𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆 ━━━ ❪...

WARNING: descriptions of mild
violence and blood

──────────────────

ONE
𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴
──────────

"STEVE, IT WASN'T your fault. The old
geezer had it comin' to him," Tony said, placing a hand on Steve's shoulder, a nonchalant look on his face.

"Stop," Steve said, brushing his hand off.

"Look, Steve. How many times have we gotta tell you? You're not a killer," Bruce pitched in.

"I know, but I can't help but feel like one. I can't stop thinking about her face, the girl. It was just like...like I took everything from her," Steve explained, "Like I...I don't know."

"What's the worse that could happen if you got off the couch, Cap? You might become a Couchsicle for seventy years..."

"God, Tony. Stop."

Nick Fury had been trying to get a hold of the Captain for weeks. And was starting to get irritated at him hiding out in the Avengers Tower...

"Steve, you need to stop with this...this righteous...guilt act!" Tony yelled, getting annoyed now.

"Tony, don't shout," Bruce pleaded, "Thor, Nat - help me out here?"

"No, Stark is quite right. I've had enough of this hand-holding," Thor spoke up in the corner of the room, discarding of the Pop-tarts box.

"Hand-holding? Steve is practically living on couch dust...The man's broken! He hasn't moved for weeks!" Bruce said, slamming a hand down on the table.

"I'm still here, you know?" Steve said, raising a hand.

"Careful, boys...Don't want him to get angry," Natasha pitched in, nodding to Bruce, then turning back to the magazine she was scrolling through absentmindedly.

Thor continued, ignoring Nat's previous comment, "So what do you suggest we do, Banner?"

"Well, anything but forcing him up!" Bruce pleaded.

"There you go, Bruce, always with the peaceful protesting," Tony rolled his eyes.

"Just stop!" Natasha groaned, closing her magazine shut.

"We know your hurting, Cap. But you've got to let this go at some point. We're just trying to help you. He was a bad guy and it was an accident," She smiled, trying to give Steve some comfort, "Unfortunately, Tony's right...You have to get up. We're all tired of smelling a cross between expired Cheetos and armpit. But like Bruce said we're not going to force you."

She got up to sit next to him, "At least go on this one mission with us and see what happens. Please. We need you. We can't do this without you."

They were a team...and without Cap holding them together, they were sorta muddled without him.

"Listen. I used to have nothing. And then I got this. This job...this family," Natasha lowered her voice, talking directly to Steve as she placed a hand on his shoulder, "And I was...I was better because of it."

"You really gonna try and guilt trip me into this, huh?"

"You know it."

Steve was a piece of the puzzle and he kept things together, he and Tony really were a joint partnership - they were leaders. Tony was alright on his own but he could piss everyone off with his whimsical wise-ass comments.

God knows what would happen if they ever got angry with each other...

"I guess Fury is probably tired of asking about me..." Steve scratched his head as he sat up on the couch.

"Oh my...somebody call the convent because he has risen," Tony said, smiling which Steve returned this time.

"Just for this one mission, just to see where my head's at," Steve said, lifting himself off the couch, "Where are we headed?"

"It's a surprise," Tony said with a teasing smirk.

"Well, it can't be good then, can it?" Steve sighed.

════▣◎▣════

THE QUINJET HOVERED above
the gloomy city of Sokovia. Steve immediately recognised the misty state from its grey outline and unmistakable run-down buildings.

"So this is the surprise?" Steve turned to Tony who was busy pressing buttons to land.

"No, not just yet," Tony smiled.

"No?" Steve asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Well, there's no turning back now," Natasha patted Steve on the back, "The couch is a long way from here."

"I guess it's time for me to suit up," Bruce jumped out of the Quinjet, his eyes turning green as his skin grew large until in his place was the Incredible Hulk; stomping the streets of Sokovia.

"I would have told him to wait but..." Steve shrugged, "I guess it's too soon for a lullaby."

"Cheer up, Captain. You finally have the chance to reconcile with the girl whose heart you so shattered,"  Thor said, reaching a hand out for Mjølnir to come flying into his palm, "Just try and focus on our mission."

"What exactly is the mission?" Steve asked.

"To find the Maximoff twins, one of them being the girl you keep referring to and bring them in," Nat said, "Fury thought it would be best to bring them in, in case they had any plans, it would have been sooner. If not for your, well...you know."

"Maximoff?" Steve asked.

"Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Twins. Orphaned at ten when a shell collapsed their apartment building," Widow explained.

"Their abilities?"

"He's got increased metabolism and improved thermal homeostasis. Her thing is neural electric interfacing, telekinesis, mental manipulation," Tony answered but sighed when Steve gave him a weird look.

"He's fast and she's weird."

"How do you know all this?"

"Hill identified them this morning. And, oh yeah, surprise!" Tony yelled, immediately calling for his suit, which flew onto him piece by piece as Steve gave him a fierce glare.

