Riding Out the Day's Events

Chapter 25- Steve cried out, feeling as though the world had gone cold and turned into grasping ice once again.

OOOOO

The Avengers race back from Afghanistan as the Hydra attack on Avengers Tower continues, led in part by the Winter Soldier. Coulson's team joins the battle.

OOOOO

Time ticked by slowly and tension levels rose inside the Avengers' Quinjet. Natasha had to take extra care to not destroy equipment as she angrily worked the jet controls. Hawkeye was making worse jokes than usual, though only directed to Natasha since she best understood his humor and his need to let it flow when he was wound up.

Tony listened to messages and reported. "Rhodey is battling aircraft outside the Tower, drones helping him. Hydra's insistent on maintaining aircraft presence, so it must be a hot spot in their plan. Let's hope he can cut their transport options, both for the sake of cutting off their retreat, and so that none of our people can be taken away." Steve made a slight choking noise.

Tony grinned darkly. "Coulson's team is onsite fighting their way up towards the labs. They've engaged a Hydra squadron near Containment. That's twenty or so invaders takin' it in the teeth! Good call hittin' Coulson in the fanboy feels, Cap. He looked ready to march into hell and take on Hitler after you were done with him." Tony saw Steve glance quickly at him. He realized that none of Steve's words to Coulson had been spoken simply to manipulate. Tony's grin faded. He'd never wanted to see Steve actually beg for help. He never wanted to see it again.

He returned to the keyboard. "I'm putting JARVIS back in place. Those bastards'll wish they'd never touched him. How DARE they?!" He typed some more, occasionally cursing or grunting angrily. "How in the hell did they shut him out, anyway?! J? That's one of the first things we fix." He wrote code on the fly, while cussing the situation. "They obviously had someone inside… but who? Our vetting had a hole in it. Damn it! I laughed when I saw that Lewis was picking through it the other day, and requesting further vet on some of the lab rats. That'll teach me to ignore woman's intuition… Damn it all to hell!"

Another glance at Steve caused Tony to think that for once his babbling might be helpful. If he could distract Steve from hellacious imaginings, he'd babble the rest of the way home. He looked at Thor. The god continued to stare at his phone as though he might will it to respond to him by divine influence. In his other hand, Thor shifted Mjolnir restlessly. The god was coiled, ready to strike at the invaders.

Tony continued to rant and curse. "Take that, Hydra fuckers! I have sensors now. I see you! You can't hide! Let's find out where you are, and what you're up to." He frowned and murmured, "gunfire outside Lab Eleven… and weird energy readings… What the hell? Hm. I wonder if she…" Thor let out an impatient growl. Tony looked from Thor to Steve, promising, "I'm getting cameras up as fast as I can." He continued to work blindingly quickly. He felt Steve's gaze following his keystrokes.

In the jet's cargo bay, Hulk was pacing testily, and struggling to contain his rage. He longed to crush the Hydra intruders inside Avengers Tower. Rage flowed through his veins like lava. For the time being, he had to satisfy his urges with the occasional roar at Tony for his constant ranting.

Tony yelled victoriously, "Ha! We have eyes!" He continued to mutter. "You just think you're as smart as I am, you smarmy Nazi bastards… I'll show you who's smart. Wait 'til you get a load of what I can do!"

Thor gasped as his phone responded to his commands. Steve grabbed a StarkPad, unsurprised to find that his hands were shaking so badly he could hardly turn the damned thing on. Sam reached over and eased it out of his grip. "Let me… please, Steve..." He pulled up cameras inside Avengers Tower, flipping through images until he stopped on the Healing Ward. Sam muttered, "Damn! That's a lot of bad guys..." He let out an impatient breath and urged. "Hang on, people! Push 'em back! We'll be there soon… we hope…" He looked around, not comfortable with the unusual shaking and rumbling of the Quinjet as it gained speed. Sam knew all about equipment testing. He knew its failure rates, too. He wasn't afraid, just aware.

Thor began to murmur quietly. "Where is she? JARVIS? Now that friend Stark has sensors, find my Jane. Is she in a safe room? What can you tell me about her condition, friend JARVIS? When I arrive at our home, how do I find her most quickly and get her to safety? If they had any honor they would fight me, not take my mate and do harm to her."

