from the familiar shield gripped in the hands of the Winter Soldier. As he lowered said shield, Tony saw the face of the man who murdered his parents in cold blood.

He charged him.

Steve was already there.

Bent down, Steve reared outwards with his left leg, driving his foot into Tony’s abdomen as he charged forward. Stark stumbled back, nearly falling as Barnes flung the shield right into his face. Steve rolled on the concrete, turned to Bucky, watched as he tossed him his rightful shield, and focused on Stark. Completely focused on him.

Steve did the same. Watching Stark fire a repulsor for Bucky, Steve moved in and drove the edge of his shield into Tony’s chest. The man leaned back, falling to one knee. He looked up, only to meet Bucky’s metal fist come flying down and striking the side of his helmet. It was a much more devastating blow than Steve’s earlier. Tony fell back, his boot thrusters launching him forward, the two men stepping aside. As he landed, as he spun around, they were already on him.

He swung for Barnes, only to see as he moved aside, wrapped his arms around Stark’s and drove his elbow into Tony’s circuits. Sparks flew off from the impact, Tony roaring in pain. He smacked Barnes in the side of the head, only to have his leg get taken out by Steve and his shield. He swung low, striking Stark’s knee, causing the man to collapse. Nearly on top of himself.

But he fought anyway. They fought back, delivering strike after strike, blow after blow. Slowly but surely beating him down.

Just outside in the snow, a different type of conflict had befallen the two ponies shivering and breathing just feet from each other. Not physical conflict, at least not yet. A conflict of words. Of ideals. Of understanding. Twilight’s horn had dimmed down, the paralysis spell shrinking away into nothing. Without even stepping forward, with her broken expression rebuilding itself into a frown, Twilight spoke out into the crying winds.

She asked, “What are you talking about?”

Rainbow flapped her wings, hooves dangling beneath her, one still frozen from Twilight’s earlier spell striking it. As she hovered in the snow, she wiped her eyes with her only functioning hoof. “He’s my friend,” she stated loudly. Twilight didn’t react. Just stood there and glared. “These past few days I’ve seen the humanity that’s still inside of him, Twilight! He’s just like you and me, only broken!”

“He is nothing like me!” Twilight shouted, stamping her hooves into the snow for added impact.

Breathing softly, Rainbow sniffed. Nodding her head slowly, she replied, “You’re right, he’s not. He actually understands what he did was wrong even when he couldn’t control himself, and he’s sorry for it, and he wants another chance! Shouldn’t we give that to him?! A chance?! He needs help! He’s not going to get that help when you put him behind bars!”

“S-shut up!”

That did it. Her horn lit up even brighter than before, a bright blue spell launched right for Dash’s heart. With the tears flowing freely despite her best efforts, Twilight gritted her teeth and kept on firing. Rainbow was too slick, dodging and weaving through the air as if she knew where the blasts would be before Twilight even conjured it.

Stopping just for a second, Twilight’s chest ached from all of her heavy breathing. She looked up to the snow-filled air, watching as Rainbow stopped the very second she did. Snowflakes painted her face, melting with the heat that radiated off of it. Twilight could feel the same on her end. Twilight shouted, “This world wasn’t ready for us, Rainbow! Washington and Lagos were proof of that, and the longer we stay in their conflict, the worse our world stands with Earth! Give up now!”

As Twilight began to charge yet another paralysis spell, Rainbow instead froze. Not from the spell, but from that statement Twilight made. Of course. Rainbow remembered everything as if it was yesterday. The images of the bloody and torn bodies pockmarked across the White House’s lawn as bullets and fog filled the area plagued Rainbow’s mind. And in that fog, a skull mask stepped out, its eyes on the drugged Alicorn lying in the arms of a soldier in black. Then she remembered Lagos, the burning building with cries soon to be silenced spilling out of it. Falling away just like the burning ash and fire that consumed it. Then there was Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Applejack watching the chaos burn away, Twilight’s limp body lying beneath them.

And through it all, Twilight blamed herself.

“So that’s what this is about,” Rainbow whispered. She quickly dodged Twilight’s next spell, flying a bit closer to her. Not to strike, but to begin the first few steps to understanding. She said, just loud and powerful enough for Twilight to yield for brief moment, “I know you’re scared. Heck, even I would be if I was put in the kind of situation you were! But Bucky isn’t like Crossbones!”

Stark fired three repulsor beams. One hit Steve’s chest, launching him back into the opposite wall. The second and third both hit Barnes, one in the shoulder and the second in the stomach. Barnes gasped, clutching onto his stomach where the blast had hit, but more specifically, where his stitches had opened up. As Barnes leaned forward from the blow, Tony caught him by the throat, flinging him back and crushing him against the wall. Bucky roared in agony, clutching onto Stark’s powerful grasp, glaring into the emotionless, blue eyes.

Steve yelled so incredibly loud that even Tony had to look back, meeting the shield and its edge against his face. Stark grunted, static flying across his HUD, flashing red light appearing in his vision. His helmet’s eyes cracked, shattering once Bucky drove his metal fist straight into his face, thus freeing him from Tony’s grasp.

Twilight had yielded for too long. At any moment, she expected to meet the bottom of Rainbow’s hooves being driven into her face or body. But they didn’t. She didn’t. Rainbow did not fight back, but instead chose to fight with her words, something that surprised even Twilight. She stood her ground, holding a spell in, watching as Rainbow hovered feet ahead of her.

“He’s innocent for the UN bombing!” she shouted, wings beating against the snow. The storm was picking up, the snow blowing sideways between the two, beating against their coat and their faces, but never turning them away from each other. Rainbow continued. “He was framed! The man who caused this is probably miles away by now!”

Her frown was gone, her face contorting back into a furious glare. Stamping her hooves even deeper into the rising snow, Twilight screamed, “He’s not innocent for everything else!” She fired yet another spell right for the Pegasus.

A repulsor beam struck Steve right in the heart, causing him to collapse onto the floor, face-first. Bucky turned back to his friend, his eyes widening at the sight of Steve clutching his heart, barely moving. With the sweat streaming from his forehead, his hair a twisted mess of black and bleeding red, Bucky bellowed a new battle cry, spinning and driving his own body into Stark’s despite the pain he felt.

Tony skidded across the cement floor, grabbing Barnes by his back and flinging him against the wall. Bucky grunted as his back hit the solid concrete, his eyes shooting down to his right, spotting the shield resting on its face. Just as Tony’s fist came flying for his head, Bucky bent down, felt the concrete rain down on the back of his head, scooped up the shield, and rammed its edge directly upwards.

Sparks danced, men screamed, blood flew, chaos erupted as Bucky unloaded each devastating blow onto Stark in his delirious state. Grabbing his arm, yanking him back, Bucky pushed Stark into the wall and attacked. Barely holding back. Doing everything in his will and power not to release the Winter Soldier, but bring the Iron Man to his knees. He could see Stark’s naked eye through the mask, the shattered lens remaining dark.

He screamed and attacked him, metal arm and Vibranium shield breaking Stark’s armor and exposing him.

“You can’t beat him like this, sir!” Homer screamed, his voice becoming a static mess, only worsening with each shot. “Inner systems failing!”

Grunting with every shot sent his way, Stark finally shouted, “Homer, give me something!”

“Rerouting energy to Unibeam!”

Just as his AI uttered those words, Barnes went low, driving the edge of the Captain’s shield right into Tony’s Arc Reactor. Now, Stark began to actually feel panic. Without his Arc Reactor, his suit wouldn’t function. He would just be a man in a clunky, metal suit. Not now. Dammit, not now.

He reared back and screamed with every strike against the piercing, blue light, finally seeing a crack appear. That’s all Bucky had seen, because its light expanded, growing brighter, wider, and directly outwards. Bucky slowed to a halt, his eyes widening in shock to see the beam of energy shoot out and pierce him right in the chest. Right over the heart.

He didn’t make a single noise as he hit the wall on the opposite side of the room.

Steve watched with pain-filled eyes as Bucky slumped to the ground to his left, the shield in his arms rolling towards Steve. Yanking it off the ground, desperation replaced with rage in his heart, Steve charged ahead. He only had a split second to bring up his shield and deflect the Unibeam fired his way. It was no use. The beam was so powerful it blew Steve and his shield across the room, impacting the opposite wall, and collapsing. Just like Bucky.

The two men lied motionless, one of them for a brief moment before he began to rise again. Steve looked over, looked to Bucky and saw no motion in his limbs or head. He laid on the side of his face, exposed, nothing left out of him to defend himself. So, Steve panted as he tried to stand up. He failed, and instead stumbled directly in front of Bucky. He spat out a helping of blood in front of him, coughing as he planted his fists in the ground.

He saw two metal feet step forward, pointed in his direction. He looked up, and met a glowing eye and a shattered one. One held the light, the other the darkness. In that darkness, Steve could see Tony’s eye. He saw the red in his veins, the bruise underneath, and the agony that filled it. But he still remained, standing above the two men, his fists clenched, as Steve was on his knees.

He forced himself up. He forced himself to stare Stark in the eyes and never look away. Even when he was beaten down, even when he was broken down to the last muscle and bone, and when he was almost out of options, he would not stay down. He grunted as he rose to one knee, then to none, as he finally stood up.

And he panted, “He’s my friend.”

“So was I,” Tony whispered.

He punched Steve across the face so deafening Steve only heard a piercing ring for a moment too long. Then he collapsed.

As Rainbow continued to dodge and Twilight continued to fire, it left the Pegasus with her guard down, her instincts only telling her where the next beam would be and when Twilight would shoot it. But Twilight was finished. With every spell that missed, she only grew more aggravated, which turned into anger, which propelled her forward.

Twilight screamed and spread her wings, kicking out of the snow with an eruption of frost trailing her. Rainbow Dash, having expected the next beam, narrowed her eyes through the fog and snow to see something much larger and much faster come her way. Her eyes widened in horror as Twilight rammed right in the mare, clutching onto her body and tackling her into the snow beneath them.

Rainbow grunted in pain as her back hit the snow, feeling the hard, frozen ground beneath. Barely opening her eyes that were previously clenched tight due to the impact, Rainbow could see the Alicorn straddling her, her own hooves holding down Rainbow’s, the fury in her glare directed to the Pegasus that was trapped beneath her.

Then Rainbow saw the horn begin to glow a frightening blue.

Just as Twilight growled, “It’s time to end this.”

It was over. Rainbow began to feel the terrifying feeling of fear grip her heart. What would happen if Twilight froze Rainbow where she laid? She would go after Bucky, take him down, take him somewhere where he’ll never see the light of day again. And Steve would fare no better, being just as guilty for his own crimes as Bucky was for his. She didn’t have many options left except to take the blast and be done with it all.

Except she did have another option.

Looking right into Twilight’s eyes and stepping into the fire that filled them, Rainbow Dash began to talk to her. And for just a second longer, Twilight didn’t fire the spell. And for whatever reason that would be, Rainbow took the chance.

“Look into your heart, Twilight! Look at who you are!” Rainbow cried, more tears slipping down her cheeks. She saw as a few leaked from Twilight’s burning gaze, the Alicorn breathing and whimpering atop of her. But she didn’t fire. “Bucky’s hurt; he’s lost! Putting him in a prison won’t help him, but caring for him, looking out for him, being a friend to him can! You’re the Princess of Friendship, Twilight! Even you know there has to be a chance!”

Then Twilight reared her head back, her horn shooting off sparks, as she glared into Rainbow’s tear-filled eyes. She never looked away. She waited for the blast to come.

Only to see Twilight’s fury die.

Lips quivering, eyes watering, Twilight just breathed and sucked in those final words from the Pegasus. Back at the Terrorist Centre, when Rainbow called her out on her title, it only caused a rage to boil inside of her, ready to be released. But now, with the cool snow beating against her back and the stinging cuts ranging across her face and body, Twilight breathed in and absorbed the meaning of Rainbow’s words, this time… listening.

She was the Princess of Friendship. She had lived her life in isolation of everypony else, only meeting the greatest friends she could have ever asked for once Princess Celestia sent her away to face her greatest challenge yet. And she did. And she conquered. And she achieved what ponies could only dream of, only because she had friends who were willing to help her achieve that. With all of her teachings, with all of the lessons she’s learned over the past years, it all came together to award her with the highest honor she could have ever received.

Becoming something that understood and embraced friendship more than anything else.

And ever since she stepped hoof on Earth, the meaning of that title had grown dimmer and dimmer until even Twilight started to question what it really meant. She knew she was supposed to help others find an understanding, solve friendship problems and heal shattered relationships. Twilight gasped quietly, her teary eyes widening as much as she could allow herself.

She looked down, exhaling and crying as she saw the wounded body of her best friend, Rainbow Dash, lying beneath her. Her tears fell against Rainbow chest, her eyes shut tight and her jaw clenched at the realization. She was so focused on preventing terror beyond her control and being so… afraid… that she forgot what it meant to forgive and trust others. She forgot where she came from. She was the Princess of Friendship. She was meant to solve friendship problems and help those who truly needed…

A friend.

She gasped at the sound of screaming. Bucky’s screaming.

Rainbow did, too, looking over but seeing nothing in the shadows within the structure. Still feeling the weight of Twilight on top of her, the Alicorn no longer moving, Rainbow Dash brought back her hind legs and drove them into Twilight’s chest. The two mares grunted in unison, Rainbow leaning forward to see Twilight scream and hit a nearby stone sticking out of the snow. She cried out as her back hit the rock, her motionless form falling and hitting the snow. Frost shot up from her impact, the Alicorn remaining where she lay.

Rainbow didn’t waste another second and drove herself into the structure. Towards the screaming. Right into Tony Stark’s back.

Stark yelled out, his body flipping from the force of the impact. He landed on his chest, already looking to his left to see what had hit him. Bucky watched, too, his screams of pain silenced when he didn’t force himself to crawl any further to the shield. He clutched his smoking chest, resting on his side as he watched the confrontation. And he could do nothing.

Nothing but watch as Rainbow Dash stood between Steve and Tony. Grunting, Stark planted his fists into the concrete and pushed himself up. His suit screeched in protest to his movements, the joints sending off sparks. Stark stumbled as he stood. But he stood. He stared at the Pegasus that drove the first punch. Then he felt a hand on his leg.

A metal hand.

Spinning around with surreal speed, Stark booted Barnes right in the forehead, knocking him out clean. His head slacked to the side, the rest of his body motionless with a small pool of blood beginning to grow around his body. Stark aimed his palm right for him, the ball of light attached to it glowing even brighter than before. He put all of his energy into the shot, a guaranteed kill if it struck its target.

It didn’t.

He heard a scream and felt a pair of forelegs wrap around his neck.

Rainbow Dash rammed herself into Stark once more, using whatever strength she had to hold him back and away from Bucky. Tony stumbled, his metal palms reaching to his neck and prying her forelegs free. Rainbow clenched her teeth, tears of pain raining down her cheeks. She cried out as Tony pulled her forelegs apart, gripping her by one of them and flinging her to the ground. Back where she started. That didn’t stop Rainbow. She spread her wings, took off even faster than last time, and charged Tony, directly to his chest.

But she never made it.

Tony swiped his forearm upwards, striking the Pegasus by the jaw and launching her into the concrete ceiling. She yelped as she made impact, a loud crack resounding through the room. As Rainbow fell back down, Tony looked to the ceiling to see a large crack remaining where she had hit. He looked back down and saw her wing at a twisted angle, some bone sticking out and spewing rivers of blood.

He didn’t even acknowledge it, nor did his attitude or fury change. He didn’t see the mare that lied in a bloody and broken mess right in front of him. He didn’t see the pony he would have called a friend the other day, or hell, even a few minutes ago. He saw the pony that crippled his best friend. He saw the pony that tried to stop him from ending the man who murdered his parents. And he didn’t hold back. Not for her. Not after what she did.

Through the pain and grit, bone and blood, Tony Stark yelled at her, “He hurt them! Your friends, my friends, and this is how you avenge them?! By betraying them?!”

He pointed right at Barnes, the unconscious man having no say in the matter. Rainbow hissed at the pain rocking throughout her body, her red eyes staring at Bucky, then shooting back to meet the glare of Stark. She only saw one eye through his destroyed helmet, the other flickering blue and black. But that free eye held malice and hatred, something she’d only seen him direct towards Bucky.

Shaking his head, Tony snarled, “You sided with a goddamn murderer.”

Flinching at the pain flowing within and outside of her, Rainbow Dash looked straight in the eyes of Stark and said, “He had no choice. We all make mistakes, Tony… even you.”

But to her shock, Stark just shook his head. And he growled, “No… The only mistake I ever made was letting you into my world.”

The pain she felt was nothing compared to the break in her heart. It was instantly shadowed by Tony’s metal boot kicking her across the room. Her back hit the cement pillar, a final cry leaving her as Rainbow Dash slipped into a state of broken unconsciousness.

And she lied there, Tony Stark glaring at her one last time as her eyes slowly closed.

She could’ve sworn she heard, “You’re nothing without Twilight.”

Chapter 50 - This War of Ours

Siberia

HYDRA Rocket Test Area

9:36 a.m.

Captain America looked to his right to see Rainbow Dash’s broken and bloody form sprawled out and unconscious. He lurched forward, palms gripping the frozen frost accumulating on the concrete. Practically coughing out his lungs, the Captain groaned as he placed one painful leg forward, choosing to rest for a moment on that one knee.

Steve had to grasp his mind on the situation, as it slowly began to fade. The edges of his vision were beginning to blacken, the only noise being that of his struggling breath trying desperately to take in that much-needed oxygen. He rested his arms on his knee, shoulders slumped, chest in pain. Through his blurry vision, he could see droplets of crimson slowly falling. Aside from his breathing, he could hear them splatter against the concrete.

And he also heard Tony Stark growl, “I was wrong about you.”

Looking up weakly, Steve could see Stark’s face, his eye revealed through the shattered lens. He stood tall and powerful between him and Bucky, his body limp and unmoving behind Tony. Steve coughed, his face falling, his eyes shifting right once more. A small pool of blood began to build around Rainbow Dash, all of which leaking from the cuts on her face and the snap in her wing. Steve’s eyes widened in horror, but soon fell once he saw the slightest movement of life in her chest. A breath. A heartbeat. A life.

“The whole world was wrong about you,” Stark finished.

He grunted, reaching for the concrete pillar next to him to prop himself up. Tony just watched, fists clenched, blue eye flickering black, the other burning. “Stay down. Final warning,” he told him, watched as Steve managed to rise up, fists held out as if he was the losing man in a boxing match but refused to surrender.

And he did. He held out his fists, breathed, and said, “I can do this all day.”

He refused.

Tony shot him right in the chest.

Steve fell backwards from the force of the shot, landing in the snow and skidding a few more inches before he finally stopped. He tried to lift up his arms. He tried to move. He just couldn’t. He lied there and breathed, the falling snow already piling on top of him. Tony lowered his glowing palm after he saw the Captain remain motionless. He spun back around to Barnes, to finish what he started.

But for some reason, some godforsaken reason, he was stopped.

Again.

The blast hit him in the back. The strongest one yet. Stark was launched forward, flipping over Barnes and hitting the wall directly ahead of him. His back hit the concrete with a solid clang of metal against cement, the rest of him falling to the ground below. Tony yelled as the pain rocked through his systems. Ultimately through his skin and bones. He closed both eyes and gasped as the feeling in his backside finally began to come back. Whatever the blast was, it left a pretty mark. The flashing lights in his HUD and Homer’s garbled voice were indicators of that.

He shot out his hand, his palm glowing. He opened his eyes to whatever the hell struck him.

His hand already fell when he saw Twilight.

She stood ragged, wet, the snow on her coat melting from the fire in her soul. Rivers of blood flowed steadily from her mouth and nose, large, black and blue bruises painted across her face and body. Her wings were outstretched to him, to Tony, her seething breath ragged and painful. Her eyes, though, were the worse, holding no sense of structure. Just will, fury, and determination. All directed at Stark. He watched with incredulous eyes, possibly the worst of all, as she stood between him and Barnes.

In a low, defensive pounce.

Defensive.

Pushing himself up, fist to the ground, Stark gasped for air. “What are you doing?” he asked, voice shaking, hardly kept together.

Twilight breathed even worse than him, blood dripping from her lips. With a voice almost as hoarse as Stark’s, she said, “I won’t let you hurt Barnes.”

Those words pierced right through him. He stared at her with eyes that were broken, filled with loss, and worst of all, betrayal. He could still stare at her and see the pony that risked herself and her own friends’ safety to bring Barnes to justice. Just seeing her stand against Tony, stand to defend the one who took so much from him, didn’t make much sense to him.

He couldn’t understand.

Barnes began to groan, his head moving slightly. He didn’t need to understand right now. He just needed to get to Barnes. Pushing himself to one knee, Stark shot his palm out. Twilight’s horn ignited a deep violet, the showers of sparks flowing over her vision. “Move…” Tony muttered. She didn’t listen, instead choosing to grit her teeth and narrow her eyes. Stark’s palm grew even brighter. Her horn was twice as bright. “Dammit, move!”

She never did. Stark shot at her, the repulsor beam deflected as Twilight conjured a magical shield out in front of her. That shield morphed into a violet stream of magic, shooting toward Stark. He was ready and flew over to the far left, his feet stumbling as he landed. But he stood his ground, fired another repulsor that would not kill but knock Twilight away. She flew upwards, the repulsor missing her, as she fired another magical beam right for him.

Tony did his best to dodge the blasts, but found it more and more difficult to do so as the battle waged on. Fighting Steve and Barnes was no issue, and dealing that final blow to Rainbow was justice served right in his eyes. But with Twilight… he couldn’t know. He had no quarrel. They had no issues. They stood together against the Captain’s radical journey. And now here she stood, fighting with whatever fight was left in her being to defend Barnes.

They were all against him, choosing to help the murderer instead of their friend they fought through fire and blood with. Stark couldn’t even believe that. That’s why it was so much harder to keep the fight ongoing.

Tony fired two repulsor blasts, each of which Twilight teleported out of their designated impact. She teleported close to him, Tony swinging down with a clenched metal fist that would’ve knocked her aside. But Twilight ducked, flying up and conjuring a magical shield to which she rammed against Stark’s face and chest. Staggering back, Tony raised his palm the second he saw Twilight’s horn ignite. He was too late to fire the repulsor when Twilight destroyed the light in his palm, glass and smoke raining out of his hand. He brought his hand back, his other raising just the same. And just the same, it was destroyed by Twilight’s magical blast. That’s when he realized it.

He was holding back. Despite everything that this fight and stopping Barnes meant to him, he held back. He didn’t want to. He didn’t against Steve, Barnes, and Dash, but for Twilight… he had to. He needed to. Twilight, on the other hand, didn’t.

With both of his palms destroyed, Twilight moved in and struck him while he was immobilized. She fired an onslaught of magical beams of raw, unhindered energy. The first blast struck the side of Tony’s knee, ripping off the metal plating and exposing the leg beneath. Tony screamed and buckled, the loss of strength in his leg from the blast doing everything that Twilight intended. The second and third blast both struck Stark’s helmet, completely blowing off his mask and sending the helmet skittering across the concrete. Tony’s head shot backwards from that, his exposed face cringing at the continued raining fire.

The fourth blast, and by far the strongest one yet, was aimed directly at Stark’s chest. Specifically, at the large crack within his Arc Reactor. Twilight screamed. The spell struck his chest with such power and ferocity that Stark bellowed a painful cry as it tore apart the Arc Reactor in a flurry of sparks and flame that shot out of his chest. Tony collapsed, falling on his backside with his eyes to the ceiling, a dark smoke trailing from the even darker hole on his chest.

When the madness faded into nothing, all that was heard was their breathing.

Stark’s breathing.

Barnes’ breathing.

Steve’s breathing.

Even Rainbow’s near-silent breathing.

All alive.

Twilight’s breathing was heavy. Exhausted. Her horn finally died, the magic spent as she finally took the time to relax. The fight, the conflict, the war, what have you, was done. Was over. Twilight closed her eyes, let the blood fall, and took in a deep, calming breath. The calmest she’s ever had. When she opened her eyes to see the light of the Earth slip through the many pillars, she could see Stark struggling to prop himself up.

With his suit just a weighty pile of metal without the Arc Reactor, Tony leaned on his elbow. He watched Twilight approach him slowly, limping every step of the way. So very slowly. He could see the heavy build of blood and bruise beneath her eyes, her ragged breath finally calm after so long. He did nothing but watch her come to his side, breathing, lips parted, staring at the floor.

She looked at him. She saw the awestruck expression on his bloody and broken face. He saw the tears.

She said, “I’m sorry.”

And Stark said nothing. He was utterly speechless.

The silent didn’t stay that way. Twilight looked behind her once she heard the painful grunts, followed by the sound of boots crushing small piles of snow. She spotted Steve gripping the edge of the nearest pillar, his free hand to his chest, his eyes to her.

Even Twilight was surprised when she directed her head to the outside and said, “Just leave.”

He was frozen by her statement, even more distraught to see Tony Stark lying before her, his suit torn. Utterly defeated. Steve didn’t waste any more time, his eyes turning away from Twilight’s burning ones. He was given the chance, and he wouldn’t let it slip. He never would. He helped up Bucky to his feet, his friend slowly but surely regaining consciousness and helping himself to stand on his own. He limped with Barnes to the snowy pillars, where Steve hissed in pain as he bent down and scooped up Rainbow’s motionless form.

