I had fun with the last chapter and I really hope you liked it! I don't really have much to say this time, so I'll stop here! Enjoy this chapter! Has a little smut if you know what I'm sayin' wink wink.
It took some time for Natasha to wake up while we were on the run, but I was just happy and relieved when she opened her eyes. We pretty much went back to Plan A from before, keep a low profile.
But I had no fucking idea where Steve was taking us.
"So...you mind telling me how the hell you survived that blast?" Steve spoke up.
Natasha stared at me in surprise when Steve says this.
"You mean...she wasn't behind the shield?" Natasha asked Steve.
"No...she wasn't. She pushed me towards you at the last second." Steve replied. "Her body was...she shouldn't have survived the blast, but she did."
Natasha takes a closer look and finally notices that my clothing is barely hanging to me, most of it scorched by the explosion. I can already tell that she sees most of my skin looking squeaky clean, as if I was never burnt, or as if I formed new skin. I peel off my mask, turning it off before I shove it into the waistband of the remainder of my pants,
"You guys are so pushy." I sighed. "Do you really want me to get into all of that right now? It's a long damn story."
"We've got time before we get there." Natasha spoke sternly.
"Alright, fine..." I nod.
Seconds pass as we walk together on the road in silence. Finally, I take a deep breath before gathering the courage to tell them everything. In my darkest thoughts, Aldrich Killian and Extremis are still a fresh wound. Steve starts looking at me worriedly the longer I don't say anything, and gently grabs my hand.
"Clearly you all remember my last mission with the Mandarin manhunt. I'm sure SHIELD has a report on what happened at that oil compound, right?" I mutter softly.
The two of them nod.
"Well...Pepper wasn't the only one to undergo Extremis from Killian."
"And your father found a cure for her." Natasha remembers.
Steve's eyes widen in realization.
"You were never cured for it..." He says.
Natasha's footsteps falter as she comes to a slow stop. Her eyes are wide with fear and worry for my well being I can tell.
"Wait...you mean..."
"That I'm literally a ticking time bomb? That I can explode from Extremis? Yeah..." I shrugged.
I let go of Steve's hand and continue walking, hoping to gain some distance as I try to lighten the mood and get us going again.
"But hey, I haven't exploded yet, so that must be a good sign right?" I joke.
"This isn't funny, Tyra. You could die." Natasha shouted.
"News flash, sweetheart, I've already died. It was not fantastic and I don't recommend it. I would joke about YOLO, but I'm living twice so..."
Natasha shakes her head angrily and catches up to me in a jog. Planting a firm a hand on my shoulder.
"Tyra, if your father was able to make a cure...I can be damn well certain that you're smart enough to do so as well. So why haven't you?!" Natasha snapped.
I merely roll my eyes as I peel her hand off of my shoulder.
"And you think I haven't already tried, Natasha?" I scoffed. "My body structure and DNA are completely altered because of Extremis. It's quite literally apart of me. I can't change it anymore! And I've accepted it!"
"Tyra...I didn't know- -"
"Because like everyone else, you all just jump to conclusions." I glare at her.
"Tyra wait!"
I continue walking ahead, not giving Natasha a chance to talk as tears spring into my eyes.
For the next several hours, we travel on foot, quite literally back to D.C. It seems like Steve already has a destination in mind as he tells us where to go, so I merely follow him and keep my distance from Natasha. Soon enough, we're walking into someone's backyard after hopping over a fence.
"We're not breaking into someone's house are we?" I timidly asked.
"No. This is Sam Wilson's house, I think he's the only guy right now that we can trust." Steve answered.
Steve walks quickly to the back door, and knocks quickly. In seconds, a handsome African American answers as he pulls back the curtains to the sliding door. He recognizes Steve and smiles as he unlocks and opens the door.
"Hey, man." Sam smiled at Steve.
"I'm sorry about this. We need a place to lay low." Steve said.
"Everyone we know is trying to kill us." Natasha added.
Sam stops to weigh his options before opening the door wider enough for us to come in.
"Not everyone." Sam nodded at us.
Sam let's us enter his home one by one until we're all safely inside. Suddenly, I'm stopped by Sam, who is looking at me with wide eyes.
"What the fuck..." Sam grins. "Tyra Stark?!"
Sam excitedly moves to shake my hand.
"Listen, I'm a big fan of yours. It's awesome to meet you in person. I'm glad you're not dead for what it's worth." Sam chuckled. "I'm Sam...Sam Wilson."
I can't help but blush from his attention and give him a polite smile after he lets go of my hand.
"Nice to meet you, Sam." I greet.
"So, if you don't mind me asking- -how aren't you dead right now?" Sam asks excitedly.
I shake my head and chuckle as I clap a hand on his shoulder.
"Let's just say I came back to the land of the living." I merely reply.
Sam lets out a laugh at this, finding it amusing, but somehow I don't think he truly believes me.
"Riiiiggght."
I raise an eyebrow and fold my arms before cocking my hip to the side.
"I wasn't joking." I smirked.
"Shit." He bites his bottom lip to hold back another grin.
Sam wraps an arm around my shoulder as he leads me through his home to an empty and unused bedroom.
"This is the guest bedroom, feel free to take a shower for however long you'd like."
