Morgan and Tessa fell from the ceiling and crashed against the hard concrete floor of the basement. Tessa groaned and rolled over, turning onto her hands and knees as she looked up, "What the hell?"
"Asgardian Enchantress. Magical, isn't she?" Morgan snarled, then looked up at the sound of heavy footsteps overhead. "She took your husband and he never came back. I think they reverted him back to his Winter Soldier programming."
"Yeah, I had the slightest feeling that was the case when he tried to gun us all down." Tessa hissed, putting her hand up to Morgan as the footsteps grew closer to the stairwell. "He's coming for us."
"What do we do? Does he have, like, a off switch or something?" Morgan questioned as she tugged Tessa to her feet and they moved around one of the massive cream storage crates to hide. Morgan picked up a heavy piece of pipe and lifted it up and down, trying to get a sense of how hard she could swing it.
Tess grabbed the pipe and pulled it down, but Morgan kept her grip on it. "He doesn't have an off switch, he's not a robot, he just has a metal arm! And you aren't going to bash his brains in, he's under some kind of a spell. He's still my husband."
"He. Is. Going. To. Kill. Us." Morgan said slowly, punctuating every word with her fingers together in an effort to make Tessa understand the gravity of the situation. "And I have no suit! Look!" Morgan tapped away on her band, but nothing happened. "What do you expect us to do?"
"The Avengers are on their way, your dad is in contact with them now, that's why he's not here." Tessa explained and Morgan looked around the crate when she heard footsteps coming down the stairwell. "Also they have some sort of tech scrambler on the building." Tessa added quickly moments before the door to the basement was kicked from its hinges, smashing into the opposite wall with a deafening clang.
Morgan leaned her head against the crate, looking up to the ceiling as she breathed heavily, "We're going to die."
"No. We just have to stay alive long enough for help to arrive." Tessa hissed, fiddling with the lock and finding it undone. "How hard can you throw that pipe?"
Morgan looked to Tessa questioningly as the small woman peeked around the crate, finding Bucky looking around a crate opposite the door. "On my signal, chuck it as hard as you can over there, okay?" Tessa pointed beyond their crate, hoping it would lure him in the wrong direction. Once Bucky was facing the opposite direction, Tessa hissed, "Now."
Morgan threw the pipe as hard as she could over the crates, causing a loud clanging that covered up the sound of Tessa opening the crate and shoving Morgan inside before sliding it closed. She pulled out her phone, trying to turn on the flashlight to look around. Morgan grabbed it from her hand, flipping it over and sliding open the back before shifting several of the levers, then getting the light to turn on.
Tessa looked at Morgan curiously, but the girl just shrugged and whispered quietly, "Dad let me play with his tech. This phone is so old the tech scrambler probably doesn't effect it."
"Cool. Thanks." Tessa deadpanned, then shoved her hand over Morgan's mouth. She used her free hand to put her index finger up to her mouth, carefully shoving her phone in her pocket so the light would diminish. Morgan's eyes followed the light at the bottom of the crate, seeing the shadow of the Winter Soldier passing in front of them.
They held their breath, seeing him pause in front of them for a moment too long for comfort. Finally, he continued moving and Morgan swallowed, shifting ever so slightly until her foot bumped something metal. She clenched her teeth and grimaced, praying the Winter Soldier didn't hear her blunder, but if Tessa's petrified expression was any indication, she'd given their hiding spot away.
Tessa carefully pulled out her phone again, shining the light on the ground to reveal that they were standing among boxes of explosives. She looked up and mouthed 'shit' to Morgan as the girl very slowly knelt down to pick up one of the grenades and study it. She tilted it side to side as Tessa grabbed a crowbar from atop one of the boxes and wedged it into the doors. "That won't keep him for long, if at all." Tessa muttered under her breath, jumping when the sound of vibranium smacking one of the crates echoed through the basement. "What should we do?"
"Make a run for it?"
"He's too fast, too strong. There's no escaping him." Tessa mumbled, hearing vibranium against metal again. "He's getting closer."
Morgan looped her finger through the pin of the grenade and backed up carefully so she was almost to the doors at the front of the crate. "How close?"
