Let me first say that I NEVER expected this story to be as popular as it is. It blows my mind away to see that 109 people have favorited this and 150 are following. I can't thank you all enough for making my days knowing people enjoy this. As you guys know that until Civil War comes out on DVD I won't be able to add it to this. So until then when this part ends everyone will just have to wait ;)
Chapter Twenty-Three~
Just before the team leaves for where they've hunted Klaue down to I appear geared up and ready to go. Wearing black cargo pants, a black Kevlar shirt with matching bullet proof vest, I've pulled my hair into a side braid and outlined my eyes with liner. On my belt I have a small bag of round explosives, two hand guns on either side with extra ammo, four daggers strapped in and a small Taser. I also have two guns strapped to my back and ammo for them, along with a small patch that I've made. It's of a crimson red star inside a blue circle—with a golden letter A. Arriving to the jet bay where the others are boarding the jet, I throw the suit Tony had made me at his feet saying,
"I'm not letting another person use me as a puppet." as Tony stares down at the broken, torn, crunched and ripped apart suit I step into the jet ready to go. I say nothing as we fly to the location so that once we land by the tree line away from the salvage yard stand.
"Ace you're with Nat and Clint on this one." Steve tells me but I shake my head saying,
"No, the Twins will be wanting to see me. I have a meeting with them."
"Oh I bet you do." Tony snaps storming past me so that flipping him off behind his back follow everyone out. While Bruce stays behind until a 'Code Green' its Natasha and Clint who sneak into the ship to wait while Thor, Tony and Steve confront Ultron. My job was to draw out the twins in order to make everyone's job easier. Once in the ship I slip into the darkest shadows and start my hunt, a beast looking for prey. As I listen to Tony, Thor and Steve talking to Ultron I spy the two Maximoff's standing beside the giant robot.
"Ah, Captain America. God's righteous man pretending to live without a war. Where's your little friend then hmm? Or should I say one of HYDRA's best?" I hear Ultron mock as I target Pietro with a knock-out dart, aiming right for his neck. As I was lining up the shot I heard Tony asking,
"What's the Vibranium for?" making me lower my gun just a bit thinking back to Bucky—and his metal arm. Next thing I know Tony is flying at Ultron and as the two go flying and blasting at one another with Thor and Steve fighting off robots. Knowing I was unable to get a shot at Pietro since he's turned into a human lightning bolt, I instead aim at Wanda who's firing a blast of red energy at Steve. The tranquilizer dart missed however when she blasted it and turned to see who had shot at her. She must have seen me because she moved to climb the stairs towards me. With gunfire erupting all around us from Klaue men I sank back into the shadows to cover Natasha fighting off four men. While Steve and Thor took care of the robots below, Natasha with Clint and I took out the men firing at us. Tony was busy fighting Ultron blow for blow while Pietro sped around the place. When I couldn't locate Wanda anymore in my ear I heard Bruce asking if it was a 'Code Green'.
"Don't you dare get out of that jet!" I shouted tossing a dagger into the neck of a henchman before grabbing it from his throat. Standing up I spy Pietro lying in a pile of containers and meet his gaze. Biting my tongue as I turn to flee, he catches up to me and throws me into a wall. Realizing he isn't about to let me go, I began swinging the dagger to try and hit him. As he backs away it's clear he isn't even trying so that finally I grow frustrated and just kick him as hard as I could. With him flying into a wall I take the chance to leap from box to box before reaching a railing and swing myself upwards. Landing on the platform I hear Thor saying something about Wanda trying to warp his mind and frown. That's my new mission—take out Wanda before she does any damage. From down below me I watch Steve go crashing into a stairwell before Wanda waves her hand sending red energy into his head.
"Steve!" I shout taking a jump over the ledge and crouch next to him to check if he's ok. With his eyes closed he twists trying to escape some invisible ties as I slap his cheek.
"Wake up damn it!" I shout only for cold hands to grab me causing me to shriek. Being lifted up into the air I turn to see it's one of Ultron's bots. With red eyes it tells me,
"We're going to have a little chat."
"Like hell we are!" I snarl jamming a dagger into the chest and slicing through all the way into the back. Dropping me like dead weight I'm caught by a pair of arms belonging to Clint. Staring up at him while he sets me down I tell him,
"Steve's out cold."