Steve glanced at Thor and was humbled to see that Thor was not shaking at all. Steve took a deep breath and tried to focus on solutions, like the god. What they saw happening in Avengers Tower made it difficult...

OOOOO

Phil Coulson, Melinda May, Antoine Triplett, Skye, and ten SHIELD Security foot soldiers had taken out at least fifteen individual Hydra agents covering retreat in the lower floors of Avengers Tower… before they intercepted a Hydra squadron for the first time on the Security and Containment floors. By the time they'd gotten that high in the Tower, Skye had taken to referring to it as 'Starkopolis', unable to fathom that one man, even Tony Stark, could have so much money. She noticed that to go further up they would need badge or code access for the elevators. She held position behind the others as they exchanged fire with the enemy. "Need me to hack us access to these elevators, Boss?"

Coulson shook his head and tossed her his phone. "Stark sent me everything we need." He shot two more Hydra operatives, shots going straight through the heart of each one with deadly efficiency. Coulson knew that nothing in Steve Rogers' words had been for show. Captain America needed his help, and had begged for it. His hero since childhood was counting on him and he would not fail to rise to the occasion.

Skye verified that the codes in Coulson's phone worked. "This is unbelievable! Tony Stark gave you carte blanche access to 'Starkopolis'! I had no idea you were such buds..." She grinned and winked at Coulson. His intensity was kind of scary, so she made an effort to diffuse the tension.

May and Coulson joined hand-to-hand combat with oncoming Hydra soldiers, while Trip fell back and continued to cover them with a rifle. Between blows, Coulson remarked, "Buds? Hardly. Tony Stark is one of the most tiresome individuals it has ever been my misfortune to know. He behaves rudely towards Captain America, something I cannot abide. At the moment, Stark is disgruntled with me for not telling the Avengers of my… recovery… sooner. So, no. We're not 'buds.' We are somewhat-friendly acquaintances. However… he is brave, genius, has unlimited resources, and manages to surround himself with wonderful people…. and I don't just mean the other Avengers. Colonel Rhodes is an amazing man. Miss Potts is one of the kindest, warmest women on Earth. Also the most inexplicably patient…"

Trip took out the Hydra squadron commander. "Bingo! Another head bites the dust!"

May finished her opponents, pulled guns and fell back. "Word has it another two will grow in its place." She turned to Coulson. "Situation update?"

He walked to Skye's side, and looked at his phone. He reflexively reacted to a sound, and pointed his gun up to shoot and kill a Hydra operative in the ceiling vent above May. He looked up to verify the kill. "Caution! They're doing a Barton and taking to the vents." More soldiers joined the enemy forces at the other end of the hall. Coulson sighed. "More heads! May, men, help me cover Trip while he gets out the rocket launcher. Then you four," he pointed to four of the soldiers, "verify deaths and secure this floor. Captain America asked my help. I won't let a little detail like an additional twenty gunmen get in my way today." May and Trip exchanged a look as they heard the feverish note in Coulson's voice.

Trip did as ordered, and blew away the squadron, along with an outside wall. Coulson and Skye were waiting in the elevator with what was left of their attack force, when May and Trip pulled the heavy guns in behind them and watched the doors close. Skye asked, "what floor, Boss?"

Coulson glanced at his phone. "It does not surprise me one bit that the next five floors all cover legal matters. That man draws trouble like no one else."

May asked, "and after that?"

Coulson sighed. "We'll work past three floors of accounting, and three more of other admin departments. I want to get to the one after that… Healing. There, I pray, we will find one of the original Howling Commandos, Bucky Barnes himself. If we're too late, we'll come face to face with his alter-ego, the most notoriously deadly assassin of the past century, the Winter Soldier." A few of the SHIELD soldiers shifted uncomfortably at these words. One let out a sound like a whimper.

Trip cleared his throat. "Damn! Barnes taught my grandpa how to shoot, lessons that were handed down to me. How could he still be kickin'? And how come I've never heard of this Winter Soldier, if he's so notorious?" He glanced at the uneasy soldiers, feeling waves of fear rolling off those who knew what Coulson meant by the name Winter Soldier.

May shook her head and grumbled. "He's a ghost story used to scare new agents. I never thought he was real."

