A/N: Trigger warning for medical procedure/torture.
Katy ran her free hand down her trousers, feeling how her palms had begun sweating, a strange feeling of anxiety growing in her chest. The emotion could make it difficult to follow out her orders. It was a useless, unnecessary emotion, one which she hoped she would not experience for much longer. Her eyes flickered up as she saw her target leaving his apartment building and leant further back against the seat of his car, blending into the shadows. She surveyed his appearance, noting the bruises that covered his face, which she herself had been the cause of. Two fingers on his left hand were in a splint, most likely broken from the last time they met. Jack Rollins was in a weakened state, and would not be able to put up much of a fight…yet anxiety still swirled around in her chest at seeing one of her former 'teammates'. Rollins had never been cruel to her, kept the Machine in a good condition. He had said on more than one occasion that she was a useful weapon. Katy wondered if he was right…if that was all she could ever really be. She was brought out of her thoughts as he ripped open the front door, slumping into his seat as he muttered a curse under his breath, likely still sore from his injuries. Katy was quick to press her gun to the back of his head, removing the safety on the gun with a satisfying click. She could see how Rollins stilled immediately, his hands tensing where they were on the steering wheel.
"I thought you might show up, Machine" He muttered.
"You did not prepare yourself well for such an event" Katy pointed out, her eyes flickering around the parking lot, unsure if Rollins was truly alone.
"Do you really think I'm scared of you?" Rollins scoffed, turning in his seat to face her, showing no sign of fear.
"Likewise" Katy replied, causing Rollins eyes to narrow.
"Go on then. Shoot me. You know I won't tell you anything" Rollins goaded.
"You don't need to. Get out of the car" Katy told him, as he mulled this over for a few seconds, before reopening the car door.
"This won't end well for you, Machine. Hydra doesn't like to lose its weapons" Rollins informed her, as they both exited the car, the gun still aimed at Rollins' head.
"I'm not a…I'm more than that" Katy insisted, as a huff of breath left Rollins' lips.
"Not after they re-programme you. Why're you fighting this, huh? Have you already forgotten what happened last time?" Rollins pushed, seeing how she flinched, her breathing becoming a little shaky.
Before Rollins could say another word, he felt a hand grab his shoulder, and suddenly he was being hauled off his feet. He let out a strangled cry as he was lifted in the air, his legs dangling helplessly against nothingness, trying desperately to wriggle free from his assailant. Rollins' eyes went wide as he was flown higher and higher until he was above the rooftops of the bustling city. A scream left his lips as he felt the hand clutching his shoulder let go, and he was suddenly hurtling towards the ground. Rollins fell with a thump onto the rooftop of his apartment building, a loud crunch echoing as he broke his arm from the impact. He rolled onto his back with a moan of pain, letting out an audible gulp when he saw none other than Black Widow now looming over him. Rollins' eyes flickered to Sam, whose mechanical wings were still outstretched, a smirk clear as day on his face.
"I think you can guess how this ends if you don't do as we say" Natasha warned, as Rollins was roughly pulled to his feet by Steve.
"I don't know any more than you, alright? I'm just a soldier. Nothing more" Rollins stated.
"Oh, we know. We just need you to bypass the DNA scanners and get us access to the helicarriers" Steve explained, as Rollins scoffed lightly.
"Now that you mention it…all we really need is a finger…" Natasha trailed off, quirking an eyebrow.
"Spoken like a true Hydra agent" Rollins smirked, watching with glee how Natasha grimaced at the accusation.
The squeaking sound of a door opening had Steve twisting around to see Katy bursting through the fire exit on the roof, clearly having run up the stairs at an almost impossible pace. She didn't like the thought of leaving her…group, with someone like Rollins.
"Project Insight launches in sixteen hours. We should leave" Katy advised, as Steve began dragging the smaller man behind him.
"He's back on his feet already, you know?" Jack called out, making Katy's forehead wrinkle.
