War Torn || Civil War

Chapter Five: Mission Failed

Music is "Control" by Halsey.

Picture is Tatiana Maslany as Emma Barnes.

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CHAPTER FIVE: Mission Failed

{December 2, 2015 -- Present Day}

L A G O S

"Rumlow's on the third floor!" I inform the team from Redwing's scans.

"Wanda, just like we practiced," Steve orders.

I freeze in my movements. "Practiced what?"

Steve ignores my question. "Emma, check on Natasha. She hasn't said anything for a while."

"What about the gas?" Wanda asks.

"Get it out."

Before I can say anything else, the security feeds show Wanda using her powers to throw Steve from the ground to the third floor. I shake my head at his total disregard for his own safety and turn to the assignment he gave me.

"Tasha?"

"Found some resistance along the way!" she shouts, as if fighting off assailants. "I have a bike. Might be another minute or so."

"Do you need backup?" I ask.

Black Widow scoffs. "I can handle a few angry men. How's Wanda doing?"

I look back to the feed, seeing the Scarlet Witch move the gas from the building and up into the air. "Brilliantly. You trained her well."

"Oh, that's not me. That's all her."

"Rumlow has a biological weapon," Steve says.

"I'm on it," Natasha replies, and I hear the engine of her bike rev to a stop.

She comes into view of the security feed as she slides the bike out from under her towards one of Rumlow's men. It knocks him down. She drop kicks another, using her weight to throw a third. As they try to escape into an armored car, Natasha uses the door of the vehicle to crush another. She fights off another two with their own AR-15s, then high-kicks another onto the ground.

When a soldier behind the car aims a gun at her, I shout, "Your four, Natasha!"

She spins in the appropriate direction, firing one of her infamous Widow's Bites at him. Though he's down for the count, Rumlow appears from the corner of the feed. He hops onto the armored car, dragging Natasha by her jacket along with him. She grunts and tries to fight him off, eventually loosening his grip enough to start punching. he grabs her hair, and she strikes him with a Widow's bite.

He should be on the ground, electrocuted, but he's not. In fact, Crossbones laughs. "I don't work like that no more!"

He tosses her into the entrance of the armored car, throwing in a pin-less grenade, then closes the lid on top of her. "Fire in the hole."

"Natasha!" I scream.

"What happened!" Steve shouts, worried at the tone of my voice.

The car explodes, and Natasha is thrown from the vehicle. She pulls herself up slowly, having used one of the soldiers as a shield. She seems okay, though dazed.

"Rumlow almost killed Tasha!" I shout back.

On another screen, I see Steve run to the balcony of the third floor. Crossbones fires at him, causing him to blast back into the building. Rumlow fires more rounds, breaking off the front of the Institute. On the other side of the building, Steve falls, hitting everything he could have on the way down.