Maya Stark

Chapter 10: Lagos

    Training wasn't easy. But Wanda helped me grasp my powers more and more each day and every time my dad came to visit, he was always proud at how strong I was getting. I had built up some muscle, to which helped me out since I wasn't the tallest. My 15th birthday came and went, but we're still training. We're all pretty whipped into shape and honestly, the only faulty part of our team is me and Sam's relationship.

    We still pick a fight with each other from time to time but because of training, we have actually been able to fight one another. We told Steve it was for research purposes and Nat was just plain curious. If you wanted to know, I won, no matter what birdie says. But even with this, we all work well as a team. We haven't been on many real missions yet, but we're getting there. We've been searching for Rumlow for the last six months and it hasn't been going too well.

    My hair had grown to be pretty long now and as I used my powers more and more, the purple in my hair became a darker shade. It was weird and cool all at the same time. Wanda had become like an older sister to me and other than the fact that somedays I missed Clint, and even once in a while Thor and Bruce, I was getting by alright. Steve made sure I was always good, despite the fact Nat said he shouldn't baby me. They argued like a marry couple sometimes, and Nat always won.

    It was late September when we got a hit on Rumlow. I had just walked down into the kitchen and ran right into Steve.

    'Oh, Maya good,' he said quickly. 'We got a hit on Rumlow. Suit up.'

    I sighed and ran back up to my room, putting on my suit and tying my hair back. As I run back down with my mask in my hand, I come into step with Steve and Sam.

    'Okay,' Steve says, giving the two of us hard looks. 'You two are going to be stationed on the roof together. Try not to kill each other?'

    I smirk. 'No promises, Cap.'

    In Lagos I walked along the edge of the roof, looking out trying to find anything unordinary. I had FRIDAY scan everything and have yet to come up with anything.

    'All right,' Steve says through the comms, 'what do you see?'

    'Standard beat cops,' replied Wanda. 'Small station. Quiet street. It's a good target.'

    'There's an ATM in the south corner, which means—'

    'Cameras,' I say as I walk back and forth on the ledge.

    'Both cross streets are one way,' Steve said.

    'So,' Wanda said, 'compromised escape route.'

    'Means our guy doesn't care about being seen,' Steve said, 'he isn't afraid to make a mess on the way out. You see that Range Rover halfway up the block?'

    'Yeah,' I say, 'the red one? It's cute.'

    'It's also bulletproofed, which means private security, which means more guns, which means more headaches for somebody. Probably us,' said Nat.

    'You guys know me and Maya can move things with our mind, right?' Wanda asks.

    'Looking over your shoulder needs to become second nature,' said Nat.

    Sam hopped up on the ledge next to me. 'Anybody ever tell you you're a little paranoid?'

    'Not to my face,' said Nat. 'Why? Did you hear something?'

    'Eyes on target, folks,' Steve said. 'This is the best lead we've had on Rumlow in six months. I don't want to lose him.'

    Sam knelt down and said, 'If he sees us coming that won't be a problem. He kind of hates us.'

    A garbage truck comes down the street, running into cars and almost hitting pedestrians. Steve says, 'Sam, see that garbage truck? Tag it.'

    From the back of Sam's falcon jet pack, a small drone launches and flies down to the garbage truck.

    'And you said my suit was stupid,' Sam mumbled to me.

    I roll my eyes and say, 'Just x-ray the truck, Sam.'

    'The truck's loaded for max weight,' Sam says after a second. 'And the driver's armed.'

    'It's a battering ram,' said Nat.

    'Go now,' Steve said.

    'Why?' asked Wanda.

    'He's not hitting the police,' said Steve.

    Sam jumps off the roof, his wings extended right before he hit the ground. I follow, taking off right behind him. I fight the urge to go faster. Sam gives Steve a lift and I land next to him, helping take down the first soldiers.

    'Body armor, Ar-15's,' Steve said into the comms. 'Me and Maya make seven hostiles.' There was a moment of radio silence and then Sam saying, 'I make 5.' Again, a second of silence. 

    '4.' Sam scans the building and says, 'Rumlow is on the third floor.'

    Wanda walks up to Steve and I. Steve says, 'Wanda, just like we practiced.'

    'What about the gas?' I ask.

    'You two,' he said, 'get it out.'

    Wanda uses her powers to lift Steve up and through a window into the building. Then Wanda and I stand next to each other and move the gas from out of the building, breaking the windows in the process. We lift it up and out together, and try to keep it contained as Sam fights off the other soldiers.

    'Rumlow has a biological weapon,' Steve said.

    'I'm on it,' said Nat.

    I concentrated on getting the gas away with  Wanda, when Steve said, 'Sam. He's in an AFV heading North.'

    'I got four, they're splitting up,' Sam says.

    'I got the two on the left,' Nat says.

    Wanda and I finish with the gas and take off in the other's direction.

    'They ditched the gear,' Steve says. 'It's a shell game now. One of them has the payload.'

    'He doesn't have it,' Sam says. 'I'm empty.'

    There is silence as Nat fights her guys and Wanda and I attempt to make it to help Steve.

    'Payload secure,' Nat said. 'Thanks, Sam.'

    'Don't thank me,' Sam said.

    'I'm...not thanking that thing.'

    'His name is Redwing,' Sam said.

    'You named it?' I asked.

    'I'm still not thanking it,' Nat said.

    'He's cute,' Sam insisted. 'Go ahead, pet him.'

    I scoff to myself. When Wanda and I reach Steve, Rumlow was saying something to him. I stop Wanda for a second when I heard Bucky.

    'He remembered you,' Rumlow said. 'I was there. He got all weepy about it. Till they put his brain back in a blender. He wanted you to know something. He said to me "Please tell Rogers. When you gotta go, you gotta go." And you're coming with me.'

    Rumlow activates his bomb vest and Wanda and I surge forward. Wanda gets there first and keeps the blast contained around Rumlow. She lifts him up in the air and then looses control of him as the explosion happens. It lights entire floors of a nearby office building and Wanda puts a hand over her mouth. I look up at the fire just staring.

    'Sam,' Steve says after some silence, 'We need...fire and rescue...on the south side of the building. We gotta get up there.'