Chapter 44
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"Of course." Bucky responds, without hesitation, sitting up, now wide awake, "What do you need?" he asks.
"Meet me in the garage in five minutes." Skye requests, "Wear tactical gear and have a weapon." She tells Bucky who nods, "See you down there." Skye says and she leaves the room, leaving Bucky to get ready.
Exactly four and a half minutes after Skye left Bucky's bedroom he arrives in the garage where he finds Skye.
"What's going on?" He asks concerned, "Are you alright?" he asks.
"For now." Skye responds, "Grace and Ward are in New York and they are planning something, something big and bad." Skye reveals.
"Okay. Then why am I the only one up?" Bucky asks.
"Because we can't go in big." Skye reveals, "If we do it will end with bloodshed on our side." she explains.
"So you want to go in by yourself." Bucky realise.
"That was the plan." Skye says and then sighs, "Ward and Grace are at different places, but Grace is waiting for signal from Ward to do something. One of us has to distract and take down Ward so that he can't give Grace the all clear and the other has to take down Grace before she realises something is going on. If we go in more than us there will be death." Skye tells Bucky, "And I can't allow that. I know that I'm asking a lot, and I would get if you said no, but will you help me James?" Skye asks.
"Of course I will." Bucky responds, "Helping you is never a question. I know you Skye, I know that you're going to do whatever it takes to help people and stop Hydra even if that means putting yourself in extreme danger, and I know that no one can stop you." Bucky tells her, "But I also know that I will do whatever I can to help you and be by your side when you are in danger, so that I can do my best to stop you from getting hurt." Bucky tells, "So whenever you need help just ask and I'll help you, always." Bucky requests.
At his words Skye is shocked, as after what she just said both Miles and Ward would have done whatever they can to stop her, even by force if it came down to it, to 'protect' her, and then here is Bucky who won't stop her but instead will follower her into the danger and protect her by being with her, by watching her back. Having no idea what to say Skye just kisses Bucky.
"Thank you." Skye says once they break apart
"You're welcome." Bucky responds, "What's the time frame?" he asks.
"We've got to stop them by two fifteen or all goes to hell." Skye tells him, "And I mean that pretty much literally." She adds.
"You said they're both in New York?" Bucky asks and Skye nods, "Then that's not a problem." He says, "Do you want Ward or Grace?" he asks curious.
"I've got to take Ward." Skye tells Bucky.
"Are you sure, considering everything?" Bucky asks hesitantly.
"Positive." Skye tells him, understanding his hesitant, "Ward will shot you the second he sees you, he will shot anyone no questions asked. I'm the only person he won't. I can get close to him." Skye tells Bucky, "Plus you have a better chance of getting close to Grace," Skye explains, "She wants to kill me and will if she sees me, where you on the other hand she wants to try and pull back into the Hydra fold." Skye explains.
"Where am I going?" Bucky asks curious, knowing that they don't have time to discuss what is going on though the phrase, 'pull back into the Hydra fold' does full him with worry.
"Here." Skye says handing a piece of paper over to Bucky, "The top address is where you are going, the bottom is where I am." Skye tells him, "Memorise and destroy." Skye says and Bucky does just that, "We should come up with a plan just in case things go wrong." Skye tells Bucky.
"The place we had lunch at last Tuesday, let's meet there at exactly three." Bucky tells Skye, "If one of us doesn't show then we wait ten minutes them come after one another." He suggests.
"Good plan." Skye tells him, "This is dangerous James, even with my power I can't tell the outcome when there are a lot of variables." Skye tells him.
"I know that." Bucky tells her, "But from what you have said this needs to be done. It's what we've got to do." He tells her.
"It is." Skye confirms, "We should go." She says.
"Yeah, we should." Bucky responds then realises something, "Where is your bow?" he asks.
