...TWO MORE SHALL TAKE IT'S PLACE
The drive wasn't that long.
Sam was driving and Steve was running the general plan through us,but other than that,it was a rather quiet trip.
Closest thing to a vacation I got actually,a quiet road trip to Fort Meade.
It was a secure facility,and as Sam said,quite guarded.
We didn't have the privilege of wasting too much time there though.
I was the one to approach first,head on,as I walked alone towards the first patch of security outside the first door.
Three on the front,four behind.
All heavily armed.
“Ma'am”,one of them came closer,his palm lifted,gun on arm, “You are not allowed here”
“Oh. Too bad”,i pursed my lips.
He gave me a confused look as I punched sideways and a stone wall dragged him to a wall,along with the other two,keeping them in place as they all groaned in pain,their bodies pressed.
I lifted my head,Steve,Sam and Tasha had already taken care of the rest.
Although it appeared like nothing more than an old,military warehouse,it's doors' locks were metallic,rather complicated ones too. They required hand print recognition.
Sam pulled one unconscious man,got rid of his glove and put his hand right on the screen. A voice came out,recognizing the soldier,and after a loud beeping sound,the doors opened.
We had to walk down a dark hallway for a few minutes before seeing the next patch of guards. We were way past secrecy at this point.
Natasha and Steve came from each side,knocking three down in exactly three moves.
“Hey!”,one guard shouted.
Four were coming towards us,Sam next to me. Their guns were up,pointing at us.
Steve threw in hi shield,coming my way as I flipped over and kicked it,hitting the first two to run on the chests,causing them to fall down.
Sam punched the third,i kicked the fourth.
One tried to stand up-
“Don't dude”,i said,my arm filled with flames. “Just nap for a little”
Natasha elbowed him and he fell right back.
“C'me on Pers. One more to go”,she smiled at me and I huffed.
I went closer; I put my hand in front of the lock. Heated it enough with a fire shot and kicked it down until it broke and fell down.
An alarm went off. Time really wasn't on our side here.
We were now running down the hallway,red lights turned on,illuminating each section we approached.
“Take care of the lock Pers. We'll take care of them”,Tasha shouted at me and I nodded.
There were many more guards this time.
Trusting them enough,i slid past the guards,taking a metal shield from the walls,surrounding myself with it until I was in the place I had to.
I lifted a wall to keep myself more secluded,and fires began surrounding me.
The lock,a rather elegant one,pretty perplexed on the eye,was gradually beginning to expand,the steel's strength decreasing as my temperature was increasing,it's heat becoming almost too dangerous for anyone to come closer,hence the wall.
After a while it was good enough for me to bend it; it was now more weak.
I managed to open it,and called on the others.
Inside that room stood a suit,big steel feathers spread out ,a light coming down on them from above.
“Damn...”,i exclaimed and Sam smirked.
He went closer,put in on. The feathers closed,then abruptly opened up,so quickly that I flinched.
The engines started,Sam now flying above us,his speed too high as he went out the building then inside again before he landed before us.
“Yup. Still not rusty”
“Cool”,i said,my lips pursed,curved downwards as I nodded at him. “Cool,birdie,real cool”
“Not a bird- you know what. I won't even go there anymore”,he pursed his lips,showing his dismissal and I chuckled.
“Come on”,Steve said. “We don't got all day”
For some reason,i had to wait for them on the rooftop. They said i'd be noisy,so they'd instead bring the party to me.
A bald man with a nice suit on and round glasses was flown through the entrance door,a few feet away from me,now on his back.
I was seated down,simply watching; the man,Jasper, tried to stand up rather clumsily. Steve and Tasha came in and he tried to run,taking in his surroundings.
“Whoa-whoa. Easy there,agent”,i laughed out,kicking him on the stomach as he ran.
Sitwell fell on his back,groaning.
“Miss Pearse I presume..”,he huffed out,trying to get back up. “You should have stayed in Italy..You have turned out to be a real bother here,to us”
Seeing him now I could recognize the man before me; I was always better with faces rather than names. I'd seen him quite a few times down to HQ. He was a big shot,in some ways.