"Brock. New grafting tech from S.H.I.E.L.D, heals up bullet wounds within a matter of hours. He'll be searching for you by now. Probably already figured out your next move…seeing how close you are and all" Rollins goaded, pleased to see how Katy's jaw had clenched.
"You better hope for his sake that you're wrong" Natasha threatened, coming to stand by Katy's side, in an almost protective gesture, but Rollins paid little attention.
"What's wrong, Machine? Don't you want to go back to being Rumlow's little pet? Kneeling at your master's feet—" Rollins words were suddenly cut off as Katy's hand snapped forward, an electric current coming out of her fingertips.
Rollins was thrown onto his back from the force of impact, letting out a low groan as his head collided with the concrete. He seemed to pass out a few seconds after that, as all eyes turned to Katy as if waiting to see if she would attack the unconscious man further. A steady line of blood now dripped down her nose, which she wiped with her sleeve, smearing the red substance further.
"Like I said, we need to go" Katy muttered, whipping around and storming back towards the door.
Rollins was slowly coming around twenty minutes later after they had all managed to pile into his car. Sam was driving, his shoulders tense as his eyes continuously darted between the side mirror and the road ahead of him. They were too out in the open as they drove along the highway, trying to duck whenever they saw a camera overhead. Natasha had suggested keeping Rollins tied up in the back, but Steve had pointed out he wanted to keep a close eye on the Hydra agent. Katy found her mind wandering, thinking back to the first time she had met Rollins. And Rumlow.
Bright fluorescent lights had blinded her as she was dragged along the corridor of the Hydra base, faceless figures storming past her, making sure to avoid eye contact. She wasn't sure how long had passed since she and the Buck had been apprehended, nor did she know where her companion was. Her heart thumped painfully in her chest, wondering what they were planning to do with her. She half expected them to put a bullet in her head for trying to run. All of a sudden, she was thrown into a room, as an older man loomed over her, removing his glasses, using a tissue to wipe away non-existent dust.
"I don't believe we've had the pleasure…I'm Alexander Pierce" The blond man announced, as Katy attempted to push herself into a sitting position, pain radiating through her body.
At some point her bullet wound had been stitched up, a bandage now covering her abdomen, which was already growing red with blood. She didn't trust herself to speak, her vocal cords most likely having been damaged by the Winter Soldier's metal fist.
"You have been a great asset to our organisation, Machine. And I understand that you were heavily damaged on a mission…but whatever possessed you to turn on us?" Pierce exclaimed, in an almost curious voice.
"Am I…to be decommissioned?" Katy muttered, her voice raw and painful.
"What a waste that would be. No. We have more planned for you. Much more" Pierce informed her, watching the grimace that grew on her face.
"…But you do need to be punished" Pierce added, a moment later.
Katy's forehead wrinkled as a bright light suddenly shone through a glass screen in the room, as she pushed herself to her feet, almost tripping over as she so. Her eyes widened when she spotted a familiar man through the screen, inhaling sharply as she noticed the chair he was being attached to. She stumbled forward; hands pressed against the screen as her eyes connected with Buck's distant blue eyes. There was none of the fondness left that she had grown accustomed to. Nothing at all. Blank.
"Buck!" She exclaimed, hitting her fist on the glass screen, seeming to surprise the workers bustling around the Soldier.
It was then that she realised the screen only worked one way. He couldn't see her. He didn't push the scientists away as they shoved him backwards, nor did he cry out as metal shackles whirred to life, keeping him in place. But from the way, his chest was rising and falling in quick succession, it was clear he knew what was about to happen.
"He d-didn't…it was me. I…I wanted to run. I made him—" Katy began, turning back to Pierce.
"The Winter Soldier has already given us a detailed account of your…excursion. He understands why he is being wiped. He welcomes it" Pierce informed her, as her lips pulled back in a snarl.
