FREEDOM
Steve was by the bridge,his eyes fixed on the horizon. I approached,hands in pockets.
“You know,it's weird”,i said,my voice echoed throughout the bridge. Steve turned his head to see me as I was now next to him. “They put together a life for you in their files..all the info,all the things they can gather from you..”
I took a breath; Steve was eyeing me,silent.
“The can say Stark helped out with your serum..That Carter was the founder of SHIELD,that Bucky was a friend of yours..”,i huffed,feeling the air brushing my lips. “That's all the can do but..people's lives,they don't fit in pages”
I gave him a warm smile,and he tried to return it,though it didn't stay on his face for too long.
“You cared for him”,i whispered,my lips shut together as I waited for his answer.
“I cared for a lot of people back then..”,he admitted,his words carried out by the light wind.
“What about now?”,it came out in a hoarse whisper,my eyes locked on his. Pleading,if nothing more.
“I...”
I didn't know what I was expecting,nor what I had in mind. I pulled him closer and kissed him.
It wasn't like that time in the mall; it was much more..emotional,if nothing more. One of those things you cannot find the words to describe,for there aren't any.
He grabbed my waist,pulling me even closer,his fingers deep in my skin; he was hurting,confused,angry...all these many things,a hunger raging inside him,though..i couldn't say if it was meant for me.
His lips felt strong against my own,his tongue searching,yearning for more,much more.
I wasn't one to speak for feelings; I couldn't understand them well enough to do so. There was happiness,a rather brief feeling,one to always come at a certain cost,usually outweighing it's first value.
There was sadness,a bitter emotion,a familiar one,it's follower always being a sick,loathsome emptiness. Jealousy,anger,rage,void. The emotions I felt all could be counted on my fingers,but other than that..
I was a soldier; a person who acted based on instincts. I never had the time to analyze things,to put a filter on them. I would curse and I would throw tantrums and..
I would kiss a desperate man standing right next to me,not because I had thought it through,but because it felt right. Like,i had to.
Steve pulled away,slowly,his eyes still closed as we both tried to catch our breaths; his lips leaving mine left an empty space on me; a void,as if they shouldn't ever leave.
My mouth felt full,warm,my lips swollen.
His hands were still grabbing my waist,his forehead on mine for a few seconds as we remained silent; we could only listen to our breathing- heavy huffs to fill the silence.
After a while,he pulled away,looking down as I bit my lips.
“I don't know if your friend is still inside that man..it's possible they're two entirely different people by now you know..”,i said to him suddenly and he looked up at me.
“But..i won't punch to kill... not unless you ask me to”,i admitted,my lips pursed waiting for him to speak,to say..anything,really.
“Thank you”,he smiled softly.
“Steve,i-”
“You guys gonna suit up?”,Sam's voice coming loudly from the sky as he flied to us cut me mid-sentence.
We both looked up at him; perhaps it was for the better that I didn't get the chance to speak.
“Did I interrupt anything?”,he asked confused.
“No Birdie. You're right,let's go”,i said and walked down the bridge,Steve following me. “You are gonna suit up,right?”,i turned to him,chuckling.
“You don't go to war in sweatpants Pers”,he answered,a light half smile on his face as he walked ahead.
“Should I be offended now?”,i asked,trying to hide off a smile.
“As if you ever needed anything more than sweatpants”,he muttered and I chuckled.
We were in the control room where Hill messed with some buttons,though nobody really gave her much care. It was enough to cause a small diversion,zapping their way of communicating until Steve got what he wanted.
A man opened the door,Sam and Hill pointing a gun at him,myself and Steve silent as he lifted his arms up nervously.
“'Xcuse us”,i smiled as we walked past him.
Steve leaned down,Maria pressed a button and nodded at him; he put his face in front of a microphone.
He began speaking,now everyone in Triskelion able to listen to his words. Sam,Maria and I were making sure nobody shoots us down as Steve was speaking.
I really,really hoped this could work.
“SHIELD has been taken over by HYDRA; Alexander Pierce acts as their leader,the strike and Insight crew are HYDRA as well. Many more are with them,some even standing next to you,your friends,your colleagues,anyone”,Steve said,his voice echoing throughout the entire building,reaching ever agent inside.
“They are the ones responsible for Nick Fury's death,and if you launch those Helicarriers,it won't end just there. They will be able to kill anyone to stand up to them- unless we do something about it. Our freedom is not to be sold. I fought for it before,and I will do it again,no matter how many times,no matter the cost. And I believe I am not the only one feeling like this. If it's risky,so be it- it has always been like that,and where are people shooting us down to kneel,there also people taking a stand. I'm willing to bet there are people like that in here too”
He pressed the button again,the red light suggesting he would be heard through the speakers was now off. Sam looked at him with raised eyebrows; I whistled.
“Anyone told you you should ran for president?”,i asked in a playful manner as he walked past us.
“Hate politics Pers”
“Yeah,one hour in a room full of politicians with you- I guarantee you they'll end up hating it as well”,i noted and Sam almost choked by an abrupt chuckle; Steve rolled his eyes,though he didn't manage to completely hide a half smile.
We went out; Sam,Steve and myself running down the platform as the Helicarriers were going up.
Sam's wings opened as he was ready to fly.
“So,shoot them all it is”,i hummed as I was running,seeing how we were reaching an edge; we were gonna have to jump. Again.
“Just the ones who shoot you first,Pers”
“Right”,i clicked my tongue.
