Chapter 28:
There is no feeling like being on the back of a bike. The roar of the engine was almost deafening and I loved it. I could feel the power of the bike underneath me with every twist of the throttle. The wind was cold was it whistled past my helmet as we cut through the traffic with the sun shining down on us. But nothing could wipe the grin off my face.
Before getting on the bike at the tower, I was a bit nervous but Steve reassured me and helped me onto the bike before getting on as well. So with the wind whistling past me, I was sitting behind Steve, holding onto the sides of his jacket. Bucky was keeping up behind us on his bike but I could hardly hear him over the roar of Steve's bike.
Pulling up at a red light, Steve and Bucky stop next to each other. I see Bucky look over and quickly wave at him before grabbing Steve's jacket again. Bucky smirks and gives me a wink before going back to watching the light.
The light turns green and we are off again. We ride for another half an hour before pulling up outside a little cafe down a side street. Steve shuts the bike off and waits for me to clamber off.
"So Alexis, how was that?" Steve asks as he puts the bike down on the stand and gets off his bike.
"That. was. AMAZING!" I shouting, throwing my hands up. Steve and Bucky chuckled at my excitement. I grin and go to take off my helmet but struggle with the strap. Steve and Bucky watch me struggle with it for a moment before Steve takes pity on me. Kneeling down in front me, he tips my head back and swiftly undoes the straps and tugs the helmet off my head.
"Thanks," I grin and take the helmet from Steve. "The straps are a bit difficult to undo."
"Yea, takes a while to get the hang of it," Steve agrees, as he takes off his own and begins walking over the cafe. I look over at Bucky who gestures for me to follow Steve and then follows behind. Catching up to Steve, I look around at the cafe. It was seemed to be stuck in time. Steve held open the door and gestured for me to go in first.
"Thanks, Steve." I look around and am immediately fell in love with it. It was obviously vintage. Turning back to Steve and Bucky who had entered behind me. "Is this like it was before you got frozen?"
Steve smile softly and took a look around. "Yeah, it is similar but not quite the same aye Buck?"
Bucky just stared around at everything, before slowly nodding. "Its Buck's first time here as well," Steve whispers to me, before leading me over to table with Bucky slowly following.
Sitting down, I ask, "How did you find this place?"
"Well one day, I just needed to get out of the tower and went for a ride on my bike. I had no clear sense of where I was going and somehow I just ended up here. At first, I thought I was dreaming because I remember a similar cafe from back when Buck and I were younger. It was also around this area as well." Steve looked down at his and grinned. "When I walked in and heard that music, I actually pinched myself to make sure it wasn't a dream and it wasn't. From then on anytime I wanted to get out of the tower and get away from everything I come here."
"It is so cool! Don't you think so Bucky?" I ask as I turn to him. Bucky's eyes are still flickering all over the cafe trying to take everything in.
"Yea. It certainly is something," he finally replies.
"Well we came here for some food didn't we?" Steve says as he hands out the menu. "Tony insisted on paying and said that we can get whatever we want." I nod, but still only looked at the cheaper options. I hadn't been to a cafe in so long that I had almost forgot what it was like.
Bucky then interrupted my scanning by speaking. "What did you mean that it was the first time that you had cleaned blood from your hair?"
I froze. How do I answer? Surely they will know if I lie.
"Yea. What did you mean by that?" Steve looks at me with a curious gaze.
I open my mouth and try to speak before shutting it with a click. Swallowing thickly, my eyes dart between them before stuttering out an answer. "I'm j….just clum…clumsy….t...th….that's a….all." I look up and see Steve nod but when I look at Bucky I can plainly see that he doesn't believe me. I try to smile before bowing my head to look intently at the menu."And m..my p….p...parents didn't h….have a lot of m...money s...so I learn…..learnt h...how to look a...after m...myself.
"Doll. You can't really have us believe that, can you?" Bucky said gently.
I don't say anything but I shake my head. I didn't expect them to believe it but I still had to try.
