Bucky
Bucky was lying on the ground, he was near a large quantity of rocks. He lied there, not moving a muscle. He glanced up at the sky and noticed that the clouds had turned from white to a very vibrant and powerful orange. Pink was also highlighted throughout the cloud, including blood red. The sun was setting and Bucky knew that his window was closing fast. He had been staking out a compound in Arizona for the past seven hours. He had dropped Hill off in New York, she was still mad at him for not telling her everything. If he was in her position he would probably be mad to.
It was just a touchy topic, and he didn't want everyone to know, it's not like he doesn't trust Hill with the information, he just wanted her to stay out of it. She has enough on her plate as it is, and he just didn't want to add extra baggage. If that meant she would be mad at him for a while, he could live with that. Bucky put his mouth to his wrist and spoke into his communicator.
"Fury, window's closing"
Fury's voice came into his ear and it sounded tired "Copy, do you see a good opportunity?"
Bucky grabbed his rifle, which was lying next to him. He looked down the scope and quickly looked at the defenses; five guard towers, three tanks on the outside inside he didn't have a clue, more than seventy soldiers inside, and then priority target in the command center; which is heavily guarded by four anti-air and ground turrets. Bucky could get in, getting out was the thing that worried him.
"A good opportunity? No, but I can get in, but getting out is going to be messy" Bucky responded
"Hmm, the target cannot get away, but I don't want you getting both of you killed"
"I can wait till target leaves compound, then follow him from a distance. Ambush him, then take him in alive"
"No, too risky"
"Well both options are risky" Bucky said watching as his window was closing faster by the minute.
"You just get in, I'll get you out"
"Coming in all guns and glory?"
"Something like that" Fury responded
"Ok, I'm going in, I'll contact you once I have the target"
"Copy that, we'll be on alert"
"You better not be late Fury"
"We won't be"
Bucky took his wrist away from his mouth and he exhaled, he grabbed his rifle and put the strap over his shoulder. He stood up and walked forward. He jumped down and landed on a rock and he rolled. He landed softly in the sand, he stood up and he shook his head, sand flew off his head. Bucky knew that sand was going to be everywhere by the time this mission was over.
He looked at the sun as it sunk behind the distant hills and mountains. It was already cold and he knew it was about to get colder. He put on his face mask and he kept the glasses off. It was basically a night ops, no need for them. He walked fast, but he didn't run. He would reach the compound in ten minutes, then all he had to do was slip in, but first getting past an army. No problem.
Bucky was outside of the compound and the sun had fully set and now the only light was the moon and the spotlights. Bucky was lying on the ground by the main road into the compound. He was waiting patiently, but he was still on the clock. If this way in took too long, he would have to find a different way. His worries were casted aside when he saw the headlights of four trucks. He nodded and he prepared himself. He could hear the rumbling of their engines getting closer, the first one past him. He didn't want that one, way too easy for them to notice him.
He watched as the second past him, he saw the fourth truck and the driver wasn't looking at him. If Bucky wanted inside the compound, now was the time to do it. He got up and ran forward and hit the ground and rolled under the third truck as it moved. He came to his back and reached up and grabbed the undercarriage of the truck and lifted himself up. He kept his body close to the truck and he knew he was successful when everything was still quiet. Bucky lightly smirked, he used his left hand to hold himself up, and he didn't want his right arm getting tired.
Bucky saw the feet of more than fifty soldiers as he passed through the compound's gate. He kept his breathing slow and steady. He felt a few bumps and he almost lost his foot when one of the bumps made it pop down. The wheel almost crushed it as he pulled it back up. He felt the truck stop, he looked at the driver's side; he saw boots hit the dirt and walk toward a group of other boots. He heard what seemed to be men loading things out of the truck. Bucky looked down at the back of the truck, there were groups of two carrying crates off the truck.
