Chapter 20
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AN: Thank you to all who have added to alerts, read, reviewed or any combination of the three. It means a lot to me.
AN2: THANK YOU for those of you who are sticking by me. Personally I really loved writing this and the next chapter and there is a line in this one which I think is my favourite line I've ever written. Try and guess what line it is in your review.
"Why? How? What do you know?" Tripp asks, barely processing what Skye is saying but knowing that they have to stop it.
"In two and a half hours several Hydra teams under orders from Grace Pierce will blow up ever Federal Agency Base in New York as well as several polices bases, and because of planted evidence it will be blamed on us." Skye reveals, "We have ninety minutes to stop them before they can leave their base, after that it will be pretty much impossible to do so." Skye explains.
"Do you know where their base is?" Bucky asks and Skye nods.
"Ninety minutes, that's not enough time for everyone else to get back." Tripp realises.
"I know." Skye says jumping down from the table, "We've got to do this, we're the only ones who can." She tells them.
"How many Hydra agents?" Bucky asks
"Twenty." Skye asks.
"Twenty against five, I've faced worse odds, but it won't be easy." Bucky reveals.
"Three." Skye and Tripp say together.
"Huh?" Bucky asks confused.
"Jem and Fitzy aren't trained for combat." Skye explains, "Plus we need them here to contact the others and as medical support, they are not coming with us." Skye reveals, "It's going to have to be just the three of us, we've got no back up or support." Skye explains.
"That's doesn't matter." Tripp says, "What does matter is that we've got to do this, we can't let Hydra kill all those people and we definitely can't let them blame it on us." Tripp says and Bucky nods.
"Get tactical gear on and meet in the armoury in five minutes." Skye says and Tripp and Bucky nods and the three go their separate ways, "Jarvis tell Jem and Fitz to get to the armoury." Skye requests.
"Yes Ma'am." Jarvis responds as Skye runs to her room.
Five minutes later Skye arrives at the armoury still putting her hair up in a ponytail as she does.
"I thought you said tactical gear." Tripp comments as he notices what Skye is wearing which doesn't look like good tactical gear compared to Bucky's Winter Solider armour without the mask and goggles, and even the jeans, shirt, bullet proof vest and jacket that he is wearing, as even though he would admit that it isn't the best tactical gear it definitely seems better than Skye's because he has a vest on.
"This is my tactical gear." Skye comments, "Uncle Tony made it for me, it's basically bullet proof." Skye explains.
"Handy." Bucky says.
"Skye, what's going on?" Simmons asks, fear clear as Skye opens the armoury.
"We have eighty five minutes to stop twenty Hydra agents from leaving their warehouse twenty minutes from here otherwise they will blow up Federal Agency bases and police stations in New York, killing and injuring thousands, and we will be blamed." Skye explains.
"What do you need us to do?" Fitz asks.
"Stay here." Skye tells her siblings, "Call the others. They won't be able to get here in time to help but they are going to have to deal with the aftermath." Skye explains.
"And have medical ready." Bucky adds, "We could need it."
"In that case you're going to want this." Fitz says going into the armoury and pulling out a large gun that none of them have seen before.
"What is it?" Tripp asks.
"Tony and I made it." Fitz explains, "It's an ICER that is faster, stronger, more accurate and can fire and hold more rounds than any others we've made." Fitz explains.
"Nice, Bucky I think that's calling your name." Tripp comments and Bucky nods and collects the gun and extra cartridges from Fitz.
"Skye we should come with you, wait in the car, you could need on-sight medical attention." Simmons comments as Bucky gets familiar with the gun.
"No, you can do more here." Skye says, "Which reminds me, here." Skye says handing both Tripp and Bucky an ear piece.
"What is it?" Bucky asks confused.
"A way for us to communicate. They are connected to each other and if we are within a one kilometre radius of the tower Jarvis will pick it up and be able to play it to Jem and Fitz." Skye explains, "Put it in your ear and you just say our names and we can hear you." Skye explains and Bucky nods and he puts the device in.
"Here." Tripp says handing Skye an ICER.
"No, I don't like using guns unless I have to." Skye tells him as she opens the case to her bow, "I have my power and my bow, I'll be okay." Skye says.
"Are you sure?" Tripp asks.
"Yeah." Skye says as she grabs as many arrows as she can fit in her quiver, holds them in her hands and puts a bit of her power into every one of them.
"What did you just do?" Bucky asks.
"Put a bit of my power into them, they will now stun on impact." Skye explains, "Ready?" Skye asks as she picks up her quiver and bow.
"Ready." Bucky and Tripp say as they secure the last of their weapons.
"Jemma, Leo you should be armed. If there is a large Hydra faction In New York then the next place they come could be here." Bucky advices.