*

As the Avengers entered the city of Sokovia, inside the walls of Strucker's former base; Wanda and Pietro were waiting.

"I told you, Pietro. They're here just as planned, we are ready this time," Wanda looked out at the city, behind the snowy mountains, which was already falling into ruins. It seemed to be even more so after the last time 'Earth's Mightiest Heroes' were there.

"And are you sure about this?" Pietro asked.

"Yes, you aren't getting cold feet now. Are you? Remember these are the people who killed our parents and our mentor."

"Right," Pietro was worried about Wanda, she had been so angry lately. He knew she was secretly hiding the fact that she thought she was the cause of Baron's death.

But he didn't dare to bring it up after the last time he tried to convince her, she almost went crazy with guilt...

Similar to Steve...

Pietro dropped Wanda as they arrived in the streets, trying to spot anyone.

They had Captain America first on their list, but they wouldn't waste any time getting rid of any collateral damage.

Pietro was knocked onto the floor with a grunt as he was kicked in the head, taken by surprise as Black Widow came up behind them.

"Pietro!" Wanda yelled as she gathered bright red energy in her hands, spiralling it towards Natasha Romanoff, who was immediately knocked to the ground.

Wanda turned to Pietro again, who had gotten to his feet, "Get to the main city, find Rogers. Keep him busy. I'll meet you there in ten minutes to carry out the plan."

Pietro flashed away, a stream of silver followed behind him.

Wanda kept Natasha occupied, in hand to hand combat as she tried to keep up with her. All she needed to do was stall until Pietro got Cap...

"You kids have got this all planned out, huh?" Natasha said, throwing another kick towards Wanda's face which she quickly dodged with a blast of red.

"I don't have time for questions," Wanda growled, shoving her back with her powers then running off before Black Widow could follow or stop her.

Natasha pressed her earpiece, "I've found the Maximoffs. They're heading to the main city."

Wanda caught glimpses of Pietro running past in the city. He stopped after a while, in front of Wanda, "Can't find him."

"Are you sure?" Wanda looked around, she took in deep breaths, exhausted from running most of the way.

"Yes, I looked all over the main city," He circles his finger.

"Didn't look hard enough," There was a clang of metal as Captain America threw his shield, missing Pietro as he sped out of the way.

"You..." Wanda let a smirk form at the corner of her lips.

"I don't want a fight," Steve said. Wanda crossed her eyebrows, at her brother, "Well...I wanted to talk to you."

Wanda rolled her eyes, "Let's just get this over with."

She threw him a wave of scarlet, kicking him to the floor.

Soon the green rage monster jumped into the scene, Natasha was clutching into him but got off him as he hurtled towards, Wanda who ducked out of the way.

Pietro engaged in a battle with Cap, punching and kicking him as fast as he could - blue streaks flying in the air where he left.

Wanda was struggling to fight off the Hulk and Black Widow, throwing her arms out tiresomely - blasting them backwards.

Soon, Hawkeye was making his way down to the fight, with all of them together it wouldn't be hard to reprimand two teenagers.

"Pietro!" Wanda shouted, "Any chance you could give me a hand?"

Hawkeye was already starting to shoot arrows towards Wanda and Pietro.

"Gonna need some help here, Tony," Natasha said to her earpiece.

"On my way," Tony said, "Coming to join the party."

Wanda was finding it harder to concentrate, she felt her headache as blood started to drip from her nose.

She felt her mind boggle as she caught the figure of Thor in the corner of her eyes, "Urgh!"

She pushed her hands down, stretching them out and releasing a wave of bright energy that spiral out of her palms, hitting those closest to her.

The Hulk tumbled back into a car, smashing the glass, his green skin faded as he slowly turned back to Bruce Banner.

Clint was thrown backwards, he wasn't up close so he was blasted onto the ground.

Natasha was sent into the air, the energy sent her into the city building, her body was flung into the glass.

The delicate fragments scattered everywhere as the state of Natasha was left to be sent as she was inside the abandoned block. 

It wasn't said but the look everyone shared was knowing. Cap let go of where he was holding Pietro by the neck. Clint's eyes were wide with shock, as were Bruce's. Thor landed softly to the ground, previously ready to fight.

Wanda was scared witless, her eyes were saucers as they filled with tears. She had been full of fiery vengeance to kill Steve and was actually excited to but as she came to the actualisation of what she'd done to another...she couldn't handle it.

Her hand shook harshly as she brought it up to her mouth, "I...I-"

"No! You don't apologise!" Clint yelled, getting up to his feet, tears laced in his words, he spoke to his earpiece, "Tony, we have a problem."

Wanda swallowed back tears as she went up to Pietro, "We have to go."

Pietro picked her up swiftly by the waist and was gone in a swift blue flash.