"Nice, does this shower come with your company or is that extra?" I joked.
Sam lets out a charming laugh and I can't help but feel at ease around the man. Sam walks over to the door and gives me a wink before shutting the door behind him.
I like him...he's interesting. I can see how Steve was able to easily befriend him.
I close my eyes and nearly melt against the warm water as it gently sprays me. I take my time in the shower considering I hadn't had one in days since we'd been on the run. I used the shampoo and soap that was already in the shower and smile at the scent of fucking cherry blossoms. I could tell that this room had belonged to a female roommate at one point. Minutes pass until the dirt and grime is gone and I feel much more relaxed coming out of the shower than I had been in days. I blush deeply when I see Steve sitting on the bed and notice I'm in nothing but a towel. Steve's eyes widen slightly and he quickly stands up.
"Um...uh S- -Sam told me to bring these to you." Steve stammers. "He said that they belong to his cousin."
I see a change of women's clothes on the bed, and then finally make the connection to the 'mysterious' female roommate. Before Steve can walk to the door, I stop him, and grab his hand.
"...um...something on your mind?" Steve gently prods.
I nod and sigh as I release my hold on his hand before taking a seat at the edge of the bed. As my eyes close, I wonder if Steve has left, but I reopen them after a few minutes and am surprised to still find him in the room with me. Steve looks like he's deep in thought much like I am, that the past few days have finally caught up to us.
"I don't know what I'm doing anymore." I mumbled softly. "I never thought I'd ever say something like this, but I wanna settle down. Is it selfish to want that?"
Steve looks surprised to hear me say this, but he shakes his head as he also sits down right next to me on the bed.
"Of course not." He replies. "Is that what you really want though? To just...settle down?"
I can't help but scoff and hold my face in my hands.
"No...I don't...I don't know." I stammer. "All I know is...I'm just...I envy other people. They get to live a normal life, have fucking babies, get married, but...I'll never be able to have that."
Steve can't help but chuckle softly and his hand grabs ahold of mine before I realize it. He places a soft kiss to the back of my hand, and it's the most affectionate I've seen him since that moment we shared in the apartment I had as "Roxanne Taylor." I let out a small gasp at the sensation and feel myself shiver. I couldn't tell whether it was from the fact that I was in nothing but a towel and had wet hair.
"I fucking missed you. More than you'll ever realize." I muttered. "But...I don't know if I'll ever get to show it. I'm just...I've been molded into a monster, a- -a weapon...these past few years broke me, Steve. I don't know if I can fix it this time, I always seem to fail...I'm not good enough." I shake my head.
Steve's face melts into a saddened expression as he sees me in such a weakened state. Finally, he gently grabs my chin and tilts my head gently to make me face him.
"How could you ever think that you're a failure? You've accomplished so much, and you did it all on your own." Steve told me. "You always continue to surprise and amaze me with your compassion towards others. And despite everything that's happened to you, you always take it in stride and hold your head up high."
He...he really means it? He thinks that highly of me?
I blink away tears as my bottom lip quivers.
"I'm sorry if I've been a little distant and angry...I was just hurt. I've missed you so much after I thought you died, and you were right here this whole time." Steve finished.
I rip Steve's hand from my face as something inside me snapped. I push Steve back slightly and throw a leg over until I'm in his lap. Steve's eyes flutter shut as his hands grab at my waist. Our foreheads are now pressed together, our breath mingling together as I gently drape my arms around his shoulders and press my body completely against his.
"Fucking...fucking stop me, Steve." I breathed out.
Steve doesn't say anything, but gives me a small shake of his head. Finally, I press my lips to his and my surroundings begin to fade. I don't feel anything but Steve as our kiss grows from timid to warm and passionate. Before things can pick up further, we hear footsteps out in the hallway making their way towards us. The sound gets louder, and as the two of us separate quickly, I grab the clothes Steve got for me and shut the bathroom behind me. My heart pounds in my chest as I catch my breath, longing to go back out there and throw caution to the wind.
Holy hot damn, Steve.
"I made breakfast. If you guys...eat that sort of thing." Sam teased.
"Thank you." I smiled.
My mouth watered as we all sat together in Sam's kitchen. I was starving, but managed to control myself and used the table manners I was taught as a child.
But man did I really wanna dig in.
"So, the question is: who in SHIELD could launch a domestic missile strike?"
"It's obvious isn't it? Pierce." I replied.
"Who happens to be sitting on top of the most secure building in the world." Natasha added.
"But he's not working alone, Zola's algorithm was on the Lemurian Star." Steve mentioned.
"So was Jasper Sitwell." Natasha nodded.
"So, the real question is: how do the three most wanted people in Washington kidnap a SHIELD officer in broad daylight?" Steve chuckled.
"What do you mean three? They're only after Roxanne Taylor." I smirked.
Sam interjects with a smirk on his face as well before dropping a file in front of us on the table. Steve's the first to grab it and glances back Sam in confusion.
"The answer is, you don't." Sam says.
"What's this?" Steve opened the folder.
"Call it a resume." Sam replied.
Natasha picked up a photo of Sam with his pararescue team.
"Is this Bakhmala? The Khalid Khandil mission, that was you." She looks impressed.
