Disclaimer: I. Am. A. Fangirl! Yes, I don't own Marvel…
Chapter 4
Saving Sergeant Barnes
Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff got their equipment ready to the journey ahead. Slipping into gear, the Russian assassin wore black form-fitting combat pants and knee high boots, paired off with a white tank top over one of Stark's bullet proof slim vests that didn't get in the way of her movements, and a black leather jacket, opting to go slightly inconspicuous without the trademark Black Widow suit. Steve, on the other hand was mulling over Natasha's point with going incognito and foregoing the Captain America suit. Her point was that although the Avengers were safe thanks to Tony Stark's legion of high-priced lawyers, military, and political influence, who knows what would happen once they stalk off near the borders and play hide-and-seek-hunt with HYDRA's former secret soldier.
Finally deciding that Natasha was right, Steve wore a generic Black-Ops combat suit and had his shield inside a knapsack on his back. If they were going on a wild goose chase and end up being on the wrong end of the fence, they at least knew not to bring the others down with them.
When they were making last minute checks of their gears, Clint bounded off where Natasha and Steve were huddled discussing the coordinates on the screen of Natasha's Stark Industries issued StarkPad.
"You're really gonna trust her?" Clint asked pointedly.
"It's the best lead we got," Natasha answered without looking up.
Clint huffed an indignant sigh before walking over one of the couches, sitting himself low and arms spread over the back and the arm rest. He didn't trust Hela because she was related to Loki, plain and simple. And the fact that she resembles him oh-so-unnervingly, he couldn't help but feel his skin prickle at the sight of her. And the way she was being vague about her reasons for helping Steve find his old pal didn't sit too well with the archer. Although Thor was vouching for his niece's credibility, he just can't quite feel good about it. Concerned for his teammates as he may be, he kept his face a mask of nonchalance; he knew he couldn't strongly oppose them, they wouldn't understand. He could still feel him in his head – it felt as if at any time, he's gonna break and he's gonna do horrific things to his friends with his mind being controlled by someone else.
Closing his eyes shut, Hela and Thor arrived at the lounge area where they found Steve and Natasha making preparations, and Clint idly sitting by in one of the couches. Thor missed the haunted look in Clint's face as he passed him while he made his way towards his cupboard of Midgardian sweet treats. Hela on the other hand had seen and felt his trepidation in her presence to know he didn't trust her completely, if not at all.
Moving silently to his left behind him, she rested arms over the back of the couch and leaned down so her head was level to his as she spoke softly, "You're going to have to trust me."
Startled, Clint narrowed his eyes and looked at her sideways. She was smiling amusedly while watching Steve and Natasha, and the way she looked at them was something akin to anticipation; she was definitely hiding something, "I don't usually trust people who can sneak behind my back unnoticed."
"Noted, but you still have to trust me," She replied. He noticed the lack of Asgardian flourish in her words, though she did keep an accent, English, very refined.
"What happens if I don't?"
Hela made a soft giggling sound, getting up from her leaning position at the back of the couch before leaving towards Natasha and Steve, but not before giving Clint a soft admonishing grin.
"They already left?" Bruce asked as he made it back from his short walk – avoiding the stress that is Tony Stark who kept making crude comments about him and their guest, resulting in a near Hulk out if he hadn't decided he preferred talking a short work in rush-hour New York than to stay indoors and tolerate Tony's antics. And boy was it hitting right on the marks.
"Yep, 'bout two hours ago," Tony replied casually, "Went with the other Bird Guy."
Bruce simply nodded his head, knowing that it was Sam Wilson that Tony meant. The guy had been somewhat staying with them since the incident in D.C. and had been helping the Captain located his friend. Walking past them, Bruce proceeded into the other side of the kitchen to make some tea, and also procured a small ceramic bowl from one of the cupboards to pour some milk into to his new found friend. Bruce smiled to himself in fond memory, remembering how the cat purred in his arm and quickly dozed off to sleep. He left him in his room to be fed later.
Thor was happily helping himself to some jelly donuts, muttering with a mouthful, "These treats, I like them!"
Tony piped up and gave him a toothy grin, "Yup! They're the best. Next to shawarma. Hey, can we get shawarma?"
Bruce groaned audibly and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Tony, how can you even think of shawarma right now, especially with all those food on the counter. Where did they come from?!"
Looking to the counter laden food of different assortments, Bruce saw six boxes of donuts, five giant pizza boxes, different pastries whose some names he can't even pronounce if he tried, and bags and bags of greasy fast-food. And there was also a stack of pre-made fresh salad from the organic deli from a few blocks down, and cartons of exotic, and probably expensive teas.
