Chapter 14

"What the hell do you mean 'she isn't coming down'?" Pierce snapped at Bishop while she stood by the door, hands in her pockets.

Bishop only shrugged, "Alice says she doesn't trust Lazarus, not after what it did to her yesterday." She forced her eyes to remain locked coolly on Pierce. I required almost as much effort as it did for her to stand in the same room as Silas without shooting him in the face… or dick.

"She agreed to take these treatments, no matter how unpleasant," Silas snapped.

"She needs a day." Bishop shook her head, "Just one day off, that's all she's asking and I agree. When Johanssen sent her up last night she was a wreck . She didn't sleep all night- as you can tell." Bishop gestured to herself- emphasizing her own pale skin, the deep bags beneath her eyes, and general air of exhaustion.

It was true- she hadn't slept all night. Neither had Alice. The two sat up together until Bishop was summoned downstairs for that very meeting. They'd talked through their next moves- how to arrange a meeting between their two factions to look at making a possible alliance. It took Alice's mind off of what had just happened, and kept Bishop from quaking beneath the guilt that was eating her from the inside.

"I've never seen anything like what happened to Alice," Johanssen offered. "It's like Lazarus… backfired. It didn't do any permanent damage, but it's like it took a nibble out of her. I have scientists and engineers pouring over the connections right now to see what might have caused it. She felt a jolt when the prisoner hooked to the other end died, but it shouldn't have kicked into reverse like that. As much as I hate to lose a day now that we've begun, Alice's condition won't enter its final phases for a few months. Losing one day won't put us far enough off schedule to matter. If anything, it gives us more time to make sure the device is safe."

Pierce considered it, then sighed, "Bishop, take Alice off-property for the day. Tell her it's an apology for yesterday. Me acknowledging things went wrong. Tomorrow she is back in that machine, willing or unwilling. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir." Bishop pulled her hands from her pockets and nodded, heart pounding.

"You're dismissed." She left the room, carefully measuring her pace to not appear too eager.

Pierce looked to Silas, "My meeting with General Ryker went well last night. He's willing to send more of his Gifted soldiers to remain here in permanent residence."

"You really think the Avengers are going to attack without securing the hostages first?"

Pierce nodded, "I know you think I'm overestimating the threat they pose, but I'd rather assume they decide to approach the situation as Hydra would- weigh all those so-called 'innocent' lives against that of Mrs. Barton and her ilk, and attack anyways. They have the Winter Soldier. I don't care if I have to leave a lieutenant or three out in the cold when Doomsday comes, their sacrifice will be worth it if it means Cadmus is secure to go ahead as planned. General Ryker's soldiers will be our shield."

"I'll go make the arrangements for their arrival."

"I'll figure out why the machine tried to eat Alice!" Johanssen called as both men turned and left without so much as a backwards glance.

Alice sat alone in a booth at the back of a dingy restaurant, giving off that special air of 'Fuck You' that was uniquely hers. It was guaranteed to keep even the waiter away as she nursed a cup of coffee that had somehow arrived both burnt and cold.

Bishop was long gone- off to prepare for the meet. It had to happen while they were out for the day, so neither team had a chance to prepare, plot, or scheme. Alice's side got to choose the location and time, Bishop's people would come when called. It was one of the things they'd discussed in that long, sleepless night (with Alice writing her responses).

What Silas did in that cell… he wasn't wrong when he said it wasn't something she'dallowed dealers to do to her in lieu of payment. But that was the key word, wasn't it?Allowed . Silas hadn't given her any choice, and no matter how many times she beggedhim to stop, he hadn't.

Another rape. Another scar on her soul… a scar her tired, broken mind was far too willing to block out.

Any time she dared to remember what happened, Alice felt a gaping maw open inside her. A sick, wrenching feeling that made the darkest corners of her mind whisper with other memories she didn't want. Other pieces of a puzzle she couldn't let herself solve. The body of Prisoner 1-D. Everything Bucky told her about Lazarus. Only four occupied cells, including 1-D. Four Bartons missing.