"I can't take it with me. If I do Ward will know exactly what I'm going to do." She tells Bucky, "I can't even wear my tac jacket because he knows what it looks like. I've got to settle for the pants, tank and the new black boots Uncle Tony made me before the academy attack and a regular jacket." Skye tells Bucky, "And now we've really got to go." She tells him realising that they are wasting precious time at the moment.
"Be careful." Bucky says giving Skye a kiss on the cheek.
"You too." Skye responds and she walks over to her motorbike while Bucky hops on one of Tony's
After exchange a nod both Skye and Bucky speed out of the tower on motorbikes, both of them knowing that what they are going to do is incredibly dangerous and wondering if they will see each other again.
Twenty minutes after leaving the Tower Skye arrives at the building where she knows Ward is. The building looks to be an office building and she knows that Ward is on the top floor.
"Maybe it would have been a good idea to have an arrow with me." Skye mutters to herself as she uses her power to find a way in, thinking that having an arrow with a grafting hook would be handy right now "Perfect." Skye says to herself, when she knows a way in, and she heads to the side of the building where she picks the lock of the side door and heads into the building, getting to the stairwell without being seen by person or camera. Once she is in the stairwell she heads up to the top floor.
When Skye reaches the landing she uses her powers to find out the best time to go and when she is sure that she isn't going to be seen, by camera's or security, she leaves the stairwell and heads to the office where she knows she will find Ward.
"Long time no see." Skye says walking into the office to find Ward, who is sitting behind a desk on a computer and who looks exactly the same as he did the last time she saw him except now he's seems to be growing a beard.
"Skye, this is a surprise." Ward says standing up and walking several steps closer to her.
"No, it's not." Skye realises, "You were expecting me." She realises.
"Of course. With what we are about to do it would be stupid of me not to expect you." Ward tells Skye.
"Why are you doing this Ward?" Skye asks, wanting to get through to him, "You're going to kill a lot of innocent people, don't you care about that?" Skye asks him, wondering if she is completely wrong about everything she thought about Ward.
"Of course I care." Ward tells her, "But it's what I have to do. I don't have a choice." He tells her.
"Yes, you do." Skye says taking a step towards Ward. "You can say not to Grace. You have free will Grant. You're not being forced into doing anything. You don't have to do whatever it is that she tell you to." She tells him, "I know Grace saved you from your parents, and I know that you feel like you owe her and maybe you do, but you don't owe her this." Skye tells him, "You don't have to do this. Not for her." Skye tells him, "Uncle John loves you like a son and he will help you, you've just got to be willing to accept it, be willing to change." She tells Ward knowing that mentioning Garrett gives her a bigger chance of Ward saying yes to what she is saying as while she doubts a lot of things about Ward she knows that he truly cares about John.
"I can't." Ward tells her, "I'm sorry Skye." He tells her.
"No, you're not." Skye realises.
"I may not be, but you're going to be." Ward tells Skye getting a look on his face which fills Skye with dreed, "Who did you send after Grace? Who did you just send to their death?" he asks.
"What?" Skye asks fighting to keep her voice steady.
"Don't try and act confused." Ward says, "Like I said we knew that you were likely to show up here and we also knew that you would send someone after Grace. The only question was who." Ward tells her, "I'm betting it's not your parents, but it is defiantly someone you care about." He comments, and he looks like he is pondering something, "Probably Clint or Natasha." He guesses, "Oh well." He says with a shrug, "Whoever it is is going to be dead within the hour." Ward says then turns to face Skye, "If they're not already." He tells her and before he can say anymore, which was going to be a speech about why she should join him he finds himself being hit with a beam of stun energy.
Once Ward goes down the only thing Skye cares about is getting to Bucky. She doesn't care about being seen by the cameras or by the security offices, or about the fact that the stun wasn't as strong as she could have made it. All she cares about is getting to Bucky.
Once Skye is outside the building she gets on her bike and before she even has her helmet on properly she speeds to where she knows she will find Bucky.
Fifteen minutes after Skye left the tower she arrives at the place where she knows she will find Bucky. The place is a warehouse and due to the distance from the tower Skye knows that Bucky only got there about ten minutes ago.
