Chapter 2 Rzhavyy
No matter the flight, one hour or 21 hours it's always long and tiresome. Sam, Bucky and Annie were back in D.C. awaiting the results of the last mission. All three were hoping for a longer time to be at home but the world never stops turning. As they waited at a long and empty table Sam was looking over something else.
"Steve always liked the idea of little houses for us," Sam pointed out to what the new Avenger's compound would look like. Bucky was looking at the grounds, lay out and schematics with him. Annie sat across from them wondering if she would be with them if the Avenger's needed to be assembled. Was she ready for a fight like that? They fought monsters, aliens and magic, something she was never trained for. While she did not go up against Thanos she's seen him in pictures and the ruins he caused in the final battle upstate New York. She's seen the reports on Thor and Loki, she's accessed the Gamma project which was a stem from the Super Soldier program. She's read all about this from her time in S.H.I.E.L.D and yet could she ever go up against something like Thanos?
The door then opened with Rhodey and Bucky stood up to sit back with Annie while Rhodey placed files down and started to cue up the screen. The stack of files looked like more than what Annie accessed.
"This is everything from your missions with HYDRA, Dreykov and the current files you accessed." Rhodey explained as the lights dimmed and the screen turned on. "It ain't good." Annie sighed wondering what was compiled. "We're gonna skip over this,"
"Why?" Sam asked while Rhodey clicked through some slides.
"Known history of HYDRA and the Red Room, old news." Rhodey answered and then stopped. "Ok, HYDRA disbanded when Steve found out S.H.I.E.L.D was corrupted back in 2014,"
"Jesus," Sam muttered. "That sounds like a lifetime ago." Because it was and what they know now, it created a hole in everything.
"From there small pockets of HYDRA were infiltrated and taken out. The last known active base was that in Sokovia 2015, Steve and the Avengers shut it down." Rhodey explained moving through the slides. "It wasn't until the Sokovia Accords did smaller retired so to speak HYRDA operatives popped up. Zemo brought them out but in theory the Winter Soldier project completely shut down in 2016."
"So, no real action until now after Power Broker restarted the serum." Sam added and Rhodey shrugged. "Alright…"
"Nothing active but from what you guys uncovered…HYDRA has been busy little bees." Rhodey finished and Bucky's face went a little blank. "As far as the Red Room, there are Widows out there still but since Dreykov's death we haven't seen or heard of any direct activity." That didn't make Annie feel better though. "Looks like there was another sub project from HYDRA that began in the Cold War."
"Steve never knew of this?" Bucky asked and Rhodey shook his head no.
"I don't think S.H.I.E.L.D knew even as HYDRA grew within it." Rhodey continued to add words that didn't make Sam, Annie or Bucky feel better. Bucky knew a lot about HYDRA but there were things during cryo sleep he was unaware of; he just remembers his missions and not much more in between. "Here's what the project was called, and it was going to be another addition to the Super Soldiers," Rhodey then pulled up a slide. "Bucky," Rhodey looked to the army sergeant. "This project has everything to do with you."
Bucky looked to the screen as he felt Annie take his hand under the table. Sam looked to Bucky and both men locked eyes for a moment. Bucky looked to the project name, and it was called 'Adam i Yeva'
"Not liking it so far." Sam spoke up.
"Adam and Eve?" Annie asked and looked over to Rhodey.
"So, to sum it up during the Cold War, Russian scientists were trying to take their top soldiers and scientists and transform them into Super Soldiers." Rhodey started to explain.
"That's nice." Annie deadpanned.
"Well, the US found out and any serum we had from Steve and now we know about Isaiah, we hid it away." Rhodey continued. "The Winter Solider managed to get it from Stark back in the 90s after the Cold War."
"So…the Russians failed…?" Annie asked hoping for a solid yes.
"Not entirely," Rhodey then clicked a button as Annie let out a worrisome sigh. "They still had Bucky," And Bucky didn't like this. "These people that volunteered would be genetically alerted and controlled and then hopefully give birth to a new line of people. The males were Adam and the women, Eve."
"That's messed up, who would want to do that?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, who would let a German/Russian scientist experiment on them so they could protect their country?" Bucky asked but also that summed up what Steve did.