"No. No! You used the words. He doesn't want this!" Katy insisted, her eyes darting between Pierce and the man in question, who reluctantly opened his mouth as a guard was inserted, protecting his teeth.
"My, my. It seems you have become more defective than we realised" Pierce sighed.
"I'm not defective. I'm…I'm a person!" Katy retorted, as Pierce huffed out a laugh.
In the next second, a hand struck her cheek, causing her head to snap to the left, skin stinging where she had been slapped. She welcomed the pain.
"You're a Machine. Hydra's Machine. That is all you are, and all you will ever be" Pierce told her, as her eyes snapped up to his.
Katy thought back to the man who had injured her CNS in the first place, who was the reason she had her emotions returned. He hadn't pleaded for his life. He was brave. And he was right. She thought back to his last words, as she took a step closer to Pierce, the words on her tongue.
"…Fuck Hydra" She muttered, seeing the way the old man's eye twitched.
Before anyone could react, she shoved Pierce roughly in the centre of the chest, causing him to stumble backwards, falling over his own feet. While half the agents in the room rushed to his side, the rest were smart enough to try to apprehend her. She sent her elbow flying back, colliding with one man's face, as she twisted around to grab his gun, raising the weapon in the air. She saw the way Pierce cowered back for a moment, almost hiding behind his men. He hadn't been expecting her to aim for the screen, using two bullets to shatter the glass, which crashed down onto the floor. The scientists in the other room ducked in a panic, but the Winter Soldier didn't even flinch. He didn't seem to be aware of anything that was happening around him. Katy sprinted forward, only inches away from the screen when arms suddenly wrapped around her neck, all but hauling her off the ground. Panic coursed through her veins, as she struggled against their grip, elbowing them in the abdomen, but they kept their hold firm. A second later, another agent strode forward, a syringe in hand which they quickly injected into her thigh. Instantly, pins and needles began to rise up her leg, soon weakening her whole body causing her to go limp in the agent's arms.
"That was a very stupid thing to do" Pierce scolded, picking himself up off the floor, dusting off his expensive suit.
"I think I'd like to see how this re-programming works. I expect you'll see things rather differently once it's over" Pierce went on, coming to stand in front of her, a smug expression growing on his features.
With all her remaining strength, Katy spat on him, causing the old man to flinch, his eyes snapping shut. He was quick to brush away the spit, which had mixed in with some blood that was coating her lips and nodded to the agent that was still holding onto her.
"Take her to the prep room, Agent Rumlow" Pierce exclaimed, as Katy's surroundings had blurred.
As she was dragged out of the room, Buck's cry's began, muffled by the mouth guard, but still loud enough to have her ears ringing. It was too late, she realised. She allowed herself to be pulled into a separate room a few doors down, now beginning to drift in and out of consciousness. A cold feeling settled into her bones as she felt herself being strapped onto a metal table, now lying on her stomach. She flinched when someone shoved her face onto the cool surface as her wrists were shackled. Bright lights flickered above her, computers whirring to life all around the room, as her hair was pulled over her shoulder. Just as her legs were bound to the table, a line was cut down her neck, causing her heart to pound harder in her chest.
"I am not a Machine…not a Machine…not a Machine…" She began whispering over and over, like a prayer.
"Lie still" A deep voice announced, as Katy's bottom lip began to wobble.
"D-don't…please. Don't…no. N—" Her words were cut off by her own scream.
Despite knowing what was coming, nothing could prepare her for the pain as she felt uncertain fingers prying at the nape of her neck. Agony ripped through her entire being as she felt them grip the tendrils of metal that lay just underneath her skin, a blood-curdling cry leaving her lips. Katy began to thrash around on the table, as hands grabbed her at all sides, attempting to keep her still. She shuddered violently as she felt herself being ripped open, her hands balled so tightly that she could feel her nails had pierced the skin there. With a particularly violent shake, she could feel the shackle around her left wrist had started to weaken, and pulled harder against the binding, as panicked shouts erupted around her.
