Hey Guys! Just a quick question, I really am curious with a couple of things involving my writing. Am I explaining too much or too little? Do you want more Bucky? More dialogue? Does my writing style suck? Is the story moving too fast?
Criticism and support is always awesome, as I am new to getting my ideas on paper. Or computer. Whatever.
I extremely appreciate all of your continued support, you guys are awesome as always :D
Thank you for reading and ENJOY!
This is it. This is how i'm gonna die.
Bethany thoughts swirled endlessly like a whirlpool inside her decaying mind as she heaved against the cold floor, physically unable to pick herself back up. The warm taste of blood tingled around her mouth, dripping disturbingly from the opening to trickle upon the dirty concrete. The pain Bucky had dealt felt devastating against her ribs, most definitely shattered from the harsh blows and punches. The strange music had finally stopped it's rhythm, consuming the cell in overwhelming silence, filled in by her own gasps of agony. Bucky loomed over her crumpled state, observing her torment with unnerving stillness.
"Hurry up and kill me." she heaved, slowly succumbing to the darkness tickling the edges of her weakening vision.
Unsurprisingly, he complied, reaching down with his metal fist to grasp Bethany's saturated hair, painfully yanking her off the ground. She gasped in distress, and tried to weakly free herself from his iron grip. To no avail, he forcefully pulled her in, just inches from his glaring face. Her eyes widened in grief, as she watched her own miserable reflection struggling inside his glazed expression. There was no emotion behind his snowy eyes as she stared into them with overbearing sadness. Tears streamed down her dirty face as she silently cried, unable to invoke enough energy to sob.
He's gone. He always was.
"I'll miss you, Lucky Bucky." she managed to whisper, closing her tired eyes to embrace her execution.
She unwillingly braced herself for the killing blow, feeling his cold fist tense against her aching head as he swung-
"Soldat! That's enough! Someone get the scientists in here to restrain him." Pierce ordered with ferocity, interrupting the moment with slight urgency from somewhere outside the cell.
Almost immediately, Bucky released her hair, grunting in disappointed acknowledgement. She collapsed in a heap against the concrete, coughing up added crimson blood onto the uncomfortable surface. She raised her quivering head towards Bucky, taken aback as he was already staring down at her. For the first time that night, there was something different shining beneath his placid expression, something that sent constant shivers down her aching spine. His glassy eyes observed her distraught figure, seemingly searching for something Bethany couldn't quite understand. He was breathing heavily from the action, clenching his large fists by his side in hidden agitation.
"I told you to play with her. Not kill her. Her life is more valuable to Hydra than an shriveled corpse, understand?" Pierce demanded, steeping into the gloomy light from the way that Bucky had entered.
Two Hydra scientists flanked his sides, holding large, intimidating needles in their gloved hands. Bethany's senses were constantly fading in and out, as she desperately fought to stay conscious. Her conflicting feelings towards the situation and her close experience to death had shook her to the painful core, but realizing Bucky had no idea who she was hurt exponentially more than her fractured ribs. It felt like he had died all over again.
"Prepare him for the mission. And as for Summers...wipe her. Two Super Soldiers are always better than one." Pierce commanded with a smirk, glancing at her struggling figure with disinterest.
The scientists nodded at his command, cautiously approaching Bucky with their syringes ready. He obediently submitted to his new orders, and allowed the Hydra agents to escort him to an unknown location. Miserably, Bethany watched him leave, longing for his continued presence even though he almost succeeded in slaughtering her.
He's not Bucky anymore, she reminded herself in anguish, resting her throbbing forehead against the frigid ground as she waited for Hydra's maleficent intentions.
But I still love him.
"Is this any way to treat a lady?" Bethany mumbled with a sneer, glaring at Pierce from the operating chair she was bound to.
"You aren't a lady. You're a Super Soldier. There's a huge difference, Ava." he replied sheepishly, approaching her position confidently.
After Bucky had left her containment, she was unwillingly dragged out of the cell to be placed in the chair that had held Bucky mere hours ago. Scientists surrounded her, injecting her vitals with mysterious liquids she couldn't recognize. It hadn't effected her weakened senses just yet, but she knew they weren't exactly good either.
"Don't call me that. You don't deserve to call me that." she spat poisonously, writhing against the restraints as she was suddenly overcome with anger from the mentioning of that name.
"I can call you what ever I want, Ava. Soon enough, you won't even remember it anyway." he taunted, tilting his sneering head to the side.
She clenched her sore fists, spitting old blood beside the Hydra scientists feet in disgust. The operators cringed from her action, backing up with caution. Pierce, instead, observed her with twisted curiousness.
"You have potential. Your earthly abilities will help Hydra in more ways than you can comprehend. Unspecified earthquakes, explainable avalanches...the works." he said mockingly, his eyes brightening with delight at her growing horror.
"You're fucking sick."
"Language, young lady. Oh, I mean, young Super Soldier. Speaking of young, how old are you? 95? Geez, that must be tough." he scoffed, evilly chuckling at her dismay.
She felt her confidence slowly diminish with each truthful statement, sinking her aching head in shame. She leaned against the cold, metal chair in silent despair, numbly acknowledging the sharp syringes pierce her bruised wrists.
"Wow, look at the time. It was nice to stay and chat, but I've got some helicarriers to fly. See you on the flip-side, Ava." he called, waving blindly over his shoulder as he exited the claustrophobic room.