He gently placed her over his shoulder, his free arm wrapped around Buck’s. With the two in his grasp, Steve limped his way to the outside. But he stopped. Twilight watched him do so. She and Tony could only watch as he looked back inside. Looked back to his shield lying against the frozen surface of the concrete floor. He struggled to hold his friends, his gaze lingering to his shield.

And they watched him leave it.

The rest was history long past them, rather to be forgotten, but never will. Tony could see Steve one last time as he carried his allies, his friends out into the snowstorm. The whiteness hugged their forms until they were nothing but shadows. And even then they faded. Tony grunted and leaned forward, palm pressed down to keep himself up, holding himself to a sitting position with his legs sprawled out unevenly.

He looked to Twilight. She looked back. He simply asked one question to her.

“Why?”

So simple.

And she answered, “It was the right thing to do.”

Letting that grasp his heart and tear it to shreds, Tony fell back, his hand giving out, his back quickly approaching the cement. Tony could feel as she pulled him back to his sitting position earlier. No magic. Her hooves gripped his palm, her face contorting into painful effort as she pulled him back up. As he sat back up, Tony stared down below. Straight forward. At the snow slipping inside past the pillars and landing on the bright red, white, and blue shield.

The scratches, the slick surface, the bright colors. Whenever he stared at that damn thing, he always remembered that man who idolized the Captain wielding it. The man who built it. Tony looked away from it as fast as he could and stared at the floor. He didn’t know how long he stared. It wasn’t long, because he could already feel the wetness building before he looked away from the shield. The tears that started to fall came later.

Twilight stared at the man sitting next to her. The broken man, his eyes shut tight, fresh tears slipping out and falling down. It was the first she ever saw from him, the first shattered expression of emotion from Tony Stark. She soon followed suit, tears mixing with the dried blood on her face and falling to join Stark’s on the bloody floor beneath him.

She leaned forward and nuzzled the man for comfort. For him and herself. The snow and wind flew inside, but they didn’t care nor hear it. All Tony really heard was Twilight constantly whispering sorry to him again and again.

Chapter 51 - Imprisoned

Unknown location

2:13 p.m.

The world was so full of light. It was so secure, so tight, so comforting to know its walls kept out the dark and kept him safe. Sometimes that’s all one had from slipping to insanity: a world to hold onto. For many, a world to them meant family, friends, people who you would love and bleed for through the fire and the storm.

And for Zemo, his world was gone, left by a new one consisting of a large glass prison, one eerily similar to the one a certain James Barnes had punched through a few days ago. Maybe it was the same one to add that extra bit of irony to the situation. Maybe it wasn’t. He didn’t care.

His mission was over.

His pistol was gone, his jacket and boots, as well. Instead, he was gifted with cold, hard shackles wrapped tightly around his ankles. There was a shirt, some pants, no socks, but some shoes to keep his feet warm. The essentials. The last he remembered was hearing the crack of the pistol firing off beneath his chin, a flash of black, and then he woke up here. In the prison.

He was not granted time to view the television, or given the opportunity to read any newspapers. No one even spoke to him. There was no way in heaven or hell that he could have known if his plan had come to fruition. Maybe it was better that way. Maybe you just needed to relish in the thought that the damage had been done and the people on the outside had to deal with it. As for the Avengers…

Only time will tell. But he did have a feeling.

The door opened, Zemo opening his eyes to see Everett Ross stroll inside. His smile was wide and cocky, his eyes even more so. Zemo played along.

“Meals are eight to five!” Ross called, approaching the glass. “Toilet privileges twice a day! Raise your voice at me or anyone else here… zap! Attempt to escape or even touch the glass… zap! Do anything other than sit there and think about your worthless life… guess what happens?”

Zemo said nothing. Just stared blankly at him, a small dosage of malicious intent hidden behind his gaze. Ross picked up on it, sneering on the other side.

“Exactly. You don’t guess. You live, think, and breathe if we tell you to. That’s the kind of world you live in now, Colonel. Better get used to it.”

He leaned back, his arms crossed, his smirk still present. Zemo watched him like a predator behind the cage.

Ross said, “You got quite some time to get used to it. Maybe think about all those innocent people you killed, not even counting how many lives you threatened. If Princess Twilight had died in that explosion…” he leaned forward, head almost pressed to the glass, eyes beyond the point of serious, “you would have started a war between two different worlds. How the hell does that sound?”

Zemo exhaled through his nose, closing his eyes and breathing in a fresh breath of contained air. Trapped air. It was the best breath of air he’d ever taken. “Princess Twilight had died long before Vienna,” he whispered in ecstasy.

“You’re insane.” Ross shook his head, seeing the smile on Zemo’s lips. “But you lost, didn’t you? After so long, losing so much, I can’t even imagine your mental state. Especially since it was worth nothing. Tony Stark… and Steve Rogers… even Princess Twilight… are all still alive and well. The Avengers are still alive… and here you are. Trapped.”

The man behind the glass said nothing for a moment, allowing Ross to lean back and drop his arms. He watched as Zemo opened his eyes. He almost swore he saw someone else in those pupils. “I am freer than they will ever be,” he hissed.

“Keep telling yourself that.”

He left him to rot the rest of his days in that cell. He didn’t look back. He didn’t need to with what Zemo began saying.

“Let the dust settle. Let it all rest. It’s only a matter of time.”

Even Everett Ross, the hard-ass he was, lingered a bit as he locked the door behind him.

Author's Note

Starting with this one, the last 10 chapters are on the way. We're nearing the end, folks!

Chapter 52 - Tony Stank

Upstate New York

New Avengers Facility

10:09 a.m.

The early morning cloud coverage was nice. It felt nice. The only nice thing that came of that day.

The same could not be said for Tony Stark and Starlight Glimmer as they cautiously led James Rhodes down the hall of the New Avengers Facility. The sunlight hidden behind the silver clouds cast a soft glow through the glass window the three walked past. Their experience, aiding Rhodes whenever he needed a hand or a hoof, had gone as well as they hoped. It was not a nice morning for either of the three.

James gripped the nearest support rails as he slowly stumbled forward, one foot at a time. The exoskeleton suit adjusted to fit his lower torso creaked and squeaked as he moved. It was specifically designed by Stark. Specifically designed for his best friend. Starlight was on Tony’s right side, her worried eyes casting Rhodes a glance or two with every step he took.

“Remember, you tell me if anything feels awkward,” Tony said, slowly following by Rhodes’ side. James smiled, raising his hand and placing it on Tony’s shoulder for support. He took another step, his free hand gripping both Tony and the railing. “You got some free movement as much as the exoskeleton will allow, but I can adjust it for you if you—”

James shook his head with a grin, sweat falling from his face. Every step forward felt like he was stumbling on wet noodles while carrying fifty-pound weights on each shoulder. He took another step. “Nah, Tony, I’m feeling better alre—”

Then he collapsed with a painful yelp. Tony fell down to catch him, only to realize he didn’t need to when a light turquoise aura covered his chest and arms. Even Rhodes looked awestruck, both he and Tony swiveling their heads right to see Starlight standing at the ready, her horn aglow. He nodded to her for assurance, Starlight nodding back with pursed lips. Her horn died as Rhodes caught himself, adjusting to a painless sitting position.

He still cringed as he sat, both arms splayed backwards, keeping himself steady.

Tony rested both of his arms on one knee, the other resting on the floor.

Starlight took a seat, her concerned eyes watching Rhodes.

She watched him shake his head, a simple smile on face despite the pain. He said, “I gotta tell ya… I don’t like to hold grudges.”

Both Tony and Starlight listened in, watching Rhodes’ movements, watched him stare off into a time before War Machine or any of the Avengers. He sighed and shook his head. “I flew 138 combat missions and never once have I been injured… like this.” Looking to his legs, he continued. “Still, I flew and I fought… I did what had to be done. Just like these Accords. It had to be done.”

Tony watched Rhodes’ movements, his own eyes falling to the limp legs covered with the solid exoskeleton. Tony sighed, mumbling something, earning Rhodes’ and Starlight’s attention. No backing out now. “I was… going to bring Rainbow Dash back here… to apologize.”

To his surprise, though, James waved it off. “It’s fine, Tony. It’s been days now, and I…” he sighed, eyes falling to his legs. “I just don’t want this to keep eating her up inside. She and I have been through plenty of hell already. All of us have.”

Stark could agree to that, nodding to him. The two stayed that way for several seconds, saying nothing, just thinking about what had happened in the past and what was going to happen in the future. It was a lot to think about, especially for Rhodes. After Leipzig… everything changed for him. His life was altered, and for the first time in a long time, it was going to be difficult to see what was coming next for him. Starlight didn’t feel that way.

She stared at Rhodey’s legs, her ears falling flat, a painful expression etching on her face. She could feel a cold pain tear through her gut, almost like a knife the longer she stared. It reminded her of something she had been wanting to get off her chest for some time. Ever since Leipzig. Ever since… Castle betrayed them.

“I’m sorry…” she said suddenly, breaking the silence. Both Tony and James looked to her as she finished by saying, “… for trusting Castle.”

She brought up her gaze, meeting the conjoined eyes and expressions of interest from both Stark and Rhodes. She gulped, then sighed, and looked down. “Twilight taught me that everypony deserves a second chance. I just thought that… after reading his report that… we could help him. He could help us. But I only made things worse.”

“You couldn’t have known he would’ve done that,” Rhodes said.

Starlight nodded, still forcefully averting her gaze from theirs. “Yeah, but I should have seen it coming.” She rubbed the floor with the tip of her hoof, forming little circles of dust and dirt. “He’s murdered so many people, done so many horrible things, so letting him loose to… fight was…”

“Admittedly pretty stupid,” Tony mumbled, nodding his head.

Starlight breathed a chuckle, a weak one at that. Her smile was even weaker, the mare shaking her head. “Yeah… but Twilight managed to save a deranged unicorn from reshaping Equestrian history for her own selfish needs. Now this, with Frank, it was…” She couldn’t seem to find the right words, her face contorting in effort. Finally, she uttered, “It didn’t seem as hard. I just wanted to…”

“Hey,” Tony said, placing his hand on her shoulder. Starlight brought up her head, finally rejoining their gazes. “You’re not Twilight. You’re you. You make your own decisions, you make your own mistakes, you learn your own lessons. That’s a part of growing up mentally. You learn you don’t give murderers second chances.”

Tony brought away his hand from her, letting it rest once more on his knee. Starlight gave another weak chuckle, her crestfallen expression only worsening. Her eyes fell again, a sigh escaping her. Rhodes leaned forward. Tony’s eyes waited patiently for what came out of her mouth. He almost wasn’t ready.

“You all gave me a second chance…”

That froze them. That froze them right where they were and they couldn’t move. They just stared at her and waited. Waited for her to hopefully continue so the silence didn’t eat them alive.

Starlight shook her head, closing her eyes. She continued, mumbling, “When I didn’t deserve one. I’ve done horrible things back on Equus… and millions paid the price. I don’t see how that makes me any better than a murderer.”

“You gave up that life,” Rhodes told her almost immediately, Stark looking at him. Luckily, he managed to come up with a response on the spot, rather than Tony just staring at the mare blankly when she needed an answer. Rhodes nodded to Starlight and said, “You’re better now.”

Starlight nodded, muttering, “Yeah…” she brought up her eyes to meet theirs once again, and they could see the red in her veins, the freshness boiling and nearing to flow, “… but why would you give me a second chance… and not Barnes?”

Tony actually had something to say to that. “Because you’re our friend.”

And Starlight was already there to fire back. “Frank Castle wasn’t my friend.”

She left them with that, and they left her with nothing. They couldn’t. Neither Tony nor Rhodes could say anything that would make the situation better. In a way, they could see the logic behind her words. They gave her a second chance even though she helped Ultron nearly bring about the extinction of her world. They, regrettably, and with great trepidation, gave Frank Castle a second chance when they let him go to help them bring in Barnes, and yet they left nothing for Barnes himself, even when he was innocent for the UN bombing. No mercy. No help. Just capture, and at one point… kill.

Tony didn’t have anything to say to that thought. It brought too many fuzzy memories. Instead, he sighed and held out his hand to Rhodey, saying to Starlight, “Help me get him to his feet.”

Starlight watched Rhodes grip Stark’s hand, grunting as he tried to stand. She sighed, eventually nodding. “All right,” she mumbled, horn glowing around his chest and legs. She pushed him up with her magic, Tony giving him something to hold onto. As he finally found his footing, he offered thankful smile to both Tony and Starlight. Not saying a word. Not needing to.

They all heard a knock on the window, the three spinning around accordingly. Behind the glass window, there stood an elderly man wearing a FedEx uniform, a white package in his hands. He stood in front of his van, knocking twice on the window despite all three of them already noticing him.

The old man narrowed his eyes, looking to the package. “Are you ‘Tony… S-Stank’?” he asked.

Starlight caught herself, hardly containing the little giggles that escaped the hoof over her mouth. “Yes, this is Tony Stank! You’re in the right place!” Rhodes said with a smile, pointing down to the slightly confused Stark in front of him. “Thank you for that!”

Rhodes turned aside, his hands gripping the railing. He took one off, pointing to Tony who watched him stumble away. “Never dropping that, by the way.”

Tony laughed, nodding down to the mare. He said, “Starlight, take this maniac to the living room to rest for a bit.”

“Okay,” she said with a laugh, guiding Rhodes down the steps and towards the living room. With the others. With Rarity, Applejack, and Vision all lying around on the couches as miserable as yesterday, and the day before that. He could hear Rhodes spouting something about “Stank”, something that would no doubt start to get on his nerves one of these days.

He didn’t care. As long as he was walking.

With them out of the way and headed somewhere nearby, Tony approached the glass door, the old man approaching him. Tony pushed the door open, greeting the man with a solid “Hey”. The old man handed him the package and a clipboard, a pen attached to it. Tony slid the package underneath his armpit beginning to write his signature on the clipboard when the old man started to say something. Probably to him. Probably. Old people were weird.

“Say, you look familiar,” the old man said, adjusting his large, dark shades.

“So do you,” Tony mumbled, not even looking at him as he finished his signature, handing the clipboard back to him and shutting the door as he entered the facility.

He could hear the old man knock on the glass again, but Tony didn’t look back. He didn’t need to when he said, “That’s right! You look like Tony Stark, Mr. Stank!”

“Unbelievable,” Tony muttered, waving to the old man.

With the package in his hand and his destination set, Tony entered his large office space and swung the door behind him. It didn’t close, but Stark wasn’t focused on that. He split the package open, finding just one letter inside with the name “Tony” written on its face. There was also a black cellphone, but Tony didn’t bother with it. Curious enough, Stark sat down on his swivel chair, set the package aside, and opened the letter.

It read, “Tony, I’m glad you’re back at the facility with the others. Right now, I’d say you all need each other more than ever. We all need friends and family. I didn’t have much of a family when I was younger. I lost too many to count. Back then, Bucky was my only friend. I’d like to think he was my only family. As I got older, as I stepped out of the ice, I found another family in the Avengers. But now, I lost that, too.”

Tony swiveled around from his desk, leaning forward and resting his palm on his chin. His eyes followed the lines as he read.

“We keep losing. We keep gaining. I’ve lost my family, my friends, and now the ponies. I can’t know if Twilight will ever forgive me for what I’ve done, but if you could, please tell her I’m sorry. I broke the law, and I accept that. I did it for my friend, and I realize now how selfish I’ve been. I brought Rainbow, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Spike into a fight they should have never been a part of, and in a way, I did the same for the rest of them. I should have never let Rainbow get involved, no matter how much she wanted to. I’m sorry for that.”

Tony had to remind himself to give the letter to Twilight later on that day. He kept reading. The next few lines were a struggle to get through. But he did anyway.

“And I’m sorry to you, Tony. What Bucky did was unforgivable, and rightfully so. I tried to tell you that HYDRA had control of his mind, which is why he did what he did all those years ago. I realize now I should have told you much earlier of what happened to your parents, but I didn’t because I believed I was sparing you the pain. That was wrong. I hope you find it in your heart one day to forgive me, and forgive him.”

Tony looked back to the package. Lowering the letter, he reached for the package and spilled out the remaining contents, that being the black cellphone. It slid on the desk, Tony tossing the package in the trashcan as he looked back to the letter.

“Even now, I regret that we can’t agree on the Accords.”

Tony flinched and looked away from the letter once Homer’s voice came abruptly. He said, “Incoming call from Secretary Ross, sir. There has been a breach in the Raft prison.”

Tony’s eyebrows shot up at that, as well as a curious smile growing on his lips. He leaned forward to his phone, saying, “Yeah, put him through.”

The line shifted to Thaddeus Ross, his voice urgent. “Tony, we have a problem!”

Raising his finger, Tony asked, “Are the girls and Spike okay?”

“They’re gone, Tony! All of them are gone!”

“Okay, good. That’s all I needed to know,” he finished.

“Wait, what do you—?”

Ross never finished. Tony cut the call short, swiveling his chair back to the letter he set aside on the desk. He picked it up, that same curious smile on his lips.

“The Avengers are yours, Tony. Now more than ever. You do what you do, and I’ll do what I do. I have my family now, and you have yours. But I left a cellphone with this letter, so that no matter what, if you need us for anything, then I can promise one thing.”

Tony dropped the letter, his eyes and now knowing smile lingering to the cellphone.

“We’ll be there.”

And the letter ended there. No name. Not needed. Tony set the letter down the desk in front of him, the man leaning back into his chair to hear it creak in protest to his actions, which was odd, considering the chair wasn’t wooden by any means, nor was it old. He remembered that he didn’t exactly shut the door behind him. So, he swiveled his chair to the left, his eyes falling down to meet the figure standing just by the office’s entrance.

Twilight.

She recoiled her hoof away from the office door, her uneasy eyes meeting that of Stark’s. Tony stared at her, observing her from every inch. Her bruises were still there, still black and heavy. Her cuts, however, had been stitched up and healed rather quickly. Thankfully. The Alicorn gently took a step inside, but stepped back as her uncertain gaze returned to Stark.

He pursed his lips and nodded at her to come inside.

Nodding and smiling gratefully, Twilight entered the office and shut the door with her wing, instantly bringing it back as it still hadn’t fully healed like her cuts. She approached him slowly, not meeting his gaze, stopping just feet in front of him. Tony stared at her, watched as she gently rubbed her foreleg with her opposite hoof.

Finally, she opened her mouth, almost painfully saying, “Tony, I—”

They may not have spoken to each other that much over the past few days, but even Stark had to cut her off. He raised his finger to her, causing Twilight to pause and stare at him. “Hold that thought,” he said, swiveling back to the desk and plucking the letter off. He swiveled to her, leaning forward and handing Twilight the letter. “A little update on Rogers. He wrote you something.”

Twilight’s eyes lit up. “Really?” she asked, taking the letter with her hooves and not her magic. She still wanted to give her horn another day to rest.

She silently mouthed the words Stark had read moments ago, her ears falling against her head, her expression dimming down, and her eyes burning. She stopped mouthing the words, instead reading the rest in her mind and taking a seat on the floor. Her hoof rose over her mouth once she read his apology to her, her eyes beginning to feel warm. Her eyes shut, and she paused when she came to the part about Bucky and Tony’s parents. Stark saw a tear slip down her cheek. She continued to read the rest. Twilight lowered the letter after about twenty seconds, her eyes to the cellphone resting near Tony.

“Don’t even think about it,” Stark said, grunting as he reached for the cellphone and pocketed it away. “It’s for emergencies only.”

“This is a friendship emergency, Tony,” Twilight stated, stamping her hoof on the ground. Unfortunately, Tony only found the action oddly adorable, and he said so, smiling her way. Frowning, she said, “I need to tell him that we’re sorry, too, and that we can work together to rebuild the Avengers.”

“We have the Avengers, Twi.” Tony picked the letter out of her hooves, setting it down on the desk in front of him. Twilight watched him, remaining sitting. “He has his own team. He’s gonna do stuff his own way now.”

Caught on that revelation, Twilight sighed and looked down to her hooves. Tony stared at her, listened as she mumbled, “I at least wanted to apologize for not helping him with Barnes. I should have from the start.”

“We couldn’t have known he was framed,” Tony tried to say, but Twilight interrupted him.

Twilight’s face contorted into uncertainty, her eyes narrowing at the floor. She shook her head. “Still… Rainbow helped Barnes without even knowing someone else was behind everything. She represented her element more than I’ve ever seen her done before. I guess I should have done the same.”

She sighed, trailing the floor with the tip of her hoof, kind of like how Starlight had done. Tony saw that and leaned forward in his seat. He told her, “There’s always more lessons to learn, Twi.”

Twilight nodded. “True.”

“If it really means that much to you, I’ll let you use the phone later on.”

She looked at him, smiled gratefully. “Thanks, Tony.”

She and Tony let the silence swallow them whole after that. Lost in that silence with only her thoughts and her guilt, Twilight remembered what exactly she stumbled into Stark’s office for in the first place. Might as well bring it up now and face it. Might as well end it. Taking in a deep breath and catching Stark’s attention, Twilight twisted her neck and met his eyes. Finally.

“Listen, Tony… about your parents… about… what I did…”

He didn’t say anything, which was not what Twilight expected, leaving her caught off-guard. She gulped, found her train of thought, and continued. “I just want you to know that I didn’t do it to stop you from avenging your parents. I did it… I… I did it to protect him… and you.”

Now, he looked surprised.

“Barnes would not have been the first person you’ve killed, I know that. But… he would’ve been the first one you’ve killed out of anger. Pure, unfathomable fury… for the loss of your family. Once you cross that blood-red line, there’s no turning back. I know you wanted to believe it to be some form of justice… but it’s not. Killing Barnes would not have brought your parents back.”

That was exactly what Rogers told him. Strange, but it was universal wisdom. Tony remained frozen, arms on his knees, staring at the Alicorn struggling to form her next thought.

Twilight looked away from him, and he didn’t blame her. She tightened her lips, tightened her heart, and said, “You have every right to be angry with me. I just wanted you to know my circumstances… and that I’m sorry for your loss.”

And that was it. She left him at that. And strangely enough, he didn’t feel anything towards her. No anger. No hate. No happiness. No forgiveness. He just… understood. He knew he couldn’t hold a grudge for what she did, as it was for the best, but he also couldn’t seem to forgive her, either. Should he even need to forgive her? She did what was right, he did what was wrong. Still, the thought of his parents dying at the hands of the Winter Soldier remained in Tony’s heart and mind. It would stay there for God knows how long. It would stay there as long as Tony knew that no one did a thing to avenge his parents. It would stay there as long as it damn well pleased.

Tony leaned back in his chair, sighing heavily, earning Twilight’s attention. “Yeah, I can’t honestly say I’m particularly… proud of what I did,” he said to her, his voice very lost.

He nodded, staring at Twilight. “I lost it. I’m man enough to admit that. But… in a way… I see where you’re coming from. I can’t change the past, I can only look towards the future. Barnes didn’t have any say in the matter, so… I suppose it wasn’t his fault.”

As the two stared at each other, Tony finally offered a weak smile, one that gave Twilight the assurance she needed. He said, “If it means anything… then thank you for stopping me… from… doing something I would have regretted.”

Twilight smiled, her eyes burning. She finally let loose the tears when Tony got out of his chair and fell to one knee out in front of her, his arms wide open and inviting.

“Come on. Bring it in, Princess.”

They finished in a hug. Not a strong one, but a warm one. One that was meant to begin the rebuilding and to stabilize it. He could feel the Alicorn beginning to shake, a tiny whimper escaping the mare as her tears painted his shirt and her forelegs gripped his body. It would take some time before Tony would fully forgive her. But holding her there, comforting each other when they needed it most, now that was a damn good start.

Chapter 53 - We’ll Be There

Unknown location, Atlantic Ocean

6:28 p.m.

The Raft prison sat in the middle of the ocean. Like a bulbous stone that erected amongst the waves, the Raft remained above the waters. The late afternoon sun poured across the ocean’s surface, hitting the Raft in a soft, orange glow. Its doors remained open, not a sound and not a movement found within the mighty prison. The waves slapped against its sides.

Inside the dark and the light, limp bodies remained scattered throughout the prison’s complex. On the landing pad, other than the Quinjet resting on its surface, the two armed guards were facedown, sprawled out, guns out of their reach and broken. It didn’t get any better from then on. The hallways were filled with broken bodies, all still alive but beyond the point of fighting back. The control room’s doors were forcefully shoved open, flickering lights and shattered computers remaining inside.

As if the outside was bad, within the control room of the Raft, things took a far different turn. One would not be able to move across the floor without stepping on a body or a gun. They remained tangled, lying on top of each other, lying on the control panels, every single one of them knocked out. The lights above flickered on and off. The computers did the same, some with screens that were cracked, completely shattered, or held a simple message that read in big red letters: “INFECTION UPLOADED. DATA SECURED.”

A metal hand reached for one of the control panels, yanking out the USB flash drive that was placed there earlier. The message vanished from each computer screen, the metal hand pocketing the flash drive away and moving on.

Beyond the control room, two figures forcefully pushed the doors aside and stepped within the cellblock. They earned the attention of every inmate, their eyes narrowing within the darkness that filled the cellblock to catch a glimpse of who was stepping inside. Clint Barton and Scott Lang both stood up from where they lied, palms pressed against the glass, watching as one of the figures came near Wanda Maximoff’s cell. She weakly looked back, back pressed against the glass, her weak eyes staring at the towering figure and his metal arm standing behind her.

The second figure strode forward. Frank Castle, Matt Murdock, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Spike all watched the man cast in shadows approach Sam Wilson’s cells. And Sam, keeping his face to the opposite wall, slowly turned around, arms crossed, smile growing, finally seeing the man he had been waiting for.

