Bloodbound

20. The hearing

Steve drove to the council hearing. He parked his car outside the temple and scanned the cars. He didn't see Natasha's and his worry increased. She has been missing for nearly 24 hours. Steve had an instinct that there was trouble brewing as he walked inside and saw Rumlow and Stane conspiring in the corridor. Steve ignored the smirk Rumlow shot at him. He waited for the others to arrive.

Jiaying and Tony arrived after some time. She was laughing to some joke he said. Jiaying smiled at Steve when their eyes met and he returned the gesture. Seeing them arrive, Rumlow cleared his throat.

"Shall we begin?" he smiled. Steve didn't like the way he was happy tonight. He seemed confident of himself. There must be something else he is planning thought Steve.

"Natasha is not here yet"

"Oh! Stevie, you didn't know? Your spy friend is little preoccupied at the moment and she won't make it."

Steve clenched his jaw. "Where is she, Rumlow?"

"How would I know? I heard a little birdie tell me she left town and won't be returning" he grinned. After a pause he added, "any time soon."

"If all the council members are not there, we can't hold the hearing" stated Jiaying.

"She would have come if she cared enough for you both. And with the staggering amount of evidence against both of you, she just wanted to save her own skin." Rumlow then turned to Jiaying, "If you see the evidence yourself, you wouldn't postpone the hearing."

Steve knew Natasha would never turn her back against her friends. If she hadn't showed up yet Rumlow was somehow involved. He needed to know where she is and whether she is okay. Steve saw out of the corner of his eyes someone entering the room. He turned to see it was Rumlow's men dragging along Pietro. The realisation hit why Rumlow seemed so happy. Jiaying would no way support changing a vampire outside clan. He turned to look at Tony. He had gone pale with the shock. They both knew now there was no escaping.

Steve cursed himself for letting Rumlow's man see Pietro. No way it could have escaped his notice. He should have made Pietro stay somewhere else. Only Pietro have been brought here. Not knowing the fate of others disturbed him. He wished they were alive.

Steve knew there was no getting out the mess he had gotten himself into. Pietro started at him with scared eyes. He just escaped death yesterday and now he is being brought in for execution.

"Well as I was saying, we have to get started. At the last moment we got proof that not only your friend but you too were creating vampires without the council's supervision."

"Steve, explain yourself" said Jiaying firmly. Her eyes showed that she didn't want to believe what she was seeing. When Steve looked away in guilt her demeanour changed. Her face hardened as she said, "Let the hearing begin."

Rumlow called up for Stane to speak first.

"Stane, tell the council members about Tony's deed."

"We couldn't bring in the vampire that Tony changed. But I know he did 'cause I saw Tony change the boy."

"Do you know the whereabout of that boy?"

"I got informed the boy joined the clan-less."

"Jiaying, I heard that the clan-less are in the city and every rumour we heard about them is true. It would explain the feral problem. The clan-less wants to destroy the council and these two are working with them" Rumlow said.

Rumlow then turned to Stane, "Can you identify him?"

Stane nodded and Rumlow produced the photos of Peter. "This is the boy. I knew him from Stark internship" Stane agreed.

"Next, I would like to call Tony's driver, Aldrich" stated Rumlow.

Aldrich Killian walked in. Tony didn't speak anything. He just stared at him with red eyes. His pupils have gone red in anger.

Killian spoke, " I know Mr. Stark was a vampire since I started working for him. About a year ago he changed this kid, Peter into a vampire. I didn't mind it. I got pretty much from folklore and Hollywood. Then one day, Mr. Stark decided to send him away. He asked me to take him to Boston and drop the boy there. I didn't ask any question. I'm not in the place to ask any questions. So I did it. That's all I know." Aldrich avoided meeting Tony and Steve's eyes.

"And for Steve we won't need any witnesses or photo proofs, I think. This boy is enough" Rumlow said as he pushed Pietro to the centre of the room. "Steve changed him yesterday" he added.

"Please Jiaying. Let me explain" Steve pleaded.

Jiaying turned to Steve. "I think we can vote" Jiaying said. " I vote for them to be executed by Sol Mortem"

"Seconded."

Steve looked at Pietro. Steve remembered last night. He left the same panic he had when he saw blood-soaked Pietro's body on the ground. His life shouldn't be too short he thought. Steve decided to break for it. Even if he dies, he is going to save Pietro. He looked at Tony who stood there not moving. He decided to act by himself. He grabbed Rumlow's arm and twisted it till he heard a sickening snap. He collided his elbow to Rumlow's nose; breaking it. Steve called for Pietro and Tony and made a dash for the door. Jiaying stood blocking his path.

"Don't make me do it Steve. I could kill you here and now. You broke the law of council thus endangering every one of us. You have to face the consequences."

Steve didn't take her threat seriously as he went to punch her. She easily caught his hand in one hand and held his neck in the other. She started draining the life from him. Steve started to choke and his heartbeat reduced. It was beginning to become difficult to breathe. His skin grew sickly grey. She threw him on the ground.

Rumlow called his men to bind the three and take them away. His men dragged Tony, Steve and Pietro out. The three were transported to Rumlow's old factory to be executed in the morning. Steve's fight has died and he was drained. Tony and Pietro don't even stand a small chance against the them. Their only option is listening to them.

The three were pushed into back of the van. Rumlow cradled with broken arm to his chest as he walked to the van. He leered at Steve.

"I was just planning to create some chaos in the council with Tony's situation. But you Steve" he laughed "You gave me a home run." He walked away laughing.

Three of Rumlow's men got in the back with them to make sure they won't try to escape. Steve's mind was preoccupied with his thoughts as he tried to make sense of the situation. He realised that they never wanted to frame Tony for smuggling. They wanted to root him out for creating vampire without council's permission. He and his friends have been preparing for the wrong trial. He had unknowingly fortified Rumlow's stance by turning Pietro.

The van started with a grunt and drove down the dirty path.