Bucky waited patiently for them to leave and go off and do their duties, and for most that would mean go and eat. Bucky hung there, he watched as the boots of men walk into the barracks in the compound. Bucky looked in all directions quickly, he had a very limited window. He dropped down onto his back. He rolled out from under the truck and he stood up. He saw that the guard towers were filled with only two guards each. They both were looking outside of the compound; it was Bucky's lucky day. No one was looking for someone to sneak into the compound. Bucky got to the front of the truck when he heard footsteps in the dry crusted dirt. They were coming toward him, Bucky pulled out a knife from his boot and he held it ready. He saw the driver walk in to view, he was reading a magazine, not noticing Bucky standing in front of him.
Bucky lunged forward and he stabbed him in the chest, the man's eyes widened and his mouth opened to yell. Bucky covered his mouth with his metal hand. He snapped his neck, not wanting to take the chance for any noise to escape his mouth. Bucky pulled the knife out and he dragged the man and he rolled him under the truck. Bucky put away his knife and he saw the magazine on the ground. He saw the page it was opened to; there were two naked ladies and they were in very erotic poses. Bucky grabbed the magazine and tossed it into the truck through the cracked window. "You naughty boy" Bucky said walking away from the truck and he went behind a large stack of barrels.
Bucky studied the guards in the towers and he knew that he would be safe to get into the area he wanted. Bucky was more worried about anyone on the ground who could see him. Bucky looked at the area he could think of, and no one was in sight. If he wanted to get in, now was his best chance to do so. Bucky saw the command center ahead, he ran forward, his boots not making a sound. He got to the side of the command center. Bucky looked up and the windows at the top were bright from activity within.
Bucky looked to his right and he saw an open vent. He walked over and he knelt down and looked into it. He saw a vent leading up, he nodded and he grabbed the edges of the metal bars that were blocking him from going into it. He pulled it off with a soft metal creak then a snap. He crawled into the vent and he brought the metal bars up and placed them back against the vent. It wasn't the best way to make it look like it hadn't been broken, but Bucky was on the clock. He got to the end of the vent and he saw the only way was up, he put his hands on the vent and he started to pull himself up. He tried his best so the vent wouldn't collapse and then make a loud bang noise that could possibly alert any one close by.
He slowly inched his way up the vent, he came to an entry from another set metal bars. He held himself up and he squinted through the cracks. He saw a large room full of computers and there were technicians sitting and typing. Bucky saw one man standing in the middle of the room, his arms were crossed and he wasn't doing anything. Bucky only saw his back, then he turned. Bucky's eyes widened as he saw the white X on his chest and the mask. Bucky put his wrist to his mouth.
"Fury, eyes on target"
"Good where are you?"
"In a vent watching from a grate"
"Hmm, you are always in interesting places when you contact me"
"Yeah, well I found him, but he seems to be wanting to leave"
"Don't worry about him, we are on the way ETA in ten minutes. Just get both of your asses out of that compound"
"Copy that" Bucky said starting to continue climbing.
Bucky spent the next three minutes doing his best not to make a sound, he stopped and he listened closely. He heard someone near getting punched. He heard the soldiers around laughing and the one throwing the punches grunts. Bucky looked up and he saw another opening that he could get out. He climbed up, a little faster than he should have, but it seemed to be muffled by the laughter. Bucky got to the metal bars and he looked at what was going on. He saw what he needed to, and he climbed a little higher up, till his feet were against the grate. He exhaled and then he swung his legs and the metal bars shot out and hit a man in the legs. The laughter stopped and the cries of pain from the soldier who was hit was the only sound that Bucky could hear. The soldiers all looked at the vent that was now bar less. They watched closely and Bucky knee that they were.
Bucky swung his legs again and he caught the inside of the room and he let go and he fell backward and his knees hooked onto the edge and he hung there. The soldiers stared at the two legs that were hanging idly and comfortably on the floor. Bucky swung his torso up and he grabbed the top of the edge of the opening and he pushed himself out. The soldier's saw The Winter Soldier standing up and then he ran at them.