"Well, I do believe that you are a bit clumsy because the cut that is on your head now is proof," Steve explains. "But I don't believe the rest of it, darling." He takes a deep breath and sighs. "However, you do not have to tell us anything right now. Just know that we are both here for you if you ever want to talk. And Tony as I am sure he has told you."
I nod and take a peek up at them both. Both of their eyes were on me but I saw no accusation in their gazes. All I saw was compassion and understanding.
"Thank you," I whisper.
"Now, who would like what to eat?" Steve asks looking at Bucky and I.
"Just whatever you are having, Steve," Bucky answers.
"Can I have the bacon and eggs, please?" I ask.
"Course you can, darlin'," Steve smiles as he waves a waitress over.
Lunch with Bucky and Steve flew by and soon it was time to head home. Walking out of the cafe, I look back at Bucky laughing at something he said when I bumped into something. Taking a quick step back, I look up at a man dressed all in black who sneers down at me. His pitch black glasses show my terrified face back at me.
He spits before growling out, "Watch where you are going girly."
I stumble back into Bucky who catches me. "S...Sorry Sir," I whisper. He grunts and looks up at Steve and Bucky who pushes me back behind him. The man in black grunts and continues swaggering down the street. Bucky and steve watch him for a bit.
"Jerk." Bucky spits out before turning to me. "You alright Doll?" He asks as he crouches in front of me. I nod.
"He just scared me a bit that's all."
"Seems like he must've woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Steve says, lightening the mood. "Come on guys. We need to be getting back to the tower. Tony should be finished his meeting by the time we get back and he told me that he wants his best helper back in one piece because they have a lab date."
I grin and run to the bikes, being sure to watch out for people. I can hear Bucky and Steve laughing at my enthusiasm yet again. "Well let's get going then," I laugh as I push my helmet on.
Steve and Bucky put on theirs before steve crouches down to tighten the strap.
"Can I ride with Bucky this time, Steve?" I ask as he tilts my head back so he can see the chin strap. He tightens my helmet and sighs.
"I don't know darlin'. Might have to ask him."
"Do you think he will say yes?"
Steve winks. "Won't know until you ask but I am fairly sure that he will."
"Okay," I grin and walk around the bike to Bucky who is getting on his bike.
"Excuse me, Bucky," I say to get his attention.
He turns to me and leans down to hear me better. "Yeah Doll?"
"Can I ride with you this time to go back to the tower?"
Bucky looks over at Steve before looking back at me. "Alright doll. Get on carefully."
My grin widens as I quickly and carefully scramble on the back. Turning the keys on their bikes, Steve and Bucky's bikes roar to life. Steve pulls out of the park first and Bucky quickly follows. I latch onto the sides of his jacket and watch the city begin to fly by.
We only rode for a few minutes before it happened.
Bucky and I were following Steve through the street, when all of a sudden an explosion threw Bucky and I back off the bike. I shut my eyes bracing for the impact of the road but Bucky had quickly grabbed me tucking him close to his chest. He had twisted so he would take the brunt of the impact on landing on the road. I heard him grunt as the air was knocked out of him. We slid for a few moments. My ears ringing from the blast, I open my eyes as I crawl off Bucky. Looking around I see Steve who was blown metres forward by the blast, getting to his feet as men in black with guns run towards him and surround him. Screams of the people around begin to reach my ears.
"Bucky," I croak as I shake him. He has to help Steve. The men seemed to have forgotten about us. They were focused on Steve and I knew that we needed to use the time while we can. Turning to Bucky, I shake him harder and finally he stirs and groans. "Bucky. You have to help Steve."
This seemed to snap Bucky to his sense as he sits straight up and looks at the situation. He gets to his feet and grabs my arm. He drags me to the side of the street and behind a car, before turning to me.
"I need you to stay here and stay safe. Do not move from here. Do not watch. I will get you when this is dealt with."
