James Buchanan Barnes - Unyielding
James Buchanan Barnes - Unyielding
Certain battles were won with cunning tactics, utilising surprise and exploiting the enemy's disorientation. Others were won through skillful execution, putting the strongest and most capable soldiers at the forefront.
This was neither. This was a bloody massacre, with wave after wave of guards continuing to fight. It was like we were fighting an army of Titans, and for every one we took down, another ten seemed to appear from the shadows.
Loki had left to rescue Amelie, and the rest of us were making our way slowly through the maze of the mansion, searching for the other two leaders.
“We can’t keep this up forever!” Clint shouted, his arrows firing so quickly I barely saw him load them.
Natasha moved equally fast, but she was more graceful, almost dancing around the chaos. “We need to find the leaders.”
“She’s right.” Steve joined us, casually bashing a guard in the face with his shield. “I say we cut this off at the head; the leaders fall, then they all fall.”
I nodded, watching Peter as he effortlessly threw grown men, three times his size, across the room.
“What about Stark?” Thor asked, appearing beside us and gesturing over to where Tony still stood with his hands over his ears, his mask absent.
“You guys go, I’ll deal with him.”
Steve looked between Stark and me. “Sure that’s a good idea bud?”
I nodded again. Steve pressed his lips together, accepting. “The rest of you follow me. Thor, grab Peter.”
I watched them leave before making my way towards Tony at a leisurely pace, uncertain of what I intended to do or say. I rationalised that I was probably the least emotionally affected by his transformation, so it logically made sense for me to approach him first. At least it did in my head.
“Tony?” Nothing. “…Stark? Reckon it’s time for you to fight this and come back. This is not a good look for you.”
A twitch in his eye. I smirked, I was on the right track.
"Come on, Stark. You're telling me you can battle your way back from the depths of a desert and create an Iron Man suit in a bloody cave all by yourself, yet you can't handle a little bit of manipulation? That's just sad."
“Shut up Barnes.” His eyes were hard. “What would you know.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? You do remember Hydra right?”
“I said shut up!”
I tentatively reached my arm out, placing a hand on his shoulder in a weak attempt to console him - comforting others was not one of my strengths. Tony tensed up and forcefully pushed me away, firing a blast from his repulsors towards me. I managed to dodge it, but just barely, and the sound of my metal arm hitting the marble floor echoed through the room. We both stared at it, as if expecting it to suddenly come back to life. "Did… did you actually just blast my arm off?" I asked incredulously.
Tony shouted wordlessly, his repulsors recharging and his eyes furious. “I told you to shut up!”
I dodged and rolled, faster this time, grabbing my arm from the floor, but Stark was quick. He was shrieking at me, blindly firing and giving me no time to reattach my arm. I resolved to dodging around him, moving quickly under his fire before straightening behind him, bashing him over the head with my metal arm which I held like a weapon.
We froze. “You just hit me.”
“I did.”
“With… with your arm.”
“That is accurate.”
Tony stared at me, his lips attempting to form words but failing. I gave him a slight head tilt. "If you can't come up with a clever remark about this, I'm afraid all hope is lost. I'm practically handing you the perfect setup." I snorted and waved my arm slightly. “Get it? Handing?”
A strange look came into his eyes and he shook his head slightly. “ I can’t… I don’t know which thoughts are real.”
I sagged slightly. “I hate this saying, but I actually do know how that feels.”
Tony retreated a step. “You’re my enemy.”
I snorted. “And you’re a dick. Use that big fucking brain of yours and come to a logical fucking conclusion.”
He just continued to stare at me. He wasn’t firing at me anymore though, so that was a plus.
“STARK!”
We both startled and twisted around to face the origin of the noise. One of the leaders was making his way towards us, having returned to the room, likely avoiding the others. It wasn’t the main guy, just one of his superiors.
I frowned. “Excuse me this is actually a private conversation.”
“Shut up!” He snarled.
“People keep saying that to me, I’m starting to think I’m the problem.”
The man’s face twisted in irritation. This was way easier than trying to comfort Tony had been.
“Stark.” He said again, voice barely containing his anger. “Stop stalling and kill him.”
Tony’s eyes flicked to me, doubt evident on his face and I felt a small thrill of victory. He wasn’t back, but I’d got him questioning. His ego and intellect could take care of the rest.
The man huffed in annoyance, pulling a gun to my temple and cocking it. “Fine. I’ll do it myself.”
I turned my face to the barrel. “Big pistol. Compensating?”
“Say what you like, it won’t matter once your brains are splattered over your friend’s face.”
“Whoa.” I breathed in through my teeth, making a slight whistling sound. “I wouldn’t say we were friends. He just pays for everything. He’s more like a sugar daddy.”
The man’s eye twitched and he shoved the gun harder into my face. “Goodbye soldier.”
Thor roared, his voice reverberating through the chamber and making us all jump. The man took several steps backward but Thor’s eyes were fixed on him. Roaring again, he lunged forwards and Mjölnir flew through the air, smashing into the man before he could try to escape. It was like a bolt of lightning, tearing through his body and sending him crashing to the ground in a heap of metal and flesh.
