Alex sprinted through the hallways of the hangar, back through the pedestrian bridge, then onward through the expanse of the main Headquarters building. She brought her cell phone out and dialed Sam's cell as she ran. The second she heard his voice, she slowed to a brisk walk.

"Sam, the team's in trouble" she panted.

"What!?"

"Can you meet me in the conference room?"

"Yeah, wait - what's going on? Where are you?"

Alex didn't have time to explain. "I just need you to meet me in the conference room. Bucky and the others are in trouble. Hydra's behind the mission - it's a trap. I'll tell you more when I see you. Just come to the conference room."

She hung up and resumed her sprint and didn't stop until she reached the conference room. She rushed over to the media center inside and dialed the last number the room had called. The teleconference monitor glowed to life, the number to Fury's office flickering across the smaller panel below as it dialed.

Alex caught her breath as she waited for some sign that Fury was around. The sound of the conference room doors opening drew her attention away to see Sam had arrived. "Thank God, Sam. I'm trying to dial Fury."

"What happened?" His dark eyes searched hers. "How do you know they're in trouble?"

"This better be good, Markos" came Fury's voice.

Alex looked back to see him sitting in front of the camera on his side, one leg casually shifting over the other. "The current mission was a set-up" she blurted. "The doctor - Matheson - he's working undercover for Hydra. He set this whole thing up."

Sam's head drew back in shock. Fury uncrossed his leg and sat forward, his face now drawn in alarm. "How do you know this?"

"I entered Matheson's mind. I went through his memories until I found out why he was bothering both me and Bucky the past two days. Then I went back even further." Alex turned to Sam. "I just had this horrible feeling, and my powers wouldn't stop humming-"

"-Slow down, slow down" Fury said, holding a hand out to her as if he was in the same room. "What all did you see? Tell me everything."

So Alexis did. She explained what she knew about Matheson approaching Bucky, then her own encounter with the doctor that morning. From there, she described everything she read in his memories with as much detail as she could.

"I also left him duck taped and bound in a closet that's been reinforced with zip ties" she said, finishing her brief tale.

Sam's eyebrows rose. "Creative."

Alex nodded. "Thanks."

"Markos, listen to me" Fury said, his tone marked by distress. "You and Wilson head to the hangar. Make sure Matheson is handed over to someone from Stark's security, not S.H.I.E.L.D's. Don't trust anyone there that delivered that containment crate."

"Understood."

"Wait for me there. I'll alert the Avengers on the mission and get them home, then I'll leave for New York."

Alex felt the icy cold grip of dread return. "How will I know they're okay? Is there any way you can keep me up to date on what you find out?"

Fury hesitated. Protocol dictated he should withhold whatever he knew on his end, but he could see the frightened look in Markos' dark eyes, even through the screen. After everything that happened, especially now with the knowledge she uncovered, he owed it to her. "Absolutely. I have your cell; I'll contact you when I learn something."

Her shoulders lowered in relief. "Thank you, Fury."

"Markos..." Fury looked into the camera, his expression full of gratitude. "Good work."

Alex gave him a short nod and a smile, then the camera went black.

Back at the hangar, Alex drug Matheson out of the storage closet she left him in. She couldn't help but admire her efficient handiwork from earlier: the zip ties and duct tape came from the desk, which were used to quickly bound him. The closet, though not ideal, was the only place she could put him in the interim, so once she shoved him in there. For one final measure, she zip-tied the door shut. Unless he had a super power of his own, he wasn't getting out.

With great pleasure, Alex tossed Matheson on the floor in front of Sam. "He's all yours."

The doctor was sweating profusely. He still tremored in Alex's presence, but cowered when Sam forcefully hauled him to his feet. "How about we take a little walk, shall we?" Sam taunted. Matheson whined beneath the duct tape, even as Sam pushed him forward and out of the office. "I'll meet you down in the hangar once I hand him over" he called back to Alex.

Alex gave a happy little wave to Matheson, though the glare she wore could have cut glass.

Heading back through the maze of hallways, Alex took the elevator down to the main hangar where the Avengers, and/or Fury, would eventually arrive. Without a call back from Fury yet, she had no idea what she was waiting for. It made her anxious; waiting for some sign to come from either source.