The man stepped out of the shadows, revealing none other than Steve Rogers.

He mirrored Sam’s smile as he reached for the cell’s door, twisting the handle and yanking it forward. To the mares’ and dragon’s surprise, the door opened as if it were never locked. Steve backed away from the swinging door, allowing Sam to stroll out of his cell. The two shared a quick fist bump before moving on to the other cells. Sam opened Pinkie’s and Spike’s while Steve came to Fluttershy’s cell, opening the door for the pony.

He almost wasn’t ready for the Pegasus when she practically tackled him in a hug. Steve remained where he was though, feeling the Pegasus quiver and grip onto him even tighter. He gently patted her backside, whispering words of comfort and assurance to her. Setting the Pegasus down so she could embrace her other friends, Steve stepped to the cell near her, opening the door and staring at its occupant.

The Daredevil stared blankly outside, his head and gaze directed towards Steve’s way. He heard his voice, saw him hold out his hand to him, to which he took. Steve yanked him up off the bench, still gripping his hand, shaking it tightly, and offering a smile and a strong “thank you” for everything he had done. He said that without his help, they would’ve never got as far as they did. He risked his life, his safety, and his identity to help them, even when he didn’t need to. Steve couldn’t have thanked him more.

Matt just smiled and nodded. His smile grew even bigger, a sigh of relief escaping him when Rogers informed him of the virus they had uploaded into the Raft’s computer systems. It meant that everything they had, or tried to have, on Matt was either erased or stolen. Including his facial identity.

It was Matt’s turn to say “thank you”.

Both Steve and Matt turned back to the rest of the group, more specifically, to Bucky Barnes. He stood ripping off Wanda’s restraints, Clint and Scott standing near him. Sam, the ponies, and Spike all waited for Steve, all smiling to him, all waiting for what would come next. Then they looked back, passed Rogers and onto the last occupant still in his cell.

Steve and Matt turned around accordingly. They all stared at Frank Castle.

The Punisher remained where he was, lying on the bench with his eyes watching Steve and his team nearly ready to make their escape. The longer they stared, the longer they stayed, the quicker he didn’t, looking back up to the ceiling of his cell. Steve snorted in response to that, spinning back to meet his team and make their escape. Except he didn’t.

Steve felt a palm rest on his shoulder, his eyes shifting back to meet the Daredevil’s gaze. He listened closely as the Daredevil began to explain. He said he could help him, he could bring him back and let all of this be behind them. Because despite everything that happened, Castle still saved his life back in Hell’s Kitchen. That meant something.

With great trepidation, Steve finally convinced himself and the others to step aside. He nodded to Matt. The Daredevil nodded back, pulling the cell’s door open for Castle. Looking up, Frank watched Matt pull his cell door open, telling him they were all leaving. At first, Castle just chuckled the idea aside how they could even trust him again. Matt said he didn’t. None of them did. They just needed to go home.

He sat up, stared at them all as if they were nuts. They probably were. He probably was. Frank Castle stepped out of his cell, his gaze first and foremost landing on Barnes.

The two’s gazes locked for a brief and powerful second, both men pausing, both men glaring. Frank clenched his fists. Barnes tensed up, doing just the same. Their confrontation, despite the fire growing, did not last long. The flame was doused once Matt stepped in front of Castle, blocking his view of Barnes and finding only the blank but furious stare of the Daredevil. He wasn’t the only one.

The Falcon, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, Ant-Man, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Spike, and Steve Rogers all slowly shifted their stance to stand between Barnes and Castle, all of their glares burning against the Punisher. He glared right on back, his deathly stare holding well against the others’. He could easily charge forward, driving his fist into Murdock and Rogers, and moving on from there. Closer to Barnes to finish his mission.

That’s what he wanted to believe, anyway.

He knew that wouldn’t happen.

They were the Avengers, he was a soldier. They had saved the world from aliens, robots, and whatever the hell else, and he had only dealt with thugs and mobsters. Despite all of his training, all of the hell he had been through that shaped him into the stone-cold killer and fighter that he was, he knew there was only one way out of here on this damn prison in the middle of the ocean.

With them.

So, he kept himself in line, nodded their way, and followed the Avengers out of the prison. They stopped in the control room a moment longer, Daredevil speaking to Rogers and Barnes, to which both nodded and cast a quick glance to Castle. Castle watched as both Rogers and Barnes walked to the control panel, inserted the flash drive once more, and began to type. Castle turned to the large computer screens, watching as images of him suddenly vanished. Gone. Leaving just a message that read, “DATA SECURED.” They took out the flash drive and left, Castle eventually trailing them. Even as he stepped inside the Quinjet with everyone else, he did nothing but glare at Barnes, at the Winter Soldier sitting across from him.

Well, he did one other thing.

“Hey, Barnes,” he said. Bucky turned his way, his gaze shifting away from the closing ramp and onto the Punisher sitting across from him. Castle just smiled his way.

Smiled and growled, “This isn’t over.”

Chapter 54 - For Now

Within the Trees

The Nation of Wakanda

11:32 a.m.

“I must say, Rainbow Dash, you have healed quite remarkably. I could still remember seeing them bring you in when you were nothing but a limp form of blood… and bone.”

Rainbow Dash momentarily paused at that statement, halting in her tracks, staring straight ahead despite the King of Wakanda moving on without her. She could barely remember what had happened when they brought her in, though her memory did offer a few bits and pieces. Their Quinjet was surrounded, a voice calling to them, telling them everything was going to be okay. To follow them. She faded out after that, waking up again when and only when she saw the clouds and forests, towering structures embedded in the landscape.

Then she was gone again, waking up in a bed surrounded by several doctors and highly-sophisticated machines. Not even the machines at the New Avengers Facility were as advanced as the ones Dash woke up next to. They checked her pulse, studied the fractures in her bones, gave her blood donated by Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, and tied up her wing. The machines did that. The men and women just oversaw everything, talking to her, keeping her calm, and occasionally tending to her medical needs.

Rainbow looked back down to her wing, the white bandages keeping it immobilized by her side. She couldn’t move it, not unless she wanted to tear the stitching or cause some irritation. Instead, she gently prodded her wing, chuckling lightly. “Jeez, thanks for reminding me.”

Looking back to him, Rainbow noticed T’Challa standing by the large window that separated them from the outside. She quickly came to his side, gazing into the lush forests below, hearing the crashing of water against stone and the cries of the birds in the air. It was serene. It was beautiful. Even Rainbow could admit that. Her jaw fell slightly at the sight of it all, T’Challa looking down at her with a knowing smile on his lips.

Rainbow caught his gaze, shaking her head to toss away her awestruck look. She cleared her throat, rubbing her chest rather proudly. “It’s not all me, though. I mean, it’s a lot of me, but the doctors here did help… a little.”

King T’Challa nodded, his smile still present. He stared back to the clouds brushing against the hills. “We seek to offer the best medical personnel in all the world,” he told her, voice sounding quite distant as he continued to stare out into his homeland.

“I’ve seen it.” Rainbow’s voice also seemed to trail off, her nose practically pressed against the glass window. Her eyes were growing wider the longer she stared, a massive figure appearing out of the clouds and rising out of the earth. “I’ve seen a lot of it.”

T’Challa saw it, too. He smiled even wider. “You have only see a portion, Miss Dash.”

The two remained silent for moment, their gazes staring out into the heavy clouds, endless forests, and crying wildlife. The fog shrouded the landscape in a blanket, covering the hills, the structure, and the forests in a pale, ghostly whiteness. A few raindrops hit the window, storms brewing further out into the world. The earth was silent.

“How will he be?”

T’Challa rarely ever flinched, but he almost did when her voice broke out, asking that simple question that he surely knew the answer to. He knew who she was referring to, a sigh escaping his parted lips. Even his smile started to fade. “He will be safe here,” he said.

Rainbow nodded, looking back to the forests. Her voice mumbled, “I gotta say… I didn’t expect to see you of all people come to our aid.”

“Friendship in war is a… difficult path,” T’Challa said. Rainbow looked back up to him, seeing his eyes gaze into a different world other than the one they both saw. His voice returned, his breath heavy. “I once only saw allies and enemies… and not friends. Once I subdued the true threat behind this madness, the war was over… for me, at least. I could find comfort knowing you and your friends were no longer my enemies, nor the Captain or James Barnes.”

He looked to her. His smile was still there. Still strong. Barely. “I could find something even greater when I extended my hand to you all.”

Rainbow scoffed at that, shaking her head and chuckling. She laughed, “Don’t be getting all sappy on me, Your Highness.”

T’Challa looked away from her, a sly smile overcoming his previous grin. “Never.”

The two took comfort in each other’s attitude, finding solace and silence with the seconds that followed. It didn’t remain. The door behind them slid open, the two twisting their necks back to meet the ones who entered. One was Steve Rogers, the other a doctor of sorts holding a translucent clipboard. Rainbow smiled to Steve, spinning around to face him fully.

“Hey, Steve,” she greeted, her voice still sounding quite tired since she last saw him.

T’Challa nodded his way. “Captain.”

“Your Highness,” Steve said, nodding back. His gaze fell down to the rainbow mare standing mere feet in front of him. He turned slightly to the doctor behind him and waiting by the open door. He turned back, his smiling dropping, and said, “Rainbow… I was just informed that your private jet is ready. The girls and Spike are already on board and waiting for you.”

Rainbow’s smile broke. Just a little. It wasn’t news to her by any means. She was informed hours earlier that morning that a private jet would fly them back to the New York, where a private limousine would be waiting for them to drive them all the way to the New Avengers Facility. A lot of private vehicles. All paid for from the endless riches of the king of Wakanda. It wasn’t news to her.

What it meant was still a little harder to grasp. It meant that she and her friends would be taken away, out of the nation that held them and kept them safe when they needed it most. Once away, they would return to a world that they didn’t even think would accept them back, and if they did, what would follow? Would everything remain the same? Would it all be left in ruin?

Would their friendship still remain intact?

And worst of all, how would she approach Twilight?

One way or the other, Rainbow Dash and the ponies and dragon that followed her would find out. They would see if they could make amends with Twilight and the others. Rainbow would see if she can bring herself to mend her friendship with Twilight. After everything that’s happened, she just didn’t know. They would soon know if Tony Stark or the remainder of the Avengers would accept them as Wakanda had. And they would finally be able to return home.

And leave everything… and everyone else behind.

For how long, she didn’t know. The repercussions for her and Steve’s actions would no doubt come back to haunt them both. But Steve had assured her that he would remain hidden, and she would return home. Everything would be fine, he told her. Everything would work out in the end, he had said.

Rainbow Dash sighed, her gaze falling to the floor.

“I guess this is where we part ways, Miss Dash.” Rainbow’s head perked up at that, her neck spinning back and eyes landing on the king. T’Challa sighed, turning fully around to face Rainbow Dash. “It has truly been a pleasure. I just wish we could have met on… better terms.”

He held out his hand, to which she only chuckled and shot out her hoof. Noticing the lack of appendages, T’Challa looked to his hand, slowly forming his palm into a fist as if the action was alien to him. She drove her hoof into said fist, smiling the king’s way and winking. The king smiled back, lowering his hand.

“I’d say we’re on some pretty good terms right now,” Rainbow finished. T’Challa lowered his head to her, almost bowing in a sense. Rainbow just smiled his way and spun back around. Towards the exit. To the doctor. To wherever he would lead her to the jet that would take her home.

But Steve stood in her way.

She met his gaze, his sullen expression hardly hidden behind his smile. Rainbow wondered if it was forced or not. She couldn’t tell. She could hardly tell if her own smile was forced or not. The thought that this was the last time she would see him for Celestia knows how long made it seem that her smile was forced.

“So… this is it,” Rainbow sighed, pursing her lips at Steve. He only nodded, pursing his lips as well. “We head back to the facility, hopefully Twilight doesn’t kill me, and then we head home. You sure you don’t want to come with us and make amends with Tony?”

“Barnes will be kept safe while you are away,” King T’Challa added, arms behind his back.

Steve opened his mouth to object, finding himself pausing. He let out a sigh as his first response, his hands rising and falling to rest on his hips. He looked down, not at Dash, but at the floor. He shook his head. “It’s not that easy, Dash. Tony and I are gonna need some time apart. We’ll need all the time we can get… to heal,” he explained softly, looking to her.

To her broken expression. It was hardly kept strong, her smile starting to die, her eyes beginning to burn. “Sometimes that’s the best way to heal,” she mumbled.

Steve sighed, falling to one knee so he was closer to Rainbow’s eye level. The two met each other’s gazes, locking there, holding strong, nothing in the entire world separating them. He tried to smile, tried to prove to her that he can, and said, “I’m sorry for bringing you into this. I had no idea it would escalate so far, and… and you and your friends paid the price alongside the Avengers. I can’t even expect you or the others to forgive—”

“Hey.”

Her hoof shot out, resting on his shoulder. It silenced him for a moment, his gaze retreating to the hoof, returning to the mare. Rainbow patted his shoulder, offering a small but strong half-smile. And she finished by telling him, “We’re even now.”

He knew what she meant, and he smiled at that. “Yeah… we’re even,” Steve whispered.

Rainbow closed the distance between the two and hugged him. Steve was frozen at first, but slowly fell into the hug, his strong arms slowly wrapping around her. He made sure to watch her bandaged wing, holding onto the mare that he probably wouldn’t see for a long, long time. He could strangely feel her sharing the same thoughts, the mare whispering into his ear, “Goodbye, Steve.”

He didn’t wait to reply. “Goodbye, Rainbow.”

Not another word as she broke away from him, smiling and retreating out the room. Both Steve and T’Challa turned to see her make her escape. Rainbow followed the doctor outside of the room, the door sliding to a close behind her. And that was that.

King T’Challa watched as Steve slowly approached his side, hands in his pockets, eyes staring out into the world. He joined him, remaining silent. Just letting nature speak for once.

“I can’t thank you enough for this.”

Nothing lasted. He slowly turned to Steve, saw his gaze that was once somewhat painful after watching his friend leave suddenly shift to what appeared to be numb. Without purpose. Without a direction. Just forward into nothing. T’Challa sighed, his teeth tightening against each other. “Your friends and my father… they were all victims… in the same twisted game. We all were, in more ways than one,” he told him.

Steve didn’t say a word. “You have apologized to them?” T’Challa asked, still staring at him.

He nodded. “Yes,” Steve replied in a near-whisper. “Rainbow was the last one. I just hope Tony didn’t throw my letter away.”

“He will come around… eventually. As will Princess Twilight,” the king replied. His eyes fell slightly, a sigh leaving his nostrils. “I worry for her.”

Steve watched the birds flock in a massive pack above the clouds. “Me too.”

“What has happened was not her fault, but she blames herself. A victim of war cannot look out to the world and change it, prevent what mankind is destined to wage. They can only… heal.”

T’Challa brought his gaze back up, turning it to Rogers who could not look his way for whatever reason. He knew he heard his last statement, his expression somewhat frozen at that. T’Challa said, “As will your friend.”

Steve thought about that, about his friend. About Bucky. They had put him under for the time being, keeping him frozen until Wakanda’s greatest minds could help wipe out the remainder of the mind control that was still festering in his skull. It was Bucky’s decision, not Steve’s. Still, after seeing Rainbow leave for God knows how long, and watching his friend get put back in the ice, his mind could only wonder one thing.

“If they find out he’s here…” Steve looked to T’Challa, the king meeting his cold, cold gaze, “… they’ll come for him.”

King T’Challa did not react much, which surprised Steve. Instead, he just looked away, into his world, into the nation he helped to shape and would continue to shape the many years and many trials to come.

“Let them try,” the king breathed.

The two didn’t say another word. The king and Steve Rogers stared in silence beyond the glass window that separated them from the world. The trees covered the hills, the clouds shielding the landscape so nothing could be seen, so everything could be hidden. In that mist, in that shield of white, a massive statue of a black panther emerged, its face frozen and roaring to all the citizens of Wakanda.

Chapter 55 - Down but Not Out

Queens, New York City

LaGuardia Airport

12:44 p.m.

Karen Page saw him stick out like a blind man in a crowd.

She quickly shot up from the bench she had been spending hours upon hours resting on. With fresh adrenaline rushing through her veins and giving her weary body just the extra push she needed, Karen tore through the growing crowds, several people looking back as they passed her. They watched as she embraced the blind man, practically crushing him in a bear-like hug.

Matt Murdock chuckled lightly as he exhaled, bringing his arms around Karen and returning the hug. He whispered words of comfort to her, to which she replied by grabbing his face and plunging her lips right onto his. Matt was stunned for a moment, his eyes wider than usual behind his dark shades. The kiss didn’t last too long, Karen and Matt both breaking away. Karen watched as Matt smiled at her, gripping onto her hand and telling her everything was going to be okay.

Words like that. All sounding numb when her eyes drifted behind him and onto the lone figure walking past them. He was there for a split second, casting a dark glance her way, then was gone the next second. She spun her neck around, eyes landing on the figure slip through the crowd, a hat, overcoat, and dark glasses on his person. The face looked familiar for a reason. They caught Karen’s eyes for a reason.

She could have sworn it was Frank Castle. Turning back, she saw the knowing smile on Matt’s lips, the tiny but powerful nod he gave her that told her everything she needed to know. Matt and Frank were both back, Frank coming willingly. Karen breathed a sigh of relief. She caught that breath, however, when Matt grabbed her hand and directed her behind him, to the two men waiting behind Murdock.

They each wore a hat pulled over their eyes, heavy shades resting on each of their noses and concealing the person beneath. When Matt and Karen were close enough, the two men removed their glasses, smiling and causing Karen to gasp, the woman failing to conceal it.

The noise and chaos of the airport made it impossible for anyone to hear or notice her, or any of them for that matter. As far as anyone else knew, they were just random bystanders that meant nothing to their daily routine. So, people strode on by, paying no heed to Captain America and the Falcon standing in front of the Daredevil and Karen Page.

Karen was momentarily stunned, words failing her. Despite the fact that two Avengers, both war heroes, were standing in front of her, they were smiling at her. If Steve Roger's warm smile couldn’t ease the tension then nothing else really could. But it did help when Matt pushed Karen onwards, properly introducing the three. Steve was the first to hold out his hand, saying it was a pleasure to meet the brains behind the devil.

Karen didn’t know how to respond at first. Nearly star-struck, Karen held out her hand, managing to offer a strong handshake with Steve. She did the same with the Falcon, saying very little. They did most of the talking, explaining that Murdock helped them a great deal. Without his help, they would have never been able to reach the location of the other Winter Soldiers… despite the fact that the mission was a bust. Karen asked why. Steve Rogers and the Falcon looked at each other, simply stating that the Winter Soldiers were dead before they got there. They couldn’t say anything else.

She understood. There were some secrets she’d rather not dig up.

Other than that, both Steve and the Falcon said their final goodbyes, shaking both Karen’s hand and Matt’s hand. They thanked him again for all of his efforts, and not to hesitate if he needs them for anything. They surely wouldn’t hesitate if they need his help. Matt just smiled at that. He picked up his suitcase, grabbed Karen’s hand, and turned around to walk home. All the way home.

Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson both put their sunglasses back over their eyes, hands slipping into their coats’ pockets. Steve saw as the suitcase in Matt’s hand swung lightly back and forth, his other hand still holding onto Karen’s. Neither letting go. It was a small bond, but it concealed something much greater. Much stronger. As for the suitcase, it concealed something darker, something Murdock literally carried with him the rest of his days and the life he would continue to live.

But that was something that was hidden. When Matt and Karen held hands and strode through the crowds, they did it for all the world to see.

Sam chuckled. Steve turned his way, turned to his smile. He asked, “You made sure to erase all of that data on Castle and Murdock?”

Steve nodded, looking back at Matt’s retreating form. He pointed at him, saying, “Per his request, Frank Castle’s whereabouts are currently unknown, as far as everyone knows. And as of now, Matt Murdock is just a struggling lawyer in Hell’s Kitchen, son of a boxer. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

The blind man held onto the strong woman, both needing that grip on home and reality. But he looked back, one final time. He looked back to Steve Rogers and the Falcon, watched as they retreated and vanished within the crowds. Possibly for the last time. The last he’ll ever see them.

And so Matt Murdock, the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen, smiled one final time, as he and Karen returned home. Back to Hell.

Chapter 56 - One Batch

Manhattan, New York

6:45 p.m.

You there?

…

Always.

How was the mission?

…

Bad shit. Everything went south. Didn’t you see the news?

…

Your face is everywhere. Missed the shot, didn’t you?

…

Screw you.

…

;)

Seriously, though, you’ll need to hide out for a while. You’re lucky they don’t have your exact location. Stay in the dark, if you want. I can’t control you. Just point you in the right direction.

…

I’m not a gun, asshole.

…

Could’ve fooled me.

Well, unless you want to be a hermit for a while, I got another mission for you. Big stuff just came up. The Mexican Cartel are meeting up in Central Park for a trade-off with another gang. Probably drugs. Who knows? You can find out if you want.

…

Castle?

…

I’ll get it done.

…

Good.

Don’t miss this time.

Central Park

The Carousel

11:59 p.m.

They say you can get the simplest of songs stuck in your head, and they can never come out. Like a virus, only incurable, with you for the rest of your days. Just the simplest of songs, too. Ones that were catchy, ones that were annoying, or even nursery rhymes. Frank Castle had one of those. Unlike the bullet that went in his skull, that came out.

The song, however, it didn’t.

It stayed.

It stayed as long as it damn well pleased. Every day and every night, Frank would always hear those same words sung over and over and over again. Whether he forced himself to fall asleep into a night filled with constant terror and visions of the past he’d rather forget, that song would keep him up. Keep reminding him. Whenever he put a bullet in a criminal, or bashed their head in with whatever he could get his hands on, he would say those words as if it were his duty to. To tell the scum of the streets why he did what he did, and why he’ll never change.

Not for the Avengers.

Not for the ponies.

Not for anyone.

He sat on a lone bench, his ass wet and frozen. A soft rainfall had hit the city not too long ago, and that was left were puddles and drops falling from the trees and the flickering lampposts. Castle stared straight on ahead, his eyes looking away from the playground equipment on the edge of his vision, that same vision holding a laughing child and letting them play to their heart’s content. For hours on end. Even into the night. When everything changed.

His watch cried out, Frank weakly looking down and scowling at the sight of the time. Midnight. His scowl slowly died as his eyes fell to his hands. He felt some sort of comfort when he stared at his bare wrists, knowing there weren’t any cuffs for a reason. Because someone out there was willing to help him, even after everything he’s done. Someone who saw passed the Punisher and saw the man, the broken, broken man. Someone who gave him another chance.

Who managed to trust him one final time. Castle looked down to the pistol in his left hand.

God damn him.

“You didn’t have to do it, Red.”

His voice was the only sound in the park. The swinging, rusting playground equipment soaked from the midnight drizzle barely cried. The New York City streets were alive and well, but barely anything made it into the park, especially that late at night. Castle knew that silence wouldn’t last. It wouldn’t be too long before the sirens went off and the police arrived, finding bodies upon bodies in the park. And Castle would be long gone.

He knew it.

The lampposts flickered on and off. The distant sounds of cars began to grow closer.

Castle brought up his pistol and cocked it, tightening his lips and dropping his hand. “One batch…”

His eyes fell away from the oncoming lights and back to his pistol. Cars stopping not too far away, people exiting. “Two batch…”

He looked up, stared into the park where his family was murdered, at the people entering cloaked in shadow. As if they thought they were in invisible. The lampposts all died. Castle was invisible now. “Penny and dime.”

He looked to his gun, flicking the safety off. Frank Castle stood up.

“I’m comin’ home.”

The rest of the night was filled with screaming, gunfire, sirens, and bodies.

Chapter 57 - Once Forgiven

Upstate New York

New Avengers Facility, Living Room

Days Later

1:33 p.m.

The Vision hadn’t spoken for so long. As the ponies sat around the couches, some playing chess, some watching TV, some doing what he did, which was nothing, he could only think back to everything that had occurred. Everything that had been broken. Everything that would never be the same.

Starting with his friends.

This divide, this conflict had torn apart what kept the Avengers together. A simple ideological difference and a blast from the past was all it took to take down Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Not an alien invasion. Not a genocidal robot. Not even the worst terrorist attacks in recent years. Just because one person thought one way and another person thought the other, many more followed. And many more paid the price.

The Avengers were no more. They were a name, but not a team. All that could even be considered a team that remained in the New Avengers Facility consisted of Tony Stark, James Rhodes, and Vision. The ponies were there, too. Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Applejack, and Starlight Glimmer. But they had been quiet the past few days. Vision had been quiet, as well. Not much to talk about.

Vision had heard of Stark and Princess Twilight nearly ready to go out and find Rainbow Dash and bring her home, but they were always objecting at the last minute, wondering if they should intervene or just give them more time alone. The longer they waited, the more crushed Princess Twilight appeared. Vision had been watching her the past few days, his mind wandering, his emotions flushing. And if he had a heart, it most certainly ached.

He had seen it before. Everything changed after the attack in Washington. Twilight changed. Since then, since the Accords, she and Rainbow had only seen daggers, never each other. Never to heal but to only grow further apart. Vision had seen this, and he did nothing about it. Perhaps that was his flaw. Perhaps he should have done something to ease the tension between them. He knew it would have been near impossible, considering the circumstances.

