Take Me Back

Less than 30 minutes later, Steve found himself on the Quinjet with some of the Avengers, heading toward a desert in Arizona. They had gotten word that a group of scientists that were flagged in their system for potential connections to Hydra had all traveled to the same place. They were not sure what was happening but felt it was best to check it out. Steve was relieved that they were not traveling too far for home, so they should not be gone long, but the idea that Hydra was still on the move and nearby concerned him.

Steve was joined by Sam, Tony and Nat, this allowed them two in the sky and two on the ground. They landed the jet a few miles from the building they were hoping was not a new Hydra base, and began setting up a perimeter. Tony was able to hack into their radio system quickly, as the four of them listed in on what was going on inside.

The connection was not perfect, but after a few hours, they were able to piece together enough words and phrases to confirm that they indeed did find a Hydra base. While Sam and Tony took to the skies to scout out the security so they could plan for the best way to infiltrate, Steve and Nat watched how many people were coming and going. The base was quiet, in the six hours since they had arrived, only one car seemed to enter the premises, in Steve's experience, that was a sign that there were a surprising amount of people inside.

Sam and Tony arrived with information that confirmed Steve's suspicion, the base was certainly going to be filled with scientists and security and many agents, but they had also found the best place to sneak in. With a plan decided upon, the four moved to their positions and waited until Steve gave the clear to go in. Steve was the first person to slip inside, after weaving himself close to where the majority of the occupants were and finding a good hiding place, he sent to call to the rest of them to join him.

Everything was quiet for a few minutes, but the sound of an explosion told Steve that the team had made it, and it was time for him to move. He emerged from his hiding place and out into the stream of agents running toward the explosion. In seconds Steve was engaged in a fight, taking down as many as he could, and any that did not going down, were being pushed back. He looked past the agents in front of him, and could see Sam and Nat pushing their own groups toward him, leaving only one way out. That was where Tony would be waiting, once everyone was out of the base, they were going to blow the place, destroying any of their experiments.

The plan was working, seeing as this was still a new base, they had been untested and prepared for an attack. When it got to the point that Sam and Nat would be able to handle the agents, Steve split off to begin setting up the explosives around the base. However, the first room that Steve entered had him stopping dead in his tracks. There was a white bored with formulas written all over it, a large refrigerator that held hundreds of vials, half with blood and half with the an unknown liquid. In the back of the room there was a chair with straps attached to it. He had expected this, but it was still jarring for him to find evidence that they were testing a new serum.

He flashed back to the horrors that he read the night before in the journal, he was seeing red as he looked about the room. Without thinking he hit anything and everything that he could. He ripped open the refrigerator and smashed all the vials on the ground. He sent his fist the through the white board, breaking it in half in one hit. What Steve did not know, was that he was no longer alone in the room, all of his destruction caused so much noise, that a few of the agents had slipped in.

Before he knew it a sharp pain ripped through his leg, Steve turned to find three agent pointing guns at him. He was able to throw his shield at them before they got another shot out, he manages to knock two of them down, but the third had ducked out of the way. Ignoring the bullet in his leg, Steve lunged towed the last one, knocking him to the ground just outside the room. Sam was running towards them.

"Steve, you okay man? I heard the gun shot?"

"I'm fine Sam. Get out, I still need to place the explosives"

"No Steve, it's too late. They called in back up, Tony spotted them on a few miles away. We have to go now, try and hold them off until the rest of the team can get here"

Sam grabbed a hold of Steve and helped him up, the guy on the ground tried to get up, but Steve knocked him out with a quick punch.

"Sam, go ahead, I just need to grab my shield".

Steve watched as Sam started running to the exit, before grabbing his shield. His leg was stained in blood and pounding in pain, but he was not going to leave this base standing, not while they were going to be testing a new serum. He did his best to run as fast as he could on his leg as he placed the devices through out the building. It only took Sam a few minute to realize that Steve had not followed him out, and he was yelling into the comms asking where he was.

Steve continued until he had placed all of the devices, before joining the rest of the team outside. Steve had to admit that he was surprised by how many agents showed up as back up, there were too many for the four of them to handle on their own, but he heard Tony in the comms telling them that Wanda, Clint, and Thor where five minutes away. Apparently Thor had finally had some time to return to Earth to meet Bucky and check in with everyone. Steve was hobbling slightly as he joined the fight.

"Cap, where the hell were you?", Tony's voice rang through his ears.

"I was placing the explosives, we are blowing this place when we are done"

Steve was throwing his shield in all directions, trying to keep from having to move too much until he had too. Eventually he glimpsed the bright light of Wanda's magic throwing one of their trucks into the crowd. Relief flooded him as they regained their edge. Filled with knew energy, Steve started running toward the center of the battle, taking out everyone he ran past.

"Can't we just blow the place up and go?"

"We are not leaving until they give up"

"Steve, you know better then anyone that these are no the giving up people"

Steve scanned the crowed around him, Sam was right, they were not going to give up.

"Blow it"

He called into his comms. Moments later the base was up in flames and agents were running toward it to salvage anything that they could. Steve was after them in a heartbeat.

"Cap, leave it, there is nothing left for them to find", Tony yelled after him.

Steve could not shake the feeling that there was something left behind that they could find, and there was no way he was going to let them do to someone else what they did to Bucky, and he did not want them to get their hands on Bucky ever again.

Steve could feel the pain of the bullet wound in every step he took, but he ignored it, as well as his team trying to call him back, as he raced forward. Unfortunately, a group of agents had anticipated being followed, they turned and opened fire on Steve. He threw his shield up in protection, but not before two more bullets ripped through him, One in his arm, and one grazed his side. Pain radiated all through his body, but he kept running. Steve heard Sam flying above, apparently realizing that Steve was not going to stop, and he needed back up.

Tony also had joined him, aiming his repulsers at the agents firing at him. There was a second explosion, there must have been a delayed reaction for one of the devices. Tony and Sam split off, but Steve kept running, unfortunately for him, a piece of the roof was launched into the air, falling right on top of Steve, knocking him out.

Tony was the first one to reach the unconscious Steve laying in the middle of the field, his suit scanned for his vitals, he also noticed that he had multiple gun shot wounds. Thor joined him to help bring Steve to jet, while Nat called Bruce back at the tower to get the medical staff ready.

Sam had the unfortunate job of calling Bucky.

~~~~~

Bucky was anxiously pacing around the living room, ever since the rest of the team had been called in for back up, he knew something was wrong. It was well into the early morning the next day when his phone started ringing, he was disappointed to find Sam was contacting him and not Steve.

"Sam, what's wrong?"

"Bucky, Steves hurt, we are about an hour away and we are bringing him straight to medical"

"What? How bad is it?"

"We won't know for sure, but what I do know is he has multiple gunshot wounds, and he is unconscious"

"What the hell happened?"

"Steve is an idiot that is what happened", Sam knew he probably shouldn't be saying that, but he was angry and worried about his friend.

"What did he do?"

"He was reckless and not listening to anyone, he was a man on a mission, but it was a different mission then the rest of us"

"Damnit Steve"

"Listen, we will be back soon, join us on the medical floor. I need to talk to you about it, somethings wrong and he is going to get himself killed if we don't do something"

"I know, Sam. I know."

Bucky shoved his phone in his pocket and headed toward the medical floor. He wanted to get there first, he needed to think.