A/N* Who else loves the new cover? It's great and so is Falcon and the Winter Soldier! I'm excited to see where it goes.
"An empire toppled by its enemies can rise again...But one that crumbles from within? That's dead. Forever."
Aubrey backed up a step as Tony and Cap came forward. Bucky hovered beside her, his face flashing as the screen changed again. It showed an empty road but Tony's face contorted
"I know that road...What is this?" He looked up, but the man stayed silent. A video started playing, Aubrey made herself watch, hoping...praying that it wasn't what she thought it was. A car slammed into a tree as a masked assassin dismounted a motorcycle and killed the car's occupants before shooting the camera. Tony's gaze snapped up and he started walking towards Bucky. Aubrey stepped in front of her friend, a steeled look in her eyes. Bucky stared at the floor, and she knew he felt guilt-ridden and ashamed.
"No, Tony" Cap grabbed his arm and he stopped, a shocked look still on his face, tears welling up in his eyes.
"Did… did you know?"
"I...I didn't know it was him"
"Don't crap me, Rogers. Did you know?" his voice lowered with every word and Aubrey heard the agony in his voice.
Cap searched Tony's eyes before he whispered "Yes"
Tony stepped back, gulping as he processed the information. In a swift movement, his suit activated and he shot Cap to the ground. Bucky's gun raised and he shot but Tony reflected it back at him. Catching his metal arm when he tried to throw a punch. Aubrey rapid-fired arrows and they chipped away pieces of the armor. But suddenly, turning to Aubrey, Tony's arm shot out and something ejected from it. The drone-like thing split into two, she tried to dodge but they followed her movements. They attached themselves onto her wrists and Aubrey fought the little drones. But her jets were not enough. The drones slammed her into a cement wall and Aubrey felt them dig into it. Pulling against them, she realized that Tony was trying to keep her out of it.
Her mind echoed a thought Why?
But she pushed it away, her wings forming and jets pulsing as she tried to slip out of the shackles. Tony had launched at Bucky again, taking him by the neck as his repulsors fired. Tony slammed him onto the ground, metal foot stepping on his mechanical arm. He raised a hand to blast him but Cap's shield hit it at the last moment.
Aubrey hissed, examining the rings of steel that held her captive. They were strong but she knew Bucky would die if she didn't help. An explosion sounded above her and the chambers came crashing down, bringing chunks of cement and metal with them. She was trapped. The metal bars and shattered glass came down in front of her. Aubrey pulled up, trying to pop her fingers out of joint so her hand would be easier to pull out.
"Get out of here!" she heard Cap yell at Bucky. He darted through the wreckage towards an adjoining chamber with a large door in the roof. Sucking in a breath, Aubrey gripped the handcuffs best she could and pushed against them. The metal bent slightly beneath her strong grasp and she summoned every Nano in her body to them. They streamed from the pores of her skin, covering the shackles. The shackles groaned beneath the weight of the technology and she felt the metal move just enough to slip a hand out. A crash sounded to her right just as she pulled free. Captain America stood in front of the now-blocked doorway, a determined look on his face. Her wrists were red, slits lining them but Aubrey bolted over, bow forming. He spared her a glance before ramming into the rocks, shield first. They groaned but didn't move. Aubrey called forth her wings, the jets powered as she leaned against the rocks. Creaking, the boulders slowly started to roll and Cap helped, his indestructible shield slamming them aside. The two slid through the opening. They stood on a cement ledge, the room going both up and down with metal grate ledges.
Aubrey immediately blasted up to where Bucky lay, Tony's repulsors fired and she frantically landed in front of Bucky. Bow reformed into a shield, they grew hot and she felt her hands blister, but didn't waver as the blast bounced off of the Nano's, hitting Ironman's suit.
As they retracted, Aubrey held out a hand and helped Bucky to his feet, panting
"He's not gonna stop, go Buck.-" she met his eyes, saying in a softer voice "we'll be okay. Go"
He nodded before turning and jumping up to the next ledge, making his way to the top. Cap had taken on Tony, using his shield to deflect blasts and throwing his own when he could. But when Ironman caught a glimpse of Bucky fleeing, he launched into the air. Jumping off the metal grate, Cap used a mini-grappling hook, it wrapped around the metal suit, pulling Tony down.