I approached him,tapping my foot down and so a stone pile kicked him up until I caught him by his tie; his face was inches from my own.
“Yeah,well..The feeling is mutual”,i pressed my lips into a rather angry smile,looking down on him. “Your call Steve”
Sitwell turned his gaze to see Steve coming from behind me.
“Tell us about Zola's algorithm”,Steve asked,rather nicely if you ask me,despite his tone's strictness.
“What's that? A new sushi combo ?”,Sitwell joked,and I snorted.
“Try again suitman”
“You are fugitives- criminals. Miss Pearse,Captain. Agent Romanoff”,he turned to each one of us,his palms up as I was still grabbing him by the tie. “I'm sure you wouldn't want to put in anything more in that record of yours”
“Do it”,Steve said and I put on a half smile.
I let his tie,pulling my right elbow back right before pushing it forwards; just before Sitwell fell completely down the stone embraced his feet,pushing him to the edge of the roof,holding him in place,though the upper part of his body was hanging.
“You are not murderers. Captain”,he turned to Steve,his breathing heavy, “You wouldn't allow that”
“Yeah,well”,Steve and I were walking right next to each other,approaching him as Tasha followed, “I'm kinda outnumbered here”,he shrugged.
I lifted a fist,turning it as the stone keeping him feet in place dissolved; Sitwell's eyes grew bigger as Tasha ran his way,lifting him by the collar just before she threw him down.
“Ooh...”,i huffed,a grimace on my face. “Must have crapped his pants by now..”
“Happens to the best of us”,Tasha joked.
Just then Sam flew up,a vertical line opposing the building just before he dropped Sitwell right in front of us; he flipped over,huffing and screaming before he realized what had happened.
Sam landed a few feet away from us,his feathers going in as he casually walked.
“It's...”,Sitwell stuttered,his palms up, “for choosing targets,for project Insight”
His chest was coming up and down,his feet trembling. I tilted my head.
“Insight...is for killing?”,i muttered,Steve and Tasha both looking at me as I spoke. “Who? Who does it kill?
“Targets- you,Persephone Pearse”,he pointed at me, “Captain Rogers”,he then pointed at Steve, “Stephen Strange,Bruce Banner...a cashier in New Delhi,a mailman in LA...any potential threat to HYDRA,now or in the future!”
“How could you possibly know the future?”,Steve asked him,his brows knitted together.
“It's just as Zola said..”,i mumbled and they all turned to me. “He has access to everything..”,i now turned to Sitwell, “So,they try to predict a possible outcome,based on our digital behavior?”
“That's right”,he huffed,nodding at me. “It's the 21st century. No better way to learn a man's true nature than through his online imprint”
“That's crap”,i snapped. “You are targeting people based on nothing more than assumptions!”
“How does it work?”,Steve asked him,not giving my tantrum any more room to grow.
“I'm a dead man...he's gonna kill me..”,Sitwell chanted,looking down.
“You're dead either way big man”,Tasha noted,her lips pressed on a thin line. “So,start singing”
He was still hesitant,his eyes running circles. I approached,my footing strong,my hands turned to fists as I grabbed him by the collar,throwing him down.
“It's the Helicarriers!”,he almost cried out, “They scratch them off the list,a few million at a time”
“A few...million?”,i repeated,my eyes big. “Are you people nuts?”
We run to Sam's car,himself driving. Steve was on the front,Tasha myself and Sitwell on the back.
“They're gonna kill me”,Sitwell said,his voice trembling.
“We all make our choices Agent”,i hummed. “Yours was to follow a nutjob and assist in the killing of millions”
“What other choice did I have?”,he muttered to himself.
“We have sixteen hours before the launching begins”,Tasha said.
“Not long enough..”,i noted.
“We'll use him to bypass-”
We felt extra weight on the car,coming from it's roof. The window was broken,Sitwell snatched away; we didn't have much time to act.
Whoever was up,shot down; Tasha jumped on Steve,i flipped to the next seat.
“Hold tight-”,i shouted.
“What are you-”,Steve didn't have much time to speak.