Bucky kicked one and he quickly punched another, before any of the others could respond. Bucky pulled out a knife and he threw it at the person on their knees, clearly the one they had been hitting. The knife flew toward the person and they stood up and their hands were tied behind their back. They turned and the knife sliced through the rope, letting the hands go free. The knife stuck into the wall. Bucky ran and slid on his knees and he pulled out two batons and he tossed them to her. She caught them and she hit a soldier in the face then brought the second on up and broke his collarbone.
Bucky pulled out a silenced pistol and fired. He hit four men and they hit the floor dead, he unloaded the clip and he threw it at a soldier. The clip hit him in the face and Bucky ran forward and took the handle of the pistol and smacked him in his exposed throat. He heard the windpipe crunch, he ducked a punch and he countered by grabbed the soldier's arm and breaking it. The man howled in pain and Bucky brought his metal hand up to his throat and he took him up into the air and slammed him down onto the floor breaking his neck. Bucky saw Morse kicked a soldier and he stumbled. He swung his leg around and hit him in the face as he stumbled, sending him into another soldier.
Morse threw one of her batons and they hit a soldier in the groin and he keeled over. Bucky brought his leg down and caught the soldier in the back of the head, knocking him out cold. Morse tossed her other baton at Bucky, he caught it and brought it around and hit a man in jaw, dislocating it with a pop. Morse ran forward and dropkicked a soldier about to stab Bucky. Bucky grabbed her hand and pulled her up "Happy to see me?" Bucky said teasingly
Morse looked at him and gave him a fake smile. Bucky chuckled and he pulled out a knife and threw it at the last soldier as he ran for the alarm. The knife pierced through his neck and he hit the floor with a loud thump.
"It was all under control" Morse said
"Yeah, that's what it looked like, Fury has back up coming in three minutes" Bucky said looking at his watch.
"Yeah, well I'm not letting Rumlow get away"
Bucky assumed as much "I know, let's go get him"
Morse nodded and they ran for the door "So no thank you?"
"Shut up Barnes"
"Ok"
Steve
Steve landed the Quinjet in Fiji about an hour ago. He spent that hour hiding the Quinjet. He was wearing his tan cargo pants with his black boots. He was wearing a white shirt with a navy blue jacket. He had his suit in the Quinjet, but he needed to stay low profile. He was standing in the Quinjet and he was looking at his shield on the floor. It was resting against the side of the hull and he stared at it. He was contemplating on taking it with him. He decided against it and he brought something that Stark had made for him. He was wearing it under his jacket, he asked Stark about it when he first gave it to him.
He could use it under clothes, it was a device that made a hologram or something like it that matched his shield's density and weight. It was also just as strong. It came in handy with covert ops missions when the real shield would be too obvious. He hadn't had a real situation to test it, just training simulation, but it worked fine in training, so this was the field test. He had to get used to the odd weight it had on his wrist, but he got used to it after a few minutes.
He walked out of the Quinjet and the ramp closed behind him. He saw that it was late evening, the sun was starting to go down. He knew that Natasha wouldn't be anywhere near the resorts, so he just had to look for a bad town. He hoped that he chose the right one on the first guess. He began walking in the direction of a town he had seen before he landed. It had a motel and a bar in it, so by instinct he figured that she would be there. He didn't know why he thought she would, he just had a strange feeling that he knew her moves.
Steve was halfway there when he passed a three story shack or house. It was more of a mixture of the two. He could smell the scents from the inside and he didn't want to go in, he could smell blood, sweat, and drugs. He knew it would be trouble if he walked into that place. He continued on and he watched as a red rusted truck drove past him. He watched it round the corner and seven men where in it, some in the back and each had a beer in their hands. Steve shook his head and he continued into town. He saw the street lamps and he walked past a motel, which he knew was the best thing that could be found in this dump. He saw white truck parked there, and he stopped and he looked in it.
It was clean, too clean for this place. He figured that Natasha must have been driving it, if she was here of course. He saw the bar further down the street. He looked as the neon lights flickered. He took a deep breath and walked toward it. He hoped that he found Natasha in there, but he was a little nervous about if he did. He got to the entrance and he pushed the doors open and he walked in. There was local music playing and he saw the bartender and he walked forward and he asked for a glass of whiskey. He paid and he took the glass and he saw a group of men and women standing around what seemed to be was a table. He got the bartender's attention.