They hit a cement lip with a loud thud, she crouched at the edge of her ledge, waiting to see what his next move would be. Tony's arm raised as he aimed a missile, Cap tried to throw his shield but it was easily knocked away. Aubrey stepped off the edge, weaving in front of Tony's viewpoint to mess up his aim. As much as she wished she could, there was no stopping a missile and she knew better than to try and go at him. But instead of aiming for Bucky, Tony shot at the mechanism that was opening the large helicopter door at the top of the room. Bucky was on the ladder up and had no choice but to let go as the explosion happened. He landed on one of the grated sides and Tony shot towards him. Bucky was ready though, swinging a metal pipe and throwing Ironman to the side. But he didn't react quickly enough and was put in a headlock. Aubrey flew towards them, hearing Tony growl
"Do you even remember them?"
"I remember all of them" Came Bucky's broken reply before he was dragged back and off the grate. Aubrey slammed into Ironman's side, pushing him into the walls. They dented beneath her power but Tony's arm came up, punching her jaw. He discharged a repulsor blast at her stomach, it throbbed and before she could do anything, the lip of concrete underneath gave way as they started to fall. Part of her wings had dismantled, trying to stop the bleeding from the reopened wound on the side of her face. Aubrey free-fell, willing the wings to reform but her head clipped a grate, giving her a whiplash-like effect. A whimper of pain made its way out of her mouth as she felt something in her skull give way. Trying to suck in a gasp, her wings formed but Aubrey's body slammed into another grate, face first. Something knocked loose in her mouth as Aubrey wheezed for breath before spitting a canine tooth through the grating. Blood dribbled from her mouth as she spit it out, head pounding uncontrollably. Carefully, her hands palpated where her head had hit, but froze when a sticky substance covered them. Blood. It seeped steadily from the crack and Aubrey was suddenly overwhelmed with the want to lay down and fall asleep.
"No" she whispered. "No...I will not fall asleep." it was a command that was followed by the summoning of Nanos to the gash. The agony was dizzying and she collapsed against a wall, waiting for the world to stop spinning. Not too far below her, sounds echoed up the long tube-shaped room but she was paralyzed by pain. Torn between wanting to help and needing to stop. Exhaustion sunk into her bones as Aubrey puffed a breath out of her lips, a drip of the red liquid dribbling down her chin. Every movement became a task. Sliding to the edge of the grate and peering down, the floor was not too far. Yet it seemed to move closer, and further the longer she stared at it.
"Ok Nano's, keep me alive." Pushing off, Aubrey trusted that her instincts would protect her. The Nanotech wings flared, gliding her to the ground, she landed roughly and was met with a horrifying sight.
Cap lay on the floor and Bucky had Ironman pinned against a wall, his metal arm starting to pull the arc reactor out of his chest. She staggered back against the wall, coughing as the reactor started sparking. All of a sudden, it flashed, sending a beam of energy and throwing Bucky to the ground. His metal arm….gone. Wires only remained. Tony shot him with his remaining repulsor. Cap launched forward, his shield meeting Tony's energy beam. Somehow, he pushed Ironman against the wall, delivering hard blows with the vibranium shield. Aubrey wanted to fight, but couldn't bear to push herself off of the wall quite yet. Her mind had become fuzzy and ears rang as Tony caught Cap's shield. It was thrown to the side and he was shoved back, Ironman throwing punches and landing them with ease. A beam caught Captain America in the stomach and he fell to his knees, looking up at Tony, panting
"He's my friend."
"So was I." Ironman lurched at Cap, hitting him twice on the jaw. Aubrey gulped down a mouthful of blood before striding crookedly in front of Tony. Her arm came up, catching the next punch aimed at Cap. Aubrey hissed
"Stop, before you kill us all. He has to live with the guilt for the rest of his life. Isn't that enough?"
