I'm so sorry for the long wait for this chapter!
Life has not been kind to me as of late. I had my husband's birthday weekend at the end of July, which we stayed at a hotel for on the other side of the island. Fast forward to the following week, I somehow contracted strep throat, that seriously hurt like a bitch! I don't wish that kind of pain on anyone! So, I was out of work for a week on some crazy antibiotics that pretty much put me to sleep whenever I took them. And then once I healed, my two kids started school and let me tell you, this new bus system that the DOE chose, can go straight to hell. They are a nightmare. I now go days not knowing if my kids will be picked up at the bus stop at all so I've had to adjust my work schedule so I have the time to wait with them at the bus stop in case the bus doesn't show up ;_;
Then to top this all off, I start my second job this coming Monday and I'm both nervous and excited. I won't have much free time from now on but hey, I'll have the extra money needed.
Ugh, I don't look forward to adulting lol
Anyways, onto more exciting things. Here is the next chapter in my series. I'm praying I get the next chapter up in a manageable time, hopefully. If not, be patient with me.
Thank you guys for sticking with me.
Disclaimer : I do not own Marvel or its characters.
"It's all clear from up here." Sam's voice buzzed through their com links as Skylar glanced up to see him flying once more about the compound.
"Nothing on the heat sensor?" Clint then asked as Skylar nudged her head to the right, informing Bucky that the west entrance was just to the right of them.
"Nothing. Out of everything that is offline, Stark's specialized cloaking device on the compound is still up and running. We're running in blind." Sam explained, huffing as he landed silently on the roof top.
"Keep your eyes and ears open for anything out of the ordinary. Call out anything you see." Cap instructed the team who only nodded.
"I'm entering from the roof now, see you all on the inside." Sam pressed as he used the code Skylar had given him for the roof door.
"Now, explain to me, if everything is offline inside, why do we still have to put in the passcodes for the doors?" Sam muttered under his breath frustrated as he pulled the door open as silently as possible.
"Just stick to the plan and get inside." Cap scolded lightly as Skylar and Buck approached the lone door to the west of the building.
"We're at the west entrance now." Buck informed the group, his gun up at the ready as Skylar let her gun hang at her side before she approached the panel on the wall just beside the door.
"Buck keep a close eye on Skylar. Don't let her go anywhere alone." Cap instructed Buck who had already been planning to do just that causing Skylar to huff in irritation, making to bark something back at the man only for Buck to interrupt her.
"Was already planning on that." Buck let the corner of his lips quirk just slightly at the annoyance that flashed through Skylar's eyes before she snapped back to the panel, easily breaking in without alarm.
"Hurry up." She hissed under her breath as she pulled her gun up at the ready, stepping into the dark building.
"We're in." She whispered as her eyes flashed around in suspicion.
"We're in." Clint answered back as Buck kept close to Skylar's side, his eyes darting around for any movement.
"Happy? You there?" Skylar whispered as she planted her back against the nearest wall, gesturing for Bucky to dart across the hall.
"Yes. I'm here." Happy's voice answered quickly as she peeked around the corner into the dark hallway that led to a stairwell and sitting area.
"I need you to do me a favor. Tony's car, it has a tracking device that is connected to Tony's cell phone, am I right?" Skylar inwardly kicked herself, having not thought of this prior to them breaking in while Bucky glanced across the hallway at her with a perked brow.
"You couldn't do that before we got in here?" Clint hissed in shocked as she snorted, hitting her head momentarily on the wall.
"Would you get the hell off the lines and shut your mouth?" She hissed back, nudging her head to inform Bucky to follow her as he did.
"You want me to see if I can track Tony's location?" Happy asked in realization as she peeked into the dark sitting room to see that it was empty.
"That's the plan. Let me know what you find."
"Is it me or does this all feel a bit off?" Clint muttered over to Steve who was slinking down the hallway, a gun in one hand, his shield up in his other.
"It's too quiet." Clint pressed with his bow at the ready.
"So, I don't wanna piss on anyone's parade here but what do we do when we run into one of those spirit things? I mean, I don't think a gun gonna help anyone." Sam commented as he slowly made his way down the hallway of the top floor, going to meet up with Steve and Clint.
"Keep your eyes open guys." Steve shook off the nerves slowly climbing up his spine.