"These people were given extra genes to make them smarter, stronger and faster." Rhodey went on.
"Mutations?" Annie asked and Rhodey nodded.
"But there was a downside, it was the extra genes given." Rhodey continued and Annie wasn't sure if she actually wanted to know. "So usually, a normal person male or female we have 46 chromosomes. The Super Soldier serum never added additional chromosomes just enhanced what was already there. These people were given duplicates chromosomes 4,5,12,16 and 22." Rhodey finished.
"Why these?" Sam asked looking to Rhodey.
"It was to heighten strength and intelligence." Annie answered and looked to Sam. "Dreykov focused on this too when looking for potential Widows." And Sam gave a disgusting look. "He had connections to hospitals to know."
"He stalked from birth?" Sam asked just to confirm, and Annie nodded. "Christ," Sam muttered. Hearing what Annie and Bucky endured already and what they're learning now made him sick. "Isn't having extra chromosomes bad though?" And Rhodey nodded.
"Extremely," A voice added, and Sam smiled and got up to greet Bruce, everyone seemed to be used to him being physically the Hulk, but the mind was all Banner. Bruce nodded to Annie and Bucky. Sam sat back down as did Rhodey so Bruce can take over. "Too many or too little chromosomes cause defects."
"Do we want to know theirs?" Bucky asked and Bruce sighed.
"No but in order to move forwards we need to." Bruce answered and Bucky looked back to the screen. "These extra chromosomes caused the men and women to be both suicidal and homicidal. There are notes of extreme psychotic symptoms and after birthing some children before the collapse of the USSR the project was abandoned."
"Finally, something HYDRA did right." Sam added.
"Well…it left some deeply disturbed people and…we know where they are." Bruce finished and pulled up a picture of a few men and women. "These were the volunteers." Looking at these people knowing their lives were ruined was awful. "As far as the files provided and cross referencing, they're all dead." Bucky lowered his head a bit. "But the torture continues," Bruce then went to another picture. There were children in these pictures, and they all looked…the same. The boys looked the same as each other as did the girls.
"Oh my god," Annie whispered seeing the children as Bucky's eyes were locked to the screen. Bucky then looked back to Bruce and Rhodey.
"It was Bucky's chromosomes they replicated and tried to use." Bruce finished while looking at the screen. Each of the boys looked alike and all resembled that of Bucky, the girls were the same. "We're looking into the whereabouts of these children and…we've managed to find one that's alive and she's here in the states."
"Where?" Annie asked.
"In prison for the mentally insane." Bruce answered. "I'm not sure what answers you'll get from her." Bruce didn't sound hopeful. "As far as the group of boys…nothing mostly because they were all named Adam or Eve and given numbers one through ten. They could be dead for all we know," Bucky then got up and stormed out of the room. Annie looked to Sam, and he nodded. Annie got up and followed Bucky.
"What the hell?" Sam asked looking to Bruce and Rhodey. "Genetic mutations, cloning?" Bruce was quiet for a moment. "There's more isn't there?"
"Yeah…" Bruce answered, and Sam stood up and began to pace the room. "Natasha went back to the ruins of the Red Room, the second time and…" Bruce then clicked a button. "HYDRA wasn't done," Sam read what was going to be in store for the Widows and his face twisted in disgust. He rubbed his eyes and face frustration.
Annie managed to find Bucky outside as he caught some air.
"I…" Annie went silent because what could she say.
"While I was in cryo…" Bucky trailed off and looked to Annie. "They…" He didn't finish but he was assaulted in his sleep. Annie slowly approached him as he turned away. "God, I thought I had everything already taken from me but…this…" He went silent once more. "I need to find this Eve,"
"Bucky," Annie wanted him to slow down for a moment.
"I need to know," Bucky paused again still trying to understand what it is he heard and what it means now. Annie placed a hand on his shoulder trying to offer any comfort she could.
"Guys," It was Sam and they both looked to him. "There's more," But he knew after hearing everything would they want to know more.
Everyone was back at the table after some water and a breather.
