This War of Ours

by JDPrime22


Chapter 34 - How to Trust a Murderer

Berlin, Germany

Joint Counter Terrorist Centre

3:57 p.m.



Everyone’s reaction to him at first was complete and utter shock, followed by an apprehensive urge to defend themselves when he strode passed them. The officers, trained specifically to weed out the possible threats, instantly reached for their belts, more realistically, their guns, but stopped the moment the pale pink unicorn held up her hoof to them.

They recognized her as the princess’ prodigy. “That won’t be needed, gentlemen,” Starlight Glimmer said with a smile, dropping her hoof. “He’s with me.”

Understanding basic forms of English, the officers nodded and retained their original positions, casting the man an uncertain glare to which he kindly replied with one of his own, only much worse. Starlight didn’t seem to notice and continued on her way. Right behind her, beside the shooter, was the doctor from earlier, trying desperately to get him back in bed.

“Are you certain you’ll be fine?” the doctor asked, his German accent shaky. He clutched onto the clipboard with the X-rays as tight as he could, asking once more, “Do you not wish to stay in bed and let us help you, Mr. Castle?”

Frank Castle nodded. “You don’t have to worry anymore, Doc. It’s just a scratch,” he said, pointing to the fresh cut on his forehead. “I’ll be good. Go help someone who needs it.”

The doctor stopped in his tracks, watching the two enter the command center. He shook his head and readjusted his glasses. “Crazy man,” he muttered in German, finally returning to the makeshift infirmary. Castle cast the doctor one last glance before facing forward once more, already coming up to the ponies he had seen earlier, as well as an Avenger and a hint of royalty.

He mentally grumbled.

Starlight stopped just in front of the two mares, their eyes widening to the sight of Frank Castle standing behind, and without handcuffs. It was as good of a start as any other. “Oh, Starlight, darling!” Rarity greeted, rising to all four hooves. She cast a wavering glance behind her, gulping. “You… uh… managed to do it. Excellent!”

Starlight smiled and chuckled nervously. Frank stared at the Black Widow and Panther, the two seated, the king in his chair and the assassin on a nearby table.

Applejack stepped forward, whistling at the sight of the towering man. “Gotta say, that’s pretty impressive, even fer you, Glimmer,” she drawled, missing the glare Castle sent her way.

Starlight waved her hoof. “Oh, it was nothing really. But I am proud to say that with Frank Castle’s military experience, he will be aiding us greatly in the capture of James Barnes. He has…” pausing to look back, she and Castle exchanged a glance, Frank seeing the uncertainty in her stare, hearing the same uncertainty in her tone, “… managed to convince me that he is willing to help us.”

“You sure about that, Star?” Natasha asked, earning the appropriate stares from Starlight and Frank. She continued. “After what he’s done, after hearing everything he’s done before, you’re gonna give him your trust just like that?”

Starlight’s ear twitched at the sound of Frank’s growls from behind her. She exchanged an unsure glance with Rarity and Applejack before returning back to Natasha. “He’s… he’s proven to me that he’s willing to give up his radical crusade…” she turned back to Castle, stared silently, “for a while.”

That apparently wasn’t enough for Natasha, which was understandable considering the circumstances. “I know people like Castle, Star. They don’t change,” Natasha said, eyeing Castle without even a hint of being subtle. “Trust me… when I say that trust can be easily walked around.”

“You’re Natasha Romanoff, right?”

Everyone froze when he spoke. T’Challa looked away from his fist and onto the man, the very same man who had shot him and lived to tell the tale. The mares all fell silent, Starlight joining her two friends. He seemed to be waiting, standing silently, glaring intently on Romanoff. She eventually came around.

After receiving a nod, Castle continued. “First of all, thanks for giving out the info on HYDRA for the entire world to see. Without it I would have never found those HYDRA agents, or Barnes. I guess you could say it’s all thanks to Miss Romanoff that I’m even here right now.”

Natasha took a double take, tilting her head only slightly. The ponies all looked to Natasha, somewhat startled by the information. T’Challa just smiled from where he sat.