When she got to the hangar, it didn't appear that anyone working there knew what was going on. Alex considered this a good thing. If Hydra had any notion they were on to them, she expected far more bodies would be scattering. None of the staff members that Alex saw even looked phased. They carried on as they normally would. One cargo hauler even gave her a friendly nod as he passed her.

Alex took up a spot on a hard-sided cargo box, facing the giant hangar doors that were still closed. She checked her phone, but still no missed messages. So she began her wait.

Fifteen minutes passed before Alex spotted Sam. His buff figure crossed the distance of the hangar's floor toward where she sat, his expression looking quite pleased. "How'd that go?" she asked when he was within ear's reach.

"Slimy son of a bitch is now in electro-binders." He took a seat next to her on the crate. "No way he's getting out of here now, especially with Stark's men watching him."

"Then that's the best place for him."

"I can think of a few better places, actually."

Alex caught his meaning and smirked. "So can I. Believe me. But for now- we need him out of our hair for whatever happens next." In saying this, it reminded her to check her phone again. She knew the old saying: a watched clock never ticks, but dammit if she didn't wish it would tick just a tad bit faster.

Beside her, Sam watched Alex with sympathy. He could tell she was anxious, but he could also tell how well she was holding herself together given the circumstances of the evening. For having just entered the twisted mind of a Hydra agent, Alex seemed fairly unbothered. It was the lack of information regarding Bucky and the others that left her nerves a little fried. If it wasn't for her cursed touch, Sam would have reached out and given her a hug. Instead, he grabbed her attention with his reassuring smile. "He'll be alright, Markos."

Alex looked down at her phone glumly. "Is it that obvious?"

"As obvious as it was when Barnes was in your position."

Curiosity caused Alex to lift her gaze. "What do you mean?"

"On the Comoros Mission, when he carried you back to the Quinjet? You were pretty dazed after whatever you did to that one agent, but the look on his face was almost the same as yours right now."

The agent I unleashed on, she thought. The one that Bucky pulled me from. It felt like that mission was an entire year ago. Alex didn't remember much from that ride back to New York, but she remembered sensations. Pain. Stiffness. The headache. The blurry vision. But if she closed her eyes, she could remember Bucky there at her side the whole time.

"So you saw what happened?" Alex asked, afraid of the answer. "I thought maybe we were the only ones."

"Oh yeah. I just never said anything." Sam smiled coolly. "Figured you didn't need my mouth running around Headquarters."

She chuckled. "You're a fine man, Sam Wilson. Thank you."

"The fact of the matter is," he continued, wanting to make sure she caught his point, "Barnes had...I don't know...this nervous look to him. I never saw it before. Mind you, this wasn't his usual stone cold stare that could mean anything from I might kill you to Did I forget to turn the stove off - but an actual, genuine look of fear." This made the corner of Alex's mouth lift. When Sam saw it, he felt good he was able to take her mind off things. "I think Bucky cared for you even then. In fact, I'm positive he did."

They shared a smile, and then an easy silence settled over them. Sam's words lingered in Alex's mind. She found at least some consolation in them, and it alleviated a little of the nervousness she had. She managed to control the worst of her nerves until Fury's call finally came...almost an hour later.

"Fury?" Alex stood up from the crate. Next to her, Sam also stood.

"I have some good news and some bad news" Fury said. "Your pick."

Alex's stomach sank. "Bad news first."

There was a pause. "My call to the Avengers came too late. They were already on their way to infiltrating the facility when I got a hold of Stark."

Too late. The words threatened to turn her world upside down, but she wouldn't allow it until she heard the rest. "And the good news?"

"The good news is: they're all safe. They're on their way back to New York. From the sounds of things, they may even get there before me."

Alex closed her eyes, sending a silent 'thank you' to whoever in the universe was listening. When she opened her eyes, Sam was staring at her, waiting for some kind of verdict. She gave him a thumbs-up, but then lifted her index finger for him to wait.

"Can you tell me any more?" Alex asked Fury.

"It was a very quick call, and that's all I was able to get."

Alex swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "Thank you, Fury."

"What's the status on Matheson?"

"He's being held by security in electro-binders."

"Good. One less thing for me to worry about. Make sure he stays that way until I get there."

"Roger that. See you soon, Fury."

