Forgiveness

8.2. Flag Smashers

The three of us go to Karli and Sam and I approach her. This probably wasn't going to end well which is why I was anxiously looking around, expecting some of Karli's friends to be nearby. I was in no way interested in joining her. All I want is for all of this to be resolved as quick as possible with less violence and without any of my friends or more innocent people getting hurt. However, I knew violence would be inevitable. Bucky watches us with an unreadable expression and stays back, ready to help us if we need it.

Sam and I share a look and I nod for him to talk first. Karli turns towards us and Sam addresses her. "Karli! You called my sister? Is that how we're gonna play this?"

"I wouldn't hurt her. But I see you didn't come alone." Sam scoffs and I roll my eyes as Karli glances at Bucky. What did she expect? I was absolutely certain she wasn't alone either. Karli looks at me for a moment as Sam asks her to stop all this. "I was gonna ask you both to join me. Or do the world a favor and let me go." Sam wants to say something, but I stop him from doing so.

"Why on Earth would we ever join you?" Karli lets out a sigh and smiles. Glaring at her I move past Sam, getting closer to her. I understood fighting for what you believe is right, I have been doing that all my life (well when I wasn't in Hydra that is), but I had never wanted to hurt innocent people. Karli's actions showed at times complete disregard for casualties. All's fair in love and war right? Yeah, no.

"I thought you of all people would understand. You're like me." I clenched my fists, frustrated. I wasn't like Karli. Yes what Thanos did made the world one world, no borders; and yes, when everyone got brought back it resulted in chaos and obviously the government was not doing enough to help people. Despite all that I still couldn't get past some of the things the Flag Smashers had done.

However, I also couldn't help, but feel bad for Karli's group. They wanted a united world, something that let's face it almost everyone would like. But was this the way to do it? I don't think so. Blowing up the GRC Supply Depot for example, could have been avoided. Yes displaced children needed those supplies and the fact that they're not getting to them was awful so stealing them I wouldn't find bad. But setting that building on fire with people still inside...Clearly they didn't matter to their cause.

"I'm not like you, Karli. You can help people in other ways, you can advocate for what you want without the violence. You've gone too far." Reasoning with her clearly hadn't worked in the past, but I had to give it another try. I wasn't enthusiastic about the possibility to fight her.

"Life has not been kind to you, just like it wasn't to me. Where was the government when Hydra took you-"

"You've clearly done your research on me." Karli ignores me and continues.

"Or when the Avengers and that robot destroyed Sokovia? The government didn't care about people getting caught in the middle, just as they don't now."

"We saved half of the universe, we didn't want anyone to suffer as a result, and I understand your frustration, but blowing people up isn't going to make the problem go away." Karli doesn't respond once again and I groan in annoyance. This was going nowhere. Sam motions for me to move back but I shake my head and turn to Karli once again. "You can still end this."

"No. If you aren't with me, then stay away from me and let me go." Before I can say anything Bucky gets a message from Sharon that Walker is moving in on the Flag Smashers.

"It's Walker." He tells us and I glance at the tracker on Sam's map.

"He found them." Sam says and I finish his sentence.

"Or they found him." Bucky immediately jumps from the second floor of the building, but mid way Karli does the same and launches herself at him. He groans as he hits the ground and Sam and I jump down to help. Karli attacks Sam and I help Bucky get up. Sam jumps up, kicking Karli to the wall.

"I'll send you the location. Go!"

Bucky and I nod and run out of the building, while Sam flies up. The two of us are going up some stairs when a Flag Smasher jumps at Bucky and punches him. I push him off with a wave of my hand and then keep him in one place so that Bucky can kick him down the stairs. Bucky jumps down and I roll my eyes at his dramatic landing. Such a poser. I run down the stairs just as he kicks the guy into a wall telling him to stay there.

Once we are done with that we follow the loud sounds coming from one of the building's open spaces and find Sam and Walker fighting more Flag Smashers. Bucky catches one of their knives as it's flying towards me and I thank him with a grin. Diverting my attention to another of them I push the guy into a wall with my powers. He gets up, but I'm already next to him and punch him, forcing him to stay down. "Stay there." I say, mimicking Bucky from before. He's near me so he hears and rolls his eyes at me.

Bucky is helping Sam deal with one more Flag Smasher when I notice one of Karli's friends holding Walker. Karli is running at him and before I can stop her Walker's friend Lemar shows up and attacks her. Karli grunts and punches Lemar in the stomach so hard that he goes flying back into a pillar. We watch in disbelief. He's dead I realise as Walker goes over to him and shakes him, repeating his name over and over again with no response or movement from his friend.

Karli runs out of the building and I attempt to follow, but see Walker jumping out of a window and land outside without any problems. What the hell? He looked extremely angry and hurt. Understandable, considering his best friend was dead, but what I saw in his eyes that moment before he jumped made me shudder. He was out for blood. I look around and see Bucky and Sam are gone, probably after Karli. I follow Walker, jumping after him and see him chasing one of the Flag Smashers. I try to stop him using my powers, but he's already too far away.

Cursing under my breath I run faster after him. He must've noticed me but doesn't acknowledge it in any way.

"Walker! Stop!" Walker doesn't hear me or chooses to ignore me and throws the shield at the guy, knocking him down. I finally get close enough to push Walker away from the Flag Smasher with telekinesis. "Don't do this. I know you're hurt but-" Walker yells and charges at me, catching me off guard as he hits me, causing me to fall to the ground. I get up quite quickly, but he is quicker as if empowered by something and manages to strike me on the head with the shield. Could it be...had he taken the serum? I have no time to think, I feel lightly disoriented from the blow and Walker hurls me further away. Using my powers I push some rocks out of the way so I don't end up hitting them and I steady myself.

Walker has now stepped on the Flag Smasher and is demanding to know where Karli is.

"It wasn't me! It wasn't me!" There is a crowd surrounding the scene and some people are even recording. Everyone gasps as Walker grabs the shield and smashes it down at the guy's face. Scanning the crowd I notice Sam and Bucky who have just arrived. I gasp and avert my eyes as Walker hits the Flag Smasher again, but I still catch from the corner of my eye how he continues to do the same motion with the shield over and over again, until there is blood all over it...

A/N: Sooo did you all like this part hehe? Surprise surprise. I got inspired to write today so here it is even though I said I was going to be gone 😆. Anyways. For the fight of Y/N and Walker I wanted to somehow make it so we couldn't get there in time from doing what he does, but I wasn't sure if it would be accurate for him to catch us off guard. Haha I hope I manage to do that okay, let me know if you have any suggestions about it. <3 Love you all. I'll update as soon as I can.