"Good thinking." Skye says as Fitz and Simmons each grab and ICER and everyone heads down to the garage.
"Put the tower on lockdown." Skye says as they arrive in the garage, "Let no one in." Skye tells them and Fitz and Simmons nod.
"Be careful, all of you." Jemma says.
"We'll do our best." Tripp responds.
"We need to go, time's not on our side." Bucky says and Skye nods and she walks over to where the keys are kept and grabs the keys to Tony's jeep.
"See you later." Skye says to Fitz and Simmons, leaving the 'I hope' of even though it is what all three of them are thinking.
"See you." Fitz says and he and Simmons hug Skye then surprise both Tripp and Bucky by hugging them as well.
"Time to go." Skye says hoping in the driver's seat as Bucky hops in the passenger seat and Tripp hops in the back and with one last look at Fitz and Simmons, both of whom are holding an ICER Skye speeds out of the garage.
"Jarvis, lock down the Tower." Simmons requests once the jeep has left the garage.
"Locking down the tower." Jarvis responds.
"Now for the hard question, who do we call?" Fitz asks pulling out his phone.
"Coulson?" Simmons asks.
"His Daughter." Fitz says shaking his head, "Agent Hill?" he asks.
"Her Boyfriend." Simmons points out, "Steve?" she asks.
"His best friend." Fitz points out.
"Then who do we….?" Simmons begins to ask but almost in unison the answer comes to both of them, "Tony." They say together and Fitz dies the number and puts it on speaker.
As the phone rings both Fitz and Simmons are worried that he isn't going to answer until finally, "This better be important." Tony's voice answers, clearly annoyed.
"Skye, Tripp and Bucky are on their way to a warehouse where there is a team of twenty Hydra agents, who if they don't stop in the next eighty minutes will kill and injure thousands of people." Jemma explains quickly.
"That would qualify." Tony's voice says in complete shock, "Tell me everything." He requests and that's what Jemma and Fitz explain everything they know.
"Keep me up to date, we'll be there as soon as we can." Tony says before hanging up, once Fitz and Simmons have told him everything that they know.
It has been over ten minutes since they left the Tower and ever since then Bucky and Tripp have been questioning Skye about what Intel she has.
"Are they agents in one place or spread out?" Tripp asks.
"Spread out." Skye answers.
"Entrances?" Bucky asks
"Font, back and Roof." Skye answers.
"Okay, I'll take the roof, Tripp you take the front, Skye the back." Bucky instructs as it makes the best sense tactically.
"Any chance you can use the powers of yours to tell us how this is going to end?" Tripp asks curious.
"Sorry, too many variables, I've tried." Skye answers.
"We just focus on the mission and why we are doing it, what we want to achieve." Bucky tells the other too, "Believe in your skill and believe in your team, and that's how you get through this."
"So we're a team now, huh?" Skye asks with a smile.
"Doing this, I think we have to be." Tripp comments.
"Well apart from being us we do have one advantage over Hydra." Skye comments.
"What's that?" Bucky asks curious.
"They don't know we are coming." Skye answers.
"Let's hope you're right about that." Tripp says.
"You know I know she was getting desperate but this is beyond what I thought she would do." Skye comments.
"What do you mean?" Bucky asks curious.
"Grace isn't doing this, she didn't order this to case panic or to put a dent in the words intelligence force, she did this so that someone else would have to deal with us because she knows that can't beat us, but she needs us out of the way." Skye explains.
"What do you mean?" Bucky asks.
"After the Triskelion Hydra's numbers are low, and she knows that her biggest threat are us, and she knows that with her numbers that she can't beat us not when we have; Two super soldiers, one former solider, a Hulk, an Iron Man, Three master assassins, four highly skilled former agents, me and God and Iron Patriot on speed dial, there is no way. So instead she is doing this so that other people, the Government itself gets us out of her way." Skye explains.
"Well I guess we're going to make that backfire." Tripp comments.
"Yeah were are." Skye says she pulls the car into what looks like an empty lot.
"The warehouse is just over there." Skye says pointing to it, "We each get into position, check in and then on my mark we go in." Skye says and Bucky and Tripp nod, "Guess I'll see you when this is done."
"Yeah, you will." Tripp says stressing the will. Skye and Bucky give each other each a half smile before exiting the car.
"Guys, wait." Skye says and Bucky Tripp turn back to her. "In case I don't make it back." Skye says hiding the keys behind the passenger side front wheel.
"You better make it back." Tripp tells her.
"You better too." Skye tells him, "And you." Skye says to Bucky who just nods and the three of them head off to their different entry points.
After getting off the phone with Fitz and Simmons Tony sent a message to everyone saying get to his, Pepper, Steve and Bruce's room as soon as possible, he even included the code word they created to mean this is really an emergency.