Trip whistled, "the Ghost Assassin? Aw, hell, no…" He began to check various guns secured on his body, removing safety catches and making sure his every defense was ready for immediate response.

Coulson replied shortly. "He's real… a kind of super-soldier with a cybernetic arm… He scares the Black Widow." The other three slowly turned to look at him. He shrugged with apparent nonchalance. "So, we should hurry." May rolled her eyes and loosened the fasteners on a couple of her knives.

Their elevator shuddered to a halt, causing Coulson to curse Hydra for the sixtieth time that day. May and Trip worked together to open the doors. They were between floors, almost to Human Resources. May pulled up and squeezed through the opening, pistols at the ready as she tucked and rolled. The others heard gunfire and May's cry for backup. Coulson growled, looking up. "Three more floors!" He boosted Skye up to the HR floor, followed, and then reached down to help Trip follow them. He called back to the other foot soldiers to bring the heavy equipment and join them as well.

Trip grimaced. "Maybe if we keep 'em busy here, we're keepin' 'em off Barnes. I really don't want to trade shots with the Ghost." To himself, he muttered, "Gramps? If you could look out for me, that'd be nice about now. It's one of THOSE days..."

Coulson shot twice and replied. "I hope so, too, but doubt it. According to what Stark and the others said, he's not even the primary target. That's on 77. I imagine they sent forces down from the top, as well as in through the front door."

Skye pulled back to reload, her face alight with curiosity. "What's on 77? This is one hell of an invasion!"

Coulson shook his head and covered her. "A lightning rod, if you will! Dangerous in ways they don't even know! They're after Thor's girlfriend's latest scientific findings. They will target her and her team." He started to say more, but shook his head, frowning. Phil Coulson was discretion personified.

Trip looked at him disbelievingly. "All this for Foster?" He made a face. "You know about the time we spent together."

Coulson grinned wryly. "She's pretty smart." He took out two more enemy soldiers. "I just hope she and her assistant have holed up somewhere safe and that Hydra doesn't find them." He sighed heavily. "God, I hope that!"

Trip shook his head. "Not them! Foster's not practical, and her assistant's got too much attitude. She'll try to taze the whole damned Hydra invasion force herself." Skye looked intrigued.

Coulson grimaced. "Let's hope Stark upgraded her Taser, then!"

OOOOO

Steve and Sam exchanged grim looks as they watched the ongoing battle in the hallways of the Healing Ward. Hydra soldiers and SI Security officers battled fiercely. Bodies of SI personnel littered the floor. Hydra was taking losses, too, but gaining ground with every passing moment, since they heavily outnumbered the defenders. Sam cheered as Navarro took out three Hydra agents quickly and efficiently with her guns. She was a crack shot, unexpectedly deadly for a healer. Sharon Carter was fighting hand-to-hand with one intruder, and then shot another cleanly through the head. Their expertise and fearlessness showed as they struggled to defend the Healing Ward and its occupants.

But defender after defender fell in the path of the seemingly infinite attacking forces. Steve let out a groan of anguish as they saw Agent Navarro fall to gunfire from six approaching Hydra agents in the hallway outside of Bucky's room.

Tony snarled. "Damn them to hell! She was one of the only nurses I could ever stand to let help me." Steve swallowed razor-sharp guilt, knowing that if he'd let Tony have his way, Bucky would not have been in the Healing Ward. Navarro might still be alive.

Sharon Carter took Navarro's place at point, and led a solid defense, directing and rallying her few resources to hold that hallway. One Hydra soldier managed to move around to her side and look into a patient room. Sharon screamed to call his attention her way and took aim, but the soldier was shot straight through the heart by the patient before Sharon could pull her trigger. A flash of fond exasperation crossed Sharon's face as she turned back to the main invasion force.

Steve's eyes closed for a second, and then he let out a breath as Sharon was wounded and fell to the floor, unconscious. He tensed as operatives moved quickly past her and the closest patient room with only a glance inside. He would bet anything that Peggy was the patient with the deadly aim. He prayed that in their haste as they neared their objective, Hydra would ignore her, at least. He thought he'd accepted the fact that Peggy wouldn't live much longer, but found that he was wrong. The idea of acting as a pallbearer at Peggy Carter's funeral left him sick to his stomach. Time had taken their chance for romance, but left their friendship intact. He needed it.