One dead.

Did Laura know how close she'd come to freedom that night? Did she know what was happening in the empty cell beside hers? How Silas typed on that keypad over and over again to summon every restraint and tool he could? Did she hear Alice scream as he took what he wanted?

The maw opened again, and Alice quickly took a drink of the rancid coffee.

"I promise we can offer better than that." A bearded black man slipped into the chair across from hers with an amiable grin. His voice was deep and gruff.

Alice with in absolutely no mood to endure another man's looks or taunts, "Fuck yourself with a lead pipe."

"Now that's just cold, Alice." The deep voice vanished, replaced with one a little higher and infinitely more familiar. Beneath his disguise, Sam Wilson winked.

Alice let out her breath in a whoosh. He was wearing a false beard and padding to hide his form, but even through the wig and false teeth she could see the familiar, kind crinkle of his eyes.

"S-sorry. I didn't recognize you." She pulled up her defences and tried her best to hide the pain in her eyes.

"Want to talk about it, or want me to pretend you look anywhere near alright?"

"Pretend. Please," her voice broke.

"Alright then. What do you say to coffee that's at least warm?"

"Lead the way."

Clint hit the ground hard and rolled a good ten feet before Wanda managed to latch onto him with her power and stop his body. Her exit from the trunk of the moving bus was more dignified, and she walked casually to her friend as her power snapped back.

He groaned and cursed the entire time it took him to stand, "That was fun."

"I could have blown out the tire or locked up the wheels," Wanda reminded him. She followed Clint over to a storm drain and they slid down towards the edge of Lake Champlain, well out of sight of the road.

"They'd have stopped the bus to see what was wrong and someone would have seen us get out of the trunk. Besides, I was tired of being wedged between people's shit."

"Whine, whine, whine. Wanda, I don't know how you put up with him." Bucky stepped out from a storm drain as they reached the edge.

Wanda smirked, "Every day is a new trial."

"How far is the base?" Clint ignored Bucky's attempt at light-hearted conversation. He was in the same city as Laura. So incredibly close that he could almost feel her waiting. The nightmare was no closer to being over, but it was a start.

"Twenty minutes that way," Bucky jerked his head up the road. "Your bus passed it on the way into town."

"Good." Wanda interrupted before Clint could say anything about time wasted or suggest they do something stupid like jog there. "We could both stand to stretch a bit after two days." She rubbed her back to emphasize how sore it was. Wanda took a step and a jolt went from her hip to her spine.

"Any updates on Alice?" Clint asked as he forced himself to walk. Judging by the wince of discomfort he felt the same pains as Wanda.

"It's funny you should say that. Sam's bringing her in now."

Wanda nearly stopped, "Why?"

"We don't know. Scott saw her leave the base with Fake-Bishop, then left her alone. Sam says she wants to talk to us- and we're supposed to pretend she doesn't look like shit."

"What happened?" Clint asked.

Bucky hesitated, "My bet is something to do with that Silas creep. And if Sam is saying she doesn't want to talk about it… It has to be bad."

"I can't wait until we get to kill him." Clint growled. "Do you know why she wants the meeting?"

Bucky sighed, "Yesterday Bishop cloaked her movements, made Alice think she was being followed. This time she took her to a shitty restaurant and blatantly left. Something changed. I'm betting Bishop is convincing Alice we should sit down with her people for a nice, friendly ambush."

"You mean 'meeting'?" Wanda asked.

"Same thing."

Clint hated the idea, but he didn't want to dismiss it offhand. A chance to see who 'Bishop' was? Who she worked for?

"Are we at that point? The risking-new-allies point?"

Bucky shrugged, "That's up to you. We'll go with whatever you decide, and we'll keep you from doing anything stupid… but it's a dice roll now. Either Bishop really is clean and we have the same mission, or Bishop is an assassin who mistook Alice for a sympathizer to her cause… or she is Hydra and it's all a trap to figure out who Alice is working with."