"Tony how long?" Steve asks as he, Pepper, Tony and Bruce were together when Tony got the call so they already know what is going on.
"Seventy minutes." Tony answers as Clint and Natasha show up.
"Seventy minutes until what?" Natasha ask curious as she and Clint walk in, the door having been left unlocked so that they could.
"Not until everyone is here." Tony answers.
"Bad?" Clint asks.
"Bad." Tony, Pepper, Steve and Bruce answer.
"What' going on Tony? We were at dinner." Maria says as she Garrett and Sam walk in.
"Not until, Phil, Melinda and Sharon get here." Tony says.
"Sharon? She's coming too?" Natasha asks and Tony nods. They only reason Rhodey wasn't included in the message as well was because he isn't currently in DC, he is on a plane on his way.
Finally two minutes later, Coulson, Melinda and Sharon walk in, all three of them looking annoyed because Tony knows that he interrupted a visit to Peggy.
"I got a call from Fitz and Simmons." Tony says before anyone can ask what is going on, "There is a team of twenty Hydra agents in a warehouse in New York which if Skye, Tripp and Bucky don't stop in the next," Tony says checking his watch, "Sixty Five minutes, will blow up all Federal Agency bases as well as several police stations in New York, and blame it on us." Tony explains.
"The three of them against twenty Hydra agents?" Maria asks and Tony nods.
"We've got to get to New York, now." Melinda says and everyone else nod.
"There is no way for us to get there in sixty five minutes." Clint points out, "I mean a plane will take forty five but not even you can get one ready and get us to it in twenty minutes." Clint says looking at Tony.
"Doesn't matter." Natasha answers, "They need us we have to get there." She says and the others nod.
"Lobby in five minutes." Tony says and everyone else nods and leave the room, worry for Skye, Bucky and Tripp clear in the air.
Four minutes later all twelve of them are in the Lobby of the hotel. They are about to walk out when they suddenly find their path blocked by about at the very least twenty Federal Marshalls.
"Is there a problem?" Maria asks.
"Due to New information the Congress hearing has been moved up, you are all required to come with us right now." The Marshalls who looks like the leader informs the group.
"Are you asking or telling?" Steve asks.
"Telling." The Marshalls answer.
"Doctor Bruce Banner and Sharon Carter wasn't subpoenaed so I assume they can go." Coulson says wanting to get Skye, Tripp and Bucky at least two people who can help.
"No, they are subpoenaed now." One of the Marshalls say handing Bruce and Sharon each a piece of paper, "Please follow us." The Marshall says and as he does it becomes clear to anyone who knows Melinda and Natasha that they are considering the best way to take down all the Marshalls.
"Don't." Steve says in a quiet voice to the pair, "We've got to go with them." He says when he notices several of the Marshalls un hocking the top of their gun holsters clearly waiting for one of them to do something so that they have an excuse to retaliate.
Natasha and Melinda who notice what Steve noticed both nod, "Lead the way." Natasha says making it clear that they are cooperating.
"Follow us." The Marshalls say and the Avengers, former Agents and former solider follow them, not a single one of them happy with what is going on as they want to get back to New York.
It takes Skye about two minutes to get into position, "Tonio? James?" Skye asks.
"I'm in position." Tripp responds and unknown to the other two he is drawing two of his ICERS.
"James?" Skye asks.
"Ready." Bucky responds.
"On my mark, one, two, three." Skye says as she breaks in the door as she already has an arrow ready she fires hitting the first Hydra agent the second she gets him in sight, then she quickly fires at another two knocking them out a hit to the leg with her arrow laced with her power. She is about to get another arrow ready when someone comes out of know where attacking her. Remembering what her Uncle taught her Skye uses her bot to block the attack while using her other hand to use her power to knock the agent out.
Drawing another arrow she makes her way through the first room, keeping an eye out for any Hydra agents as she does, and into a second room where there are two more agents she hits the first with an arrow before he realises that she is there and she fires at the second but the agent manages to hit a button, which Skye doesn't need her powers to tell her is bad, before the arrow hits.
As soon as the person falls Skye runs over to the button and realises her fears are confirms when it's a bomb, "Tonio, James, I've got a live bomb, I need to know how to disarm it." Skye says, fighting the panic when she notices the time on the timer.
"Hydra makes the way to disarm a bomb different every time, there is no one way." Bucky reveals.
"Use your power, figure it out and disarm it." Tripp tells her.
"On it." Skye says and she uses her power to find out exactly how to disarm it and when she finds out the answer she realises only one thing matters, "You need to get out of here, the bomb was made to be the ultimate fail safe, there is no way to disarm it." Skye says as she looks down and notices the fifteen seconds left on the timer.
"We're not leaving you." Bucky tells her.
