Tony nervously looked to Rhodey before shooting off a little faster across the German sky. He could see the airport, and he could see him. His stomach twisted in knots as he roughly landed in front of the unsuspecting captain.

"Wow, it's so weird how you run into people at the airport." He rattled off sarcastically to Rhodey, who landed not two seconds after him. "Don't you think that's weird?" He turned his face to his friend, helmet now showing off that painful shiner.

He could almost feel the wince Steve gave, remembering what happened earlier when Bucky lost it for a second.

It's not his fault...

"Here me out, Tony..."

Tony barely acknowledged him, but Steve continued.

"That scientist...you can't trust him, Tony, he's behind all of this...I-" Steve was interrupted by the Black Panther. If it were not for the metal claws and railing he had jumped over, he would have never heard him coming behind him.

"Captain." The man tensely greeted.

"Your highness." Steve remembered the threat he made on Bucky. And Steve did not like that very much.

"Ross gave me 36 hours to bring you in..." Tony cut right to the chase, not even listening to Steve, who was trying to plead his case. "That was 24 hours ago..."

Time's up.

"Will you just listen to me, please." Steve was getting ramped up again. "There are five more confirmed just like him. I can't let that man find him, I just can't..."

"And when did you suddenly become an expert?" Tony shot back. "Your judgment is askewed. Your old war buddy killed innocent people yesterday alone...and you won't admit that."

"Steve..." The man cut his eyes to the other side of him to find Natasha. "You know what's about to happen...do you really wanna punch your way out of this one?"

Steve stared at her. He cannot get them to understand why he must not give in.

Why won't you listen?

"Alright, I've run out of patience, I-" Tony was cut off by thick web wrapped around his hands. Steve found himself in the same position, shield yanked out of his grip.

Spider-Man landed gracefully in between the two feuding sides. "Hey everybody..." A shaky voice greeted them.

Everyone was stunned.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Tony snapped.

Peter Stark-Rogers' grip on the shield tightened as he stood up. His stomach was flipping, he was so nervous.

"Peter..." Steve shook his head. "You shouldn't be here right now..."

"I have no choice!" Peter shouted. His breathing was quickening. "Because you two just can't stop arguing! Can we please just go back to Mr. Ross and just figure this out..." He yanked his mask off, and it broke both men's hearts to see the tear-stained face. "Pops...please...let's just go home with Dad and we can fix this..."

Steve looked heartbroken...how could he have pushed it this far? Was he not doing the right thing? He looked over to Tony, who was fuming at this point. He did not want Peter to get involved in this. And rightfully so...because he realized he could not get out of this by talking anymore...

"You see that?" Tony turned his attention back to Steve. "You've been a complete idiot...dragging Clint from his own family, rescuing Wanda from a place she doesn't even want to leave, a safe place, going behind our backs to protect a wanted criminal...I'm trying..." Tony huffed. "I'm trying to keep you from tearing the Avengers apart..."

"You did that when you signed..." Steve shoulders slumped slightly.

Tony fumed. "Alright, I'm done...You're going to turn Barnes over, and you're going to come with us, now, because it's us, just a band of misfits you used to call family!"

Steve bowed his head. He glanced over to Natasha, who gave him a pleading look, then to Peter, who was fidgeting with his shield nervously.

"Come on..." Tony begged.

Steve took a deep breath, and ripped the webbing apart a little too easily.

"Uh...Dad?"

Tony worriedly looked over after the skirmish took a brief pause. His blood was boiling, but he was scared for his son.

Both sides of the disagreement were marching towards each other.

"They're not stopping..." Peter panicked.

"Neither are we!" Rhodey snarled.

"Peter...just like we discussed. Just stay back and web them up ok, just keep the fighting to an absolute minimum, you promise me?"

"...ok, Dad..." Peter curled and uncurled his fingers in anticipation. He could not even look ahead of him, because his Pops was right there, and he could not stand it. Why did they have to fight?

And fight they all did.

Peter just stayed off to the side, going off to try to web up Barnes. But Barnes threw a punch, thankfully Peter managed to catch with ease. Thank heaven for the Peter Tingle!

Peter did a double take. "You have a metal arm?!" Bucky blinked in shock. "That is awesome dude!" He found himself being flown off by Sam.

"Pete! What are you doing here, man? Shouldn't you be in school?" Sam asked.