Using her powers Skye discovers that the warehouse only has one way in or out, so she goes to the door and opens it slightly, and once she is sure that the cost is clear she enters, but when she hears footsteps and voices she hides behind a pillar and being as careful as possible Skye makes her way across the warehouse and towards the voices, keeping herself hidden by taking cover behind the pillars.
"Are you alone?" Grace's voice asks, "Answer me." She orders
"Sargent James Barnes…." Bucky begins to say but he is cut off by a punch which cause him to moan in pain.
"Guess I'm going to have to teach you a lesson." Grace says and unknown to Skye, who can't see Grace clearly, she pulls a gun and fires a shot into Bucky's leg.
Hearing the shot Skye runs out from behind the pillar and runs towards the gun shot. She gets to Grace just as she fires a second shot at Bucky, this one into his stomach.
"NO." Skye yells as she sends a stun blast at Grace causing her to collapse to the ground, "I've got you." Skye says reaching Bucky and catching him before he can hit the ground.
"Skye." Bucky says his voice sounding worried as he looks at something behind Skye with a panicked look clear.
"What?" Skye asks confused. Her confusion only lasts until she turns to where he is looking and sees about fifteen Hydra agents, all armed. Focusing on the sole thought of keeping Bucky safe Skye throw up her left hand and causes an electric force field, the entire width in the warehouse, to appear. The force field separates Skye and Bucky from the soldiers, protecting them. Skye knows that it's not an overly strong force field but she also knows that because Ward has briefed them on her powers they won't try and get through it.
"Come on, you've got to sit down." Skye says helping Bucky into a supply closet behind them and sitting him down on floor.
"How long with that last?" Bucky asks.
"A while." Skye responds, "But it will fall eventually which means we've got to get out of here." She tells him.
"You need to get out of here." Bucky tells Skye as he lifts his top to see how bad the wound is.
"You mean we do." Skye tells him, "I'm not leaving without you." She tells him.
"You have to." Bucky tells Skye, "There is no way for you to get passed those Hydra agents while helping me." He tells her.
"I'll figure one out." Skye tells him, knowing that she has no other choice, "I got you into this, and I'm so so sorry about that, so I'll get you out." Skye tell him trying to come up with a plan as she helps Bucky get his belt off to put around his leg to stop the bleeding..
"You don't need to apologise. We stopped Ward and Grace, that's worth getting shot over." Bucky tells her, "But I will never forgive myself if you get hurt trying to help me. You need to go. Get yourself out." He tells her.
"Like I said, not without you." Skye tells him, "We'll figure it out because I'm not leaving you." Skye tells him, "You have the super solider serum inside of you, you heal fast, you'll be fine if we get out of here, but you won't if I leave you and I won't do that." Skye says standing up, "The only way out is through the door I came in through." Skye tells Bucky.
"You mean the one that fifteen Hydra agents are standing in front of." Bucky realises.
"That's the one." Skye respond, "I've got to get them out the way." Skye realises turning towards the way out of the closet.
"Skye, no. You don't have a weapon and they took mine." Bucky tells her, "You can't take on fifteen agents with no weapon," he tells her, sounding terrified about what will happen to her if she tries
"There something you don't realises." Skye says turning back towards Bucky, a look that is hard to read on her face, "Something I barely let myself accept." She says a sombre feeling to her words, "I don't need a weapon James, I am one." Skye tells him before turning back around and walking to the door of the closet.
"What are you going to do?" Bucky asks.
"Something stupid." Skye responds before leaving the closet, knowing that what she is about to do is the stupidest thing that she could do, maybe even one of the stupidest things she's even done. As she exits she leaves the door open so that Bucky can see when he's got the all clear.
As Skye walks towards the force field she focuses on how much she wants to protect Bucky and how stunning all the Hydra agents in one go is the only way to do that. Once she is close to the force field and by extension the men on the other side Skye pulls the energy from the force field into her and in a split second, before the Hydra agents can fire a bullet, Skye sends a blast of strong energy, strong enough to stun every single one of them, at them.