Still, he could have wished to try. Seeing his friends almost drowning in their sorrow, completely heartbroken, not a smile for miles, hurt him, too. Nothing much could hurt him physically, but seeing them being anything that they truly weren’t drove something into him. Some form of ravaged pain he couldn’t explain. He knew he couldn’t have changed Rainbow’s mind on the decision she made, but after seeing this, seeing the aftermath of the war, perhaps he should have tried just a bit harder. He just didn’t want to see his friends become… this.

No. They were more to him than just friends. They were family. And now they were no more.

His train of thought, or whatever was floating within that mind of his was suddenly halted. His head shot up, eyes glazed over, staring at nothing. He had felt a pulse, some form of external force that had emerged outside of the facility. It was large, it was silent, and he had nearly missed it. When it had vanished, all that was left were smaller forces. Smaller pulses. But they were growing bigger, getting closer and closer to the front door.

“Someone is here.”

Everypony perked up to that, their heads shifting and eyes landing on the Vision. They watched as he spun his neck around, down the hall and directed to where the front door remained. At first, no one seemed to know how to react, but when they heard a few several knocks on the front door, that’s when they knew it was time to move. Vision was the first, rising off the couch, phasing through it, and approaching the front door rather quickly. The mares each hopped off the couches they sat upon, turned off the TV, dropped whatever they were doing, and stood in silence in the living room. They stared into the dark hall. Expecting something. Hearing a door open.

Then footsteps.

No.

Hoofsteps.

When Vision had returned, he was smiling, and trailing him were four familiar and weary faces. Twilight had gasped, hoof rising to cover her mouth, failing to hide her tears. Rarity and Starlight both gasped in unison, unsure of what to do next. Applejack knew. She smiled. She cried and she smiled like a damn fool. No one blamed her. They followed her.

When Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Spike, and Rainbow Dash entered the living room, nearly all of them did the same. Pinkie’s lips quivered, the mare crying out and dropping her large backpack on top of Spike, crushing the baby dragon under its weight. She quickly galloped over and tightly wrapped her forelegs around Rarity’s and Starlight’s neck, bringing the mares in for a tear-filled hug that nearly choked the air out of them. They didn’t care. They returned the hug just as strong, crying alongside her.

Fluttershy nearly tackled Applejack, using enough strength to surprisingly cause Applejack to cough. Or keep her preoccupied. Either way, it did, and she smiled and returned the hug. Having pushed the large backpack off of him, Spike struggled to find his footing, but he quickly did and remembered how to sprint when his eyes landed on a certain mare. He ran forward, past Rarity, past all the others, and dove into Twilight’s chest.

The Alicorn lost her breath, remaining frozen, her heart aching. She could feel a particular wetness on growing on her, the young dragon shaking as he gripped her body tighter and tighter, claws digging into her coat as he shook and cried. Twilight narrowed her eyes, freshness boiling despite her strongest will, and rose her hoof. Didn’t touch him at first. Almost afraid to. Then laid it against his head. Spike mumbled something, his voice shaking, his tears continuing to fall. Twilight nearly shared the same fate, gently rubbing his scales and shushing him calmly.

“Never again…”

Twilight opened her eyes suddenly, staring down at the dragon. He finally met her gaze, his eyes burning red, his lips quivering, both her chest and his face a wet mess of sadness and grief.

He said it again, sniffing loudly, holding onto her like a child would to their mother. That thought alone drive Twilight to even more tears. “Never again, Twilight. I promise,” Spike said to her.

Twilight smiled. A warm smile. A mother’s smile. She stroked his scales and kissed his forehead. “Okay, Spike. I promise, too.”

Spike’s eyes began to tear up again, the dragon slamming his face into Twilight’s chest. Twilight lowered her head, letting the tears fall, resting against him, holding him as if he were her own. As the mares and dragon reunited, sharing hugs, saying they never wanted to fight again, Vision quietly left the living room, moving only to Tony Stark’s quarters. Fluttershy broke away from Applejack, more so Applejack having to forcefully push her away. The mare comforted the Pegasus, telling her to talk with Rarity and Starlight. They missed her. As she nodded and moved aside, Applejack brought her gaze forward again. Her smile fell.

Stopping in front of her, holding onto a small backpack that rested on her backside, Rainbow Dash smiled the mare’s way.

“Rainbow…” Applejack spoke, almost breathless. Her eyes scanned every broken detail on Rainbow’s features. Her scars that remained on her cheek, a few bruises here and there, and the bandages covering her right wing. She was barely held together, limping with each step she took. But she still smiled, which surprised Applejack.

It surprised her even more to see her hold out her hoof.

“AJ,” she greeted simply, hoof held out, smile still held. Applejack almost hesitated. Rainbow was back at the facility for a reason. She wasn’t in hiding, and Steve still wasn’t anywhere to be seen. She was there, holding a hoof to her as if representing her feelings to everything that’s happened. They happened, the blood and the bruises were on their hooves, but they were all still alive. They were all still waiting to put it all behind them and move on. Heal together.

She liked to think that, anyway. Applejack smiled to that thought, to that possibility. She bumped her hoof against Dash’s.

“Everypony…”

That caught to the two mares’ attention, their heads swiveling over to Twilight. She was directing her voice to everypony, but they all seemed to know it was to Pinkie, Fluttershy, Spike, and Rainbow specifically. Those four took a step forward, broke away from everypony else, and focused on the princess, their eyes filled with concern, worry, and apprehension.

“I’m sorry… for everything.” Twilight didn’t wait another second to say it. She didn’t waste the next to continue. “After I learned the truth, after Rainbow showed me just how wrong I was… I didn’t hesitate to make the right choice. It was wrong to stand against you… and it was wrong to fight against friends. If I can promise anything, it’s that we’ll never have another feud that involves hurting one another. I hope…”

She sniffed hard, fresh tears falling down her cheeks.

“I hope you can all find it in your hearts to forgive me… forgive us… for everything.”

She just had to get out the apology. The past few days have been, pardon her language, absolute hell for her. She had made the call to Steve, who picked up on the second ring. They talked so long. So very, very long. Twilight could see Earth’s moon high in the night sky by the time she said her final goodbyes to the Captain. He, as well. But she apologized to him, wanted to apologize to Bucky. He told her that that was impossible at the moment. He told her why. He apologized, too. Just over the phone, Twilight could lay a fear at ease, the fear of losing his friendship.

But he didn’t tell her anything about her friends, said just to wait on it. Rest on it. She tried to rest, but could hardly sleep. She found waiting to be a new form of hell, one she never really discovered until lately. She didn’t want to read any other books on Earth culture or history, or watch any other movies that Tony had suggested. She just wanted to know about her friends. She just wanted to apologize and let everything be behind them, so they can repair what they all desperately needed.

Friendship.

When they swarmed the Alicorn in a group hug, she could then finally lay those fears at ease.

Fluttershy was the first, followed quickly by Spike, and then by Pinkie Pie. Next came Rarity, then Applejack, and finally Starlight Glimmer. They held her tight, held each other even tighter, and never broke away. Not for the longest time possible. It felt that way, at least. Twilight took in every second she could.

“Hey, everypony, what do ya know?” Pinkie exclaimed, wrapping every single pony and dragon in a tight hug, including Rainbow despite her efforts to push away. Pinkie’s forelegs had miraculously managed to hold them all. “We’re like one big happy family again!” she screamed with delight, managing to toss some confetti and balloons in nearly every direction despite having no free use of her hooves.

“Actually…” Rainbow began to say, pushing her hooves into Pinkie’s grip.

“Pinkie…” Twilight interrupted, taking the name right out of Dash’s mouth. The two seemed to share the same thoughts, the same idea on what needed to happen. They didn’t look at each other, but in the opposite direction.

Noticing the uncertain eyes in the two mares respectively, something clicked inside the pink mare. Pinkie caught the sign, dropping everypony out of her strangely elastic forelegs. She backed away, Pinkie and everypony else who wasn’t Twilight or Rainbow. She left the room open for them, left what was needed to be said for the two ponies.

And they almost didn’t.

Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash stared at each other, both of their gazes staring miles and miles away. Anywhere, they wished, that wasn’t directly in front of them. But they needed to. Their friendship was too strong to be left cracked and unattended. So, Rainbow sighed, tightened her grip on her backpack, and slowly approached the Alicorn.

Twilight watched with every step as Rainbow approached her, sealing the large distance between them. But she stopped, just a foot short, a crack that separated them still. The scars on both of their faces were real, as was the near-dead look in Rainbow Dash’s eyes, the freshness and wetness that indicated emotion and life in Twilight’s. And the two mares stood like that. Stared like that. Remained like that.

Until Twilight tried to smile, stepping on cracking glass. “Rainbow…” she said, voice weak and meager.

“Twi…” Rainbow muttered, voice trailing elsewhere, somewhere cold and dead. It returned almost immediately after a sigh. “Thanks for helping Bucky.”

Exhaling softly, Twilight’s smile widened. Slowly but surely breaking the massive chunk of ice between them. “Thank you for making me realize who I was,” she replied.

Rainbow just nodded. No smile.

Seeing that they have made at least some form of contact, communication, and understanding of one another, Twilight took a step forward, foreleg outstretched, ready to seal the deal and mend the wound. She was stopped, however, by a hoof to her heart. It felt like a knife, at least to Twilight.

Somewhat taken aback, Twilight stared at the blue hoof to her chest, her wounded eyes rising to meet Rainbow’s. She said, “It’s gonna have to be a while, Twi. Not now. We’ll need some time apart… to heal. I’m just really tired right now. Let’s just… get ready to go home.”

She couldn’t have sounded deader inside than she already did. The last bit of that sentence could be felt amongst the others, especially since Rainbow had nothing else to add to that. Just end it there. No healing now. But strangely enough, Twilight understood. She knew where she was coming from, because it was the same thing Steve had told her on the phone.

Twilight nodded and stepped away. “All right.”

Just before an awkward silence could make itself known, two individuals entered the living room, every eye turning back to meet them. Rainbow followed, then dropped her gaze almost immediately when Tony Stark stumbled into the living room. He was followed shortly by the Vision, the two stopping once their gazes landed on the newcomers.

Stark’s smile grew, a soft but strong exhale of air leaving him. “Hey,” he greeted.

“Hey!” Pinkie said to him, smiling like crazy, waving even crazier. Fluttershy smiled and waved. Spike did the same, just barely lifting his claw. His eyes fell, his smile doing the same, the second he spotted Rainbow Dash in the back of the group.

“Rainbow Dash…”

Almost forcefully bringing up her eyes, she met Tony’s gaze with a pale stare. No color. No flush of life. Just a state. She nodded his way, hardly smiling. “Hey, Tony.”

He realized quickly that was the best greet he was going to get from her at the moment. Taking a step forward, Tony rubbed his fingers together, never breaking his gaze from her. He stopped moving when he realized he was growing too close to her. “How… how did you even get here?” he asked. “Where’s Steve?”

Rainbow’s only response to that was a smile. A real one. One that took Twilight by surprise. One that only belonged to Rainbow Dash. A slick, cocky, knowing smile.

Chapter 58 - Homecoming

Queens, New York City

9:48 p.m.

The young woman could feel her heart beat out of her chest, prompting her to raise her purse and stop it from leaving her. She knew she made a mistake walking out alone, especially so late. She should have taken a taxi. She should have walked home with her coworkers. She should have done anything other than take to the streets of New York by herself.

Backing away very, very slowly, the young woman found herself being quickly surrounded by the three men. They forced her to back away into the dark alley behind her, one of them holding a small revolver, the other a miniature blade. The last had nothing, standing by the two armed men with a sick, manic grin on his face. She couldn’t even imagine what was going through his twisted mind, especially the way he looked at her.

She should have seen them coming. She felt a certain form of unease the second she stepped out of her place of work and took to the streets. The streets of New York were alive and well, but not in the part of town she found herself in, the only part of town that stood between her and home sweet home. That sense of unease only worsened when she heard a pair of footsteps behind her, her own quickening, only stopping when the second man appeared out of the shadows from the alley ahead of her, a gun in his hand, a black beanie covering his bald head. The third one stepped out of the alley, too, the knife in his hand, constantly jabbing it at her to direct her to where they came.

The young woman held onto her purse as if it was her only lifeline. The distance between her and three men was shortening by the second, and room in the alley quickly running out. The man with the revolver licked his lips, his eyes trailing the young woman’s entire frame.

“Ain’t you a pretty little redhead?” the thug said. She didn’t say a thing, just quivered with fear and continued to back away deeper into the dark alley. He directed the end of his gun directly at her chest, more specifically, her purse. “Why don’t you just slide that over here… then we can have some real fun.”

“Yeah, and don’t even think about screaming neither!” the thug with the knife exclaimed, his fist holding the blade so tight the bones in his knuckles could be seen in what little light there was.

The redhead made a sound. A tiny, terrified squeak. It was followed shortly by her heavy breaths, her chest rising and falling despite her control to remain calm. She wanted to scream, but refrained from doing so when she saw the thug pull the hammer back on his revolver. She gulped, fresh beads of sweat burning on her forehead.

The three thugs snickered to themselves, slowly continuing their approach, pushing the redhead deeper and deeper into the darkness. She felt like crying, not even considering of what her family would think when they hear of her body being found dead the next morning. She didn’t want to think of that, but she couldn’t help it. The tears started to fall, her cries uncontrolled. The men laughed. She could see the light slowly fading, her feet taking those first few steps into the shadows. That’s when she felt the gust of wind fly right over her head, causing her to instinctively duck and let out a high-pitched cry.

It was followed shortly by a loud and sudden clang. The redhead looked up, tears in her eyes, and saw a garbage pail lid of all things hit the cement right by the first thug’s feet. As it slowly came to a rest, she looked up, watched as the two men to his left and right appeared spooked and backed away. The first thug, the one with the gun, stared straight ahead, slowly falling backwards, eyes rolling up into his skull. He hit the ground motionless.

As their buddy hit the ground and fell in a deep, dark slumber with no dreams, the two other thugs lowered themselves, almost ready for anything. They stared into the darkness behind the redhead, eyes darting off in every direction. Their breaths became sporadic, hardly contained. The one with the knife held it out, shaking the tip back and forth, unsure whether he was urging whatever it was to come out or if he was just trying to find a means of defense.

Either way, it failed.

A strand of web, of all things, shot forward, directly over the redhead and hitting the man’s hand that held the knife. He looked down, gasped, then screamed as he was yanked forward by an unknown strength. The redhead collapsed, hands over her head as the man flew over her, pulled into the darkness with his screams trailing him. Both the redhead and the last goon only watched and flinched as every pain-filled scream exited the darkness of the alley.

Other sounds followed. They sounded like punches, each breath taken being filled with another scream, only silenced by that constant punch. And then there was nothing. Just silence and breathing. The young woman looked away from the end of the alley, her horrified eyes watching as the last thug quickly began to back away, no weapon in his hands, no plan in his dull, empty mind.

“Oh, screw this!” he shouted, spinning around and ready to make a hasty retreat. He never took a step out of the alley. Two strands of the same white webbing flew down, each strand hitting a shoulder, the man gasping and looking left and right. His screams shortly followed as he was pulled straight up into the dark between the buildings, those same punches silencing the screams of terror.

The young redhead gently picked up her purse as all the sound in the world seemed to halt. She took a step forward, avoiding the garbage pail lid and the unconscious man near it, and gently made her way out of the alley. She was still uncertain on what happened exactly. She didn’t really want to know, other than she was safe and someone or something had… saved her.

Before she could even take a step out of the alley, a dark figure fell in front of her. She screamed, gripping her purse over her chest, backing away and staring straight ahead. She shut her mouth, eyes widening to see the thug strung up, hanging upside down in front of her, in a mess of webs. Of all things.

Her attention was brought forward to the bright figure flying out of the shadows. She stepped out of the alley, eyes wide and mouth agape, as she saw the figure shooting a strand of web from his hand, quickly making his escape from the scene of the crime. But not before he shouted, “Woohoo! I love this suit!”

Loud enough for all of Queens to hear. For all the world to hear. It was drowned out by the sound of his head hitting a fire escape when a strand of webbing had failed to come out of his hand, despite his best efforts. The redhead flinched and cringed as the bright figure hit almost every metal bar possible, eventually crashing into the dumpster directly below the fire escape.

She could even hear him groan, coughing a bit as he struggled to crawl out of the dumpster. “Okay… love it a little less now,” he added, finally finding his feet on solid ground.

The young redhead gripped her purse and giggled quietly to herself, watching as the bright figure flung himself into the air and swung out of sight. Definitely not out of mind, though. She stood there for a moment longer before quickly making her way home, quietly thanking him, a smile finally finding its way onto Mary Jane Watson’s lips.

Chapter 59 - The New Avengers

Upstate New York

New Avengers Facility, Living Room

4:23 p.m.

It had been days since the ponies came home. The TV was left on in the living room, not a soul watching the news station. It was all the same, anyhow. Constant headlines all about the ponies, but mostly about Captain America and the state of the Avengers. Word managed to get out on the scuffle in Leipzig. Repair crews couldn’t keep the secret for long. The place was in shambles.

Every news network tried to make sense of what had occurred exactly. There were theories, even worse conspiracies, but no one knew the exact story. No one knew why the Avengers were present in Leipzig Airport other than the governments of the world. And no one besides them ever would. That’s why they mostly discussed the state of the alien ambassadors. They haven’t shown themselves in weeks, especially after the aftermath of the UN bombing in Vienna. There were even worse theories on Princess Twilight’s condition, none of them correct.

But none of them far from the truth.

After everything that had occurred since the ponies’ arrival to Earth, many theorized that the disappearance of the ambassadors was due to them being too afraid to step outside with the thought of the next terrorist firing at them. That, or just staying hidden as to not endanger any innocent civilians with their mere presence. Once again, they were not far from the truth. Twilight Sparkle stopped watching the news when they came to the shared conclusion that Earth and Equus were not yet ready to co-exist. That is why the ponies stayed in hiding, possibly having already left for their home world.

Well, the portal was ready. Once more, not far from the truth.

James Rhodes pulled his ringing phone out of his pocket, reading the name “POTUS” on his bright screen. He sent the call straight to voicemail, pocketing his phone away and turning to Tony Stark on his left. He nodded, pursing his lips. “I’ll call him back and tell him that we took care of everything.”

Nodding back, Tony watched as Rhodes adjusted himself with his crutches, the exoskeleton suit still strapped tightly to his torso and legs. He asked, “You made sure to tell him about this earlier?”

“He knows.” Rhodes grunted, using the crutches to push himself towards the dimly-lit room of the facility. “He agreed to it.”

“Good.”

Following Rhodey’s side, Tony Stark watched as the door slid open to them both, revealing the lower levels within the New Avengers Facility. Large pieces of equipment remained scattered, in disarray, serving no real purpose other than to remind Stark of his past experiments. Especially in helping to craft the portal. It lied near the center of the room, several wires running across the cement floor, its circular face revealing the rest of the room behind it. Still turned off.

Directly in front of it, Vision was busy hugging each pony goodbye. Stark looked away to something else, something to keep his mind set. He stared at the console that ran the whole show. He abandoned Rhodes, retreating to the console as the crippled man slowly approached the group of ponies. And, of course, one baby dragon.

James smiled warmly to see Vision offer his last hug to Twilight. He broke away, hands on her shoulders, robotic eyes meeting her equine pair. “Remember, you can visit anytime you like,” Vision told her. “Homer will inform us if the portal has been activated.”

“We might hold off on that invitation for now, Vision,” Twilight told him, watching painfully as his hands fell from her. She sighed, looking back to her friends all bundled up and ready to head off. She saw Rainbow Dash staring at the floor. “We… have some… personal rebuilding to do of our own.”

Vision nodded, looking away and appearing quite crestfallen to her response. Still, he responded strongly, saying, “I understand.”

Twilight managed a weak grin, laying her hoof on his shoulder and patting it sympathetically. Vision looked to the hoof on his shoulder, then to the mare it belonged to. She nodded his way, that smile growing bigger and more confident. “But speaking of the portal…” Her hoof fell.

“Rhodey?” she said, catching his eyes and nodding his way. He looked to her, looked to all of them. They were all packed up, backpacks and packages in their grip. And they all waited by the face of the portal, eyes expectant. He finally nodded to them.

“Yeah. Tony?” James called, twisting his neck back to Stark remaining by the console. He brought up his head, meeting Rhodey’s gaze, seeing him nod his way. And say, “They’re ready.”

He pressed down on the console, flicking a switch and pressing a few more buttons. Each of the ponies and dragon flinched away when the portal whirred to life, the sound only growing louder as the exterior of the machine began to spin. Short bursts of electricity began to course within the face of the machine, growing bigger and bigger until a piercing light emerged, filling the dark room with plenty of light. All that remained was a whiteness in the face of the portal, a known world waiting behind it.

Tony flicked the switch, keeping the portal active. He sighed, laying his hands on the console as realization slowly seeped in. The worst of it was coming, the worst of seeing friends after so long of being apart. It was time to finally say goodbye. For how long, he didn’t know. It could be next month, next week, tomorrow, ten years or more. He didn’t know. Whenever they wanted to visit they could, but he knew they weren’t going to. Not for a long time.

Not after what happened.

Bringing up his hands, Tony dug them into his pockets so no one could see them shaking. He slowly strolled over to where everyone else was, joining the farewell party. He could see, with amazement, as Rhodey lowered his crutches, gently bent down, falling to one knee as he offered a goodbye hug to each pony. Even Spike. Tony managed a short smile at that.

After they said what needed to be said, they approached Stark of all people, which surprised him for a second. Formalities and such. They had to say goodbye to everyone. Not like they wanted to or anything. His surprise kept on coming, seeing as Pinkie was the first one to leap forward and crush him in one of her famous hugs. Stark held out his hands as if he didn’t know what to do with them. He caught Rhodes smirking his way. Tony gave him the finger.

And he hugged her back.

One after the other, surprise kept on piling on. He would think that Fluttershy or Spike wouldn’t dare touch him with a thirty-nine and half foot pole, but they embraced him like it was the last time they’ll ever see him, with smiles and tears to go around. The others were expected, but still quite difficult to get through. Tony felt his eyes burning as Applejack, Rarity, and Starlight offered a goodbye hug. He almost let the waterworks fall free when Twilight stepped forward, but he refrained. He had done enough crying lately.

“So… this is it,” Twilight said. Stark nodded, hands deep in his pockets, gaze falling even farther than where Twilight stood in front of him. “I must say, it has been… an experience, Tony.”

He nodded. “I agree.” His gaze rose, meeting hers, seeing her smile, her tears, her bruises, and her scars. Everything that made Twilight who she was and what she had become. She may have been broken, just a tad, but she healed. And she was better. Just like her old self. Tony fell to one knee, grunting as he did so to meet her eye level. “Don’t be a stranger, all right? Don’t make me come across the galaxy just to fix your crap.”

Twilight laughed. A real laugh. “I promise.”

They both ended each other’s statements in a hug. For some reason, feeling her forelegs wrap around his neck, her chin on his shoulder, it seemed almost as genuine as the one in his office. Stark didn’t think anything could topple that hug, but this came pretty damn close. He also thought that this particular hug was lasting too long. So, he broke away, Twilight doing the same. They lingered there for a moment longer, staring at each other, smiling, and doing nothing else.

Stark did nothing else. Then she turned and left.

“Oh, and Twilight…

Pausing, Twilight spun around quickly, waiting expectantly for what else he had to say. He got up, brushed off his knees, and nodded to her. “Say hi to Friday for me,” he said.

Twilight smiled, winking his way. “Will do.”

She made her way to the light, joining the rest of her friends who waited for her arrival. Once she did, they all offered a short but certain nod. Pinkie was the first to bound into the portal, a smile on her face with every hop. She was followed shortly by Applejack, trailed by Rarity, then by Fluttershy and Starlight. She and Spike waited at the very edge of the light, turning back to Twilight. The Alicorn egged them on with a quick nod, a smile sent their way. Starlight and Spike both smiled to one another, stepping into the light together and returning home.

Twilight almost followed their lead, but stopped. And turned left. There was just one of her friends who hadn’t moved, who hadn’t taken her eyes off the floor. Twilight smiled sadly, patting her shoulder, watching as she brought up her gaze and stared at her. The princess nodded, her eyes shooting over to the remaining Avengers. She followed Twilight’s eyes, sighing and feeling the hoof leave her shoulder.

Watching as Twilight stepped into the portal and vanished into the brightness.

She sighed, adjusting the grip on her backpack, turning around to face the others. They all stared at her, Vision on one knee, Rhodey standing back up, and Tony with his hands in his pockets, his eyes unknown. They all just stared at her. At the only Equestrian Ambassador still on Earth.

Just Rainbow Dash. The last one.

Rainbow Dash laid her hoof on Vision’s arm, casting him a longing glance before she made her way over to Rhodes. It was short, but it meant something, and Vision stood up and watched her. Watched as she slowly approached James Rhodes. Staring up at him, Rainbow could fell something burning in her chest the moment her eyes met Rhodes’. They lingered for a moment. Rainbow was unsure of what to say. What could she say? I’m sorry for crippling you? Sorry for changing your entire life, most likely for the worst? Nothing seemed right in that sense.

It didn’t last too long. Rhodey let go of one of his crutches, sticking his fist out to her. “Hey,” he said, bringing her widened eyes back up to his. “We cool?”

Her words failed her for moment too long before she came back. Striking his fist with her hoof, very softly and so unlike her, Rainbow smiled his way. “Yeah…” the muttered, voice weak and hoarse, “we’re cool. I’m sorry for what I did.”

Rhodey brought his hand back, gripping onto his crutch and shrugging. “It’s fine. Hey, I’m gettin’ a little better every day, so that’s a plus.”