The sound of the Winter Soldier's metal hand clenching the handles gave Morgan her answer and she prepared to pull the pin. The Winter Soldier ripped the doors away, using his right hand to reach in for Morgan. Morgan pulled the pin and and dropped the grenade, yanking the door back from the Winter Soldier as he realized what was happening. The Winter Soldier grabbed Tessa and moved back a few steps, using her a shield as the grenade rolled a few feet from the crate before going off and sending Bucky and Tessa flying backwards from the crate. Morgan pushed open the door to see the man lift his metal hand, studying it for damage as the vibranium plates shifted back into place.
Morgan scrambled out of the crate, taking off running as fast as she could while he stood and began stalking the younger girl, leaving Tessa without a second thought. Bucky's heavy footsteps chased Morgan toward the stairs, and she slipped in a futile effort to push herself to go faster. When she flipped onto her back she found him hovering over her, reaching down with his right hand.
He clenched her throat and lifted her up as she clamped her hands onto his forearm in an attempt to keep him from separating her head from her body. Morgan kicked out at him, but he didn't feel a thing beneath his vibranium blue vest. "Tess!" She choked out, praying the woman was still alive. "Help. Me."
Morgan began to fade, lilting her head as it became harder to breathe. Her eyelids began to droop and she let go of his arm, allowing herself to go limp.
Tessa finally pushed herself to her feet, seeing what her husband was doing, "Bucky, please! Don't do this!" She cried, stumbling into the wall as pain shot down her spine. The assassin lifted his head to look at her, but didn't let go of the girl, so Tessa forced herself a few steps forward. "James Buchanan Barnes. That's your name, do you remember it? Do you remember me? Your wife?"
He faltered a moment, squishing his face in confusion as Tessa cried out, unable to stand anymore. "If you kill her, you can never come back." Tessa wept and he took one step toward her, eyes wide and disoriented as Morgan groaned and reached back up to his arm. Tessa gasped, feeling the pain radiate through her, but this was working. She swallowed hard, lifting her hand from her stomach to find it covered in blood. "Come back to me, Bucky."
He looked up, dropping Morgan and stomping toward Tessa with his steely eyes blown out, "I have to complete my mission, by any means necessary."
"Then finish it, soldier." Tessa groaned, leaning her head back against the wall to look up at him as he reached her. She tugged the dog tags and his ring from her neck, snapping the chain and holding it out for him. She smiled sadly, finally understanding what it must have felt like for Bucky to be under Hydra's control all those years. Perhaps he'd never come out of it, and he'd never realize what he did. Tessa didn't wish that for her husband, but she knew it would numb the pain. He reached toward her with that vibranium hand and Tessa stared at it with her big brown eyes, resigned to her fate. "I guess it's the end of the line."
Bucky pulled his arm back quickly and she lulled her head back to look up at his bewildered expression, "What did you just say?"
As Tessa tried to think of a way to explain why that struck Bucky, something fast and dark tackled him from behind and they rolled away from her. Tessa blew out the breath she'd been holding and let her head droop, knowing the cavalry had finally arrived.
The Winter Soldier rolled to his feet to face off against the Black Panther as the warrior brandished his claws. "We can help you, Sergeant Barnes. We did once before, and we can do it again." Before Bucky could retaliate, another Wakandan landed beside the first, lowering his mask to reveal King T'Challa.
"Where is your friend?"
Bucky charged the first man, pummeling him to the ground as T'Challa turned to Tessa, reaching out for her to take his hand. "You'll need medical attention."
"I need my husband to be okay." Tessa groaned as T'Challa helped her to her feet, allowing her to lean against him. "Please don't hurt him."
The Black Panther clawed at Bucky's vest, but Bucky kicked him away against a wall before turning back to Tessa and T'Challa. He started to charge toward his wife until the floor began to shake under his feet. He looked toward the door in time to see the frame get smashed away and the Hulk appear. Banner lumbered slowly forward, studying the Winter Soldier for the first time.
"Hey Buddy, I know things are a little confusing right now, but we'll get you sorted out. I just need you to come with me." Banner coaxed as Kate Bishop and Cassie Lang appeared on either side of him, striding forward to block him off. Kate had her bow and arrow ready, aimed at the soldier as they moved slowly toward him, waiting for Banner to make the call.