"So are Thor and Nat, that girl got into their heads. Plus I don't know about Tony or Bruce." he tells me so that having a horrid thought tell him as I run for the exit,
"Get to Steve and the others! I have to get to Bruce!" nodding to me I watch him run off as I bolt out a side door. Far up ahead I can see two figures with one of them sitting on the ground holding their head. Slowing down as I got closer Pietro stands ready to fight only Wanda grabs his arm to stop him. Slowly raising my hands into the air to show that I mean no harm I stop as the silvery haired man shouts,
"You hurt Wanda!"
"It's called self-defense Pietro." I snap watching him try to move only Wanda won't let him go. Just before I can say anything two metal arms grab me and hold my arms at my sides. Metal fingers dig into my skin enough to draw blood as I cry out in pain.
"That's it, scream in agony—feel the same pain you cause!" Ultron's voice taunts behind me as I shout,
"Pain is weakness!"
"Exactly." he says putting something on my temple making me scream as electric shocks fill my body. Gasping for air as if I'm drowning I hear someone speaking in Russian and squeeze my eyes shut.
"Stop it!" I beg twisting to get free as the grip tightens and he continues drawing out each word. Opening my eyes to look at Pietro and Wanda I whimper as I can feel Pale Shadow literally clawing out of my mind. Suddenly I'm being dropped onto the sand and curling into myself as Pietro crushes the robot into the ground. Twitching slightly and whimpering, I watch him standing over me with something akin to pity in his eyes.
"Pity means nothing it's only something that makes you weak." I say watching recognition fill his face—because I've said this to him and Wanda before. With a swift punch to my face I grow limp and stare up at the sky hardly able to breathe. Pietro's face appears next to me as he says,
"If I cannot feel pity for you, then compassion will have to do." before he kisses my bruised cheek and vanishes with Wanda towards the jet. Squeezing my eyes tight as Pale Shadow demands to be let free, I force myself into a kneeling position with hands holding me upright. Looking ahead I hear the Hulk roar and bound towards the nearby city.
"Natasha I could really use a lullaby." Tony says in my ear only Clint tells him the whole team is down with no chance at backup. Struggling to stand upright I look down to see my bracelet and whimper out,
"Bucky—" before finally I snap out of my trance like state when I see a flash of a memory; Bucky, Steve and I at the Worlds Faire. The warmth in my chest makes me smile and causes Pale Shadow to vanish but not before I realize—those words still hold an amazing amount of power over me. What if Ultron had finished those words and where the Hell did he learn them?! Unable to stand the questions anymore I head on back to the ship to find Clint helping Natasha while Thor and Steve walk like zombies. Rushing over to Steve's side, I put an arm under his and help him stand upright.
"Steve come on snap out of it!" I tell him only he mumbles,
"Peggy." which causes me to frown and bite my lower lip. Oh Heaven's he still cares about her so deeply! When Clint and I finish helping everyone into the jet to rest something grabs me and sends me flying backwards. I hear Clint shouting my name as something grabs me and drops me hard onto the ground. Coughing and spitting out blood I spy the robot from before kneeling and saying,
"It's amazing what the mind remembers isn't it?"
"What are you talking about?" I hiss spitting some blood onto the metal making the robotic face look even more inhuman.
"Your mind has been so well programed that one good push sends you off the cliff again." it tells me touching my temple before continuing,
"That shocker was designed by HYDRA to weaken someone's mental capacity. In reality I don't know those words which tip you off that cliff. Your mind remembers them—all I had to do was open that door again." staring at him in horror I realize that if what he's saying is true—then at any moment I might snap and return to the mindset of Pale Shadow.
"You were broken, beaten and destroyed but HYDRA put you together. Literally and mentally, oh yes I know about your Vibranium implants. Those medical files are a rather interesting read. You would have died without those plates put into your spine. They're the very reason you're alive right now my dear—you owe your life to HYDRA."
"Shut up!" I shout jamming my last dagger into its neck so that as it crumples onto the ground I taunts me with,
"Just wait my dear—" before whatever it was going to say next cuts off into garbled noise. Staring at the robot in fear I now know two things; my mind will never be my own because HYDRA still owns it. I may be Hannah 'Ace' Cohen but Pale Shadow is still very much alive to torment my life.