When Alex hung up, Sam moved in. "What'd he say?"

"They were already on the move when they got the call" Alex explained. "But everyone's safe, and they're on their way back."

Sam was visibly relieved. Alex, on the other hand, was still worried. She wouldn't stop worrying until they returned and she saw Bucky and the others were safe.

She got her wish 45 minutes later.

Almost a full day after Alex watched the Quinjet take off, she stood in the hangar once more, watching as the aircraft rolled off the runway and came to a stop inside the hangar. When they killed the power and the wind from the engines died, Alex approached. Adrenaline flooded her system as her anxiety peaked, waiting for the aircraft's hatch to slowly open. When it did, a piercing, unearthly scream came from inside. Alex looked at Sam, who had now joined her side.

"They brought one of those things back!?" he exclaimed.

Once more, the shrill scream of the creature echoed beyond the body of the aircraft, filling the space around them with the gruesome sound. Employees within the hangar turned their gazes towards the Quinjet in alarm. Alex saw them staring, their expressions laced with frightened curiosity. She stood there in her own bubble of disbelief, amazed that they were able to get Fury's call, get the hell out of there, and bring one of the hybrids back. The power of the Avengers, she thought with some pride.

As the platform reached the ground, Alex moved closer so she could see up into the hatch. What she saw caught her breath.

Bucky stood between Steve and Tony, practically hanging on to them for support. He was bruised and battered, and was bleeding from his lower abdomen. Alex could see a ghastly dark blood splotch that had stained his leather, which still oozed despite the efforts of Steve to hold a large piece of gauze over it. His bottom lip was split at one corner, and the sleeve of Kevlar that should have covered his right arm was completely torn off, with nothing left but the frayed ends.

Paralyzing fear clutched at Alex, but she forced her fear-stricken body to go to him. "James!?"

When Bucky heard her voice, his eyes drifted weakly upward. "Alexis?" He saw her, but he was too weak to hold his head up. It lolled between the supporting arms of Steve and Tony as they brought him down the length of the platform. As Alex neared, Bucky heard her ragged breaths, but it was hard to focus. He thought maybe she touched or held his face, but he was fading in and out of consciousness.

"James..." Alex cradled his face ever so gently, feeling his pain as though it were her own. She didn't know where to look first. His hair hung limp over his dirty face. A trail of dark blood trickled from the wound on his lip, but the wound on his waist caused the air to suspend in Alex's lungs.

"It looks bad, but he'll be okay" Steve told her, recognizing the horror in her eyes.

"What happened?" Her voice was shaky and weak. She glanced between Tony, who was still half dressed in his Iron Man suit, and Steve, who wore everything but his shield.

"He took a claw to the abdomen. We got out of there just in time."

A claw.

Grief threatened to steal the last of Alex's reserve. The sight of Bucky, the blood, the lifeless way his eyes tried to focus on her. "I'm so sorry..." she told him, moving a piece of his blood stained hair from his face. Bucky's eyes tried to find her again, but he winced and dropped his head.

Sam reached the group. His eyes lowered to Bucky before shifting to Steve and Tony. "What can I do to help?"

Tony's mouth was a tight line. "We gotta get him to the medic wing." He kept his voice soft with compassion, knowing the hurt that Alex felt in that moment. "Nat's hurt as well. We need to get them both there before they lose anymore blood."

Alex heard this and looked back at the ship. She saw Bruce supporting Natasha as they came down the hatch. Nat's suit was torn in several locations, but the gash on her arm had almost bled entirely through the gauze they wrapped it with. She had the same dazed look in her eyes that Bucky did. Sam hurried over, taking the other side of Nat to help support her as he and Bruce walked.

"I was too late" Alex said weakly. She found Steve's solemn gaze.

"You helped us out of there" he told her, his voice quiet but firm. "The alert came just in time. We would have been outnumbered if we hadn't turned back to the ship. Without the warning, who knows if we would have even made it back."

Tony engaged a part of his suit that lifted Bucky a little further. "We gotta go, Cap."

Steve reached out and clasped Alex's shoulder with a gloved hand. "He's going to be okay."

Alex could see the sympathy in Steve's eyes. She knew she could trust him, so she gave a tense nod.

