War Torn || Civil War

Chapter Two: The Spider's Web

Music is "Home" by Machine Gun Kelly, X Ambassadors, and Bebe Rexha.

Picture is Tatiana Maslany as Emma Barnes.

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This chapter is dedicated to the amazing CaroDelMonte, who created each of the covers for this entire series, including this amazing cover. Thank you so much, Caro!

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CHAPTER TWO: A Spider's Web

"So, what's the next mission?"

Everyone at the small table looks at me like I'm mad. It's early in the morning, and I can hear chatter across the room as I wait for my toast to finish. They're talking softly about a mission, trying hard to keep me away from the conversation. Natasha stands next to me, making her daily cup of coffee. But even she can't keep me from wondering what they're planning.

"We're headed to Lagos," Sam replies. "Tony's at MIT giving a speech about funding or something, so we're going to go to Lagos to take care of some...unfinished business."

I turn my eyes to Steve, inquisitive. "What unfinished business?"

Steve sighs, placing his coffee cup back onto the table. "I didn't tell you about Rumlow, did I?"

"He survived?" I gather, eyes widening. "I saw the Insight carrier collide with the Triskellion. There's no way..."

"Unfortunately, he did," Natasha sighs. "We've been tracking him ever since. Got a little side-tracked with Ultron and Sokovia, but he's resurfaced. He's going after something Lagos. What, we're not sure, but Steve, Sam, Wanda, and I are heading there today to make sure he doesn't get it."

I cross my arms. "Then I'm coming with."

Steve shakes his head. "Absolutely not."

I narrow my eyes, and he stands, taking his dishes over to the sink. "Why not?" I reply, baffled.

"Oh boy," Natasha mutters, excusing herself from the kitchen to sit at the table with Sam and Wanda.

I follow Steve a he leaves. He speaks as he strides from the kitchen to the mission control room. "Because you woke up less than a week ago," he replies, matter-of-factly. "Because I was going easy on you in training. And because this is a mission we can't mess up."

"So, you'll think I'd mess it up."

"No, but you're still healing, Em. You might not mess it up, but I might. I'd be more worried about you than finding Rumlow. And we have to find him before he gets his hand on God knows what."

I grab his arm before he can enter the control room. Glaring daggers into his baby blues, I spit back, "You don't get to decide when I feel ready to avenge again. I've been training. I've been healing. If I stay cooped up in this metal box any longer, I'm going to go psycho! You can't just bench me like one of your baseball players."

"Actually, I can," he replies calmly. "I'm the coach of this team and I say you're benched." He opens the door, then turns over his shoulder. "It's for the best, Emma, and it's not permanent. Just until you get back on your feet. It took you almost two years to recover from the Insight Incident. You don't have to go back to work right away. You taught me that."

"Maybe, maybe not," I reply, scowling. "But I've had worse injuries than this. You know that. I could be helpful."

Steve turns to look at me again, half-way through the door to mission control. "I could use someone back at the Quinjet to run the op. Does that sound better?"