Rainbow managed a weak and very short chuckle. Almost like a quiet scoff. “That’s good. I’ll see you later, Rhodey.”

“You, too, Dash.”

There was a certain unease that followed her hoofsteps away from James. She stepped closer to the daggers, to the unforeseen portions of Tartarus that she never wanted to step hoof in. But it was cold. So very, very cold. The moment she stepped forth and froze under Tony Stark’s gaze, she found the very voice that had managed to stay with her through the thick and thin had somehow left, leaving nothing but the Pegasus to face it alone. All alone.

But not for long.

Tony Stark found himself in the same boat as her, but not nearly as severe. She came to him, so he didn’t have to do much, but it still felt so wrong either way. He found her ruby gaze, meeting her eyes, seeing a quick flash of the bloody and broken pony lying in the cold and frozen cement, completely at his mercy. Completely defeated. Almost dead.

He blinked. “I guess I’ll see you later,” he quickly told her.

It sounded like he wanted to get it over with fast, which she kind of wanted, as well. She slowly nodded once. Just once, and said, “Yeah.”

He stared at her wing, at the bandages. At her scars and the bags under the eyes. At her sky-colored coat and rainbow mane and tail that had grown unnaturally dull. It wasn’t because of the little light they had, either. The portal gave off plenty, and Stark saw barely any on her. Or in her. Her eyes were dull, too, almost lifeless. Like the happy, cocky, right in your face, know-it-all speedster that once inhabited them was gone. Replaced only with…

Well, he didn’t know. He didn’t have long to know, because Rainbow turned and left, tightening her backpack and stepping to the light. But she stopped. Not for Vision. Not for Rhodey.

“Dash…”

She turned back and looked at him, expecting something but receiving nothing. At least for the first ten seconds. He didn’t say anything, almost like he was caught on the spot with nothing on his mind but everything in his heart. He just had trouble of getting it out. A bit of Rainbow Dash, a piece that was still her, actually wanted to know what it was, what he wanted to say that came from the heart.

But what he said was, “Congrats… finally being a Wonderbolt.”

She kind of smiled. Kind of. But as she turned and entered the portal she was crying.

Author's Note

Just one chapter left...

Chapter 1 - The Man Without Fear

“What is it, to be a hero? Look in the mirror and you’ll know. Look into your own eyes and tell me you are not heroic, that you have not endured, or suffered, or lost the things you care about most.

“And yet here you are, a survivor of Hell’s Kitchen, the hottest place anyone’s ever known, a place where cowards don’t last long. So... you must be a hero. We all are. Some more than others, but none of us alone.

“Some bloody their fists trying to keep the Kitchen safe. Others bloody the streets in the hope they can stop the tide, the crime, the cruelty, the disregard for human life all around them. But this is Hell’s Kitchen. Angel or devil, rich or poor, young or old, you live here. You didn’t choose this town, it chose you.

“Because a hero isn’t someone who lives above us, keeping us safe. A hero is not a god, or an idea. A hero lives here, on the street among us, with us. Always here but rarely recognized. Look in the mirror and see yourself for what you truly are.

“You’re a New Yorker. You’re a hero. This is your Hell’s Kitchen. Welcome home.”

The door opened, and Karen Page turned to see Matt Murdock enter his failing business. Even in the dim light, even if he tried to conceal it—she doubt he did—the bruises on his face were clearly evident. She didn’t know how, or why it happened to him, but she couldn’t focus on that.

“Thanks for meeting me,” Matt told her, his voice hoarse as he closed the door behind him.

She saw as he pulled the brown paper bag out from under his arm, dropping his foldable cane onto the chair beside him. How he knew she was present, exactly where to drop the cane plagued the back of her mind, but she shut such thoughts away.

Karen began her slow approach, asking very steadily, very firmly, “What am I doing here, Matt?”

Matt reached into the bag, also stepping forward. “I, uh, have something.”

“No, I-I-I don’t want it—”

“I have something…” he interrupted, his voice firm, causing Karen to pause, “… that I need you to see.”

So, she waited, her eyes dropping low and centered on the bag in Matt’s hands. He reached inside, pulled out a small helmet of some kind. It didn’t take long for Karen’s heart to beat against her chest, much harder than before, much more evident by her quivering brow and shaking hands.

The little red helmet, the little red mask, had a pair of horns atop its head, two red eyes and a nose covering. Karen’s eyes instantly shot back to Matt, her jaw slightly separated, breath silent and conscious waiting for him to answer her and the never-ending questions suddenly filling her mind, heart, and soul.

And he did.

“I’m Daredevil.”

And all Karen could do was stand there, stare at him, and breathe again.

Equus

Ponyville, Equestria

Home of Princess Twilight Sparkle

1:22 p.m.

For what felt like the twentieth time that week, Twilight Sparkle had nearly reached the end of her greatest experiment yet.

The library to her castle was dim, dusty, and dreary. Notes scribbled with nearly unrecognizable language sprawled across tables and the floor. Books of several variety—that variety consisting of science, magic, and quantum physics—were open and surrounded the Princess of Friendship. She paid them no heed, her hooves pushing past them to approach the large mechanism at the end of the room.

It stood higher than her. Beams of wood and steel merged together to form the structure, the large mirror offering Twilight’s reflection back to her. Her eyes stared momentarily, the bags from lack of sleep seen only by her, causing Twilight to frown. She stared upwards, passed the wires and towards the two metal rods curling in opposite directions. And in the center lied the lonesome stand.

No book this time. No book needed.

That was the problem she had spent weeks trying to solve.

Slivers of afternoon sunlight broke through the glass windows, blocked only by the drapes Twilight arranged. With little light, she could still see the stand, and she still frowned at the sight of its emptiness.

“Friday,” Twilight called.

In a moment, a burst of light and engines dying emerged behind her, yet the princess did not turn, nor was moved by it. She stared at the empty stand that could hold the book and asked, “How are we doing on the coordinates?”

Friday, the Mark 45 Iron Man armor, shook her head. “Not so well, Boss. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to complete the exact sequence without the remaining coordinates. The best we can do now is wait for him to get back.”

“And he’s probably goofing off in some other dimension right about now,” Twilight muttered under her breath. She spun her neck back, forced a weak smile, and nodded in appreciation. “Thank you, Friday. As you were.”

Friday turned to the books in her hands, their titles focused on dimensional theory. The female AI nodded back. “Aye, Boss.”

“And Friday…”

The AI paused, turning back. There, she saw Twilight offer a stronger smile, her eyelids hanging low, probably from lack of sleep. Friday inquired her to do so, yet Twilight was persistent, even more so than her previous superior.

The Alicorn said, “You can call me Twilight. Boss, Princess… they’re all a little too… you know.”

Friday understood, nodding in confirmation. “Aye, Twilight.” With that, she spun around, her feet lighting to life to push the suit higher into the air, up to the books on the upper shelves. Twilight smiled at that, then dropped her gaze down to the baby dragon curled on top of ruined notes, in a ball, snoring softly. An open book was used as a blanket for him. Suitable and very cute.

She giggled quietly, careful not to wake Spike. He stirred, but did not wake.

Twilight hadn’t known how long they’d been awake together. Days, weeks, it all seemed so distant, like they happened millennia ago. Spike earned his sleep every night, spending every day helping Twilight reach that one goal, coming so close and failing again and again. Yet he stayed, never left, always by Twilight’s side.

Just as Friday had.

She hadn’t thought much on it, but Twilight felt so blessed to have such helpful assistants. She couldn’t imagine digging through this experiment alone, without help. Spike offered moral support, and Friday backed it up by offering the kind of technology and intellectual prowess Spike wouldn’t be able to offer. He’d most likely faint at the sight of routing the pages upon pages of coordinates. In fact, he had.

Friday, however, was something else. She could answer any mathematical or scientific question that would leave Twilight stumped for about an hour or so. She could showcase different forms of technology Twilight had spent months studying further into, act as a guide, a teacher, a guardian, an assistant, and most importantly… a friend.

She helped when neither Spike nor Owlowiscious could. She was there for Twilight when her friends couldn’t be. And she had been with her every step of the way, closer and closer to finishing Twilight’s greatest experiment yet.

Twilight shook her head. She still couldn’t imagine a greater gift than Friday. A gift especially from Tony Stark.

The library door creaked open slowly, followed by a gentle voice prodding the silence.

“Hello? Twilight, are you still in here?”

A recognizable voice, one that calmed the Princess of Friendship and brought forth a real smile to her lips. She turned away from the machine, away from Friday hovering near the upper shelves, and faced the library’s entrance and the pony that stepped inside.

The student that stepped inside, Twilight’s personal pupil, Starlight Glimmer.

Perhaps there was a greater gift than Friday.

The pale pink unicorn’s friendship with Twilight hadn’t started off as swimmingly as most friendships do. She was low, so low to where she could barely escape that darkness. So low that she swore her entire life to seeing Twilight’s life come crumbling down. And yet, even after she had lost everything, everyone in her life, she turned to them for help.

The ones who took away her everything. Princess Twilight and the Elements of Harmony.

With their combined efforts, they turned the tide and brought down the one she might have considered a friend, but betrayed her for his own twisted goals. Ultron, a monster, a beast that she would rather forget.

And what she did to him… as he did to her.

Despite that, she still felt lost, confused, and angry. Months of bitterness and pain had finally twisted her heart to the point of action, causing her to steal one of Star Swirl’s most powerful and ancient spells. It wasn’t difficult, she had stolen from the Canterlot Archives before. With the spell in her grasp, she tracked Twilight down to her very home—and with that pain and confusion hardening her heart—she used the spell to do the unthinkable.

Change the past so Twilight and her friends never met.

What she hadn’t counted on was its effects on the present. She hadn’t known how much Equestria had depended on the Elements of Harmony to protect it. Without them, her world would have been a barren wasteland, an idea Ultron would have found most suitable for her race.

That was something she couldn’t fathom. The idea of it nearly shattered her, yet she was persistent, and her heart was elsewhere. Lost, broken, changed. Sharing her own past with Twilight and Spike, the pain that formed the mare she was, Starlight Glimmer would destroy the spell, but not before finally breaking, finally letting loose that pain stored up in her heart and soul.

And she did that the moment she trusted her. Trusted Twilight.

She knew from that moment she had made the right choice, for the first time in a long time. Starlight Glimmer no longer felt distressed, no longer held that pain and confusion in her heart, because now she had friends, ponies she could actually believe were her true friends. And they were. Every last one of them.

Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Spike. They saved her life, saved it from certain destruction. The only way she could ever repay them was to fix the mistakes she made, amend the relationships she broke, and learn more about the magic of friendship from none other than the pony she trusted most. The Princess of Friendship herself.

She couldn’t have asked for a greater gift.

Neither could Twilight.

Just as Celestia was to her, Twilight felt as if she could become that teacher when Starlight came into her life. They faced many obstacles, came across several challenges, but Starlight was growing every day. She was strong, stronger than any other unicorn Twilight had ever known, yet beneath the magic and durability, there was still that kindness, that hope that Twilight still saw in her student today.

A hope to become better, to learn, and to flourish.

“Yes, Starlight, come in.”

Closing the large doors behind her, Starlight Glimmer slowly trotted into the library. She was careful not to step on any books sprawled open or notes scattered across the floor as she approached Twilight, smiling as she did so. Her smile, however, didn’t last once she saw the large bags under Twilight’s eyes.

“A-are you okay, Twilight?” Starlight asked, leaning forward and twisting her neck. “How much sleep have you gotten this week?”

“Only about ten or so hours, but—” Twilight paused mid-sentence to take in a deep, heavy yawn. “… I’m fine, really. This is actually pretty tame to some of my week-long study sessions during school.”

The two shared in a quick chuckle, Starlight adding, “That’s a story you’ll need to tell me about one day.” Twilight giggled, then turned back to the machine she was previously gawking at. Starlight followed her, twisting her gaze to the right.

“Hello, Friday,” Starlight said aloud, catching the AI’s attention.

Friday spun around, nodding to the unicorn below. “Greetings, Starlight. I assume your lunch with Trixie went well?”

“It did, thank you for asking,” Starlight said, seeing the nod of confirmation from Friday before the suit spun back towards the highest shelf. Starlight’s gaze fell across Spike—a warm smile gracing her lips—before she stopped in front of the large mirror resting in the center of the machine.

Starlight looked around, observing its structure, then paused at her reflection. She could see Twilight’s eyelids rise and fall, eyes staring up, her smile weak. Furrowing her brow, Starlight asked, “You’re sure you’re okay, though? This project hasn’t been too difficult?”

Twilight sighed, lowering her gaze. She exhaled through her nose, a humorous grin growing across her lips. “I mean it’s not taking down an entire Changeling Kingdom from a tyrannical queen, or saving all of Equestria from a Changeling invasion, but it’s difficult,” the Alicorn quipped.

Starlight chuckled weakly at that. “That was pretty difficult, Twilight.”

Her hoof rose up to rub her foreleg bashfully, a gentle smile fading from her face. It was silent for a moment, Twilight studying Starlight’s movements carefully. The longer she stared, the more she smiled, and she stared for quite some time.

“I’m proud of you,” Twilight mumbled.

“Huh?”

“After all Chrysalis had done, what she did to us, you didn’t strike her down. Instead, you offered your hoof in friendship to her. That’s something the old Starlight would have never done,” Twilight explained, never breaking eye contact.

Starlight didn’t either, her head slowly nodding. “Yeah, I guess,” she whispered, her face contorting. “But she’s still out there, she’s still planning something big when we could have prevented it. And… and when she does come back… what will we…?”

A warm hoof on her shoulder silenced the mare. Her gaze rose higher to meet Twilight’s, a confirmation shared between the two just by physical contact.

“We’ll face it together, Starlight. I promise,” Twilight assured her, patting her shoulder for good measure. “Don’t ever doubt yourself.”

Such truth behind those words. For so long, Starlight doubted herself in how she could lead, why she should lead, and how others looked up to her. However, after everything she’d been through, from becoming Twilight’s personal pupil, to some pretty “interesting” events that occurred a couple of weeks prior, Starlight learned that she had changed for the better. She didn’t have to doubt who she was because of past sins, nor did she have to fear to lead.

She just had to continue to grow. And she did that every day.

“So, how’s the experiment going?”

Starlight’s voice broke the silence, Twilight’s ears slowly becoming accustomed to the sound of Friday’s engines keeping her afloat. She blinked a couple times, sighing. “Not so well.”

“Do you need my help?”

“No thanks, we’re just currently waiting for our ‘assistant’ to get back to us.”

Starlight giggled. “Didn’t he leave like two days ago?”

Twilight’s hoof rested on her face. “Don’t remind me.”

“If it’s taken him this long to find out the exact coordinates, then I wouldn’t blame him for taking a couple days, Twilight,” Starlight explained.

“Finally, somepony understands the trouble of dimensional traffic!”

The voice erupted from behind the two mares, prompting them to spin about towards it. In the center of the room, a white vortex began to grow, lightning striking and eradicating a few piles of useless notes into bubbles. Books began to rise up, slowly being sucked into the vortex. Even Twilight and Starlight felt their hooves being pulled off the ground, but they held firm, backing away.

Twilight’s eyes shot over to Spike, seeing his makeshift bed being pulled forward.

“Friday!”

In an instant, Spike shot forward as the vortex increased to its full potential. He was caught, thankfully, mid-air by the Mark 45, the suit hovering in place several feet away from the vortex. Friday turned back down, watching as the vortex imploded and erupted, spewing notes and books across the library, making it appear as a winter wonderland in its aftermath.

And in the center stood a Spirit of Chaos.

“Delivery!” Discord announced loudly. He wore heavy sunglasses, a bright yellow shirt with pink, red, and orange flowers, blue short shorts, and a large, heavily decorated hat. In his claw remained a gift basket filled with plenty of goodies consisting of fruits, exotic butters, and hand lotion.

Friday lowered herself to the ground, Spike safely in her grasp. Just as she landed, Discord spun around to face the two mares, their manes a nightmare. His grin widened at the sight of Twilight and Starlight in disarray, a humorous chuckle escaping his cough.

“Sorry for the holdup, but you’d be surprised how many other dimensions I had to go through to get to the right one!” Discord explained.

Starlight fixed her mane, her eyes mostly focused on it as she said, “I think we all know you can just teleport to any dimension you want without hassle.”

Discord chuckled, waving a claw. “Oh, alright, I may have spent a day or two touring a few cities here and there. Seriously, you have got to check out Paris during your trip.” He turned to Starlight, smiling knowingly. “And as for you, my smart little cookie, I think you deserve this complementary basket.”

He offered the basket to Starlight, to which she took it slowly and with caution. Discord continued. “I got a few goods during my trip, and if you see a few apple cores or some banana peels in there… well, I may have gotten a little hungry during the trip back.”

Starlight looked inside, seeing nothing but hand lotion, apple cores, banana peels, and melted butter. “Thanks,” Starlight deadpanned, frowning and placing the basket aside as Discord turned to face Twilight.

Twilight’s suspicions began to rise as she eyed Discord’s empty claw and paw. Her eyes rose up, a brow rising suspiciously to the draconequus. “Well…” she began.

“Yes, Your Majesty?” Discord bowed, smiling to himself.

Twilight frowned. “Did you get the coordinates?”

Discord blinked. “… What?”

“Oh, are you kidding m—?!”

Discord’s claw shot out to pinch the Alicorn’s lips together. He said, “Calm yourself, Princess! I’m only pulling your leg, or tail, or whatever it is you ponies have! I have the coordinates right here…”

He brought his claw back and pinched down one of his nostrils. He started to blow, revealing a long piece of paper slowly escaping and covered in unknown fluid. Starlight raised a hoof over her mouth, suddenly feeling ill. She gagged to herself, Twilight endearing Discord’s games until the parchment was fully revealed.

She yanked it out with her magic, flicking the fluid off and grumbling to herself. Discord watched her in amusement, seeing as she unraveled the scroll and read it silently. He watched and congratulated himself with a pat on the back from a severed hand as Twilight’s smile unveiled itself, beaming brighter than any light in the room.

“This is it!” Twilight exclaimed, teleporting quickly to a stack of papers on the other side of the room. Discord floated over to Starlight, resting his arm around her and offering her some popcorn. She hadn’t fully recovered, waving the food away. Discord shrugged and reached around her, pulling out the melted butter from the basket and placing it in his popcorn.

Twilight, however, was in a frenzy. With the newly acquired coordinates, she hovered the parchment above her head, placing it in connection with what she and Friday had already written down. The pieces of the puzzle began to form, the coordinates from each piece of paper lining up to create a path, a single path to one destination.

And there it was.

“Alright… here we go with the test run…” Twilight breathed, her horn igniting. She fired off a spell she had been practicing with Starlight, hitting each paper and watching as they quickly formed together. The letters, the hundreds of coordinates flung off the pages, swirling around the room and finally resting within an empty book lying on the table.

Sweat falling from her forehead, Twilight carefully levitated the book over to the large machine. She placed it gently on the empty stand, and after disconnecting the two cables she levitated them over to Friday. The robotic AI approached carefully after setting Spike down, watching as the cables connected to the underside of her chest plate.

Twilight nodded to Friday for confirmation. Friday nodded back. “Ready to go, Twilight.”

With that said, Twilight spun around and fired off a spell directly towards the book. The spell made the book light up, the twin rods shaking as the magic from the pages and the spell merged together. That magic traveled through the cables and into the Mark 45. Friday’s eyes lit up a brilliant violet, the same color as Twilight’s aura, and the suit began to shake.

Almost violently, almost spastically, but quickly stopped.

Friday lowered her head, her eyes ablaze. She said, “Rerouting coordinates. Connection… established.”

Her head suddenly fell, towers of light erupting from each eye. Its blue glow showered across the dark library, displaying an image directly in front of Twilight. Not just an image, a hologram, a figure. It floated directly in front of the Alicorn, its large eye examining her before quickly flying away. Twilight’s brow furrowed as she took a step closer. Starlight and Discord watched from afar, unseen by the hologram.

Then they all heard a voice, a voice coming from the light.

“Sir, we’ve acquired connection.”

And in that moment, another figure entered the light, this one smiling to the young princess.

“Hey, Twilight, it’s been a while.”

And Twilight smiled back.

“Hello, Mr. Stark.”

“Formalities, Twi.”

Twilight shook her head, chuckling under her breath. “Right. Sorry, Tony. Is it ready?”

“Whenever you are.”

Her smile grew more confident. Her heart began to pulse against her chest. “It’s time then.”

Tony Stark nodded and said, “Time to change the worlds.”

A short, quiet static emerged from the hologram. Spike shot up in distress, his tired eyes scanning the room and the mess that was left. He saw Discord eating popcorn with Starlight Glimmer. He saw Twilight staring at him, the Alicorn sitting in front of a blue image of Tony Stark coming from the light of the eyes of Friday.

He blinked.

“What I miss?”

Chapter 6 - Second is the Best

Upstate New York

New Avengers Facility, Conference Room A

10:02 a.m.

“Alright, so how many countries on Earth?”

“196!”

“But…”

“But several other countries—including the United States—do not recognize Taiwan as a country, thus the official count of countries in the world are 195!”

“And how many world leaders will be present today?”

“12!”

“And what are their names, in alphabetical order, from tallest to short—?”

“Tony!” Twilight barked, interrupting the man’s banter. Stark paused just in front of the Alicorn, staring down at her and the rest of her seven friends. “You never said we had to memorize each of their names, or any of their physical attributes.”

Rainbow Dash yawned. She leaned over to Applejack. “We had to memorize stuff?” Rainbow whispered, AJ’s response being a quick chuckle.

The morning sunlight spilled into one of the few conference rooms of the New Avengers Facility. Large windows covered the room, a soft carpet lining the floor. Aside from the eight chairs currently held by Twilight, Rainbow, Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Spike, and Starlight, a line of twelve empty chairs lied directly ahead of them.

Tony Stark’s brows rose accordingly, his hands deep in his pockets. “Good stuff, Sparkle. You never fail to disappoint.” Twilight beamed with pride, chin held upwards. Stark shook his head, then turned to the others.

Oh, the others…

“As for the rest of you…” Stark began to say, his eyes landing at the end of the row to his left, on Pinkie Pie. The mare was fast asleep, a trail of drool from her mouth all the way to her chest left to grow. To Pinkie’s left was Fluttershy, who seemed to be hardly active in the morning recap. Next to her was Rarity, followed by Spike, Twilight, Starlight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack.

Rarity was busy fondling her mane. Spike was sitting patiently, his tired eyelids drooping every now and then. Twilight sat wide-awake with a smile. Starlight seemed quite exhausted, as well, though she did her best to remain presentable. Dash sat in her seat like a cat would curled up for a daily nap, except Dash had a glare that could kill. Applejack seemed to be awake. Not bad.

Not bad at all. Definitely not good when meeting several world leaders.

Stark frowned, his jaw tightening. He said, “Well, let’s just say I expected you all to… Oh, I don’t know… Maybe act like you care when you’re about to meet some of Earth’s most powerful leaders.”

Rarity whimpered, her magic yanking at the tangles in her hair. “I’m sorry, darling, but—ouch—it is quite hard to gather myself after such festivities last night, especially in such little time. Oh, why didn’t you wake me up earlier, Fluttershy?”

“Oh, well, um, you seemed to be so fast asleep… and, um, well, I didn’t want to bother you,” Fluttershy meekly responded, flinching as Pinkie snored beside her.

“But ten minutes before the meeting?! Fluttershy…” Rarity whined.

The Pegasus looked away, gently rubbing her foreleg. “Sorry,” she muttered.

Applejack leaned back in her chair, hind leg crossed over the other. “Ah don’t know ‘bout y’all, but Ah had no trouble whatsoever gettin’ up early. Ah told ya, ya shoulda taken mah advice, Rares! Five in the mornin’ is the way to go!”

“Yes, well, not all of us were raised on a farm, Applejack, or lived the ‘country life’!” Rarity declared, returning to her mane.

Starlight leaned forward, turning to Applejack. “By the way, AJ, what have you been doing for the past five hours?” she asked.

Applejack just shrugged. She said, “Ran a bit outside after the sun came up. After that Ah jus’ explored the place a bit, made some pancakes.”

Stark snapped his fingers. “Oh, damn good pancakes by the way, Applejack. I got here about eight and helped myself. If we’re having anyone cook us pancake breakfast from now on, it’s her.”

Applejack tipped her hat to the billionaire, only to nearly fall out of her chair at the sound of Pinkie’s sudden yelp. Everypony jumped at the sound, Fluttershy nearly leaping out of her seat. The mare snapped awake, eyes wide without any signs of fatigue. No veins in the white, no bags beneath the eyes. Nothing.

She shouted, “We had pancakes and nopony told me?!”

Everyone just stared at her. She stared back, innocent eyes shifting from one pony to the other, eventually landing on her roommate. Rainbow rubbed the back of her head, chuckling. “Pinks… you didn’t really seem to be in the best condition for early breakfast. I just let ya sleep one off, and no offense, but… you have the weirdest hangovers.”

Pinkie blinked. Her tongue shot out and licked up the drool on her chin, her head nodding in thought. “Huh…” she mumbled, then smiled. “Okay!”

Pinkie was quick to fall back sleep after that, her obnoxiously loud snores following.

Stark pointed his finger to Pinkie, a thought occurring before he quickly rejected it. He shook his head, saying, “Anyway, I just wanted all of you to be prepared. I mean, hey!” He held out his hands, smiling wide. “You’re the ambassadors for your home planet! You’re about to meet my home world’s leaders to discuss peace between Earth and Equus! You got to feel a little bit excited, right?”