Suddenly, at his words, something deep inside her destroyed body snapped, jolting her awake for the first time in a long time. Her twisted mind was taken over by overbearing determination and power, as the Earth beneath her paralyzed feet pulsated through her weakened soul. The wounds aching around her depleted figure quickly faded into nothing, as the power surging around her senses engulfed the agony. The ground slowly began to quiver, alarming the scientists with controlled caution.
"Someone get Pierce back in here, the patient seems unstable-"
But before he could finish, Bethany calmly turned her head towards him with a curious smile.
"That won't be necessary."
The Earth abruptly cracked through the dense concrete, as the terrified screams of the Hydra scientists immediately filled the collapsing operating room.
Bethany couldn't determine how long she had been running. Through the aching pain and coughing, she had continued to sprint in the opposite direction of the secret Hydra facility...or what was left of it.
As soon as the building was completely destroyed from her desperate wishes, she had heard the sirens through the rubble, and immediately summoned her remaining energy to escape the suffocating ruins. Bruises and large grazes decorated her skin as she bolted through the unfamiliar part of Washington, disregarding the disturbed onlookers making way for her desperate rush. There were more important things to focus on than confused civilians.
"Need to find Steve." she huffed aloud, ignoring the exhaustion plaguing her entire body.
Gradually believing she was a safe distance away form the destruction she had caused, Bethany turned into an abandoned alleyway, crouching behind an dumpster to place her bloodied palm on the uneven cobblestones. Her powers felt completely dilapidated from causing the slight earthquake, but she didn't care. She couldn't afford to care.
The Earth pulsated against her touch, responding to her needs eagerly. An overwhelming wave of vibrations flowed through her mind, as she could feel every citizen throughout the large city.
I've felt his footsteps before, she thought with determination, searching for Steve's specific imprint.
It shouldn't be that hard to find him.
The ground retaliated to her desires, automatically picking up his movement at the S.H.I.E.L.D HQ, surrounded by many enemies and Pierce.
"For fuck's sake." she muttered, rising from the road in annoyance.
Can I catch a break for once?!
"The price of freedom is high. But it's a price i'm willing to pay. And if i'm the only one so be it... but i'm willing to bet i'm not." Steve's voice echoed throughout the halls of the S.H.I.E.L.D facility, causing Bethany to roll her eyes in playful annoyance.
Of course he's giving a patriotic speech, she thought with a adoring smile, relieved to find out his status.
The Earth had informed Bethany of his location, leading her to one of the operative rooms inside the expansive building. Twisting through unfamiliar corridors and avoiding certain Hydra agents, she finally found the door she was sure Steve was behind. Bursting through the door with excessive eagerness, she stumbled into the windowed alcove, greeted with relief as Steve and Sam grinned broadly at her arrival.
The two men were dressed head to toe in prepared gear; Steve in his usual Captain America uniform, red, white and blue standing out from the steel walls surrounding them. His vibranium shield hung protectively over his secure back, screaming patriotism from a mile away. Sam stood beside him in unusual attire, carrying some kind of metal device attacked to his chest and back. He wore black goggles over his face, much to Bethany's excited confusement.
"Summers, you're late. Again." Steve teased, quickly embracing her tightly.
She gave a small, painful groan against the extensive pressure, reluctantly pushing him away. His passionate eyes frowned with worry, suddenly acknowledging her ruined appearance.
"What did they do to you-"
"Enough." she interrupted hastily, averting her eyes to the floor.
She couldn't spare enough energy to discuss the traumatic events that transpired mere hours before. It wasn't worth it.
"Looks like you arrived just in time for the party." Sam intervened, breaking the tense mood with a confident smirk.
Her gloomy attitude quickly dispersed from his cheerful demeanor, thankful to be in his playful presence once more.
"I'm sorry about the highway, Sam. There was a lot going on-" she began guiltily, staring into his goggles.
"Why are you always saying sorry, Beth? You were being choked to death by Roboman, it ain't your fault that you didn't want to die!"
Bucky's neutral expression shimmered before her eyes, his cold stare glaring into her choking face...
"Beth? What's wrong?" Steve broke her reverie, gently touching her shoulder in growing concern.
Dazed, Bethany immediately smiled, masquerading her obvious misery. Steve frowned suspiciously, sensing her guilt through the fake demeanor.
"I'm fine. Let's go kick Hydra's sorry ass." she cheered, nudging him playfully, and continued to walk out of the room, forcefully holding back her will to cry.
"I got you this. From the Smithsonian." Steve said carefully, handing her a neat pile of familiar clothing.
She frowned at his gesture, handling the outfit with caution. The trio were walking towards the helicarriers, wary of any surrounding Hydra operatives. The bunker wasn't too far off, but Steve's sudden reveal had stopped their progression swiftly. She quickly unraveled the cloth, gasping in surprise at her old Howling Commandos uniform. She gazed up at Steve in shock, clutching onto the fabric in disbelief.
"But I was captured? How did you know-"
"You always make it, Summers. I was counting on it." he smiled, staring intently into her bewildered eyes.
She grinned, her wavering spirits immediately perished with her new determination. Nodding in appreciation, she quickly hurried into an empty corridor, swiftly exchanging her ragged clothing for something more suitable for their mission to come.