Chapter 29 - Setting Barriers, Building Teams
Berlin, Germany
Joint Counter Terrorist Centre
6:33 p.m.
Things couldn’t have gone any worse for Thaddeus Ross. As if entering the Terrorist Centre currently recovering from the worst breakout it’s ever experienced wasn’t enough, now he had to deal with the fact that Barnes had escaped once again, this time with the aid of Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, and, unfortunately, Rainbow Dash.
Fantastic. More unstable relations to deal with. But those could be saved for later. He strolled passed the Princess of Friendship and her three friends resting in four chairs individually. Each were appearing to be recovering from their own feud—the marks on their bodies told plenty on what occurred—so Ross stopped just next to Tony Stark currently engrossed with a conversation with Natasha Romanoff.
“I don’t suppose you have any idea where they are?” Ross asked, his voice bringing Stark’s attention backwards. Aside from a small cut on his forehead and droplets of blood on his suit, he looked to be stable. Whatever stable for Stark meant.
“We will,” Tony said. “CSG 9’s got the boarders covered. Recon’s flying 24/7. They’ll get a hit. We’ll handle it.”
Ross furrowed his brow. Just as he expected to hear a Stark reply. He shook his head, saying, “You don’t get it, Stark. It’s not yours to handle. It’s clear you can’t be objective. I’m putting Special Ops on this.”
Natasha broke in for the first time, having remaining silent in her chair for the entire conversation. “What happens when the shooting starts?” she asked, clear concern with a tad sense of maliciousness added for good measure. “What, do you kill Steve Rogers?”
“If we’re provoked,” Ross replied nonchalantly, earning a frown from Romanoff. Ross was unyielding, adding, “Barnes would’ve been eliminated in Romania if it wasn’t for Rogers… and his little helper.”
Twilight just looked away, ignoring the eyes of the Secretary of State.
“There are dead people who would be alive now,” Ross continued. Stark seated himself in a nearby chair, Ross approaching him. “Feel free to check my math.”
Looking up to the man, Tony said, “All due respect, you’re not gonna solve this with boys and bullets, Ross. You gotta let us bring them in.”
“How would that end any differently than last time?”
Stark replied, his eyes as stone, “Because this time I won’t be wearing loafers and a silk shirt.”
Ross could have smiled, but refrained from doing so. Instead, he listened as Stark added, “72 hours, guaranteed.”
A bit too much freedom. He couldn’t have that. “36 hours,” Ross corrected him. “Barnes…” He began to make his exit, slowly saying the names of the wanted men. “Rogers… Wilson… Dash.”
He stopped directly in front of Princess Twilight. She was cautiously rubbing her neck, the red marks still clearly visible.
Ross saw the marks. He said, “Your Highness, I apologize for the recent events.” Her eyes shot up to meet his own, a certain weariness visible in her violet irises. Not of lack of sleep, but of something else. Pain, regret, defeat. Ross had seen it plenty of times.
Right now, she didn’t need any more pain or hopelessness. He said, “This will not harm relations between our two worlds, but if it does come down to it… Do we have your permission to subdue Rainbow Dash if she refuses to surrender? I must warn you, however, protecting your friend—someone who has blatantly broken the law—will have consequences.”
Sometimes hope was bittersweet.
Twilight didn’t seem to react all too well to Ross’ grave warning. Her lips flared in what appeared to be a sneer, but she said nothing, simply staring at him with her weak eyes. “We’ll take care of it,” she replied, voice basically dead.
Ross nodded. “That’s good to hear.”
With that, Thaddeus Ross made his exit, leaving the room slightly warmer without his presence. Twilight lowered her head and rubbed her neck, the other mares returning to their own wounds and weariness. Stark seemed to resemble Twilight’s actions, instead choosing to rub his shoulder cautiously.
“My left arm is numb. Is that normal?” he asked, eyes turning to Natasha. She paused by his right, her palm falling onto his shoulder.
“You all right?” Natasha asked, gently rubbing the sore spot.
“Always,” Stark replied, almost as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He looked back, asking, “How about you girls?”
Rarity clenched her teeth as Applejack pressed her hooves deep into her backside, earning a few painful pops and unsatisfying cracks in response. “We could definitely be better, darling,” she whined.
Starlight rubbed the side of her face, the large, black and blue bruise growing across her right eye. “Didn’t expect him to strike so hard… so fast.”