"What's going on?"
The bartender looked over and chuckled "Just a bunch of people about to lose their money"
"Is it a drinking contest?"
"Well one just finished, I think they're just waiting for anyone else who would want to attempt to beat her"
"Who?"
"Oh a red headed Chicca, very sexy" the bartender said smiling
Steve knew that he had found Natasha, and of course she was winning at a drinking game. Steve looked at his glass and he drank the whole thing. The bartender looked at him "You're going to try and beat her aren't you?"
"Well sometimes there are just something's you have to do"
"Well, hope I don't have to drag your ass out of here"
"You won't I can hold my liquor"
"I hope so" He said laughing
Steve nodded and he walked forward, the group saw him walking up and they saw his face and they assumed that he wanted to try and beat her. They let him past and he sat down. He was wearing his ball cap and he took it off and set it down on the table. He sure hoped he didn't surprise her enough to want to make her kill him. He saw Natasha and her back was to him and she was talking to one of the women and they were laughing. Steve saw her turn and he couldn't help but smile at her.
Natasha turned to see the next loser who wanted to try and beat her at drinking. She saw Steve sitting there and he was smiling at her. Her smile faded and she looked at him shocked. What was he doing here? Natasha gave him a half smirk half angry look. Steve's smile faded and he lightly shrugged his shoulders. Natasha looked at him and he looked good, he seemed even fitter than he had before, she looked at his chest and she could tell he was in better shape than he ever was before. Why was she noticing these things, not to mention staring at him?
Two shots were poured and Steve took his and drank it. Natasha took hers and she looked at him and she gave him a little wink and she drank hers. Steve suddenly felt his heart rate increase by her face and he felt his ears become warm. He had a strange feeling that she had done that to him before, and apparently he liked it. Steve drank his second shot and so did she. It went on like this for eighteen more shots. Steve knew that they would be drinking till dawn before she felt anything, and he wouldn't feel anything; to him it was just another drink.
Steve didn't know why, but he made the instant choice to let her win, he began to act buzzed and he struggled to grab his next to shots. Natasha shook her hand at him in micro movements, she knew he saw it. He struggled to pick up his third shot and he winked at her and he drank it and smiled at her. Natasha felt a strange feeling in her stomach when he winked and smiled at her, her legs felt weak. She had felt that feeling before, and it was a regular thing that happened to her whenever he smiled at her. She couldn't like him, shouldn't like him; he didn't deserve someone like her. She had no idea why she was thinking that he liked her like that, but she thought back to all the times he had turned down the dates that she mentioned to him, and also how she would sometimes catch him looking at her.
She drank her shot and Steve tried to drink his next one, and she knew he was faking, but he was a good actor. He missed his mouth and it poured down his shirt and he fell backwards. He hit the floor and everyone around laughed and Natasha couldn't help but laugh as well. To see Steve act drunk was funny, then to see him fall over on purpose with no chance that he was going to hit the ground softly, it was amusing. Natasha collected her winnings and she stood up and she announced her departure. Steve slowly got up and he walked out of the bar missing the door twice and hitting the wall. The bartender was laughing at him and he was telling the other something that made them laugh even harder.
Steve walked out and he instantly turned off the fake drunkenness and he waited for Natasha to walk out. He saw her walk out and he smiled at her. Natasha stopped and she felt her legs get weak again.
"What are you doing here Rogers" Natasha asked continuing to walk toward the motel.
Steve followed her "I was missing you, not to mention the new facility hasn't been the same since you left"
"Oh you miss me, I'm flattered"
"Well I was wondering where you were, you didn't let us know where you were"
"Then how did you find me?"
"I remembered that Banner was suspected to coming here, and I guessed that was the reason you left, to go look for him"
Natasha froze and she frowned "Come on, you need to wash that shirt" Natasha said
Steve looked at her and he looked at his shirt and there was a large dark stain from the alcohol, he followed her into the motel. Steve stood behind her as she unlocked her door to her room. He followed as she opened the door. He had his hands in his pockets and he was looking around.