Natasha turned to Steve, playfully glaring at him.
"You didn't say he was a pararescue." Natasha said.
Steve picked up another picture, staring at it for a brief minute before speaking up again.
"Is this Riley?" Steve asked.
"Yeah." Sam mumbled.
"I heard they couldn't bring in the choppers because of the RPGs. What did you use, a stealth chute?" Natasha looked intrigued.
"No. These." Sam replied.
Sam hands Steve a file as I get up and stand behind Steve, leaning on his back to get a closer look at the file.
"I thought you said you're a pilot." Steve looked confused.
"I never said a pilot."
"I can't ask you to do this, Sam. You got out for a good reason." Steve frowned.
"Dude, Captain America needs my help. There's no better reason to get back in. Plus Iron Woman is here! Come on!" Sam grinned.
"You know, I've always hated that name. I don't know who started Iron Woman. It's so...cliche." I chuckled. But just out of curiosity, Sam...where can we get our hands on one of those things?"
"The last one is at Fort Meade, behind three guarded gates and a twelve-inch steel wall." Sam answered.
Natasha, Steve, and I exchange looks amongst each other before nodding.
"Shouldn't be a problem."
Steve throws down the file on the table as we all stand up to get a move on. I notice that it's a classified military project called Falcon.
It's very fitting if I'll be honest.
"So, you sure you wanna get into the field without that mask on?" Natasha asked me.
"Yeah...I'm done hiding. You can have it though." I tossed it over to Natasha. "Don't worry, I washed it." I smirked.
Natasha gently folds it up and puts it in one of her pockets.
"Thanks."
I waited patiently with Steve and Natasha as we waited for Sam to make his move on Jasper Sitwell. I saw Sitwell leaving Senator Stern and I laughed inwardly at the irony of it all.
Oh my god, that asshole was HYDRA this whole time? Go fucking figure!
I use a device of mine to listen in on the call with Sam and Sitwell. Sitwell's phone rings, thinking it's from Pierce and begins to answer the call after ordering his men to go.
"Yes, sir." Sitwell answers.
"Agent Sitwell, how was lunch? I hear the crab cakes here are delicious." Sam spoke up.
"Who is this?" Sitwell tenses up.
"The good looking guy in the sunglasses, your ten o'clock." Sam says.
Sitwell turns to look in his surroundings, but doesn't see Sam.
"Your other ten o'clock." Sam rolled his eyes.
Sitwell turns the other way to spot Sam sitting a few feet away from him.
"There you go." Sam smiles at him.
"What do you want?" Sitwell asked.
"You're gonna go around the corner, to your right. There's a grey car, two spaces down. You and I are gonna take a ride." Sam informed him.
"And why would I do that?" Sitwell glares at Sam.
"Because that tie looks really expensive, and I'd hate to mess it up." Sam smirked.
Sitwell seems nervous as he looks down at his tie where he notices a red glowing dot from a laser. Then, looks up to see Natasha aiming a gun down at him.
Check and mate, bitch.
Steve picks up and throws Sitwell across the rooftop we're on, Natasha and I following closely behind him.
"Tell me about Zola's algorithm." Steve demanded.
"Never heard of it." Sitwell shrugged.
Oh...so we're gonna play that game huh?
"What were you doing on the Lemurian Star?" Steve asked.
"I was throwing up, I get seasick." Sitwell smartly replied.
Steve pushes Sitwell until he's at the edge of the rooftop, but Sitwell doesn't even seem remotely scared and just smiles.
"Is this little display meant to insinuate that you can throw me off the roof? Cause it's really not your style, Rogers." Sitwell chuckled.
"You're right, it's not. It's hers." Steve nodded.
Steve stepped aside as Natasha moved forward.
Without a second thought and without a single word, Natasha kicks Sitwell off the roof. I could hear his screams as he plummets down.
"Holy shit." I grinned. "That was awesome."
"I thought you'd like that." Natasha smiled at me.
Natasha turned to Steve, changing the subject for a moment.
"Oh, wait. What about that girl from accounting, Laura...?"
"Lillian. Lip piercing, right?" Steve asked.
"Yeah, she's cute." Natasha nodded.
"Yeah, I'm not really ready for that." Steve shook his head.
Wait...are they talking about Steve dating?
I give Steve pointed glare as I fold my arms.
"You really think that now is the time to talk about this?" I asked.
"I know you're in love with him, but come on Tyra- -" Natasha teased.
"Shut it." I growl lowly.
Our conversation is cut short when Sam, in his Falcon jet-pack suit with wings, flies back up to the roof holding Sitwell and tosses him down on the rooftop again. Sitwell looks ready to throw up and scream at this point, but as Steve and Natasha approach Sitwell, he immediately gives in.
"Zola's algorithm is a program, for choosing Insight's targets!" Sitwell confessed.
"Called it!" I shouted.
"What targets?" Steve pressed on for more answers.
"You! A TV anchor in Cairo, the Undersecretary of Defense, a high school valedictorian in Iowa city. Bruce Banner, Stephen Strange, anyone who's a threat to HYDRA! Now, or in the future."
Stephen Strange huh? Why is that name so familiar anyway? I feel like I might've met the guy once. Didn't really like him. At all.