I stared at it before looking to Thor. “I had everything under control.”
Thor grunted, walking over with his hand outstretched. Mjölnir returned to it with a clang.
“Where are the others?”
He stopped infront of us, staring at Tony. “They are chasing the tall man. He has many guards with him.”
“And you chose to come back for us. I’m touched.”
“What has happened to Stark?”
I looked to Tony. He appeared less angry now, just confused. “Seems to have remembered he’s supposed to be the smart one.” Thor glanced at me, his lips pressed together and I sighed. “I think he’s gonna work it out himself. Just might need some time.”
Thor nodded. “And where is Fury?”
I spun. Nick Fury. Fuck. “Uh…. might have forgotten about him.”
“…And Banner?”
“Geeze I didn’t know I was running a bloody daycare.”
He sighed, glancing at Tony again for a moment. “Let us catch up with the others.”
As we ran through the corridors, we found ourselves once again in a maze of intertwining passages, each showing signs of a recent struggle. The smell of burnt metal and singed air hung heavy in the atmosphere, haunting remnants of a recent battle. As we pressed on, the sound of distant gunfire echoed through the building.
Tony had followed us, several steps behind, and we burst into a large room.
The space was unlike anything we had ever seen, save for maybe the underground lab in Phoenix. It glowed with a soft, unearthly light, casting shadows that danced on the walls in an almost hypnotic pattern. In the center of the room stood a large monumental structure. It was a labyrinth of tubes, wires, and circuits, with flashing lights and flickering screens. It looked as if the building itself had given birth to some kind of strange, futuristic organism.
We each approached the structure cautiously, awed by its complexity. The place seemed to possess a magnetic pull, as if it had a life of its own. It was both fascinating and terrifying, like stepping into the mind of some deranged genius.
Tony stood to the side, staring at the machines in awe, his face a mix of wonder and confusion. “This… this is one of the labs.” He said quietly, unsure if he should be telling us.
Thor and I exchanged a glance. “Where they make the serum?”
He turned to us, eyes hesitant, before giving a single, almost imperceptible nod.
As we stood there, staring at the intricate structure in front of us, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the room. Natasha, Clint, Steve, and Peter burst in, their weapons at the ready. Natasha immediately pointed her gun at Tony. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Peter nearly imploded. “No don’t! You can’t!”
Steve moved forwards, his shield raised. “He isn’t Tony anymore kid.”
Thor raised his arm in a placating gesture. “He is not himself but he is not currently a threat.”
Natasha’s aim didn’t waiver. “You got through to him?”
“Almost.” I said with a shrug.
She nodded, apparently satisfied enough to lower the gun.
Steve gestured his head to my metal arm, which I still held. “You good?”
I jiggled it slightly. “Yup.”
Steve’s hand tightened around his shield as he faced the team. “We have to take out the leader before he unleashes more destruction. The door at the back is our only way in.”
Clint frowned, his fingers tapping on his bow. “But what about the machines? We can’t just leave them running and risk further harm. Anyone can produce the serum from here.”
Natasha stepped forward, her eyes sharp and determined. “The leaders know how to make the serum. That knowledge is a far greater danger than any machines. We need to stop them first, then come back and deal with the lab.”
“What do you reckon Buck?” Steve looked to me.
“I say we kill the bastard then blow this whole place to heck.”
He smirked slightly.
“Don’t you dare tell me to watch my language.”
Natasha cocked her gun. “Let’s go then.”
We made our way to the rear door of the lab. It was a solid steel barrier, heavily fortified and securely locked. Clint looked back at Tony briefly. “Reckon he’d mind blasting this open?”
We all deliberated before Thor took the matter into his own hands and threw his hammer, splitting the door in two with a mighty crunch. The intense heat from the energy left melted edges on the metal where the hammer struck. He strolled over to the door and pushed it so that it fell to the ground. “It is open.”
Clint smirked. “That’ll do it.”
As we stepped inside, the sheer enormity of the mansion hit me. We had wandered through countless rooms and winding corridors, leaving me disoriented and unsure of our direction. We must have been close to the back of the building. This space was a complete contrast from the opulence we had passed through so far. The darkness enveloped us, like a thick cloak pulled over our heads. The only light came from the occasional dirty window, casting eerie shadows on the worn wooden floorboards. The silence was oppressive.
We crept along what felt like an endless hallway, stretching further than we could see into the darkness. No one spoke, too afraid to disturb the quiet.
After what felt like an eternity, I saw the faint outline of a window on the back wall, half covered by an old, worn curtain, and a door slightly ajar. The walls here were completely bare, and gaps in the plaster made the space feel worn and neglected. We hurried forwards, all wordlessly acknowledging the exit at the same time.