I got my ass on the smashed,now opened window,my upper body now out; it was him.
The Winter Soldier looked at me,his arm holding on to the roof of the car,the other carrying a gun.
“Long time no see soldier”,i hummed.
He pointed his gun at me,my palm pointing him; he seemed confused for a moment.
I shot a fire blast his way;
The soldier flipped jumped,landing right in front of us on the road; Sam suddenly stopped the car and I almost fell out.
“Dude!”,i shouted at him,now back on my seat.
“Well- excuse me!”,he snapped at me.
He was on his knees,eyes looking at us. He then got up,and I thought it was perhaps time to get out,give an end to this thing.
But then a car pushed us from behind and I fell forward,hitting my forehead on Sam's seat.
“Mother-”
Sam started the car,the one behind still on our asses,pushing hard; the soldier jumped,landing on our roof again. He smashed the windscreen with his metallic arm,snatching the steering wheel away,throwing out.
“-fucker..”,i exclaimed,as now the car was out of control.
We were thrown in circles,and Steve grabbed my arm; I was now on top on him and Tasha. Sam,following his thinking came on me.
Steve had his shield on his one side,pushing forward as he opened the door,all of us on top of him as we were fiercely thrown out,on to the street,hitting the hard concrete.
Sam and I were flipped over,Steve and Tasha still on the door.
“Pers!”he screamed at me.
My entire arm was grazed by the concrete;blood coming out through the scratches.
I clenched my jaw,breathing heavily as I stood up.
“Im fine”,i groaned.
The soldier came at us,a big gun on hand as he shot Steve; it landed on his shield,but still he was thrown off the bridge,too far for me to keep track on him.
“Don't shoot my boy dude. I really don't appreciate it”,i hummed,walking his way as I stretched my arms,wiping some of the blood.
My temperature increased,enough for the bleeding to stop- not the time for this.
Flames began covering my body as I was approaching him,way too confident. Agents began shooting at us and tapped down,now on one knee as to avoid the bullets.
Tasha and Sam were both hiding behind cars; we were unarmed. I didn't have my blades,we had no shields whatsoever. Just Sam's suit.
I stood up,fiercely kicking forward as the wall covering me slip ahead,throwing three agents down,keeping them that way.
Tasha began shooting at them,and I looked at her; she nodded at me and so I continued my marching.
He was out of bullets,i had a few moments to spare.
I ran his way,jumping before kicking him; the soldier put his arm on the way,stopping my kick.
I landed down on my feet; I ran again,changing course mid-way to headlock him,jumping up as I was now on his back,trying to pull my grip enough for the air to get thin on his lungs.
He jumped,falling on his back and thus,on me. I groaned; he stood up before me,now carrying a rather big gun,pointing at me.
My eyes grew bigger as I quickly stood up,running off the bridge,the bullets marking a path behind me;
I heard some shootings just as I jumped; saw Tasha shooting at him from the back,with the corner of my eye. Gosh,i love that girl.
I flipped,flames smoothing out my landing.
The other agents began shooting at her,and so she run; I could hear the rumbling sound following after them.
The soldier jumped down,landing on a car before me,his gun still in place as he began shooting maniacally my way.
I pulled my arms together in front of my face in a shielding manner,two walls brought together to stop the bullets from hitting me;
I kicked on my side,one big chunk on stones thrown his way; I kicked again,one more to go.
I kept kicking,for a few minutes only standing on one foot as the other was kicking non stop,one big chunk following the other.
The soldier kept dodging them,shooting their way until they were reduced to dust.
He was a bothersome one alright.
“Steve”,i shouted,hoping the intercom still worked. “as much as i'd hate to interrupt this napping of yours- “
He was coming closer,the distance separating us now reduced to ten feet; I flipped over,one chunk surrounded by flames thrown his way,a big explosion pushed me over and I landed on my feet in a crouched position,my arms in front of my face.
“- we could use the help!”,i continued and I heard some groaning coming from the other side.
“Little busy here Pers”,he hummed,muffled shooting sounds coming from the background.