"The Future? How could it know?" Steve questions.
Sitwell laughs at Steve's reaction before responding.
"How could it not? The 21st century is a digital book. Zola taught HYDRA how to read it." Sitwell said.
Steve and Natasha look at him in confusion, not picking up on it.
But it was more than obvious to me.
"He's talking about our bank records, medical histories, voting patterns, e-mails, phone calls, your damn SAT scores. Zola's algorithm evaluates peoples' past to predict their future." I told them. "Am I right?" I glared at Sitwell.
Sitwell finally notices me and his eyes widened as he recognized me.
"What the fuck? Tyra Stark?" He muttered.
"And what then?" Steve turned back to Sitwell.
"Oh, my God. Pierce is gonna kill me." He sighed.
"What then?!" Steve snapped.
"Then the Insight Helicarriers scratch people off the list. A few millions at a time." Sitwell finished.
Holy shit snacks.
Sam begins to drives us to the Triskelion.
"HYDRA doesn't like leaks." Sitwell spoke up.
"So why don't you try sticking a cork in it?" Sam snapped.
"Insight's launching in sixteen hours, we're cutting it a little bit close here." Natasha mentioned.
"I know. We'll use him to bypass the DNA scans and access the Helicarriers directly." Steve replied.
"What?! Are you crazy? That is a terrible, terrible idea." Sitwell argued.
I suddenly felt nervous and look around outside the car.
"Guys...I don't have a good feeling about this."
"Did you have another vision?" Natasha asked.
"No but...call it a gut feeling. Something's not right."
Suddenly something lands on the car roof. I saw a glimpse of a metal arm and grew worried immediately.
"WHAT THE FUCK?!" I scream.
SHIT!
The Winter Soldier pulls Sitwell out through the back window and throws him into the oncoming traffic, which instantly kills him. He starts shooting at us until Steve pulls the brake handle, causing the Winter Soldier to drop down onto the street as another car smashes into our car and pushes us towards him. The Winter Soldier jumps back onto our car, smashing through the windscreen as he pulls out the steering wheel.
"Shit!" Sam yelped.
"THE NERVE OF SOME PEOPLE!" I shouted.
Natasha doesn't hesitate to shoot at him, but the Winter Soldier jumps onto the vehicle behind us. I could feel my heart skip a beat as the car is being pulled off the road. Steve holds onto the car door.
"Hang on!" Steve yelled.
"Steve!" I cried.
Steve breaks open the door, holding onto Natasha and Sam, as the car door slides through the streets. But Steve failed to get to me in time.
"Tyra!"
Steve looked at me with wide eyes along with Natasha.
"FUCK!" I screamed.
I closed my eyes as I was flying through the car, and braced for impact.
FLASH!
"I can't believe it...you sound just like JARVIS..." I stared at the android with wide eyes.
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ms. Stark. I know how fond you were of the AI known as JARVIS, but I can assure you that I am not the AI you once knew. My name is Vision." The red android smiled at me politely.
"So...JARVIS is gone?" I blinked away tears.
Vision's smile faltered a little as he came over to me and wiped away a tear with his thumb.
"If it's any consolation, JARVIS will always be with you. In your heart, within your memories..." Vision told me.
I nodded as I felt myself crying.
"I'm sorry for the tears, it's just..."
"JARVIS was always there for you, you thought of him as more than just a program, you always intended on building him a body because you thought of JARVIS as your friend. I understand completely, Ms. Stark." Vision nodded in understanding.
Everyone stared at Vision with curiosity as he wrapped his arms around me. I was puzzled by the gesture and slowly embraced him as well, accepting the hug.
"I believe this is what you do when you comfort someone, am I correct?" Vision asked.
"Yeah...it is."
Maybe Vision wasn't all that bad. He seemed more kind than I believed him to be at first.
"Thank you." I mumbled softly.
I no longer felt myself sad, but it wasn't as if I was happy either.
FLASH!
I gasp as my eyes fly open, and immediately see my skin glow red from Extremis being activated to heal and protect my body. I wince as I sit up in the middle of the road and see absolute chaos everywhere around me. In the distance, I see Winter Soldier firing a fully loaded weapon at Natasha and Steve. I get up immediately, cracking my neck before running right at him. Thankfully for me, the bastard didn't see it coming. I tackle him from behind, jumping on his back as I start heating up my body temperature and work hard to burn him. In an instant, he has me off of him with very skilled movements. Then, he starts walking towards me with a Michael Myers slow walk. I dodge his first attack and throw a punch to his face. He's clearly not expecting me to actually land a hit on him, staring at me in surprise.
"That's for the car wreck, you asshole." I growled.
Then, the two of us run at each other and fight.
The Winter Soldier moves almost gracefully as we fight each other. For a man that's slightly bulky, he moves very fast on his feet, and uses his weight towards his advantage. In the middle of our battle, I get ahold of his metal arm and wait for my hand to glow red as I make an attempt to melt off his arm. The Winter Soldier panics, and kicks me off of him and looks down at his arm, growing angry as my hand print is branded onto it.
Take that, you douche!