"You've stayed in worse"
"We both have stayed in worse"
"Yeah, that was a fun mission" Steve said smiling back at the memory
"Being stuck in a dirty shack in a blizzard was not fun" Natasha said as she took her jacket off.
"Well it was a fun day off"
"If you call almost freezing to death fun"
"Well we did have a good talk"
"Ok yes we had a good talk" Natasha said nodding and smiling
Steve saw her bathroom and he pointed at it, she nodded at him. He walked in and he closed the door. Steve took off his jacket and he put it on the knob. He took off his white shirt and he put it under the sink and he turned the water on. He took the soap and he cleaned the stain. He squeezed the water out of it and he hung it on the towel rack and he walked out of the bath room. Natasha had her boots off and she looked at Steve and his chest was bare and she felt her legs get weak and her heart skipped step. His abs were even more defined than before, and his shoulders were also defined. He looked at her "What?"
The words took her out of her thoughts and she spoke "Nothing"
"Well, I came here to see if you would come back with me" Steve said taking a seat next to her on the bed
Natasha swallowed and she could feel the heat from his skin radiating off toward her. She didn't want to leave. "I can't leave"
"Well I also thought about helping you look for Banner if you didn't want to go"
Natasha was taken back by his words "Well I have been here for three months and I haven't found anything"
Steve nodded and he looked at her "Then we go to another place that he could be"
Natasha knew that he just wanted to help, but she knew that she wasn't going to be able to find Bruce. She had to face the truth and accept that he was gone, and he wasn't going to show up in some random part of the world. As much as she wanted to find him, another art wanted to hurt him for leaving her. She was hurt when he disconnected the call and she found some happiness again when she was with Steve.
"No, I just need to face the truth that Bruce doesn't want to be found"
"If you want to stay a little longer, I understand"
"Nah, I've been here for three months, I'm missing the city" Natasha said
"Well then, we'll leave in the morning"
"Funny how I would see you three months later with you challenging me to a drinking game"
Steve smiled at her "Well I did let you win"
"Yes, thank you for the money" Natasha said holding up her winnings
"Well, I knew that I wouldn't be able to get drunk, so it seemed like the right thing to do"
"It was the gentlemen in you"
"Maybe" Steve said chuckling
Their faces were close and he stared into her brilliant emerald eyes and she looked at his blue pools and she lost herself in his gaze. Steve noticed that he was getting closer to her face and he backed off "Well, um, you take the bed"
Natasha blinked and she was thinking about what the hell just happened "Yeah"
"Well good night" Steve said and he stood up and he grabbed one of the pillows off the bed and he put it on the floor.
Natasha didn't know what she was doing "Steve, just sleep in the bed, who knows what kind of shit is on that floor"
Steve grabbed the pillow "You sure?"
"Yeah, just sleep in the bed"
Steve nodded and he put the pillow back where it was and he took off his boots and he go onto the bed and laid back. He was staring up at the ceiling and he felt Natasha lie down next to him, but she stayed at a respectful distance away.
"Good night Steve" Natasha said softly
"Night" Steve said still looking up at the ceiling.
He closed his eyes and he waited for the embrace of sleep. He felt a little nervous lying next to Natasha and he knew that she wasn't going to sleep.
Natasha was looking at the wall and her back was to Steve. She could hear her heart beat in her ears, why was she so nervous? She could feel hands around her and she knew that Steve wasn't the one touching her. The hands were strong, but they were also welcoming. She closed her eyes and she could feel the arms around her and she could feel the warmth of someone next to her. She glanced back at Steve and he was breathing softly and he had his eyes closed. Why was she feeling someone hands around her, bringing her into a warm loving embrace? She had begun to feel like this whenever she turned off and tried to relax. It was like she was remembering someone holding her, and she didn't know why, but she liked it.
