A/N: Wow, I'm on a roll! I'm excited because I know what's coming! I really love writing this story. The only thing I'm gonna admit is that I have added so many characters that it's hard to keep count of them all. I originally planned on doing something with Agent 13, but now I wish I never put her in the story. I honestly keep loosing track of her. Hopefully I'll make use of her soon. :( Poor 13.

Anyway, I'm so sorry that last chapter seemed a bit rushed. It was a really quick filler chapter because I was so stoked about getting to this one! I'll try not to do that anymore!

Lastly, there isn't a lot of Bucky and Lacey in this chapter. I'm sorry :/ They'll be in the next chapter a lot, I swear.

-Musical Inspiration:

Dead Silence Theme by Charlie Clouser

Arcade by Hans Zimmer

Papercut by Linkin Park

Chapter 14

Backup

Johnny held his ground firmly, still holding his hand out on front of the group. He'd sworn to Bucky that he'd protect them all, and he would do just that.

"Ah, I see I was correct to assume that you'd turn on your own family, Reaper," Patricia said in a low voice, "Is that what this world has come to?"

"You've killed and tortured innocent people," Johnny accused, scowling at the HYDRA leader.

"Details, my son. You're my flesh and blood. It's in your nature to have a hunger for power. Come back to us, where you belong."

Johnny stiffened, taking his scythe off his back and let the heavy weapon swing at the end of its chain.

"Take your group and go, Winter Soldier. I'll handle her," Johnny told Barnes.

The ex-assassin looked at the Reaper cautiously, saying, "You aren't taking her on alone. No offense, but you haven't been around long enough for me to fully trust you."

"Understandable, but you'll still need to get your group to safety," Johnny growled.

Barnes and Rogers exchanged glances and Steve said, "I'll stay here and give the Reaper backup. You and Lacey have too much history with this woman. The leader will know your fighting style too well."

Barnes looked utterly at odds with the idea of Rogers fighting in his stead. He opened his mouth to argue, but Lacey quietly prompted, "That's the logical decision, Bucky."

"If the Hulk is immobilized, why the hell do you think you'd have a chance?" Bucky urgently whispered to Rogers with concern.

"I honestly don't think she can fight me and freeze two people at once, especially when she has someone as powerful as the Hulk in her grasp. She is literally physically containing him in his human state now," Johnny told Barnes.

"What about Parker?" asked Barnes.

Johnny's expression darkened, "We'll keep him busy as well...Besides, Patricia wants you two only. If you and Lacey get out of here, we won't have to worry about you getting captured."

"If we weaken her, we can free the Hulk and have the upper hand. Once Hawkeye, 13, and Black Widow awaken, we'll have more help as well. Don't worry about the situation, Buck, it's handled. Just get Lacey to safety. Find a good cover and we'll track you down as soon as this is squared away," Rogers told Barnes.

Barnes hesitated for a moment, but then gently took Lacey's hand.

"Take this as well for extra protection," Johnny murmured, pulling a handgun from his hip and handing it to the Lacey.

Lacey took the gun carefully, checking to make sure that it was loaded, then looked up at the Reaper, "Thank you."

Johnny nodded and ordered, "Now get out of here."

Barnes gave a firm nod and ran to the left, into the darkness with Lacey.

Johnny raised his head to look at Patricia, who was longingly watching the Winter Soldier and the Angel of Death disappear. She motioned to Parker to follow their targets, but Rogers promptly jumped in his way.

"You're gonna have to go through us first," Rogers announced.

"That won't be too difficult," snorted Patricia, snapping her fingers at her robotic, flame throwing son.

He marched forward and rubbed his palms together, generating a spark, then a flame engulfed his arms. Rogers pulled his shield off his back and held it at the ready.

At the same moment, the Reaper, swung his scythe and dashed at Patricia full speed.

Patricia, whose concentration was all but distracted by containing Banner, stepped out of the way a bit clumsily and struck Johnny in the arm as he barreled by. The punch surprisingly sent the burly man reeling to the side as he cried out in pain.

"I don't even know why you're trying to harm me, Reaper. Your efforts are useless. I am your mother, I know what makes you tick," scoffed Patricia, looking at him in disdain.

Johnny growled in the back of his throat with frustration, swinging his mighty scythe again. Patricia barely stepped away in time, but still laughed as if her son would never be skilled enough to touch her.

Johnny skidded to halt a distance away from Patricia, weighing his options as he stared at his mother. He scowled. He couldn't get desperate, throwing rash attacks.

He need to calculate this carefully.

Steve warily looked at his opponents fire wielding abilities. This would be a piece of cake.

Steve blocked a powerful blast of fire with his shield, then spun, throwing the shield at Parker with full force.

Parker ducked, barely escaping the dangerous edge of the disk and threw his hands forward, sending another torrent of flames at Steve.

The Captain dropped to the ground and rolled away, moving into a crouch and grabbed his shield as it ricocheted back to him.

Parker began to throw fireball after fireball, growing more aggressive. Steve grit his teeth as he pulled his shield in front of him and slowly walked into the spitting inferno, getting himself closer and closer to Parker.

Parker gave a roar of desperation as Steve closed in on him, but couldn't protect himself any longer. Steve pulled his shield into himself, then shoved it forward with his strong arms, bashing Parker hard in the face and knocked him out cold.