I punch him in the gut as he's distracted, but then he grabs my arm and shoves a knife into my shoulder. I'm shoved away from him and look up from the ground to see the Winter Soldier approach me with a gun in his hand. Before I can comprehend what is happening, Steve jumps into the fight as well and attacks him. After battling it out some more, Steve knocks the Winter Soldier's mask off. He glances back at Steve again, and I could clearly see the shock on Steve's face. It reminded me of the vision I had not too long ago, but then it was slowly starting to make sense.
Steve knew this man. From back in the day.
"Bucky?" Steve mumbled.
"Who the hell is Bucky?"
I see Bucky going to shoot at Steve, ready to kill him without a second thought, but Sam flies in and pushes Steve aside. Natasha came over and help me up as Bucky throws a bomb at Steve and runs away. Steve deflects the bomb with his shield as it explodes, and in the distance we can hear sirens sound off. In mere seconds, we're completely surrounded by HYDRA agents being led by Rumlow.
Because of course that fucker is one them!
"Drop the shield, Captain! On your knees! Get on your knees! Now! Get down! Get down!"
Steve does as he's told and holds his hands up. I yank out the knife in my shoulder and toss it to the ground as other HYDRA agents surround me.
"Get on your knees! Down!"
Rumlow kicks at Steve's leg and forces Steve to kneel down.
"Don't move."
Rumlow glances up at the helicopter flying above us and warns the agent holding Steve at gunpoint.
"Put the gun down. Not here. Not here!" Rumlow told him.
The agent slowly lowers his gun before the HYDRA agents then take Steve, Sam, Natasha, and I into custody.
I held Steve's hand as the tension inside the van grew tenfold. I felt terrible for Steve, knowing how horrible this must be for him right now. He told me many things about Bucky, including how he died in action.
"It was him. He looked right at me and he didn't even know me." Steve mumbled softly.
"How's that even possible? It was like seventy years ago." Sam seemed confused.
"Zola. Bucky's whole unit was captured in '43, Zola experimented on 'em. Whatever he did, it helped Bucky survive the fall. They must have found him." Steve said.
"None of that's your fault, Steve." I spoke up.
"Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky." Steve squeezed my hand.
Sam glances over at Natasha, seeing that she's bleeding from her shoulder and looks over at the guards expectantly.
"We need to get a doctor here. We don't put pressure on that wound she's gonna bleed out here in the truck."
My eyes widen from surprise when one of the guards pulls out an electric rod and neutralizes the other guard to knock him out. The guard pulls of the helmet, and there in front of us is Maria Hill.
"Well shit...I wasn't expecting that." I faintly smiled.
"That thing was squeezing my brain." Maria sighed.
Maria glances at me and she looks completely shocked.
"I guess Fury wasn't lying...it really is you." Maria stared at me.
"You knew?" I looked at her in confusion.
"Fury told me." Maria nodded. "Come on...let's get going."
Maria took all of us to a secret facility. As soon as we get there, a man runs towards us, looking worried over Natasha's wound and tends to it.
"GSW. She's lost at least a pint." Maria informed him.
"Maybe two." Sam spoke up.
"Let me take her!" The doctor tries to escort Natasha away.
"She'll want to see him first." Maria stopped him.
Hill escorts us into a room. We were all confused at first, not sure where this was going as we follow her. When we make it to this room, all of our jaws nearly dropped when we saw what was before us.
Fury's alive?!
"About damn time." Nick smiled.
Several minutes later, Natasha finally let's the doctor treat her wound and listens to what Fury has to say.
"Lacerated spinal column, cracked sternum, shattered collarbone, perforated liver, one hell of a headache." Nick told us.
"Don't forget your collapsed lung." The doctor mentioned.
"Oh, let's not forget that. Otherwise, I'm good." Fury chuckled softly.
"They cut you open, your heart stopped." Natasha spoke up.
Wait a minute...did he do the same thing I did when Killian held me captive?
"Let me guess, you used something to slow your pulse." I smirked.
Fury looks at me in surprise that I managed to figure it out, but he returns the smirk as he nods in confirmation.
"Tetrodotoxin B. Slows the pulse to one beat a minute. Banner developed it for stress. Didn't work so great for him, but we found a use for it." Fury answered.
"Why all the secrecy? Why not just tell us?" Steve asked.
"Any attempt on the director's life had to look successful." Maria told us.
"Can't kill you if you're already dead. Besides, I wasn't sure who to trust besides Stark." Nick looked towards me. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you by the way." Fury apologized to me.
"Why are you sorry?" I frowned. "I'm not holding it against you, Fury. It's okay, you had a lot of shit on your plate."
Fury smiled at me, happy from my response.
Several minutes, later, we get serious and begin to discuss more important things. Fury grabs a picture, it was of Pierce.
"This man declined the Nobel Peace Prize. He said, "Peace wasn't an achievement, it was a responsibility." See, it's stuff like this that gives me trust issues." Fury smiled faintly.
"We have to stop the launch." Natasha grew angry.
"I don't think the Council's accepting my calls anymore." Fury smartly replied.
Fury opens up a case which contained three chips.
Okay then?
"What's that?" Sam asked.
"Once the Helicarriers reach three thousand feet, they'll triangulate with Insight satellites becoming fully weaponized." Maria explained.