"I'm going out the back way, it's closer." Skye reveals, "There is ten seconds, RUN!" Skye yells and she just almost reaches the door to the first room she enters when the bomb explodes and she is thrown into the wall.
Not sure how long she has been out for Skye wakes to two voices yelling in her ear, "I'm okay." Skye says with a cough, as the room is filled with smoke and fire, "But I'm not going to be going anywhere." Skye reveals as she looks down and sees a concrete pillar crashing her legs, the only reason why the bones in her legs aren't completely crushed is because her power took it upon itself to put a an force field to protect them but that didn't stop the pillar from pinning her or prevent two fractures in either leg from occurring but considering what her injuries would have been without the force field Skye is incredibly lucky.
"We're coming to you Skye, we'll get you out." Tripp's voice assures her.
"This place will collapse any minute, you need to go." Skye tells them attempting to move slightly but finding it impossible to do so.
"Not without you." Bucky tells her as Tripp comes into view.
"Are you okay?" Skye asks worried.
"A little bruised and battered, but okay." Tripp answers, "Let's get this thing off you." Tripp says and he tries to lift the pillar but it is too heavy for him, "Bucky where are you? I can't lift this thing." Tripp informs him.
"I'll be there in a minute. Just hold on." Bucky requests.
"Bucky will come and he will get this thing off you, you'll be okay." Tripp assures his cousin, as he squats down next to her reaching out and grabbing her hand as he does.
"Tonio, this place is filling with smoke, it's going to collapse, you need to go." Skye tells her Cousin.
"Not without you." Tripp tells her before coughing due to the smoke.
"Tonio…" Skye begins to say again, it clear her breathing is getting shallower, also because of the smoke.
"You're Mom told me to look out for you, that's what I'm doing. I will not leave you, you will get out of here, you got that?" Tripp asks.
"Yeah, I got that." Skye responds as Bucky comes into view, like Tripp and Skye guesses herself Bucky has a few scratches but apart from that he looks fine.
"Let's get this thing off you." Bucky says as he gets in the best position to remove the large pillar.
"STOP." Skye says as Bucky starts to lift it and it's only due to the absolute terror both on her face and in her voice that makes him stop.
"What is it?" Tripp and Bucky ask.
"The other end of it is keeping a hole in a gas line covered." Skye reveals, "Move the pillar anymore and the gas will get out and we will all be dead." Skye explains, "You guys need to go." Skye tells them, as it becomes clear that all three of them are having a slightly harder time breathing.
"STOP SAYING THAT." Both Bucky and Tripp say angry at how willing she seems to be to sacrifice herself.
"We will find a way to get you out." Bucky says, "We will, because I am not going to accept anything else." He reveals, "I am not leaving you." He tells her, "So stop telling me to because I will never listen." Bucky tells her.
"I'm being realistic." Skye tells him, "I can't move unless you move that pillar and if you move that pillar then we will all be dead." Skye tells Bucky.
"You can create force fields can't you?" Tripp asks getting an idea.
"Yeah." Skye answers, "Why?" Skye asks confused as to why he is asking.
"Can't you put a force field around the gas pipe so that the gas can go inside of that insisted of out?" Tripp asks.
"Great idea." Bucky says impressed at Tripp's thinking, "Will it work?" he asks Skye.
"Give me a sec." Skye request, surprised that she didn't think of that, and she uses her power to find out, "A force field will hold the gas for forty five seconds, then fifteen seconds later the whole place will explode, that's how long we have to get a safe distance." Skye reveals.
"That's all I need, Tripp go." Bucky tells him.
"Not, you too." Tripp says annoyed, "I am not leaving either of you here." He says stressing each words.
"I know, I'm not asking you to." Bucky assures him, "I will get Skye out I promise you both that, but I'm faster than you, take the head start and I'll catch up." Bucky tells him.
"He's right, you've got to go. We'll be right behind you." Skye tells him.
"If either of you don't make it out I'll be pissed at you." Tripp says as he picks up Skye's bow that landed right next to her because he knows how much it means to her, "See you soon." Tripp says before leaving the pair.
"On the count of three?" Skye asks.
"Count of three." Bucky says getting back into his position to lift the pillar,
"One, two, three." Skye and Bucky say together and when they say three Bucky lifts the pillar of and Skye puts a force field up around the pipe.
In a matter of seconds Bucky has picked up Skye and is carrying her as he runs full speed out of the warehouse. Even though he is carrying Skye once he catches up with Tripp he picks him up as well and runs out the warehouse carrying both Skye and Tripp because he knows even carrying them he is a lot faster than either of them can hope to be. They are about twenty meters out of the warehouse when the entire thing blows up. Bucky throws, himself, Skye and Tripp forward as it does, doing his best to protect them both.
"Two minutes twenty two seconds until police get here." Skye says before losing consciousness.
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