Pinkie Pie snored. Fluttershy shivered at the newly acquired thought Stark had put into her head. Rarity whined about her mane. Spike was asleep. Twilight sat still, smiling with confidence. Starlight tried to. Rainbow curled back up, mumbling something. Applejack just stared at Stark, brow raising.

Tony dropped his arms, looking away. Why did he even bother?

“Um, excuse me, Tony, but when are Earth’s leaders arriving, exactly?” Twilight asked.

Now he remembered why he bothered. He smiled to her, tried to smile to the rest of them, and said, “Oh, they’re already here. We’re just waiting for Cap to show up.”

He noticed the look of confusion upon Twilight’s features, as well as everypony else’s. Stark nodded. “I know, I know, but we kinda need the ‘leader of the Avengers’ present when meeting with the president. It’s a whole big process where—”

“No, it’s not that,” Twilight interrupted. She leaned to her left, then to her right, spying the empty seats directly ahead of her. “It’s… It’s just that… Where are the world leaders?”

The door behind everypony swung open, prompting several of the mares’ attention to the exit. “Sorry for the holdup,” Steve Rogers declared, wearing a solid gray T-shirt, black jacket, and blue jeans. Behind him, the small drone Homer hovered cautiously before flying over to Stark.

Steve walked past the line of chairs the ponies had commandeered, instead choosing to stand next to Tony. He faced them, however, and said, “Couldn’t get much sleep last night. But thanks to Homer we can start the meeting right on schedule.”

He turned to Stark, nodding. “Shall we?”

“Let’s not waste any more time than we need to,” Stark replied. “You know how much President Ellis hates waiting.”

“I don’t know that,” Steve said, smiling.

“Oh,” Stark muttered. “Well, then. Homer!”

The small drone hovered to each empty chair directly in front of the mares, placing a small device on each stand resting in front of the chairs. After that was done, he flew back to hover next to Stark. He stated, “Initiating hologram program alpha, sir.”

Then, to the wild amazement of the mares, each stand lit up and revealed an entity resting upon each of the twelve chairs. Most appeared male, some were female, but all of them were old. Much older than either Stark or Rogers. The images of the people flickered every now and then, but they moved as if they were sitting right there at that exact moment.

Some smiled to the presence of the two Avengers, others didn’t. Some smiled to the seven mares and one dragon sitting behind the two, others didn’t. But they all offered their own form of greeting as Homer hovered in front of each individual.

“It is my honor to introduce simply a few of the many leaders Earth has to offer,” the AI declared, flying over to the first man on the far left. “The President of the United States, Matthew Ellis.”

President Ellis smiled and acknowledged everyone with a quick hand gesture. His name appeared in bright, bold lettering directly in front the stand he sat behind. A sigh escaped the Alicorn, no longer having to worry about remembering names. Homer flew over to Ellis’ left, to the man sitting next to him, and said, “The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin.”

The Russian President performed the same gesture as had President Ellis, except he didn’t smile. His name also appeared in front of his stand. Homer went on, stating the name of each individual he hovered in front of, each offering their own greeting.

“The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. The South Korean President, Park Geun-hye. The King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud. The Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzō Abe. The French President, François Hollande. The United Kingdom Prime Minister, David Cameron. The current Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis. The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel. And the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping.”

President Jinping bowed his head in respect, smiling to the seven alien equines and their young dragon. Nearly lost in stupor, Twilight shook her head and smiled back, though a bit nervous. Thankfully for her, Homer was there to capture everyone’s attention. He flew in the center of the conference room.

“Mr. Stark, we have secure connections and are ready to begin.”

“Nice work, buddy,” Stark stated, stepping back to stand next to Pinkie. “Take five.”

Homer flew back, right over Pinkie’s nose and hovered behind her. The action awoke the pink mare, causing her to slump forward, fumbling over her words. Fluttershy nervously tapped her hoof against Pinkie’s shoulder, earning the mare’s attention. All she did was point forward, falling into silence.

Pinkie followed the direction of her friend’s hoof, all the weariness from her eyes vanishing. Directly ahead of her, she saw the unamused expressions of several older gentlemen staring at her, almost belittling, unsure.

“Ooooo!” Pinkie exclaimed, her eyes fascinated by the holograms. She reached out her hoof, Stark’s hand stopping her.

“Don’t,” he said.

Steve Rogers chuckled at that. Turning away from the group behind him, the leader of the Avengers stepped forth to the land between the two worlds. Once there out in the open, Steve turned his head to the man on the far left began to speak, the eyes of the Equestrians shifting to him.

“Captain Rogers,” President Ellis began, “it’s an honor to see you again.”

“The honor’s mine, Mr. President,” Steve replied, smiling curtly. “I assume you, as well as everyone else present was given the rundown from Mr. Stark?”

“That we have, Captain,” President Putin stated in his native tongue, the hologram’s programming translating the Russian into precise English. “Perhaps it would be time to allow us to meet our new… extraterrestrial allies.”

“Allies to be, we would hope,” Prime Minister Shinzō Abe added.

Captain Rogers nodded. “Right. So, without further interruptions, I will let Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equus take command.” He spun around, backing away to stand next to Applejack, but not before giving the Alicorn quick thumbs up.

Twilight chuckled nervously, gulping down whatever fear she had hoped to have left. She did a quick once-over of all her friends. Pinkie was wide awake and nearly hopping in her seat, Stark constantly shifting nervous glances to her. Fluttershy appeared even more pale than usual, shivering very slightly while under the heavy stares from Earth’s leaders. Rarity’s hooves remained planted in her seat, no longer fidgeting with her mane, instead letting her magic do just that.

She reached over and thumped Spike across the back of the head, instantly waking him up. Rubbing his scales, he opened his mouth to oppose Twilight’s actions, only to see her pointing ahead, nervous grin still held, sweat building on her forehead. Spike shot his gaze forward, mouth instantly zipping shut.

Starlight bit her lower lip, trying to look presentable, appearing almost, if not more nervous than her mentor. Rainbow had finally straightened up, thank Celestia. And Applejack leaned back in her chair, seeming to be the only calm character out of the bunch.

Then there was Steve, smiling to her, assuring her.

Somehow, Twilight felt that’s all she needed.

Clearing her throat, she offered her boldest smile yet and stared into the sea of alien eyes waiting for her to begin.

It’s time to change the worlds.

“I would like to begin by saying thank you to each and every one of you for taking time out of your very busy schedules to meet with us on this momentous occasion. It’s not every day you get to come across an entirely new alien race.”

“You would be surprised,” David Cameron, the UK Prime Minister, stated. He earned several chuckles from his side.

Twilight smiled politely, continuing shortly. “Yes, well, I assume that must be the case from Thor Odinson and the Asgardians. Just as them, my friends and I would like to stand for all of Equus when we say we want nothing but peace with Earth and all its inhabitants.”

The King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud, spoke up. “If I may interrupt, Your Highness?” Twilight smiled to him, nodding once. “Unless you have not been properly informed, disregarding the Asgardians, we have faced the threat of alien forces invading our world over the past few years. How can we truly know you and your world want peace?”

Twilight gulped silently. “Well, unless any of you weren’t properly informed, the Avengers helped our world during a time where we couldn’t hope to fight alone, against the threat known as Ultron.” She earned a few nods from Earth’s leaders, calming her slightly. “Since then, our world’s leaders owed a debt to the Avengers, and believed it to be right to make peace with the world they originated… which would be Earth.”

Twilight finished with a nervous chuckle, her smile instantly vanishing once the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, replied.

“Your world’s leaders?” he asked, earning the Princess’ attention. “Tell me, Princess Twilight Sparkle, why then your world’s leaders did not wish to participate in this ‘momentous’ summit, and instead choose to send you?”

The question almost caught her off guard, fumbling her words. “Um… well, um, P-Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are very busy running our country, and Princess Cadance is far too preoccupied with—”

“You speak of only princesses,” Narendra Modi, the Indian Prime Minister interrupted. “Are there no kings and queens in your world?”

Twilight quickly shot her attention to the Indian Prime Minister, saying, “Well, there are, but Equestria is ruled by two princesses. Well, three, if you count me, which I wouldn’t really say I’m a leader of Equestria—”

“You are not a leader of your home world?” King Salman asked.

“No, I-I am!”

President Putin dove back in to the conversation, asking, “What kind of princess are you exactly, Princess Twilight?”

Twilight bit her lip just as Starlight had, harder than she had. None of her friends spoke up, each of them feeling the same pressure she probably endured. So, with the eyes of the world on her, she eased herself to the best of her abilities and answered truthfully, with all that she knew.

“The Princess of… Friendship...?”

It couldn’t have come out more awkwardly.

If every eye wasn’t on her already, then—to her dismay—they were now. Some appeared confused, others judging, most unsure, confused. The French President, François Hollande began to chuckle to himself. “Well, that is certainly new,” he declared, earning at least one laugh from every individual. Pinkie Pie included.

While Rarity and Fluttershy turned questioningly to Pinkie, Twilight managed a forced smile, ultimately fooling nobody. She turned her eyes back to the holograms, seeing a certain Pope Francis smiling to her. Truthfully. Peacefully.

“We don’t wish for you to feel pressured, Princess Twilight. We all bring good intentions for this peaceful occasion,” Pope Francis offered.

The South Korean President, Park Geun-hye said, “However, we do wish to know what your intentions, while on Earth, are.”

Several others nodded to her statement, turning their attention back to the Alicorn.

Twilight gulped down nothing once again. “Well, our main priority is of course to make peace with Earth.”

“And how do you believe that has worked out so far?” Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, asked. “I hope most of us can see that your intentions are pure. I surely see that. But what of the rest of the world, Princess Twilight? The other nations that would not attend this summit? Do you believe you can make peace with them? Because I assume most of their initial thoughts of an alien race would refer back to the Chitauri incident.”

It grew unnaturally cold after that statement was laid out. President Ellis’ eyes were as hard as stone, his palms coming to rest on his lap. The Pope closed his eyes and muttered a quick prayer. Each of the ponies shared questionable glances with one another, each one of them thinking the same idea.

None of them having the courage to speak out.

Except one.

“What’s the ‘Chitauri’ incident’?” Fluttershy asked, the first pony to speak other than Twilight.

President Ellis sighed. Everypony turned to him, seeing the life drain from his figure, even with the hologram. He said, “I wouldn’t expect any of you to know about it, but about four years ago, one of America’s largest cities was savagely attacked by an alien army known as the Chitauri. Numerous lives were lost, estimated costs of damage were in the billions, and we only came out of it alive thanks to those two and their team.”

He pointed quickly over to Tony Stark, then shifted to the Captain. The eyes of the Equestrians followed his actions, holding on the two Avengers, and eventually returning to him.

President Ellis seemed to struggle, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his temples. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, continued for him. “You then see why most would be… apprehensive to the idea of aliens. It would be quite difficult to prove to the world that you truly aim for peace while here.”

“But… how?” Twilight asked, earning the interests of many. “How do you all suppose we can prove to the world that we want nothing but peace with Earth?”

It was nearly a full ten seconds before someone spoke, finally offering an answer to the princess. “Well, you have twelve of the most powerful leaders in the world sitting right in front of you,” Prime Minister Shinzō Abe explained, leaning forward. “So, Princess Twilight, you simply have to prove it to us.”

To her wild surprise, everyone seemed to agree, nodding with the man’s statement, and remaining silent after that. Their eyes settled upon her, the Princess of Friendship, and waited for her response. Except she couldn’t. For the life of her, even after accomplishing so much with such heavy odds weighing down upon her, the weight of that last question seemed to be the maximum.

How else could she prove that she meant good intentions? How else other than her word could she offer to them? For the life of her, she truly couldn’t figure it out.

It seemed somepony noticed her anxious eyes, the sweat falling from her forehead, and the lack of an answer for far too long. And for far too long, she let her teacher speak alone.

“Before Princess Twilight took me under her wing as her student, I saw the type of teamwork, the kind of friendship and bond she and her friends had formed with the Avengers. With their combined strengths, they were able to defeat Ultron and drive his army out of our world for good.”

All eyes, every single one, shifted to the unicorn resting in the seat next to the shaking princess. Tony leaned forward, brows rising in surprise. Steve followed, smiling gratefully to the mare for finally speaking her mind. For finally helping her friend.

Starlight Glimmer looked to Tony Stark, then to Captain America. She smiled. “I owe them… everything. And Twilight and her friends, too. Because of them I was able to understand that alone we can only stand for so long, but together we can overcome almost any foe.”

She sighed at the end of that statement, her eyes falling to her hooves. “And I should know… because I was almost responsible for aiding Ultron in the destruction of our world.”

That earned a few stunned expressions. Even President Putin’s stone expressions seemed to shift to something a little more… curious.

Starlight continued, confident to keep the tears inside. “If it hadn’t been for Twilight reaching out to me when I was at my lowest, for proving to me that there was still a chance at friendship, at… another life of peace and happiness, then I don’t know where I’d be.”

Her hoof fell into Twilight’s, gripping her softly, assuring her that she was there. She nodded to her, then faced the alien eyes and said, “So, if she can make peace with a deranged, sociopathic pony who believed that everypony didn’t deserve to hold their own special talents… then I can guarantee she can make peace with all of you.”

Twilight sniffed, desperate to keep the tears in. She shifted her attention quickly over to Fluttershy, the mare offering her own voice to the conversation.

“Um… Twilight also helped reform a Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony to become one of our closest friends,” Fluttershy meekly said.

Twilight smiled. “Wow, girls. Thank you—”

Pinkie dashed to the center of the room, breaking free from Tony’s grasp the moment she could. She danced, bounced, and shouted with joy, “And she helped a guilt-ridden princess to feel accepted into society who was once an evil monster called Nightmare Moon that tried to bring about eternal night and—”

“Okay, girls! Thank you!” Twilight yelled, giggling at Pinkie’s antics. Pinkie shot her eyes back to Twilight, then turned back to Earth’s leaders to see several of them smiling to her, others managing a soft chuckle to her antics. That was victory in her book.

Once Pinkie returned to her seat, President François Hollande eyed the Princess of Friendship. He asked, “Is this true, Princess Twilight?” She nodded, a smile as confident as all life plastered on her lips. He shifted his attention right. “Captain?”

Steve Rogers nodded, as well. “It is,” he answered.

A bustle of mumbling followed, all shared between the twelve leaders. In the midst of the unheard chat, Starlight gripped Twilight’s hoof. The two smiled to each other, each for confidence they so desperately needed.

Finally, after a short moment of silence, a polite cough broke the silence. Everypony turned to face the President of the United States. He leaned forward, rubbing his forehead. “We live in a world where aliens, genocidal robots, super soldiers, and God knows what else actually exist and have affected our lives. Now, we have talking alien ponies who have managed to make peace with some evil spirits and… sociopathic ponies.”

He looked to the unicorn. Starlight just smiled, chuckling nervously.

“With everything I’ve heard here today…” President Ellis shook his head, straightening upward. “Hell, I believe it. If we can make peace with Norse gods, then who’s to say we can’t make peace with talking equines? So, let’s make it happen!”

David Cameron nodded, declaring, “The United Kingdom, as well.”

“Here, here!” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

“Israel stands with Equus!” Benjamin Netanyahu added with a smile.

One by one, another following after the other, each represented leader from every corner of the globe came to an overall agreement: a peaceful bond between Earth and Equus. With each shout of unity, the smiles grew on each of the ponies’ faces, Spike joining them. Twilight was shaking with excitement, a shivering warmth building deep within her heart to see Earth’s most powerful leaders actually negotiate and fulfill peace for their world to hers.

A sense of accomplishment, easement, and peace filled her at last. She leaned to her left and wrapped her hooves around Starlight, bringing her student in for a strong hug.

“We did it, Starlight!” Twilight whispered excitedly. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

Starlight chuckled, patting her teacher’s back. “You led us this far, Twilight. If anything… I should be thanking you.”

The two broke away after a short moment. Once the unity of the nations had been accomplished, and after the excitement had finally died, President Ellis said, “This a truly a momentous occasion. You should be proud, Princess Twilight. You and all your friends.”

The eight friends all looked to one another, smiling gratefully. Truly feeling accomplished.

Ellis leaned forward, chuckling. “Now, onto everyone’s favorite subject of this summit: politics.”

Putin sighed, face falling into his palm. “Ponies, friendship, and now politics. I need a drink.”

“You and me both, Putin,” Stark added.

New Avengers Facility, Hallways

2:46 p.m.

“Well, I officially hate politics.”

Rainbow’s remark was ignored by the likes of Twilight, acknowledged by the likes of Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Applejack… pretty much everyone else. The group trekked down the long hallway of the New Avengers Facility, their journey to the kitchen to fetch some much-needed lunch.

While Dash and several others held their head low, tail dragging, Twilight held her head up high, a proud and accomplished smile on her lips. She said, “Well, I think that went pretty well.”

“All things considered,” Rarity added, still fumbling with her mane.

“Hmm… Maybe,” Twilight shrugged, turning the corner, the other following behind her. “I guess we’ll just have to see tomorrow.”

Dash nearly froze in her tracks, eyes wide. “Tomorrow?” she asked, voice shrill. She shot over to Twilight’s side, almost frightening the Alicorn. “Wait, what’s going on tomorrow that has to deal with politics?”

The word came out like venom on her tongue, causing Twilight to frown. She personally enjoyed the differing political agendas between the different nations of Earth. She huffed, saying matter-of-factly, “Well, if you didn’t fall asleep halfway through the final hour of the discussion you wouldn’t have to ask that question, Rainbow.”

Rainbow replied to Twilight’s remark by sticking out her tongue behind the Alicorn’s back.

Tony perked up after Twilight’s remark, saying, “Oh, yeah, thanks for reminding me. Everypony, be sure to get a lot of rest for tonight especially. No parties, no drinking—as much as I hate to admit it.”

He eyed Pinkie as he said that, the pink mare only smiling and looking away innocently.

Dash’s expression was far from innocent. She was downright horrified. “Why, though?” she asked/complained. “We already met with Earth’s leaders! What else is there?”

“Meeting the President of the United States in our nation’s capital,” Tony replied, smirking to Dash as he escaped to the kitchen. “You can’t sleep through this one, Skittles.”

Chapter 12 - One Month Later

One Month Later

Upstate New York

New Avengers Facility, Hallways

3:15 p.m.

He couldn’t believe it had already been a month since Lagos. It felt like only yesterday he had stepped out of the Avengers Quinjet and saw them battered, bruised, shaken to the core, but well alive. All alive. In victory, and with Twilight in the hooves of her best friends. All safe.

Then he saw the burning building, the grim expressions from everypony, everyone, Starlight and Wanda especially. He hadn’t known what had happened, at least not yet. After the rundown from Rogers, he could understand, and couldn’t believe half of it. How Starlight, such a talented, strong, and powerful unicorn had experienced such horrors, and whether or not it was her fault.

Stark couldn’t fathom what Wanda must have been going through.

But they were safe. Through the storm, they found their calming waves. Twilight’s system was cleaned of the drugs, she was given time to recover with friends, relaxation, and long, long days trying to ignore the press and focus on personal matters. In just a couple weeks, Twilight Sparkle everyone had known and loved was feeling as right as rain. Every now and then Stark would see that smile grace her features, the same smile he had grown accustom to.

Things really began to calm down after that. Threats from any other terrorist were nonexistent. Every news station in America was filled to the brim with material, what with the attack in Washington, the devastation at Lagos, and what the Avengers planned to respond with. The Avengers hardly did. Once Stark had left, Steve had said that everything would be figured out soon. He prayed, at least. Stark wished he still could.

It had been roughly a week since he’d spoken with them, any of them. His trip to MIT a couple weeks back hadn’t ended as well as he had wished. He had left that university a little more broken than he had arrived. He had tried to take his mind off the Avengers, off all the work he had done in the past, off everything. And yet he was still reminded again and again.

Sokovia. The men, women, and children who’d lost their lives. Pepper.

All because of him.

But then again, those times were behind them. Those were the calming waves. It wouldn’t be long before the remainder of that storm followed through. And it did. Their special guest for the evening, the Secretary of State, wished to speak with them concerning the events of Lagos.

Concerning everything.

Another headache began to form in his skull the moment Stark had reached the guest room where Twilight was. Nopony else were in any of their respective rooms, and they weren’t present in the conference room where they were meeting, or any of the other conference rooms for that matter. It all narrowed down to the last room he hadn’t checked. The hushed whispers from within were also a defining indicator.

He knocked twice, heard a faint “come in”, then opened the door.

There they were. Twilight and Starlight rested on the bed, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Spike surrounding them on the carpet. Rainbow Dash, naturally, hovered above all of her friends, her eyes turning to the man entering the room.

It may have been a week or two since he had seen them, and they hadn’t changed much. Same defining qualities, stressed Twilight with comforting friends assuring her of the easement they’d face as long as they were together. All that jazz.

Tony sighed, pointing behind him. “It’s been a long day, girls, for all of this. Let’s get whatever we’ve got to do over with. The sooner we do… the sooner he leaves.”

He couldn’t have made it any more hopeful for them. As if they had been sent to their death, each of their mares offered their own goodbye to the disgruntled princess and her equally worried student. They turned around, and in an orderly fashion, exited the guest room. Leading them was Applejack, followed by Rainbow Dash, then Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Spike.

Tony stuck his head back and watched them walk down the hall. “Find Rogers!” he called, some turning their heads back. “He’ll tell you where to go!”

He saw them nod and continue on their way. Not a word. He didn’t expect any.

Instead, Stark brought his attention back into the poorly-lit room, back to the two mares who had yet to make some form of movement. He didn’t blame them. Long, hard day, pressures from the media and the U.S. government, constant reminders of past mistakes, all coming down to what the Secretary of State had to say about it.

It sucked, it really did. Still, they had to do it.

Twilight laid her hoof gently on Starlight’s shoulder, the unicorn trying desperately to regulate her breathing. She had been dreading this day ever since Lagos, where her mistakes were finally going to come back and bite her. Oh, Celestia, she deserved it. She deserved every bit of it. So many innocent people dead because of her foolish decision-making. She wouldn’t blame the Secretary of State to warrant for her arrest the moment she stepped in that conference room.

Twilight’s hoof pressed harder onto her shoulder. Starlight closed her eyes.

“Come on…” Twilight whispered to her. Tony leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms. Starlight didn’t move, her breathing increasing. Twilight pressed on. “We face it together,” she finished.

After a moment between the two, Starlight eventually gave in, nodding. She hopped off the bed and slowly made her way to the exit. Behind her, Twilight said, “I’ll meet you shortly, Starlight.”

Starlight nodded back to her, stopping just by the exit right where Stark stood. She glanced at him. Tony stared at Twilight, but asking Starlight, “You doing alright?”

No sass. No snarky attitude. Just a simple question. Starlight exhaled greatly, something she had learned from Twilight, and said, “I’m… I’m fine. I’m just… How am I going to go about this?” Tony looked at her. “Are they going to address what I did?”

“They’re gonna address a lot of things,” Tony answered.

Starlight looked away, blinking hard. “Do… Do I tell them that it was a mistake? I-I tried to hold it, I really did! If we didn’t get rid of the bomb it would’ve killed Steve, Rainbow, all of those civilians!” She sighed. “I guess it doesn’t matter. People would have died regardless of what happened… because of me.”

“Hey, look at me,” Tony sternly stated, stepping forward from the doorframe to stand closer to Starlight. The unicorn obeyed, a terrified quiver in her eyes, an uncertain expression etched in her face. Stark pointed at her, saying, “None of that was your fault. You had little to no control over what happened, you were thrust into a situation where you had to act on instinct, and you did what you did to protect your friends.”

“But… people still died—!”

“Do not put that guilt on you,” Tony growled, causing Starlight to back away. He relaxed, closed his eyes, and exhaled gently through his nose. Rough at first, then slow and steady. “You had no idea people were in that building, neither did Wanda. You’re gonna tell them that, apologize for everything that had happened, and tell them you were only looking out for the Captain and your friend. Okay?”

She absorbed his words carefully, staring at the floor. Eventually, she nodded, looking back to meet Stark’s gaze. He nodded too, holding his hand out to the hall. “Speaking of which, go on and find Cap. He’ll tell you where to go.”

“Alright.”

“We’ll meet you there, Star,” Tony called to the unicorn. She didn’t respond, nor did she look back. Stark stared at her a moment longer before he retreated into the guest room, right where Twilight still sat.

She seemed fine. Shaken, but still capable. Though her mane was a tad in shambles despite Rarity’s earlier attempts to fix her up, the Alicorn didn’t seem to mind. Stark didn’t either. He sat right next to her, clapping his hands once before letting them fall between his legs. Twilight didn’t move. She stared on ahead, barely breathing.

Barely doing much of anything.

“How you holding up?” Tony asked.

Small talk was good. Always good. Twilight shook her head. “I should’ve jumped off that stage.”

Tony leaned his neck back, fully facing the princess. She continued. “I should’ve found my friends before the tear gas swarmed the crowd. I should’ve stayed with them. I should’ve done a lot of things. So much could have been prevented if I just…”

She stopped talking after that. Stark nodded. “I should’ve stopped them from taking you,” he added, breaking the silence, “but I didn’t. I messed up. I didn’t react in time, and I paid for it.”

Twilight looked to her hooves, then back to the floor. She muttered, “It’s not Starlight’s fault. I try to keep telling her that.”

“I know.”

“It’s my fault.”

Tony blinked, kept his gaze locked on the Alicorn. “Twi—” he began.