After finishing her work on Rarity, Applejack leaned back into her chair, gently prodding the large bruise on her forehead. “That varmint just got a lucky shot is all,” she said, voice slightly altered due to the bloody tissues clogging her nostrils. “How ‘bout it, Twi?”
For so long, Twilight didn’t respond. She just kept her head faced to the floor, hoof rubbing her neck and the other keeping her steady in her chair. The mares all soon turned their attention to the Alicorn, waiting for her response, if she even had one. Conversations, especially after what happened, hadn’t escalated much amongst the ponies.
Then, she said, “I saw his eyes for the first time.”
That earned both Stark’s and Romanoff’s full attention, the two keeping their eyes trained on the violet Alicorn. Her friends listened intently, as well, Twilight continuing shortly. “For the first, real time. No, I didn’t see that friend Steve told me about. I didn’t see the man who saved Captain America. I…”
“What did you see?” Natasha asked.
Twilight looked right at her. “Nothing,” she gasped. She almost couldn’t breathe the words. “That’s just it… nothing. No remorse, no kindness, no hope, no pain, just… nothing. The stories were all true. He’s lost. He’s a machine built for the sole purpose of destroying… annihilating… killing. He really is the Winter Soldier… and nothing else.”
“Did Fluttershy see anything?” Stark asked, recalling his moments hidden within the shattered tables. He remembered seeing Fluttershy glare the man down, surprisingly freezing him in place. Almost mirroring each other, their expressions shattered like the glass they exemplified, especially Fluttershy’s. The poor mare could barely move after Barnes shoved her aside.
Twilight shook her head. “I wouldn’t know. Fluttershy’s gone; probably went with Rainbow.” Facing realization once more caused her face to fall weakly into her hooves, a long sigh following. Starlight rubbed Twilight’s shoulder sympathetically.
The Alicorn sniffed, rubbing her eyes. “How long did Ross say we had?”
“36 hours,” Natasha answered.
“Alright…” she muttered, nodding. “Okay… Tony… Natasha…” Twilight said, sitting straight up and staring the two dead on. “We’ve seen what he’s capable of, we’ve felt from experience… how capable he is.” Each of the mares correspondingly rubbed their wounds, whimpering quietly. “I want to trust Steve, but after everything Barnes has done…”
Twilight’s teeth tightened in her jaw, her eyes shutting tight as she looked away. She looked to be trapped in a deep battle within her, what was right and wrong pushing each other dangerously over the edge of no return. Stark knew that from experience, and he didn’t like to see it again. Especially on Twilight.
In the end, she just sighed. “Right now… all I know is that you all are the only ones we can truly trust. So…” she stared at the two, nodding only once, “consider us in.”
Starlight nodded as well, eyeing Stark and Romanoff with pure determination glowing in her eyes. “We’ll help bring in Barnes.”
“Ah still need ta get payback after what he did ta me,” Applejack growled, finally placing her hat back where it rightfully belonged.
Rarity nodded, joining the others. “You can count on us.”
Natasha smiled gratefully, that smile not lasting forever. “Thank you, girls, but it’s not enough.” She turned back to Stark, almost whispering, “We’re seriously understaffed.”
“Oh, yeah,” Stark said, nodding. “It’d be great if we had a Hulk right about now?”
Natasha only smiled, shaking her head. “If we even knew where he was, you really think he’d be on our side?” she asked.
Stark stared forward, realization hitting him like a metal fist into his sternum. “No.”
“I have an idea, one you may like,” Natasha said.
“Interesting. I think I got an idea, too,” Stark mumbled. He looked up at her, asking, “Where’s yours?
“Around here, a certain... King of Wakanda,” she replied, referring, of course, to T'Challa. “Where’s yours?”
Stark slowly smiled. It wasn’t a cocky smile, or one that showed he was smarter than her. He didn’t need to smile to show that. No, it was just a smile, but Natasha knew there was something behind it. Something good, hopefully. Knowing Stark, she couldn’t dig any deeper than that.
He turned back to Twilight. “Hey,” he said, tapping her shoulder, earning her attention. “You ever been to Queens?”
Twilight’s expression dulled. “Tony… you know I haven’t.”
Stark smiled. “Good,” he declared, standing up. “I have a feeling you’d really like Queens.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.021 seconds
Total duration
912 users online
1,389,921 hits today, 2,280,440 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
derpicdn.net/img/view/2013/5/13/323527__safe_screencap_pinkie+pie_equestria+girls_equestria+girls+%28movie%29_faic_nervicited_solo.jpg
Why don't they ever offer cups of tea anymore?