As the men collapses Skye feels herself doing the same, but as she falls and hears Bucky's terrified yell of "Skye" she focuses on how important it is that she stays awake. How much she needs to and through pure stubbornness and sacrifice Skye forces herself back into consciousness after about a minute even though her body is the furthest thing from ready for her to be conscious.
"It worked." Skye says to herself once she realises that she is awake. Knowing that even with what she is doing she doesn't have much time Skye pulls herself across the floor to the closet where Bucky is in, knowing that she can't walk at the moment.
"What happened, are you okay?" Bucky asks worried.
"No." Skye responds.
"Why can't you walk?" Bucky asks concerned.
"It was either have the ability to walk or be conscious. I chose to be conscious." Skye explains
"Is it forever?" Bucky asks.
"No." Skye responds, "You need to get out of here. Put the pain to the back of your mind and force yourself to walk out of here or craw if you have to, just get out of here." She tells him.
"Not without you." Bucky says without hesitation.
"I'm not getting out of here James." Skye tells him, "I'm using the little energy I have left inside of me to be awake right now and when that is used up I won't be anymore." Skye reveals, having trouble breathing, "If I close my eyes I may never open them again. You need to get out of here now, before they wake up, while you still can." She tells him.
"No." Bucky tells her, "You weren't going to leave me, well I'm not going to leave you either." Bucky says moving himself so that he can reach over and grab her hand, "Either both of us get out of here or neither of us do." He tells her.
"Let's go with both." Skye tells him.
"I'd prefer that." Bucky comments.
"Okay we're both getting out of her." Skye says, "We've just got to figure out a way." Skye comments, "Come on, a way for both of us to get out of here." Skye says to herself hoping that she has enough of her power energy left to tell her a way, "Help me get my right shoe off." Skye requests about a minute later.
"Why?" Bucky asks as he helps Skye get her boot off.
"Uncle Tony hid an emergency beacon in my shoe. I've just got to activate it and then everyone else will be able to find us." Skye says accepting the shoe of Bucky as she starts to feel along the leather for the beacon.
"Everyone's asleep." Bucky points out.
"They'll be woken up for this." Skye says as she finds the beacon, a thin grey circle which looks to have about a ten centimetre diameter.
"Got it." Skye says putting a thumb both side of the object and brings it close to her mouth, "Child of SHIELD." Skye says, "It's activated." Skye says when she sees a red light, "They know where to find us." She tells Bucky, "Now you wait." She tells him.
"You mean now we wait." Bucky corrects.
"No." Skye responds, "I'm going to close my eyes soon and when I do I don't know if I'm going to be able to open them again."
"You will, you have to." Bucky tells her not wanting to lose her.
"I'm not so sure." Skye admits.
"No. Promise me. Promise me Skye that you will open your eyes again." Bucky requests.
"I can't." Skye admits.
"No. You will." Bucky tells her moving closer to her, "I don't care how long it takes, a week, a month a year, I will be there. I promise you that no matter how long it takes for you to open your eyes that I will be there, that I will never leave you, but you need to do something for me. You need to promise me that you will wake up." Bucky begs his girlfriend.
"I'll do my best, I promise you that." Skye responds says knowing that it is the best that she can do.
"Good, come here." Bucky says reaching over and helping Skye come closer to him. When she is right next to her he puts his arms around her and holds her against him in his side where he doesn't have a bullet wound.
"How long until you think they'll be here?" Bucky asks Skye curious, "Skye?" He asks worried and he looks down and notices that she has closed her eyes so he quickly checks for a pulse and is relieved when he finds one though he knows that she is the furthest thing from okay, "You better keep that promise." Bucky says as he pulls Skye closer to him and places a kiss on her head, and waits. Holding his barely alive girlfriend as he bleeds out, waiting for their family to come and save them.
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