"Uh..." Peter flung himself away, free-falled for a second, and shot a web out. "Spontaneous field trip with Dad!"

"Uh-huh...sure." Sam shook his head. "I think-" The Black Panther knocked him down, cutting off their conversation.

Peter saw his Pops running towards the Quinjet, and went to intercept him. Shooting a web out, he knocked him over.

Steve shot up, completely thrown off, literally. "Peter?! What are you doing?"

"Dad said to go for your legs...now I know why." Peter ducked as a tire flew over their heads.

"What else did he say?" Steve did not really want to know, but...

"That you're wrong...but you think you're right...despite good intentions..."

"Son..."

"Pops, listen to me." Peter pulled his mask off again. "Just stop. fighting...please...I want to go home...I want us to go home..." He was crying, and Steve hated that more than anything, especially since he himself was the cause of it.

"Peter!"

They both heard Tony's shout as he roughly landed next to Peter. The helmet came back again, a cut above his eye where that shiner was becoming purple. It looked so painful.

"Tony, please..."

"Don't..." Tony put himself protectively in front of Peter. "You don't get to lecture me today...You wanna get to that Quinjet? You wanna help that delusioned murderer? You're going to have to get through me. Because it's clear you don't give a damn about me, but I want you to look him in the eyes when you do it..." He pointed to Peter, who was helpless.

Steve was stuck. What was he supposed to do? His best friend needed him.

What about my family?

"I'm sorry, honey..."

Tony tore his eyes away from the fuzzy screen, and it took everything he had to not blow the place to smithereens so Barnes could get what he deserved.

To his shock, Steve did not say anything...but just looked at him, like he was waiting for something.

"Did you know?" It was barely above a whisper.

"Tony, I-"

"Don't bullshit me, Rogers, did...you...know?" Tears welled up in his eyes.

"...Yes."

Tony jumped back as if he got burnt, a pained look on his face. He could barely register sound as he was sure Steve was trying to explain himself, for lying to him, after all this time, but to lie again to his face...

White noise was all he heard.

Then his fist flung out, helmet down, and he was ready for another round.

Blind, hot rage fueled him as he was clawing for Barnes, and how dare Steve get in his way again.

"Stay out of my way!" Tony tried to incapacitate him, not hurt him. Deep down, he still loved him.

Even though he was a liar...

"Tony! Stop! He didn't do anything wrong! It wasn't his fault!"

They kept fighting. Well, Tony kept attacking Barnes, who sometimes fought back, but Steve tried his best to prevent anyone from seriously hurting each other.

"Bucky! No!" Steve was horrified to see Bucky go for the arc reactor. He pulled him off, pinning Tony to the wall. "Tony! Listen to me! You know I wouldn't do this if I had any other choice...but he's my friend..."

Tony stiffened, taking in a sharp breath. He pulled his mask back. "...so was I..."

The fighting got more dirty, more scary.

Bucky Barnes tapped out when Tony shot his metal arm off and he collapsed onto the ground in sobs. Steve went off, blocking every blow Tony made to him. Tony was furious. They had ganged up on him, two on one earlier, with him down on his knees. He almost had them, but it was not a fair fight.

And it never will be.

Tony lunged forward and fired with both gauntlets as much fire power to burn that shield, that symbol of hope.

All lies.

He could not get FRIDAY to analyze his fight patterns fast enough. Damn, he's good.

His world of vision filled with stars, after Steve threw him to the ground, head banging into concrete. He grabbed Tony's helmet, yanking it back so hard to reveal a terrified Tony Stark.

That made him stop.

Steve stared down on his husband, and started to sob.

"What are you waiting for? FINISH IT!"

Steve raised his shield high, and Tony raised his hands to cover his face. He almost screamed in pain when vibranium shoved the arc reactor into his chest.

But he resisted.

He stared at that shield, panting...

And then Steve had the nerve to pull it out, and it hurt so bad. He went to pick up his real friend, who was so out of it.

"That shield doesn't belong to you! It belonged to my father! You don't deserve it!" Tony called after him.

Steve paused for a second, did not even turn around, and dropped the shield.

"Steve...please...don't do all of this for me. I'm not worth it..." Bucky tried to shove away, but was too weak. "He's your husband, for God's sake! And think of your son! Is this all really necessary?"

Steve did not say anything, but just kept limping away.

Tony spat blood onto the shield, then laid back down in defeat.