Steve regained his hold on Bucky. "Meet us over at the medic wing when Fury gets here. We should have him taken care of by then."

Alex watched as they helped carry Bucky away, concern still heavy in her bones. His walk was plagued by a heavy limp, even as Steve's hand went back to holding the blood-soaked gauze at his waist. Seeing him like that, in that much pain, made Alex feel like an invisible hand was slowly clenching her stomach. He body felt frozen and yet, all she wanted to do was run. She wanted to go with Bucky to the medic wing to be by his side, but she was being pulled in too many directions.

And that awful, unearthly scream coming from the Quinjet.

She winced when the creature inside howled again, a shiver snaking down her spine. Who was supposed to take care of the thing, if everyone was heading to the medic wing and she was supposed to wait for Fury?

Alex turned and stared at the opened Quinjet hatch. She didn't want to go on board and see that thing, but she was the only one there with any idea as to what they were or what they were capable of doing. If nothing else, she would stand guard at the platform to prevent anyone associated with Matheson's camp who might try and release the thing. As if on cue, the monster's wail pierced the air in the hangar.

Alex looked back at the still-open hangar door.

Come on, Fury. We need you.

Pain radiated through Bucky's body as they laid him down onto one of the medical cots. He fought against the pain, trying to keep a neutral face despite the tearing sensation coming from his waist. A doctor began to undress him, starting first at his midsection where the worst of his wounds were. Trying not to look at the damage, Bucky turned his gaze upward at the ceiling only to wince in pain from the brightness of the fluorescent lights. It made the pounding in his skull even worse. He swallowed thickly, his tongue like sandpaper as he tasted both blood and dirt.

He fought against another wave of pain, shutting his eyes altogether as the doctor removed his various layers. Steve was there somewhere. He could hear him talking to the nurses or doctors or whoever was in the room with them. Bucky kept his eyes shut, focusing on anything besides the heat coming from the wound at his side.

"Your compression layer is clotted against your wound, Mr. Barnes" said the doctor. "This may hurt."

Bucky already knew what to expect. He clenched his jaw in anticipation, feeling the doctor peel away the layer stuck to his wound. A moan surfaced in his throat, but he pushed it back down. Again, the lightheadedness came. The doctor pulled more, and Bucky almost gave in to the inviting pull of unconsciousness.

"Well done, Mr. Barnes."

Bucky exhaled, feeling a little of the dizziness recede. Next to him, he felt someone move his arm. With hazy eyes, he turned his head to see a nurse prepping his arm for an IV.

Where is Alexis, he wondered, feeling the pinprick of a needle being inserted. I saw her. Is she here?

Something warm entered his body and suddenly, his pain began to subside. His mind felt loose now, his thoughts scattering. The morphine was beginning to take hold.

I need her. When Bucky tried to open his eyelids, they felt like they were made of concrete. "Steve? I need..." He felt so tired all of a sudden.

There was the sound of boots shuffling nearby. "What do you need, Buck?"

Bucky breathing slowed. Every word was an effort to form. "I need Alexis..."

"She'll be here soon."

He responded by saying good, but he wasn't even sure he said it. Someone began to work on his abdomen, but he could hardly feel it. Without another thought, Bucky let the morphine send him into a numbed sleep.

Nick Fury and his entourage arrived shortly thereafter. Several armed agents stepped off the private jet, securing a path for Fury as he stepped down the jet bridge onto the tarmac. He was dressed in all black, wearing a woolen trench coat that fluttered about his ankles as he walked. Alex was there to meet him just inside the hangar, keeping one eye on the Quinjet and the cargo inside.

Because Fury had gloves on, they were able to shake hands when they met.

"How's the situation here?" he asked Alex, his one visible eye lifting towards the open platform.

"Stable at best" Alex replied. "Creature is still in the crate inside the Quinjet. Bucky and Natasha are in the medical wing. And I've just been here, waiting for you."

Fury smiled tightly. "Sorry to keep you waiting." He tipped his chin in the direction of the aircraft and the open platform. "So you're telling me they were able to bring one back - even with the trouble they had?"

Alex looked as surprised as he sounded. "I have no idea how, but it seems so. Everyone hurried to the medics so I never did get the full story." She thought of Steve and what he told her about Bucky. He took a claw to the abdomen. Whatever the rest of the story was, Alex wasn't entirely sure she wanted to hear it.