Wars are started over cups of tea. So are treaties.
Seriously.
Actually, they could. Shame they're not.
That was the Winter Soldier. Not Bucky. They're not the same.
YES! EVERYTHING YES! ALL OF MY YES!
Sounds like a certain web swinger is gonna be showing up...
YES!!
Just as I hoped Twilight and Tony going to get Spidey!
Will twilight get any bit of a scoop on Tony and Steves conversation before Buckys interview/interrogation? Or anything on Tony's parents?
Great chapter! It looks like Twilight will go with Tony to meet Peter. That ought to be rich!
Now I hope to see a Twilight VS Wanda duel during the airport battle!
8208703
Just checking if you know, accumulating embed youtube videos in a comments' page quickly results in said page getting heavy and slow to load.
The flame has almost reached the powder!! Keep it up! The battle lines have been drawn, with Team iron man, with Twilight, Applejack, Starlight, Rarity and Team captain, with Rainbow, Fluttershy, Spike and Pinkie! The battle is coming....
yay!
Ah the brilliant, tortured geniuses plagued by their responsibilities and self-doubt. Why must the fate of everything always rest on the shoulders of those like Tony and Twilight? Both deserve hugs and happiness instead.
8209025
I'm aware of that. Usually depends on whether it happens on a computer or on a mobile device, what kind of connection is being used and how many videos are embedded on one page at a time. It would be stupid to flood a page with so many videos at a time. That's why I usually use at least a minimal of one or two per chapter and sometimes maybe none at all.
media.tenor.com/images/54451401d52c0dd2fe9ee5752857d53c/tenor.gif
Me: Just don't pick up a love interest there. He's way too young this time around and we already have enough fics of that floating around.
My only complaint would be that I feel the ponies are under powered, especially Twilight. It would be great if you strengthen them to give them an edge or give them even footing with the super powered beings.
8211920
Wait for them to go badass in the soon to come airport scene!
But we have to remember the ponies are not superheroes (they don't have superpowers), don't have superspy training, ...
Their experience gathered from their fight with Ultron and co have surely made them tougher than they are in cannon, though.
Avengers from both sides better watch out for incoming hooves and magic beams!
8208703 Oh, I love that theme! Can’t wait for Homecoming!
8208719 So uncivilized.
8208822 Look out! Here comes the Spider-Man!
8208876 It most certainly looks that way.
8208982 We’ll have to wait and see.
8209016 I might be able to get some interesting battles when it comes around that time.
8209138 You got the set up just right! Let them fight!
8209184 Right?! What I would give to hug Twilight...
8209939 I’m just here to read the comments.
8211672 I agree. He’s way too young.
8211920 Just wait till the battle.
Also, I see that FiMFiction’s website just got updated, and so my entire story format has been shifted as well. Damn you, FiMFic...
Thaddeus Ross never fools around when it comes to innocent lives lost.
I wonder if Fluttershy can tell her what she saw? Maybe that will be her turning point.
Looks like the sides have been chosen and the battle is coming.
Yeah!!!! Freaking Spider-Man!!! And Twilight is coming for the ride. This is always the hard part when it comes to the movie. On one hand I agree with Cap with the accords and Bucky, but on the other hand Iron man has Spider-man. Makes it hard to root against him.
Ahhh, so we got ourselves a team here. Then Spiderling. Cool.
Should totally be a big green fist.
”Woah! I-I... uhhhh... Mr. Stark? Just what have you been cooking up? This is the craziest thing ever!!”
As if there isn't enough problems, now Twilight Sparkle and the others find themselves in an ultimatum. Unless they capture The Winter Solider in less than a day and a half, and should Twilight put the other ponies at risk helping Rainbow Dash, there's going to be even more unwanted trouble. Kind of makes you wonder if it was all just a big mistake for the ponies to come to the Avengers' world knowing that this wasn't going to be much of a pleasure cruise. But in Twilight's eyes, she sees a cold-hearted killing machine and any pony who can tell her otherwise is siding with the group trying to help the man. Armies are being assembled, men are being called to arms, and soon our favorite pony friends are found to face the biggest test of their lifetimes (At least for this canon anyway).
Twilight and the others are making a big mistake! They are doubting their friends.
Yes! The best hero in Marvel is about to make his grand appearance!