"Jesus, enough!" A loud shout came from the other end of the room, as the hand scraping at her neck stilled.
She continued to tremble for a few seconds, as the person who had spoken came into view. It was the same man who had her in a headlock only minutes ago. Rumlow. The hands that were holding onto her lessened somewhat, but no one appeared willing to let go, the shackle on her left still barely holding together.
"Can't you fucking sedate her?" Rumlow exclaimed, speaking to whom Katy assumed was the scientist all but torturing her.
"She has to be awake for the procedure. We have to monitor for brain damage—" The scientist replied but was quickly cut off.
"And that means you can't give her something for the pain?" Rumlow pushed, as there was quiet for a few moments.
"Theoretically we could. Sir?" The scientist questioned, shuffling his shoes to turn to another figure that Katy couldn't see.
"If it will make her more...pliant, do it" Pierce's voice agreed.
A sharp needle was pressed into her neck less than a minute later, a cold feeling following it immediately after. The hands that were holding her started to tighten, and all too soon the hand was back against her neck. Katy let out a panicked cry, lashing out violently as she started to rock the table, hearing the scientist curse.
"Keep still!" He insisted, as another hand moved to tangle in her hair, shoving her face roughly against the metal.
"No. No!" Katy insisted, tugging harder at her left shackle which finally came free.
Just as she raised her fist in the air, ready to strike whoever was closest, a hand wrapped around her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. Their grip was loose, as Katy's eyes snapped up to the owner of the hand, seeing that at some point Rumlow had crossed the room.
"Hey, hey. Calm down. Stop it, kid" Rumlow told her, in a steady voice.
Katy was close to hyperventilating, as she felt a steady trail of blood running down her neck, her vision blurring once again. She couldn't think, couldn't move—
"Look at me" Rumlow's voice commanded, as she instantly did as she was ordered, part of her programming kicking in.
"This is happening, alright? You keep fighting against us and you're gonna' end up paralyzed. Just let this Doc fix you up and you'll be as good as new" Rumlow explained, as Katy's forehead wrinkled.
"I'm not a Machine. I'm not" Katy insisted, with a small shake of her head.
Rumlow gave her a strange look in return, his eyes boring into hers for a moment as if he was searching for something. He seemed to find what he was looking for, as he gave her a firm nod a moment later.
"I know. But you're injured. This will make you better" Rumlow pushed.
"It…it hurts too much…" Katy stuttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
"You just hold onto my hand, okay? You squeeze it with everything you've got" Rumlow exclaimed, moving his hand to wrap around her own.
She looked down at their interlocked fingers with a frown, thinking back to when she had sparred with Buck, and he had given her his hand. It was a sign of trust. Of comfort. Katy gave a slow nod of her head, receiving a soft squeeze from Rumlow in return, an almost smile gracing his lips. She had scrunched her eyes shut soon after, feeling the scientist's fingers reaching for the nape of her neck. The same pain ripped through her, but she managed to clamp her mouth shut, instead gripping Rumlow's hand harder, sure she would leave a bruise, if not break his bones. She had blacked out once the scientist had a hold of the metal deep inside her neck, feeling Rumlow's breath blowing steadily against her cheek—
"Katy?" Steve's voice pierced through her memory, causing her to jump, sitting up straighter.
"I'm fine, Captain" Katy replied quickly when she saw how Steve had swivelled around in his seat, concern clear behind his eyes.
"Worried she might go rabid?" Rollins suggested, earning a quick glare from Steve, who turned away, opting to ignore the older man.
"Why don't you try putting a cork in it, man?" Sam complained, making Rollins scoff lightly.
"…Who chose Rumlow to become my handler?" Katy asked, the words tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them.
She could feel the tension immediately rise in the vehicle, as even Rollin seemed a little surprised by her query. She didn't trust the slight smirk that grew on his face, practically able to see the cogs turning in his mind.