"Have you inspected the hybrid?"

"Not yet."

Fury waved for the men behind him to follow. "Let's go."

Together, Alex and Fury lead the way up the platform and into the aircraft. It was the first time Alex actually got to see the containment crate up close, but what she saw inside was even more surprising. The hybrid-creature was exactly what she remembered from Thimphu, but the crate cast a blue shadow over its red and white marbled exterior. It was suspended in mid-air, as if caught in a running pose, but its head could articulate enough for it to screech.

And it did just that as Fury took a step towards it. From such close proximity, Alex had to cover her ears as the thing screamed. Behind her, Fury's armed agents cocked their weapons in response.

Fury gave them a tired look and motioned for them to lower their guns. "Your weapons won't do anything anyways, so you might as well keep them down." He lowered into a crouched position, coming eye-level with the creature. "So this is what all the fuss has been about."

Alex's lip had subconsciously curled. "Beautiful, aren't they? Hydra really knows how to make 'em special."

"At least we know the crate works." Fury stood and looked at Alex. "Did Stark head to the medical wing?" When she nodded, he turned and stared at the motionless creature. "We gotta get this contained somewhere private before anyone else from Hydra - secret agent or not - gets their hands on it. It can't come to D.C. anymore, not with the knowledge you uncovered."

"What do you suppose we do, then?" Alex asked.

Fury looked at his men, then at the crate. "I'll have a few of them stand guard until we can get Stark up here. He's apparently been working on something behind the scenes...an injection or something...Might help us mitigate things before anyone else can access it." He motioned for a few of the men to stand guard, then started down the platform.

Alex trotted after him. "Fury, we need to talk in private for a moment, if we can."

"Make it quick, Markos - we got a lot of boxes to check around here before I can relax."

She placed a hand on his arm and turned him so he was facing her. Fury looked down at her in surprise. "How many others could be involved with this? And how many know about the second development facility?" she asked him. "Because even though the mission crew was able to bring one of these things back, there are still two full facilities making them as we speak. And now that they know that we know, they'll increase production. We don't have time to study them or-"

"-Markos, you have got to slow down" Fury told her gently. "I've got a team in D.C. working on this very thing."

Alex clenched her fists at her side. She didn't care about a team in D.C. working on this. Hydra bred the creatures to withstand whatever the team in D.C. probably had up their sleeve to try and kill them. They needed to act, and they needed to act now...and she couldn't think of a team other than the Avengers who could do the job as effectively or as efficiently. Whether that meant calling Thor, or...

Alex's brain slowed as a thought came to mind.

Fury must have seen a change in her, because he cocked his head. "What is it, Markos?"

Her heart began to race as she felt her powers humming to life. "Fury - has anyone contacted Thor?"

"It was the first call I made." When he said this, his expression turned to one riddled with regret. "Seems as though Thor's got issues of his own, and won't be able-"

"-Then I'll do it." Without even thinking, Alex lifted her chin and stared Fury in the eye. "I'll do the transfer you wanted me to do in the first place, and we'll get this done."

Fury paused, his mouth ajar. "How in the hell did you find out about that? You weren't supposed-"

Alex put a hand up. "None of it matters. I know, and it doesn't change anything. I'll take the risk if it means..." She thought of Bucky. She thought of the blood on his torso, the cut on his lip, the bloodied bandage on Nat's arm. "...if it means saving more people from risking their lives to stop these things."

"Absolutely not" Fury answered. "I can't allow you to do that."

"Why not?!"

"Because I spent two damn weeks arguing with everyone I know to get documents signed in order to prevent this very thing from happening!"

Alex folded her arms over her chest. "You're really going to let a stack of papers stop you?" She shook her head and laughed. "I thought more of you, Fury." She pushed past him and headed for the exit.

"Where the hell are you going?" he called after her.

"To the medic wing to see my injured boyfriend!" Alex yelled back.

Fury watched as she flung open the doors, the metal slamming against the wall from the force. He sighed heavily, turning back to the Quinjet as yet another piercing screech resounded from it.