"We need to breach those carriers and replace their targeting blades with our own." Nick added.
"One or two won't cut it. We need to link all three carriers for this to work, because if even one of those ships remains operational a whole lot of people are gonna die." Maria finished.
"We have to assume everyone aboard those carriers is HYDRA. We need to get pass them, insert the server blades, and maybe, just maybe, we can salvage what's left..." Fury said.
"We're not salvaging anything. We're not just taking down the carriers, Nick, we're taking down SHIELD." Steve snapped.
"SHIELD had nothing to do with it." Fury stared at him in disbelief.
"You gave me this mission, this is how it ends. SHIELD's been compromised, you've said so yourself. HYDRA was right under your nose and nobody noticed." Steve glared at him.
"Why do you think we're meeting in this cave? I noticed. Hell, Stark was the one who came to the conclusion about HYDRA in the first place." Fury scoffed.
"And how many paid the price before you did notice?" Steve retorted.
"Look, I didn't know about Barnes." Fury sighed.
"Even if you have, would you have told me? Or would you have compartmentalized that too? SHIELD, HYDRA, it all goes." Steve grew angry.
"He's right." Hill mumbled.
Fury glances over at Natasha, then Sam, and finally me.
"Don't look at me. I do what he does, just slower." Sam folded his arms.
"Nick...don't." I mumble softly.
"Well... Looks like you're giving the orders now, Captain." Nick stared directly into Steve's eyes.
We arrived at the Project Insight headquarters, and I stop as Steve puts his hand on my arm.
"I want you to be the one to do it." Steve told me.
"Really?" I raise an eyebrow.
"You found out about HYDRA...I feel like it's appropriate." Steve smiled. "Plus, what better way to make an appearance than to announce to a lot of people that you're not dead?" Steve joked.
"Alright. I dig it so far, sounds fun." I grinned.
I hugged Steve as I went with Sam and Maria. The door opens and the tech guy is shocked when he sees Steve, Sam, Hill, and myself on the other side of the door. Sam and Hill immediately point their guns at him.
"Excuse us." Steve told him.
The tech merely raises his hands up and steps aside to let us enter.
Alexander Pierce begins addressing the World Security Council members, which was when I decided to use that microphone to the PA systems, making sure SHIELD and HYDRA are listening in, making sure everyone in the building can hear this. I relax in my seat, holding the microphone and finally speaking up.
"Attention, all agents. This is Tyra Elizabeth Stark speaking." I smirked.
I could hear my voice echoing throughout the building, so I continued to talk.
"I know right? I'm not dead, I never was, so the jokes on you! You've heard a lot about my friends and I over the last few days, some of you were even ordered to hunt us down. Shame on you especially Agent Rumlow, you bastard." I chuckled.
I could hear Sam trying to stifle his laughter, and Steve elbowed me gently to get to the point.
"But I think it's time you know the truth, something none of you have probably heard of in a very long time, I bet you don't even know what the truth is even if it bit you in the ass, but don't worry, I'll break to you slowly."
I glanced at Steve as my smirk fades. It was time to get serious.
What would Steve say?
I turned back around in my seat and spoke into the microphone again.
"SHIELD is not what we thought it was, it's been taken over by HYDRA. Alexander Pierce is their leader. The STRIKE and Insight crew are HYDRA as well. I don't know how many more, but I know they're in the building. They could be standing right next to you as we speak. They almost have what they want: absolute control. They shot Nick Fury and it won't end there. If you launch those Helicarriers today, HYDRA will be able to kill anyone that stands in their way, unless we stop them. I know I'm asking a lot, but the price of freedom is high, it always has been, and it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one, then so be it. But I'm willing to bet I'm not." I concluded. "So get to work, bitches."
With that, I put the microphone down, turning back to look at the others. Steve seemed proud of my small little speech.
"Did you write that down first, or was it off the top of your head?" Sam asked.
"Mostly off the top of my head." I smirked.
Steve, Sam, and I began to make our way to the Helicarriers, determined to put a stop to all of this once and for all.
I can't believe that SHIELD is over...better yet, I can't believe that I worked for SHIELD.
"Hey, Cap, how do we know the good guys from the bad guys?" Sam asked.
"If they're shooting at you, they're bad." Steve replied.
Sam, uses his Falcon suit, and flies off as Steve and I head down. HYDRA agents started shooting at all of us. Sam flies around in the air, strategically taking down HYDRA agents from the air.
"Hey, Cap, I found those bad guys you were talking about." Sam said.
"You okay?" Steve asked.
Sam flies off again as more HYDRA agents continue to shoot at him.
"Not dead yet." He answered.
We continued on with the Helicarriers, trying to take them all out. For the most part, I was able to fend for myself and get to my destination as Sam flew up with Steve onto the last Helicarrier.
I guess there were some things that Extremis was useful for.
"You know, you're a lot heavier than you look." Sam commented.
"I had a big breakfast." Steve joked.
My eyes widened as Bucky appears and pushes Steve off the edge.
"Steve!" I screamed.
Sam beats me to it and flies off to help Steve, but Bucky grabs one of his wings and throws him away with sheer strength. Sam doesn't hesitate and starts shooting at Bucky. As he flies off again, Bucky uses his weapon to rip off one of Sam's wings and proceeds to kick him off the Helicarrier.
