Nat Switching Sides
“You’re not going to stop, are you,” Nat asked softly as Steve and Bucky slowed to a stop before her.
“Nat,” Steve started, but Nat just stepped aside.
“Go,” she said, as if she was making a grand sacrifice.
“Huh. That was easy,” Bucky muttered as he and Steve raced to board the jet and got it in the air.
Meanwhile, Tchalla had made it to the hangar where Nat stood waiting for him, widow bites at the ready. Unfortunately for Nat, unlike Tony, Tchalla had no reason to trust a spy/assassin, Avenger or not.
Nat fired the widow bites at the king who easily dodged before slamming into Nat full force and tossing her aside like a ragdoll. He didn’t even notice the loud crack of bones as he was busy going after the jet.
**
Tony walked towards Sam with purpose. He ignored Clint’s obnoxious remarks and he wasn’t even interested in the Bug Man now that he didn’t have to fight him. He made it to Sam who stood up with his arms crossed.
“So, it turns out that Steve’s story had more to it than we had time to consider at the airport. I need you to tell me where they went, Sam.”
“Like that’s going to happen,” Sam said snidely.
Tony pushed some buttons on his phone.
“So that was Ross’s men losing Audio. They can’t hear what we’re saying. You have one minute, or Cap’s going to be facing a whole group of Winter Soldier wannabes with nothing more than . . . wait for it, the Winter Soldier. How do you think that’s gonna go down?”
Sam sighed, but passed on the info after making Tony swear, he’d go alone. Before Tony could walk away Sam yelled back to him.
“Stark, how’s Rhodes?”
Tony looked away and back, glad that someone from the “team” actually cared about Rhodey.
“He’s just been transferred for long-term treatment. It’s looking like a permanent paralysis from the waist down,” Tony said sadly. Sam dropped his head, horrified at what this had cost them.
Then Tony turned to face Clint.
“I’m surprised, Clint. Don’t care about Nat anymore? Not going to ask about her?”
“I know Nat, Stark. She’ll have come around to the right side in the end. She can take care of herself.”
“Well, not anymore,” Tony sneered. “Nat turned on the wrong person. The King of Wakanda decided to go through her, kind of like you guys did to us. She was Nat’s recruit, by the way. So, there’s a horrific form of poetic justice to this. The King of Wakanda is enhanced. When he threw her aside, she landed at an odd angle. Broke her neck. Nat’s dead, Clint.
Still think this was all worth it, working off the reservation for Captain America? Or was it because Captain America couldn’t stand his pretty princess over there having to wait out a media shit storm that he caused? Whatever. I’m going to make sure this Super Soldier nonsense gets handled and then I’m done with all of you. Maybe you don’t care about your friends, but I care about mine—and you guys cost Rhodey his legs and a career that he worked for his entire life.”
Tony walked away, leaving Clint in shock, tears streaming down his face.