"No!" Bucky screamed and charged at Banner, catching Kate Bishop's arrow in midair with his left hand as he threw his body against the Hulk. Banner threw him off, but he landed on his feet and swung his head to the right, catching a glimpse of Sam Wilson crouching next to Morgan. "I have to complete my mission." Bucky strode forward, causing Morgan to cry out and try to crawl away. Sam stood quickly, but couldn't do anything to stop his former partner.
"Barnes!" Sam yelled before being hurled into the wall. "Stop!"
"Stay away from my daughter." Tony snarled as he appeared beyond the stairs. At the sight of Stark, Bucky straightened and changed his course. Tony saw the shift in his intentions and scuttled farther into the room toward Tessa and T'Challa, "Guys, what's he doing?"
"I have a mission to complete." Bucky repeated, picking up pace as both Black Panthers tackled him to the ground. The younger man clawed at his metal arm while his father kicked his stomach, shoving him back a few steps as Tessa leaned against Tony.
"The second panel from the top- right below his shoulder. Swipe it left twice and it'll unlatch." Tessa groaned as her legs shook and eventually gave out. Tony went down with her, holding her face with both hands as she panted, "It's how he switches out his arm. And a fail safe in case this ever happened again."
Tony stood as Sam latched onto Bucky's neck, trying to choke him as the Hulk held back his arms against the wall, but he yanked them free and used his leg to kick Banner away before ripping Sam over his head and turning back to Tony. "Shit."
"Language, Stark."
Tony looked up as a blast of gold smashed into the basement from the floor above, landing between him and the assassin. Carol's hair floated as she smiled at Barnes knowingly, smacking her wrists together and leaning into a fighting stance. "You all couldn't clean this up?"
"Second panel from the top." Tessa called as she closed her eyes, "Just, don't hurt him."
"Can't make any promises." Captain Marvel mumbled, launching off of her heels and smashing into Bucky to hold him down. Tony slid over to remove the vibranium arm, sliding it away as T'Challa leaned down and pressed a kimoyo bead to Bucky's neck as he settled into sleep.
"Stark, she's not doing so hot over here!" Sam called from where he sat with Morgan, the girl clenching his hand but barely able to stay awake. Tony sprinted towards his daughter, landing on his knees to cradle her as she leaned against him. Sam stood as Tony brushed down her hair, kissing her head and holding back tears.
Banner knelt beside Tessa and she smiled sadly at him, "I'm not optimistic about my chances."
"She's got metal embedded in her abdomen, she needs a hospital ASAP." Bruce called to the group and T'Challa leaned down beside Tessa, putting a kimoyo bead in her wound.
"To stabilize it until we can get her help." T'Challa said quietly as his son's mask faded away, revealing a young man in his twenties who watched the exchange in fear. At Tessa's weak smile, T'Challa introduced the boy, "My son, Amandla. The Black Panther." T'Challa motioned for his son to sit with Tessa, "I'll try to contact Shuri. She'll know what to do about Sergeant Barnes."
"But the tech scrambler-" Tessa mumbled against Amandla's shoulder, beginning to feel the ache in her gash subsiding from the technology.
"We were able to take it out with a little help from the King. We're back online." Sam explained with a smile, kneeling down to talk to Tessa, "Where are the others?"
"I- I don't know. Somewhere above us." Tessa hissed, "They used the anti-serum on Steve. You have to go after them."
Sam stood slowly, taking in this information before looking around to make a plan, "Captain- you, me, and Banner head upstairs to help Rogers. Kate and Cassie help Tony get Morgan and Tessa medical attention while T'Challa and his son stay here with Barnes."
"Sounds like a plan." Carol grinned, beginning to float above the ground when lightning struck the hole in the wall where she'd entered. "Looks like backup is here."
Thor surged forward with Stormbreaker in hand, staring down the Avengers with a smirk, "It has. But not for you."
Tony looked to Banner with a questioning gaze as Bruce spit out, "What?"
Thor started running forward, lifting Stormbreaker and bringing it down on the Hulk with Bruce holding it up as best he could, "Thor? What's the matter with you?"
"I can't let you leave, by any means necessary." Thor warned as T'Challa grabbed onto the demi-god to pull him off of Bruce, but he was quickly tossed away. Thor summoned lightning around the room, and the Avengers scattered in an attempt to evade the onslaught.
Kate looked to Cassie and groaned, "I expected a lot of shit from this mission, but sure as hell not this."