Clint hung his head, but kept walking, "I'll decide once I hear what she has to say."

"You're the boss."

Clint's heart pounded as he walked away from his family and back towards the edge of the city. It was stupid- they were underground half an hour's drive from his position… and he was no more capable of getting them than he was capable of controlling the sun. It physically pained him to backtrack, "I'm not sure I've got the clearest head right now."

"It doesn't matter. We do." Wanda patted him on the shoulder.

"How are you? You ok?" Clint greeted Alice with a bear hug.

"I'm alright," she lied. "I"m alive." Her gut twisted again at the thought of that body in the cell, but she pushed it back and pulled the neck of her shirt aside for a moment to show him the patch blocking Silas' listening device.

Bucky wrapped his metal arm around her shoulders in a half-hug- then hesitated. His eyes flicked over her wrists- still a bit red from last night- and up her thin arms to Alice's eyes. HE knew. She didn't want to know how much he'd figured out, but the Winter Soldier was better than most at putting clues together.

He sighed, then pulled Alice into a stronger hug, "His death won't be pretty."

"Promise?"

Alice shook Wanda's hand- the only Avenger of the group she hadn't met, and let them lead her back into the loft.

Bucky wanted a warehouse, something low-profile with lots of piles of concrete and rebar to use as emergency weapons. Sam wanted to camp in the woods, off the grid entirely in case Hydra or Stark came looking for them. Steve wanted a dingy motel where no one might look twice at the group and where it wouldn't look too out of place for an ex-junkie to come crawling if Alice had to make it back to deliver reports.

They'd discussed it at length in Wakanda, and T'Challa offered to help find the perfect place while the Avengers were en-route.

The King ordered for them a large, open loft near the edge of town. The neighborhood was hipster-chic with rotted buildings gutted for high-end shops and homes- but it still tended towards the darker side after nightfall. The loft was mostly exposed brick with thick carpets, a minimalist kitchen, three bedrooms, glass walls, and a 360 degree view of the city.

Alice accepted a mug of coffee from Sam (as promised, hot and better than the diner's), and led the Avengers to a large sitting area. Only when everyone was settled did she begin to speak.

"Last night I got close," Alice told Clint. He held his breath, "I could have touched the door to her cell. They're keeping Laura separate from the kids-" that painful maw opened again. "The Cells have drains in the floor, and with the right codes manacles come out of the ceiling or walls. You can also order tools. There has to be a chute somewhere, so if I can figure out where the tools are coming from, that could be an alternate way in."

Scott- the bug guy- nodded, "If there's any way you could get your hands on the blueprint of the cells, I might be able to figure out a way to open the chute from the outside and bypass the keypad's control entirely."

Alice nodded. "I'll try." She took a deep breath, time for the hard part, "I screwed up, made a noise. I would have been caught if it wasn't for Bishop- or whoever she is. She pulled me into a utility tunnel. She had a bag with her- tools- and she was in a stealth suit. It looked like Bishop was planning on breaking in. When she left the tunnel, she stopped to kiss her hand and touch it to the door."

Clint was already considering every possibility- if 'Bishop' had a reputation for kissing her victims it certainly shortened the list of who she might be. "Marco didn't give us anything to go on when it came to an identity."

"Well, I might have something. Bishop showed me a picture she had on her- it had you in it, Black Widow, her , and a bunch of agents around you. Some kind of party, I think?"

That got Clint's attention, "Ex-SHIELD? How old did I look?"

"Younger than you are now." Alice shrugged, "Black Widow had long hair, if that helps."

Clint waved it off, "Nat kept the long hair until just a few years ago." he rubbed his chin, "So Bishop is ex-SHIELD, she knows Nat and I, and…" he shook his head again, "I don't know anyone at SHIELD who would risk their lives for Laura. Just Nat or Coulson- and he's dead. If Nat was playing Bishop, Pierce would recognize her and Marco would be dead."