"Annie," Bruce looked to her and she looked at him. "You know this part already with the chemical subjugation," Annie didn't nodded but let out a sigh. "From these reports Alexi and Melina posed as US citizens with two young girls Natasha and Yelena in order to gain HYDRA secrets." Bruce started and Annie looked back to the screen. "They managed to infiltrate S.H.E.L.D and found that they HYDRA because it was, managed to literally deconstruct the human brain and accessed voluntary motor movement, learning all of that," Bruce clicked to the next slide showing the breakdown of the brain. "Dreykov used that to kill free will for the Widows." Sam and Annie connected eyes for a moment. "The Super Solider serum allowed that, the serum helped unlock the brain."
"Alright so these small science projects have been shut down…why is this so important now?" Sam wasn't sure if he wanted to know more.
"Because the data dump Natasha managed again after killing Dreykov and taking out the Red Room a second time indicates HYDRA and Dreykov were going to merge." Rhodey answered.
"How?" Bucky asked.
"The Cold War project and the chemical control," Bruce started. "Adding extra chromosomes was bad. But looking for people, girls in particular that show a genetic likelihood of increased intelligence and strength and using the Winter Solider…"
"They were literally gonna breed them." Sam cut Bruce off. "You're saying that Bucky was going to be used, forcefully, with Widows and create a whole new line of Super Soldiers." Annie and Bucky sat silently for a moment. "You're saying the one Eve that has managed to live is Bucky's child along with any of the Adams if any are alive? You're saying at one-point Dreykov wasn't going to sterilize a few girls and save them for Bucky?"
"That's enough." Bucky stopped Sam understanding what this meant. Bucky then looked to Annie as she was in a blank stare looking to the table. She thought she knew enough of the Red Room's secrets but there was more.
"It's true," Bruce sounded sorry for bringing this up. "The Winter Solider was going to be the Widow neutralizer and…the patriarch…" Bruce trailed off and the room was heavy. This was a lot to process, to unpack. Bucky was going through his head trying to remember anything else other than his missions. Someone violated him at some point with no knowledge. Then to think if the Winter Solider was still here, if HYDRA was still active what would have happened to Annie? What if she was going to be part of that sick plan? That made his blood boil.
"Bucky?" Annie's voice was in a whisper as he looked to her. She knew there was nothing she could say to help either one of them. She then reached out placing a hand on his shoulder just to offer some sort of comfort. Bruce knew this had to be hard. He especially felt for Annie, she was a Widow once herself like Natasha. There was pain and torture and when he heard who she was and how she's helped he just knew he needed to help to. Natasha would be here to help if she could. Annie and Bruce made eye contact for a moment and then went back to the screen.
"These were just plans and hope." Bruce didn't know what else he could add. "It was all a dream so," It was his way of saying everything was ok. Bucky then shook his head ever so slightly.
"HYDRA is never done." Bucky started. "A new serum was created for HYDRA, the Snap kept them from using it. That base was active, the one we went to." Bucky explain and Rhodey nodded.
"Where can we find them now?" Sam asked. Bucky leaned back in his chair folding his arms across his chest thinking. "What about Siberia? Where you were kept?" Bucky shook his head no.
"Steve, Tony and myself destroyed that place. It was vacant when we got there." Bucky answered. "But this Eve, she might know something."
"You want to talk to her?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, we're family." Bucky answered and Annie let out a sigh.
The trio pulled up to a state mental hospital just outside of D.C. and the car just sat there for a bit in idle. Bucky sat next to Sam in the front as Annie was in the back. She sat up getting between them looking at the building.
"Alight, we go in, see if this Eve knows anything, we leave." Sam stated the plan and Annie nodded. She then looked to Bucky and he looked to her, she forced a small smile to him and he knew she was trying. Sam turned the car off as it was time. Bucky got out and opened the back door for Annie, something she was still getting used to. Rhodey then pulled up and was going to escort them in to make sure they would get access.
A warden guided the group to a different part of the hospital, and it only seemed to get darker and more sinister. This where society dumps the insane when they no longer can be handled. They come here to live out their days and die alone.