I put my hands back,the soldier now in front of me,kicking me until I fell on my side,feet away from him.
I stood up,holding my one knee as I spat out some blood. I sighed; annoyed,angry,hurting,tired- I didn't know which one was it. But he was out of bullets.
He ran my way,and so did I.
Each punch was dodged,each kick was pushed back. I was flipped,and so was he,every hit from either party being overthrown.
I was pushed back,my feet grazing the hard ground.
“Let's get this over with already”,i snapped as I straightened my body.
He ran my way again,and I jumped; formed an x with my hands,strong flames covering them as I tried to hit him.
He put his metallic arm on the way,the flames only mere inches from his face as I kept on pushing forward. I groaned,and so did he.
There were blood drops coming out both my mouth and nose,my muscles all tight; just then I noticed something with the corner of my eyes-
I lifted my one arm,flames now around my right one,grabbing his metallic arm tightly,strongly as I could.
A buzzing sound cut the wind,Steve's shield landing on my lifted left arm,slightly pushing it back.
The man in front of me opened his eyes- in no time I punched him with the shield and he was thrown a few steps back; Steve was running my way.
I threw his shield to the soldier,my torso turned as to give in more impute to it's speed and force; the soldier caught it and threw it my way.
I pushed my fist,a pile of concrete aiding me as a footing to flip jump over; Steve grabbed the shield,throwing it again with the soldier at it's end.
“Finally”,i groaned,standing next to him.
He caught the shield,throwing it at Steve whom just barely dodged a hit,landing at a car behind us.
I ran again,ready to kick,Steve coming the other way to kick his legs; he put his metallic arm up,throwing me behind,punching Steve on the chest.
We were both down,my lips pursed as my jaw was clenched. He was greatly bothersome.
“You miss me?”,he huffed,chuckling as he spoke.
“Extremely”
I tightened my fists,cracked my neck; Steve grabbed his shield,threw it his way until it hit him enough to fall on his knee.
I pushed a fist to the side,his right side was covered by stone,pulling him down; I pushed my left to the side,what was left was now covered as well.
He was down,the stones hard on his body. Steve punched him and I ran; Steve went back,flames covering my fist as I hit his chest,waves of fire escaping his body as it was the core of the hit.
He coughed and groaned; my fist was still on his chest,my eyes on his,close enough to see them throwing daggers at me,his irises light blue,yet enraged.
His body was trembling,and so was the ground bellow my feet; with one heavy groan his metallic arm escaped the grip of the stones. He pulled it back,ready to punch.
“Uh-oh”,that was the only thing I managed to say before getting punched,ten feet away.
I landed on my back,my spine hurting,every muscle sore. I groaned,grinding my teeth as I tried to stand up; Steve was thrown the other way,the soldier's mask was now down on the street.
I tried touching my right cheekbone but it hurt too much; this would leave a bruise.
A silvery aftertaste filled my mouth,blood coming out in small trails escaping my mouth.
I stood up,my knees weak as every bone inside me. But the job was not yet done.
I saw Steve standing across him,a few feet away from me; his face was stone cold,baffled,waves of disbelief hitting his eyes.
“Bucky?”,he asked,his brows knitted,his voice low.
“Who?”,i asked,holding my right arm.
I turned to look at the soldier; his face was revealed,and..there was something. He too seamed familiar somehow. But I was growing tired of this entire thing with everyone's face.
“Who the fuck is Bucky?”,the soldier asked,speaking for the first time.
Sam flew in then,throwing the sol- no,Bucky, down. An explosion took place as Bucky tried to stand up again,cars and road pieces flying over us.
I turned around and saw Tasha holding a big gun- Sam landed next to us.
“You..”,i huffed, ” you know him?”,i turned to Steve.
Just then a few dozen cars pulled over,a horde of agents surrounding every possible escaping route,guns pointing our heads.
I couldn't do shit; one move of my finger and they'd shoot our foreheads.
We all lifted our arms up as Rumlow got out,his men forming a circle around us.
“On your knees!”,he kept on shouting.
Steve fell down,allowing him to put cuffs around his wrists; I followed along.