Clint and Sam were right.
Skylar and Buck ignored the conversation happening in their ears as they slunk deeper into the compound, sneaking around corners, checking every room they came across before coming upon a familiar room.
"It's Tony's security room." Skylar whispered to Buck as she gestured towards a closed door at the end of the hallway.
Bucky looked at her in hesitation before nodding, leading her down the hallway with his gun up at the ready as they approached the door.
Getting close enough, Skylar realized that the door was ajar slightly, a light now being seen shining from the crack in the door.
"Stay behind me." Bucky grabbed her arm lightly, pulling her behind him and out of danger as he pulled his gun up again, slowly approaching the door.
"I don't want to be a downer or anything but did you think it was smart to send Sky with your friend." Clint softly commented as they intently searched each room they walked past while Steve glared briefly at the archer.
"I trust Buck, especially with Sky. He would protect her with his life." Steve defended gently, adjusting his shield.
"I'm not worried about him protecting her but the fact that those two, losing control of their minds at the same time, probably not the best idea." Clint shook his head as Steve froze, glancing over at Clint in realization before sighing out, trying to shake his mind clear of distrust.
"They will be fine."
"Empty." Bucky commented as they stepped into the seemingly empty security room where camera feed of the compound continued to play in front of them.
"Strange. Figured this would be the first place these people would bunker down." Skylar muttered under her breath as she approached the computer screens, glancing at each one.
"We're in the security office, I have sight on each of you." Skylar informed the rest of the team as she took to the security computer, typing a few codes, noticing a few cameras were no longer working.
"Anything out of the norm doll?" Steve asked as she peered over at the camera following him and Clint through a hallway.
"Yeah, a few cameras downstairs are off line." She answered, intently staring at the screen that she was trying to hack into Friday through.
"I'm attempting to bring F.R.I.D.A.Y back online now." Tony's security screen for F.R.I.D.A.Y popped onto the screen as she typed in a paragraph of codes and commands before pressing enter as the lights above them flickered on and off for a moment.
"What's happening?" Sam asked hesitantly from his spot as the lights in the whole building buzzed back online.
"F.R.I.D.A.Y is rebooting herself right now. She should be back online completely in 10 minutes." Skylar explained as she typed in a few commands into F.R.I.D.A.Y's hard drive before Happy's voice startled her from her concentration.
"Uh, we may not have 10 mins. Ms. Stark, there are 4 Humvees pulling up into the rear entrance to the compound. What should I do?" Happy was panicking, that was obvious as Skylar turned to face Bucky who had a dark look in his eyes.
"Sky, get out of there, let's rendezvous in the living quarters on the 2nd floor." Steve instantly jumped into a sprint with Clint close behind him.
"Happy, just keep low and keep us informed. Don't move." Skylar nodded to Bucky who nodded back, escorting her out of the security room and towards the stairwell that would send them up to the second floor of the building.
Regroup, plan and then attack, that was a very good way at going at whoever was responsible here, but honestly, why did she think it was going to be that easy?
As they rounded the corner to the staircase, she should have seen it coming, but she didn't. A large part of the railing that had once been part of the staircase came flying down in the darkness at the two. Bucky heard it too late and Skylar had been busy speaking to Happy as the large metal piece came barreling at her, hitting her head-on and throwing her to the ground.
Groaning in pain as her body came to a halt just near the entrance foyer, she glanced over to see one of the railing pieces now embedded through Bucky's stomach, his unresponsive body now lying 20 feet from her.
"We….we got trouble." She wheezed as she slowly pushed herself to sit up, wincing as her arm shot up to hold her side, broken ribs, great.
"Sky! Doll! Ms. Stark!" Happy, Steve, Sam and Clint shouted through the lines before they fizzed and popped causing Skylar to rip the earbud from her ear, tossing the now smoking device to the floor.
"Well, well, well, it seems I get to meet my competition earlier than expected." A female voice spoke through the now spinning room as Skylar's eyes whipped around as quickly as possible.
"Who are you?" Skylar demanded, her hard stare glancing over as an unfamiliar woman came trotting down the stairs, knives being easily juggled through the air in front of her.
Skylar's eyes widened the familiar blue aura surrounding the knives, easy to pinpoint as the woman chuckled, glancing over at Bucky briefly.