Steve looked at the downed pyromaniac with remorse, noting how young he and talented he seemed. With a sigh, Steve turned his face towards the fight between the HYDRA leader and the Reaper.

Johnny faked to the left as he sprung at his mother again, but she caught his bluff and grabbed him by the throat easily. Johnny was always surprised by his mother's unbelievable strength. She possessed powers of a demigod, frightening her son every time he witnessed her strength.

"You're pathetic! A waste of space on this earth!" snarled Patricia into her eldest son's face.

Johnny pulled at her fingers in pain and glared at her, choking out, "I may be pathetic...but that's probably because...I'm your offspring. Like mother...like son..."

Patricia sneered and tossed Johnny on the ground. He landed hard and cringed when a sharp pain shot through his forearm. He moved to scrambled clear of her reach, but yelped in alarm when his own scythe chain suddenly wrapped tightly around his already wounded throat. He gagged and tried to pry his fingers underneath the chain, but it was too tight. He flailed uselessly against his mother's hold on him, vision growing fuzzy at the lack of oxygen.

His eyes rolled up to see his mother smiling down at him. She hissed at him maliciously, "I've wanted to do this for a long time."

Johnny coughed in return, trying to push out a snarky comment in return but was unable. His vision slowly darkened and he began to accept that he would die by his mother's hand. He felt the fingers of death began to scratch at him and almost let his eyes shut, but gasped when an arrow flew out of nowhere and caught Patricia in the stomach.

The woman, though strong, was still considered mortal. The arrow penetrated her skin and she doubled over, releasing the chain around Johnny's neck

Johnny fell to the ground, coughing and hacking as oxygen filled his lungs again. He strained to look up, seeing Hawkeye standing poised with his bow in his hands, glaring at his enemy. Blood dribbled from his head wound, but his fierce eyes didn't seem to waver as he threatened to release another arrow at Patricia if she moved.

Patricia backed away from her opponents, holding her stomach tenderly. With the remnants of her energy, she swung her arm, tossing the Hulk far down the road with her telekinetic powers. She then picked up Parker with her invisible hand and dragged him close, raising him into the SUV without touching a thing. She began to limp away to the driver's side, causing Hawkeye to quickly shoot another arrow, hitting her upper left arm. She didn't falter as she jumped into the SUV and quickly pulled the truck out of the parking lot and tore away into the dark street.

Hawkeye began to run to a close-by car to chase her, but Rogers suddenly called out, "Barton! Leave them, we need to get these agents to safety and rendezvous with the other two."

Hawkeye, seeming caught up in the adrenaline, turned back understandingly and strode straight to Agent Romonoff and knelt to attempt to pull her from unconsciousness.

Johnny tenderly eased himself to stand and looked over as Rogers helped the blonde agent know as 13 to her feet.

"Goddamnit," Fury growled, causing them all to look over at Nick Fury as he shakily rose, "Where the hell is that idiot who jumped us?"

"Gone, for now," Rogers grunted, inspecting Agent 13's head wound carefully.

Banner, who surprisingly hadn't transformed into his green alter ego, stalked back to the group and chuckled sarcastically under his breath, "Well, that was handled well."

"I got her twice with my bow," Hawkeye pointed out, "She's ridiculously strong, but even she'll be weaker now."

"I doubt that," grumbled Johnny hoarsely, rubbing his raw neck, "She is barely human."

"Does poison not effect her?" Hawkeye inquired, crossing his muscular arms.

"I'm not sure...why?" asked Johnny.

"Those arrowheads I shot her with were laced with poison strong enough to take down a dinosaur," Hawkeye said, reaching back to pull out a similar arrowhead from his quiver, displaying it as he added, "If anything, she'll be really sleepy for the rest of the night."

"If not, their next move with be to directly go in search of Bucky and Lacey. We need to find them and guard them," Rogers instructed.

"Regardless of what goes down," Fury started, walking into the group, "I've called for more backup."

"I really think leftover SHIELD agents will be nothing but an annoyance now," huffed Romonoff.

"We need a fresh perspective and I've called just the man to bring us that...even if he does rub most of you the wrong way..." Fury trailed off, looking pointedly at Rogers.

Rogers's brows furrowed in confusion for a moment, then his expression fell when he realized just who Fury was speaking about and suppressed a groan, "Seriously?"

"Captain, you may be the star-spangled man with a plan, but he has heavier artillery. We need his help," Fury told Rogers frankly.

"We already have the Hulk!" exclaimed Romonoff with irritation equivalent to Roger's.

"Do I really need to remind you that it took all the members of the Avengers Initiative to save New York City?" barked Fury.

"But we were fighting aliens then! This is just one woman!" Romonoff responded harshly.

"You know as well as I that HYDRA isn't to be trifled with. We know what they are capable of."

"That's true," Rogers put in, "But they're crippled just like we are. Are you sure we really need him...?"

"Who the hell is he talking about?" Johnny whispered to Hawkeye, utterly confused.

Hawkeye rolled his eyes, "Well, it could be one of two different people, but I'm gonna take a wild guess. Judging from their obvious dislike of him, I'm going to say that they want to bring in the big guy: Tony Stark."