"SAM!"
"I'm alright. I had a parachute." Sam contacts me through his earpiece.
I nearly sigh in relief before getting ahold of Steve.
"Cap? Cap, come in. Are you okay?" I called out.
"Yeah, I'm here! I'm still on the Helicarrier."
I notice Steve hanging off the Helicarrier and run over to him before helping him back up.
"Where's Sam?" Steve asked me.
"I'm grounded, the suit's down. Sorry, Cap." Sam spoke up.
"Don't worry, we've got it." Steve glanced over at me.
"Come on, we have to keep moving." I said.
We finally make it inside of the Helicarrier, only to be confronted by Bucky Barnes. I was nervous and tensed up as I saw the cold expression on Bucky's face, and the look of pure guilt on Steve's.
This is not gonna end well.
"People are gonna die, Buck. I can't let that happen." Steve spoke up.
Bucky only glares at Steve and I in response.
"Please, don't make me do this." Steve seemed conflicted.
Bucky refuses to back down, and surprisingly, Steve was the one to make the first move as he throws his shield at him. Steve manages to bring up the targeting blade system, but as Bucky attacks him, the chip falls from Steve's hand.
"Get it!" Steve yelled at me.
I nodded and ran as fast as I could.
I finally make it down below grabbing the chip and trying to make my way back up. I froze when Bucky stares at me while fighting Steve.
Shit. I gotta hurry up!
Bucky moves quickly and smoothly, making his way over to me after stabbing Steve in the shoulder with a knife. I start running at this point towards the main console, which was when Bucky picks up his pace. I jump and scream as Bucky's suddenly in front of me, kicking me back several feet. I get up quickly before he can make another deadly attack, and punch him in the gut with sheer strength. He actually crumples to his knees before me.
He wasn't as focused as last time...he's slipping.
I managed to get several hits on Bucky and he only grows more angry as the fight progresses. Punches and kicks are thrown at each other, and using moves that I learned from Natasha, I manage to swing my body around him. Then, I start running towards the main console again with the chip in hand. Then before I know it, I find myself falling to the metal floor as Bucky tackles me from behind and rips the chip from my grasp. I fight against him and thrash from underneath of him, before I feel a sharp pain in the back of my neck. Bucky's off of me as I get up, my vision disoriented as I grasp around my throat and struggle to get air.
That bastard literally stabbed me in the throat!
My vision blurs as Steve and Bucky start fighting over the chip again. I feel around desperately for the entry wound, and finally, manage to pull out the knife embedded in my throat. I gasp for air, wobbling over to the main console as I glance back at Steve.
"Steve." I breathed out.
Steve manages to hear me, and I wave a hand at him. He understands the gesture, and gets back to retrieving the chip from Bucky. When Steve breaks Bucky's arms, he strangles him until the man falls limp. Steve then grabs the chip and rushes off, tossing the chip over to me. I manage to catch it in time and make it to the console, but before I can put it in, something sharp pierces my brain. I'm being flung to the side from the force, and find myself just below the console. It takes me a seconds to register that Bucky had shot me right in the head.
My head...what's...what's going on?
"TYRA!" Steve screams.
I'm roused out of it and manage to get back up again as Extremis heals my wounds. I see Steve look incredibly relieved as I begin to move once more.
"Thirty seconds, Cap! Tyra!" Maria informs us.
"Stand by." Steve replied.
As soon as I manage to get the chip inside the console, I fall and crumble to the floor once again as the sharp piercing sensation in my head returns.
When I find myself awake, it's within a hospital bed. I glance over from the corner of my eye to see Steve and Sam conversing beside my bed. Then, Sam gently nudges Steve after spotting that I'm awake. Steve gets up immediately from his chair and rushes over to my side, and I find myself at a loss of words.
"W...what the fuck happened?" I muttered softly.
"What's the last thing you remember?" Steve asked.
"...Bucky...he...was..." I closed my eyes. "He shot me..."
"Yeah, he did." Steve nods. "Twice."
"But you accomplished the mission!" Sam smiles nervously.
"D- -don't...don't smile like that..." I chuckle breathlessly. "Makes you look...look weird."
Steve grabs my attention again as he gently grabs my chin and turns my head to face him.
"Hey, listen. You were shot in the head twice, and if it weren't for that Extremis thing, you wouldn't be here right now. The doctor's told me that while your brain is healing itself, that you really need to take it easy."
"Okay." I nod slowly.
Steve presses a kiss to my forehead and smiles down at me.
"You really had me scared."
"Well I'd be scared too. I look fucking gross right now." I joke.
Sam snorts at this and shakes his head.
"Oh yes, because the bandages wrapped around your head look disgusting." Sam teased.
"See?" I muttered weakly.
Steve and I were released from the hospital after a day or two, but things didn't get easier. I could tell how much Steve missed Bucky, and how he wanted his friend back more than anything in the world. In the midst of getting out of the hospital, we're told to meet with Fury.
It was ironic that we were meeting at Nick's grave though.
"So, you've experienced this sort of thing before?" Nick referred to his tombstone.
"You get used to it." Steve nodded.