I nod as he stands up and sneaks off down the line of cars towards the men who are holding Steve. I watch as Bucky takes a pistol out from underneath his jacket and crouched by the hood of a car. I see him raise the gun up and hear the shots fired. I stand up a bit and peak through the window to see Steve. Three of the men that once surrounded him were on the ground. Steve had taken the chance given to him to fight the men holding him down. Wrenching his hands from their grip, he elbowed one in the chin and punched the other straight in the jaw sending him flying. With the other men's attention on the Bucky he takes the chance to grab a gun that one of the men had and sprint to the other side of the road, diving behind a car. He dives just in time as the men in black had noticed he escaped and shot at him.
TONY P.O.V
Who knew board meetings could last for so long, I groan internally. I glance at my watch again. 10 minutes until Steve should be arriving back and this meeting was showing no show of wrapping up. I see Pepper glance at me out of the corner of her eye and I just roll my eyes at her. She gives me a small smile before turning her attention back to the man currently droning on.
J.A.R.V.I.S interrupts the speaker. "Sir. Captain Rogers is trying to reach you. He says it is an emergency."
"J. Direct the call to my cell." I command as I stand up and walk out of the meeting despite the squawks of disapproval by the board members. Bring my phone to my ear, I get to elevator.
"Tony!" Steve whispered voice comes through my phone.
"What's happening Captain?" I ask as I head up to the lab.
"Men have attacked Bucky, Alexis and I in the street. They had me for a minute but Buck had my back and got me out of there. We are trying to hold them off but we need back up now!"
My breath catches in my throat. "Is Alexis hurt? Do you have eyes on her?"
"Negative. I don't have eyes on her." I hear shots fire as Steve speaks. "She was riding with Bucky when it all happened but I know that Bucky would have kept her safe." Finally the elevator gets to the lab and I run out of the elevator. J.A.R.V.I.S unlocks the door for me so I don't have to delay with the passcode.
"JARVIS do you have Capsicles location?" I ask as I take off my suit jacket and get into the Mark III.
"Yes Sir. I have traced his location and it will take you 3 minutes to get there."
"Brilliant, Cap. I will be there soon." I say and end the call.
"They better not have hurt one hair on my Shortcakes head or they aren't walking away from this," I growl. Just as I am about to blast out the building I grab Steve's shield. Launching out the building I follow the route the J.A.R.V.I.S has set.
"Get the thrusters at full capacity, J." I feel the increase in power and shoot faster into the air.
"Thrusters at full capacity Sir."
ALEXIS P.O.V
Bucky and Steve were keeping the men between them with their fire and slowly reducing the numbers. I watched through the car windows while concentrating on keeping my breathing even. I could feel panic trying to overwhelm me but I knew I couldn't at this point. Another man in black went down with a scream as more shots rang out.
Suddenly faintly I hear a noise getting closer. The sound was one that was slightly familiar to me. I start looking around when I see the Ironman coming in and firing a shot into the middle of men at Steve's bike. The explosion that it cause threw the men back as Ironman landed and fired another beam at a man who was still standing. Bucky and Steve race from their places of cover and Tony throws Steve's shield at him who catches it with a nod of thanks. The explosion only knocked a few of the men off their feet and there were still plenty still ready to fight. There seemed to be a moment of silence before the gunfire started all over again. My eyes fixated on the fight in front of me as Steve, Bucky and Tony take down the rest of the men.
Through the gunfire, I hear footsteps behind me. Spinning around I am met with black pants. Looking up I see the man that I bumped into before at the cafe.
"Hey girly," he grins as he grabs me by the hair and pulls me to my feet. I freeze as he smirks at me. "You are gonna be very helpful to me," he grins as he tugs me with him out onto the street as Steve takes down the last guy. All the their backs to me.
"Nicely done Capsicle," I hear Tony say as he places a hand on his shoulder.
"Thanks for coming so quick," Steve replies.
"Yes! Thank you!" The man holding me calls out as we stop near them. They all spin around and instantly get into a defensive position. Through the tears in my eyes, I see Steve and Bucky's face darken, as Ironman steps forward. The touch of cold metal then bites into the skin on my throat and I try not the breath.
"Not so fast, Mr Tony Stark." The man chuckles. "We wouldn't want any harm to come to this little girly now would we?"