Amelie's voice echoed through the door as we approached. The light peeking through indicated that we were heading outside, and we hurried out. I blinked rapidly, trying to adjust my eyes to the brightness. The tall man we’d been chasing towered over Amelie, who had her back turned to him. She was hunched over someone lying on the ground. Before I could fully comprehend the situation, Thor's strangled cry rang out from behind me. "NO!”
I blinked. The figure was Loki, and Amelie clung to him desperately, her body shaking. I swallowed, anger, and a strange powdery substance, clawing at my throat. It flittered through the air, bouncing the light around and shimmering as it settled in piles on the ground.
The tall man turned slowly, smiling at us sickeningly. “Hello again. I see you have something of mine.”
The others turned briefly to Stark, but I kept my gaze on the leader.
“You know, I do think it appears I might lose this.”
Thor dropped to his knees, his breathing ragged and choking sobs shaking his body. Clint stepped forwards, his teeth bared. “It’s over! You already have lost. Give up and accept your fate!”
I flicked my eyes to Steve and he dipped his head slightly. Something was off. He still seemed far too sure of himself for a man outnumbered.
“Yes, forgive me, I’m afraid losing is not something that comes naturally to me. But I’m afraid it is not quite over.”
Thor’s sobs were achingly raw, making it difficult to concentrate. My eyes darted around the interior courtyard we were in. He was clearly planning something.
Steve bristled. “What do you think you can do? Against all of us?”
“Oh I’m quite certain I’m no match for the mighty Avengers.” He spat. “But I do believe I have a way to win, even as I lose.”
“Quit with the riddles!” Clint shouted. “Let’s just get this over with!”
“As you wish.” His voice was low and sinister. He took a step back, grabbing Amelie by the throat. All of us lunged forwards before hesitating. “That’s right, stay where you are.”
Amelie’s legs dangled and her fingers clawed desperately at his grasp. “LET HER GO!” Clint bellowed.
Her eyes bulged and her face turned blue, but still he held her high. My heart pounded in my ears as I desperately tried to think.
“If I am going down, I am going to take every last one of you with me!” The man declared, pure hatred in his eyes.
Suddenly an almighty roar reverberated through the courtyard, the sound so loud it vibrated in my skull. We spun, The Hulk stood on the far side of the space, infront of a set of large metal doors. Everyone froze.
The Hulk’s eyes were fixed on the tall man, and pure unadulterated rage seethed from them. The man stumbled backwards, his hold on Amelie loosening slightly. The Hulk roared again, tendons protruding from his neck and his fists clenched so tight that the we could see the muscles strain in his arms. In a second, the man dropped Amelie, and she landed with a thud to the ground, desperately choking in large gulps of air. He turned to run, but the Hulk was faster, catching up to him in one swift leap. He grabbed him and the man screamed.
I rushed to Amelie while Thor ran towards Loki. She was gasping for air, her eyes were swollen and her neck was already starting to bruise. I gently pulled her close, making sure not to restrict her breathing. "Don't look, Amelie. Just look away." A horrifying scream escaped the man as the Hulk squeezed him, the sound of his bones breaking and snapping echoing off the walls. I could hear Clint grab Peter and shout for him to cover his eyes.
As the pressure intensified, the man's eyes protruded from their sockets and his screams turned into a strangled gurgle as he choked on his own blood.
Satisfied, the Hulk dropped his lifeless, broken body to the ground, letting out another mighty roar. Natasha rushed forwards to calm him, as the others joined me and Thor. Tony hovered further back.
I pulled Amelie back and looked her over. She was in a bad way. “We need to get you back.”
“No.” She choked, pulling out of my grip and shuffling to Loki’s side.
Thor held his brother to his chest, his eyes blank and unfocussed.
I caught Steve’s eye and swallowed. There would be no coming back from this.
Peter appeared at my side, his eyes on Loki’s body and his head tilted. Clint frowned. “This isn’t something you should see, kid.”
Peter looked to him briefly, his brow furrowed. “He’s still alive.”
Thor’s head whipped to Peter, light back in his eyes. I dropped to my knees and took Loki’s pulse. It was faint, but it was definitely there. “Amelie, what happened?”
Her eyes were fixed on Loki’s face. “He… he stabbed himself.”
Clint breathed in through his teeth. “Why?”
“Shh!!” Peter elbowed him.
“One of the leaders… they dosed him. They injected the serum in his neck. He was so afraid that they would use him. Said he was too dangerous.”
Steve nodded solemnly. “A noble sacrifice. He really did change.”
Thor was beside himself. “He’s still alive! We have to do something!”
“If we save his life, he won’t be him anymore!” Clint argued. “You saw what happened to Tony!”
At this, Stark appeared behind Amelie, wordlessly watching all of us. I tilted my head. “Can… can you help him?” I asked.
Everyone looked from him to me. Tony made no movement, continuing to watch Loki with a blank expression. Amelie raised a hand, resting it on his arm gingerly. The touch pulled his attention to her, a slight frown on his face.
She took a deep breath. “If there’s any part of you that is still in there. Please. Please help him.” Her lip quivered as her voice cracked.
Tony stared at her as we all waited. Loki didn’t have long left.