Chapter 34- Coming Back and Saving the World
A/N: Here is where AU comes into place as Bucky comes back to his senses before Steve gets shot more than once and falls off the helicarrier into the Potomac. I wasn't planning to go like this, but I like Bucky being an Avenger during "Age of Ultron." And some of the storyline for "Captain America: Civil War" will be there, but they won't have to go looking in Romania for Bucky.
The Soldier felt some guilt as his daughter hit her head hard on the railing. He hadn't intended to hurt her, but Elizabeth had forced his hand. It was all he could do not to pick her up and hug her tightly. He had basically been hugging her when she tried to wrestle the gun out of his hand. The only thing he could do was stop her friend and, on his way back to the base, pick her up. He only had to hope that she stayed asleep. Taking her with him would be easier if she wasn't awake to fight him. It had been that way with Diana and Elizabeth was proving herself to be her mother's daughter the older she got. When she was two, before HYDRA had taken her from them, Elizabeth had loved him always holding her, wrapping her chubby little arms around his neck and giving him sloppy kisses on his nose and cheeks. She didn't seem to mind him holding her this time, but she looked as if she had developed a strong personality that was a combination of his and Diana's.
The Soldier pulled out his gun and opened fire on Elizabeth's friend. He knew that he hadn't missed when he hit the man. He felt pain shoot through his ribs as the man hit him with the shield and back into the console that housed the blades. The Soldier lowered his hand to his knife and paused when he felt Elizabeth's hand on his. "Please, Dad, don't," she whimpered softly as she slowly sat up. The Soldier's stomach clenched painfully at the gash on her forehead on her hairline. His flesh hand itched to touch her forehead, smoothing the tendrils of hair that had come loose from her braids.
"Stay down, Elizabeth," the Soldier ordered as he flipped his knife and lunged for the man.
" Uncle Steve, be careful!" Elizabeth warned.
"You got it, Ma," the man joked as he ducked and blocked with the shield. The Soldier kicked at him and ran his arm into the shield.
"Steve!" Elizabeth screamed as Steve dropped to his knees.
"Liz. take the blade!" Steve shouted, tossing a thin computer chip to Elizabeth, which she caught deftly. The Soldier grunted as Steve tossed him back and both he and Elizabeth went to the port. Steve pressed a few buttons, he turned as something lowered and pulled Elizabeth down as the Soldier swung his arm at him. "Liz, put the blade in!" Steve shouted.
"I will if this stupid thing will open! And could both of you try not to hit me? Stupid S.H.I.E.L.D. technology," Elizabeth grumbled as Steve kicked the Soldier in the stomach as the port opened. Elizabeth raised the replacement. The Soldier all but ran to her. He had to stop her before she inserted the blade. The Soldier growled as he picked her up away from the port and both went over the ledge.
"No, Dad! Don't!" Yelizaveta screamed as she and Bucky hit the bottom and the blade fell out of her hand. Yelizaveta got weakly to her feet and started to punch her father hard. Considering their relationship Yelizaveta knew that her father was pulling his punches by not hitting her back . Yelizaveta looked behind him as Steve swooped down. "Steve, get the blade up there! Hurry!" Yelizaveta screamed as Bucky grabbed her wrists and pulled her into his arms, pressing her face to his shoulder.
"хватит драться со мной, (Stop fighting me) Elizabeth," Bucky ordered pressing his lips to her ear. The scruff on his face, tickled her ear softly as he kissed her.
"Please, Dad, people are going to die," Yelizaveta said softly into his shoulder.
"Bucky, please. Let us save people," Yelizaveta heard Steve ask.
"Don't take her from me," Bucky said, running his flesh hand through her hair.
"Don't worry, pal. She won't be taken from you again. But we need to get the helicarrier down. Here, Liz," Steve said, handing her the blade.
Yelizaveta raised her face from Bucky's shoulder and gripped it tightly in her hand. She looked up at Bucky. "Dad, let go," Yelizaveta said and her father reluctantly removed his arms from her shoulders. She shoved the blade in the deep pocket of her jacket and grabbed the rung leading up to the port. Behind her she heard Steve and her father climbing up. She stood in front of the port and carefully slid the blade into the port.
The files finished downloading onto the internet in Pierce's office. "Done. And it's trending," Romanoff said as Fury looked over at her as she raised her cellphone. A sparking hissing sound then got his attention and Fury looked over belatedly as Singh's communicator that Pierce had given him erupted in flames and sparks. Rockwell's and the other member of the Security Council that Fury hadn't known that well followed suit and Fury looked over to see Pierce holding a small remote that he had just pressed. All three men screamed in agony. Romanoff raised her gun and Pierce pointed the remote at her chest.
"Unless you want a two-inch hole in your sternum, I'd put that gun down. That was armed the moment you pinned it on," Fury and Romanoff lowered the guns in silent defeat.
"I'm on 41 heading for the southwest stairwell," Sam heard Rumlow say. to someone out of sight. The kid had said that Rumlow was a cretin who had stolen her sword. The least Sam could do was stop him from leaving and get the sword back to her. He came out of the door and Sam hit him hard in the back of the head. Rumlow turned to fight back. He headbutted Sam in the head, causing Sam to see stars. "This is gonna hurt. There are no prisoners with HYDRA. Just order. And order only comes with pain. You ready for yours?" Rumlow asked, as he removed his flak jacket. Sam noticed the Winter Soldier's sword on Rumlow's hip as he got to his feet dazedly.
"Man, shut up," Sam said, breathing hard as he took a swing at Rumlow.
Natasha watched as Pierce pulled up a map of all the targets. "Lieutenant, how much longer?" Pierce asked.
"65 seconds to satellite link," the XO said over the comm.
"Targeting grid engaged. Lowering weapons array now," another man said over the comm.
"One minute," Maria said into the earwig as Yelizaveta slid the blade into the port.
"Okay. It's in. Call it Uncle Steve," Yelizaveta said.
"Charlie lock," Steve said as the engine's powered down.
"We did it. Steve, Dad, we did it," Yelizaveta said, hugging first Steve and then Bucky.
"You can celebrate later. Cap, Winter Soldier, get out of there," Maria said.
"Good idea. Being up here can be bad for our health when they open fire. But how do we get off?" Yelizaveta asked.
"We'll have to jump," Bucky said cryptically.
"Jump? Dad, I've never jumped from anywhere this high up," Yelizaveta said, feeling the blood drain out of her face.
"It's our only chance, Liz. Buck, you grab her," Steve ordered.
Bucky's arm slid around her shoulders, holding her to his side. Yelizaveta wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest as they all jumped off the bridge to the lower deck.