"You're…..you're an enhanced." Skylar barked out, attempting to distract the woman from Bucky while Skylar used the wall to pull herself to stand.
"Hm, well, you're not blind, I'll give you that." The woman chuckled, twisting her wrists as the knives stopped their dance, half of them floating to face her, the other half now facing Bucky. Skylar opened her mouth to bark at the woman again, only for yelling and loud thuds of fighting on the floor above them, startled her as her eyes widened.
"Steve." She whispered in worry under her breath before the woman snorted.
"What he sees in you, I'll never know but that man is too hot for his own good." The woman clicked her tongue causing Skylar to growl.
"Don't worry, he's not my type. I rather prefer the tall, dark and handsome, if you catch my drift." The woman made to peer over at Bucky once more to prove her point as Skylar took a threatening step towards her only for the woman to send a pair of knives flying at Skylar without warning. Skylar easily dodged one that was aimed a little higher than needed before the other one lodged itself in her thigh, sending her screaming as she fell over in pain.
"Tch. Always trying to be the hero." The woman grumbled under her breath before scoffing as Skylar groaned, rolling onto her side to face the woman.
"Now, before I forget, I've been sent with a message from someone you might know." The woman smirked as she slowly approached Skylar's withering frame.
"I don't know anyone associated with a psychotic bitch like you." Skylar rasped out, glaring at the woman as she gripped her thigh, afraid to take the blade out.
"Psychotic bitch? Like I haven't heard that one before." The woman continued her approach, rolling her eyes as she did.
"Vladimir Mikhailov sends his regards." The woman squatted in front of a bleeding Skylar who stared at her like she grew a second head.
"Okay, I don't know if it matters to you but that name isn't ringing any bells." Skylar slurred as her vision blurred.
"He said you would say that which brings me onto my next matter at hand, he's responsible for creating you." The woman smirked as realization slowly began to dawn on Skylar as memories from her time with HYDRA flooded her brain, many she hadn't remembered prior.
"I'm assuming you know who I'm talking about now." The woman smirked, slowly pushing herself to stand as her knives continued to stay pointed at both her and Bucky.
"Technically, in some twisted way, that would make us sisters. We have the same creator." The woman proudly added as Skylar inhaled deeply, slowly pushing herself onto her hands and knees, her eyes meeting the wound in her thigh.
"I am in no way and will ever be related to anything like you." Skylar seethed as the woman spun to face the now kneeling woman.
"I remember meeting you once, in Germany. You were always so high strung." The woman spat as Skylar side eyed Bucky who still had yet to move.
"Now, before I cut your tongue out and feed it to you, he wanted me to let you know that you will never fully be free of him. He will always be in control, no matter how far you run, no matter how hard you try to hide, that other part of you will always belong to him." She smirked down at her as Skylar finally pulled herself to stand on shaky legs.
"And now, you're cousin will too." That was the last straw as the woman sent a hoard of knives flying towards Skylar while a trio of them shot off towards Bucky. Using whatever energy she could whip up, she threw up a force field around Bucky before allowing her other hand to shoot-out towards the knives flying at her. They froze in midair as Skylar immediately glanced over to see the woman in a defensive stance. She obviously knew what Skylar was capable of.
"Did you think I'd cower away?" The woman teased with a proud glint as Skylar dropped the knives at her feet, glaring hard at the woman.
"Wouldn't be fun if you did. I don't particularly enjoy fighting the weak." Skylar spat back, watching the way the woman's jaw twitched ever so slightly before she launched herself at Skylar.
Skylar had been expecting it, her eyes flashing violet as she met the woman's teal ones. The still unknown woman didn't have time to react as she suddenly screeched, freezing in place as Skylar invaded her mind, feeding her any traumatizing memory she could find. The woman's body dropped to the ground with a retched scream, her body convulsing under the memories.
"I don't care who sent you. I don't care for what they have to say to me. I don't care who they claim to be. You hurt my family, my friends and for that I'm going to enjoy killing you, slowly." It was a darker side to Skylar that she rarely let out as Bucky slowly woke up to screaming, glancing over in time to see Skylar shoot an unimaginable amount of electricity down at the twitching woman. Like a puff of smoke, it was done. Once the smoke cleared as Bucky opened his eyes completely, all that was left was the burned body of an unknown woman before Skylar groaned, holding her head before collapsing.
