Relentless

If there was one thing Zara hated, it was how when something big was happening, time seemed to slow down. All she could hear aside from the ringing in her ears, was her heart thumping in her chest as she watched Sam swoop down. He stayed low, flying above their heads, close enough that it made her hair whip up in the wind as he whooshed over them.
Ward had positioned Zara 'protectively' in front of him, one hand gripping her upper arm, the other hand holding a pistol which was shoved hard up under her shoulder blade. Nauseated, she turned her head away from him, trying to ignore his body pressed against hers, the vice-like grip he had on her arm and his hot breath against her neck. Zara felt his chest move as he chuckled to himself, obviously amused at how repulsed she was by him.
"Now, turn your safety on, and toss your gun off the bridge..." He instructed, a sinister tone to his voice. "Or I shoot you, and your friends over there"
Zara swallowed hard, obeying him begrudgingly. Where they were standing, a big chunk of the railing had been taken out where it had been hit by a missile or grenade. It was easy with just a flick of the wrist to toss the gun away, Ward watching it as it flew over the edge and landed in the water a good 30ft beneath them.
"Good girl..."
Zara clenched her jaw, letting out a breath as she struggled to control her nerves. It was one thing being held hostage, but quite another when she was now unarmed in the clutches of a manipulative killer who'd also threatened people she cared about. Never mind the fact that they were near the edge of the bridge without the protection of any safety railing, and she was terribly afraid of heights. The thought of deep water wasn't something she was a fan of, either.

Boy, today is just getting better and better...

Just as she'd envisioned earlier, Sam flew straight over to the car and right on cue the two soldiers down there opened fire on him. He was ready for them, spinning to dodge their shots and pulling his guns out, shooting them both. He surveyed the area quickly before landing to make sure there were no others lurking around. He knelt down beside the car where Jess was slumped and cut the zip-tie from her wrists and peeled the tape from her mouth. Zara winced, that would have hurt.
Sam took Jess's face in his hands as he asked something which made her nod in answer. He gently scooped her up in his arms, his wings extending back out as he stood. She held on tightly around his neck as they lifted off and he turned to head over to Ward and Zara.

Ward pressed the barrel of his gun into her back as a timely reminder to keep her mouth shut, Zara answering with an exasperated sigh. Sam landed in front of them, closing the gap with a few small steps.
"Thank you so much, Sam" Zara said gratefully, concerned eyes sweeping over the battered girl in his arms. She reached out, brushing the tangled red hair from her eyes, Jess managing a weak smile. Zara's eyes glazed over as she smiled back, her thumb smoothing Jess's brow as she blinked threatening tears away.
Sam flashed her his glowing movie-star smile in response, and for a couple of seconds she let herself forget about their situation and take a much needed mental breath.
"Is she gonna be okay?" She asked, Ward now applying more pressure with the barrel of the gun, making her wince. Sam noticed her expression change for that moment, his eyes dropping to Wards hand around her arm. Without giving anything away, his eyes found hers again, and the look of concentration on his face suggested he knew something was amiss.
"Yeah, she took a hit to the head but I think she's going to be okay. What about you, that's some cut you have there..." He said, nodding towards the blood in her hairline that had trickled down the side of her face.
"She's fine" Ward answered, loosening his hand to rub her arm like a concerned friend would.

Run! For God's sake turn and run right now, shoot him! Say something to Sam! ...
No, Ward's just gonna shoot them both. Sam's got Jess in his arms, he can't drop her and pull a gun out...

Zara's hand instinctively went to the cut to touch it, her fingertips a bright red when she pulled them away. She gave a casual shrug as she wiped it off on her pants leg.
"I'm fine" She said nonchalantly, echoing Ward's words, "Just a bump on the head, it looks worse than it is" She added, giving a very fleeting, intentionally strained smile that he was bound to see right through. Sam pursed his lips, he might be a big goofball most of the time, but under all the jokes he was a smart guy. Something Zara was counting on.
"Come on, I can take you both" He said, looking into her eyes as if trying to read her, searching for hints, answers, anything at all... "I'll come back for you" He added, speaking to Ward now, reaching out to take Zara's hand.
"No, she doesn't look too good. Get her to safety first." Zara said urgently, nodding for emphasis as she pulled her hand back. "Ward's got my back" She said, somewhat disappointed that only her and Ward would get the pun. Sam clenched his jaw, obviously uncomfortable. Zara felt ward's gun hand move and her heart skipped a beat.
"Seriously Sam. Go, now! Please hurry" She pleaded, earning a nod off him.
"We'll be right behind you" Ward smiled. Sam exchanged a look with both of them, his mechanical wings extending before he lifted off and flew back to where the others were based.

