The explosion hit just before dawn, outside the compound. Orange flames lit up the sky beyond her window.

Marley pulled on jeans, a pullover sweater, and sneakers before scrambling to the door of her apartment.

"Marley!" Bucky yelled, pounding on her door.

When she pulled it open, Bucky looked her up and down to ensure she was safe. He was already dressed for training.

Steve was too. He motioned to them to follow him.

Bucky grabbed her hand. "Stay behind me," he whispered. "Do exactly as I say. Yes?"

"Yes."

Steve took them down the stairs and another explosion shook the ground beneath them. When Marley stumbled on the stairs, Bucky grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder.

"Close your eyes," he told her.

And she did that, fighting her stomach as his powerful body moved beneath her. There were drops – was he jumping down the stairs – and then he put her on her feet.

"Okay?" Steve asked.

Marley nodded, watching the occupants of the compound take action. They followed Steve into a control room where Tony stood, in his Iron Man suit no less, watching what had to be dozens of monitors.

"HYDRA," he told Steve without looking back.

Steve started barking orders, soldiers and agents were off to do his bidding.

"Buck, you're with me."

"And Marley?" Bucky asked.

"I've got her," Natasha ran up, grabbing Marley's arm. "Go."

Bucky dropped a hand on Marley's shoulder. "Do not leave Natasha."

Marley nodded, watching them dash out.

"Come on," Natasha with a tight hold on Marley's arm pulled her out of the control room and down a hallway. "We're going below. It's safer. We'll watch from there."

The huge monitor at the end of the hallway showed what had to be HYDRA aircraft, dropping a unit of soldiers that were on a mission. Were they here for her?

Marley didn't want anyone hurt for her.

"Come on," Natasha jerked her away to a wall, surprised when it opened to reveal a small staircase. "This way."

A huge explosion shook them again and Marley watched in terror as HYDRA agents came running down the hall at them.

"Get down there!" Natasha yelled at her, engaging the first soldier she encountered in battle.

Marley went to do exactly that when another soldier cut her off. Scrambling back the way she came, Marley ran for all she was worth. She didn't look back, she just ran.

Another soldier popped up when she tried to dash back into the control room. Then another. It didn't take long for her to figure out that they were herding her, trying to get her outside.

The moment she stepped out the door, Clint yelled for her to look out.

The cold metal of a gun pressed against her skull. "Target acquired," the man said into his communications link.

"Grab her," he told another soldier who looked hesitant.

When the soldier hesitated, Marley took off running. Not far from the compound, in the field, were Steve and Bucky, with Vision, Sam, and Tony flying overhead. If she could get to them…

"Get her!" the shout rang out.

It was an epic battle with Vision providing cover for her. She'd almost made it to Steve when her legs were taken out from under her. Vision dodged an RPG. It was enough of a diversion so that in the blink of an eye, four HYDRA operatives were standing above Marley, weapons aimed at her head.

"Stand down," Steve shouted, his expression concerned.

The same soldier who'd pressed a gun to her head, a leader she guessed, stepped forward.

"We're taking what is ours," the man said glancing around at the Avengers present.

"Like hell you will," Sam yelled flying at them. Another RPG hit one of his wings, sending him spiraling away.

"The next move any of them makes, put a bullet in her leg," he ordered.

Her heart thundered in her chest. Tony flew up.

"Stand down!" Steve yelled.

Tony landed.

"Sorry, chief. She's an official Avenger now. You can't have her," Tony quipped.

The man laughed, speaking rapidly in Russian. Marley had no idea what he'd said, but a picture of Bucky was in the man's mind.

She looked around frantically until she saw Bucky, furious and surrounded by more HYDRA soldiers – where were all of them coming from?

"We'll take back our soldier as well," the HYDRA leader boasted.

Bucky's eyes locked with hers. He knew if he tried anything they'd put a bullet in her. His mind was focused on how he could get them out once they were taken.

Marley didn't want to be taken. But she couldn't let them have him. They'd done too much to him already.

Use your anger.

The grass beneath her hands curled and turned black. Smoke began to rise.

Don't do it, Marley. Bucky was afraid for her. Not now.

She knew from watching footage that the super soldiers could dodge bullets, but she couldn't. Marley had to try to hit the ones around her and hope it was enough of a diversion to give the rest an advantage.

Glancing up at the leader, she was able to hurl the fire that burst out of her in his direction, incinerating him with frightening speed. Keeping her focus, she flung another ball at the two soldiers to her left, and hitting the ground when the fourth fired his rifle at her. Using her hand, she slung another ball of flame at him, watching him scream as he burned alive.

Jumping up, she scrambled until she saw Bucky, fighting against at least five HYDRA men while another transport with more soldiers was trying to land to lend more to the takeover.

Marley focused on it until she was knocked violently to the ground. Steve stopped the man above her from hitting her with the butt of his rifle.

"Marley, can you bring it down?" Steve nodded to the transport as he fought another HYDRA agent.

And she did. Focusing, she sent an enormous volley at it. It exploded as men, engulfed in flames, tried to jump out. Tried to get away from the riot of flames, black smoke, and screams.

Bucky ran to her, looking scared and proud of her in the same expression. Then he looked closer.

"She's fading," Bucky yelled.

Marley was, sinking to the ground while fighting to stay conscious.

"Get her back to the compound," Steve yelled.

"I'll cover you," Tony called from above.

Picking her up bridal style this time, Bucky hauled Marley up as if she weighed nothing and ran with blinding speed back in the direction of the compound. Bullets flew around them as her heart pounded. She sent up every prayer she knew that they didn't hurt him, that they didn't hurt them.

Bucky grunted just as he reached the inside of the compound, heading straight for the control room. Natasha put down the man she fought and followed.

"Secure the door!" Bucky yelled. Natasha took down the lone HYDRA in the control room as the door slid closed.

He set Marley on her feet as carefully as he could.

"Are you hit?" His gaze frantically searched her.

"No, I'm fine. But you -"

Blood was trailed behind him, coming from the back of his leg.

"You've been shot," Marley pointed out.

Bucky made it to the panels to watch the skirmish.

"It's not bad," he said without looking at her.

"You're bleeding."

Smirking, he still didn't take his eyes off the screen. "That's normally what happens when you get hit."

"Are you okay?"

Still trying to catch his breath, Bucky looked down at her then. "Doll, I'm fine. I've been shot before."

And he'd carried her. "I didn't burn you?"

Pulling up his right sleeve, she saw he'd wrapped up his right forearm. Well, he'd planned ahead.

"Oh, okay."

Bucky's attention went back to the fight, happy when Iron Man managed to blow up the other transport. Any survivors now had no way out. Even to her, it was obvious the Avengers won this round.

Bucky was reasonably okay. Everyone else seemed to be okay. They'd put down HYDRA for now.

Everything started fading.

"Doll? Hey! I gotcha."

Everything faded for Marley, but he caught her before she fell.