Thor had not spoken since JARVIS and Tony verified that the safe room on the 77th floor was unoccupied. He simply stared at the screen on his StarkPhone, watching the battle in the hallway outside of Lab Eleven, and the efforts Jane and Darcy put into blockading access to that laboratory. He smiled thinly as another five Hydra soldiers disappeared from the hallway without warning. His valiant Jane and her loyal friend were doing what they did best, using science to defeat the unworthy.

OOOOO

Hydra soldiers entered Bucky's Healing Ward confinement room, ripped out his IV, and gave him multiple drug injections while he struggled in vain to slip free of his bonds. One of them injected something larger, a device of some sort, into Bucky's head. He cried out in pain and anguish. Then his expression slackened.

After waiting and taking readings, the commander activated a hand-held unit. Bucky went rigid and screamed in agony for a long time, and then went unresistingly limp. When he stopped screaming, the commander spoke to him in a low tone. Bucky nodded and uttered a monotone response. The Hydra soldiers undid the restraints. The Hydra commander talked to Bucky, giving him orders while keeping a finger poised on the controller in his hand. Bucky stared at the commander for a long moment, and nodded with a sharp, precise motion. His face was set in the blank lines of the Winter Soldier. He held out a hand, accepted a gun and prepped it, and led the Hydra squadron out of the Healing Ward.

The commander ordered six Hydra soldiers to stay behind and kill all of the surviving staff and patients on that floor.

Sharon Carter rose to her feet in the hallway. One of the soldiers raised his gun to shoot her, but the Winter Soldier made it unnecessary by brutally pistol-whipping her so that she fell out of their way. Her blood spattered the wall and the sound of bones breaking from the force of the blow filled the air. The Winter Soldier didn't slow his pace or change expression at all. They Hydra commander's smile was icy with satisfaction.

OOOOO

The Winter Soldier and the other Hydra invaders disappeared from camera view into the elevator shaft, climbing upwards.

Tony winced and cried out. "Oh, shit! He's an active weapon again. This is so fuckin' bad. All those people! Damn!"

The Hydra soldiers still in the Healing Ward were carrying out their orders. Every shot that rang out cut through the Avengers, and deepened their rage. Steve's eyes filled with tears as one of the murderers approached the room where he believed Peggy was. He gasped in relief as a shot rang out and the Hydra soldier's head exploded.

Sam yelled. "Oh, my God! Good shootin'! Praise Jesus!" Onscreen, Phil Coulson lowered his gun and nodded with satisfaction.

Tony cried out. "Phil! Yes! Long live Agent and his team! It's the Cavalry!"

Onscreen, Coulson and his people entered the Healing Ward halls, and took out the remaining Hydra agents quickly and efficiently. Hawkeye glanced over at the video feed, and raised a brow. "Yeah, literally, though you'd better not call her that to her face. Phil's doing good there, too. I don't know any of the others." Natasha quirked a slight grin as she noted Tony's look of confusion at Hawkeye's words.

As Coulson looked into the room that most held Steve's attention, they saw him stop and stare, slack-jawed. He straightened to his full height, gasping. "Agent Carter! It's such an honor, ma'am!" They couldn't hear what she said that made him smile, but saw him nod and add breathlessly. "Yes, ma'am… We'll go as quickly as possible, ma'am. You're absolutely right that I should get on with it." He whirled away, and headed back to the elevators. Coulson held himself even straighter and prouder now that he'd met, and saved the life of, Agent Peggy Carter. He understood what he'd done even better than the rest of his team, save Trip.

Coulson's people checked for survivors. Coulson left four soldiers to guard and shield the Healing Ward's remaining staff and patients. He and the rest of his team followed the path taken by the Winter Soldier and the Hydra squad he led. With coded access, they were able to use the elevator again.

Steve wiped his eyes and muttered his gratitude. "Thanks, Phil. You're my hero right now. I'll get the rest of those cards for you." He breathed in and out heavily, praying that something would slow Hydra's progress to the lab floors so that the SHIELD team could catch up to them. He shuddered as he thought of Bucky leading a charge on the Tower labs.