"Alright, any weapons, firearms, phones, keys, loose jewelry, anything needs to be placed here." The warden explains as he grabbed a bucket. Sam, Bucky and Annie started to dump out their pockets. Sam just had keys, a handgun, phone and wallet. Bucky the same minus the keys but a knife along with a small gun. Annie however put in her wallet two handguns, a knife, wrapped up wire, and a small bundle of her red stunners. The boys looked to her as she finished.
"Oh wait," She then took out her phone and put it in the bucket. Rhodey was wondering where she managed to put all that. Sam found it amusing because she is a Widow, Natasha would have done the same thing. "Ok,"
"Here are some panic buttons," The warden started. "And a flashlight."
"What the hell?" Sam asked as he took the flashlight.
"She has photosensitive, bright lights will cause extreme headaches for her and she has started to go blind in one eye because of lights." The warden answered. Sam and Bucky looked to one another wondering what they were in for. "Alright, the door will be locked behind you but there will be a guard outside, knock when you're done." Then a loud scream was heard and Annie slightly jumped grabbing Bucky's metal arm almost instinctively. "You get use to the screaming. Let's go." And they followed the warden to a door. He opened it and Sam, Bucky and Annie went inside. Sam turned on the flashlight and in a corner found someone in a straight jacket huddled up.
The older women turned away from the light that was shining on her. The woman finally looked at them still trying to keep the light from her eyes. Her hair was tattered, it needed a good wash and cut, her skin was dry; she was probably slightly dehydrated. Her eyes was a bit sunken in but she had the same blue eyes as Bucky.
"Hello?" Sam asked and the woman looked straight at Bucky and looked on him. She went to get up but not only was she in a strait jacket she had shackles on too. That lunge she did startle all three of them as they leaned back.
"Looks like father is finally home." She sat back down still staring at Bucky. "I know who you are. I've seen your pictures on the wall Winter Soldier."
"I'm not the Winter Soldier, not anymore." Bucky assured her.
"Loosen these shackles, then we can talk." Eve's voice was raspy and cold.
"Nah, I think you need them for a good reason." Sam jumped in.
"Oh no, bad reason all bad." She smiled showing her rotting teeth. "I watch and one nurse, it was just a nibble on the face, but she didn't seem to like it." She then laughed and as Annie felt so unsettled. "It was just harmless fun." She then licked her lips as the three stood there. "Who's the pretty one?" She looked to Annie, but they weren't going to answer. "You want to give me an IQ test?" She seemed to enjoy this. "I know I can top it, we're very bright, we Winter's Children." She then looked to Bucky again. "Intelligence runs in the family."
"What about the others? Where are they?" Annie finally stepped in. She wanted to get some sort of answers so they can leave.
"I'm all that's left." Eve answered with no hesitation. "I can't feel my brothers or sisters anymore." Her voice went from chipper to sadness. But that didn't mean for the trio to let up their guard. She then turned back to them. "You," She directed her attention back to Bucky. "You're one of them you know what's happened to us. Been locked up here for years and for what!" She was getting angry now. "What reason? No reason! I did nothing, I did nothing wrong!" She then pulled at her strait jacket. "They made me! But I'm suffering, I'm here not them. I was poked and touch, tested." She was letting out some frustration. "You know what they did right? How they did it?"
Sam wanted to see how much more information he could get.
"How?" Sam asked.
"Him," Eve looked to Bucky. "My donor mother was given him. And they made us." Eve settled and then nodded to another direction. "That's my family." The three then looked to a tattered picture taped to the padded wall. It was six boys and six girls all had Bucky's eyes, similar jawline. "Family." Eve looked back to the trio. "Cut off the head and two more take its place." She then looked straight to Bucky. "Hail HYDRA." She whispered and balled up in the corner.
Rhodey saw the trio leaving then hospital and all three looked disturbed as they got into the car silently.
Bucky sat quietly thinking. The woman he spoke to locked up in that cell was his daughter. Right? That's what she was in some way. Just when he thinks HYDRA can't get worse, they do. Bucky let out a sigh and looked up seeing Sam standing there. The conference was so large when empty.
"Part of me knows exactly what was done, how and who that woman is…" Sam trailed off lowering his head just slightly. "The other part of me doesn't want to know." Sam then took a seat next to Bucky. "Please, talk to me Buck." Sam looked to his friend as Bucky seemed to be just staring off to nothing.