"He never told you, huh? Brock asked. Hell, he volunteered. And let's be honest, no one else wanted the job of babysitting you" Rollins muttered, watching her frown.
"Why?" She pushed.
"We had just seen you and the Winter Soldier take down over fifty men. He saw an opportunity and he took it. The smartest idea he ever had" Rollins went on.
"That's…that's why he was kind to me?" Katy asked, her tone sadder than she meant it to be.
"At first, sure. It's different now. You saw the beating he took for you, right? He's always been loyal to you. Shame we can't say the same about you, huh?" Rollins told her.
Katy liked to think she wasn't so naive to fall for Rollins words, knowing now how Rumlow had wronged her. But...the Hydra agent wasn't wrong. Rumlow had removed her kill switch, and he had been harshly punished for it. What was the true reasoning behind his actions?
"That's what you call loyalty?! Abuse and manipulation? If he ever gave a damn about her he'd have helped her escape from Hydra!" Steve all but exploded, his face turning red.
"No one escapes from Hydra" Rollins muttered, as a realisation hit Katy.
"…That's why you said those things on the rooftop. You wanted me to kill you" Katy exclaimed, causing Rollins jaw to clench.
"Better death by Machine than whatever Hydra will have planned for me" Rollins explained.
"You're a coward" Katy exclaimed, instinctively, surprising the occupants of the car with her frank words.
"How do you think I've survived the last twenty years in Hydra?" Rollins scoffed, almost appearing amused.
Minutes passed after that, as no one had a reply to his comment. Rollins was too far gone to ever redeem himself, that was now clear. But was Katy? Was Buck too?
"Did you ever see him again? The Winter Soldier?" Katy inquired, unsurely.
"Brock and he had another mission together not long after. He said the Soldier asked about you before he went under again. You can imagine how that conversation went" Rollins huffed.
"He remembered me?" Katy asked, a barely-there smile growing on her lips.
"Not as much as you remembered him. Shit, that first year after you were re-programmed, all we'd here is Buck this, and Buck that" Rollins exclaimed, as Steve twisted around in his seat yet again.
"What did you say?" Steve frowned, eyes narrowed.
"It's what she called—" Rollins began but was cut off by a loud thud coming from the top of the car.
Suddenly, a metal hand was flying through the side window, shattering the glass and grabbing Rollins' shoulder. In the blink of an eye, Rollins was pulled out of the moving car and flung across the road, colliding with a truck travelling in the other direction. His mangled body fell to the ground, only to be trampled by the wheels of the vehicle yet again, but Katy's attention was pulled elsewhere. While the others were in too much shock to move, Katy pulled her pocketknife out of the waistband of her trousers, eyes trained on the roof of the car. She flinched as the back windshield was suddenly caved in, and a hand was lunging towards her. She attempted to cut their attacker, as their hand clamped down onto the shirt she was wearing, but the sharp blade did little against his metal arm. She let out a panicked cry as she was yanked out of the vehicle, and thrown onto the roof, a familiar face now looming over her. The Winter Soldier was dressed in full tactical gear, chest strapped with protective leather and a muzzle covering half his face. His blue eyes were sunken and red, skin so pale he appeared sickly, but there was a determined look on his face that Katy knew to fear. Their eyes connected for just a second before he was pulling a gun from his thigh holster and pointing it down towards the car below. Before Katy could react, he had pulled the trigger, a bullet piercing through the metal roof, just where she knew Natasha had been sitting moments before. Without thinking, she kicked out at her former friend, hitting him in the leg and throwing his aim off, as a bullet whizzed uselessly onto the road below. Buck's hand instantly reached out to grab her neck, shoving her roughly against the car, trying to keep her in place as he lined up his next shot. Katy was quick to raise her legs up in the air, before wrapping them around his neck, using all her strength to use her thighs to squeeze, cutting off his air supply as he did the same to her. Katy was very aware of the fact that his other hand still held a gun, but he seemed reluctant to use it on her. Using this to her advantage, Katy reached out to place her palm flat against the roof of the car, her other hand clutching onto the top of the broken window, feeling the engine stutter under them. The Winter Soldier realised what was happening a moment too late, as Katy forced the car came to a grinding halt, sending him flying forward.