Sam switched to cameras outside Lab Eleven. Stark Industries Security forces fought hard, but were outgunned. Hydra had apparently sent in teams from aircraft above, and ground troops below. Steve let out a shaky breath, willing the Quinjet to go faster. As if in reply, Tony exclaimed. "Hang on, kids… and hope this doesn't explode!" They were all pressed back firmly by the g-forces as the new engine reached Mach 15. It was difficult for even Thor and Steve to move. The Quinjet shook, as though to rip apart, as it sped along exponentially faster than ever before. Tony monitored the jet's stats, having the computer log all damage and stress levels for later study.

Sam barely managed to move his hand enough to switch the view on the StarkPad to a camera inside Jane's lab. He and Steve stared at the image. Darcy was perched on barricade items by the door, peeking out and calling directions to Jane, while Jane turned knobs and pushed buttons on a device she held in her hands.

OOOOO

Over the next thirteen minutes, the Winter Soldier led a strike force to take Lab Eleven, resistance crumbling quickly before his ruthless expertise and deadly power. When some of the men in his command disappeared as he rounded the final corner to Lab Eleven, he stopped and surveyed the space around them, standing back for perspective. He heard a woman on the other side of the door gasp in terror. "Bucky? Oh! Oh, gods, no…"

The Hydra commander joined him, and watched as more men disappeared from a section of the hall in front of the lab door. After a moment, the commander chided the Winter Soldier for not noticing the energy rods that had been placed against walls and columns around an eight-foot-square area. He ordered Winter Soldier to deactivate the energy rods, frowning as the Soldier destroyed the first. The commander specified that the other three be deactivated only, not destroyed.

As the Winter Soldier complied with his orders, he heard the noise of someone climbing down furniture on the other side of the door.

Once the rods were deactivated, the commander had an agent check the lab door. It was locked, of course. They broke the lock and discovered a barricade of heavy items stacked in the opening. There were cabinets and crates piled in front of the door, items so heavy that it had required forces unknown to Hydra to move them. The commander ordered an advance scout to use the ventilation system for entry, and then ordered the Hydra soldiers with him to use explosives to blow the items blocking their entry to Lab Eleven.

The commander looked at the motionless and expressionless Winter Soldier standing next to him, and shuddered. He found the silent killer horrifying, and looked forward to handing him over to scientists qualified to manage him long-term. Clouse found those men horrifying, too.

OOOOO

A moment later, the Hydra advance guy dropped into Lab Eleven through a ceiling vent and pulled Jane away from a side door as she yelped in surprised fear. He slapped a cuff around one of her wrists with a loud metallic click. She fell; wrenching her arm, and crying out with pain. She tried with all her might to escape his grasp, but he was far stronger.

Jane's attacker grappled with her, reaching for her other arm while she flailed, and then turned as Darcy screamed, "Hey, asshole!" and ran at him. As he turned to face Darcy, she stomped on the top of his foot as hard as she could, while tazing into his throat. The scent of sizzling skin filled the air along with his cries of pain. His upper body collapsed forward, and he fell back at the same time, ankle obviously breaking as he lost consciousness.

Darcy hesitated for half a second, then kicked his thigh and fell to her knee on his throat, eyes closed tightly as she both felt and heard a sickening crunching sound. She couldn't dwell on it then, but thought she would hear that sound in her head for the rest of her life… however long that might be. Darcy set her Taser to recharge, moved back, and helped Jane to stand. They clung to each other tightly, and both ducked behind a counter as heavy barricade items exploded into the room and fell aside.

When they stood again, Jane looked around and murmured with distress. "Only three!" A badly shaken Darcy nodded understanding as they turned to face the invaders.

The Winter Soldier entered the room; gun pointing straight at them. He moved in ahead of the other Hydra operatives. Darcy's breathing shuddered. He stared at the two women without expression, his eyes almost lifeless. Darcy took shaky aim at him with her Taser. He grabbed a glass beaker and threw it at her hand with unerring aim. The beaker shattered on impact, and Darcy lost her grip on the Taser, dropping it to the floor. She stared at the Winter Soldier, horror-struck and crying out in fearful pain while shaking glass shards away.

She whispered raggedly, "Bucky?" He moved closer to her, but did not react.

It was the first time Darcy had ever seen Bucky standing, upright. He was almost as tall as Steve, but seemed to loom over her in a way the larger man never had. Fear chased down her spine and settled in her gut.