When Sam was out of sight, Ward gave her a hard shove in the back, making her stumble. She turned and threw a punch at him, his hand darting up to catch her around the wrist.
"Don't you start this shit with me, Zara," he threatened, gesturing over to the waiting car as he spoke, "Now let's go!"
"In a hurry are we, Ward?" She teased. There was nothing to lose now, she knew he needed her alive, and there was nobody else's life he could blackmail her with. The look on Sam's face assured her that he'd be back in a matter of minutes, and knowing him, he'd bring help. Super soldier help. All she had to do was stall him, and not get into that car.

Ward shot her a threatening look, grabbing her around the arm again, determined to get her into the car and back to the base as soon as possible. He knew the clock was ticking, and wasn't up for playing games.
He pulled her in close, hard, Zara thinking fast and using her momentum to swing a fist into the front on his throat. He coughed, caught by surprise as he staggered backwards, releasing her. She crouched to the ground, picking up a small chunk of stone and wielding it as a weapon.

One crack over the head with this, and I'm home free...

Ward growled, getting his composure back as he straightened himself. His hand went to his hip to pull one of his pistols out, and he held it up at her. Zara smirked knowing he wouldn't shoot her. Her blood needed to be pumping and all her cells and organs alive and working to get the best chance of extracting what was left of the serum in her, she'd worked that much out from the various people who'd threatened her. Well what was left of it if there was any in there at all, which she highly doubted.

Zara braced herself, watching him as he approached her, a dangerous look on his face. She held her make-shift weapon up and when he got into range she sent a kick up into his ribs to distract him, and swung the chunk of rock.

Argh, shit... Where is my edge!?!?

Zara scolded herself, Grant Ward wasn't some Hydra goon, he was a highly trained master of combat, and he'd seen her attack coming a mile away. He'd stopped her hand, squeezing her wrist hard enough to make her drop the stone, and hit her over the head with the butt of his pistol. Hard.
She fell to the ground in an ungraceful slump, the world spinning around her. Aside from the pain in her temple where he'd hit her, she felt like she was about to be sick. She'd been hauled to her feet before she knew what was going on, and by the time she had enough focus to see one of him in front of him, not three, she realized her wrists had been bound. She struggled to break the zip tie but it was absolutely hopeless. Ward chuckled as he grabbed her by the arm, dragging her towards the car again. She pulled and pulled against the plastic of the tie, her skin breaking under it. She clenched her jaw again, mentally scolding herself for getting into yet another big mess.

FUCK... You fucking idiot. Okay... Think. Think, think, think...

She pulled and pushed against him as they walked, making every step as difficult for him as possible. Ward growled in frustration again, losing patience as he picked her up in one quick movement and swinging her up over his shoulder. He broke into a jog, Zara's heart starting to race as she realized they were running out of bridge, and there was still no sign of any help coming. A timely idea came to her, and she grinned, bringing her leg back, and sinking the toe of her boot into his crotch as hard as she could. He let out a roar of pain as he stumbled, dropping her hard on the concrete as he landed on his knees in agony.
Zara 's stomach turned over when she realized just how close to the edge of the bridge they'd landed. Another couple of foot over and they would have both ended up in the Potomac... She definitely wasn't up for a free-fall, or a swim...
Zara sprung into action, not one to waste an opportunity, ripping a handgun from his thigh holster. She took a few steps back, checking that it was loaded, thumbing the safety off and pointing it at him. It was a big chunky thing for a pistol, not unlike the one Bucky had had.

Great, any bet this one recoils like a bitch, too.