"I don't care. He killed my mom" Tony's arm shot out and he punched her side, throwing Aubrey back against the giant cement vent-like pillars. She gulped another breath, forcing her lungs to move before trying to lean herself against the pillar.
"Stay down Cap, final warning" he turned back to the man on the ground.
Captain America slowly got back to his feet, and at that moment, Aubrey saw how much he loved Bucky. How devoted he was to the friend that had been stolen from him for so many years.
"I could do this all day" he breathed, swaying on his feet. Aubrey wished she could do the same but the world started to spin and nausea rolled across her in waves. Tony raised his arm but Bucky turned and grabbed his leg, distracting him. He kicked Bucky hard in the jaw, giving Cap enough time to pick Tony up and throw him onto the ground. Jumping on top of him and throwing one punch after another before grabbing his shield and jabbing it at Ironman's helmet. It cracked before splintering off and Cap raised it once more, Aubrey's mouth opened to stop him but then realized that Tony's face was not where the shield was headed. He wouldn't kill him.
The shield came down into the arc reactor and Tony gasped, his eyes widening.
Cap leaned on the shield, panting heavily before falling off of Ironman and onto the cold ground. Aubrey leaned stiffly against the pillar as she and Cap both pushed to their feet. Yanking the shield out and attaching it back onto his arm as she hobbled over to Bucky, her hand out. His remaining arm found hers, both of their faces sticky with blood. Hauling him to his feet, Bucky's flesh arm wrapped around her shoulders for support. Cap came over, taking the side with the remnants of the metal arm.
"That shield doesn't belong to you" Tony growled, he'd turned to his side, pain written across his features. "You don't deserve it...My father made that shield!"
They slowed and Aubrey blinked as the shield hit the ground, the noise resounding in her ears. With that, the three limped out from beneath the compound, towards the Quinjet. She counted the steps, willing her mind to stay awake for that much longer. Somehow she made it, waiting until Bucky sunk into a chair before collapsing on one herself.
Aubrey's mind let go, hazy with pain.
And she slept.
She faded in and out of consciousness, aware but not. During her unconsciousness, the Quinjet had traveled but now it was landing. Aubrey felt as though her body was not her own, her hold on the Nano's had relinquished and she felt when someone moved her to a bed. Words like concussion, skull fracture, and blood loss were tossed around. Something needle-like poked her elbow, but the sting was lost in the waves of throbbing pain.
Everything darkened again and she welcomed the reprieve from the nightmare.
"Adler!" a harsh voice snaps. "Mission report"
"Mission successful targets eliminated and information required. Bodies disposed of" Her words were slurred, emotionless.
"Gut. Folgen" [Good, Follow] he led her to the room with the chair. Eagle eased into it, something in the fog rising up. She suddenly didn't want to follow the orders. But it was too late. Technicians came in, the bit slid between her teeth. Whirring metal plates, zipping with electricity, touched onto her head. The Eagle cried out in pain as the fog in her mind thickened, erasing any memory of the crimes she had committed, leaving nothing but blank guilt, and permanent pain.
Aubrey's eyes flew open as she bolted upright, coughing. The quick movement sent shockwaves up her limbs and to her head, causing everything to blur and throb. A warm hand pushed her back onto the bed and she obeyed. The pain lessening when something cold started coming through an I.V. Aubrey slowly took in the room, gulping breaths of air, trying to remember where she was. Floor-to-ceiling windows covered two of the walls, but they were darkened and she couldn't see out of them. Various other furnishings dotted the room, along with medical supplies. A head came into view, fiery red hair catching her attention. Aubrey's mind vaguely recognized the person but it was too tired to remember who she was. The red-haired woman turned out of sight, footsteps soft before returning, this time with another. Wetting her chapped lips, Aubrey sucked in a shallow breath before asking, voice cracking from disuse
"Where….where am I?...I-" pausing, to clear her throat "-I can't remember"
"That is to be expected. Welcome, Aubrey, to Wakanda" The new girl said, her voice accented and a smile on her face.