Chapter 8
Steve sat on the bus watching as Fitz practiced assembling a transceiver. He hadn't alerted the scientist to his presence because Fitz already appeared so nervous and Steve didn't want to add to his anxiety. Coulson had tasked Skye and Trip with missions when they landed on Hawaii. Steve didn't know what was more confusing, the missions Coulson had given Skye and Trip or the fact that apparently Hawaii was now a state. A lot had changed in the years he'd been asleep.
"Damn it" Fitz cursed as he checked the timer. He had only managed 8 minutes 30 seconds. Coulson wanted him to be able to do it in 6. Steve walked over to him.
"How's it going?"
"I can't do it." Fitz looked at the transceiver in frustration. "Before… I could have done this in my sleep, but now…"
Steve looked down at the transceiver. "The fact that you can it together is amazing. It would take me at least 5 hours and that's with an instruction manual. Even then, I wouldn't understand it half as well as you do." He put his hand on Fitz's shoulder. "Could you show me how to build it?"
"No offense, but I'm not sure how that's going to help with my timing issue." Fitz looked downcast.
"Sometimes the best way to speed up is to do the exact opposite. You're driving yourself crazy continuously repeating the same actions. It's making you frantic and frustrated which increases your chances of making mistakes. Slow down and then you'll be calm enough to give it another try." Steve smiled encouragingly. "Now" he said picking up a piece of the transceiver. "What's this thing and where does it go?"
It took 27 minutes, but Fitz talked Steve through reassembling the transceiver. By the end he seemed more relaxed.
"I think I'm ready to try again." He said.
"Excellent! I'll leave you to it." Steve grinned and turned to leave.
"Captain." Fitz called after him. "Thanks"
Steve nodded. When he left he ran into Coulson.
"Director" Steve nodded
"Captain, how's Fitz?"
"He's anxious, but he'll get it."
Coulson nodded. The two watched Fitz as he began assembling the transceiver again.
"He's capable of doing this, but he needs to believe in himself again." Coulson murmured.
"It must be difficult seeing him like this." Steve said. "Skye told me what happened to him. It's not right that Ward is out there, free, while Fitz is held prisoner by his own mind."
Coulson grimaced. The two watched in silence as Fitz managed 6 minutes and 49 seconds. His eyes gleamed with excitement as he took the transceiver apart to try again. Just then Skye and Trip returned.
"Your tie as requested. And your button has been delivered." Trip handed Coulson a package.
"The watch has been engraved and delivered." Skye said.
"Okay, wheels up in 3." Coulson said as he took the tie. Then he began walking towards his office.
"Where are we going?" Skye asked.
"Australia." Coulson said. "Oh by the way Cap, you might want to change into your suit. We're going to need you field ready."
"Australia?" Skye and Trip looked at Steve.
"I know nothing." He responded.
It wasn't until they were flying over Australia that Coulson explained his plan.
"The watch and button are actually a Trojan horse which will activate when in close proximity to each other inside the base. They'll shut down the network meaning – "
"It will reboot on the backup system in Australia." Skye was practically bouncing with excitement. Coulson smiled
"Trip and Cap will." He stopped, he had just gotten a look at Cap's uniform. "That's not the uniform you wore in New York."
"Um no," Cap shifted uncomfortably "we needed a tactical upgrade to do covert missions. The red was too flashy and the star too bold."
Coulson looked dejected.
"Um I still have the other suit." Steve ventured. "It's in my apartment in DC."
Coulson cleared his throat. "Trip and Cap will accompany Fitz into the server center where Fitz will assemble the transceiver. Once it activates it will allow Skye to hack the network and do a topographical survey of the entire planet. If that city's on this planet; we'll find it."
Steve, Fitz and Trip snuck into the base.
"How's it look?" Skye asked.
"Empty." Trip replied. "Something's very wrong, there's no one, not even personnel."
"Stay on alert." Coulson said "And complete the mission."
"Copy that." Steve said as they rounded a corner…only to be shot at by Hydra agents. Steve grabbed Fitz and pulled him out of range. At that moment their coms went down.
"Skye/ Coulson?" Trip turned to Steve "I've got nothing, how about you?'
"Line's dead for me as well." Steve took a deep breath. "We go through with the mission. I'll distract the Hydra agents and find the building personnel, while you take Fitz to the control room."
Trip nodded. Steve rounded the corner and went down the hall. He alternated between blocking Hydra bullets and shooting. Soon he got to the end and knocked out the shooters. Using the distraction Steve had provided, Fitz and Trip rushed to the control room. Steve fought of the next wave of Hydra agents. By the time he got to the room with the hostages he had incapacitated 9. Kicking down the door he let all the hostages go.