"Hydra could detect a holo-mask in their own base easily ." Bucky offered. "She wouldn't last ten minutes with a fake face."

"There was… an incident." Alice felt herself going pale. Her voice was quiet and trembled slightly, but she pressed on, "I made Bishop leave me behind. I played distraction for her. It was my idea, and it saved our lives, but… She tried to save me from it, as much as she could without blowing cover. She's convinced we have the same mission, and she wants to meet you all. She doesn't know who I'm working with- but yeah."

No one looked surprised at all, not even Steve. He just nodded to Bucky, "Corner of Riverside and US-2. There's a warehouse there."

"It's a nice area, that's hardly a good place for a firefight." Sam shot back. The spot Steve was talking about was one of the few buildings left they hadn't converted to apartments yet.

"Yeah, it's a shitty spot." Bucky agreed. "That means whoever Bishop works for won't have had time to scout it out. The warehouse they want us to pick is by the railyard. It would have been my first choice. They could be there right now, getting ready for an ambush."

"Civilians will be hurt if this goes south." Clint joined Sam in protest.

"It won't get to that point." Bucky said. "I go with Alice, Clint stays up high and looks for snipers, Steve handles the meet. Scott- you can lock down the building, and Wanda and Sam will keep it from spilling out onto the streets. The least recognizable of us- and Steve- meet Bishop. The rest contain the mess and make sure we win the ambush."

"You're hardly among the 'least recognizable'," Wanda pointed out. "My face was barely on the news compared to yours when everything went to shit."

Bucky shrugged, "You have an action figure. I have a fresh haircut and a Wakandan arm. I'll be fine. We haven't gotten a clear shot of Bishop's face yet. If she's someone dangerous and we can't risk killing her, Clint can at least identify her without outing Alice as an Avengers-sympathizer. If Hydra tortures Bishop, I don't want her to be able to give anything up."

All eyes turned to Clint, the one who would have the final say in their plans. Bucky wasn't joking when he said Hawkeye was the boss. His family, his mission, his choice.

Even Alice watched and waited while he considered, "I need to know what the playing field looks like. She doesn't know we're Avengers, and she doesn't know how many of us there are. Hopefully her team isn't as good as ours, but we need to know. Putting Steve out sends a message, it might be enough for her to rethink any planned attacks. I say we go for it."

"How do you contact her?" Steve looked to Alice.

Alice leaned back to check a wall clock and downed the rest of her coffee, "I go back to the cafe and wait. She'll come to me, and I'll take her to the location." Sam made to stand at the same time as her, but Alice waved him off, "I'll walk alone. It gives you more time to get there and get ready."

"Good luck," Bucky stood to walk her to the door and offered one last comforting hug. "Even if you don't see us, we're always there to make sure you're safe if things get bad. We failed you last night. I'm sorry."

"Thanks," Alice swallowed hard, not sure what to say.

"I'll meet you two outside the warehouse and escort you in. If they have a sniper, we will leave an opening for them as well. She could be a friend or an enemy. Either way, after today things will be a lot simpler."

Alice's voice was so quiet she didn't think Bucky would be able to hear her when she spoke, "I think one of the kids is-"

"Don't say it." He silenced her quickly, "We need hope right now. Don't say it."

Alice nodded, "I'll see you at the warehouse."

"Chin up. Today we might get to kill some bad guys." Bucky offered a tense smile.

"I don't kill. Not even bad guys."

He winked, smiled darkly, and opened the door, "You're missing out."

Bishop slid into the chair across from Alice so quickly she was glad Bucky or Sam didn't come to drop her off. She must have been waiting, "Where are we meeting?"

"A warehouse on the corner of Riverside and US-2."

Bucky would have taken immense satisfaction at the frustration on Bishops face, "That's a residential area."

