Welcome to Chapter Thirty-Five. This one is a bit shorter than normal – I don't know how that happened, but I hope you enjoy the latest installment.
Constructive criticism is always appreciated.
April 2014
"Attention all SHIELD agents, this is Steve Rogers."
Steve stood at the desk for the PA system, decked out in the replica World War Two uniform he'd just "borrowed" from the Smithsonian with his shield strapped to his back.
Sam was in his Falcon wings, and Maria, Case, and Ryder had all changed into their standard issue uniforms. They had infiltrated SHIELD and were ready to do anything they could to stop the Insight launch.
"You've heard a lot about me over the last few days," Steve continued, "Some of you were even ordered to hunt me down. But I think it's time you know the truth…SHIELD is not what we thought it was. It's been taken over by Hydra. Alexander Pierce is their leader. The STRIKE and Insight crew are Hydra as well. I don't know how many more, but I know they're in the building. They could be standing right next to you."
Case frowned as she realized Ryder was looking at her. The frown morphed into a scowl as she backhanded him in the gut, smirking at the grunt that earned her.
"They almost have what they want, absolute control. They shot Nick Fury, and it won't end there. If you launch those helicarriers today, Hydra will be able to kill anyone that stands in their way. Unless we stop them. I know I'm asking a lot, but the price of freedom is high. It always has been. And it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one, then so be it, but I'm willing to bet I'm not."
Steve stood straight when he finished, and Sam walked over and asked, "Did you write that down first, or was it off the top of your head?"
Steve rolled his eyes and pulled the cowl over his head, "Alright…Sam and I will take care of the targeting blades, Case and Ryder I want you both to stay here—"
"No fuckin' way!" Ryder snapped.
"Steve, you're gonna need us—"
"Listen to me!" Steve barked, cutting off both of their arguments. "If STRIKE or…anything Hydra tries to come through that door, I need you to make sure Maria stays safe. Do you both understand?"
The twins exchanged looks, both giving sighs of defeat and nodding in agreement.
"Let's go," Steve said to Sam, and they were instantly out the doors.
Case and Ryder took their positions at the door, both armed with guns.
Case cocked her pistol, "Should I even bother anymore? I have knives that come out of my knuckles…"
"You really want to get that up close and personal to someone?" Ryder asked, cocking his pistol as well. He hesitated for a few moments, then asked, "So…how are you doing…with all of this?"
"Ask me after we live through this," Case told him. She glanced back at Maria who was adjusting views on the screens then back to Ryder, "You really think he's going to come through this door?"
"God no," Ryder admitted. "Steve's his target…they'll probably send him after them."
"That's what I thought."
"They're initiating launch," Maria said from her position at the monitors.
Case and Ryder turned to face her instead, guns still out and ready, and through the security feeds on the monitors they could see all three helicarriers began to lift into the air.
"Hey Cap," Sam's voice came through the comm units, "How do we know the good guys from the bad guys?"
"If they're shooting at you, they're bad," Steve answered simply.
They could track Sam and Steve racing across the landing pad for the SHIELD jets, with Steve leaping onto the one of the helicarriers while Sam took off into the air.
Almost immediately both came under heavy gunfire.
"Hey Cap! I found those bad guys you were talkin' about!" Sam called out.
"You okay?" Steve asked.
"I'm not dead yet!"
"Speaking of though," Ryder spoke again, "What are we gonna do about the Lean Mean Russian Machine?"
"Which one?" Case asked him, "Mine or yours?"
"Yours," Ryder answered with a roll of his eyes.
"I dunno," Case admitted. "Steve's not gonna let him go now he knows he's alive."
"True…"
"Falcon, status?" Maria asked.
"Engaging," Sam said into the comm. "Alright Cap, I'm in…oh shit!"
"Eight minutes Cap," Maria said.
"Working on it," Steve responded. It was a few agonizing minutes before he announced, "Alpha lock."
The helicarrier on the screen lit up green with a confirming beep as Maria asked, "Falcon, where are you now?"
"I had to take a detour!" They could hear a few explosions and Sam cheering before he announced, "I'm in…Bravo lock!"
The second carrier lit up green on the screen.
"Two down, one to go," Maria announced. "Charlie carrier's forty-five degrees off the port bow."
"We got a bogey," Ryder announced, seeing the two men dressed in black entering on the security feed.
Case stood straight and took aim at the door, and as soon as the door opened two gunshots rang out and the invaders dropped to the ground.