The Hydra commander walked into the lab, carrying a hand unit that he pointed at the Winter Soldier. He spoke quietly to Jane. "Good day, Dr. Foster. I am Commander Clouse, of Hydra. Hail Hydra!" He offered a salute. Darcy shuddered fearfully, remembering her interrogator in London.

Clouse glanced at Darcy, noting the way she and Jane held to each other. His expression was cold. "You are friends as well as colleagues, I see. That will do well… for my purpose. I need for you to enlighten me, Dr. Foster, on the phenomena you created in London last November. First, you will give me the passwords and retinal scans needed to access your computers, so that we may remove all of your files to drives to take back to our scientists. They are most eager to see your work."

Jane shook her head. He smirked at Darcy and threatened. "If you possess the ability to access the files, you will wish to tell me, now."

Darcy's voice shook slightly as she growled. "So you can use Jane's work against the Avengers?" She shook her head quickly, determined.

Clouse turned to Winter Soldier and gestured from him to Darcy. "This is the asset known as Winter Soldier, the fist of Hydra. Soldier? Your mission is to harm Dr. Foster's friend until she or the good doctor answer my questions fully, and I have access to the data that I just requested. Do you understand your mission?"

The Winter Soldier replied. "Yes. Do you wish her alive after the doctor gives all you demand?" He holstered his gun and looked Darcy up and down dispassionately, assessing.

Clouse nodded tersely. "Yes. Beat her, cut her, rape her, break her body and spirit… but do not terminate her life until I so direct."

Darcy looked horror-struck. Jane, holding her wrist and leaning against Darcy, looked as though she might be ill. They were both shaking visibly. Jane was crying, and shaking her head back and forth.

OOOOO

The Hydra commander's voice was too low for most of the Avengers to hear his words over the new engine's noise. Even Steve was only able to hear most of what was being said, though it was enough to leave him sick with rage. Tony made adjustments and the engine quieted slightly.

Onscreen, Jane shouted frantically. "No! Leave her out of it. I'm the one you want! Just take me, and leave her! Don't do this…" Thor let out a noise like a sob and bellowed with helpless anger.

OOOOO

The Winter Soldier moved towards Darcy, and looked at Jane, rasping tonelessly. "My mission is to attain your cooperation, Dr. Foster. I will torture this woman as directed to achieve that end."

Darcy backed away from him, small and frightened steps, as he stalked closer and closer. She went more pale with each step he took, and gasped in terror. "Mission? Oh, God! Bucky! Please, Bucky… No! Please! You're not… You can't… please! It would kill him."

OOOOO

Steve's grip on his shield tightened even more, his arms shaking. Glancing at it, Tony wondered if Steve might actually dent the Vibranium within his grip.

Hawkeye spoke in a low tone. "Guys… let's make sure Steve isn't the one that has to kill the Winter Soldier. He may want to right now… and sure as hell, in the next few minutes… but, in the long run…" Natasha nodded once, eyes forward and her face expressionless. Hulk roared in response, snarling and gnashing his teeth.

Tony glanced at Steve's face again and looked away quickly, shaken. He nodded once and shuddered.

OOOOO

In the lab, Jane gasped and wept noisily, then moved back and set her hand against the counter to her side to steady herself. Darcy shifted frantically as she looked around the room, her gaze finally settling on one spot. She swallowed hard, and moved towards the side door, darting frightened glances at the Winter Soldier. She saw his gaze follow hers. She prayed that he wouldn't understand her goal and destroy it. Guns shifted with her movement, and clicks could be heard. She stopped, staring towards that door.

The Winter Soldier moved to Darcy's side with inhuman speed. She couldn't help the whimper of fear that escaped her. He stared down at her, and shifted his posture very deliberately. Through the shrieking in her mind, Darcy heard Natasha's cool voice, instructing her on how to respond. She shifted her arms to block her midsection. The metal arm slammed her so hard that she flew several feet, landing by the side door and crying out in pain from that first blow. She had not learned how to anticipate to properly block her head and other side from impact with the wall.

Jane shrieked Darcy's name, standing still against the lab counter, one hand edging forward.

OOOOO

Held in place by g-forces, Steve cried out, feeling as though the world had gone cold and turned into grasping ice once again.

to be continued...