"Planning an attack?" Alice asked innocently. "If it's just a meeting, there's nothing to worry about."

Bishop laughed bitterly, "You don't trust me or mine,I don't trust you or yours." She chewed on the inside of her cheek, "I guess if anything makes us all behave, it's civilian casualties." She pulled out a cell phone to text the address to her team.

"It's a fifteen minute walk, we'll meet them there."

"The idea was that we all meet on even ground. Not that your side gets to set up an ambush."

"Trust me, you could bring an army and have a week head start. It still wouldn't be even ground." Alice feigned confidence as she walked back out of the dingy place and headed up the street. The woman at her side was drawn and tense.

Bishop didn't speak as they walked. She occasionally looked for signs of some follower- a Hydra spy maybe- but no one paid the two any attention as they entered the edge of a neighborhood filled with cute little houses. Alice was well aware she looked like a recovering junkie and her sponsor out for a stroll- or a girl and her much older sister.

"How did you know him?" Alice asked at last.

She knew who the girl meant- Clint, "Doesn't matter."

"You knew two Avengers. I think it's worth a story."

"No, it isn't." She was on the defensive again. The relative truce the two had called after Alice's ordeal with Silas wasn't enough to stand against the strain of walking into a possible firefight. Bishop was obviously reconsidering being so friendly with the girl.

Alice saw the warehouse roof ahead. She and Bishop were mirror images of one another. Both drawn, pale, and both trying to pretend their hearts weren't beating in their ears. Bishop's loose fitting blazer hid any weapons she might have strapped on, and Alice caught a glimpse of body armor peeking over the edge of her neckline. She was ready for a fight, Alice wasn't.

Still, Alice figured the chances were better that she would walk out of it all alive. Her confidence was only bolstered when a bush beside them rustled and Bucky hopped out to fall into step beside her.

A change of clothes and he was a different person entirely. His hair was casually styled back in that 'I-just-got-out-of-bed' kind of way, and he was wearing simple tennis shoes, slacks, and an airy black shirt. He cast her a wink, "Bishop, your friend arrived before you. Don't worry-" he said at her sharp, startled glance, "we didn't touch her. She thinks she's sneaky. She's in place to shoot me in the head. My guys already have weapons trained on you and her."

They crossed the street and entered the warehouse. Alice was grateful for the steadying hand Bucky put on her back. He let Bishop bring up the rear. She knew she was at a disadvantage if a firefight broke out.

Inside the warehouse they were as open and exposed as possible. Bishop looked up to where her leader was hiding- somewhere with a clear view of the room but where no one on the ground could see her. Exposing her position by looking directly at her was Bishop's way of delivering a warning- They know you're there.

Clint was parallel to the hooded figure in the rafters, but much better at hiding. He drew his bow as Alice, Bucky, and Bishop entered. He had a clear shot of the back of the woman's head. One wrong move- one wrong breath , and he was going to put an arrow through her skull.

"Agent Bishop," Steve clipped the words as he stepped out from behind a pillar, "it's nice to finally-"

The second Bishop stepped out from behind Bucky, the air was knocked from Steve's lungs. His mouth hung open for a long time, gaping. When he did breathe, it was a ragged, fast gasp of air. Alice and Bucky braced for a fight- had she hurt him somehow?

Steve looked up into the rafters, "Get your ass down here- now ." He was breathless.

Clint cursed at having his own position given away, but he loosed the string on the bow, slung the weapon over his shoulder, and grabbed his repel line.

His feet hit the floor and Bishop turned, the same stunned expression on her face as Steve's. At the sight of Clint she clapped a hand over her mouth and sobbed. He took in Bishop for all of half a second before his legs gave out.

Alice and Bucky watched, incredulous, as Bishop threw herself at Clint and wrapped her arms around him. He pushed her away and cupped her cheeks in his hands to feel for a holo-mask before tears began to run down his face.

"Laura?"