Castle smiled too, saying, “Now… second…” he suddenly got in her face, causing everyone to flinch. Several officers began to reach for their guns, but stopped and waited for what would happen, just in case the conflict never got hot. Castle growled, finishing with: “Shut your damn mouth before I do it for you.”

Unlike the mares, Natasha didn’t feel too threatened, knowing damn well she could defend herself if need be. Instead, her sly, small smile graced her lips as Castle continued. “What I do is my business and my business alone. I couldn’t give a rat’s ass what any of you think of me. All I’m even standing here for is Barnes, and I’ll plow through any one of you to get to him.”

Castle didn’t step back. Natasha simply retorted, “Oh, really? You willing to put that on a couple rounds.”

“I ain’t afraid to hit a girl.”

“Shows what kind of man you are.”

“As very entertaining as that would be,” T’Challa interrupted, finally standing up and seeming to break up the rising feud, “I’m afraid we must put our differences aside if we are to bring down Barnes.”

To the luck of the officers in the room, they all watched as Castle stepped away from Natasha, easing the tension. However, the heat never seemed to cool, because he stepped right into T’Challa’s personal space next. “Your Highness…” Castle greeted. T’Challa, though rather unintimidated by Castle’s presence, smiled.

“Heh, I saw you on that rooftop,” Frank chuckled. “You were going for kill shots. You want Barnes just as dead as I do.” T’Challa offered a short nod, only to hear Castle continue with: “No offense, Your Majesty, but Barnes is mine. No one else gets to touch him.”

“I suppose you are going to stop me, eh?” T’Challa asked. “Just like the Captain?”

“I might have to.”

Starlight smacked her forehead. Like it could get any worse. She dragged that hoof down her face, groaning at the possibility that it could most certainly get worse. However, to her great surprise, T’Challa laughed. “I like you already, Mr. Castle. You are ambitious. And just like me, you want to kill the man who slaughtered my father in cold blood.”

“I only kill people who deserve it,” Frank said.

“Ah, is that why you shot me in the back of the head not too long ago?”

Frank smiled. “Well, you just got in the way. And depends… whether or not you pulled some shady shit yourself.”

T’Challa placed his palms behind his back. He said, “Unlike you, the only man I want dead is Barnes. He killed my father.”

“And several others. Not to mention all the shit he’s pulled in the past. Plus… he kicked me ass. No one walks free after that,” Castle said.

“Frank, that’s enough!”

Frank’s rising good mood instantly plummeted the moment Starlight Glimmer said those words. His smile was replaced with a frown, his attention shifting to the unicorn standing with her friends, all of them glaring at him. The look in her eyes and the heat in her voice only meant one thing: lecture time. Joy.

“You promised me no killing, remember? That’s the only reason you’re standing here without getting shot at. And you,” Starlight said, pointing at T’Challa. “You are not killing Barnes, either! We’re gonna see this through the way Mr. Stark and Twilight wanted, by bringing him to justice.”

“Depends on your definition of ‘justice’,” T’Challa added. Frank smiled slyly. Once more, the smile didn’t last.

“Starlight’s right,” Natasha said, stepping in-between the two men. She turned to T’Challa, saying, “Your Highness, I know what Barnes did to you, and that may as well be unforgivable, but our orders are clear from Secretary Ross: Bring in Barnes… alive.”

She turned the other way. Frank did nothing but glare at her.

“You too, Castle.”

He snorted and walked away, finally giving rest to the officers as he made his way to the far-off tables. Starlight sighed, staring at the back of his black jacket. T’Challa cast her a glance before returning back to Castle. He stopped, surprisingly, to the sound of Natasha’s voice calling to him, something that made the ponies’ skin crawl. “You’re lucky we’re not throwing you into a jail cell right about now.”

Preparing for the lash but receiving nothing, the mares watched as Frank lifted up his head, twisted his neck around, and replied briefly, strongly with…

“Imagine how much I give a shit.”

And then he sat down in a chair at the opposite end of the room, his back to the them as a final sign of spite. Natasha just rolled her eyes and walked away, T’Challa following her. Starlight frowned. So much for new impressions. He had a piss poor attitude and was being damn proud about it. That was Frank Castle for you, Starlight supposed.