"Son of a bitch" I mumbled, I sat down on a chair next to Fury while the man pulled the bullet out.
"Lacerated spinal column, cracked sternum, shattered collar bone, perforated liver, and a hell of a headache." Fury said
"And don't forget your collapsed lung." The man said as he bandaged me.
"Let's not forget that."
"They cut you open your heart stopped." Natasha said
"Tetrodetoxin B, slows the pulse down to one beat per minute. Banner developed it for stress, didn't work so well for him but we found a use for it."
"Why all the secrecy?" Steve asked "Why not just tell us?"
"Any attempt on the director's life had to look successful." Maria said
"Can't kill you if you're already dead." Fury added "Besides I wasn't sure who to trust."
The doctor finished and gave me some painkillers, I turned my head back and saw a phone. I wanted to call my dad, but the last time I did Rumlow tracked it. Different scenarios ran through my head, and all of them made me sick to my stomach. I kept a careful watch on Steve, knowing how shocked he's feeling. When he left the room I stood up but Natasha stopped me.
"He needs some time alone, he'll be ok." She said
"Alright."
I rested in a private room for a few minutes and healed the hole on my shoulder, when Steve didn't return I walked around until I found him outside. I walked up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my head on his back.
"How long have you been awake?"
"All night, how's your arm?" He turned around and wrapped an arm around me.
"It's fine my concern is how you're holding up."
"You said that he can to you for help, to remember, when he met you did he remember anything?"
"He remembered his name was James." I said "His mind is very fragile, Hydra has scarred his memory from decades of manipulation. But if I were to heal him he could recover. I know he may not seem like the man worth saving, but we must have hope."
Steve gently stroked my cheek and kissed my head, I reached up and grabbed his hand.
"What would I do without you?" After he said that I smiled.
"You still haven't told me about that important conversation we need."
"Kida…it's actually more of a question."
"Guys." We both turned around and saw Sam. "Sorry to step in on your moment, but it's time."
"We'll have to make a quick stop on the way." I said with Steve following behind me.
"Stop for what?"
"If you're going to fight a war, you're going to need a uniform." Steve aid
I went downstairs and grabbed a black jumpsuit like Natasha's, I put the two guns in the side holster, a dagger, and a few small bombs.
"You, Wilson, and Rogers will go on each of the helicarriers and put in these drives to the main computer. Romanoff, Fury, and I will take care of everything in H.Q." Maria explained. "But once you put those in you have only a few seconds to get out."
I nodded my head and before we left I snuck into the room where Fury was getting one last check up from his personal doctor.
"So how's Tahiti?" I could see Fury's head rise, he raised his hand and the doctor left.
"I hear it's a wonderful place."
"Where is he Fury?"
"How do you know?" He turned around to face me. "That was level ten classified information."
"Sitwell breaks like a twig under pressure."
"Does anyone else know?"
"No, how long have you tested my blood? How many times have you weaponized it?"
"Your blood wasn't meant to be weaponized, it was meant to make a cure. In case of a fallen avenger, we could bring them back." He said as he stood up to face me. "We mixed your blood with some DNA extracted from a deceased alien SHIELD found a few years back."
"I want his location, I want to see him for myself."
"SHIELD is gone, there's no way to find him." Fury said "Coulson is probably going underground like all the good agents left."
"Why didn't you tell the team?"
"They needed the push."
With that he walked passed me and left, I pushed my anger down and left to join Steve and Natasha. I thought about telling them, but decided it would be better to tell them after the mission. Natasha went inside HQ in disguise while the rest of us flew in on a helicopter. He landed on the roof and went to the communications center. Sam, Maria, and I all held our guns as we restrained the agents inside. Steve took off his helmet and turned on the radio.
"Attention all SHIELD agents this is Steve Rogers, you've heard a lot about me the past few days. Some of you were even ordered to hunt me down. But 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 there leader, the STRIKE and Insight crew are Hydra as well." He said "I don't know how many more, but I know they're in the building. They could be standing right next to you. 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 who stands in their way. Unless we stop them."
I looked up to him and saw the look in his eyes, he was determined. When he finished his speech I put my hand onto his shoulder and smiled.
"Let's get moving, they'll start the sequence soon." Maria said
The three of us ran outside as the helicarriers started to take off, Steve and I jumped down to the two below while Sam flew to the one in the air. I grabbed the two guns and started shooting at the Hydra agents. Slowly making my way to the doors,
"Stark, status" Maria said in my earpiece
"A little busy right now."
I leaned out from behind a container and shot down the four Hydra agents blocking the way. When they fell I ran towards the door until a woman tackled me to the ground. I kicked her off and jumped up to face her.
"Come on Stark, you and I both know how this ends." She said with blood dripping down her lips. "Just give up and join us."
"You clearly forgot who the winning side is." My eyes glowed with gold light as I moved closer to her, my voice turned deeper. "I will not rest until every last Hydra agent is dead. Starting with you."