“All those people dead… because of Rumlow and what he wanted,” Twilight interrupted, prompting Stark’s silence. She shook her head, then finally turned to face him. “Do you know what he wanted? He wanted me.”

She sighed, facing away again. She could feel Stark’s eyes peering into her. “I could remember waking up the first time. I could barely see in that dark warehouse, but I could hear. Clearly. Seeing them… those animals actually cheer and celebrate over what they did in Washington. I tried to fight back, I tried to do anything, really, but my body wouldn’t let me. The tranquilizer was still fresh in my system. Next thing I know they’re injecting me again, Cross... Rumlow actually saying everything was going to be alright.”

She actually exhaled, almost making it seem like a scoff. “For him, he said.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“Really?” Twilight asked, her voice cracking. She spun fully to face him head-on, now visibly crying. “He threatened the lives of so many innocent people—my friends being a few of them—he killed over a hundred, and all of it just to get to me. Washington, Lagos, and who knows how many other places he would’ve struck if he still had…”

Her hooves were pressed against her chest, right over her heart. They slowly fell to the bed, her eyes doing the same. Stark watched her, watched as she wept and mourned. He watched until he couldn’t any longer. He grabbed the bottom of her chin, gently but sternly, and brought her eyes back up to meet his.

He said, “You were a hostage, Twilight. I don’t know if you have hostage situations that much in Equestria, but here on Earth that crap happens every other day. And it is never… ever… the victim’s fault.”

Stark broke away after that, standing up off the bed. Twilight followed him with her eyes, her foreleg rising to wipe each one. Tony rubbed his face, mumbling something to himself. He turned to her and said, “Look… what happened in Washington or Lagos is something we can’t change. We’re gonna have to pay for it one way or another. This is life, Twi. It doesn’t matter if we’re on Earth, Equestria, Asgard, or some other godforsaken dimension.”

Twilight looked away, sniffing loudly, rubbing her nose. Tony shook his head. “We make mistakes, and they come back to bite us in the ass. And honestly… this affects the Avengers more than you or your friends.”

Whether that statement was meant to ease her worries or do something else, Twilight hadn’t acknowledged it well. After a short pause, she sighed, and said, “I just… I just hoped… Earth would be different.”

“I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t hoped for the same thing.” Twilight looked to him, saw him offer some kind of smile. She saw it crumble. “But there’s always evil, Twilight. No matter how many miles you’re away from home, no matter how much you believe you left it all behind. Humanity has done some pretty shitty things for as long as we’ve been alive, and yet we haven’t blown ourselves up. So, don’t lose hope… at least not yet.”

After breathing in the man’s words, Twilight stopped, then thought twice about what he said. “What do you mean by that?” Twilight asked.

Stark looked down, his hands falling into his pockets. He sighed. Kind of defeated, kind of worn. A little of both. He said, “While Lagos was mainly an Avengers mission… your friends were still involved. Let’s just say the Secretary of State, Thaddeus Ross, has been eager to speak with Steve, Wanda… and your student on what exactly happened.”

He stepped aside from the exit. Twilight sighed alongside him. Kind of defeated, mostly worn. She approached and exited her room. “That’s what I’ve been afraid of.”

Tony closed the door behind her. “You and me both.”

Chapter 26 - One at a Time

Berlin, Germany

Minutes Earlier

Once the lid popped off, all that sat within the crate was a jumbled mess of wires, mechanical rims, and God knows what else. Brow furrowing in a blend of confusion and concern, the electrician turned his attention to the white van, where the strange device had come from.

He shouted something in German, something of concern to the device that had been mailed to him. The man from the van turned back, watched as the electrician fell back once the package detonated.

He felt the wave wash over him, knocking out his van’s headlights and pushing outwards, like a blast wave that couldn’t be stopped. He could see several explosions across the power grid station once the wave enveloped it, bolts of electricity traveling like serpents up and down the metal towers. He could see as the wave continued, the electric lines exploding closer and closer to the city of Berlin.

Joint Counter Terrorist Centre

5:12 p.m.

Flashing red lights in the darkness. Bucky sat in his entrapment, staring straight forward. “What the hell is this?” he asked, pure malice in his tone.

“Why don’t we discuss your home?” the doctor asked. “Not Romania. Certainly not Brooklyn, no.” He slowly pulled out a little red book, a silver star in the center. Bucky’s breathing grew heavier, his fists tightening. Something sparked, the image of that silver star surrounded by red burning in the back of his mind, the worst memories he could remember.

Helmut Zemo smiled. “I mean… your real home.”

Taking off his glasses, Zemo stood and approached Bucky. With a flashlight in hand, he began to read within the book in clear, solid Russian.

“Longing…”

Bucky closed his eyes. “No…”

“Rusted…”

Raising his head, Bucky stared straight up to the ceiling. “Stop.”

“Seventeen…”

Bucky clenched his metal fist. “Stop!”

Zemo stood in front of the glass, daring to eye the Winter Soldier, not backing down from his glare. “Daybreak!”

Bucky screamed with an inhumanly power. With strength even he hadn’t known, he ripped his metal arm free from its lock.

“Furnace!”

Zemo circled the cage as Bucky stood free. He rammed his fist into the glass door, screaming as he did so. “Nine!”

“Benign!”

Cracks begin to appear among Bucky’s grunts.

“Homecoming!”

Crack.

“One!”

Larger and larger.

“Freight car!”

With an aggravated bellow, Bucky broke down the door to his cell. Zemo stood in silence. He closed the book, turned off his flashlight, and approached the man. He slowly stood to his feet, staring straight ahead, a blankness in his stare. “Soldier?” Zemo asked.

“Ready to comply,” Bucky muttered, sweat streaming down his forehead.

He smiled. “Mission report. December 16, 1991.”

5:15 p.m.

Among the chaos within the control room, Everett Ross did his best to lead his men out of the darkness, and bring them into the light. “Evac all civilians,” Ross ordered into his walkie-talkie. “Get me a perimeter around the building, and gunships in the air.”

While men and women hurried back and forth, trying desperately to get communications and computers back online, Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff were hurrying through the chaos, a pack of concerned mares on their heels.

The chaos had started the moment the lights went out. The ponies could see the breakdown of the facility, the unknown of what would emerge from the blackness. They had already seen Steve and Sam make a break for it during the power outage, most likely to secure Barnes. But there was something not right about the situation, something gnawing at the back of Twilight’s mind.

“Please tell me you brought a suit,” Natasha said, hurrying through the complex with Stark by her side, the ponies behind her.

“Sure did,” Stark replied, his voice just as urgent. “It’s a lovely Tom Ford, three-piece, two-button. I’m an active-duty non-combatant.”

“What do you want us to do?” Twilight asked.

Stark turned his neck back for a second, already shaking his head. “Stay back while we handle this. There’s no telling if Barnes is secure or not. We can’t have him in his state going anywhere near you or your friends,” Stark said.

“We can take care of ourselves, Tony!” Rainbow argued.

“Yeah, those cat scratches on your face say otherwise.”

Ignoring the growing red in Dash’s eyes, Stark stepped aside as Sharon Carter pushed past him. “Follow me,” she interrupted, rushing by Stark and Natasha. She paused, however; looked back to the ponies, and nodded to Stark. “We’ll need all the backup we can get.”

“Why?” Natasha asked.

“Just got an emergency call,” Sharon answered, staring directly to Natasha, unease in her gaze. “Barnes is loose.”

Looking back at the ponies, Stark straightened his expression. He could see the determination in their eyes, the fearlessness they exemplified. Facing forward, Stark nodded to Sharon. “Lead the way,” Stark told her.

With that confirmation, Sharon took off, the rest following right behind her. As the group left, little did they know their conversation had been picked up by some curious ears.

One from a Panther and one from a Punisher.

T’Challa, lowering his phone, quickly stood up and scanned his surroundings. He watched the group exit the chaos, entering the light to chase down the Winter Soldier. The target. No one paid him any heed. He quickly pulled off his jacket and followed quietly behind the group.

A security guard held a nearby door open, failing to see King T’Challa slip through several guards. His attention was centered on the much smaller man in a tight, gray suit. “Keep your eyes on him. Do not let him out of your sights,” the man ordered.

He nodded to Everett Ross. “Yes, sir.” Closing the door, he turned to his partner. “You hear that? Don’t give him any freedom.”

The second guard nodded, gripping his baton. “Copy that.” He cautiously eyed the man sitting patiently in front of the blank table, his head slowly rising.

Frank Castle kept his eyes glued on the door, watched as the chaos ensued on the outside, the darkness and the flashing red. He remembered seeing King T’Challa rush by, clearly on the trail of the Winter Soldier. He had heard what Stark and the others were talking about. Barnes was loose.

He was free.

Tightening his fists, he looked back down to his wrists locked within the cuffs. He looked to his right, spotted the slight glint of the golden keys on the guard’s belt. The guard glared him down, hand on his pistol, ready to unload if Castle tried anything smart.

Feeling the presence of the guards behind him, Castle closed his eyes and muttered, “One chance, gentleman.”

They looked at each other.

“I can stop Barnes, but you have to let me go.”

The second guard scoffed. “What the hell do you think this is? The only place you’re going is a cold, dark cell.”

“I do respect law enforcement, yes I do. They’re just doing their jobs. They don’t deserve it.”

The shooter spoke to himself, his voice becoming less and less audible. The guards noted his posture, noted his heavy breath, and noted his fists tightening within the locks of the cuffs. They looked at one another, mentally nodding to one another, knowing what might happen if they let their guards down.

So, they didn’t. They slowly reached for their pistols.

Castle shot up, driving his elbow into the unsuspecting face of the guard on his right. He reared his knee upwards and struck the second guard right in the gut. He finished him off with a solid boot to the face, knocking him out cold. He returned to the first guard, grabbed the man’s pistol and ripped it from his hands. He grabbed the barrel of the pistol and smacked it right across the guard’s temple. He slumped to the floor, blood trailing from his nose.

Castle breathed softly, the blood slowly dripping from the gun in his hands.

“They don’t deserve it.”

Reaching down, Frank plucked the keys from the bleeding guard’s belt. He took off the cuffs around his wrists, rubbed each one, and turned back towards the door. He picked up the pistol and made his way out. He walked right through the chaos. No one even noticed him.

5:18 p.m.

The sounds of breaking bodies and painful cries was all Stark needed. Hiding behind a pillar, watching as Barnes took out a few guards, Stark waited intently for the signal. He heard from his comms, “We’re in position.”

Natasha. That was all he needed. Stark brought up his right hand and began to tap onto his wristwatch. The device began to transform, slivers and pieces of metal molding with Stark’s palm until it formed what appeared to be a fingerless glove. His palm glowed bright, a silver circle resembling the Iron Man armor in the center of his hand.

He stepped out of hiding, pointed his fist forward, and fired a concussive blast right for Barnes. The Winter Soldier staggered at first, then raised his eyes to the approaching man. Stark stepped closer, Barnes glaring him down. He fired again, this time a quick flash of blinding light. Barnes recoiled.

With that slight bit of weakness, Stark dove right in. The two went at it, exchanging blows, connecting strikes. Barnes pulled out a pistol, Stark’s eyes widening. He grabbed Barnes’ wrist, the pistol pointed at him. Reacting quickly, Stark placed his armored palm over the muzzle, the gun firing. He could feel the bullet impacting his palm, but doing nothing more than that.

He tore off the slide and smacked it against Barnes’ temple. Replying quickly with an elbow to Stark’s face and a powerful strike to his chest, Barnes watched as Stark crashed through a few tables, eventually finding the sweet, sweet comfort of the floor.

But he wasn’t home free just yet. Sharon and Natasha were already on top of him. Sharon kicked him and Natasha rushed forward with a knee to Barnes’ stomach. He staggered, but quickly adjusted himself. Sharon continued to kick at him, her blows meeting his chest and forehead. However, Barnes caught her leg, flipping her until she crashed on a wooden table. Out cold.

Natasha latched herself onto him, swinging herself around until her legs were locked around his neck. She began pelting him with elbows to the forehead, but even that didn’t stop him. He slammed her on a nearby table, his metallic palm shooting out and wrapping around her throat. Natasha gasped, eyes bugging as her hands met Barnes’ wrist.

“You could at least recognize me,” she muttered, her throat constricted by the added pressure of Barnes’ grip around her. He further tightened his grasp, Natasha gasping, “Alright, girls, I need that backup.”

A magical bolt struck Barnes on his side, breaking him away from Natasha. She gasped, clutching her throat.

Barnes faced forward and watched as a stampede of small, colorful horses charged him. The leader, the violet Alicorn, fired again, her horn launching a bolt of energy right into his chest. Barnes staggered, and barely recovered as the mares moved in.

He blocked the strikes of the approaching orange horse, followed by the magical blasts of the pale pink unicorn. The Alicorn struck again, hitting his leg with another magical blast and knocking him down to one knee. Starlight struggled to hold him down with her magic, but it was no use. He swung with his metal arm, smacking Starlight across the face. She hit the wall with stunning force, knocking her out on impact.

Watching Starlight hit the wall, Applejack was unprepared when the metal fist came for her. It struck her square in the face, her head rearing back unnaturally as her body tumbled backwards. Applejack lay on her side, the blood dripping from her muzzle. Rarity slid to a stop, gasping at the bloody mess that lay in front of her.

“Applejack, speak to me!” Rarity cried. Applejack lazily looked up at her, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. She was out cold.

Growing a furious frown, Rarity rushed forward with Barnes’ attention on Twilight. “How dare you hurt my friends, you ruffian—!”

She slid to a stop once more, but for different reasons. Her eyes widened at the sight of the sunlight pouring down and illuminating the metal on his arm. The metal on his arm. His…

Joining them was a similar human male holding some attributes to Captain America, yet the only thing off about him was his arm. His metal arm.

She was so dazed, visions rushing through her eyes, that she never saw the foot coming. Barnes kicked her so hard she impacted the opposite wall, a terrible cry erupting from the unicorn upon impact. She crashed onto a table filled with leftover food and drinks, the filth mixing with her coat, and was soon to pass out.

“Rarity!” Twilight screamed, turning back to Barnes, fury ripe in her eyes. However, the fury quickly died as Barnes’ metallic grasp gripped her throat, pushing her to the ground with such ferocity she lost all the breath in her lungs. Gasping, Twilight soon lost the ability to breathe when Barnes pressed further down on her throat, cutting off precious oxygen.

And she could see the inhumanity in his eyes, the blank stare of a cold killer staring right at her. Twilight shuddered, her breath and her life slipping away.

“Bucky, stop!”

He suddenly jolted his head upwards, releasing Twilight and swinging his metal arm straight to the sky. Rainbow Dash, rushing forward blindly in an attempt to knock him off of Twilight, unfortunately met Bucky’s left fist to the bottom of her jaw. She was sent rocketing upwards, hitting the ceiling. The rest was history. She fell down knocked out clean, landing right in front of Barnes.

Noticing each mare dealt with and out of the picture, Barnes rose and prepared to—

“That is quite enough, mister!”

Spinning around, Barnes stopped as the last of the mares blocked his path. This one was a yellow, meager Pegasus, a long pink mane and tale joining her. She glared him down, tried desperately to show her most ferocious features. It didn’t work. Whatever she was doing, it wouldn’t slow him down. Barnes took a step forward.

He stopped.

His eyes widened unnaturally.

She did the same.

Using the Stare, Fluttershy could see passed the eyes of the Winter Soldier, and saw deeper. She saw a blackness unlike anything she could’ve imagined. Within that blackness, all she could hear was screaming. Constant screaming. Not one of terror, not one of sadness, but of pain. Unrelenting, hellish pain. In that blackness, Fluttershy could see a lone man trapped, hunched over, screaming until his throat shed blood. She approached the lone man, and saw his face, saw his eyes.

She didn’t see the relentlessness of the Winter Soldier, or the blank stare of the murderer that had hurt her friends. She saw torment in the man’s eyes, streaks of blood and tears flowing down his face. She gasped, and for the first time, broke away despite her control.

Shaking his head, Barnes opened his eyes. He could see the yellow mare staring right up at him, eyes large and burning, lips quivering. He shook his head once more and pushed the mare aside. Fluttershy fell to the ground, squeaking in fear and watching as the broken man walked away.

She tried to talk, say anything to stop him, but she couldn’t. Fluttershy didn’t feel like doing much of anything but lying there and cry.

Even then, she couldn’t do that. Fluttershy yelped as another man walked right on by her, grabbed a nearby chair, and flung it right for Barnes with his back turned.

The wooden chair broke apart as it hit Barnes in the back, the Winter Soldier staggering forward. With fire-like breath, Barnes spun around, quickly reacting to the pistol aimed at his forehead, and drove his left arm into it. The pistol fired, flying off and hitting the opposite wall. Barnes turned to face his assailant, meeting the cold, cold glare of Frank Castle.

Castle didn’t waste a second and went at Barnes again, swinging wildly. The Winter Soldier blocked his incoming strikes, replying with his own. Castle landed a blow to the Winter Soldier’s temple with his fist, managing to push him near the stairs. Grabbing Barnes by the throat with both of his hands, gaining whatever strength he had, Castle focused primarily on choking away whatever life was left in the murderer.

However, Barnes wasn’t quitting yet. He reared forward, grabbing Castle by the throat with his metal palm. Even with his years of training, despite being quite strong himself, Castle couldn’t respond to the power of the Winter Soldier’s metal arm. With a powerful grunt, Barnes rammed Castle’s head in the support rail by the stairs. A powerful clang resounded through the air, Castle instantly falling limp in Barnes’ grasp.

Letting the man fall to the floor below him, Barnes breathed heavily. He heard another yelp from the yellow Pegasus, prompting his eyes forward. He was met once again by a boot to the chest, causing him to back away.

Barnes met the furious stare of King T’Challa shortly afterwards.

T’Challa was relentless, sending kick after kick for the man responsible for killing his father. Barnes swung with his left fist, T’Challa leaning back and replying with his own strike, landing one nicely on Barnes’ cheek. The Winter Soldier roared, driving his fist into T’Challa’s chest.

He rolled onto his back, and quickly landed on all fours, remaining in a pouncing position, eyes on his target. He was already up the stairs, disappearing behind the wall. T’Challa rose up and chased him down, and just before Barnes could make his escape, T’Challa cut him off, the two staring each down.

T’Challa sent a flurry of quick strikes with his feet, Barnes blocking each one. Barnes swung for him with his metal arm, attempting to end the confrontation, but T’Challa was too quick. He grabbed Barnes’ arm, surprisingly holding the Winter Soldier still. Flipping the murderer over his shoulder, the two tumbled down the set of stairs Barnes had recently climbed up.

The two rose in tandem, sending a few punches to each other. T’Challa blocked Barnes’ fist, and roared as he delivered a powerful kick to his sternum. The Winter Soldier impacted the wall past the railing, falling down to the floor below.

T’Challa was quick to react, leaping across the stairs’ railing and spinning around to find his target. But he couldn’t.

Like the ghost he was, the Winter Soldier was gone. All that was left were the constant groans of pain from the pile of mares, Avengers, agents, and a familiar shooter surrounding the shattered tables. All victims of the Winter Soldier.

Rooftops

5:26 p.m.

Matt Murdock tightened his jaw as he desperately tried to listen.

He heard everything. From the interrogation of the Winter Soldier, to the sound of Castle’s head impacting a metal bar, Murdock continued to listen and form the picture of the situation in his mind. He paused, however, when he heard a fairly familiar voice.

Standing at the very edge of the rooftop, Murdock scanned the streets below, from the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre to the garage. He heard the revving of an engine, belonging to a large vehicle. Possibly a van. He continued to listen, listen for the voice he heard seconds earlier. He could hear as the van drove out of the underground garage, entering the streets at an unusually quick pace.

He followed that van… and listened.

“… Another step down… another step closer. Soon… I will see you again…”

The voice. It was so oddly familiar. Murdock thought back to the interrogation of the Winter Soldier, hearing how calm and collected “Bucky” seemed to be. He remembered hearing those words, those Russian words almost sounding like a trigger of some sort. Whatever they were, they caused the Winter Soldier to go berserk, hurting anyone that got in his way.

And there was the man responsible, driving away in a van.

Murdock wasted no time in chasing him down, being certain to remain in the shadows, farther and farther down the rabbit hole he didn’t belong in.

Chapter 43 - Rainbow Crash

Leipzig, Germany

Leipzig Airport

3:13 p.m.

The first thing Steve Rogers noticed was Rainbow Dash flying by his right, offering a quick salute to him and Bucky. The next thing he noticed was the golden beam of raw, unhindered energy impacting the building overlooking the hangar bay, the entire structure collapsing right across the hangar’s entrance.

And, naturally, the next thing he noticed was the familiar red haze of energy covering the building, preventing it from hitting the ground. Looking back, Steve could see two things: one being the Vision hovering in the far-off distance, his forehead dimming. The next was Wanda Maximoff, her arms outstretched, palms lit up a brilliant bright ruby. It was no doubt Vision’s act to stop them, Wanda’s act to help them.

He didn’t want to leave her holding on forever, so he turned back and sprinted towards the hangar. Bucky did his best to keep up, his palm always firing back to cover his wound across his stomach, but he still managed. And Rainbow Dash, somewhat mesmerized by the hovering tower, snapped out of it and took off as fast as she could, easily catching up to the Captain.

With all that Steve saw in that moment, he never did catch Starlight Glimmer galloping up behind Wanda.

Having seen all that Wanda had done, Starlight realized the only thing keeping Steve, Barnes, and Rainbow from reaching their Quinjet was the tower dangerously close from hitting the ground directly in front of the hangar’s entrance. All that kept it holding was the woman standing mere feet in front of her, her attention elsewhere, completely unaware of the unicorn that slid to a stop behind her.

Starlight didn’t wait and shot a paralysis spell at her.

The spell struck Wanda in the back, right on her spine. Screaming out, Wanda’s arms shot down, her chest arching forward, her body collapsing onto the cement. The red in her palms had instantly vanished alongside, the haze that held the tower from falling. Steve, Bucky, and Rainbow were still several yards away once the debris struck the ground, the shadow of the tower tumbling down over the entrance. Steve slid under the tower’s debris, making it inside. Bucky, however, couldn’t move as fast he wanted, drops of blood trailing behind as he tried his damnedest to push onward. Rainbow saw this, realized he wouldn’t make it on his own, and flew back for him.

With speed that surprised even Bucky, Rainbow Dash pushed herself against his backside, beating her wings so hard it almost appeared as if Bucky was flying across the ground. Just as the tower fell over them, Rainbow gave a great yelp, launching Bucky forward, collapsing and rolling on the hard cement just as he had. But that didn’t matter to her. She rolled on her back, staring up at the ceiling of the hangar bay.

They made it.

Oh, thank Celestia, they made it.

Rainbow Dash breathed in, then sighed with a well-deserved grin on her face. After all the adversity, the conflict, the war with her best friends, it was all going to be over soon. They had the Quinjet, they had the coordinates, now they just needed a straight path to Siberia and to take down the doctor. Simple. Then, the world would finally know that Bucky was innocent, that everything they’ve done today was not in vain.

One step closer to ending it all.

One step closer to going home.

Rainbow Dash got up, fluffed her wings, and galloped forward. Only to stop once again. She stood between Steve and Buck, the two men frozen in their steps, their eyes forward. Rainbow didn’t need to follow their gazes. She knew what had stopped them from reaching the Quinjet. The Widow stood right in front of her.

Natasha Romanoff breathed rather heavily, her eyes on Steve alone. Her black suit had remnants of red juice on it, probably from Pinkie, Rainbow thought. Still, Natasha wasn’t bothered by it, shaking her head to them. “You’re really not gonna stop,” she said. It sounded more like a statement than a question.

Steve just eyed her cautiously, shaking his head back to her. “I’m sorry, Nat. We have to do this.” He barely glanced at both Bucky and Rainbow, the mare turning her heated stare away from Natasha for a brief moment to catch his gaze.

Natasha just sighed. “I know.” She shot out her arm and fired a single Taser Disk, and for a moment, everyone thought she had shot it at Rainbow Dash, causing the mare to flinch and spread her wings. However—and thank goodness Rainbow didn’t fly up to dodge it—the disk flew over her head, to the entrance of the hangar where it struck the Black Panther right in his chest.

Merely a few yards away from his target, T’Challa grunted as the disk struck his chest, the electricity causing his legs to stumble, and himself, to falter. Steve, Bucky, and Rainbow shared the same exact shocked expression, facing Natasha once more. She eyed Steve, arm still outstretched, and said, “Don’t make me change my mind.”

Steve just nodded to her. The three of them took off towards the Quinjet, Natasha firing disk after disk at the king.

The Quinjet was already open for them, probably another helpful hint from Natasha. Just as they turned and reached the ramp of the Quinjet, Bucky grunted and collapsed, grasping onto his bloody wound. Both Steve and Rainbow turning back to him. “Buck!” Steve yelled, rushing back and gripping his arm. Rainbow was by his side, beating her wings as she gripped Bucky’s remaining arm.

Steve looked back, seeing as Natasha stepped away as T’Challa grew nearer, every disk of hers only preventing the inevitable. It wouldn’t be long. Turning to Rainbow, Steve said, “Get him on the Quinjet! I’ll fly us out of here!”

Rainbow nodded. “You got it!”

As Steve left her to reach the pilot’s seat, Rainbow pulled even harder, her wings a blur, as she basically dragged the man onboard. She dragged him to the nearest bench, managing to pull him up and lay him down across it. He cringed, his palms leaking the blood he tried to desperately hold in. Placing her hooves on his chest to keep him situated, Rainbow turned to Steve. “We’re on!” she called to him.