"Sky!" He shouted, ignoring the large pipe in his stomach and ran to the woman who was tiredly blinking at the ceiling.
"Doll. Stay with me. Don't shut your eyes." Bucky pressed as he accessed the damage on her form, hissing when he saw the large knife still embedded in her thigh.
"Steve, Sam, Clint…." She whispered through blood stained teeth as Bucky ignored her, ripping a piece of his sleeve off, ripping the knife from her leg as she screamed. Pushing forward with no hesitation, he immediately wrapped the wound, putting as much pressure on it as possible.
"Buck!" A voice shouted to the left of him as his eyes snapped in that direction, his body tense to fight. Relaxing slightly when he recognized the group running at him, he went back to assisting a still bleeding Sky.
"Ewww, what the fuck is that?" Sam wrenched away from the corpse in the middle of the room, Clint looking at it warily.
"Enhanced. Attacked us. Sky took care of it." Buck muttered under his breath as he tied the end of his ripped top, glancing at her when she moaned in pain.
"Doll!" Steve shouted, running over towards them, sliding up beside Skylar, his eyes already watering.
"Oh, don't look at me like that. Come on, you've seen me in worst conditions." Skylar attempted to lighten the mood as she stared up at her clearly unamused fiancé.
"What the hell happened?" Buck immediately interrogated the man kneeling beside him as he kept a tight hold on Skylar's thigh.
"Another enhanced, assume like this one." Clint answered for Steve, taking a quick kick at the ashes that resembled a woman.
"What happened here?" Steve whispered this time, noticing that Skylar was blinking slowly, a tired look in her eye as Bucky glanced at him.
"She killed her. What more do you want me to tell you?" Buck harshly whispered, wincing as Steve finally noticed the pipe sticking out of his friends stomach.
"Dear god, Buck…." Steve furrowed his eyebrows in concern as Sam and Clint finally approached the two.
"You two are in bad shape, we gotta get you guys out of here." Sam's eyes continued to glance around at the ready, Clint looking down at Skylar in concern.
"I'm not going anywhere." Skylar muttered as Steve glared down at her, almost begging her to stay put so that they could get her out of harms way.
"Glare at me all you want, I'm not going to leave Tony with that monster." Skylar rasped out, slapping Clint and Steve's arms away as she continued to push herself to sit up, her head swimming momentarily as Buck held a hand out for her. He was in no better shape, though he would heal quicker than her, especially since Steve was nice enough to be the guy in charge of pulling the pipe free. And did it hurt like a bitch.
"Doll, Bucky had a pipe through his stomach and is bleeding everywhere, you're in no better shape. He'll heal quickly, not you." Steve begged as she yanked on Bucky's hand, forcefully using Clint as some sort of climbing rope as she stood, swaying into his side.
"Wait, you know whose behind this?" Sam suddenly asked in realization as Skylar hissed down at her leg before nodding.
"That bitch there reminded me of a few things I had forgotten with HYDRA." Skylar whispered as she nudged her head at the woman's dead body while Steve looked at her in disappointment.
"Lang…." Steve made to correct her as she growled at him as she hung off of Clint.
"We don't have time for that, Tony and the others are in trouble. Before she knocked out, I got into her mind, he's holding them in the Hulk cage in the basement. We are sorely out number, unfortunately." Skylar mumbled the last part as she rested her head on Clint's shoulder with a sigh.
"Sky, you don't look so good. Maybe we should get Happy…." Sam agreed with Steve who only nodded as the woman licked her dry red lips, shaking her head.
"You're gonna need my help, even if I have to stay in the back and fight, you all are gonna need me. He's heavily armed and ready for us. The second that door opens, it'll be a blood bath." Skylar side eyed Bucky whose arm was loudly whirling from beside her.
"Doll." Steve sighed, shaking his head in her direction as her exhausted eyes took a quick glance at her fiancé.
"We don't have time." She whispered through a shaky voice, tears filling her eyes as both the stress of the situation and pain from her injury flooded through her.
"They plan…..they are planning on doing the same thing to Tony. I won't….I refuse to let him go through….go through what I did."