"Rogers! My goodness, we need a doctor! HELP!"
She could have been faster. She could have prevented this. The boy was beaten up so many times on those streets was doomed to die as a man on the same pavement. She shook herself out of her internal rambling and regained the sharp composure she so effortlessly mastered.
"Will he make it?" She asked gently, refusing to allow the tsunami of turmoil to flood through her voice.
"The first bullet pierced all the vital organs, we've stopped the internal bleeding for now but it doesn't seem like it will hold much longer. Miraculously the second bullet went straight through, but there's no telling what kind of mental state he'll be in. Normally I would say full recovery would be possible but with his fragile state it's a 25% chance he recovers fully, and that's if nothing gets infected." Said the voice of the weary surgeon, black bags evident under his eyes as him and his team had just spent 13 hours trying to save this man from certain death. Whoever put those bullets in him wanted him dead.
"Thank you doctor." She said curtly as the doctor gave a nod and dismissed himself.
"So?"
"How fast can you prepare the procedure, doctor?"
"Everything is in place, we can get the staff ready in about 30 minutes. But I have to tell you Ms. Carter. The chances of this saving him is not probable, the procedure requires an extreme amount of energy and self will to withstand the pain, in his state I fear he would not be able to handle such stress."
"Call them, we need to get this done tonight before the general hears word of what's happened to Rogers."
"I have to ask Ms. Cater, is this your call to make? He does have a chance of recovery with proper rest and care."
"The doctor was being optimistic, I've seen the wounds. The only thing miraculous up to this point was that the bullet went straight through his head. He'll die of blood loss or infection in time, and even if he did survive, what life would he live? It may not be my call to make but who else does he have to make this call for him?"
"Well, I made Steven a promise and I intend to hold my end of it. Have him at the facility as soon as possible."
"Thank you Dr. Erskine." She said curtly
She let out a sigh releasing the torrent of emotion ringing in her heart and mind.
Just a little longer, just keep it in control
After furious protests from the medical staff and a little bickering she managed to convince them that Steve's best chances was elsewhere. Whether that was true or not was contingent on what happens in an hour's time.
"Honestly Peggy! Look at him he can't even stand!" Protested a concerned Howard Stark.
Black blurs and voices rang around but he couldn't make any of it out he couldn't even process what was being said.
"It's just the morphine in his system. Steve. I need you to focus. We, need you to focus."
He still couldn't process anything other than the fact that he was somehow conscious but he felt a need to stand up. He had to stand up.
"Alright, he's in the machine!" shouted Dr. Erskine
"We will proceed." He said quietly to himself staring at the metal pod
Howard acknowledged the statement and rushed down the steps and towards the generators. He grabbed a wheel and began turning.
"Vita Rays at 10 Percent, 20, 30 percent." A flash of light emitted through the tinted glass of the metal pod causing everyone to shield his or hers already protected eyes.
"That's 40 percent."
"All vital signs normal."
"50 Percent. 60. 70."
A blood-curling scream could be heard from inside the machine causing everyone in the room to turn white.
"Stark! The reactors emergency override!" Shouted Erskine
"Wait. He can do this." Said Peggy softly
Howard looked over at Erskine and then at Peggy with a sigh went back to the wheel as he began notching up the vita rays once again.
"80, 90, that's 100 percent."
Another flash of light rang through the room as sparks flew out the machine before everything drummed to a silent hum.
"Stark?" Asked Dr. Erskine nervously
"Well, is he alive?"
A small smile flashed across Peggy's lips as her eyes rang ever so sharply.
"So what are you going to do, kill me?"
"That's what I was sent here to do, but imagine my surprise when I find this whole facility empty and you suddenly flash into this room out of nowhere."
"So why am I still alive?"
"Because I need answers!"
"There was a target, I was sent to eliminate the target. The target is now neutralized." She said flatly masking the guilt and hurt that still weighed heavily on her heart.
"Who was the target?"
She chuckled. A cold flat chuckle that seemed to lower the temperature of the room
"Do you really think it would be that easy?"
"Guess not." Said the man flatly as he drew his bow once again and pointed the arrow at her head.
"We'll get all the answers we need, my mission was simply to neutralize a threat."
"Well you're not doing a very good job at it." She stated
He hesitated and for the second time ever lowered his bow.
"You've had at least 50 different chances to fight back and escape. Why haven't you? Or did the famous Black widow not see any of."
Before he could finish his sentence he found a gun clicked and aimed right at his forehead and a knife at the string of his bow. Before he could react she lowered the gun and knife dropping it down and looked passively at the ground, her red hair covering most of her face.
"So it's not that you couldn't escape." Mused the man
Once again he drew his bow and aimed it at the red haired woman. One shot and she was slumped on the floor. He scooped her up and carried her out to the evac zone where he was to be picked up and got into the quinjet as it arrived.
" Clint, You know the mission was to eliminate the target right?"
"Relax Maria, I think the director will be more than happy to make that call himself." Said the man with a smile as he got into the pilot seat and began the launch procedure.
Authors Note: Sorry I left Steve dead for so long lol, have some time off now so expect more frequent updates.