Eunoia [Bucky Barnes]

chapter 8

Ava and Steve were situated behind a thin blockade of barbed wire, watching as supply trucks trundled by. Without warning, Steve jolted out and ran towards the last vehicle, Ava staring after him as he looked back and waved at her to follow. She glanced along the road to see if there were anymore trucks to pass before jogging forward and hoisting herself up to join Steve. She was about to ask him what the definite plan was, but stopped as she saw two people in black masks also sitting in the cramped space. Steve reacted quickly, though, and knocked them out before Ava threw the pair out of the back of the truck as quietly as possible.

She peeked out as she watched the bodies disappear into the mud. After a while of uncomfortable silence, the wheels of the truck slowed down, making both Ava and Steve tense up against the rough material. The truck reversed as Steve held up his shield, getting ready to protect them. The covering was lifted as a guard looked into the carrier, confused as to why no soldier had exited from theirs. In a swift motion, Steve used his shield to hit the guard, making him fly back.

"Nice one, Steven." Ava whispered before hopping out after the soldier. They crept along the wall before running over to a group of tanks to use as protection. Behind them, a towering building was illuminated and Ava stared up as she tried to make out what was happening inside it.

"We need to get in there." Steve thought out loud before pointing towards a single tank that was sitting beside it. "We'll use that to get up onto the wall, then there's a door straight ahead that we can use to get access to the rest of the building."

Ava nodded at him to signal that she understood his instructions as Steve began counting down for them to get ready to run. Once Steve had leaped cleanly up the tank and was sitting behind the wall, he looked around for guards before reaching down a hand for Ava. She grabbed it and continued to run after the signature shield, all while ducking to stay out of sight.

Once inside the base, the pair crept from pillar to pillar as guards patrolled the area. Steve was about to move again when a glowing blue caught Ava's eye as she turned to see that it was some kind of technology. Steve took a step back to be beside her, and he wasted no time in grabbing a cartridge of the tech before stuffing it into his pocket. He then pointed his head to the left as the two continued making their way onward through the base. Steve had told Ava not to fire her gun, no matter what, which meant she was on lookout as he used his shield to take out the guards. Once the coast was clear, Ava ran up to where Steve was crouched down and talking to a group of prisoners.

"Who are you supposed to be?" One of them asked as Steve began patting down a guard, trying to find a set of keys.

"I'm.. Captain America." He answered as he ran in the entrance's direction to the cells.

"I beg your pardon?" The soldier asked Steve, but he was already off to try and free them. Ava just shrugged at him as she too ran to help them. Steve began unlocking their cells, and prisoners poured out into the crowded space. Ava was pushed away slightly as she tried to catch up to Steve, who was back talking to the original group.

"There's an isolation ward in the factory, but no one's ever come back from it." She heard a soldier tell Steve as the others walked in the exit's direction.

"All right. The tree line is northwest, 80 yards past the gate. Get out fast and give 'em hell. I'll meet you guys in the clearing with anybody else I find." Steve instructed the men as he frowned when he noticed Ava was nowhere in sight.

"Wait! You know what you're doin'?" Another asked him, breaking him from his search.

"Yeah. I've knocked out Adolf Hitler over two hundred times." Steve smirked back as he began running to now find not one friend but two.