“Yo Sam-”,i shouted seeing how he was still on the ground, “Gimme a lift”
Sam flied my way,picking me up from the waist as we went up. Steve ran and jumped off the edge,falling down the lower platform.
“This thing really wasn't build for two people”,Sam groaned as we were coming closer to the Heli's.
“Make one comment about my weight and it'll be the last thing you'll say”,i said,quietly as I could.
“Yes ma'am”,he gulped.
“Just drop me down-”
As soon as I opened my mouth they began shooting at us,HYDRA agents as I thought. Sam turned over,successfully avoiding each hit as puffs of smoke was following behind,after each explosion.
“You okay?”,Steve asked through the intercom.
“We're managing”,Sam shouted in a hoarse voice.
“Drop me off Birdie”
“It's too high Pearse”,he hummed.
“I'll manage”,i smiled and he murmured something.
He went as close to one of them as he could,dropping me down before going back up,as the shootings weren't stopping.
I flipped around,covering my body with flames as I landed on my feet,slightly losing my balance and falling down.
I quickly stood up,wiping off my pants as more agents came closer,trying to surround me; much of a grant entrance,huh?
“Hello boys”,i smiled at them.
I kicked down,a wall emerged to push them back,keeping them in place; I ran down,opened a door and headed to the core,the place Hill told us of.
“Pearse,you in?”,Maria asked; speak of the devil.
“Yup,almost got it”
I reached it; four grant paths all leading to the same place. A core,covered by hard,shining steel. I pushed the buttons,gave the order for the chips to come down and got Fury's one inside,along with all the other ones.
“Alpha locked”,i shouted through the intercom. “Or Bravo...i don't know,these names are really confusing,mine is good to go”,i began running back,ready to head to the second one.
I slammed the door opened and ran towards the Helicarrier's edge; I froze for a moment,and sighed. I really,really hated this thing. Kinda wished I could have wings like Sam at this point.
“Birdie- you good?”,i asked,hoping I could avoid the jump.
“Kinda busy Persephone”,he spelled out and I sighed once more.
“Sure,take your time,i got it”
I took a few steps back,stopped for a minute to calculate the distance- ah,screw this.
I ran off,turned my back on the sky as I jumped; I grabbed my right arm and shoot a great deal of fire out of it,trying to keep me up on the air.
I changed my position again mid-course,my torso turned as I flipped over,fire covering me,smoothing my landing,when I saw Sam dropping off Steve,just before going up again.
“Busy? Really?”,i muttered as Steve approached me.
“He gave me a ride”,he shrugged.
Just then Steve was thrown off the platform,long before I could move.
Bucky had catapulted him away;
“The fuck- Steve?”,i yelled,trying to get to him.
Bucky pushed me back,making sure I wouldn't get to Steve. I fell on my back,groaning as I tried to stand up.
“Motherf...”,i sighed,annoyed more than anything. “You really get on my nerves dude...”
“The feeling's mutual”,he said in a hollow voice.
“Oh”,i raised both eyebrows. “So,he can speak now”
“Persephone”,i heard Sam's voice over my ear. “Everything okay?”
“No Sam-”,i snapped,walking towards Bucky as he did so too, “Everything is not okay. Nothing is ever fucking okay”,i mumbled.
“Need a hand?”
“Just finish the job! We got this- Rogers?”
“Yeah...i'm fine”,he groaned.
I curved my left arm,my right one up in a fist as the ground came up,slowly, to form a blade attached to my lower left arm.
“Get in Steve. I'm handling this”,i said,my eyes fixed on Bucky.
He ran my way,his metallic arm ready to punch as I pushed my left arm,slightly cutting the flesh of his forearm. He clenched his jaw,eyeing the cut,then me again. Oh,fuck me.
“You sure? Pers- don't kill him”,he warned me,though I knew it was more of a plead if nothing else.
Bucky kicked the back of my knees,forcing me to bent them as he punched me with enough force to throw me back.
“I...”,i huffed,getting back on my feet, “i'm starting to believe the dynamic here isn't as you think it is”,i mumbled.
He watched Steve running in and tried to go his way; I stood up,throwing a stone knife his way,grazing his cheekbone. Bucky turned to see me coming towards him.
“Um. Excuse me? I'll really try not to take this personally”,i spelled out and he took out a knife from his belt.
We were toe to toe here; he tried piercing me with his blade,i leaned back,punching him as I got up.
He managed to throw off each kick I gave,right to left,my hands in fists. It had been a long while since I last fought a battle this exciting,if I have to be honest.
I covered my right fist on flames,trying to land a hit when he put that damned hand in the way; I increased the temperature,though nothing happened,nothing other than Bucky groaning as he pushed me back.
He pulled out a gun,firing straight at me; I crouched my body,a wall surrounding me.
After a while he stopped firing; I pulled the walls down,seeing how he was headed down to the core;
I lifted both my fists,his feet sucked in the concrete as I ran his way;
I punched him,his footing now far from stable. I kicked his head fiercely enough that the stones keeping him in place were now shreds as he fell back.
I climbed over him,punching again and again.
“The fuck's your deal Sergeant?” ,i yelled at him as I kept punching,blood coming out of his nose. “What the fuck happened to you?”
He put his metallic arm in front of his face,stopping my own as I froze. His expression...his brows were knitted together,yet his eyes were wide open; hurt,anguish..i couldn't understand what it was exactly.
He headbutted me,it hurt like a motherfucker. I was thrown back,and before I could stand up again he hit my head with the back of his gun.