Bruce walked over to examine them and saw a noted taped on top of one of the salad containers which read: 'I heard the good Doctor only eats rabbit food. I hope this is alright'. And had a smiley face on it, along with other doodly characters.
"They're from Hela," Tony replied, wiggling his eyebrows at Bruce who he saw reading the note, "If this is some sort of alien courtship ritual, then I'm not complaining."
Bruce rolled his eyes and turned to Thor instead, "Is there any reason why your niece keeps giving us food?"
"I do not know Friend Banner," Thor replied after a bite of French pasty, "As I have said, neither of us has seen each other in a very long time."
"What's that about, Point-Break? Not seeing each other and all," Tony asked with piqued curiosity.
Thor swallowed his mouthful before responding, "She was banished, as well as her brothers. At one point, though I do not recall when it, speaking their names had been considered taboo amongst the Æsir."
"Wow, you Asgardians really take your banishment seriously, huh," Tony quipped before seeing the reprimanding look Bruce was giving him.
"What about Loki? She seems pretty concerned about him," Bruce asked instead.
"Aye, my brother loves his children truly, and so do they in turn," Thor began, "Hela was the last to be separated from him, and she was the one most severely ripped away to serve as Nifleheim and Hel's one, true ruler."
"You mean she hasn't seen him since?"
"Unfortunately," The Thunderer answered truthfully, sadness evident in his voice.
The room fell into silence after that, the only sounds to be heard was the occasional chewing and clinking of utensils as they had their fill of their meals.
Clint, who had been lying in the rafters the entire time softened up towards the strange woman, but not entirely. He still didn't trust her.
Steve, Natasha and Sam were closing in on the target; judging by the progress in distance since they received the tracker, it appears that the Winter Soldier was travelling by foot, in some unnamed road in Sinclair, Maine. They figured the soldier was trying to make it out of the border, from what they've concluded on his moves since he was last spotted in D.C.
With any luck, and they sure felt lucky – and if Hela wasn't lying or setting up a trap for them, then they may just be able to gain in on Bucky.
"Okay, we're a good five miles out from where he is," Natasha spoke, turning to look at Steve and Sam from behind, "you know the drill."
Sam first took off to confirm if the target really was in the area. The sound of his voice over the intercom confirmed the Winter Soldier's location. The breath Steve had been holding since receiving the packet was finally released into a sigh of relief. This was the first solid lead they had on Bucky and no one's going to stop him from making sure he comes back with him, with or without his consent. He's not about to let his friend live his life in misery without recollection of his past – no, Steve wouldn't have that. Bucky had always been there for him, now it was time for him to do the same.
They knew that he didn't expect them, but they were prepared for the worst possible scenario in case this mission blows over. Natasha kept the Quinjet in stealth mode, closing in on the site with Steve and Sam flying off into their positions.
Half a mile away from the target, Steve jumped off the Quinjet in a parachute; he never liked the floaty thing, but he wouldn't let his distaste get in the way of him now. The chute getting caught on the high branches of the trees where he landed Steve unfastened the straps over his chest and shot down on the ground in a forward roll. He was close, but the rustling up ahead indicated that the soldier was now feeling his surroundings. Steve held his breath once again and steadily let flow out of his mouth in one calming huff. Getting on his feet, he made a mad dash towards Bucky and used the propulsion of his speed to leap on the side trunk of a tree and charged down Bucky with the force of his weight and slammed down hard on his friend.
When the Winter Soldier got to his bearings, he swung a blow to Steve's face and forcefully kicked him in the gut and had a run for the other direction. Steve alerted of his moves quickly called over Falcon over the comms and the man dove down, the metal wings folding into his back as he landed on a crouch and started to rain a barrage of bullets towards the soldier, making him run towards their desired location.
"Okay Nat," Steve called over to his ear piece, "It's your turn."
Nodding to each other, Steve started to give chase while Sam flew back up into the air, making sure that the target stays in position.
As soon as the Winter Soldier got to the clearing, he was welcomed by more gunshots courtesy of Natasha from the Quinjet as she disabled the retro-reflective panels, revealing her position to the now cornered target, and before the Winter Soldier could retaliate, Sam flew swiftly behind him and injected him with a high dozed tranquilizer courtesy of Bruce Banner.
It was a quiet ride back to the Tower as Natasha and Sam manned Quinjet in front, Steve minding Bucky who was still knocked out – secured to a gurney with re-enforced straps keeping him for escaping should he come to before they make it to the Tower.
Author's Note: Yup, another chapter and it hasn't been 12 hours yet! You know the drill guys! Show me some love, please~?