She looked down at him, past her bound and bleeding wrists, her grazed hands and the shaking barrel of her pistol. She wanted him to look up and see that she had him. She'd won, not him. She wished she could pull the trigger and end him right then and there, but she knew Shield would want to take him in. Even better if Barnes beat anyone else there, he could dish out his own epic punishment. She had to stop herself from grinning as the mental picture entered her head.

Ward looked up at her, eyes full of anger. He knew what was in store for him. Lockup, torture or death. There was no escape. Or was there? His mouth curled into a sinister smile as his hand shot to his back pocket, and quick as lightening he pulled a pistol out and aimed it at Zara.
It was another one of those moments where everything seemed to run into slow motion. Zara had let herself get complacent, cocky even as she stood, looking down at him. Again, she'd taken his skills for granted and underestimated him. The fleeting shadow of a smile had given him away before he'd even moved, like a smug little boy who'd gotten away with the whole cookie jar. Unfortunately, Ward had unwittingly made the exact same mistake in underestimating her. She'd kept her eyes on that right hand of his, and before he'd even extended his arm, she'd pulled her trigger.

Time felt like it had stood still, Zara's ears rang from the ridiculously loud shot of the gun and that exhausted, dizzy feeling had come back again. She was wrenched back into reality when a blood-curdling scream erupted from the man in front of her. She didn't know what the hell kind of shells had been loaded into that gun, but whatever they were, they'd made an absolute mess of his right arm. She stumbled in shock, her bound hands going to her face as she once again suppressed the urge to be sick.

"Oh god..." She murmured when she realized that she hadn't just damaged it, she'd blown it completely off. The screaming continued, Zara's mouth still open in shock as she shook her head, looking down at the barrel of the gun, it's tip still smoking.

She heard the unmistakable whine of a small jet engine in the distance, wheeling around and letting out a breath of relief that came out more like a sob. It was Sam, flying towards her, and he was holding Bucky. An icy lump formed in her throat, making her bite her lip, swallowing the urge to cry happy tears.

As they got closer to the bridge, she watched Bucky's expression go from calm and relieved to angry and dangerous. It was around that time she realized the screaming behind her had died down. She didn't even have to gasp in surprise when she realized Ward had managed to somehow stand up and grab her, even with only one arm. Her eyes shot into Bucky's direction. He'd pulled a gun out before they'd even touched down. Ward had reacted, crouching behind Zara, using her as a human shield as he pulled her backward towards the edge of the bridge. He'd managed to knock the pistol from her hands, and as if to give Barnes one last 'fuck you', Ward pushed off, jumping from the bridge, taking her with him.

The fall itself took her breath away, she knew there was a good reason she was so afraid of heights. their bodies made a full rotation before they plunged into the cold water feet first, dropping much deeper than she would have liked. She shoved Ward hard in the face making him release her. She opened her eyes in the water, seeing him kick up towards the surface in a cloud of red, but she was unable to follow him.
She kicked frantically in vain, her heavy boots weighing her down. Her arms weren't much use either as she desperately struggled to swim with her bound hands.
Zara's chest felt like it was about to burst as her lungs screamed for air. She gave up flailing with her arms and went back to struggling against the zip tie. If she could break it, she was sure she'd be able to fight her way to the surface. Valuable seconds ticked by and she found herself beginning to panic.

This is it. This is how you die...

She looked up and much to her relief she saw Bucky coming straight for her as fast as he could. Like something out of a dream, an eerie calm spreading over her as she watched his metal arm extend in her direction as everything got a little hazy. She was vaguely aware of his arm wrapping around her as they changed direction fast, seemingly flying to the surface.

Zara had no idea how much water she coughed up, but when her eyes fluttered open she was spluttering and gasping for breath. Bucky was swimming her over to the pillar of the bridge so they had something to hang onto.
"You're alright... I've got you..." He reassured her as they came to a stop. He pulled a knife out and cut the zip tie, her arms wrapping around his neck as she got her bearings back. Zara closed her eyes as she hung onto him, feeling his arm tighten around her. She'd been dreaming of this moment for days, being with him and being safe.

