Friendly Fire
The battle had barely begun… and the VITAE grounds were already being torn apart. Owen was distracted. And that was more than enough for everything to spiral out of control.
Wanda was keeping Ororo and Cyclops occupied, since they were the ones capable of causing the most widespread damage. Even for her, it was not easy; after all, she had to make sure she did not hurt them.
As she dodged a rain of lightning and a barrage of optic blasts, she moved stone and lifted the ground around her, twisting the terrain to deflect the attacks.
Steve took advantage of the moment and ran straight toward the VITAE base, weaving through the weapons that were opening fire on the heroes around him. They were not lethal. But a single hit was enough to leave you flat on the ground, unable to get back up.
Steve raised his shield and braced against the neutralizer rounds. He leapt over several sonic strikes that shook the air around him.
Meanwhile, Spider-Man, who was dealing with the three Defenders, tried to stop him by shooting a web in his direction. That brief distraction cost him a punch from Jessica Jones that sent him stumbling backward. He was caught again in Luke Cage's arms, while Danny, his fist glowing a solid gold, prepared to land a devastating blow.
Peter quickly forced Luke's arms apart and ducked as he saw the punch coming straight at him. His spider sense was screaming.
He barely avoided it. Danny's fist slammed into Luke's chest instead. A brutal surge of energy exploded outward, sending everyone flying; Peter, Jessica, Luke, and Danny included.
"What is going on down there?" Rhodey asked when he saw the explosion that blasted them apart.
"Not the time to get distracted, old man," the Human Torch said as he flew over his head, hurling fireballs.
War Machine dodged quickly while opening fire without restraint.
"Old man? I am not that old," Rhodey shot back, clearly offended.
Suddenly, an alarm blared as a massive object came hurtling toward him. A huge chunk of rock, thrown by the stone man on the ground.
Before it could get any closer, a shot cut through the air and the rock exploded midflight.
"You should be careful, old man," a voice said through his comms. It was Nicolas, mocking him.
Rhodey rolled his eyes and armed more weapons to keep fighting the Thing and the Human Torch.
"Hey, are you going to give me a hand?" Rhodey said with some irritation, glancing at the figure floating not far from him.
It was Vision. And he looked more like an observer than someone eager to intervene.
"I suppose I should make a move, even if it does not bring me joy," he said before flying forward and entering the fray, attacking the Thing directly, the one most likely to withstand the damage.
"Hey… I seem to have lost a captain. Have you seen him around?" Peter said, pushing himself up, still a little dizzy after being blasted away by the Iron Fist's energy.
"Handle the outside. I will take care of Cap," Nicolas answered over the mic.
Peter felt his spider sense flare again and ducked, avoiding another golden punch. Then a kick, which he escaped with a backward flip. But Danny, completely focused on taking him down, stayed on him with fluid martial arts movements.
Peter tried to web him again, but Danny evaded with a jump and a sharp kick aimed straight at his face. Peter bent his body backward to avoid it.
He had no choice now. He closed the distance and fought hand to hand. He blocked, deflected the energy charged fist with his wrist, and drove a punch with his other hand straight toward Danny's face.
Danny mirrored the move Peter had used earlier, deflecting the strike and answering with a direct kick to the chest. Then he jumped and launched another kick toward his head.
Peter barely avoided the second blow, but the first hit him cleanly, forcing him to take several steps back.
They traded multiple strikes. Danny was clearly superior in frontal assaults and counters. Even though Peter had greater strength and sharper senses, he was struggling. The only thing keeping him afloat was the martial arts training Owen had given him. Even so, it was not enough to make him flawless.
"I would have preferred to go after the captain myself," Peter muttered as he dodged a punch that brushed against his mask.
…
Meanwhile, inside the VITAE base, which was under red alert because of the battle outside, with every door sealed shut, Steve moved at full speed through the corridors, trying to infiltrate and find Bucky, slipping past the doors that had not yet sealed shut. As a frequent guest, he knew part of the layout, so he moved more or less by memory.
Just in time to see, through a window, something approaching at high speed. Straight at him.
Crash.
The window exploded inward as a black motorcycle, wheel-less, tore through the air toward him. He had to dive to the side before rising to his feet again, shield raised.
He looked at the man who had entered with the bike, who jumped off just before it slammed into the wall.
Nicolas.
"Hey, Steve. Sorry about this, but you know how it is… last time I let someone in, I paid for it," Nicolas said, looking at him directly. In his hand he held the rifle that always accompanied him; the one that fired coins at railgun speed. Several pistols rested at his waist as well.
Not even you, with the super soldier serum, could take a direct shot from that, Steve thought as he studied the weapon. And certainly not with Nicolas' aim, which was often debated with Barton's.
"Nicolas. We do not need to fight. I am only here for Bucky. Nothing else," Steve said firmly.
Nicolas followed his gaze and casually tossed the rifle onto a nearby table. Steve let out a faint breath. But the next words were not what he expected.
"Sorry. I cannot let you do that. Do not worry, I will not kill you. I will just knock you out for a while. Might be for the best… because the madness you are about to see may not be something you understand."
As he spoke, he drew two pistols from his waist. They were not ordinary weapons. They looked technological; just like his rifle.
Steve's expression hardened at the sight. He slowly shook his head.
"Then so be it."
He hurled his shield straight at Nicolas, taking the initiative, and rushed forward at the same time.
Nicolas raised one of his guns and fired at the shield. A sudden burst of compressed air erupted from the barrel; like an invisible bullet. The impact sent the shield veering off course. He fired again; this time at Steve.
Steve leapt aside, narrowly avoiding it, as the wind rounds smashed into the wall behind him; carving deep cracks into the concrete.
If one of those shots hit him cleanly, the Captain would not be getting back up anytime soon.
Steve closed the distance and drove a punch toward Nicolas' face. Nicolas ducked just enough, while tapping a small button on his right pistol. The weapon was already angled upward as he pulled the trigger.
A blast of compressed wind struck Steve's arm, forcing it up sharply. A flash of pain ran through the joint, but it was not broken. The shot had been calibrated. Enough to hurt. Not to shatter.
Steve did not hesitate. He launched a knee toward Nicolas' face; perfectly timed.
But Nicolas' other weapon was already aligned with the Captain's stomach. The moment he had pressed the button, as if none of his movements were wasted, he fired.
The impact was stronger this time. Steve was sent flying backward. He rolled across the floor to absorb the fall and pushed himself up before dropping slightly to one knee, gripping his arm. Then he pressed a hand to his stomach, clearly feeling the damage; grateful the shots were non lethal.
He retrieved his shield without taking his eyes off Nicolas.
Now he was taking him seriously.
"That reminds me… back when we were young; after one of the old man's hellish training sessions. He was a real fan of yours. Owen and I made a promise. If we ever got the chance; we would have to beat you senseless. Just to show him his hero was not all that. Owen already beat you once. And since I thought we might actually be friends; I never wanted to follow through on that promise. But well… even friends need to trade a few good hits now and then; just to remember where they stand. Right?" Nicolas said, that slight mocking pride in his voice; so typical of him.
Then his gaze turned completely cold. Just like Owen's when he became serious.
Steve tilted his head slightly.
"I really would have liked to meet someone like General Hawthorne. Maybe if he had been there, it would never have been necessary to create monsters with a serum," Steve said, looking at the man who was supposed to be a cosmetic surgeon; not a soldier. And yet, trained even better than many elite operatives.