"You're safe now but you need to follow me out." As Steve led the hostages out of the base he did not notice the man who had been watching the entire operation. The man quivered with rage, the two had entered the control room were definitely S.H.I.E.L.D., but none of Hydra's intel had told him to expect Captain America. If Captain Rogers was working with Coulson it would make retrieving his daughter very difficult.
Cap made his way back to Trip and Fitz…just in time to see them ambushed by two Hydra agents they had missed. Steve managed to block the bullet meant for Fitz, but Trip was hit. Steve took down the two agents and turned back to Trip.
"Keep working." He ordered the horrified Fitz. "Trip can you hear me?"
"You're yelling so yeah." Trip coughed. "I think I've got a bullet in my chest."
Steve examined the wound. "You're going to need medical attention. We need to get you back to the bus and fast."
"I can help." Steve looked up at the newcomer who had spoken. "I'm a doctor. I was one of the hostages you freed. I came back to see if anyone needed medical attention."
Steve nodded, letting the man examine Trip.
"how much longer Fitz?" he asked
"About 2 minutes Sir…Captain…sir."
"Good," Steve turned to watch the man helping Trip. Something was off. Trip seemed to think it too as he scrutinized the doctor's face.
"Cap." He coughed out, but couldn't get more out.
"It's awfully convenient you being here." Steve said slowly. "I'm very grateful for your help."
"Well of course," the man said "You care about your team, even if it technically is Coulson's team not yours."
Steve stiffened, his suspicions confirmed, this man was not here by accident.
"How is Coulson?" the man continued. "Is he still poisoning the mind of my daughter?"
"You're Hydra." Steve was preparing to push the man away from Trip, when he raised a bloody finger to stop him. "I'm not Hydra. I'm trying to get my daughter away from the clutches of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra happens to be in the best position to give me what I want."
"Your daughter." Steve said slowly,
"Skye" Trip coughed.
"That is NOT her name." The doctor roared, his eyes blazed with unbridled rage. Then he sliced one of the veins in Trip's chest. "See now look what you've made me do." He clamped the vein shut with a pair of forceps to stop the bleeding. Steve grabbed him by the throat. "You're going to want to let me go Cap. If my grip so much as loosens for too long, your friend here is dead."
Steve glared but let go.
"Now you can either follow me, and let your friend die, or let me escape and save his life." He let go and got up. Steve grabbed hold.
"Good man." The Doctor sneered. "I expected nothing less from the noble Captain America."
"You're a monster." Fitz shouted.
"The only monsters are the people who destroyed my family." The man shouted. "Tell Coulson that he'll hear from me real soon. And tell my daughter that her loving father is coming to free her."
"What if she doesn't want to be freed?" Steve said. "Have you ever considered that she's with S.H.I.E.L.D. because she wants to be?"
The man's eyes widened, but then his stormy expression split into a smile of complete madness.
"You're stalling Captain. Clever. Very clever." Then he left.
"Fitz" Steve said.
"Almost…There…" Fitz was quivering with rage and fear.
"Fitz, listen to me; breathe. You can do this, but you need to stay calm." Steve watched as Fitz finished connecting the transceiver.
"Done, okay let's go."
They gently began carrying Trip back to the bus.
"Um Cap." Fitz said "What happened?"
They had just rounded the last corner and were met with a horrific sight. The hallway in front of them was littered with the bodies of the Hydra agents who had attacked them. Blood dripped from the walls and drenched the floor making it resemble a river of blood. Steve had seen war and faced the horrors of the battlefield, but nothing could have prepared him for this.
"He probably did this because it was too inconvenient to deal with a group of unconscious soldiers." Steve felt his stomach churn. "These were his own men and he…butchered them."
"He's mad." Fitz said. They maneuvered their way through the hallway. They finally made it back to the bus.
"I've got an agent down and in need of emergency medical assistance." Steve shouted. Immediately, Trip was taken into surgery. Coulson walked up to them.
"What happened?"
"We were ambushed by Hydra." Steve explained. He knew Fitz was still in shock, and decided to minimize the amount of time he would have to reminisce on the horrors they had just witnessed. "They had locked up the building personnel. I rescued them while Trip covered Fitz and in doing so he got shot. That's when – "
"What happened?" Skye had just rushed into the room. "I just saw Trip going into surgery and…oh my god." She had just caught sight of Steve and Fitz covered in blood.
"It's not ours." Steve said quickly.
"That doesn't make it better." Skye said. "Are you okay? What happened to Trip?"