Bucky
Bucky followed Morse to the command room where he had seen Rumlow before he saved her. Bucky looked at his watch "We have two minute to do this and get out"
"Well, we are pressed for time" Morse said taking a pistol from Bucky's thigh.
Bucky looked at her closely "Well let's go"
Morse nodded and stood up and Bucky brought his foot up and kicked the door, sending it into the room with enough force to kill. Morse went first and fired as a few soldiers that were standing around the room. Bucky saw one come from behind her, from the one corner she didn't; check. Bucky walked forward and he grabbed the soldier by the neck and he snapped it. Morse looked behind her at him "You forgot that corner"
"I didn't forget, it was meant for you" she said
Bucky let the body hit the floor and he looked around the room. He didn't see Rumlow anywhere. Bucky saw the huge screen on the wall to his left suddenly started to connect to a call. Bucky waited and glanced at his watch: they had a minute in a half. The screen came to life and Rumlow's masked face appeared.
"Well I see I missed the welcoming party"
Bucky and Morse looked at each other "The whole place is wired with C4, I hope Fury has back up coming. It'll be too late, you have thirty seconds"
Rumlow's face disappeared and then red numbers appeared on the screen and they were at twenty five when Morse looked at Bucky.
"Ok time to leave"
"Yeah, but we don't have enough time to get out" Bucky said and he saw the vent that he looked in from ten minutes ago. "Maybe not"
Morse frowned at him as he walked over to the vent and pulled the metal bars off. Morse walked over and Bucky looked at her.
"Are you claustrophobic?"
"No, why?"
"Oh nothing really, just brace"
"Brace?"
Bucky grabbed her and tossed her into the vent and he followed and the timer was at ten seconds. Bucky slid down the vent slowly and he saw Morse at the exit when he landed. He quickly crawled toward her and he followed her out. They both sprinted for the main gate of the compound. They were halfway there when the command center exploded. The shockwave fired out and hit them both. Bucky flew forward and hit a truck, then smacked into the ground. Morse was thrown in the same direction, but she hit a soldier and landed.
Bucky opened his eyes, his ears were ringing, and he was looking at the ground. He got up and he shook his head and the ringing started to subside. He walked over to Morse and he helped her up, they both looked at the command center and it was nothing but a huge fire. Bucky looked at his watch: thirty seconds "We still need to get out of here"
Bucky put Morse's arm around him and he put his left hand on her waist and he helped her toward the gate. He glanced at his watch again, they weren't going to make it at this pace. Bucky reached down and grabbed her legs and he carried her. Morse had blood streaming down from her left side of the head and it covered her face from her brow to her mid cheek. Bucky ran for the open gate and he saw other soldiers running around for battle stations. Bucky looked up and he could see Quinjets flying toward them. He picked up the pace and he was outside the compound when they fired and then the compound was nothing but a huge ball of fire and smoke. Bucky was also being shot at by the guard towers and he ran as the bullets hit the dirt around him.
He saw a group of rocks and he ran for them and he jumped over one and he held Morse close and landed on his back. Bucky opened his eyes and Morse was looking at him, and she just seemed to start to notice where she was. She was on top of Bucky and she had blood streaming down her face.
"Thanks" she said in a short breath
"Don't mention it"
Morse rolled off of Bucky and she sat up against the side of the rock and Bucky sat down next to her. "I hate timed things" Bucky said
Morse looked at him and chuckled "Yeah, me to" she said glancing back at the huge wall of flame that used to be a fully functional compound.
"So how did you get caught anyway?"
"Let's save it for tomorrow" Morse said putting her head back and resting Bucky nodded and he could live with that. He brought his wrist to his mouth "Fury, we're both out, any chance you could come and get us?"
"That was cutting it pretty close"
"Tell me about it, we need a medical exam, I think we both have concussions"
"Don't forget the ears" Morse said softly
"Oh and we would like our hearing checked"
"You got it, now get back here and have your check up, then we will start on how you let Rumlow get away"
Bucky disconnected and looked at Morse "Dad's mad"
"He'll get over it"
Author's Note: Hey guys I would love some feedback, review.