"That's not my daughter." Bucky started. "That woman was made in a lab." He was distancing himself as much as he could. "Before Steve, pre-serum Steve, it was just my parents, my little sister and me. We were the perfect American family. Then I see this scrawny kid from Brooklyn trying to fight off people twice his size. He was always too dumb to back down from a fight." Bucky let a chuckle out. "I followed that scrawny kid into battle even though he wasn't scrawny by then. I'd die for him." Bucky then looked to Sam. "When HYDRA took me, I had nothing. My family moved on and I became a monster. Now…" Bucky paused. "I have more than I thought I would ever get." Sam then looked to Bucky and let a small smile form. "I have you, the boys, Sarah…I have Annie and…" Bucky nodded. "HYDRA, they're not my family." It meant Bucky was trying to separate himself from this. He is no longer the Winter Soldier; those were the Winter Soldier's children not his. Those children were born out of force and science not love and connection. He would love if he and Annie could have their own children but who would want to bring children into this current world.
"I'm sorry man." Sam offered, this was a lot and more horrifying secrets of HYDRA just keep coming. "We'll expose them for what they've done." It was all Sam could offer at the moment. Sam reached out placing his hand on Bucky's shoulder for comfort. Bucky reciprocated and placed a hand on Sam's extended arm taking the reassurance. "Let's get a starting point and go from there." Bucky nodded and shifted in the chair to get up but in doing soon made something fall out of his pocket. Sam saw it and went to get it for Bucky.
"Wait," Bucky realized what fallen out, but it was too late. Sam held a small black box and opened it. His eyes widen a bit seeing the diamond ring. He then looked to Bucky. "It's nothing ok, I thought Annie might like it…"
"This is an engagement ring." Sam stated as he held it. This wasn't some ring from a mall to give as a gift. Rhodey then walked into the conference room to get the boys but the scene before him was odd. Bucky was sitting in a chair, Sam on one knee before Bucky holding out a ring. Sam and Bucky looked at Rhodey knowing this was very awkward. Rhodey threw his hands up letting them know there was no judgement and left them alone. Sam got up handing the box back to Bucky as he stood there. "You need help setting up for the question?" Sam offered and Bucky let out a faint chuckle and a sigh as he stared at the ring.
"I have no idea when or how I'll ask." Bucky answered and then closed the box and put it in his pocket. "I don't even know if she'll even say yes."
"She will." Sam assured his friend. "The moment you two met I saw it." Then there was a knock and it was Rhodey again.
"So, what will the theme?" Rhodey poked some fun at them.
"Uh, shabby chic." Sam played along.
"You might want to see this." Rhodey started and the two boys followed him. "We're still decoding some files but in the process we found this." He stopped in front of another small room. Annie was there sitting in front of a TV with something playing. The three men went into the room as weird images and cartoons played. Annie turned to them.
"This is what I would watch when I was little." Annie stated and went back to watching. "It was subliminal messages all of it." She then paused it and sat there for a moment. Bucky saw the stoic look on her as she reached for something. It was a little black box that was salvage by Natasha from the Red Room wreckage. She then pressed a button. 'Using the only natural resource that the world has too much of…girls. Look at them. These girls were trash, they are thrown out into the streets. I recycled the trash, and I give them purpose. I gave them a life.' She then stopped the recording. She wanted to smash the box as a flood of memories hit her. Instead, she set it down staying silent.
The day was coming to end and it was nasty day filled with returned emotions and new ones. Annie replayed so many memories from her past, things that she buried. Sam was passing out some food at the little table, Chinese takeout it was always comforting. Bucky looked to Annie as she was in her own head.
"Anastasiya, detka, posmotri na menya." Bucky looked to her and Annie looked up. Sam knew if they were speaking in Russian it was to reconnect as former assassins, to reground them somewhere. Sometimes it was secrecy to protect each other. Sam was taught a few code words as well. "Chto ty dumayesh'?"
"I had nothing," Annie's voice cracked. "I was nothing." Bucky got closer to her as Sam held back frustration. "Those walls, the Red Room, it's all I ever knew. I did everything because I knew nothing. Why? Why did I do it? Same reason why a hamster runs endlessly on the wheel, no choice."