When they pulled apart, they looked into each others worried eyes before pressing their lips together in an almost desperate kiss.
"Are you okay?" He asked finally, examining the bleeding cut in her hairline above her temple. She nodded, still hanging onto him.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. That was from last night, it's just opened up again..." She said nonchalantly, still cupping his face with her hand as she kissed him again, more tenderly this time.
"What about you, you're not hurt?" She asked, her voice still stressed.
"I'm fine" He said reassuringly.
"We need to find Ward-" She said, her sentence cut off by the sound of gunfire ringing out again. Zara's breath quickened as she looked in the direction of the noise, and then back at Bucky who'd done his best to shield her.
"We gotta get outta here" Zara said, panicked. Bucky nodded, looking over his shoulder at the riverbank which wasn't too far away.
"Hold onto me" he said, letting go of the pillar they'd been leaning against, sinking lower into the water. She gasped, her eyes widening in fear at being back in deep water. Bucky didn't say anything, instead he was quick to grab hold of her, guiding her arm around his neck to keep her afloat.

What the hell kind of Shield agent can't fucking swim!?

Bucky pushed off the wall with his feet, gliding through the water effortlessly and began swimming them to shore. They stayed as close to the bridge as possible, keeping hidden in the shadows until they were in shallow enough water that they could stand.
Bucky's hand went out to help her up the steep bank, his other going to his hip to pull out a pistol which he readied for himself. They got to the walkway and paused behind one of the giant pillars, Bucky pulling a second pistol out and handing it to her. She mouthed a 'thank you' as she pushed her wet hair back off her face, thumbing the safety off and giving him the nod to say she was ready. Bucky stepped ahead of her, raising a finger to his lips to remind her to stay quiet as they broke into a jog crossing under the opening of the bridge, heading west.

When they stepped out into the open, they were greeted with gunshots, Bucky aggressively returning fire, his arm shooting out to roughly push Zara behind him, making her gasp in surprise. She spun herself so she was back to back with him on hearing shots ringing out from every direction. She raised her pistol, searching with her eyes for any sign of movement. The distinct sound of a magazine being loaded gave one of them away as she sent an accurate bullet into a shrub, taking out one of the soldiers, and less than a second later she took one out further up the bank. She let out a breath, noticing that Bucky had stopped firing, and felt a metal hand grip hers and spin her back around. They kept running, checking over their shoulders periodically, and sending the odd bullet out as needed. Bucky missed nothing, as much as Zara hated admitting it, it was exciting to see him so wired and focused. She almost died of shock when he ran ahead of her at one point, sneaking up on a group of four Hydra soldiers. He punched one out with a single hit whilst kicking another, snatching the raised gun off the third to hit the fourth, and turning to break the gunman's neck. When he turned back to Zara she was ghostly white, having never seen him in full 'lethal Bucky action mode' before. She swallowed hard, shaking it off and they were off again at a fast jog.

The jet engine whine of Sam's wing suit could be heard above them, Bucky glancing up for a second before scooping Zara up with one arm. He raised his other without breaking stride as Sam swooped down, picking them both up together. Zara hung onto Bucky for all she was worth, jamming her eyes shut as she felt them soar higher and higher. His arm tightened around her enough that she was sure it was going to leave a bruise, but at this point she didn't care.

The sound of metal and engines overtook her senses, daring her to open her eyes as she felt Bucky's feet touch down on solid ground with a loud clunk. Piercing blue eyes were the first thing she saw, looking straight into hers. She let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and looked over her shoulder, still holding onto him. They were in a large mostly empty quin-jet, the ramp closing behind them as they flew through the air. Sam had darted back out to help Stark and Rogers pick off the last few soldiers and secure the area before she had the chance to thank him.
Zara's rapid breathing was starting to slow down as Bucky led her to the bench seat and sat beside her, buckling them both in securely as the jet picked up speed. They exchanged a look, neither of them game enough to celebrate till they were back at the base. He reached his flesh hand across to hold hers, their fingers interlocking as they leaned back against the walls of the jet. She squeezed his hand tightly and closed her eyes again as if to block everything out but him.

"Not long now Zee, we'll be home soon. I got you..."