Katy twisted around to see him flipping forward, using his metal hand to slow him down, leaving finger marks on the concrete below. Just as Buck was pushing himself to his feet, a black SUV was ramming into the back of their car, sending them hurtling towards him. Katy's eyes widened as instead of getting out of the way, he stood his ground. At the last second, he jumped high in the air, combat boots slamming down on the bonnet of the car. She could hear a panicked cry from inside the vehicle, as Buck's arm shot through the windshield a second later, ripping out the steering wheel with it. The SUV behind them pulled back a little, before knocking them forward almost immediately after, causing the vehicle to veer to the right. Trying to concentrate, Katy managed to take control of the car once again, pulling it back into the middle of the road. She was forced to jump back a moment later, as Buck raised his fist towards her. She pushed herself to her feet, barely able to keep steady as the vehicle veered from left to right. The Winter Soldier jumped up onto the roof beside her, kicking his leg out, sending her stumbling backwards, almost falling off the car. He was surprised when she suddenly charged at him, her hands wrapping around his waist as she sent them both tumbling onto the road below them, forcing him to take most of the impact. They rolled for a few seconds before colliding with one of the road dividers, springing apart. Just as Katy was pushing herself up, she watched in horror as the car with her friends inside crashed, rolling over repeatedly just as she and the Winter Soldier had.
Sensing that she was distracted, Buck sent his metal fist hurtling towards her, colliding directly with her chest, leaving her winded. She quickly raised her arms up, managing to block the next blow from his flesh arm. She sent a flurry of high kicks his way, which he intercepted perfectly with his fists every time. Changing her technique, she backed up a step, letting him attack first. Katy allowed him to get close to her, as his fist collided with her cheek. When he raised his fist to hit her again, she ducked underneath his arm, before sending her leg backwards, striking him in the back, causing him to stumble forward a few steps. She managed to send a hard jab to his back, but it was heavily protected by his armour. Buck twisted around, sending another high kick her way, as she jumped back just in time. As he raised his leg up again, she intercepted it, her foot slamming down on his knee. In the next second, she struck him in the face, disorientating her opponent. Katy then crouched down and swung her leg out, knocking the Winter Soldier off his feet, falling roughly onto his back. She lunged forward, trying to kick him while he was down, but he was too quick, managing to roll to his left. He pulled himself onto his knees, blocking another blow from her leg with his fist. When she tried this move again, he managed to get a hold of her thigh, and swung her around, throwing her into the road divider. As Katy crawled to her feet, a realisation hit her. The Winter Soldier was pulling his punches. He even allowed her the time to stand up, his arms raised up in a defensive position. He was…going easy on her?
"Stop this—" Katy cut herself off, as the man in question kicked out at her once again.
She could feel her stamina fading, as she jumped backwards rather than trying to block his blow. Her breath was coming out in short pants as she ducked from another attack, which Buck had seen coming. A second later, he kicked her in the ribs, winding her and leaving her open for attack. Now in close proximity, he raised his knee up to hit her in the same position, as Katy let out a cry. She tried to lash out at him, but he managed to grab her upper arm, twisting it behind her back, before kicking the back of her leg, as she stumbled forward onto her knees.
"Buck!" Katy cried, turning to face him, as the Winter Soldier came to a halt for a moment, his brow furrowed.
"Stop resisting" He hissed at her, wrenching her arm behind her back a little tighter.
"Buck, it's me! I'm not your enemy!" She insisted, watching him tilt his head for a moment.
"You have defected from Hydra…you need to be fixed" Buck responded.