"What we did all those years, it wasn't us." Bucky assured her as Steve assured him once. "It wasn't you, you didn't have a choice."
"I know and I'm trying to actually do some good, I don't want to be some mindless trained killer." Annie sighed. "But I still am; hearing his voice, seeing that video…what his plans were just a few years ago for you…" She has suppressed the emotions and it has only been as of late with Sam and Bucky she's processed the memories. If anything, she has purposely blocked the memories and created new ones. Bucky nodded because he agreed, he didn't want to be a killer, but all the memories were there, the muscle memory was there. Bucky took her hand into his to keep them both grounded.
"Shared trauma," Bucky whispered, and Annie nodded. Sam knew they would both be ok, but it was time to put aside the memories and think what to do with information they have.
"Maybe we should go back and talk to this Eve." Sam suggested while Annie and Bucky started to eat. "She knows a lot more than what she's giving."
"She was raised in HYDRA and with that means you'll die before giving up any secrets." Bucky stated the difficult task that was before them as he sighed eating the ride. "She might bend a bit, but she won't break." Sam sighed a bit knowing the rabbit hole was getting deeper. As Bucky and Sam tried to get a working plan together Annie sat there quietly.
"Annie, you have any ideas?" Sam asked but as he turned to look to her, she was looking around the room as if she heard something. "Annie?"
"Shh!" Annie stood up and Bucky looked around as Annie slowly took out her small gun. Sam stood up trying to listen. Annie held her gun up as the boys drew their weapons as Sam grabbed the shield. The three got closer to one another, backs together to have eyes everywhere. Annie looked up to the ceiling and then to the boys. She put away her pistol as Bucky already hoisted her up as she crawled in. Bucky then took the shield as Sam did a quick running start and Bucky gave him a small boost. Bucky tossed the shield to Sam and he and Annie reached for Bucky as the former assassin jumped up. They placed the ceiling tile back in it's spot and kept still for a moment.
Just then the door was kicked down and the three could hear feet moving and lot of them. The shield was propped out in front of them as they remained huddled together waiting. They heard someone give out orders and the order was in Russian. As much as Sam wanted Annie or Bucky to translate, he knew it probably wasn't good. Bucky gave a military hand signal to move and the three moved slowly away as to not make any noises and minimize any movement to be detected.
Just then Annie grabbed Bucky pulling him closer while at the same time shoved Sam back as bullets went through the ceiling. Annie stood up, grabbing two of her pistols, aimed down and started to fire. Sam crawled to Bucky with the shield to block any bullets.
"No!"Bucky yelled as Annie kicked the shield causing the boys falling into another room. Annie then started to run hoping that whoever was in the room would follow her. Sam started to make the call to Rhodey for help as Bucky got up and held out his gun but the sound of the group heading away from them.
"Like I've said your girlfriend is tenacious!" Sam reminded Bucky as they knew what Annie was doing. She created a diversion, get these people to chase her while Sam and Bucky would take them out.
Annie jumped through the ceiling landing and as she turned around she saw two armed men running at her. She threw a few red stunners at them shocking them. A third one came running at her and she ran right at him, slid under him and fired at him taking him out easily. She backflipped back and did the classic Widow take down on another. She heard gunfire knowing that was Sam and Bucky not far from behind. She took down the armed man and saw Sam and Bucky finishing up a fight with three other people.
"Move it soldiers!" Annie ordered them as she literally kicked the last armed man away and fired nearly point blank at him. The three met up in the hallway but they not only heard many footsteps coming up the stairwell, but a shadow could be seen down the hall coming towards them. Sam held up the shield as Annie and Bucky formed up ready to fight. The shadow turned the corner. It was a tall man, built, clad in black armor, goggles and a mask covering his face and on his left shoulder was the HYDA symbol. He held out a mini grande launcher and Sam braced himself knowing this wasn't going to tickle. The man fired his weapon as Bucky stood behind Sam to brace him from the impact. The shield protected them absorbing the impact. Bucky ran towards the man while Sam and Annie headed in a different directIon
"Zimniy Soldat moy. Poluchite devushku i novogo kapitana." The clad man ordered, and the men ran off to get Annie and Sam.