He put his hands on his hips and thought about what Markos said. He thought about the fiery way she handled herself and the conviction with which she spoke. It was as if he was watching her all over again as he had those three months of following her, watching her take matters into her own hands and succeeding. It seemed to him that she hadn't changed one bit since the day he first saw her. He was grateful for this. All the same reasons he believed in Alexis Markos then were reasons he believed in her now.

Another screech echoed off the walls.

Knowing what had to be done but not looking forward to it whatsoever, Fury began a slow, limping jog towards the exit. "Goddammit, how do I end up in these messes!?" he uttered, hurrying as fast as he could to the medical wing.

Alex stood outside Bucky's medic room, staring through the glass at his sleeping form on the bed. He was shirtless now, and the scary looking wound had been stitched and covered in clean bandages. His face was cleaned up, but the cut on the corner of his lip still looked angry and swollen.

That was her Bucky in there.
Her Sergeant James Barnes.
And those fucking creatures hurt him.

Alex looked on as her anger grew. A nurse worked to change one of Bucky's IV bags, then began checking his vitals. All the while, he lay there peacefully; the IV of morphine doing its job to keep him pain free and asleep. As the nurse finished, she exited into the hallway where Alex stood.

"You may visit him now," she said politely. "You won't wake him, so spend as much time as you'd like."

Alex gave a nod of appreciation. She waited until she was alone again before letting herself in, greeted by the usual sounds of a hospital room. She gazed at Bucky sadly; wishing he was awake so they could talk. She wanted to tell him she loved him. She wanted to tell him she was sorry she hadn't acted sooner. And she wanted to tell him she planned to avenge him.

Going to his side, Alex very gently curled her hand around his. "Hey, soldier." Her mouth twitched into a pained smile. "I hope whatever creature did this to you ate a fist full of metal afterwards." She half expected his dimples to appear as he responded, but his face remained still.

Inside her chest, Alex felt her powers rise. She closed her eyes and focused on drawing them forth through her hand and into Bucky's. A tendril of white light caressed his hand as her spirit mixed with his. If he wasn't listening, maybe he could feel her instead. She wanted him to know she'd come to see him; to be by his side as he had been by hers many times before. Their bond was so unique, she wondered if maybe words weren't even necessary. Just a little of her power and all of her love.

When Alex let go of that energy, she felt it recoil back inside that strange well within her, though the sensation didn't totally die. It continued thrumming as it had all day, low but ever present. She stared down at Bucky's hand in hers; so much larger than her own and riddled with bright red cuts.

He fought it with both hands. Alex smiled. Of course he did.

Beyond the glass window, Fury appeared. When their eyes met, he gave her a sign that he'd be waiting down the hall.

Realizing her time was up, Alex let go of Bucky's hand. It wasn't enough time, but she was thankful for the few moments she'd gotten to spend with him.

Leaning over, Alex placed a single kiss to his forehead. "I have a plan to end this" she told him, her voice as quiet as a ghost. "They made their last mistake when they hurt you."

As carefully as she could, Alex lifted off the chain with Bucky's dog tags and placed it around his neck. If she was dead set on doing what she planned on doing, then the tags were better left with him.

She let her fingers play through the ends of Bucky's hair, admiring his rugged handsomeness. "Get some rest, Sergeant."

She had to force herself to pull away; her fingers trailing down the muscle of his arm as she left him. As quietly as she had entered, Alex exited the room.

Fury was down the hall waiting for her. He stood up from one of the waiting chairs as Alex approached. "How is he?"

Alex met him in the middle of the barren hallway. "He's good. Stable. Cleaned up now, which makes everything I saw earlier a little easier to handle." She wondered why Fury was there, especially with the changes she sensed in him. The frantic aura he had in the hangar was now totally absent, replaced by a single, lingering question in his gaze.

"You really want to do this, Markos?"

"Yes."

"You understand the inherent risks that come with what you want to do?"

She nodded. "I do."

"Then I'll support you." He stood to his full height. "Tell me what you need."

Alex heard this and felt her powers explode inside her. A bloom of energy shot out of her chest into her arms and legs, making her hands and feet tingle. Every part of her skin came alive, and the thrumming turned into the melody she'd listened to her entire life.

She looked at Fury with confidence burning in her eyes. "I'm gonna need a team, a ride, and a whole lot of ammo."