"Six minutes," Maria said, not bothering to look back.
"Hey Sam, gonna need a ride!" Steve called out.
"Roger, let me know when you're ready!"
A loud explosion could be heard, and Steve added, "I just did!"
"For fuck's sake Rogers can't do anything the easy way, can you?" Ryder grumbled as he pinched at the bridge of his nose.
"When have you ever known him to do that?" Case asked him.
"Fair."
In moments they could hear Sam give a loud groan into the comm, and then say, "You know, you're a lot heavier than you look."
"I had a big breakfast." Suddenly Steve gave a grunt into the comm.
"Steve!" Sam yelled out.
"Guess who," Ryder said as they heard gunfire and Sam yelling incoherently into the comm.
"Cap! Cap, come in, are you okay?" Sam asked.
"Yeah I'm here! I'm still on the helicarrier! Where are you?"
"I'm grounded…the suit's down. Sorry Cap."
"Don't worry, I got it."
Alarms began to blare thorough the building, and an automated female voice announced, "Emergency evacuation alert. All personnel proceed to designated safety zones."
The security feed of the stairwell showed Rumlow heading up the stairs.
"Falcon?" Maria asked.
"Yeah?"
"Rumlow's headed for the Council."
"I'm on it."
A few moments later, Steve's voice came through the comm, "People are gonna die, Buck."
Ryder and Case exchanged concerned looks.
"I can't let that happen," there were a few beats of silence, and they could hear desperation in Steve's voice as he said, "Please don't make me do this."
They could hear various grunts indicating a fight, a few clangs of the shield and Steve snapping, "Drop it, drop it!"
Ryder gave a snort, "That brings back memories…"
Case flinched when she heard Bucky yell in pain.
A blurred memory flashed before her eyes of gleaming claws covered in blood…a lot of blood, splattering over the walls, over everything around her…protect him, keep him safe, can't lose him again…
"Case—"
A hand suddenly grasped her shoulder. Case gave a yell of her own and stabbed forward with her right hand. When she heard a familiar grunt, she opened her eyes and gave a gasp of fright as she saw her claws were embedded in Ryder's gut.
Ryder blinked down at the claws, and with his free hand wiped away a trickle of blood from his mouth.
Case blinked up at him, "Ryder…I…"
A voice floated across her mind, "This Bucky is a sore spot for you. That's good, we can use that."
Ryder moved his hand away from her shoulder and grasped her right wrist instead. He took a few steps back, giving a hiss of pain as Case retracted the claws.
Case vaguely heard Sam telling Rumlow to shut up through the comm, as Maria announced, "One minute!"
Ryder was still holding onto her wrist, "Are you back with me?"
Case nodded, "Ryder, I—"
"I'm going to pretend this didn't happen," Ryder said firmly. "I want you to do the same."
"But I—"
"I know…but this never happened," Ryder told her.
Case gave a weak nod, "Alright…"
They could hear grunts and gunshots through the comm.
"Thirty seconds Cap!"
"Stand by…" he sounded weak, and he barely got out, "Charlie—"
Another gunshot brought silence to the line.
They could see the targets lighting up across the screen for the Insight algorithm, all glowing red as they locked into place.
The screen suddenly flickered, and the red disappeared.
"Charlie lock…" Steve said into the comm.
"Okay Cap get out of there," Maria told him.
"Fire now…"
"But Steve!"
"Do it! Do it now!"
Maria looked to Case and Ryder, who both swallowed roughly but gave her a nod. Maria nodded back and slid her fingers across the screen, tapping the button to fire on the Insight carriers.
Everything blurred into the background as the Insight carriers began to explode and crumble to the ground, destroying everything in their path.
"Please tell me you got that chopper in the air!" Sam's voice yelled into the comm.
"Sam, where are you?" Natasha yelled.
"Forty first floor! Northwest corner!"
"We're on it! Stay where you are!"
"NOT AN OPTION!" the comm was then filled with the sound of Sam grunting, before he yelled, "Forty First floor! Forty first!"
"It's not like they put the floor numbers on the outside of the building!" Fury shot back.
"Hill! Where's Steve? You got a location on Rogers?"
And thus, ends Chapter Thirty-Five.
Oh, and just one minor note here…
(Said like Woody in the first "Toy Story" movie)
Chapter Thirty-Six will be the last chapter of "Flashbulb Memories"
…until then, enjoy!