"Who the hell are these people!" Sam asked and Annie and him kept running.
"Shoot now! Ask later!" Annie yelled back as they turned a corner. They went into another stairwell and went down to get out of the building. Annie took out her small grappling hook and Sam held on as they went down six flights of stairs. Once they reached the bottom, they both ducked as oncoming bullets rained down. Sam covered them both with the shield as the bullets kept coming.
The clad solider went to fire its mini rocket launcher but Bucky went low and for the waist catching this person off guard and thus knocking the rocket launcher away. After a few thrown punches and deflected punches Bucky realized how well they both matched. They matched too well and couldn't get an effective hit on one another.
Down at the bottom of the stairwell the bullets let up for a brief moment and Annie came out from the shield and started to rapid fire with her two pistols at the soldiers and managed to take out a few before they started to fire back. Annie was back under the shield with Sam as they both were trying to calculate their next move.
"How many more red stunners you have left?" Sam asked as Annie reached for them.
"Not a lot but, maybe enough." Annie answered and Sam nodded.
Bucky ducked from a swing and caught the man's fist in the metal arm holding it with ease. Bucky then managed to kick the man right in the knee rendering him down for a moment. The man then grabbed Bucky by the throat pulling him in. Bucky then reached for a small knife and took a swing cause the man to drop Bucky. Bucky then swung the knife quickly at the clad solider forcing him to step back. The solider held Bucky back as Bucky tried to drive the knife down into the man's shoulder.
Back in the stairwell the bullets stopped as the men went to reload. Annie stepped out again throwing the last of her stunners randomly at them. It disbanded them just long enough for Annie and Sam to run to the door and break out.
In the hallway the solider kicked Bucky back and then looked to the window as he heard something over his radio. Bucky heard that Sam and Annie were running on foot and he had to get up and find them fast.
Out in the streets as Annie and Sam ran to find a place to lay low a crash and what sounded like glass shattering was heard. Annie glanced back quickly seeing the black clad solider landing and her heart sank just a bit. Where was James? She reached out to Sam grabbing him to keep him close knowing they were being hunted. She had to channel her hunter's instincts to keep her and Sam to safety.
Annie pulled Sam closer and forced him to the ground as they crawled on the road and then behind some parked cars. Annie quickly checked her pistols to see what ammo she had left as did Sam. Annie pulled out two more magazines and gave one to Sam as he reloaded.
"Aim for the neck." Annie whispered to Sam. "It's the least protected." Annie added and Sam nodded. They both stood up and fired at the solider catching him off guard. It stunned him just long enough that Annie had one more red stunner and threw it at the man and the two continued to run. They ran hand in hand while yelling at those near them to run and seek help. The man pulled off the red stunner and had to reorient himself and looked up seeing his targets were further away.
Just then Annie and Sam noticed they were being fired at. So, they let go of each other's hands and ran in zig zags to make them less easy to be shot at. Annie stopped running and fired back at the man trying to buy more time for Sam and for Rhodey to show up. Annie then went back to running but she would tire out soon if she wasn't careful. Just then Annie felt a sharp pain hit her. She kept running but the pain and where the bullet hit slowed her down. The bullet went through her shoulder, and she was now on the ground. She started to crawl now and rolled under a car and started to crawl away again as fast as she could.
Annie sat up against the car looking around in the night, hearing people screaming and running. She was alone at the moment. She looked to her pistols as one was completely empty. She put it away and looked to her second one as her left arm was shaking in pain and blood was already running down to her hand. She checked the magazine and slammed it back in knowing she needed to make these last bullets count. She steadies her breathing as it's been sometime feeling the pain of a bullet.
Annie then quickly looked up seeing the man hovering over her aiming his small Uzi at her. Just then a red and blue shield hit the man causing him to fly back. Sam caught the shield and slid to Annie quickly assessing her injury. He pulled her closer knowing that the solider was coming for them and Sam was going to do what he could to protect them both. He pulled Annie up with him as they ran low behind the parked cars for cover. Annie held her injured shoulder, but she felt blood pooling under her hand despite the pressure. She then tripped as Sam went to get her.