"You…you remember me?" Katy questioned, watching his eyes narrow.
"We worked together in the past" He stated.
"We were friends" Katy corrected, with a pleading look.
Buck stilled, as she felt his grip on her loosen, his eyes becoming distant. A memory flash behind his eyelids, remembering her smiling at him, laughing. He suddenly jerked back when he came back to reality, seeing her bruised and cut face now staring up at him.
"Please, listen to me—" Katy was cut off, as the pair heard a loud bang from nearby.
They were just in time to see an agent sending a grenade towards Steve, who had somehow survived the crash. A panicked cry left Katy's lips as she watched the blond raise his shield up, the grenade hitting it and sending him flying off the highway, crashing into a moving bus below. This seemed to change something in Buck's eyes, as he realised his fight against Katy was taking too long.
"Stay down…before I hurt you" Buck warned her, before storming towards where they could hear shooting beginning.
"I think it's a bit late for that" Katy muttered to herself, looking down at the blood that was now staining her arm.
With her adrenaline slowly fading, Katy could feel how bruised she was from their fight, finding herself unable to stand no matter how much she tried. She looked down at her hand, flexing her fingers which only coiled into a fist seconds later, and realised the fall from the car must have damaged her more than she realised. Using the road divider to lean on, she stumbled to her feet, feeling her muscles burn with the exertion. A nearby gunshot had her eyes snapping up to see Buck shoving a gun out of Natasha's hand, before sending a kick to her abdomen, throwing her off balance. Black Widow was a skilled fighter, but she couldn't win against him in hand-to-hand combat. He was too strong. Katy staggered forward, almost tripping over a Hydra agent's body as she did so, her eyes flickering down to their discarded weapon. Crouching down, she picked up their handgun, realising what she had to do. It was the only way.
Only a few metres away, the Winter Soldier had managed to slip past Natasha's defences, now with his metal hand wrapped around her neck, ready to snap it with ease. A loud gunshot ripped through the air a second later, causing him to lose his grip on the redhead, as she flopped to the ground. Buck twisted around to see Katy storming towards them, her gun still raised in the air, as he surveyed his body for where the bullet had hit, coming up empty. A soft gasp from beneath him, had the Soldier's gaze falling on Natasha's body, where blood was dripping down from her shoulder, where a bullet had pierced through her flesh. Confusion grew on his features, as Katy came to a halt a metre in front of him, holding out the handgun in her palm. She had shot Black Widow.
"Hail Hydra" Katy announced, in a steely tone.
"Hail Hydra" He replied, quickly pulling the gun from her hand, a distrustful tone to his voice.
"What are you doing?" Natasha panted, clutching at her injured shoulder.
"You disappoint me, Black Widow. I thought you of all people might be hard to deceive…when you were the easiest of all" Katy exclaimed, watching the older woman's eyes widen.
"You were playing us?" She gaped, as Buck's gaze darted between the two women.
"You made it very easy" Katy told her, tone lacking any emotion.
"You're still with us, Machine?" A member of the S.T.R.I.K.E team questioned, approaching the group with caution.
"My loyalty is unwavering. I was waiting for the right time to reveal my true intentions. Will I be reprimanded for my actions?" She inquired.
"Not as long as you help us take these guys down" The agent mumbled, still appearing on edge.
Another agent was busy fumbling with a pair of handcuffs, looking as if he was close to pissing himself at the idea of cuffing Black Widow. Katy was quick to thrust her hand out to him, making the older man flinch before he handed her the handcuffs. She crouched down and roughly threw Natasha onto her front, wrenching the redhead's hands behind her back, before looping the cuffs around her wrists.
Loosely.
So loosely that Natasha would barely have to strain to have her hands free in a matter of seconds. Katy then hauled her to her feet, causing Natasha to grit her teeth in pain, her shoulder twitching under the exertion.
"Помните свое обещание?" Katy whispered, so quietly only Natasha could hear.