"We've been data-mining HYDRA's files. Looks like a lot of rats didn't go down with the ship. I'm heading to Europe tonight, wanted to ask if you'd come." Nick glanced at Steve and I.
"There's something I gotta do first." Steve replied.
"What about you Stark?" Fury smiled at me.
"You're seriously going to ask me that? I believe I recall you telling me that you would never ask me for another favor again." I smirked at him. "Besides, I gotta go let my old man know that I'm alright. I think two years is enough time away from home."
Nick nodded at me in understanding, shaking my hand as I began walking away.
"How about you, Wilson? I could use a man with your abilities." Fury asked.
"I'm more of a soldier than a spy."
"Alright then."
Sam and Steve shake Fury's hand as they begin parting ways.
"Anybody asks for me, tell them they can find me right here." Nick told them.
Fury looks to his gravestone once more before he walks away. Natasha approaches us as he leaves.
"You should be honored, that's about as close as he gets to saying thank you." Natasha said.
"Not going with him?" Steve asked.
"No." She shook her head.
"Not staying here?" I spoke up.
"I blew all my covers, I gotta go figure out a new one." She smiled at me.
"That might take a while." I commented.
"I'm counting on it." Natasha smirked.
Natasha pulled me in for a hug and kissed my forehead.
"I'll be calling you in a week. Let me know if you scare your father." Natasha joked.
"Can do, Romanoff." I mock saluted her.
I moved over to Steve last after giving Sam a hug. I pull Steve to the side, giving him a solemn look as I grab his hand.
"Steve. If you ever need me to help you with...with Bucky. I'm here. Don't hesitate to ask, I'll help you find him, I know how much he means to you." I told him.
Steve gave me a small smile and squeezed my hand.
"I'm holding you to that. Be careful getting back home, let me know how it goes with Tony. I'll see you soon."
Steve pulled me in for a warm embrace, pressing a light kiss to my cheek without Natasha noticing. I began walking away to a car that was lent to me by Fury. After getting in the driver's side, I find my hand rest on the steering wheel for several seconds. I stare back at Steve and Natasha, giving them a small wave as I finally drive away.
Home here I come...
The road trip back took about five to eight hours, but I was able to make it back all the way to New York, after getting a tip from Fury that my dad had been living there with Pepper. My legs shook as I hacked into the mainframe and got into the building. As I make it into the elevator, I manage to track down my father, and hit the button on the floor he's on. The elevator moves slowly, and I find myself weak in the knees as I slump to the floor and sit down to catch my breath.
What do I say to dad?
I mean there was absolutely no way I could say something along the lines of, "Hey dad! How's everything for you?! By the way, I'm not actually dead!"
When the elevator comes to a stop, I stand up on shaky legs as the doors slid open. I could hear someone shuffling behind the minibar and slowly moved towards it.
"Mr. Stark- -" JARVIS spoke up.
"JARVIS, quiet, I'm trying to find my scotch."
I nearly froze as I felt myself crying, realizing that it had been so long since I've heard my father's voice.
"I believe you should see this sir- -"
"Unless you can find my scotch, put a can in it!" Tony snapped.
"But sir- -"
"Shut it JARVIS!"
I could hear more racket behind the minibar and I finally moved forward.
Holy shit...I think I can hear my heart pounding...I'm not having a heart attack am I?!
I finally decided to make myself known and cleared my throat with a cough loud enough for my dad to hear.
"I don't think getting drunk off your ass will help anyone."
There was absolute silence before I saw my dad slowly getting up from behind the minibar. His eyes were as wide as saucers as he stared at me in absolute shock. I took in his appearance, noticing that he actually looked better for the most part, which made me more than happy. I was just relieved that he was taking better care of himself.
Fury wasn't lying after all...he doesn't have his arc reactor anymore...
My dad slowly moved away from the minibar, looking unsure of what to do, or if this was real.
"So you did some remodeling huh? It looks nice in here." I tried making conversation.
"...Tyra?..." My dad's breath hitched.
We both moved forward slowly, one small step at a time, until we were both but only two feet away from each other.
"I know I have a lot of explaining to do, but I'm home now, dad. I'm finally home." My voice cracked.
"I'm not dreaming." My dad gasped. "Holy fuck. I- -I'm not dreaming...you're really here."
My dad put his hand over his mouth, barely holding back a sob as tears stroll down his face. As interesting as it was that I'd never seen my father look so emotional in my life, it only adds to my heartache when I realize that the poor man had been through so much. I can't help but smile warmly at him as I struggle not to burst out crying.
"No, you're not dreaming." I managed.
Finally, my dad lets out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in, before he smiles as well. He shakes his head as sobs shook his body, and then nearly tackles me as his arms wrap around my body.
This is probably the longest chapter I've written for this story, but I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I finally finished the Winter Soldier arc and am finally able to move on the Age of Ultron movie! I'M SO FUCKING EXCITED! WHOOOO! I'm sorry if the ending felt a little rushed, and I seriously cried as I wrote this last part regarding Tony and Tyra reuniting. Please don't be mean, I worked really hard on this chapter, if I got anything from the movie wrong, kindly point it out and I'll try to go back and fix it. I'M SO EXCITED! WHOOOOO!