"Just go! Go!" Annie ordered.
"Not leaving you!" Sam pushed back. She was his friend and a fellow combat solider; you don't leave your people behind. Sam the solider walking towards them, not running, they were truly being hunted. They could keep going but at some point this person will trap them, corner them and then kill them. Sam then pulled Annie to him, held out the shield while both he and Annie held out their pistols.
It was quiet now, the cool night air was here, the faint screams of those running were far down the street. Sam felt Annie shaking under him from the pain and losing blood. She leaned into him so their faces were close to one another. Sam knew Annie was listening, taking in her surroundings and trying to figure out a way to use it. This man could be anywhere now just toying with them.
Then Annie fired just above a car as the man jumped on the roof of a car. Sam held up the shield as the Uzi went off. Sam slowly got up with the shield holding the fire back. Annie then reached for a small knife and threw it as hard as she could. The throw was not without vain either as it landed right in the man's thigh. Widows can be taken out, but it was damn near impossible to kill one. Sam ran back to Annie scoping her up and took off running as the soldier still fired at them. Sam turned a corner to an alley and looked up.
"Go," He ordered Annie to climb the stairs of the fire escape on the side of the building. She started to but the solider was right there. Sam went to hold up the shield but something else caught his eye. Sam grabbed Annie, forcing her down covering her and then covered the shield over them.
Bucky held the small rocket launcher at the solider and fired. The solider flew over Sam and Annie and the missile exploded. The two looked over to the what was left of the solider as Bucky made his way to them. Sam got Annie into Bucky's embrace while he took off his sweater and made a field dressing on Annie's shoulder. Overhead helicopters started to show up meaning Rhodey was here.
"She needs medical attention." Sam added as he finished the dressing and Bucky lifted her up into his arms looking at the spattered soldier. "Who the hell was he?" Sam asked, as breathed heavily and was covered in sweat and the adrenaline still ripped through him.
"That was an Adam." Bucky stated and Sam nodded not likely the answer. The three backed out of the alley as a helicopter began to hover over them with service cars pulling up.
Annie was sedated for now as the last of a blood transfusion was completing. Bucky sat on the hospital bed andhad one of her hands in his. Sam sat across the way in a chair while Marvin Gaye played softly.
"I thought, I thought they were all dead?" Sam both stated and asked as he looked to Bucky. Bucky rubbed his eyes not knowing how answer that because there were no answers. "How did they know to find us?"
"I don't know but," Bucky paused looking to the door of the hospital room. Outside of the room were armed guards to protect them. "We need to call Sarah, get her and the boys elsewhere for now.
"There's a cabin about three hours from there, I have them already packing, Sarah already pulled some cash too." Sam sounded worried because now Sarah and the boys could be in danger. Annie then started to stir as Bucky leaned in gently stroking her forehead. Annie's eyes fluttered opened and she began to look around feeling the pain medications have taken affect.
"I'm so high right now Bucky." Annie stated meaning she was ok and it gave Bucky a little smile. Sam laughed a little to take away from the serious situation they were in. "What's next?"
"Rhodey has this place nearly on lockdown, so far the threat has been neutralized." Sam started and Annie smiled as he eyes were a bit glazed from the pain medications. "Once you can see and think clearly and are stable, we'll leave." Annie then looked over to Bucky still smiling.
"I'm ok James." She assured him. Bucky knew that she was going to be bruised and out of commission for a bit meaning she was vulnerable. Sam went to sneak out knowing this was going to be a private moment and he wanted to speak to Rhodey anyways. "I'll be ok." Bucky nodded and leaned in resting his forehead to hers. He almost lost her back there. Bucky then climbed into the bed and sat her up just a little so now she could lay up against his chest. Back put his metal arm across her chest for protection. Something was coming, they've opened Pandora's box on this one. Seeing his friends no his family that way he felt that it was time to step up. If HYDRA was coming and if it's a fight they wanted then they would get it.
Bucky to Annie: Anastasia, baby look at me. What are you thinking?
Adam: The Winter Solider is mine. Get the girl and the new Captain.
Thank you for reading. Questions, comments, concerns just let me know.