A gold whip formed my hand and wrapped itself around her, I lifted her high up into the air and slammed her back onto the ship. Her body let out a loud crack before blood pooled around her. When my eyes turned back to normal I quickly turned away and ran inside. I ran to the bottom deck and placed the discs in.
"Hill, Bravo locked."
I ran outside to the cold air and realized we were flying, I ran to the edge and saw the Potomac River below.
"Steve where are you?" I asked
"I'm getting a ride to the Charlie carrier."
I looked a few hundred yards away and saw Sam carrying Steve to the last ship.
"I'm on my way."
I climbed into a quinjet and started to fly over when I noticed another quinjet in the air. When the pilot landed I flew over and saw his metal arm.
"Steve he's here." I said "Bucky's here AAGH!"
The quinjet shook violently and I started to spin out of control. I pulled on the emergency parachute and flew out. I landed on the deck and ran inside.
"Status report" I said
"I'm grounded, the suits down" Sam said
"I'm still on the carrier, I'm heading down now." Steve replied
"I'm coming you need back up."
I ran down to the entrance of the lower deck, Steve gave me the last disc and climbed down the ladder to distract James. I ran to the ladder on the north side and climbed down, when I got closer I realized the machine was behind James. And James noticed I was there. He shot through the small spaces in the machine and ran around to catch me.
I raised my hands up and created a shield, when he ran out of bullets I lowered my shield and pulled out my knife. Bucky spun around and landed his foot on my chest knocking me down with the disc. Bucky jumped down and Steve followed us and distracted him, I reached out for the disc until the ship rocked and it fell to the glass. I jumped down and grabbed it when Bucky shot two rounds one scraping my arm, another through my shoulder. I cursed under my breath and ran to the ladder, I climbed up a few feet when his metal hand grabbed me and pulled me down. I shot a blast of gold energy making him disoriented.
Steve ran up behind him and the two went at it, Bucky pulled out his knife and drove it through Steve's shoulder. The rage made my eyes glow gold again and a gold whip of light wrapped around him and threw him into a metal beam, when I let go he was knocked out.
"Are you alright?" I asked as he pulled the knife out and he nodded "Let's go."
We climbed up the ladder and ran to the computer, I handed him the disc when he fell to his knees. His face turned pale and I saw the gunshot wound in his stomach. The blood already started to pool on his suit, I kneeled down next to him and put my hands over the blood. Flashbacks of Coulson played in my mind.
"You are not leaving me like this." I said "Not today."
"Kida, the mission"
I turned to the disc and put it in, I put my hands back on his wound and started to heal him.
"Steve, Kida get out of there." Maria said
"Fire now" I said
"But Stark…"
"Just do it!" Steve yelled as I picked him up. "Do it now."
I held onto the rail as the room exploded with gunfire, we heard James scream and saw him pinned between two metal beams.
"Wait" Steve said
"Steve you're injured we don't have time for this."
"I'm not letting him go again."
We climbed down and I used my magic to lift the beam while Steve pulled him out. I could see the mental walls in his head start to crack.
"You know me" Steve said
"No I don't!" Bucky screamed and punched Steve.
I ran up behind him and jumped onto his back, my hands grabbed his head and I started to pull out his memories. He rolled over and dug his finger into the bullet hole in my shoulder. Steve pulled him off and the two started fighting again. The metal beam that covered Bucky flew over as the ship crashed and landed on me. I screamed and looked through the glass under me and saw SHIELD HQ.
"You've known me your whole life." Bucky stood still and lashed out again. "Your name is James Buchanan Barnes."
"SHUT UP!"
"I'm not going to fight you." I turned my head to Steve and saw his shield fall into the river. "You're my friend."
Bucky tackled him to the ground next to me and raised his metal hand up.
"You're my mission." He said as he mercilessly punched Steve.
"Then finish it." Steve said "Cause I'm with you 'til the end of the line."
Something in Bucky's mind clicked, he raised his hand up but froze as a metal beam started to fall behind them.
"STEVE!" I reached my hand out to him but my fingertips barely touched him.
The beam fell through the glass and Steve started to fall into the river below, I screamed his name over the crash and slammed on the glass below me until it shattered. I could see him fall below me and I landed a few feet away. I swam towards him and wrapped his arm around mine but his weight was keeping us down. I looked back down at him and realized how deathly he looked.
"Just give up" My mind said "It'll be easy and painless."
I turned back up to the surface and saw a metal hand grab Steve's arm, Bucky dragged us to shore down the river. I crawled out and coughed up the water and Bucky put Steve down next to me. I cradled Steve's head and healed the gunshot wound on his stomach as Bucky turned away.
"James" I said and he stopped. "Thank you"
~~Chapter Song~~
So burn me with fire
Drown me with rain
I'm gonna wake up
Screaming your name
-We Remain by Christina Aguilera