Giving a thumbs-up, Steve activated the Quinjet, the entire ship awakening. Rainbow watched as he pressed a switch, then turned back to see the ramp come up, closing and locking them inside. The ship rumbled, the mare’s eyes gazing across the walls, watching the great machine rise to life. The Quinjet began to rise up, and just as Steve fired a few rounds at the collapsed tower to give them a clear escape, Natasha ran out of Taser Disks.

Black Panther pushed right on by Natasha the second he was free from her electrical grasp. He grunted, leaping right off some lone debris and reaching out to the Quinjet from which he arrived in. His claws managed to grip the wheel of the ship, but he let go once it slid inside the belly of the Quinjet. Falling and landing gracefully on his feet, T’Challa spun around, watching as his target escaped… yet again.

And the one to blame stood right in front of him.

The traitor.

“Why?” he growled, standing up.

Natasha managed a tiny smirk his way. “Never said I’d help you catch him.”

“Stark will hear of this,” he told her, growling as he pushed past her to make his way outside. Natasha watched him crawl over the tower’s debris, leaping into the sunlight and out of sight.

She stood there. Staring. Nothing more than that.

“I know,” she mumbled to herself. No one else but herself.

On the outside of the hangar, all remaining eyes turned to the sky to watch the Quinjet take off to the clouds. Vision, standing by Starlight Glimmer as they came next to Wanda, both watched as the Quinjet grew smaller and smaller with each passing second. Wanda’s pupils followed said Quinjet, as well, her breathing soft as Vision lowered himself next to her.

As for Sam Wilson, he hovered in mid-air, his HUD zooming in on the Quinjet. He pressed down on his comms, asking, “Steve, is that you flying off?”

“Yeah, that’s us. We’re headed to the exact coordinates now and… Oh, great.”

“What is it?” Sam asked. He answered his own question soon enough when his HUD captured two streaks of light trailing behind the Quinjet, growing dangerously close as the seconds ticked away. Sam pressed on his ear, saying, “Cap, you got Stark and Rhodes on your tail! I’ll be up there soon to take ‘em out!”

Before he could, before he could even lower his hand, he was stopped. Frozen was more like it. His body tensed up, a final yell escaping him as he fell to the ground, only to be caught in a purple aura of magic. He already knew what was coming. He was turned to meet the non-too-friendly eyes of Princess Twilight Sparkle hovering right behind him.

And all he could hear was: “You’re gonna need to hurry, Sam. They’re closing in fast.”

Twilight flew to the ground, bringing him with her against his will.

“Sam, do you read me?”

She placed him gently next to Wanda, meeting the eyes of Starlight Glimmer and nodding to her. Starlight nodded back, her gazes falling on the two frozen Avengers at their hooves.

“Sam!”

Both ponies twisted their necks around, staring up at the Quinjet and the two iron men chasing it down. Sam watched, too, and couldn’t do a damn thing about it.

3:16 p.m.

Lowering his hand from his ear, Steve looked back to the pilot’s window on his right, spotting War Machine growing closer. He looked to his left, seeing Stark disappear out of his line of sight. Pushing on the thruster, Steve said, “We lost contact with Sam! I’m gonna try to shake ‘em off!”

But before he could do so, Rainbow Dash flew up to his right, gazing out the window to see War Machine disappear from her line of sight. Frowning, the mare turned back to Steve, saying, “You can’t outrun ‘em, or shake ‘em off. Open the ramp, Steve. I can deal with them.”

Steve just shook his head, his gaze focused forward, trying to keep the Quinjet steady as its speed increased greatly. Gritting his teeth, he said, “No, I need you tending to Buck. Stay back and hold onto something.”

He couldn’t turn to her to see the frown on her face. His attention was fully onwards, on controlling the ship, on managing it, and hopefully to try and keep it away from the two quickly catching up to them. What did catch his attention, however, was when Rainbow slammed her sky-colored hoof on the ramp’s switch, taking off before he could react fast enough.

“Wait, no, Rainbow!” Steve shouted, spinning around to see Rainbow fly out from the tiny gap she had between the Quinjet and the ramp’s edge. She was gone, out into the skylines and quickly towards their approaching foes. He could see Bucky gripping onto the bench with his metal palm, the strength of his hand being enough to hold him safely in place.

Grunting, Steve paused the ramp and focused forward, keeping it slightly open. Just in case.

And as for Rainbow Dash, the mare shot out her wings, already feeling the power of the wind tear across her face. She could feel the skin on her cheeks folding back, her eyes narrowing to see both Tony Stark and James Rhodes fly past her. They cast her a quick glance before facing forward once more, leaving Rainbow in their exhaust trails. Giving her little attention was a mistake, as the mare took a quick turn upwards and back to the Quinjet. In little time, she was already catching up with the two men, her speed becoming more and more like a blur as she pumped her wings, as she tightened her body, as she flew forward and passed them.

Both Stark and Rhodes turned their heads up, watching the rainbow Pegasus fly over them quicker than they had ever seen. Stark especially, having seen the mare in action before, but this was a whole other level of Rainbow Dash than he had seen before. This was whole other type of speed that he had never seen the mare attempt. She was almost like a blur, going fast enough to easily pass the Quinjet and even blow through the atmosphere if she wanted. But she didn’t. Stark realized it the moment the air cone formed around her, and the very millisecond she shot downwards.

And then the explosion happened.

A literal rainbow explosion.

It appeared in the shape of massive wave of energy spreading throughout the sky. The lights, the colors, they were bright enough to blind anyone who was too close. Thankfully for Stark and Rhodes, their suits kept them safe from its harmful rays. It was all the suits could do against it, because the next thing they knew the wave blasted through them.

Right through them.

“Tony—!” Rhodes shouted, his eyes widening as the wave engulfed not only him, but Stark as well. He could feel its power even through his War Machine armor, the ripples of energy spreading across his skin, into his bones, and throughout his suit. And it destroyed it.

Rainbow Dash looked back to see her Sonic Rainboom destroy the suits. She could see as both Stark and Rhodes, their eyes dark, their chests blackened, simply dropped. They fell right out of the sky, their bodies twisting in turning in a way that showed no signs of physical movement, at least to their own command. And Rainbow Dash gasped.

She thought her Sonic Rainboom would just knock them off-course, give Steve enough time to escape. But no. Her Sonic Rainboom was so strong it disabled their suits. She managed to slow herself to a stop mid-air, her wide and horrified eyes watching as the two men vanished through the clouds they fell through.

Tony Stark could barely see as the world flew around him. All he could really see was the whites of the clouds, the blue of the sky, and the growing green of the grassy field that was growing ever-so closer beneath them. He flinched every few seconds, grunting, “Rhodey, do you read me?!”

Nothing. Nothing but the world whistling across the dark face of his helmet.

Then just as quickly as it died, Stark’s HUD came back to life, Homer’s voice saying, “Emergency power activated. Reboot complete.”

With that given to him, Stark eyed his surroundings, pressed his palms flat, and caught himself several hundred yards above ground. He looked around, saw and felt Rhodey fall by his side, his body a twirling mess of limbs and metal. He waited a second, then realized Rhodes’ suit wasn’t built with an emergency power function. Only Stark had installed that in his own.

“Rhodey!” Tony called, taking off after him. His body flailed about, his dark eyes meeting Stark’s every now and again. But he heard nothing on the comms. Absolutely nothing. The blast was like an EMP, frying everything. Damn it all, Stark couldn’t catch up.

Using everything he had left, Stark put it in his thrusters. It still wasn’t enough. Just wasn’t enough. Stark watched as his best friend hit the earth with such power that he could actually feel the impact himself.

“Rhodes!”

Stark stumbled as he landed, pushing himself up with his palm in the dirt as he hopped into the small crater. The dust was quick to settle, allowing Tony to gaze at the broken War Machine suit lying on its back, face upwards. With his helmet sliding back, Stark reached forward and ripped off the face mask of the helmet, tossing it behind him and gasping. He expected worse, but found luck, only a mild stream of blood flowing from Rhodes’ nose. His eyes were shut, as expected, and he didn’t seem to breathe. Stark couldn’t hear much after that explosion.

Laying his metal palm on his chest, Stark just said, “Homer, give me vitals.”

His voice was shaking, his eyes darting off and back to Rhodes. Homer came back quickly, saying, “I got a heartbeat, sir. It’s faint, but he’ll live. I’ll call for emergency medical right away, sir.”

He took one of the sharpest breaths of relief he could remember, closing his eyes. He came back just as fast, keeping his palm on Rhodey’s chest, his other beneath his head. And then he stared straight ahead, waiting for medevac, doing nothing but feeling the faint, faint pulse of his best friend’s heart every few seconds. He thought he remembered seeing Vision float down to him, his worried gaze landing on Rhodes. He couldn’t remember all that well.

Because all he really did was glare at the resulting rainbow explosion that spread through the sky and pushed away the clouds. Then he could see the pony flying high above the wave of rainbows. He saw her stare for a moment longer before flying away, retreating to the Quinjet.

And Tony Stark could do nothing more than glare at her. In the state he and his best friend were in thanks to her, he could do nothing more than that.

Chapter 60 - Changed the Worlds

Equus

Canterlot, Equestria

Canterlot Castle

6:52 p.m.

They talked about Rainbow Dash as they walked the halls of Canterlot Castle. She was with them, hanging on every word.

Things had gone swimmingly the moment they made it back home. While others, mostly Rarity and Spike, took the time to let their packages fall from their backs and let out a much-needed sigh of relief, Twilight walked right towards Friday, who had been awaiting their arrival ever since the portal began to reawaken. She gave the AI a hug, telling her that Tony Stark said hi. She appreciated that.

Then, Twilight took it all in. A fresh breath in, a great exhale out. For the longest time, she forgot what her library smelled like, and it felt so good to be breathing in the thousands upon thousands of pages that lined the walls of her library. The next thing she wanted to do, as well as everypony else, was to sleep and earn some much-deserved rest. But she knew they couldn’t. She wrote a letter to Celestia right away, Spike sending it off, informing her of their soon-to-be arrival. Even with the whining, everypony eventually agreed, leaving their backpacks and packages in Twilight’s castle as they made their way to the train station.

To inform Celestia and Luna of everything that’s happened on their journey.

Discord had a party in all of Ponyville. That’s what they came home to, at least. The streets were filled with party utensils, an abandoned DJ station and stage resting in the center of town. Ponies lied in a bunch, strewn out from one another, others cuddling under the shade. Everypony had at least a party hat and a horn on, the seven mares and baby dragon moving through the near-dead town. Then they saw him, the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony himself lying on a lamppost wearing heavy shades and a bent party hat. He looked absolutely filthy, cider stains and dried nacho dip on his face and body. His tail swung gently back and forth as it hung limply down the lamppost. He was surrounded by a pile of garbage and ponies.

But not one piece of garbage or a single pony came within one hundred yards of Twilight’s castle. He kept his promise after all. But he did find a way to trash Twilight’s home, anyway.

He didn’t notice the ponies and dragon below. As they passed him, Applejack bucked the lamppost and sent Discord crashing into the pile of garbage and ponies below, earning several surprised yelps. He didn’t even get up, just groaned and fell back asleep.

After they got on the train, the rest of their trip was silent. Unnaturally silent. Starlight sat with Twilight, Applejack with Rarity, Pinkie with Spike, and Fluttershy with Rainbow Dash. Pinkie did most of the talking for Spike, telling him all about the possibilities of Celestia’s and Luna’s reaction when they hear about Scott Lang turning into a giant, or when they almost died when Crossbones attacked them. Spike calmed her down, telling her that maybe Twilight should give Celestia and Luna the rundown on everything.

Rarity was spouting off about something having to do with tidying up and getting back to her business in Canterlot, but Applejack wasn’t listening. She stared out the window, forehead pressed to the glass, watching as the world ran away from her. Starlight and Twilight, on the other hoof, were both silent. Twilight didn’t stare out to the window to her right. She just kept her head down, eyes on her hooves, feeling the softness on her shoulder.

She met Starlight’s gaze, smiling softly as the unicorn told her everything would be okay. Celestia and Luna won’t be mad at her or any of them for what’s happened on Earth. The terrorist attacks, at least. The conflict within the Avengers… that would be much more difficult to explain.

Especially with…

The two mares seemed to share the same thoughts, swiveling their heads over to the two Pegasi sitting across. Fluttershy was quiet, as per the norm, and Rainbow Dash sat by the window right next to her, head low, jaws apart, a growing sense of fear and unease in her blank stare as the train grew closer and closer to Canterlot.

Twilight wanted to believe the princesses would understand. She prayed they would. Considering Rainbow’s position, Twilight didn’t blame her for feeling so nervous. Heck, she was nervous, too. But that didn’t mean they should back down and try to hide it away, believing it never even happened, which is what Twilight really wanted to do. But she couldn’t. Against her better judgement, she would face the princesses and tell them what happened. From beginning to end. The whole story. Every story. Leaving nothing out.

Even Rainbow’s fate.

What happens next, Twilight didn’t know. At first, Twilight believed she would be punished accordingly by the two sisters for breaking several of Earth’s laws and aiding a wanted criminal. But after discovering Bucky’s innocence, after learning what he did and that he really had no control, perhaps Rainbow shouldn’t even be punished. She was in the right all along. Still, she did go against the law. If that made the Captain a wanted fugitive, then what did that make Rainbow?

Twilight didn’t know. That’s why they discussed the topic as they strode through the halls of Canterlot Castle, slowly but surely making their way to the throne room.

“What do you suppose we even tell ‘er?” Applejack drawled, coming up next to Twilight. Rainbow sunk back behind the rest of the group, dragging her hooves, shivering slightly. Twilight saw it, ears falling flat, a sad sigh leaving her.

“We just tell her what happened. Both of them. The whole story. If I know Celestia, she’ll be quick to forgive. Luna on the other hoof…”

“I’m sure Luna would understand, too, Twilight,” Starlight added, walking by the Alicorn’s left.

Twilight just stared at the floor, ignoring the large tapestries that lined the hallways. She sighed again, nodding to Starlight’s rebuttal at last. “Yeah… you’re right. Rainbow has nothing to worry about.”

“You hear that, Dashie?!” Pinkie shouted, hopping in the air and spinning around to stare at the sullen Pegasus. She blew confetti in every direction, waving two streamers as she practically floated down the hall. “You’re off the hook!”

Quickly grabbing the pink mare, Rarity yanked her back to the ground, a soft frown on her face. “We don’t know that, Pinkie!” Rarity shushed, her uneasy eyes shifting back to Rainbow.

The Pegasus heard every word, only growing more uneasy as the throne room doors kept getting bigger and bigger. Fluttershy gently laid her hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder, gripping her tightly in an assuring manner. Rainbow looked to her right, seeing the comforting smile on the pony’s lips.

“It’s okay, Rainbow,” Fluttershy whispered. She raised her voice only slightly, but everypony else heard her. “Celestia and Luna will understand. They’ll know what you did was because you were representing your element, trying to help your friends even when everyone else were against and doubted you. You don’t have to be nervous. And hey, if it means anything, I also helped Bucky. So, if you get in trouble… I guess I get in trouble, too.”

While it hardly eased her fears over the princesses, Rainbow Dash still smiled, admiring Fluttershy’s kindness and loyalty. Just like her when she was still helping Steve and Buck through thick and thin. Just like that. She was hardly kind, though. “Thanks, Flutters,” Dash said, immediately flinching back as Pinkie gasped in mid-air, freezing there and spinning her neck back.

“Wait, does that mean I get in trouble, too?!” she screamed.

“I really doubt it, everypony,” Twilight exclaimed, earning their attention, their eyes rising to the large doors that separated them from the throne room. Pinkie hit the ground. Twilight laid her hoof on the crack between the doors, ready to push her way through. But not before she said, “Once we explain ourselves, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna will see where we’re coming from. Where all of us are coming from. Once we do that, I’m certain the princesses won’t find it too shock—”

The doors opened, smacking against Twilight’s face. The Alicorn yelped, backing away quickly along with the rest of her friends. Rubbing her cheek, Twilight and the others brought their gazes forward, expecting guards but seeing something much, much different. Spike’s jaw nearly hit the floor with how wide open it was. The others refrained themselves, but found speaking to be completely alien to them, just like the five individuals exiting the throne room and blocking their way.

They stopped moving, too. Their eyes landed on the group of seven mares and the baby dragon.

And they didn’t have a word to say.

The Guardians of the Galaxy didn’t have a single word to say. None of them did.

The two forces stood separated, a wall of confusion, wonder, concern, and whatever the hell else built between them and only getting higher as the seconds of silence ticked away. The ponies and dragon observed the five individuals carefully, granted with no form of communication between them, they took whatever time they had to take in every single detail.

The one in the center, the one that looked more human than all of them, stood with his lips barely apart, eyes wide with uncertainty. He had curly, auburn hair and a small scruff on his face and neck, a slightly bigger line of hair on his upper lip. A pair of orange headphones sat snugly around his neck, a trail of wires leading to a small box that rested on his hip. He wore a red jacket covering a light gray T-shirt underneath, strange writing on the front cover. His long pants were an even darker shade of red, covering all the way down to his pair of filthy boots. He tracked in mud.

The one to the human’s right was a green woman. Literally green. Her face, her arms, her skin, anything that wasn’t concealed by the deep black and red outfit she wore was green. Except her hair, which also flowed black with red highlights. Her face seemed surprised, like the human’s, but it held still, a certain expression that seemed to burn with a growing distrust the longer the ponies and dragon remained silent.

Right below her, rising up only to her knees, was one of the strangest sights the ponies and dragon ever saw. Even Fluttershy, a pony who had been with animals her whole life. She just couldn’t seem to wrap her head around the fact that a raccoon was sneering at them. It made even less sense that he wore clothes, similar clothes to that of the others. The fact that he also stood on two legs kept her mind jarring, eyes wide and staring at him only.

The last two stood by the human’s left side. He was large, the biggest of the group. Having gray skin and red tattoos was just the start of it. It was his eyes that were the most interesting of all. They practically glowed bright blue, holding a sense of wonder as he gazed at the unicorns. They frowned when he spotted Rainbow Dash in the back of the group. His pants were also blue, but a much duller shade of it. They would have recognized him as just one individual had the smaller one not have shown himself and stand on his shoulder.

Scratch that, the raccoon wasn’t the strangest of all. The small wooden creature definitely was. His oversized head looked like it could barely fit on his miniature body. He gripped the larger one’s ear, smiled and cooed adorably to the mares and dragon.

And that’s all they heard for another thirty seconds of silence. Just a gentle and adorable sound from the wooden creature. None of the ponies, not even the dragon, nor the Guardians could seem to find the right words to use. The growing unease between them only worsened, the rising awkwardness of the situation making its presence well known. The human smacked his lips, looking away to the glass window and punching his fist against his palm. Twilight cleared her throat, her hoof rising to rub the back of her head, her eyes falling to the floor as an awkward smile grew across her lips.

She wished for anything to break the awkward tension that kept on building.

In that moment, Drax leaned right, smacking Star-Lord’s shoulder and saying to him, “I don’t like the rainbow one.”

The first form of actual communication, and it was a sign of hostility. The mares and dragon all perked up, Rainbow Dash’s frown slowly growing into a look of confusion. He didn’t necessarily make the comment quiet by any means. He just kind of said it, his voice clearly loud enough for everyone to hear.

Peter Quill’s brow furrowed, the man blinking a couple times before he turned to Drax. “Dude,” he said, “you just don’t… say that kind of stuff out loud.”

Drax blinked only once, quickly looking back to the ponies and dragon. He leaned forward just a tad more, closer to Quill. “How else would they have known?” he asked, still loud as before.

“You know what? We should leave,” Star-Lord said, taking the first steps forward. He cringed as the mares backed away from him, gazing at him like the giant he was to them. “Make a hole. Sorry.”

They strangely obeyed, stepping aside to make room for the five individuals. Drax followed shortly behind Star-Lord, his mistrusting glare held Rainbow’s way with every step. The others shortly followed, the raccoon meeting Starlight’s curious gaze, spotting it from a mile away.

Rocket saw the unicorn stare at him funny. He bared his teeth, growling, “What are you lookin’ at, horse?”

Taken aback, Starlight shook her head, blinking twice. She scoffed, her snout wrinkling in a sneer. “What are you looking at, raccoon?” she stated.

That got him. “What?!” Rocket yelled, reaching for the large rifle resting on his back. His furry arm was caught by a green one, the raccoon practically ripped off the ground. He yelped, saying “ouch” over and over again, and swearing to the woman that held him back. Of course he cursed, too. What else couldn’t he do? Fluttershy whimpered at the harsh words.

They didn’t affect Gamora by any means. She just gripped his arm tighter, his other hand clawing at her fist. “Don’t start anything!” she snarled, quickly turning her eyes to Starlight. They seemed to calm only slightly, a certain apologetic look appearing for a brief second. “Sorry! Now go!” She tossed Rocket forward, the raccoon stumbling but eventually following behind Drax.

But not before he said, “Why do people always keep calling me that?! It’s pissing me off!”

Gamora shook her head, managing a short but sweet smile to the ponies and dragon before she, too, followed the rest of her group. But that wasn’t all. As the ponies watched them leave, they somehow managed to miss the small wooden creature hop off of Drax’s shoulder, landing on Fluttershy’s back. The Pegasus yelped, spinning her neck back just far enough to see what the small creature would do. Everypony else watched, too, unsure of whether to get him off or just… wait.

They realized quickly that they made the right choice. Baby Groot smiled to the Pegasus, holding out his minuscule hand to her. And Fluttershy, already quite nervous, had grown completely awestruck when she saw a small flower rise and begin to bud right out of his palm. He plucked it off, approaching her face and placing the flower right over her ear. He finished with a smile, hopping off of her and taking off as fast as his little legs could carry him. He tripped and fell, grunting adorably but getting back up and running to the rest of his team.

They saw as the little creature hopped on the raccoon’s back, choosing to sit and sway on his furry shoulder. They watched until the group of five eventually vanished down the hall, taking a turn to the exit and leaving. When they were finally left alone in the hall, all eyes suddenly turned to one another, then to Twilight, as if she had the explanation for what exactly just happened.

Except she didn’t. She just turned around and entered the throne room. The others followed without a word. All except for Fluttershy, who prodded at the flower and giggled to herself.

That giggling ceased when she and her friends entered the throne room, where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna rested on their thrones, rather humorous smiles on their lips. A pair of guards remained at their sides, spears in their hooves, faces as strong and frozen as ever. They stood in attention, saluting to the presence of Princess Twilight.

She bowed near the very bottom of their thrones, everypony and dragon behind her doing the same. “Princess Celestia,” Twilight greeted, eyes closed. “Princess Luna. We’re here to report on our journey to Earth.”

She was surprised, to say the least, to hear the two sisters snickering to themselves.

Rising rather slowly, Twilight’s somewhat startled eyes landed on Celestia and Luna, seeing the two laugh to one another, hooves barely managing to cover the giggles leaving them. Stamping her hooves quietly, shuffling back and forth where she stood, Twilight asked, “Um… Celestia?”

“Oh, s-sorry, Twilight!” Princess Celestia apologized, clearing her throat and ceasing the laughter between the two. Luna’s smile was still there, even Celestia’s managing to slip through. “Please, forgive us! We were just recalling our… very interesting discussion with our previous visitors.”

Luna nodded. “But with that aside, how was your journey, Twilight Sparkle and friends?” she asked, leaning forward only slightly. Her sister did the same, rather interested to hear of Twilight’s encounters while on Earth. They wanted to know everything, from the boring politics, to the current state between the worlds, and even the Avengers.

Twilight managed a sad smile. That smile quickly faded the longer she stared into the giddy expressions of the two sisters, almost like foals ready to hear a bedtime story. Exhaling softly, Twilight shook her head, approaching the thrones. “Well, I think we all want to know just who those interesting characters were back there.”

Everypony else seemed to agree, nodding to one another and finally returning their gazes back to the two sisters. Rarity, unlike everypony else, remained silent, her eyes staring at nothing. Gazing at the floor, pupils as small as needle-tips, her heart racing and blood pumping. She didn’t hide her external emotions too well, possibly due to the fact that her internal emotions were out of control. Broken, infected, replaying horrible memories of the five individuals she had seen before.

Instead of her friends, all she saw were the bodies.

The five Rarity were greeted to were three that appeared human—holding obvious traits that she hadn’t seen so far—and one that was… a raccoon? The other was even stranger, just a bipedal pile of logs and wood, but having somewhat of a face she could barely identify as having facial features.

She remained silent. Not wishing to cause a stir, but wishing to forget.

Nopony else caught on. They were too focused on Twilight, the Alicorn stepping forward with that smile of hers. She recalled to Luna’s previous question, about how their experience on Earth really was. She thought to the war, to the blood, to the chaos and the broken. Instead, she just shook her head and laughed a breathless laugh. “Besides, you two wouldn’t believe half of the stuff we’ll say.”

Both Celestia and Luna smirked knowingly. To each other. “Try us,” Celestia said.

It was Twilight’s turn to smile. The first real one for what felt like forever.

“All right… you first.”

Author's Note

Anyway, that closes another story. Wow, what a ride! Had some ups, had some downs, but I had a blast writing this story! I would like to thank all the readers for sticking with me through this adventure and reading, and I do hope you stick around for the next and final installment.

But in the meantime, a fellow author on this site, Sense of Humor, will be writing a Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 crossover. And guess what? It's connected to this universe! So check it out, follow him, and I'll see you all for the next adventure!