If any of the other Agents had heard her words, they made no sign of it. Natasha doubted they would understand Russian. All apart from the Winter Soldier, who had tilted his head in confusion, clearly hearing Katy's quiet words. Natasha's nod was so subtle it could have been seen as her ducking her head to a naïve eye.
"You get the Captain. We'll kill the remaining civilian" The first agent announced, bringing Buck out of his trance.
Knowing better than to question his orders, the Winter Soldier was quick to make his way to the edge of the highway, before he jumped down, smashing the roof of a car below. He was not there to think. He was there to hunt. To kill.
"I heard the civilian calling someone last night. He may have warned another party of Project Insight. He should be interrogated before termination" Katy suggested, as the agent slowly nodded.
As if on cue, a panicked cry came into the agent's earpiece a moment later, from one of his teammates, requesting backup. The agent shared a confused look with the man next to him, as they both wondered how the rest of the S.T.R.I.K.E team could be having difficulty in apprehending a civilian with no weapon.
A litter of bodies surrounded Sam Wilson, most with deep cuts covering their bodies, from the push dagger he was wielding. The two remaining agents ducked for cover when they saw he had managed to arm himself with a rifle and was now raining bullets down on them. Both were taken back as Katy suddenly charged forward, the firing coming to an immediate halt.
"Katy, what are you—" Sam began, but was cut off as she sent the gun flying out of his hand with a high kick.
"Stand down" She ordered, earning a steely glare in response.
"I don't think that's gonna' happen," Sam told her.
She then sent a flurry of punches towards the older man, which he managed to block each time, but only just. Changing her tactics, she tried to kick out at him, which he managed to block with his hands, leaving his face vulnerable. Twisting around, she was able to send her leg flying back, hitting him under the chin, causing him to stumble backwards a few paces. Realising he couldn't stay on the defensive any longer, Sam jabbed at her with his push dagger, seconds later seeing this was a mistake. In the blink of an eye, Katy had grabbed his wrist, and with the aid of the metal in her limb, she had the strength to wrench his arm behind his back, making sure the dagger nicked his thigh as she did so. In the next second, she brought her foot down on Sam's shoulder, as he cried out in pain, swearing he heard something snap under the force. With him injured, she then reached out to grab his neck, and roughly slammed his body onto the concrete below, causing him to blackout for a few seconds.
Flexing her hand, she pushed herself upright before ushering over to the two agents who were still hiding behind a nearby vehicle. They were quick to rush over, handcuffs being pulled out, and securing Sam in place who was barely conscious. Katy averted her eyes away as she saw the look of betrayal Sam was giving her and hoped he would understand. They could never beat the Winter Soldier. Fighting against him would only result in their deaths. At least this way, they had a chance and could—
"Rookie?" A familiar voice called out from behind her, as Katy felt her whole body go rigid.
Inhaling sharply, Katy forced herself to turn around, as her eyes connected with Brock Rumlow's. A chill went down her spine, feeling true dread for the first time since the attack had begun. Could she really fool her former handler?
Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoy this new chapter! I wonder whether Rumlow will see through her, and if he does, what will he do? And how will Buck react when he meets Steve face to face? Please leave a review:)
nemocultrixxx: You got your wish in this chapter, our first look at Buck's interaction with everyone...and he's trying to kill them, haha. Thanks for reviewing:)
TheQueenofGoodbyes: Thank you, I really appreciate the kind words about my writing and the quality of the story! I completely understand that this story is a very heavy read and it will not be for everyone. Thanks again for reading up until now, take care of yourself:)
LoveFiction2021: Thanks, glad you're enjoying it!
Mia: Haha, I'm glad you liked the joke! I'm trying to add a bit of humour into this story where I can.
MsMoe9: Aw, thank you so much:) It's great to hear you're liking where this story is headed, we'll be delving more into who Katy is and her past as the chapters go on!