Steve and Fitz looked at each other. Both were thinking the same thing. It was one thing to tell Coulson; but how could they explain to Skye that they were covered in blood as a result of her father?
"What's wrong?" She asked "You look like you met the devil out there." Steve opened his mouth, but he couldn't find the words and no sound came out. Fitz continued to give her a wide eyed look.
"We…" Steve finally managed to say, but a beeping noise from the main screen interrupted him.
"We've got a match!" Skye said "There's our mystery city."
"I'll call ahead and tell May." Coulson said "As soon as we touch down at base we'll assemble a team and prepare to – "
"It was your father." Fitz blurted
Coulson and Skye's looks of excitement died. They looked at each other, then at Cap and Fitz.
"My father?" Skye said softly. Steve was suddenly very aware of the blood on his boots and uniform. He forced himself to meet her gaze. "You met my father."
"It was after Trip was shot. A man came up to us claiming to be a doctor and offered to help. He said he had been locked in with the building personnel, but something felt wrong. I didn't remember him among the hostages and there was no reason for a doctor to be on the base." Steve paused. "Then he made a comment about us being on Coulson's team and that's when I knew he was Hydra. He said his daughter's mind was being poisoned by Phil. That's when Trip said your name. Then the man lost it. He shouted that Skye wasn't your name and…" Steve stopped.
"What did he do?" Skye said.
"Skye, I – "
"WHAT. DID. HE DO? Don't try to spare me Steve I want the truth."
Steve looked at her in pain, but continued. "He cut a vein in Trip's chest both as retaliation and as an escape plan. The only way to save Trip was to hold pressure so he wouldn't bleed out and…"
"And in the mean time he could escape." Coulson said "You made the right call."
"He said he would be back soon." Fitz spoke softly. "He said that the monsters in the world were those keeping him from his daughter. He hates you sir."
"He killed the Hydra soldiers on the way out." Steve said. "When we came back out with Trip…"
"There was blood everywhere sir." Fitz said.
Skye looked at the two of them.
"Skye," Steve said taking a step towards her, reaching out to touch her shoulder in what was meant to be a comforting gesture…except that he was still covered in blood. She stepped back.
"I…I need a moment." She said and left the room. Steve looked after her. Coulson turned to Fitz. "You did really well Fitz. Go get yourself cleaned up then rest, you've earned it." Fitz nodded and left.
"Did Skye know?" Steve asked. Coulson sat down and put his head in his hands. "Yes." He said. "We found a lab where he had been working…There were bodies of men he'd killed minutes before we arrived. Give her time. She'll open up when she's ready."
Steve nodded. He left to go to the showers. It took him 20 minutes to remove the smell of blood from his body. When he went to his bunk he found Skye sitting, leaning against the wall, waiting for him.
"Skye!" he said, painfully aware of the fact that he was only covered by the towel around his waist. It wasn't proper for her to see him like this. "um"
"Relax, it's nothing I haven't seen before, but if it makes you feel better I'll close my eyes."
Steve went into his bunk. A minute later he was dressed and came back out.
"Skye I…"
"Please don't. Don't look at me like that. Like you pity me. Like I'm some helpless broken damsel. I can't stand people pitying me."
Steve looked her straight in the eyes. "Skye who ever your father may be, you are not him. He didn't raise you, or make you the amazing, strong, person I know. You're not helpless or broken. You're one of the people that I would trust to have my back in the field, without question or hesitation."
Skye nodded, She was about to respond when she was interrupted by Fitz carrying a tablet.
"Sorry, but I thought you might like to know that your second scan just finished." He handed her the tablet.
"Second scan?" Steve looked at Skye questioningly.
"The city was our primary interest, but I figured that as long as we were using a network which could essentially scan the world I might try and find your friend."
"You found Bucky?"
"The search was made to comb through every piece of security footage on the planet and try to match his face. It was a gamble, because most street cams don't archive their footage for long, but it appears to have paid off." She pressed a few buttons and called up an image on the screen. The video footage was grainy, but Steve still recognized him.
"That's Bucky and…I know that street, it's in Brooklyn. We used to play there when we were kids." He felt his breath catch in his throat. "He's starting to remember who he is." On the screen Bucky walked into an alley and out of the camera's view. "How long ago was this footage taken?"
"Around the same time you found us…so roughly a month?" Skye said
Steve continued to watch the video feed. "Wait someone just followed him into the alley." Skye froze, she knew that walk. A few seconds later an unconscious Bucky was dragged out of the alley and his assailant looked straight at the camera…and smiled.
"Who is that?" Steve asked
"Ward." She replied through gritted teeth. "Ward has Bucky."
